AN: There's a cliffhanger I'm not sure you guys would expect at the end of this chapter but I liked putting it here 😉

Act 47 – The Useless Manager

Ren looked down at the nervous girl who was in his arms and how she had pressed herself into him. This was causing him quite a dilemma. For years he had felt that he would never find his heart to move like this, it was like a clock that had had a change of battery and started working again. No. He couldn't allow himself to be swayed like this again. He had already found the trouble with wanting her and it wasn't that he didn't want her but he couldn't let himself fall for those emotions again.

Kyoko looked up in alarm, "Let me tell you," she yelled again, "This is also the manager's job! I'm supposed to protect you and hold down the crowd," she said but it was useless. Ren was stronger than her and he had always been there to protect her. The way they were now reminded Kyoko of when they had been young children, she truly missed that.

…

…

Kyoko felt the day had gone terribly. Not only were they so busy that she couldn't talk to Ren alone but because she had been mistaken for a cast member, she had destroyed valuable property and greatly inconvenienced Ren. She had forced him to apologize and she wondered if she was causing other people to think of him in a bad light. Such things in life and especially show business were unforgiveable and Kyoko felt a dark shadow looming around her.

She had tried to do things better by requesting a schedule for Ren so that she could prepare in advance for his workday but he had already told her that he didn't think she could handle the job. Did he really think of her in that light, as nothing more than an inconvenience and a burden? She wanted to rebuild a friendship but she wouldn't be able to do that if he pushed her away so harshly. Her failing Ren, her failing Corn, was making her realize that she was not that useful and she didn't want to feel like that.

"Look," someone gossiped, "It's that girl, the substitute manager"

"No way!" her friend said, "Damn it! Why is it that girl!? Thank god, she's only a kid."

The first girl laughed bitterly again, "Frankly, I think Tsuruga-san probably thinks that she's just in the way since she ruined the scene just now and Tsuruga-san was carrying the luggage too."

The second girl gasped, "Are you kidding me!? That means she's not working at all, she's only accompanying Tsuruga-san every day then. That's just too embarrassing! I want to switch with her."

The first girl laughed in response, "I really want to switch with her too! I also want to spend the entire day with Tsuruga-san."

Kyoko closed her eyes. This had happened the previous day as well, all the gossiping. There were people questioning her use and why she was there and talking about how much they loved Ren. It made her feel sad that she knew more about the true Ren than they did but they also didn't really know Ren at all. It reminded her of the people who would gossip behind her back at school without even knowing her. Ren was probably feeling lonely and she had pushed him away and hadn't had the chance to apologize to him because of her own stubbornness. She had to find some way to apologize to him and let him know that she was interested in learning more about him. She didn't want to face that controlling and heavy nature ever again. He had even banned her from talking in the car so she couldn't apologize to him inside the car either. She wanted to make things better but maybe she was too late for that. She hoped she wasn't too late for that.

…..

…..

On the drive home, Kyoko tried to look away from Ren. She didn't want to see the anger in his eyes or the disappointment. It made her feel guilty for the abuse that she had hurled against him. She shouldn't have hurt him like that. He could have just passed her by on that first night but instead he had tried to comfort her, he had offered her things that nobody else had. She didn't want to see the anger in his eyes. She had let him down and acted boldly trying to prove that she could step in as a manager and taking it too lightly.

Ren had sacrificed a lot for his job, including his real name, she had joined for revenge and he hated that. Did he think that she was going to use him as well? No. Ren was special. She couldn't and wouldn't take advantage of him. He was disappointed in her and she had no way to make it up to him despite wanting to.

She had to try to take this opportunity, "So—sorry," she apologized and Ren finally looked at her, his eyes softening.

He had been wanting to hear her say this to him. It had seemed that she was still angry with him about tricking and deceiving her and he felt guilty that he still wanted to support her even from the shadows. Despite not having the best work day, he had wasted precious time with her around him. He softened, "About what?" he finally asked and Kyoko looked down.

"Everything," she said before she felt the pain in her heart and took a couple of steps backwards, "the other day…I took the job of a manager too simply and after I became the manager, instead of helping you, I gave you so much trouble. Because of my carelessness, you had to apologize too. I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry."

Ren blinked, she had already tried to apologize to everyone. Maybe he was in the wrong for thinking that she'd apologize for that night, for having those feelings against him and leaving him before he really had any opportunity to explain himself. He shook his head, "Don't worry about it," he said before turning stone faced and looked forward.

