When it happened, it was when Kinji least expected it. They'd only had a week left, and he'd spent most of his time on shift clearing out their personnel badges in their system that let them access the rooms they needed in the building. He was behind their security desk, tossing another pile in their bin when he caught sight of an oddly bundled up pair.
He recognized Morizumi Kimiko on second glance, but stayed ducked out of sight, and she and her companion sailed right by, and the man with her carried a camera bag. She did it so confidently, Kinji could only assume she'd been watching him for some time. She must have made note of when he did badge clear-outs. It would be the only thing that would make him pay less attention to their cameras in their lobby.
Since Morizumi would then be working on the assumption she hadn't even been noticed, Kinji thought that maybe he might then have the advantage. She was down the hallway now, so he got out his walkie talkie and patched a message through to the security team on set with the cast and crew.
"Bogey spotted. Notify Yashiro Yukihito."
Static came through and then, "Notified."
Kinji smiled slightly as he watched Morizumi turn a corner.
Morizumi Kimiko, trespassing is a crime you know.
Ren was exiting the dining hall when the call came through from Yashiro. Ren paused near the A/V room as Yashiro related Kinji-san's message and sighed. He knew their good vibe had been too good to last. Grimly he wondered what kind of trick she'd use this time.
On the Lotus set, it had been pulling emergency handles, causing people to evacuate. Maddeningly, she had never been caught, and until Uesugi Hiou had overheard one of her phonecalls at his family's dojo, they'd not realized she'd had a person on the inside. They'd been able to handle it once they'd gained that one vital piece of information.
Kinji-san and Momose-san had informed them about the trouble with her and Ogata's AD from his last production and the resulting consequences. Ogata had eventually got it under control, but still Ren wondered. What would she do this time? Would it escalate?
"Keep an eye out, we don't know which of us she'll come across firs-"
Ren didn't catch the rest of what Yashiro said because he caught sight of Morizumi just then. He disconnected the call, and brought up the recording app on his phone and turned it on, then slid the phone into his shirt pocket, where it would more easily pick up sounds.
He did this not a moment too soon, as Morizumi looked around her, and over her shoulder, and saw him.
"Tsuruga-san! I'm so glad I got to see you!"
"Well, color me surprised Morizumi-san. What brings you here?"
What exactly had Morizumi put together for that matter? Did she know he was CEO of Riverbank? Or did she only know of Yashiro and the inquiries he'd made? Did she know that it was Ogata that had tipped them off at the TraMa premiere so Yashiro could further deepen his investigation? Ren studied the unconcerned smile plastered on her face, and felt his unease deepen.
"Your casting director put out a call for extras for the festival you all are doing in this part of your production, and I got lucky enough to be included!"
Nanaka-san had done no such thing. People in town had offered to set up a historical recreation of one of their shrine festivals for the event in question-with the help of base personnel, and Shingai and others on the production had happily accepted. But Morizumi lied so flawlessly about it, that if Ren hadn't known the truth already, he would have been hard-pressed not to believe her.
"Is that right? Good for you!"
"Truly, it was pure luck!" Morizumi leaned in closer, and Ren took a step backwards.
"One question Morizumi-san," said Ren softly.
"Yes?" she batted her eyelashes and leaned in closer. Ren barely held back a snort of disgust.
"If you're here as an extra, why are you in our lodging building? For that matter, why did you bring your own personal photographer?"
He tossed his bag down the hallway, the material of it letting it slide quite far down, about to where he'd pinpointed seeing a lens peek around a corner. He heard muffled cursing down that way, and Morizumi paled, and whipped around.
"Should I leave?" the voice drifted out to them and he thought he heard Morizumi growl in frustration.
She swung back around and glared at him. Ren raised an imperious eyebrow. Morizumi sneered and shouted back at the photographer.
"Get the shot, or don't get paid."
Ren stared her down, "Luck, was it? Did you really think this was going to work?"
"Perception is all that matters Tsuruga-san," she said as a cruel smile twitched her lips upward. Ren continued to be unimpressed.
"You're just giving me more ammunition you know," He warned her.
She scoffed, "Ammunition for what? How easy of a target you are?"
That… didn't even make sense, but Ren hadn't really expected her to. As he was contemplating this, Morizumi's eyes widened and she stared past him at something. Ren turned to look, only to feel her grab his upper arms and yank him closer to her. Almost immediately, he shoved her away, but even as he glared at her in fury, she smirked.
"I got it Morizumi-san!" came the voice down the corridor. Morizumi's smirk widened.
"Thanks for your cooperation, Tsuruga-san."
"I wasn't cooperating," he snarled back at her, beyond done with her immature and childish tricks, "What you are doing though, is actually against the law. You're trespassing, and you know it."
"So what if I'm trespassing? I'm done here now," she leaned in closer, her features twisting into something ugly as she spat out her next words, low and ugly, "The more I get in your way, the more your wonderful manager has to deal with the consequences."
Ren's temper flared and he stepped closer. He'd not wanted to use his size for intimidation, not when such a situation could be misconstrued, but, he found himself unable to refrain from doing so.
"Whatever stupid, childish tricks you try, he'll tie you up in so much legalese it'll make you wish you'd never even heard the name Yashiro Yukihito."
"Well, that's a flattering remark on my capabilities there, Ren."
Ren looked up from where he was glaring down at the girl, smiling in satisfaction as he heard his manager's voice. Kinji-san, Kotonami-san and Kyoko were with him, and they'd dragged the photographer closer as well.
As soon as Morizumi caught sight of Kinji she curled her hands into fists.
"What is this?!" She hissed.
It was Kyoko who answered, as sweet a smile on her face as her words were ruthless, "Oh my, what disgraceful behavior. Weren't you ever taught how to respect your betters? And greet them politely?"
