Parents
"Oh, Ren-chan, as expected, you look divine. All that are missing are wings and a halo," exclaims Jelly Woods as she reaches out with her almost magical brush and flips one last lock of blond hair into place.
Ever the gentleman, Ren thanks the make-up artist for her skillful assistance. The petite woman in turn assures the handsome actor that it was her pleasure. She quickly tidies the work space and removes the hairdressing cape with a flourish from around Ren's shoulders.
"Darling promised to have me back from dinner at 9 pm so I can transform you back. I hope that gives you enough time."
Ren nods.
Believing Tsuruga Ren has an audition this evening, Jelly wishes the actor good luck. The handsome man grins and again thanks her as he silently contemplates that his upcoming meeting could really use some good luck.
Breezing from the room as quickly as she came, Ten leaves Ren alone with his reflections. Under the harsh lights, Tsuruga Ren closes his eyes for a few moments. He breathes deeply. In his mind, he begins to peel away the layers of persona that he has carefully crafted into place. He embraces the jealousy and loneliness that have driven him to this point. The actor bombards himself with favorite memories from his childhood. Images of family vacations, playing word games while they traveled, his father helping him with his martial arts forms, and his mother smothering him with kisses coalesce into a cohesive foundation. The young man takes another deep breath and opens his eyes. Around the room in the myriad of mirrors, Kuon stares back at himself.
The tall blond man continues to stare at the various reflections of himself as his heart begins to race at the prospect of once more sharing time with his beloved parents. A precise knock at the door startles Kuon. The hornets which had kindly calmed during his transformation suddenly swarm once again in angry aggression. He touches his stomach softly in a futile attempt to calm the swarm. Resisting the urge to flee from the room, the actor swings open the door.
"The Hizuris have arrived and are waiting for you in the president's office," informs Lory's aide. "I have ensured that there are some snacks available for Hizuri-san and I will return with ample dinner for the three of you in about an hour. Until then, I will withdrawal. No one will disturb you."
"Thank you," intones Kuon with a steady voice that belies his anxiety. The formally attired aide exits the room and Kuon turns towards the center of the room where his parents sit on Lory's pale gray sofa. The couple gasps in unison as they notice their son, not Tsuruga Ren, standing before them. Just like their first reaction, they stand in unison.
Kuon smiles tenderly at his parents.
"Hi, mom. Hi, dad," he murmurs softly as he takes two steps towards the couple. Kuon pauses when tears overflow his mother's blue eyes as she stares at her grown up son in person and not as a stranger for the first time in more years than she cares to count.
"I've missed you both," Kuon admits with a rough hitch in his voice.
Unaware that he has moved, Kuon finds himself halfway across the room with his mother clinging to him. Her face presses into the young man's chest leaving mascara tinted tear trails across the front of his white dress shirt. Kuon's mother clings to her son as if he is a life preserver in the middle of a turbulent ocean. Over and over, she murmurs soft endearments to her grown child as if he is still small. Unsure if the whispers are truly for his benefit or her own, Kuon just embraces her in return and gently pats Juli's back as she continues to weep.
For the moment, Kuu stands back and watches the reunion that he has wished for his family for so long. His almost decade of guilt, the byproduct of watching his son stumble again and again as Kuon tried to pursue his own acting under the shadow of Kuu's name, finally eases a bit as he watches Kuon in Juli's arms once again. In the back of his mind, Kuu can not help but feel responsible for forcing his family apart for all these years. The 'if onlys' have plagued him. For too long, he has been waking in the middle of the night with a tightening in his chest that no amount of deep breathing can ease. Although he would admit it to no one, Juli's anger at him when Kuon had first escaped to Japan had given him at least some relief from his self contempt. If she was hating him, he had not felt so compelled to castigate himself so much.
Kuu watched his wife struggle daily to face the gaping hole Kuon's leaving caused. At times, the veteran actor had thought it worse then having their precious son die. To realize each day that Kuon was somewhere else while they were powerless to save him, contact him, share joy or sorrow with him was pure torture. There was no relief to their grief. In fact, each time they heard or saw something about Tsuruga Ren was like a new festering wound.
Of course, a moment like this would not be possible if Kuon had truly been gone and so Kuu offers a silent prayer of thanks for the health and safety of his precious son. despite his prayer, all his guilt and frustration still courses through Kuu. For the moment, he is frozen. He is torn between the feeling that Juli deserves this homecoming so much more then he deserves and his own idiot-parent desire to wrap his arms around his beloved son.
