Kyoko

Kyoko almost couldn't believe the change she saw in Kuon after one conversation. Suddenly he was smiling more, and genuinely happy. The first morning when he dropped her off at school she was ambushed by Kindle and Tanner demanding to know what was going on. The barrage of questions about if they were dating left Kyoko's mind reeling. Why would Kuon want to date someone like her? Finally she explained to them about how they had met in Kyoto years ago. She skimmed over their argument and told them that the two had decided to try to be friends again. Kindle and Tanner shared a look. Kindle patted her clueless friend on the top of her head. Kyoko watched the pair who headed on to class without another word. If you asked her classmates that were standing around her at the time, they could have sworn they saw question marks popping up over Kyoko's head. Burrowing back in her locker Kyoko's mind got stuck on her girl friend's accusation that they were dating. As she closed her polished wood locker door she mumbled "there's no way that someone like him would be interested in someone like her anyway." Unfortunately for Kyoko Courtney happened to pass by and hear her. The older girl laughed wickedly.

"At least you realize it, that it would never happen between you and Kuon." She flicked her hair and leaned in close to Kyoko. "He's a prince while you're a peasant, and he deserves a queen." She dangled the bracelet Kuon had given her in front of Kyoko's face.

"Oh it's so pretty!" Kyoko couldn't help the exclamation poured out of her mouth and the genuine awe of the gift Courtney was shamelessly flaunting. Confused Courtney blinked then looked down her nose at Kyoko. "Kuon is mine, so learn your place and back off now." Kyoko tilted her head.

"Oh, we don't have that kind of relationship. You don't need to worry. We are only friends." She attempted to reassure her.

"I want you to stay away from him. Don't look at him, don't talk to him, and if I see you get in his car again or out of his car again. You. Will. Regret. It." Courtney leaned further in meaningly.

Kyoko frowned up at her. "I'm sorry, but Kuon is my friend and I refuse to abandon him. He needs all the support he can get. Also, I tried to tell him the rides aren't necessary. Since you are his girlfriend, maybe you can convince him to stop giving them to me?" Something in her words caused Courtney to blanch. She looked like she was going to say something else when the bell rang.

"Oh, I'm sorry to be rude, but I need to get to class. Have a good day." Kyoko waved and smiled cheerily as she walked away.

The next few weeks fell into a steady pattern of Kuon picking her up every morning and taking her back to his house to study, or driving her to work. Kyoko strongly suspected that he would stay at the restaurant just to give her a ride if she didn't assure him that she regularly received rides from Uneo-san or Amy. She was also getting an increase in harassment from Courtney. At first it started out small, rude comments here or there. Then somehow Courtney got her phone number. Her phone dinged with a regular barrage of harassment from the blond girl. It didn't really bother her, most of it was things she heard before. How ugly she is, how stupid she was, how no one would ever love her...not that Kyoko could really argue with that one. She just hated having to keep her phone on silent all the time. She felt like she might miss something important that way.

She was sitting at Kuon's dining room table studying American history when her phone vibrated. Since she was expecting a text from Tanner about a shopping trip this weekend she decided to look. Seeing the usual insult from the usual person she rolled her eyes and set her phone down. Glancing at her friend, his blond head bent over his script, she decided that maybe if Kuon spent less time with her, then maybe his girlfriend would leave her alone a bit more.

"Kuon," her friend looked up at her with vacant eyes, his mind clearly still on his script and character. He replied with a, "Hum?" Kyoko felt a bit bad for breaking his concentration, but she really felt that this needed to be said.

"I think you need to spend more time with your girlfriend."

Kuon snapped straight up his body rigid, his expression betraying his confusion and anger. "What are you talking about?"

Shrinking a bit at the anger radiating off of him she mumbled, "That girl… Courtney… you should probably spend more time with her…" she trailed off as her friend's expression darkened as she spoke.

"Kyoko, let me tell you in no uncertain terms, that girl," he spit the world girl out like it was a dirty word, "is NOT my girlfriend." Confused Kyoko straightened up.

"Then why did you buy her the bracelet?"

"Bracelet? How do you know…" Kuon's voice trailed off. "It was an apology, but it doesn't mean we're dating." He tried to explain.

It was his look of utter confusion and sincerity that convinced Kyoko that Courtney was lying about being Kuon's girlfriend. Kyoko rolled her eyes. "I thought you were a playboy," she punched his arm, "Don't you know when you give girls expensive gifts they might get the wrong idea?"

"Well…" he started then shrugged.

"For example," Kyoko cut him off and straightened to her formal sitting style. Spine erect. "If one day I told you that I hated you, then the next day I brought you a bento, wouldn't you get the wrong impression?"

Kuon smirked, "The impression that you are trying to kill me?"

Kyoko glared at him and tried to think of a better example, "Fine, then if I said I hated you one day then kissed you the next," Kyoko blushed as she said the word, 'kissed', "What would you think?" She couldn't even bring her eyes to meet his as she talked about kissing. Kuon was silent for a long time, when Kyoko finally risked a peek at him, he seemed frozen.

"Corn?" When he met her eyes she thought she saw a slight blush on his cheeks, but that could have just been a trick of the light. He smiled gently at her, "I understand. I won't buy expensive presents for anyone but my girlfriend in the future." Kyoko smiled at him, "As long as you understand," Then went back to her studying, never realizing the implication of her words.

