AN: This is another shorter chapter but it doesn't have a lot of forward movement so I feel that that is okay. Thank you for choosing to read this chapter and thank you for your patience when it comes to updates of this fic. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter Seventeen – True Love

Kuon stared at the email he had just pulled up on his phone. He was waiting for Kyoko to arrive so that the two of them could go to a private park where they could just walk around in nature. He wasn't expecting to have something like this pop up. He had truly expected to have to work a bit harder to achieve this. He sighed as he looked over the details and remembered how excited Yashiro had been when he had called.

"Kuon, you've received an offer for the lead in an American independent movie. Apparently, the director is a huge fan of Japanese culture and has seen you in many projects that he wants to use you. He says you have just the right image for him."

Kuon really hadn't known how to approach the situation. For such a long time he had wanted to get an offer like this one. For so many years he had wanted to be given the opportunity to act, not in Japan but in his home country. However, now that he had something more important to him, the news seemed bitter sweet. He didn't know how to tell her.

"Hey there," Kyoko grinned as she came up to him. She tilted her head to the side as she saw a few wives of business CEOs start chatting about the two of them. "You will never believe how much convincing it took the security to let me through, even though people know that you're my boyfriend, I'm still invisible."

Kuon laughed weakly but didn't say anything. This was an indication to Kyoko that something was going on and she reached out to take her boyfriend's hand.

"Kuon?" she asked before he sighed, "Is everything alright?"

"I have some news to tell you, I think it's good but it has a lot of negatives as well. Maybe you could help me figure out what to do, but I wouldn't want to ruin this date for us," he said as Kyoko stood firm. She didn't know what he was going to say? Had he learned that he had impregnated someone when he was fifteen and they hadn't told him and now that they knew how to track him down he had to be a father in America….or was that just a little too crazy.

"I can take it," Kyoko attempted to assure her.

"I have a job offer after the drama finishes," he said as Kyoko grinned and then laughed as she let herself relax.

"What's so surprising about that?" she asked as she looked at him curiously. Had he hit his head? He was the former Ren Tsuruga, job offers just fell into his lap because people wanted to work with him. Also, with how adorable his natural look was, she wasn't sure why people hadn't been fighting to get closer to him.

"It's in the US" he said and Kyoko paused. Now she understood what the negatives were. She hummed but she knew what she wanted from him even though it would mean that she would have to be away from him. She knew that she was important to him because he was important to her. This was his chance of accomplishing a huge dream for him. There was no way that she would be able to stand in his way and act as if everything was alright.

"That's amazing, Kuon" she said with a smile, "I'm so happy for you."

Kuon smiled, of course she would say that. Kyoko wasn't going to be someone to step in the way of his dreams, but personally, Kuon wished that she could be just slightly more selfish. He didn't want to leave her, but he understood now what Lory was saying about those girls who wanted him to protest them leaving the relationship so that they would feel special. Kyoko hadn't even acknowledged tha-

"I mean," Kyoko said thoughtfully, "I'll miss you so much, but I might be able to visit and if not, I'll wait for you. I'll be eager to show you everything that I'll have been working on. It's not as if you're going to be gone forever."

Kuon nervously rubbed his upper arm, "Kyoko, if I perform well at this job, there might be more offers over there. My parents are over there and it's where I was born and raised. I might achieve my dream of becoming an American film and TV star."

Kyoko looked down before raising her head with a smile, "That would be amazing for you, Kuon." She sniffed and touched a hand to her face as she tried to stop a few tears from exiting her eyes. It wasn't fair to be so manipulative to him. "I mean, I'd miss you a lot but I love you, if that's what makes you happiest."

"It's not what makes me happiest," Kuon told her as Kyoko looked at him confused. Wasn't that his dream?

"I know that that was your goal all along. You came here because you wanted to establish yourself as an actor and once you were able to fly away from your father, you wanted to try to get American jobs and you should, American movies have more international appeal than anything that you could do in Japan. It would be strange if you wanted to stay here forever," Kyoko attempted to smile up at him. Kuon reached forward and then pulled her into his chest.

"My greatest dream is to be with you, Kyoko," he told her. "It's why part of me doesn't want to go. I know that we'll make it through but then I intend to come back here for you," he said as Kyoko felt a smile creep over her lips. She felt slightly guilty about it, but no man had ever done that for her, turned their life into something similar as something she gave to Fuwa.

