It takes me so long to write :,) Apologies for the long wait! Enjoy the chapter!
Although the group's day of travel yesterday wasn't overly taxing, Kyoko still found that she woke up around 9:30 AM on Friday the next day. Which was pretty late for her. Kyoko didn't usually get to sleep in and even when she did she was usually up by 8 at the latest.
There might not have been a lot of travel but Kyoko and Ren still spent the most of their Thursday walking to and fro as Kyoko explored all she could in one evening.
As promised, they started with Mihama-en, a Japanese garden. It was a very gentle and relaxing experience that was a stark contrast to the noisy hustle and bustle of Tokyo.
The entire surroundings were a very lush and vibrant green everywhere she looked. The tiled trail they were walking on was the only dull color on their route.
They walked alongside a large pond which reflected the green of its surroundings and sprouted wispy cattails from its depths. A portion of the pond was also outlined by large, various shaped rocks, ranging from slabs to humps to misshapen blobs. All were a nice slate gray color save for the portions submerged in water which were wracked with colonies of forest green moss.
The sight was a breath of fresh air for Kyoko and definitely reminded her of her precious childhood memories, running in a nearby forest clearing back in Kyoto with a particular fairy prince. Kyoko was glad she had shared a similar experience with Ren. It felt warm and nostalgic.
After they finished their stroll they went over to the tea house they had within the garden and enjoyed a nice cup of green tea together.
At this point as the two got comfortable in the tea room they were seated at, they were finally able to do some catching up.
Sad to say, a lot of the updates the two had been getting about the other was from a third party with very minimal details being shared.
They usually knew what they were working on (assuming there was no NDA in place) and who was involved but other than that it was pretty much white noise.
Kyoko talked a lot about Hate the Sinner, Love the Sins as it was a project she had a lot of fun being a part of and was even more excited by the jovial atmosphere for the entirety of its creation. Dark Moon and The Lotus in the Mire were amazing pieces of art but also contained very serious and dark themes that could be challenging to convey and even more difficult to harbor mentally.
Being on a set where your biggest goal was to be amusing and lively for the audience so they can laugh and have fun was an amazing feeling and Kyoko was positively beaming as she shared this with Ren.
Ren was eating it up as he watched and listened to Kyoko talk about her filming. She talked about makeup and wardrobe and how cool her character design was. She talked about her cast members and how friendly and welcoming they were. She'd become good friends with Nowa and had fun filming scenes with him which Ren was happy to hear. It made him wish for another chance to film with her again. It'd been too long.
She briefly talked about her movie but was limited in the details due to her NDA but confided in him the challenges she faced and the bumps in the road the team encountered while filming. She also once again thanked him for his help in navigating the road ahead of her. (She'd already done so 50 times previously but Ren let her do what she felt like she needed).
Kyoko then opened the floor for Ren as she wanted to hear more about what he'd been working on. Ren would have rather let her speak the entire time. Even though she'd just spent so much time catching her up on her life, it still didn't feel like enough. It was only a snapshot of what's been going on and while it's more than he'd gotten in a long time, he selfishly wanted everything, as much as she had, as much as she'd give. But right now she wanted something from him so of course he was going to comply.
Truth be told, it wasn't like Ren got even busier than he'd been in the past. His schedule was just always hectic. Adding anything else to his day would be impossible. He'd have to work 24 hours.
He was still doing commercials, talk shows, interviews, and modeling. Funnily enough he was actually modeling for a wedding line, a set of handsomely made tuxedos in a range of colors and beautiful embroidery on the sleeves and portions of the jacket. Ren was actually very proud of how that shoot went and hoped Kyoko got the chance to see the photos when they came out. However, as he was talking about that project, he could tell she didn't need any additional convincing. She couldn't wait to see the finished products. Ren wasn't ashamed to admit she was puffing him up quite a bit.
He was also filming another television series, a true crime dramatization of Japan's very own Teigin Bank robbery scandal. He was cast as Sadamichi Hirasawa, the arrested suspect. Ren had done lots of research about the crime in order to prep for this role and was fascinated by what he learned. There was just something addicting about true crime and he hoped he was able to do the story justice and that viewers would be able to learn something too.
The only other big thing he was doing was training for an undisclosed television series. It was still very early in the works so even he didn't have all of the details yet but the barebones was that he'd be playing an assassin.
Although Ren had tons of experience with action films, the director in particular for this project was a stickler for the details and wanted everything portrayed as accurately as possible. The director was putting him through the ringer with all of the classes he wanted Ren to take. Ren had to admit that the training itself was already a thrilling experience and he couldn't wait to see what this show had to offer.
Aside from work, they shared updates on the regular goings-on in their lives and the other people involved. Kanae, Chiori, Maria, the Okami and Taisho were regular topics of interest for Kyoko and it was a joy for Ren to see her so happy and surrounded by so much love and support, especially while he was unable to actively do so.
