Chapter 5

and the first mask fell…

I do not own skip beat! The sadistic and mastermind Nakamura Yoshiki own it.

Tsuruga-san seemed to think it was an invitation because he plopped his head down on her chest half asleep and Kyoko unconsciously run her hands in his fluffy hair, still frozen.

She will have to bring back to her mind his current state of drunkenness and also concern herself with the means that she would bring him back to his flat but right now she was too utterly dumbfounded.

No, mystified and dazed would be more appropriate.

It couldn't be…

Just…

No freaking way…

His true appearance is blond with green eyes…

She tore herself away from him and once more,

Once more looked intently into his eyes.

-A coincidence?

Tsuruga-san looked at her curiously then put his forehead on her shoulder mumbling unintelligible things.

She shook her head.

There was no such a thing. No matter how she looked at it. It was wholly and downright too big to be just that.

To accept that the man she l-… could assume the copied look of her fairy. Of corn. Without knowing. No, not copy, be exactly the same.

Her eyes rotated erratically and her head start to spin.

The most inconceivable thing was that she could know both of them and that they just happened to be at the same place at the same moment and would both meet her.

The infinitesimal possibility of such a thing occurring was-

But to go on the other side.

On the crazy and shifted-world reality that could maybe make sense was even more insane.

But-

But, there was one thing, one thing that prevailed all her questionings. She wanted to know.

She wanted to know him. She wanted to know, truly know who he was, not as a name, not as a public figure but as a person. She wanted to understand this mystery of a man.

And that's why right at this instant, she wouldn't, couldn't turn her gaze away. She had to pursue and follow her train of thought and let it lead her wherever it would go.

So she did.

Let's assume…

just for a second…

That the man right here…no…

That the fairy she met years ago was…

just a boy…

A human little boy…

And became a man…

Memories flew into her and submerged her conscience in a nostalgic warm drizzle. Entering the clearing, her eyes blurry with tears she had watched with wonders the magically beautiful boy sitting on a rock near the river…Are you a fairy? She had blurted out with glowing shiny eyes full of happiness and confidence…

She had assumed. She was already half convinced just by seeing him. Who could think anything else…She didn't really let him a choice.

She remembered how he had smiled at her and said a timid yes, how he had spent the time they were together mostly comforting her.

When she thought about it, he didn't show her real magic. Oh yes, his presence was magical, he was utterly enchanting and gentle, he show her the true magic of real friendship and kindness and did all sort of acrobatics for her but he didn't do like real magic.

In this sort of idea, if he was only human…

He merely made her believe. His greatest gesture was to have made her believe in him, in his magic. He acted.

He acted and made me believe in what I saw, in him…that's what persuaded me he was magic, that he was a fairy…

-But why pretend? I would still have enjoyed his company…even if he wasn't a fairy.

The reason resonated violently in her mind.

Out of genuine gentleness.

For me.

-For my stupid enraptured-in-fairies self.

-I really hope I'm wrong…

Or I would never decolour, ever again…

Other things came back.

I did it again.

At Guam. She did it. She assumed. She just saw him gloriously bathing in the blue-blue sea. She identified it was Corn and didn't think further before shouting his name.

If he wasn't a fairy but just an human…One that knew pretty well she still had faith in fairies and him. Then as she talked to Tsuruga-san about Corn and when she suddenly appeared and shouted his name, what choice would he have.

-Telling me the truth.

No.

it wasn't possible. Even I can realize that now.

He knew she still believed Corn was a fairy. And whether Corn or Tsuruga Ren, both were thoroughfully kind. She knew that. This idiot, yes at this point if this was ever the truth she was currently unveiling she was going to re-baptised him idiot.

This idiot could surely have thought that it would disappoint me…

And this wasn't the more important. He would have had to explain her lot of things about himself as she remembered Tsuruga Ren was a stage name. They weren't that close. They still aren't. It meant trusting her with his biggest secrets and reasons to be someone else.

She bitted her lips, if her crazy theory was right, telling her the truth was out of question.

Then, what?

He could have ignored her. It would have preserved his secrets and identities and would have prevented her to confirm or infirm anything. Kyoko would have definitively doubt herself if he hadn't come back and thought she maybe mistook him or that he didn't to associate with her anymore.

But wait…

He did…

He tried to ignore me…

And I got depressed…

So He came back…

Kyoko was going to strangle him.

She looked at the suspicious naïve sleeping man with ferocity.

Calm down Kyoko…

-It isn't enough…

Your crazy theories can't stand on their own with just speculations and coincidences…

-Okay.

-Let's see.

Assuming he's human. Assuming there is only one of them… Assuming the big idiot had good reasons-

Which was the only thing she was pretty sure about.

Whether they were one or two, none of them were cruel. She knew he could never love her but this, this was something else.

