-Oxford - Wednesday: Part 2-
He had a hard time taking his eyes off of her but he did my best, he moved slower than he had meant but that was because he was still feeling like that he didn't belong here. The world she created though he had requested to be there was still somehow forbidden for him. His eyes trailed towards Ruto who seemed to not notice his discomfort. Her eyes followed him and he felt even more unsure about being here. Still, he settled so he was more less right in front of her. He had chosen to sit crossed legged.
"I didn't expect you to be here so early" she looked away from him and he couldn't help but smile as he rested his arms on his lap. It felt right, to be here with her while she played. The fact she wasn't playing her flute meant that they could talk a little 'Did she do this for me?' he knew as soon as the thought crossed his mind that he was wrong. She likely switched between the two. It hurt him that this wasn't just for him but still he found it hard to look away from her.
"I had a hard time sleeping" Her eyes turned towards him for just a moment before looking back to her instrument as her fingers danced across the strings.
"I'm sorry, I'm sure last night had been harm for you. I must have put you through a lot of stress with all that happened.. but I did not expect to come across someone who had hurt me."
Ren tried not to groan at the fact. It almost slipped his mind that such things had happened to her. Almost, he had been more focus on the little blue stone she called Corn, seeing her in that wedding dress the intimacy that had been found within that little world she had trapped him in and it had been hard not to want to do more, he had been slightly frustrated how each time he attempted to kiss her that she would back away in such a way that. Like she was used to dodging advances. Yet she had twice kissed him, true on the cheek but while the first wouldn't have caused him to be so restless it was that second one that had done him in.
"That's not what kept me from sleeping last night." Part of him had wanted to tell her exactly what it had been but the way she sounded so happy made it far too hard to say anything more. He liked to see her smile, he liked to hear the sound of happiness when she spoke.
"I'm glad to hear that." and they fell into a comfortable silence. Her music filling him even as he sat trying to figure her out.
He knew better than anyone that it's not uncommon for that kind of thank you in the Western world. 'I wondered if perhaps because I am Japanese that she was trying to figure out if it was proper for her to do such a thing.' He wanted to laugh 'Only I was raised in America', no that wasn't exactly correct Kuon was, as Ren is a Japanese man he was born in Japan. 'She's Japanese...' and then that inner voice hit him over the head. 'She grew up in England' His eyes trailing towards the blue stone around her neck 'or did she?'
"Is it okay to talk while you play?" He noted the way she seemed surprised, he supposed having spoken so suddenly had been the cause of it not so much that he had asked. Still, she looked back down giving only a slight nod of her head and I couldn't help but smile at her. 'I feel like an idiot how she can so easily get me to smile without the acting.'
"I thought we could play 20 questions." there was no difference in her motions so he went on, "You have to be honest when it comes to the questions. If you are caught in a lie you have to pay up. The payment can be anything as long as it doesn't go against your moral code or break any laws." He leaned forward stopping himself from reaching out and tilting her chin to look at him. "It will only last until all the questions have been asked so if I don't catch it prior to the end then I can't force a punishment on you." He leaned back on his hands, watching her. She just played and I wondered if my movement had caused her to freak out. 'Of course, it would, how many times last night did guys force themselves on her. Maybe she could tell what I wanted to do' I mentally sighed wondering how I could correct this.
"I will give you ten questions." It threw him slightly that she would only go with half the questions but he figured it wouldn't be too hard to get the information he really wanted and it should give him a few other questions to ask her. Just not as many as he was hoping.
Sighing he knew he would have a harder time easing her into his questions to make sure she fully opened up. The best thing is that he was pretty good at telling when people were lying. His eyes turned towards her for a moment 'Even when she acted she used the truth, I don't even think she knows how to lie. Withhold information yes, but lie?'
"Deal. That stone why is it important to you?" The way she suddenly stopped told him that this was a subject she likely didn't want to talk about. It made me wonder why she wouldn't be so willing to talk about it. He watched as she recollected herself before once again beginning to play.
"It is my most prized treasure."
'Why was I expecting more of an answer. Don't women usually like to talk your ear off about every little thing?' He was feeling annoyed that she hadn't responded like a normal woman would. Telling him a story about some fairy prince… that's what he needed from her and she didn't even hint at that being the case.
