A/N: A longer chapter this time. Hope you enjoy it.
For the first time in two years, Kyoko thinks, really thinks about Ren. Her intentionally grueling schedule - foreign location shootings, promotion tours, TV and radio interviews, and multiple simultaneous projects had completely taken up all her time. So that she had not had time to examine her feelings about her absent husband. Whenever she had thought of him, an ache in her heart would make her hurriedly try to focus on something else. If she didn't, the resulting spiral of feelings would almost always cause a blackout.
But now, her mother-in-law's words about forgetting him seems to have the opposite effect. This time she is able to think of Ren without having the feelings overwhelm her. 'What are my feelings for him?' she wonders. 'Do I still love him?'
She tries to picture Ren. The handsome lines of his face, his eyes that could show so much emotion but also keep a lot hidden, his lovely black hair and his equally lovely blonde hair. Then she remembers Ren's smiles surprised by how many times she could remember him smiling - his thousand-watt-burn-you-to-a-crisp smile, his angry-but-I-don't-want-to-show-it smile, his tender smile which he reserved for her and his sad smile. Thinking of that last, Kyoko also starts feeling sad and the familiar ache in her heart returns. She is not overwhelmed by emotions this time. Instead, she wonders, 'Should I forget about him and find someone else?'
Eight thousand miles away - Kuu is asking Julie the same question.
"Why did you tell her that? Do you really want her to forget about our son and find someone else? Weren't you the one who was saying they should have gotten back together and resolved all their differences by now?"
"I know what I said," Julie says impatiently. "But, there were two very good reasons I asked her to forget about Kuon. One is that just from her voice, I could tell she is suffering. And if forgetting about Kuon is the only way she can feel better, she should. I feel like it is my fault that my son feels like running away at the first sign of trouble is an acceptable thing to do. That first time he left home, I should have insisted on bringing him back and addressing his issues. We could have helped him then Kuu and we didn't. So the next time he finds things getting beyond him, he runs away again! He doesn't turn to us or other people for help anymore. So I thought, let me at least help the 'Kuon' who is asking me for help."
Kuu sighs, "You may be right, I don't know. We acted in the way we thought best then. It is pointless to relitigate our actions now. What is the second reason?"
Julie whispers her reply, "I am afraid I will lose her too. In her mind, we are Kuon's parents. She thinks of us as people who would always take his side over hers. If I didn't say or do something to change that perception, she will never turn to us for help again."
Kuu says, "Bah! You overthink these things. She is our daughter and she will always be no matter what Kuon decides to do. I think she knows that."
Julie huffs, "Easy for you to say. She has always considered you as 'dad'. But I am always 'Okaasama' to her." She pouts.
Kuu sees her face and can't help but laugh, "It's amazing how, even at this age, I find you so cute and attractive, especially when you pout like that."
"Just what do you mean by 'at this age'?" Julie asks, and catches Kuu by the collar and pulls him close so they are face-to-face.
"My age, I meant my age!" Kuu says hastily.
The next day is, once again, challenge day. And it is a day of déjà vu for Kyoko.
Once again Kyoko's brows are furrowed as once again she reads Shin's note while nibbling on tasty breakfast made by him.
Once again she wonders annoyed "Why this of all things?"
The message reads,
"ROLE NUMBER 2: MAKE THE MAN WHO KNOCKS KISS YOU."
The doorbell rings startling Kyoko. 'Arrghhh I have had no time to prepare,' she thinks as she rushes down the hall to the door. She hesitantly peeps from the hole and gets a shock.
"Why him? Why him of all people? How did Shin even get this guy to come here for a challenge for me? What do I do? What do I do? I can't make him kiss me. I don't want him to."
"I can tell you are inside Kyoko" calls Reino from the outside. "Don't make me ring the bell again."
Several minutes pass and Reino looks at the call box on the other side of the road. Just then, the door opens. It is not Kyoko but Setsuka - or a version of her. The lip piercings and dark make-up are still the same. But her hair, though made up similarly, is jet-black and she is wearing a full-length black dress with black lace and leather straps.
She tilts her head to one side and asks huskily, "Reino, You're up early. I wasn't expecting you until later."
Reino raises an eyebrow. "Are you finally using your grudges to spy for you? Are they back?" he asks eagerly and looks around.
Setsu gives him a cold look. 'No Kyoko. Don't hate him. Don't annoy him. Get him to kiss you.,' Kyoko thinks. She closes her eyes. 'What if Ren were a visual kei artist? That's right, Ren is someone I am ok with kissing me. He could be the one standing there; and as part of the challenge I have to make him kiss me.' she tries to convince herself.
"Reino," she says opening her eyes, running to him. "You look pale. I'm so sorry I made you wait in the sun so long."
She gently leads him to the sofa and makes him lie down. Her face comes very close to Reino's as she does so.
Reino touches her face and caresses her cheeks, "You are filled with so much sadness and pain. It makes you very beautiful."
