Chapter Twenty Seven – No Matter How Many

Kuon watched Kijima with the same kind of expression that Yashiro had on their face. Everyone knew Kijima for his fun and charismatic personality but this protective nature gave Kuon some warmth in his heart. He knew that he should be grateful for any type of respect that was directed towards him. Yashiro looked around and struggled with deciding whether to leave and maybe insult Kijima's gesture or to continue eating. It was really up to him.

"We can still eat right?" Kijima asked as he turned back to the two of them who nodded quickly and shakily. "Good," the other actor said as he sat down and Kuon looked aside a little. He knew that people were gossiping about him and he wanted to fight against the control that might take over his mind through another one of his personalities. "I'm hungry."

"You didn't need to do that," Kuon said as Kijima ignored the fact that Reino was being pulled back from them. He turned to Yashiro nervously before looking at the table. "I'm sorry if I'm unable to -"

"You think that I could beat Sean at arm wrestling or there is a pachinko place near here if he's more of a gambler, we might even be able to join a card game somewhere," Kijima mused as he stopped Kuon's apology. The American-Russian-Japanese man looked at him in surprise. What was he talking about? He was mentioning Sean who he hadn't invited to this dinner and yet in such a casual way.

"Well, I could see Sean enjoying that," Yashiro replied in a gentle way and Kijima nodded.

"If you wanted for Sean to appear then I don't really have the control to pull him out without my emotions getting trigg—" Kuon attempted to explain and Kijima shook his head with a heavy sigh.

"I want to spend time with you, Kuon but I want to be ready for anything. Besides, I know that I'm not the only one in all of Japan wanting to spend time with you despite knowing that you could become someone else." Kijima sobered up a little and looked at the table with a serious expression on his face. "It's such a miracle that you even survived the plane crash in that manner. I knew some people who didn't survive and a couple who died in the hospital later on despite surviving the plane crash. I heard that you saved a couple of kids as well," Kijima took a slow breath as he stared at the food that was being brought to their table. "I'm just very glad that I didn't have to attend your funeral a well."

"With these new per-" Kuon said nervously trying to explain the illness that he was going through and Kijima sighed as he moved the beer aside.

"Yes, it's strange knowing that there are other people who are running around in your head and who might even be able to take control of you but it's worse than being gone. I'm sure that Kyoko has had to accept the fact that there are other sides to you but she prefers this to you being gone, your parents as well. It's not just the things that happen to you but the way that those you love care for you. I'm sure that every single person in your life, your family, Kyoko, all of us as your friends and just happy that you're present."

Kijima turned to Yashiro wanting to have him back him up in this speech. Yashiro of course nodded before bringing his attention back towards his best friend. "To think of the alternatives."

"At least we get you some of the time as well," Yashiro mentioned. "I know that you're struggling with this but we're all trying to get used to the triggers and the clues that you've slipped into someone else but I'd rather spend a year locked in a small room with Sean than stare at your tombstone or any work profile that has date of death on it."

Kuon nodded. Although he still felt guilty that he couldn't control his condition, hearing Yashiro say that made him think of Kyoko and hope that he could still keep her happy.

…

…

"Mo," Kanae sighed again as she saw Kyoko nervously grab to her phone and check the messages on it. There were no new ones and she nervously put the phone back into her pocket. No messages was a good sign, wasn't it? That meant that the meal was going well and that nothing bad had happened. She looked down at her own hamburger and egg meal and Kanae watched her suspiciously.

"I'm sure that it will be fine," Kanae told her and Kyoko nodded quickly hoping that that was true. "If you really wanted to call him then you could but -"

"He should be enjoying himself," Kyoko laughed nervously not able to hide the fear that something might have happened. She was relieved that Yashiro would be here and if something happened, if the younger form of Kuon or Brian appeared then Yashiro would have enough good sense to take him somewhere isolated and call her for help. If it was Sean then he would be a little harder to contain but Sean might offer more protection than Kuon could for himself.

