AN: Please enjoy. Any reviews would be most appreciated.

Chapter Two – Tough Choices

Ren watched Kyoko with his parents and his hand clenched into a fist. He didn't even know what to do in this situation. Kyoko was so happy by meeting his mother and seeing his father again and he could see the two of them sneaking quick looks at him. He stood drawing all attention to him. "I'm sorry," he bowed respectfully. "I have to leave. I'm not interested in the role," he turned to the door before shooting a cold glare at the president.

Kuu looked forwards at his son. This would have been so much better without Kyoko in the room but Boss had tried to protect Ren's identity and him feeling exposed so had invited a fifth party. He couldn't even argue with his son in front of Kyoko or it would look strange. He snuck a look at Julie who seemed heartbroken but neither of them could do anything with Kyoko there.

They loved their son too much to expose him.

"I'm really sorry to hear that," Kuu said before looking at Julie. "It will be hard to find someone else to fill that part, you're the most talked about actor at the moment, it would have brought some hype to the project."

Ren nodded and stayed in his bow, "Then I really do apologize, but you'll have to find someone else to fill that role."

Kyoko looked at Ren extremely confused. Was he leaving this drama because of her? Because she wasn't talented enough. She knew that if she acted opposite Ren that she would be able to put her best work forward. Even if there was a love scene in it, which she hoped wouldn't be there, if it was Ren she would feel much safer than if she was with anyone else. "Tsuruga-san, you're the one who tried to convince me to say yes to this role. You said that you were excited with the role yourself, is there anything that I did that caused you to change your mind?"

Ren froze and tried to give her a smile but it came out as one of his gentleman smiles which Kyoko would misunderstand. She had no idea about the connection between the three Hizuri family members after all. "I'm sure that you're going to be wonderful in the role, Mogami-san," he said trying to protect both himself and her feelings. "However, for personal reasons I must decline the offer."

Kuu wanted to say something but his mind kept going back and forth on what. Seeing the discomfort that his son was going through made him feel extremely guilty but as a director he couldn't really apologize if Ren was the one turning down the role. Then again maybe he could apologize for offering the role, but that would seem strange, he was pretty sure that if he asked what the personal reasons were that Ren would say family and as far as he knew, Kyoko had heard nothing about his family. She wouldn't even be able to look up the 'Tsuruga family' on the internet.

He didn't have to say anything though because Julie wasn't as skilled at managing this as he had become.

"Tsuruga-san, we could work around these personal reasons. Is there anything that we can do to help?" Julie said and Kuu knew that she desperately wanted Ren to stay in the room. It was as if in her mind, Ren leaving this room and declining the offer meant she wouldn't be able to see him for another six years.

Kuu knew how much Julie had been hurting. They were both social animals and people had known that Julie had a son who had finished his education overseas, but she had let her son leave at fifteen and now he was twenty-one. All of those years she had watched enviously as her friends and coworkers talked about how their child had been doing at high school, how their son had landed a role in the school play, how they were helping their children study for the standardized tests and going on college tours, how they had loved seeing their child attend prom.

Julie had had to respectfully smile and nod whilst the son that she had raised hadn't spoken to her and she had missed out on nearly a third of his life. One day he was a fifteen-year-old teenager and then he was gone and the next time she would see him in person would be as a twenty-one-year-old adult.

"Could we discuss this, Tsuruga-san?" she asked as a few tears sparkled in her eyes though she was strong enough so they didn't fall. "Please," she looked at Kyoko who she hoped thought this was all because of his acting talent. "I mean, you're perfect for the part, you're such a talented actor," she turned before going to look out the window. She couldn't afford to mess things up for her child.

If she exposed him it would be as if her sacrifice for those six years hadn't been worth anything.

"Kyoko," Lory said as he turned his attention to her. "I would like a moment alone with Ren. Is there anything that you'd like to discuss?" he asked as Kyoko bowed deeply.

"No, there's nothing further," she said before looking at Ren. "Tsuruga-san, I really hope that you will change your mind," she said honestly. "Thank you for the part, Father. I'll be taking my leave now," she said before saying goodbye to the president and Julie and leaving.

Once they were sure that she was gone, Lory turned to Ren.

"Kuu," he said though his eyes never left the young actor, "Could you make sure that all the doors are locked?" he asked as Ren shot him another cold look.

"So, you're stopping me from running away?" he asked before hearing his mother breaking down. He looked over in her direction. He knew that she was hurting because of him and she had been doing her best to be strong for Kyoko's sake. He felt terrible for hurting her.

