Skip Beat! is the work of Yoshiki Nakamura.
Footnotes at end of chapter.
Part II.
One week later…
Jelly Woods, alias Ten, makeup artist extraordinaire, was readying her makeup station and brushes in the hotel ballroom that now doubled as Rose of Versaille's wardrobe and makeup. Like the rest of the cast, the Muse had been sworn to secrecy about tonight's event. She herself would be doing the final transformation for Kyoko, under the guise of a supposed photo shoot by French Vogue.
Earlier that morning, Julienna had brought Kyoko's dress for the evening, and Ten had placed it on a mannequin in a spare dressing room to wait for the woman who would inhabit it. Kyoko would be coming in a little over an hour to get hair and makeup for that day's scenes.
When Ten first saw it, she looked askance at Julienna, who shrugged.
"I mean, it's beautiful...one of the most beautiful dresses I've ever seen, really. But isn't it a little...you know...cosplay-ish? Or...no, not exactly cosplay. This is wayyyy too lavish to be any normal person's idea of cosplay. But it's definitely a costume," Ten said.
Julienna grinned. "I know. But Kuon insisted we make the ultimate princess gown, and you know how ridiculous he's being over this entire thing. Plus it's a masquerade, so it's OK if it's more cosplay than fashion editorial. You don't want to know how much he spent on it. The coordination with the fabric artists in Kyoto alone...ugh. It was a logistical nightmare. First we didn't know if we could get the pattern he wanted woven into the silk in time, and then we didn't know if we would get the silk back from the dyers in time. At least the lace wasn't custom-made, so we got that out of Belgium pretty quickly. Thankfully Yashiro was able to expedite the materials to my workshop. I designed a whole other set of outfits for her for the actual shoot next week. Obviously I can't send this dress down a runway, but the others will feature in my next collection. Yashiro says Valentino and Iris van Herpen are going to be sending clothes, too."
"Indigo blue," Ten said, as she ran her hands over the silk. "Love bluer than indigo. It's real indigo, isn't it? Your son is a hopeless romantic, Juli." (4)
"He got it from his father, I think."
"From both of you," Ten snorted, "and with a good portion of Lory thrown in."
Juli giggled. "He's been brainstorming ways to outdo anything Lory's ever done. I had to talk him out of hiring the Paris Opera Ballet. I couldn't talk him out of hiring the orchestra, though. Kuon tried to keep the list small, but so many people wanted to come."
Ten smiled. She'd be attending, too.
"Well, she'll love it. I've always wondered why she never went for a princess role. She's always going on about fairies," Ten said, fingering the silk detail at the neckline.
"Kuon says it's because she never found the right princess to play."
"Well, he's certainly been auditioning hard for Prince Charming."
"Yes, he has, hasn't he," Juli said. She quieted as she gazed at the dress.
"Now don't get all weepy, Juli!" Ten said. "Seriously, the lot of you...But you need to go. Kyoko's going to be here any minute now for hair and makeup."
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Kyoko frowned into her makeup artist's mirror as she prepared for the sixth day of shooting at Versailles.
"Something wrong, Kyoko-chan?" Ten was looking at her worriedly. It was unusual for Kyoko to be withdrawn like this.
"No, sorry, Muse-san! I'm just a little distracted today-I didn't mean to hinder you!" Kyoko plastered on her very own version of Ren's old 'fake gentlemanly smile' and settled into her chair as Lady Oscar's makeup was applied. The Muse tut-tutted as she dusted Kyoko's face with the final layer of powder. She knew Kyoko and Kuon well enough to suspect that Kyoko was, well, suspecting something. Kuon was a good actor-one of the best, really-but even the Muse could see he was trying to keep himself from grinning like a Cheshire cat the few times she'd seen him. There were too many moving parts to this masquerade, too many arrivals and departures, too many small details. She thought of the dress she had hiding in the back room. Inwardly, she squealed. Oh Kyoko-chan, she thought, the surprise we have in store for you!
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The week had started out like a dream for Kyoko.
Their first full day in Paris had been theirs alone. She and Kuon had donned their "American tourist" costumes, one of any number of secret identities they enjoyed now that the Heel siblings' cover had been blown in the aftermath of Tragic Marker's big reveal. It had been primarily for Kuon's benefit-Kyoko still retained the uncanny ability to blend in when no one was looking for her. They walked along the Seine, had coffee at a cafe, and escaped from predatory 'artists' in Montmartre. In truth, it really hadn't mattered to her what they were doing. Days where she and Kuon could just escape were so rare she would've been happy just to feed pigeons with him on the Bois de Boulogne. And they'd cut their wanderings short, anyway, to run headlong into their bed at the Ritz. Kyoko blushed at the memory of the unspeakable things Kuon had done to her there-and she to him. She'd fallen asleep in his arms that night and had woken the next morning to his gentle kisses.
