QUEEN ROSA.
A lavish green meadow in the middle of the forest. A sparkling blue pond, reflecting the clear blue sky from above.
Two little kids perched up on a rock beside that pond. The younger girl's small, dark pigtails fluttering in the breeze, and the older boy's blazing blond hair glistening in the sunlight. His lustrous emerald eyes fixated on the girl's face.
"Say, Kyoko, when is your birthday?" Kuon asked out of curiosity.
"It's on December twenty-fifth, the same day as Christmas." Little Kyoko answered with a cheerful grin. "But the family I live with, they run an inn, and it's get pretty busy on Christmas day, so we celebrate it on December twenty-fourth."
"Isn't it a little sad though?" He wondered aloud. "That you never get to celebrate it on your actual birthday?"
"No, it's not. Compared to always being alone when I used to live with my mother, I get to have so much fun now, and I'm so grateful for that!"
But that was ten years ago. Yet Ren Tsuruga remembered it as clear as day. The beautiful memories he shared with that girl, the fun he used to have, and most of all, her radiant, beaming smile. Ten years, and yet that smile hadn't changed one bit. It was still the same...
"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Wow!" Kyoko's excited squeal brought him back to the present. She started screaming like that after one glance at Moko's present. It turned out to be a make-up kit. She took out a heart-shaped bottle of lotion and examined it closely. "It's shape! And it sparkles! Wow!" In total fantasy mode, she hugged Moko for the hundredth time this evening and exclaimed, "I love it so much! I can never thank you enough for this!"
Moko smiled. Ren decided to leave the two best-friends alone, and give them some space, so he slipped away quietly.
Once he was alone, and standing a few paces away from Kyoko, Yashiro popped up with a wicked grin spreading on his face.
"Out with it now," Ren said, letting out a tired sigh. "No need to keep it in."
The manager, who had been watching the whole thing with Kyoko from the sidelines only allowed his grin to turn wider. "I didn't say anything."
"I know exactly what you're thinking. You were going to say something cruel like how I lost to Kotonami, weren't you?"
"Now now," Yashiro patted his shoulder sympathetically. "No need to get mad. I had been wondering what that rose was for when we were on the way. I suspected that it was for Maria, but you already had a present for her. Who would've thought that it was for Kyoko?" The evil glint in his eyes returned. "You went so far to wish her at midnight and give her a perfect birthday present she wouldn't refuse. Of course, if you had bought her anything expensive she would've returned it right then and there. So you couldn't go farther than a rose." Knowing Yashiro, Ren had seen it coming from the moment Moko showed up with a present.
As he stood there, he stared at Kyoko from afar. Apparently, the Taishos also knew about her birthday and they were also giving her a present. He had naively thought that he would be the only one who would remember it, but that didn't make him jealous. Infact, his heart sped when he saw that smile he so loved suffusing on Kyoko's lips. She was so overwhelmed with happiness that she was crying tears of joy, and it filled him with rapture.
It was nearly twelve thirty when the President returned to the stage. After Maria and Kouki had their spectacular reunion, he had been with the two of them spending time with his family. He was so happy that the second phase of his plan almost slipped his mind. Almost.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," he clapped his hands twice, and the eyes traveled back to him. "Now, the second phase of this party is about to begin." This time, he looked at Kyoko.
Suddenly, the doors on the back of the hall swung open and a team of gourmet chefs appeared pulling a trolley with them. They parted to the sides to reveal what was on that trolley, evoking an amazed gasp from the crowd. It was a gigantic, castle-shaped cake with the words 'Happy Birthday Kyoko" written on them.
Kyoko gasped. It was the first time in her life she had seen a cake so huge. And it was for her! She blinked and read the letters KYOKO written on them again and again, to make sure that she wasn't mistaken.
The next thing she knew, she was being pulled by the guests to the centre of the room where they placed the cake in front of her on a table. The miniature castle looked so realistic that she almost didn't want to cut it.
She blew the candles out, and they all sang her the birthday song. As childish and silly as it seemed, Kyoko couldn't help but chuckle with exhilarating joy.
After the cake had been cut and enjoyed by everyone, one by one all the people who knew Kyoko came to her to wish her personally. That included the Dark Moon crew, her co-workers from the Kimagure Rock show, where she played Bo, and at last, Maria.
