This is an AU based off of Shinkuu Yuusetsu, a wonderful manga by Bikke. I do not own Skip Beat or the premise, only the plot.
Hollow Junction
Chapter 2
When Kyouko's grip on her mother's hand tightened the woman admonished her and then yanked it away, leaving the three year old to clutch desperately at the hem of sweater. She was forbidden from that as well, too, so she was left to curling her fingers in, nails digging into her palms.
She was nervous. Her mother was nervous and so the emotion had bled into Kyouko, and standing in the strange placed her mother had called The Nursery wasn't really helping.
"Mama," Kyouko said, and then quickly back-tracked when her mother's eyes narrowed. "Okaa-san, why are we here? I'm hungry," the child tacked on.
Her mother sighed, before speaking down towards her, "I already told you Kyouko. Don't you remember?" At the shake of her head her mother continued, "The doctor's have found your partner, and we're here to meet them. We'll eat soon," she cajoled, and Kyouko felt more at ease.
"Okay," she said simply, and patiently began to wait, rocking on her heels until her mother sharply reprimanded her to stop.
Slowly the greenhouse they were in began to fill as mothers, fathers, and partners filed in with their children. No one moved to sit at the tables and chairs peppering the space and Kyouko idly wondered why since if her legs were hurting surely others' were as well.
To her relief, someone clapped their hands, drawing their attention to the small platform set up in front of the large tree. Kyouko thought the lady was very pretty with her wavy skirt and pink blouse, and she darted her gaze towards her mother's severe pinstripe suit. At least she was wearing a skirt, like Kyouko. The little girl brightened at the thought of matching her mother.
"Good morning everyone!" The nurse said, and after the crowd echoed it back to her she grinned and continued. "Welcome! Parents, you may begin looking for your child's partner, and if you've happened to have lost the letter we sent to you, please come find me or another attendant and we'll help you find your child's partner. Parents, along the back wall are refreshments, and we'll provide sandwiches for the children. Good luck!"
As one the crowd began to move, the noise level in the greenhouse increasing as various names were called out and parents and children alike mingled. Kyouko felt the taste of nervous energy as her mother remained still and quiet, eyes calmly passing over the crowd and waiting. Kyouko thought they ought to be doing something since everyone else was doing something, but she remained quiet.
To her relief, a man and a woman wearing a kimono approached them, a small child around Kyouko's age meandering behind them.
"Are you Mogami Saena?" The woman asked as she stepped closer, and Kyouko's eyes caught on the fine details on the kimono in delight, tracing the designs and trying to read the story woven within. As the adults began talking the little brunet caught her eye. She thought he was very pretty, too, with his deep brown eyes and soft hair.
"Kyouko," her mother called, and she looked up to face her. "This is your partner Fuwa Sho. Do you remember what we talked about? About charging and being a supplier?"
Kyouko nodded, eager to please her mother. Saena smiled faintly and a small blossom of happiness bloomed within Kyouko at the sight. "Good," her mother praised. Today is a good day, Kyouko thought. "Now, go mingle with Fuwa-kun, and try to charge with him."
She quickly obeyed, stepping over to Sho and smiling pleasantly. The boy looked at her and sighed before walking away. Kyouko followed.
All around them were other children also talking, so Kyouko tried to as well. "Fuwa-kun, how old are you?"
"Don't call me that," he snapped, turning to look at her briefly before continuing. Kyouko wondered where he was leading her. "Just call me Sho."
"Okay Sho-chan! How old are you? And where are we going?"
"I'm four," he said briskly, rounding the large tree. A patch of flowers came into view, and Kyouko cooed in delight. "And I wanted to come here. I hate trying to be friendly with adult supervision!"
"Supervision?" Kyouko echoed, confused. He sure used some big words. The boy scoffed.
"I didn't want people watching us! Okay, now kiss me."
Kyouko blanched at the order, and seeing this Sho sighed. He muttered something under his breath before leaning forward and pressing his lips against hers. Something soft passed between them, and the growing ache in her stomach finally went away. It left behind a pleasant feeling.
"Oh," Kyouko said.
