Shelf #036
The Lancaster Room was huge and full of press inside. Row after row of journalists, cameras at the front, TV cameras at the back. A large screen was at the front left side of the room. Kuu moved slowly through the large pack of press, walking swiftly to the center.
Julie clearly gave press conferences very rarely, because this one was positively presidential. She looked very simple, wore an exquisite dress in soft beige, the waves of her golden hair still held up in a pretty half updo. The pearl earrings and necklace were also the same. She sat quietly at a table at the end of the room, beside Yashiro: on his other was Jeremy, the PR boss, firlmly marshalling the questions.
"Yes. . . You –– Dominic?" Jeremy called.
"How much longer are you staying in Japan then, Miss Scott?" Questioner 1 Dominic asked, holding a pen up.
Julie was in a slightly melancholic and therefore honest mood. Yet her face never glowed. Her eyes looked weak. Lina, Jelly, Dior and Armani sat on the far opposite side of the room, watching the conference silently. Their faces showed a lot of worry to their beloved friend, because when she arrived at Westin Fuwa Hotel suite this morning, from the bookshop, she had cried her heart out in their arms for the very first time.
There was no need for them to have asked Julie about it, since the answer was clear to them. It greatly saddened them during that time to have seen Julie on her knees, crying painfully to the point of fainting. When she prepared Julie for today's conference, Jelly thought she wouldn't be able to put the makeup on her face, because even when Julie was in a daze, her tears fell freely on its own.
". . .No time at all," Julie replied sadly. "I fly out tonight."
"Which was why we have to round it up now," Jeremy said. "Final questions."
He pointed at a journalist he knew.
"Is your decision to take a year off anything to do with the rumors spreading right now, about Jeff and his present leading lady?" questioner 2 asked.
"Absolutely not," Julie replied honestly.
"And. . . Do you believe the rumors?"
Julie inhaled deeply. "It's really not my business any more," she said. "Though I will say, from my experience, that rumors about Jeff. . . do tend to be true."
Everyone loved that answer, and all scribbled in their notebooks. Even Kuu felt happy to this – he smiled warmly at the wonderful news.
Across the far side of the room, it was Lina who had noticed Kuu's presence. She leaned her head towards Armani and whispered in his ear. The designer blinked in surprise and looked at her, then his eyes drifted towards the target. Then his arm quickly elbowed Chris beside him. Dior quirked his eyebrow and followed Armani's and Tina's gaze. His foot gently tapped Jelly's shoe, and the Little Witch followed their stare and smiled.
Next question came from someone straight right next to Kuu. He watched him raised his hand up in the air.
"Last time you were here, there were some fairly graphic photographs of you and a fellow young, Japanese guy –– so what happened there?" questioner 3 beside Kuu asked.
To this, Kuu hid himself behind him, squinting through his side. He saw Julie blinked at the journalist, and saw pain flickered through the depths of her green eyes. She forced a weak smile.
"He was just a friend –– to be honest," Julie answered. She looked at her friends sitting at a corner, looking for an assurance. They saw pain in her eyes, and they nodded, urging her to keep going. Julie looked back at the journalist.
"-–I think we're still friends," Julie said. She then looked down, staring at her fingers softly tapping on the table. Then her eyes fell on the gold thread around her ring finger. How she wanted to cry right now, but she held herself.
Jeremy pointed out. "Yes, the gentleman in the pink shirt," he said.
He was pointing straight at Kuu, who had his hand up in the air. Julie looked up and saw the one who will be asking next. . She held her breath. . And felt a great knot throbbed in her chest. . She blinked, trying her best to keep the water in, especially that right now she was in front of the cameras. .
"Yes –– Miss Scott –– are there any circumstances in which. . You two. . Might be more than just. . Friends?"
For a brief moment, silence fell across the room. Kuu stared lovingly at the green eyes which he was sure was going to shed painfully. Their eyes held each other deeply. Kuu couldn't handle watching her state right now. Julie breathed heavily, in mixed emotions and in wonder why he was here.
"I. . . I hoped there might be ––" Julie answered, trying to keep her voice steady. "B-but. . But no, I'm assured there aren't."
"And what would you say. . ."
"–No, it's just one question per person," Jeremy interrupted. Julie turned to him.
"No, let him. . ." she said softly. Julie stared back at Kuu. "Ask away. You were saying?"
"Yes, I just wondered. ." Kuu said. "Whether if it turned out that this. . . this person. . ."
"–His name is Thacker," other journalist from the pack spoke. Kuu looked at him and saw his pen up.
"Uh- Thanks," Kuu said. He stared back at his goddess. "Um- I just wondered if Mr. Thacker realized. . He'd been a daft prick–"
The room sounded in soft chuckles and snorts. Lina, Jelly, Armani and Dior smiled as they watched the brave man. Even Yashiro pushed his spectacles in a smile.
"–and got down on his knees. . ." Kuu continued. "And begged you ––tenderly, lovingly–– to reconsider, whether you would. . . reconsider. ."
Max, Bella, Lory and Honey were watching intently amid the deep silence of the room.
Julie stared into Kuu's eyes. At long last, she saw warmth in those depths. So full of love blazing beneath it. He was finally her Kuu today.
Julie thought about it for a moment. It greatly took courage and a fearless heart to speak this in front of the media. Kuu wouldn't do so, if he really didn't love her. . . He really did loved her. That much.
Looking deeply into his eyes with the same warmth and love, Julie smiled warmly at him.
