As usual, thank you for readers who faved, followed, and reviewed the previous chapters. You all are my saviour.
These days I spent my time playing Skip-Beat!'s PS2 game while waiting for Chapter 198 to be published. Now I don't even know what colour Ren's contact lenses are. And I have to slap myself numerous times for thinking that Sho is kinda cute (okay, he's cute, if he's not a big jerk). No offence to those who love Sho, okay? I'm just so into Ren.
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip-Beat!
Chapter 11: New Episode ~Revelations~
"Big Sister!" a little girl with long, curly light brown hair squaled jovially, launching herself into Kyoko's arms. "I missed you!"
Kyoko grinned cheerily at Takarada Maria, the girl. "Long time no see, Maria-chan! How are you?"
Some time had passed after the press conference, and she had not seen Maria for even longer than that. Lory had mentioned to her that his granddaughter had missed her, but with her somehow hectic schedule – with Yoshimoto managing to help her getting more gigs – and the fact that Maria could not spend all of her time in LME building, they had not had the chance to spend time together.
Maria lifted her face up to have a better look at her 'big sister'. "You know, Big Sister, I'm so happy right now!"
"Really? How so?"
"Papa told me that he would get home early for the Grateful Party this year!" the little gingerette chirped. "And then, he said he would certainly record my piano performance!"
"Isn't that great?" Kyoko replied, giving the girl a gentle smile. "This time, make sure to spend a good time with your Papa, okay?"
"Un!" Maria nodded her head. "So Big Sister, will you help me again this year?"
The answer came as quick as lightning. "Sure! So who are you going to invite this year?" the actress asked.
The youngest Takarada started counting with her fingers. "Let's see… Of course we have Papa, and Grandfather, and Uncle Tora, and Ren-sama, and I also want to invite my classmates and my teachers from school, and my tutors. And then, my friends from the black magic community, and from the potion brewer association, and–"
"In other words," Kyoko added in, "we might need a bigger venue this time."
"Good idea, Big Sister!" Maria exclaimed in excitement. "I'll ask Grandfather if he can lend his place again this year! By the way, Big Sister, who are you going to invite this year?"
"Nice question," Kyoko mumbled, tapping her chin in thought. "Moko-san and Amamiya-san… You've invited Ren-san, so I'll make an invitation to Yashiro-san… Taishou and Okami-san… Yoshimoto-san… People from 'Dark Moon' and 'Box-R'… Maybe I'll invite the crew from Queen Records and Hiou-kun… the Ishibashis… people from LME PR department… And then, Marina-san, Seijuro-san, and Papa, I guess."
I'll ask President later if it's safe to invite Director Konoe, she made a note inwardly. I'll secretly add Father and Mother into the list later when Maria isn't watching. And if I invite Asami-san and Shoko-san, I'll have to invite that jerk as well…
"No," Marina and Seijuro said flatly at the same time, leaving Kyoko and Ren perplexed.
Facing the four of them, Kento glared at them with a very serious face. "And why can't I come to the hearing? It'll be the fastest way for me to meet Saena face to face."
"But can you imagine what she'll do once she sees you?" Seijuro argued back. "She might just run away; which is likely in every case possible."
Kento gave them a little pout. He then gestured at Kyoko. "What about Kyoko, then?"
"Are you out of your mind?" Marina hissed in irritation. "She sued me for punching her right on her face and for not letting her meet the girl. The last thing I want to do is to give in and bring Kyoko-san to that sorry excuse of a woman." She punched her fist into her palm.
Where is the usually super kind and dramatic Marina-san? Kyoko asked silently, eyeing her suddenly violent aunt.
As if reading her thoughts, Kento turned to her and mumbled, "Let me introduce you to Akatoki Marina, whose motto is 'there is nothing wrong with violence as a part of life'."
Damn, Ren cringed in his thoughts. Now I know who else not to be pissed. Why does almost everyone in this family tend to act at the extreme levels?
"Anyway, it's not best for the both of you to come to the hearing, Kento," Seijuro spoke again in a rather calm manner. "That is, unless Eri-chan suddenly asked Kyoko-chan to stand as witness for testimonies."
"I don't think that's really a wise choice, Seijuro-san," Ren suddenly blurted, his hand tightening his grip on Kyoko's hand. "The rumor from last month still hasn't died down, and the media are still questioning about Kyoko's parents and the abandonment. Having Kyoko standing up there for testimonies will just feed oil to the flame."
Kento frowned. "I've been itching to ask, but how come you're here in a family dinner, Tsuruga-kun?"
