-Oxford - Thursday: Part 16-
Kyoko watched as Yashiro took Maria's hand. She smiled warmly at the little girl who glanced back between them before settling once more on Kyoko's face, she could only nod her head and watched as Maria sigh heavily before turning her full attention on Ruto. Kyoko eyes trailed back towards Ruto, she tilted her head some as she stared at him and finally understood it wasn't her he was staring at some firmly but Ren. Turning her head quickly towards Ren she frowned slightly before finding her looking back and forth between them. They were clearly having some sort of communication and whatever it was, she could tell Ren's mood was going quickly sour. 'Why?' she knew that Ruto was pretty protective over her and she welcomed it for some reason.
It made her understand what a family really should be like, or at least the connections that she had always desired was held between her and her family now and that included Ruto. 'I really am very lucky' she couldn't help but smile at that thought. She noticed as Ruto's eyes seemed to break away from Ren thought there was no real movement from what she could see, only she could sense there was a change.
Ren knew what Ruto was telling him, he didn't want her to move out of his site, or more correct Kyoko was not allowed to be out of his sight, that he was not off the hook. It became rather clear to him quickly, it didn't matter that Lory might be fine with it, which from what he could tell Lory didn't seem to have any issues after saying his piece, but Ruto had not been pleased 'Guess talking alone with her for a moment is out of the question' of course he wasn't exactly sure what he would say all he knew was that he wanted a moment, 'I'm leaving tomorrow night' and that pain in his chest hit him again. He suddenly wished he wasn't Ren Tsuruga, that he had never left home, not if it meant being with her but the moment he thought about it the moment he realized that if he hadn't been Ren Tsuruga then Tomi might not have contacted him to get her, because he wouldn't have been here in Japan, more so not in Tokyo. This whole thing was becoming an annoyance, no matter what it just seemed that Kuon had no real place it was just him as Ren Tsuruga the character that Kuon had created to heal himself had a place in this world.
Kyoko, "Did you do something to upset Ruto?"
He closed his eyes pushing those thoughts out of his mind before flashing her a smile, "Why would you think that?"
Kyoko frowned at him, "Really Mister Tsuruga, that smile doesn't work with me." she sighed heavily before shaking her head, her hands folded perfectly in front of her. "Besides if you won't tell me, I'll just speak with Ruto." She turned away from him fully making up her mind to go and speak with Ruto and find out what the look was about.
Kuon or perhaps it was really Ren he wasn't sure anymore reached grasping her upper arm, "Wait..." he sighed heavily running a hand through his hair, as she turned her for attention towards him as he left his hand slip down her arm for just a moment before releasing her completely and hating it the moment he was no longer touching her. "It was the photo..." he barely spoke above a whisper and he wasn't sure why he was feeling shy about it all. 'What the hell is wrong with me?' he mentally cringed, it wasn't like Ren so perhaps it was really Kuon slipping through his mask again. Kyoko stared at him for a moment her eyes narrowing slightly but he knew right away she wasn't really seeing him at a moment, that she had the little gears in her head moving and he like so many years before found himself just happily watching her.
Ten-year-old Kuon sat on one of the larger stones, his legs dangled just slightly above the ground where Kyoko stood deep in thought, he had taken a seat when he realized that she was in deep thought. He had asked Kyoko a simple question, or at least he had thought it was. Sure he knew lots of little girls who wanted to grow up and get married to their Prince, he happened to be that Prince for most of them. It bothered him that girls looked at him like that, but Kyoko seemed different somehow he actually enjoyed being around her. She made him smile, she made him laugh, he made being the Fairy Prince Corn feel amazing. It was clear she trusted him, trusted him maybe because she believed he wasn't from this world but it didn't matter he was happy. He loved spending his summer here even if it was only for a very short time, even if it was only because his father was working.
Kuon couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he watched the little girl before him working out her hopes and dreams. A dream that wasn't just about Shoutaro, who for some reason he found himself slightly annoyed about. It wasn't jealousy but it just seemed to him that Shoutaro wasn't all that kind to her or nice, that the whole reason she had come to this clearing was to release her pain and sadness because her Shoutaro-kun couldn't handle her tears. It bothered him more than he could ever admit to anyone, even himself how it just seemed she was doing everything. Everything in her power for all the people around her and she did it with a smile as if the very thought of others being happy meant more to her than anything else. He couldn't understand it, but as he watched her eyes widen and a smile fell across her features he knew that she had worked out something that didn't deal with Shoutaro, at least he could hope it didn't.
"I have two dreams besides being with Shoutaro!" she said happily as she moved closer to him, looking up at him with so much happiness and clearly hope that he wanted to know that he couldn't help but melt at the expression that she held.
'How can one little girl be so cute?' he wondered, never really finding anyone that adorable, not really. "What are they Kyoko-chan?" he leaned forward, his arms draping on his legs as she beamed up at him.
"I want mommy to pat me on my head, to tell me she is proud of me," she said brightly before her eyes seemed to dim slightly. "Do you think she will one day?"
Kuon felt his heart being yanked out from under him, he didn't know what it was like to not be loved by one's own parents, actually, he wouldn't mind if his parents didn't love him so much. The way they always fawned over him, praised him even when he messed up or didn't do something perfectly, the way they talked about him to anyone who would listen. It always bothered him, it was embarrassing really but here was this little girl before him who didn't know what that was like and likely never would. Still, he couldn't crush her dream, "One day I'm sure she'll do something even more amazing than that for you Kyoko-chan" he spoke softly, he didn't know what, but he could hope. He could wish with all his might that she would find happiness couldn't he?
