Chapter 48: Thank You

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Saena would change for the better after her talk with Kyoko.

Tadashi entered the cafe and asked for a seat in the back where there were fewer people save for a gothic-looking couple on the other side of the room. The girl looked to be no more than Kyoko's age. His eyes locked with the dangerous man sitting with her for a fraction of a second. Tadashi didn't even flinch as the dark blue eyes threatened him in that brief moment. He couldn't help but smile. The look in the guy's eyes reminded him so much of Ren. Could two people in the world give off the same kind of dark aura? It was only a glimpse but he remembered how Ren had threatened him if he ever hurt Kyoko. He wondered how his daughter and her boyfriend were doing as he took his seat. He placed the shoebox on the table and took out his phone, deciding to send her a quick message. He would have to tell Kyoko about this couple the next time he messaged her.

He checked his work email to distract him while he nervously waited. The chime on the front door made him look up from his phone. Gulping nervously, he put it away when he saw that the customer was Saena. He stood and waved, calling out to her, "Sae-ch...Mogami-san," He corrected himself once he realized he no longer had the right to call her so intimately. She nodded her head in his direction to the hostess and walked over to where he held her seat out before returning to his.

Now that they were both sitting, Tadashi tugged nervously at his collar. He had run several scenarios in his head for the past two days on what he would say and how she would possibly react. He used this same tactic successfully when conducting business, but at the moment he couldn't think of a single thing he practiced. He sat there looking at her, looking at him, her face calm and cold.

The waitress came over and took their order. Tadashi ordered coffee, black, while Saena ordered tea. They sat silently while they waited for their order. Meanwhile, Tadashi could faintly hear and understand the dark couple's conversation near him. It appeared the girl was scolding the man's eating habits very much in the same way his daughter would reprimand Ren. Could it be?

He took a sidelong glance at the two so as not to draw suspicion. The chances of British doppelgängers right here in Tokyo were slim to none. What were the odds that they were in this very cafe, in disguise, while he was talking to Saena? It was too coincidental. Judging by their outfits and mannerisms it was just so hard to believe that it would be them. They were actors after all so he shouldn't put it past them. He would have to subtly bring it up when he met them again. Whatever they were doing, it was obvious that they didn't want to be exposed. For now, he would ignore them in case he was wrong and focus on what he came here to do.

The waitress returned with their drinks returning his full attention to the woman in front of him. Saena took a sip of tea as she stared at him, "Let's not drag this out. I'm expecting a client," she told him coolly.

After taking a sip of his coffee Tadashi began, "Uhm, thank you for meeting me here. You didn't have to but I very much appreciate it."

"Misonoi-san," Saena said before pausing. "Ah, that's not right." She searched her mind to remember the name Kyoko had told her. "Morimoto-san, if that is even your real name. If you've come to me to apologize and ask for my forgiveness then you are wasting your breath," she told him in a flat voice.

Tadashi sighed shaking his head. "Sae- I mean, Mogami-san, yes, my real name is Morimoto Tadashi. I wanted to meet you not to apologize for what I did to you eighteen years ago or ask for your forgiveness. Somehow, I knew you wouldn't want to hear it. What I did to you was unforgivable and I plan to live with that mistake for the rest of my life. You see, I...I wanted to thank you."

His admission startled Saena. "Thank me? For what?" She asked confused. The lines between her brows etched themselves deeply on her beautiful face as she thought hard on his words.

"For Kyoko," he said simply with a dazzling smile. Saena sat staring at him as she fought to regain her composure. Her throat constricted and unshed tears burned her eyes from the sudden sorrow she felt. She thought she had let go of these feelings. There was no way she would give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She had wondered back then, during her pregnancy, that if he knew her condition would he have come back.

As if reading her mind, Tadashi said, "I would have stayed if I knew you were pregnant but I didn't even wait to see the results of my actions. I was an ambitious man back then, on the fast track to success. I would have probably made a terrible father and an even worse husband since I was dedicated to my work. Because of my choices, I could say clearly at my deathbed that you would always be my biggest regret." There was more to his side of the story but he told her what she needed to hear.

Saena didn't know how to respond swallowing the lump in her throat. She didn't trust herself to speak just yet, so she sat there staring down at her tea.

A noise to her right caught her attention as the foreign couple stood to leave. She stared at them absentmindedly, rudely per Japanese standards. Their departure served as the distraction she needed to compose herself. She observed the young girl's rebellious style with her navel exposed, piercings on her face, and a head of unnatural platinum blonde hair. Thank goodness Kyoko dressed modestly for her age. She thought of her daughter as she watched the girl. She had left her in Kyoto when she was six-years-old after Katagiri Kenichi, her boss, and his sister, Yayoi, confronted her.

