Chapter 165: Laundry Day

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Reino would regret messing with Kyoko.

"Are you watching it again?" Mya laughed and took the seat in front of Tadashi's desk.

Tadashi sighed and turned from his screen to Mya. "She really loves that boy doesn't she?"

"And from the sound of it, he really loves her too," Mya added. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Tadashi smiled. He was thrilled that his daughter had found someone to love, cherish, and protect her. It wasn't like she was casting him aside, so he had no room to be jealous of Kuon's relationship with her. It was as Mya said, he had nothing to worry about. His impromptu trip to L.A. had proved more fruitful than he expected. Kuon came clean about his background, and he managed to meet the boy's parents. Although celebrities, the Hizuris seemed like genuinely honest and caring people. It surprised him that Kuu risked his reputation to help him take care of the vocalist that had been stalking his daughter. He appreciated his selflessness and could tell that Kyoko was loved and accepted by them as their own.

"Tadashi, Tadashi," Mya repeated, waving her hand in front of his face to get his attention.

"Hmmm," he hummed, pulling out of his thoughts.

"What is this?" Mya asked, holding the top sheet off a stack of papers he had on his desk. "Are you interested in buying this?" She put down the sheet and picked up another; her eyes shifting as she read quickly.

"Do you think it's too much?"

"And you don't think buying a record label is a bit much? Has she expressed her desire to pursue a music career?"

Tadashi shamefully peeked at Mya. It wasn't for Kyoko in that sense. He didn't think she would appreciate him buying a whole label just to produce her music. His daughter had reaffirmed her love for acting and her preference to focus on that aspect of her career.

Mya arched a perfectly defined eyebrow when Tadashi didn't speak up immediately. She knew him so well.

"What did this label do to her?" Mya asked with a voice full of concern. He never moved in on a business unless it was profitable for the company or these days slighted him in some way. Tadashi could be ruthless when it came to his daughter.

"It's not the label per se, but one of their artists," Tadashi sighed, leaning back in his leather seat. That Beagle messed with the wrong girl.

Without further explanation, Mya's voice turned cold, "bury him."

Tadashi chuckled. "And they say I'm a cruel businessman."

Mya scoffed at him but eventually smirked. "So what's your plan," she asked gingerly.

Tadashi had a semblance of a plan, but first, he needed to look into a few things before he made any final decisions. The biggest unknown was the Beagle's psychic ability. He was unsure how much personal information that man was able to gain through his power. Any other day, Tadashi would have dismissed such notions as nonsense, but since the man had spooked Kyoko and Kuon, it was something he needed to take seriously. The only thing that made it a possible low risk was the fact that the singer kept such a low profile and his digital footprint was small. During interviews, he usually remained silent, preferring to let the others talk in his stead. Out of all the band members of Vie Ghoul, he was the only one that didn't manage a social media page. As a precaution, Tadashi had Spectre monitoring the whole band. From the band's chatter, it was discovered that New York was their current home base and they were due to return soon. Meanwhile, Sota had put a tail on the Beagle while he was in California with specific instructions to intervene if the vocalist dared to so much as glance in his daughter's direction again.

"It's not solid yet," he answered Mya. "You'll be the first I call once I have everything lying flat."

"Alright, I'll leave you to it, but bear in mind that your daughter might have something to say about this plan of yours," Mya warned, making Tadashi flinch. His friend nodded and left him to his own devices.

He thought it would be best to keep Kyoko in the dark on this one. After Mya's warning, was it wrong of him to think that the less she knew the better?

Tadashi's angel popped out of nowhere and exclaimed, "You're wrong! She forgave you easily last time, what makes you think you'll get so lucky the next time?"

The angel's evil counterpart propped itself upon his left shoulder, "He's trying to protect her. If things go south she could deny everything."

The angel was aghast by the devil's words. "What do you mean if things go south? What exactly are you planning?"

"A takeover!" The devil snickered.

"But legally, right?" the angel asked, flustered by the idea. The devil zipped his lips shut and threw away the key, frustrating the angel.

The angel sigh exasperatedly. "You can't keep putting yourself in jeopardy like this. You'll ruin your relationship with her and only make her sad. You don't want to be that kind of father."

