Hi everybody. I know it has been SO long since I've updated. I'm really sorry for the wait. Life is crazy and writer's block is just a hard wall to conquer. But thank you for being patient. I promise I'm going to finish this story. Don't fret! I will not abandon it. Once again, thank you for your support! Please read and review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.
Yashiro had no idea why he felt so nervous. They've known each other for years now, albeit not as the closest of friends, but well enough that he could ask her out for a quick coffee break without feeling too out of bounds. And yet, there he sat, with his foot tapping on the floor incessantly and forcing himself not to glance down the street every second to see if she was coming.
He looked down at his watch. It was only 2:48. She said she would meet him at around 3:00, so he still had plenty of time to get himself together. Yashiro took in a deep breath, feeling his nerves relax just a bit before winding back up again. It had been awhile since they had talked—as in really talked. He remembered the few times he would see her at LME, but they were always fleeting: a quick hello and how-are-you, a nervous smile from him, a lovely smile from her, and then finally his speedy exit. But regardless of how short the encounter, Yashiro would always leave with a strange warmth spreading to his fingertips. He liked seeing her. He liked talking to her. To be frank, he liked h—
"Did I keep you waiting?"
Yashiro bit back the yelp of surprise as his head sprang up. But as soon as he laid eyes on her, it was like everything suddenly went calm. An effortless smile curved at the corner of his lips. "Not in the slightest, Kotonami-san. Thank you for meeting with me." She wore a simple black dress with an elegant pearl necklace that brought all the attention to her face, not like she needed it since her natural beauty would draw any pair of human eyes. Shaking off his stupor, Yashiro quickly got to his feet and pulled out the red plush chair from across him, helping her to her seat, before returning to his own. "I'm really sorry this was so short notice."
"It's alright. I'm honestly surprised you called me. I thought you forgot you had my number."
Yashiro froze.
"But then again," she added with a small smile as she watched him nervously toy with his napkin, "I never contacted you either, so I can't really fault you for that. I'm glad you called."
Feeling the familiar warmth rise from within once more, Yashiro blushed before handing her the small menu and asking her if she would like anything. Kanae ordered an iced coffee when the waiter came by and Yashiro a hot latte. Once he got them their drinks and left, Yashiro took a sip of the drink before gently putting his warm mug down onto the mahogany table, already hesitant to start the conversation. But knowing he had asked her out for a reason, he cleared his dry throat and asked in a low voice, "How are you, Kotonami-san?"
She gazed at him over the rim of her glass. "Somehow I feel that question isn't as simple as it sounds."
"With everything that has happened with Kyoko-chan…"
"Ah..." Kanae gave a nod of her head and set down her cup, holding both of her hands upon the table top. "I'm alright."
"Kotonami-san."
She looked away for a split second, shielding her eyes from Yashiro's scrutiny before turning back again. It was something about his gaze that made her feel so transparent, like he could read every little thing that crossed her mind. Kanae sighed. "It's been difficult," she finally admitted under her breath. "A part of me wants to walk away and let her live the life she wants while the other part of me wants to smack some sense into her, and yet—"
"—you can't get yourself to do either."
She looked up and saw the helplessness she had felt for so long mirrored in his gentle eyes. Like a breath of fresh air, Kanae relaxed. She barely scraped the surface of the confusing emotions warring inside, but he understood her with what appeared to be no effort at all. His face held no judgement for her decision to allow her best friend to live in a terrible delusion nor for being so cold.
Not wanting to fall prey to the tingling feeling he always seemed to elicit, she cleared her throat and asked, "How about you, Yashiro-san? Are you well?"
"Oh, same old, same old," he replied in his usual cheery voice. "Nothing too spectacular."
"And Tsuruga-san?"
His eyes dimming just a shade, Yashiro replied, "I'm not too sure. He seems…down—more so than usual."
"Did something happen?" she asked, worry bubbling in the pit of her stomach. While she and the actor did not have a close relationship by any means, her concern for him did grow exponentially after the accident. She may disagree with the way he dealt with the situation, but he was still important enough to warrant genuine concern.
