Guys, this one's a whopper! Longest one yet. Helpful note: Que up Marty O'Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra 'The Captain's Daughter' and turn it on when you get to: "My final little bit I set up,". That's the song that I use there.

...

A Week and a Half Ago, Konoe Productions Press Conference, Fuji TV Lobby

"I was booted from the room as soon as they realized I was there! There's obviously a problem! And I have no doubt it's due to Yashiro's meddling! That man has been a thorn in my side for four months, and I am sick of it!"

A young lady in a pink ball cap leaned against a wall in the building's lobby, doing her best to listen in on the phone call discreetly.

"Of course they were going to be angry! I'm not a halfwit. I told you this was a bad idea. And I can't believe I was so dumb to say I was your manager. Your name hardly gets me anything these days."

The young lady eavesdropping smirked as the woman snarled into the phone. She adjusted her ball cap, and slowly inched further behind the conveniently placed plant near the water fountains. Even as the young lady continued her various methods of obfuscating her position, the woman she was spying on was only focused on snapping at the person on the other side of the phone.

"No, I'm not risking my tail further for this nonsense. I no longer care who's got their fingers in what pies, or about your petty revenge. The only thing that matters to me, is keeping myself afloat. Thank God I don't carry the name you do."

There was a pause, then came another sharp response.

"Enough. I'm done. This will soon enough descend into chaos. Tell the others. I'm taking that vacation I've been putting off. I'd advise you to do the same, but I know you won't listen."

With that, the well-dressed woman disconnected her call and slipped her phone into her purse. She glanced around, then hurried to the exit, keeping her head down to avoid notice. Once the woman was out of range, her eavesdropper held a phone to her ear and waited for her call to connect. When it went right to voicemail, she tsked, but went ahead and left the message.

"LoveMe Number One, bait has been taken. Inform the others. And tell Kotonami, with this, she owes me that callback."

Erika Koenji disconnected her call, pulled off her bright pink ball cap and shook her curls loose.

"Stupid thing," she muttered down at it, and tucked it away into her bag. She then strode away, her head held high, and a satisfied smile on her face.

…

Takimoto Misaki was searching for one very hard to find individual. Rather, Kyoko had become hard to find in the past couple of days since the end of shooting for Act Five. Misaki didn't really understand why either. Since she had begun her spying mission Yashiro had given her a couple weeks ago, Misaki prided herself in being able to pinpoint where Kyoko might be at any given point in the day. Kyoko, much to Misaki's confusion, had broken from her typical routine in the past couple of days and that stoked her curiosity.

Misaki cast another casual glance around the lobby, and tapped her chin thoughtfully. It was a little after lunch, and Kyoko wasn't with wardrobe and makeup, or on set. Nor was she in the exercise room. She wasn't in the kitchen, or chatting with Kinji-san at the security desk. She'd not been seen with Kotonami, Yashiro or Tsuruga since the day before at dinner either. It was atypical behavior, she thought as she continued to keep an eye out as she strolled through the halls.

She finally caught sight of her prey when she peeked in the window of the editing room. Kyoko sat at a table, looking between the footage on a screen, and what appeared to be her script. Misaki opened the door, and poked her head in.

"Yashiro-san was looking for you, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko stirred, blinking up at her, "Ah, thank you Misaki-chan," she peered down at the table and sighed, "Looks like I had my phone on silent. Whoops! Well, I'll shoot him a text and see what's up. Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem," Misaki replied, curious what Kyoko had been so absorbed by to have missed a call. Kyoko didn't elaborate though and went back to studying the papers in front of her once she sent the text. Misaki stood at the door, feeling awkward, before she decided to bite the bullet and sit down across from Kyoko.

Kyoko glanced up, "Misaki-chan?"

"Sorry, I'm just..well. I don't often catch you alone like this. Are you doing alright?"

"I'm not sure what you mean?"

