Chapter 181: Undo the Past

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip beat, for if I did, Kuon would have a solid support system to keep him from spiraling.

After Damian left and he contacted Yashiro, Kuon joined his family in the kitchen where his mother sat, sipping on a glass of red wine while Kyoko and his father chopped away at ingredients. No one asked him about Damian. There wasn't much to tell anyway. They knew his intentions and probably heard the conversation.

Looking at his dad and Kyoko, he didn't question what they were doing at this late hour as he took a stool beside Julie. His father was always hungry and they needed something to distract themselves from the horror of the night. When he agreed to represent R'Mandy for L.A. Fashion Week and follow his girlfriend to his childhood home, he never expected things would take a turn for the worse. It made him believe that some higher power had a hand in their lives and figured they would throw a wrench in the mix since his time back home was going too well. The almost sex-tape scandal failed so maybe they thought shooting a man would do the trick.

Kuon zoned out, staring at his bandaged hands on the counter. He had not realized he was bleeding until the doctor that helped with Cedric wrapped both hands with the remaining linen he had brought out. It was a good thing he had the hindsight to go inside the hotel and seek help. Charles had applied pressure to the wound from the front, but they both forgot to think about the possibility of an exit wound. It was a lot harder in real life than on screen. Using his teleportation jutsu, as Kyoko liked to call his ability to move fast, he took up the microphone in the ballroom and yelled the typical cliché phrase heard in every medical drama during an emergency. It was the one used on him when he played a doctor as a cameo on a long-running hospital drama.

"I need a doctor!" He stood there under the shock gazes of the attendees for all of two beats until an older woman from the back shouted that she could help. He recognized her as someone from the past, but couldn't remember her name. He practically ran toward her, offering his mother that intercepted him a grim nod and a whisper that Kyoko was okay. If he knew his parents, his mother had stayed behind to distract the guests while his father had gone off to find them. Discretion was key at social events like these. He had screwed up her efforts and changed everything. He could hear his mother trying to follow, but unfortunately, got accosted by curious guests. She had to play the gracious hostess to not cause a panic. Sorry, mom.

"This way." Slowing his pace, he guided the doctor out the back door of the ballroom that would lead them into the service hall. In professional mode, she had asked for his name then instructed him to grab the stack of linens from the cart they passed. While they rushed down the hallway, she had him bring her abreast on Cedric's condition.

Kuon knew it was futile, but he wracked his mind trying to figure out what he could have done differently that wouldn't have resulted in Cedric getting shot and fighting for his life right now. He couldn't stop thinking that this was his fault for going out there in the first place and escalating the situation instead of calling security.

He glanced up at his mother as she placed a mug of hot tea in front of him. His father and Kyoko had moved to the stove to cook.

"Kyoko made it," his mom stated.

His eyes flicked to his girlfriend as she stirred the contents in the pan on the stove. Whatever she was cooking smelled good. He smiled softly at how she was able to stay so strong.

"It's chamomile. It should help," his mother added, pulling his attention from his girlfriend. Her eyes teared up. "Kuon, I'm—"

"Don't," Kuon whispered. He didn't want to hear his parents apologize again for not being more cautious with the two men after they were released from prison. There was nothing they needed to do, they weren't even after him. If anything, he might have made things worse by trying to help. The funny thing was, after all that Cedric had done to him in the past, there wasn't a hesitant bone in Kuon's body that would have stopped him from going out those doors. He couldn't pinpoint when it happened, but it seemed he had started to forgive the guy long before his confession. Cedric had put himself out there by apologizing so publicly then put his life on the line by saving him and Kyoko from a deranged man. Could we be considered even? No, even giving his life wouldn't undo the past and bring Rick back. It was a terrible way of thinking, but he wouldn't forgive Cedric if he died now. He didn't even care that the guy figured out his identity before he fainted. It was time for him to come clean.

"Okay," his mother smiled sadly and hugged him from the side. "It might make me a bad person for saying this, but I'm so glad you two weren't seriously hurt." She glanced down at his raw knuckles peeking through the bandages.

The trappings on his hands weren't for his knuckles. He had hurt his hands while prying off the metal they used to bar the door. His wounds were minor compared to Cedric's suffering; however, one of the ER nurses noticed and insisted on dressing his palms. Thankfully, the cuts weren't deep enough to warrant conventional stitches, so it was a quick patch up. The only unpleasant thing about it was the tetanus shot she insisted he needed. Even with the vaccine, she still warned that infection was possible. To prevent any future complications they would need to keep the wounds clean.

On the other hand, Kyoko's appearance caused great alarm. Her once beautiful dress was ruined — covered in dirt and blood that led to mass hysteria on his mother's part. Careful prodding proved that she didn't have a single scratch on her body. After making a spectacle in the packed ER waiting room as people first recognized his parents, Eltra had assured them that he would keep them posted on Cedric's condition. The trauma surgeon had estimated that he would be in surgery for hours. The Hizuris reluctantly left the hospital and were now left waiting for news.

