Chapter Thirty Two – The Ultimate Offer

Kuu sat silently as he looked around the bedroom as Julie slept. The Lake in the Park was nearly done but it had given him some important moments that went beyond just seeing Kuon act. His son was incredible. Kuu had always known that. Still, he was happy to see the maturity in Kuon as he acted and the fact that he had come out to the public as himself. It made Kuu want to stay around for a bit longer but it would be hard to find an excuse to do that and he knew that Julie was missing the runway.

"Hmm," Julie hummed in her sleep, "What are you thinking about, darling?" she asked without opening her eyes and Kuu grinned as he turned to her. He looked at her for a while before closing his eyes. "Kuu?" Julie asked again and Kuu smiled down at her.

"I think I might want to continue directing," he said and Julie laughed.

"Sounds nice. I'm sure that there are a lot of actors who want to work with you back home," she told him and Kuu felt his stomach twist. Was it that bad of an idea to want to stay in Japan and see his son at least a few times a week.

"I was thinking of staying in Japan," he told her and Julie opened her eyes to sit up slowly. She watched him, she frowned slightly before yawning.

"You don't want to go home yet?" she asked knowing that there were producers who would want Kuu for their movies and her for their TV shows and fashion projects. She still looked extremely youthful despite being the mother of a man in his twenties. "Maybe we could convince Kuon to come home, find him a job."

Kuu shook his head with a laugh, "I doubt that he'd go. He's started to learn that family is more important than his career. I didn't realize that until he was fifteen and he was in pain. I think that Kuon has really matured and I want to give him that choice."

Julie smiled softly, "Maybe we could stay here for one more project or just to see how this one turns out," she suggested. "He won't cut us off again. At least, I don't think that he would cut us off again. I hope he doesn't."

"I know that he won't but when we go back to America, we might only see him a few times a year," he told her and Julie shook her head stubbornly.

"Every month. I'm going to arrange that every month that there be at least a few days I can stay in Japan and see him. I need to make up for the lost time," she argued and Kuu nodded slowly. Maybe she was right, travelling back and forth might be easier for all of them. He was happy for Kuon though. It took a great woman to change your dreams for and Kyoko was a great woman.

…

…

Kyoko blushed as she sat down at the small table in the living room and turned the TV on. She was happy that Kuon had come back and that he seemed to be suffering a little less. People had started to move on from the videos of his past and turn to other news. She was watching a news report on foreigners when it suddenly turned to something about The Lake in the Park and she got a little nervous.

She turned in the direction of the bedroom wondering if she should wake Kuon but felt a little better when she didn't. Kuon needed to sleep. Kyoko pulled her knees up close and then looked down as they spoke about her and her blossoming as an actress and the layered performance that she had given Pandora.

She had always been ignored in the past but they were highlighting her now. She might not have been able to give that performance were it not for Kuon and although only teasers and trailers had been shown, the first part of the drama would air very son and she didn't want to lose momentum in her career. That made her think about Kuon's career. For such a long time, he had wanted to return to America and become a Hollywood actor, was she just standing between him and his dreams?

So much had changed for the two of them but Kyoko needed Kuon to feel secure in his choices even if that didn't include her.

As she heard noise from the direction of his bedroom, she got up, leaving the TV on so that she could listen for his name and went to prepare some tea for them. She thought about how far she had personally come, not only as an actress but the fact that she could be with Kuon and prepare him tea and food and not feel like she was a maid to him. Unlike Shotaro, when he said that he'd be in a certain place, he would do whatever he needed to do to meet her in that place.

She hadn't felt the loyalty of any man the way that Kuon was loyal to her.

As she made the tea, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her and turned to smile at the tall blond, gazing into his emerald eyes. "Hi," she breathed out as she approached him and put a hand on his chest, stretching her fingers out. "How are you feeling today, Corn?" she grinned.

"I'm feeling wonderful that you're here," he said and Kyoko blushed again. "People have been telling me how amazing you are as Pandora and I have to believe that. You're the best thing in the drama," he smiled and Kyoko shook her head.

"I think that you are," she told him as she felt him wrap her up in an embrace. Despite the stories about his childhood and the way that the media had seemed to attack him later, she thought the world of him still. It was like in that Disney movie Hercules where Hercules decides to give up his position as a god and instead live a mortal life with Meg. Kuon seemed to be living a mortal life with her.