"Oh," he said too. "So that's what it's like," Sho murmured, rubbing his lips. "That was nice." Kyouko nodded mutely.
Sho glanced up at her and smiled, before leaning in to kiss her again. And then again. Kyouko grew light-headed, and suddenly her mother was there, scowling fiercely.
"Fuwa-kun!" Her mother rebuked, and Sho had the decency to look ashamed. "You're not supposed to charge more than once right now, no matter how good it may feel! Look, you've left her weak!"
But Kyouko was sleepy, and so she closed her eyes with a sigh, a small warm hand gripping her own.
Kyouko opened her eyes and scowled.
"That bastard," she sneered, sitting up from where she lay on the floor. "He'd been selfish from the start. I can't believe how blind I was!"
With a huff Kyouko stood and surveyed the near empty apartment. All her personal furniture was gone, so all that remained was what had come with the apartment. She'd felt weird sleeping with no sheets and so she'd fallen asleep on the floor. Surprisingly, her back felt all the better for it and Kyouko mused it probably had needed the support from all the standing she did,
By the front door was a small duffel bag containing her few remaining possessions, and without a backwards glance Kyouko left the apartment she had shared with Sho for nearly a year, leaving behind the memories, the love, and all the many kisses in between.
She softly traced the ends of her hair, ghosting it's tips that ended just shy of her chin. The color was lighter, bleached and dyed to make some strange cross of auburn and copper that the stylist assured perfectly matched her eyes. Yet, Kyouko didn't deny that she felt different.
Empowered.
A woman.
And, maybe, even prettier.
Kyouko blushed and laughed lightly at her vanity and payed the cashier for the cut and plus some, feeling a generosity she knew she would regret when she sat down later that night to work her figures in her ledger book.
But, at that moment, she didn't care. For once she felt free to do as she pleased, with nothing holding her down but herself. It was liberating. She trekked the distance between the salon and her new home in high spirits, but the cold still nipped at her exposed knees and Kyouko was relieved to spot the establishment.
The soft clack of wood on wood echoed in the tiny restaurant as Kyouko entered the Daruma-ya, humming in delight at the warmth it provided. It was mid February and Tokyo was much chillier than Kyoto, but Kyouko was doggedly stubborn in wearing her skirts.
It was just before the lunch rush and so there were only a few patrons - mostly the elderly - and the okami-san was free to totter over.
"Oh!" The woman cried, hands reaching to frame Kyouko's newly shorn hair and fluttering around it. "My, Kyouko-chan! It looks so very lovely! I wondered what you were doing when you left so early. I thought you might be looking for another job."
It wasn't intended as a rebuke but that was the way Kyouko took it and her eyes skittered across the floor in shame. "That's my plan for this afternoon, Okami-san. I also went to the library this morning to look at possible agencies."
"Agencies?" The woman repeated, confused. A sharp clatter directed their attention to the Taisho, who was chopping vegetables on the other side of the bar. His brow was creased in disapproval and Kyouko sighed sadly.
"Yes. I plan on entering the consultation business. Maybe more."
"My, but Kyouko-chan you… you don't have a partner right now, do you?" The hesitance in the woman's voice was clear. It was rare to not have a partner since you quite literally could not go without one. Even now the energy bubbled within Kyouko, tight and uncomfortable. She had once told Sho it was like the burn of a carbonated drink down your throat, except it was everywhere in your body and pressing at the seams.
The smile on Kyouko's face probably looked as fake as it felt, but she persevered to remain polite. "Yes. That's also why I want to work at one of the agencies. There's the clinic services on the main floor."
The matron hummed her understanding when an influx of customers came. Kyouko promised to help later that night and hurried to put away her things. When she came back downstairs all she had was her purse and was dressed in her new outfit.
Kyouko vaguely understood that the consultations Sho worked in was focused largely on appearance and charm. He was aiming to be the face in the marketing business, and Kyouko wanted to rival that.
Lory's Majestic Enlightenment, commonly known as LME (which Kyouko understood because just thinking the actual name made her shudder in embarrassment) was her goal. It was the rival agency for Akatoki, and had made quite a name for itself. It sounded like some hack religious group, but according to the website the president aimed to enlighten and help all couples and partners in their endeavors and reunite them with love.