"Kyoko-chan!" Yashiro gasped, while everyone else could only stare, shocked by the rudeness.
"Oh I apologize. It is impolite to scold another in public isn't it?" Kyoko smiled sweetly again, but the cold anger in her voice was obvious.
She let out a chuckle then, and said, "I'm just so amused that she thought this would actually work."
"Shut up!" Morizumi snarled.
Ren, now having stepped away from her, shot her a disapproving look.
"Morizumi-san-" he started, but was interrupted by Kyoko.
"Oh I imagine she believes her attitude to be completely in the right, don't you Morizumi-san? You reek of the kind of entitlement that's let you get away with bad behavior like this," Kyoko raised her kimono sleeve to her face as if to mask a foul stench as she said this.
There was a long, stunned silence as everyone marveled over Kyoko's viciousness even as Morizumi glared at her, visibly enraged. Kyoko slid forward suddenly, startling Morizumi-san into stepping backwards and further away from Ren.
"Do us all a favor Morizumi and don't lower our collective IQs by acting like you got in here by mistake. You act for shit in any case. You're trespassing, and you did it deliberately to cause trouble," Kyoko's sneer was harsh and spiteful and Morizumi's face bloomed a humiliated red.
While the rest seemed speechless still, Kyoko spoke again, "Apologize to Tsuruga-san for your behavior. And apologize to Yashiro-san and the rest of us for wasting our time."
"Kyoko-chan!" came Yashiro-san's aghast whisper. Kyoko just stared the other woman down until Morizumi could no longer look her in the eye.
"Apologize," demanded Kyoko.
Morizumi glanced away, obviously seething, then spat out the words, "I apologize for my behavior."
"And?"
"And for wasting your time," Morizumi snarled.
Kyoko sent her another merciless smile, "Good girl. Now leave. Kinji-san would love to escort you out."
Morizumi shot her one more humiliated glare but let Kinji-san take her arm. Something deep in Kyoko purred in satisfaction and she crossed her arms and smiled as she watched it happen. Kanae grabbed the man's camera and he protested before Kyoko silenced him with a glare.
"Get the memory card," said Yashiro, still sounding faintly appalled.
"That's my property!" the man protested.
"And you used it, and a camera, on a premises that deliberately bans such actions unless you have the proper authorization. But hopefully, Morizumi-san here will pay your legal fees," Yashiro smiled sunnily at the horrified looks on both their faces.
He and Kinji then marched them back down the corridor once Kanae had given them the camera and memory card. Kanae waved them farewell sarcastically, then started typing away on her phone, her fingers flying over her keyboard. The action reminded Ren of his own, and he pulled his phone out and stopped his recording app. He then sent the file to Yashiro, so it would be taken care of as needed.
After a moment, Ren cleared his throat, "Mogami-san."
Kyoko glanced at him, raising one questioning eyebrow.
Ren spoke up hesitantly, "Wasn't that a little harsh?"
Kyoko smirked, "I don't know, was it? I was simply trying to employ skills you've taught me about unprofessional behavior in the workplace. You've taught me well, don't you think so?"
Something about the glint in her eye struck Ren as disproportionately satisfied. Before he could say anything though, Kyoko went to Kanae's side and peered down at her phone.
"Notifying Koenji-san?"
"Yep. And Hiou-kun. He wanted to be told."
"Ah, good plan. I should do the same with Momose-san. Well, Tsuruga-san, we have to get back to set, but I'm sure we'll meet you for dinner with Yashiro-san later," Kyoko had on her typical sunny smile as she said this, and that dashed most of Ren's worry.
She and Kanae walked off, talking to each other, and notifying the others involved, and Ren stared after her.
He had the lingering feeling that he was missing something.
"I hope you're aware that your behavior earlier was unacceptable."
Kyoko only glanced over at him, her face clearly spelling out how ludicrous she felt that comment was as she tossed her purse down on her bed. Yashiro's lips thinned in frustration as he saw it. Kyoko had seemed perfectly fine the rest of the day, but when he'd caught Ren staring at her in concern as well when they'd all met up for dinner, Yashiro had requested that Kotonami-san steer clear of their dorm room so he could talk to Kyoko alone. Clearly Kyoko had been expecting such a thing to happen, because she didn't even blink when she saw him.
Yashiro paced a little, then turned to face her, "I'm not kidding. That out there, earlier, I don't want to see it again. It was unnecessary, and unacceptable."
Kyoko, to his surprise, simply scoffed, and looked away, "Yashiro-san, surely you haven't forgotten how spiteful a person I can be when I'm angered."
The flippancy of her words, the arrogance of her tone, it left him speechless. He paced again, running a hand through his hair in agitation.
"You will listen to me in this. We were done with this Morizumi problem. After months of me grinning and bearing it, and wrangling every damn story I could out of people, and remember, I began this to protect you and to protect Ren, this was simply the icing on the cake. And that's when you decide to be reckless? No, not on my watch. Not again."
Kyoko glared over her shoulder at him, "Of course I get scolded over this. Why not? It seems any time I try to stand up for myself, I get scolded. I suppose I should just get used to it by now."
"Damn it Kyoko-chan! What you need to be, is self-aware. Stand up for yourself, fine, defend what you need to, fine, but that, that behavior earlier, that was more than that. And you know it! You know it! It was unnecessary to go that far, and you were mean, and you were cruel. And I know you're better than that! I know it!"
"Isn't it that you just would like me to be?" replied Kyoko snidely, "Isn't that just like people. They want you to be nice, to rise above it. But guess what? I'm petty."
