To everyone that has followed and favorited and reviewed this story, thank you so much! It means more than I can say, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter 3
Their First (Public) Date
It had been almost a week in a half since Kyoko had been alone with Ren, as most of their meetings happened in the mornings when they carpooled together, when he called to ask if she would go to dinner with him.
Even those mornings seemed few and far between, but, Kyoko reminded herself often, they were both busy. Filming for Lotus in the Mire was going well, despite Koga's occasional teasing and the barrage of questions from her fellow cast members. Thankfully, the questions had started to die down, but she was definitely noticing big changes in her routine. Having Yashiro-san drive her to and from work was now less of a luxury and more of a necessity. She'd been ready to find alternate forms of transportation, namely her bike while wearing a hat to try and fool reporters, but, oddly enough, Yashiro-san was always available to drive her. She'd asked a few times if it really was okay...if he didn't have to get Ren to and from his many jobs. But she'd been assured every time that Yashiro-san could make it work.
That, she'd informed him, was why he was a super manager, and he'd waved her off, obviously flattered and a little embarrassed.
The day after their TV interview, Kyoko and Ren had arrived at LME early, her hand resting securely in his, his thumb rubbing over her knuckles as he led her to the president's office. Yashiro-san had hung back, and she had thought she'd heard a camera flash, but when she'd glanced back, Yashiro was holding his planner, walking and skimming through their schedules for the day. When she'd glanced at Ren, he'd had a tiny smile on his face, but hadn't seemed to have heard the sound.
Once they'd been ushered into the office, Kyoko had jumped at the deafening sound of cannons, Ren's arm automatically wrapping around her as the two of them were covered in what turned out to be confetti. Wide-eyed, they'd looked first at each other, and then at the president who, despite his carnival barker outfit, had seemed to be pouting.
"Um...Boss?" Ren had asked, dropping the arm from around her shoulders to pick some of the confetti out of her hair. She'd shaken her head, going for the faster approach, and had run her fingers roughly through her hair as colorful paper had rained down on the ground. She'd wondered with a sigh if he would make the Love Me department clean this up later.
"How could you keep this from me?" Takarada-san had cried, gesturing to the two of them, and they'd immediately know what he was talking about.
Kyoko had glanced at Ren, deciding that since he'd been the once to tell the world that particular secret, he could be the one to explain. He'd met her eyes, giving her a wry smile, and then he'd turned back to their boss. "It wasn't until recently that I told Kyoko who I was, so it wasn't possible for me to tell her that I was her childhood friend. I wanted her to be the first to know."
Takarada-san had just shaken his head, looking disappointed. "It could have been a big reveal! We could have waited until you took your name back and…"
"I did it to make this easier on Kyoko," Ren had interrupted, his tone not leaving any room for argument.
Their boss had sobered then, nodding and glancing between the two of them for a moment. "You're right. The public is much more likely to accept a relationship between the two of you if they think it's fate."
"I don't particularly care if they accept it," Ren had grumbled, and Kyoko had fought a giggle, surprised to see him so grumpy with Takarada-san.
"Regardless, this will make things easier for you, Mogami-kun," the president had told her. "You both did an excellent job answering the questions last night, and I think the press's appetite will be sated for a while. The sooner you can be seen together in public, the better. Let them have their fill of you and they'll move on to something more interesting."
Ren had looked almost offended but hadn't argued. "Yashiro-san is trying to find an evening we're both free."
"Good." The president had nodded to himself. "Alright. Ren, you probably have a job to get to."
Ren had lifted an eyebrow. "That was the only reason you wanted to see us?"
"That was the only reason I wanted to see you," Takarada-san had informed him. "Mogami-kun, I was hoping you could help me with a Love Me assignment."
"Oh...of course. I have to get changed…"
"Don't worry about the uniform for now. This is a...secret assignment, so discretion is key. Ren, you can go. And stop looking at me like that."
"I just remember what you had her doing during her last 'secret assignment,'" Ren had muttered before turning to Kyoko. "I'll see you later?"
She'd nodded, smiling brightly. "Have a good day!"
