A/N Wow… I should really apologize for the wait. I could make excuses up, but really, nothing can make up a year (and more) of excuses. You all can thank the-silver-butterfly, rarisa, and Nix65425 for asking this past week (all within a couple of days impressively) for an update, or at least a confirmation if I had decided to leave it. So without further explaination, here is Chapter 36! May you all have mercy on my soul.

Chapter 36

Kyoko attempted to take a step backwards, but Tsuruga's arm snaked around her back, pulling her towards his chest, "You're not getting away that easily Kyoko…shouldn't I get to respond to such a passionate confession?"

The actress stared at him coldly, "It did what I wanted it to do. You came back to the present. Now I can leave as I was planning to."

His grin grew, "In a snit?"

She pushed him away, "I deserve the right to leave in a huff Tsuruga. Do not try and distract me from the fact that you, your parents, my mother, everyone has been lying to me since we started this damn drama."

"Sometimes distractions are needed," He pulled her closer again, this time his face inches away from her, "And sometimes anger needs to be worked out through physical activity."

She slapped him, causing him to blink in surprise and for both of them to look at her hand in astonishment. She would have apologized, if her blood still wasn't boiling. "Like that Tsuruga?" She looked at him challengingly.

He smirked, rubbing his cheek, "I was thinking along a different line, but this could work as well. Hit me, use me like an emotional punching bag."

She only hesitated for a moment, but when Tsuruga encouraged her again, she immediately punched him. This time she aimed for the stomach, subconsciously making sure not to harm an actor's face. Tsuraga dodged it smoothly, "I thought we worked this out. Or do you need ropes to fight?"

Growling words under her breath she aimed a kick at his leg, which he deflected with his hand. Enraged, she began throwing everything she had into the fight, all being avoided or blocked by Tsuruga. "I thought you said to hit you!" She screeched, and he shrugged casually.

"Instincts are hard to turn off."

Her mouth turned into a snarl and she launched herself at him, leaping towards his chest. To avoid her falling on her face, Tsuruga caught her in his arms, and she used her momentum to wrap her legs around his waist and yanked back his hair, "Do. Not. Mock. me right now Kuon Hizuri." She hissed into his face.

His lip curled up, "Should we take this to the gym, give you some swords to throw at my head?" he rumbled quietly.

"You'd block those too, you freak of nature." She grumbled back, staring at him. How this man could do this, infuriate her and sooth her anger at the same time, she still didn't know how.

After a moment, Kyoko realized what their position would look like to anyone else at the parking lot. "Let go of my legs." She spoke with panic, imagining what the tabloids would say if anyone took a picture of this.

He blinked and let go, letting her slide down. Instantly he missed the closeness they had when she took a hasty step away. "The car didn't hit you at all, did it?"

"No, of course not, Father was driving." She replied as she smoothed her clothes down. She stared at the studio, the idea of going in there with all the adults that had lied to her made her have to swallow down vile.

She turned away, but he snagged her hand. Intertwining their fingers together he brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it softly. "Thank you Kyoko. Without you…I'd still be in the darkness."

Ever so slightly she softened at him. "If you're thankful…let me get away from here. The thought of being around my mother, your parents…even you right now, makes me want to curl up and die."

He sighed, not wanting to let go of her hand but did so reluctantly. "Can we talk tonight at least? Once you've had some time to think? I do want to respond to what you said."

"But I don't want to hear it right now," She stared at him sadly, "I can understand hiding your past from me since you were hiding it from everyone…but why did you hide the fact that my mother was my manager?"

He frowned, "I didn't want to see you more hurt than you already were…I wanted to figure out a way that healing could come from the situation.

"Healing can't happen if the wound was covered with a dirty Band-Aid in the first place. I'm infected Tsuruga, and I'm hurting." She could feel her eyes welling up, and she tried to will them to stop. "And I think I'm more hurt about you than anyone else."

"I know…and I hope that you will be able to forgive me."

She laughed dejectedly, "Forgive you…if I'm going to get through this, I'm going to have to forgive everyone aren't I? That's why Julie had talked to me about forgiving Shou and moving on…she knew that I needed the practice!" She stared at Tsuruga, the tears spilling freely now, "Why did my life become so miserable? I was happy how I was before!" She pushed him, "Why did you make me get a manager?" She shoved him again, "Why did you force me to challenge myself? Why did you make it so easy for me to fall in love with acting?!"

"Because it makes you shine as brightly as when you were a child." The words slipped out before he remembered she didn't know that secret yet.

She stared at him, "What?"

He scratched the back of his head, "Well, if you want to know more things I lied about…we met when we were children."

"I don't recall meeting you…" Her eyes widened, as it clicked. "You have got to be kidding me," She backed away, shaking her head, "I'm done with this." She turned and, before Tsuruga could stop her, ran out of the parking lot.

She didn't know where she was running to until she had gotten there, but here she was, in the lobby of Akatoki Agency. She went up to receptionists, "Can you tell me where Shou Fuwa is this afternoon?"

They blinked, "Do you have an appointment Kyoko-san?"

She sighed, "No, but if you call him and inform him I'm looking for him, I'm sure he'll tell you where to send me." Wherever it was, even he sent her to hell, she would go there willingly at this point.

"I'll call his manager to find out." The perkier one said, and reached for the phone.

Five minutes, two apologies, a personal escort to an upstairs office later, Kyoko was sitting across the table from Shou Fuwa. He looked at her tiredly, "Did your president forget something to lecture me about?"

"No. I just have a question, because you're the only one that will tell me the selfish response I want to hear." She replied.

He quirked an eyebrow, examining her more closely. Yesterday she had been glowing with a new haircut, now she looked like she had just crawled out of a hospital bed and had one foot hovering over the grave. "I'm listening."

"You knew my manager is my mother," He opened his mouth, but she shook her head, "that wasn't a need for confirmation…you knew. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because she threatened my career."

She let out a small smile, "The Shou Fuwa I grew up with. You're terrified of her."

"She's a crazy bitch. Then and now," He looked at her, "Did you just find this all out?"

"Yes. And all I'm hearing is forgive her, understand her. You can hurt but ultimately forgiveness is your goal here to make yourself feel better in the end," She said this bitterly, "All of these is being said by people who love me, but don't know anything about what my childhood was like."

"Your childhood was shit." He replied bluntly, unapologetically. She stared at him with frustration.

"Thanks." She replied sarcastically, "Now that I know how you feel, I guess I can leave."

"No…I… ask your question Kyoko." He told her, and she deflated.

"Should I forgive my mother? For the abuse in my childhood, for the lying, for her new family…all of it. For making the last month the hell that it was…should I forgive her?"