Her little friend first introduced Kyoko to her father before wishing her. Kouki Takarada thanked her personally for everything she had done for Maria. He also let her know that the President told him all about her. Which was why he was curious to meet her, and so he came to pick her up that morning.
Maria was pretty bummed out. She was all red with embarrassment for not remembering Kyoko's birthday, but Kyoko didn't seem to mind.
"I didn't even get you anything!" Maria cried, her head drooping with shame. "I'm such a terrible friend. I'm so sorry!"
"It's alright. You didn't have to," Kyoko shrugged it off.
Soon, Ren also joined their conversation. "Maria, I almost forgot to give you your own present." He handed her a velvet jewellery box. "I was supposed to give it to you earlier, but I didn't get a chance. Happy birthday!"
Maria blushed. She untied the bow, and opened the smooth box, only to reveal a silver tiara made up of tiny, lustrous zircons.
Maria was speechless as she stared at it in awe. When she finally found her voice back, she muttered, "it's beautiful. Thank you."
"And now, it's my turn!" Kyoko exclaimed. She ran out of the hall, and then returned after a few minutes with something in her hands which she was hiding behind her back. "Maria, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to wrap it. Happy Birthday!" With a grin, she handed Maria her present, and every person in the room grew silent when they saw it.
It was a handmade Ren doll. Maria squealed out loud at the sight of it. She set Ren's gift down on a table and ran at Kyoko to hug his doll instead. It was the same height as Maria. "This is amazing!" She shrieked.
What left the other guest speechless and horrified, including Ren himself, was how realistic it looked. It matched the real Ren in every aspect, and the fact that it was only half his height made it look extra creepy. But Maria was still thrilled to have it.
"But are you sure you want me to have it?" Maria asked Kyoko as she clutched the Ren doll close to her chest. "Because when I asked you for the small one, you said you can't give it to me."
"That's because it was only a trial version," Kyoko answered with a smile. "I had to do a lot of practice before I could sew it so perfectly."
And it was indeed perfect. From the proportion of his limbs and torso, and the features on his face, Kyoko had gotten everything exactly right.
After Maria left, and Ren had gotten over the shock of watching her squeeze the life out of a doll that looked exactly like him, he got a chance to be alone with Kyoko again. "So, it seems you put a lot of time and effort into making...that?" He wondered aloud.
Kyoko averted her eyes. "I'm so sorry, that I made your doll without your permission."
"I'm not mad," his lips curved into a seductive curve, "but for you to be able to make a doll that looks so much like me, I can't help but wonder that you were fantasizing about me."
Kyoko blushed so hard that all kinds of shades of red suffused on her face.
Before she would pass out from embarrassment, Ren chuckled. "Relax. I was just messing with you!"
On the morning of December 26th, when Mrs Taisho stepped into the living room, she was surprised to find Kyoko there still in the exact same position as before. She was sitting at the kotatsu table with all the gifts she had received on her birthday resting on top of it, as she gazed at them when a dreamy look in her eyes and a grateful smile on her lips.
"Still gazing at them, huh?" The landlady smiled.
Kyoko sniffed the rose Ren had given her and delicately touched her new makeup kit and her new pair of heeled-sandals given to her by the Taishos. "I can't help it! I just love them so much!"
"Well, I'm glad you like those sandals." Mrs Taisho sat down beside her. "Me and my husband, we didn't know what a girl your age would like, and so we let the salesman decide. We had been wondering whether you'd like them or not."
"They're gorgeous!" Kyoko picked them up and held them to her chest with such warmth as a mother was carrying her child. "I've decided to only wear them on really special occasions!"
"You're making a big deal out of it."
"No, I mean it. They're amazing." Putting them back, Kyoko picked up the rose again. "And I also have to buy a vase for it. I'll buy one today on my way back from the set."
"Speaking of which" Mrs Taisho wondered aloud. "You seem quite relaxed today. Don't you have to go to work?"
"What time is it?" Kyoko asked, praying that she had not lost track of it for being too busy fantasizing about her birthday party.
"It's nine-thirty."
"What?" Kyoko ran out screaming. "I'm late!"
That evening, when Ren and Yashiro arrived at the set of Dark Moon, they were astounded to find Kyoko unusually depressed, huddled in a quiet corner, radiating a dejected aura all over the place.
Curious, Ren asked Ogata what was up.
