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Lory sat smugly in his most dramatic office chair, waiting for Ren and Kyoko to arrive. Ren had texted him early that morning, asking for a meeting. Obviously, his children had finally realized that it was time to tell him that they were courting. So when they entered, he greeted them with his usual dramatics - wailing tearlessly about them not telling him.

"Not the time, boss." Ren plopped down into the seat across from him. "This isn't about that, anyway."

"But what could be more important than your grand love story?"

"Kyoko has a stalker."

Lory dropped his dramatics instantly, straightening up and looking at Kyoko, who was hovering awkwardly a few steps behind Ren. "Mogami-kun, is this true?"

"I don't know that I'd say he's a stalker," she hedged. Her discomfort was obvious in her scent.

"He showed up at your place at two in the morning to scream at you."

"Come sit, Mogami-kun," Lory said. "Do you know this person's identity?"

She sighed and did as she was bid. "Yes, president. It's Shotaro."

"Known better as Fuwa Sho," Ren added, voice dripping with contempt.

That pinged something in Lory's memory. "When you joined here, you said you wanted revenge on him - to catch up with him."

She shrank in her seat, embarrassed. "...Yeah."

"I take it there's… more to this story. Why don't we start from the beginning?"

Her shoulders slumped. "Well, my mother left me in his parents' care permanently when I was six. We grew up together. I was hopelessly infatuated with him, and thought he was my prince. He was my only human friend, so I really didn't have any other options."

Ren understood why she specified human friend. After all, fairies weren't human.

"As we grew up, he started pulling away from me. I pretended not to see it. He was all I had. I did my best in school and at the ryokan so I wouldn't be a burden to his parents… especially after I presented as an alpha, instead of the omega they'd wanted me to be." She dropped her head, her hair coming to share her eyes. "When we graduated middle school, Sho asked me to come to Tokyo with him so he could pursue his dreams. He said he couldn't do it alone."

Lory was uncharacteristically silent.

"So of course I said yes. And it was… fine, at first. I worked as many part-time jobs as I could get, and he went from agency to agency pitching his songs. He started coming back to the apartment less and less, and was colder and colder to me. Eventually he would only stay if I got him pudding." She gave a small, humorless laugh here.

Kuon reached out and put a hand on her leg, offering comfort. She put her hand over his, squeezing.

"Then one day we had an argument - funnily enough, he was pissed that Ren was number one in a poll where he was number seven, that was the catalyst. I tried to take him fast food the next day when I got off work to make up for it. I came in on him talking to his manager. He was straddling her lap, talking about how he's never go for some boring, plain alpha like me. That he only wanted the best omegas… and how he'd only brought me here as a maid." Again, she let out that horrible, humorless laugh. "So the only friend I'd had… didn't even think of me as a friend. Just someone to be used."

Kuon was fuming. He'd known Sho was an asshole - a bastard of the highest degree. But this? No wonder Kyoko had been so dead-set on revenge when she'd fought to join LME.

She swallowed. "And then when I yelled at him, he just laughed and had me thrown out of the building. Like he did after he hit me after the Japonet Scope filming." She shook her head. "Sorry, that's a little ahead -"

"No, let's talk about it now." Lory was more serious than she'd ever seen him. Even his scent had shifted. "He hit you?"

"I mean, I was kind of aggravating him, because I was telling him off for letting the Beagles steal his music -"

"That does not give him the right to hurt you." Scorched tea filled the room.

She flinched. "It - he did apologize. Later."

"Tell him the rest," Kuon prompted.

"Well, there was the Vai- Valentine's Day fiasco." She let out a sigh that would've had Maria scolding her, taking her hand off of Kuon's to bury her face in her hands. "He thought I was dating the Beagle, when really that denizen of hell was blackmailing me into making him chocolate -"

"Who?"

"Reino. Lead singer of a visual kei band." Even thinking of that monster had cornflower fury stirring.

"-which he should've known I wouldn't do after what that bastard tried to do in Karuizawa. How bad it all looked, and how I chose not to say anything so it wouldn't tarnish Dark Moon -"

"We are circling back to this man as well."

"Yes, president. Um, anyway, because he thought I was dating that vile beast, he shoved chocolate in my mouth and then fished it out with his tongue. Like an anteater."

"He forced a kiss on her," Kuon translated.

He took a deep breath. "And you're only telling me this now?"

"I - didn't think it was important." She scuffed the toe of her shoe on the floor. "It was just Sho being a jerk."

"Mogami-kun, that's sexual assault."

"He also kidnapped her recently," Kuon added.

"And why was I not informed of this?"

"...because I didn't think it was that serious," she mumbled.

"He handcuffed your ankle and forced you into a car."

"He just wanted to call me a slut for letting you dress me up. He wasn't taking me somewhere weird, just to TBM." She rolled her eyes. "This isn't a huge deal. He's not dangerous. He's just an idiot."