"Yes. . Yes, I'm pretty sure I would," she answered softly.
Kuu breathed heavily in relief. He blinked in surprsise to her answer.
"That's. . That's very good news," Kuu said. "The readers of 'Love Me' will be absolutely delighted."
Everyone snorted into hearty laughter. Julie quickly looked at her best friends. Smiling back at her, they waved happily. She turned to her PR boss, and whispered something to Jeremy's ear.
For a few moments, Jeremy listened. Then, his eyes went wide. Stunned, Jeremy turned silently to his client. Julie smiled warmly at him, and nodded.
"You sure?" he asked, smiling. Julie nodded quietly, also flashing a tender grin.
Jeremy turned back to the press.
"Dominic –– if you'd like to ask your question again?" he said.
"Oh– uh. . Yes –– Julie –– how long are you intending to stay here in Japan?" questioner 1 Dominic asked.
There was a brief pause hung in the air. Julie looked up at Kuu. Her heart kept beating wildly, wanting to burst out. Staring deeply and so lovingly into her eyes, Kuu nodded.
Finally, Julie spoke.
"Indefinitely."
Julie and Kuu smiled tenderly, never blinking to their deep stare –– and suddenly, the press got what was going on all along –– there was noise everywhere, filling up the entire room. They all turned, some stood up quickly, and they all flash, flash, flash photos at Kuu.
Max and Bella kiss happily. Lory turned to a total stranger beside him and kissed her. Now Spike finally made it –– he was bright red from running.
"What happened?" Spike asked, catching his breath as he stood beside Honey.
She turned to him. "Oh. . It was good!" Honey cheered.
Spike was surprised to see Honey jumped at him, hugging him tightly. It was a new experience for him, and he felt so happy. He hugged her back and kissed her.
Flash after flash, Kuu ignored the buzz surrounding him. All his eyes could ever saw right now was his beloved goddess at the presidential table. She was smiling happily at him. This time, he saw tears of joy falling down her gorgeous face.
They were staring lovingly, and both smiling. Kuu held his arms out. Now the press turned to Julie this time, still flashing their photos and more noises in the air.
Julie couldn't handle herself anymore. Tearfully, she quickly stood up, and hurried out of the table. She stepped down the stairs and tore to the crowd. As fas as she could, as if her life depended on it, Julie rushed through the aisle and flung her arms tightly about Kuu.
"Kuu! Kuu!" Julie called out happily, wrapping her arms tightly around him. How she missed this cool, woody masculine scent of him!
He held her close in the circle of his loving embrace. Laughing with her, he locked his arms around her waist and twirled his beloved goddess around. He set her back on the floor. Kuu could feel his passion flame and, taking her face in his hands, he pressed and locked a deep, burning kiss upon her soft, half-opened lips.
"I love you Julie," Kuu murmured huskily. He kissed the red lips again with so much love. "I love you so! I love you!"
"And I love you, Kuu!" Julie answered in his lips, her deep green eyes shining happily.
"God– I love you so much! So much!"
They kissed passionately, locked in a sweet embrace, without a care in the world the huge throng of press surrounding them in a huge circle, flashing their photos endlessly.
"Mm Kuu I want to be with you!" Julie said tenderly in his lips, her hands touched the back of his neck. Then, her heart unknowingly went out to him. "I want to stay with you! Marry me! Marry me Kuu–!"
They broke their kiss apart just inches away, and Kuu's eyes blinked in alarm.
"Oh God, I was going to say that. ." Kuu breathed. He could hardly believe what he heard.
It was now Julie's turn to blink in surprise. "What? Kuu. ."
Kuu smiled warmly at her. Looking deeply into her shining eyes, Kuu spoke tenderly.
"What can you say about it, Miss Julienna Scott?" Kuu asked. "Or. . Should I say. . Julienna Thacker?"
Julie felt her heart would burst. All she could do was to smile tearfully, and shout her heart out loud for the world to hear.
"YES! Yes, Kuu! Yes!" Julie exclaimed. "Yes, yes, yes!"
Without notice, Kuu was surprised as Julie jumped at him, her arms flung back about him tightly, sending him to the floor.
On top of him, Julie never stopped all her big 'Yes' in his arms. Kuu gathered her face tenderly in his hands and kissed her again passionately, turned her to her back on the floor, taking her happiness fully with him.
All the press heard and saw everything. This was the biggest scoop of a lifetime the had witnessed. Today was the only time they had seen Julienna Scott this happy, and so open with her feelings and actions. They kept flashing their photos wildly, flashing and flashing and flashing ever brightly at the couple on the floor.
Dior and Armani shed tears as Lina and Jelly hugged them in a big bear hug. Yashiro and Jeremy beamed brightly. Max and Bella locked in a kiss and embrace, also Spike and Honey. Lory finally found a special bond with this total stranger he had accidentally kissed. She flung her arms about him and kissed him back. Then all of them shared one thought and clapped their hands happily, cheering at Kuu and Julie.
For Kuu and Julie, it didn't matter to them now that they were so public in this huge display of affection. Kuu felt that what was so important was that Julie broke the ice first, and accepted his breathtaking proposal right in front of all the press. Julie thought that today, there were no words to express the happiness she felt so much with her heart and soul.
Amid the thundering noise of loud applouse, shouts of cheer and bright flashes of photos, across the center of this huge circle of press, Kuu and Julie stayed in each other's arms on the floor, buried deep in their kiss.
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