Hello loyal readers,

I was debating whether to post the upcoming chapter today or next week. There are a lot of… emotions, and I wanted to make sure I nailed all of the characters' thoughts and motives and reactions. I think I've been over this chapter more times than any other that I've written so far, and even up until now, I'm still making minor tweaks here and there. I still don't think it's perfect, but then again maybe like the emotions portrayed, it's supposed to be slightly messy and unresolved. Hopefully it's still clear enough to enjoy.

Today, Sho drops a bomb, Ren is well-intentioned and drops a bomb, and Kyoko discovers a bomb. All bombs are metaphorical, of course. ;)

Just a warning, I may need to take next week off, depending on how writing goes this week.

Hope you enjoy! Please don't forget to leave a review, a fave, or an alert!

-x-

CH25

Ren watched in wary silence as Kyoko grudgingly strode across the alleyway to check on Sho. A cold, heavy atmosphere seemed to descend as Kyoko drew nearer to the hotel heir.

Behind him, Ren heard harsh footsteps and panted breaths as Momose and Kijima finally caught up. Their assailants had either fled or –

"Captured them, but the bastards took cyanide pills," Kijima growled as soon as he caught his breath.

Agent T frowned grimly. "Same here. Looks like all of our leads are shot."

"Was that Morizumi-san? No wonder Delta knows so much about LME…" Momose huffed as she nursed a growing bruise on her left shoulder. Then she paused as her gaze flickered behind Ren. "Eh? Fuwa-san?"

Agent T turned sharply. Kyoko had been helping Sho up, but now she seemed to be struggling away from her childhood friend. The blonde had a tight grip on her forearms and despite wobbling slightly on an unsteady left foot, he seemed determined to hold on. His gaze remained stubbornly fixed on the ground, avoiding eye contact with Kyoko.

"Baka-Shotaro…" Agent M growled threateningly. "Let me go!"

What was that brat up to now? Scowling, Ren was about to step forward when Sho spoke.

"NO!" Sho yelled loudly, still glaring at the ground. Kyoko was silent, shocked at his vehemence. The blonde repeated in a barely audible mutter, "No… I'm not going to lose you again."

At this pronouncement, Kyoko snapped out of her reverie and began struggling anew. She guffawed, "Lose me! You never had me to begin with! You think I'm your possession or something?"

"Kyoko–"

"Just because I worked for your dad doesn't mean–!"

"Kyoko–"

" – though you certainly treated me like some inanimate object–!"

"Kyoko. I… I think I love you."

All the air seemed to instantly vacate the alley. Ren's heart dropped like a stone. His mouth felt as dry as sandpaper. The horrifying scene continued on, and Ren froze, as if he were a spectator in some terrible, inescapable nightmare.

On her end, Kyoko was again shocked into silence. Eyes wide, she didn't respond. In the dead silence, Sho's voice echoed, broken.

"These past few months have been shit," Sho admitted grudgingly, still glaring at the floor between them. "You're the only thing I worry about. Even when my life is in danger, all I can think about is you. I… I need you."

From some cognizant part of his mind, Ren watched Sho's knuckles whiten as the young man tightened his grip on Kyoko's arms.

"I was always… too proud to say it," Sho ground out. Then with slumping shoulders, he said, "I'm sorry."

Kyoko's face crumpled.

"No…" Tears welled in her eyes.

Sensing her rejection, Sho's head whipped up, and he leaned forward, almost toppling over as his ankle gave out on him. "Please! I just want us to go back to the way we used to be–"

"The way we used to be?"

"Yeah!" The heir's words came in a desperate, hysterical rush. "Except, I'll be better to you! I've changed—!"

"You've changed?" Scowling, but now the one who glared at the floor and avoided eye contact, Kyoko spat out, "You've changed? Well. So have I. The old Kyoko you used to know is dead."

Before Sho could get another word in, Kyoko's eyes flashed up, full to the brim with furious tears.

"The Kyoko who would let you walk all over her–," she shouted, her voice cracking with raw emotion as she tried anew to twist herself out of his grip, "–And the Kyoko who was innocent… and the Kyoko who could l-love – She's GONE, Shotaro."

