Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat. This amazing anime was created by Yoshiki Nakamura. I am only borrowing the awesome characters for now.
Editor / Beta Reader: Waffle (Thank you)
Rated Teen for mild violence, coarse language and / or sexually suggestive scenes.
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Catch Me If You Can
By: Swanna
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Chapter 2: Reminisces
Kyoto, Japan
"What's wrong, Kyoko-chan? Why are you crying again today?"
Squatting, Kyoko looked up at the blonde-haired boy standing above her, shielding her from the blazing bright sun. Her vision was blurry from crying so much. His eyebrows were a little squished together, but it was seeing his gentle smile that made her want to cry even more.
"Cornnnnn…!" Kyoko sobbed harder and louder with hiccups. "M-mommy and daddy were yelling at e-each other aa-again. Da-daddy left home and mommy pu-pushed me away…"
"It's okay, Kyoko-chan. My parents argue sometimes too, it's normal for all parents to argue," he said as he crouched down in front of her, and began patting her on the head.
"B-but mommy said that if it wasn't be-because of me, she would have had a dif-different life instead…what did she mean by that?"
The wrinkle between his eyebrows grew deeper, but the prince-like smile never once disappeared from his face. "Your mom probably meant she is lucky to have you by her side. Otherwise her life would of course be a lot different, you know?"
Kyoko may have only been six but she could certainly tell a lie when she heard one. "Corn is lying! If th-that's true then why d-did she push me away?!"
"Sometimes after my parents argue, my mom would want to be left alone for a while and do some adult thinking in the bedroom by herself. Maybe your mom also wanted the same thing too."
Suddenly a tiny ray of hope was swelling inside her. Corn was always able to make her feel better. Kyoko breathed in deeply, trying to subdue her hiccups. "Re-really?"
"Yup. Don't forget that I'm four years older than you, so of course I'd know how adults think," he reassured with another pat on her head.
For some reason, Kyoko found the gesture soothing. It was something that her mother had stopped doing ever since Kyoko was old enough to remember. If only her mother could show Kyoko that she cared and was willing to protect her like Corn. Kyoko lifted her damp face and looked at the boy, his hand was still stroking her head like she was a pet kitten.
"Corn…?" Kyoko spoke again after a few moments of silence. She felt her lower lip quiver as she was about to make a bleak observation.
"Hmm? What's wrong now?"
"You're always here and listen to me when I cry…but when you leave with your daddy then you won't be meeting me at our secret garden anymore…"
His emerald eyes, the color of the clear green ocean, widened a little but he made a quick recovery. "That may be true, but I can still listen to you even if I'm not here with you."
"How?!" Kyoko asked, full of curiosity. She immediately inched closer to him.
Even though they had only met couple of weeks ago, he was her first friend. It would be incredible if she could keep in touch with Corn even after he went back home. Kyoko waited patiently for Corn to continue. She watched as he fished out something from his pants pocket.
"With this magic stone," he answered, revealing the blue stone in his palm. "I've casted a magic spell on it, so whenever Kyoko-chan wants to tell me something, whether it will be happy or sad, I can hear all your stories through this stone."
"Like talking on the phone without actually using one?!" Kyoko asked with a breathless gasp.
He grinned. "Sort of. I guess it's like a phone."
Kyoko brought her fists to her mouth, excitement was bubbling up inside. "And Corn can also tell me his stories, I will listen too!"
"I don't have a magic stone for myself..."
"Eh?!" She felt as if all her bubbles burst at once. "Why not?!"
"Because I only have enough power to cast a magic spell on one stone," disappointment laced his voice.
Kyoko's gut tightened. She knew exactly what he meant. Corn may be a fairy prince but he was still very young. There must be a limit to how much power he could summon to cast spells in a short time. She mustn't be so selfish and always depended on his magic. There had to be another way for them both to stay in touch.
"Then I will write to Corn instead!" Kyoko offered eagerly as soon as the idea popped into her mind.
"You can't write to me. I will be too far away. You can't send letters there."
"Oh," Kyoko slumped in defeat.
Corn and his father probably lived faraway in their magical kingdom that normal humans could not reach. So obviously regular mail could not be delivered to him. That meant she would never be able to see or talk to Corn again…
"By the way, there is another magic spell on this stone," Corn continued when he noticed Kyoko had stayed quiet for quite some time now. "Whenever you are sad, you just need to hold onto the stone and it will absorb all of your sadness, taking them away so Kyoko-chan can be happy again."