Shooting began early the next day, given the fact that their access to Versailles would be limited. She'd had the pleasure of watching Moko-san dressed in her Marie Antoinette dresses, pure silk and brocade and sumptuous embellishment, even when she was dressed as a "shepherdess." She'd had her share of wandering the grounds dressed as the Commander of the Royal Guard, sword at her side and bright brass buttons on her costume. She relished having the grounds to herself...the production had received unprecedented access to use the grounds of Versailles, away from the tourists that mobbed the palace. Being able to wander through the gardens like this was so rare and unexpected she'd found ways to maximize her time on set. Her favorite garden, by far, was next to Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon….where the legendary queen had built a Temple d'Amour complete with a statue of Cupid. (5) It stood by a pond that reflected Marie Antoinette's little palace. The cast took notice of Kyoko's tendency to daydream underneath the pergola, and more than one had pictures of the gallant Commander with her eyes staring dreamily into the sky. It was one of Kyoko's noted charms that she never knew how easy it was to take a picture of her-when a role inhabited her, she posed unconsciously.
The first two days of shooting, she didn't see much of Kuon. She had expected as much, as many of his scenes were scheduled for later weeks. And she was so tired with the extended hours of the project that she came back to meet him at the hotel for a quick meal in their suite and then to have him kiss her into oblivion until the next morning's early call.
It was the third day-the fourth since they'd arrived in Paris-that she noticed something was a little odd.
"How was your day, Kuon?" She'd arrived slightly earlier that day than she had the prior two-early enough for her to retain slightly more coherence over dinner. He'd greeted her at the door with a kiss and a lingering hug, but now, for some reason, he was being...oddly vague.
"It was fine. Yashiro and I had a few meetings to take care of. We got that stuff done. You know how it is. Don't worry about it."
Kyoko's grudges immediately stirred. Don't worry about it? You know how it is…? Something felt...off. This was Kuon. Kuon who usually couldn't shut up about work. Was he hiding something?
"Oh? Did you get some modeling gigs?"
"We're working on it. We were evaluating some products for potential endorsement." Kuon took a huge bite of potatoes au gratin, and Kyoko raised her eyebrow. Kuon generally did not take huge bites of anything. Err. Anything except me, she thought, flushing.
"Products? I thought you weren't into those shoots anymore."
"Well, high-end luxury products, anyway. Possibly custom. Anyway, Kyoko...hey, check out what I ate for lunch today! I took a video..."
The next few days were the same. Quick meal, vague conversation, distraction. It was always something, usually leading up to him using his talented mouth on...well, something. Something usually on her body. She was extremely busy, certainly, but she'd never had the feeling that Kuon was intentionally using her schedule-or sex!-as a means of keeping her from talking to him. It was...unsettling.
And now, a week since they'd arrived in Paris, she didn't quite know what to believe. Kuon was clearly evading her questions, even when she asked outright. He seemed tense, but wouldn't tell her why. She'd ask, he'd deflect. From time to time she noticed his phone would buzz with messages, and yet she knew they weren't from her and likely not from Yashiro, who rarely texted him. Worse, she noticed him leaving the room to answer phone calls or check messages, making an effort not to leave his phone around. Kuon had never really been worried about where he kept his phone. But now...he wouldn't let it out of his sight.
He'd never done that before. Usually, the two of them openly checked their phones next to each other, or took phone calls without worrying whether the other could hear.
It made her nervous.
Somehow her grudges wouldn't let up. She knew he was hiding something.
It wasn't until Muse-san was applying the last layer of powder to her face that she admitted to herself that she really, really wanted to know what Kuon was hiding...because the thought that had first come to mind was so horrible she managed to choke on the water she was drinking.
It was all she could do to finish her scene for the day before telling the director she needed a breather for the afternoon.
For the last few years, Kyoko had felt she and Kuon really understood each other. She'd never felt cut off from him, never felt the need to ask him for more details-he was only ever too eager to tell her about his new project, or his prospective projects, or even muse about his past projects. He never hid what he was thinking. That was the price she'd imposed on him over the debacle with Corn-and the price she'd imposed on herself since revealing she was Bo. No secrets.
