A/N - so here is the end. I know that some of you have asked for more, and I really appreciate the support, but in my head the story ends here. The previous chapter was unplanned, which is why it has a life of its own – although it has given my muse some food.

I will consider doing one shot spin offs when I have more time (and when I have gotten Piano no Mori out of my head).

Thank you all for sticking with the madness until the end.

Chapter 24

The entertainment industry was turned on its head. Almost all productions were delayed due to staff quitting or getting fired. Some were cancelled if they were missing a producer or director, or suspended indefinitely until a replacement could be found.

Love Me assignments were often stage hand work. Many stage hands and apprentices got the opportunity to fill in for missing tech, costume designers or cameramen. Those will talent got an instant leg up in the industry, regardless of background.

In the midst of all the upheaval, Kyouko and Ren still found themselves subject to verbal abuse both on and off set. Ren in particular was having a hard time, as many people could not forgive him for hiding his true identity. Possibly it was the concept that he had earned so much respect when it was all an act, or maybe people were just using him as a scapegoat for their frustrations at the sudden changes in the industry. Either way, even Yashiro was unable to protect him from all of it.

Unable to help Ren, and getting frustrated at the situation, Kyouko realised that her grudge demons were multiplying again.

Worried that she was developing negative emotions again, and afraid of losing all that she had gained, Kyouko asked her pseudo parents Kuu and Julie for advice.

The Hizuris felt glad that Kyouko had finally learned to ask for help and lean on them for support, but the news worried them. They rallied together their friends and colleagues in the industry to make a stand.

Kuu and Hirotaka senior called a press conference. They announced to the world that if they caught anyone abusing their connections in the industry, they would make sure they never got another job as entertainers.

They read out quotes from online forums and repeated what they had said during the fight.

"Every single one of you respected Tsuruga-san for his talent and hard work. I have some nicknames here: 'One take wonder', 'Co-star killer', 'Mr Punctual'.
Since there is such an uproar at finding out his identity, it is clear no-one knew before. This industry is good at keeping secrets after all." Hirotaka senior smiled ruefully.

"Do you blame these children of ours for changing their names? I don't, although it has been hard not being able to be with my son."

Kuu stood up to speak. "How many times have you complained when your favourite stars stopped work after they had children? Why do you think that is? It is because they did not want their child to be brought up with so many prejudices against them. Enough is enough. This has gone beyond petty jealousy. People are getting mobbed, and families are getting broken apart. I don't know when it started, but it is going to stop now!" He paused for breath, then added calmly. "Any questions?"

Hirotaka gestured to a reporter with his hand up. "Are you honestly trying to say that children of stars do not have an advantage?"

"No, of course not. They have exposure to the industry from a very young age. Of course they are going to have a better understanding on day 1. But, they still have to audition like everyone else. They still have to work hard. Also, once others have experience in the industry, their advantage is lost. To thrive as an entertainer, you need talent and you need to work hard.

What we are objecting to here is blind hatred for a person because of their parentage.
Next question?"

"It seems like most stars have connections in the industry. Do you think it is possible to succeed without them?"

Kuu answered.

"Connections are made by giving people good impressions, and them remembering you for it. Julie and I knew no-one when we started. In fact I would say the number of stars who knew people in the industry when they first started is surprisingly low. Perhaps due to the reception they tend to receive as second generation stars. Next question."

"Speaking of family, what is your relationship to the actress Kyoko? She is dating your son, and calls you 'Dad'. She has also become very popular very fast. Did you not influence her career?"

Kuu huffed. "Not at all. Kyouko worked her way up from nothing, to where she is now. Before she met me, she herself got a commercial through her own steam, and them an MV, and of course the role of Mio.

She was assigned to look after me and I was bored, so I gave her scenes to act out. One of them was to play my child. I enjoyed her company, and saw her talent, so I asked her to continue to call me father. It may seem unusual, but if you ever get to meet her, you would understand."

Hirotaka smiled "She is an interesting girl. Hardworking and modest."

"Tsuruga Ren got her the part of Mio, though. Everyone says so!" The reporter had objected again.

Kuu actually laughed.

Hirotaka frowned. "Not everyone, I am sure. Kyouko was recommended because of her work as the dark angel in an MV. She was chosen because of her talent."

Ku had gotten himself under control, "Do you really think that Ren of all people would give anyone a leg up after being bullied for those sorts of accusations himself? Seriously, where does this all come from?" His laughs were almost hysterical, so Hirotaka called an end to the press conference.

Their message was heard, however, and they received plenty of apology letters.

Lory assigned the new Love Me Section members the task of reading and sorting through all the mail.

Kuu was still doing the odd commercial: any excuse to stay in Japan until he knew his son would be fine. Unsurprisingly, most of them were food related since he had a famously bottomless stomach.

