Skip Beat! Fan Fiction ❯ V Day Reveal ❯ The Reveal ( Chapter 4 )

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Having only a little food in his stomach was proving to be both a blessing and a curse, Kuon thought to himself as they all piled into the limo. He was nauseous, but his stomach had something to clench around as his nerves dances the jig.

The open fear on his face brought his mother to his side, “It will be alright Kuon, we’re here for you if nothing else.” She smiled gently at him and brushed her hand over his hair.

He gave her a tight smile, “Thank you.” Kuon curled into her side with one arm wrapped around his own waist trying his best to fight off his jitters before they arrived.

Upon their arrival he straightened and watched as Lory got out followed by his father and then his mother. He watched their smiling faces as the cameras flashed in their eyes a moment before exiting the limo himself. The reporters and paparazzi all paused momentarily as the new face none of them had ever seen began following closely behind the Hizuri’s none of them answered their questions about him, they simply moved into the hotel lobby. Once there Lory produced his invitation and added Kuu as his plus one, Kuon produced his as Ren Tsuruga, which got him a few strange looks - but since his voice was recognizable they let him pass, he brought Julia as his plus one. And so they all entered the wonderland that Kyoko had made the hotel lobby for Valentine’s Day.

“Oh! How gorgeous!” Julia exclaimed as they fully entered the room from under a red and white balloon arch. Kuon had to agree. There were red and white and soft yellow balloons gathered all throughout the large space, but none were at any of the table settings. Instead, at each table there was a different archaic Valentine’s relic: a cherub here, a centaur there, a kitty, a puppy, a teddy bear, roses, bouquets of flowers, wreaths, heart shaped pillows with sayings on them. There were yellow and pale pink streamers strewn about in pleasing array, and painted murals of Valentine’s Day scenes on folding screens giving certain areas privacy from the others. The fact that most of these scenes had fairies, mermaids or other such fantasy creatures did not escape Kuon’s notice. His mother grabbed his arm and forced him to walk with her through all of it, so that she didn’t miss anything. He indulged her with a smile until he caught sight of Kyoko simply staring at him through the crowd completely dumbstruck. His eyes widened and he remained stalk still even as his mother pulled at his arm.

Concerned she finally turned to look at her son, “What’s the matter dear?”

All he could do was blink, unable to turn his gaze away from Kyoko who was slowly making her way to him. Her trance-like state gathered the concerned gazes of Lory, Kuu, Maria, and Kanae who all moved toward her. So when she finally came to a stop in front of his frozen form all of them were gathered at her back. Lory and Kuu were trying not to laugh at Kuon’s expression, not wanting to give anything away or ruin the moment.

“Corn?” Kyoko whispered out, she looked from him to the beautiful woman on his arm and a flash of hurt went quickly through her eyes.

The fleeting pain he saw finally snapped him back to himself and he noted how beautiful she had grown. Kyoko herself was finally dressed as herself as well. Her black hair set with a jeweled and sparkly crown of red and gold hearts, she wore a light blue gown that screamed of the Roman era and had white angel’s wings sprouting from her back. She held a heart-shaped wand in her fingers, which had silver streamers flowing from it.

A slap to his arm from his mother had him finally speaking, “Hello Kyoko-chan.”

He forestalled her rising excitement with a raised hand, “Before anything else, my name isn’t ‘Corn’.”

She frowned at him, “What do you mean?”

“My name is Kuon.”

The frown deepened and she looked to his mother again as if she might hold all the answers.

“I’m sorry I never corrected you before. I should have, but it was endearing, and I didn’t want to ruin your fantasy of me.” Kuon hung his head.

“You might want to explain more than that.” Kuu folded his arms across his chest and glared at his son.

Kyoko whipped around to stare at him, “Father!”

Kuu chuckled and uncrossed his arms to hold them out to Kyoko, “Hello daughter mine.”

Kyoko collided with him and wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug, “What are you doing here? I would have sent you an invitation if I’d known you were here.”

Kuu chuckled again, “That’s alright Kyoko. I came here with my wife and my son.”

Kyoko jerked away from him shocked, “Your son?” He nodded, “But…” Her face fell, “I assumed he was dead or something from how sad you were when you spoke about him.”

Shock registered on Kuu’s face as well, “No! Nothing like that. He just went away and wouldn’t allow us to contact him. He needed to learn to fly on his own.”