It was a bitter feeling to admit to himself he wasn't able to be physically present for Kyoko, but it was also the reason why the two of them agreed not to make anything blatantly official. They both just had too much going on right now.
That didn't mean they didn't love or care for each other any less.
And though they weren't official, they were already committed to each other.
After tea, Ren took Kyoko around the commercial district to window shop until it got closer to dinner time.
Ren had asked if Kyoko had any preference on what or where she wanted to eat. Of course not being very picky or demanding, she said she was fine with anything.
Although Ren wished she'd be more selfish and was tempted to pull a "frog legs" suggestion on her, he instead decided to take advantage of the situation and treat her to something nice.
Ren never cooked seriously for himself and so if he ever wanted to return the favor and cook something for Kyoko, it would be a while before he'd feel confident enough to place a meal in front of her. Therefore, he might as well put his money to good use and treat his loved one to a nice meal. It was only a fraction of the affection he wanted to demonstrate for Kyoko but one day he promised to give just as much as she had.
For now, this would just have to do.
After their brief exploration of the convention center-they didn't want to be too invasive since people were still busy setting things up for Friday-they made their way back to the New Otani around 5 PM where their reservation was.
Ren called for a dinner for two at a restaurant in the hotel called Senbazuru. He had never been to this restaurant either but costars who had been there in the past had nothing but praise for it.
After convincing Kyoko that "yes, it's okay to eat here", "yes, you can order anything you want", "no, I'll be taking care of the bill", the two sat down to a wonderful dinner. It took a while before Kyoko was able to settle down and relax but when she did, it was a treat for Ren to watch her enjoying her meal. Even better, Ren was enjoying the food himself as well!
He had a feeling though it was because he was having a good time with Kyoko.
By the time their dinner was concluding, Ren got a text from Yashiro that their rooms were finally ready.
They were both feeling tired by this point and were ready to retire for the night, especially knowing they had a big day tomorrow.
Quickly wrapping up the bill, the two were headed toward the front desk to pick up their keycards, and then to the elevators to their rooms.
Ever the gentleman, Ren escorted Kyoko to her room, bid her goodnight with a gentle kiss on the back of her hand-Kyoko scolded him weakly with stutters of people being able to see-then left for his own room.
Kyoko went to sleep easily that night with pleasant dreams.
Now that she was well rested though, she was quick on the uptake that she wasn't just here for pleasantries. She had a schedule to keep.
As if sensing that she was now awake, her phone alerted her to a call from Yashiro which she promptly answered with a flurry of apologies for sleeping in.
"No need to worry Kyoko-chan, Ren and I actually just woke up ourselves. I figured we should use today to sleep in since it'll be busy today and tomorrow."
Kyoko expelled an audible sigh of relief and relaxed against her pillows.
"Ah I see, that's a relief. So there is a schedule for today?" She asked. She was still trying to figure out the logistics behind a convention but from what it sounded like, as long as she made her appearances, she could pretty much go explore as much as she wanted.
"Yes it'll be less intensive for you, Kyoko-chan, since you're a last minute guest, but you have a Q & A with Kise and Nowa for your t.v. series as 3. Ren has autographs from 12-2 PM and then his solo Q & A panel at 5." Kyoko was actually grateful for the ease of her day. Kyoko didn't get nervous often but something about being in front of a group of people who got to ask unfiltered questions (Kyoko was unaware that questions were usually screened by a handler first) made her apprehensive. In the few interviews and talk shows she's done, she was made aware of most questions she'd be asked and anything she wasn't aware of was pre-screened by LME first. Prep time was always helpful when it came to performing in front of an audience but of course she was aware it wasn't always guaranteed. That being said, she had no idea what to expect from today.
"Understood, where do I go for that?"
"Actually, your handler will help you out with your schedule and taking you to your panels. You'll be meeting them after breakfast." Kyoko was lost by the word "handler" but assumed they'd be helping her out for the weekend.
"Sounds great," She acquiesced. "So are we meeting for breakfast?" She asked more for Ren's sake. He had a full day ahead of him and he needed all the energy he could get. A protein bar and a cup of coffee wasn't going to cut it.
"Absolutely! We'll meet you downstairs in say, 30 minutes, and have some food from the buffet. Does that sound good?"
Kyoko agreed happily and they said their goodbyes with Yashiro reminding her to bring everything she'd need for the day, including her guest badge.
She was quick to get ready after that, taking a quick shower, brushing her hair and teeth, getting changed.
Chiori and Kanae warned her that she should always dress as comfortably as possible for conventions unless she was cosplaying. She wouldn't be today. Instead she was sporting a cute, light yellow t-shirt with a small image of Bo on the top left corner of the torso. It was actually a piece of merch for Bridge Rock and all cast and crew received a free sample and Kyoko adored it immensely.
