"Kyoko-san! Kyoko-san! Are you planning to have children soon?!"

They said.

"We just got married," Kyoko blushes with a giggle that delights the press, "but we certainly wouldn't have a problem..."

"Fuwa-san! Where will your honeymoon be?!"

They keep screaming.

"It's a secret," he smiles mischievously.

Flashes, flashes and more flashes. Suffocating, insidious, torturous flashes that were like scourges reminding her that, even if she was dying and could barely breathe, she shouldn't stop smiling.

"Smile, Kyoko, just a little more," she kept telling herself, "don't stop smiling, don't break, be strong."

She vaguely remembered that day, when, according to him, Eros' arrow embedded itself in his soul. The day when, with a shattered ankle, she went through with the tea ceremony scene until she became unconscious. The feeling now was much worse, to the point where she allowed herself to laugh at the Kyoko of that time, the one who thought she couldn't suffer much worse pain than that.

But she could not give up now. She drew the strength to act as if her existence depended on it, because in part it did. Though she would sacrifice everything for the love of her baby, she had a chance to keep the one great love she had left now, her career; which, moreover, was the only bond that could remain between her and him. Ren, Kuon or Corn. The man of her life, no matter what name he used at the moment.

«Please, don't... Please... Kyoko-chan!»

His pleas echoed in her head as she smiled at the press.

«I know I lied to you and kept many things from you, I know I don't deserve you, but please let me stand by your side in this. I swear to you, I don't care what may happen, I can be a father to her, I can... Kyoko-chan, stay by my side.»

Kyoko didn't know in what way she could have those words echoing in her head like the thunder of a great storm and at the same time pay attention to the press questions and fan requests. It was hard, but they managed to make the general public take kindly to the news of their courtship, which, according to the love story they invented to soften the hearts of the press and fans of both, started from a year before they both escaped Kyoto together, he to fulfill his dream and she to find herself and finally discover that what she wanted most was acting.

Sho began to realize that at any moment Kyoko's performance would collapse, so he began to dismiss the press and signaled to security to move everyone out of the way and allow them to climb the stairs to the private jet. When they reached the threshold of the jet's door, the couple turned to the audience to smile and pose. Kyoko threw the bouquet to the fans, which was handed to her before getting out of the car at the airport entrance, and Sho gave her a possessive kiss that made everyone blush and then, still kissing Kyoko, closed the jet door to the flashbulbs and the shocked stares of the fans. As soon as the doors closed, Kyoko roughly pushed Sho away and burst into tears. She leaned back in the farthest seat she could find while her husband watched helplessly and with no idea how to deal with the situation. The flight attendants, trusted workers hired by Lory, silently served her favourite desserts, but Kyoko, though tempted, could not bring herself to put the spoon in her mouth.

"The trip will be short," Sho dared to say, "so I recommend you to unburden yourself as much as you can before they welcome us in Seoul, I don't want them to think I'm a bad husband or something..."

Sho paused as he made eye contact with Kyoko, he felt worse than when he was a kid watching her cry. He squeaked in annoyance and lowered his gaze, somehow communicating to her what he had already told her several times, that this wasn't his fault and that he wasn't the villain here, to stop making him feel guilty when, at least for this time, he wasn't.

Kyoko sighed and tasted the small chocolate castle, slowly the tears subsided and the redness in her eyes thinned. Sho leaned back slumped in the seat and checked his cell phone absentmindedly, because his attention was really on his wife and how strange it was to think that he was now married. He was scared. He was stressed. He was exhausted. Bu, at the same time, according to Shoko's messages, at least his dream, his profession was not in jeopardy and, even though his fans were heartbroken, they accepted him, married or not they would always support him.

"Sorry," Kyoko murmured after a few minutes of awkward silence, both she and he knew they were both looking at each other sideways.

Sho made a gesture of his arms as if to play it down, put on his headphones and closed his eyes, seemingly ready to sleep, though again, they both knew he just wanted to escape of an uncomfortable conversation.

Kyoko ordered more desserts and contemplated him thoughtfully, feeling a little bad for Sho. However, her sympathy for him was not enough to distract her from how horrible she was feeling. She didn't want to look at her cell phone, because surely by now the pictures, videos, opinions and other media hype about the wedding would be all over the internet. She knew that her performance had convinced everyone, or at least most of them, and that confidence in her own talent made it unnecessary for her to torture herself just to make sure that things went the way they were supposed to. She didn't want to know more. She didn't want again to hear her deluded fans talk about how moved they were by the romantic love story of two teen-agers who together fought for their dreams until both of them, lifelong companions, made it to the top of the industry and became kings, she of the screens and he of the music charts, to finally decide they couldn't wait any longer to swear eternal love to each other. Some producers even asked for permission to adapt their story into a drama.

