Chapter Thirty Three – Are You Proud?

Kyoko looked to the TV screen as she folded some clothes that she had recently purchased. She watched the replay of the drama and the story unfolding as her and Kuon played their roles She really had grown so much as an actress during the time she had been at LME. She had herself to thank for that, her hard work, but there were also so many other people. She looked at the clothes that she was folding. These were nicer than the ones she had worn when she had auditioned for the agency.

Hopefully she would still stand out when they got to Los Angeles. American girls were always said to be so beautiful and those in Southern California were anorexic beauty queens wanting a shot to get famous. Kyoko had been managing her diet for years, making lists of what she should and should not be eating. These girls made it a competitive sport. Surely Kuon would want someone with more experience.

She looked down before sitting on the bed and sighed. She would ask Julie if she could help her get a better figure to impress Kuon with. She could see him standing out and using his charisma to draw people to him. Kuon wouldn't have any problems being an American actor but she was just some girl from Kyoto and there were many Americans who didn't know where Kyoto was.

Kyoko looked down before her attention was drawn to Kuon as he entered the apartment. She hadn't approached the subject and asked him how he felt about returning to somewhere that had given him so much pain especially since the video had come out. She was hoping for the best for both of them.

"I've got some great news," Kuon said with a grin. "Boss did something amazing."

"He's…he's helping with the plane tickets?" Kyoko asked before looking down, her cheeks turning red and Kuon shook his head. He watched her. Receiving these gifts for her was different than it was for him. He was used to living a luxurious lifestyle. It didn't seem that Kyoko had the same opportunities.

"Boss is letting us use one of his properties. This one is a beach-front property. I wonder if I'll still be able to surf, I've grown a lot since I used to do that," he said and Kyoko watched him. She remembered the time that she had spent with him in Guam and how she had gone to the magical ocean to see the mermaids and he had wanted to spend time under the water with the fish.

"Is that okay?" Kyoko asked nervously. "I mean, if the president…if he really needs tha-"

"I think it would be more of an insult to him were we not to take it," Kuon attempted to remind her and Kyoko nodded. Everyone spoiled her these days and it just made her wonder whether her mother would have seen the drama and if she had, what were her plans about it. Kyoko looked at Kuon and nodded.

"Do you think that you could teach me?" she asked with a sweet smile as she took in her handsome prince.

"Teach you to surf?" Kuon asked before nodding, "let's see if I need to retain myself but we can go swimming, enjoy the beach. I am a huge fan of the beach," he grinned and Kyoko looked at him but smiled softly. She hummed to herself as it crossed her mind. They would be in America. Kuon would be back in his home country where he would be speaking English without being in character.

She would get to hear how amazing his voice sounded when he spoke in his natural language in his natural tone every single day. She only hoped that she was enough for him.

…..

…..

Kyoko took a deep breath in as she stood in front of the Fuwa ryokan. She had told Kuon that she needed a few days for herself but she hadn't told him why. She felt that he understood where she was going and why. She took a deep breath in before walking towards the inn. She had phoned Sho's parents and they had offered her lodgings for the two days she was here.

Walking forwards, Kyoko smiled as Sho's mother came out to greet her. Shotaro's parents hadn't ever been truly supportive of his seeking fame and fans but she hoped that hadn't carried onto her. The only way she would ever run one of these ryokans was as his wife and he had made it clear that he didn't want that.

"Hello," Kyoko said with a formal bow – in just the way that this woman had taught her – "It's nice to see you again. Thank you for allowing me to stay."

"Of course," Fuwa-san smiled as she gave a half bow to the woman in front of her. "I heard about the drama that you were in. The photographs that I saw in the guest's newspapers made me happy that you are doing so well. I also heard you were dating Tsuruga Ren."

"Hizuri Kuon," Kyoko corrected her and Fuwa-san nodded slowly.

"Yes, I think I did hear about that. Are you happy with him? Does he treat you right?" Fuwa-san asked and Kyoko offered up and energetic smile and nod. Despite the fact that Kuon had some obvious flaws she was happy, she accepted that he was this way. She wanted to be with him despite those problems.

"He treats me well, he's gentle and patient with me," Kyoko said before looking around nervously. "I apologize that I wasn't able to make things work out with Shotaro. I had believed that he was my prince but I'm scared that I just gave you false hope about our situation."

"I am angry at that boy for using you like that," Fuwa-san said honestly. "I still love him with all of my heart but I am angry at him. I am happy that things turned out for the best though. I wanted to know about your life and your career. So, why are you visiting now?"