Kyoko felt his anger and frustration with her and was scared that he would toss her away like a piece of trash. It was the wrong time for Kyoko to hear her stomach groan and she looked away in panic. He hadn't heard that, he couldn't have heard that, right?

Ren paused and looked around confused. He turned to look out the window and Kyoko stared at him. Ren was checking to see if it was another car or if they had hit something or if his expensive car was starting to need a checkup. "What's….what's that sound?" he asked innocently, "Is someone using an emergency brake?"

He paused again before hearing it and Kyoko turned pale hoping he wouldn't detect the actual sound. As Ren turned to her, she clutched her stomach and begged it to be quiet but he was looking at her in alarm. Her stomach was telling him that she was hungry and he hadn't been able to notice. He didn't get hungry and food wasn't one of his favorite things but he didn't want for her to hurt.

"Oh," he said as he looked to the clock and found it was half past seven, "Are you hungry/" he asked and Kyoko shook her head quickly. "It's this late already. I didn't notice," he said and Kyoko looked at him nervously. She could see the guilt on his face. Of course he didn't notice, his body didn't work in the normal way at all.

"Sorry," he apologized again, "It's no wonder your stomach growled," he hummed trying to think of something, "Oh yeah!" he said as he realized something and Kyoko wondered what it was that he had realized. "That place just now…it had instant lunch boxes, did you get some?"

Kyoko's eyes widened and she felt that she had failed as a manager again. She didn't know that she could have gotten their food and now she felt like she really had failed him. Getting him food and something to drink was just decent human behavior. Not only had she failed once again as a manager, she had failed as a decent human being.

"Sorry," she said with wide eyes wondering if he would get bitter again, "I didn't know they prepare instant lunchboxes for people."

Ren sighed, "It's true that some places won't prepare lunchboxes." He hummed, "Then I'll find us a place for us to eat," he turned to her, "What do you want to eat?"

Kyoko looked at him in shock. Ren always seemed to care so much about his work but now he was taking time to ask her what she wanted to eat as if work didn't matter. She looked down, "but we don't have any time," she argued and Ren grinned.

"Don't worry," he tried to persuade her, "Today's schedule went very smoothly," he said knowing that his reputation and perfect takes had made up for any delay that Kyoko could have caused. "Besides," he looked out the window, "the traffic isn't bad either, so since we're already here we'll have the time to eat." Kyoko saw him smile and was happy to see it. He hadn't smiled a lot and even when he was a kid, he would smile to keep her happy. She wanted to help him because despite the lies there was no way he was a bad person.

Ren looked over at her, "Have you decided yet?" he asked her and Kyoko blinked, "What do you want to eat?"

"Well, about that," Kyoko said nervously wanting to see even happier expressions on Ren's face. He deserved his happiness. "I'll…I'll eat whatever you want to eat."

Ren smiled for a while, making sure to give a dramatic pause and Kyoko just watched him. She was pretty sure he wouldn't choose a meal with flower petals in it and she could see the kindness he was offering in eating them. She did have to laugh internally about his willingness to commit just to keep her happy. She continued to wait and then listened carefully as he finally spoke.

"Okay, then let's find live frogs," he said before winking to her, "Who knows, you might kiss the right one and he might turn into a prince. We can even get them roasted," he laughed and Kyoko looked at him in horror.

"I don't want to eat that!" she panicked as Ren continued to chuckle.

…..

…..

Ren sat back as he looked at the meal in front of Kyoko. They had gone to a diner where they had hamburger with egg on top with vegetables by the side and he smiled as he saw the happiness and tears on Kyoko's face. She was excited and he was glad that he had been able to provide that for her. Ren took a deep breath as he saw the way she smelled it and he watched her waiting to see her take the first bite. He put down his fork as he started to remember the joy that they had shared.

Maybe he could make some of that joy reappear. He took her hand but she didn't pull away and then bowed his head, taking comfort in the moment that they were having.

"Kuon," he whispered as he looked from side to side to make sure that nobody could hear him and Kyoko looked at him confused. She paused as she saw the insecurity he was feeling and he took another shaky breath. "My name…is Kuon."

End of Act 47

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated

Thank you to the reviewers of Act 46

EmmaLasagna, H-Nala, luv2readgirl, Kaname671, The Real Jackie-O,

AN2:

I'm going to put up a list of my next ten scheduled updates on my profile page. Now, I might get inspired for a fic and write that as well but hopefully people can see what's coming up in the following week.