So why was he lying? What was he doing?
A little secret voice inside of her said… "you knew this day would come! He's finally found someone else!"
She shook her head violently-of course not! Why would she ever suspect her Kuon of cheating on her? Hadn't he told her how he loved her? Hadn't he just made love to her? Didn't she keep him busy enough? Baseless doubt is pointless, Kyoko. Kuon loves you. You know this by now.
His words from last night came back to her again, and she shuddered. "You know how it is. Don't worry about it."
He'd never, ever done that before. He'd never brushed off her questions like this.
Why else would he be so vague? Wasn't this how Sho had treated her as he'd slept around in those early days in Tokyo? Brushed her off and told her not to worry about it?
What had started as a passing thought was growing, and she didn't quite want to acknowledge it. But the past week was replaying in her head-she kept seeing him turn away to take calls, remembered him disappearing when he didn't have a shoot, and the sheer strangeness of his deflections. But of course she hadn't doubted him, because how could Kyoko ever doubt Kuon?
It's not as if he's never lied to me before, she thought, though I've trusted him these three years now. But...I'd be lying to myself if I said I didn't think he's lying about something.
Again, she heard him say "Don't worry about it."
And again, the little voice in her head said "He's found someone else."
Was this how it started, then? Tiny little deaths in their conversations? The slow, cold separation? The inevitable break? Doubt was slithering in her like a snake, eating the small joys she'd always treasured with Kuon. She'd always hoped that he'd have the decency to tell her he was tired of her. She had thought he'd be the kind of guy who'd break things off with her before finding someone else to play with. In fact, she thought that was their understanding-that he'd simply tell her when he wanted all this to be over.
She'd gone to find Moko-san to talk about it and then was told that Moko-san wasn't on set that day.
She called Moko-san...only to find it going straight to voicemail.
She called Yashiro-san...only to find the same.
She almost called Kuon, then, only to stop herself in time. No, she wouldn't call him.
Seven days after her arrival in Paris, Kyoko left the set of Rose of Versailles at two in the afternoon with no particular goal except to get her nerves together. She had shot all of her scenes for that day in record time. She stripped off the makeup, the costume, pinned up her hair, and let Lady Oscar's soul out of her head.
She took a production car back to Paris, where it dropped her off at the shopping nexus of the Boulevard Haussmann. (6) She decided she was going to window shop and wander, maybe see the Garnier Opera, at least until she got her nerves calm enough to go back to the Ritz on the Place Vendome, nap, and then go back to the set to get ready for the Vogue shoot around 6:30 or so. It would be an easy outing. She'd talk herself out of these insane ideas and then she'd see Kuon tonight for their shoot for Vogue at Versailles. And tomorrow, both of them had a day off and she would take that opportunity to have a heart-to-heart with him.
Kyoko exited her car in front of a Galeries Lafayette window featuring her face and the perfume campaign she'd done for Dior a few months back, and then grinned when no one recognized her. This ability to blend in was her superpower, after all. It drove the paparazzi crazy.
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Meanwhile…
While Kyoko was (supposedly) busy shooting her scenes for the day, Kuon converged with what he'd begun calling the Love Me SuperTeam at the Cartier store at 13 Rue de la Paix (7). The store had known to expect the Hizuri party-they just didn't expect it to be the extended Hizuri party. Stores like Cartier knew how to handle the very rich and the very famous, but when four A-list celebrities and their entourage converged on the store, their private salon had been rather overwhelmed. Kuon and Yashiro led the vanguard, flanked by Kuu and Julienna. Lory and Moko followed.
"This way, Monsieur Hizuri," the flustered attendant greeted.
They were led past cases of diamonds and baubles, up a staircase with red carpet, and then to a back room done in beige velvets and wood paneling.
"Champagne, monsieur?" the attendant offered. "We have our own label, of course." (8)
Kuu whistled as champagne glasses made their rounds. "Son, this must be some ring you got her."
"Oh hush, Kuu. I wouldn't expect our son to get our daughter some cheap rock," Juli said, "Besides, it's not like you didn't get mine at Tiffany's."
"Mo. It better not be cheap, Hizuri," Moko said, "After all the misdirection I've had to do this week, you really owe me one. If you make her cry, I'm going to make YOU cry."
"I'm still taking all the credit for this match, you know," Lory said. "And Yashiro, I see that look on your face-why are you grinning like that?"