She paired the shirt with some cute capris with a delicate floral design down one leg and a white over the shoulder fanny pack that had her wallet, tissues, badge, and other amenities.
It felt good to wear. Casual clothes as more often than not she was in uniform or costume. It once again solidified her thankfulness for this opportunity. She was also feeling good in general. She actually felt cute and confident and she wanted to hold onto that feeling because she didn't give herself as much love as she deserved.
Finally ready after tidying up her room a bit, Kyoko began her way downstairs.
Kyoko didn't really get to take in the interior of the hotel yesterday since she was completely exhausted once she and Ren returned but as she made her way to the meeting point, she admired the shiny, polished flooring, the extravagant light fixtures, the sophisticated and luxurious furniture. LME certainly knew how to treat their talents when sending them to conventions.
Having gotten a little distracted from looking around, she was pulled from her thoughts by a gentle hand on her shoulder. She was almost embarrassed to admit that she knew who it was almost immediately.
"What are you looking at?" He asked her, scouring to see what had caught her interest, but she just shook her head nonchalantly.
"I'm just admiring everything. The hotel is amazing." Ren nodded in agreement.
"The President always wants his talents to enjoy their conventions in every aspect." With that Ren guided her over to Yashiro who was holding a table for them to eat at.
Their breakfast was buffet style but Kyoko was careful not to fill up too much especially since her stomach was in knots with nerves. She kept a careful eye on Ren's plate but thankfully he was behaving today and ate a respectable amount. All of his choices were properly balanced too. It relieved her to know he was finally getting it.
Toward the end of breakfast, both Ren and Kyoko were introduced to their handlers for the weekend. Kyoko's was a friendly woman named Mika Horikita who'd been a volunteer with the convention for 7 years. Kyoko knew she was in great hands.
Mika explained to her that the two would meet up about 30 minutes before any scheduled panels or autographs and she'd escort Kyoko to her proper location. They exchanged numbers to stay in touch and also Kyoko had her number in case of emergencies or questions. She also handed Kyoko the official convention booklet that had the schedule, map of the building, list of vendors and guests, and other various advertisements of the surrounding location.
She and Ren took some time to look through the booklet as Ren still had an hour to kill before his autographs started. Kyoko didn't realize how many things conventions advocated for. Cosplayers, DJs, voice acting, authors, artists, something called VTubers. And that was only scratching the surface.
Kyoko was already taking notes on a couple things she wanted to check out: A comparison of Dark Moon between the book, the original tv show, and the remake and a Behind the Scenes on how several action movies and t.v. shows perform their stunts.
However, since Ren was short on time, the two decided to check out the vendor hall until they had to part. Ren explained to her this was where people bought their merch to sell to attendees and guests. He also explained it was always a really busy part of the convention regardless of the day. Ren knew of several recurring vendors that would catch Kyoko's eye. It was where he hoped to buy a souvenir for her.
Gathering the rest of their garbage, everyone prepared to leave. They all decided to just walk to the convention since it was so close.
As they walked, they were greeted with the sight of a plethora of cosplayers and it was like Kyoko had walked into a fantasy world. Right off the bat she already saw characters she recognized.
"Is that Black Jack?! And Cinderella! Her dress looks amazing, look how it sparkles! Woah! Ryuji and Tsubasa from Tokyo Crazy Paradise!" This was the first time Ren was seeing a convention from a perspective like Kyoko's. Sad to say but Ren was very much desensitized to the glitz and glamor of conventions. They were always lively and fun but he was accustomed to the cosplay and the flash mobs and the…occasional B.O. Ren knew what to expect, even the unscheduled fire drill caused by some chuckle heads pulling the alarm. It never fails. However, this was all new to Kyoko and she was experiencing this all for the first time and he just knew that what she was seeing right now was so close to magic.
Fiction brought straight to life. There was seriously nothing cooler than that.
Seeing her marvel made Ren even more excited that he was there to experience that with her.
Getting closer to the convention center, the cosplayers increased as well as the photographers doing photo shoots for them.
Kyoko could have spent forever looking for more characters she recognized but knowing Ren was on a tight schedule, she let Ren direct her to the entrance of the building. However, it was just as chaotic in the lobby of the building as the external entrance. She was lucky Ren was guiding her because she was on the cusp of getting distracted again.
They entered a little further into the lobby before Ren started veering to the left where Kyoko started realizing a lot of people were also heading that way. She was quick to see why.
They were entering what looked to her almost like a huge gymnasium but was taken over by a series of stations. The biggest one was the check-in line which was characterized by the winding lines closed off by a series of metal gates, almost like the ones for the lines at Dajowey Land. They were all waiting for a series of about 10-12 stations where volunteers were checking people in from Will Call, handing out badges, taking payments, and answering questions. Behind the line were 2 long tables covered with lanyards and string bags that she saw a volunteer was stuffing with convention schedules and other small flyers. Attendees were already excitedly grabbing their goodies and clipping their newly printed badges to their complimentary lanyards. If Kyoko didn't already have her own she would have been right over there with them.
