CHAPTER 112

I do not own Skip Beat! Yoshiki Nakamura does.

~~Magical Summer trip ~~

~~ part 17~~

~~A Long-Awaited Reunion~~

~~4th~~

(end of last chapter)

"Enjoying the plushness of this marvellous carpet,"

She said, caressing said fluffiness, and choosing not say his parents had mostly ejected her from the couch, and made her fall. She didn't think they had realized they had done that at the time, so there was no point.

His dad cleared his throat.

"I think we kind of – … Pushed her out of the way earlier, when we hugged you." Kuu said sheepishly and both him and Julie looked at her with an apologetic look, and she smiled comprehensively. She was about to reply in the same sentiment but Ren looked at them as if they had committed the ultimate sin.

"You pushed her on the ground?"He said, a tone of disbelief, shock and outrage seeping quite loudly out.

"It was an accident, Ren. It is fine, really, I didn't hurt myself. They were just in a hurry and didn't notice." Ren neither did look happy nor convinced. "Come on, it's fine."She looked at him pointedly. "I would have been more worried if they hadn't reacted like that, after what you said." She said with understanding and thought about saying more, before stopping herself. No need to remind him about his words and the past more than necessary.

He grumbled but nodded, and gave a somewhat fake-somewhat real glare to his parents before taking the few steps separating him from her, and presenting her with his hand.

She took it and he lifted her, softly bringing her back on the couch after examining her a little around, as if he was seriously afraid she had been hurt by a mere drop on the butt.

She had to snort at his over-caring attitude but he ignored her grin, and sat back near her. Protectively. She rolled her eyes at him.

His parents returned to their seat as well, and Kyoko saw them searching for their words for a second.

"How – … What changed son?"Kuu asked hesitantly. "… To imagine it was that bad… I can't even fathom… And no word I could say to apologize for not seeing it would ever be enough but still – … I must say it."He said with such a furious sorrow Kyoko was persuaded it was directed at himself. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Kuon. For not – … Noticing. For not seeing you were bullied for so long. For being unable to help. That my notoriety caused you so much trouble to be yourself. That this world caused you so much pain. That our own family hurt you so much."He continued, and Kyoko saw the anger he tried to control surfaced, and he tightened his fists on the armchairs until they were white. "If I wasn't a man that valued laws and life…" That made Kyoko paled for a second as she could hear what he didn't say… Yet, she understood. Knowing what they had done to Ren, she had had those violent thoughts for a second, and had to remember what was more important too, in the past. "I'm so angry at myself," He continued, "I should have known, I should have seen how far it went, how deep it was going. And for so long…" His palm went to his tired face, trying to rub away the anger and pain.

"No, Dad."

Ren took his hand, holding it for a second.

"Don't blame yourself, please. I didn't want you to know, I told you. I was even doing my best so you would never know." Kuu tightened his hand around Ren's own for a second, but frowned at his son.

"You know… If you hadn't been hurt so much by it and were not the victim, I would even be angry you had been so good at hiding it from us."

"I'm not the victim in any way, I'm – "

His dad waved away his attempts.

"You are. But I still need to say it. I'm sorry, Son. I'm truly sorry."

Julie clutched her hand on the side, and nodded, preventing Ren to protest once more and she saw him admit defeat and he nodded.

"We both are," His mother said. "We are sorry, Kuon. Deeply hurt and sorry we couldn't, and didn't help you when you were a child and needed us."

Ren sighed and shook his head self-derogatorily.

"I didn't come to require excuses from you but to apologize."
"None needed."They both said, grimacing as if a shard had been thrown into their hearts Ren would have thought he needed to do that.

Ren smiled, resigned, and nodded once more.

"But still, can you tell us, Kuon?"

He smiled again.

"Ah. Yes. That what I said earlier. It's thanks to Kyoko." She tried to protest at those words but he cut her attempt with a glare and turning back to his parents with a smile, he explained with a chuckle that was both indulgent and bitter. "She was the one to bring some sense into me. She told me something I never thought about before. Underline something so obvious, yet, it would have been forever out of my grasp if she hadn't said it."

"That isn't true, I just – "

"It is!"He cut her, turning to her with an urgency to understand that made her shut up.

His parents, that had remained silent looked at them with questioning eyes before Ren continued, ignoring her grumbles over him giving her so much credit for nothing.