Kuon was grinning at the assembled group, feeling the combined love and support they'd given him and Kyoko over the years. Without them, he doubted that any of his present joy would have been at all possible. They were his family, in every sense of the word, blood ties or not, and Kyoko's family, too. In many ways, they had been her fairy godmothers, helping her transform herself from fledgling actress to award-winning star. He'd invited them because he needed people to share this moment with him-and because he wanted their opinions on the things he'd bought for Kyoko.
"Ahem. Excusez-moi, mesdames et messieurs. I am Christophe."
The room quieted as the party looked on as a bespectacled man dressed in an impeccable suit entered the room. A younger attendant followed him wearing white gloves and holding a large red Cartier box.
"Hizuri, that's...a little bigger than a ring box," Moko said.
"Yes, Mademoiselle. It is Monsieur Hizuri's special order. Monsieur, if you would…"
Kuon sat at the table as Christophe opened the box and a collective gasp made its rounds through the room.
A tiara sparkled in the salon's light as the white-gloved attendant held it gently aloft. It was a delicate tiara-intricate rather than imposing, made with Kyoko's fairyland fantasies in mind.
"As you see, monsieur, we've completed your special order. Platinum setting with three large dichroic iolite oval-cut gems, with arabesques and flower motifs in diamond. The tiara converts to a necklace, with an option to replace the iolite gemstones with other gems should the wearer require different colors. We do apologize for the delay in its completion-it was rather difficult to find three matching dichroic gems to fit the specifications. Please inspect the piece. Is it to your satisfaction?" (9)
"I've done some ridiculous things in the name of love, boy, but this is pretty ridiculous," the Lovemon said.
Kuon took the tiara in-hand to check for the engraving he'd requested along its bottom band, hidden where only he, and then she, would know: Every step I take leads me back to you.
It was there.
"Oui, Christophe. C'est parfait," Kuon said, with some smug satisfaction as he looked at Lory's face.
"I mean, it's par for the course, isn't it? That man rented out Marie Antoinette's freaking palace." Moko interjected.
"Son, I know you grew up when we weren't looking, but have I ever talked to you about financial planning?"
"Oh hush, Kuu, I think it's beautiful. Besides, you got one for me for our twentieth anniversary, remember?"
Kuon snorted. "Ah yes, Dad. Set in emeralds, right? To match Mom's eyes? And you know...It's not like I have a luxury car problem. Some people have large Californian garages with multiple Ferraris. I only have that one car. We live in my condo. And you know Kyoko's not extravagant. I can splurge. Besides, she can wear it as a necklace to red carpet events. You know she's going to keep getting awards."
"Yes, son. I suppose you can splurge." Kuu was looking at Lory with tearful eyes. "He's grown up so much, Lory! He's grown up!"
"Yes. Those two were hopeless, you know. So entertaining! Kyoko had me going for a long time, there-I had no idea she was in love with him for MONTHS! MONTHS! Your boy here, though, he lasted about five minutes before I figured it out."
"Mo, how are you going to get her to wear that? She's getting better at accepting gifts but I haven't forgotten how you told her that crazy fairy story about her Princess Rosa!"
Yashiro was scribbling in his notebook with unbridled glee, and just as Kuon was about to ask him what he was up to…
"Ahem. Monsieur. If you would…" The room quieted again as Christophe's silent attendant came out with a smaller box.
"The ring. A 1.5-carat VVS1 brilliant cut fancy pink diamond, set in a yellow gold band with a lotus-inspired setting and pave diamonds."(10)
A few seconds of silence. The room sat and looked at the sparkling ring in the red box.
"Kotonami-san," Kuon said, "Do you think she'll like it?"
Moko was at a loss for words. It was beautiful, and even though she would never admit it to Kyoko, her heart swelled when she saw what Kuon was doing. It was perfect for Kyoko. And for him, too, really, as a reminder of his identity when they'd met. Kyoko deserved it-no one deserved it more. And she'd love every second of being a princess. It was high time. And no, she wasn't-WAS NOT going to cry. Kanae Kotonami did not cry. "Yes," she croaked out, "she'll love it."
No one pointed out that she was crying.
Julienna gave the sniffling Moko a motherly pat on the arm before saying, "Kuon? I understand the pink diamond because it matches Princess Rosa. But why the iolite? Is it to match the dress? What does he mean 'dichroic'?"
Kuon gave them all the Jacob's Ladder smile, but, the group being mostly family, it didn't have much effect.