Juli and Kuon start to step apart from their embrace what Kuu's strong arms push them back together as he hugs them both at once. The next time the family pulls away from their impromptu group hug, Kuu keeps Juli at his side. The older actor pulls a clean handkerchief from his pocket and gently dabs at his wife's cheeks.
"Why do you even wear make-up, my dear?" he teases. "Especially when you know it's just going to run all over your face anyway. You know, you look lovely without all the make-up anyway."
Juli pushes away slightly from her fussing husband and places her hands on her hip. "You are such a man," she accuses before sighing in an act of feigned frustration. She stomps her foot lightly and glares at her husband. She then turns to Kuon and warns him that he better treat his sweetie Kyoko better then his awful father treats her. Of course, both males voice their denials of any such circumstance.
"She's not mine to treat in any manner," Kuon states at the same time Kuu exclaims "I always treat you with love and respect."
Juli touches Kuu's hand gently to communicate that she is just teasing. Kuon can't help but smile. All his life, he marveled at the obvious love his parents share. They constantly touch each other. His parents have both meaningful and mundane conversations regularly. They are constantly thinking of each other more than themselves. In Kuon's eyes, teasing is just another way that the couple shows their affection for each other. Even through their mock battles, the affection leaks unconsciously and they will touch one another as if to confirm physically their connected souls.
For a moment, Kuon hopes to one day have even half as meaningful a relationship as Kuu and Juli.
Kuon is roused from his musings when Kuu suddenly flicks him in the forehead.
"What do you mean she is not your Kyoko?" accuses his father. Too late to avoid the first assault, Kuon takes a step back and slaps his hand over his forehead to avoid a second attack when his father hears his next words.
"She's not mine. She's not even Tsuruga Ren's," the young man states with just the edge of anger and frustration leaking into his voice.
Kuu sighs and shakes his head. "She could be, son. You just need to put in more effort."
Kuon runs his fingers through his newly restored hair. Unlike Ren who hides his negative feelings behind his gentleman's mask, Kuon's eyes plainly reflect his frustration and pain.
"Dad, I don't think I could put any more effort into it then I already am."
"Pah!" Kuu snorts. "Maybe Tsuruga Ren doesn't know how to handle it, but my son, Kuon, would never rest until he has captured the heart of the elusive actress. He would wage a campaign of unprecedented measures. He would use his considerable charm, intelligence, talent, hell, even sex appeal to lay siege to the reinforced walls protecting Kyoko's heart until she finally surrenders to the inevitable happiness my true son could share with her."
Realizing that Kuu has fallen into his old habit of excessive doting, Juli interrupts his ever expanding compliments to his son's prowess. In addition, the model is torn in her feelings about Kyoko and her son. Although she loves her son beyond compare, she also loves Kyoko. Juli wants what will make her true son happy but she wants Kyoko to have the life that will make her most happy too.
"Kuu, dear, you are hogging the conversation," she scolds. "We all know you love Kuon. Instead of harassing him about Kyoko, let's give Kuon a chance to talk with us about what he wants to discuss. After all, he was the one who decided it was time to speak."
With a shrug of acknowledgment, Kuu agrees. He settles into one of the chairs sitting at an angle with the light couch he was sitting on earlier. He grabs one of the bags of snacks that Lory's aide placed in the room just moments after the arrival of the Hizuris. Kuu sits back as he watches his son and wife sit together on the couch. As if to confirm that her son is really there, Juli occasionally reaches out and touches her son's hair. Each touch brings an answering twinkle of enjoyment into Kuon's eyes which Kuu likewise thoroughly enjoys.
"So why did you want to see us, Sweetie?" Juli prompts gently.
Kuon clears his throat. He looks at his feet with a hint of the look he used to wear when one of his parents had caught him doing something he knew was wrong. Juli recognizes the look even though she has not seen it in years.
"Don't worry, Baby. Whatever the reason is, we are just so happy that you are here that it won't matter to either of us why you decided. I just thought that is would help you feel better if you told us why."
Kuon looks into the calm and accepting faces of his parents. A tight smile stretches across his lips as he explains his selfish whim. Before he begins, he reminds himself that, just like he told Kyoko, no matter what he says that his parents will still love him.
"Actually, it's just like I said. I miss you. I miss you so much that I wasn't able to think straight. I was jealous of all the attention you were giving to Kyoko. All that love and attention that should have been mine and I, well, I was lonely. More lonely then I have been since I left home."
Kuon ends his admission with a guilty expression.