"Is that really what you want, Ren?" the president asked. "If you want to leave then go ahead."

"That's exactly what you'd say," Julie said as she couldn't stop the tears. "You'd want to be a kidnapper and keep my son away from me just like all those years ago" she looked back angrily at the president as Ren saw how discomposed she was. He took a seat.

"I'll stay," he said as Julie looked at him with hope in her eyes.

"Really?" she asked before feeling her body weaken. "I am so sorry to ask you this…but could I please hug my son?" she asked with tears in her eyes. Ren nodded and stood up as he allowed his mother to come over to him and wrap him up in the hug she had been waiting over half a decade for.

"You've grown," she said as he laughed weakly.

"Yes, I guess I have," he said as he watched how much his mother was crying. He felt guilty that he had pushed her to her limits and stopped her from having what she wanted. He never wanted to hurt her. "I think inside more than the outside," he said.

"I can agree to that," Kuu nodded as he smiled at his son. "I...uh, Boss said that you've become much more comfortable with your past, is that right…Ku-Tsuruga-san?"

"As in, have I accepted that I'm actually Kuon Hizuri and have that past, then I suppose I would have to agree with that. I'm not ready to be him, but I've accepted him," Ren said as Julie put a hand on her heart.

"Why do you have to talk as a third person?" she said as she took a few steps away from him.

"You loved Kuon," Ren argued, "then he…then everything happened. I…"

Kuu shot a dark look at him, "What did I tell you last year?" he said. "Don't use the past tense when you talk about how much we love our son. We continue to love him and cheer him on every day. We don't care about what happened in the past, it doesn't stop the fact that we love Kuon, even if he does want to act as a stranger to us."

"Whoever you think you are or you want to be, we love you," Julie argued. "We want to help you get over to the US and start acting in Hollywood. You'll be able to do it. Your dramas have started to have fans over there, your films too. I know multiple people who would be willing to cast you in their shows and movies."

"There are a few people who considered sending you offers as Ren Tsuruga," Kuu nodded. "However, it's harder to book international stars. We were hoping that with this drama you would finally be offered those roles and then you could come back as you always said you would."

Ren looked down. He didn't know what to say, he had been waiting for so long to start performing in the United States, but now it didn't feel right. There was something much more important to him than his acting dreams and it required him to stay within Japan at least a little longer. He turned to the president, "What would be the damage of becoming Hizuri, Kuon here?" he asked as Lory blinked.

"You want to stay in Japan?" he asked. "Six years ago you couldn't be more motivated to start acting so that you could leave and be an internationally known actor." A mischievous and some might even say wicked expression crossed onto his face. "Are you saying that it's because you're finally in love with someone special?" he asked as Ren felt himself become more anxious with that announcement. "I'm sure that Kyoko would…"

"So, is that such a bad thing that I'd rather stay here and take a chance with Mogami-san?" he asked before bowing his head. "If I reveal myself to her then she'll know that I lied. I can't afford that. Do you really think that it's so funny?"

"It's sweet of you," Lory said as he knew exactly how Kyoko felt about this American posing as a Japanese person. "However, I don't think it would be a bad thing. Everyone knows how skilled you are and that you wouldn't be getting roles just because of your name. If the media starts reporting that there are multiple directors and casting agents who will back you up that they never knew that and chose you for pure talent."

Ren looked down, "I need an honest answer," he said as he looked to Lory, "how much time do I have before losing my stage name is a possibility," he held up a finger to his parents. "I refuse to have a funeral for Ren Tsuruga," he informed them.

Lory smiled, "If you are truly ready to come out to the world as Kuon Hizuri, then I think that this drama will allow you to do that," he said honestly. "However, you have to be strong enough to deal with the past. Do you think that you've given yourself enough forgiveness to do so?"

Ren nodded, "I think that I have," he smiled as he looked down trying to think realistically if it was time to do so. He just needed to find some time to inform Kyoko, but then again was it really that important to tell her. If she didn't like or care about him then he would have made his name known and could move back home, but if she accepted him and she allowed herself to like him with all three parts of himself then it might support his desire to stay in Japan.

"So," Kuu said eagerly, "Are you accepting the role in the drama?"

Ren nodded and smiled, "Yes, but only after the filming am I willing and ready to use my birth name."

"We'll be waiting and supporting you," Julie smiled happily with her own happiness matched by her husband.

"Of course," Kuu nodded with a smile as he took in his son. It had been too long but finally they might get their little boy back again even if he was on a different continent.