AN: So, good news, my concussion is clearing up nicely. Bad news, I got a cold so updates are slower again. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. I also added in something about Kanae since that was a request that I got a lot. Also, if you're reading this could you please not comment on the length of my chapters. I do my best to try and write at least 2,000 words per chapter and I really take it personally when people say they're too short. Sorry for asking that, hope you enjoy.

Chapter Four – The Future We Seek

"So, what do you want to do with your life?"

That was the question posed to Kyoko by her art teacher that day whilst at school. She knew that she was good at art and she enjoyed it but would it be enough to give her full satisfaction forever. With her father being the president of a large agency, she would always have enough money and connections to survive within any industry but was it enough.

Maybe she could work on set design or maybe she could teach herself more about fashion and work as a fashion designer. Fashion always seemed nice. Whilst she was growing up she hadn't been able to have all the wonderful clothes that other girls did and she had enjoyed the projects that she had set for herself. That was something to consider since she did like making accessories.

She tried to think of what types of outfits she would make and what roles the acting world would have which she could design for. She wanted to make girls feel like princesses and she wanted to make the rich ladies elegant. She smiled as she tried to find something that she could start on and experiment with. One of the famous actors at LME had been acting in a foreign film and she was hearing information on the Western look but that didn't feel right. She didn't want to design for grown-ups.

Maybe she could design a piece for herself to wear. Maybe she could think of all of the birds and flowers that Kuon had taught her about and design something based from that. She could do a floral skirt or dress that she could wear after work. As she walked along she heard footsteps beside her and looked up.

"Hey, I hoped I'd catch your attention, let me take your bag for you," Kuon grinned to her and Kyoko shook her head with a small grin.

"No, I'm fine. What are you doing here? I thought that you were doing your -" Kyoko tried to protest but Kuon shook his head.

"I'm good. My school work is all finished for the day and I don't have my call with my dad for another half hour," he said as they were ten minutes away from the house. "You didn't have one of Boss's guys drive you? I'm sure that the car feels better than -"

"I like being out in nature," Kyoko laughed, "or walking, my friend got home about five minutes ago so we were walking together," she grinned. "Plus, I don't think that you could sit very still in a car with a driver."

"Yeah, but then I'm nearly a teenager," Kuon winked, "We don't do things like that. It's not as cool as walking home on your own. When I was younger I used to skateboard everywhere. Trust me, I thought I was amazing but everyone was doing it."

"Why did you give it up?" Kyoko asked and Kuon smiled.

"I might pick it up again in the future but I'm really nervous to do it after the accident. It took a lot of time to get out of that wheelchair and I definitely don't want to go back in." Kuon grinned before he looked up at the sky. "I might get back into athletics more or acrobatics but I know that that's going to be something my parents will be hesitant for."

"Your dad might not like that," Kyoko nodded as she imagined Kuu having a lot of fear for Kuon hitting his head again. "Kuon, do you want to be an actor when you grow up?" she asked and Kuon nodded with a smile.

"Yeah. It's really exciting to act but you have to make sure to take it seriously. Dad's always told me that you need discipline, maturity, and a good work ethic to make it in acting as well as talent and to get along with others. Acting is really difficult in America so I have to get even tougher," he said before looking at her. "Why, are you interested in acting?"

"I don't think I'd be very good as an actress," Kyoko blushed before taking another look at the sky. "I was asked what I wanted to do with my life by my art teacher and I didn't know how to respond so now I'm thinking about it more seriously."

"They ask you at your age over here? Wow, Japanese school system is pretty strict. I thought it was just career day for little kids and when you get to high school," he commented before tilting his head to the side. "Did you think of anything?"

"Well just…small things but I think maybe fashion," Kyoko said nervously as she looked down and Kuon grinned.

"You'd be amazing at it," he nodded, "You've got such an artistic eye. I showed my parents that picture you drew for me and then signed and they loved it. They believe in you almost as much as I do. Whatever you need, I'll do my best to help you," he smiled and Kyoko blushed again.

Maybe they could do something together. Maybe she could really make an outfit and then they could go somewhere and she could see how people responded to it. Maybe she could go out with her friends and get their opinions. She paused suddenly and noticed that Kuon wasn't beside her and instead he was looking at a flyer on a sign.

"Kuon?" Kyoko asked as she approached him and looked up to see it advertising an elementary school play with Erika Koenji. Kyoko paused and frowned. Wasn't that some company name? Did school's do productions like this? Maybe. "I think that school's nearby."

"Would you like to go together?" Kuon asked and Kyoko blinked before nodding excitedly as Kuon wrote down the information on the paper. Was it strange for school's to advertise like this? Maybe he was a bit more skeptical because of his own experiences. "It's just before my parents come too."

