AN: Thank you for all of your support with this fic and your patience. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, I usually don't like answering guest reviews because I don't know how, but I like communicating with my readers so I'll be writing answers at the bottom in future chapters. Please enjoy 😊

Chapter Seven - Arrival

Kyoko didn't know whether she was more nervous or excited about seeing her boyfriend exit from where Jelly had done his hair. She had already seen him without his contacts in and he had been so stunning it had been a little hard to breathe. Now that he would have his blond hair too, it made her all the more excited to see him. Then again, it would remind her of how much he had kept hidden from her.

Still, she could understand it. Sometimes people didn't want to admit their family connections and unlike her mother, Kuon wasn't saying that certain people didn't have the right to exist, he was just trying to make a name for himself without using his father to prop him up.

Kyoko kept her eyes on the ground as she tried to turn over these new feelings.

It was alright to be in love, wasn't it?

"So, what do you think?" she heard Kuon ask her and she looked up.

She had to look away quickly as her entire face turned red. With that strong grin on his face that made a certain type of radiance fill the room, it was hard for her not to become overwhelmed with emotions when she looked at him. Slowly, she turned her head so that she could take a proper look at him and her heart filled with that same light his smile delivered.

"Oh wow," she said breathlessly as Kuon raised an eyebrow, "I mean, I've seen you before like this, but wow…" she commented. "It's hard to see you in there."

"And," Kuon asked as he came towards her and bent down with a playful grin, "which you are you referring to, Kyoko" he said as Kyoko turned an even deeper red and she had to mentally remind herself to breathe. This was Kuon. This was also a blond Ren.

Oh god, this was hard not to lose control because her boyfriend looked godly.

"Uh…I mean," Kyoko said as she tried to calm her feelings. "I mean, I know, but it's like I can't…" she reached out to touch him and her mind seemed to get confused again because of his muscular build. How could she be so lucky to be with someone like Corn? She would pale beside him if they ever came out as a couple. "You look…good," she managed to squeak out.

"I hope so," he said as he placed a hand to the back of her head and kissed her again. "I would hate to have to dye my hair so quickly in case you hated it," he teased her.

"No!" Kyoko shook her head, "Don't do that, please don't do that, Kuon," she begged as he laughed. Kyoko looked down, she probably shouldn't have taken his words so seriously. She put a hand to his cheek and let her fingers spread out as he offered her a puzzled look. "You're just so handsome."

"And you are beautiful," Kuon said as he spoke honestly but Kyoko had a hard time understanding where that honesty came from. "Do you think you'll be able to get used to this? I mean you are my partner both onstage and off," he reminded her as she laughed and let her fingers slip through the blond strands.

"Of course I will be," Kyoko replied with her usual determination. "Once I get used to this."

….

….

Kyoko followed a few steps behind Ren as they walked into the studio where 'The Lake in the Park' was being filmed. Today would just be a line reading so that they could get to know some of the other actors that they were working with. Today would also be the first time she could act with Kuon knowing who he really was, although very few others would do so.

"You know," Yashiro pointed out as Kyoko listened to the conversation between Japan's top actor and his manager. "I have to say that the blond hair suits you more, although it does give you an entirely different image. I mean, I think I heard a woman say you looked adorable today and as a brunette you rarely got that unless you were trying to be a good guy."

"I'm not a good guy usually?" Ren asked as he pointed to himself and Yashiro rolled his eyes.

"Let's let Japan think that until I can find a way to talk about the past transgressions," he said with a small smile. "However, I didn't mean adorable in a bad way, it's just with the blond hair and green eyes you give a much softer feel. Though, I have to say that you do show off your American traits when you're like this."

"Is that a bad thing?" Ren asked again before looking back at Kyoko, "What do you think, Mogami-san?"

"About the fact that you're an American, Tsuruga-san?" she asked. She smiled, "I think it's good how much you managed to blend into Japanese culture. I also think that when people learn about your past they will support you and it has more to do with you than with your family."

"Talking about family," Yashiro pointed to where a very overly excited Julie was standing there. She looked at her son whilst being completely speechless about his new look. Julie had to try very hard not to yell out her son's real name.

"Tsuruga-san," she said almost jumping up and down from the excitement of seeing that natural Kuon. "Thank you so much for getting into character with your hair and eyes, I hope that you don't feel as if you were pressured to do so."

Ren laughed before looking around and seeing that people weren't watching, held his mother's hand and gave it a slight squeeze before dropping it. He hoped that small action was enough to remind his mother of how much he loved her.