Saturday came around, and with it brought a shopping trip with her best friends. While she didn't buy anything she loved window shopping and voicing her opinion on how magnificent her friends looked when they tried on different outfits.

"Why don't you ever buy anything when we go out," Tanner grumbled, "I want to dress you up like a doll, you look good in almost everything." Kyoko blushed and jammed a french fry into her mouth. "I'm saving money."

Kindle raised her eyebrow, "You attend one of the most expensive schools in the area, you work all the time, why do you NEED to save money."

Her blush deepened, she didn't really want to trouble her girlfriends with her issues with her mother, but she didn't want to lie either.

"I want to go back to Japan…" At their shocked expressions, she rushed to relieve them, "Not now, when I graduate… so I need to save money." She shrugged and jabbed another fry into her mouth.

"If you just want to go back to visit why save for two year? You should be able to save enough in a year at least... " Kindle did the math in her head

Kyoko shook her head, "I want to move back to Japan when I graduate," Kyoko attempted to clarify.

Confused Tanner asked, "To do what?"

"To be an actress of course," Kyoko and her girlfriends jumped at the voice. Pivoting they took in Kuu Hizuri and his son who looked a bit sad and green. Kyoko stuttered, "Act...waha… Hizuri-san…" Kindle and Tanner just stared wide-eyed at the famous actor. Of course, they knew Kuon was his son, but they never met the man in person.

"You know," Kuu said and pulled a chair and sat with the group, his son following suit. "You should come with Kuon and I to Japan this winter break, I can introduce you to my friend. He heads a talent agency over there, I'm sure he would be interested in your ability." He followed this simple statement up by ordering everything on the menu.

"Hizuri-san.." Kyoko began when she was cut off.

"Kuu" Kuu told her gently

"Kuu-san.. I don't know that I want to be an actress…" her voice indicating her fear of his disapproval.

"Fine, you can come and keep Kuon company and cook me delicious food, it's all on me of course." He smiled at the wide-eyed waiter who practically sprinted back to the kitchen with the man's order.

Kyoko tried to catch Corn's eye but he just gave her a small smile and looked away. Kyoko stuttered, "I think maybe you and Co..Kuon," she corrected herself from calling him Corn in front of her friends, that was his name but only in private, "would want to do this just the two of you."

At this Kuon seemed to jump a bit, like he was shocked and he finally looked at her fully and addressed her in Japanese, "No, no Kyoko-chan, I would love it if you would come with us. We're going to Kyoto and you can show me around properly this time, we can visit our old spot. Please don't make me suffer my idiot father alone." The boy practically pleaded. Kuu snorted at his son's diatribe but Kyoko paused, unaware of her friend's confused stares. She could see the sincerity radiating from her friend. He truly wanted her at his side when they went to Japan.

Kyoko smiled and bowed at Kuu, "If it is OK with my mother, then I would love to join you," she addressed the man in English. Her friend's looked at eachother again, seeming to speak with their eyes to each other as the odd group continued their meal, Kuon only eating the occasional fry from Kyoko's plate.

"Well Kids," Kuu addressed the group as he stood up and handed the waiter his credit card to cover their bill, "I have to get back to the salt mines, I'm sure you don't mind Kuon joining you for the rest of the day. " Kyoko cast a worried gaze at her friend, but he didn't seem to mind his father abandoning them. She made a note to ask him about it later.

Kuon was surprisingly good at dealing with women and shopping. He confided in Kyoko it was because his mother would often bring him. He seemed to know instinctively what would look good on the girls and what wouldn't. More than once he tried to convince Kyoko to try on different things, but she always refused. When he offered to buy them she would just glare at him and would back down.

"I'm sorry you got roped into this." Kyoko told Kuon as the two of them trailed behind Kindle and Tanner a bit later that day.

Kuon shrugged, "It's not that bad, I'm use to it."

"I ment with Japan too.. " Kyoko blushed and looked down. Kuon nudged her shoulder, "I'm actually happy you are coming, dad will be really busy and it will be good to have a friend."

Kyoko smiled then glanced to her left. Her footsteps stuttered and she walked up to the glass window entranced. Her girlfriends getting far ahead, the only one who noticed her rapture was Kuon. The display window for the shop showing off a corset dress with crystal beads and a flowing A-line skirt.

"What is it?" Kuon asked her confused at her sudden stop, "you like that prom dress?"

"Prom?" Kyoko questioned in a breathless voice, her eyes never leaving the flowing blue and silver dress.

"Yeah, Prom...you don't know what prom is?

"No, we don't have it in Japan."

"Prom's, well.. Prom's a dance, for Junior and Seniors in high school." He started and she looked up at him, "They can invite freshman and sophomores if they like, but it's mostly just upperclassmen. It's a dance, they play music and it's mostly just an excuse for people to get laid." He told her, almost absently. "Laid?" Kyoko questioned. Kyoko couldn't help but notice the deep blush that dusted her friend's cheeks. "Urm.. it means they have sex…" Kyoko blushed furiously.

"If… if they are just going to do that… why dress like princesses?" She couldn't help but muse out loud.

Kuon rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged again. "Have you ever been?" Kyoko asked him. Her friend shook his head "Naw, always thought they were kinda lame. Hey," he said breaking her fairy tale induced trance of dancing princesses, "Your friends just turned into the store about a block up, we should hurry and catch up with them," and started to walk away from the shop.

Kyoko cast a quick wistful glance back at the dress then hurried to catch up to her friends.