OVERSEAS MIRACLES
CHAPTER 25

Suspicious Discovery

JAPAN

"Neh, Ren-sama, I really miss Onee-sama. Don't you feel the same as well?" The eight year old Takarada Maria frowned as she was seated on Ren's lap.

"Honestly, Maria-chan, you don't know how much I want to see her right now." Ren replied, showing a small smile of longing at the girl on his lap.

She sighed sadly. Her life was so different when Kyoko is not around. She felt incomplete. It's like that she doesn't know what to do more. Sometimes, she would just visit the love me room just to sit down or sometimes open Kyoko's locker just to keep on staring at the pink love me uniform. If she is in her bedroom, she would just carry her oh-so-realistic Ren doll that was made by her most precious Onee-sama and admire its very fine details.

"Maria-chan, come here for a sec…" Ren called her.

"Hmm?" she looked back at him.

"Konnichiwa, Maria-chan!" a very familiar face greeted her at her in the tablet that she is now facing.

"Onee-sama!" she screamed in recognition. Words can't express the happiness that she is now feeling. She wanted to cry somehow for seeing the person that she had been missing to be with.

"How're you doing, Maria-chan?" Kyoko asked at the almost teary-eyed girl.

Maria sniffed for a moment before she could reply. And so thus, it took about an hour for them to keep on catching up for everything that is possible to chat about. On the other hand, Ren is just happy to see the little girl so happy to talk with her 'sister'. He had just noticed her strange behavior a week ago after the president went to Hokkaido for a business trip. Then it saddened him to see her looking sluggish when there was no one to confide her. Lucky for him that his next job will start in the next two hours so he had decided to stay in LME. As he entered the lobby, Maria instantly jumped at him and she invited him to accompany her in the Love Me room.

Right now, Maria Takarada is sitting back on Ren's lap as he holds his tab for the girl to speak conveniently to his beloved. He can't help but give this moment to them both.

"Neh, Onee-sama. When are you coming back here in Japan?" Maria asked.

"Oh, I guess that would be after I had graduated here, Maria-chan." Kyoko answered.

As for Kyoko, She brought her laptop with her to the backyard so that she could breathe some fresh air. She tried to check if she had received some online assignments from her physics class. Then suddenly, someone dialed and it happens to be Ren calling her. And there, she just realized how much she missed spending some time with her dear 'little sister'. She mentally noted to give her thanks to Ren after talking with her.

"Onee-sama, I have a favor to ask. Will you teach me how to knit a shawl?" Maria requested sincerely.

"Oh, that won't be a problem! Don't worry, Maria-chan. Once I come back there in Japan, I will teach you all the skills I had learn about knitting. Aside from that, I can teach you how to crochet and cross stitch if you're interested." Kyoko suggested animatedly.

"That's great, Onee-sama! Thank you very much!" Maria replied with so much excitement.

"Nah, you don't have to mention it, Maria-chan. I love spending time with you."Kyoko said happily.

"Eto, Onee-sama. Who is that guy behind you?" Maria pointed at the screen curiously. On the other hand, before Maria could ask that question, Ren's eyes widened alertly. At first he thought the person was too familiar but he couldn't tell who exactly it was. Right then, realization hits him. That blue-grey eyes and light brown hair. There was no mistake that it was his cousin. No, Kuon's cousin.

'Why, isn't it my young cousin, France Bracken? He had really grown mature. Anyway, why is he touching the shoulder of my woman!' he shouted mentally in rage.

"Eep!" she flinched at the sudden weight on her shoulder. Turning her head to see who is behind her, her eyes narrowed as she recognized the person.

''Geez, that's not nice to tell someone that you are already here.'' She hissed in irritation.

"I'm sorry… It seems that you're too busy. I just thought that touching you will just make you aware of my presence. At least, I arrive earlier than expected. You're just being jumpy, you know." He said nonchalantly.

'Bullshit ! Saying words like 'touching you will just make you aware of my presence' what? I don't care if he is my cousin because he doesn't have the right to touch her! What is he doing there? And what the hell is that 'I arrive earlier than expected.' Ren thought angrily, his nerves are about to twitch on his forehead.

She sighed at his casualness and turned her attention back at her laptop.

"Ren, Maria-chan, this is France Bracken, a nephew of Kuu-otou-san and Julie-okaa-san. He's my classmate in theatre arts." She said.

"Oh, hello. I'm Maria Takarada and this is Ren Tsuruga. He is Kyoko's… eh?" before Maria could completely say the next word, she noticed Kyoko's eyes twitching and nose scrunching.

"Maria-chan, don't tell him that I'm his girlfriend."Kyoko spoke in frenzied Japanese.

"But Onee-sama, you already said it. Now he knows…" Maria said anxiously with her uncertain English.

"Nah, don't worry. He doesn't understand anything I said." Kyoko grinned at her victory.

"What is it, little miss Maria? Ren Tsuruga is Kyoko's what?" France inquired at the little girl's unfinished sentence.

"Ah! Uhm, he is her… teacher!" she said quickly.

"Oh, her teacher?" he muttered. 'Why do I get this strange feeling from him? It's like de'javu.'

"Yes, France, he's like a teacher to me. He always helps me when I have trouble in finding my roles."Kyoko added. 'Well, I'm not telling a lie, right? I can't risk letting anyone know of our relationship yet.'

"She's a quick learner if I may say a good student indeed." Ren commented in addition.

"Is that so? But we're going to do our assignment right after this. Since he's not here to personally guide you, maybe I will take in-charge of being your mentor since teacher Ren is not here all the time. What do you think, teacher Ren? It's okay for me to teach her about eroticism since this is the concept that was given for us to dramatize." France placed an arm around Kyoko's shoulder and winked at the laptop.

"…." 'What the heck is he talking about? That bastard… I was not expecting this kind of attitude from him. And they're already in the first name basis? Heck, right. It's America!' Ren growled to himself. His anger and jealousy meter is getting the hell out of him.

"Uhm, Mr. France, what is eroticism? Onee-sama, Ren-sama?" Maria turned her head at the man behind her. Now, this disturbed Ren's thoughts.

"Ah, that one. Hm, how should I explain this." He pondered some words of how to explain the word to a kid.

"You know, the one a man and a woman shares a kiss and they fell on the bed to…" France's explanation was interrupted when he just received a good punch on the chin by Kyoko. Then, he fell on his knees.

"Ouch, that hurts! I didn't do something to you, this time!" he

"You fool! Don't you dare give details that can dirty the child's mind!" Kyoko scolded greatly, the fire in her eyes shows how angry she gets.

"But she asked so I have to answer it to her, dammit!" he argued back as he stood from the ground.

'Hmp. Serves him right. But then a thought crept in his mind. 'No way! Kyoko's anger can attract a lot of guys! And later on, when she collects her rationale, she would came to realize her mistake and apologize to the person non-stop as she do the dogeza which was really amusing instead of getting angry at her. Right after that, a person will get interested at her and will keep on finding ways to hang out with her. That careless woman…. Is this another curse from the gods?' Ren deliberated exasperatingly.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi people! I was suppose to update 2 days after the last one but then, I've been experiencing many aches here and there. Until now, I think I'm still sick.

Anyways, I want your reviews, please! Maybe, it will serve as a medicine for me to update early… *laughs*

THANK YOU!