Chapter Forty Four
I smile weakly as I reach for the pill trays that Kyoko got me for my medication. There are a lot of medicines that I still have to take and although my movements have recovered a lot, along with my speech, I do have to have drugs through my body. I look at the two trays before seeing the label Kyoko made where she drew a little picture of herself saying 'Take these when you wake up' or 'Take these before you go to sleep.'
I can't even explain to her how sweet I find it that she tries so hard for me. Without her, I might forget to fill these cases but she asks me to give them to her each week so that she can fill them up again. I'm sure that there's a whole folder full of medical files. As I take the six pills I have to take every morning out and then get a glass of water, I feel something behind me and then feel a pair of arms embracing me close.
"Corn," she grins up at me. She looks like she's in a really good mood, maybe a good dream or something.
"H-hey," I smile before finishing the last of the pills. I grin to her, "You're cu-cutte…to-dday" I speak slowly, still stumbling on some of my words. Everyone has said that I'm quite scary and impressive with how far I've come but I keep seeing how far I have left to go. "Wha-tt's…go-inng onn?"
"I'm really happy because it's finally here," she says, "only the second most important birthday," she grins and I roll my eyes. She always seems to gloat that she knew my real birthday all along. Kuon Hizuri's birthday is on February 19th whilst Ren Tsuruga's birthday is on February 10th.
I raise an eyebrow before smiling weakly, I know that my face is still messed up and my smile isn't the same as the ones I had before the accident but maybe it's okay that I'm not quite as composed as I was as an actor. "Rr-eally?" I ask her. I take a step back feeling a little uneasy and reach for a low stool so I can sit. Kyoko squats in front of me.
"Well, maybe Ren can be fourth," she winks before taking my hand in hers. "Are you feeling okay?" she asks concerned. "It's really okay for you to ask for help when you need it. I'm always here for you."
"I…I'mm…ok-ay" I laugh weakly before looking into her eyes. She leans up to me, kissing me passionately on the lips. "I ju-just get…titired ea-easily."
"I know you do, sweetheart," she says as she lets her fingers go through the longer strands of blond hair. "Did you want me to get breakfast started or do you want to go back to bed first?" she asks and I can't help but smile. "Can't I be excited to start my week of celebrating the most amazing person in my life?" she asks and I weakly smile. She makes a big event of all three days in what she calls the week of Hizuri Kuon.
First of all, there's today which is February 10th. This is the day when she usually tells me about my work as a career, how we met in Tokyo, she gives me something that is to do with acting and we spend the day watching movies, and yes, there are presents. The second day Kyoko celebrates is Valentine's Day, February 14th. She's often told me that she wants to celebrate it in a Japanese fashion where she gets me a gift and I get her something later on White Day. I'm pretty sure that it's not because she wants to have Japanese traditional culture at all, I think its because I try to deflect any attention on Christmas. Then the main event is the third day meaning that this week is more like two. February 19th, the day that Hizuri Kuon was born.
I smile. I'm sure that she's spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars this year as well just trying to spoil me. All that I need though is her in my arms. A bonus would be any kiss or romantic experience with her but just her, here with me, that's all I ask for. I guess, since we were both busy working on all those other years, it's been a selfish request for me to make.
"There's…" I speak slowly again so that I can try not to stutter, it takes a lot of difficulty sometimes but I am improving quickly, "no bi-gg ppp-artt-y, ri-ght?"
"No, but there is a party. I think there are eight people on the guest list but if that's a bit too much then I'm sure that they can be persuaded to make it smaller." I look at her and blink, eight? She has eight people that she has invited? "Me and the girls, Father and Julie-san, then Maria and Boss-sama wanted to come, and I thought that you'd want Yashiro to be there."
I smile. Those are all people who are like family to me. Hopefully they've forgiven me for not treating them as well or as kindly as I should have last year. There have been some years with fifty or more people at a party. I'm glad that she's made this year more intimate. "Soundds good."
Kyoko moves so that she's kneeling in front of me, she places her hands on my shoulders before drawing closer. She kisses my lips passionately and then slowly draws back. "I will never be able to find how to truly express how much I love you and how amazing you are. You could have died numerous times last year. I could have," she kisses me again and this time slowly stands so she can throw her arms around my neck, "I could have lost you. I am so proud of you and feel the world has been so generous to me that I get to keep you."
