Sorry it took so long, happy reading!
-Aris
"How? How did this happen dad?" Kuon was pacing frustratedly within his parents' hotel room who he surprisingly found out had been participating in the convention.
After Kyoko left him, he only froze in place to feel sorry for himself for a couple minutes before he kicked into gear. He may have just fucked up badly and Kyoko may hate him for life, but that didn't mean he didn't love her any less. He wanted to make sure she was safe, especially since her mind was probably going a million miles an hour and could potentially do something silly if she was distracted enough.
He called Yashiro, who answered promptly, and asked him to find Kyoko and make sure she got back to the hotel safely. He must have sensed that something was wrong from the tone in Ren's voice because he agreed and told him he'd keep in touch.
Ren then basically plowed through the crowd, whipping his head around back and forth searching for her in the building in case she was lost or lingering.
He was probably only scouring the area for 5 minutes before he thankfully got a call from Yashiro who assured him that the front desk staff saw Kyoko enter the hotel.
Relieved that she was safe, Ren switched gears from concerned to determined.
Determined to find out how the hell Kyoko found out that he was Kuon.
Of course he wanted her to know, but regardless of what her response was going to be about it, he wanted her to hear it from him.
But he supposed this is what he deserved for hesitating too long. They'd known each other professionally for 3 years at this point and had been friends for majority of it. Even more so, they already pretty blatantly committed themselves to each other, even if it wasn't publicly or officially.
He had plenty of opportunities and all the motivation.
But fear was a heavy shackle to escape from.
He had always told himself, "Next time." Well, here's where "next time" got him.
He didn't deserve to pity himself for this outcome, but damnit, it was his story and their history. He wanted them to make it through that hurdle together.
Instead, she was navigating it alone and his worst nightmare was coming true.
Ren didn't want to and the adrenaline almost didn't let him, but he made himself stop and think about what point everything went wrong.
As far as he knew she was fine before his panel, her demeanor change and reveal of his name didn't come out of nowhere. So somewhere between the start and finish of his panel, she must have either realized or uncovered something.
Kyoko was a smart woman. As much as she believed in fairy tales and magic, she was also very familiar with deception (thanks Fuwa).
Ren was never entirely convinced she believed all his lies that he gave her as Corn and he didn't think Kyoko really was either. Of course she wanted to believe it, he knew that to be true, but at some point, logic always butts in and has you questioning.
She never approached him about it and he was content with leaving it be.
That being said, perhaps after spending so much time with him this weekend she had started piecing things together?
It was plausible, more plausible than someone telling her.
Not unless it was someone like Lory or—
"What do you want to do next Julie?" It was a miracle Ren had heard that considering he was so preoccupied with his thoughts, but it pricked at Ren's ears like it was directed at him and his gaze scoured the crowd.
With no disguise or cosplay to speak of, in broad daylight were his parents.
Julie and Kuu Hizuri.
And suddenly the pieces came together.
As if Kuu had felt the penetrating gaze of his son upon him, he sharply looked up and met Ren's gaze. Ren must've looked as livid as he felt because he saw his father look pale. The man gently turned his wife to clue her in on the mental discourse going on between them. Though Julie had wanted to go greet her "favorite actor" in that moment, she stopped herself seeing that something was clearly wrong. And not in the "what in the hell are you two doing here?" kind of way.
Ren was seething, but he had enough composure not to make a scene in public. He took a breath, composed his face, and unhurriedly headed in their direction.
In any other instance, Kuu and Julie would have been ecstatic to have the opportunity to speak to their son. However in this moment they knew it wasn't going to be any semblance of a happy reunion.
Once Ren reached them, he brightened his fake smile just a bit more and took out his hand for them to shake. Kuu hesitantly took his son's hand.
"Kuu Hizuri, it's good to see you again, it's been a while." Ren greeted. After shaking hands with his dad he switched over to his mom.
"And you must be his lovely wife, Julie. It's nice to meet you." She shook his hand gently. Both of them were uncertain where he was going with this but left the ball in his court.
"It's been so long Hizuri-san, a couple years. Why don't we take some time to catch up tonight, chat about some things? What do you think?" Ren had posed the question as if they had an option, but Kuu and Julie knew better. They knew what their son's real smile and courteousy looked like. Ren was only just barely able to conceal his anger with his acting. Kuu knew that if he were to deny his son right now, the consequences would be detrimental later.
"That sounds wonderful, why don't you come over to our hotel room later? We can chat then?" Ren's smile tightened. He needed "now", not "later". He supposed he was going to have to press a little harder.
"That's okay. I'll just follow you guys, it'll be easier." At this point Julie could tell that Kuon had something very important to talk about and it couldn't wait. As much as she knew Kuu was wary about where her son was going with this confrontation, she knew that it was best to face this head on, especially if he was troubled by something.
"Great, well if you're ready we can head there now?" She appeased, expressing with her eyes that she knew something was upsetting him and she was ready to address it.
Ren barely acknowledged her compliance and simply gestured for them to lead the way.
And that's how he ended up in their hotel room and was meticulously interrogating his parents on their whereabouts up until Kyoko confronted him.
"How did what happen, Kuon? Talk to me, tell me what happened." Kuu had complied with his son's cryptic behavior up until now, but they weren't going to be able to help him if they didn't know the whole story.
Although Ren was anxious to get to the bottom of things, he knew he was only hindering himself if he didn't explain everything. As much as he would have preferred to keep things private, for his and Kyoko's sake, he wanted to fix things with her as fast as possible before things got more out of hand.
Once he recognized he needed to pause and take a step back, he felt his stiff shoulders relax and a sudden wave of exhaustion came over him. He ran a hand over his face and sighed before looking at them in defeat.
"Kyoko confronted me after my panel. She called me Kuon; she knows who I am." His parents' eyes widened then softened in concern.
"I wanted to tell her myself, but somehow she figured it out and now she's angry beyond belief, rightfully so." The doting parents in that moment chose not to address their son's apparent affection for the woman in question. They'd find time for that later.
"And then I saw you two, I have an inkling she found out from you somehow." Kuu and Julie looked at each other guiltily. They were geeking out at their own son's Q&A, but they didn't worry about it since his fans were doing the same thing. They were blending in perfectly with the crowd, unnoticed. Unnoticed by all except by the one person in the world with exceptional attention to detail.
"It's…entirely possible she could have noticed us if she was sitting nearby." Kuu admitted. Ren nodded, having already thought as much by this point. However, another thought suddenly occurred to him.