"Please!" Shell of pride completely discarded in his desperation, Sho tried again, insistently, "Kyoko, I need you."

Finally, Kyoko wrenched her arms free from him. He stumbled, only to catch himself on the alley's brick wall at the last moment. Kyoko's breathing was heavy and ragged, as if she had just swum a mile or run a marathon. She tried to meet Sho's pained gaze, but her eyes immediately darted back down, like a frightened animal. She scowled at the ground and spoke, her voice raw and vicious.

"You threw me away like trash. You betrayed me. You don't get to just sweep all that under the rug."

"Kyoko—"

"I will get my revenge on you, Shotaro," Kyoko spat out venomously. Her fists curled into tight, angry wads at her sides.

Suddenly without any warning, she deflated, looking lost and sorrowful and thoroughly exhausted. She whispered hoarsely, "You said it yourself, Sho. If you fool me twice, shame on me."

Then Kyoko ran, bumping past Momose and Kijima who were too bewildered to do anything but let her flee. Kyoko didn't even raise her head to look at Ren.

His heart clenched painfully as he watched her turn out of the alley toward the direction of the LME safe house. For a brief moment, he considered running after her. But Ren knew himself.

He would be too weak not to smother her in affection and comfort. Which she deserved. However, a small selfish part of him hoped that in her vulnerable state, she might unabashedly cling to him in return. Finally. But that affection would not be her rational choice but a desperate defense mechanism that she would later regret. It wouldn't be fair to Kyoko to corner and manipulate her in such a way. He needed to check on her as well as clear up any misunderstandings about Morizumi Kimiko as soon as possible, but Kyoko needed time to process without his interference.

Ren refused to take advantage of her emotional helplessness for his own self-satisfaction. It sounded too much like a certain someone…

Agent T turned to watch as Momose and Kijima ran forward to support their charge. Neither agent spoke, just exchanged a grim look before slinging Sho's arms over their shoulders and slowly helping him hobble forward.

Sho's head hung, defeated. But then, as if sensing Ren's presence, the blonde's head snapped up to mirror the deathly glare Ren was shooting him.

As the senior agent turned to the side to let his colleagues pass, Sho suddenly lunged forward on his good leg, shoving Agent T with both hands. Off-balance and caught by surprise, Ren stumbled back a step. The other two LME agents yelped and scrambled to help the Fuwa heir before he fell to the floor.

"You're just toying with her, yet you insist on keeping her!" Sho shouted at Ren. "If you really aren't just taking advantage of her – if you truly valued her, then you'd let her go!"

Against his better judgment, Ren felt his last vestige of restraint snap.

With a snarl, Ren grabbed the younger man by fistfuls of the front of his shirt, hauling him up and ignoring his colleagues' cries of protest.

"You can't possibly understand, what it's like to lose everything – and then to find something important, something beautiful." Ren's glare sharpened. "Someone who has never had to struggle back from the depths of Hell has no right to tell me I don't value her."

Shoving the man away roughly into the wall, Ren glared at him with cold contempt.

"You've been given everything you've ever wanted your entire life. Don't tell me that you understand the meaning of the word, 'precious.'"

With that, Ren strode out of the alley, ignoring the questioning glances from Kijima and Momose and the defeated silence of the Fuwa heir.

-x-

Whack. Whack-whack. Thmp. Whack-thmp.

Setsu danced around the punching bag, waiting for the heavy, hanging cylinder to settle before launching into another furious series of Muay Thai punches and knee strikes. With an angry cry, she finished the set with a vicious left knee strike that sent the punching bag jangling away sideways on its chain.

Walking away from the bag and breathing heavily, Setsu swiped at the sweat that rolled down her forehead and into her eyes. After almost half an hour punishing the equipment in the apartment's gym, Setsu felt the perspiration sliding in rivulets down the back of her black sports bra to the waistband of her athletic leggings. Her body felt exhausted after her reckless workout, but her mind and her damned heart refused to quiet down.

She had scared away the few patrons who had been using the fitness center, but that just meant she could go all out without worrying about anyone else interfering.

Flexing her taped hands, she kinked her neck from side to side, rolled her shoulders, then stepped up to the punching bag again.

'…go back to the way we used to be…'

Cross, cross, jab, jab, duck.

