Always with You
Disclaimer: I do not own SkipBeat! or any of its characters.
Chapter 25 – The world turned upside down
How would you feel if you went to sleep as a relative unknown, and woke up as almost a national icon? Kyoko hadn't changed, but it seemed as if the world around her had lost its mind.
Before we explore that story we'll let the poor confused girl visit with those she loves and who love her.
"You should've eaten, Corn," such simple words to convey such an intensity of love and concern. In a moment of epiphany Ren finally realized that she had been saying "I love you" every time she had confronted him about eating or made him a meal.
His beautiful face, shrouded in that startling blond hair, ran with tears as he spoke, "I love you, Kyoko. I think I fell in love with you when you were only a little girl in Kyoto. I think that's the reason I could never find anyone else to love. I have always been waiting for you."
"Really? You really love me?" That was all that she could ask as the intensity of her relief overwhelmed her. Ren leaned over her and held her as she was racked with painful sobs.
The nurse stood frowning at the door, prepared to intervene, but Julie laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and shook her head.
After Kyoko had finally gotten herself under control, she spoke again, "I thought that my life was over when I thought you loved Moko-san. I finally realized how much I loved you… I do love you, Ren… I really do… but I thought that I had lost you."
"Hush, now, Kyoko-chan. You could never lose me. You will never lose me for as long as you'll have me. I'm so sorry that it took me so long to tell you."
Kyoko felt at peace now, and she started to giggle, "Corn… I mean Kuon… I think that I keep seeing your parents peeking around the corner at us. Shouldn't we ask them to come in?"
Ren looked startled. He had completely forgotten the rest of the world. But he couldn't think of anyone who he'd rather share this moment with. Still… "I think that you should call them, Kyoko-chan. After all, they're your parents too."
Kyoko was finally shaking off the last effects of her long sleep. In her drowsy state she had easily accepted the truths her mind had finally understood. But now some of the old Kyoko started to reassert herself; she felt uncertain.
Ren saw this and frowned slightly, "Kyoko-chan, you'll hurt them both if you don't continue think of them as mom and dad. They really do love you."
Kyoko's eyes gleamed, "Otou-san! Okaa-san! Would you come in? You look silly peaking around corners like that."
A beaming Kuu and a tearful Julie stepped around the corner. Kuu said, "Hello, Kuon."
Ren answered, "Hello, Dad."
"Not you! That one," he replied in a mock-gruff voice and pointed at the girl in the bed.
Kyoko smiled warmly, "Hello, Dad."
"And what about me?" Julie asked, her hands on her hips.
"Hello mom," Kyoko laid her small hand on Ren's big one, "I found this laying around. Can I keep him?"
Julie beamed now, feeling sure that no mother could be happier, "I don't know. Runaway strays can be mighty ungrateful and troublesome at times. But I think that you can tame him."
* * *
After a long and happy visit, Doctor Okada informed them that Kyoko was still a head-trauma patient and needed to rest.
When she woke hours later, she found Kanae standing over her, brushing her hair from her brow. "Moko-san! I'm so glad to see you."
Kanae was startled at being caught in this moment of tenderness. And then she didn't care anymore.
"Mo! Kyoko-chan, don't you ever do this again. You're the one who insisted on being best friends. I was just fine on my own. So now you're my best friend and you have no right to put yourself in danger. What if… what if…"
All of the pent-up fear and grief of the past two days was released at that moment. Tears flowed down the beautiful raven-haired girl's eyes as she tried to complete her sentence.
There is nothing that she could have ever done that could speak more clearly to Kyoko's hungry heart, "You are my best friend, Moko-san! I promise, I'll be more careful. I promise."
Kanae composed herself and gave her friend her usual annoyed expression, "Just be sure that you keep your promise."
* * *
Only one more visitor, or rather, one more family was allowed to visit that day. Takarada Lory and Maria came in during the early evening. Takarada was dressed in a regular suit. He had once spent months in this hospital watching his dear wife pass away. He would never make a spectacle here.
"Onee-san!" Maria cried. The past two days had been horrible for her. Until she had met Kyoko she had been sure that nobody in the world would ever understand her lonely heart. And then she had found a soul-mate in the older girl. More importantly, she had found someone who had suffered as much as she had, who had a dark side as strong as hers, and yet knew how to smile. In the past two years Maria had blossomed thanks to the presence of her "older sister."
She had been getting ready for school when she first heard the news. She had been furious at grandfather for going to the hospital without her. She had been unable to concentrate at school as she waited for news. And today she had been on pins and needles as her grandfather waited for permission for them to visit.
"Maria-chan. How are you?"
"Me? How are you feeling? I hate that Kazu guy, even if he did go off the cliff…"
"Maria!" Lory said in alarm.
Kyoko's eyes widened. She looked over at him, "They haven't told me anything. Can you tell me what happened?"
Lory was reluctant at first, but he looked in Kyoko's trusting eyes and sighed, "How much do you remember?"
"I remember that he was getting really close. I remember veering off to follow a dirt-bike path. There was a rock… That's really all I can remember."
And so Lory told her everything about what had happened after Kyoko's accident. When he told her about Kazu's death she couldn't feel remorse. When he told her about the Rumiko Show and Fuwa Sho's appearance her eyes were wide with wonder.
But it was when he told her about Ren's revelation that she looked over at Maria and realized something important, "Um, Takarada- san, could I please have a few moments alone with Maria? She and I need to talk."
Lory also understood, "Yes. That would be fine. But then I will need to tell you a few more things."
When they were alone Kyoko just couldn't figure out how to start. She couldn't imagine hurting this tender-hearted girl who had truly become like a little-sister to her. "Maria-chan… I… I'm…"
"I know, Onee-san. I'm not stupid you know."
"Huh?"
"You're in love with Ren-chan. And he's in love with you. I've known that for a long time. Good grief, everyone except you two has known it for a long time." Maria-chan gave her older sister an exasperated look.
"And… you're okay with that?"
"I saw the way he looked at you, Onee-sama," Maria answered sadly. "He loves you as much as I love you. If it had been anyone else…" Maria let that threat hang there. "I think that you two need each other."
"How did you get to be so mature?"
"I've had to be mature! I've had to keep grandfather out of trouble for the last five years! Did you know that silly man tried to buy a tiger to go with his Siegfried and Roy costume?"
Both girls were giggling when Lory poked his head back around the door. "What's so funny?" That started them laughing; Kyoko immediately knew that this was a bad idea when her broken ribs made their presence known.
Her groans of pain quickly stifled the laughter. As Maria sat beside her and held her hand, Lory tried to distract her from the pain by telling her the rest of what was happening outside of the hospital.
After they had left, as the pain medication began to take effect, Kyoko reviewed Lory's last words, "When you leave this bed you're going to find out that your world has changed. You see, there are probably not thirty people in Japan who haven't heard about or read about your story. Fuwa Sho and Ren's disclosures on the Rumiko Show have only increased the frenzy.
"They're even showing re-run's of Dark Moon and Box-R in the early afternoon. Prisoner is popular all over again and the networks are almost begging to play your commercials. Your LME website has been swamped and you have over thirty fan-sites. There are even groupies camped outside of the hospital.
"Mogami-san, I'm afraid that you're famous now whether you wanted to be or not."
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Notes: I hope that this chapter hasn't been too sappy for you. If anyone feels that it is OOC for Kyoko to giggle, please remember two things: 1) she is on a lot of pain meds, and 2) continued interaction with girl friends in the last two years had helped her to find her inner-girl (at least she has in my story)
More to follow; but probably not today.