"What are you two even doing here?" His eyes narrowed. He was very clear with them that he'd return to them in his own time. He could forgive his mom's jaunt with Kyoko all those years back but he was adamant to put his foot down.
"Now don't you get snippy, Kuon. Your father and I already had tickets for the convention way before your appearance was announced." Julie admonished.
"She's right, son. You'd be surprised how many times we've come to Japan on vacation for events without you knowing." The agitated man stood down, knowing they were right. He also recognized that at this point he was just deflecting. He was trying to point fingers when all of this was his own fault.
The feeling of helplessness suddenly returned again and Ren sank into a nearby couch, contemplating his next steps.
He had to talk to her as soon as possible, that much he knew, but he also wanted to respect her boundaries. He knew she needed time to process, especially knowing some of her trust in him was broken. But even when he got the chance, he didn't even know what to say, how to explain his hesitance. Anything he said would sound like an excuse and insincere.
They had to start somewhere, though. He just didn't know where.
Julie and Kuu noticed the moment that the fight left Kuon's body and they were quick to alter their approach.
"Son, what's going on? You look like your world is ending." Kuu enquired, hoping that his son was in a sharing mood. He wanted to help in any way he could. It's been many years since he could be a parent—be the hero, save the day—and he missed it. He knew Julie did too.
Ren only debated on explaining everything to them briefly. He liked his privacy, but he needed help too. And he trusted his parents. As goofy as they could be sometimes, they weren't going to purposely lead him astray.
So, he delved into the story: He was hopelessly in love with Kyoko Mogami, how she thankfully accepted and reciprocated his feelings, how they weren't official but had made a promise to each other.
The two idiot parents were secretly filing away information to share with Lory at a later time. In the moment though, they listened attentively to offer their best advice.
"She's lost some trust and faith in me and I don't know if I can get it all back. I don't even know if she'll let me." It was shocking to see their son like this, discombobulated and unsure of himself. They were aware that Kuon had many girlfriends in the past, both in the U.S. and in Japan, but none of them were ever serious. His breakups were never debilitating or heart breaking. He was always polite in their desire to move on.
The Kuon in front of them was different. They could tell that he loved and cared deeply about Kyoko and the fact that he felt like everything was crumbling around him was a testament to that.
Their son was in love, and it was amazing to witness.
"Kuon, there's no telling what the future will be, but that's why it's our job in the present to figure it out. It's okay to be scared, you have every right to be. But if you really want to make amends, you'll have to make a choice: will you go to her, or will you wait for her to come to you?"
Kuon deflated, having already known these were his options. It still didn't tell him which one was better. He was anxious to get it right the first time at the risk of making things worse if he kept getting it wrong. But like his mom said, there's no telling what the outcome will be, regardless of his choice.
"Another thing, son, you have to put some trust and faith in Kyoko too. Do you believe enough in her and your relationship to know that regardless of the outcome you two will be able to overcome this?"
Kuon wanted to think so, but he was unsure of how deeply he hurt her. He would do all the things without complaint: He'd apologize and repent in whatever shape or form he needed to help her understand him, but it was up to her to accept it.
What's more, all of his secrets haven't entirely been revealed yet. So that was something else to consider.
Ren sighed but relented as he was thinking too far into the future when he hadn't even dealt with his first problem yet.
He would do everything he could, one step at a time and just hope that Kyoko would show him some mercy.
O/O
When Kyoko woke up on Saturday morning, she didn't know what to do. She didn't particularly want to explore the con today by herself but she wasn't keen on talking to Ren-Kuon?-yet. She still had some things to process. It was just a shame that she didn't really have a break to do so.
Mika already texted her today about her schedule: She had her autograph session from 12-2 PM today and then the LME showcase from 4-6 PM. It was only 7 AM (she didn't really sleep much last night so she was up pretty early). The Vendor's Hall and Artist Alley weren't going to open until 10 either.
So, she was just going to have to keep herself occupied until she was due for autographs. At the very least, she had a moment to process through her thoughts and emotions. She avoided them last night, simply opting to turn in early and shut off her mind.
Of course, considering how tired she was, it did not work. However, she was a lot more level headed than she was last night. Truth be told if she hadn't also been immensely hurt by her discovery last night, in addition to her anger, she would have kicked him in the shin. She didn't know if it was her professionalism or her feeling of helplessness protecting him from her ire last night. She was just grateful in the end she didn't do something rash in public. As upset as she was with him, she didn't want to bring him any bad press. So, her best option was to leave it alone and give herself time to cool down.
However, now it was time to face the music, and that was mostly because her thoughts would not leave her alone.
In the moment, the discovery of Ren's secrets had paralyzed her. Her mind was transported to a time where she was 16 years old, stupid in love, and heartbroken by her childhood friend. It had floored her because she'd never thought she'd feel this way because of Ren. However, she realized that since it was because of Ren, it had hurt her way more than it had with Sho.
She ended up with a torrent of questions and doubts running through her mind that would not let up on their increasing severity.
"He doesn't trust me."
"He was playing me for a fool."
"Does that mean his feelings for me are lies too?"
"Was he ever going to tell me?"
"Is he going to tell me what else he's hiding?"
She tried telling herself it was useless to leave herself wondering when Ren was the only one with the answers for them. But the uncertainty left her uneasy, especially when she was left thinking about the state of their relationship after this.
She still loved him wholeheartedly.
But did he?
Once again:
"He doesn't trust me."
"He was playing me for a fool."
"Does that mean his feelings for me are lies too?"
"Was he ever going to tell me?"
"Is he going to tell me what else he's hiding?"
Eventually she moved to thinking herself ridiculous and stupid. She was acting like a silly girl again.
She did nothing wrong. Her feelings were justified. She had nothing to worry about.
This time, she wouldn't chase.
It was a foreign resolve she had come to, and she wondered if she made a valid decision in waiting for Ren to come to her, but she was determined to stick to it. In turn, if Ren were to come and explain things, she promised to be fair to him and give him a chance to let him say everything they needed to.
However, she didn't promise herself to not be angry or upset. She wasn't sure she could quite control her temper anyway.
With her mind made up, Kyoko forced herself from her bed to get ready for the day. As tempting as it was to relax until it was time to go to work, she also knew not to waste an opportunity. There were only 2 days left of the convention and she wanted to make the most of it.
She was going to cosplay today, but seeing she wasn't quite in the best mood she decided to just save it for tomorrow. She opted for her honorary LoveMe bomber jacket, courtesy of President Takarada. Back in the day she would have balked at the idea of wearing this in public as the uniform was obnoxious and eye-catching (although that was the point). Now though, she was grateful for the peculiar division as it got her foot in the door and opened up several windows of opportunity. She also didn't see it as a big deal as a lot more people would be in opulent cosplay to take away attention from her outfit.
