Kyoko was admiring tthe view from the roof, in what she was sure would be a beautiful garden come spring and summer. It was calm and peaceful and up here she was able to gather her thoughts. Now she was thinking clearer and not as worried and no where near as angry she could begin to see why Ren had done what he had.

She would have done the same thing. Kinda. She would have told someone.

That was why she was so mad. He had gone alone!

Plus her head was full of shockingly vivid 'what-if' scenarios. She began walking around the rooftop trying to shake them from her mind.

As she passed what would be a rose bush, she saw Ryu stood by the door to the roof. She gave a small smile and wave. Kyoko thanked the stars that Ryu was her manager. She walked down a small path and came across a low stone bench.

She took a spot and after a brief while shivered.

~Okay. Maybe the roof top in December was a bad idea.~

She ignored the slam she heard, assuming Ryu had gone inside from the cold.

It wasn't.

Next thing she knew, Tsuruga Ren, was in front of her, on the floor, in a full dogzea.

"I'm so sorry Kyoko. I should have told someone of my suspicions. I should not have gone alone."

Kyoko smothered a giggle. The sight of Ren, on a rooftop in December, in an awkward dogzea now she had a closer look, was funny. The path was rather narrow and he was rather tall.

"Ren. You can get up. It's okay. I understand why you did it and at least you know what you did wrong. I'll be mad you went alone for a little while but it's okay."

"I'm sorry. Truly. I was so worried, what with everything else going on, I just didn't think. I had to know."

"I understand. Now please. Get up."

He raised his head but remained knelt on the floor. Kyoko patted the bench. He smiled and sat next to her. He noticed her shivering and put an arm around her.

"It's a bit cold out here." Ren chuckled.

Kyoko snuggled into his side and fell so still Ren thought she had fallen asleep. After a while, he heard a muffled noise from her.

"Sorry Kyoko. What was it you said?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why me? Why us? Why everything? What have I done to warrant this? I've never done anything to anyone! Who could hate me so much that they tried to blow me up?!"

Kyoko was getting hysterical as reality caught up with her. It looked like shock. Ren pulled her in tighter and placed a kiss on her head.

"I don't know but the President is on the case. And he's very angry. He's also worried about you. I think he's got a bit of a soft spot when it comes to you."

Kyoko blushed.
"He must be. He was wearing a suit! A BROWN suit! It's December 16th! He should be dressed as an elf or Santa or something!"

She was sat up now, indignant. Ren was laughing.

"Where is he?"

"Downstairs with Yashiro-san," he glanced around, "and Ryu-san it seems. They'll be sorting out my paperwork, getting care advice, the usual."

"Right."

And with that, she stormed off.

Ren was still laughing when he caught up with her back on the floor he'd been on. He had to lean on the wall, unable to breathe for laughing as he watched Kyoko berate the President for his lack of fashion sense, lack of costume and anything else that seemingly popped into mind as there seemed to be a lot of 'and another thing'.

Ryu and Yashiro were holding their sides. Yashiro was starting to turn purple from holding it in. Even Sebastian had a small smile on his face.

Lory stood there, albeit with a bemused look on his face, taking his lecture. He understood that Kyoko was scared, angry and feeling helpless. If yelling at him for his suit was an outlet for some of it, then so be it.

She finally finished and stood staring at the President, breathing hard.

What happened next shocked everyone.

The President bowed deeply and said in a solemn voice,
"Kyoko-chan. I am deeply sorry for troubling you. I will go and change immediately."

He turned on his heel and marched off, Sebastian following close behind. Kyoko simply stared after him, jaw on the floor. Ren, Yashiro and Ryu came up beside her.

She spluttered.
"Did that really just happen?"

"You mean you yelling at the President of one of the biggest agencies in Japan because he was in a suit? And apparently getting away with it?"
Ryu answered.

She nodded.

"Yes. Yes it did."

Ren leant in to Yashiro.

"We need that tape."

"I'm on it."

Yashiro disappeared.

"I believe my parents would find that hilarious. Yashiro is off getting the tape so I can show them."

Kyoko remembered Kuu's interactions with Lory.

"Father is going to love it! Oooh! It can be his Christmas present!"

Ryu looked at them.

"They'll both love the video but she will enjoy it more. She's going to love you as well."

Kyoko looked at the floor and simply muttered 'we'll see.'

Ryu was confused at the dire look on Kyokos face. Ren caught her eye and shook his head. Later, he mouthed.

He supposed it was time to tell Yashiro and Ryu.

Yashiro came back towards them, waving a CD case in the air in victory.

"Also we can leave. All the paperwork and everything is done."