He'd softened, reaching out and brushing his fingers over her hand. "You too."
And then she'd been alone with Takarada-san who had gestured for her to take a seat. She had, hands clasped in her lap, and he'd sat across from her, Ruto-san stepping out of the shadows to place a cup of tea in front of her. She'd taken a sip, a little anxious, but his smile had been kind.
"I heard that you spoke with your mother last night." She'd blinked at him in surprise, wondering how exactly he'd known. "She actually gave me a call and asked about the safety of our elevators, despite the fact that the incident didn't happen at LME."
"Oh...I'm sorry if she bothered you."
He'd waved a careless hand. "No need to apologize. I informed her that we were doing extra safety checks, and that I'd spoken to the president of TBM personally." Kyoko hadn't been able to help the smile growing on her face, her heart warm, and he'd smiled as well. "I'm glad to hear that things are improving between you."
"Thank you," she'd whispered, taking a sip of her tea, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Speaking of parents, I got a call from your father."
For a moment, that had brought her up short. But then she'd remembered Ren's words. "Hizuri-san called?"
"He wanted to know why he hadn't been informed that his 'precious son' had been injured and why Tsuruga hadn't asked his permission to date you." Kyoko had just stared at him, stunned. "I'm sure he'll be attempting to contact you soon, so be on the lookout. I gave him your number, of course."
So much had happened since in the months since she'd seen the man she thought of as her father...would he want to hear about it? How would he feel about her dating his son? Would he be upset? He had wanted to know why Ren hadn't asked his permission to date her...had he been kidding? Did he want Ren to ask permission because he saw Kyoko as his child? Or because Ren was his son? Would he think she was good enough? He thought the world of his son...he was a textbook idiot doting father. What if he didn't think she was good enough for his beloved son?
Would Ren want to break up with her?
"Mogami-kun?"
She had jumped, snapping to attention. "Yes...I'm sorry. The Love Me assignment."
"Right," he'd agreed, watching her closely for a moment before going on. "I was hoping you would accompany Maria to school this morning."
The request had surprised her. She hadn't seen Maria in a while, and had found herself caught up in the new dramas of her own life.
"Oh...um...of course. I'd be happy to. Doesn't a driver take her to school?"
"Ruto-san typically drives her. I was hoping you would go with her." He'd hesitated. "I know that you and my granddaughter have become close over the last few months, and I appreciate everything you've done for her."
"I haven't…"
He'd held up a hand. "You have. More than you know. So I hope you don't mind me making a personal request."
She'd simply nodded, leaning forward and giving him her full attention.
"Maria has felt abandoned many times in the past. And both you and Ren are very important to her. I hope that you can continue to give her some of your time. She's been a bit down recently, and I think she misses you."
Kyoko had given a soft smile, nodding and clasping her hands in her lap. "Of course, Takarada-san. Maria is very important to me as well. I'd be happy to accompany her to school today."
He'd sent her off then, giving her directions to the little girl's bedroom, and Kyoko had found her sitting on her bed, feet swinging just a little, face downcast. Her hands had been clasped in her lap, and Kyoko had felt a painful twinge in her heart. With everything happening, from the elevator to the interview to her own feelings about Ren and her mother, she hadn't stopped to consider Maria's feelings.
She had stepped into the room, eyes on the floor. According to the president, he'd already informed her that Kyoko was on her way, but she hadn't moved when Kyoko had approached. "Maria-chan?"
The little girl had glanced up, and Kyoko had lowered herself to her knees, hands pressed to the floor in front of her forehead.
"I am so sorry for not speaking to you sooner about everything. I know how you feel about Ren…about Tsuruga-san, and I understand if you can't forgive me for not telling you about our relationship myself."
Maria had been silent for a long time, and Kyoko had started to worry that the little girl wouldn't answer, when she'd slipped off the bed, her socked feet padding across the floor until she came to stand in front of Kyoko.
"Onee-sama?"