She threw the jacket over a plain, comfy t-shirt, donned some white shorts with white sandals then grabbed her prepped bag for the day off of the desk and headed downstairs for breakfast.
She figured she was up and ready early enough where she wouldn't run into anyone. She was keen to be alone until she had some food in her stomach.
Kyoko was correct for the most part. The only people that were sitting for meals so far were business men getting ready for a busy day and the occasional early riser that just finished with their workouts.
No one paid her any mind as she got in line for the buffet—which she was thankful for because although her jacket wasn't nearly as obnoxious as her jumpsuit, the hot pink hue was still eye-catching.
She opted for rice, egg rolls, and miso soup, and sat in a solitary corner to people watch while she ate. It was 8:30 now and she saw an increase in activity from convention goers knowing that they had a long day ahead of them.
People half done in cosplay were quickly scouring for small items of food to take back to their room while they finished getting ready, small groups of friends were already raring to go and were out the door with badges and tote bags in tow. Some people were actually just checking in, possibly only about to be here for Saturday and Sunday. They were lugging their baggage behind them, some with several suitcases, probably for those doing elaborate cosplay. Strangely enough, Kyoko also saw some people bringing in band equipment: guitar cases, amplifiers, keyboards, extension cords, drum sets—
Kyoko paused her perusal at the presence of a sudden chill down her spine. She'd had moments like this before where she felt a sense of danger lurking nearby. However, this feeling was very specific. It was a feeling that left her immobilized in fear.
She whipped her head around in a frenzy and narrowed her field of vision to find who she was looking for. Even her grudges, who had been in semi-retirement for about a year now, were scouring the entire lobby for the offending creature.
Although her efforts were commendable, they were unfortunately in vain as this formidable foe had always been really good at sneaking up at her.
She felt him before she saw him, a whisp of cool air behind her back. The presence was enough warning for her to turn in her seat and face him head on.
"Of course you're here too." She made the first move, wanting to steer control of their encounter and keep things in her favor.
"Kyoko, it's been way too long. I'm honestly surprised to see you here." He smirked, very pleased to see his old muse after all this time.
Reino of Vie Ghoul.
A terrifying phantom in her early career but right now simply a nuisance and an eyesore.
Of course Kyoko would never forget or forgive the terror and harassment he'd inflicted on her those years ago, but Kyoko was confident enough in her capability to take care of herself and also in the fact that Reino was scared shitless of Ren…Kuon, that nothing would happen.
Suddenly a thought occurred to her about an encounter between her and Reino years ago. She was attempting to use Corn as a way to discourage him from getting anywhere near her. Her attempt was a failure and instead of being persuaded, he was rather persistent to get it away from her.
But it was later on in this interaction when Ren joined that she recalled something Reino had brought up. He had mentioned "Tsuruga Ren" being an alias and both she and Ren had simply brushed it off thinking it a lucky guess since a lot of actors go by stage names anyway.
However, now that she had this new knowledge about Ren, Kyoko now understood that Reino was more spot on than she initially thought. That was a scary thought to her since she blatantly had the truth right in front of her and she didn't even know until now, 3 years later. A chill went up her spine at the thought of what else he was right about. Specifically, about a young, fairy like boy who gave her the precious stone in her possession.
Shaking off her nerves, Kyoko glared down her foe with as much venom as she could.
"Not as surprised as I am to see you here. An unpleasant surprise." Reino grinned. Damn he missed this woman and her torrential downpour of emotions, especially her anger. It was a very passionate emotion on her face and within her aura.
"You're telling me you didn't miss me at all in these years I've been gone?"
"Please, even going for the rest of my life without seeing you again wouldn't be long enough." She bit out, rolling her eyes at his audacity. Reino simply smirked and shrugged off her scathing response, not really having expected anything else.
"What are you doing here Beagle?" She asked warily, wondering if she was going to have to worry about him bothering her for the rest of the weekend. She had enough on her plate already.
"Probably the same as you, I was invited as a guest. I'll be performing a concert tonight." Kyoko sagged slightly in relief knowing he was going to be too busy to be stalking her. It was a small victory, as she still had a stressful encounter ahead of her.
Unbeknownst to her while she was thinking about her recent debacle, Reino was able to watch as Kyoko's aura grew more and more agitated. Somehow he knew it wasn't because of him, which irritated him slightly. However he was more intrigued by the sight of it that his curiosity overruled the irritation.
"What's got you so riled up today? Your aura just can't seem to sit still." Immediately her aura flared with tendrils of anger, but he noticed that they were more in the background. Clearly what was on her mind took precedence and it made Reino even more curious.
"Maybe it's because I'm face to face with my crazy stalker from years ago." She replied sarcastically, not knowing Reino knew it went way beyond that.
"Don't get me wrong, I can see your anger. But there is something else that is dominating it. Something else has your full attention."
She ignored him, because she didn't want to give him an inkling. Although she'd disregard his comments in the past about Ren's alias, she had seen him do some wacky shit she couldn't explain. It was why she was holding her grudges near, try as they might to fling themselves like curses at the offending creature before them.
Reino was crafty though, he figured Kyoko was not going to share anything with him physically. However, she didn't realize that her cute little demons were very loud Chatty Cathys. Granted they all spoke over one another so he couldn't piece together a full, coherent sentence. But he could hear enough snippets-specifically "Liar" and predominantly "Tsuruga Ren"-that Reino was confident enough to take a good guess at what was going on.
"What? Did you find out that Lion's true identity?" Kyoko kept her glare but couldn't suppress a flinch, though it was subtle. However even if Reino hadn't seen it, the way her demons were frantically buzzing around her like angry bees would have given her away. Reino had to suppress a shudder of pleasure at the sight of her.
"You're still hanging around him?" He egged. "I told you he was bad news Kyoko."
Unable to stop herself, Kyoko played into his bait.
"You know nothing! You're just talking out of your ass right now."
"I know enough," He scoffed. ",You're not exactly hiding it very well."
"There's nothing to hide. I don't know what your creepy Underworld eyes are seeing right now but you might want to consider glasses." She continued to deny. She did not want to get this heathen involved in any part of her or Ren's life.
Although she gained her composure-her grudges having even settled-Reino had enough to bite on and experience told him how to get the reactions he wanted from her. And luckily, neither Fuwa or Tsuruga were in the vicinity to rain on his parade.