There were a couple other miscellaneous stands: help desks, 18+ bands, lost and found, even a few food and drink vendors. However another active cluster of people came from the right of the check-in line. The entrance was marked by a 15-20 foot arch called "Vendor Hall". Each side was monitored by security checking for valid badges and conducting the flow of traffic.
The group merged with the traffic, which thankfully moved pretty languidly, then Kyoko and Ren flashed their badges once they reached the front. With that, they entered the vendor hall.
Kyoko wasn't sure what she expected when they entered the hall, but she certainly didn't think it was going to be this big. She guessed it'd have to be with how many people were entering and exiting.
The first part of the vendor hall was pretty sparse based on the fact that the bigger crowd she was seeing was heading further down. It was only occupied by a few stalls but they were bigger and also from big name companies: C*unchyroll, F*nimationi, Shonen J*mp, etc. Although there was less traffic in this area, there was a still a healthy amount of attendees lining up for subscriptions and merchandise purchases. Kyoko was more curious about the rest of the stalls though and by extension so was Ren. She didn't realize that as she was looking around she had been pulling him with her, letting her go at her own place and decide where she wanted to go.
Kyoko followed down the middle of the hall where most of the crowd was aggregating, appraising all of the cosplayers, mascots, and spontaneous karaoke and dance groups taking over more unpopulated areas of the hall.
Eventually there was a significant transition from company advertisement to small businesses. Kyoko didn't have to see all the way down to know there were rows upon rows of different stalls, front to back, left to right. And they were stocked to the high heavens with merchandise.
Stickers, tapestries, figurines and keychains big and small, plushies, clothing.
It was almost overwhelming taking it all in at once.
Kyoko was meticulous with her browsing, absolutely enamored with everything she was seeing. She especially liked the jewelry crafted after various t.v. shows and fandoms as well as the handmade crowns and tiaras which were inspired by fairy tail characters.
Ren and Kyoko didn't even get through half of the hall when they realized it was about time for Ren to head to his autograph session. Ren was loathe to leave when he was having a good time but he knew he still had a job to do while he was here. However, he was also wary about leaving her while she was by herself, especially since this was her first convention.
The staff was great about making sure that everyone was being safe and following convention guidelines, but there was always that one grabby pervert that took cosplay as consent. Not that Kyoko was cosplaying, but she was still a Guest and that also placed a target on her.
By the grace of Deus ex Machina though, they came across Nowa and Kise who were looking at some crocheted Animal C*ossing plushies (Nowa was a big fan of the game).
"Hey you two! How's it going?" Kyoko broke Nowa out of his reveries as he seemed to be deliberating between Isabell and Patches.
"Kyoko-chan! We're good! We just got back from a panel and now we're passing time until the next one." Kise replied, pulling Nowa away from the plushies (he'd already bought three other plushies elsewhere). "What about you guys?"
"We had a late start," Ren admitted. ",We've only just started exploring the vendors. I've got to be heading to my autographs soon though."
"Oh! Well Kyoko-chan do you want to join us for the next panel we're going to? That way we'll all be together for our own panel later." As much as Ren was loathe to leave (and also a smidge jealous), he was relieved Kyoko would be in good, safe hands. He was sure she would have been fine on her own but it didn't mean he'd be happy about it.
"Yeah sounds like fun! I've never been to a panel before."
"They're a good time. We're going to the Best Blooper Panel. They count down the top ten bloopers across an array of media and sometimes provide background on certain scenes with live cast and crew." Well damn, now Ren wanted to go. But as if he knew Ren was straying from the path, Yashiro began calling his phone.
Knowing his time was up, Ren politely excused himself, gave Kyoko's arm a meaningful squeeze, and the three wandered off.
Only once they left did Ren quickly go back to the tiara vendor and purchase the Cinderella one.
O/O
Kyoko was having a blast. The panel they went to was certainly fun. Kise explained that since the convention was so popular and there were so many panels with limited seating, there were some panels that you had to get in line early for. This was one of them. Kyoko didn't mind though, the three of them had a comfortable spot in line and were enjoying people watching the cosplayers and the photoshoots that were occurring. At one point the Children's Cosplay Parade actually came marching through and Kyoko was in awe over how cute they all looked. Her favorite that she saw was a father cosplaying as the Flying Dutchman from Sp*ngebob with his three kids dressed as fruits being pushed in a wagon that was made to look like a blender. Kyoko didn't quite get the reference but she thought the three little fruits were cute.
The line continued to grow as time passed until eventually it got long enough where it was looping around back and now the group was sandwiched between the wall of the panel room and a wall of people. Despite the squeeze, Kyoko was feeding off of the excited energy people were giving off. It made her anticipate the event even more.