"Hm?" Kyoko had glanced up from where she'd been kneeling, an encouraging smile on her face. If the little girl had wanted to yell at her, she'd take it. She knew it must be hard, especially since she'd had a crush on Ren since Kyoko had met her.
"Are you and Ren going to get married?"
Kyoko's head had jerked up, eyes wide, cheeks burning as she'd struggled to find the right words. "I…um…we haven't…we just started dating. So…um…I don't know." It wasn't that the thought hadn't crossed her mind, but any time she thought about marriage, her mind immediately went to kissing…and touching…and then her brain would overheat and shut down.
"If you do get married, can I be your flower girl?" There had been a tiny, hopeful smile on Maria's face, and Kyoko had smiled and opened her arms to the girl who had thrown herself into them, holding her close despite her embarrassment.
"Of course," Kyoko had promised, burying her face in the little girl's blonde curls. She had never planned her own wedding, at least...not really, although she'd always had a clear image of her groom, and she'd never thought about traditional vs western weddings for herself, but for Maria, if the time ever came, she'd work a flower girl into the ceremony one way or the other. "I wouldn't have anyone else."
"I thought maybe you didn't want to talk to me anymore," Maria had whispered as if ashamed. "Since you have Ren-sama to talk to now."
Kyoko had squeezed her even tighter, shaking her head. "Never. You're my favorite little sister! I just…so many things happened so fast, and work was really busy too, and I had to move into a new apartment…but I should have made time to talk to you sooner." She'd swallowed hard. "I know you don't usually like the women who try to get close to him."
"But they're not you!" Maria had cried, eyes wide as she'd pulled away. "I know you're not one of those women that just want to be near him because he's famous!" She had hesitated. "You love him for real, right?"
Kyoko had blushed, nodding. "I love him for real," she'd agreed. And then she'd put her hands on Maria's shoulders. "Your grandfather asked me to come with you to school this morning, and if you want, I can tell you the whole story."
And she had…well, the child friendly version. From the back seat of the president's car, she'd told Maria about how the elevator had broken after she found out that Ren loved her, and how she'd had to go to the hospital. And about the picture and moving into an apartment with Moko-san."
"Can I come over for a sleepover some day?" Maria had asked then, eyes bright with excitement, and Kyoko had nodded.
"Of course! You just have to check with your grandfather first." She'd had a feeling that the President would be okay with it, but figured the little girl would need to ask anyway.
By the time they had reached her school, Maria had been practically bouncing from excitement, and she'd turned to Kyoko before climbing out of the car. "Do you think Ren-sama will mind if I'm a flower girl?"
Kyoko had pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks and had given the girl a weak smile. "I'm sure he'd be happy to have you as a flower girl if there is ever a wedding. In the future. A long time from now."
The message hadn't seemed to get across but Maria had thrown her arms around Kyoko anyway, thanking her for coming to school with her and then running off, promising to ask Ren about being a flower girl the next time she saw him.
Kyoko just hoped she wasn't around when Maria asked him, otherwise she might spontaneously combust from the embarrassment.
What if Ren didn't want to marry her?
What if his family didn't want him to marry her?
These were the thoughts that plagued her as she went about her days, popping up when she was studying her scripts with Moko-san in the evenings or cooking dinner or when she was trying to fall asleep. She tried to hide them when she saw him in the mornings they carpooled, compensating by being extra chipper and, when he started to get suspicious, watching her carefully throughout the car ride, she made bento box lunches for him and Yashiro-san and gave them to them the next morning.
Her distraction worked, thankfully, and she toned down her bright, fake smiles and tried to do a better job of hiding her growing dread as the two assured her that she didn't have to make them lunch but thanked her nonetheless.
Despite the President's words, she hadn't heard from Hizuri-san. And what if he really had been worried about her, but then he realized that she was dating his son and wanted nothing to do with her now? What if he was upset that his real son hadn't asked his permission before dating a girl who wasn't even close to worthy of him. He came from a famous American family! She barely had one parent that was just starting to tolerate her and didn't even know who her father was!