"I have no idea either," the Director replied. "She had been this way since she arrived. She's so depressed that she can't even seem to get in character. That's why I asked her to take some time off and cool her head first."
"I'll try talking to her."
"Please do," the Director smiled gratefully. "We are already behind schedule today, and we need Mio for the next scene."
When Kyoko heard Ren approaching, she felt even gloomier. Because she was sure that when he would hear about how careless she had been today, he would probably give her that disappointed look again. But on the other hand, she deserved it.
"So," he sat down on a folding chair beside her and offered her a can of diet coke. "How about a drink?"
With a guilty sigh, she opened her mouth and blurted out everything that had happened today, without him asking, which was also the source of her misery.
Ren listened to her intently, and when she was done, he stayed quiet for a few long moments, as if he was hoping for her to continue. At last he asked, "and then what?"
"That's all."
"So you were late for the script reading of your new drama this morning, and you ended up making your co-stars wait for you for a whole hour. What else?"
"Th-that's it," Kyoko stuttered. "The worst part is, when I got there, the Director didn't yell at me at all. He didn't even ask why I was late. Instead, he started talking to me about my character while ignoring everyone else. I can tell that my costars hate me already!"
Ren tried his best to make her see that it was not that big a deal, that she was overreacting to it, and that she should just forget about it.
"Forget about it? That's all you have to say?" Kyoko was flabbergasted. "Aren't you gonna flay me for the worthless person I'm? I thought you of all people would be angrier?" She was almost pissed that no one was scolding her for what she did. She wanted to keep a spotless record like Ren, in which she was never late to work. She thought if someone would chide her for today, then she'll be careful not to do it again. But the problem was, everyone she knew was too forgiving. Except for Ren. But even he was acting like everyone else now.
"To be honest," as if he had read her mind, Ren continued and got up on his feet. "You're being a pain." There was slight irritation mingled in his tone. "I'm not angry that you were late. But what does makes me mad is that after causing a ruckus at your previous studio, you brought your problems here with you as well."
Even though Kyoko had basically asked for it herself, she still stiffened under the frostiness of his words.
"I thought you wanted to be a top actress," he went on, "but this showbiz world of ours, it's pretty harsh. Someone like you who tends to overreact on these little matters doesn't deserve to be on a set. If you truly feel so bad, then you should stop wasting everyone else's time already and get in character!" He snapped.
After he was done, Ren marched away, followed by Yashiro.
"Why on earth did you say all that?" The manager exclaimed with disbelief etched into his voice, once they were alone. "Poor Kyoko was already so depressed. Did you have to be so hard on her? "
"She needed to hear it." Ren answered. Slowly, a small smile spread across his face. "Don't worry, she can handle it. Besides, I didn't ask her to do anything that she isn't already capable of doing."
Yashiro glanced back at Kyoko, expecting to see her hurt from the sharpness of Ren's remarks, but he was surprised to see a stern look on her face.
She was standing with her head held high, and there was a certain darkness in her eyes. The gloomy aura radiating off her was now replaced by an air of pride. It was then the manager realised that she wasn't Kyoko anymore. She was Mio.
It was around midnight when Director Ogata finally called it a day. Since the shoot was a bit delayed, they all had to stay a little longer to keep up with the schedule.
Ren was getting in his car with Yashiro when Kyoko appeared.
"I wanted to thank you for today," she said. "What you said this evening, it really helped me a lot, and I was finally able to get in character."
Ren welcomed but with a warm smile. "It's really late. You should hop in, I'll give you a ride home," he offered generously.
"Well," Kyoko tried to refuse politely. "It's better if I don't. I need to make a stop on the way."
"At this hour? Where?"
"The pawnshop. I have to buy something. Luckily, it's open all night."
"In that case, I'll drop you there. It's alright, I can wait."
Kyoko tried refusing again, but seeing how insistent Ren was, she agreed.
It had been a pretty tiring day for all three of them, and so most of the ride was spent in silence.
They arrived at the pawn shop and Ren pulled the car over to let Kyoko out. She disappeared inside, while he kept waiting. Approximately, ten minutes later, she returned to the car with something golden in her hands.
"That's what you wanted to buy?" The manager asked with disbelief, as he scrutinized the ornate flower vase she was carrying. It was polished gold and embedded with silver and red zircons.