"Ryu-san. Yashiro-san."

Both people in question turned to Kyoko.

"Would you like to come to the Darumaya?"

They started to object, claiming intrusion. Kyoko argued that they wouldn't be. Yashiro argued back.

In the end, they all went in Rens car to the Darumaya for food, because after seeing Kyokos face darken they had suddenly become very hungry and a small part of their brains told them that this was the easy way.

Kyoko showed them to a private room and told them to make themselves comfortable while she went to cook. They started to protest but Ren help up a hand and silenced them. He turned to Kyoko and simply asked,

"Could I have something with meat in it please?"

Kyoko smiled, nodded and hurried off to the kitchen.

Ren explained.

"When she's stressed or worried she cooks. It calms her. After everything thats happened she wants to look after us as best as she can. So leave her be."

Okami knocked on the door and brought tea. She bowed to them.

"Thank you for taking such good care of our girl."

Ren laughed.
"I think she looks after us more. She's a force of nature when she's riled."

Okami chuckled.
"That she is. If you'll excuse me."

Left alone Ren looked at Ryu and Yashiro. It was time. They deserved to know.

Ren told them all about the boy name Hizuri Kuon.

In the kitchen, Okami was smiling at Kyoko and Taisho and the beautiful way the worked in tandem. Kyoko turned to a large pot, where a beef hot pot was bubbling along. She made some side dishes and grabbed flatware and some time later was carrying a tray with everything back to the private room. She opened the door and all worries about not having enough food were blown away. Yashiro was gone, Ren was slumped at the table with his head in his hands and Ryu was fidgeting with a pen.

"Umm... Dinner is served?"

Ren looked up and gave her a weak smile.

"Where is Yashiro-san?"

Ren headbutted the table, Ryu became intent on studying the pattern of ink inside her pen.

"He left."

"Why?"

"I've told them."

"Oh."

Kyoko understood. Her brain ran through the last hour or so. She hadn't heard a car so Yashiro hadn't gotten into a taxi, but he could have walked. She laid the food on the table, told them to dig in and excused herself.

She peeked at the newly installed security monitor with the intention of perhaps rewinding to find out where he had gone. She didn't have to though. Yashiro was still here, out the backdoor with his phone in hand.

Kyoko went out the front and walked around the building. The closer she got, she began to hear something.

Yashiro was muttering furiously to himself while stabbing at his phone.

"All these years...thought...friends...secrets...lies..."

He jumped a foot in the air when Kyoko popped her head around the corner and asked if he was okay.

"By the Gods Kyoko-san! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

She stepped up to him and apologised. She stood and rocked on her heels waiting for Yashiro to start.
He sighed and took off his glasses. He pinched the bridge and shook his head.

"How could I not know?"

"Only the President, Muse-sama and his parents knew. He wanted to create a life away from the shadows of his past and his father."

"But he could have told me! All those years I was there by his side!"

Kyoko shrugged.

"Maybe he felt you had enough to deal with. His schedule, his fans, the paperwork."

Yashiro stilled. He hadn't considered that. Rarely did he think what his job looked like to an outside person. To some it seemed an impossible task, but it was his job and he got it done.

Kyoko waved a hand in front of his face. He focused on her (well attempted to. He hasn't put his glasses back on yet.)

A lightbulb. He sighed and slipped his glasses back on.

"You know?"

She nodded.

"The day after the dinner party I had."

"That was what was so important and stressing him out?"

She explained about how they had met as children, about Corn and his revelations. She explained why he had kept it from her for all these years, even after reconnecting.

"And it doesn't bother you?"

"No. He's still Ren. Just with a little extra now."

"But he's Hizuri Kuon!"

Kyoko looked at him sternly.

"Yashiro Yukihito! Keep your voice down! So what if that's who he is? He's only that to his parents really. To us he's still Ren. Nothing has changed really."

"But!"

Kyoko was getting annoyed with Yashiro. Ren was his friend, irrelevant. She channeled a piece of Natsu with a dash of Mio.

"He is still Ren and still your friend, though I don't think you deserve him with the way you're acting right now! Did you actually let him explain? Or did you storm out after he told you his name, not bothering to wait for an explanation? Did you give a thought about how hard this was for him?"

Yashiro looked at the pavement. He hadn't done either. He'd just rushed out, angry at Ren and the President.

"You go back in there and apologise. Then listen."

She stomped her foot and pointed to the door to emphasise her point.

After a moment he nodded. He straightened his tie, pushed his glasses up his nose. He held open the back door and motioned for Kyoko to go first.

As she past him she pointed at him.

"And you better hope the food isn't ruined."