AN: This is about a hundred words shorter than goal but I hope that you enjoy it. I decided to take this in a different direction right now but I have things planned for all stages so you'll have to wait and see what happens next 😉

Chapter Seven – Living in the Moment

Kuu had taken Kuon somewhere that he used to go when he was tired of the celebrity status. It was just outside of the Tokyo area in a little forgotten park. Tourists didn't really know of the area because apart from a couple of factories there were no major landmarks. Japanese workers were much too busy during the day to go sit on a hilltop and there were places with much more scenery for nature lovers.

The main appeal of this hill was that nobody really knew about it.

Kuu wrapped his arms around his son as sat next to him and overlooked the rivers and factories. "You know, humanity is really stupid sometimes," he said and Kuon looked at him with a questioning gaze in his eyes. "You feel as if you're making it through the day and then something happens and it just reminds you that we're not all here to laugh and enjoy ourselves. There's wars, there's disease, and there's heartbreak."

"Dad, this isn't about -" Kuon tried to protest but it was as if Kuu wasn't hearing him.

"Still, people sing about life and their accomplishments. People settle down with loving families and they work to get things done for their families. Kids have friends at school and somehow, the world seems a little bit brighter because of it," he said as he looked at the world around them.

Kuon bowed his head, "If you think that I'm ungrateful then that's not what I'm saying," he attempted to argue with his father. "I just…"

"Do you think that those men in that factory ever planned to work there?" Kuu asked as Kuon blinked.

"Isn't Japanese society like that?" he asked and Kuu sighed as he looked up at the sky and took a few deep breaths to steady himself.

"No, I mean, there may be some people working in that factory because they are related to somebody who does work there. There are people who are working there out of loyalty to somebody else who got them that job when they were down on their luck. There are people there who actually enjoy a factory setting or at least they feel that the factory is producing things that benefit others," Kuu tried to explain and Kuon rolled his eyes.

"I bet some of those people hate their job," he said and Kuu sighed.

"I think so too. There are always going to be people who dislike what they are doing even if they don't show it on the outside. If one of those workers went around complaining to their superiors about not liking their job and they didn't save their face then they would find that the problem would solve itself with their being fired. However, that worker wouldn't say that he disliked his job, he'd find the positives about it."

"Sure, Dad," Kuon sighed, "Doing a job that you hate, what positives are there to that?"

"Well," Kuu said as he watched his kid. He didn't know how Kuon's feelings of insecurity had turned to a pessimistic attitude about the world around them. It definitely wasn't healthy. "I'm sure that there is some man working in there that has a wife and a baby. I'm sure that if he doesn't like his job, he likes the money that the hard work gives him. He likes knowing how much time and effort he is putting in and the fact that he can make his wife happy and keep his child warm and fed with plenty of toys and hope for the best education possible."

"And if that kid doesn't get that education?" Kuon asked and Kuu continued to smile.

"I'm sure that even if the kid isn't that smart or if their at a disadvantage, as long as they are happy and working their hardest then the family doesn't think any less of them. You're right, it is different in America. There are certainly those families where grades matter and the child has a lot of discipline, but there are also families who encourage passion of activities and allow dreams that some people here would call frivolous," Kuu said before looking at Kuon. "What are your dreams?"

"Dad, you don't need to ask me that," Kuon said as he moved uncomfortably. He wasn't sure if his father would like the answer to that question.

"Are you one of those people who wants a wife and kids and a dog with a white picket fence?" he asked and Kuon looked down with a weak smile.

"Maybe I'd like a family but I'm scared that I'm not going to get it. I want to be an actor. I want to be told that I did a great job. I want to stand on a stage and make a speech about how well I did and -"

Kuon looked at his father as he saw him smile sadly and the eleven-year-old paused, "Dad, what is it?"

"Is that what acting is to you?" he asked and Kuon froze, "Is acting just doing it to get famous and to win awards to you?"

"No, it's…" Kuon said as Kuu looked at him.

"Kuon, what is your favorite thing about acting? What is the one thing that excites you about it more than anything else?" Kuu looked at his son with such intensity that it made Kuon flinch a little bit.

