AN: I was thinking of making this longer but I liked the part I reached at the end. Next chapter will be where Kyoko listens to Ren's truth. I'm also updating it a day earlier, it usually would be on the odd number day.

Act 32 – A Disingenuous Smile

Kyoko felt that she had no choice but to mope about how much this had sucked. She had lost herself to a drive and motivation to take revenge on Shotaro and it was that same problem that had caused for her to be alone and told that she had limited areas to grow as an actress.

Each time she heard the squeak of her rooster foot she had it brought to her heart how painful this experience was and what it felt like to fail.

Thanks to Shotaro, she was banned from the TV station forever. She had been handed a great opportunity and because of her stubbornness, she had just blown it. Not only had she lost in her career but she had had had her breasts grabbed in front of everyone and he had made fun of her looks on multiple occasions. It was a bitter defeat and that was something that Kyoko really didn't want to feel at that point. She didn't want to feel defeat.

She ran into a wall scolding herself for being an idiot. She had been taken aback when she had seen him in that glorious light and even feelings similar to her younger self had emerged. She had dared to think that Shotaro was attractive. That was wrong. She should have never done that. She was such an idiot. She was almost asking for her punishment. She felt herself crash into the wall again.

Maybe this would knock some sense into her.

After a lot of crashing about and scolding herself there was a new problem on Kyoko's mind. It was one that she hadn't realized had been a problem until it was too late. She was totally and completely lost. She had been worked up and not watching where she was going and now found herself in an unfamiliar location. This was Shotaro's fault as well. She had thought that she should be punished but was this it? Was this the result of that wish?

She lifted her head and froze as she saw Ren sitting there. Yes. It was definitely a punishment.

If she approached him whilst he was sitting alone and told him what she had done would he be disappointed with her actions? She had messed up his happy place, the world that he had sacrificed so much to belong in. As someone raised by royalty, Corn would feel sorry for her but would this cause problems in their friendship. She didn't want Corn to know about these childish antics. She wanted him to be happy and impressed by her. She didn't want to jeopardize that.

Ren most likely had some pull with the station and maybe even with the producer. He could say something like she should be let into the studio or he would never appear on an interview again but that would be harming his work. Corn was a fairy so he didn't understand how risky that move was. If only he knew some spell to turn back time but he had sacrificed his magic when he had become Ren.

She didn't want to be a burden on him again.

She would just sneak away before he had time to see her, she would talk to him back at their home and she would never ever let her know that she had done something so reckless and stupid. If Ren became involved in this then it would be blown out of proportion and a huge burden for him. She turned but then felt her stomach twist.

Corn didn't look good. He looked depressed and sad and lonely as if something had gone wrong for him. He had always listened to her sadness and maybe presenting herself as a stranger would help him. He'd at least be able to vent to her in a way that he might not be able to do with the real Kyoko. Something was wrong and Kyoko wanted to know what it was.

Ren was always so calm and confident and it was a side of him that she found herself unwillingly attracted to but he was soft now and he seemed to be in trouble. He was her very good friend, she couldn't just leave him in his misery.

…..

…..

Ren sighed, there were two major problems on his mind this night. First, it was the fact that his cellphone had been damaged and he couldn't find anyone who would lend him theirs without strings attached, he only wanted to look something up that he didn't understand and he didn't want to appear like a foreigner if it was something that everyone knew. Then there was the fact that he still hadn't found the right time to tell Kyoko that he wasn't really a fairy. He was human. He had been born human, raised human, he didn't even really believe in fairies.

As he sat there, sinking deeper into his depression he heard a loud squeak from the side and saw the rooster walking away. That must be a character from one of the shows here. Maybe this rooster would be able to help him with his problems. He stood up, approaching the costumed actor with a weak smile on his face.