"Mogami-kun." He waited until she looked at him. "Is there more?"

"...I've had to block him multiple times because he keeps getting my phone number and calling me at all hours of the night."

"And?" Kuon prompted.

"And last night he showed up at the Daruma-ya to collect on the deal he forced me to make." At the look on Lory's face, she elaborated, "The same day he with the car thing, he pinned my hands above my head in the parking lot and made me promise that I ever fell in love with Tsuruga Ren, I'd go back to his family's ryokan and work there forever." Then she smiled. "But he didn't realize there was a loophole, so I don't have to. And taisho scared him away with his big knife."

"How did he find where you lived?"

"Well, when I met with my mother to get my passport papers, she contacted his parents to let them know where we were, and they told him to go check on me."

"Alright, Mogami-kun. Let me repeat this so I can make sure I have the facts correct." He steepled his fingers in front of him. "This ex-childhood friend of yours used you for personal gain, had you thrown out of buildings, hit you, sexually assaulted you, abducted you, repeatedly gained your phone number to harass you, and then showed up at your home in the middle of the night to force you to adhere to a promise you made under duress?"

She shrank in her seat. "It sounds bad when you say it like that."

"It is bad," Kuon said, cornflower fury threatening to choke her senses.

"Ren." When he looked at him, he continued, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. You may leave us for now."

"But -"

"Go."

He ran his wrist over Kyoko's shoulder as he stood and turned to leave. "I'll be outside."

She nodded. He's going to fire me, isn't he? Stupid Shotaro, ruining everything….

When the door had closed, Lory looked at her. "How would you like to handle this, Mogami-kun?"

"I don't think anything needs to be done, president." She dared to meet his gaze. "Sho's just an idiot. He'll get over this the next time something catches his attention."

He shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not an option."

"I just… I want him to leave me alone." She hugged herself. "I don't want to deal with him anymore."

"Then I'll make some calls." He offered her a reassuring smile. "And the other one you mentioned - Reino?"

She shook her head. "He won't come near me as long as Ren's around. And since we're pack now, he'll smell him on me and run. He's scared of him."

"Very well." I'll make my own investigations, then. "You may go. I will let you know once we have results."

"Thank you, president." She stood and bowed.

"And Mogami-kun… congratulations. I look forward to this next chapter in your story."

She blushed, but dipped another bow before scurrying off.

Lory watched the door closed, then dialed the number for the president of Akatoki. This would not stand.

LINE BREAK

Kuon hugged Kyoko as soon as she closed the door to Lory's office behind her. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I know that was hard. But he needed to know."

"I guess…." She returned the hug. "I just… he's an asshole, but he was the only family I had for a long, long time."

"I'm sorry, princess." Her held her tighter. "But you have a better family now - one that really, really loves you. You have our pack, and Mom and Dad. Not to mention Maria-chan."

She sniffed, trying hard not to cry.

"And I'm sorry for being so harsh with you at first, when you were joining LME."

"Don't be." She looked up at him. "I'd be the same way now, if I met someone with those reasons, now that I love acting."

He leaned down, stepping back just enough to scent her. "Still. You've been through enough."

She tilted her neck to give him better access. "I wouldn't change it. I told you that in Guam."

He pressed a kiss to her neck before he straightened up again. "Then let's get this day rolling."

"Yes!"

LINE BREAK

Later, when she entered the LoveMe room, she found a letter stuck to her locker with a magnet. She could smell who it was from before she even saw Kuon's handwriting. She opened it carefully, not wanting to rip the envelope.

Kyoko my love,

I know you said that you wouldn't change how your life has been, because it led you to where you are now. But please know that I wish I could take away the pain, even if it altered our paths. Because I know we would still find each other. Every path leads me back to you.

I'm here for you, always.

Love,

Kuon

P.S. This one's until I can get you a real one.

She furrowed her brow as she read the postscript until she realized there was something else in an envelope. She shook it out into her hand.

It was a ring, just the right size for her pinky finger. The metal was silvery (platinum, but she didn't know that), and the gem was carved to look like a cornflower. When she moved it, it caught the light, and she realized it was the same type of stone that he'd given her the first time he'd played Corn for her. Tears sprang to her eyes as she slipped it on - a perfect fit.

She clutched the letter to her chest, breathing in the scent of cornflowers. This is going in my box of treasures.

LINE BREAK

Kyoko: I got your letter (heart emojis)

Kyoko: and the gift. It's beautiful (picture of cornflower ring on her pinky finger)

Kuon: yay, it fits!

Kuon: i was guessing based on memory of your hands

Kyoko: (blushing emojis)

Kuon: how are you doing?