"Well, if I had known some good old-fashioned jealousy would bring you back, I would have found a second son sooner," teases Kuu as he starts a second bag of snacks.
"Dad!"
Juli chuckles before petting Kuon's arm softly. "You are our dear son, Kuon and no one will ever be able to steal your place in our hearts. After all, just because we find someone else like Kyoko to love, it does not diminish your share. As you find others to love, the givers ability to love just becomes larger. Love is like the ultimate balloon. The more love you blow into the balloon, the more fun it is to play with it."
"You promise your balloon won't pop and let all my love leak out?" Kuon asks his mom.
"I promise, baby," she assures him as she ruffles his hair.
With the emotional reconciliation out of the way so simply, Kuon's father asks his son about his life. The young actor spends the next hour and a half sharing his activities and also learning about the things that have happened in his parents' lives. In the middle of his conversation, Lory's aide delivers a huge cart of food for the Hizuris to share for supper. The interruption barely registers with the family and all too soon, Kuon notices the clock. He apologizes and explains that he needs to go soon. His parents both nod in understanding.
Kuu asks one final question. It's the one questions Kuon has been fearing all night long.
"Do you think you will be coming home soon?"
Kuon shakes his head slightly.
"I don't know," he admits. "I miss you so much but I am building my life here. I still want to prove myself. I think it will be sooner rather then later though. After all, I believe that Dark Moon helped established that I can compare to the original Hozu Shuuhei. To use the terms of which Kyoko is so fond, I just need to prove I can fly on my own. I'm close. Please be patient with me while I continue to stretch my wings."
"Of course, Kuon," his mother replies as she hugs him once more. "We will wait for you as long as you need us to do so, sweetie. No matter what, we love you and want what is best for you and right now, that is staying here. We understand. We may not like it, but we understand it. We love you so much, baby."
Juli wraps her arms around her son once more and silent tears stream down her cheeks again.
"I love you too, mom," Kuon whispers into her soft blond hair. "Both of you," he adds as he shares a glance with his father.
Juli pulls back from the hug and touches her son's face one last time.
"Be happy, son."
"I'm working on it, mom."
"Good boy," she replies. She pats Kuon's smooth cheek before gathering her own formidable strength and backing away her son. She watches with glistening eyes but no more tears as Kuon turns to his father.
Kuu grins at his son with all his pride written clearly on his face. An answering expression of respect and affection reflects in Kuon's eyes. At that moment, Lory's aide knocks and enters the room to warn the family that Jelly has returned to assist Ren again.
"Take care, Kuon," says his father. "And don't take too long coming home because we miss you too."
"Yes, sir," his son replies with a nod. Kuon then heads across the room towards the bathroom entrance.
His hand reaches for the door when his father once again addresses him.
"Oh and Kuon. You need to pass on two messages to Tsuruga Ren for us."
Kuon turns to his father with a slightly confused look on his face.
"What messages?"
Kuu replies with a look of concern on his face. "He needs to know that Fuwa Sho has declared his intentions of wooing and winning the fair heart of Mogami Kyoko."
A horrified expression washes across Kuon's face.
"What?" he stammers.
"On Sunday, we went with Kyoko to meet Fuwa-san. He is a very handsome, talented, and passionate young man. He apologized for all that he did to her and made it pretty clear that he intends to win back her heart. In fact, he has a song that he wrote for her which should be reaching the masses soon. Tell Tsuruga-san that he needs to step up his game or he is going to be watching the game from the benches for the rest of his life."
Kuon thanks his father for letting him know even as he fumes at the red string of fate that has once again drawn Kyoko and the arrogant musician back together. Silently, he vows to find a huge set of shears to cut that stupid threat the next chance he gets.
"What's the other message," Kuon asks his father once he has control of his emotions again.
This time Kuu's eyes narrow slightly and his smile turns slightly into an almost feral grin. Kuon swallows as he recognizes the look his father normally uses in his films when his character has found his target and is about to deliver the killing blow.
"This one is simple. Tell Tsuruga-san to keep his intentions pure regarding my son, Kyoko. Otherwise, he will seriously regret it. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," Kuon intones with a nod of understanding as he opens the door to the bathroom and slips inside to the smaller room. Kuon leans his head against the ornate wooden door. He closes his eyes for a moment and then shudders. His eyes fly back open with a look of fear and worry.
"Ah, man, as if the Taisho by himself wasn't bad enough," Ren mutters. He groans softly. "For a girl who was basically abandoned by her parents, Kyoko has way too many scary fathers."