AN: The chapter is much shorter than I wanted it, but my body is tired. Next week is when I start classes so I'm expecting to feel even more exhausted. Anyway I really hope that you do enjoy despite it being short 😊

Chapter Eleven – New Beginnings

When he had seen Tina, Kuon felt that he had swallowed a brick. He felt as if he couldn't breathe, but he didn't want to draw any attention to himself. He also didn't want to bring any attention to Kyoko. It was bad enough that Tina was here to witness him with such happiness in acting, to say that he had found Kyoko was horrible since he had taken away Rick from her.

Everyone was sure that in the future Rick and Tina would have gotten engaged and then married and settled down together…before he screw everything up for them.

Kuon was glad when he saw everyone leaving and he just bowed his head with a nervous and guilty expression on his face. "Tina…" he said as he looked away, "I…I don't know what to say…I can't ever apologize for what I…"

Tina looked away, she felt nervous herself and it showed. "What happened was an accident," she said as Kuon shook his head, "okay, so it was that gang that wanted the two of you dead and yes, if Rick hadn't have been protecting you then he might not have died," she said honestly before looking down and closing her eyes. "I think that…I don't want to blame you any longer," she told him as he blinked and just watched her as she paced the room that they were in.

"We were both hurting and I think I just wanted to get angry at you because I was hurt and needed someone to lash out at. We were kids, Kuon, and it took me some time to want to come and talk to you and apologize for those words I yelled at you…when I came to apologize, you were gone."

"Please don't apologize to me," Kuon said weakly. "Tina, you're right, Rick died because of me and I haven't been…please don't apologize to me and please don't forgive me. I was stupid and reckless and I know I've asked for more than I deserve. I'm sorry."

Tina kept herself from making an instant reply before watching him. She could see how the guilt had eaten him up for years and was still continuing to chew him. She could see the hard work he had taken in trying to make himself a better person. She could understand his love for his friend and how painful dealing with all of these things alone was. She still forgave him.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Tina asked, Kuon looked at her, she was always good at reading people like this.

"I am…I just started," Kuon said as he looked down, "Though we've been on good terms for a long time. I know that it's wrong for me to ask to have anyone special after I destroyed everything in the past, I guess I've been stubborn and selfish," he smiled sadly.

Tina shook her head, "I have been too. I know that I gave you a hard time in the past, but I think I was jealous of Rick spending so much time wanting to help you and so mad at you that no matter what kind of help he gave or the time he spent…"

"I would end up going berserk?" Kuon asked as Tina nodded.

"Do you still act that way?" she asked and Kuon sighed.

"It's always going to be a battle inside my head, but I've found ways of grounding myself," he admitted as he thought about how Kyoko could always get through the darkness in his heart and bring him towards her light. "I didn't realize my actions, if I had then I would have told him not to bother with me. I was too involved, too obsessed, I really do suck."

"No," Tina shook her head, "So, you've been acting under the stage name of Tsuruga Ren all of these years," she looked down. "I saw you played a lot of difficult roles."

Kuon felt a little uncomfortable as Tina asked him these questions, he shouldn't be here being asked these questions. She shouldn't be so kind to him.

"Wh-What are you up to?" he asked weakly and Tina smiled.

"Well, I'm engaged and we're both therapists working with troubled youths, or really I'm just an intern right now with a BA in Sociology. I'm hoping to be a therapist and I still work with the youth in a mentor situation. I see a lot of good people in there and I see a lot of very messed up kids who are good inside, like you, Kuon." Tina said as Kuon tensed even more.

"You don't really know if there's any good in me," he said and Tina shook her head.

"If there wasn't any good in you then you wouldn't have left LA. You wouldn't have cared about Rick. You wouldn't care this much six years later. You know, Rick loved you and he saw your good. I was angry so I wanted you not to feel it, but trust me, Rick would be happiest if he saw you living a good life, a life that you care about with a passion. He'd want you to succeed in love because that's most important, finding someone who you can love that much," Tina smiled.

Kuon nodded, he bowed his head since he was unsure how to respond.

"I don't say this to be mean and it's completely honest, but I forgive you Kuon and I know that Rick would too," Tina said. "Good luck with the movie and with…the girl," Kuon could see a few tears in her eyes before she left him there stunned.