"Really…?"
"Yup. And look at the magic stone," he held up the stone and Kyoko could see the color change from deep blue to violet and then light blue. "It changes colors depending on the angle you look at it under the sun."
"WOOOOW!" Her eyes bulged with delight. "This is the best present ever! Thank you, Corn!"
"You're welcome," Corn replied, dropping the stone into her extended open palms.
"Then…when are you leaving?"
"On this coming Monday."
"Mo-Monday?! B-but that will only be three days away!" Kyoko felt like crying again.
"I know…but we can meet up again this weekend. I will tell my dad that I want to stay behind at our cottage while he goes to meet people so we can see each other for a few more days before I leave."
"But…it's Monday! It's too soon!" Her eyes were already brimming with new tears.
"Are you crying again, Kyoko-chan?"
"N-no…" Kyoko lied, spinning around abruptly so he couldn't see her face.
She didn't want Corn to think that she was such a crybaby but she couldn't control the urge to bawl at the top of her lungs. He would be leaving very soon and she already knew that she would miss him dearly.
"What am I going to do with you?" He sighed behind her. "Wait here, Kyoko-chan. I'll be back."
Kyoko turned to look over her shoulder and noticed that Corn had already vanished. "Corn? Cornnnn? Where are you?"
No response.
She took a walk around the open grass-field and continued calling out to him. "Corn, I'm sorry, I won't cry anymore. Please come out."
Again, there was no response.
After a couple minutes of nonstop shouting, Kyoko surrendered as she plopped down on a piece of gigantic rock by the small pond and took a break. She figured she would just have to wait patiently for Corn to come back to her like he had promised. For the next short while, the little meadow grew quiet and still. The only noises she could hear now were birds chirping on the trees and dragonflies flying around while making a deep buzzing sound nearby. She watched as occasional green leaves fell from tree branches and landed on the surface of the pond. With both fists supporting her chin, Kyoko stared at her own reflection on the rippling water.
Suddenly she saw Corn's reflection next to hers as he declared, "I'm back."
"Corn!" Kyoko spun around, feeling charged and relieved that he had finally returned.
"Look what I made you," he passed her the handmade item that he had been holding. Kyoko took a look at it and she became ecstatic. It was a gorgeous flower crown with a braided base of vines, decorated with small white and pink flowers.
"It's SOOOO pretty!" Kyoko beamed, bouncing up and down in joy. This was the first time someone had made her a flower crown. "Why are there only three pink flowers at the front?"
"Don't you think they look like the pink gems on a Princess crown?"
"It DOES!" She shouted in agreement. Corn gave a boyish chuckle and helped Kyoko to put on the crown.
"It looks nice on you," he complimented.
Kyoko stepped up onto the same rock that she had been sitting on previously and gave herself a spinning twirl. The skirt of her sundress flared out in a magnificent fluttering blur of brilliant soft blue. "With this flower crown, I now declare that I am the new Princess of this secret garden!"
The sweet smile returned to his face again. But it was when Corn suddenly bowed to Kyoko with one arm behind his back that she became speechless. His motion was just like what she had seen from all the gentle princes in her fairytale picture books.
"Your loyal servant at your command, Kyoko-hime."
At that moment, she had no clue why but her little heart was pounding frantically against her chest and her cheeks were feeling warm. Before Kyoko could even stop herself, the corners of her lips were slowly rising into a smile unknowingly. They continued to hold each other's gaze while soaking up the sun in that unforgettable mid-summer afternoon.
X X X
Tokyo, Japan
A dream, Kyoko thought as she stirred to the buzzing sound coming from the small alarm clock. She was hazily aware that she was in her small, bare apartment room. Still wrapped under the fluffy blanket from head to toe, she blindly searched for the clock with an outstretched hand in a feeble attempt to switch off the alarm. Instead, she only succeeded in knocking the clock over her bedside as it hit the carpeted floor with a mild thud.
Oh well, at least the alarm is turned off now, she groaned lazily before promising herself another five minutes in bed.
But even though she had intended to sleep in a little longer, Kyoko realized that her mind was too preoccupied for her to fall right back asleep. The dream of Corn definitely made her feel nostalgic for her childhood, but also regret. She'd never had the chance to bid farewell to her friend and say their proper goodbyes for the last time.
