Chapter 28

I do not own skip beat! Yoshiki Nakamura does.

-A step forward –

See you

14 days later.

The trunk wheels rolled making a rhythmic tac each time they passed a joint as the suitcase was being pulled on the tiles. The puller huffed as the feminine figure shook under the weight of the shoulder bag she also carried.

The embarking time was in a hour. She had her passport and ticket. She was there early. She didn't want any disturbance.

She had been able to talk to Moko-san when she came back last week. She didn't tell her what happened of course. She couldn't. To no one. So she just told her she had seen the pamphlet and that the president had proposed her to join in. It was the easiest answer. Moko-san found it was great. That it will open new doors for her at the worse. Kyoko agreed. It was true. Even if it wasn't the only reason for her choice.

She had told him.

Even if she had been a coward about it, she still had told him. She knew he was busy with work and handling modelling jobs for some Italian brand. She knew he was enraging because she was keeping her distance and most of all because she hadn't really told him what happened. She knew he was worried about her and had tried again just next day of her talk with the president to corner her. She had escaped it by a hair. So she had told him she was busy handling some job things and avoided him again.

Then she had learned from Yashiro he had to go for the modelling gig. It was five days ago. She knew she wouldn't see him in a while and had spent a bit of time watching him when he was looking the week before it, knowing she wouldn't be able to say goodbye.

She had waited he was gone and texted him. Three days earlier. Telling him how amazing the opportunity was for her career and that she was leaving in three days. He hadn't answered.

He had called. Right away.

Asking her to explain it properly. She did. His answers were cut by long pregnant pauses as he listened to her but he still did congratulated her. She had caressed her phone all the while the call lasted. She didn't think they would be able to talk much after this and she didn't know for how long. She would have another number.

He had said he would call again. He didn't.

Yashiro texted her he was too busy.

She understood. Thought it was better that way.

It was three days later. She wouldn't see him again.

Today was the day. She was leaving.

Kyoko sat in some waiting area and breathed heavily.

She knew it was the right choice. She knew she couldn't call. She knew it would be less painful that way. But her heart refused to listen.

It only wanted one thing. To hear his voice. To see him.

She was ruminating and scolding her stupid heart when she heard a voice calling her name. She turned around.

"Oneeeee-samaaa!" shouted something as a small body collided with her.

Kyoko giggled a bit.

"Hi Maria-chan. What are you doing here?" she asked the girl.

A high figure draped silk golden cloths came in and answered instead and Kyoko wondered in what he was disguised today, it sound Arabic but she wasn't sure.

"She was threatening to murder me if I didn't let her say goodbye to you so I brought her to protect my poor life. You stole all of her affections, Mogami-kun, it's not really correct, don't you think. What about this poor grandfather of hers?" the president whined, even tearing up a bit.

"Stop playing drama queen grampa, you know I love you and it's your own fault to not letting me know sooner Maria-chan said as she lectured him like she was the adult and him the child.

He pouted then smiled, eyes glistering with unshed tears.

"So you still love me?" He asked in a worship whisper.

Maria rolled her eyes at him and tuned back to her.

"Ignore him one-sama. He's just playing aloof" she told as she hugged her again and Kyoko returned the hug.

"You will come back,neh?"the girl asked pulling away to look at Kyoko with sad eyes.

"I will"

Maria-chan brightened.

"When?"

Kyoko shook her head.

"I don't know. But it could be in a while. But I will come back eventually" Kyoko stated, trying to convey with the eyes what she couldn't say.

"I will miss you Maria-can" The young girl started to cry and Kyoko hugged her harder. She didn't want to hurt her but she needed this. Kyoko would have wanted to be there. Still.

"Maybe you can call once in a while?" Proposed Kyoko as she looked to the president for confirmation. "Your grandfather will have my new number so you can call me if you want" she softly said and she looked down at Maria.

"Really?"

Kyoko nodded.

"Like, really, really?!"

She giggled but nodded again.

"Thank you one-sama!" Maria shouted and hugged her again and Lory arched a brow at her before giving up, his family wasn't one to be discreet.