They could see Saena self-destructing again. She was repeatedly taking out her stress on the innocent child that soon Saena tried to close herself in her office and ignore the girl. The girl was a constant reminder of her failure at love and work. Katagiri-san had offered, no, more like demanded, that Saena make up for her mistake by taking a position at his law firm in Tokyo. He hoped that by burying her in work, she would be so distracted that she wouldn't have time to contemplate killing herself again.

Yayoi had offered to become the guardian of Kyoko until Saena was either ready to take her back or she was of age to stand independently on her own. Saena had resigned herself to being a failure as a mother. The little girl would often barge into her home office hoping for any kind of affection from her mother, her large golden eyes once again reminding Saena of the man that shattered her heart. Her wide golden eyes often pleading with the unspoken question, Why don't you love me?

Hoping to not further damage the girl with her inability to love her, she left her behind. She couldn't trust herself around her anymore. Everything the girl did was infuriating to her. Saena was slowly hating the person she was becoming. Drowning herself in work after coming to Tokyo, Saena had retrieved some semblance of peace. Yayoi kept her abreast of Kyoko's life. The proprietress of Fuwa Ryokan was always full of praise for the girl's exemplary grades and good behavior. Saena assumed she was trying to appeal to her, but even then, she couldn't bring herself to think fondly of the girl.

She had made the right decision leaving her behind. Thanks to Yayoi, the girl had grown up decent: intelligent, hard-working, and self-sufficient. Her biggest blemish was chasing after a stupid boy who, in turn, discarded her when she was no longer useful. Saena blamed herself. It was probably her cursed past that led to Kyoko making the same foolish mistakes. Like mother, like daughter.

She pursed her lips as she thought of her daughter's current situation. The foolish girl had thrown herself at yet another man, but not just any man, Japan's top actor. The tabloids were constantly reporting on their relationship which further aggravated Saena. She had agreed to let her stay here in Tokyo since it seemed she was serious about acting. At least this new relationship had not hampered her career. Saena could still see that she was pursuing her work seriously in the articles that weren't saturated with a love story narrative. Saena had noticed her daughter's face popping up in more ads across the city and on television. Her daughter's ability to adapt to different roles was surprising. She probably inherited that skill from this man. Now that she was back from the conference, she wanted to follow up with Kyoko and figure out that man's true intentions.

Saena's eyes flicked briefly to the man with the girl. She took in his dangerous appearance and wondered, what parent would let their young daughter hang out with such a hoodlum. She had no business questioning other parents' abilities when she, herself, lacked the skill. When they were out of her sight, she glanced back to Tadashi. Her judge of character was suspect since this man had hidden his true colors underneath a coat of lies so who was she to judge.

Tadashi's intense gaze trailed after the couple as a knowing smile played upon his lips. The young man placed a hand on the girl's head affectionately as they walked past the cafe's front windows. Once he lost sight of the couple, a man in a suit watching the couple retreat caught his eye. It was suspicious that he was just hanging around outside. His attention turned back to Saena when she spoke.

"I don't need your lip service. I didn't do anything," Saena responded, getting back to the topic. The couple leaving had allowed her to clear her mind of useless thoughts.

"That's where you're mistaken. You were incredibly brave, considering the circumstances with me. You were alone yet you had her anyway. I'm truly grateful, thank you," Tadashi said, bowing to her in his seat.

"I was never alone," she clarified. He nodded in understanding. If it wasn't for her Boss, Susumu, or Yayoi, she would have taken her life back then along with the baby growing inside her. He was thanking her for nothing.

"I tried to kill myself, you know. The guilt of my mistake was eating at me at an overwhelming rate. I tried to end my life once I found out I was pregnant, but I was too far along to have an abortion. No doctor would touch me for fear of complications since I was already emotionally unstable. I even decided on the method. I failed at that too," She said softly but with no bitterness.

Tadashi already aware of this information but it still broke his heart hearing it directly from her. He smiled softly at her resting his chin on his hand. All he could do was admire her strength. Most people think suicide is the coward's way out but they couldn't be more wrong in his opinion. He thought it took a lot of courage for a person to decide to give up living and act on it. She may have failed at her attempt, but she clawed her way out of the darkness and was now living her life.

Tadashi replied unfazed by her words, "Yet you lived and you had the baby. You continued to do your best instead." She looked at him startled again by his words unsure how to take them. She had not changed at all...still as cute as ever. He knew there could never be anything between them. There was no coming back from his betrayal and its repercussions after so many years.

"I know you must hate me. I hate me. You probably even want me gone, but I can't acquiesce to your request. I'm moving back to Tokyo permanently. I want to be near Kyoko-chan and hopefully, build a relationship with her. I'm leaving for the States at the end of the week to pack up my meager life there and wrap up some business."