"I don't really know," Yashiro began with furrowed eyebrows. "He doesn't want to talk about it—no surprise there—but he always has this far-away look in his eyes like he's deep in thought or something. And every time I bring up Kyoko-chan, he suddenly freezes up as if I put some sort of curse on him. I think something has happened."
"You think they talked?"
"Yes, but not what we're expecting," he corrected at the expectant look in her eyes. "I don't think he revealed anything to her."
She tucked her jet-black hair behind her ear with an irritated huff. "Of course he didn't."
He gave a guilty smile for his friend's sake before continuing, "But at least they talked. He had been trying to avoid her for so long that I thought his insane plan might work."
"I suppose that's a step forward."
Yashiro hoped so. After setting up their pseudo dinner date and hearing that Ren did NOTHING to get her back, he gave his friend an earful about how idiotic he was. Of course, the actor was as stubborn as a bull so he assumed his words were going through one ear and out the other.
"You have talked to her as well right, Kotonami-san?"
Kanae nodded. "She hasn't changed much, although…"
"Yes?"
The last time Kanae had run into Kyoko, the actress had acted strange, even stranger than when her memories were intact. She had mentioned how she was looking for someone that would somehow help her understand a flashback she had. Kanae had a slight hunch that it was probably a remnant of her relationship with Ren, but she didn't push her, afraid that she might hinder her progress. "She was looking for someone in LME's database."
"Really? Who?"
"I don't know. But she seemed determined to find whoever this was. I took her to Sawara-san since he could access the files of every employee in the company and left her there. I wonder if she found her answer…"
"Even if she did, I don't think it made such improvement considering we haven't heard from her."
"No, it doesn't seem like it."
"So…you two are actually okay?"
Kanae took her eyes away from her glass upon the table and met Yashiro's strangely happy gaze. "What do you mean?"
"From what Ren has told me, you weren't very…thrilled with Kyoko-chan before. Did that change?"
If the options were either yes or no, then yes, it did change. But Kanae would not say everything was as good as Yashiro's eyes were implying. He looked so hopeful that just from his expression, he could probably persuade her into thinking things were back to normal.
But no, Kanae wasn't there yet. She was still angry. It didn't make any sense to blame the victim, but the fact that her best friend couldn't remember her cut deep—too deep to just forgive without a second thought.
Knowing Yashiro was still waiting for her to answer, she raised her head and was about to open her mouth when her words suddenly faltered. She felt a fury like no other rise from within as she watched him walk through the door of the coffee shop. Kanae's hands bunched into tight fists upon her lap.
"Kotonami-san?" Perplexed at the clear irritation in her normally placid expression, Yashiro turned around to see what she was looking at with such intensity. He froze in place.
"Excuse me," she murmured under her breath as she got to her feet.
"Wait, Kotonami-san!" But his words fell short. She was already weaving through the wicker tables towards the front door, her eyes locked on her target. He quickly went after her. Yashiro watched the musician turn to them with a curious expression. He didn't recognize them. They had never really met before. He wouldn't even know their name. But they knew him. They knew all they needed to know about him.
Kanae stood before him without saying a word. She could feel multiple pairs of eyes glued to her back. Maybe it was because they were star-struck by the two celebrities in their wake. Maybe they were excited about the ensuing drama. Or maybe it was because they could feel the thick tension that Kanae drew around herself like a cloak, sucking up all of the air in the room.
Sho raised an eyebrow at the woman before him. Her gaze was as sharp as daggers. She was beautiful; there was no doubt about that. In fact, she was exactly the type of woman he would be interested in, if not for the hatred that darkened her expression. "Do I know you?"
"No."
"Then…what do you want?"
Her gaze darted behind him, as if expecting to see someone. When she met his eyes again, she narrowed them to slits and murmured, "What do I want? I want you to crawl back to your hole like the rat you are."