Kuu countered with his own version. "Son, that's not gonna work on us. I taught you that trick."
"No, I did, Kuu, sit down," Julienna said, with her own Jacob's Ladder.
Moko muttered "This is ridiculous. If anyone else walked in here they'd melt and then cook to a crisp on the floor with you three acting like that."
"Out with it, Kuon," Lory said. "I smell a story. You owe us. You know you do!"
"YES!" came the chorus of voices.
Kuon turned to Christophe and his assistant. "If you would excuse us for a moment, please. Everything is satisfactory. I trust that the payment has been settled?"
"Indeed, Monsieur Hizuri." Christophe motioned to his assistant and left the room to the Hizuris.
As Christophe closed the door behind him, Kuon sighed. He and Kyoko had never discussed Corn and Kyoto with anyone else. And while they hadn't actively tried to keep it a secret, knowing that no one else knew was something Kuon had cherished. Still, these people were his family, and had been through a lot for them.
"Dad, do you remember when we visited Kyoto? When I was ten? And we stayed in a ryokan that was close to some woods?"
"Yes…"
"Well, I got bored a lot. So that entire week I'd sneak off to the river...and I met a six-year-old girl there. She was crying, so I wanted to make her feel better...so I told her I was a fairy prince. I met her every day that week, and we played as long as we could. When I left, I gave her this…"
Kuon took out Corn, which he kept on-hand when Kyoko was filming.
"The rock you found in that market in Jaipur?! The pet rock you had as a kid?" Kuu interjected.
"The very same. It IS iolite, you know. And it's dichroic." Kuon held Corn up to the light, angling it until the blue flashed gold. "Iolite gems sometimes show that color change. I told her it was magic, and that it would help her when she was sad, or needed to cry. I told her that it would make the bad feelings go away, and when the stone flashed, the magic would be done. She held onto it until we met again, ten years later, at LME. She...actually dropped it down a set of stairs. Sawara-san would remember, I think. It was back when she was on crutches after that Love Me assignment with Ruriko. I found it at the bottom of the steps and gave it back to her. She still believed I was a fairy prince named Corn, then, and named this stone Corn, too. I'm sure I would've recognized her eventually, but that's how I knew I'd found her again."
Everyone in the room was staring at Kuon in various stages of shock.
Lory's face had gone blank. "You mean...you mean...you've known each other since you were children? Wait. Wait so...I DIDN'T HAVE TO THROW YOU TOGETHER AFTER ALL? IT WAS DESTINY! AND YOU KNEW IT ALL ALONG! Such a development-how cruel, Hizuri. When you know I live off of love. How could you keep this from me?"
"Lory-san, wait, I-" Kuon was swiftly overrun.
"You silly Lovemon! How could she keep this from you? Don't you mean how could she keep this from ME!?" Kuon looked over at a Moko-san whose eyes were still somewhat red from her reaction to the ring earlier. "That girl! She says she's my best friend but she doesn't tell me THIS? If you knew who she was all that time before, why did you wait so long to make a move?"
"Son...oh. This explains a lot. She said 'Corn' when I asked her to play you way back then. I corrected her and told her it was 'Kuon,' but now I know how she managed to be you so perfectly…"
"UNMEI! It was unmei! Destiny! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhhhhhhhhh! This makes the story so much more delicious! How could you, Kuon? How could you keep this from me!?"
"It's so romantic," Julienna told a gleeful Yashiro, who was having his own fanboy moment in the corner. "Lory, we need to get Eltra to produce the movie. Kuon, maybe you should try your hand at writing the script…"
Lory calmed down enough to ask, "Kuon...so when did you tell her the truth? She obviously knew by the time you'd decided to debut as Kuon."
"Well...umm. I actually didn't tell her until after we'd begun our relationship...though she did meet me earlier as Kuon in Guam. But she recognized me as Corn, so I played along."
"Wait...what?" Kuu exclaimed.
"What do you mean, she met you as Corn in Guam?" Lory asked.
"Well...do you remember when she left Japan early to go to Guam with Ten?"
Lory nodded. "Ten was quite put out-she couldn't find you, and then we found out too late that Kyoko had left her room. And you got there LATE for your hair appointment-a career first for Ren Tsuruga, I might add."
"Um. It's because she found me as Kuon earlier that afternoon."
"That afternoon?"