"And you should be enjoying yourself as well," Kanae told her as she leaned forwards and looked at the meal that was probably going to add more calories than she wanted to. "Mo, it's not as if -"

"Kuon almost died in an accident that killed many others," Kyoko argued back. "Even if you find it annoying it is my right and privilege as his wife to worry about him," Kyoko placed a hand over her belly. She was so relieved that she could love and be loved and it didn't matter that her husband had a psychological illness, he was the only person she had ever loved in this way.

Kanae smiled weakly, "Even if he can be considered dangerous?"

Kyoko laughed, pushing aside that thought that she found so ridiculous. She shook her head and closed her eyes. "He's not dangerous and people shouldn't consider him dangerous, besides, once he starts acting again he'll be able to prove that he's just as capable as anyone else." Kyoko took a sip of the water in front of her. Yes, he would be able to do his acting roles and prove to everyone that there was nothing to worry about.

Kyoko hadn't really taken that much time for herself recently but unlike how she had felt with Shotaro, she knew that this was just temporary and she was happy to be able to help Kuon instead of focusing on her own needs. All she needed was him.

She looked at her phone again and saw it flash showing that she had a new message. She quickly clicked on it and smiled as she read what Yashiro had just sent her.

'Things are going well. Don't worry.'

She laughed as she closed her eyes and pulled her phone to her chest. Their friend knew her too well. He knew that she would have been very worried that there had been a complication, a problem. It seemed that things were under control. "Thank you, sweetheart," she whispered despite him not being there. She knew that he was one of the top gossip stories right now and as much as she wanted to protect him from that, she couldn't control his entire life.

….

….

Kyoko was feeling so much relief that things had gone well for Kuon that she had spent most of that night watching him sleep. She had been so close to losing him that just having him here beside her was all that she ever needed. He was sleeping so peacefully tonight. Yashiro had told her everything about that night and Kyoko would have to thank Kijima properly for standing up for Kuon. He had friends. He had people who loved him. Hopefully he was starting to understand that a little bit more.

She pushed his hair back and gently let her fingers go through those diamond dust blond strands. She kissed his forehead and was surprised when he took her wrist in his hand and looked up at her with those absolutely gorgeous emerald eyes.

"Kyoko?" he asked and she smiled knowing that it was Kuon and nobody else who was watching her in this way. He smiled as he held her wrist and she tucked the blankets around him. He decided not to move and get up and she gently let her fingers brush back those strands of hair covering his face.

"Hi, I didn't mean to wake you," she said and he looked at her, his eyes not leaving her face before he smiled and she felt her heart punctured by an arrow at how loved his expression made her feel. Didn't he know that he was deadly. She blinked. She hadn't seen a smile like that for a while, he hadn't let his doubts and self-loathing shift for some time, it made her feel that the old Kuon was returning even more.

"Thank you," he told her and Kyoko stared at him. She nodded, closing her eyes and opened her mouth in order to tell him that there was nothing he needed to thank her for and that everything she did was out of love not a sense of duty or responsibility. "I'm so sorry I've been selfish."

"You get to be selfish every now and again," Kyoko argued with him but Kuon kept watching her.

"Yashiro told me something today and I think that you've been repeating it over and over for a while now and I'm sorry that I wasn't able to hear it, that I let my own thoughts cloud my judgment and keep me from listening properly."

Kyoko blinked, if Yashiro said it then it was something that was said with kindness and respect. It wasn't something that Reino had said to him that he had latched onto. "What did he say?"

"He said that he would prefer spending a year locked in a room with Sean than see my tombstone or something publishing the date of my death. I know that's what you feel too."

"Of course that's what I think," Kyoko told him before feeling tears in her eyes. Kuon wanted to get treated for these personalities to silence them and reclaim his own life but Kyoko knew that her love wasn't dependent on that treatment. All she wanted was him no matter how many versions of him that meant loving.

End of Chapter Twenty Seven

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Black neko hime, brennakai, H-Nala, Kaname671