"What the fu-?" Then just like that, the answer clicked into place. Sho let out a dry laugh as he ran a hand through his ruffled hair. "Ah, you must be one of Kyoko's friends. Nice to see you too."
"I can't say it's a pleasure," she snarled.
"Hey, we might as well start getting along since Kyoko is staying with me after all."
Kanae clenched her teeth together. The stress of sleepless nights worrying about her friend, the anger for the man who deceived her, and the frustration of being helpless rained down like a storm. Like a broken dam, the words she so desperately wanted to scream spilled out of her with uncontrollable speed. "I don't know what the hell you're playing at. I don't know who you think you are fooling. And I certainly don't give a damn for your reasons. You already screwed up her life before. There is no way in hell I will let you do it again."
"You have no idea what happened between us," Sho answered in a low voice, all traces of teasing gone. "You have no right to judge me."
"Don't I? I know enough that you have to use her amnesia as a way to win her favor. You're nothing but a coward and a liar."
"Oh yeah? Then what does that make you, princess? I don't see you running off to try to make things right."
Kanae stepped forward, ready to dig her nails into his pompous face when she suddenly felt a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pull her back. She could feel Yashiro's hard body pressed behind her, holding her firm against his chest. "Easy, Kotonami-san. Remember where we are," he murmured softly.
She gritted her teeth. He was right. She was already drawing too much attention. She wouldn't be surprised if she found herself on the front page tomorrow, advertised as some crazy lunatic. And besides, what was she going to do? Hit him? Kick him in the groin? All definite possibilities, but none would fix the boiling frustration inside of her. She hated this man. She didn't even know him, yet she hated him with a fervor that scared her. But alas, she couldn't do anything.
Yashiro linked his fingers through hers, holding her trembling hand from behind. "Kotonami-san?"
Breathing in deeply, Kanae leaned back against him. She felt his tense posture relax in response, feeling oddly touched that he was so in tune with her. He gave her hand a soft squeeze before finally releasing her. Kanae shoved away the feeling of loss that flooded her from his absence and instead turned to see him standing beside her, his eyes riveted on the musician.
Sho might not have known who the woman was, but he definitely recognized the man. He had seen him a couple of times on television, always walking close behind the actor he despised more than anyone. His scowl deepened. The actor must be nearby somewhere and he was the last person he wanted to see. But when his eyes darted around the cafe, he heard:
"Ren isn't here."
Sho turned to him.
Yashiro flashed an easy-going smile. "If you're looking for him, I mean."
"I'm not."
"Is Kyoko-chan with you?"
Kanae turned to Yashiro in surprise.
"Why?" Sho asked suspiciously.
"Is it so wrong we would like to speak to her? Unless of course, our presence concerns you."
Sho's jaw tightened. "She's not here."
"I see. Well then, I suppose we'll be on our way," Yashiro said as he gently held Kanae's upper arm, turning the actress towards him.
She followed Yashiro, but kept her eyes on the musician. She wanted her angry gaze to burn like iron into his skin. But just as she gave him her back, he suddenly asked in a loud voice:
"Why haven't you told her the truth?"
Kanae froze.
"You could just tell her everything. No one's stopping you."
Slowly, she turned around to face him, stunned to her core. He should be on his goddamn knees, begging them them to stay silent! He should be grateful that they were even entertaining this charade! Kanae felt the wrath consume her until she could only see red. She was so angry! But what she was most angry at was how she didn't have some clever response to shut him up.
He was right. She could easily fix this problem herself. She should just tell Kyoko. She should just reveal everything. She should just—
"You seem to misunderstand our intention, Fuwa-san," Yashiro replied as he stepped around Kanae, blocking her view. "We are not withholding the truth for your benefit."
"Then why?"
"Quite frankly, we would have told her the minute she woke up" Yashiro confessed, adjusting the thin glasses on the bridge of his nose. "She deserves to know the truth, and I think even you, Fuwa-san, understand that. But at the same time, we know it's not just the matter of her missing memories. It's also her missing emotions."