"Yes. Almost as soon as she arrived, actually. Apparently she'd gone to the beach dressed as Kyoko because no one from the Tragic Marker had ever met her as anything other than Setsuka. I was in the water and when I came up for air, there she was. And she recognized me as Corn right away...but then I had to tell her I was Corn but borrowing Ren's body and somehow she believed me…"
"Mo. So let me get this straight-you recognized her at LME but you didn't tell her, and then when she met you in Guam you lied about it? You told her you were a fairy borrowing Tsuruga's body? And she believed you? And then she fell in love with you and you still didn't tell her? You didn't tell her in the elevator? What's wrong with you?" Moko shook her head. Kyoko's too naive, and I've always known that. "You're an asshole, you know this, right?"
"Yeah."
"But she knows everything now, right?"
"Well…almost everything. She doesn't know about this, obviously. It's been really hard keeping this from her."
"In Karuizawa…" Yashiro's turn now, Kuon supposed, "In Karuizawa, I said that she and Fuwa must have been bound by fate. But you didn't tell me any of this. You two have been sewn together since before I knew you, Kuon. You kept running into each other." Yashiro held up his hands. "Let's see...how many times has it been? Your childhood in Kyoto, you finding that rock, all the time at LME, on the street when she's on the way to make you dinner, in the woods at Karuizawa, Guam. Always just when she needs you. I mean, Kotonami-san is as much your kohai as Kyoko is, but you somehow manage to run into Kyoko far more often. I know you flew back to see her early from Okinawa that one time, but even when you're not trying to find her, you find her. Or she finds you. Guuzen doesn't describe it. Lory's right. Unmei."
Lory was in the corner looking through Kuu's contact list. The two men and his mother were having a quiet conversation and all Kuon could hear was [indistinct mumbling]...screenplay…[director]... Would they play themselves?...box office dynamite...Lory had the kind of look in his eye that he only got once he'd latched onto something that excited him.
"OK, Dad. Mom. Calm down. Lory, you too. Listen, I told you this stuff in confidence. Let's get going, though. Don't you all have masquerade outfits to get into?"
Ten minutes later, Moko stood on the sidewalk facing the Cartier doors as she fought to rein in her emotions. She was vacillating between smiling over her Kyoko's engagement and her annoyance at that same person for not having told her something so huge. And as for Kuon-she had a feeling he'd left out even more of the story, and she didn't know if she wanted to hit him upside his head like a bratty six-year-old or tell him "Good job!" for putting together an event so perfectly suited to Kyoko. She sighed. Whatever he did, they've put it behind them. And I have to acknowledge how happy he's made her.
She was still facing the doors when she saw Kuon himself exit, carrying a Cartier bag that seemed far too flimsy for what he had inside it. Those two are perfect for each other. They're both crazy. Different kinds of crazy, maybe, but definitely a 'good together' kind of crazy. That man! There are houses that cost less than that tiara!
He had a dreamy look in his eyes and non-chalantly deployed a dazzling smile as he exited. The idiot doesn't know he looks like that. Mo, does she wake up to that every morning? He was looking towards her, but she could see he couldn't even see her. He's in la-la land. Fairy land. Kyoko-land. He's probably got Kyoko fairies running around in his field of vision squealing or something. This idiot. This crazy, hopeless idiot for my crazy hopeless friend. A distinctly un-Japanese whim seized Moko as she came over to give Kuon a hug. Perhaps she'd been working overseas too long, but it seemed like the right thing to do. "You have my blessing, Hizuri," she told him. "But if you hurt her, I swear, I'm going to kill you. I may still kill HER for not telling me all this!"
Kuon laughed at Moko, who was then joined shortly as Kuu and Julienna all came out after him to join in a massive group hug. Paparazzi were ignored as the family hugged in the open air. Kuon smiled. "Please don't kill my bride, Kotonami-san. I need her."
Yashiro and Lory looked on with fondness. They were all laughing, partially at Kuon's dazed look, and partially in anticipation for that evening. They were still hugging when Yashiro's phone rang.
"Moshi-moshi? What? Wait, what do you mean you don't know where she is? No, she can't be out there-with our luck, she'll run into us and figure everything out! Can you get her back on the set? Maybe with some kind of event with fans or something? It's imperative that she doesn't see us right now."
Yashiro hung up and looked over at the Hizuri gaggle. "We've got to move, everyone. Kyoko's in Paris somewhere, and since she's a Kuon magnet, she'll figure out what's going on if we're not careful."