Kyouko disagreed heartily, but she wanted to work there and she figured smiling and nodding along would help her plenty.
It wasn't necessarily a short trek from the restaurant to LME and Kyouko was relieved she hadn't sold her bike like she had momentarily considered. Hopping on, she pedaled her way to the agency.
LME was like most other businesses, Kyouko mused as she approached. Large, multi-storied, if having more windows than usual, Kyouko thought it's only difference from Akatoki was perhaps the shade of gray - lighter, but dull nonetheless.
She locked her bike up and wandered inside, blinking in shock. Clearly she had been too quick to jump the gun about appearances.
Unlike it's less than stellar exterior, the inside of LME was warm and vibrant, a busy clinic to her left filling the large lobby with muted chatter. The clinic was painted in a bright pale mint green, and the variety of sofas and couches dotting the lobby as a waiting area matched it in coral. The area was bright with large floor to ceiling windows, and a signboard to her right told Kyouko that on the second floor was a "Lovely Cafe, LA Hearts!"
It was a lovely place to be sure, and Kyouko cheered at the thought that she might be working here. Truth be told, Kyouko craved pretty things and pretty places, and LME was filled with both the former and latter.
Yet, even all the prettiness around her couldn't quite match the dread building in her stomach, churning alongside her pent-up energy that made her nauseous. She needed to charge - and very soon at that - or soon she'd succumb to a fever followed by vomiting and dry heaving. Kyouko twisted her hands around each other, recalling the times Sho had allowed her to develop a fever. Thankfully, it had never gotten too bad, but anger welled up all the same.
He was such an awful partner. He was such an awful person.
No, Kyouko scowled. He wasn't even a person. He was a demon sent to torture her and make her miserable.
She stepped foot into the clinic and at the nurses' nervous stares rearranged her face into a semblance of a smile. They grinned backed in hesitant relief.
"Welcome," a male nurse greeted her, a clipboard in hand that covered part of his name-tag so that she could only just see the words Keel. Kyouko bowed a head in response. "How can we help you today?"
Suddenly, nerves bundled in Kyouko's stomach, joining her earlier disgust and stored energy so that she felt queasy. "I've um, separated with my partner suddenly. I need to find a new one."
"Oh," the nurse said, eyes wide, an expected response. "I'm sorry for your loss. Hm, this is rather important," he murmured the last part to himself as he patted several pockets for a pen before finding one and scribbling a note onto his papers. "I'll have to direct you to Sawara Takenori, our chief here, since we'll be finding a permanent partner for you-"
Panicked, Kyouko threw her hands out as if to physically stop his thoughts. "Not yet!" She cried. She couldn't even tell herself quite why she felt unprepared, but the thought of becoming someone else's partner soon...something so permanent and life-binding…
Keel watched her, and his face relaxed into an understanding smile, his eyes creased gently behind his glasses. What he understood, Kyouko didn't know, but she was relieved he didn't pursue the matter,
"Of course. You'll still need to see Sawara-san for testing purposes however, but around this time people are always in need of a temp partner. Is that okay?"
Kyouko nodded hurriedly, the nerves falling away so that her dread reared forefront. She didn't want to do this, but she couldn't not do it. Even if she resisted until her body exhausted itself in trying to expel the energy, they would just have someone kiss her while she slept, and that thought was far more repulsive than kissing someone, albeit a stranger, of her own choosing.
"Then, follow me, um…"
"Kyouko. Mogami Kyouko," she said, and the nurse smiled once more. He was soothing, in a way, and Kyouko thought his profession suited him.
"Then Mogami-san, I'll lead you to Sawara-san. You've got quite the timing, he's just finished with his last patient.."
Keel led her around, and Kyouko took in the clinic. It was bright, with an interior waiting area to match the one in the lobby and various cubicles just beyond it. The walls were made of frosted glass and she could make out smudged blobs of people, colors blurred and dulled. Sawara's office was not too far off and Keel knocked politely.