Yashiro smiled as he watched Sho raise an eyebrow. "Let me clarify, Fuwa-san: the only reason Kyoko-chan hated you is because of what you done to her. While it is probable that we can tell her what you did, there is always the chance of her not believing us. Or worse, her deciding not to care. Memories are useless if we can't relate the way we feel to them. They will be nothing more than just a moving picture within our heads. It is the emotions behind those pictures that make all the difference. Kyoko-chan seems to have forgotten why she left you. Merely telling her the reason why would probably not help her." Yashiro locked eyes with Sho's wide-eyed gaze, his gentle demeanor suddenly morphing into quiet animosity. "Do not misunderstand us. Our choice to remain silent is not for you. We are simply biding our time, waiting for you to commit the same crime you once did before."
"That won't happen," he growled.
"Perhaps, but then again, the odds don't seem to be in your favor. After all, your lies now are no different than from your lies before."
Sho opened his mouth to retaliate, to say anything that will wipe the strangely cool familiar expression off his face, when the front door suddenly opened with a frantic Shoko running through.
"Sho! We have to go!"
He clenched his teeth as he turned to her. "Why?"
She handed him the cell phone and whispered, "Just listen."
Yashiro and Kanae watched as Sho's blue eyes suddenly grew larger with what appeared to be dread. His body tensed into a tight coil, his hand balled into a tight fist at his side. He turned to Shoko and asked in a low voice, "When did she call?"
"An hour ago."
"Dammit..." After one last bitter glance at Yashiro, Sho briskly walked out the door. Shoko turned back to Yashiro and Kanae, not knowing what to say except mutter a quick goodbye. The door swung shut after her departure.
"What was that?" Kanae murmured over his shoulder.
Yashiro shrugged. "I don't know...but it doesn't seem good."
"For him."
He chuckled at the hopeful sound in her voice. "For him," he repeated.
Feeling her slender hand upon his arm, Yashiro looked down to see her gazing at him.
"That's the first time I've ever seen you angry."
"I was angry?" he asked with surprise.
"Well, as angry as a calm guy like you can get."
"Hmm, I guess I wasn't too thrilled to see him either."
"But thank you."
"For what?" he asked with a curious gaze.
"For being clear of mind when I wasn't."
Yashiro stared at the subtle awed look in her eyes, feeling a surge of pride well up inside of him. Suddenly, her hand was like an iron rod against the sleeve of his jacket, the heat bringing to life the sparks that began to dance up and down his arm.
"S-s-shall we continue with our—" Yashiro stopped and swallowed the thick knot in his throat, the word blaring in his head like a siren.
"Date?"
Yashiro's turned to her in alarm. "Well, I-I mean—If that's what you want to call it—We don't have to—"
"Yashiro-san?"
"Yes?"
"Let's go," she murmured with a small smile as she turned around and led back him to their table.
Yashiro followed her, unable to process what just happened, unable to say a word, and certainly unable to wipe the big smile off his face.
He stared at the one hundred dollar bill in his hand in stunned awe before grinning from ear to ear. Unable to contain his excitement, he waved at the bright orange car that was already driving away and hollered, "Thank you!"
Saiko carefully folded the bill in half and tucked it into the front pocket of his uniform. Tips like these were one of the many benefits of working as a valet for an upscale restaurant like Alexander's. Although he met his fair share of prissy customers who held onto their overflowing wallets like a man dying of thirst, he would every now and then come across someone who gave out their money like it was air.
But besides the nice tips, Saiko was just really in love with the cars. Rich people always had the best cars. He drove in more luxury vehicles than he could count and while it was only for a short drive down the block to the parking structure, he wouldn't trade those moments for anything. The feeling of unleashed power as he gripped the steering wheel, the low rumble of the engine, the smell of supple leather seats, they all made him feel like a winner, if only for a short while.