Ignoring her petty comeback, Reino laid it on thick, having been enticed with how much fun he was having with her right now. It reminded him of how much he liked her, in his weird, twisted way.
"Just forget about him Kyoko. The fact that he's been lying to you all these years only proves he'll continue to lie in the years to come. Do you really want to keep that sort of company around?" Reino didn't say anything Kyoko hadn't already thought to herself. However it was different hearing it from an outside party because as shameful as it was, it only further planted the seed of Doubt in her mind.
And the last thing she ever wanted to do was doubt Ren.
What's more is that Reino's words only justified her worries that Ren had more secrets to hide from her.
And she had an inkling of what it might be.
Instead of rising to anger like Reino was anticipating, Kyoko seemed to deflate like a balloon and it startled him.
She still had a powerful aura behind her, a swirling hurricane of dark gray and midnight blue, but instead of thriving in the chaos, she instead looked like a lost sailor, swept out to sea. It was a chilling image and Reino faltered in his cruel teasing.
He immediately changed tactics as he wasn't having fun anymore and he was sure Miroku was going to come looking for him soon anyway.
"Just think about what I said Kyoko. I've seen only a fraction of what that man is hiding, and it scares even me."
O/O
Kyoko was grateful that Reino dismissed himself as she was too mentally exhausted to do so herself. The rest of her breakfast was a blur as she ate it mechanically, trying not to think too much.
It was around 9 AM by the time she was done and to save herself from sitting in one place for too long, she decided to slowly make her way to the convention. The vendor hall would be open by the time she got there and there was still plenty to look at.
She had plenty of time to kill where, if she got lost, she'd be able to find her way in a timely manner. However, she assumed the trail of cosplayers would be her go-to landmarks no matter where she went.
She followed signs around the hotel that led her to a series of long sky bridges. She remembered Mika telling her that most of the major hotels in the area would convene together to meet at the heart of the convention center in this manner. That way it would be easier for attendees to find their way back.
Mika warned her though that depending on where she was at she'd probably still have quite a walk to make to get to her destination. Kyoko didn't mind that and she certainly didn't now. She was content with going at a languid pace and seeing the surrounding areas that the sky bridges offered.
At one point in particular, she stopped to gaze down at a plaza where a cosplay photoshoot was taking place. At first she was simply admiring the craftsmanship and the look on everyone's faces as they were clearly having a good time. Then she noticed that the cosplays looked familiar and she sighed exasperatedly when she realized that it was a themed photoshoot of Tsuruga Ren characters.
Nowa explained to her that there's almost a theme for every fandom to do a photoshoot and that they were distributed everywhere around the convention. She didn't realize what "every fandom" meant until she saw one dedicated to Johnny D*pp characters.
It didn't surprise her that there was one for Ren, but she rolled her eyes at the obvious message the universe was trying to tell her: You can't run away from your problems.
Well, she wasn't really running away from them. She was simply putting them on hold until further notice.
Unbeknownst to her in her reverie, Kyoko was spotted by a particular blonde couple.
Kuu and Julie were at war with themselves about if they should approach Kyoko. As much as they wanted their children to have the chance to come together and solve this problem themselves, they were also nosy, meddling parents.
They were also impatient.
Now that they knew their son was in love, and with the very actress that Kuu met in Japan all those years ago, they were anxious now to have wedding bells ringing.
The doting parents, however, were able to ignore their impulses as they were sure the two already had enough to deal with their President's shenanigans. Just as they silently agreed to move on, Kyoko also turned from the photoshoot at the same time.
They were hard to miss despite them still being quite a ways away. Sarah-er, Julie- had gorgeous blonde waves and vibrant green eyes that had Kyoko heavily convinced she'd been sprinkled with fairy dust. And Kuu always had an air of confidence around him that made him seem larger than life. He was quite simply the main character in his life.
This time Kyoko was the one conflicted. She was excited to see both of them again as it's been a long time. She wanted to catch up with Kuu and update him on all of her projects and successes lately and she wanted to tell Julie about the new attraction they were building in Dajowey Land.
However, there was a layer of awkwardness Kyoko couldn't shrug away now that she knew who they were. "Meeting-the-parents" was always an intimidating event.
But what was really holding her back, thanks to the doubt Reino had given her, was her hesitance to trust in their intentions.
How much did they know went on between her and Ren? Were they aiding in his lies? Was their deception malicious?
Kyoko was afraid to know the answers to those questions as they'd be just as heartbreaking to hear as it was to find out the truth about Ren. Kyoko loved both Kuu and Julie and had formed a bond with them that should have been made with her own parents long, long ago. She would hate to find out if their own kindness wasn't genuine.
Kuu was watching as Kyoko's thoughts took her on a wild and not so pleasant journey. He was accustomed to watching her overthink and worry about things and that is what prompted him to quickly pull Julie along and approach Kyoko first. Something told him that once she reached the conclusion of her thoughts, they would render her unwilling to speak to them.
So as not to spook her, Kuu gave her a genuine smile as she continued to advance toward her.
"Kyoko! I'm glad we bumped into you! We didn't realize you'd be attending the con." Despite his efforts to appear non threatening, Kyoko could only offer a shaky smile in return at best. Luckily he nor Julie would be discouraged.
"It was a last minute thing," She offered simply. ",I'm honestly surprised to see you two as well. And…married to each other." The couple winced as Kyoko brought up a good point. Kuu mentioned he had a wife and son, but neither mentioned that the wife was "Sarah" when Kyoko met her. Kuu had to admit, Kuon was in a sticky spot and honestly, so were they. Thankfully Julie was quick on her feet.
"Kyoko, honey, we did not keep secrets to be cruel. We were respecting Kuon's wishes to hide his identity until he was ready." She spoke calmly, but clearly, imploring Kyoko to believe her. But doubt still reigned supreme, thinking that her explanation was simply an excuse or a diversion from their true intentions. What really troubled her was how long he was intending to tell her. With how guiltily and alarmed he looked, she could tell that he didn't have any intention of telling her.
"I don't think he was ever going to be ready. He didn't want me to know." At the sight of Kyoko's crestfallen expression, Julie bit the bullet and crossed the rest of the way to the heartbroken woman and brought her into her arms. Kuu joined the woman and placed a gentle hand on Kyoko's shoulder.
"Kuon regrets that it happened this way, Kyoko, but I have no doubt in my mind he was planning on telling you at some point."
"Kuu is right sweetie. I have it on record that boy is terrified of messing things up with you and that's most likely the reason for his hesitance."