She nodded her head but it was clear she didn't really believe it either and he couldn't blame her not when little he did know about her mother. Kuon knew he had to change the subject, perhaps her second dream would be more realistic. "You said you had two dreams, what's the other?" Her eyes turned up towards him before looking down, he watched as she shuffled her feet slightly as she held the edges of her dress and he once again couldn't help but feel that she was just far too cute. Yet he knew she was being shy, so he flashed her a smile "It's alright if you don't want to tell me Kyoko-chan." Not that he didn't find it hurt somehow that she wouldn't.
"No! Corn I want you to know..." she said grasping his knees slightly which he realized just put her about at his waist from where he sat. She looked down slightly as she spoke far too quietly that he almost missed it all together. "I... want us to always be together."
Kuon found himself fighting the urge to push her away, the countless other people who had befriended him, all wanted something from him and for a moment, for just a second he thought about all those other people who claimed to be his friends wanting to use his family name. His parents were not only rich they were famous, perhaps one the biggest movie actors in the world was his father and his mother was one of the world's top models. His parents didn't' want him yet going into the world of acting, but in another year or two they would allow him and he couldn't wait. Yet he knew from the kids in school how people saw him and that was that they didn't see him at all and he felt the fear that perhaps she realized who his father was and that was what this was all about. He could only get one word out, "Why?"
Kyoko face flushed with confusion as if she didn't understand why he was asking such a question but she looked up at him with firmly, "Because Corn is very special to me. There is no one who can replace Corn in my heart." she placed a hand over her heart as she looked down, almost as if she was being teleported very far away, "I don't want to be in a world without you."
Kuon stared at her, he was in pure shock over her words. Then a pain stabbed him deep in his chest, "Kyoko-chan, our time together is really short" he didn't know exactly when he was leaving but he knew for a fact he would be returning to America, with his father. Where his mother was waiting for them.
Kyoko heart seemed to sank, "Does that mean..."
Kuon smiled at her as he placed a hand on top of her head, "All that matters right now Kyoko-chan is that you are very special to me too" and that was the truth of it, he would live happily as her Fairy Prince Corn until he left, they would spend most of the day together, he would do whatever he could to make this a memory she could treasure.
She lifted her eyes towards him, before wrapping her arms around his waist hugging him tightly, "We will always be friends right Corn?"
Kuon looked up towards the blue sky, he felt his heart being torn but there was no way he could be honest with her. "Yes, Kyoko-chan" and he hated himself because he knew he would never see her again once he left Japan.
Kyoko, "Mister Tsuruga?" Ren looked at her and smiled softly, waiting for her to go on. "I know I burden you today..." she spoke softly, far too quietly actually but as she lowered her head in a full bow. "But thank you, thank you for being so kind to Maria." Kyoko didn't lift her eyes up again, she simply waited with her head bowed for him to address her. She had to keep herself from jumping out of her skin when she felt his hand on her shoulders, pulling her gently back up, she still didn't lift her face towards him and she felt her heart beating faster as his hand lifted her chin so that she was staring into his brown eyes, that seemed to hold something just beyond them.
"It was my pleasure Kyoko" she flinched slightly as he called her by her given name and he sighed in disappointment. "Surely you can accept me using your first name. I call Maria by her given name."
Kyoko frowned "Yes, but I rather you call me Lady Kyoko or Miss Takarada."
He couldn't resist, he knew he should have expected such a response from her. She had been like this even as a child. "You didn't seem to mind last night." He noticed the red flush that seemed to appear all over her body. He mentally noted that she found when she was the one taking the lead for such contact but when it was directed at her, she became easily embarrassed, almost pure in nature. 'She is in most ways, even with all that has happened to her...' he found himself having a hard time controlling the anger that thought lead to and then her arms were wrapped around him, his eyes darted quickly towards Ruto and he hated it the moment his eyes had, she had released him.
"Thank you again Mister Tsuruga, but we both know the truth of the matter last night." She bowed her head once more towards him. This time her voice was a little louder, likely because she had drawn attention towards them, "I do not know what I would have done if you had not been so kind to me, I am really sorry that I made a mess for you and my family to clean up. I truly am sorry for the trouble I caused you and your friends." This time she raised her head, and he found himself almost drawn into what she was saying. Almost as if before him had been a very scared little girl who was now troubled for being so terrified in the first place that she had been placed into his care and that someone had misunderstood it. All that had come across his features before she simply looked back down at the floor.
Ren's hand wanted to reach out, to pull her to him once again but he held himself in place and flashed a smile, he noticed her flinched likely because unlike the rest of the world, she knew it was not real. "It's perfectly alright Lady Kyoko" he had to hide the bitterness that was wanting to flow as he spoke those words and he watched as she seemed to shrink even more as he spoke. "It's nothing to worry about." His voice softens, "Please don't apologize, I am always happy to help you."
Kyoko lifted her eyes towards him, there was kindness and sincerity in those last words and she smiled. "Thank you for being so kind" she caught herself before she moved towards him before she kissed him on the cheek like she found herself wanting to do and instead gave one more bow of her head and made her way towards Maria and Ruto.