Just a warning I am Dyslexic so my stories will not be perfect
Hello my sweeties,
I'm not going to make excuses I'm simply old and busy :)
Enjoy.
Neh xxx
I do not own Skip Beat!
And with those words Kuon told the people present everything. As his parents and Lory watched on amazed, Obata, who had already heard the story, sat fascinated as the young man bared his soul and more before the people he had chosen. He left no detail unturned including his and Kyoko's first true meeting and him being Kyoko's Corn.
It was silent when Kuon finally finished. He had politely asked that no one speak during the tale fearing he would lose his nerve. With their hands joined, she had realised just what Kuon was doing. It was more than he could have ever needed or wished for as the story unfolded itself revealing the true man behind the mask.
Kuon finally sat there before them awaiting judgment.
The room was silent for a moment Kuon held his breath not daring to breath, they could be ashamed of him hate him even and he would never blame them Kyoko squeezed his hand letting him know she was still there she still loved him no matter what the rest thought. Lory looked at Kuu and Julie who both seemed to be holding back this was Kuon's story and Kuon's moment and although they wished to protect their son they knew in this moment they needed to be silent. It was to Lorys surprise, but also his great joy that the first words spoken where said quite matter of factly.
"God, no wonder you're so beautiful." Kanae said simply, her posture had rather worried Kuon slowly through his story she had gone from leaning forward completely engaged in his story to leaning back legs and arms crossed across her chest and simply looking at him. He knew Kanae was a must in his life if Kyoko was going to be his now and forever, though looking at her now he could not read her was her comment meant as a slight? Was she being contentious? Kyoko looked up and smiled at Kanae, Kanae smiled back and Kuon's heart lifted as Chiori chuckled evilly.
"No wonder all these other men had no chance!" Kyoko nodded and laughed slightly as Kanae snorted before another voice piped up.
"Ladies! I resemble that comment!" Kijima said loudly as the room broke into laughter and giggles, the tension that had been held vanished and Kuon simply couldn't believe it as people smiled at him, he wanted to make them understand! He was a murderer! He had killed his best friend! As the words came to his tongue and were about to leave his mouth, the small hand once again squeezed his own bringing his attention straight to her loving face.
"You were not the one who killed Rick, you were simply there when it happened Kuon it is time you stopped labeling yourself a murderer and you begin understanding that we all have past... we all have a history... and not all of us wish to share that with the world and that's ok, we are celebrities we already share so much with everyone we are allowed our secrets. Even if the media don't agree." more chuckles followed this comment as Kuon noticed everyone was listening to her and nodded.
"Ren... or should I call you Kuon now?" Kijima asked looking at him for confirmation
"Ren is fine." Kuon said quietly, Kijima nodded and continued as if it was a matter of fact
"Take me for instants, my Mom worked at a child day nursery and when I wasn't in school and acting classes I would go and help out with the children. I loved working there and honestly if I had found myself lacking I would have still been working there till this day, honestly I love children... but if this information goes any further than this room I will hunt you all down." his grin as he said the last words was feral and supposing to be imposing Kyoko was sure as she giggled and Kijima shot her a fake pained look.
"Kyoko!" he said a little begging in his voice as she smiled at him.
"Don't worry Kijima-Kun I would never want to ruin your wonderful image..." she left the sentence hanging as everyone now including kijima chuckled, Kijima had actually told Kyoko some of his past and early teen years before now, when he had come to visit Toru bringing along a toy train he had brought him. It had shocked Kyoko to begin with Kijima turning up in the love me locker room while she had been doing some of the paper based task's toru playing on the floor with some toys, he would later be going up to play with Lory while Kyoko went to the filming of Box-R but Lory had a meeting that morning so Kanae had found her room based tasks to do.
They had sat and chatted for quite a while Kijima on the floor, suit jacket tossed over a chair forgotten as he and Toru built stations with the blocks and played trains together both completely happy in each others presents as they played like only children, or "children at heart" could.
There was only one person in the room who even though she laughed a little looked uncomfortable, Kyoko looked at Mimori as Kuon took Yashiro into a corner and Kyoko watched as Kuon yet again tried to apologise. She knew Kuon felt incredibly guilty about keeping the information from Yashiro and as Kuu walked over and joined in the conversation she knew from the way Yashiro shook his head and the pair had a man hug moment that everything was going to be fine so she turned her mind to Mimori using simple gestures Chiori and Kanae engaged the rest of the people in conversation standing by Julie and Toru at the end of the table.
"Mimori-san?" she asked as she sat down beside the woman who had once been such a problem in her life, not only with the media of her and her adoptive fathers suspected relationship, but also on Sho's PV or at school, she no longer felt any resentment towards the woman before her and she wished that Mimori wouldn't flinch and look like she was about to be beaten and deserved to be every time Kyoko spoke to her.