About 10 minutes before the official start, volunteers started feeding people into the room, checking badges while doing so, and Kyoko let the other two pick the seats. They picked close to the front but a little off center. They explained it would help them see the screen better if they were showcasing anything on there as majority of the time there's a glare on the screen from sitting in the center.
After the moderators of the panel introduced themselves, they opened with a scene from an anime whose seiyuu was having trouble pronouncing a word and didn't realize he was being recorded while he practiced his line.
The group had a lot of laughs as the presentation continued with various other bloopers and pranks from movies, t.v. shows, short films, and talk shows. One of Kise's bloopers actually popped up too from early in his career when he was a teenager.
He was filming a very emotional scene on a pier and had been performing very well when it was ruined by an angry mother duck who flew at his head. He was obviously startled, knocked off balance, and fell into the water. It all happened so fast that there was no way to prevent it. Luckily Kise was okay and laughed off the accident and he even told Kyoko that off camera he'd given the duck some bread as an apology (don't feed wild animals, kids).
By the end of the panel, Kyoko's ribs ached from laughing so much and she came out of the room satisfied with her first panel experience.
At this point though, all three of them received texts to start meeting up for their panel and they agreed to head there together.
A few people recognized them along the way, they all saw the excited looks from the corner of their eyes, but thankfully they remained a respectful distance. Perhaps they knew they'd have a chance for introductions later, especially if they knew they had a panel coming up.
Once they met up in the proper location, everything began to run in organized clockwork. Mika moved them "behind stage" where they were to wait until they'd be introduced to the attendees. They had to wait until everyone was seated properly before the moderator opened things up. Having just experienced how long seating took, Kyoko knew it would be a while.
She didn't exactly know how many people were coming in to see them but she could certainly hear them from behind the curtain and all the activity they were buzzing with was actually making her a bit anxious. This would be her first time addressing fans without a production camera to shield her.
As time got closer to 3 PM, and as the nervous energy within her got bigger, Kyoko's phone buzzed unexpectedly which startled her just slightly. She'd gotten used to having a cellphone over the years but her reaction was just a testament to how in her head she had been.
She took a peek at her phone and immediately she could feel her shoulders sag in relaxation. It was from Ren, who must have remembered her panel was due to start soon.
"You'll do great Kyoko. Take a deep breath and have fun!" It was brief, he was probably caught up with fans or maybe autographs had run long, but it was exactly the encouragement she needed. She felt ready to go on stage.
O/O
Ren liked to think he knew Kyoko very well. He'd obtained a world of knowledge about her from both her youth to current, from fairy tail motivated to successful actress. He considered himself lucky to know so many different sides of her.
Therefore he didn't think he was overstepping when he sent her that text. He knew the panels were something Kyoko was the most worried about and he could understand how intimidating it could be to be scrutinized under such informal conditions. It was easier to memorize lines and act off of other actors.
But he knew that she could do it and she was going to have lots of fun. He knew Kyoko wasn't thinking about this yet, but all of the people coming to see her, Kise, and Nowa were all their fans and they were all going to be excited to just be in the same room as them. Anything Kyoko said or did was going to be endearing to them and he hoped she'd finish up her panel realizing that.
Ren was able to finish his autographs flawlessly and enjoyed his time meeting fans. For sure there were always going to be crazy fans but in Ren's experience the fans at conventions were always respectful, grateful, and even a little shy and bashful. He saw a lot of beautiful cosplay of some of his characters and received lots of tiny gifts and fanart and Ren was once again reminded of why he did what he did. His fans appreciated his work and passion and he could tell that he brought them joy and excitement when they talked to him about their favorite movies of his. It was such an honor and a privilege to do this for people.
He wrapped things up in a timely manner, thanks to Yashiro for keeping things running smoothly, and because of that, he was able to catch Kyoko's first panel. He didn't tell her that he'd be watching as he worried that would make her even more nervous (not that he ever wanted her nervous in his presence) but he hoped to make her aware of his attendance for her next one.
The line was already full and Ren knew that seating was going to be completely taken up. He had a volunteer take him to the back instead where a few chairs were stationed for guests while they waited for their introductions. He would have much preferred to be in the audience but he supposed he'd be able to see her body language better from where he was.
As the last couple of attendees were trickling in and getting seated, the MC picked up the microphone and began introductions.
"Gooood afternoon everyone! How's everyone's con going?" There were several cheers and applause in response. "Awesome! Glad to hear it!" The MC waited until the crowd calmed down a bit more before continuing.
"So as everyone knows, this is a 'Hate the Sinner, Love the Sins' Q & A panel with some of the show's very own cast members. So! If you have a burning question to ask them, feel free to do so. We do have some rules though that we'd like everyone to follow. We ask that you keep the questions as on topic as possible and at least PG-13. Don't ask any intrusive questions about any future projects or about their personal lives. Don't mention any other actors unless they bring them up. Lastly, we ask that you limit your time to one question per turn so that we can get through as many people as possible. Does that sound agreeable to everyone?" Ren was familiar with this spiel, it was very common for people to ask off topic questions and take a lot of time away from other people. Most panels were only an hour long which wasn't a lot of time at all, so keeping things moving as fast as possible was very important.