"At least he can guarantee her safety," the devil argued.

"There are no guarantees in life," the angel retorted.

Tadashi hung his head in shame. Was he taking things too far? Mya had been with him a long time so she knew how he operated. They were always on the same page. Once he moved to Tokyo, she would no longer be the confidant he could rely on. When he wasn't working part-time, all his energy would be spent building a lasting relationship with his daughter. He decided it was best to tell her his idea when she wasn't so busy.

He grabbed his personal cell phone, which now could be distinguished by the "family" charm she gave him as a parting gift the night he left Japan. He smiled fondly at the pictures. Taking time zones into account, it was way too early to message or call her. He didn't want to disrupt her sleep after working all night.

He tapped on his inbox and clicked on the long message he found from her when he woke up this morning to read it again.

I'm sorry for not messaging sooner and hope I'm not disrupting your sleep. My day has been very busy, but I'm having a lot of fun working. I wish I could have accompanied you to that Italian restaurant, maybe someday.

"Someday," he whispered to himself. He would love to show her around New York City and take her to his favorite spots. She seemed open to the idea and who knew, her work might take her here one day.

I'm happy you took a little break and enjoyed yourself. Everything on your plate looked positively scrumptious *drooling emoji.* When you're back in Japan we have to visit Jean-Luc's bakery. There's so much stuff to try.

Although he would have liked to bring her to the restaurant in person, Tadashi was one step ahead of her. As it turned out, the place offered a service that shipped select perishable items by mail. Tadashi had inquired about it last night, but unfortunately, they only shipped within the continental United States. With that information, he decided to try his hand at getting it to her and the Hizuris in California. He ordered a little bit of everything from New York strawberry cheesecake to Belgian chocolate canolies that was available on the menu. He hoped it would be enough for the Hizuris. The manager informed him that ordering any more would delay the order from shipping. The desserts were made from scratch, carefully packaged, and shipped frozen packed in dry ice. Tadashi paid a premium to expedite his order to go out by express mail today. He would receive a shipping confirmation once it was en route.

If Kyoko happened to miss the order sent to California, Tadashi had an alternate plan. On a separate order, he purchased two cheesy shirts with an illustration of a cannoli with a halo over it and Holy Cannoli written in bold print from the restaurant's store for her and Kuon, as well as their dessert recipe book. It wasn't much, but with her skills, he was sure she could replicate the confections at home. Those gifts were heading directly to their apartment in Tokyo.

Ren and I will begin filming our first American music video soon. I'm equal parts nervous and excited for this opportunity. To help take my mind off my nerves, I'm focusing on other things. I've realized I want to learn to drive. My new role in Japan has some driving scenes in it, but I won't actually have to drive. I think it would be more convincing if I knew what I was doing. I have already asked Linh about signing me up for lessons. I figure it would be an asset on my resume, but most of all I could share the burden of driving. Ren does so much for me as it is, I would like to be able to help him when he's exhausted after a long day.

My beauty team has arrived. I'll send you another message in the morning and tell you how it went. Wish me luck! xoxo

It was still too early he reminded himself and put down his phone. He went back to his computer and once again clicked on the video file that Spectre had sent him this morning. The young hacker deserved another bonus for this one. Kyoko must have been preoccupied with work since she didn't mention the impromptu concert in her message. He couldn't wait to call her and gush about her performance. If only I could have been there.

Once the music was going, he clicked on the window he had been perusing before Mya's visit, Top Ten Rated SUVs by Japanese Consumers. After all, she did have a birthday coming up.

He grimaced as a sharp pain stabbed him behind the eyes. Hands shot up massaging his temples and frontal lobe to alleviate the throbbing on his head. He stretched out his half-naked body before opening his eyes to the early morning sun beaming through the open curtains.

While stretching, Cedric's hand bumped something unexpected. His eyes widened at the loud groan that came from under his covers. Who the fuck? He snatched away the pillow covering the head of whoever was in his bed and leaped off revealing a mop of dark wavy hair.

"Asshole," the person groaned, pulling the covers over his head.