He let out a dreamy sigh as he climbed onto his stool behind the podium, already daydreaming about the life of luxury he hoped was waiting for him. Luckily, Alexander's was never busy during lunch. Most of the patrons came by for dinner, dressed in their sparkly dresses and crisp tuxedos. The food was good, but they really paid for the atmosphere. Even celebrities dined here because of the maximum security within the establishment. Not a single photographer could get within a two mile radius of the place without authorization.
Saiko stretched both of his arms high above his head, letting out a loud yawn. Smacking his lips, he leaned his chin in the palm of his hand and reached for his cell phone on top of the mahogany podium. Saiko scrolled through his text messages and noted that he had to call his sister later. She wanted to meet up for lunch. As he was about to lock his phone, the sound of a rumbling engine pulled his head up. He watched a yellow taxicab park in front of the restaurant.
Huh. That's odd...Most people take their own cars.
The back passenger door opened and a slim lady stepped out of the vehicle. She said something to the driver, most likely a murmur of thanks, before she looked up at the silver cursive letters of Alexander's. Saiko expected her to walk forward and enter the restaurant, but instead, she just stood there like a statue. She then turned around, as if she was surveying her surroundings. When her gaze met his, Saiko felt his heart jump in recognition.
He had seen her plenty of times in movies, magazines, and shows. While he was occasionally star struck by the number of the celebrities that come by to the restaurant, that wasn't the reason why he was surprised to see her. The last time he saw her, she was lying on a stretcher, her body limp from the impact, her life hanging by a thread. To see her standing in front of him, like none of that had happened came to him as a shock. Saiko jumped down from his seat and moved towards her.
"Kyoko-san?"
She blinked in surprise. "Yes...Do I know you?"
"Oh! Well not personally, no," he replied with a nervous laugh, running his hand through his black hair. "I mean, I only know you because I sort of met you last time, but we're not really friends…"
Kyoko watched the young man fidget, moving from one foot to the next. He was clearly working since he was wearing a uniform. He had a slightly rounded face with large brown eyes that served as evidence he was still pretty young. Even the way he avoided her gaze was somewhat childlike, but then again, she did just sort of embarrass him. On any regular day, Kyoko would have smiled brightly and extended a friendly gesture, ask him how he knew her.
But today was different. Kyoko didn't feel like herself. Her stomach was tied up in knots and every breath she took in only sharpened the pain within her now sluggish-beating heart. She had only one thing on her mind and that was to keep on moving. She just needed to get as far away as possible from the place she thought was home, as far away from the man she thought she could trust. She needed an escape.
Coming to Alexander's, though, wasn't planned. When she had left the apartment, she had no idea where to go or what to do. There was no home to return to, no leads to follow, no one to talk to. She just hailed a taxicab and climbed in, asking the driver if he could just drive. It took her a few minutes before she was finally clear of mind enough to think and that was when she noticed she was still holding onto the magazine.
The name Alexander's popped out at her and just like that, she asked the driver to take her there. There was no purpose or reasoning. It was just a plan, a sense of direction. But now that she was here, she didn't know what to do. Coming to the scene of the accident didn't solve any problems nor did it answer any questions. In fact, standing here only made the nightmare all the more real.
Feeling bitter betrayal rise like bile in her throat, Kyoko forced her anger back into its box and tried to focus on the young man before her, who she just left in a state of distraught. Kyoko forced out a gentle smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so curt. It's not to say that I don't remember you, it's just that—" Kyoko faltered for a second before clearing her throat. "Well, I guess it is something like that," she corrected guiltily, "But I don't remember you because of my amnesia, not because—"
"Amnesia?" he repeated in confusion and like a switch, Saiko suddenly paled in horror. "Oh my god, your amnesia!" He rushed forward, genuine concern etched into his young face. "I can't believe I forgot about that! It was all over the tabloids. How do you feel, Kyoko-san? Are you alright?"
"Uh, yes, I'm alright," she stammered, surprised by the fervent expression in his eyes. When most people asked about her lost memories, it was almost with a cool indifference, as if they were just asking because it was the polite thing to do. But this young man was different. His sincerity was almost palpable.
Curious, Kyoko asked, "May I ask you your name?"