"Hey, wait" he called out, startling Kyoko who was still trying to figure out how to interact with him. He saw the rooster jump and took a deep inhale. "Can I talk to your for a minute?" he asked and Kyoko froze. He was acknowledging a rooster. Was she supposed to tell Corn that there weren't giant talking roosters in the human world? Wait, did that mean that in the fairy kingdom, animals could talk?

"Oh," Ren said nervously, he looked at her concerned before sighing, his chest falling as he tried to settle himself down. He hadn't meant to cause problems for the mascot's actor. "I didn't mean to scare you. Sorry, I know it's rude of me to trouble you when we don't even know each other but you're the only person I can ask right now."

Kyoko froze. He had said person, right? So he knew that she was inside the suit? Well, of course he didn't know it was her but he knew that it was a person inside of the costume and that there wasn't a rooster just walking around the agency. He looked a bit timid and withdrawn and Corn deserved to smile. He had given her a lot and helped her with many things both in their childhood and in their adulthood and she owed him for this. She wanted to see him excited and happy and loving his life.

"If you don't mind," he began and Kyoko imagined his innocence as a childhood, "can you help me, please?"

"O…kay," Kyoko said slowly as she tried to disguise her voice so he wouldn't be burdened by what had happened with the talk show.

"Can you do me a favor?" Ren asked as he faced Kyoko straight on. He looked at her expectantly. In Ren's mind, this rooster was wearing a costume but the actor inside probably had pockets. He was wandering around so he probably had a cell phone and his valuables. He might have needed them were the show to start earlier than it was originally planned.

Kyoko looked at him steadily, "Sure, if it's possible."

"I need a cellphone, can you lend me yours?" Ren asked and Kyoko could see the hope sparkling in his eyes. She felt terrible. First of all, she didn't have her valuables with her, they were still in the dressing room for the show but also, if she had pulled out her cellphone then it would have risked Ren knowing it was her and for this to become more trouble for him instead of help. She knew that she would help him if she could but she really didn't have it on her.

"Sorry," she said as she still used the character voice, "I don't have a cellphone."

Ren felt his stomach lurch and the depression weighed heavily on his shoulders. There was sharp pain throughout his body as if he had been called on to do a presentation without knowing the subject matter. He felt it was the end of the world. He would be seen as having a weakness and maybe if it was something common, they would call him stupid or even know that he didn't really belong in this country.

Kyoko studied him, he was definitely depressed. Something had happened that had led to him feeling it was the end of the world and she had no opportunity to help him. Why did he need a cellphone that badly anyway?

"Excuse me, but" Kyoko took a step forward, "doesn't your managed have one?" she asked him. It was something that Ren must have thought of before but maybe Corn had a special phone number that would expose him as a fairy. No, he wouldn't just make a call to the fairy world from a stranger's phone.

Ren sighed and bowed his head, "He does but it broke for some unknown reason and is currently being repaired," he said with such honesty that Kyoko had to believe in that strange comment, "I borrowed his spare but that one broke too. I've already asked six other people but I can't risk asking anyone else on set."

Kyoko felt her heart breaking even more as she looked at him. He was desperate and Corn wasn't supposed to be in pain or fear like this. Corn needed to have a perfect world to live in, he was a prince after all. "Excuse me," she said hoping that there was another way to help him. "Why do you need to borrow a cell phone so bad?"

Ren took another weak breath in. He knew that asking would lead to questions and he didn't want to show his weakness. He had done so much to keep his life secure, he needed for this to continue going smoothly.

Kyoko looked at the script that Ren had next to him. Maybe it was something to do with the script. She had seen that when Ren looked over a script, sometimes he would use the dictionary feature if he was unsure of a phrase or how to pronounce something that he didn't know. Was he embarrassed because he might not be seen as smart enough by the other actors. She hadn't believed that he would be that self-conscious.

"Could it be you don't understand something in the script, so you're trying to look it up?" she asked and Ren looked up at her. He had that false smile on his face and she felt nervous as he replied to her.