"What the fuck, Flynn?" Cedric shouted. He looked down at himself wearing only his silk boxers. I didn't sle...

"Relax handsome, your cherry is still in tack," Flynn teased from under the covers.

How did he know what I was thinking? Cedric was far from a homophobe. He was just worried that he might have ruined whatever minute friendship they had budding.

"Ha, Ha. What the fuck are you doing in my bed?" Cedric demanded.

"You said I could stay the night," Flynn explained, throwing the covers from over his head to look at a flustered Cedric.

"Yeah, on the sleeper sofa in my office," Cedric clarified.

"It was uncomfortable. The springs kept digging into my back," he whined.

"Then you should have gone home last night."

"Right, and leave you alone with the way you were acting."

"I just had an upset stomach," Cedric replied with a shrug.

Flynn snorted, "yeah sure."

"Okay, if you're so smart," he smirked and crossed his arms. "How was I acting last night?"

"Suicidal," Flynn replied seriously.

Cedric could only gape at him in disbelief. He was not expecting such a cutthroat response. What had he done in the last twelve hours to make him come to that conclusion?

He told Flynn last night he needed a rain check on dinner since he wasn't feeling well. Flynn wouldn't leave him alone so they returned to his apartment where Cedric offered to order Chinese takeout from a place he frequented for him. After his cheap dinner, the model still refused to leave, so he ended up sticking around to watch reruns of Dark Moon with Cedric until it got late.

"I'm not suicidal," Cedric responded wearily and plopped down on the edge of the bed. It sounded like a lie even to him. He could understand why Flynn would think like that. In a way, he was risking to throw away his current life to make things right.

"Could have fooled me. Is it that bitch Viola again?"

Cedric laughed and shook his head. "Thanks for staying, Flynn. I appreciate it."

"You promise, you aren't going to die," Flynn's voice softened.

"I promise," Cedric smiled.

"Good, because now you owe me two gourmet dinners."

Cedric laughed again. "How about you get cleaned up and I'll treat you to breakfast at the finest gourmet diner in town?"

"That's an oxymoron. There's nothing gourmet about a diner."

"Don't knock it until you've tried it."

"Fine, but you still owe me two dinners," Flynn reminded him while pulling back the covers to get out of bed.

"Christ man! Why the fuck are you naked?" Cedric exclaimed, closing his eyes to Flynn's bare flesh.

Flynn chortled on his way to the master bathroom without answering.

Kyoko's eyes fluttered open momentarily then snapped shut against the brightness of the lights twinkling in her canopy. She snuggled into the warmth of her boyfriend completely content with not getting up even if her bladder threatened to explode. The dull sound of a rooster's crow garnered her attention. Do roosters normally crow at night?

She bolted upright in bed startling Kuon awake. Her eyes landed on the brightly lit scenery outside of the glass wall. Roo, the rooster, was perched on the railing ruffling his feathers with his sharp beak.

"What is it, baby?" Kuon yawned beside her.

Kyoko snatched her phone up to check the time, "Oh, no," she moaned. "It's this late already! I was supposed to go with Mom to work this morning. I overslept. I don't remember shutting off my alarm."

Kuon sat up, catching the pages of the script he had sitting on his chest. She just noticed the packet on him. How long had he been up studying the script?

Kyoko flew to the bathroom to get washed up. Only a little over an hour had passed since she was supposed to leave with Julie, she could still make it.

She studied Kuon's reflection when he came up beside her and grabbed his toothbrush.

"What are you doing?" She asked after spitting out the toothpaste mixture that had gathered in her mouth while she brushed.

Those gorgeous green eyes gazed at her in confusion. "Getting cleaned up so I can drop you off."

"I was going to take a cab."

"Not a chance, Princess." He replied in a tone that left no room for argument.

Kyoko sighed. He still looks tired. If only she had her license, she could have driven herself and not have been such a nuisance to him.

After patting her face dry with a hand towel, she paused momentarily to watch him.

"It's okay," he said, trying to reassure her. "I got more than enough sleep."

"Liar, you were up studying," she said accusingly.