"I invited him," Marina answered quickly. "He's your daughter's boyfriend, after all. Isn't it only normal?"
"I didn't remember giving him the green light to date Kyoko," he replied stubbornly, crossing his arms.
Kyoko glared back at him, feeling a vein pop somewhere on her head. "Papa, I thought we've talked about this."
"About what?" Kento asked back with an innocent smile.
"Just cut it off, Kento," Seijuro sighed. "The girl's free to date anyone she wants."
"You don't know what you're saying, Nii-san," the artist came back with fervor. "The first guy who came to me and expressed his interest on my daughter actually began the conversation with a cheap pick-up line as if I was a gay."
This time, it was Marina's turn who huffed in exasperation, while her big brother burst in a rumbling series of laughter. "I cannot believe you are still not over that, Kento. Are you not able to just forget about it? You have given the boy a lesson, haven't you?"
"Marina, easy for you to say that, because you're not the one experiencing it firsthand," Kento grumbled.
"Anyway, Papa," Kyoko butted in, "you have no say in me and Ren-san's relationship, and that's final."
Ren sighed inwardly. Now I'm feeling like I'm involved in some kind of family skit.
"Kyoko, I don't care who it is you date, as long as he's a good guy," Kento said. "And from what I've observed, I even don't know who this lad over here is. I told you before, right, Kyoko? He's not even Japanese, and I doubt 'Tsuruga Ren' is his real name."
Pregnant silence filled the room awkwardly as Kyoko's and Ren's eyes widened. He knows, the actor panicked inside his head. I'm screwed. Did Kyoko tell him?
"Well?" Kento asked him, raising one eyebrow. "Now, do you mind enlightening us with who exactly my daughter is dating is, 'Tsuruga'-kun?"
"I don't know if I should say 'welcome', or 'welcome back'," Lory – who was dressed in Viking attire – said, offering his hand for a handshake. "Your pick, Kuu, Julie."
The tall blonde smiled. "I think I'll choose 'welcome back' this time, Boss. How're my sons doing?"
"Just the same as when you left," the flamboyant president answered, walking towards the couch. "But, if you're asking for specific update on Kyoko, then I'll inform you this: the rumors haven't died down even a bit, and your son – your real son – hasn't caused another scandal."
Kuu raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Isn't the latter a good thing? Why the hell are you pouting?"
"Your son's career is BORING, that's why!" Lory whined. "He's been in the showbiz for almost five years, and still no scandals! He's too clean!"
"I need to remind you that he wasn't this clean in the early years of his life as Tsuruga Ren," Kuu replied, not too happy with what he was saying.
Their argument was broken by Julie, who cleared her throat for attention. "What am I, a wall?"
"Sorry, Honey," Kuu replied sheepishly.
Julie ignored him, nevertheless. "Anyway, I got it that she's still not allowed to meet her mother, am I right, Mr. Kidnapper?"
"It's the way around, and when are you going to stop calling me that, Julie?" the Viking-wannabe asked with a sweat-drop adorning the top of his head.
The Hizuri matriarch shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "I don't know, beats me."
Lory let out a huge sigh of depression. "By the way, I think you'll be wanted in the hearing two weeks from now."
"What hearing?" Julie asked quickly, a little bit wary of the answer.
"Oh, you know, about the ridiculous cat fight you joined about a month ago? The mad woman, apparently, pressed charges against Marina-chan, and somehow managed to pin you as an accomplice in the conduct of violence."
"Which I'm more than happy to do again in a heartbeat," the woman continued with a grin, frustrating her husband and his boss.
Kuu sighed in desperation, "Honey, I know you love Kyoko like your own daughter, but can you please repress your tendency to finish every problem with threats and violent behavior? This is not America. Hell, you can't do it even back home."
"I don't care," she said stubbornly. "That insane woman hurt my baby; she's crossing my line. They want me for a hearing? I'll come and let them listen to a piece of my mind!"
Oh please someone, HELP! The two men screamed in their mind exasperatedly.
"So, repeating all the things you've told us so far," Kento said, crossing his arms and legs in front of Ren. "Your real name is Hizuri Kuon."
The younger man only feebly answered, "Yes."
"The son of Hizuri Kuu and Juliella."
"Yes."
"You're American by birth."
"Yes."
"The fairy boy who met Kyoko in Kyoto years ago."
"Yes… But 'fairy boy' is a bit–"
"I just need a 'yes' or 'no' from you, Tsuruga-kun – or Hizuri-kun, or whoever your name is," the golden-eyed man cut him off. "Now, you came to Japan simply to become an actor worthy enough to rival your father."