"Of course not. It's nothing as stupid as that," he said with his refreshing smile and Kyoko felt a little taken aback. He definitely looked like he was hiding something. This must be what Corn believed people looked like instead of fairies and it was wrong. He was being overly nice and formal, he should just try and deceive people in a regular manner or not deceive them at all.

"But," Kyoko said as she studied Ren wanting to know what was wrong, "It's a matter of principle for celebrities to deny things like that even when they're true right?" she said and noticing how startled Ren was, Kyoko knew that she was right. She pointed a wing at him, "But its useless, no matter what you say, I won't be fooled. There are words in the script that you don't understand. I'm right, aren't I, Tsuruga-kun," she said.

Kyoko was trying to keep herself together as she imagined a cop show in which she was working. Even if it was a problem like this, she could attempt to offer her help. Ren stared at her and Kyoko wanted to look proud at how she had made him admit to needing some help.

"I already said that you were wrong," Ren said nervously. This rooster was one persistent bird.

"You intend to use your smile to conceal the truth," she said as she looked down upon him – it was easier to do when he was sitting – "you might be able to fool all of Japan with that sweet smile of yours but not me because I know the more radiantly you smile at someone, the more cautious that person must be. Your smile is like a mirror that reflects the opposite of your true feelings. Whenever you want to fool someone or say something mean, you smile at that person instead. So when your heart becomes darker, your smile actually becomes brighter."

Kyoko paused from her speech and her eyes widened. It was as if her own heart had turned into a taiko drum. This wasn't the look of anyone who should be associated with the fairy kingdom, this was the anti-fairy and it scared Kyoko. In her mind, it was as if she were facing the anti-Corn. He was pissed off and she hadn't meant to do that. Why would she want for her friend to be upset?

Ren was trying to hide his anger at a rooster being able to figure him out. He had never been told his faults like this before, he knew of them but nobody else was supposed to do so. He didn't know how to voice his anger at not just the rooster for figuring this out but himself for not hiding it well enough.

"How did you know?" he asked her with his eyes challenging her again and Kyoko was terrified to say that she actually knew it because of their relationship, because she was Kyoko. He had become really scary and she was scared of what might happen if he looked at her that way when she was Kyoko. She fell to the ground and put her wings on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she apologized and Ren blinked at her in confusion. He hadn't been expecting that kind of a response. It was comical really to see the rooster so panicked, whoever was inside of the costume must not realize how this looked coming from a giant rooster. That was the comedic touch of the scene after all.

Ren looked up at her with a childlike expression on his face and Kyoko was reminded of the early Corn. "Pardon me," he laughed before sighing as he attempted to regain his composure, "but that was quite an apology. You really don't know what you looked like," he said and Kyoko froze. She was happy that she had been able to cheer him up.

"Um, you're not mad anymore?" she asked hesitantly and Ren looked at her.

"Mad?" he asked confused with a strong smile that caused Kyoko's heart to pound, "Why? Didn't you just apologize? And quite passionately too. I don't see any reason to stay mad at you especially when you apologized so sincerely." He told her and Kyoko relaxed. This was just the way that Corn treated everyone, it felt like him. He must have come across all types of people during this stay on Earth and coming as a complete foreigner, he would have had to try to understand others and show empathy and compassion. "Besides," Ren sighed, "It was partly my fault since I tried to hide the truth."

Ren leaned back and continued to look at the rooster, it was nice talking to someone other than Yashiro and Kyoko in such a friendly manner, maybe one day he could have friends again. He sighed, "never mind since you already found out…"

Kyoko fell downward into her spiral of questions of what Corn had been through during this human transition. Things like this you would mostly learn by the bad experiences like the experience of Shotaro hurting her. Perhaps she should apologize again, beg him to make her human and beg him to think of her as more than a bird. She had to gain his forgiveness!

End of Act 32

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated

Thank you to reviewers of Act 31

H-Nala, Kaname671, Kris XD, PaulaGato