"Come in," someone, though Kyouko presumed it was Sawara, called. Keel swung the door open and gestured for her to precede him before the closing the door behind himself and her.
The office was not particularly large or overbearing, but was actually a bit small considering his position in the clinic.
It was also towering with stacks of documents.
The man seated at the desk covered in papers looked as if the mere presence of said documents were tiring him. He was middle-aged and had the exhausted look all doctor's seemed to retain, but he did not seem displeased at the sight of Kyouko and Keel.
"Ah, a new patient? You should've warned me, Keel," the man said reproachfully as he stood, and Keel looked abashed.
"Ah, it's a bit of a special case, Sawara-san. Let me introduce you two. Mogami-san, this is Takenori Sawara, the chief director here and our resident doctor. Sawara-san, this is Mogami Kyouko."
Kyouko bowed demurely before saying, "It's very nice to meet you, Sawara-hakase."
"Oh, come off it," the man waved, a small flush on his cheeks. "No one's called me that in years. We aren't really considered such an esteemed doctor, you know," he jested, referring to his profession.
Kyouko knew what he meant. He wasn't a brain surgeon or anything so complex, but studying their complex nature of needing to be partnered still fell under the category of requiring a medical degree. Before this, Kyouko had privately agreed, since the machines did most of the work of pairing partners, but before an actual man of the field she felt ashamed and hoped her thoughts were not on her face.
"Well, Sawara-san, Mogami-san, I'll be going. Please call me if you need any help." Behind the door Kyouko could hear a young boy's voice calling for the nurse and Keel flushed slightly. "Uh, it is around lunchtime. I can't believe I forgot again. Excuse me," Keel babbled nervously before finally leaving.
Sawara chuckled, amused. "That Keel. He'd lose his head if it wasn't attached to his body. Poor Elias has his work cut for him. Ah, Elias is his partner, I'm sure if you come here often enough you'll see him. Now, how can I help you?" Sawara gestured for Kyouko to come forward as he sat back down, and so Kyouko took a seat in the chair before his desk, finding it absurd enough to be funny that the towers of papers created a wall on either side of the man's face.
"I've… I need a new partner." Kyouko said, unwilling to divulge why she needed a new partner.
"Oh." Sawara blinked. "Well, that is a bit special. Have you already filed the separation?"
Kyouko scowled, knowing Sho wouldn't be on top of the issue and hoped his manager would take care of it for them. "I've signed the papers, yes, but… I… I don't want to have a new partner yet," she looked down at her hands, clasped loosely in her lap, avoiding the chief's speculative gaze. "I don't… I don't think I'm ready," Kyouko professed honestly.
"Well," he said, leaning back to rub his chin without the danger of knocking the towers around him over. "You know you can't stay without one for long."
She grimaced. "I know! I know… just not yet, please."
There was a moment of silence, where Kyouko stared at the folds in her hands and Sawara stared at her, before the man exhaled and she looked up. "Fine, Mogami-san. It's the right season, and you'd be a lot of help."
Kyouko thought she knew what he meant, but wanted to be sure. "Keel-san mentioned it earlier. What do you mean by it being 'the right season?'"
Sawara blinked at her, surprised. "You don't know? Haven't you ever been a temp before?"
Kyouko shook her head, "Not often. My partner was rarely sick and he…" she scowled fiercely even just mentioning him. "He didn't like to share." She spat the word bastard beneath her breath and jumped guiltily at the reproving look Saware gave her.
When he spoke he didn't mention her slip and Kyouko relaxed in relief. "Around this time people tend to fall sick with flus, colds, etcetera," he waved his hand airily, "So clinic's are always flooded with people looking for temporary partners to charge with while their own partners are recovering." He glared at the mounds of paperwork and Kyouko realized they were all the applications and forms he had to sign off of on. "So coming here to purely be a temp actually helps us quite a bit, though it might make you tired in the long run, since you'll essentially be charging every time with someone you're not matched for. Speaking of, which are you? I haven't asked."
"Supplier," Kyouko told him, and Sawara said that was perfect, since they were always in low supply of suppliers. He grinned at his own joke and Kyouko politely smiled.