"What's he so afraid of? Does he think I would tell?"
"You'll have to ask him yourself Kyoko. If you want answers then he should be the one to give them." Kuu lectured, hoping to gently guide her to meet with his son. He honestly wasn't quite sure who would approach who first, but unfortunately he knew the chance that neither would was also a way higher possibility than he would have liked. A little push couldn't hurt.
Kuu could see they had given Kyoko a lot to think about and he was glad she was taking the time to. Then again, her imagination took her on some wild trips. To try and ease a few more worries, Kuu gently pulled Kyoko from Julie's arms and made her face him, putting on his best fatherly expression.
"Kyoko I need you to listen to me, this is important. Regardless of what happens between you and Kuon, I want you to know that Julie and I will still love you no matter what. You'll still be my daughter and one of my best students I've ever had the honor of teaching. I hope you can at least trust this much."
Kyoko would be lying if she said that wasn't something else she worried about if she and Ren weren't able to figure things out. She loved Kuu and Julie just as much as she loved him and she couldn't bear the thought of losing them in the process of losing him.
She looked at Kuu and Julie with watery eyes and felt her shoulders sag in relaxation. She finally felt the one thing she needed after experiencing such tumultuous emotions.
Reassurance.
And she was strengthened and encouraged by it. She was still a ways away from forgiving the silly actor, but she felt better prepared on being able to deal with its aftermath.
Kyoko wiped at her eyes and Julie fussed over her, helping her straighten her appearance. The young actress laughed slightly, loving the affection and motherly attention she was receiving. The tenderness almost made her tear up again, but she knew that as a guest, she couldn't afford to look like a mess for the attendees. She still had a job to do.
"We'll let you get going sweetie. It's a busy day for you. Break a leg." Kuu bade his farewell and made her promise to join them for a meal before they had to go back home. Julie brought her in for a final hug before also offering her goodbyes and heading off with her husband to enjoy the convention.
Kyoko set off to do the same, feeling refreshed.
O/O
Kyoko was approaching about an hour of exploring the vendor hall and she was convinced she'd only seen half of what there was to offer, not including the Artist Alley portion that segued from the vendor hall. That might be because she was meticulously fawning over each stall that caught her eye.
The clothing and jewelry were especially areas of interest for her. Some of the clothes were either based off of fictional characters, fandoms, or even just straight up cosplay pieces. However, the vendors also offered plenty of original pieces with original designs, all handmade!
Patterned blouses, crop tops with cute and colorful animals and mascots, adorable pleated skirts, sleek and soft leggings and pants. Kyoko was almost overwhelmed with all the options the vendors offered. The accessories were varied as well, ranging from Lolita to Visual Kei, all different styles for several types of trinkets: socks, head bands, rings, anklets, chokers, vests, you name it. Kyoko was certifiably in heaven.
The jewelry was also astonishing: crystals, diamonds, signets, medallions, beads, and chains. If Kyoko were a dragon she would have collected every piece for her hoard. She studied many necklaces with meticulous interest, gaining inspiration for future projects. She found after she made Princess Rosa's cute little wire pendant cage that she really enjoyed crafting it and wanted the chance to do some more, even if it was just for fun.
When she was able to pull herself away from those stalls, she took some time looking at everything else and although not everything was of interest to her personally, everything she saw was certainly impressive.
The stalls with wire scaffolding that were piled high with stuffed animals or figurines of varying characters were super impressive. The stalls with figurines were especially popular as she watched hoards of people crowd around and crane their heads up to look carefully for a figurine they might have been searching a long time for. The vendors of these stalls were in a tizzy, running back and forth to collect payment, basically climbing the scaffolding to collect a figurine, stopping to answer questions. It definitely reminded Kyoko of her days in customer service but she could tell that despite the stress, they were having a good time.
It was around 10:30 when Kyoko was ready to go explore the art. She figured there was enough to see to pass the time until she had to meet up with Mika for her autograph session.
She was about to pass through the arch that separated the vendors from the artists when she distantly heard someone call her name.
She carefully stepped out of line so people could pass her and get their badges checked and looked around for who might have called her. Luckily they weren't hard to see as Nowa was waving a hand excitedly, once again seeming to drag Kise around with him. Kyoko was surprised to see that it seemed like Nowa hadn't shopped for any merch today like he had yesterday.
"Good morning you two. How are you guys?"
"Don't worry about us, Kyoko-chan, what about you? You had us worried last night." Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise and then softened with guilt. She completely forgot that she had left them in a hurry last night with no rhyme or reason. Kyoko wasn't sure what Ren told them last night but it clearly wasn't anything enlightening for how concerned they both still seemed to be. In a panic Kyoko bowed low.
"I'm so sorry. I suddenly just started feeling awful and needed some air and privacy. By the time I was ready to come out I just wanted to go back to the room and sleep." Kyoko thought she might as well give them the partial truth. As much as she wanted to believe in her capabilities as an actress, she wasn't sure she could convince them that she was fine without them prying. Her eye still twitched in anger at even the thought of Ren.
"There's no need to apologize, we just wanted to make sure you're okay. Are you going to be able to do your autographs today?" Kyoko smiled sweetly at Kise and Kise nodded.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world. This will be my first time meeting fans like this." Upon seeing Kyoko's determined expression, Nowa and Kise's shoulders slumped in relief. She really did seem unwell last night and it was no secret that people neglected their health in order to keep up with the hustle of the convention. Thankfully it seemed like some sleep had done her some good.
"Were you about to go look at the art?" Kise gestured back to the arch she'd been about to cross through. Kyoko nodded her ascent.
"I was. I think I've finally looked at everything I was interested in from the vendors."
"Let's go together then! That way we'll all be able to meet for autographs at the same time." Kyoko agreed, having been more than ready to get past her broody slump and move onto enjoying the rest of the day. Whatever happens next with Ren would come in due time.
The Artist Hall was just as massive as the Vendor hall which meant it was just as busy. Throngs of people going this way and that, pushing up against particularly popular stalls. It was close to madness but somehow people made it work.
Hundreds of gorgeous artworks were displayed on wire scaffolding, presentation curtains, and in sheet covered binders. All of them were a true representation of the uniqueness of the artists in both style as well as artistic mediums.
Digital art, body pillows, water color, post cards, keychains, patches, enamel pins, fabric scrolls, notebooks, bookmarks.
So many personalized items and decor, Kyoko was sure this was nothing short of heaven for the fans. Kyoko herself was already eyeballing some chibi artwork of Mio Hongo in one stall and a frightening piece of artwork displaying Black Jack in another.