Stunned Kyoko looked up at him, “‘Fly on his own’?” She turned to look at Kuon. “You’re Kuu Hizuri’s son?”

Kuon nodded, “I am, yes.”

“But… I don’t understand. Why would you want to run away from someone who loves you so much?”

Kuon’s eyes filled with sadness, “Because I felt like their love was suffocating me. I couldn’t see a way out of the violence I had already made out of my life. When Boss asked me if I would like a way out, that he would help me make one, I took it and left. I didn’t even say goodbye to my parents. Which was unfair of me. It wasn’t really their fault after all.” He looked down at his mother.

Kyoko frowned again, “Wait. Boss? As in President Takarada?”

Lory nodded his head when Kyoko looked over to him, “We set him up with a new name, so he could start from scratch.”

Kyoko blinked and then gasped and spun to face Kuon, “Ren!”

By this time Yashiro had found them as well and was stunned by how different Kuon really looked, it was obvious that they had worked hard to make him into Ren Tsuruga in the beginning. Kanae stood rooted to the spot watching as everything unfolded. Maria looked up at them amazed, “Ren? Is that really you? For real?”

Kuon sank down to his knees, “Yes Maria, it’s really me.”

“Wow. You’re so pretty!” She gave a great sigh, “I can’t marry you after all. I can’t marry someone who’s prettier than I am.”

“Ha!” Kyoko began laughing at that, which made Maria turn and glare at her with her fists on her hips.

“Just what’s so funny Big Sister?! I had my hopes set on Ren! And now I find out that Ren is just an act!” She flung herself past all of them and ran from the room.

“Oh no.” Kyoko sobered, “Poor Maria.”

“She’s only nine, she’ll get over it.” Lory waved his granddaughter’s drama away with a hand.

Kyoko shook her head at him, but was kept from commenting by Julia’s impatient question. “Well? When am I going to be introduced?!?”

Chuckling again Kuu moved to her side, “Kyoko, I’d like you to meet my wife Julia.”

Kyoko turned to look at them again and smiled, “It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Hizuri.” She bowed to her.

With a click of her tongue Julia shook her head, “No, no. You can call me Mama! It’s only fair since you call Kuu Father.”

Stunned Kyoko froze, “Really? You are okay with that?”

“Well of course I am! I’ve been dying to meet my new daughter since Kuu came back from his last visit and told me we had a new child.” Julia huffed.

Tears began sliding from Kyoko’s eyes, “I…” Unable to form words she simply stood there staring until Julia opened her arms to her and Kyoko walked into her embrace.

“Um, I know it’s cliché and all, but…” Kuon lifted one knee from the floor so that he was now facing Kyoko in the proper position, “And I know you may be angry at me, perhaps even hate me for not telling you the truth until now. But I didn’t want to ask you this question until I felt I could be myself again.”

Kyoko turned her tearstreaked face toward him and watched as he pulled something from his back pocket and held it out to her on the palm of his hand. A shocked gasp left her lungs and those of the other people watching as the simple silver band with a single ruby cresting it was revealed.

She moved away from Julia, her tears drying as apprehension took over. “What question?”

“Kyoko Mogami, will you marry me?” Kuon held his breath.

Kyoko melted to the floor, “Are you for real?”

Kuon hesitated, “Yes?”

A huge grin split her face and she flung her arms around his neck, only his quick reflexes saved the ring from flying as he gripped it tightly in his fist as he wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, I will. I love you too Kuon.”

A dopey smile graced his face as he held her. “I love you so much Kyoko.” He bent his head and kissed the top of her head where it rested against his chest.

“I was so conflicted because Corn said he loved me, and he’d kissed me, but I had feelings for Ren. Which I felt guilty about because of Maria and feeling like I was being selfish just by admitting them to myself.” She shook her head against his chest, “And now both of them are Kuon.”

Kyoko began shaking with muffled giggles, she sat back away from him with a happy smile on her face. “I’m glad it’s not as complicated as I thought.”

Kuon chuckled and took her hand to slip the ring on her finger. “I’m sorry I caused you so much stress.”

Kyoko just shook her head, “It’s alright. I forgive you.”

A soft and loving look took over Kuon’s face, “I’m glad.”

~The End~