-Oxford - Wednesday: Part 8-

"Kyoko are you okay?" Juliena's voice caught his attention, he watched Kyoko carefully as she slid down to her knees. If all she had just slid to her knees he wouldn't have been so bothered but the fact remained Kyoko had begun to cry. Keiji knew that she began to realize something and that it was not sitting well with her. Add in the fact that Juliena voice was full of such worry that Keiji knew that his mom would be able to likely to defuse this problem. He might as well make sure he dialed Ruto seeing as he likely had more information about what had been going on in her head since he been away. 'I told you this was a bad idea to bring her here.'

Stepping around Kyoko his eyes darted towards Ren before looking away and opening the door. The man seemed to be frozen to Keiji, 'So many useless people trying to win her affections.' Keiji poked his head into the room before spotting his mother. "Mom, Kyoko. Now." There was no reason to pretend that this couldn't go sour and the fact that he had ordered his mother didn't seem to phase her, maybe because of the way he had done it. He half expected to her at least glare at him but instead, she just dropped everything and ran. Kyo wasn't known for running, speed walking, her temper, her ability to control a room and everyone in it. Yes, but this time she wasted no time. She ran and was out the door in no time.

He had stepped inside the room during this process and was now leaning against the wall near the door with his eyes closed he heard Ruto picked up "Kyoko needs you." he hung up knowing that this meant that Ruto would quickly assure Maria's safety before he would rush over.

'Now two more things to take care of, first these people' Keiji turned and smiled at the room with worried looks. He gave a shrug of his shoulders as if to say he didn't understand what had happened, well in truth he wasn't exactly sure what it was either. Only that something once again set her off and he was pretty sure it had to deal with Sho. Something she had figured out about herself and maybe about him. 'What though?' he stared down at his phone sending one message to Lory;

We have a pest problem. - K

Oh? - L

Yes, it's bottled blonde. - K

She alright? - L

I'm taking care of it. When will you be here? - K

Not until about 5 tonight, needs to look like I'm there to see Kuu. - L

There is more. I don't have the information yet but I'll get it. - K

I'll see you around 5, take care of her. - L

Always. - K

Pocketing his phone Keiji left the room.

'Shit' Ren stared down at the girl in his mother's arm. 'If I was Corn...' then this wouldn't be a problem. Yet that part of him can't be allowed out anymore. He paid little attention to Keiji leaving them before kneeling down at her side. Her face was buried in his mother's chest as she ran her fingers through Kyoko's hair but from what would he could tell that was not actually soothing her either.

"Kyoko-chan" while he couldn't be Corn perhaps if he called her to her like he used to maybe she would open a little more to him. She stilled for a moment and he expected her to say something but nothing came. Not a correction, just that stilling of her being. 'Well it's an improvement' he moved a little closer touching the side of her cheek to turn her face towards him but she jerked and back away from him. Not just him but even his mother.

That pained him that she would move away from him like that, his mother shook her head and he dropped his hand. "Kyoko won't you tell us what's wrong?" There was no response, no sign that he heard her. How could he get her to talk to him?

"You know he can't take you away right, Kyoko?" his mother said moving closer to her, taking her hand. She didn't jerk away from his mother's touch.

'Did this have something to do with her being kidnapped?' Ren ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out a puzzle he felt he didn't have all the pieces yet too. Ren watched as she pulled her knees up to her chest wrapping her arms around them, she wasn't looking at him or even his mother. That worried him.

"You don't understand... you just don't understand. How can you?" she shook her head burying her face into her knees.

He felt frustration with this whole situation. The kidnapping, that blonde trying to claim her, the fact that he was positive that she was the girl from his childhood now. "Of course we can't understand if you don't tell us." That was the problem in the first place, not having all the information not knowing how to help when she wouldn't talk to them.

"Just... go away." she didn't even bother to look at them but she sounded so defeated. Yet what possibly could make her sound like that? If anything she should feel relief that the blonde was gone, that his father would know and be able to keep an eye on someone she cared about. Yet that wasn't the case, so what the hell was he suppose to do if she pushed him away?