Yashiro returned her glower, stare for stare, "I know I'm right. And I know I'm right because I have been watching you for nearly two years. And I have watched you grow. The Kyoko that I admire, the one that I see, every day that we are together, is the girl that is kind. She's considerate, generous, and strong. That's the girl I am proud to call my client. The girl I'm proud to call a rising star of LME."
"That out there," he pointed in the direction of the door for emphasis, "That out there was nothing but a spiteful schoolgirl rubbing her rival's face in the fact that she had lost. Am I wrong Kyoko-chan?"
Kyoko's chin trembled as she fought back tears. It was all for nothing, and hot tears began to run down her face, as she glanced away, her hands clenched in the folds of her skirt. She shook her head almost imperceptibly and heard Yashiro sigh. She felt his hand on her shoulder then, patting it gently while he made soft hushing noises to try to soothe her.
"We've effectively neutered the Morizumi influence, but that made me worry. It really did. Don't worry me like that, alright?"
Kyoko nodded as she sniffled, and Yashiro handed her a hanky to blow her nose.
"I'm sorry Yashiro-san, I'm so sorry. She just made me so, so angry. I know it's stupid, I do," Kyoko blew into the hankie and Yashiro made more shushing noises.
"It seems so stupid now. You must think I'm so childish. God, I don't even want to imagine what Ren will say about my behavior. I know he loves me, and accepts that I have a temper, but he must be disappointed in me. Right!?"
Kyoko turned a tearful gaze on him, and Yashiro blinked down at his charge, astonished. There was a long silence, and Kyoko cocked her head.
"Yashiro-san?" Her face turned pale then, "Oh no! You think he'll yell at me don't you?! That's why you're not saying anything!"
"Kyoko...Kyoko-chan," tried Yashiro, his voice cracking in his shock, but Kyoko talked over him.
"He's gonna yell at me! He'll tell me that I'm the worst kouhai he's ever had, and that I was dumb to even-"
"Kyoko-chan!" Yashiro finally managed to shout over her, "Kyoko-chan! You know he loves you?!"
Kyoko turned white and she tried to wiggle away, but Yashiro held her in place.
"Do not try to run from this! If you can't be honest with me, then I'm going to assume the worst," he told her, his voice hard as he studied her.
"The worst? What's you worst?" She asked, her tone more panicked than before.
"That you know he loves you and you're just messing around! Ren is actually pretty fragile, if you haven't noticed. You're a lot stronger than he is!"
Kyoko tore her gaze away from his and muttered down at the floor, "I'm not though. I'm not."
Yashiro felt all the wind disappear from his sails and he let out a sigh, releasing her. The two of them slid down to the floor, Yashiro's back against Kotonami's bed and Kyoko's back to hers. They stared at each other for a long moment before Yashiro pulled off his glasses and rubbed a hand across his face.
"You are strong Kyoko-chan. From what you've told me, you've known a lot of betrayal. And still, you make friends so easily. You still trust in others. You believe that their default nature is 'good'. Ren doesn't. He...tolerates people."
"There's some people he likes," she mumbled back.
"Sure. That's true. And of all the people he likes-short list that there is, you're the one he trusts the most. Please, I am begging you here. Please be honest with me. Have you said those words to each other?"
Kyoko glanced away again, "...No."
"Then how did you find out?"
Kyoko swallowed, and she tapped the toes of her boots together nervously, "It's...uh...it's in the little things, you know? It used to be, he didn't really know what love really was like, you know? I told him once, that he would know it, would know it's beginnings, if there was someone that he would look at, and if their smile made him happy, that was the beginning."
Yashiro stared at the girl in front of him, trying to comprehend this.
"I know, because he does things to make me smile. I know, because he worries. I know, because he chooses to tell me things about himself, that he would tell no one else. He's honest. And I can't not be honest back."
A tear slipped down her cheek and she covered her mouth with her hand and sniffed.
Yashiro was hard-pressed to not hold back his own tears. Funnily enough, he found himself being honest.
"My niece you met. I was eleven when she was born."
Yashiro saw Kyoko look over at him in confusion, but he continued, "My sister was seventeen when she had her. She'd fallen in love with an older man, wasn't going to college, had a position with a company lined up after she graduated high-school. For all intents and purposes, they were a match made in heaven."
Kyoko sniffed some more, and wiped at her face with her sleeve. Yashiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Except now, her older man has had an affair, has divorced her, and now she's thirty-four and thinks travelling the world with her daughter would be an exciting path to pursue. My niece has yet to graduate highschool, and wants to go to Todai, has been working her ass off to get in, but my sister thinks this is a wonderful idea."
"Yashiro-san?" asked Kyoko questioningly.
Yashiro put his glasses back on, and sent her the most serious expression he could muster.
"What do you want to do when you're thirty-four Kyoko-chan?"
She stared at him, "Yashiro-san, I don't even know what I'm going to want for dinner tomorrow."
Yashiro snickered, he couldn't help himself.
"And if Ren says he wants to marry you tomorrow, what would you do?"
"Ask him if he's hit the whisky too much again," she gasped, scandalized.
Yashiro laughed, long and hard.
"Alright, alright. Then where do you see your relationship with him going?"
Kyoko worried at her bottom lip for a moment, "I don't...honestly Yashiro-san, we just have a lot of fun together. We've learned so much from each other, that...that sort of stuff...we could learn something new about each other tomorrow, you know? I want us to stay, just like this, taking it one step at a time."
Yashiro smiled, leaned over, and ruffled her hair, "That's a good answer."
"Thank you, for asking, Yashiro-san. For not letting me run away," said Kyoko, a long while later.
"You're welcome Kyoko-chan."
They exchanged smiles. Then Yashiro spoke again.
"And Kyoko-chan?"