"What is this?!"

Kyoko wanted to laugh, because she felt she had run out of tears and that was all she had left, to laugh at her tragedy, to laugh at her pathetic existence. She loved her baby, she really did, but still she couldn't help that thought of "if only...", because, if only she hadn't been so proud. No, if only she hadn't been so complacent. If only... If only... If only... No, Kyoko, that doesn't exist, it just wasn't like that. But, maybe, just maybe, if only she hadn't been so angry with Kuon when he told her he was Corn... She wouldn't have distanced herself from him, wouldn't have asked him for space to decide what their relationship would be like going forward. And if she hadn't felt so lonely, confused and wanting to be distracted, then she wouldn't have gone that night to the club after running away from the after-party the runway show she was invited to during Tokyo Fashion Week with the models she barely knew. No, she wouldn't have left the "safe" party she was at to go to a club, that club, with some virtual strangers, colleagues she barely knew, just to avoid the fabulous "Tsuruga Ren". And, maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have danced with the idiot of... No, she could no longer calmly insult him even in her mind, he was the father of her baby. But, she in her mind, clouded by the alcohol from the drinks her new "friends" made her try, only had one man. She wanted to get a little revenge, to upset him, to make him pay for what he was putting her through. She knew they would talk about her dancing with Sho, because, she was told, that club was where celebrities "were allowed to go to sin". Plus she thought she saw Kijima watching. However, she immediately got fed up with Sho, she was drunk, but not drunk enough to tolerate him. She began to hate herself, that was not her, that place, surrounded by men who looked at her as if she were a piece of meat and they animals without reasoning or respect for her person, was not for her... Her place was in his arms. She didn't accept any more drinks, ordered a lemonade and looked for her "friends", all missing. Strangers tried to talk to her, to touch her, she ignored them and looked for Kijima, or a shelter in that chaos more specifically. She did not find it and in her search hands of strangers of both genders took liberties she would never have granted. At some point, surely in one of those moments when she was fighting for get free of the strangers hands, it was that it happened.

Kyoko awoke from her thoughts when the flight attendant passed her a handkerchief. She laughed bitterly once again, apparently she was wrong, she still had tears to shed.

Long time she did not remember what happened after that, not finding Kijima to come to her aid and get her out of there or call Kuon for him to rescue her, she sat defeated on the floor and drank the lemonade. But a few at a time the short scenes that came to her mind in a disorderly way took shape. Sho, furious and much drunker than when they danced together before, came and cornered her against the wall. She, in her drug ravings, saw Kuon and simply devoured his lips. The rest she preferred not to remember again. She felt so miserable and pathetic.

She finished eating all the desserts she could and started watching a movie, because sleeping would only bring her nightmares. Shrek was the movie, and she allowed herself to laugh a little, giving her all to immerse herself in a reality that wasn't her own so she could smile for even a few minutes. Kanae had sent her messages, so had the president, Koga and the Hizuri. She did not want to check the messages, because they were approaching the Seoul airport and it was not convenient to break down again and risk the press that would receive them, because she was sure that they would find them in spite of everything, to assume things they should not.

"Kyoko," Sho called out to him and she turned around somewhat reluctantly, "our relationship will change as much as you want it to, I leave it in your hands... But, I don't want that," He stopped and chuck his teeth annoyed, "... close to the family we agreed we would try to form"

Sho's gaze was intense and Kyoko felt a tear escape her again, but no, she would not break down again. She nodded, her heart was already dead, those words, as painful as they were reasonable, no longer had anything to hurt. Besides, she had already done what she had to do and he had already understood. But it hurt, it killed, it burned in his soul.

"Okay," Sho turned to the window with a frown.

They landed and sure enough, there the press and fans were waiting for them. Both of them already felt much more like mannequins than human beings, but they continued. Kyoko was the one who knew Korean, so this time she completely took the reins until they reached the luxurious bridal suite of the most expensive hotel in Seoul; where, as the doors closed, their artificial smiles died immediately.

Sho sits on one of the sofas and decides to create music or do anything to clear his mind; but Kyoko had other plans. Before Sho stood a sensual apparition. White lingerie, full of lace and trimmings that covered just enough to arouse male curiosity and eagerness to discover the hypnotic feminine curves hidden behind. And then, after running his gaze from her feet to her neck, he stopped on her lips. Soft, tantalizing red lips seemed to be calling out to him, begging to be bitten, tasted and possessed. His body betrayed him, he was suddenly upon her in the bed, but then he found those golden orbs, lifeless, soulless, emotionless... As dead as his newly awakened libido and slight enthusiasm.

