AN: Hope you enjoy this chapter 😊

Chapter Seven – Acting Roles

This was going to be the first day of his actual work and though Kuon would just be meeting with the director of the Disney TV show, he was a little scared about his mother being there. Everyone knew how enthusiastic Julienna Hizuri could be and Kuon was a little fearful of being embarrassed by his mother but he loved her too much to tell her that. He would be signing some forms and getting a schedule and his mother would be told what was within child labor laws when it came to acting.

They had already gone over this before – not that it had been kept – with Kuu when Kuon had tried to follow in his footsteps as an on-camera actor but they hadn't kept to those terms and instead he had felt his dream get ripped out from under him. Hopefully this was going to be the start of a string of successful jobs for him because he had wanted to act for such a long time.

"Are you excited?" Julie asked as she walked beside the wheelchair, Kuon had requested that he move it himself instead of being pushed. Being wheeled around by his mother wasn't the coolest thing and he might have a reputation to protect pretty soon. He smiled as he looked at her and nodded. "Don't worry, you're going to do so amazing, I'm so excited for you," she grinned and Kuon paused.

"Mom, if I have to do retakes, you won't get upset, right?" he asked her and Julie looked at him a little taken aback.

"Of course not. I've been around directors long enough that I know that they ask for perfection. You have to sell yourself in both the modeling and the acting businesses and I know that even if you have to record your line one hundred times both your father and I are proud of you," Julie said before starting to tear up.

As rude as it might sound, Kuon was begging that she wouldn't start breaking down into sobs.

"Mom," Kuon finally said with a deep breath in and Julie immediately turned her attention to her son, "You'll let me do the talking, right? I mean these people want to talk to me but you can help me if I don't understand something and I'll let you look over the contract before you sign it."

"You don't want me to tell anyone how fabulous you are?" Julie blinked confused and Kuon laughed weakly.

"Maybe not on the first day. Maybe next month," he said and Julie laughed.

"Deal," she said before raising her chin showing how she felt high and mighty a little bit, "but once the show starts airing I get to brag about you, that's part of the deal," she told him and Kuon nodded.

"Sure," he said and Julie started to laugh to herself, "What is it now?" Kuon asked with a smile and Julie pushed back her long golden hair.

"I'm just so excited for you," she said honestly.

…

…..

Kuon looked at the documents that he had signed for the role, he felt proud of himself for getting this far with his acting and he wanted to share the news. Was it weird though that he wanted to tell Kyoko before he told Rick? Rick was his best friend and he was someone who Kuon always wanted to impress. However, Kyoko would be overjoyed by this and he wanted to help her be happy.

He sighed and went onto the computer, he would usually email Kyoko around this time of day anyway and she would probably want to hear that he had a new job. However, he didn't want to let her down. He didn't want for her to get excited about it and then be underwhelmed by his performance, he shifted a little in his chair.

Would she be happier to hear his voice in the show and then she could say that she liked it? Maybe he could pass it off as something that wasn't such a big deal. He paused and closed his eyes. Why was he dwelling on the possibilities of her reaction so much? Why was Kyoko's opinion so much more important than either of his parents' and even Rick's. With a deep breath, Kuon got onto the computer and started typing away.

Hi, Kyoko

How are you? I read the email about your class and it sounds like a lot of fun. Promise to show me pictures of your designs and creations, I'm sure Kanae will love them. You always do things that people love because you're a very sweet girl. I wanted to share my own news with you, it might not be that exciting but I think it's because of you that it happened, because you wrote me that script. I…well, it's not that important so just let me know if you want to hear it.

-Kuon

Kuon sighed, he would probably have to wait for a response to that email, he wanted her opinion but he was too nervous to tell her and he didn't know why. This role was precious to him. Even though other people might look down on it and say that it was only a voice role, he had got it himself and it was something that his dad didn't do. His father wasn't a voice actor and it was a small part of the acting world that Kuon could call his own. Hopefully in the future he would be an on-camera actor but for right now he needed something that he could own.

He was about to log out of his email when he saw that there was an email that had just come in.

Kuon,

Thank you. I'll be sure to send you pictures. Your confidence in me lets me feel that I can do anything, thank you! I want to hear your news too. Even if it's small I want to hear it so let me know if that's okay.

Kyoko

Kuon's face lit up with excitement as he saw the speed in which Kyoko had replied, taking a quick peek at the time and working out the difference he reached for the phone. He took calming breaths as he punched in the number for the president and fortunately received one of the house staff that he'd talked to more than a few times. It was just another pause before he heard her voice.