'I was always too proud to say it…'

Knee strike! "HRAH!"

'I'm sorry.'

Sloppy form. Didn't care.

'Kyoko. I think…'

"No…" Kyoko teetered on her feet, grasping the bag for stability.

'I love you…'

"NO!"

Coiling her body, Kyoko spun and unleashed a brutal, unchecked reverse roundhouse kick against the punching bag. She landed poorly off the rebound, stumbling forward a half step. Exhausted, she didn't see the pendulous, weighted bag swing back toward her. It smacked unforgivingly into her back, sending her flying.

Kyoko landed with a small cry on the wooden floor of the gym, her elbow taking the brunt of the fall. Arm shooting dull throbs of pain, she felt too exhausted to rise again. Instead, she allowed herself to roll onto her back, her injured arm curled over her eyes.

She wouldn't cry again. Crying solved nothing.

But why… Why did it all have to happen at once?

Behind her, Agent M heard heavy footfalls echo through the gym. Shuddering breaths racked her body as she lay drained on the floor. She didn't remove her arm to look at her partner. She couldn't. If she did, then he might see the terrible truth in her eyes.

"Setsu."

"…"

"You overdid it." Cain's voice was flat and disapproving as he drew near. Setsu knew she had indeed gone overboard if her brother of all people was reprimanding her.

Still, she refused to move and meet his gaze.

"You hurt yourself," he said, more of a statement than a question. Kyoko felt Ren's fingers ghost down the growing welt on her elbow as well as the bruises on her stomach from her fight with Kimiko. An uncomfortable shiver traced down her spine. "Setsu, what's wrong?"

"…"

"Setsu…"

When Kyoko sensed her partner lean closer, on instinct, she quickly rose to sit, gaze darting angrily to the side.

"It's unlike me to be so bothered over a cockroach like that," she muttered. "I should not be swayed in my goal."

Seemingly satisfied by her vague answer, Cain Heel just grunted. However, to her dismay, Kyoko felt his hands slide under her knees and back as strong arms lifted her bodily from the floor. Setsu would have responded by openly flirting, but the best Kyoko could muster at the moment was to curl her body so her face was pressed into Ren's chest.

Even then, it felt painful and forced. Very un-Setsu-like. Her heart needed to take the hint so her body could do its job.

Work. She just needed to work. Then maybe all these feelings would just disappear.

But then, above her, she heard Ren whisper, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Morizumi-san."

Kyoko stiffened. It was very unusual for Agent T to break character for something that wasn't an emergency. She was silent, unable to trust her voice not to betray her.

As if mistaking her silence for the cold shoulder, Ren hurried to elaborate, "She was just a former partner who took the act too far. After the mission was over, she refused to come back to reality."

Kyoko felt her gut clench. Heavy emotion washed over her like a sickening wave, drowning her.

"She eventually resigned, telling the President that she wanted to retire and give up espionage."

Drowning.

"Nii-san, I…" Kyoko closed her eyes tightly, hands gripped together over her chest in some weak pretense at a physical barrier for her heart.

"Mogami-san," Ren interrupted insistently, his arms grasping her body more tightly to himself. "I'm telling the truth. She's the one who assumed everything. I never felt anything for her. Nothing happened between us."

Drowning.

"Nii-san." Drawing Setsu around herself like a final, desperate cloak of protection, she muttered into his chest, "We're at the front door."

Kyoko felt her partner's torso expand and then retract quickly, as if heaving a silent sigh. Then Cain shifted her weight to pull the keys out of his pocket and open the door.

After carrying his sister over the threshold and settling her gently on the living room couch, he glanced at the clock. Far past lunchtime, Setsu knew.

"I'm going to order in again," Cain said, eyeing her, but she only mustered a silent nod. He suggested with a gentle growl, "Go wash up."

Rolling off the couch, very aware of her partner's heavy gaze on her back, Kyoko made it to the bathroom. Slowly, she clicked the door closed and turned the lock. Luckily, she was just in time. Just in time before the tears snaked their way down her cheeks.