That had been the same weekend that Kyoko's mother had disappeared from home and abandoned their family. Kyoko had ended up not showing up to the arranged meeting that she'd had agreed to with Corn. Every now and then whenever she thought about that sorrowful moment in life, it would always bring about this tightness in her chest.
Kyoko flipped the blanket away from her head and drew in a deep breath. Fully awake now, she fixed her stare at the low ceiling. She still remembered the first time they met. Corn was visiting Kyoto with his father at the time and they were staying at their family cottage nearby. He'd been out exploring the woods when he had unintentionally ventured deep into the isolated meadow while Kyoko had been playing there on that same fateful day.
That humble, open grassland had been Kyoko's exclusive sanctuary whenever she'd wanted to hide and cry alone. No one had known about its existence. But she'd been grateful for the passing chance to have met her first childhood friend there.
For a mere ten-year-old, Corn had been such a considerate and altruistic boy who was compassionate towards others. He'd been very clever with his words too; whenever Kyoko had been upset about something, he'd always manage to say the right thing and make her feel better in an instant. Although their time together had been short-livened, Kyoko had really enjoyed every precious moment between them. She'd liked spending time with him. It had felt really nice.
Kyoko looked over at her bedside and reached for the small pink purse where she kept the magic stone. A few years back by chance, she'd discovered that what Corn had given her was a water sapphire stone. The fact that she had believed Corn was a fairy prince brought a sheepish smile to her face. How naïve of her…
Truth be told, she'd been a sucker for magic and fairytales ever since she'd been a child. Even though she now knew that Corn wasn't a fairy prince who could cast spells, Kyoko had still been keeping the stone with her at all times. It had become her most treasured memento; it symbolized their cultivated friendship.
"Good morning, Corn. I dreamed about your previous owner today," Kyoko spoke as she took out the blue stone, marveling at the coolness of the ore's surface. "I wonder why I was suddenly dreaming about that day. Maybe because I'm back in Japan now so it brought back some old memories of the past."
Kyoko rose from her bed and stretched both arms above her head, smiling. "Well, that dream is definitely a sign of me having a good day! Because I am starting off my morning right."
She'd grown into a habit of speaking to the stone she had named after its owner. It may have been silly but sometimes it really felt like she was conversing with Corn, just like in the old days.
With marked care, she secured the stone back into her purse and placed it next to her pocket watch. The cover of the watch had an image of a reddish pink lotus, with leaves arrayed with multiple tiny pink zircon, emeralds and rubies. The watch always seemed to glow with an inner light. It was an antique that had been given to her from a very close friend of her father's. They had told her that this gift was to welcome a new born to this world; a present to celebrate the arrival of a beautiful baby girl.
Memories of this family friend had all become quite a blur now, but Kyoko still remembered the nickname she'd given him - Caterpillar. For the life of her, she was uncertain of how on earth she had come up with that name for this family friend back then. Nevertheless, both the stone and pocket watch were her two most meaningful keepsakes.
Deciding that she had done her fair share of reminiscing for the morning, Kyoko dragged herself out of bed. She made a good use of the next fifteen, twenty minutes to wash up and get dressed for her part time work at a fast food restaurant. Right before leaving the bedroom, she gathered the two items and placed them in her white open tote bag.
Kyoko descended the stairs and was immediately greeted by her landlord's wife, "Good morning, Kyoko. Did you have a good sleep last night?"
"Good morning, Okami-san! I slept like a log yesterday and thank you for asking," she replied as she watched the plump woman carrying plates of food into the dining room. "Do you need help with that?"
"No, I'm good. Are you going to work now? Would you like some breakfast first before you go?" she offered generously.
"No, thank you. Okami-san, can you please tell Tashio that I won't be back from work until after six? I will be working overtime to cover an evening shift for my coworker today."
"I will let him know, but don't overwork yourself, okay?"
Kyoko felt very touched by the woman's genuine concern over her welfare. It had been years since someone had showered her with such a level of kindness.
"Please don't worry, Okami-san. I should be working hard while I'm still young so I can relax and play when I get old," Kyoko stated with a laugh. It had been her motto in life.
"That is the correct mentality to have," commented the tall, middle-aged man when he stepped out of the kitchen. "You must work hard when you still have the youthful energy now. If you fail to work hard while you're still young, then you'll need to work harder when you grow old."