"Yeah?"
"My friends call me Yuki."
"Thanks Yuki."
"You're welcome."
With only a week left of shooting, Kyoko was facing the end of their long time on set with a vastly different perspective then from when she'd first arrived. She felt as if she'd grown as an actress, as a student still learning about the different parts of the industry (though she most enjoyed wardrobe and make-up work outside of acting), and as a young woman.
And if the past week, what with the Hizuri visit and the Morizumi problem, had taught her anything, it was that she still had a lot more to learn.
"How are you feeling Kyoko-chan?" asked Nagahama-san as pulled out her heels for the dance hall scene.
"Nervous," muttered Kyoko back.
"Understandable."
In the Oguso part of the storyline, the years that passed for Yayoi before she saw Jack again felt both short and like an eternity, or so it was described in their script. It felt short, because Yayoi had begun to tutor and teach more and more students, both in traditional arts and in the philosophy she'd learned from her father.
Additionally, Yayoi had chosen to adopt from the orphanage. Shion-chan, the baby Yayoi had once come across as it was being left on the orphanage's doorstep when she was fifteen, had grown into a bright, vivacious girl. And Shion-chan loved the tea ceremony. With the rest of the Yoneda's permission, Yayoi had chosen to adopt her.
And it felt like an eternity, because Yayoi would read something new of her father's, Akutagawa, or Camus, and turn excitedly to other people in the room she would be in, only to realize, no one would be there to listen. The more Yayoi felt fulfilled by her duties and her purpose as the scion of the Yoneda Family, the more lost she felt in connecting with someone who could truly define her. She'd lost the surety that she'd once held that people truly knew her, knew her innermost thoughts and dreams. It felt...unbearably lonely.
Jack, conversely, had been lucky enough to come across Yayoi twice before they met again at an officer's retirement party in a dance hall in 1955. Yayoi hadn't known either time that he'd been there. The first time, had been an autumn festival in 1954. Shion-chan had gotten lost in a crowd, trying to keep up with her cat, and had stumbled across Jack.
Jack, even though it'd been years since he'd seen her last, had recognized her. He reintroduced himself to the girl, and through their brief conversation, Jack had come to figure out that Yayoi had adopted her. He'd searched for the Yonedas in the crowd, and helped her find them again. But when Shion-chan had turned to introduce him, he was already lost in the crowd again.
The second time he'd come across Yayoi, he'd been in a cafe, getting a coffee, and overheard her quoting Camus to the group of kids that were with her. It had been the very first thing Yoneda Michitada had ever said to him, in fact. It is a great deal to fight while despising war, to accept losing everything while still preferring happiness, to face destruction while cherishing the idea of a higher civilization. It had struck him, like an arrow knocked on a bow, released, and striking true.
Jack, even after he'd resigned, had not dared to approach the Yonedas. He could not face them after his failure. He did not have the courage. And it seemed, as opposed to Yayoi's longing, that the gods were actually testing Jack's resolve. And his resolve broke on their third meeting. The officer's retirement party at the dance hall.
As so Kyoko stood there, aggravated by her own nervousness over the scene, and eager to face Tsuruga Ren once more on the battlefield.
"Kyoko-chan," said Nagaham-san as she stepped away.
Kyoko looked at her, listening. Nagahama-san smiled.
"Chin up," Kyoko did so, "Shoulders back," Kyoko did this too, "And most importantly," Nagahama-san's tone trailed off meaningfully. Kyoko arched a questioning eyebrow and the seamstress smiled again.
"Have fun!"
Kyoko grinned at the unexpected sight of Nagahama-san doing her best interpretation of jazz hands.
"I will Nagahama-san."
Kyoko took her mark, and waited for Shingai to call action, Yayoi restless and yearning deep inside her.
…
Yayoi sipped her champagne, then looked down at it with a frown. Bubbly drinks were fun, but they just refused to makes ones that tasted yummy. That was her opinion anyway. She sighed and set the champagne back down on the tray the wait staff carried about the party.
Her cousin Hina had long since disappeared, and Yayoi was swiftly returning to the state of loneliness that had made her say yes to her cousin's invitation in the first place. Mi-chan was so preoccupied with her kids these days, and Shion-chan was a little too old to be happy playing with them all the time. Yayoi had recently begun to realize that she genuinely missed their old girl's nights she and Mi-chan used to have.
Perhaps she could do a fun one for Shion-chan? Or do an overnight event at the Inn for Shion-chan and her classmates? It would at least give her something else to focus on, she thought as she contemplated checking out the dessert table again. It was near the musician set up, and that violinist was the best she'd ever heard. She contemplated this, wondering how she could finagle past some of her father's old drinking buddies.
All of these thoughts came screeching to a halt when a waiter appeared in front of her with a white chrysanthemum on the cream and gold tray he held. The waiter bowed.
"From the gentleman at the railing Yoneda-sama."
She thought quickly. One of the meanings of the flower was truth, and that suggested a puzzle of some sort. Who knew flowers like that? Who did she know that knew such things? An old student?
She searched the dance hall. There were two tiers, with an upper gallery for people to view dancers below on the main floor. She looked up, heading to the staircase, trying to see if she could catch sight of anyone.
She got to the upper gallery, and checked the cafe tables around the railing. As she came upon her fourth one, she caught sight of a blue violet on one of the seats. She readjusted her parameters. Blue violets meant faithfulness. Truth and faith? Have faith in the truth? Have faith in what you trust?
Another waiter passed by, and handed her a note, "The gentleman said give it to the lady at the railing."
She thanked him and opened the note, more excited for her puzzle then she'd been in some time.