"Yes."
"And you haven't deviled my daughter."
Sitting beside Ren on the couch, Kyoko blushed brightly. Does he really have to say that? He's my father! She scowled silently.
"Well? Your answer?" Kento asked again, raising an eyebrow.
Ren talked with a blank expression on his face. "Please define 'deviling your daughter' to me, because I think we have different understanding on the matter."
"Let me rephrase it, then. Have you slept with my sweet daughter?"
"Papa!" Kyoko shrieked in embarrassment, her face as red as tomato. "Do you really have to ask him that?"
"It's about your well-being, Kyoko," Kento defended himself.
Ren sighed. "If you're specifically asking about whether I've had sex with Kyoko, then the answer is 'no'."
The chestnut-haired girl turned to her boyfriend in horror, while her father nodded his head in understanding, before Ren continued, "However, it is my fullest intention to marry your daughter in the future, near or far."
"As if I'll let you," the artist retorted.
"Don't be stupid, Kento," Seijuro interjected for the first time after the 'interrogation'. "You know damn well the boy loves her. And so far, he's the best choice we have for her boyfriend."
Kento's frown deepened. "And why do you say so?"
"Because," the older Akatoki answered with a grin and mischief twinkling in his eyes, "you haven't met our Fuwa Sho."
"Fuwa Sho?" Kento asked. "That singer Kyoko rejected in the press conference?"
"That's right. And from what I can derive from my observation of him, he's still not over our big girl here. And! Let me tell you that this boy can act like a complete jerk sometimes."
"But we hire him under our wings nonetheless," Marina deadpanned. "To be perfectly serious, Brother, sometimes I am not able to perceive your way of thinking. Why hire him if you know from the start if he is a troublemaker?"
The Uehara clucked his tongue. "Isn't it obvious, Marina? Seijuro-niisan will never hire anyone who can't bring him money."
"Is that the way you're looking at me? A gold-digging man?" Seijuro faked hurt at the phrase.
"More like a gold-digging old geezer, you mean?" Kento replied. "To be honest, Nii-san, you sometimes look and act like a mob boss obsessed with money."
"I don't!"
Marina sighed. "Will you two stop this petty quarrel which won't lead us anywhere? You might then notice that the younger ones have left this apartment already."
Kento's head snapped around at that, realizing that Marina spoke the truth. "Damn it! And just when I want to give him a piece of my mind!"
"That, was the most unnerving I've experienced so far," Kuon heaved a sigh once he and Kyoko were at his apartment. "I can't imagine what'll happen when I formally propose."
His girlfriend only giggled. "Blame your luck, Fairy Boy. Oh, and here." She handed him a baby blue envelope adorned with white lace and fake crystals. "For you from Maria-chan."
"Nice maneuver, Kyoko. Don't think I'll let you go after calling me 'Fairy Boy' next time," he scowled at her, before looking at the envelope. "You're doing the party again this year?"
"It was a big success last year, so why not?" Kyoko replied. "Even Maria-chan's father's anticipating it. You're coming, right?"
The brown-haired man opened the envelope and looked at the content – an elaborate card with cursive border made from velvet. "I should be free on the 24th. Tell me when the hearing is again?"
The actress' expression turned grim. "It should be on the 26th. What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he mumbled, pulling her into his embrace. "It's just that I have a bad feeling about this."
Kyoko let out a sigh against his chest, snuggling more into him. "I do too, Kuon. I won't know what to do if I'm called to the hearing as witness."
"Which is likely, I know," Kuon murmured against the crown of her head.
It was silent in the apartment for a while, before Kuon asked, "Do you want to stay here for the night?"
Her eyes widened. Did he just say what I think he was saying? He can't be serious, can he? Right? "Kuon, are you drunk? You did drink some shochu Seijuro-san brought to dinner."
"Nope. For your information, I didn't drink that much and I'm completely sober. What do you say about the sleepover? We might as well sleep on the same bed, just like old times when we were Heel siblings."
"For your information, Corn, you promised my father to keep my chastity intact until he agreed to let you marry me," Kyoko reminded him sternly.
"Damn," he swore under his breath. "And I thought I could snuggle with you tonight when I sleep."
Kyoko stared at him and cursed inwardly. Here he went and launched Cain's puppy eyes with full force at her. She groaned, realizing that there was no way for her to win against those eyes. "Promise no perverted things?"