"Oh! My name is Matusushita Saiko. I'm the valet here at Alexander's. Are you stopping by for lunch?"
"Um...I haven't really decided yet."
"Did you come here by yourself?"
She nodded.
"Is he going to join you later?"
Kyoko tilted her head to the side in confusion. "He?"
"Kuon-san, I mean."
Kyoko froze. Like a thunderbolt, she suddenly felt a sharp pain stab at her temple. She covered her forehead with a shaky hand, seeing white flash before her eyes. A pained groan left her lips.
"Kyoko-san! Are you alright?" Saiko exclaimed, rushing to her side immediately.
She nodded, closing her eyes for a brief moment. She had never felt anything like this before. It was like her head was trying to tear itself in half. But more than that, it was almost like something was trying to push itself out of her subconscious, like this constant tug to be free. "Give me a minute," she murmured as she tried to control her now uneven breathing.
"Should I get someone?" he asked worriedly. "Let me call an ambulance."
"No, no, it's okay. I think it's passing."
It took a few more minutes before the pain ebbed to a dull ache, before she could finally see clear. When she opened her eyes, she saw Saiko's brown eyes rounded with fear. She gave him a small, strained smile. "It's okay. It's just a side effect from the accident."
"Does this happen a lot?"
Kyoko straightened up and took in a deep breath. "Don't worry, Saiko-san," she dodged. "It's gone now anyway."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. It couldn't be a coincidence that the minute he said that name, her head suddenly reeled. Kuon...There was a sense of familiarity there. A whisper of recognition, but it was there. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it was almost like she knew that name. But the strangest part was that her heart suddenly felt all excited, her hands clammy, her knees trembling. She was filled with an odd sense of...longing. "Kuon," she murmured softly, as if tasting the name upon her lips. "Who is he?"
His jaw dropped. "What do you mean who is he? Isn't he your boyfriend?"
Kyoko whipped to him in alarm. "WHAT?"
"Well, I mean, it's just from what I saw, I guess," he backtracked quickly from her shocked expression. "The last time you guys were here, I thought you guys were, you know...together," he finished with an awkward wave of his hand.
"The last time? When was that?"
"The night of your accident."
Her heart stuttered uncomfortably in her chest. She suddenly felt a huge pressure ramming itself against her, finding it increasingly harder to breathe. "Can you describe this man to me, Saiko-san?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from wavering.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"The man who was with me, what did he look like? What was he wearing?"
Saiko looked at her as if she had sprouted ten arms from the top of her head. "Wait, are you saying you don't remember Kuon-san either?"
Kyoko shook her head, her heart jumping at the name. "I don't remember anything from that night."
"Yeah, I get that, but how can you not remember him? He was the one who rode with you to the hospital. I mean, he must have at least been there when you woke up."
Her breaths started to get shallower and shallower as realization trickled through her foggy mind. Kyoko blindly reached out for something—ANYTHING—to help her stay upright. Thankfully, Saiko noticed her wobbly stance and wrapped a friendly arm around her waist.
"Kyoko-san! Hey, are you alright? What's going on?"
"I'm sorry," she whispered, gratefully leaning against him. "This is just a lot to take in." Kyoko breathed in deeply through her nose: inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. "You were here the night of the accident, weren't you?"
He nodded, eyebrows furrowed with concern. "I saw the whole thing."
"And the man who was with me, you saw him too?"
"Yeah, he was standing right next to me when it happened."
"Can you tell me about it?"
"The accident?"
"Yes, and about the man. Anything at all. Just whatever you can remember from that night."
Saiko looked at her with confusion. "I don't get it. It's been over a month since it happened. I thought he would have told you by now."
"I know this doesn't make much sense, Saiko-san, but please, I need your help. You are the first person I met who was actually there the night it happened. It's really important to me that I figure it all out. Please...please, can you help me?"