"When one is weary of one's work and devotion to duty…" Yayoi stopped, and stared at the familiar handwriting on the notes. She knew those words, had held them deep in her heart since she was but a girl. The one other person who would know what those words meant to her…
"And what did you and father discuss this time?" Yayoi teases.
"Camus, as he likes to," his hazel eyes smile down at her, and they say the words together, "Always there comes an hour when one is weary.."
They laugh quietly together.
Yayoi's hands trembled as she held the note, and a very familiar hand closed his fingers over hers, and brought one of her hands to his lips. She looked up, her heart racing.
Jack Taylor looked back down at her, and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her hand.
"Do you trust me?" Jack Taylor whispered down at her.
Yayoi, numb with disbelief, could only stare up at him, helplessly confused.
"I thought you were gone...You...you were supposed to be gone."
"I've been in Tokyo for over a year. That's where you can find me these days."
"You never...why didn't you ever come back?"
"I failed you. How could I have returned?"
Yayoi yanked her hand away, tears coming to her eyes.
"Goddamn you Jack Taylor."
He glanced away, disappointment clear on his features, "I'll leave you to it then. I'm sorry to bother you."
He got one step away, before she spat out other words, "Why did you even bother with this…" she gestured angrily at the flowers and the notes, "Why did you even bother to bring this up again, if you're so lacking in a spine that you turn away when I curse your name? Where's the man that stood in front of me and demanded more?"
Jack Taylor wheeled back around, fire in his eyes, "Well, what happened to you?! What happened to your smile? I watched you for an hour down there! You stood around, sighed, sipped champagne, and God help me, but I was worried."
"Yeah, well, I grew up! There, no need to worry!" She shouted back. Neither individual noticed other dance hall attendees slowly moving back down to the main floor, away from the shouting match that looked like it was going to escalate.
"I am always going to worry Yayoi!"
"Why?!" She fairly screamed at him, her chest heaving, her hand crumpling the note she held.
"Because someone should! Because you spend so much goddamned time worrying about others, that you have none left over for you! And damnit, it might as well be me! I've been in love with you since I can't even remember when!" He shouted back.
"Cut!"
Both Kyoko and Ren were abruptly thrown back out of their characters when the clapperboard snapped shut between them. They both shot a glare at the crewmember, who scurried away as quickly as he'd come.
They turned towards their director. Shingai seemed unable to stop smiling, but was trying his best to cover it up, "Great energy guys, I'm really loving this, I am, ahem, but ah, Kyoko-san, can you come here please?"
Kyoko did so, feeling a surge of guilt. What had she messed up?
"Sir?" She said softly.
Shingai patted her on the shoulder, and pried the note out of her hand. Kyoko flushed.
"I appreciate the energy, I do, ah, but we needed this slammed down on the table, we wanted a shot of it with the flowers, remember?"
"I am so sorry Director," she mumbled to the floor, her face bright red. Shingai studied her for a moment.
"Hey, everyone, let's go ahead and take a break, hm? Meet back her in fifteen! Let's nail this in one more take, how's that sound?!" Shingai called out across the dance hall set and got back a smattering of cheers.
"Kyoko-san, can I be honest with you?" asked Shingai one they'd settled themselves into seats. Kyoko nodded, as she tightened the grasp on her fingers so she didn't start fretting over parts of her outfit. She was so incredibly conscious of what she was wearing, she'd struggled with not pulling at it since they'd put her in it in wardrobe.
"Alright then. To be perfectly honest, we went through a lot of girls before we got to you. Some didn't have the right look, some didn't have the right amount of knowledge of traditional customs, some didn't have the right amount of maturity, and some, well, they were too self-conscious."
Kyoko stilled her tapping toes as he said that last part, and she darted a guilty glance up at the director. He appeared to be part exasperated, part amused.
"Sir?" she squeaked out.
"I'm telling you this because we almost said no to you because of your age."
Kyoko felt herself relax slightly, she knew how to handle this. This complaint she'd heard many a time.
"Don't worry sir, I'm determined to finish this out. I won't give up! "
"No, that's not-"Shingai sighed and rubbed at his forehead. He decided another approach would probably be better.
"Kyoko-san, I know a bit of your story. Raised traditionally in a traditional inn, holder of a broken heart, and working in a traditional restaurant, even still, even though LME has employed you. You respect where you came from, despite what you've gone through because of it. What does this sound like?"
Kyoko swallowed nervously, "Um, like, a determined person?"
Shingai had to laugh at her sauciness there. And she probably hadn't even meant it. "No. What it sounds like, is Yayoi-san."
"... It does?" Kyoko blinked, "Oh, wait, I guess it does."
Shingai smiled, "I do apologize. But the deciding factor in using you, was because you already had similar tendencies and inclinations as Yayoi-san does. You're a natural actor already, and you've begun to refine your craft, to be sure. But you won this part, for your determination, and because you share so many qualities already with Yayoi."
"...Thank you?" she replied.
Shingai smothered a chuckle. Others might have been offended to be 'used', but this girl... Ah well, "The point being, we knew, meaning myself and Takashi-san, we would need to help you along in other ways other than those aspects. Especially with emotionally charged and complex things. This is because of your age. "
Kyoko winced a little as it circled back to the original point. "I'm sorry sir, if there's something I'm missing I can adjust-"
"Kyoko-san, look at me."
She glanced up as he interrupted her. Shingai smiled reassuringly.
"We're talking about you right now. Do you believe that what you've experienced has helped you to where you are now?"
"Yes. Undoubtedly," she replied without hesitation.
"Good. Tell me about why you chose this path."
"But don't you already-"
"Humor me Kyoko-san."