"So you lived Kyoto?" He couldn't help but ask that. He was sure that she did after all that stone was found there and even if she answered simply he figured he could prove that it was a lie if she denied ever being there. 'All it takes with this girl is a bit of pressure and she starts to get nervous.' His eyes trailed toward Ruto, 'Well as long as he doesn't do anything to put a stop to it.' His eyes turned back towards her as she started talking.
"Great Grandfather lived there. I spent much time with him as a child."
'So she has been to Kyoto.' His eyes turning towards the blue stone, 'But that Kyoko never talked about a Grandfather… she talked about her mother, the Fuwas and a boy name Shoutaro. Is the Grandfather his?'
"He lived near the man I was betrothed to. He was very kind but he didn't take very good care of his health. Worried all the time about his daughter and his grandson, my father."
He felt cold inside he tried to recall the young Kyoko from his dreams ever saying anything about being promised to Shoutaro but could only recall that it was something she was going to do and she seemed very happy about it as a child. Even if she had so much sadness in her small heart.
"He died so very suddenly. I can still remember his smile though, he always praised me for my cooking but he always lectured me about cleaning his home, it was very traditional style and fit the area but even with the staff there that helped keep the place in order. I'd often find something that needed to be done. Besides I could tell he was lonely, he missed his daughter and Father was busy. He understood but it still made his heart sad."
There was the pain in her voice, his eyes darted towards Ruto but whatever I had expected to see was not written the moment I looked at him and I found myself looking back at her. 'It makes sense if she was there visiting her grandfather and her future husband's family… why it could hurt her so much. Lory said that her mother wasn't in the picture, could she had appeared at some point in her young age and still rejected her?' He closed his eyes, 'Would Lory force such an arrange marriage?' He couldn't be sure the man was a bit crazy when it came to love and maybe it wasn't him in the first place. This only left him with more questions.
"Great Grandfather house is still owned by Father isn't it?" His eyes opened and he looked at her noticing that she wasn't talking to him anymore. She was including Ruto now, perhaps the subject of her grandfather made her heartache and he felt guilty for causing her unneeded pain. "We must go there sometime. I would like to see the place once more."
"I'm sure your Father would enjoy that." He heard Ruto speak the words.
'She will return to Japan?' he couldn't believe his ears. For some reason, he figured she would grow and live here within the family. Kouki had left Japan to live in the US and women didn't tend to leave the area they grew up. Besides she was really close to her family here. The thought that he might cross her path without having to figure out ways or reasons to come to the UK made him smile. 'It could work… if I can convince her to stay in Japan…' then he felt the pain in his chest 'But I don't plan to stay in Japan forever.' His eyes watched as she played. If she got that from her grandfather then she may not want to stay. The memory seemed to hurt her as much as make her want to visit the place she sent time at before his death. Yet he doubted it was from him but he wanted to make sure regardless.
"So you got it from your Great Grandfather?"
"No." He felt annoyed that she didn't say anything more. She just spent a good amount of time talking about her Great Grandfather. To not say something more than no was not sitting well with him.
'Maybe if I can get her to say something more about where she got it from or even who' he mentally thought about how to go about this, to direct wouldn't help he wanted to get as much information as possible without her freezing up on him. "So you got this from a souvenir shop?"
"No." He couldn't help but pitch the bridge of his nose this time that he missed the fact that she was looking at him.
'Why is she making this so difficult?' He could feel the other side of him laughing 'Did you expect her to be like all the others?' he mentally growled at the thought ' No but I expected more than no.' he mentally sighed. "You didn't or they didn't?" Her hands still and he looked up at her she was looking at him, 'shit I spoke that out loud' he ran his hand through his hair in frustration was new.
"That's two questions…" He fought the urge to argue with her. Yet he couldn't deny that it could be taken as two questions, one was after directed to her personally the other wasn't. It wasn't exactly fair but it was smart to break it up as two. He sighed accepting it this time. His error had costed him dearly.
"But no I did not and I do not know where they got it from."
'She's enjoying this isn't she?' he thought bitterly before mentally sighing. It was clear that he would likely have to be more direct with her and just ask her. He was running low on questions he could ask and she wasn't giving any real free information out to him.
"Who gave it to you?" he felt his true self-slip out as he asked the question this time. He wanted a single answer the answer he was pretty sure was the truth at this rate. 'Just tell me it was me.' he felt sure that this was the girl. Why else would she hold that stone still all these years?