She forgave him?

…..

…..

Kyoko hesitated as she looked at Kuon. Her boyfriend was talking about someone forgiving him for his past and the haunted expression on his face led her to believe that he was really talking about the thing he had given himself for the least, the death of his friend. She had heard him say something about it in the past and now she was certain that that was a relative or friend or lover of the man who had died.

Still, since she had only learned about his identity recently, Kyoko knew there was a lot that he was keeping hidden from the public. How could she blame him for that?

"Was it…about the watch?" Kyoko asked and saw Kuon nod, she looked back at Yashiro who had seemed to have been left both behind and in complete darkness.

"So, we need to figure out how to handle these interviews coming up, but let's not do that when there are people who haven't been invited to our discussion," the manager said as he looked towards Shou and acted as if he wasn't there to begin with. Kuon rolled his eyes. Yashiro was only defensive when need be, he wasn't one to start a fight with any means other than mind games and wit.

"Hey, this is supposed to be about Kyoko being my girlfriend," Shou said as they all looked at him.

"Fuwa, I don't see that happening," Kuon said with a roll of his eyes before Kyoko approached Shou.

"I do know that my mother arranged for me to stay with your family. I do know that you would never have taken a second look at me if we weren't around each other all the time. I know that I just turned out to be some poor and plain woman, so, I turned myself into the woman that I had wanted to become and you didn't help with that. Therefore, I don't want you to help me now. I definitely don't need you to say you love me when I know that the only person that you're capable of loving is yourself."

Kyoko reached out and grabbed Kuon's hand as he gave it to her, surprised that she was finally turning to him for support in her anger and as more than a mentor or leader. "I am really scared of loving somebody else," she said with tears in her eyes, "but I know that only by taking risks you can find what is important to you. Kuon is my important person and I'm sure he would get rid of you if I ask."

Kuon smiled weakly, "You know I would, but can I drive you somewhere?" he asked her softly as she turned to him surprised, "I have the interview where I'm going to come out with blond hair," he tried to explain. "I need to know the right…"

"Can I come backstage with you?" Kyoko asked as Kuon paused.

"Why?" he asked as she looked at him and placed a hand on his chest.

"I know that you don't want to be forgiven, but I love you and I want to stay by your side," she blushed before closing her eyes, "I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't be acting so forward," she smiled. "I don't think that I should be trying to control…"

"I want you to be there," Kuon said quickly not wanting Kyoko to retreat within herself just as he so often did. "You might coming though…it'll make it look like you're my girlfriend."

"Good," Kyoko smiled. "If you promise to try to forgive yourself and accept her forgiveness, then I promise to try my best to live up to the standards of Kuon Hizuri's girlfriend.

This caused Kuon to cough, "Standards?"

"Well I think a standard setting for this conversation might be in private," Yashiro said before ignoring Fuwa as he tried to guide the couple towards Ren's car. "Can I just say how amusing I find the two of you as a couple?" he asked.

"Careful, Yashiro" Kyoko teased playfully, "I think I should set you up with Haruki Asami."

Kuon chuckled at this, "You need to be more updated now that we'll be a celebrity couple," he smiled. "If you were then you'd see that Asami-san and Hiroaki-san are already quite cute together. Though I would like to see if I could get my revenge as a matchmaker," he grinned to Yashiro, "Why don't you let me play the wingman for once?" he joked still with his stomach being bitten into by the fact that Tina could even give the possibility of complete forgiveness for his crimes to Rick.

"I would do that if you were knowledgeable about love at all," Yashiro shot back with a smile as Kyoko clapped her hand over her mouth to stop the sound of her laughter from being heard. Yashiro was right, Kuon might be able to seduce women, but he wouldn't be able to really be the one to help someone else. Everything for Kuon had been scripted.

Right now, these were the first steps for Kuon to be taking in an unscripted life where nothing was following a plan. They had no idea how things would play out for them.

They would have to spend some time figuring this out.

….

AN 2: Thank you, of course, to everyone who has reviewed this fic in the past but a special shout out to the reviewer of the previous chapter: paulagato! You don't know how grateful I am for your continued support of my work, thank you