"I crossed paths with Cedric again, years ago," He told them and they both saw the anxiety rise tremendously on his parents' face before Ren lifted appeasing hands, "It was just before he was arrested for good. And while it wasn't a pleasant encounter, it didn't go too badly."

His parents nodded and he pursued.

"It was on this occasion Kyoko learned everything about my past and that I discovered she already knew my real name." A succinct description of their whole discussion on the beach all those years ago and his mental breakdown followed. She was glad he hadn't told them about them being childhood friends or her believing he was a fairy. It was a secret she preferred to keep between the two of them, for now. It wasn't she was opposed to them knowing ever, but – for now, still. On the other hand, if he was this short in his explanations about their chat on the beach, it made her wonder and worry over how much he resumed what he went through all those years during his childhood and teens.

At the curiosity that bloomed on Ren's parents' faces, he smiled, but shook his head.

"Long story."

They let it go and he continued after clearing his throat.

"… In any case, she helped me see things differently." He said and paused to search for his words and she looked away. She felt way too overwhelmed he still thought she was the reason he had healed so much. And still disagreeing over that statement quite a lot.

"… Can you tell us … a bit more, Son?"Kuu enquired softly. "It isn't nosiness. But we missed so much already, so, anything we can understand better, we'd like to."

Ren nodded once more but had to take his time, struggling a little. It was nowhere as far as when he had been talking about what happened during his teens, though. He remained mostly relaxed when he eventually replied and Kyoko felt like she could finally ease the rest of the tension and worry she had felt over him. He would be fine.

"… I- I always felt I had to pay for Rick's death and that I – had no right for happiness… Since I had robbed the one of Tina and him." He said, the words like cannonballs on his heart. "But Kyoko"- …-he smiled – "She told me it was an accident. Yes, I know you had all told me. But she asked me if I would have gone after Rick if I had been in his shoes at the time. And she asked me if I would have blamed Rick if something had happened to me doing that."

He smiled somewhat bitterly somewhat amused at his parents. "When I could only reply by the negative, she told me she would have done the same as Rick. But that it would have been her choice to go, not my fault, just as it was "– … she saw him shudder when he voiced those words, even as she noticed the acceptation of truth in his eyes – "… Rick's choice to take that risk and go after me."

He shook his head.

"I was outraged she could say this but – … No matter what I said I couldn't counter what she was saying."

That was right, Kyoko thought, he hadn't wanted to admit her words, because admitting this meant admitting Rick was the one to make that decision.

"When I refused her words, she asked me if I had been the one driving the car, if I had actually wanted the d – he took some air – … death of Rick."

He smiled ruthfully at his parents who had started smiling too.

"When I shouted my opposition, she knew she got me and she concluded – as if it was nothing or as she had been making a dissertation – that it had been – he sighed – an accident."

He turned to her this time, and took her hand with such a fondness she thought she would melt.

"But what marked me the most was when she said this," he started before pausing, and she squirmed under his eyes, not knowing where to look between his parents and his stare. Making such a big deal of her words. Not that she wasn't glad she helped him. But he could have not listened, he could have not cared. He could have not done anything of it in the future. He was the one that helped himself.

"Kyoko told me…" He resumed, "That I was actually wasting Rick's efforts into saving my ass – he grinned at her – , in more polite, all those years ago by forbidding me happiness."

His eyes turned infinitely softer as he looked at her, and this time she couldn't help her blush as she looked away. Damn him.

"She told me that if I really wanted to respect and honour what my best friend had done for me, and thank him… And not waste his efforts and his life… Then, I should make so I would live a life twice as happy. I should be ten times happier even. One part for the life Rick had saved, and one for the life he had lost not because; but, for me. So that, I would be happy for both him and me. For my life he took so many risks into protecting, and for the life he wouldn't be able to live."

He didn't let go of her hand as he turned back towards his parents with a free soft smile.

"Those words stayed with me ever since. They were the ones that permitted me to be talking with you in mails again, and to let new friends into my life. And they were the one that gave me the courage to come back to tell you everything."He gave her a little crooked smile as he said this. "With a little support."

He continued to smile as he added, looking down.