Kyoko: good, I'm waiting for your mom. She said to meet her in the LoveMe room at two

Kuon: have fun! (heart emoji)

Kyoko: (heart emoji)

LINE BREAK

"You're leaving?" Kyoko asked, doing her damndest not to whimper.

"I don't want to, either, darling, but I have work." Julie sniffled, clearly holding back tears. "As does Kuu. We have to go back tomorrow."

"Oh… I understand." And she did, even if it hurt. Work was important. "I'll miss you."

She lost the fight with her tear ducts as she flung her arms around Kyoko. "I'll miss you, too! You have to promise to call. Or we'll call you. No silence from you kids this time."

Kyoko nodded, hugging her hard in return. That night, she made them each a sheep - and after scenting them both, arranged for Kuon to do the same. When Kuu and Julie received these from their kids at the airport, there were floods of tears anew.

LINE BREAK

In the pack group chat:

Ren: hey remember that fantasy series i told u about with the bodyguard

Kyoko: !

Kyoko: yes

Ren: here's the details link

Kyoko: (excited face) oooh, Moko, Chiorin, you should try out too!

Moko: i'll audition

Chiorin: yeah it looks cool

Kyoko: thank you for telling us about it! (heart emoji)

LINE BREAK

Sho kicked a chair of the meeting room he'd been left in. That bitch. The president of Akatoki had called him and Shoko into a meeting first thing this morning. Normally, those meetings were good things - like the one he'd had recently for congratulations on his record-breaking album. But this one….

"I am disgusted by this behavior," the president had said. "Do you realize that LME could sue?"

He'd had all sorts of photos and even some video evidence, pulled from security cameras and devoid of context. Plus they had some of the voicemails he'd left Kyoko - she must've ratted him out.

"This is harassment." The president had read off a list of how many times he'd called Kyoko after the time she'd let Tsuruga dress her up. "You're lucky I managed to talk LME's president down."

So he was to go completely no-contact with Kyoko, on threat of legal action from LME. Fine by him. If she wanted to be a lying whore, then he'd let her dig that grave all on her own. And when she inevitably came crawling back, he wouldn't even acknowledge her. That's what they wanted, after all. They were setting Kyoko up to fail.

So he would let her burn without him.

LINE BREAK

Kuon: hey i just realized

Kuon: I never apologized for our first date getting interrupted

Kyoko: no worries! This happened the first time, too, remember? (winky face)

Kuon's heart stuttered. She only ever winked as Setsu. So she counted that shopping date as a real date, too - it wasn't just him.

Kyoko: we'll just have to try again (heart)

Kuon: I'd love to

LINE BREAK

Kyoko stretched her fingers. They hurt from all the sewing she'd been doing. Maybe someday, when she was more established as an actress, she'd buy a sewing machine. Still, it was worth it. She bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet as the elevator took her up to Kuon's apartment. She really hoped he liked it.

Blushing, she let herself in with the key he'd given her recently. His reasoning had been that the paparazzi had been swarming his building since he'd confirmed in an interview that he was courting someone, and that he didn't want her getting cornered. She'd not been able to argue with that - she wanted to protect his reputation as much as he wanted to protect her.

"Hello," she called into the apartment. It was empty; Kuon would be home in about forty minutes. She shivered. It felt so cold in here without him. She switched out her shoes for her usual slippers and padded towards his room. Maybe I'll borrow a sweater.

Which is why Kuon found her, forty minutes later, wearing one of his sweaters and asleep in his nest. He scratched his head, not sure what to do. He wanted to crawl in there with her and sleep until morning. But he had take-out sitting on the living room table, and knew she'd be upset if they missed dinner. So with immense self-control, he gently stroked her face to wake her

She let out a sleepy little purr and leaned into his hand. "Kuon?"

"Hi," he whispered. "I brought dinner. Do you want to eat?"

"Yeah," she hummed.

And because he could, he scooped her up and carried her out to the living room, where he had the food set out on the low table. "I got you your favorite."

She made no effort to move from his lap as he sat down at the table. "You're spoiling me."

He pressed a kiss into her hair and pulled the hamburg steak with eggs so that both boxes were on their side of the table. "You deserve it."

After they'd eaten, she finally gathered the strength to leave his lap long enough to get his present. "I made you something."

"You didn't have to," he said, but his scent betrayed his excitement as she handed him a bag. He opened it to find an incredibly soft t-shirt. There was an embroidered sheep peeking out of the front pocket. More specifically, Shep was peeking out of the front pocket. He buried his face in it, huffing her scent.

"Do you like it?" she asked, wanting to crawl back into his embrace.

He lowered the shirt away from his face and tugged her back into his lap. "I love it. I'm going to wear it everywhere."

"You don't have to wear it in public - I know it doesn't fit your usual style. I just thought it would be a good pajama shirt."

"No, I'm going to."

And he did. The media started guessing that he was dating an up-and-coming fashion designer - after all, why else would he change his style so drastically?