Kyoko gave a hearty smile and nodded in agreement. Her landlord was a quiet and reticent man who disliked to talk much. The times when he had something to say, his words were usually full of wisdom. The couple weren't just her landlords, they were also Kyoko's employers of her evening job. They owned and ran a traditional Japanese restaurant named, Darumaya with Tashio working as the skilled chef.
As a matter of fact, this safe haven Kyoko was currently living at had two stories; an upper level with residential rooms, and a ground floor used as commercial space to serve customers. Reducing commute time, and the ability to just head upstairs and crash in bed right after a long night's work were just some of the perks in living above the restaurant. Another big bonus was the cheap rent that they charged her for the bedroom. At least Kyoko didn't have to work three part-time jobs just to cover her living expenses in Japan.
"Good morning, Tashio. Sorry, but I won't be able to help out at the restaurant until after six tonight," Kyoko stated with an apologetic look.
"Don't worry about it. We will be fine without you," he gave a stolid response before leaving the room without another word.
His wife shook her head disapprovingly at his distant attitude and sighed. "Please don't mind him, Kyoko. Sometimes I really don't know what to do with that man."
Kyoko grinned. "Not at all. Tashio may look tough on the outside but I know he's actually very softhearted inside."
The women giggled together, soft enough so Tashio couldn't hear them. "Alright then, be safe on your way to work."
"I will. See you later tonight!" Kyoko bowed respectfully and waved goodbye to the woman, then walked out the door.
X X X
The vibrant summer rays warmed the morning, with a light breeze blowing Kyoko's hair. She tucked the loosened strands of hair behind her ears. It was much shorter now, barely brushing past her neck. She had decided to change her appearance with a stylish cut, and dyed her hair to a shade of warm chestnut shortly after she had arrived in Tokyo two months ago.
To avoid being recognized and caught by Taira Murasame here in Japan, a complete alteration of looks was definitely in order. Even the hairdresser lady who had assisted Kyoko with the styling had been stunned by her full transformation afterward; it was quite a drastic difference for a simple cut and color. Kyoko had missed her long ebony hair but this change had settled her anxiety, giving her peace of mind. Compared to marrying a man she hated, this was a small sacrifice that she was more than willing to make.
As Kyoko was strolling leisurely down vacant street, taking in the fresh morning and her freedom, she passed by lingerie store. Looking at the luxurious, push up bras on the mannequins triggered memories of her shameful experiences in Guam.
I still can't believe I was seen semi-naked by a guy on that night, Kyoko scowled to herself, still in absolute disbelief at the appalling event. Just the thoughts of it made her cheeks burn.
It was shocking that death by embarrassment hadn't come to her right when it had happened. Fortunately it had been quite dark that night. Since she'd had a hard time seeing the face of the man who had seen her semi-nude, it meant it was highly unlikely that he would remember her too! In fact, Kyoko was overconfident that they would never meet again. The chances of meeting a stranger twice were surely a million to one.
Not that Kyoko was being a prude, far from that. She had been raised and lived in New York for years, where things like nudity and sex seemed much less taboo and more matter of fact. But deep down inside, part of the once traditionally shy girl still dwelled on. Kyoko preferred that the first time she undressed in front of a man, it would be with someone she'd love with all her heart and soul. That was if this person even existed, of course.
"Wait…why are you thinking about going naked willingly in front of guys so early in the morning?!" Kyoko reprimand herself, facepalming in shame.
With a shake of her head to rid herself of any remaining impure and indecent thoughts, Kyoko turned around to cross the road hastily. She wasn't aware of an approaching black limousine that had made a quick right turn, rushing out from the street corner. It all happened in a flash; she heard tires skidding, and she tried to steer her body clear from the oncoming car, but her feet got tangled and she tripped backwards.
Kyoko held her breath and braced herself futilely for the fatal impact, but it never came. Curious, she opened her eyes that she hadn't even realized were shut. She found herself staring at a car's metallic grille only a few inches away from her face. Kyoko let out a huge breath, relieved.
"I'm very sorry! I didn't expect you to suddenly step out onto the road like that," commented the dark-haired driver when he got out of the car. His words were coarse, but there was an edge of concern in his voice.
"No, no. I'm sorry for crossing without looking first," Kyoko apologized as she tried to rise but her knees buckled, still shaken by the almost deadly accident.
