Act 86 – Nine Years!?
Kyoko smiled as she put down the phone after calling the Okami-san. She wanted to make sure that they felt comfortable with her staying out after work. She would be returning to the house late and she didn't want to disturb them. Kyoko saw Kanae come out of the convenience store and ran over to her. Kanae looked back at her.
"What?" Kanae asked, "Was that the person you're staying with?" Kanae asked and Kyoko nodded.
"Yeah. It's okay as long as I don't come back too late," Kyoko told them. She smiled in a cute fashion because she liked when people took care of her. She wanted to make sure not to inconvenience them. They weren't charging her a lot of money for the rent and she felt that she at least owed them to not be an inconvenience to them. "They're normally closed but it's okay as long as it's not a bother."
"You…" Kanae said as she looked at her but then took a calming inhale, "In any case. It's good that you called to check if it's all right."
Kyoko tilted forwards to look at Kanae. She wanted to respect Taisho and Okami-san with everything that she had. It was because of these very two kind people that she wasn't struggling in an apartment that was too run down or facing the alternative and bothering Ren never mind confusing the media as to why she was living there. She did miss being by his side so much but she had had a good reason for moving out of that apartment.
"But I have to because I stay there and I know what it's like to be a person in that industry," Kyoko smiled. Yes, she knew all about the long hours that Taisho kept but he never voiced being annoyed at her about it. He was a quiet person so sometimes it was hard to think about how he felt. "So that's all right, and…" Kyoko looked at the bag that Kanae was holding. "Moko-san, did you get something at the convenience store?" she inquired and Kanae looked to the side.
"Just a little makie," she told Kyoko who had a look of confusion spread over her face.
"Did you say makie?" she asked confused, "Like a rolled picture? You bought a rolled picture?" Kyoko asked as she tried to look into the bag to see what it was. Her interest was making itself more present than her common sense.
"It's just something for my family, you know," Kanae said in a vague manner which made Kyoko stop to think about this information. Some rolled pictures for her family. Was this some type of chore that Moko had been asked to do?"
"Is Moko-san's home nearby?" Kyoko asked as she turned from side to side to really gauge what kind of a place Moko lived in. She was excited. Moko must be a rich girl and Kyoko hadn't seen inside a rich girl's house before. She had seen the expensive ryokan and an expensive apartment but not a house with family members. She was very excited to find out what kind of family members Moko had.
"Yeah, I guess," Kanae shrugged.
Kyoko lifted her chin happily as her smile spread out on her face. "I can't wait," Kyoko announced beaming with joy. She turned towards the young boy who was with them and lent down. "Right? Hiou-kun?" she asked and Hiou glared at her. His face was a little red but his voice was still rough.
"What do you mean fun!?" he barked back, "Why'd she throw me?"
Kyoko rolled her eyes. That kid could not stop from being a brat. However, Kyoko could see the awkward way in which he was standing which made her think that his defensive nature was out of protection of his true feelings. Maybe they could get his true feelings to come out.
"Eh?" Kyoko asked with a grin on her face, "Didn't you come because you were worried about Moko-san as well?" she teased which seemed to fuel Hiou's anger.
Hiou stood with his fists by his side as his face was redder than he was realizing. Kyoko must have triggered something inside of this boy. "Wrong" Hiou yelled at them and Kyoko smiled at how much passion Hiou was putting into denying it. It was entertaining to her to see the boy so flustered. "I you know…I…I only came because I was injured and want to know why that person thinks it's okay!"
Kyoko laughed to herself. Somehow this kid was enough of a brat that he didn't think that someone was capable of pushing him or throwing him. He must be pretty secure in the way he was standing out in the industry. Kyoko wanted for him to learn about his bratty behavior and start to act like an honest child who was more understanding.
"Really?" Kyoko laughed as she rolled her eyes, "Is that so?"
Kyoko paused as she felt a little hatred towards Hiou. She felt bad that she was harboring these negative feelings against a small child but he seemed to act so much more like Shotaro. He was spiteful and rude and although he said that he was annoyed by Kanae, could it be that he actually liked her? Someone who had no interest in the person who had hurt them would not be following along with the group. That must mean that he had some type of crush on Kanae.
"Hey you!" Hiou barked back, "Are you listening!? Black demon."