"Alright..." Saiko had no idea what the heck was going, but her pleading expression was so fervent he had to at least try. He wracked his brain, scratching the top of his head, as he thought back to that night. "Well, the driver who hit you was a man, pretty young from what I remember. He had some injuries too, but nowhere close to yours. I think he was able to get out of his vehicle and walk, even though he had slammed into a pole pretty bad. There were a lot of people on the street at the time since it was a Friday night. So when it happened, there were witnesses everywhere. I remember how everybody just froze, like they couldn't believe what just happened. Nothing moved. Nothing even breathed. But he was the first one to jump in response. When I saw Kuon-san run towards you, it was like something clicked and I rushed to call the ambulance. The paramedics reached the scene in less than three minutes. Kuon-san just stayed on the street though, holding onto you." Saiko let out a low whistle, lost in his tale. "I can't say I know him on any personal level, but for the brief moment I talked to him, I could tell he was a really calm and collected guy. Really cool, that's for sure. Never boring, of course, but there was just this sense of serenity around him. You just felt at ease. But his reaction when you were hit…it was intense, to say the least."
Kyoko nodded, unable to make a sound.
"Well, when the ambulance finally came, he barely let them touch you. But I guess some part of him knew they were trying to help, so he let them put you on the stretcher. After that, he jumped into the back with you and the car sped away."
"Kuon-san...what did he look like?"
"Really tall," Saiko explained with a thoughtful expression, "at least six feet, I would think. He looks like the kind of guy who works out, but not like a muscle head. He has blond hair and really green eyes. I don't think he's a native here at all."
"Green eyes? Did you say green eyes?"
"Yeah, why?"
Kyoko didn't answer. It was only just a few days ago, when a memory of beautiful green eyes came to mind when she was at the hospital. She remembered the loving gaze those eyes held, as if she was the most precious thing they had ever looked upon. Could it have been a memory of the same man who saved her life?
But then again, Saiko said he was blond. The only person she knew who had golden hair was Sho and it was already painstakingly clear it wasn't him. Then who else could it be?
"I don't get it," Saiko mused. "If you don't remember him, then he mustn't have been there when you woke up, right?"
She shook her head.
"That doesn't make any sense. I mean, he wouldn't walk away like that. It just doesn't add up."
Kyoko didn't know either. She was just at a lost as he was. Nothing made sense anymore. Everything was all tangled up and it was all her fault. She wasted so much time, trying to fit herself in a delusion she never tried to question. She felt so lost. Wouldn't it be easier to just start clean? Work with what she has and go from there? Let go of her past and move on?
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her cell phone and saw Sho's name flash on screen. The anger resurfaced like a tidal wave. Fighting the urge to slam the phone into the ground, she shoved it back into her purse and ignored his call.
"You're not going to answer that?" Saiko asked.
She shook her head. The last person she wanted to hear from was him. Hearing his voice was just going to remind her of his lies, but even more painfully, her naiveté. While he may have strung her along like a mindless doll, she was the one who chose to let him. She blindly followed him down this path that—
Kyoko stopped.
"Path…"
Saiko raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"
She didn't reply as his words washed over her. She had replayed them over and over again for countless nights, but they never made as much sense as they did now. The minute his face came to mind, her catastrophic world stopped spiraling out of control. Kyoko used to be bothered by this before, perplexed of the effect he always seemed to have on her, but now she welcomed it. She didn't bother questioning why. She didn't bother wondering why. Her life was falling apart and if he could somehow keep it together, she needn't ask why.
Kyoko turned to the valet and bowed her head. "Saiko-san, thank you for everything. I know I haven't been making much sense, but I really appreciate you helping me."
"Of course, Kyoko-san, but are you sure everything is okay?"
She nodded, murmuring, "It will be."
With a final goodbye, she walked away from and him and pulled out her cell phone. She could feel it in her bones that this was right. For some odd reason, her need to see him was burning hot like a newly lit flame. There was no logic behind her need. There was no rationality behind her desperation. But this was the path she wanted to follow. This was the path that oddly felt right. And this was the path she somehow knew would lead her back to the memories she so desperately needed to find.