"I don't think I would be able to survive losing either one of you," Julie sniffled and dabbed her eyes with a tissue.

"Mom," Kuon mumbled helplessly. He couldn't blame her for thinking the worst since he was guilty of doing the same. If anything happened to Kyoko, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. Losing her would be the catalyst for him to end it all. It wasn't a healthy way of thinking, but there was no way he could continue life without her.

"Jules, don't do that to yourself. Our kids are safe. They're fine," Kuu assured her, pulling his wife into a hug.

Although they weren't meant for him, Kuon tried to let his father's words settle over him like a warm blanket and block out the guilt he felt for not doing more to prevent tonight's tragedy.

"Dad, can you please flick some sense into Kuon for me?" His cute girlfriend's voice cut through his thoughts. Before Kuon could register what she said an explosion of pain erupted on his forehead.

"Ow! Fuck!" He cried and his eyes watered. He pressed a bandaged hand to the throbbing spot between his brows. "What was that for?" He glared at his father then Kyoko. He flinched when his sweet girlfriend glared right back and shook her wooden spoon at him.

"Kuon Hizuri, you are not to blame yourself for what happened to Bennett-san. You did not cause this, do you hear me?" She shouted while waving the spoon menacingly.

His eyes widened as she abandoned her cooking and stepped toward him. He couldn't take his eyes off the wooden spoon she was wielding. Is she going to beat me with that? His gaze shifted to her face. Her cheeks were flushed and her amber eyes flashed brightly. She was still breathtaking even when she was angry at him.

"I'll take that from you," Kuu offered, plucking the spoon from Kyoko's hand and taking up her spot at the stove to resume cooking. Her anger fizzled out the moment Kuu removed her weapon, but it didn't stop her from coming at him.

By the time she reached his side, her eyes were tender and loving. Kuon twisted in his stool, opened wide for her to take up residence in his arms, and encircled her in a bone-crushing embrace. Kuon knew he was probably hurting her, but he couldn't get his arms to loosen just yet. She didn't complain and held him just as fiercely. He needed the reassurance that the heat of her body and the pulse of her beating heart brought to his restless mind; she was safe and sound in his arms. Their moment was interrupted by two pairs of arms wrapping around them as his parents joined in on the hug. Kuon chuckled but his heart was at ease. It reminded him of the day when he reunited with them. He knew now as he knew then that everything was going to be okay, and if it wasn't, at least he would have his family by his side.

Kuu pulled away first as the sizzling on the stove drew his attention. Julie lingered petting their heads like she often did when he was a child. With foreheads resting against each other, Kuon and Kyoko stared into each other's eyes and smiled with every stroke his mother made down their hair. Kuon rolled his eyes while Kyoko bit her bottom lip to keep from giggling. They let her have her way, knowing her maternal heart needed the extra attention to finally calm down. It wasn't until Kuu called his wife for help that she finally pulled away.

Kuon smoothed Kyoko's hair where his mother had absentmindedly made it stand up with her petting. He pecked her softly on the lips and pulled her back into his arms. A minute later, chimes filled the suite indicating that someone was at the door.

"I'll get it. It's probably Yukihito." Kuon stood to answer the door while Kyoko moved to help his parents with the food.

It had to be their manager since Miguel would have warned them of a visitor even if it was the police. Before they went to the hospital, the cops had asked them questions concerning the three men that had fled the scene. Having a keen eye for detail, Kyoko was able to give the officers descriptions of each man from the tattoos on their necks to the size of their boots. Noticing the look of skepticism that passed between the officers, he assured them that Kyoko had a photographic memory. It was the most logical way for him to explain her rare gift. They were able to follow Cedric to the hospital shortly after, only because Kuu had easily convinced them that they would give their official statements in the morning after some much-needed rest.

"Yukihito?" Kuon greeted his friend as he pulled the door open further to allow him in. Yashiro's hair was still damp and he smelled like the hotel's citrusy soap.

"I wasn't sure if I should still come up, but I figured you guys weren't sleeping, not after the night you've had. It's all over the news."

Kuon sighed. There were too many witnesses to contain a story like this, especially when it involved Hollywood's prince. "You figured right. Sorry to worry you and thank you for staying with Tina. How is she doing?" Kuon had not checked on Tina since she asked him to leave earlier. He had left a voicemail and text message for Damian after procuring his number from the bar manager, hoping the man would come right away. Kuon didn't realize that Damian was tied up with a performance and wouldn't get his messages until later.