"I would still be blaming myself or, at least, forbidding myself happiness without those words. And even before that moment… She had already made me understand that, some events permit you to become who you are meant to be. And that you wouldn't be who you are now, neither where you are in life, if you hadn't lived what you lived."

Now, she was blushing even more, remembering Guam.

His parents were nodding, and crying again. And then they looked at her.

They looked at her with such a bottomless gratitude, she felt like she was fooling them, so much it felt exaggerated for her. They kept staring at her like she was some sort of messiah or something. She opened her mouth.

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Kyoko," Kuu said and he bowed to her, Japanese style. And Julie followed suit. "Thank you for helping my son finding his way back home," Kuu added, "Thank you for helping him heal and supporting him."

"That's way too – " Kyoko tried. They were going at this way too far. All this because mister covering-in-flowers style had said she had helped him so much, and had oversold it. She shot a stare at the main concerned but for some reason, Ren was glowing like a peacock and smiling so proudly while his parents thanked her, it was really annoying.

Julie-san came sitting on the other side of her, and took her hands.

"Thank you for helping my Kuon," she said with tears in her eyes that made her want to instantly hug the otherworldly woman in her arms, "thank you for giving him your comfort and your words, and making see things differently."

"You are a very wise young woman," Kuu said with a smile, "you really tricked him until he couldn't refute any of your words."

"That is not. I just tried to – "
But Kuu cut her again.

"It's very little and we could never thank you enough but – he lifted eyes so profoundly thankful and joyful at her, making her tear up a bit at the emotion she could read in his eyes – , "From the bottom of our heart, you have our gratitude." He told her, and by her side still, Julie nodded vehemently.

"That's way too – … I-."She attempted again.

"It isn't," Ren cut through, wasting her efforts like nothing, "I owe you more than I could ever express with words or actions."

She groaned aloud, placing her face in her hands. This family.

"I only said a few words."She grumbled, pointing a finger at him, "You were the one to believe them. To take action afterwards. You did the job, I just gave you another possibility on how to see things. You. Not me."

He blinked innocently at her glare and smiled.

"It was really important to me my parents understood – "

"Ren, I swear – ."She said with a growl.

He laughed in mischief at her threat and lifted his hands.

"Alright, alright. I did my part afterwards, too."

He turned back his attention to his parents who were grinning widely at the exchange.

"Maybe we should stop the gratitude effusion before she combusts."

She swatted his arm, making his parents laugh. And while she could still see the residual affectivity and grief in their eyes, warmth and joy were returning, and they were slowly calming down.

As they relaxed, his dad turned to Ren. Kuu looked anxious and sad, but she saw him masking it with a teasing face in a blink, and then it was gone. As if it had never existed.

"Did you have anything else you wanted to share with us that might skin us alive from the inside?" He joked darkly but both her and Ren grimaced, and she thought it might have been too soon for dark humour.

"Kuu!"Julie said with instant alarm.

"… Sorry." Ren mumbled to them – and Kyoko was not used to see him so demure and would have been amused if pain did not have been the cause of it – , and she saw panic rise for Kuu at the guilt deforming his son's face immediately. She looked pointedly at his father but she didn't feel right intervening, and just hoped he would get his blunder.

"No, no, no." Kuu said. "Kuon, stop. I was joking, Son. It was a joke. A bad joke. But a joke."

Ren looked back at him, caressing the back of his neck.

"I would understand."

His father shook his head.

"No."
"It was a fucking bad joke, Kuu."Julie told him.

"I know. It was awkward. Sorry, Son." Kuu said. "I just wanted to ask about your plans and if there was something else, something specific, you wanted to talk about." He rumbled.

"Your father can actually be quite clumsy when he feels emotional," Julie said, looking with a little apologetic crooked smile, "Don't blame him, please. It just means he was wrecked by this conversation."

Oh-oh. Kyoko thought merrily.

"He is?"Ren asked, and she heard in his tone how deeply he wanted to learn more about that. He turned to Kuu.

"You are, Dad?"

His father nodded, after clearing his throat, still looking sheepish, and a full grin bloomed despite herself on her face when Kyoko heard those words.

"Cats truly don't make dogs," She commented happily, and all three pair of eyes blinked at her.

"Do you mean – " began Julie and she nodded at her.

"His son does it too."

Ren looked at her, baffled.

"… I don't do this."