Since the press conference, he had been getting several requests to play father and daughter roles with Kyouko. Most of them he rejected for lack of content, but after talking it over with Kyouko, there was one commercial he accepted.

They had a lot of fun filming it.

"Dad, I'm home." Kyouko called entering the house. She spotted the sandwiches on the kitchen counter.

Looking around carefully and with exaggerated stealth, she crept up on them.

She was suddenly caught from behind and spun around by Kuu.

"Oh no you don't; those are mine!"

He threw her over his shoulder and carried her out of the kitchen, not realising that she had leaned down and snatched a sandwich before he removed her from the room.

She happily leaned her elbows against his back and chomped on it, while the narrator named the brand of bread.

The press were getting fed up with the general lack of gossip from Ren and Kyouko. They had done chat shows, but mostly together or just Ren. This was because Kyouko was not as experienced with deferring personal questions as Ren, but people were starting to grumble about it.

As such, it was suggested that perhaps Kyouko should attend an interview by herself. After all, she had had plenty of practice now.

She was nervous, but accepted, trying to remember all the tips Ren had given her as she focused on answering the questions.

"You are a love-Me member. You cannot love. How can we be happy that you are dating the most desirable man in Japan?"

"Actually, I have regained that important emotion, and will graduate with the release of my new movie: Untold Thoughts"

Kyouko blushed as she spoke, but internally she was proud that she had returned the topic back to the movie, just as Ren had explained. After all, she was there to promote her new film.

The presenter smiled at her attempt and, being good at her job, switched the topic back to gossip again.

"But in this movie, you are the female lead, acting opposite Tsuruga Ren the 'Co-star killer'. You are dating Ren, and have worked with him before. How can you be sure that you have not just fallen for his charms?"

Kyouko smiled softly, trying to hide her internal panic. Maybe I should turn into Natsu. She could deal with this better, or Mio… no, probably not Mio, although the reporter would definitely keep her questions in line after that. No, I want to do this myself. She sorted through the list of tips the Ren had given her and she heard Ren's voice in her head: 'but above all, just be yourself.'

So she relaxed slightly and spoke.

"But I have fallen for his charms. If I hadn't, why would I want to date him? He is my Fairy Prince"

She had been told that she had to appear confident about the fact that she was dating him, and she had practiced saying 'I am dating Tsuruda Ren' until she no longer stuttered over the words. She had been rewarded with an appreciative kiss from Ren when she had succeeded.

But she still had dazed eyes as she said the words 'Fairy Prince', as if she was seeing something that no one else could see.

The presenter studied the girl, and then tried another tack.

"So, now that you have relearned how to love, do any of the other men that have been chasing you have a chance?"

Kyouko looked shocked.

"Why would anyone other than Ren want to chase me? I was surprised when he … but the idea of more than one person is ludicrous. I am just …"

But she stopped herself. 'Don't tell them that you are plain and boring. They won't believe you.' She had interpreted Ren's words as meaning he didn't believe them, but the presenter had her eyebrow raised in disbelief.

Kyouko remembered that she had been made up before coming to talk, and make-up was magic.

"Not even Fuwa Sho?"

The presenter leaned forward eagerly. She had thought she had her when Kyouko froze.

"You don't really believe that Sho is attracted to me do you? He has told me quite clearly to my face that I am plain."

"But he Kissed you."

"When? Oh… That wasn't exactly a kiss. He was just trying to prove a point and embarrass me in front of my colleagues and friends. Sho and I will never have a romantic relationship, and he is aware of that"

Kyouko had since realised that Sho wanted more, but she had reasoned that the best tactic against this talk was to act innocent. She smiled when she realised that she had to act oblivious now. She had definitely recovered from her disease.

"But he still wrote that song for you."

Kyouko's innocent look had almost thrown the journalist for a loop, but she pulled herself together.

"He may not have publicly announced it, but I know he wrote that song for you, Kyouko-san. No-one would believe that he didn't want to be special to you. You cannot deny that you two are close."

Kyouko grasped at the wording that had been used.

"Yes, he and I are close. We have been friends as long as I can remember. His parents were kind enough to take me in when my own family was not able to. Our relationship is that of siblings, and as siblings so often do, we fight, and argue, and then make up."

Both Ren and Sho felt hope and despair as she spoke, though in the opposite order. Ren worried when she confirmed her feelings for Sho, but then was glad when he saw that she really had forgiven him. She really did no longer hold him in her heart. Sho on the other hand realised that it was over. He could not win.

But he had matured in the last few months and he didn't have a tantrum at the idea. Instead he picked up his guitar and strumming it softly, he thought through his past and present, and organised his feelings.

Kyouko was his possession, or at least he had thought that way, so maybe he could be happy with sibling status. He thought of his manager and her curves and realised that she may not be able to know him as Kyouko had, but at least she wasn't plain.