"Yeah," Kyoko grinned. "Isn't it pretty? Since I got that beautiful rose from Ren, I've been wanting to buy one."
"Don't you think that it's a bit much... for just one rose?" Yashiro wondered aloud hesitantly.
"No, it's not! That rose, it's so big. It's like the king of all roses. And so I must buy a vase which is befitting of a king. Besides, look at these red stones. Wouldn't they match?" The question was directed to Ren.
"Yes," he agreed with a smile before he buzzed the engine to life and the car started moving. "It seems perfect. But there's one thing that you've gotten wrong."
"What is it?" Kyoko blinked.
"That rose is not a King. Because they actually call it a Queen."
"With, what?"
"Actually, it's name is Queen Rosa, to be precise," Ren went on. "It's named after a mythical french queen. There's a legend behind that flower." He glanced at her from the rear-view mirror, getting the expected reaction from Kyoko.
Upon hearing the words 'mythical' and 'legend', Kyoko's eyes turned so wide that they could've popped off her skull any moment. Her pupils dilated and a lustrous glimmer shone in those hazel spheres, while her mind went in full fantasy mode. "Tell me about it!" Having seen a real fairy from her own eyes, Kyoko was a staunch believer in magic, and so she almost begged him to tell her about this legend.
Ren was happy to oblige. "It is only a story," he warned before continuing. "That rose was found near a lake called, The Spring of Mirrors. It is called so because of it's sparkling view, but a lot of people say that it's magical." He glanced back and watched Kyoko gulp. "They say that a beautiful queen named Rosa used to live there. One day, her daughter, the princess passed away in an accident, by drowning in that lake. Therefore, the queen spent all her life grieving for her daughter by that very same lake. She cried and cried, so much so that her tears would soak up the roses that grew there. Her love for her daughter was so strong that some of the queen's tears were turned into beautiful crystals through the powers of that lake. They say that if you truly believe with all your heart, then you just might be lucky enough to find the magic of Queen Rosa."
Ren glanced back again, only to find Kyoko almost driven to tears. "It's such a beautiful story!" She exclaimed.
Soon, they arrived at Darumaya and Kyoko climbed out. She thanked Ren for the drive, and then added shyly, "I'll take good care of Queen Rosa."
Once she was gone, Yashiro frowned suspiciously at his employer, "you're up to something, aren't you? You're acting like the President."
"I don't know what you mean." Ren feigned ignorance.
"You know very well what I mean!" The manager squinted his eyes. "What were you trying to do, making Kyoko go all wonderstruck like that? Seriously, what was the point of that story?"
"You'll soon find out." Ren smiled mysteriously.
I shouldn't get my hopes up, Kyoko thought about Queen Rosa's magic with a sigh as she made her way upstairs to her room. Because let's accept it, I have the worst luck when it comes to stuff like this. The face of her fairy friend, Corn popped into her mind, and she remembered how it had been more than ten years and she never got to see him again. If she were lucky, she would've at least been able to learn his whereabouts somehow.
But still, that little voice on the back of her mind was filled with hope. As ridiculous or childish as it would seem to some people, Kyoko didn't care. She believed in magic with all her heart. There was no doubt in her mind that it might not exist. Because she had seen a fairy with her very own eyes. And she also possessed a magic stone which gave her so much courage to keep going. So when Ren told her about the magic of Queen Rosa, her expectations rose up. There might be a slight chance that she could obtain it.
She knew she shouldn't feel greedy, that she already had Corn's stone, and that it was enough magic for a human to possess. But there was also that giddy excitement inside her that she just might stumble upon something miraculous again.
She picked Queen Rosa up from her temporary handmade flower-holder, and before putting her in the new ornate golden vase, she examined it's huge petals with wonder.
"Please, let me have your magic," she whispered to it and kissed it on the side.
With the rose still pressed to her nose as she sniffed it, Kyoko fell on the small bed on her back. She held the rose upside down to her face and smiled at it.
Suddenly, something small dropped from that rose and on her face, hitting her cheek. Kyoko immediately jumped up to her feet and carefully placed Queen Rosa in her vase, before she started looking for that thing on her bed. Soon, she found it. Upon closer inspection, a gasp escaped her mouth, since her wish was granted, because that thing which had dropped out of Queen Rosa, it turned out to be a small, light-pink, tear shaped crystal.