"You do."

"No, I don't. When did you ever see me react that way?"He pressed and she smiled at him.

"I think the whens were already established."She replied, matter-of-fact.

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Which instances?"

She just grinned.

"…"

"…"

A chuckled echoed before Kuu spoke, interrupting their staring contest.

"You will have to tell us later, Kyoko-chan. When Kuon isn't making you so adamant on not telling him."

She laughed, looking towards his parents.

"Of course."

"So," he asked once more, very thoughtfully and slow this time, however, "what are your plans, Kuon? And how long can we keep you before you need to go?"

Ren scratched his cheek with his index.

"Well, I was kind of hoping to stay for a couple of days, if that's okay with you?"

Both his parents' eyes enlarged with surprise, quickly replaced with sheer excitement.

"Days?!"Julie said, her eagerness so vibrant she tilted on the edge of her seat.

"How many days, Kuon?"His father asked, his expression basking with new joy. Ren smiled, and she noted how happy he was his parents wanted to see him and spend time with him, even through how casual he tried to talk about it.

"Four days. If that's okay with you, of course. If you had something planned, I would totally understand and – "

"FOUR DAYS!"Julie screeched, jumping up in a little skip of excitement. "Did you hear?! Did you hear Kuu? Four days! Four days!" She hugged Ren again, so excited she was nearly bouncing on the couch, making both her and Ren laugh.

"Kuu?" Julie asked again when she quieted down somehow and when he still hadn't reacted.

"Dad?"Ren asked, and Kyoko stared in the direction of his father, seeing he appeared in shock.

Kuu lifted his head then, amazement and real happiness on his face as he looked up at his son.

"Truly?" his father asked, and Kyoko secretly smiled, she could truly see it. How they looked alike and bugged when they were filled with too deep of an emotion. "You are here for four days?"

"If you will have me."He said with a nod.

"That's silly. Of course we would."He affirmed, angry his son could even question otherwise, Kyoko thought. "To begin with, you don't have to ask." He locked eyes with Ren as he said the next words, making sure he saw how serious he was about what he was going to say. "It is your home. Will always be. You will never have to ask before coming or staying. And you will always be welcomed, and can come whenever you want."

Ren didn't reply with words. Kyoko didn't think he could have found them. An expression that glowed with love and gratitude, and a curt nod were the only things he managed as the rest of his tension left him. His father smiled fondly at him, and his mother, still by his side, pulled him back in her arms. He hugged his mum against his side, laughing a little when she squished him harder and protested he was using only one arm.

"… Welcome home, Kuon." His dad whispered at him then, and the brightness of his smile could have blinded them all when Ren looked at both his parents,

And whispered back.

"… I'm home."

Kyoko didn't dare to say a word that would interrupt the perfection of this moment. This family deserved their peace more than anything, and she would have been happy to fade away in the background, while they enjoyed each other company.

If Ren had let her.

But when Ren pulled away from his mum, he added.

"And Kyoko. I hope it is okay if – "

Kuu waved it away and turned to her with a soft smile

"Obviously. We would be very happy to have her with us."

Kyoko cleared her throat. She felt touched but she also felt obliged to propose a way out to them, in case they were just polite or not daring to ask her to leave.

"Actually, if you need some alone time, I would be happy to let you have it and go elsewher – "

Seeing Ren expression, she lifted her hands.

"I just don't want to impose and – "

"Ridiculous," Kuu cut, "Of course, you are staying with us. It is not even a question. And we need to ask you all you know about our grown-up kid."

Julie concurred.

"I don't know you much yet, but just knowing our son wants you here and what you did for him, is enough for me. And you try to leave once more, I might tie you up."

Kyoko gaped at them while Ren grinned triumphantly.

"Thanks dad, Mum, for the help." He said with a relieved sigh. "She has been afraid to bother since forever, I thought she would plan an escape route if I didn't keep an eye on her at all times. Or attach her to me." He added cheekily, but the look he gave her from the corner of his side had slight irritation. She tried to erase the images being attached physically to him provoked in her mind as she considered his words, and guessed her last attempt at letting them to themselves had not been received well.
"I was just trying to be considerate."Was what she ended up with, and she had the feeling she was repeating herself.

Ren let out a loud sigh and a grumble, and crossed his arms.