Kyoko paused and turned around to strike Hiou across the head. He smacked him causing him to fall over and had a bump on his head. This might not be the most intelligent thing to do but Kyoko knew that young children should learn respect and this was most likely the first time he had been punished.
"Ah," his manager said as she looked at the two of them in shock. Kyoko looked between them. Maybe Hiou would get angry at her but he would stop being angry at Moko. Kyoko felt the anger from Hiou.
Hiou let out a roar amongst the angry waves that were floating around, "Next time you hurt me you're fired!" he yelled and Kyoko rolled her eyes again. Was that this kid's automatic response?
"It's educational guidance," Kyoko said in a bold manner as Hiou continued to growl in response to the attack. "To not be so spoiled when you don't really know a thing," Kyoko announced and then stood firmly in front of Hiou. She didn't care how fast he recovered, he shouldn't keep being a brat. "In showbusiness it's not just about your place in society. Your behavior is important." Kyoko tried to scold him but Hiou was shaking with anger.
"Speak to your senpai with honor!" she told him as she put a hand to her chest, "That is the common sense of common sense. I am also much older than you! I am obviously your senpai in life," Kyoko said with pride. She looked down at Hiou feeling the confidence inside of her. "You should want to be a little more respectful."
Kanae poked Kyoko on the shoulder, tapping her to get her attention. Kanae turned to her wanting to know what the problem with her giving this type of speech was. Kanae turned to Kyoko before gesturing to Hiou. "This person," she said referring to the brat that stood in front of them, "Is a showbiz veteran of nine years difference over us." She tried to inform Kyoko who was caught in shock over that statement. He seemed so much younger and less mature than either of them. "He is very much our senpai."
"Nine years?" Kyoko asked as she looked at Hiou in shock. She hadn't actually asked how old he was but he was a brat. He couldn't be older than nine years old though that was older than she had expected him to be. "He…if that's really true," Kyoko said a little taken aback, "Then he was in showbiz from the time he was born."
Hiou's manager shook her head, "No," she tried to correct Kyoko, "Hiou-kun's debut was when he was two years old."
Kyoko stared at the boy in shock. How old was he!? She tried to think it over. Nine years of acting plus two meant that this brat that she had thought was an annoying child of about six or seven was…how old was he?
"How many times you gonna check it!?" Hiou yelled very annoyed about what was going on. "I'm eleven years old!" He yelled and Kyoko paused. This meant that he was in the sixth year of elementary school. It meant that he was nearly a teenager. She had really thought that he was seven years old but he was eleven.
"Then next year?" she asked in shock and Hio growled at her again. Kyoko could see the anger pulsing through his body as he looked like an angry dog.
"You got it!" Hiou snapped at her and Kyoko looked at him, taken aback by just how angry he was. This was more than being a brat, this actually scared her a little bit and it was over his age!? "Up until now everyone has known but you so don't act so surprised!" he said and Kyoko felt herself twitch in shock.
"You take one look at me, see a common brat and treat me like one" Hiou said as he looked right at Kyoko. Kyoko felt that this was what made him the most angry. He had such a power in his face that proved that this was what was making him the most upset. "Upon hearing my real age she didn't act surprised," Hiou announced. "When I met them, she was the only person of them all who didn't!" Hiou tried to explain and Kyoko blinked in surprise. Wouldn't anyone be caught off guard by how old he was.
It was more surprising that somebody thought that this was normal and that he didn't look that young. The person must be strange themselves and be able to take in any kind of information like that. Kyoko saw the way that Moko and Hiou looked at each other. It was like a lost trust in Hiou's expression but shock in Moko's. Could she be the person who wasn't shocked by Hiou's real age?
"Well," Hiou sighed, "About that, you were among the first ones, okay!" Hiou shouted back.
Kanae blinked and Kyoko could understand where Hiou's feelings were coming from. He had been excited that somebody saw him how he really was but then she had thrown him and something had gone wrong.
"Hiou-kun," Kanae said in a gentle manner which Kyoko didn't really feel that the kid deserved. "Are you saying…" she approached him. However, just as Kanae was going to say something to him, there was a voice behind her and Kanae's back instantly straightened. Her eyes widening.
"Huh? Hey!" a woman said in a joyful manner, "Hold on a sec. Is that Kanae over there?" she asked.
Kyoko was extremely surprised when Kanae had an alarmed look on her face. Who was this woman?
End of Act 86
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