"Well. Alright. Someone dear to me had a dream he could not give up. I wanted to support that. I did my best to support that, even leaving behind the people that had raised me," Kyoko couldn't help but glance away, her fingers flexing and curling as she talked. She did her best to restrain her leftover grudges from when she'd been so naive like that.
"It was entirely my fault that I expected more of my choice than what I got. I didn't realize that at the time. Then, I just swore I'd get my revenge and become a bigger star than he could ever be and I finagled my way into LME. They took pity on me and let me stay. But, still, it was…so petty a reason that I am ashamed of that behavior now. I am both thankful-because it got me here and I wouldn't change that for the world, and ashamed for behaving so recklessly and brazenly."
Shingai sent her a sympathetic look when she glanced back up at him.
"Then what happened? Heartbreak, then LME, what was the next big step?"
Kyoko smiled then, "Your Ring Doh set. It made me enjoy the craft itself, and everything about it."
"What else about it?"
Kyoko tilted her head, questioning, "What do you mean?"
"Wasn't there something you said to me then? What was it? Something about your own ability… How did that go?" His voice trailed off suggestively and Kyoko blushed.
"I, uh, I said, that uh, that I could not abide that I could not face Tsuruga Ren of my own ability," her words were quiet but Shingai heard them all the same.
"Ah yes, that's right. He pulled your reaction out of you. And how did you feel about that?"
"Terrible," said Kyoko flatly.
"Do you want that to happen again?"
Kyoko stared fearfully at the director, "What, what do you mean?!"
Shingai held the note up, crumpled as it was.
"This scene right here, right now. He's close to swallowing you up. Simply because of his age, he's had more experience doing this kind of scene. He's keeping his head. You misstepped. Are you satisfied with that?"
Kyoko was shaking her head side to side ferociously, a horrified look on her face.
"Then listen very, very carefully. Think of every single instance that you think defined the you that came onto my set and had the guts to take up Matsunai Ruriko's challenge," Shingai paused a moment as Kyoko seemed to be studying the floor with an oddly fierce intensity.
"Do you have them all in your mind?" he asked after a moment.
Kyoko nodded slowly. Shingai spoke again.
"As we are right now, you have done more in the last year and half since then to redefine and reshape yourself, then you did in the previous sixteen years, is that not the truth?"
"It is," she said quietly.
"When I talk about your age, I'm simply referring to the amount of time in which you have been able to experience things. This can be events, relationships, and work, whatever. What you need to think of right now, to appropriately sync with what Yayoi is feeling in this scene, is someone who has helped you do that."
Kyoko's mouth opened, then shut, her face adorably bewildered.
Shingai smiled, "Yayoi's family and their traditions defined Yayoi and made her the woman she was when she met Jack Taylor. But that is only her beginning. Jack Taylor, along with a couple others, wind up defining the very woman she becomes for the rest of her life. Think of the people that have helped shape you into who you are now. It can be man or woman, adult or child, but there is one person out of everyone, who you first thought of, right? There is one person out of everyone you've met, that you know, even as young as you are, you know they will define the woman you will be for the rest of your life. "
Kyoko felt helplessly transparent as Shingai studied her carefully, but she nodded again.
After a moment, Shingai said, "OK. Good. Now imagine yourself three years from now, or five. Are they with you?"
Kyoko nodded again, doing her damndest to not show how shaken she was by what Shingai had said.
Shingai's eyes glittered with something unfamiliar when he spoke again, "Now then, what if they weren't? What if you thought of that person every single day in that time, but you never met? Not once."
Kyoko gaze darted to Shingai's, her cheeks getting wet from tears she'd done her damndest not to spill, and had spilled out anyway.
"What would you do Kyoko-san?" Shingai asked softly, "What would you do?"
"...I...I don't know."
"And what if you met again? Some innocuous place, like a town meeting, a restaurant, a dance hall. What would you do then?"
Shingai felt a little bad when Kyoko just stared, and sniffled, trying to get her tears to stop. But as bad as it felt, he was more fascinated by the fire he saw appear in her eyes.
"I'm wearing Dior."
"Yes you are."
"I look fantastic."
"You're gorgeous even."
"I have had too many regrets to make this another. I refuse. Not again. I won't let that happen again."
A slow, delighted smile grew on Shingai face as Kyoko stood from her chair, her face fierce. She tossed her hair, and smoothed out her dress.
"Shingai-san, thank you very much."
"What for?"
"For helping me find my fire."
"My dear, you've had that all along. I just helped you channel it."
Ren tried to ask her what happened when they both took their places, but Kyoko only smiled.
"Are you here Ren?"
"What?"
"Are you here? On the battlefield?"
Kyoko sent him the most challenging expression she could, and was rewarded by Ren stepping back a little to look her over. A smirk flitted across his face.
"Yeah. Yeah I'm here."
…
"I am always going to worry Yayoi!"
She slammed the note down on the table next to the flowers, "Why?!" She screamed, her chest heaving as she got right up in his personal space.
"Because someone should! Because you spend so much goddamned time worrying about others, that you have none left over for you! And damnit, it might as well be me! I've been in love with you since I can't even remember when!" He shouted back.
"Liar!"
"I'm not lying!"
"If you'd loved me, you wouldn't have left me alone!" She was crying now when she screamed and Jack's heart ached.
He found himself slowly drawing her into his arms, enclosing her into a tight embrace. Her cries were muffled now as she buried her face in his chest, and Jack made soothing noises, over and over.
"I'm sorry, shh, shhh, I'm so sorry. I promise, I promise I won't do it again. I'm so sorry. Please, please believe me. Shhh, I'm sorry."
When her sobs slowed down enough for her to hear his words, Yayoi pulled away, and Jack offered her his handkerchief to mop up her tears.
"I'm sorry, your suit coat is a mess," Yayoi said eventually.