"Alright so without further ado let me introduce today's Guests: representing the Deadly Sin of Wrath, the king of throwing drinking glasses into walls, give it up for Nowa Tensei!" The crowd cheered as Nowa came around the curtain to make his entrance. He walked the makeshift stage and came to the long table that you'd sometimes see at press releases and took a seat where his name card was.
"Up next, playing as the Deadly Sin of Pride, who isn't afraid to tell you if she's too good for revenge, let's welcome Kyoko to the stage!" Ren watched Kyoko came around the curtain and smiled shyly at the audience as they cheered for her. Ren knew she was nervous, he could see in her eyes even from the odd angle he was at, but she pulled off her confidence quite brilliantly and he was proud of her. He hoped his words of encouragement had worked.
Kyoko took her seat next to Nowa and he watched as she sat rim rod straight in her chair, comfortable but alert, probably not wanting to be caught off guard by anything. Ren chuckled to himself thinking about her first time on set as Mio Hongo. He was sure she didn't want an NG like that to occur while she was up there.
"And last but not least, playing as our unfortunate protagonist, Akio Tomura, here's Kise Kitamura!" The cheers were wild for Kise as he was a very well known actor but the man was very humble and gracious as he walked the stage and smiled and waved at his fans. He too took his seat and the moderator started the panel, having attendees make a line at the microphone in the center aisle.
Some questions were for all three of them, some for only a specific actor, but Kyoko was surprised at how many questions they were getting. They were good questions too: "how do you warm up for your role?", "did you do any research when creating your character?", "what's the hardest scene to film for the show thus far?", "which Deadly Sin do you actually take after the most?" (Kyoko was hesitant to admit it was Wrath but everyone laughed, either thinking it was a joke or knowing it was 100% true).
There was one interaction in particular that Kyoko hadn't expected, one because it was the first question that had been directed at her and two, it was the first time she had ever been this particular question before but one she thought about a lot.
A young woman loosely cosplayed in a green and black checkered haori and a red painted scar on her forehead came up to the microphone and spoke shyly.
"Hi guys, um, this is a question for Kyoko." Ren watched as Kyoko's posture straightened even more but turned an encouraging smile toward her.
"So, has there been any difference in your reception of your character, Pride, compared to any previous roles you've been in? For example, did people hate Natsu more than they liked Pride?" It was a question Kyoko had asked herself once, back when she was worried about being typecast as the villain. Would people only acknowledge her mean and evil characters? Would they give her heroes a chance? Everyone loves a good villain, sure, but it didn't mean she wanted to be seen and known as one. Feeling confident that she could answer this properly, Kyoko sat up closer to the microphone and cleared her throat.
"I think for a while, yes, more people were focused on their hatred for some of my characters instead of seeing the 'good' I could portray as well. And it was definitely worrisome at first because I didn't want to be seen as a villain. I just wanted to be acknowledged for my abilities. However, everything that I've done up until now had been a learning experience, and that included learning how to deal with the emotional impact of acting as a villain. I know who I am, I know who my characters are. And as long as I can continue to make that distinction, I can continue to love what I do. I think it's also reassuring to know that people are convinced by the characters I create. So, regardless of how people view Pride, I know that she looks good in her high heels." That got a laugh out of everyone, as her shoes were a signature to her character design, and Kyoko felt relieved. She had spoken her truth, shared some of her insecurities as an actress, connected with some of her fans. And it felt good. Rejuvenating. And based on the look of awe in the woman's face who had asked her that question, she had enlightened some people as well. The woman bowed gratefully.
"Thank you for your hard work Kyoko-san! I look forward to seeing more projects of yours!" As the panel continued, Kyoko's peers kept thinking in the back of their minds how proud they were of her and how well she answered that question. They didn't expect her to be so open in her answers, but it's the honesty and genuinity from the Guests that the attendees are looking for when they come to a convention. They want to know the performer behind the camera and Kyoko did an excellent job giving that to them.
Ren, too, was ecstatic. He wished he could go up there and give her a hug and praise because she really nailed it. And he could see too that she had relaxed tremendously after giving her answer. Her form wasn't as stiff, her eyes glittered in wonder, and a shy, delicate blush graced her cheeks. She was so happy and Ren could feel himself fall for her all over again.
The panel wrapped up without incident with a couple more questions for the group: "Have you read any fanfics from the series?" (Nowa surprised Kise and Kyoko by saying 'yes'; he didn't reveal the contents of said fanfic), "How did you get cast for your role?". Kyoko was happy to admit that as the panel continued, she got more relaxed and enjoyed herself immensely. With that, she concluded her first panel successfully and it gave her the confidence to walk into her solo panel when it was time.