The group followed the flow of traffic as they waved up and down the aisles. All of them were taking mental notes on things to revisit tomorrow ( as tomorrow was the last day for shopping) or going up to the artists to ask them specific questions.
Amidst their perusal though, the time was also consumed with Nowa and Kise updating her on all the things she missed from Ren's panel. She would have thought Ren had paid the two to butter her up a bit based on what they were saying about how he brought her up quite often during his panel.
Kyoko would have thought that they were exaggerating if they weren't regaling stories about her and Ren that she'd never told them before. Apparently now everyone knew that he highly regarded her and respected her as an actor and that there were plenty of things even he had to learn from her.
She tried to downplay the praise as much as possible but couldn't help but feel a flutter in her tummy at the thought of Ren's verbal display of public affection. He certainly had no reason to bring her up in his own panel other than because he wanted to.
It was certainly more than Shotaro had ever done and she had blindly believed that he had loved her.
So…why was she doubting him again?
"He almost sounded like a die hard fan." Kise joked.
"Well who wouldn't be a fan of our favorite Prideful demon?" Nowa chuckled, knowing that the fan favorite for the show was actually Greed surprisingly enough.
"He could have also been helping us promote." It was a half hearted excuse but at this point she was running out of reasons to stay mad at him.
"Speaking of," Kise looked down at his wrist watch. ",It is about that time to be heading over." The group agreed to call it, having pretty much scouted out the goodies they were looking forward to acquiring tomorrow, and began to head to Mika's meet up spot.
In an entirely different section of the convention center was an area dedicated to all of the autograph booths. No space was left empty as the 4 walls (apart from the enter and exit doors) as well as a portion in the middle were dedicated to a Guest with their name in bold, white letters and a vinyl banner displaying appearances they're best known for.
Mika guided the 3 over to where their booths were and Kyoko could barely see it with how many people were already camping in line for autographs.
The fans were chattering excitedly, holding precious items that they were eager to get signed. Kyoko found herself both excited and nervous for this. She wanted to meet the fans' expectations and more, especially for the sake of continuing the show.
The group got closer and soon the fans started noticing and the tittering got louder and more excitable. Kyoko decided to follow Nowa and Kise's lead in all this and followed them around the table of their booth, offering waves and smiles to the fans that were first in line.
While the 3 of them were getting settled, Kyoko noticed that a con volunteer started taking payments from the fans to begin moving the line along. Nowa had explained previously that most fan requests they can buy are up to the Guests themselves. Sometimes it's just limited to autographs, other times it can be photographs, other times maybe an audio recording or a video recording with a birthday message.
To keep things simple for Kyoko's first autograph experience, Nowa and Kise had organized it to be just autographs and photos. It was probably better that way anyway since they had to get through as many people as possible within the allotted time.
Kyoko barely had time to settle her nerves before the first group of people walked up to them. They were friends who were very big fans of the show with 2 of them actually cosplaying Wrath and Greed. Two of them had bought a commissioned piece of fan art for the show portraying the 7 Demons with Akio Tomura in the middle surrounded by their chaos. The other just brought their own personal autograph book that they keep for themselves.
The three of them greeted the fans excitedly-Nowa commented on the Wrath cosplayer and Kise was fawning over the artwork- and signed their items with flourish. The three friends offered grateful smiles and an abundance of praise for the show and went on their way.
Most of the interactions went as such with the occasional fan requesting an item from another fandom to be signed. Kyoko herself actually got a request to sign a promo poster from when she did Box R. It had signatures from when the fan brought it to other guests and the fan explained that they were trying to get it signed by the main cast.
Kyoko was going through the motions of how she wanted to do her signatures but hadn't settled on one yet. She figured she'd eventually settle on something that was both fast and stylish at some point.
Her favorite interaction of the day came from an obvious superfan of hers who, apparently, had been following her career almost from the beginning. Both her and a friend showed her some homemade patches they'de made with the Love Me logo! They even gave her one (Kyoko was unaware that fans sometimes gave Guests gifts) and also requested a selfie with her. Kyoko was almost moved to tears with how much praise they were giving her but quickly regained her composure to crowd in for the photo and smile her brightest.
The line never really slowed down and it did unfortunately get to a point where a con volunteer had to close down the autograph line to finish up the ones already there. As bad as Kyoko, Nowa, and Kise felt for not being able to get to everyone that showed up, they knew they had a schedule to keep.
Kyoko could only imagine how many of Ren's fans didn't make it on time.
Kyoko didn't actually quite know where Ren's booth was but by the noise coming from the right she could at least determine he was nearby.
Thinking about him made her want to tell him about the experience she had today and to share her happiness with him. Once that thought made itself known, Kyoko was then struck with the thought that she was letting Ren off too easy.
She'd been seriously hurt by Ren's deception and had expected to feel so for quite a while. After all, she'd been the queen of holding onto grudges back in the day.
But now, all she was feeling was mild irritation. Was that what she was supposed to feel at this point? Was she being a pushover because was in love? Or was it really just not a big deal?
Kyoko pushed her confusion aside as she still had to finish autographs.
She didn't realize how much emotional energy went into this. In fact, she was a little ashamed to admit she'd thought it would be easy. No way. Her throat was parched from talking so much, she was in sensory overload from everything going on around her, and her cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much. But aside from the humbling experience, Kyoko was having a great time.
The fans were so kind and she received a lot more gifts and fanart than she expected. She also got a lot more solo autograph requests than anticipated. She wondered if it was because the banner next to her name on her booth showcased a lot of the roles that they weren't aware she did. After all she had on multiple occasions been told she was a full 180 degrees between her role in the Curara commercial and Mio Hongo.
After the last couple of fans filtered out of line, Kyoko felt tired but fulfilled. She had a really good time speaking to everyone and was looking forward to another opportunity like this one.
Kyoko waved goodbye to the last couple of people lingering around the booths and then excused herself from Nowa and Kise to make a phone call.
Her go to was Moko-san and not just because she was her best friend but also because she trusted her to be straightforward with her and not sugar coat things. If she was being more ridiculous than usual, Moko would tell her.
She got comfortable against a wall to watch the goings on while she waited for Kanae to pick up. She actually wasn't quite sure if she was working and she felt bad for calling not knowing that fact. However, the worst that could happen was that she wasn't available to answer. At that point she'd just call again later (and not leave a voice message since Kyoko did tend to go overboard with them).
"Kyoko? Why are you calling? What's wrong?" Kyoko felt immediate relief at the sound of her best friend's voice.