"Hello, this is Kyoko," she said as if uncertain about who was on the other side of the phoneline.

"Hey, it's Kuon. How are you?" Kuon smiled and heard Kyoko's giggling, he could just see her enthusiastic face lighting up at him calling her and he was very glad that he had done so. They didn't talk on the phone that often anymore but he really did find a delight in hearing her speak. She could even hurl insults at him – not that Kyoko ever would hurl insults at anybody – and he would still feel happiness in hearing her voice.

"Cooorn!" she said happily, "Oh my gosh. Hi, I just got your email and I wrote you an email and I'm so happy to speak to you on the phone. I've missed the sound of your voice, well I've been playing the recording that you made me so I havebeen listening to your voice and…"

"Thank you for that," Kuon laughed softly which allowed Kyoko time to take a breath.

"Oh no, no problem at all. I wanted to write something for you, for you to read and that recording you did was amazing. Okay, so…I'm sorry I'll be a bit calmer, what did you want to tell me, you told me that you had something to tell me," the eight year old replied and Kuon nodded before realizing she couldn't see him.

"Yes and I think it's good news," Kuon said with a grin.

"Okay. I'm excited for your news, you haaave to tell me," Kyoko laughed again and Kuon couldn't help but think that her laugh was very pretty. He paused and then tried to get rid of the idea. She was still in the single digit age group, he couldn't be thinking about how cute or pretty she sounded.

"I got an acting job. I'm doing a voice role," he said and heard Kyoko burst with excitement.

"Oh my gosh! That's so exciting! I'm so happy, I really want to see it, you'll send me the project when it comes out, right? I want to see it and that's so amazing! It's so amazing that you haven't given up, Corn," Kyoko said, "congratulations."

Kuon chuckled again, "I couldn't have done it without you," he told her and Kyoko paused.

"I didn't do anything," she replied and Kuon sighed.

"You, Kyoko Takarada, have done far more than you will ever know," he said happily before hearing Kyoko pause. He really would have to thank her for this. Maybe if he one day accepted an award then he would thank her. She had already given him so much.

…..

…..

"I'm not surprised that they said that you liking Hizuri would be illegal," Kanae commented as she and Kyoko walked to the ice cream shop the next day. Kyoko had almost been begging Kanae to try one of the new flavors and though Kanae loved ice cream, she was about as concerned as the kids in the beauty pageants about her weight. Still, having Kyoko as a friend was worth a few calories here and there.

"Well, he's not even a teenager," Kyoko said and then looked down, "And there's nothing wrong with liking somebody. I mean, it's not as if he's my boyfriend," she said as she looked down. She shifted nervously. There was no denying it, Corn would always be someone with so much importance to her. She had dreams about growing up and being his bride but she knew Kanae thought those were silly.

"He's four years older, that's about half our age older," Kanae stressed and Kyoko looked down.

"Well when I'm sixteen he'll be twenty and then it won't seem like a big age gap," Kyoko argued and Kanae rolled her eyes. "I mean, if I meet him when I'm a grownup like when I'm twenty, he'll be twenty four and people get together at that age all the time. I think that's when you go to university."

"Okay, so don't fall in love until you go to university," Kanae shrugged. "He would never take you seriously anyway," she said and Kyoko stared at her. She bowed her head, not knowing what to say. "I mean, do boys ever take anything seriously?"

"Kuon got a job, Kanae, he takes that seriously. He's really looking forward to it," Kyoko commented and Kanae rolled her eyes.

"So, he got a paper route, good for him, rich kids always take everything for granted. It's nice that he's earning some money and doing his part," Kanae said and Kyoko stopped. She frowned.

"Kuon's going to be the best actor one day," she argued, "Kuon got an acting job, he's the voice actor on…on…well I'm not sure what his new show is going to be about but he's going to be the best actor in the world."

Kanae rolled her eyes, "Show me how he's better than me," she challenged Kyoko and Kyoko looked down.

"I love you Kanae-chan," she said, "but Kuon is my favorite actor. He's the best actor ever, he's going to prove that to everyone."

"You're only saying that because you think you're in love with him," Kanae countered back and Kyoko closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest.

"I am in love with him" she said before freezing and looked down. She felt a little stupid but it was true, she truly was in love with Corn despite just being eight years old.

End of Chapter Seven

Thank you for reading

Thank you for reviews of Chapter Six

Ashenvale, Kris XD, ktoll9

Response to Reviews

I think that this job is definitely going to help Kuon regain his confidence and Kyoko really wants to impress him as well. I'm glad you guys like this story so much 😊