"We'll have to agree to disagree, won't we?" he asked her. "I have to meet with Matsushima-san today, there have been some more job offers so I have to read over them and pick the ones I like most. I can't accept everything, unfortunately."

"I know that you can't because you're a wonderful actor in very high demand," Kyoko grinned and Kuon put a hand to her cheek, lifting it up and leaning down for a kiss. Sometimes the height difference made things difficult but it was an easy enough thing to ignore. He pulled back after the passionate kiss and Kyoko hugged him again.

"I really am going to make you tea," she said gesturing to the kettle that was on the stove, "and soup. You have to have something to eat with the tea," she told him and he looked around.

"May I help?" he asked and Kyoko nodded.

"You can chop the vegetables and try to slow down when you do it," she advised as she took out the ingredients and Kuon stood back. Kyoko looked at him. "Are you sure that you're okay staying in Japan?" she asked and he nodded. "Really, Kuon, we can do long distance if your dreams are still to go to America. Your parents are there and I know that that's been what you've wanted to do as a kid, long before we actually met as children."

"And dreams can change," Kuon told her as he selected the knife.

"If it's about the videos," Kyoko said quickly and Kuon shook his head. It wasn't about the videos. The videos would haunt him for the rest of his life but with any fear, he had to push through it and think about the more important things in life.

"It's not about the videos," he said hoping that she'd believe him. "I want to stay with you. That's the dream that I want to follow most. I don't care about being a big fancy Hollywood actor if it means risking the sacrifice of our relationship. I mean, I don't want to scare you but I imagine us getting married, having kids, growing old together. I hope that doesn't terrify you that I think that."

Kyoko smiled widely as she mixed the stock and other liquid ingredients. "It doesn't terrify me at all. I want the same things," she admitted and Kuon turned to her.

"Even the part about having kids?" he dared to ask and Kyoko – to his surprise – nodded.

"I wouldn't mind having kids," she said honestly, "as long as I had them with you."

…

…

Kyoko had received four calls from Sawara-san that morning and she was a little nervous about what that meant. Had she made a violation of her contract somewhere, was there some scandalous video coming out about her. Hopefully it meant good news but Sawara-san hadn't said good news, he had said important huge news and that could mean that she was being let go by the agency.

As she entered his office, she saw a man sitting there who looked foreign. She walked forwards nervously and then dropped into a bow. "Hello, I'm Mogami Kyoko, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said before getting the foreigners name.

"Keith Parsons," he said as he stood up and Kyoko recognized the voice. They were from California because they sounded like Kuon when he spoke in his regular voice. She smiled as she thought about how cute he sounded with his proper voice and not speaking in Japanese. "I heard that you know a little English."

Kyoko nodded, "More formal than not," she said as she straightened her back. "I learned a little when I was growing up and my boyfriend was born and grew up in California," she said and Keith nodded along to that. "How may I help you?"

"I traveled out here because I wanted to offer you a supporting role in my movie. It would mean spending about a month in California but I'd be happy to pay for all your expenses getting there, find you somewhere to stay and help with whatever needs to be done, well not me personally but one of my assistants."

Kyoko stopped. She felt her heart pound in her chest. He had come all the way from America to speak with her about a job. She found the guilt in her chest. She had never imagined that somebody would come for her but now that it was happening, she didn't want to admit to it. She wanted to take it because who didn't have dreams of acting in America but she would feel so guilty when it came to Kuon who was willing to stay in Japan for her.

"I'm really honored," she said nervously, "It would be great to work on it but I can't do that," she said and Sawara looked at her in shock. "I'm really sorry but, as stupid as it might sound, I want to prioritize my boyfriend. I wouldn't be able to -"

"You're the second person to turn me down today," the director commented and Kyoko looked at him curiously. "The male actor I asked told me that he wanted to stay here and be with his girlfriend."

Kyoko looked up, her eyes widening, "The male actor, could it be that his name is Hizuri Kuon?" she asked and the man nodded. Kyoko blushed a little at hearing that response. "I suppose you've seen The Lake in the Park or at least the previews?" she asked and he nodded. "Is the role that you offered Kuon-kun still open?" she said and he nodded slowly.

"Then, as Kuon's girlfriend, we'll take the roles," she said. "I'll let Kuon know as soon as possible."

So, Kuon would be achieving his dream and Kyoko would be there progressing in her career as well. Dreams really did come true.

End of Chapter Thirty Two

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Thirty One

H-Nala, Kaname671, paulagato

I can't believe I started this fic in April 2017. It's pretty old