"No, not at all, experimenting with different looks can only help my career. I'm very much looking forward to working with the other actors today, Hizuri-san," he said with a bow.

Julie smiled as her eyes filled with tears but she tried to keep her composure. She was just so glad that she could stand there and just look at the man her little boy had grown up to become. She wanted so badly to spoil him and take care of him. She supposed she should be strong though, he didn't need an overbearing mother in his life.

Seeing her mixed emotions, Yashiro took a step forward. "Hizuri-san," he said as he bowed as well. "Let me introduce myself, my name is Yukihito Yashiro, but feel free to call me Yashiro. I just wanted to let you know that I've recently become reacquainted with your son and he is a really good hearted person. I feel proud to have the connection with him and I'll make sure that he is kept as safe and healthy as my role allows me to."

Kyoko grinned, "He always makes sure he eats, or at least he advises me to," she tried to back Yashiro up as Julie looked at them with her beautiful smile.

"Thank you," she said as Kyoko realized where Kuon got his magical smile from.

"No, thank you, I promise that it won't be too long until your son returns back to you. I just want to finish this drama before we…facilitate such a thing," Ren said honestly as Julie nodded. She heard the door open again and then managed to dry her tears and regain her composure.

"Again, it was so good to see you. My husband is really looking forward to making his directorial debut and I know that you both will work hard on helping him with his vision," Julie said as she looked to see a brunette staring at Kyoko with her arms folded. She had heard there was one of Kyoko's friends from LME who had auditioned and been chosen based on talent. She went over to her husband but not before seeing Kyoko's ecstatic smile as she yelled out

"Moookooo!" she said as she ran towards her and Kanae paused looking her over.

"I just got my hair done, so don't hug me," Kanae warned as she raised a finger and Kyoko slowed down from hugging her best friend.

Kyoko sniffed and then pouted, "but isn't that what friends do when they haven't seen each other in so long. Plus, you didn't even tell me you were going to be in this drama. I would have come over to your house early so that we could go together, Moko-chan," Kyoko said before looking over to Ren who was now talking to Yashiro again.

"He looks surprisingly good as a blond," Kanae commented as she looked to Ren and Yashiro.

"Uh, that's….how do you know who he is?" Kyoko asked. She wondered if just by looking at Ren, Kanae was able to tell that it was Kuon and what his backstory was. She didn't want to tell Kuon that he should try harder at concealing his past and make up more secrets but if Moko could already detect who he was, did she have another option?

"I know his manager," Kanae commented as she rolled her eyes, "Do you really think that I don't have eyes?" she asked the auburn-haired actress.

"Of course I know you have eyes, Moko-chan," Kyoko said with that wide smile that came from being with her ultra best best friend. "You have really beautiful eyes, everyone says that."

"And everyone will say that you're really creepy if they hear phrases like those come out your mouth," Kanae commented before still studying Ren. "So, I guess that some unlucky person will have to play opposite him as the love interest. You know what they say, he tends to make those people who star opposite him fall in love with him."

"That's alright, I'm sure the main actress already has feelings for him so such a thing as falling in love with him won't happen this time," Kyoko said before realizing that in saying that she had admitted to her friend about all the love she had had for Kuon. Oh well, Moko would definitely make sure to keep her secret too. After all best friends kept each other's secrets for all of eternity.

"Aren't you listed as the main actress?" Kanae asked her as Kyoko paled, of course Moko would know that. Moko was as professional as Ren when it came to an acting career. Kyoko paused nervously and then looked away before bowing her head.

"Yes, I'm the one who has the lead role," she admitted, "and before you ask, yes, I am dating Ren. Please don't tell anyone?" Kyoko almost begged as Kanae nodded understandingly.

"I won't do that to you, after all, aren't you the one who said that we should support one another when it comes to our careers as actresses. If everyone knew that you and he were a couple, the stronger would always stand out and you'd just become his girlfriend. People might even think you were given this part just because of your relationship to him and the director wanted to create believable scenes. I think it would be the worst thing if you were to announce that you were dating him," Kanae said bluntly as Kyoko nodded.

Those were the same feelings that she had, but she would never be able to explain it to Kuon that way.

She couldn't tell him that her career was just as important as their relationship, she just hoped that nothing bad would happen and that if it did come out that she was scared to be with him because of the public's approval, it would only hurt him.

The last thing that Kyoko Mogami wanted to do was to hurt Kuon Hizuri.