That only got worse when Kyo opened the door. Whatever chance he had in Kyoko opening up to him, to him finding another piece of the puzzle he felt was just out of his grasp disappeared. He felt her eyes on him the bitterness that flowed from them before she pushed him out of the way. Kyo had never been one to treat her family and friends in this manner. He stared at her back for a moment as he sat there confused more that she would shove him away when he was trying to help before turning towards him, "Tsuruga leave us." the words were polite but there was no kindness them, to her right now at this moment he was thorn that needed to be removed.

Yet he had no desire to leave. Kyoko was his friend well she was Kuon's friend and that didn't change for him. Now her importance made so much more sense to his heart. Most of all she still believed in the person he used to be before the darkness of this world took hold of him leaving him broken inside and trying to rebuild anything of himself again. That's why the next words she said to him hurt so much more, "This is family business. Get Lost!" The anger the disgust that showed in her eyes made him feel like he was falling back into the bit of darkness. He grabbed his watch for a moment before looking towards his mother, he saw the pain in her eyes before looking away. 'I'm not Kuon... I'm Ren' he balled his fists trying to control his emotions.

He didn't notice Keiji had returned until he felt a hand on his shoulder, the patting him, "Come on." he said simply. He waited while Ren lifted himself off the floor, and without question, he began to follow him down to the end of the hall.

Kyo hadn't been sure what she was going to see when she left. All she knew was that Keiji had sought her out, clearly, he was not able to deal with it. Otherwise, she would never have been called to handle the matter. She stared at the three people on the floor, Juliena was holding Kyoko's hand, while Kuon 'No he's not Kuon… he's Ren now' knelt trying to get her to open up. Something Kyoko wouldn't do, no this girl kept so much inside of her not wanting to worry people. Not wanting to cause problems. 'Ren needs to go' she thought as she pushed passed him kneeling in front of Kyoko 'Ren's feeling mean nothing to me'. She couldn't allow herself to care what he felt or thought of her actions, Ren meant nothing to her. He was not her Godson, this man was a stranger and didn't belong here. It was what he had wanted in the end after all.

"Kyoko…" Kyo reached outran a hand through the girl's hair before darting towards Juliena for a moment. Silently asking her if she knew what was wrong. Juliena just shook her head. 'Of course, she wouldn't know, I was hoping for too much.' Still, Kyoko was not emotionless she was crying, holding herself, acknowledging that Juliena was trying to soothe her. This was actually a good sign based on what Lory told her last time. "It's not that bad Juliena," she spoke quietly towards the woman. No this was likely a matter that Keiji didn't want to deal with vs not knowing how. Maybe a mixture of the two, maybe he knew how if it had just been with those who knew the truth but because there were two people here who were clueless he didn't feel like attempting to deal with the matter. The first step would be to get Ren Tsuruga to leave, then figure if it is something that can be dealt with Juliena around or not.

"Tsuruga leave us." There was no reason to be nice even when she saw the hurt in his eyes but he hadn't moved clearly making up his mind that he was staying and that she would not allow that. Her eyes narrowed, "This is family business. Get Lost!" she allowed her anger and disgust in what he had done to his mother show. Juliena placed a hand to her mouth looking at her son before looking away Kyo knew she understood. This had been Kuon's choice. If he had remained perhaps she would do what she was going to do with Juliena, get an idea what it was about and go from there. Had Kuon remained she might have been willing to test the waters before chasing him off but she would not have been so cold, so forceful. Kuon didn't stand here though, she had not seen or heard from Kuon in four years. All she was just trying to do is keep Juliena strong to bear with it all. Now she had to keep her goddaughter together.

Keiji exited the door looking between the four of them before shaking his head. Kyo eyes narrow, he had disagreed with her choice in this matter but he didn't know who Ren really was. He had been too young to remember the boy's face, even two years prior to him disappearing from their lives he had never been super fond of going to the shows, he rather just go to school and study. The truth of the matter Keiji wouldn't have bothered to show up here if it hadn't been for Kyoko, she knew that. Neither of her sons cared about the fashion world, neither of them wanted to be models. Her son had just began to study more forms of dance and had been so focus on it that minus a video chat here or there, they didn't have any real contact in those the last two years and the way he had been going she really didn't want her youngest to pick up those habits either so it had been for the best. At least at the time she had thought so.