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Kyoko had finished her desultory window shopping at the Galeries Lafayette. She was never, ever going to get used to how expensive "designer" clothes were. She recognized that clothing and glamor were part of her job, and when she did dress up, she made a point of dressing up well. Many of her modeling jobs gave her clothes as part of her contracts, so she never found herself at a loss for clothes. But she also recognized that her plain, sensible clothing was part of her camouflage. It was easy to spot a movie star in head-to-toe , but not so easy to spot a movie star in clearance rack clothing. It had been truly shocking to see t-shirts in the stores costing more than 100 euros. Kuon got more of a kick shopping for her than she did. What self-respecting woman would buy a 100-euro t-shirt?
She decided to skip the Opera Garnier and began her walk back to the Place Vendome. A nap, perhaps, would do her good. Kuon had murmured about something or other with Yashiro on his schedule again, so she figured he wouldn't be there.
She was just turning the corner on the Rue de la Paix when she saw the familiar figure of Moko-san, facing the facade of the Cartier store.
Kyoko started her famous charge towards her best friend...
"Mo-!"
...and then stopped, the name dying on her lips as Kuon stepped out of the store and gave Moko-san...her best friend Moko-san...his heavenly smile. Not "Jacob's Ladder," that was something he'd developed as a shield. It was the smile he saved for her. The one he gave her when they woke up together in the mornings, or when she came home. Or when they would walk down the street in disguise together.
She hadn't quite recovered when she saw Moko step up to Kuon and embrace him.
To Kyoko, the street went silent. Was the explosion big or small? The world had shattered like a wine glass or like a missile, she wasn't sure which; either way, it was broken.
Kyoko never saw Kuu and Julienna exit the store to join in the jubilant hug around Kuon.
Everything went white as she turned around and ran as fast as she could from the sight in front of her.
Shoppers stepped frantically out of her way as the blocks melted past. She wasn't going to think. She wasn't going to stop. She was just going to run until something made sense to her.
A frantic honking broke her out of her trance as she barely missed a truck at an intersection. She stopped, breathless, pupils dilated, as passersby stared and veered to avoid the crazy lady who had almost stepped into the path of a moving truck.
Over the sound of her frantic heartbeat she heard her phone ringing. The Muse's number glowed on-screen.
Calm, I have to be calm I havetobecalmIhavetobecalm...I...MUST...BE….CALM...Remember that you're an actress, Kyoko!
"Moshi moshi? Muse-sama?"
"KYOKO! Where are you? We need you back on set. I know it's a little early and I thought you'd have more time to rest a little, but I'd like to have a little more time to prep you for the Vogue shoot. Can you come?"
"I'm near the hotel, Muse-san. It'll take me a little while to get there, so I'm sorry I went back into Paris. I'll catch a taxi."
"OK. We'll be waiting for you! And the dress for the shoot is here. You're going to love it!"
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Kyoko got back to Versailles 53 minutes after the Muse's call. The Trianon Palace Hotel had become production headquarters for much of the shooting, situated as it was right on the edge of palace grounds. (11) The taxi ride had been a bewildered, pain-filled haze. Over the years, many tabloids had tried to catch Kuon in an affair. Paparazzi followed him around like sharks...because someone as pretty as Kuon always stood out in a crowd. Sometimes literally, given how tall he was. He was always being linked to this-or-that leading actress, sometimes with actors. "Playboy!" she'd say, hitting him with a pillow. Even Yashiro had made a tabloid appearance-there was a day when they woke up to #KuonYashiro making the rounds after a random picture of Kuon and Yashiro circulated. They'd laughed themselves sick over that one. In every single one of those cases, Kyoko had no reason to doubt Kuon. She had thought that their love was a rock, had begun to build castles on it. But now...the awkward silences over dinner. The avoidance. The hiding...the subterfuge. Taking calls behind her back. Shutting down her questions. It had all made sense when she'd seen them on the street. The fantasy had popped like a soap bubble in the wind, and she felt like the errant child who'd tried to catch it. In that aftermath, the world felt harsh and cold and order-less. She didn't even have Corn anymore-Kuon had held onto the rock that day. Not that Corn could be any help. The very magic that had made it special was Kuon's, and Kuon was gone.
Should she howl like a wounded animal? She certainly wanted to-maybe it would help her cope with the feeling of being ripped in two.
No scream she could scream would be loud enough.
She couldn't go back to their room at the Ritz. I'm going to have to book another room for tonight. Maybe something closer to Versailles, and more reasonably priced. And then a sobering thought. I'm going to have to move out of his condo in Tokyo and get my own apartment.