"Heard. Noted. Recorded. Loud and clear."He stated with a pointed stare. "Now, could you just accept it won't be the case, and you are not a bother for anyone, and stop playing the slippery eel and stay with us?!"

She mirrored his position and glared at him. She had just wanted to give them the occasion to be intimate, he was saying it like she had done it on purpose.

"Fine. I won't. Don't regret it later."

"I won't."He grumped, messing with his hair before sitting back on the couch with a groan of frustration.

She sighed. She didn't like to argue with him. As silly as this one was. She guessed she had insisted too much, and he had told her repeatedly it wouldn't be a problem.

"Sorry," She let out, rubbing her neck awkwardly, and bowed to Ren's parents too. "Sorry if I was too insistent when you were clearly so welcoming."

"Shit. That's not – " Ren stood abruptly and rushed to her. "It wasn't that serious, you did nothing wrong, you don't need to apologize."

He looked at her with such an easy worry she couldn't help but grin with fondness.

"Just, don't try to leave again and we all good," He half-threateningly, half-jokingly and nodded with a snort.

"Well, you can still attach me, since apparently that was an option you had in mind," She joked back and he froze, totally and fully, before nodding numbly.

She wondered if she had said something wrong again but he returned his attention to her and he was looking at her weirdly again.

"Are you truly okay?"He asked.

She tilted her head, taken aback by the question.

"Yes, why?"

"Because I know – … hm… It could be not that easy for you and I thought maybe that was why you – ." He stopped and looked frustrated again, but she still didn't understand.

"What do you mean?" She asked, and if she had not been so focused on Ren right now, she might have remembered the two other people in the rooms, who were looking at them with curiosity-filled eyes.

"I thought… It might be painful for you … – he frowned – … Family-wise." He whispered before adding softly, "And that, it might be why you wouldn't want to stay…"

It took her mind a second to be rammed with comprehension until it did.

"Ohh."

Oh. Of course he had been worried about that.

You silly.

She smiled at him.

"I'm good."

He narrowed his eyes.

"You promise?"

She chuckled and acquiesced.

"It was not because of that you tried to 'leave'?"

She shook her head.

"I truly thought that you might prefer to be just the three of you."

Ren frowned a tint and pressed her.

"Truly? Truly okay?"

She snorted. He just loved to fuss over her sometimes. And she kinda loved it, even knowing it was not necessary.

"You already asked that but, yes, mother hen. Truly."

Her expressions must have been tangibly genuine enough for his taste because he relaxed, and smiled. Physically glad and relieved if she was to trust his shoulders un-tensing.

She shook her head at him and he pulled his tongue at her, mimicking her, since she sometimes did the same to him, and that is the moment the living room chose to explode in laughs. Reminding those two in their bubbles that they had spectators.

Not far, just behind the opposite couch, both Ren's parents were holding their shaking sides with one hand while they gripped at each other for support with the other hand. They were whispering widely while looking their way.

Kyoko was not sure what was so funny but she had the clear impression it concerned them. Ren appeared to get the gist of it, however, because when both his parents looked at him with a silly expression and teasing eyes, he turned his face away. He sighed and she arched a brow at his reaction but he didn't see it.

"Could you explain why – "

But apparently his mum had heard her because, before she could finish her sentence, Julie-san was by her side.

"It's simple, really." She said but she didn't explain and the odd alarm that had instantly sprouted on Ren's face disappeared.

She wanted to ask but she was cut off by his mother.

"Don't mind us, Kyoko-chan. It is silly and not the time," She said, eyeing her son before pursuing. "But more important, I have a question I wanted to ask you since earlier. Well, two, actually." She said with eager eyes.

"Sure," Kyoko replied automatically.

She grinned happily and lifted a finger, pointing at Kyoko's face.

"One, are those your natural eyes?"

She blinked at the question.

"My natural eyes?"

Julie-san nodded.

"Yes. Is this your natural colour?" she asked.

"Oh. Oh yes, of course. Why?"She replied with a smile. She never wore lenses, unless it was for a role. And while she heard that with the world-wise screen time, more and more people needed to have glasses, she still didn't have trouble with her own vision. Besides very, very little characters on meds notices, and the such. So why would she have worn lenses?

Julie-san excitation rise could be seeing right on her face as the heaven-like woman grin.

