A/N: I'm most probably going to be posting the next few chapters actively until my Graduation Day, which is like, 4 Oct, when I'll only post when I have the time. But anyway, here you go, the eighth chapter! This chapter is mainly about Kyoko and Shion, but I promise there'll be a Ren x Kyoko scene very soon!
Lineve - I don't understand Spanish, I'm so sorry. But I got a hunch what you're trying to say. Eh, first, thank you for trying out in the guess, but unfortunately the answer is wrong. :) You'll know about the reason soon enough!
kitkatketi - I addressed to you privately, but I thought I should readdress in public too! So, yes, it's basically that. Though Shion is slightly different from Kuon, but he is wilder. Thank you for your compliment!
Thank you very much for the follows, favorite, and most of all: Thank you very much for even trying out this fanfic! I'm extremely touched that I actually got over 1000 views in just 3 days! You readers made my day, and for that, thank you!
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my characters! Contains OOC elements!
Please enjoy!
Chapter 8: Silence
Lory stared at the vibrating device on his coffee table as if it was a puzzle.
Why is there a cellphone in his living room?
And he thought back to the early morning that day. He remembered he had snatched away Shion's phone when he did that web searching thing for the word 'playing cupid'.
But who could be calling the boy? For all he knew, the wolf boy only have Kuu, Julie and his numbers on the contact list.
He reached out to the white device and flipped it open, only to look even more confused by the caller id.
Ikumi Yoshiko
"What you're doing right now is part of privacy invasion you know, Lory-sama?" The older gentleman jumped at the sudden appearance of the boy, who pulled the device from his grip and pressed the red button.
"Oh, and I accidentally revealed our Cupid plan to Tsuruga-san just now, so he might march into your office in near future." Shion continued nonchalantly, sitting beside Lory.
The dark haired man stared at him as if he'd grown two heads, "Why did you do that? I told you he's very particular about my lovely schemes."
"It was an accident, I said." The boy leaned his head against the headrest.
After a long silence, the boy sighed, "Lory-sama, why did you decide to take me in?"
Lory looks at him, surprise evident on his face.
"I was just fulfilling an old friend's wish." Lory closed his eyes and took out a cigar to light, "I only managed to find out his whereabouts a few months after leaving you to live with Kuu."
"I know of a young man who is like you, carrying all the non-existent blame and suffering alone, gradually sinking into deeper darkness." Lory continued, taking a puff.
"Hizuri Kuon, is it?" Shion smiled sadly when he saw the man choke, "There were times when Julie-san mistook me for him, you see?"
"Did she tell you?" Lory hoped not.
"Actually, Kuu-san did. He told me about everything, after wasting around ten minutes boasting, when I asked him who the boy in one of the pictures I saw was."
The dark haired man mentally bashed Kuu up. That stupid idiot-parent!
"I will finish the task on hand first." Shion suddenly said, clenching his fist, "And then I'll go to Azuma."
"…Is there no other ways?" Lory doesn't want Shion to die; he had come to see the boy as a second godson after Ren.
"Nobody would want to have anything to do with a murderer like me." Shion answered merely.
Heavy silence settled in, and Lory was about to deny when Sebastian appeared out of nowhere, informing them about Kyoko's return.
"Oh, that was fast." Shion stood up from the couch, "What time is it?"
"It's 10pm." Sebastian answered with a bow.
Lory sighed, "Shion, listen to me."
The boy stopped walking towards the door and looked back at the gentleman, who looked desperate, "Everything's in the past, I really hope you can stop blaming yourself."
Shion smiled, "I'll think about it."
Mogami Kyoko had always been the one riding her beloved partner, aka the bicycle she owned. When she returned to LME with shopping bags occupying her arms, Shion had kindly offered to give her a lift home instead.
And so, Kyoko ended up sitting behind the wolf boy, admiring his soft, silky and fluffy tail, which was resting on her lap the whole time. When she ran her fingers along the irresistible thing, Shion nearly rammed them into a lamppost.
He had firmly instructed for her arms to be kept to herself, for his tail is the most sensitive part of his body. She had flushed red and apologized profusely, trying to bow her head at least, but bumped her forehead against his back.
