Confusion

Kyoko was suffering. The thought of being in love with two men at the same time was much worse than being a hopeless, lovesick schoolgirl around Sho. It was tearing her apart and beginning to show. She was thin and frail, due to loss of appetite. Dark circles had formed under her eyes and her skin had become pale, due to the lack of sleep caused by guilt.

She had thought of running and never looking back but, what good would that do? It was what was in her heart and mind. How can one run from something like that? She had thought of talking to Lory about it but, what could he do for her? He probably would be ecstatic that his LoveMe #1 had finally gained the ability to love. She could tell Moko-san but, she would only look down on her for this fiasco of the heart. She was drowning in misery.

Then it finally happened. The sleepless nights and lack of appetite had finally brought Kyoko to her knees and she collapsed from exhaustion and malnutrition in the halls of LME. In her muddled mind, in the darkness, were concerned voices shouting for a doctor or, ambulance. 24 hours later she had awakened in the hospital to her concerned friends and eccentric boss. All but Lory were made to leave the room.

"Mogami-kun, I would very much like to know why and how you have come to be in such a horrible state. I need you to tell me." He demanded to know why one of his most promising talents had done this to herself.

She couldn't bear the burden any longer and a torrent of tears began streaming down her pale cheeks. "I... I'm such a horrible person." She sobbed. "I don't know what to do anymore."

It tore Lory up to see her like this. "Why are you horrible Kyoko-chan? What would make you say something like this?" He gently prodded.

"I'm in love with two men!" She wailed.

Lory's brow furrowed. He pulled her into his arms to comfort her and gently rubbed her back. "Who?" He asked. He knew of Ren, but another?

She didn't have the strength in her heart to hold it back any longer. "I love Tsuruga-san and Corn. I don't know what to do anymore."

Lory's eyes went wide, for he didn't hear 'Corn', he heard the name as it was intended... Kuon. Lory closed his eyes in frustration and resignation. How in the name of all that is holy did she know Kuon? Lory was livid. That boy was going to certainly get a piece of his mind. "Don't worry Kyoko-chan, everything will be alright." He comforted her.

She just nodded as he released her but, she was confused. How on Earth would everything be alright in a situation like this? Did the crazy love obsessed man even know what he was saying? She watched Lory leave her hospital room.

Ren rushed to Lory to find out how Kyoko was doing as Lory sat down in the waiting room. "Well?"

"Well what!?" Lory hissed. To say this had put him in a foul mood was a slight understatement. This boy had botched things so badly that Kyoko had nearly starved herself to death. She was in the hospital for Pete's sake.

Annoyed Ren asked again. "What did the doctor say? Is she going to be okay? Why is she this way?"

Lory heaved a sigh of frustration and anger. "She's suffering from lack of sleep and not eating. No... She will not be fine because the person responsible for her condition refuses to stop toying with her emotions! She's this way because... Oh why do I even bother. You probably wouldn't understand anyway."

Ren felt his anger and jealousy begin to bubble over. "So... She's this way because of Fuwa?"

Lory shot him a look of incredulity. "You're kidding right? You really are an idiot! She's in love with you and Kuon!"

Ren froze in shock.

"Yes... She's in love with two men, she thinks. How she met Kuon... I will never know. Unless you would like to fill me in on that minute little detail." Lory's voice was dripping with venom. "And she isn't going to be okay until the two men that she seems to be in love with come clean with her."

"That's not possible, she isn't in love with me." Ren told him in denial.

"Really... You're kidding, right? You really are a clueless idiot. She's been avoiding you because she's in turmoil. She doesn't know what to do. She's obviously experiencing a significant amount of guilt! If Kuon was a separate person, she would be avoiding him too!" Lory ranted.

Ren sighed in despair.

"How do you plan on fixing this?!" Lory railed. "There isn't a damn thing I can do to help her right now! You are doing far more damage with this than Fuwa ever did to her! At least his was an obvious wound! She knew what she was dealing with when it came to him!"

Ren hung his head in shame. He never meant for it to go this far and he never dreamed that she was in love with either of his selfs. How long had this been going on? She wasn't ready for love. She told both Ren and Kuon that. Was she lying? What would she do once he told her? Would she hate him for lying to her for so long? Did he even have the courage to tell her? He let out a deep sigh as he pondered the past and the possibilities.