"I…" Kyoko bowed her head, she wished that she could honestly say that she was just there to show her gratitude to the people who had given her so much and to say goodbye to them if she never returned but she had to be honest. Fuwa-san had always noticed when she was lying, she hadn't been a great actor during that time. "I wanted to see my mother. I truly expect her to turn me away but I'm going to try," she said hopefully.

Fuwa-san nodded, "I understand. I haven't heard from Saena-san in a few months but I believe that she still is working for the same law office. I can give you a ride tomorrow if you'd like."

"I'll find my own way," Kyoko said before blushing. She turned back to the car that was behind her and Fuwa-san's eyes widened. Maybe it really was a shock that she had driven a Porsche here. Maybe Fuwa-san hadn't believed that she would ever even own a Porsche or have a driver's license since those were so much rarer in Japan than in America. Still, Kyoko had learned from Kuon and she took pride in that. He valued his car highly but he had let her use it whilst he was going to take a business car if he needed to.

"This is my boyfriend's car," Kyoko tried to explain and Fuwa-san walked over to it.

"May I touch it?" she asked and Kyoko nodded. She knew that Kuon wouldn't mind. He had his own things to think about and technically he was going to be leaving it in the president's house's garage for months whilst they were in America. He wouldn't have control of it but Kyoko didn't see the president letting others use it. "It's amazing. Your boyfriend is very wealthy."

Kyoko opened her mouth but she couldn't argue with that. Even though he wasn't using his family's money, he had built up a lot of wealth himself during the time that he had spent within Japan working as an actor. She imagined that with two working actors and models that the Hizuri sat upon quite a fortune. Still, Kuu was one of the most down to earth guys she had met, in everything but how much he adored Kuon.

"I was thinking of taking it to the law office, maybe grabbing their attention so they'll let me in," Kyoko laughed and Fuwa-san smiled to her. She wanted to protest that Kyoko didn't need to do that but knowing the firm that Saena worked at, any affluence that Kyoko could show might work to her advantage.

…..

…..

Kyoko walked into the lobby of the law offices. She would sit down and wait if they weren't able to give her the opportunity to meet with her mother. She heard gasps as people turned to her. Usually she remained unnoticed even though she had been acting for a while. It was probably the exposure that Ren had brought to he that made her stand out.

As she looked around, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned with a smile. She quickly bowed, "Todoh-san," she said quickly, "It's been a long time since…"

"Our meeting," he nodded as he pushed his glasses up to steady them. "I saw the drama that you were in. You did good work."

"Do you know if…if she saw it," Kyoko asked and Todoh shook his head.

"I don't think that she did but I'm not sure. You do remember how much of a private person she is. Have you come to see her?" he asked and Kyoko nodded. "Could you please take a seat?" he said as he gestured to a waiting area in the lobby and Kyoko did so. He seemed to disappear from her view quite easily and Kyoko sighed.

She had made the right decision in coming there, right? She sighed as she sat down but was more hopeful that she could see her now that Todoh-san was helping her. Was he someone special to her mother? Could he make her heart blossom again in the same way that Kuon had done for her? Kyoko closed her eyes and let her hands rest on her knees as she tried to practice the speech she had made.

Once she heard the elevator ding about ten minutes later, Kyoko stood and saw her mother exit with Todoh-san, she walked over to her and dropped down into a bow.

"Hello, Mogami-san," she smiled as she rose and Saena raised one of her eyebrows.

"What on earth are you doing here?" she asked whilst avoiding eye contact with her daughter. Kyoko smiled as she steeled her heart against the pain.

"I'm going to be moving to the United States temporarily. I managed to get an acting job," she said, "I was in a -"

"I don't have time for silly things like movies and dramas," Saena said and Kyoko continued to smile though she felt a slight sting in her heart from this dismissal.

"Of course," she nodded. "I just wanted to say goodbye to you before I go, thank you for you know…my existence," she laughed.

Saena shook her head, unable to see Todoh rolling his eyes behind her. "I hear that you are traveling with a man," she said and Kyoko smiled happily. "Don't allow him to dupe you," Saena warned before walking away, "We're done here," she said and Kyoko paused. Admittedly she had received more from that interaction than she had been expecting.

Todoh said a quick farewell before following Saena, "Well," he said with a short chuckle and Saena hummed a little annoyed, "Did you watch the drama?"

Saena paused, "Unfortunately," she replied, "I did."

End of Chapter Thirty Three

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Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Thirty Two

Erza, H-Nala, Kaname671, SpiritedRanger, zeynel