I smile to her and she pulls back. I see tears in her eyes and she sniffs softly. "Do you know how impressive it is that you're not somebody else, you still get to be the same Kuon I fell in love with. However, even if you had changed into someone else, I would still be in love with you. You're doing so well with the difficulties you're facing and I'm here for you," she tells me.
"A sllo-wer Kk-uon" I tell her meaning it in a number of ways but she shakes her head. I take a shaky breath in and inhale deeply, she turns to me looking concerned. "The ne-new medd-ication I-I'm takk-ing, one of th-e siddde effe-cts."
"Nothing can make me stop loving you," Kyoko reminds me and I shake my head. I wasn't worried about that.
"Incr-cr-eased appppetite" I stutter and grin as I see the amused look on her face. She finally gets her wish to see me eat more. Hopefully this doesn't mean that I'll gain a lot of weight. She pushes my hair back again.
"Happy Birthday, Tsuruga-sempai," she jokes with me before kissing my forehead, she then kisses my nose, and ends on my lips. I always knew that there was a little Natsu in her even when she was younger, she brought that out at the Dark Moon wrap party but I never knew how much I'd hunger for it or how lucky I would be to receive it.
…
…
As I make the breakfast for us, I see Kuon get up and start putting the medication back in his cupboard where the dietary bars are along with medical equipment, notes, other items. He puts his hand to them and turns to me. There's a schedule of all the therapy that he still has to do but because of his progress he only has to see the speech therapist once or twice a week depending on the anxiety he has at the time.
I know that this day is special just for me and him, Yashiro usually texts and then the president has usually made jokes about it. There's also something on Japanese TV celebrating him but even though it's not his actual birthday, this is still a day to celebrate. Without Kuon there would be no Ren but without Ren, would Kuon have even survived.
"How are pancakes?" I ask him and he smiles to me.
"Ggg-ood" he nods. He's improved so much from last year. I feel a little excited about his appetite increasing. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. It's not meant to poke fun at him but I can just imagine Kuon eating a cake or a cookie or pudding. He'll be so cute. I smile as I turn to him and see his curious emerald eyes watching me. The doctors say in a couple of weeks he'll have the okay to have plastic surgery on his face to get rid of the scars. His hair is also starting to grow over the part where that evil demon hit him with a bat. He's doing so well.
"I think that we might be ready to move to Japan after the school year ends in June. That way the girls can start their new school in Kyoto. Rose is really excited," I tell him and he smiles. He looks around and I know that nostalgic feeling of leaving this home, a home where we raised our daughters but we're not selling the house. We can own both properties. We have a bank account where years of acting worth of money has been deposited and we also have all the residuals. Then there's my fashion business where the president is helping me with turning it international and leaving my vice-president to run the operations over here. We'll be fine. I know that Father and Julie-san are keeping their house too, the house where little Kuon grew up in.
"We can spend summers here, winter vacations," I suggest and he nods. "We're not leaving forever."
"Kyoko," he says turning to me before looking away, "Nnev-ver mi-nnd."
"Do you want something other than pancakes?" I ask him quickly and he raises an eyebrow as he looks at me before shaking his head. I walk over to him. I would give him anything. He saved my life without hesitation and he's always been my most supportive fan.
"Ddoo…you th-thinkk it w-w-woul-dd be self-ish to want to acct?" he asks me as he looks up hopefully.
I smile to him. I believe in him. I know that if that's what he really wants then he'll be able to do it. I smile to him and wrap my arms around him again. "Not selfish at all," I tell him. It won't mean that I won't be able to be a fashion designer anymore, it'll just mean that we both get to get back on track to our dreams. "If anyone can do it, you can," I try to encourage him.
I smile. That's what I hope to give to him next year, a chance for him to act. His appearance can be improved by cosmetic surgery, his brain functioning is already improving, he's recovering at a much faster speed and Japan is going to be able to offer him something. I pause before going to the door. "I'll be right back," I promise him.
Maybe that phone call with Yashiro should come a little bit earlier than planned, maybe with the president too. It might take months to really set it up but I want him to be able to stand in front of a camera again with pride. That's one thing about being in love. You would do anything to help the one you love get their ultimate happiness.
End of Chapter Forty Four
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