"Now," he said gruffly, apparently embarrassed at Kyouko's lack of humor. "Let's get all the testing out of the way…"
"I'll come pick you up later, Ren. Be good and charge," his manager scolded, and Ren scowled back at him, slightly miffed when Yashiro remained unruffled. Ren wanted to bite out you're not my mom but that would only call for more teasing and so he only nodded in acquiescence.
"Good," Yashiro said and he left Ren to his own devices within the clinic's lobby. Ren sighed irritably.
Really, he had been born in America and he still had this cursed problem. God really did only scowl down at him, Ren thought morosely, before heading into the clinic. He quickly found Keel, whose arm was claimed by Elias. Ren had always been privately amused about the dichotomy Elias and Keel presented. Keel, who was tall with hair permanently in a disheveled mess and head frequently in the clouds, was a contrast to Elias, who was short - though it was most likely due to his age - and put neatly together with silky black locks and pressed clothes. They were an unusual pair, but somehow it worked all the same.
"Good afternoon," Ren greeted politely, the sentiment echoed back to him by the pair. "I'm here to charge."
Keel quickly stepped back into his role as nurse and Elias politely let go, wandering towards the waiting area to give the illusion of privacy.
"Perfect timing," Keel grinned, hair tousled and slightly messy as always. "We just had a new supplier come in, just sit in one of the stalls and wait a bit. Is that okay?"
Ren nodded and left to find an open cubicle. Most were empty since it was mid-afternoon and so Ren luxuriously picked an out of the way stall, eager for privacy. He didn't particularly hate charging in front of people, but he did prefer to keep it private.
He eased into the seat - though it was more a lounge chair than anything - and shut his eyes with a sigh, relishing the silence. He didn't mind people, but sometimes it was nice to sit in solitude, and so Ren relaxed into the chair, allowing the tension to bleed from his shoulders as he closed his eyes.
But as always, when he was in the clinic or about to charge his mind turned unbidden to his partner, and his brow wrinkled in frustration. He didn't want to think about him.
He'd had partners after him, of course, but they never lasted long, the taste of their energy repulsive to him. Lory had given him an ultimatum (or, rather, he'd presented it to Ren since it was inevitable): die, or settle down with a partner.
Ren, who had been weak and depressed from the lack of proper energy, sought a loophole and found it. He'd simply sign on with the clinic as a temp partner until they found a truly suitable partner for him. After all, he had argued, charging with a partner who didn't really match him was just as bad as charging with all these strangers, so did it really make a difference? Ren suspected Lory had bent, though, with Ren had brokenly murmured that he just couldn't stay with one person because he was scared.
Despite what he had said to Lory, Ren did want a partner. He could barely remember what truly charging felt like, to have the energy in him spreading like warmth, washing over him like a pleasant spring day that lulled him into peace. Warm lips against his, a soft hand cupping his cheek, a gentle sigh against his mouth as soothing energy poured into him. Ren's eyes shot open to meet wide golden ones.
Ren tried to jerk back from the kiss only to ram his head into the firm cushion of the chair supporting him, so he shoved the girl off of him and sat up, scowling fiercely.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ren demanded angrily as he rubbed his lips, feeling some remorse that he had pushed her hard enough to make her stumble into the narrow walls of the cubicle behind her.
The girl blinked, stunned, before she straightened and glowered back at Ren. "Charging, obviously," the girl spat and Ren forgot his remorse.
"Without asking?" He protested, incensed. It felt like a violation, to be kissed by someone he didn't know while he'd been unaware, and it reminded him hatefully of the times after his partner had died, how his father had allowed people to take turns, kissing him as he slept. "What is wrong with you?"
She sputtered, her face red. "I thought- you looked- I-," she groaned as she stumbled on her words.
"You shouldn't have done that without asking," Ren rebuked, still angry, mind still awash with memories of those cold long days, of the disgusting strange energy he'd awake to find swirling within him.
She colored and then spun on her heel and out the cubicle. For a moment Ren's anger explosively grew at her lack of apology and her dismissive attitude, but as suddenly as it came it left, and he simply sighed in distaste. What's done is done, he thought, and he finally stood from the chair to find Yashiro.