Straightforward, unable to take care of himself, stubborn as hell, ridiculous, cute, teasing, all that he was. But he was never cruel. Or this was not the men, or man, she learned to know.

But still, then-

Who is he, really?

If Tsuruga Ren is Corn and Corn is human…

Though in her mind, Kyoko would always consider that Tsuruga-san has some magic ascendance.

So… mostly human…

If Corn is human…He must have an existence…

An identity under this other appearance…

It was the only way her theory could stand. The only possibility.

Which was crazy, yeah. She had still a hard time believing where her mind was taking her.

But she had accepted to indulge. To not turn away.

To be able to see him…whoever its him was…

She had to confront it face forward.

But who?

Who could he possibly have been before?

He has to come from somewhere. There must have been a place for such a god-like creature to come from even if her mind would always take her back to fairy land.

He was so fairy-like. Who could have engendered him to begin with?

Not any human could create such a piece of art and bring it about in the world. She pondered.

Progenitors…

-Parents.

His parents could only be as amazing as him. At least in their appearance. She knew you could be misfortunate with your parents but she had serious doubts the genes could completely lie.

Right.

I have no idea what his parents look like, he never talked about it… but he must have ones.

Like everyone.

But maybe he didn't have any.

Was he an orphan?

No. When I talked about my interpretation of Kuu's son, he understood perfectly what being proud of his father, looking up to him or care for him meant.

He must have had a father and be pretty fond of him. Even just a tiny bit.

She looked up in thoughts. A father…

Humn…

I wonder…

What his father would look like?

If Tsuruga-san is naturally blond then there is a good chance his father would too. Or at least one of his parents.

He should probably be tall too.

And there is a good chance one of them has also green eyes…And are fairly good-looking…maybe…

She furrowed her brows. It was really difficult.

She didn't see and couldn't imagine anyone living up to Ren or Corn stature.

And from where would he be coming from? From what she had registered, he had clearly some foreigners manners.

And his mum?

Kyoko didn't even have the slightest idea of who could look like his mother. Beautiful of course but she didn't have much references in foreigner women.

The only reference she really had in parents was her sensei.

She bugged. She integrally suspended her breath and braked halt on her train of thoughts.

Kuu Hizuri.

Father…

Kyoko quickly brushed off the fact Hizuri-san told her his son was dead as she realized the way she he formulated it and her own stupidity.

"He's gone" doesn't necessarily mean dead.

She was fustigating herself for her own foolishness and carefully lying Tsuruga-san down and while trying to sort out her thoughts.

There was one way to confirm it. To know if she was completely insane and bonkers.

Kyoko quickly did the math. Comparing the bones, the muscles, the length between the members and the unlikely harmony and perfect proportions between the two.

Her hands started to shake and she dazedly sat on her heels. Flabbergasted out of her mind.

She took her time glazing in the universe void before resetting her soul.

It fit.

This maddening theory fit. To the point where she was questioning how she could not have seen it before.

Even if Tsuruga-san is taller than Hizuri-san, it's the same proportions, the same harmony…

No way in hell two bodies could resemble each other that much

Corn and Tsuruga-san were perfect copies but this Kyoko realized was far more subtle…

Far more dawning. There were just enough differences for them to be father and son.

How blind could I have been…?

It's so evident.

She was convinced. So far that nothing could make more sense to her than this right now.

But in hope of not feeling she was turning totally nuts in her own mind and convincing herself of crazy guess-work, she did a very brief research in the image section. All she needed was a picture. She didn't want to intrude on his privacy by reading things she should not.

One was enough.

She was completely sane unfortunately…

… but the world had just shifted in its axes to her.

Tsuruga Ren was Corn and Corn was Kuon Hizuri.

Fucking lenses!

She just noticed those lenses and his roots and to say it was all it needed for her to discover his identity.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

It was maddening. Crazy.

I'm a fucking and naïve idiot…

She started laughing. Irrepressibly laughing.

Yup. It's decided. When I will get out of my embarrassed hole at the end of another universe, I will strangle him…

It's so unfair…!

This damnable man!

Damn you! Damn damn you!

Flooding her, warmness swelled and drowned her heart in overwhelming tender feelings. Blown away by the revelation of his triple damn identities and by how even more stupidly precious it made him to her. Soaking her heart in incommensurable glow.

My fairy prince…

My idiotic of a fairy prince…

Damn fairy prince.

She watched him soundly sleeping in an amazed soft gaze independent to her incoherent savage thoughts.

Her dearest childhood friend, the one that brought magic in her world was also the man she loved. How could one wonderful thing could be as cruel as it was but still being such a bless.

AS if I didn't already love him enough…

-So not fair…it's not fair Corn.

Kyoko wanted to kiss him.

And hit him too.

I'm turning mad.

He definitively turned me nuts.

She wanted to strangle him.

First for drinking that much.

Then for being himself.

A self Kyoko adored far too much.