"It was given to me by a childhood friend," he watched as she turned back to her koto, her fingers dancing on the strings but the music was not calming him at the moment, he felt anger and depression 'when the hell did she get this stingy sharing information with me?' He wanted to run his hand across his face but fought the urge, Ren wouldn't be getting this annoyed or upset about it. So he couldn't let himself be. 'Just say my name Kyoko that's all I need to hear. Well maybe you aren't her…' his eyes widen slightly as a small smile played across his lips.
"Why did they give it to you?" He could remember the day. She had been so upset that he was leaving, crying when he had given it to her. Telling her about its magic. What he hoped it would do to help ease the pain in her heart.
"It was a parting gift because of the sadness in my heart at the time. They told me that they hoped that the stone would reduce my tears."
'That was true. I told you it was magic. Don't you hate that it was all a lie?' I was sure with her words that it must be the same Kyoko of my childhood, no "They must have gotten it from a local." I saw how she was confused by why this would matter, but it mattered didn't it? That the magic wasn't really that it didn't give her someone she could lean on anymore? That I wouldn't even tell her where I lived, I could have done that. I could have kept in touch with her instead I just gave her a stone. "Doesn't it bother you that they likely lied to you?"
"It does not matter if they did." I couldn't believe the words she said. How could such a thing not matter? Nevermind that she was a little child but I had been older. I had to know her answer why it didn't matter to her that I had lied, that I had just left her with nothing but a memory and a stone.
"Why not?" Perhaps it had been alike but she seemed she so lost in her thought that I didn't want to call her out. I knew she was likely trying to figure out how to explain it to me based on the expression on her face, the way she seemed to be pained. The pain I was sure I was the one who caused. I wanted to pull her to me and apologize to her. To tell her she didn't need to say anything more.
"I believe with all my heart that stone was very dear to them. It could not have been easy to give it away... something that brought them comfort to someone they hardly knew. Still, they did so" I couldn't believe her words, yes at the time the stone had meant a great deal to me I had debated giving it to her. She could tell that much even then or was this from years later? "and even if they didn't truly treasure it. It's magic worked. So their desire for my happiness was pure enough to allow it to work." The smile she showed me, a me she didn't realize was looking right back at her eased the deepest part of my soul, "I would think if it had just been words, the magic would have failed long ago." I knew then that the childhood memory she had of Corn was not something I could ever destroy even now. Still, I wanted to hear my name, the name she gave me. I needed to hear it for my own selfish reasons.
She rose to her feet and stretched the kinks out of her body. "What was his name?" Her eyes trailed over to his.
"I'm afraid you already asked 10 questions… and besides, I never said it was a boy" she closed her eyes shaking her head, "You shouldn't just assume it was." As she went towards Ruto he replayed the conversation in his head. It was true she hadn't said once if it was a boy or a girl who gave it to her. Only a childhood friend. He wanted to laugh, why would she not say as much?
He watched as she began to wrap the koto, "Just guessed with a name like Corn it was a boy." He couldn't deny that he wanted to tease her just a little. He felt sure, the story, for the most part, matched there were some things that bothered him. Yet what she did say, none of it came off as a lie, nothing went off that she was hiding anything from him either. 'I'm sure it's really her. Maybe the fact that Lory sent her to live in England is the reason she never spoke of her father when we were kids.'
"Have you met many men with the name Corn?"
"Not exactly." he smiled as he watched her movements 'Just me, by you.'
"Then it can easily be a name a little girl gave to a stone so that it would feel more real to her once she was left behind. To ease the pain that caused in her heart." He felt a stab to his chest. 'I guess even as Corn I hurt her badly. Have I ever had a place in this world?' his eyes trailed towards the edge of the necklace, 'maybe it was just that I disappeared but the time together is precious to her still. Why else would she keep it? She called it her prized treasure.'
Just as she finished wrapping up the koto, he noticed the sound of footsteps. His head turned towards the man who had dared to enter this world. To take his time away from her. His eyes narrowed as he recalled the policeman from the other day, the one that she had said wasn't right. His eyes darted towards Ruto who had moved towards her. 'He's fast… can he tell?' his eyes turned back towards the man. 'What am I missing?'
A/N: I wasn't going to do this part but you I saw H-Nala's comment and I thought you know what. I'm going to. So hope you enjoy Ren's POV.