She caught him moving towards the Ren as he placed a hand on his shoulder patting it some. "Come on" Keiji moved away before stepping forward and taking Ren's arm and pulling him down the hall. Yes, Keiji could deal with Ren. Now she could focus on seeing where Kyoko's mind and go from there.

"I will not apologize Juliena, don't ask me too," Kyo said moving closer to Kyoko, Juliena looked down at her hands. There was a silent understanding. Right now this was not the matter to discuss, Kyoko didn't know the truth about that boy. 'I'm only doing what he wanted in the first place.' She reached over and lifted Kyoko's face from her knees. "Tell me what's wrong, what has upset you?"

Kyoko shook her head, pulling her hand free from Juliena as she wrapped her hand back around her legs. 'Perhaps it is something that Juliena needs to be away from... but...' her eyes darted around the lobby for a moment. 'No I can easily make them leave that won't be a problem' she thought as she looked back towards Kyoko. The girl seemed didn't seem heartbroken no it was something else. Disgusted with herself perhaps? 'What have you realized child?'

"I can't. I just, can't hate him." she shook her head "I should, I should but I can't." There was so much disbelief in her voice, so much pain. Kyo could only guess it had to do with one of two people Tomi or Shoutaro, but she hadn't seen either of them in months now. So really could it had been caused by either of them or was it just her mind had wandered again and she realized something about one of them?

Juliena seemed to understand and smiled brightly, "Maybe that's because you love him Kyoko. It's hard to hate someone who you love no matter what they do to you." Just like that Kyo knew for a fact the way she froze up for a moment, the way the room seemed to grow darker around her. That it was indeed Shoutaro, but how did she see that boy? Kyo knew his name, but that was about it. There was no one here by that name either, 'But wasn't he aiming for showbiz perhaps he changed his name' that wasn't uncommon, didn't she go by Kyo instead of Kyoko.

"You don't understand!" she snapped taking both women by surprise for different reasons, Kyo had been lost in her own thoughts but she was sure when it came to Juliena it was the statement itself. Juliena truly didn't understand and unless Kyoko explained it to her she would remain in the dark. Kyo watched as Kyoko got to her feet and started to pace back and forth. 'Yes she's doing better... and we can kinda of talk about this without chasing Juliena away.'

Juliena looked at Kyo who just shook her head, silently telling her not to ask because it wasn't her place to say. Juliena gave a small nod of her head before they both turn to look at the girl who now was pacing back and forth This had not gone unnoticed by Kyoko their silent conversations, "You are correct Kyoko, I don't know what it's like to have gone through that." she said softly standing up as she crossed her arms watching the girl, "but Juliena isn't wrong either."

Kyoko wanted to laugh, 'Just because I did love them doesn't change anything' she wanted to argue, didn't both of them leave her? Her first real love, a love she had truly chosen for herself and the one she grew to love after they had been chosen for her? She knew logically that one's first love is never meant to last, didn't make it hurt any less. 'No I don't hate Corn, I miss him' she said placing a hand on the small blue stone 'He left a small part of himself with me...' she shook her head as she thought about Shoutaro, 'I thought I loved him until Corn... and then... I learned the truth. When the old man died... while I didn't cry in front of him he still comforted me, he knew I was hurting. I fell in love with him because he had been so kind. After all, I had been promised to him since I was a child.' she took a deep breath as she kept pace. 'I gave everything to him, I opened my heart to him. He then threw me away, used me for his own goals, his own dreams. Like always... but I always forgave him. Even now... in a way...' she shook her head, 'I don't love him. I just don't hate him. I, after all, gave him so much of my being... more than I ever gave Corn even.' she narrowed her eyes.

"She is wrong, I do not love him" she dropped her hand from the blue stone "Still I can't hate him, it would be like hating a part of who I am or was or something like that" she mentally shook her head as she paced. She didn't know how to explain it, all she knew was that this could not be the correct way of thinking. How could it be possible that yet again she was somehow forgiving him for the pain he caused her? Is there no limit to what he could do to her that she wouldn't just end up forgiving, that thought scared her.

