A/N: The movie I'm referring to in this chapter is "High Spirits". Wonderful, funny movie. Alas, I had no part in its creation or in the idea of it. Disclaimer given. 8)

Chapter 28

"You're pretty cute for an Asian girl. You don't look anything like one. I think you'll probably fit the part really well." He told her hoping she would be too stupid to see through his backhanded compliment. He was always the type to break girls down and then swoop in to pick up the pieces.

She smiled brightly, seeing right through him. As if she'd never in her life been insulted before… Amateur. She smirked at the thought with a little bit of Natsu peeking through. "Why thank you, and for someone that doesn't take care of themselves you seem to do well also. I might add that I'm impressed with your acting ability, most people that have been placed in the industry by their families, usually fail quickly." She smiled cordially, turned away from the stunned arrogant male and walked away to talk to her manager.

Cedric stood there in silence, wondering if she'd actually complimented his talent or insulted him by saying he wouldn't be where he was without his grandfather. Not only that, did she really think that he was an out of shape slob or did she really think he looked good? Well, either way he couldn't really refute any of what she'd said to him. He didn't take care of himself. He drank too much, he had been known to indulge in chemical happiness, and lately he'd only been getting parts because of his mother and grandfather. He'd been failing pretty badly recently and his family was picking up the slack for him.

She would know by the end of the day, before she left the studio, whether she got the part or not. In order to prepare for the part, she'd watched the older version of the original film. Searched for the book it was based off of and studied the script as one would study for a final exam. The original actress was somewhat good for the part, but Kyoko felt that there was a little something missing. Yes, it was a romantic comedy, but Kyoko felt that the background of the character really wasn't seeping into the film as it should have. When the female lead, a ghost, was running around avoiding her murderous ex-husband, the feeling wasn't there. It felt like she was just running around and waiting for the male lead to just happen along. She wasn't fearful enough. The respect that she would have been forced to feel for her arranged husband wasn't there. The denial of her having a lover, wasn't convincing. This is where she would start. She also wished to make Mary more convincing as the young lady of a manor, as a woman that had lived almost 300 years ago, yet was aware of modern times and tired of being murdered nightly by her husband Martin. For Kyoko, it was kind of a fairy tale.

By the end of the day, the producer and the casting director had decided on Kyoko. They had been worried that she would outshine Cedric for the film, but she had actually led him to do better. They honestly weren't certain how that had happened. The young man had been slowly slipping in his abilities lately and they thought for certain that a talented actress like her would have steamrolled him in the act. They definitely had chemistry, but it was more of a type that Kyoko had manufactured to pull along the fading young actor. Not that they were complaining. They couldn't resist having her. Working with such a talent was a very rare occurrence and they felt that if they didn't latch onto the opportunity, someone else quickly would. They firmly believed that she could make everyone in the movie and the movie itself shine once again. Perhaps even more so this time around.

She was bursting with excited energy in the limo that Kuu had sent to pick her and Yashiro up. She bounded out of the door and into Kuon's arms the moment she saw him standing in the front yard as Kuu and Yukihito helped gather their luggage. She'd packed so tightly and so well for her stay that she'd only had two suitcases as opposed to Yukihito's two suitcases, one overstuffed garment bag, his carry-on, and his laptop/briefcase.

"I GOT IT! They really liked me!" She squealed excitedly.

He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead. "That's wonderful. How about we celebrate?"

She nodded vigorously and suddenly realized that they had witnesses to her little display. She blushed furiously then fought it down. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to be ashamed of showing affection. She wasn't ashamed to show it before Sho trampled her feelings, and she didn't want to be that way anymore.

Kuu chuckled and pulled her from Kuon's arms into a hug. "I knew you could do it. How about we go in now? There's someone I want you to meet." He told her warmly.

She started to feel a little anxious. If it was Kuon's mother, she wasn't sure how to react. She didn't have a very good history with mother figures. Her own mother and Sho's mother were a testament to that. Her own mother had completely washed her hands of her, going so far as to not even register her birth. Yayoi Fuwa had turned her back on her once she discovered that she no longer had any interest in marrying Sho and forcing him back to filial servitude in the ryokan. Kyoko thought the woman had to be happy with his current situation. What would Kuon's mother think of her? Would she hate her for prolonging Kuon's stay in Japan? Would she think that Kyoko was trying to steal away his love for her? He hadn't really communicated or seen her in almost seven years.

"You okay?" Kuon asked when he noticed her hesitation.

She nodded a little nervously. "I'm fine… Just a little jet-lag, I guess." She lied. She honestly wasn't ready to meet Juli yet. She wanted to run in the opposite direction as quickly and as far as possible at the moment.

Kuon could see it. "Don't worry… I'm here and so is Dad. It'll be okay." He comforted. He sighed as he placed his hand on the small of her back and escorted her into the house. "Kyoko-chan, trust me… She'll like you."

Kyoko looked up at him with a smile. Outwardly she looked completely relaxed and confident; Inwardly she was a maelstrom of negative thoughts and emotions. She didn't know what to expect. She supposed Kuon knew his own mother better than anyone else. She nodded. "Okay..." She tugged on his collar and kissed his cheek.

The first thing she noticed was the elegant and comfortable large inner hallway, family pictures dotted the walls, an elegant dark walnut sideboard, beautiful marble tile that led to a carpeted room off to the side, and an elegant modern design chandelier lit the way. The next thing she noticed was the unholy stench of something that she couldn't identify that was burning. She suspected it was rather crispy at this point, probably more like a charcoal briquette to be precise. Animal, vegetable or mineral she couldn't decide.

Kuon groaned. "Sorry… Mom decided she wanted to treat us all to dinner. I think at this point it's quite well done." He told her apologetically.

Kyoko giggled a little, feeling a bit horrified inwardly. She'd never smelled food that had been that abused before. Fuwa-san, Takatsuki-san, and Kuu had never exposed her to anything like it. Maybe there's something to women not cooking for the ryokan or the restaurant for a reason. She thought grimly as the younger pair watched Kuu blur past them to the kitchen in a hurry, mumbling crap, crap, crap.

Kuon chuckled. "Looks like Dad's got this." He turned to Yuki, behind him. "How about I get you and Kyoko settled in." He picked up a couple of bags and nodded toward the staircase with glass insert railing. "Your rooms are this way."