Clutching the doorknob, as if it would lend her stability, her other desperate, trembling hand came up to press against her mouth. As quickly as she dared, lest her too-urgent footfalls seem suspicious, Kyoko turned and crossed to the shower, cranking on the water to the highest setting. Only then, as her legs gave way and she slid down the bathroom wall, did she allow the shaky, shuddering sobs to come.

…It wasn't fair.

It felt like a hit-and-run accident where the driver had gotten away scot-free, and she was left, crushed and bleeding on the pavement. How could Sho walk away, untouched and unfettered, as she still lived trapped, ball and chain, bound to her grudge against him?

She wanted to be free…but that would only come through revenge. Revenge or… just giving up?

No. Revenge was the only thing driving her forward… but that was a lie, wasn't it?

If she were honest with herself, she knew.

She knew that vengeance had been an increasingly distant thought the past few months. She knew that her hateful thoughts toward Sho had been losing out to thoughts about someone else.

She knew that the real reason she was sobbing on the bathroom floor, character completely cast aside, was due to… Ren.

The jealousy she had experienced with Manaka was just a small ripple compared to the tidal wave of envious rage she now felt toward Kimiko. The problem was, she could no longer hide behind Setsu's mask.

That scared her.

Kyoko shook her head, trying to dispel her thoughts, but like a bloated, glutted dam, they burst through her best defenses. In spite of every fortification and barricade she had shored up in her heart, her senpai had blazed past all of them. Judging by the pain, Ren now owned a significantly larger part of her heart than Sho ever could have hoped.

'Sho-chan is my prince! I'd do anything for Sho-chan!'

NO!

As the memories whipped through her mind like a deadly arrow, Kyoko ducked her head to her knees and grit her teeth, the revulsion sweeping over her in a swift wave. Taking deep, gulping breaths, she leaned back against the wall.

This was horrifying. Sho was right. She was just a silly girl with love on the brain after all… And with Ren, she would be a bigger fool than she ever was for Shotaro. Thus the end result was bound to be far more catastrophic…

Horrifying. She might never recover from this.

'She's the one who assumed everything. I never felt anything for her.'

Kyoko had suspected but now, after his words, she knew for certain. She was just the same as every single one of Ren's old partners. Unwanted, unrequited feelings. A pest. Somewhere along the line, despite her high wall of defense and an ample warning, she had been duped.

A bitter chuckle escaped her as she hastily ground her tears away with the heels of her palms. It was just the same old story, wasn't it? No matter who she fell in love with, it would always be one-sided.

Kyoko wasn't a fool. She knew that for the longest time, she had been experiencing the world with a handicap. A blind person in the spring. An amputee in an obstacle course. A starving orphan staring into the window glass of a bakery, then turning away, telling herself she wasn't hungry, she wasn't lame, she wasn't blind.

It was too painful to try and live otherwise.

To have love – no, to merely have the hope of love – was a poison of the worst kind. It would turn her back into a fool. Worse… it would turn her into Morizumi Kimiko.

It was better to convince herself that she could do without love than to try and nourish it. If Ren ever found out, he would think that Mogami Kyoko was just as weak and easily fooled as the first Agent M.

Well, she didn't deny that she was weak, and she was a fool.

Steeling herself, Kyoko pushed against the wall to stand. Slowly and deliberately, she shucked her damp gym clothes from her body. Then she stepped into the shower's stream, letting the hard, scalding jets of water sear her skin and wash the tears from her eyes.

Closing her eyes and leaning a heavy hand against the shower wall, Kyoko promised herself.

No more foolishness. She would be better off without. The feelings would die out soon anyway. This emotion was a curse, and she would not fall prey to it a second time.

-x-

Notes:

If you want to see foreshadowing for Kimiko, check back to Chapter 11. There was a throw-away line in Kyoko's conversation with Yashiro and Maria, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to include Kimiko in the story at that point (this was before the Momiji audition arc, back when Kimiko was still just a girl on a blog that Kyoko had looked up). But I'm really glad I ended up writing her character in because I feel like Kappa is going to turn out to be an excellent foil for Kyoko. Both are driven by love for the same man, yet one is a villain and one a protagonist. That kind of parallel isn't something that can be passed up!