"Because they are so beautiful and golden, I never saw someone with such a vibrant eye colour."She said and even tilted forward to look into Kyoko's eyes from closer. The latter highly blushed, and she tried to shy away from Julie-san stare.

She was as bad as her son. Or maybe it was the reverse? No matter, they were both bad. Actually, with his father skills in declaiming his unrivalled love and adoration, he was even worse. The son just had no chance to escape this 'skill'.

"Now I know where Ren got his tendencies to shower people with compliments," Kyoko said in hope to distract his mum from herself and she eyed Ren whom played innocent while Kuu snorted in his hand near him.

Julie didn't turn to her son but her eyes gleamed with an unsettling light, and she laughed with a nod.

"That is a family trope, indeed," She acknowledged. "But that bring me to my other question. Earlier, you mentioned crushing hugs were the Hizuri way" – the loud groan Kyoko heard was unmistakeable and his mum grinned wider – "I'm not denying anything, but does this mean Kuon is the hugger type too … with his friends?" Julie enquired with curiosity, and Kyoko was puzzled at the way she intonated the last word.

When she didn't answer immediately, Julie continued.

"I haven't seen him in so long," she emphasized, "I'm quite curious on how our son is right now, and how he acts with others. I'm sure you understand." Julie-san said, and Kyoko nodded, sympathizing with her.

Ren looked resigned on the side. Kuu was shaking his head.

"Of course, it's only normal." she said in response.

Julie-san blinked at her insistently, and Kyoko replied before thinking about doing it.

"… Well, from what I know, … yes."

Julie shined and softened even more, and she opened her mouth to say something but Ren appeared just at that moment.

She closed her mouth, grinning and staring at her son who kept a stone placid face, close to the lying smile. Was he angry? But it didn't seem so.

Kuu came closer and wrapped an arm around his wife just as Ren was about to speak. He gave a stare to Julie Kyoko couldn't decrypt before turning back to his son.

"Son, do you want to show Kyoko around?"Kuu proposed. "We are thinking about lunch in a couple of hours."

Kyoko saw a look a relief and gratitude briefly cross Ren's face but then he looked at his father.

"Would you mind if I do that?"He asked.

His father smiled, shaking his head in the process but his eyes were sad.

"It is your home, Kuon. Please, don't ask," Kuu said in a tone that let everyone hear how painful it was for him that Ren felt stranger enough in this house he felt he had to ask before doing something.

"Right… Sorry," Ren said, "… It has been a while, I might need to get used to…" But she saw he couldn't continue when his own words brought a pained frown on his face, and he grimaced again at his parents.

"Sorry."

His dad shook his head again, he looked sad, still, but Kyoko could see he wasn't blaming him. And neither was his mum, as she rubbed his son's arm.

"We understand."Julie said.

"You have some things you came with?"Kuu said, changing subject.

"In the car." Ren replied.

"Then, maybe you can give Kyoko the tour and show her a guest room she can use?"His father proposed.

His son gave a curt nod and she could feel his emotions were still close to the surface as he turned towards her.

"Would you like that?"

Who wouldn't want to visit such a beautiful castle? She thought.

"Sure," she replied, "but if it isn't the time or if it is – "

She was cut short by a very telling stare from Ren, and she looked away innocently.

"I'll shut up."

"If you show her the garden, we added quite a lot, so be careful," His mother told them.

They agreed as Ren said they would start by their insides, and ushered outside by his parents, they left the house to gather their luggage.

Ren took most of it – despite her protestations – , but placed them in the corridor once back inside, saying they would pick it up after the tour.

Just as they crossed through the huge living room – noticing his parents were nowhere to be found in the room anymore, he turned back to her.

"I just thought, I should have asked if you wanted me to show you around the fairy castle, instead."

She blushed.

"Shut up."

He laughed.

They reached the twirling wood steps leading upstairs.

PS: Hello again. Yes, i'm back. It has been a while, hope you don't feel too deprieved. But here is the new chapter, finishing the huge discussion. It is a little smaller than the other one but it should sustain all of you for a short while. I hope to be to post another soon, but no promise.

I hope you will all love it. Kisses.

Merry Halloween or Samhain for the ones celebrating.

Mimagfan,

AUTHOR OUT.