"It's no problem. She was sleeping when I checked on her last. Damian-san is with her now," Yashiro replied as he followed Kuon into the media room. "I was able to keep calm because you said you guys weren't hurt, but I see that wasn't the case."

Kuon glanced back at his friend and caught him staring at his hands. He had given Yashiro the rundown of the incident over the phone on their way back from the hospital. "Oh, this? The bandages make it look far worse than it is. It'll heal quickly," Kuon said, unfortunately, speaking from experience. These wounds were superficial compared to Cedric's injuries.

He picked up the remote and turned on the TV to find the news channel. They had avoided watching the television since they returned to the room not wanting to hear the media rehash the night. Kuon was most interested in finding out if they caught the guys. It took several minutes before the news returned to the topic of Cedric. By then, his parents and Kyoko had joined them from the kitchen and greeted Yashiro.

The anchor reported, "Fans have been gathering outside of the hospital all night and set up a vigil for Hollywood heartthrob Cedric D. Bennett who was the victim of a violent crime earlier this evening." The screen transitioned to footage that showed viewers what was going on outside of the hospital. Over a hundred people of varying ages and all walks of life stood holding candles while some placed gifts and flowers against the building. They were praying and some were even singing. It was apparent that most of them had tears in their eyes.

"Wow, the fans really love him," Kyoko murmured sadly beside him, awestruck by the scene. Kuon couldn't refute that statement after witnessing the turnout on the screen. This was just a handful of the actor's local fans; there was still a whole nation rooting for him. He was sure similar events were popping up around the world to pray for Cedric's speedy recovery.

The news eventually cut to a man, identified as a close friend of the family, exiting the emergency room with a couple of police officers to confront the media and growing crowd. Questions were shouted at them in a demand to find out Cedric's condition.

"Cedric is still undergoing surgery, this hospital has their best and brightest working tirelessly on him. His parents appreciate all your heartfelt thoughts and prayers for their son and hope that you keep them coming. We ask that you be respectful of the workforce and not hinder their ability to help others seeking medical care. We'll be sure to keep the public posted on any new updates. Meanwhile, we ask everyone with any information regarding the individuals involved to please contact the police. Please help us get justice for Cedric." Ignoring the questions, the man turned around and went back into the building. The police officers were joined with more of their colleagues to herd the crowd away from the doors to a section where barriers were erected.

The screen returned to the anchor as he reported on what little facts were released to the press regarding the incident. They mentioned the gala and dropped his parents' name making Kuon wince. He hated that his parents' good deed was tainted.

"Two men found at the scene are in police custody, but three more remain at large. Police have identified the three suspects as Leonard Davis, Keith O' Connor, and James Campbell. Suspects are considered armed and dangerous." Everyone in the room hushed as the anchor proceeded to list out their long rap sheet while displaying their mug shots. These men were hardened criminals and repeat offenders according to the news report. What were they doing out of prison? "If you know the whereabouts of these men please call the crime stoppers number shown at the bottom of your screen…"

Kuon turned off the television after having heard all he needed from the report. The men were still out there and could very well come back to finish the job. It was a small relief to know that nowhere in their long list of crimes was murder mentioned.

"Hopefully, someone comes forward soon. I don't like that they're roaming free," Julie commented.

"It's okay to be cautious, but we can't let fear rule us. I'm sure our boys in blue will nab them soon. With that said, I've already hired a pair of bodyguards to escort you both until those men are apprehended."

Kuon sighed. He was grateful that his father went through the trouble. It was unavoidable, and at least Kyoko will be better protected.

"Thanks, Dad!"

"I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it as soon as Martin and Charles were released. I assumed you two would be safe since you had nothing to do with them."

"Well, your assumption was correct. Kyoko and I just happened to mess up their plans for Cedric...except," he frowned, trying to formulate his thoughts.

"Except?" Yashiro raised his brows. Kuon began to shake his head like it was nothing then stopped himself.

"I didn't like the way Martin stared at Kyoko. They kept referring to her as the 'Hizuri girl.' I think they saw her with you guys at Fashion Week or at least Martin did," Kuon explained.

"What?" Julie screeched.

"Did he ever approach you?" Kuu whirled on Kyoko.

"No," Kyoko shook her head rapidly. "I've never seen him before tonight…" She gnawed on her bottom lip and wrung her hands.

"What is it?" Kuon asked softly, coaxing her to speak.

"I...um...did feel like someone was watching me. When Beagle appeared I assumed it was because of him. He always did give me the creeps, but even after the police took him away, the feeling returned. I chalked it up to my imagination, that is until I got the same feeling tonight. "

"Oh, God, Kuu," Julie cried, gripping her husband's arm. "We've put her in danger."

"It's okay, honey. No one is going to hurt her. The police have Martin and she'll have bodyguards from now on," Kuu emphasized to alleviate the tension in the room.