Also, I forgot to mention, but Kimiko doesn't have her Momiji straight black hair as Kappa. If you can picture that initial blog image of her (the one where she is holding the dog) and her hair is lighter and curled, that's the look I'm going for. I thought the black hair would look too much like old-Kyoko, which would decrease the impact once she transformed back into Kimiko. Can you imagine – Kimiko takes off the wig, shakes her hair out, and… looks exactly the same. LOL

-x-

MAILBAG: (Just a reminder for those who have forgotten, but I take the most interesting reviews/ questions and respond to them here.)

MWEH – This month's manga chapter is coming soon! Hype! My prediction is that it's going to be Kimiko's audition and her Chidori is going to get eliminated. Then Kuresaki is going to pair Kyoko with the last Chidori (there are 3 Chidori candidates and 2 Momiji candidates), to make her act out a different scene. I predict that the scene that will get Kyoko the part is one that requires her to act out Momiji's despair at her unrequited love toward Shizuma. Good job calling that Kanako was up to no good. And I'm really happy I got you on the edge of your seat for the action! Just wondering, was it tense because you don't know if Kanako died or tense because Sho is trying to run for his life?

Aikori Ichijouji – You want to strangle Kimiko as much as in the original work? I'm flattered that I have able to make her as despicable and dangerously obnoxious! But really. I'd love to strangle that little twit as well. Tch. As for Kyoko being emotionally sucker punched… Tada! Today had two additional ones! I read your review from last week and just laughed because I knew what was coming today. Haha don't worry, our heroine always pulls through! Just curious, what is your opinion of Sho now? I want to see if I'm pulling off what I want to pull off with his character. Hope your nails weren't bitten down to the stubs as you awaited today's installment! Haha

A Musing Brunette – Wow! You changed your name! The only reason I recognized it was still you was because your Cheshire Cat icon and your absolute hatred toward Sho. LOL I recall that you talked about Kyoko getting out of her bet with Sho in an earlier chapter. How did you like how she threw his phrase back at him today? I've been waiting for a loooong time to use that line on him. Hah! And nice catch about Maria's curse! I was wondering if anyone made the connection that ironically it was Maria's curse that saved Sho from getting hit by a truck. And Kimiko is seriously Queen Goblin… Nakamura-sensei usually humanizes her villains and they eventually come around to liking Kyoko, but… TBH, Kimiko has crossed a line by dragging Ren into this. Girl needs to go down. Lol Thanks again for the review! Let me know what you think of today's update!

Shizuhoe – Yay! Someone actually noticed and appreciated that Sho is maturing! Do you still like him after today's installment? Haha And good job calling that Kanako was actually Kappa! As for the love triangle, I actually hate love triangles too. It's such a terrible, overused Shojo manga cliché that throws unnecessary drama into a storyline. BUT, but, but, but I feel like if I could, I'd defend Skip Beat's use of the love triangle with Kimiko. First, the love triangles so far have been only for Kyoko with Ren suffering jealousy (they've also been hilarious because Kyoko obviously and openly hates all of the other guys – ie. Sho, Reino – and it's legitimately just hilarious misunderstandings because she has the worst timing/luck/overreactions.) However, in this instance, Kyoko (who has just admitted openly that she loves Ren but refuses to take action on this love) is being challenged at her roadblock by Kimiko. She has told the President that if Ren were to start dating, she would support him because she cannot overcome her fear of being vulnerable in love again. Now Kimiko comes along, and her tactics drive right at the heart of Kyoko's insecurity and are going to force her to realize that she can't just sit on the sidelines while some girl comes along and takes Ren. I think this arc is not only to showcase the Momiji audition but also to act as a catalyst to drive Kyoko to the realization that she needs to act on her love toward Ren. LOL, I guess that's my only point. Not just my first one, since I'm writing a novel at this point. And don't worry! As for my story, today Ren totally denied his relationship with Kimiko! Denied it to the point that it convinced Kyoko that he couldn't possibly love her either! Haha Really happy that I got you with the Kanako-Kappa-Kimiko plot twist! I got one! Woohoo! Thanks as always for reading and reviewing Shizuhoe! Really appreciate you!

-x-

Thank you all for reading! If you have time, please don't forget to write a review, add a fave or an alert. It really makes my day and my hours writing this story worth it! Thanks all!