"You ok?" she asked softly.
"Why did you involve me in this?" Mimori asked instantly before clapping her hand over her mouth as if she had not meant to say those words at all. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean! I never would.." Kyoko silenced Mimori simply by holding up her finger Mimori was instantly silent her mouth clamping shut as Kyoko smiled.
"Mimori-san, can you remember what I told you at breakfast on my birthday?" Mimori nodded solemnly, Kyoko's words had buried themselves in her heart and she had promised herself to live by them from that point on.
"You told me sometimes we have to put our past behind us and move forwards, no matter how uncertain or bad our pasts may be, because as long as we strive to make our futures better then we are already doing the right thing. Not to give up on an opportunity because of who I was. Instead, grasp it with both hands because of who i'm going to be." Kyoko nodded and waited giving Mimori time to process everything she had just said.
"I think I understand where you learnt to be so wise Mogami-san." Mimori said softly as she looked over at Kuon who was now laughing with Kuu while Yashiro spoke a million miles a minute looking rather excited over something. Kyoko smiled and nodded slightly before looking at Mimori with a smile.
"It's Kyoko, Mimori-san I would be happy if you would not call me so formally that name is simply formality anyway I suppose it would be Takarada now anyway..." Kyoko said thoughtfully only having had it said to her a few times it was rather a strange feeling, but a nice one.
"I suppose when I said it I was also talking about myself in a way as well, I'm no longer just a girl who works in an inn who will become the bride of the inn master's son and then run the inn when they are no longer able... I'm no longer the girl who looked after the boy who used her for his own means, I'm no longer the girl who entered LME to get revenge either... You see I'm also like Kuon... Like you, I have my own past I am moving forward from, learning from and striving to become the woman I wish to be, the woman who can stand on her own two feet before the world and say 'This is me! And I am proud of who I am and who I've become.' we involved you in this Mimori-san, because you have already made some amazing steps forwards, but the only way we can sometimes go further is when we accept the hands offered to us, the hands that are offering not only a tug in the right direction... but also friendship. Kuon never once even considered keeping you out of this meeting Mimori, as soon as you joined the Love Me section and showed that you could and would work hard you became part of something bigger."
"LME?" Mimori asked a little confused only hoping Kyoko would give her the right word to express what she had been feeling... the feeling of being loved...
"You became part of our family Mimori and all the friends ships good or bad that come with it... My dad calls all of the people that work for and at LME his children and even though some of them are not so closely looked after as we are in the love me section, he still loves them all every single one of us including you." Mimori's heart filled with that warm feeling yet again, the feeling she had felt sitting with the the Love Me ladies, the Hizuri's and the others that night.
"So how about we continue forwards together Mimori?" Kyoko stood as she said this leaving the honorific off Mimori's name not as a slight but as an invitation to the woman before her, Mimori was amazed as Kyoko not only offered out her hand hand but also something so much more, She was pleased that her hand did not show the shaking she inside felt as she reached forward and grasped the small hand offered to her.
"I would like that very much Kyoko." and even if her voice did shake slightly with emotions, Kyoko would never mention it as she tugged her new friend forward and towards the others now all standing together laughing and talking like the strange family they were, the arm that wrapped around Kyoko's waist was so light it literally radiated the happiness Kuon felt as he spoke with kijima, who seemed to be questioning him about other ladies taking part in the new production 'keeping his options open' Kyoko at one point heard him say as Kanae glared at him making sure he knew she was not an option.
Chiori smiled at Mimori once more with that knowing smile Mimori had been getting use too as she sidled over to her, while Kijima pointed out that he was sure he could get Kanae to become an option in not such a good whisper that the ice queen could not hear or the scolding Julie while holding back a laughter her eyes spoke off.
"You know, my past even without the scarlett dice wasn't that great... and honestly back then my way of... erm beating Kyoko wasn't as... subtle as yours, It was the reason I joined the love me section the reason I strove to get to know the woman who even though I had literally hurt her offered me something more than a bad reputation and the loss of a job... she offered me friendship and I grasped onto it as my only lifeline left... because at that time without Kyoko... I actually wonder where I would be now... and that's a scary thought... I know to begin with you joining the love Me section was almost like a punishment detail that she dished out to you, but really I think Kyoko had seen further than that... further than any of us could see and knew this would be a good thing for you to grow from and learn from as long as you worked hard to do so and you've done that Mimori-san." Mimori felt the offer and she smiled at Chiori.
"Thank you." and that was that, in two simple conversation's her place and her friends at LME had let her know she was cared for, she was respected and she was above all wanted! She had a place in the world of show business once more and she was happy with that place and as Kuon hugged Kyoko tightly to his side smiling so was he.
Thanks for reading
Love
Neh xxx
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