"Moko-san! I'm so glad you picked up!"
"Yeah well I'm running on limited time so what is it you need?" Sure enough in the background she could hear some yelling in the background. Kanae was most likely in between scenes while the crew was moving things around for the next take.
Now that she had Moko-san on the phone, she wasn't quite sure what to say. Very rarely did she forthright share details about Ren but when she did, Moko-san always had enlightening things to say. After all, there was that one conversation they had that made Kanae come to the conclusion that Ren may have had a crush on her. And while at the time Kyoko had thought there was no way, she turned out to be right.
"I just needed someone to talk to…and maybe get some advice."
"It's about Tsuruga, isn't it?" Kyoko may have done a very good job of hiding her feelings behind her tone, but Kanae was also very good at reading her best friend. Kyoko blushed at being caught but didn't deny it.
"What did he do?" Kyoko hesitated for a moment, only because she knew she couldn't tell her everything yet as she had not gotten Kuon's permission to share. Being as vague as possible was the way she had to go.
"I can't give you all the details, but he lied to me about something important. And it's a lie he's been feeding me for years. It was like a slap in the face with how deceptive it felt compared to Shotaro."
"Ouch. Must be pretty bad if you're bringing up Fuwa."
"That's the thing though is that I'm not…mad anymore. Upset for sure, but not to the point where I want to kill him."
"Well that's reassuring." Kyoko could tell that she was losing Kanae on the reason why she was calling. Kyoko had said she needed advice but it was more like a second opinion.
"I just, I feel like I should be angry at him. Shouldn't I? I mean when I found out, the news had been devastating. But now it suddenly feels like no big deal." She heard Kanae sigh on the other hand.
"Maybe it's not a big deal. I can't tell you how to feel Kyoko but I can tell you to trust your instincts. Most of the time, they're right on the money." Kanae left out how oblivious she was when it came to Ren's feelings for her but she didn't broach the subject for fear of confusing her more.
"And besides, you have a secret of your own that I'm sure you haven't told him yet." Kanae heard Kyoko remain quiet on the other side as her friend put the pieces together.
"Bo…" She said quietly. Kanae nodded and responded with a firm "right". Having been reminded of that, Kyoko had a lot to think about. If she was looking for a completely transparent Ren Tsuruga, then she wouldn't be reciprocating in kind. There were plenty of things he didn't know about her and vice versa. And as upset as she was that such a big secret was kept from her. Kyoko never once thought he was being malicious. She saw it in his eyes, he was regretful, apologetic, and sincere.
"Hello? Earth to Kyoko? You still with me?" Kyoko was startled from her thoughts at the sound of her friend's prompts to get her attention and gave a quick apology before letting her go. Kanae gave her lots to think about and along with all the other info. She gathered from everyone else today (aside from stupid Beagle who just wanted to spread seeds of doubt), she needed to figure out what she wanted to do next.
O/O
Like the back stage of the opening night of a play, the activity behind the curtain of the LME showcase panel room was buzzing with energy. A lot of singers, actors, and talents from LME were all waiting to be announced onto the stage by the MC. Kyoko could hear the ruckus on the other side as throngs of people were coming in. She didn't see anything but could tell that it was packed, probably just as busy as Ren's solo Q&A.
Speaking of, the man in question was off to the side, chatting it up with Nowa and Kise. Kyoko pretended not to see him looking over at her, a solemn expression in his eyes. Her anger had petered out into a dull sizzle at this point, but she knew now wasn't the time to talk. This was mostly because this wasn't the time or place to have a conversation and she knew that if she made eye contact now, he wouldn't hesitate to come over to start one up. She could only see him from her peripherals but she knew that he was almost imporing her to look at him, but she wouldn't budge. They had a job to do first. She knew Ren realized that too when he and several other guests began to be announced onto the panel stage.
Like a graduation procession, the guests one by one took the stage and waved at the fans and found their assigned seats. Ren left first followed by the boys of Bridge Rock, then Ruriko, Nowa, Kyoko herself, and Kise.
Once all of the commotion started coming down, the MC started things back up, establishing the same panel rules as yesterday.
After the audience was in agreement, the MC opened it up to Ruriko who had continued to act since her debut in Ring Doh and was excited to share more of her projects and things her fans could look forward to seeing her in. Kyoko was also impressed to find out she was helping to write the lyrics for an up and coming stage musical. There was of course plenty of intrigue from that and several of her fans asked what her writing process was like and even if she would be in the musical herself. Seeing just how amped Ruriko looked while talking about her projects made Kyoko pumped as well. She hoped the public would be excited with what she was working on.
Next was Nowa who introduced the cast of a new video game that would be coming out as well as the fact that he'd be doing the voice acting of a well loved character. Voice acting had always been something he wanted to try so he was excited to get the chance. The showcase showed a clip of one of cutscenes from the game and the ladies swooned in the crowd at the character's sultry performance.
The MC continued down the line of guests, letting the actors, performers, and idols drop their bombs and opening up the panels for questions until it got to the portion of the panel that had Kyoko's stomach clench in anticipation of what was to come to next.
And she wasn't just talking about anticipation for her coworker's projects. While Bridge Rock was being introduced and their new project was being displayed on the big screen beside them ( a sneak peek at a couple of their new songs and one new music video), Kyoko was going over her game plan in her head.
She wanted to give Ren as good as she got, but also let him know that he was forgiven. The two of them had never been good at reading between the lines, especially the subtleties, but she had a feeling that Ren just might get this one.
While Hikaru was talking, Kyoko subconsciously fiddled with the objects on her hand until she heard a semblance of the reference she needed to draw Ren's attention.
"We owe a lot of our show's recognition to our beloved mascot, Bo, who honestly breathed more life into this passion project than we expected. So don't you worry, Bo isn't going anywhere."
As Hikaru was saying that, Kyoko pulled her right hand out from under the table and used it to pick up the water that the convection volunteers left for the guests during their panel. Her moves were subtle enough that it wouldn't mean anything to anyone else, but knowing that Ren's eyes and peripherals had been on her since they'd even walked onto the stage, she knew he'd be watching.
She took slow, deliberate movements as she wrapped her fingers around the glass cup and brought it to her mouth for a couple sips. She knew that it would be plenty of time for Ren to see two things she acquired at Artist's Alley today: A beautiful enamel ring that looked like a dandelion (which she made sure fit her tiny pinky) and a curious one below it made to look like Bo the Chicken's face. Bo was chibi-fied to be small enough to act as a cute ring face, but was detailed enough so that anyone a fan of the show would recognize who it was.
