A/N: Excuse the slight delay on my other story. Had ACL Reconstructive surgery and have been hopped up on Percocet for a few days. This is one of the stories that I already have finished, so I really don't have to think much about it. LOL. Otherwise it probably wouldn't make any sense. 8)

Chapter 3

He always knew it would be difficult to deal with the pain of knowing that she was viewing him as being cut from the same cloth that Fuwa was or did she think he was worse? Did she really think of him that way or was it his own guilt? At least Fuwa had gotten a response from her in the past, Kuon couldn't even elicit a flinch of acknowledgment from her now. It was almost as if she only saw him as just another grain of sand in a desert. He almost wanted to be despised, reviled and treated like the vermin he felt like. He wanted to be hated and looked at with disgust by her. At least that would be something, instead of this void she'd placed him in. It was almost as if she had removed her heart and him along with it. He often wondered if this was why Fuwa behaved like he did.

He needed time to reflect on her recent behavior and her comments. She had changed too much not to notice, and she obviously wasn't responsible for the way people were responding to him. Certainly he was beginning to regret ever involving himself in another little outing with that model, but he most certainly did not sleep with her, as was implied in the tabloids. He wasn't sure how those particular pictures came about, the woman never even came near his apartment building, as far as he knew. He deeply regretted even sharing a cab with her though. It was obvious she was using the scandal to boost her newfound popularity, even if it was something that could potentially destroy both their careers.

He took a small table in the corner of LA Hearts, to quietly contemplate without any disturbances. He could think quietly, study his script or just check his emails and surf the internet as he waited for Yashiro to come back from his most recent meeting with whomever he was talking to at the moment.

"Mo, Maria-chan... I'm not even sure what you want me to do with that thing. It's creeping the hell out of me." He heard Kyoko's best friend sigh out in the secluded booth, a short distance from him.

"You just need to keep it close to you for a short while. We have to do this for Onee-sama or she'll never be the same again. I don't want those things that Ruto said would happen, to happen. Do you?" Maria's voice sounded very distressed to him.

What on Earth are they talking about? Ren thought as he tried to hear more of their conversation.

Kanae sighed. "I know, I know. It's just all so surreal. If I hadn't seen her behavior, and that thing myself I would have never believed anything that happened. I mean, who does that? I know they hurt her, but was it to the point that she had to do something like that? Don't get me wrong, if I had the ability to do that, I would probably do it too, but how are we supposed to heal it? Don't you think there's a strong likelihood that she'll refuse it once it is healed?" He heard LoveME #2 lecture the child.

Maria groaned a little, and her voice took on a more authoritative and stern tone. "Grandfather, Yashiro-san, Chiori-san, Ruto, and I are all fully aware that she may never take it back. We know that she may curse us for giving help where she doesn't want it. We also know that if this isn't done, something very bad could happen. It isn't about hearts and flowers anymore, it's about preventing something that could actually cause major disasters, disease, and death. You saw the pictures of what she did to that clearing. Imagine that being downtown Tokyo. Imagine that happening around lots of people." Maria paused, and Ren was truly curious now. "Mōko-san, she needs us. She needs to know that we love her enough to do this for her. She doesn't have anyone else. Her mother doesn't love her. Ren-sama doesn't love her. That stupid singer never loved her. She only has us."

Ren listened and felt the pain of Maria's words, and the wounds that his denial had caused in himself and those around him. Wasn't she the one that called him despicable when he gave her the flower ring? Wasn't she the one avoiding him? Wasn't she the one being cold to him? Wasn't she the one that ran back to Fuwa at her first chance?

"Don't even mention those two around me. One has a girlfriend that tried to kill Kyoko and the other ass is sleeping with his manager while constantly pestering her. She'd be better off with that stalker she has, at least he wouldn't be freaked out by her weirdness or play with her feelings." Kanae spat out.

"Onee-sama can be a little strange, and I suppose no one else would understand the situation like Reino-san would." Maria pondered.

Ren winced a little at the tone the two were using, but why did no one tell him about someone trying to kill Kyoko? He was pretty sure they weren't talking about him, he didn't have a girlfriend. He furrowed his brow. I do love her... What the hell is going on? He'd finally admitted to himself. He stood from where he was and turned to the booth the girls were sitting in. "Maria-chan? Kotonami-san? Would one of you please tell me what is going on?" He asked in a worried, yet irritated tone.

Maria started to answer and Kanae touched her arm to stop her. She looked up at Ren and cocked an eyebrow. "You should worry about keeping your girlfriend in line, so she doesn't hurt anyone else. What's going on with Kyoko, isn't any of your business." She tried to tell him calmly, but her anger was seeping out a little.

"I don't have a girlfriend. Whatever you've read in those gossip rags, is completely false." He defended.

Kanae rolled her eyes. "I don't take into account what that trash prints. Your girlfriend flashed the promise ring you gave her for White Day at Kyoko, and bragged about it. You should take care of that little loose end before trying to add another one to your collection, don't you think? Just make sure it isn't my best friend!" Kanae informed him irritably. "If you don't mind, Maria and I have somewhere we need to be." She stood, and she and Maria left with the small ornately decorated box that Maria had been carrying around with her for the past couple of weeks.

He was stunned. Who the hell was going around telling everyone that I gave them a promise ring? Was this why she gave that reaction when I put the little flower ring on her pinky?

Deep in the recesses of the floor that held the Music Section, a dark young woman picked up a 12-string and began strumming a tune she'd heard. It was hard and rough, and her voice sang out in a small studio, attracting others to their instruments. Soon she was accompanied by a drum set, a keyboard, bass, and a 6-string. They all knew the tune, and although it was a cover of the original song, it rang out better than the original with just as much, if not more, emotion. More emotion than some believed she had in her.

Nakazawa stood listening in stunned silence. Not once had he expected this particular girl to have that type of talent. "Kyoko-chan? I didn't know you could sing and play."

She smirked a little, as she placed the guitar back in its case. "I taught Fuwa everything he knows, Nakazawa-san. Why wouldn't I?"

His brow furrowed. "Fuwa? As in Sho Fuwa?" He asked a little confused.

She rolled her eyes and sighed a little irritably. "Is there any other Fuwa in this business?"

He chuckled. "I suppose not. Is that why you wanted to catch up to him?"

The laugh she gave him sent chills down his spine. "I really don't care what that ungrateful ass does anymore." She told him emotionlessly. "I just wanted to see if I still had it in me to play. I suppose I do. It was nothing more than that." She explained.

"Oh... Okay. Well, it was very good. If you ever change your mind about acting or want to add this to your resume, let me or Sawara-san know." He told her.

She nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks." She told him as she walked out. Yashiro was probably waiting on her somewhere, and it was almost time to film Sacred Lotus. Yashiro wouldn't dare comment later on her most recent changes, she was slowly recovering.

A/N: The end of this chapter was inspired by the song: I Am The Fire by Halestorm