"Alright, that concludes this 'Hate the Sinner, Love the Sins' Q & A panel, thank you all for coming to see our Guests. Please look out for any other panels they're participating in this weekend as well as any autograph sessions they may have." The audience gave one last round of applause and slowly people started filtering out of the room. The three of them started gathering their belongings and made their way back behind the curtain. Ren barely waited for her to come around before he greeted her. Had Kise and Nowa not been there he would have hugged her.
"You did great Mogami-san, it looked like you were able to have fun toward the end there."
"I did! I'm happy with how it turned out, it was a big relief."
"Do you think you'll be ready for yours, Kyoko-chan?" Kise asked, although he saw the change in Kyoko's demeanor; he already knew her answer.
"Yeah I think so, especially since I'll be doing most of the talking about something I know a lot about." Nowa nodded in agreement.
"It really is a lot easier when you're confident in your topic. You immediately forget you're in front of an audience."
"I'll be looking forward to it even more then." She assured. There was still some anxious energy left over that came from doing something new, but it didn't feel as crippling as it did before.
The group took their leave of the panel room as well and bunched together to plan the rest of their day. Kyoko couldn't believe how fast everything was going, it felt like Friday had barely started.
"So it looks like you still have an upcoming Q & A Tsuruga-san. I think the three of us are on board to watch you for that one. That'll bring us to about 6 PM. Did we want to do dinner after that and then maybe hit one last late panel?" Kise took the lead on this. Ren would have loved to have Kyoko to himself for the rest of the night, but this wasn't about him. He was going to do whatever she wanted, and she looked excited by a group dinner with everyone.
"Yeah that sounds excellent!" She enthused, starting to slightly bounce with excitement. Ren found it endearing how physically animated she was with her emotions.
"Is there any panel anyone's had their eye on for this evening?" Nowa asked, pulling out the schedule pamphlet from the complimentary string bag he must've gotten at registration.
"I think Mogami-san should have the chance to pick this time." Ren suggested, wanting to make sure she got some input in their decisions rather than just going with the flow. Thankfully the two men agreed.
"Oh, well, how do you all feel about a game?" Ren could tell she felt sheepish in suggesting it, but he knew this crowd would be up for anything.
"Yeah that sounds fun! What game?" Nowa was bouncing on his feet, clearly excited.
"A couple of comedians are hosting a panel to play M*rio Party with a few of the audience members. They're going to play as many short rounds as they can." The group agreed it would be a lot of fun and set forth with the plan.
Ren was escorted by Yashiro to his meeting spot and the other three got in line for his panel. It was already huge and it took them quite a while before they found the end of the line. Kyoko was actually getting a little nervous that they wouldn't make it in time when the time came. Kise assured her though that conventions usually anticipate which panels are going to have more traffic and assign bigger rooms because of it. They might be in a longer line but he was convinced that they got there early enough to get seats. She decided to trust Kise on this as it did make sense. Ren was super popular and had a lot of people that were going to want to see him.
She was curious about how he did during panels and what kind of questions he'd be asked. She had seen what he was like during television interviews but she wondered if he'd be different for conventions.
An almost evil desire came over her in that moment to potentially ask him a question that would catch him off guard. It was similar to her desire to elicit new expressions from him while they'd been acting as the Heel siblings.
She quickly shut that down though as she knew it was not the time or place…but maybe next time.
The three of them waited in line without incident aside from the line getting longer and longer. Several staff members had to direct traffic and reform the now winding line so that it wasn't being terribly disruptive to the other attendees just trying to get around them. They also opened the doors to the panel room 20 minutes before the start rather than 10. Nowa explained that it was going to take people a while to get seated.
Sure enough, everyone was walking as fast as the line would allow, but at the front of the line people were briefly stopped for badge check and then ushered inside where, instead of being able to pick their own seats, they were told to take up every available seat and just follow in line with the person in front of them. Clearly they were expecting a full house.
As Kise assured though, they were able to make it in and even got decent seats. They were in the middle section of seats a little to the left and just close enough where they'd be able to see Ren's face but not have their ears blasted out by the speakers.
The panel room was buzzing with excitement, fangirls giggling happily, cosplayers of Ren's characters greeting each other enthusiastically, photographers avidly capturing the whole thing. It was a thrilling environment.
The people in front of her too also seemed to die hard fans of Ren as well with the blonde woman telling the man next to her all the questions she wanted to ask if she could. The man was participating in her eagerness just as much, commenting on how far he's come and how proud he was.
Kyoko had originally only been listening to them in passing as she was people watching around the room until she happened to turn her head again and see the profile of someone who looked very familiar to her.
Kyoko never forgot a face, which was helpful for her when she was making dolls, but she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing and kept her mouth shut before jumping to conclusions.