Jack shrugged, and whipped it off, "There, I look good as new, hm?"
Yayoi laughed a little, then blew her nose once more.
Jack then tilted his head as he heard the double bass, guitarist and the violinist down below pick out a familiar tune.
"My final little bit I set up," he said quietly as he held his hands out to invite her to dance.
"All of that for a dance?" asked Yayoi, surprised at the effort.
Jack bowed theatrically, "Only the best for Yoneda Yayoi-sama."
Perhaps it was the ridiculous flattery, or the genuine affection on his face, but Yayoi just found herself blushing, and stepping up to join him. And he took her hand in one of his, and put his arm around her waist, and they began to dance.
"I'm pretty sure this is my favorite violinist I've ever heard," Yayoi mumbled into Jack's chest a little later, as he held her close and swung her side to side with the beat.
She heard him chuckle and his hand tightened on her waist for a moment, "Just wait til the trumpet joins in."
The trumpet did so about thirty seconds later, and Yayoi picked her head up in delighted surprise, but Jack just shook his head, "Nope, wait for it."
He began to move her faster, spinning her around once, twice, and the crescendo hit and Yayoi felt herself start to smile, then she began to laugh. Jack laughed with her, and spun her once more. The song slowed again, and Jack caught her and held her close to him again, his hand catching the back of her head, and tucking her face in close to his chest again.
They stood there, still hugging, even as the song ended. Until, finally, Jack stepped back, bowed, and kissed her hand one last time. Yayoi smiled, then curtsied, just to make him laugh again. That succeeded, and she smiled again.
He cradled her face as she did so, and he studied her intently, "There it is," he said, his voice sounding impossibly gentle and loving, "That's the smile I missed so much."
It was all Yayoi could do, to stand there and gaze back, without fleeing the room. Kyoko felt this a little bit too, and was promptly relieved when Shingai called cut. She blew out a huge sigh and stepped back to catch her breath.
"Oh my God Tsuruga-san! This dress is so tight! Can you move in your clothes? I think I busted a seam!"
Any remaining tension between them promptly disappeared as Shingai-san, Iwasaki-san, and some other crew were close enough to hear and promptly began to laugh. Ren sighed, looking as put upon as he ever did.
"Time and place, Mogami-san," he said, an absolutely hangdog expression on his face.
Kyoko let out a small giggle. She had to keep him on his toes after all.
It wasn't an ending, not really. But it was. The past week had primarily been for the very last scenes of the third act within the last episode, such as the dance hall scene. And at the end of that week was the ending scene. The finale. Done, of course, to Takashi-san's specifications.
When Kyoko had first received the script for Act Six, she couldn't even pretend to be surprised. It seemed as if everything was leading up to this moment. Of course Director Shingai's series would end like this. Of course it would end with the tea ceremony. Of course that's how Jack and Yayoi's story ended.
Kyoko's heart was pounding so fast and so loud that she was sure everyone around her knew. Her eyes involuntarily sought out Takashi-san's. The writer had deliberately left the ending vague until the last possible moment. Kyoko knew now that that had been deliberately planned, most likely in cahoots with the director.
But, the writer gave her an encouraging smile, and Director Shingai, seated next to her, had a subtly pleased smirk on his face. Kyoko couldn't help but flush as she tore her gaze away. She knew that they knew. Was it not Shingai-san to whom she had first admitted what scene had made her start wanting to act? Who else knew, specifically, about that scene on that set that had first ignited her passion? And who knew, besides him, that it was the man that had been seated across from her that day that had been the spark? Kyoko swallowed, licking her suddenly dry lips to wet them.
On Ren's end-on Jack's, he would come into the inn, and be directed to wash his hands by Shion-chan, and then be directed to her room. And so she sat there waiting, in her sapphire blue iromuji kimono, after having placed her red carnation in its dish and displayed it prominently to be seen.
Jack entered, wearing similar formal dress to hers, and took his seat. Kyoko once more noted to herself how different this experience was to her last. Then she began the steps of the ceremony. They greeted each other, and she set out her bowl of sweets and offered them to him while he waited on her to prepare the tea.
Once the tea was prepared, she offered that.
"I would like to serve you a bowl of tea," Yayoi said quietly.
Jack's response was just as quiet, "Thank you for making tea."
Another couple moments passed, and then Jack said, "I will finish."
And he handed the tea bowl back to her. She confirmed this, then began the typical motions to clean up her materials, her movement efficient and graceful. As she was tucking a cleaning cloth back into her kimono, Jack spoke again.
"The red carnation."
"Yes, sir?"
"For the coloring for the fall?"
"Yes, sir. And to compliment the sunset," Yayoi motioned to the sun setting from the deck they were sitting near, with the outside door open.
Jack deviated then, "No other meaning to the flower?"
Yayoi hid a smile as she finished cleaning, "Just one more."
She sat back on heels, meeting his gaze and smiling. She stood fluidly to escort him out to the garden.
"Available for you to view as you like, sir."
Kyoko expected Shingai to call cut once all motions and blocking of the scene were complete and they stood gazing out at the sun setting over the gardens. But he did not. And so she and Ren stood there, carefully not looking at each other until it became too awkward to explain. A soft sigh came from Ren's direction, and she knew then that he'd garnered a solution.
His ability to improvise was uncannily good and she felt a brief moment of relief before her own challenging spirit rose again in her. They would leave this scene as equals, or not at all. She grit her teeth and tensed as he slowly turned to study her. She almost missed what he said, his voice was so soft as he turned his gaze away again.
"Thank you very much Yoneda-sama. It was truly, truly the most beautiful I have ever seen you," He played with his hat, carefully looking out at the garden as he waited to hear her respond.