Lory narrowed his eyes at him. "I know what you're thinking and for her sanity and health... if you don't tell her... I will. Now who do you think she will take this news from better? Me or, you?" Lory paused for a moment. "If you say it would be me... Make sure you are prepared for the consequences, because I can guarantee that you will not like the results."

Ren nodded in understanding. He knew that if Lory told her she would take it as a personal hit. That he didn't care enough to tell her himself. But oh, was he terrified... Ren sighed in defeat. "Call Ms. Woods please." He whispered quietly to the floor he was staring so intently at.

Lory nodded and did the deed.

He stood at her hospital room door, worriedly fiddling with the contact lens case that lay resting in his pocket. He took so many deep breaths to still his nerves that he thought he would hyperventilate. He didn't feel ready and he didn't think he ever would be for this.

Lory set his hand on the door knob, opened the door and shoved him through. "Get it over with." He growled. "You aren't doing her or, yourself any favors by standing there." He quickly shut the door behind the petrified young man.

Kuon stood in the shadows of her darkened room with the only illuminating light next to her bed. In his eyes he saw a resting ethereal being. "Kyoko-chan?" He whispered in a broken voice.

Her terrified eyes shot to the doorway. She was too weak and her heart was in too much turmoil to deal efficiently with this. No.. No...NO! I can't do this right now! I'm not ready! She thought in a panic. She swallowed the hard lump in her dry throat. "Tsuruga-san?"

He nodded and slowly approached the bed and sat on the chair next to her.

Had she not been so weak, she would have propelled to the furthest point away from him. She truly couldn't deal with this right now.

"Kyoko-chan... There's something I need to tell you." He told her quietly. "It's something that you should know. Something that I should have told you a long time ago." He told her as he held her hand tightly.

She just stared at him with wide eyes. Did Takarada-san tell him? She felt like she was dieing inside. She nodded shakily.

He pulled a small white case from his pocket, put it on the small adjustable table in front of her and opened it.

She was confused. A contact lens case? He leaned down and removed a lens and she watched him plop the tiny brown disk into the clear liquid of the case. Her eyes went wide as he repeated the process. She felt that this was something very significant in her life. Something Earth-shattering.

He looked up at her with those familiar green eyes. She threw her head back into her pillow and groaned, then chuckled wryly. She shook her head. "How could I have been so incredibly stupid?" She rolled to her side, facing away from him and silent tears fell.

"K-Kyoko-chan? I..." He started.

She sighed deeply and waved her hand for him to stop behind her. "No... there's no need to explain. I understand. You..." She swallowed back the pain. "You didn't trust me." She whispered, squeezing the pillow to her face and soaking it in tears.

He removed the dark wig, moved her small table away, lowered the rail on her bed and gently maneuvered onto the bed behind her, wrapping her in his arms. She stiffened. "That's not true..." He whispered as his head lay next to hers. "I was scared."

She had stopped crying and was listening intently. She had relaxed in his arms.

"I didn't want you to hate me for destroying your childhood... for lying to you. I love you. I can't bear the thought of not having you in my life." She felt the moisture of his tears on the back of her neck. She rolled over and faced him then cupped his face in her small hands.

With eyes, gold to green she told him. "Corn... I could never hate you. I am a little angry and upset with you for not telling me but, I could never... ever hate you. I love you Corn."

He let out a breath of joy and pulled her tightly to him. "God Kyoko... I love you so much." He mumbled into the soft flesh of her neck.

She pulled away and gave him a small smile. "Is there anything else I should know? Are you hiding anyone else in there?" She asked.

He closed his eyes. "There are other things I want to tell you but, not here. I can tell you my name though."

She quickly put her small fingers to his lips and whispered. "Hizuri Kuon..." Then smiled.

He silently nodded.

She sighed deeply with frustration. "If you don't call your father right now, I will never speak to you again. Your parents actually love you and miss you."

He looked at her with surprise and her words cut deeply. He knew of her history and his behavior must have been unfathomable to her. He nodded and sat up, then pulled out his phone and began to dial. He was not about to do or, not do anything that would displease her from this point on.

She smiled contentedly and lay her weary head in his lap as he spoke to both of his parents and she drifted off to a peaceful sleep.