Shion stopped the bicycle and guided her arms to wrap around his abdomen, "It's so that you won't fall off the bicycle." He said.
"Uhm, Shion-kun, it's really fine if I hold onto the bags…" Kyoko actually marveled at how he could balance all the bags hanging from his arms while he steered the bicycle.
As expected from a fairy!
"No, I couldn't let a girl hold the stuff. I'm a guy after all." Shion insisted as he stopped the bicycle in front of Darumaya, "This is where you live?"
"Yes! It's a very comfortable place, and the couple I'm living with are kind people!" Kyoko nodded proudly and huffed cutely as she slipped off the bicycle rear rack, patting her chest.
Shion smiled at her, "Looks like a wonderful place."
Locking the bike to the single bicycle rack at back of the restaurant, Kyoko pushed open the door and announced her return.
"Okaerinasai, Kyoko-chan." Okami walked out of the kitchen with a smile, "Oh, you brought back a guest?"
"Yes! I was wondering if we could put him up until further notice..." Kyoko trailed off when she saw Taisho staring at the boy with his piercing glare, slamming the chopper in his hand into the beef on the chopping board a tad bit too forcefully.
"It's a LoveMe job!" She added hastily.
But Shion didn't budge. He merely smiled boyishly at them and bowed respectfully while making sure his hat doesn't fall off, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Taisho-san, Okami-san. My name is Shion."
"Why are you wearing a hat at night?" Okami asked curiously.
Kyoko stiffened at the question. Oh no! How should we answer her? I don't mean to lie to such wonderful people, but Shion-kun's real identity cannot be known to public!
"Ah…" Shion reached a hand to his hat, "Please do not be too surprised. I'm in this condition, you see." He took it off, and his ears bounced up.
The two older people stared at him with surprise and incredulity.
"Are those real?" Okami asked, feeling a cross of awe and confusion.
"Yes."
Kyoko stares at her new friend with a new level of respect. Why did he do that? What if the couple rejects his presence in the house? She knew rejection very well, and that it will never be friendly.
"Second floor, the last room to the right." Taisho said in his usually unfriendly tone. Okami looks at her husband with surprise.
Blue topaz eyes widened before the boy smiled gratefully and bowed again, "Thank you very much!"
Kyoko led Shion up to his room, which was just beside hers. Sliding the door open, she smiled as she watched a gentle smile lit up his face.
Shion padded to the glass window and pulls open the curtains, letting the moonlight shine a part of the room, illuminating his features.
Kyoko felt as if she just took a sneak peek into the fairy kingdom she longed to visit.
Her Corn had been beautiful under the sun; his hair would shine as if a halo above his head, and his bright, blue eyes would captivate her. He was the Fairy Prince.
Likewise, under the moonlight, Shion's hair shimmers with a layer of white light, and his blue topaz eyes reflects the image of the silver moon. His serene smile makes her wonder if he was also a Fairy Prince from another kingdom.
The ethereally beautiful boy turns back with an angle that reminded her of Ren, when they were in the clearing of the forest back in Karuizawa, when she mistook her senpai for Corn.
When Ren and Shion entered the same train of thought, she remembered about the conversation that morning.
"I want him to end my life with his own hands."
"Kyoko-chan?"
Unknowingly, tears flowed down from her wide golden eyes to her cheeks. "Why…" She breathed, "Why did you think of dying, Shion-kun?"
Shion watched as hot, pearly tears dripped from her chin.
A brand new feeling evoked him—was it guilt for making her cry? Or maybe it was happiness because she was worried about him?
He walked towards her, standing merely a foot away but never touching her, "Why do you want to know?"
Kyoko couldn't stop the sob emerging from her throat, "I just want to know."
The silence she got pained her heart. Maybe it's because she was reminded of the time when Corn went back to his Fairy Kingdom. She didn't want to see her new friend leave like how her prince did.
He took a step back and turned away, "It's late. You should go to sleep."
Without another word, she turned on her heels and fled back to her room, not once turning back. If she did, she would see the guilt and pain etched on the boy's face.
I hope Kyoko wasn't too OOC. I think my chapters are so melancholic because of the instrumental music I was listening to when I wrote them. TT^TT I'm so sorry if it's too depressing!
Please R&R!