She tried to school her face when he mentioned the States. So that's where he was hiding.

Tadashi picked up on the little expression and continued, "I left for the States the following morning after I left you that night. To say I never looked back would be a lie. I don't mean to trouble you with this but I have to say it. The feelings I held for you back then were real. I truly loved you. So I'm happy that the love I held for you resulted in a beautiful, talented, and kind little girl. For me, she is an incredible reminder of the best time of my life." He didn't think telling her the circumstances of why he had to leave her was necessary. It would be selfish of him to do so.

She gazed into his eyes for the first time. The sincerity of his words finally sinking in. This time her eyes blurred as tears threatened to spill over. It had been a long time since she last cried and she wasn't about to start now. The fleeting thought of what could have been crossed her mind. Would she have been a happy wife to a beautiful daughter right now? She shook off those useless thoughts and decided to leave it all in the past.

The words tumbled from her mouth, "I don't hate you. I made peace with what happened years ago. You tried to warn me and like an idiot, I chose to ignore all the red flags. It was my fault for being duped. As for that girl, in all these seventeen years, I don't think I did a single motherly thing for her."

"That's not true you gave birth to her. That act alone is proof that in your way you cared. I'm sure Kyoko is grateful to you," Tadashi assured her. Kyoko had told her as much but Saena still didn't deserve that much.

"You're wrong! It was my pride to uphold the law that made me give birth to her. I was incapable of holding her, of loving her, as a true mother should. I even denied her existence on public television, so the Japanese would not associate her with me." Saena defiantly waited for him to look at her in disgust and call her a monster but his words shocked her further.

"Don't worry about that. I plan to love her for both of us. She told me you two talked properly and she now understands where you were coming from. This was all my doing so please stop tormenting yourself. If you need someone to blame, then blame me." That part of her hasn't changed. She is still so hard on herself.

Saena's phone chimed reminding her that she had fifteen minutes before her appointment. "I have a client coming. I have to leave."

"That's okay. Thank you for your time... Just curious, is he with you?" Tadashi asked, nodding his head toward the front of the building. "Should I be worried that I would be getting my butt kicked or going to prison? I'll take it willingly if that's what you want? I contacted you knowing that it was a possibility. I'm just sorry I have to let Kyoko down."

Saena looked at him to see if he was joking. He seriously thought she would bother with something like that after all this time. The way he talked and saw through her reminded her of their past conversations. He seemed to be the same man she knew just with a different name and a lot less clumsy. She turned in her seat to find Susumu pacing outside the cafe. He did resemble a detective. A smile of relief graced her lips. That idiot? How long has he been out there? He's probably sweating in his suit.

Tadashi didn't miss the look of love that crossed her face when she gazed at the man outside. His heart clenched knowing that she would never look at him like that again. "I'm happy for you, Mogami-san. I'm glad there is someone to cherish you as you deserve. I wish you a lifetime of happiness."

She continued to smile as she turned back to Tadashi. "I am quite lucky." She stood up and picked up her purse. "Well Morimoto-san this is goodbye," she said with a bow.

Tadashi grabbed her wrist before she could leave. "Wait, please take this. You can burn it if you want but I had to give it to you no matter what."

Saena took the box he offered and walked out of his life. It wouldn't be for good since they still shared the connection with Kyoko.

...

Susumu had been waiting patiently outside for Saena. He came straight to the cafe after she ended the call with him. The stubborn woman wouldn't pick up his call. When he finally arrived, he saw them through the window talking solemnly in the back. He decided to wait outside choosing to stay close in case he needed to interfere. He leaned against the building and unlocked his phone to pass the time. He clicked on his gallery of pictures and thumbed through the photos they took over the last two weeks. He smiled at the first picture he came across. She would kill him if she knew he had taken a picture of her sleeping peacefully beside him. She looked peaceful without her brows furrowed. He made the next picture his phone's wallpaper, capturing it at the right moment by calling out to her. She was looking back at him with a carefree smile; her hair blowing softly in the wind. She looked so beautiful with her hair down from its usual tight bun and wearing a light blue yukata instead of a prim suit.

The chime of the cafe door caught his attention making him look up to see who was coming out. He was surprised to see a hard rock looking couple decked out in leather and chains exiting the establishment. He made brief eye contact with the girl that appeared startled by him. Did she think he was a perverted uncle or something? Even if he was, he had some sense of self-preservation, her companion was scary as hell. He might even kill him for just looking.

He went back to perusing his phone until he heard the guy speak in English as they passed, "It's going to be okay. They're at least talking. This way everyone could move forward and the past would just be the past."