She could practically see the headline on the newspaper; a runaway bride traveled from New York to Tokyo only to meet her death in a car collision.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, extending his hand to help her stand.
"I-I'm fine," Kyoko replied meekly and started crawling on her limbs towards the tote bag. Her belongings were scattered everywhere when she had dropped her purse earlier.
Kyoko heard the passenger door open and heavy footsteps coming towards her. The moment she looked up, she was caught completely off guard by the man's peculiar choice of attire. The mustached man in sunglasses was wearing a blue velvet tunic with white ruffle collar and cuffs; the velvet hat had a large silver feather attached. The pieces of fabric were trimmed with silver and black metallic braids, matching cape and…oh God, was that tights he was wearing?
Please tell me this man is on his way to a costume party, she thought to herself, half amused and half petrified. Realizing that she'd been gaping at him like a complete idiot, Kyoko quickly looked away. Never mind that. Just keep your nose where it belongs, Kyoko. Last time you lured a stalker who wanted to marry you when you didn't keep your opinions to yourself.
Not wanting to loaf around in the middle of the road any longer, Kyoko hurriedly gathered her belongings and dumped them into her bag. From the corner of her eye, she spotted her pocket watch by the man's boot. Just when she was about to reach for it, the man picked it up in silence.
"Ah, that's mine. Thank you," she lifted her hand to him but he seemed to be ignoring her.
He examined the accessory with unexpected interest, which boggled her mind. Judging from his flamboyant yet extravagant costume and the lavish limousine, he was obviously rich. He ought to have seen fancier jewellery before that would have cost significantly more.
After an uncomfortable pause, Kyoko spoke again. "Um, sorry. That pocket watch is mine. May I have it back please?"
He finally lowered his head to look at her for the first time. Kyoko's initial reaction to his intense stare was fright. She bristled with it, and at the way he studied her face blatantly as if she had crawled out from under a rock or something.
"Wh-what?" A sudden sense of déjà vu washed over her. She was already dreading that history was about to repeat itself again.
"Sabastian," the man called out with his deep voice and turned at his heels to climb back into the car.
Panicked, Kyoko suddenly found her strength again to stand on her feet. She was about to chase after the man but the driver blocked her path.
"What the hell?! He just took my watch!" she shouted in anger before turning in the direction of the car. "You better give me back my watch before I call the cops on you!"
"Miss, please calm down."
"YOU calm down! Don't tell me to calm down when you thieves stole from me in broad daylight!" she retorted, clenching at his collar with her fists.
The driver pried her fingers away with ease and took out a card from his pocket. "My Master has an important meeting to attend today and he has to be somewhere that requires his presence for the reminder of the day. Please come by the company tomorrow and my Master will meet you then."
He shoved the card in her hand and before she had time to react, he hopped back into the car.
"What?! Hey wait! Why do I have to go to his company to get back my watch?!" Kyoko boldly stood in front of the car, slamming her palms on the hood. These thieves would get away over her dead body! "I don't want to go! I'm not going, you hear me?! Just return my watch right now and I'll let the whole thing slide!"
Instead of acknowledging her angry threats, the driver expertly put the car in reverse and made an insanely dangerous u-turn while disregarding oncoming traffic. Dumbfounded, Kyoko could only watch with her heart in her throat as the car drove off in the opposite direction.
She couldn't believe what had just happened! Even if she went to the police, who in their right mind would believe a wealthy man would steal her watch?! They would probably think she was crazy and in turn charge her for filing a false report! Frowning, Kyoko took a look at the gold metal business card in her hand. It was so tacky and tasteless, as if that thief wanted to advertise his wealth to the world or something. The card was rather bare, engraved with only the words:
L.M.E. AGENCY
LORY TAKARADA
X X X
AUTHOR NOTE:
First of all, I really want to thank everyone for all the amazing support and motivation. I was truly overwhelmed by the number of reviews / favorites / follows that I've received for the first chapter of this story! Thank you, you guys are awesome.
I know there were a lot of background story in this chapter but I wanted to showcase Kyoko's connection with Ren. This fic will be based on a few elements from the manga / anime but overall I will not be following the general plots (otherwise it would be boring for you and me lol).
Please let me know what you guys think so far in terms of the content, writing, etc. I would love to hear feedback from everyone. I will try to update next chapter ASAP. Thanks in advance!
Have a great weekend and see you all soon.