"Living inside the character. I like taking hold of the character and trying to figure out their motivations, their backstory. I like being able to live a life that is different than mine because you get to understand things that are better that way and I like doing my best in different roles," he admitted and Kuu tilted his head to the side.

"I have an idea for you. Acting in front of a camera takes a lot of hard work and perfection. You have to be disciplined with yourself and go over scenes over and over again. One time I had to do a scene seven times in less than an hour because the director wasn't getting what he felt was right. Acting in a film or drama is going over the same words in the way that the director wants you to. Honestly, sometimes I don't really know my character because the director has a vision for them which is different than my own," Kuu said as he thought about when he had been starting out as an actor. He had felt that in the beginning, Kuon had wanted to follow in his footsteps and Kuu worked on the big and small screens but that was where the directors and producers all knew him. That's where they thought that the name Hizuri mattered. It didn't have to be that way.

"So, what's your thought?" Kuon asked as he looked at his father with so much trust and admiration.

"Take the acting classes at LME, unless you would like to come home which is always an option, and try to think of the difference between doing TV and film work and how it compares to standing on the middle of a stage and having to trust in yourself. I'm not saying you wouldn't be amazing in TV or movies, but I want you to think about being on a stage and improve. It's something that I've never been brave enough to consider."

Kuon looked down as he stared at his shoes. That wasn't what his father did and it wasn't what made people the most popular. He didn't know how he could live up to his father's name if he didn't appear on camera or maybe that was the point. Was his dad just trying to give him a scenario in which he would succeed?

"Would you be proud of me if I was a stage actor instead?" Kuon asked as he looked at his dad worried.

"I am proud of you no matter what, but you have to change your attitude when it comes to Boss and especially to Kyoko. No more secrets from them, okay? If I hear you make Kyoko cry again then I will make you board the next flight for America and no, I'm not kidding you," Kuu said. Although he was serious, he was smiling through it.

Being in nature with Kuon was really giving him the opportunity to think clearly about his son's future.

"Can we go home in a little bit? I really want to apologize to her," he said and Kuu ruffled his son's hair and kissed him on the top of the head.

"Yes, but I want to enjoy this view with you a little bit longer," he said before pulling Kuon closer to him and enjoying the time with his son. Hopefully this conversation had made his world carry at least a little more light.

…

…

Kyoko raised her head as she heard a knock on her bedroom door and she opened it. She couldn't help but to throw her arms around Kuon in a hug as she saw him standing there.

"Hey," Kuon said as he hugged her and made sure to hold her close to him. "You seem quite lively today."

"You saw your dad and you're smiling," Kyoko grinned before she looked back at her sketchpad that she was working on. She looked down and tried to cover it up. She hadn't wanted him to see that she was using him as her inspiration for male fairy clothes. Fortunately, he hadn't seen it.

"He gave me a lot to think about," Kuon said before bowing to her, "I'm really sorry that I haven't been treating you with all the respect you deserve," he said to her and Kyoko blushed. She put a hand on Kuon's chest and pushed him back so that he could stand up.

"You shouldn't bow," she said concerned, "You might pull a muscle."

"Kyoko, I am really sorry that I made you sad," he told her as he watched her move across the room. "I'm really sorry that I put you in that situation. I hope that you can forgive me and that our friendship hasn't suffered because of it."

Kyoko blushed again before shaking her head quickly, "No, no, that's really okay. I'm glad that your dad came, you seem happier now and that's really really good," she said before she looked down. "Do you still want to see the play with me?"

"I'd love to," he said before looking at her and then turned away, "Kyoko, do you think that stage actors are less influential than screen actors?" he asked her and Kyoko shook her head.

"No because different people see them, everyone's work is valuable as long as you put your heart into it. I think that if you act and you are living in the moment, you can make beautiful work," Kyoko said as she looked at him wondering if Kuon was thinking about going onto the stage instead of doing the movies he had once said he dreamed about doing.

"As beautiful as your artwork?" he asked before daring himself to take a step forward and kiss her on the top of her head. "Sorry," he apologized and Kyoko turned a deep red.

"Thank you," she said before smiling. "Thank you for making me feel beautiful."

End of Chapter Seven

Thank You For Reading

Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Six

Brennakai, Kris, paulagato, Undertheskys, Yujiro101