Always With You
Disclaimer: I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters
Chapter 11 – A private meeting
I beg the reader's indulgence as we backtrack several hours to Julie's 6pm meeting. The order of the retelling has been deliberately skewed so that matters discussed here would be fresh in everyone's mind.
It was Julie's turn to fidget nervously in Takarada's office. It has been one of the hardest things she had ever done to act natural when Kuon was in the LoveMe room. He had looked so healthy and relaxed. When she had last seen him at age fifteen he had been miserable, rebellious, and angry. After he left she has watched every show and commercial he had ever been on in Japan. She had albums of every modeling photograph and "sighting" picture that had been published. None of it had prepared her for how good her son looked in person.
Ren, standing outside the door, was feeling just as nervous. It is one thing to make a spontaneous decision to "drop everything," cut all ties, and start over again in another place. It is another thing entirely to stand in front of the person who was the most hurt by such a rash decision. What made matters worse was that Ren hadn't even contacted his mother once in those first five years. The video that he had made during his father's visit to Japan had been his first attempt to set things right. He didn't know what to expect on the other side of the door.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped in. He was just closing it when he was suddenly wrapped in his mother's arms.
"Kuon," was Julie said as she held her tall son close. The tears from six years of a mother's loneliness flowed freely from her eyes and soaked Ren's shirt. Ren had always loved his mother deeply, even at his most rebellious. He just held her now and let her work out her emotions. All was forgiven.
When she had gotten control of herself Julie had Ren sit. She sat across from him and gazed at him while they talked. At first they used the time to fill each other in on the details of six lost years.
At one point Ren led the conversation to something that he wanted more information about. "I was surprised to find out that you and Mogami-san have been corresponding regularly."
Julie smiled, "When Kuu told me about Kyoko I wanted to find out more. I decided to send my own email and we hit it off right away. Now she has become like the daughter I never had. Lory keeps me updated on her progress just like he always has with you."
"The last I heard, you were calling Takarada-san 'the kidnapper' and swearing reprisals. When did that change?"
"Oh, I knew that your leaving wasn't all his fault. I was just frustrated because you wouldn't contact us. At least he and Kyoko keep in contact with us." (Guilt is one of the most powerful tools in a mother's toolbox).
Then it was time for Julie to takes the discussion to the heart of the matter. "Kuon, you said you wanted to hide your identity until you could stand on your own two feet in the world of acting. Kuu and I both understood. That's why we have remained silent and let you pursue your own future for so long. But I'm not really clear on how you are measuring success; you are considered the most popular actor in Japan. You have received three best-actor awards. You have your pick of roles in dramas and movies. Polls even placed your Katsuki above your father's." Julie giggled, "You should have seen your father when he heard that! He didn't know whether to feel proud or jealous. He was so distraught that he was only able to eat three plate-loads of food that night."
They both laughed at the image, but Julie quickly met Ren's eyes and held them, "Kuon, don't you think that we've been gracious about this for long enough?"
Ren looked at his mother for a long time before answering, "I've been giving it a lot of thought lately, Mom. I agree with you, but there's another complication."
Julie leaned back and asked softly, "Does Kyoko have anything to do with it?"
Ren nodded, "Is it that obvious?"
"To anyone who sees you two together, yes. But I don't think that she knows it."
Ren sighed. "I know. I don't seem to be able to reach her heart."
"I wouldn't necessarily say that. I won't violate her confidences, but I will say that she holds you in the highest possible esteem. Her problem is that she has gone through life expecting to be rejected. Do you know about her mother?"
Ren nodded. Julie's eyes became as hard as flint, "God, I'd like to get that woman alone in a room for an hour or two." She shook the images off and her eyes softened as her thoughts returned to Kyoko. "You should have seen the poor girl waiting for me in this office this morning. I really think that she expected me to spit on her or something."
They were both silent as they thought of Kyoko. "Anyway, I'm sorry to go off-track. I'm confused; what does Kyoko have to do with you revealing your true identity?"
Ren told his mom the story of meeting Kyoko as a child on his visit to Japan. Julie listened in amazement at his tale. She marveled at how fate had brought the two young people back together after so many years.
"So let me get this straight: Kuon, are you the boy that Kyoko talked about on The Rumiko Show the other day?"
Ren smiled ruefully, "Yes."
"Amazing." She sat silently, reviewing everything carefully before she spoke again. "Ok, I have a proposal for you. I know that Rumiko will not stop until she exposes Kyoko's past with that Fuwa Sho punk. I'm going to see her tomorrow and I need leverage. It's decision time, Kuon."
Julie explained her intentions in detail. Ren thought about it carefully and asked one question, "can you trust her to sit on this story?"
"Rumiko and I go back a long, long way. She'll cooperate."
"Ok, then. I'll do this for Kyoko. Not that she'll ever respond to my feelings."
"As I said before, I don't know about that. I saw the way she was looking at you when you came in the LoveMe room. You just keep being persistent." Julie smiled teasingly at her son, "You better catch that girl or I may disown you and keep her.
"And don't take too long. I want to play with my grandchildren before I die." She coughed dramatically, "and I don't know just how many more months I have before the end."
Ren stood up, walked behind his mom's chair, and wrapped his long arms around her, "Mom, you're going to live forever."
Notes: Sorry for the short chapter. It didn't seem to be right to combine it with the next portion of the story.
Thanks again for your reviews, etc. It is encouraging to know that people are reading.