The interphone announced her plane in a half and Kyoko took her luggage.

"I'll better be going if I don't want to miss it"

The president nodded and to her surprised hugged her briefly this time. Kyoko said goodbye.

Kyoko was queuing on the line to the restricted area and had less than a quarter left before her plane arrival when she was promptly pulled out of it and away. In no time her bag and suitcase disappeared and she was in some nearly empty area, her head spinning and confused by the new environment. She heard then saw her bag fell to the ground and she found herself sitting on an empty seat again. She looked around and quickly spotted the tall figure close to her but looking away from her. He wore an ample jacket, very worn-out clothes and a black cap. He had tried his best to not stand out. It doesn't matter; it couldn't more noticeable and unique for her.

She stood again and he turned around to the sound of it.

He was there, he was really there. Here, with her. To say she was tempted to imagine it had a special meaning would be the euphemism of the century but she refrained.

She didn't know what to say though. She was overjoyed to be able to see him a last time but- She couldn't say she needed to leave, he knew it and it was even more obvious that she had been avoiding him. He also knew it was because she didn't want to talk about anything that happened. He knew all that and she could see in his gaze he wasn't angry. That somehow he understood. She should have known, he hadn't protested much to her avoidance. It had been too easy and it could only mean he had accepted she didn't want to talk. Because if not, he would have found her she realized.

It wasn't fair to him she knew it.

But there was still no trace of anger on his face. His shoulders were tensed and a bit crouched and hands fisted hardly. But it wasn't in anger.

If anything he seemed sad. Which was not normal. Why would he be sad? Well, yeah okay, she had avoided him but she apparently had get it wasn't against him so he wasn't one to tell you to refuse a job opportunity. So what was the matter?

His eyes seemed a bit hollow and he looked tired. Like he hadn't slept much recently. But it was the gripping torment in his eyes that made her froze in fear. He didn't look okay at all. What happened? Why was he so sad?

She began to lift her hand,

"Are you okay?" She whispered and she took a step to him, seriously worried now.

He blinked and hid his face from her, guessing she had seen his expression.

Then he jumped forward toward her. Making three large steps and engulfing her in his arms. Without a sound. Without a word.

The strength constricting her nearly prevented her to breath but she didn't care. She would have to memorize the feeling of the warm seeping through her clothes as those giant limbs hold her against him. There was such a force in the way he was tightening his arms then loosening them a bit around Kyoko that it looked like he was fighting himself with something. She saw his lips opened and closed several with only air passing through.

She lost it. She wanted to cling to him once more. The last one as a child. She gripped at his back.

This time, the power exerted on her expulsed all the air in her lungs and she choked a bit. She thought she heard her name whispered but she must have dreamt it.

He let go and she greedily aspired air.

He placed one hand on each side of her face tenderly and Kyoko stared into his eyes full of storm and thunder in contrast with the soft murmured voice that followed.

"Can I call you?"

Kyoko opened the mouth to reply but captured by the raging maelstrom of emotion in his eyes renounced and merely nodded.

His eyes sought hers again and she had the disturbing thought he was memorizing her traits before a whisper of a kiss landed on her left cheek and he let go.

He took her luggage and brought her back in line and again she was dizzy with the change. But she didn't have any more time to pay thought to what happened or she would miss her plane. She waved at him and rushed inside hiding the tears coming. She could have sworn he never stopped looking at her as long as she was visible and his reply to her wave.

It echoed in her mind long after the plane took off with her in it.

See you…

"Goodbye Ren" was the murmur she gave to the wind.

End of part one

PS: So…

You are all going strangle me but it needed to happen. I know I Know. I'm cruel. And I can apologize some more because of the time skip you will have.

Sorry Kaname.

It was planned from the beginning. Don't worry though, you won't go through too much if all go according to plan.

Not telling what and how and why…bleuhh…^^

You will have to beg XD.

Anyway, now that I thoroughfully teased all of you, I can announced proudly that first part of the story is finished. I'm going to post this right away because those two last chapters aren't long and I torture you all enough with the wait for now.

Kisses.

Author out.