Kyoko mumbled something, or Sho was so distracted that he heard it as mumbling. He didn't know, so he looked at her questioningly.

"Take off your clothes," she ordered in an almost robotic tone.

Sho was shocked and almost, like an idiot, was about to ask her something he happily didn't ask. But suddenly, as if answering his question, Kyoko turned away from him and pointed at the doors.

"Walls have ears and you never know what might get to the press by a simple oversight..."

Sho looked at her curiously, it was as if she had a lot of experience hiding things from the press. Kyoko surely understood the questioning in Sho's eyes, because she looked down. They both sighed, they hated how much, despite everything, they knew each other to the point where they could have a conversation simply by glances.

Of course she was experienced in handling the press, hiding from them what was inconvenient and showing them what was. Her relationship, or "non-relationship" with Tsuruga Ren required a lot of it and in the course he taught her many things. Such as convincing the attentive paparazzi that he was at Kana-san's house, before formalizing their "breakup", when in reality he was with her in a room in Hokkaido, Karuisawa, Okinawa, and wherever work took them, playing Heel again, and leaving a trail of fiery kisses on each other's necks. Marking each other, loving each other, brushing against the limits of the principles of the pure, dreamy maiden who no longer existed today.

"Take off your shirt," Kyoko pointed to the bed and hugged herself, more than out of the cold to give herself comfort "... I," she started to say but didn't finish any sentence, she just turned to the TV and put on a movie.

Sho, who had already taken off the top of his suit, was left with his jaw down.

"What the...?!" he didn't finish exclaiming when Kyoko covered his mouth and turned up the volume on the TV.

An adult movie, the icing on the cake for this surreal situation.

Sho looked at her questioningly, once again, but it only took that eye contact to understand the clever strategy of his "lifelong companion". Kyoko, then, after making sure Sho didn't say or do anything else, took off her underwear, disinterestedly, and put on Sho's shirt. The next thing was to throw both of their clothes everywhere and turn up the volume once again. Sho watched her silently and "cooperated," after gnashing his teeth, by roughly unmolding the bed and wildly scattering the rose petals on it, with the moans and cries of pleasure from some actors, whom Sho was unlucky enough to know, as background music.

"What a honeymoon."

Once "the work" was done Kyoko got into the bathtub and Sho sat on the bed waiting for the movie to end so she could put on some variety show to take away the bad taste in his mouth, even though he knew that would probably be impossible.

Kyoko in the bathroom checked her cell phone. Kanae was offering to make a video call with her all night so she wouldn't feel alone, announcing that Chiori, Itsumi, Maria-chan, and even Honami would be included... Even when Kanae didn't like Honami. She smiled slightly, her friends were accompanying her, they loved her and she loved them. She would be strong, or at least she was going to try. The final proof was in the letter Kuon left her with his wedding gift, which she still didn't have the courage to open. The Hizuri's couple told her they would go to the wedding in Kyoto, as it would be more private and that was for the best. She knew that, although they were not lying to her, the truth was that they did not go to the wedding today because it was difficult for them to attend or not considering their son's feelings... And taking into account that in their message of apology for missing also confirmed their attendance at the ceremony in Kyoto, Kyoko assumed that Kuon gave them the go-ahead. The president, for his part, wrote her a very long text, but before reading it she saw another more recent message from him telling her to read it when she felt emotionally more stable and that for now all she needed to know was that Yashiro Yukihito would stay on as her permanent manager and to expect him to arrive in Seoul in two days, because there was much to discuss.

Big mistake, president, because with just that announcement Kyoko already guessed what was about to happen or what had already happened. She put the phone aside and cried silently one more time, just one more time before she felt her emotions shut down, surely a ploy by her brain to try to keep her alive. Soon, she got out of the tub, put Sho's shirt back on, bundled up in bed, and asked Sho to order something to eat from room service. Sho did so, and then felt a tug. Kyoko suddenly, and who know how, was under him on the bed. Then, when Sho couldn't have been more lost, she scratched his back, kissed him in a way Sho never thought Kyoko, the prude he grew up with, could ever kiss and left a hickey on his collarbone.

He didn't have time to say anything when there was a knock on the door, and he saw in the molten gold of her eyes a message, "collaborate."

He got up to receive the people of room service, who blushing, but no less curious, left the food in front of the bed while they watched the scene with great attention out of the corner of their eyes... Disguising it so badly that it was even shameless. Sho could tell that they were staring at the scratches on his back, the hickey and at the lipstick marks around it. Again Kyoko's intelligence surprised him, even though he knew her better than anyone else first hand.

"Kyoko..."

Sho turned to find her eating like never before.

"Kanae is hungry," she looked at him with a hint of a smile and continued eating.