It was Yashiro-san who informed her of an opening in both her and Ren's schedule that would allow them to go on their first public date, something that Kyoko was finding herself looking forward to less and less and the questions plagued her. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend time with him…but the more time passed between their meetings, the more nervous she got. What if his dad had called him? What if he was just waiting to break it to her? What if Hizuri-san didn't even want to talk to her anymore?
Ren always seemed normal on the mornings she saw him. Tired, maybe, but always happy to see her. And she knew that her fears were stupid…that she was worrying over nothing. Less than nothing! She was actively making up things to worry about! But she couldn't get them out of her head.
Ren called her the evening after Yashiro-san informed her that they both had a free afternoon, and she answered while making dinner, her heart pounding too loudly in her chest as she struggled to make herself sound normal. In the other room, Moko-san had been studying a script, muttering the English words to herself, so Kyoko had tried to keep her voice quiet so as not to disturb her.
"Good evening. How was your day?"
She could hear the smile in his voice when he assured her that his day had gone well. Once he'd asked about her day and she'd given him a quick rundown, growing a little more comfortable as they spoke and he seemed to be acting normal, he asked the question she'd been waiting for.
"Would you like to go out to dinner with me on Thursday? Yashiro said that we were both off."
"I'd love to," she'd lied, her anxiety making itself into a ball in her stomach.
He'd been quiet for a moment, but he hadn't asked her any questions. Instead, he'd let her know that he would pick her up at seven if that was okay, and that he'd see her in the morning.
Ren did pick her up at seven, dressed in slacks and a sweater that looked criminally good on him, and she wore a dress, unable to help noticing how his eyes were drawn to the hem as it swished around her knees. Moko-san wasn't home, so Kyoko locked the apartment behind her, slipping her hand into the crook of his arm and following him down to his car as they exchanged pleasantries.
It was strange to her that all of this was starting to feel almost normal. Touching him. Being close to him. Talking to him like he was just a person...just a friend. She'd even told him about her meeting with Maria, even though she hadn't mentioned the flower girl part, and he'd agreed that the three of them should spend time together, and that maybe they could take the little girl out one day when they both got a day off. Those days were few and far between but still, Kyoko loved the idea. Before, Kyoko never would have dreamed of confiding in him about these things, much less taking him with her to see her mother or even telling him about her relationship with her mother.
But this was Corn.
She stared out the window as he drove, turning that thought over in her mind. He was Corn. Her Corn. She loved him. And he seemed to love her too. So...so he wouldn't break up with her, right? And she'd thought that Hizuri-san had loved her too. So he wouldn't be upset that she was dating his son, would he?
Ren pulled off the side of the road, and she watched in surprise as he pulled into the parking lot of a building she didn't recognize. She looked around the deserted parking lot, wondering if this was a secret restaurant for famous people or something, but quickly realized it was just an office building. He put the car in park in one of the spots, then turned to her, resting his elbow on the console between them. They hadn't been holding hands, she realized. "Did something happen?"
That's what she wanted to ask him! "What do you mean?" she wondered, looking around in confusion. "Where are we?"
He seems to think for a moment, ignoring her question. "Is Kotonami-san alright?"
"Yes…Moko-san is fine. She's been preparing for her audition in America, so she's been busy."
"Have you talked to Maria?"
She blushed a little, remembering the little girl's question about a wedding, but hurried to answer. "Yes, she's coming over for a sleepover this weekend. I think she's excited. She asked if you could stop by but I told her you were working late on Friday."
He smiled a bit at that, then went on as though this were a speed interview. "How is your filming going?"
They talked about her filming (and his) all the time, so the question confused her even more. "It's still going well. Sometimes the stunts are challenging, but I enjoy them." He seemed at a loss, watching her closely as she let her confusion show plainly on her face. "Ren what…"
"Have you seen Fuwa?"
She frowned. He didn't sound jealous or angry, but the question still caught her off guard. "No…not for a while."
"Reino?"
Her grudges shuddered reflexively at the name. "No…what's going on? Why are we in a parking lot?"
He sighed, running a hand over his face. "You've been upset about something for the last week and I can't figure out what's wrong."
Oh.