'No I just owed him a life-debt but haven't I already paid for it? So why does it feel like destroying his career is wrong?' she paced back and forth. 'I don't want him dead either' her eyes narrowed 'I want him to regret it, I want him to regret what he did.' she held her head as she turned once again. She knelt down, her head on her knees. Trying to understand what this all meant, what she could do about it.

Juliena watched her, "You just haven't been in love." she winced as she saw the look on Kyoko's face. There was something dark and scary about the way she looked. Juliena took a step back behind Kyo who didn't seem the least bothered by it all.

"No, I have. I've loved with every fiber of my being. Sometimes, love isn't enough." she said turning away from the hurt expression that played across the woman's face. "Love is just painful no matter how good it may seem at first."

Juliena moved forward but Kyo shook her head placing a hand on her shoulder as she did so. Kyo looked at Kyoko she closed her eyes, "You are correct, love can be very painful, a love you had is a perfect example but" she moved forward turning Kyoko to look at her "there is a love like I have with Dachi or like Kouki had with Lina."

"I don't even want that." she said turning away from her, her hand touching the Corn stone once more, "That kind of love is even more painful when it disappears. Even if my brother can find someone who makes his heart light again, it'll never be the same. They will never be Lina and a part of him that will always wish it was," she turned and walked towards the hall. She needed to get out of here she needed to think, to figure out her next step. 'Heth... I need to destroy him... I need to find a way to put Shoutaro in his place...'

Keiji looked back some as he heard, someone shout, likely Kyoko. 'Guess it's not going well' he said leaning against the wall and looking at the taller man. 'Suppose he did try before mom got there.' All he knew right now that was Kyoko was understanding something about herself and he couldn't help her figure it out because that wasn't his place. To play between people who couldn't know or shouldn't know to guard that whole area while she worked it out. None of that was something he could handle. If they had been somewhere more private then that wouldn't have been a problem. He most likely could understand her better than anyone right now.

One could say he could read people but that wasn't exactly what he did, he read the environment he was in. Trying to dodge people all the time at school he got really good at it. He could tell when something was just a bad place to be when he was over his head when to give in when to fight. It all played into who he was and he could put the pieces together quicker than most. Just how his mind was programmed. Just like he could tell this guy was trying to hide something, some sort of pain in just how he held himself. There was something else he needed to do. He had to break his connection to Kyoko it would only result in her getting hurt. He didn't belong in their world, he didn't belong in her world most of all. 'Maybe in the future, but right now. No.'

First things first, he had to make sure he wasn't bothered by his mother's words. Seeing as he could tell she didn't even fully mean them. "Don't take it to heart, what she said."He watched as Ren's eyes turned towards him. If he hadn't seen the flicker of something more, something broken he would never have noticed but he knew Cody, Amanda, David, he knew them all and he knew how they hide their own pain, to survive in the world they were living in. 'This guy is good' something clicked in the back of his mind he just didn't fully know what it was yet, "Do you think that darkness can overwhelm the light?" He watched as the man stood next to me stiffen. He said nothing but the motion was enough, he was playing with fire, Keiji knew that much right now but he went on.

"Juliena's son, he walked out on her, on us. Did it while she was away. Not even a letter behind. Traveling because life got too hard, that's what my mom said. He needed it. All we can do is be there for the people he left hurting. I say he fucked up and ran." Keiji didn't miss how his eyes narrowed. Still, he went on, "Just like that guy. He hurt someone and only thought of his own needs. Neither of them understands the messes that they made and those of us who are left to pick up the pieces." he said his eyes turning towards the hall.

"Guess it doesn't matter, people who are weak are meant to be destroyed. Just how the world works." he closed his eyes, he didn't notice the pain that washed over the man's face. "That girl though, I feel bad for whoever gets on her bad side." he opened his eyes looking towards Ruto, "She draws powerful forces to her, without even noticing it." he gave a nod of his head Ruto walked passed them, "Bring her to Kyo's room." the man nodded once. "She's off limits Tsuruga. You aren't strong enough to stand by her side at this time."