"Your parents…" Kyoko said before grinning and grabbed Kuon's arm excitedly. "It's your birthday soon, isn't it? We have to do something to celebrate together. I have to get you a gift. It's so exciting."

Kuon smiled at how cute she was being, "I'm sure my parents have plans. You know my dad's really trying to improve as a parent and get to know me. It'll be sad when the summer gets here and I'll go back home."

"Yeah," Kyoko nodded, "but I don't want to think about you leaving. I want to think about all the things we can do together."

Kuon smiled before looking up at the sky. He turned to her and opened her arms out to her. She excitedly ran towards him and hugged him close. "I'm so glad that I get to have a friend like you," he said as Kyoko smiled and nodded. Their friendship really was a gift.

…

…

Lory had been staying up late playing a romance game when he saw the light on in Kuon's room and frowned. He didn't know what the little boy had been doing but he knew that he had to take steps as a temporary guardian for him. As he approached the room he heard a sound as if Kuon was crying. He knocked on the door and heard the crying stop for a moment before the door was opened and he saw Kuon attempt to lean on a chair and act as if everything was cool.

"Hey, Boss," he said as Lory watched him suspiciously. "I'm sorry that the -"

"Kuon," Lory told him slowly, "Is everything alright? Nothing is going -"

"No. Nothing's going on in here. Everything is fine. I'm sorry the light is on," he said and Lory raised an eyebrow as he noticed that Kuon wasn't moving from where he was holding the chair. Was he supporting himself with it?"

"Everything doesn't seem fine. Now, I might not be your dad but if you're hurt then -"

Kuon looked down and smiled weakly. "I thought it was only a minor thing," he lied, "it is, I mean I know it's only a minor thing but I think I bruised my shoulder."

Lory looked at him and nodded. He knew that after the accident and how lucky Kuon was to be alive that any bruise to his back should be looked at and given more care. He would give Kuon the benefit of the doubt and keep a close eye on him but he wanted to make sure that somebody had seen this. "Does it hurt?" he asked and Kuon attempted to lie, shaking his head firmly.

"No, it's fine," Kuon whispered and Lory frowned as he watched him.

"Can I see? If it's fine, I want to double check that everything is alright," he said and Kuon sighed before showing that there was a bruise on his upper back. Kuon looked down at the sheets. He hadn't actually seen the bruise but he had accidentally hit the wall too hard and then his nerves started tingling. He looked up at Lory before he hummed.

"It's a bruise, it'll probably take some time to completely heal but the more important question is, who is going to be the one to tell your father about it, you or me," Lory said and Kuon's eyes widened again.

"Dad doesn't need to know, right? You don't need to -" he panicked but Lory gave him a stern look.

"You got hurt under my watch, Kuon," he said "Your father and I have been through a lot together and if I let his precious son get so much as a bruise under my watch and I don't tell him about it, well he's going to be hurt from it. You know your father as well as I do and you know that he or your mother would want to know."

Kuon looked pale for a moment before nodding, "I'll call him," he whispered nervously as he felt a pain from his past injury.

"I'll get you the phone and some ice," Lory told him knowing that he'd have a talk with Kuu the next day and explain how if anything had happened, he would have taken Kuon immediately to the hospital himself.

He sure did care about that kid.

…..

…..

Kuu had been taking chance to sleep in later than usual. Today he didn't have anything until mid-morning but it was surprise for him to wake up to his phone rather than his alarm clock. As he finally managed to get his mind set to the external sound he paused realizing that this was the special ringtone he had in case either Kuon had to contact him or Lory did. He grabbed the phone with shaky hands and accepted the call. "Hello," he said sounding a little out of breath and heard a tentative voice on the other side.

"Dad, I'm sorry that I..I…I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" Kuon asked him nervously and Kuu let himself take deep breaths to relax. He didn't want anything to deter Kuon from calling him.

"No, I'm fine. Early morning workout," Kuu lied before rolling his eyes. Kuon really did pick up too many of his bad traits. "How is it – is everything?"

"Everything's fine but I bruised the back of my shoulder. It's fine though, there's just -" he said nervously but Kuu spoke before he could finish.

"How close to the original injury site?" he asked and Kuon blinked before there was a pause and Kuu could hear his son get up.

"I don't think it's too close, it just pulled on my nerves and Boss was worried and he's going to keep an eye on it and it's okay, but he thought that you should know."

Kuu smiled, "Okay. Keep me and your mother updated on it as well and Kuon," he said with a relieved smile, "Thank you for telling me."

He heard his son take a quick breath in before there was silence and finally he heard his son's voice, "You're welcome."

End Chapter Four

Thank you for reading

Thank you reviewers of Chapter Three

A Musing Brunette, Crazy4Animation, Erza, insidebeast, Kris, MWEH, Paulagato, Someone2303, Undertheskys,