The blonde woman, who turned her head to talk to the man next to her, looked just like…Sarah. The same Sarah she spent all day with at Dajowey Land. The same wavy locks, green eyes, beautiful, elegant face. But why was she here?
Before Kyoko could question it, she was even more stunned when the man this time turned his face and saw the unmistakable features of Kuu Hizuri!
Kyoko almost jumped out of her chair in excitement and was about to greet him with an enthusiastic "Father!" when something he said basically chilled her blood.
"Do you remember the first time we took Kuon to a convention? He had complained that the panels were all boring. Even mine! And now look at him, running his own." Both Sarah and Kuu were sharing a laugh at what was obviously a fond memory, but their words instead incited a bout of dread within Kyoko. She kept silent, feeling too sick to her stomach to confront them anymore.
Kuon was here? Running a panel?
All things considered, Kyoko knew that this was a solo panel, a Q & A for Tsuruga Ren. There was no mention of someone named Kuon on the schedule or even the Guest list.
What's more is that she thought Kuu's son was dead!
Surely, Kyoko was just misunderstanding their conversation. She had been only half listening, having been distracted with everything around her.
But with her red flags having been raised and all of her senses now keenly locked onto the couple in front of her, she was now dooming herself to irrefutable knowledge about her beloved senpai.
As Ren was introduced onto the stage and everyone cheered upon his arrival, Kyoko's attention was affixed to Sarah who was pulling on Kuu's shirt with obvious uncontrollable excitement as she whisper screamed, "There he is Kuu! There's our boy!"
Like a nail on a coffin, Kyoko's suspicions were confirmed by Sarah's words and she felt her heart break.
If asked, Kyoko wouldn't be able to recall anything about Ren's panel as she was too preoccupied with this new revelation to take in anything else.
O/O
Ren left the panel room with thoughts of Kyoko, hoping she had a good time and wondering what she thought of it. It was exhilarating to know she was watching him, but he wished he was able to see her in the audience. That being said, he was eager to spend the rest of the evening with her.
He found Nowa and Kise easily at the meeting spot they agreed upon, but didn't see Kyoko. He approached them curiously.
"Where's Kyoko?" Nowa looked upon Ren worriedly and his eyes drifted to the bathroom behind him.
"Kyoko-chan didn't look like she was feeling so well. She fled from the room as soon as the panel was done, saying she needed to go to the bathroom." Kise explained, sharing a similar concerned expression with Nowa.
Ren's protective instincts flared at the thought of her being sick and looked to the bathroom Nowa had gestured at. He hoped she was doing okay.
"Maybe it's for the best if we end here today. I'll wait for her out here, get her some food, and take her back to the hotel. It was an overwhelming day for her and she probably needs rest." The two nodded in agreement.
"We were thinking the same thing. There's no need to go crazy when there's still the rest of the weekend to go." Agreeing that this was the best for her, regardless of any denial she might have for them, Nowa and Kise departed, trusting that Kyoko would be in good hands with Ren.
Patiently, Ren waited outside the bathroom with rapt attention, waiting for a glimpse of her chestnut hair. He was getting more and more antsy as time passed and eventually grew frightened when 30 minutes passed without word from her.
He was about to pull out his phone and call her, or even an ambulance, when she finally emerged, pale and sluggish. He wasted no time getting to her side.
"Mogami-san! There you are! I was getting worried." Instead of greeting him with assurances that she was okay like he thought she would, she regarded him with a hard stare, her eyes perusing his persistently. Normally she didn't look at him so brazenly, and it startled him. He tried not to squirm under her eyes. Any other time he was elated to have her attention but for some reason, this felt odd.
He felt anxious and he couldn't pinpoint why.
Thankfully (although he wasn't sure that was the right way to put it), Kyoko dropped her eyes and snorted in what seemed like disbelief. And her head shook in…disappointment?
"Kyoko? Are you okay?" Her eyes met his again, and he flinched at the appearance of anger clearly set on her face.
"I don't know Kuon, do I look okay to you?" Like he'd been slapped, Ren flinched again and his heart raced in terror.
How…how did she find out?
Taking advantage of his obvious surprise, Kyoko took his response as confirmation of her new findings and nodded solemnly to herself.
Of course…of course he was lying to me.
She felt her tears well behind her eyes but she dare not let them fall, dare not let her exterior crumble. She would not let this man, this liar, make a fool out of her anymore.
She brushed past him, clipping his shoulder like a petty highschooler.
"I can find my way back myself, Kuon. I hope you have an excellent night."
Ren would not. He wouldn't get a wink of sleep nor any thoughts of peace for the rest of his day.
All he could think about was how the one good thing he'd had in his life in a long while was about to be completely destroyed in a matter of seconds.
Soooo, I was back and forth on if this was the direction I wanted to go with the story but I decided to take the risk! This just means the last two chapters are going to be fairly lengthy haha! See you for the next one.
-Aris