Kyoko does her best not to shudder at his touch. She tries to think instead. 'What is it that would attract Reino to me? He loves sadness and pain. Then let me give him a full dose of it.'
From every part of her body, she brings forth her grief at losing her baby and Ren. Her face becomes flushed and warm.
"Atsui," says Reino, sharply drawing his hand back.
'Curses,' thinks Kyoko. 'Probably too much.'
"The sun got to you," she says smoothly. "My bad. You rest here while I go make a refreshing drink for you."
She walks nonchalantly into the kitchen while all the time her heart is pounding.
'Pull yourself together Kyoko,' she tells herself once in the kitchen, her hands already busy in auto mode, pulling ingredients together and turning on the blender. 'You have to meet this challenge. Make that Beagle kiss you. No no, not Beagle, can't think of him like that. Ah, this is so hard.'
She hears a noise like a door closing. Taking the drink in a tray, she goes back to the living room to find no sign of Reino. She looks around puzzled even glancing outside the door but no Reino.
The challenge can't be over already. He just came in. Is it because I made him recoil from my grief? No can't be. Maybe he just realized I would never let him kiss me.
Then she hears a sound from the bedroom. Still carrying the drink she walks into the bedroom to find Reino in her bed.
"I was tired outside. It was too bright. I came in here to rest." he says.
Kyoko pales. This was her personal space. The bedroom that she only ever shared with Ren. The thought of any other man in there makes Kyoko mildly uncomfortable. The thought of Reino in there makes her want to gag. 'He can't be in here.' She opens her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, challenge, or no challenge. But then she remembers, 'I have to win back Ren's love no matter what.'
"That is why I made this especially for you. Blood drink," she says pointing to the red liquid in the glass she has. She takes it over to Reino.
Reino laughs, "Both you and Fuwa think of me as a vampire." When Kyoko doesn't respond to his creepy laugh or the mention of Fuwa Sho, he takes the glass from her and takes a sip. It wasn't made of blood, of course. A vile mixture of beetroots, carrots, and a hint of kale.
Reino disgustedly sets the glass on the bedside table and says, "Blood is better to drink fresh, isn't it?"
And in a flash, he is behind Kyoko pinning her arms behind her. The tray clatters noisily to the floor. It is exactly the same as that time in the forest all those years ago. Kyoko is frozen unable to move or speak. Reino brings his mouth close to her neck. Frantic, Kyoko tries to find something, something that could stop him. She sees her bedside drawer slightly ajar. "Corn" she whispers. She tries to reach for her stone but she can't.
"No," says Reino. "Both the stone and its owner are beyond your reach now. Don't you hate him for what he did to you? Let that anger out. Become more beautiful."
Kyoko, trapped and pinned, feels desperate. So many years ago Shotarou had extricated her. And the second time, Ren had stopped Reino. But no one is around to help her this time. She isn't even able to reach 'Corn'.
Reino flicks out his tongue and licks her neck. "So delicious" he murmurs.
'What can I do?' Kyoko desperately tries to think. She cannot bring her grudge demons out. Reino had the power to catch them. She remembers that Reino had drawn his hand away when she had brought forth her grief. That might not be enough now. There was only one thing in Kyoko's life able to bring out greater emotion within her. One person, rather. Mustering every ounce of energy within her she speaks loudly in her own mind.
"TSURUGA REN"
Reino is thrown back and to the floor as though physically repulsed by her unspoken words. He hits a table and a lamp falls on him. It leaves a small cut on his face near his lip. He uses his tongue to lick away the blood and smiles ruefully.
"Still love him then? Too bad. Love that turns to hate is the most beautiful hate there is. You could have been more beautiful Kyoko. Too bad."
Kyoko is saved from responding by the bell.
Reino continues, "I don't know why you were so desperate to make me kiss you. Or why you turned around and repulsed me like that. But, I am not interested in you anymore." Reino says getting up and dusting himself. He walks to the front door.
Kyoko's mind is in shambles. She cannot remember why, but she doesn't want him to go. Perhaps she is still thinking of him as Ren, 'You have to kiss me before you go.' She only half remembers the challenge. She stands there rooted to the spot.
Reino reaches the door and opens it. "Hope you have better luck than me, pal," Reino says to the person outside on his way out.
Once Reino leaves, the spell breaks and Kyoko runs to the door. A tall muscular handsome man in a white jacket, white pants, and a black V shirt is standing there looking puzzled. 'Well that's that.,' thinks Kyoko not wanting Reino to return, 'Might as well accept defeat on this challenge. I will explain to Shin later.'
"What can I do for you?" she asks the handsome man politely, forgetting her Setsuka dress up.
He hands her a note, all the while looking doubtfully at her.
The note says - "Make this man kiss you within one hour. I am not spying on you. I will take your word for it. - Shin.
PS - I promised him 100 bucks if he doesn't kiss you."