"I need to report this to the president," Yashiro added, donning his gloves so he could send a message to Lory.

While Kyoko recalled the few times she felt uneasy, Yashiro began tapping on his phone. It pinged while he was in the process of informing the president of the current events.

"It's a message from Debbie-san," Yashiro said aloud as he read the new message. "She wants to know if continuing with the schedule would be too much."

"Please tell her we will continue," Kyoko answered swiftly for the two of them. Kuon nodded his agreement. This job would be a small test of their professionalism. Will they be able to complete the film successfully given their mental state.

Yashiro nodded and sent off a reply. They were due to report on the set two hours before sunrise which didn't leave much time for them to sleep. Kuon was too wired with worry to even think about sleep. Glancing at his bright-eyed girlfriend, he could tell that she felt the same way. Sleep would not be coming easily to them tonight.

"You two should get some rest. Julie and I can handle the rest," Kuu asked, breaking through the silence.

"Handle what?" Kuon asked, furrowing his brow.

"Going to the hospital. Kyoko had a great idea to bring food and pick up some coffee and pastries for the staff. They deserve a good pick me up for all their hard work."

"I would like to go. I don't think I'll be able to get any sleep until I know Bennett-san is going to be okay," Kyoko pleaded.

Kuon had not thought beyond his father eating the food Kyoko had cooked to calm herself down; therefore, their plans to go back to the hospital threw him. When was this decided?

"Sorry, it came to mind while you were talking to Damian," Kyoko said apologetically.

"No, this is a good idea. A sweet idea." He would never have thought to provide such a small yet rewarding comfort to the men and women that worked tirelessly to save lives. Her compassion for others warmed his heart.

"Then it's settled," Kuu announced. "Let's head out."

They all stood to get ready when Yashiro's phone chimed again.

"Yukihito, I know we've made more work for you again. I don't want to stretch you too thin. We can handle this one on our own."

"With all due respect, Kuon, the last time I left you on your own a gun was pointed at you."

"Touché!"

"But I know you are both in capable hands so I'll have to excuse myself from this one. Please give my regards to the family."

"You got it, my friend."

Before they disbursed to get ready, Kuon asked, "Yukihito, do you know how the director knew about me and Kyoko's involvement in the incident tonight."

"Yes, she claims there is footage circulating social media that puts you both at the crime scene and the hospital."

"Ugh, I should have known."

"Do you think will be able to get in?" Kyoko fretted, nipping at her bottom lip again. She was doing that a lot lately.

"We'll be more prepared this time," Kuu promised. His girlfriend nodded, trusting his father to hash out the details.

His eyes fluttered open and closed immediately at the harsh light stabbing him between the eyes. With his sight temporarily impaired, he used the rest of his senses to understand what was happening around him. The bed beneath him didn't have a single hard spring popping out of the mattress and digging into his back as he had come to expect. He tried to move his hands but heard the familiar sound of metal clanging as it cut into his wrists. Charles' eyes flew open, ignoring the bright light and blinking at his surroundings. The room was sterile with the soft whirr of machines filling the room with white noise. How did I get here?

The last thing he remembered was getting out of the squad car and then…

His eyes flicked to his wrists and tugged. The metal sounds he heard earlier were the handcuffs attaching him to the railings of the bed.

"Hello?" He yelled, thrashing to get loose. "Can anybody hear me?" His anxiety shot through the roof when no one answered. "Hello?!" He bellowed again.

The door burst open to a young cop in uniform striding inside and leaning against the back wall with his arms folded. "Please, shut up. You're disturbing the other patients."

"What's going on? Why am I here?"

"I don't owe you any explanations," the cop retorted.

"Can you at least tell me how Cedric Bennett is doing?"

The cop shrugged, "last I checked, he was still dying….way to go dipshit. "

Charles felt the blood drain from his face and pump feverishly to his heart.

This is all my fault! If I had never sent that stupid text to Martin, we could have been out with hot babes right now. And if I didn't offer Cedric a back way out, he would have been at home, nursing his first broken nose.

He closed his eyes and let the grief wash over him. Silent tears slid down his cheeks as he mourned his lost life for the second time. If Cedric died, there was no doubt Charles would be going back to prison for the rest of his miserable life.

AN: Hiya! Thanks for sticking with me! I was hoping to give you a little more insight from Ren's POV and yet only mere minutes ticked by. I may have got Ipad faced once or twice towards the end...lol.

With all the Akatsuki no Yona vibes happening in the latest chapters, Sensei has me wishing that the Route Kingdom project was a crossover. Ren/Kuon as Hak is everything! Kyaaaa! Okay, I'm going to crash. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Thank you for always reading and for the reviews of the last chapter. I HEART you all!

PS. I forgot my disclaimer...XD thank you to all that caught my error. XoXo

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^