Six months to the day from when she was told she would no longer get any acting jobs through LME till she improved her acting by President Takarada, Kyoko found herself back at LME outside the same office. She had imagined being called back by a repentant President Takarada begging her to play a role that no one else could do justice to. In some senses, she was being called back. But not exactly the way she had imagined.

Clutching the tabloid newspaper in her hand and a fierce frown on her face, she slams through the doors the same way she had slammed past the myriad gatekeepers on the way to the President's office. And stops short.

The president is not in his room. Instead, she finds Yashiro sitting on the couch. He gets up upon seeing her.

She points to the newspaper, "Did you do this?"

He shakes his head. "No Kyoko-san, you know I would never."

"Where is the president?" Kyoko asks.

"I don't know. I assume you were also called here?"

"I was not called or anything. Shin showed me the social media posts and I knew something like this would not have happened without the President knowing about it. So I came to ask the person himself. I bought a newspaper on the way here so I could throw it in his face when I ask him."

"Kyoko-san, let's not jump to conclusions. It may be the president had a very good reason for acting the way he did."

"'Acting the way he did'? So then you think he is the source for this article?"

"It is just my guess." Yashiro squirms under Kyoko's stare.

'At this rate, I am going to spill the beans that I have been in contact with the President the whole time. I don't think Kyoko-chan will take it well. Let me change the subject.'

"How is Shin taking it?"

"Part- no, all of my anger is on his behalf. I am an actress whether the President thinks so or not and my relationships are fair game for the media and it is in some senses expected. But Shin has got nothing to do with this. And he just started school a month ago. I don't know what will happen if and when his classmates recognize his picture."

The offending news item in question is a sensationalized version of Kyoko and Shin's relationship. First reported by the newspaper "The Daily Mirror" and soon picked up by all news outlets and social media - the report claimed that a certain "Today's child", (punning on Kyoko's name) had picked up a stray kitten and nurtured and nursed said kitten for the past several months. The accompanying photographs of Kyoko and Shin together at a park (they had been acting out a scene there at the time) left no doubt as to Kyoko's identity. She had been wearing the same costume she had worn in a period drama a couple of years back. That and the oblique reference to her name was enough for everyone to know. The piece did not mention any identifying details about Shin and his back was to the camera in the photo so Kyoko fervently hoped no one would be able to recognize him.

'I can't seem to do right by the kid. I am again putting him in danger's way just by association.'

Kyoko's phone buzzes - it is Kotonami Kanae texting to say, "Read the news. My advice - ride it out."

Kyoko thinks, 'Trust Moko-san to be brief and to the point and to know exactly what I need to hear right now. That's right. I have to wait for this news cycle to end. But not before I hear the President's explanation.'

The man himself chooses that moment to walk in. But he is not alone.

"Ah good." he says on seeing Kyoko, "You are on time."

Kyoko bites back any reply. She really couldn't say anything in front of this third party. On looking closely at him, she recognizes him.

"You are Director Muraki!" she exclaims.

Taizo Muraki was the third Japanese director to be nominated for an Oscar after Teshigahara and Kurosawa. The talk in the industry was that his next movie was sure to win an Oscar.

"Kyoko-san, a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you too director."

"Well then, introductions are done. Let's get to the matter at hand." says the President.

About an hour later, the matter at hand has joined Kyoko's newspaper in the form of a script for a movie. Throughout the discussion, Kyoko has the weird feeling that things had moved beyond her power to control. Director Muraki wants to cast her as the lead in his next movie. He and the producer for the movie, Tookichi Ueda are fairly insistent that no one else could do it. They want her to read the script before deciding, of course.

"We will wait for a favorable response from you Ms. Kyoko." Director Muraki is saying. "Ueda-sensei is not here but I am confident that I speak for him when I say we really cannot imagine anyone else in this role."

After he has left, Kyoko still feels dazed. She stares at the script. "WISTERIA HOUSE," it says in bold letters across the top. And beneath it, she notices the newspaper peeking. 'Oh! That's right. I had a reason for coming here' she remembers.

"President," she begins. "I don't think you called me here for this appointment. I had a completely different reason for coming."

"Oh is that so?" asks the President, feigning innocence. "I could've sworn I asked my secretary to call and make an appointment. I will give him a good talking to for missing it. Why did you come then Kyoko?"

Kyoko waves the newspaper at him, "This President. What is the meaning of this?"

The president takes the paper and makes a show of reading it.

"Hmmm, I suppose it took them some time to get a photo of the two of you. But other than that it seems to be a fairly well-written article, though I think making puns of peoples' names is a rather tacky thing to do. "

Kyoko latches on to the first part of what Lory said, "What do you mean - took them some time?"

"Only that I contacted them anonymously and gave them a tip that you had a young man staying with you."

"You what?!"

"Kyoko, you have been out of the entertainment scene for six months. I knew at the beginning of your hiatus that you would eventually come back. And I made plans. It was fortuitous that you had Shin-kun staying with you. Otherwise, I would have had to invent some other rumor."

Kyoko's tone becomes dangerous, "I must confess I do not understand you, President. I humbly request you to clarify your statement. Why exactly was it necessary for you to bring Shin into this whole mess?"

"Before I answer, I want to ask you a question Kyoko. Do you plan to go after him?"

"Shin?"

"No. Not Shin. Him - Ren."

Kyoko is startled. She remembers the promise she made Shin to convince him to go back to school.

"You still love him. You should go find him." he had said.

"It's not that simple Shin. What if he doesn't love me anymore? What if he doesn't want to be found?"

"What if I fail to get into school? What if everyone hates me when I am there? Life is not worth wasting on what-ifs Kyoko-san. You want me to take a chance on going back to school - a place that triggers not a single pleasant memory for me. And I will still do it, for you. If you don't want to find Tsuruga Ren for yourself, do it for me."

It was the only thing Shin had ever asked for from Kyoko. So Kyoko had smiled sadly and promised. But Shin's school had soon started and it was a critical time for him. So she couldn't just run off to find Ren, wherever he was. And how was she supposed to find him in the first place? Even to Kyoko, these had sounded like excuses. Three months had passed since that time and Shin had still been patient. That kid trusted her implicitly.

But the president was not asking her to find Ren - he was asking if she wanted to. The answer was simple. It had always been simple, Kyoko knew.

She replied with a small, "Yes."