"We already decided?" Sho gave her an irritated look, but Kyoko's gaze snatched that expression away and left him with one of fear. Anyway, he soon recovered and smiled sarcastically, "She hates me, I don't think she likes to see her name next to my last name," he snorted.

Kyoko looked thoughtful at this, but ended up shrugging her shoulders and continuing to eat. She wasn't happy, the misery was still visible in her eyes, but at least talking about the baby somehow cheered her up a little, enough to have the strength to continue and not give in to the darkness, depression or the desire to no longer exist. Sho sighed and went to the desk, he wasn't really inspired but he felt lost and making music was the only way he found his place in the world.

Hours passed and Kyoko started the video call with her friends. Sho didn't want to eavesdrop but ended up overhearing something that bothered him as Maria Takarada withdrew from the conversation and the talk became more adult.

"So, last night was the last time..."

"I... I can't take this anymore, you know?" Kyoko's voice cracked but she didn't start crying, "He told me that he would always be waiting for me but I can't... It wasn't possible and you know it's like that"

"But, Kyoko, you love... ," Honami started to say, but Kyoko interrupted her.

"It wasn't possible, he doesn't love her, he's not her father... He loves me enough to say those things, but no. I don't want that for my daughter, I want her to be loved unconditionally and for her to feel really loved, to have what I didn't have... I don't want her name to be part of anyone's reproaches and regrets, least of all his... I just couldn't let him sacrifice everything for someone he doesn't love..."

The girls were silent and some furtive tears slid down Kyoko's cheeks, but she instantly wiped them away and laughed.

"Can you help me find a name?"

There was a collective sigh, apparently the actresses had also shed tears. Sho began to pace restlessly around the living room of the suit, he had already assumed that Tsuruga Ren had offered to take responsibility for his daughter, but now it was a certainty as was his fear. Tsuruga Ren probably wouldn't give up. No, he didn't give up, he's just waiting for Kyoko's will to falter to insist again and then it would all be over. He would take Kyoko and his daughter away. No, it wasn't that having a family was what he was hoping for or that it was something he had wished for, but he was sickened to the core by that thought of Tsuruga Ren taking what belonged to him. She was his wife and the baby his daughter, the actor had no right. None.

"I was thinking of giving her your name, Moko-chan..."

Kanae widened her eyes and stirred slightly uncomfortably.

"Mo... Ah, I think my name doesn't fit very well with that last name, we have to think it through so that her name sounds like the great actress she will be..."

Kyoko smiled, as did the other actresses on the call.

"I have a lot of names you might like, Kyo," Honami announced to Kyoko after blowing her nose with a handkerchief and earning an irritated look from Kanae.

Chiori and Itsumi laughed at Kanae and Honami's rivalry for the position of Kyoko's "best friend", agreeing that Kyoko loves them all equally, except Kanae, with her the thing reaches levels bordering on the romantic, so it could be said that she loves her a little more... From the account.

"What names did you think of?" asked Kyoko animatedly.

"Oyuki..."

"Ice queen?" Kanae snorted but seeing that Kyoko was already immersed in her fantasies she sighed with a slightly irritated expression.

"Yeah, it looks perfect to commemorate Kanae-san, doesn't it?" Honami response.

The girls laughed, except for Kanae who arched her eyebrows and folded her arms, until she considered it and nodded. Kyoko laughed until she saw that she had an incoming call, her heart cringed because she sensed who the call was from.

"Girls..."

"Is that him...?" Kanae, rather than asking, suggested.

"I'll call you back..."

Kyoko hung up on her friends and answered the call.

"Hello?"

They didn't answer but she heard his breathing and the rain, it was him, she felt it.

"Hello..."

"I love you," his voice broke.

Kyoko froze.

"Kuo..."

Before she finished saying his name, he hung up. She didn't know what to think and called the president in panic, but he didn't answer. Then it only occurred to her to call the only person at present who could help her now.

"Kijima-san, where is he?"

"Kyoko... This... You're not going to like it..."

Kyoko squeezed her eyes shut.

"I'll go," she announced.

"No! Kyoko, don't...!"

Kyoko hung up the call and started to get dressed, because she had a feeling he was going to do something she would regret and never forgive herself or him for. But then she collided with Sho.

"No way," he said simply.

Kyoko grabbed her bag, but he ripped it from her and threw it away.

"No way!" He exclaimed furiously, as he had never been in his short life before. "No way," he declared more quietly and pushed her down on the bed, not too roughly but firmly.

Kuon was covered in blood, once again. He looked at his hands with disgust, not even the rain could wash that color off his hands. Once again he was a subhuman being, without light, without a soul... Without anything. He lost everything. She was his everything. And now again he even lost himself.

Note: Honami Makino is the actress who played Natsu's best friend.