The presenter was starting to see that this girl was not the slut that she had been made out to be by some. All her actions suggested that it was the others who came to her, and she did not go searching for them. She was even starting to like the girl herself, although she pushed that thought aside, as that made her job harder.

She sorted through her thoughts, trying to find an angle she had not tried. It had been surprising when Kyouko had accepted her interview request. She was well known for digging up dirt on stars, and usually people would avoid her if they had so much in their past. It was almost like she was saying to the world 'look, my stories hold up even with this interrogator, so now do you believe me?'.

The following day, Sho came to visit Kyouko at the Darumaya. He really did not like the idea of letting her go, but recent events had shown him that he needed to grow up.

When he had seen the emptiness in her eyes last time they had met, he had been terrified, and he had not been able to fix it. Ren… or Kuon, or whatever he was called… he had fixed her.

"Sho-ta-ro."

He glanced up at the exaggerated pronunciation of his full name.

"I forgive you." Kyouko was smiling sadly at him.

As soon as she had spotted him, she had known. Somehow all the good things that had happened since his betrayal outweighed the bad… by a long way. It had not been until he stood before her that her suspicions had been confirmed, however.

She had gotten her sibling/lover loves the wrong way around.

In her hatred of Sho, she had not realised that she did love the boy she was brought up with, but not as a wife-to be.

The man she was dating was the only person she loved that way. That was why the love felt different. Not because she didn't love Ren, but because she had not been in love with Sho.

Knowing that Kuon who had been brought up in America, would not mind if she acted direct, and determined to make her point, she spoke openly of her feelings. "Shotaro-ni-san, I love Ren. I forgive you"

Then, standing up straight she said softly. "I am sure that your parents forgive you too, so you should go home and apologise to them."

Sho stared at her blankly, processing her words. She was not abandoning him. She had called him brother! His heart welled up with warmth and his eyes brimmed with tears.

"Kyouko" he croaked. "I… I really am sorry"

It was more of an apology than she had ever expected. She actually hugged him.

"Ah wait here!" she exclaimed, suddenly running upstairs to her room.

She came down holding her daruma doll in her hands. "I drew the eye when I wanted revenge. I swore to draw the second eye when your chin falls." She looked down shyly "I … don't have that target anymore, so, it is yours."

She handed it to Sho.

Sho took it. He looked at Kyouko sadly. "I really am sorry."

She nodded. "I know Sho. I forgave you a while ago."

When he got home, Sho drew the other eye on the doll. My chin has fallen, Kyouko.

With the drop in Ren's popularity, Sho had become number 1 hottest star. He still held the number 1 hottest bachelor position even after Ren regained his popularity, since Ren was no longer a bachelor.

As such, Sho had achieved his goal.

He went home and made peace with his parents. After becoming number 1, he held the position for a few years before the novelty wore off. He just didn't have the drive anymore, so he left Tokyo and studied his parent's craft seriously. He still wrote songs, and played them to his guests, or sold them to other pop stars. After everything that happened, he learned to actually enjoy the peace of the ryoukan, and it gives him fond memories of Kyouko how she is supposed to be… though he sometimes wondered whether he ever knew the real Kyouko.

Of course Kyouko and Ren got engaged. They moved in together.

Kyouko found Ren's nicotine patches that he had been using since playing Cain Heel, and made him go cold turkey. It amused her when the only withdrawal symptom he seemed to get was an increased appetite. For two weeks, she had to feed him the same quantities that Kuu got through. She made sure to get lots of video evidence as proof.

They announced their engagement on Kimagure Rock. Kyouko was finally retiring from the role of Bo for good, and the role was taken up by another female Love Me section member.

With the change in actor, they also changed the character, since no-one had been able to match Kyouko's enthusiasm when they had covered for her. The new Bo was female.

Ren walked on arm in arm with female Bo in a wedding dress and the Ishibashi brothers threw confetti. He removed the head to kiss the bride, but of course it wasn't Kyouko.

Kyouko then popped out from back stage and they started the show.

This enabled them to start three conversations: Kyouko was Bo and is retiring, Kyouko and Ren are engaged, and they could tease Ren for the slip last time on the show.

Chioli was able to love her acting again. Kanae started puppy-dating Hio, though they knew they would have to wait a bit for the age gap to not be so weird.

The three girls graduated the Love-Me Section with flying colours, and debuted their movies in the same month.

Maria became a confident young lady, and learned to fit in better at school.

Yashiro… well Yashiro helped Ren and Kyouko get revenge on Lory by matchmaking him with Jelly Woods. Even Maria had noticed that what Lory was doing was 'pot calling the kettle black'.

Lory still loved his wife, but he preached that he could love everyone, and that love is important, so why did he always push Jelly away?

After all, what could make Yashiro happier than playing at matchmaking?

Well, Ren and Kyouko having children and bringing them up without the prejudices that Kuon had gone through, of course. (But that is another story)