So she hadn't been fooling him with the bentos.
"I just…I didn't know if something had happened that you wanted to talk about or…or if it was something I did."
He was sad. She was worrying him. He thought she was mad at him for something he'd done and he was sad because of it. The thought ripped through her heart, and when she reached for him, it was without thought, her hand gripping his. "No…no it wasn't…you didn't do anything."
"Did something happen?"
"No…I mean…" How was she supposed to explain her fears to him when they barely made sense to her? She decided to go with the most basic explanation she could and leave out the rest for the moment. "It's not important. It's just…Takarada-san mentioned that Hizuri-san had been worried after he saw the picture and he said that he might call…I'm sorry…I made you worry about something so stupid." Kyoko tried to laugh, but Ren didn't even smile.
"Why is that stupid?" Ren asked, turning his hand to intertwine his fingers with hers. She was a little surprised at herself to realize how much she'd missed holding his hand. He never touched her when they rode to work together in the mornings...maybe because he thought she would be embarrassed to hold his hand in front of Yashiro-san? She'd started to think that he might not want to hold her hand in public, but he'd literally done so on a live TV interview so that couldn't be it, and she could never ask him, or initiate it herself.
"He…he's probably busy and I'm…it's not like I'm his…there just isn't any reason for him to call me. It was silly to think he would."
Ren was quiet for a long time, watching as she fidgeted a little under his attention. "Kyoko," he finally murmured, squeezing her hand. "It's not silly." He hesitated, and when she looked up at him, he was staring at their joined hands. "You can always talk to me…even if it's just over the phone. If you need to talk about something or if you're sad or upset, I'm here."
"I don't want to bother you…"
"I want you to bother me." He smiled down at her then, his thumb stroking the familiar path across her knuckles. She loved it when he did that...she felt so safe when she was close to him. "Please, Kyoko. Bother me. Any time you want. Send me a text or call me…I don't mind. Not ever. And I'll do the same."
She couldn't talk through the lump in her throat and just managed to nod, staring down at his fingers that squeezed hers.
"I'm sorry you miss him. I know he's very important to you. I'm sure he misses you too, and that he wants to know all about what's going on. And when he does call you, I'm sure he's going to ask a thousand embarrassing questions and that you'll wish you hadn't answered the phone."
She giggled, and his smile was so soft and she loved him so much that she wanted to kiss him.
Wait…what?
Before her mind could go any further down that road, he brushed her hair back, his fingers lingering at her cheek. "Is anything else wrong?"
And the words she hadn't meant to say slipped out, escaping before she could smother them. "I was afraid that…that he wouldn't want me to be your girlfriend." By the end of the sentence, her words were practically a whisper, and she was surprised that he could hear her. And judging by his expression, he had.
"Kyoko," he murmured, cupping her face in his hand and leaning in. "That's not true. But even if it were, which it isn't, it wouldn't matter. Because I love you. Nothing could change that."
She dropped her eyes, wishing she could say the words back. Wishing they came as easy to her as they seemed to to him. "I'm sorry," she murmured, trying to smile. "I wish…I wish I was better at this. I know I'm not a good girlfriend." Just the word was hard to say, but he shook his head.
"You are the perfect girlfriend. I don't know how I ever got so lucky." He smiled, lifting her hand and pressing a quick kiss to the back of it. She didn't pull her hand away this time...didn't want to. "Now, I would like to take my beautiful, perfect girlfriend out to dinner at a restaurant where the food is almost as good as hers. What do you think?"
Her cheeks went hot, and she found herself struggling to speak. "Yes…we should go," she murmured. "We'll be late."
He smiled, releasing her hand and pulling out of the parking lot. But before they'd even made it out onto the street, his arm rested on the console, and her hand found his again, fingers slipping between his. He didn't look away from the road, but he didn't let go of her hand again until he had to.
The restaurant was beautiful. The other diners were beautiful. The food was beautiful. But despite all of that, and despite the occasional camera flash and the soft sounds of the cell phone cameras, all Kyoko could focus on was Ren. He was happy. Happy to be with her. Happy to be talking to her and laughing with her and eating with her. He wasn't upset that the whole world could see him with her. Her! Mogami Kyoko. And as the evening passed, he didn't feel like Tsuruga Ren. He felt like Corn.