Why? she wanted to ask. Why would they betray me like this?
You know why, the voice in her head said. Kuon was always going to leave you. Everybody leaves, Kyoko, why would you think this time would be different? Saena didn't want you. Sho didn't want you. Kuon wanted you and had you and now he's done. And as for Moko-well, you can't blame her for falling in love with him. Everyone falls in love with him. You fell in love with him yourself. You've been here before. Why are you so upset?
I proudly said I would atone for the sin of loving Kuon in secret. But I should have known that the price of love is loss.
Yes, the voice said. You know the bargain you made. Pay it.
But I'm angry. Ohhhh I'm so angry. I'm going to burn in hell, I've already said that I would burn in hell. I love them, so why am I so angry? The rage in her felt vast and powerful...for a moment she clung to it as a reprieve.
And then she knew she wouldn't seek revenge.
Kuon and Moko were the two people she loved best in the world. Even if Kuon no longer loved her, she was sure that he had loved her in the past. She knew Moko loved her too. But If Kuon and Moko loved each other, then how could she deny them their happiness? If she really loved them, shouldn't she do everything in her power to fight for their happiness? Love keeps no record of wrongs, she thought.
Hadn't she heard that somewhere?
If...I can hold myself together...I can watch over them quietly. I can give them my blessing.
The taxi was stopping at the door of the hotel, where wardrobe and the Muse were waiting for her to do whatever they had to do for the shoot tonight.
I will not cry.
In a moment, she had lost her home, her best friend, her family, and her true love. Was she an empty vessel after all? Had she learned nothing?
I will brainwash myself.
She stepped out of the taxi, onto the pavement.
Put it all in the box, Kyoko.
A step to the doorway, where the bellboys stood at attention.
Lock it down.
No. She wasn't empty. But all she had left was her acting.
Another lock. And then another.
She was a professional. She had a job. And so she would act.
Burn bright, Kyoko. Hold your head high. Be incandescent. Burn, and then burn brighter. Kill this grief. Remember that you are an actress from your toes to the very ends of your hair. Gather your power. Prove that you were more than an empty vessel for Kuon's love.
Kyoko was entering the hotel and everyone's heads turned. The taxi driver saw her shed her plain aura like a garment and then realized a little too late that he'd had Kyoko Mogami in the back seat for an hour and had been completely fooled. She Natsu-walked past valets whose mouths fell open at her approach. Her eyes were looking straight ahead, forcing herself to imagine a horizon she could not see instead of the future she could not have.
Smile. Fool them all.
Count it down.
3
.
.
.
2
.
.
.
1
Action.
Kyoko smiled.
Valets, bellboys, and the concierge may have fallen at her feet.
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Footnotes:
4. One of the earliest manga I ever read was Ai Yori Aoshi. The Japanese word for indigo is ai, which is the same as the word for love. The phrase actually comes from a sutra, the entire phrase being "From the indigo, an even deeper blue."
5. Marie Antoinette had her own little 'hamlet' where she could get away from the main palace at Versailles. The Temple d'Amour sits across a pond from the Petit Trianon. It might actually be a little small for the party I'm thinking of, so let's say people were out on the courtyard, too.
6. The Galeries Lafayette are located on the Boulevard Hausman. The walk I'm imagining for Kyoko takes her past the Garnier Opera House and down to the Ritz via the Rue de la Paix. According to Google Maps, this is a 12 minute, 950 m walk.
7. It just so happens that the Cartier flagship store is on Rue de la Paix. And it's right next to the Ritz. As Cartier is responsible for many of history's most baller tiaras, I figured Kuon should buy Kyoko her jewelry there. Kyoko's convertible tiara isn't particularly unusual. Many tiaras can and do convert into necklaces and/or brooches.
8. Yes, they do have their own champagne. Which apparently they give you if you shop there. I am too poor to shop there. Therefore I have never had the champagne. This makes me sad.
9. Of course the tiara has iolite in it. I don't actually know how often iolite exhibits the dichroic qualities that Corn famously has. I do have a pair of iolite earrings and they don't do the color change thing, though.
10. Celebrity engagement rings always sound so vulgarly huge. I don't think Kyoko would wear a really big engagement ring. So Kuon got her a smallish but perfect pink diamond to match Princess Rosa (which I still think is a pink sapphire).
11. The Trianon Palace Hotel is a Waldorf Astoria property. It does not actually have a grand staircase at the main entrance.