His detective instincts kicked in as he looked at the retreating couple under the guise of browsing through his phone. Their conversation was way too coincidental. Could that have been Kyoko? It would explain her expression when she made eye contact with him. If it was her, then the man by her side judging from his height and build could only be her boyfriend, the actor. What was up with those outfits? Was that guy a bad influence on her and fooling all of Japan? They could also be on break from a job. Could they have been spying on her parents? He wanted to run after them and ask but what if he was wrong. He didn't want to get beaten up so early in the day. If they ever had a chance to meet again, he would ask Kyoko about it. He started pacing up and down the sidewalk to calm his nerves thinking about what the couple said.

After some time had passed, he peeked into the window again but didn't see her sitting anymore. He heard heels clicking on the pavement behind him. He turned and saw Saena walking briskly in the direction of the office. He recovered quickly to fall in step with her. Susumu didn't say a word as he walked beside her. He would have to come back for his car later.

"Are you going to ask?" She addressed him, breaking the silence and continuing her brisk pace.

"Do I need to ask?" He wasn't sure which question she was referring to. It could be any of the following floating through his mind: Do you find him handsome? Do you forgive him? Are you still in love with him? Will you leave me? Do you love me?

She stopped and turned to him. She looked up and down the street checking for other pedestrians. When she confirmed it was all clear she grabbed him by his tie and kissed him breathlessly then proceeded to walk. It took him several moments to get his bearings.

"What was that for?" He asked when he finally caught up with her again.

"A thank you gift," she told him not slowing down or looking at him.

"A gift?" Susumu asked still confused.

"For then and for now. You have always been there haven't you? I'm sorry it took me so long to realize."

Susumu chuckled. "If you're finally aware, let's put your name on my family register."

Saena almost tripped as her heart stuttered. Susumu reached out and steadied her by the elbow. She looked into his eyes to see if he was teasing her as always and found no laughter in them. He was serious.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a jeweler's box. Dropping to one knee, he opened the box revealing a large emerald cut solitaire diamond ring.

"Saena, I've been waiting for you forever and I'll wait for you longer still if I must. I love you! Would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

She kept walking her face scarlet from embarrassment. Stupid Susumu! Is he trying to give me a heart attack! She looked back and saw him still on bended knee looking dejected.

She walked back to him frowning. This guy just seemed to do whatever he wanted at the spur of the moment. "Why me? I'm old and I can't give you any children."

He stood up and looked at her seriously. "It has always only been you." He held up his hand to keep her from speaking. "You were broken. You needed time to heal. I didn't want to force my feelings on you so I waited patiently for you to face your past. I don't need children. I just need you. Say yes to me Saena. Say yes to us. I promise I will never leave you and I will make you happy!"

She turned her face away from his, embarrassed by the love she saw in his eyes. She clenched her jaw as tears swam in her eyes. She loved him as well, she just wasn't good at expressing her feelings. A weight had been lifted from her shoulders ever since her talk with Kyoko. She started to let herself feel again. She had erected barriers around her heart to protect it from ever feeling that kind of pain again. Susumu had started chipping away at her walls and before she knew it she was wondering if he would like this color lipgloss on her. She was still scared of letting someone else in again. This year's love had better last. Heaven knows it's high time. I've been waiting on my own too long. She glanced at the man that just bared his heart to her, if it was him, she was willing to take the leap.

She plucked the ring from the box and placed it on her finger then continued walking. Susumu scrambled after her and caught her in a bone-crushing embrace while Saena managed to hold on to the shoebox.

...

Tadashi smiled at the couple down the street as he climbed into his car. Even though his heart was still a bit raw, he was glad to see her happy and moving forward in her life. Now that he felt like his ghosts of the past were no longer haunting him, he could move forward too. He sent a quick text to Mya. He had no doubt she was worrying like a mother hen.

AN: It's done! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I don't know where that fluffy moment between Susumu and Saena came from. I couldn't stop myself from throwing it in there. I'm not a fan of Saena but holy did her past slay my heart. It still doesn't excuse her for being a horrible mother. Sensei has shown us how Kyoko changes the lives of everyone she comes into contact with i.e. Ren, Maria, Chiori to name a few, so I'm expecting big changes if we ever see Saena again in the manga. I have mixed feelings about Kimiko being changed for the better by her. I want to see that girl get carted off to the looney bin.

The thought that Saena had was quoted from David Grey's song, "This Year's Love," hence why I italicized it. I hope it worked. It was my inspiration for her and Susumu in this chapter.

Thank you to everyone that left me a review on the last chapter. You guys are awesome! I love it when you guys can predict my thought process and help me with future ideas.

I'd like to give a special shout out to 'A Musing Brunette.' She captured all the songs on this fic and placed it on her youtube channel. You can search her name since links don't work here. She has other good Skip Beat playlists too.

I'll be picking back up on the Heels in the next chapter.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^