Perhaps he had been expecting something different, but Kyoko immediately understood that there was something more important Yoneda Yayoi needed to say to Junichi Jackson Taylor.
"You are my Odysseus," The words fell between them, damning in their certainty and Yayoi nearly lost all her courage in the face of speaking the truth, in this sacred place.
His eyes snapped towards hers, his face filled with uninhibited shock. He studied her features with a fierce intensity as he attempted to decipher what she'd just said. A stunned speechlessness filled him as she gazed steadily back, his heart pounding in his chest and hope began to sweep over him in dizzying waves.
"I may not be your Penelope, but you are my Odysseus." Yayoi said, stepping towards him and reaching out to touch his arm. The gesture was fluid, even as she felt she was one heartbeat from panicking over revealing the truth she'd kept locked inside for so long.
"It may have been only five years, and not twenty, but it's the truth, all the same. We made no promises, never even mentioned it, how could we have? But all these years, I have found myself walking those garden paths, ones we always used for our talks, and it was there, among the chrysanthemums, the carnations, the lilies, the daisies and the daffodils, that I realized. It did not matter how long it took, it did not matter the obstacles. I would wait. If I ever even had the shred of a chance to know the other half of my soul, if it could ever be possible… Then I would wait."
There was a pause, and Kyoko was startled to find that she'd gotten so far off-script but the scene had yet to be stopped. Underneath Yayoi's desperation and panic, Kyoko began to feel a trickle of unease.
"I… I was a fool. It was foolish of me to think that I could be satisfied simply by your memory. I cannot. I cannot and I refuse to do so any longer."
Jack reached out a hand as he said this, cupping her face, his eyes hot like fire, but the gesture gentle all the same. His thumb brushed her cheekbone and she felt herself swallow hard against the lump in her throat.
"If there is even the smallest chance that I could make you happy, the smallest chance for us to be together, then I'll take it," he said, his voice low and fierce, "Damn all the rest of it, but I'm taking this."
A laugh full of relief bubbled up out of her and she pressed her hand to his that still cupped her face. They stood there, laughing like a pair of fools, and tried to not cry at the same time.
"Cut!"
They blinked at each other, then glanced over at the director. Ren was the first to speak up, his voice hesitant.
"... Sir?"
Shingai frowned at them and Kyoko's unease came swooping back in. He turned away to glance at Takashi.
"Kiss or no kiss here?"
Kyoko squeaked, turning bright red, and Ren had to quickly stifle laughter.
Takashi only studied the three of them, tapping the script against her shoulder absently.
"Why Odysseus?" she asked instead.
Kyoko fretted, and clasped her hands together to avoid fidgeting, "Because um, um, because the very first time they are honest with each other, it's because Yayoi wants to know if he has a Penelope. It seemed… right to say."
Takashi smiled, "Good. Very good. I wanted honesty here, above all else, I wanted a truly honest connection to happen here."
Kyoko felt a moment of pure relief, but that dissipated when Takashi turned to Ren, a frown on her face.
"Why no kiss?"
Kyoko had to stifle her own amused reaction when Ren flushed, looking uncomfortable.
"Uh, well, it, uh, was not… Previously discussed and uh…"
Takashi and Shingai exchanged amused expressions, before Shingai spoke, "We admire your professionalism. Kyoko-chan, would such an action feel suitable here to you?"
Kyoko's own smile disappeared now that the ball had landed in her court again. She looked between them all, and wetted her lips nervously. When she darted a glance at Ren, he just sent her a reassuring look. She felt herself fall in love all over again as he just stood there, a strong figure of encouraging support, patiently waiting to hear what she would say. With renewed courage, she turned to the others and smiled.
"Yayoi is incredibly private about her personal feelings. This is a place where she works everyday, but also... it is her home. It is...sacred to her. If we want to stay true to that, I suggest that it be left to the audience interpretation. Have us lean forward, but have it too dark to tell perhaps. What do you think?"
When she read pride on Ren's features, and saw returning smiles on Takashi and Shingai's faces, she felt pretty positive that that was the right answer.
"Alright you two, back into position, let's take it from when your hand is on his Kyoko-chan. And let's wrap up this ending shall we?"
The small smattering of crew with them cheered as they got back into place. Kyoko had to struggle with keeping her face neutral, as a warm, fuzzy feeling came over her.
"What's that for?" Ren whispered as Kyoko let herself smile again, as Shingai hadn't called for action yet.
"I'm happy. It's because I'm happy."
I cannot remember when I realized how lonely I was. It seemed as if all of sudden, that's all I knew. I spent my days reading, when not working. I took long hikes, simply to enjoy the lack of other people reminding me of my loneliness.
But, as always, the inescapable knowledge of loneliness would become known to me again. That is how I found the Yonedas. That is how I found the town at the base of Mt. Oguso. They were kind, but wary. I did my best to do right by them, and return their regard in kind. I succeeded sometimes, but know I failed at other times too.
But it made me learn. It made me learn that a tired, old professor who quotes Camus at you can tell the worst jokes, then say his son always did them better. It made me learn that a stern okami-san can wish you well on a hard journey, even when she dislikes you. It made me learn that love is in the little things: a daughter faithfully learning from the books her father gave her even when he is gone, an older sister helping sew a younger sister's wedding dress even when they're at odds, and one last love note faithfully kept by a widow even when it's stained with tears.
I thought for the longest time, that when we were at our loneliest, it was because we were truly alone. But that's not right. We are at our loneliest when are scared to look around to see the love that surrounds us.
Take a look. It's in the little things.
-Spring at Mt. Oguso, Act Six, Junichi Jackson Taylor's Ending Narration
...
And here we are. Epilogue next.
much love
-artsy