"I read through it once and fell asleep. I'll be fine," he told her through a mouthful of toothpaste. He flashed her a foamy smile when she narrowed her eyes at him. It was all the more reason for him to stay and prepare.

Kyoko huffed out of the bathroom and into her closet to change. He could be so stubborn sometimes.

"Make sure you dress warm and put on boots," Kuon called after her.

Kyoko wondered about his clothing suggestion. It was very Nii-san of him to tell her what to wear. She looked through the meager amount of clean clothes she had left. Hanging in the closet were a couple of cute sweater dresses, a cashmere sweater in gray, a silky black camisole, a maxi dress, and several jackets. I need to do laundry. She rushed to the tall slim chest where she stored their undergarments and was relieved to find that they still had several pairs of underwear in there. What she couldn't find were jeans. She resorted to digging in the dirty pile of clothes in the hamper for a pair. A glance at Kuon's side of the closet told her that he wasn't faring any better.

"I can throw those in the dryer for you to freshen them up," Kuon offered coming out of the bathroom while drying his face with a towel. "I don't know why I didn't think to throw in a load of our clothes when I washed sheets."

"You know how to do laundry," she asked incredulously and earned a soggy towel to the face. Kyoko laughed pulling it off her head.

"I wasn't mocking you," she explained through her laughter. "I just thought you were a spoiled prince that had their laundry sent out."

"That hurts, baby. It's complimentary," he pouted, referring to the laundry service offered in their building to residents. He walked over to the pile of clothes and began expertly separating by lights and darks since they barely had any whites.

Kyoko rushed to the room to retrieve her phone, she ignored the notifications of the pending messages for now and tapped on the camera.

"What are you doing?" he chuckled as she walked in holding her phone.

"Adding to my treasure," she smiled. Only her boyfriend could look sexy as hell doing laundry. The fact that he was bare-chested with tousled hair and his pajama bottoms hanging low on his hips added to the appeal. She was recording him in action.

Thinking she was snapping pictures, he paused in his sorting and posed while holding up one of her dirty thongs near his face.

"What are you doing you pervert?" she screeched when she realized what was in his hands. She made a lunge for her dirty drawers, but he was too fast for her and laughed while evading her.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready," he teased, dodging her once more. Kyoko stopped immediately. He was right; Julie was waiting for her.

"Are these the jeans you want to wear today?" He asked still chuckling as he tossed the underwear down in exchange for the jeans she pulled out earlier.

"Yes, please," she replied gratefully.

"You got it. Finish getting ready and I'll get this done, then come up for breakfast."

"Wait," she said, snapping another photo as he hefted the basket in his muscular arms. "Thanks, baby," she tiptoed and pecked him on the cheek then went to her vanity to begin applying her makeup. She couldn't very well show her plain face before the Fairy Queen and her colleagues.

…

Kuon headed upstairs with the basket not bothering to search for a clean shirt. He found his dad in the kitchen standing over the stove, humming along to the music.

"Morning, Dad," Kuon announced over the music. Kuu spun around and smiled warmly at him.

"Hey, kiddo. Where's Kyoko? You guys had an interesting night. The entertainment channel can't stop raving about it," Kuu exclaimed. "I wish I could have been there to watch."

Kuon smiled at his father's excitement. Kyoko deserved all the praise even if she wasn't expecting it. "Kyoko's getting ready. She's upset she missed mom, so I told her I'd drop her off."

Kuu nodded. "Mom wanted to let her sleep. Tell me how the MV went."

"Let me get this started and I'll be right back."

"Sounds good. Do you remember where everything is?" Kuon heard his dad call after him.

"Yeah, I got it," he yelled back as he entered the laundry room. He threw a pair of his jeans in with Kyoko's and started the dryer first. The timer on the refresh setting indicated that it would take fifteen minutes to finish. Perfect. He threw the dark clothes into the washer first since it was the larger load. Their clothes weren't filthy so he opted for the quick wash setting once he had all the detergents measured. He left the machines to do their thing and went to join his dad in the kitchen.

"Hey, I got you one of my shirts to wear," Kuu pointed to the garment on the island next to a steaming mug of coffee. "Laundry day, right?"