He raised one hand and put the other hand on his chest, right above his heart. "I solemnly swear that I won't do any perverted things other than hugging or kissing to Mogami Kyoko." He playfully glared at Kyoko. "Happy?"
She exhaled in defeat. "Let me call Marina-san."
Kuon came out of the bathroom to the sight of Kyoko sitting on his bed, wearing one of his old T-shirts. He smirked at her. "You look damn good in my shirt."
Kyoko pouted at him, a blush peppering her cheeks. "Pervert," she mumbled under her breath.
He grinned at the comment and padded towards her. "But you like me this way," he whispered in her ear, chuckling when the blush intensified. "Let's sleep. Don't you have a big day tomorrow?"
"Well, I do have a photo shoot for Atelier Utahime at 10," the girl said thoughtfully. "But that should be my only job tomorrow."
"But don't you have to help Maria-chan with the preparation for the party?"
"That's for the evening, I guess. Maria-chan has school, after all." Kyoko shrugged and lied down onto the soft mattress, her head on the fluffy pillow. Kuon soon joined her and tucked the large thick covers over them to keep them warm. "But if I remember correctly, Sawara-san wanted to talk to me as well in the afternoon after the photo shoot. What about you?"
Kuon stared at the ceiling of the wide room for a while, recalling his schedule. "I have an interview in the morning, so I can come to your shoot and pick you up to LME. How does that sound?"
They soon snuggled into each other. She felt safe and warm in his embrace. Deep in her heart, she was proud that Kuon had had the courage to face Kento heads on with the truth, although she realized he deliberately had left out the incident with Rick.
"Kuon?" she murmured, slowly lulled to sleep by his hand stroking her chestnut tresses.
"Hm?"
"I'm proud of you."
He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Thanks."
None of them said anything for some time, before Kyoko mumbled again. "Kuon."
"Hm?"
"I have something that I have to tell you."
Kuon got up on his arm and looked at her incredulously. "What is it?" She's not going to break up with me, right?
Kyoko gulped. In all honesty, she was not ready to do what she was about to do. But seeing her beloved bracing himself and revealing his deepest secrets – well, not all secret – to her father just for her made her realize that he at least deserved to know this one truth.
"You don't know something about me," she said.
Kuon raised one eyebrow, somehow feeling relieved. "Really? Other than the facts that you're obsessed with fairy tales and often go to some imagination land I've never seen myself?"
She nodded meekly. "Promise you won't get angry."
Now I'm really curious, he thought impatiently. "Alright."
The chestnut-haired girl gulped once again before mumbling, "I'm Bo, the chicken mascot from 'Yappa Kimagure Rock'."
"Eri-chan, can't you do something about that?" Marina said on the phone with a worried tone while half listening to Kento reprimanding Seijuro about making him lose focus on lecturing Hizuri Kuon.
The lawyer huffed out a breath. "Trust me, Marina-chan, I won't if I can find another convincing source that can bring Mogami Saena down. But I found nothing, and your girl's statement is the only thing that can put her in disadvantage."
The ghostwriter did not say anything, so Kisaki quickly added, "But I don't think she would be called on the 26th, because the first case being heard will be about the violence charges–"
"That is not the point, Eri-chan," Marina mumbled. "I just do not think that Kyoko-san is ready to meet Saena. Not yet."
"Then when will she be ready?" Kisaki asked harshly. "Marina-chan, I'm definitely sure that you saying that she's not ready is based only on your judgement – which most probably is clouded by your hatred towards the woman – but have you ever asked her if she wants to meet – no, see – her mother after all those years?"
"But–"
"Marina-chan," Kisaki continued in a gentler tone, her unoccupied hand petting her pet Russian Blue cat. "I'm not annoyed at you, okay? But Mogami did have a valid point; she has the right to at least see her daughter in person."
The younger Akatoki slumped her shoulder forward and leaned her back against a wall. She murmured, "I know. But seeing Saena's expression that time, I just can't believe that she wants to meet Kyoko to make amends, it scared me."
"Still, you can't forbid a mother from meeting her child, even if she doesn't deserve to be a mother," the lawyer argued. "Of course, I won't say anything if the girl herself is the one who doesn't want to meet her. I advise you strongly to ask her opinion. Okay?"
Marina inhaled and exhaled slowly, calming her raging thoughts down. "Okay."
Additional Disclaimer:
-As mentioned in the previous chapter, I do not own Kisaki Eri. Aoyama Gosho does.
-I also do not own Atelier Utahime. Hidaka Banri does.
This is my final update before school starts. Wish me the biggest luck, guys! I need it.
Please review :) Thank you!