Her Corn.
And so she felt herself start to relax too, her laughter coming easily without much thought given to the eyes on them until the other diners seemed to grow tired of watching a couple have a normal date and turned back to their own dinners. She told him about her plans for her sleepover with Maria and he told her that he was sure they'd have a great time. He told her about Yashiro-san taking sneaky pictures of the two of them together whenever he got the chance and texting them to Ren, making Kyoko laugh out loud, hurrying to cover her mouth as people glanced over.
"Why?" she cried, almost in a whisper so that others wouldn't overhear.
He shook his head. "Who knows. He's been trying to get me to confess to you for almost a year. I think he knew how I felt about you before I did." He moved on before she could be embarrassed. "I should have him start sending you the pictures too."
She smiled down at her food, not willing to admit that she loved the idea. But then again…hadn't he been honest with her?
"Please. I'd love that," she told him, managing to meet his eyes.
Maybe she was getting better at this. Maybe, she thought, she could even be good at it. Sure, Tsuruga Ren still felt ridiculously out of her league...but Corn...Corn was hers. Her cherished friend and the one whose memory had helped her through her painful childhood, and now here he was, sitting across from her in a restaurant so fancy that they didn't even print the prices on the menu, ordering dessert for both of them and looking as happy as she'd ever seen him.
He'd grown wings. He was flying. And he wanted her to fly with him
"Kyoko?"
She had been engrossed in her dessert, which was a little chocolate cake filled with chocolate and topped with ice cream, so she was surprised to see him looking, of all things, nervous. "Yes?"
"Can...can I ask you something?"
"Of course." She couldn't imagine why he might be nervous. The only thing she knew of that he might be worried about telling her was the reason he'd come to Japan in the first place, and she doubted he'd want to talk about it here and now. They'd been having such a good time, the change in his demeanor confused her.
He fidgeted a little, then met her eyes, seeming almost sorry to have said anything. "About White Day…"
"White Day?" Kyoko glanced away, trying not to let her own hurt show. It still stung a little that he'd given other people White Day gifts and not her. But, she reminded herself, that didn't matter. He'd more than proven his love for her by now. She didn't need a cell phone charm.
"Yes. Your...your White Day gift." He took a deep breath. "Did you not like it?"
Her head snapped up and her eyes met his and she stared at him in silent confusion.
"I just meant...I thought you would enjoy it, and that Kotonami-san would go with you and you'd have a good time. And you never said anything so I thought...I thought you might not have liked it or…"
"Ren," Kyoko began gently, hopelessly confused now. "You...you didn't get me a White Day gift."
Now he was confused. "What?"
"It's okay!" she assured him, even if secretly, it wasn't. "I'm sure you got so many gifts and I didn't even get you chocolates and…"
He waited for her to trail off before speaking. "But I put it in the mail two days before White Day to make sure it got to you on time. I didn't know if I'd see you on White Day and I didn't want you to think…" He trailed off this time, huffing out a laugh. "I'm sorry…I should have found a way to get it to you personally. It must have gotten lost in the mail."
The relief that rushed through Kyoko honestly embarrassed her. He hadn't forgotten about her...he'd gotten her a gift. She couldn't help the little smile as she stared at her food. "Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault. I didn't expect a gift." He reached out, taking her hand and holding it over the table for everyone to see, and she went on. "I thought maybe you only gave gifts to people who gave you chocolates, and I saw the charm you got Momose-san."
"Trust me, your gift is better than a cellphone charm. I picked it out just for you. I just hope you'll accept it a little late."
She nodded, staring down at her hand in his and wishing, suddenly, that he'd kiss her again. It was a wish she kept secret, trying not to even think about it all throughout dessert and the drive home. And when he dropped her off at her apartment with a gentle kiss to her forehead, she couldn't help thinking that it wasn't enough.
Thank you for reading!