"Thanks," Kuon said, pulling the t-shirt on and taking a seat. It was a little snug on him, but there was enough stretch in the material to make it comfortable. He picked up the cup of coffee and took a sip, enjoying the way the heat and caffeine seeped through him.

"Are you hungry? Breakfast will be done in a few minutes. Do you think Kyoko is almost ready?" Kuu asked, lifting the large wok and maneuvering it to flip the rice in the air.

Kuon didn't think she would be much longer. She was naturally beautiful and didn't need much makeup to begin with. "She'll be up soon."

"Okay," Kuu shut the stove off and put the food in the warming tray while they waited for Kyoko.

"So," his dad began taking the stool across from him. Kuon's brows lifted over the lip of his mug at the seriousness in his father's tone. "How are you feeling?"

"Huh? Um, fine," he answered confused. "Why?"

Kuu contemplated his answer. "I'm glad. Your mother and I were worried when we saw the news. We didn't expect you to go back in there so soon."

Kuon sighed. His father was talking about the bar. So many good things happened last night that he forgot the sadness in his heart.

"I wasn't expecting to go back in there so soon either. We wanted to support Tina. The next thing I knew, Kyoko's light was piercing through every nook and cranny, making it less...sad." He couldn't think of a better word at the moment to describe his feelings last night. Kuon's smile started small and then broadened as he remembered Kyoko singing for him on that stage where Rick used to perform. It wasn't that she was replacing his best friend, she was reminding him of all the good times they had together.

"It's going to be okay, Dad," Kuon reassured him.

…

"Yeah," Kuu agreed, returning his son's smile. He wasn't sure what version of Kuon to expect this morning after stepping back into his past. Kuu recalled that fateful night when he got the call, Mr. Hizuri, your son was in a fatal accident. Despair tore through his heart as he thought the worst had finally happened to his son. The officer on the line refused to give him any details over the phone. In a panic, Kuu fled the set of his latest film and broke every California traffic law to reach his son. The relief he felt at discovering Kuon alive was short-lived when he gazed into those soulless eyes. He couldn't keep from thinking that he had lost his son that night, and in a sense he did.

But here, at this moment, Kuon was revived, sitting before him happy and healthy again. Those soulless eyes Kuu recalled seemed nothing but a figment of his imagination as sparkling emeralds now held his gaze. The effortless way his son had greeted him when he first walked into the kitchen made Kuu's heart skip a beat. When he first turned, Kuu's eyes played a trick on him. He saw his little boy, bright-eyed and chubby-faced, standing there. It took him a moment to register that Kuon had grown up into a fine young man. It was all thanks to his hard work and…

"Morning, Dad," the other Kuon greeted as she entered the kitchen. "Sorry for making you wait for me."

This Angel. Kuu stood and swooped her into a bear hug. "Your musical performance last night was incredible! I'm so proud of you." He released her before he accidentally squeezed all the air out of her lungs. "Both of you," he added.

As they ate, his kids told him about the music video project they filmed last night. From the sound of it, they enjoyed working with the American director and vice versa. It got Kuu excited for future projects they might consider in the U.S. from here on out. Kuon stunned him by announcing that they would stay another day so he could audition for a role in an American film. The only thing that could have made this moment more perfect would have been Julie's presence. Finally, their baby boy was taking steps to reclaim them as parents.

AN: Thanks for sticking with me everyone! I don't know what I did here but I hope you all enjoyed it. I had a hectic week and was so happy I could finally sit down and focus on this baby of mine. Every week, I tell myself I'm going to get back on schedule so far that hasn't happened so I thank you all for your patience.

Thank you for always reading and for the lovely reviews. I enjoy reading what you guys have to say. A guest reviewer asked how I write this stuff, they made me remember that when I first started this story my husband tried to read over my shoulder the one time I was using the PC (I usually use my phone until he upgraded me to an iPad). I told him that he wasn't allowed and his response was, "I'm going to find real-life scenarios in there aren't I." I lamely replied, "Noooooo." XD I was so caught. He also kindly poses for me when I have a specific posture I want to portray in my fanart but can't get without a visual *cough.* He's such an enabler.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^