"Ah, sorry. That was a little weird to say. I just meant, since you get along so well with everyone, I'm more used to seeing you around others than alone. I was kind of, uh, impressed by it. I'm a newbie, but I'm older than you, and still, you seem so much more comfortable around everyone, and honestly, I never expected that."

A faint blush tinged Kyoko's cheeks, "Oh, well I guess you get used to the atmosphere the more you work in it, maybe? Not too sure. You're much more comfortable speaking your mind to our directors though. That impresses me."

"Well, you need good communication to do a good job, right?"

"Heh, right," Kyoko smiled back at her. Misaki tilted her head thoughtfully.

"So are you alright then?"

Kyoko looked away, frowning slightly, "I'm not sure. I'm having a couple of... blah days I guess."

"Stress?" Misaki asked, her tone sympathetic.

Kyoko sighed, "Maybe. This last episode we're doing… with it being such an involved episode…well, maybe it's getting to me. I need to show a lot of different expressions, and do so in very short sequences. It's…"

"Exhausting?" Misaki offered.

"Yeah. And real life, life outside of work… That's kind of getting to me right now too. So here you find me, indulging in some 'me' time."

"I get it."

Kyoko sent her a small smile, "You're a really good listener, Misaki-chan."

"I get that a lot, but honestly I'm just kind of nosy. I like knowing things, so I tend to ask," Misaki winked at Kyoko, and that startled a giggle from the younger girl.

"I thought I might find you with Kotonami-san today, actually, since you two are so close. When I didn't see you guys at lunch together today, I might have gotten really curious what was up, eh heh," said Misaki, rubbing at the back of her neck, oddly discomfited.

Kyoko looked at her in surprise at her statement, "Wow, you have such amazing observational skills Misaki-chan!"

Misaki hid a wince, "I'm so sorry, that's my nosiness running away with me."

"Oh it's alright. We are best friends after all. Moko-san is the best, and I'm happy to tell anyone who'll listen! Oh, but, in this case, I just wanted to get in some time to study my scenes for this afternoon."

Misaki nodded, "Makes sense."

They sat there in silence for a moment longer, before Kyoko looked over at her again in curiosity.

"Did you just come to ask how I was Misaki-chan?"

Misaki flushed, "Ahhhhh, I did do that yeah, um, but I thought I might ask your opinion on something, if that's alright?"

"Oh, alright. I'll do my best."

Kyoko sent Misaki a reassuring smile and set her work to the side.

Misaki worried at a hole in her sweater before she plucked up the courage to say what she wanted, "I'm hoping this isn't… weird to ask. But considering your… particular perspective, I thought it would be ok."

Kyoko stared at her for a second, "Misaki-chan? What do you mean?"

Misaki blew out a breath, "Ok, well, I'm just going to say it. There's someone I like that I'm working with on this project and I want to let them know. Kyoko-chan, if you were in my place, how would you do it?"

Kyoko's blood turned to ice in her veins, and she scrambled for a response. For all the downplaying of her keen observational skills, Misaki had zeroed in on the one thing Kyoko prayed she wouldn't notice. This was not a conversation she was prepared to have and her mind see-sawed between distracting and defending. There was no role, no character that could help her now, so she relied on the one thing she knew, denial. Her face ashen, she sputtered a second before the words came to her.

"I-is that really wise Misaki-chan? Wouldn't it be best to keep focused on the important work we're doing here instead of being distracted by silly things like love and crushes?"

It was Misaki's turn to stare at her in disbelief, "Why would me letting someone know how I feel about them distract me? Having not told them, I am currently experiencing the exact opposite, as a matter of fact."

This seemed to throw Kyoko for a loop, but Misaki began to feel more agitated as she remembered the other words the girl had said.

"And why are my feelings silly?! I asked you this because I thought you would sympathize Kyoko-chan!" Misaki stood abruptly, regretting that she'd brought it up.

"Wait!" Kyoko stood also, "I'm sorry, that came out wrong, I just meant, personal feelings too often distract us from what's more important. That's what's silly, not what you feel. When I said, keep your focus, that's what I meant."