He stumbled into a worried Keel outside the door. "Tsuruga-san?" Keel blinked, looking from Ren and back towards the girl who'd just assaulted him, barely catching a glimpse or her back before she rounded the corner and disappeared. "What happened?"
Ren wanted to demand from Keel who that girl was - if only to prevent her from ever charging with him again - when Yashiro appeared, seemingly having come to retrieve him.
"Ren?" His manager gently asked, and he realized that his irritation must be showing on his face. Like ripping off a glove, he shed his anger to be stored and dealt with later. Smiling at Keel and Yashiro, he shook his head.
"Nothing. We just charged and she left. Let's go, Yashiro," Ren said, unwillingly to remain in the clinic any longer. Nodding at Keel, he added, "I'll be back later. Please give my regards to Elias and Sawara-san."
"Of course," Keel hastily said, nodding nervously and then burrowing his eyebrows in frustration when his glasses threatened to slip. "I hope your day is pleasant."
"So do I," Ren muttered under his breath, drawing a sharp look from Yashiro who, being right next to him, had clearly overheard. Damn, I'm slipping. "To you as well," he said aloud to Keel and then finally left with Yashiro, who gave him a look that said We'll be talking about this, you and I.
The moment they were out of the clinic and in an empty elevator Yashiro began. "What was that, Ren?"
Ren stifled his first response to groan aloud as he rubbed his cheek with the heel of a palm. "What was what, Yashiro?"
"Don't play coy with me. What happened in the clinic that got you so riled up? It isn't like you."
He stifled another sigh. "I just didn't like who I charged with," he replied, glaring half-heartedly at the glowing numbers in hope the elevator would arrive at their floor sooner.
Out of the corner of his eye Ren could see his manager gaping at him. "You didn't like her? What on earth did she do to make you dislike her?"
"I don't like everyone, Yashiro," Ren murmured, somewhat amused.
"Of course you don't Ren, and you'll never say if you do, except you are saying it now." He frowned in concern, then, brows drawn together. "Is she a problem? Should I request the clinic to place her on the block list for you?"
Ren felt flustered at the suggestion. "No, don't worry about it Yashiro. We just didn't get along, that's all."
"So, did you charge all right then?" His manager asked curiously, and Ren remembered spitefully that Yashiro was one of the very rare few who were born without their strange condition.
"Yes, it was nice," he said, keeping privately to himself that he felt energized like he never felt before. If he moved past his feelings - which was always easy for him to do, to look at something objectively - Ren had enjoyed charging with her. He felt light, felt rejuvenated. There was no sign of the tiredness or lethargy that seemed to always accompany him these days.
But, Ren scowled, the girl was not worth the charge.
"Well, you look a lot better," Yashiro remarked candidly, ignoring the look Ren gave him. He grinned mischievously. "In fact, I think you really liked it, since this is the first time you've ever complimented someone after charging. Maybe I should request her as your priority temp, hm?" There was the gleam in Yashiro's eyes of someone who had found good teasing material and was prepared to utilize it to the utmost advantage, and Ren quickly realized his mistake.
He groaned silently, irritated anew at the girl who had thrown him into a sudden disarray, and whose lips he still felt a ghostly touch of, a warmth still present on his cheek.
A/N: Aww thank you everyone for such a sweet response! I hope you all like this chapter.
I'm sure you all know who Ren's former partner was given by the clues, though I hope no one throws stones at me for this.
Oh, and Keel and Elias are not OCs of mine, but rather canon characters borrowed from Shinkuu Yuusetsu because why not.
A bit of info on this AU: At the beginning when children first begin to charge they only need to exchange once a day, and as they grow into adults it increases so that it's 2-3 times a day, which is why Saena becomes so irritated in the beginning and why Kyouko is so nauseated before she charges with Ren. Honestly, I never write children so I worry I made Sho too mature. I tried to write him in the image of my cousin's five year when she had been four, but she's a bit precocious so I might have overshot it. Oh well.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and leave a review if you did!
-HMD