"I love you," Kyoko whispered to him as he guided her face up for a kiss. "Do you think that I could ever become a star in America?" she asked as Kuon laughed.

"I think when it's your chance, you'll get to be a more prominent star than myself and my dad combined. You have no idea how talented you are, Kyoko. I don't think that I'll be able to match your ability in a couple of years," he told her. He felt that he was speaking honestly but from the way she was looking at him, it seemed that she disagreed.

"Maybe I'll match your talents from two years ago in a couple of years, but I think that you're always going to become a more and more talented actor. You're the former Ren Tsuruga. There isn't anyone who can beat you in your charisma, elegance, and passion. Your ability is something that every actor strives for, including me. I am so lucky to have you as my boyfriend," she grinned to him as Kuon laughed and shook his head.

"I am the lucky one to get you as my girlfriend," he said. Kuon sighed as he let his fingers go through his blond hair. "Alright," he nodded. "I'll go, but I'm going to take a lot of pictures of us so that I can show them off and tell everyone that that is my girlfriend."

"Then I'll do the same. I don't want anyone thinking that just because my amazing and wonderful Kuon is away from me that they even stand a chance." Kyoko took Kuon's hand and looked up at him eagerly as he gazed upon her as if she was a beautiful work of art, which in some ways she was. "I love you. I'm so proud of you, so proud that I'm with you."

Kuon kissed the top of her head, allowing himself to draw in the scent of her and he gestured towards the park, "Should we start walking?" he asked as he held her hand. She lifted her hand and drew it towards her lips.

"Thank you," she told him as he looked back at her confused, "Thank you for helping me find the ability to love. It's a beautiful emotion once you've found someone who feels it back, someone who cares about if you're okay and would never hurt you."

"I would never do anything to harm you," Kuon attempted to promise as Kyoko grinned and Kuon couldn't help but think about how beautiful she was. He didn't know why that escaped so many people. His girlfriend was beyond gorgeous and her heart was so strong and so warm. He knew it had taken her some time, but he was thrilled that this woman was his girlfriend.

…

…

After they had finished walking through the trees and past the flowers and nature, Kyoko felt that she could see inside of Kuon and to his heart. Every time they came across a bird or other animal, Kuon seemed to know information about it. Kyoko felt a little silly when she thought about what a future with Kuon might be like. She could imagine the two of them having a small house and maybe a cat or a dog. In fact, maybe she should suggest Kuon getting a puppy. He spent a lot of time alone, was energetic, and was sweet enough to care for a dog well. Well, when he came back from America she would suggest it to him.

"When you talk about nature and animals, you look amazing," Kyoko said and Kuon blinked at her. "It's as if I'm seeing the Corn from my childhood," she said. "I am so lucky that we found each other again. I am so thankful that we are able to be together. I can now see that there is nobody else I'd rather be with."

"I feel the same way," Kuon said as he held her close to him. "My princess Kyoko," he said as she smiled at him.

The two of them paused however, their bodies becoming incredibly still as they noticed a few camera flashes and wondered if there was anyone around them. Kuon looked up before noticing how a crowd had formed and that they had accidentally wandered off into a public area of the park.

"Guess our star power has too much of an attracting light," he told her as he remembered the commotion that had happened during their first public date and how much of a nightmare that had been. Noticing the guilt on Kuon's face, Kyoko reached up with her hand and pulled his face down gently. She kissed him passionately in front of the cameras before draping her arms loosely around his neck.

She giggled as she felt him pick her up and she deepened the kiss. When they parted, they both gazed into each other's eyes with such passion and adoration of one another. Kyoko didn't feel that she was using Kuon at this point, but she was happy that she was able to distract the cameras. She just hadn't understood how her heart would always feel that it was blanketed with light.

This was what real love was? Her and Kuon. This was what they said that dreams were made of.

End of Chapter Seventeen

AN2: Thank you so much for those of you who were patient in waiting for this fic to update as well as any new supporters or readers I may have gained since then. A special shout out to my reviewers of the previous chapter: DreamIdol, EmmaLasagna, Guest, and Sara

Wow, I cannot believe that the last chapter was a month ago. I feel guilty now but I hope this chapter made up for it 😊