She looked askance at Ren briefly and sure enough his eyes were trained on her pinky, and all sorts of recognition flickered through his eyes. She hoped he was careful enough in his perusal so as not to get outed by his die hard fans.
Shortly after she put her cup down, the MC switched gears to Kyoko who let her begin introducing her new movie. Kyoko quickly put on her professional mask to explain her new project before letting the trailer roll. It was weird watching people see this new side of her acting. She'd done plenty of mean characters before, but never had they been this ruthless…and bloody. She hoped she'd convinced the audience enough that her character was a psychotic and sociopathic serial killer.
Thankfully the audience seemed to be murmuring in anticipation and awe and Kyoko gave herself a mental pat on the back. At the end of the trailer, which marked the conclusion of her strict NDA, the floor was open for Kyoko to answer questions.
She got several questions that she was able to answer relatively easily (prep work, casting, hardest scene, etc.) but one in particular gave her pause.
"What has working on this movie taught you that has benefited your professional and/or personal life?" It was an interesting question, because how could any of her prep work for this role especially have benefit to her life in any way? But if the advice she had gotten from Kuu all those years ago taught her anything, it was that every opportunity she had, any job she was given, her experience would follow her. Experience couldn't be traded for anything in the world. Kyoko pondered her response carefully before she straightened up to answer.
"I think the biggest thing I took away from filming this movie is that it is exhausting being angry all the time." She heard murmurs of agreement and felt it was safe to continue.
"I've been cast as several challenging characters before, but none have been as emotionally draining as this one. It was so strange because her anger wasn't even mine, and yet it still affected me." Kyoko's eyes flickered over briefly at Ren again, just long enough to see both bewilderment and relief on his face. He definitely wasn't going to be able to hide that from the paparazzi.
"Although I will say there is definitely no character development from the one I portrayed, I'll definitely be introducing more forgiveness into my life, because it's pointless to stay angry forever. Especially over something silly with loved ones." Kyoko finished off with a chuckle and so did the audience.
With that concluding her segment and the MC moving onto Kise, Kyoko felt lighter and happier and now more than ready than ever to face things head on with Ren.
O/O
With the showcase now over and the biggest daytime activities over for the day, the night life of the convention began to come to life. Party goers were changing outfits or cosplay for the rave starting at 10 PM, attendees were swarming to the arcade section of the building since it was open 24 hours for the entirety of the weekend, and people began to imbibe on drinks to start the night before their 18+ panels.
Kyoko didn't get to see this part of convention life yesterday since she left so early but it was wild to her that it really seemed like a non-stop party for conventions. She wasn't much of a party animal herself but she was glad to see so many people having fun.
After the panel, Kyoko excused herself to the bathroom while she waited Ren out. He got swarmed pretty quickly by his fans so she knew it would take him a while before he could extricate himself. She did give him a courtesy text to let him know where he'd be able to find her though.
She was currently walking the outskirts of the convention center, not very far from the hustle and bustle of convention goers, but enough for her to have some more peace and quiet.
By the time she found an empty bench to rest on, Kyoko got a response from Ren saying he was on his way. She subconsciously started fiddling with her dandelion ring again.
He must've been sprinting with how fast he got to her, although he didn't look winded at all. His eyes held an urgency to them though that told her he had rushed over to her as fast as he could. Her heart warmed at the sight of him and she wondered how she could ever stay mad at him for long when he looked at her so earnestly.
On instinct she stood up when he arrived and at first she wasn't sure what to do next. Was this the part where they talked first or hugged first? Did she wait for him to make the first move? Or now that her own secret was out, did he need time to process his own thoughts now?
Ren was quick to react though and hightailed it the rest of the way to her. He didn't hesitate to wrap her in a secure hug when he arrived and like a venus flytrap, Kyoko held onto him, greedy to never let him go now that he was within her grasp.
"We really are a silly pair, aren't we?" Kyoko chuckled softly, her words slightly muffled into the broadness of his chest.
"Probably the silliest, but I think everyone knew that but us." Ren agreed light-heartedly. He pulled away just slightly enough to be able to lift her face so he could look into her eyes. He was looking for any more traces of anger but thankfully he only saw love and forgiveness. His heart and worries melted under her gaze and he couldn't stop himself from planting a sweet kiss on her forehead. She leaned into his affection and the movement only made him hold onto her tighter.
"Kyoko, from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you and make you doubt my love for you. The secret ended up having more layers than I anticipated until it felt like there was never a good time to tell you." Kyoko nodded against him. She knew just how big of a secret it was and it was never going to be an easy one to share. Even if he had admitted who he was that first time he found her Corn stone, she knew she wouldn't have been confident in saying she wouldn't have been pissed that day. They had a rocky start after all back in the day.
But, she hoped that her own secret was known to him now, this would be a fresh start for both of them now.
"And I'm sorry to for…not telling you about Bo. You confided a lot of personal troubles in him that you didn't mean for me to hear, and that's not fair to you." She admitted, ashamed that she had done such a thing, and continued to do so up to this day. Ren chuckled lightheartedly, clearly not bothered by her admission.
"I'm not mad in the slightest, but thank you for the apology. I will say though, you did give me some pretty good advice." He teased naughtily. Kyoko pulled back to look at him inquisitively.
"Oh? I did?" Ren leaned in closely and kissed the corner of her mouth, a playful look in his eyes.
"As I recall it, you told me that I should seduce you." Kyoko looked at him blankly for a moment, trying to recall when she had ever told him that before it clicked. Her cheeks suddenly flamed red and Ren laughed boisterously, a child-like smile now on his face.
"That was so long ago! And the circumstances were different. I had no idea you were talking about me." She groaned, embarrassed.
"And I had no idea I was talking to you, so I think we're even." He spoke, chuckling in between. Kyoko pouted, her eyes narrowed unamused at his teasing.
Before she could catch herself she ended up saying, " It's not like you took that advice anyway."
Almost immediately she regretted her words because his expression shifted from boyish and playful, to intense and smoldering. It had been a while since she'd seen the Emperor but that didn't mean she'd ever be prepared for him. She gulped at the sight of him but felt her heart flutter erratically in excitement.
"Be careful of what you say, love, or I might just be inclined to make up for more than 2 years of seducing you."
Had Ren's arms not been around her, Kyoko knew that her knees would have buckled.
I binged the entire Skip Beat! anime while I was finishing typing and editing and every time I watch the last episode, I always yearn for a season 2 :')