"I know what you meant."

Kyoko shrank back at the look on Misaki's face as she said this.

"For you, of all people, to be so… so impertinent as to state such a thing so shamelessly… well, frankly, I'm appalled," continued Misaki, her tone clearly disheartened.

"I…didn't mean…"

"It doesn't matter what you thought you meant Kyoko-chan! What matters is what you said! You said, to my face, that I couldn't help but be distracted by something, something so frivolous! You just... you dismissed both my professionalism, and my seriousness about my feelings. I'm just as professional as you are!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to dismiss anything. I just-"

"You just what?" Misaki demanded, cutting her off again. Kyoko flinched. Misaki felt the first stirrings of guilt when she saw it and she softened her tone.

"I came to you because I thought you might be able to help me out. You seemed to be doing a good job at managing both work and a relationship. Clearly, I was mistaken," said Misaki, her tone full of disappointment she couldn't quite quash.

Kyoko looked back up at her nervously, and her fingers twitched involuntarily against the table top. Misaki realized precisely why she did so right at that moment and she sighed.

"Kyoko-chan. I came to you for advice, but let me give you some, woman to woman. Take a good long look at why you just reacted the way you did when I simply suggested being honest."

As Misaki exited the room she chanced a glance back, only to see Kyoko looking small, and alone, surrounded by the emptiness of the vacant editing room. Misaki shook her head, but knew she had said the right thing. Kyoko not being true to herself and what she felt was only going to hurt her later.

…

"Cut!" Shingai shouted, frowning as he observed how Kyoko hid a flinch at the word.

He sighed, "Kyoko-san, to me please. Everyone else, take ten!"

Sugaya-san and Oohara-san stood and stretched some before they strolled off set, while Nick-san sprawled out more comfortably where he'd been sitting. Kyoko did her best to hide the guilt she was sure was plain as day on her face. Her encounter with Misaki-chan earlier that day had badly shaken her, and she hadn't even been that confident with these scenes in the first place.

While Act Five ended with the success for the US Troops on the Destroyer escort, for the Mt. Oguso part of the storyline it had ended with a phone call to the Yoneda residence about Daisuke's passing. Thusly, the beginning scenes of Act Six for Kyoko were much like the ones she'd had for Act Two; with funeral rites and a procession of mourners. Kyoko hadn't been confident with these scenes at all, primarily because it was Yayoi's mother who comforted her, as Yayoi's sister Yumika had never been married and had little idea what to do to comfort a grieving young widow. Kyoko had been well used to diverting her attention from the fact that she still grieved over having never had a loving mother. Now that it was Yayoi, who had reconnected with her mother, actually initiating such behavior, she had very little confidence in portraying that.

"Kyoko-san," Shingai began sofly, "What's on your mind?"

Kyoko mumbled her reply and Shingai sighed again.

"I'm up here Kyoko-san."

Kyoko cleared her throat, looked up at him, and tried again, "Not much is on my mind, except I wish I could express Yayoi's feelings better here."

Shingai studied her, but she said nothing more. He tapped the script against his thigh as he thought, then spoke, "When you think of home, what do you think of Kyoko-san?"

Kyoko blinked up at him in confusion, "Sir?"

"Yayoi's feelings here, it's not just about having lost her husband. After all, she's been unconsciously preparing for that to happen for months. This is about her feeling alone again. Remember, Daisuke promised to make this place feel like home again for her. They promised each other that, since they had lost so much family already. What she's feeling, it has everything to do with her realizing that this place may never feel like the home it used to be before she lost it to the war. She can never go back to that again. So, I ask you again, when I say the phrase, go home Kyoko-chan, what comes to mind?"

Kyoko stared down at her feet, her thoughts whirling. She felt like a faint wind could easily bowl her over when she realized what had first come to mind. Broad shoulders, piercing eyes, a warm and comforting embrace.

"Do you have that in mind Kyoko-san?" asked Shingai gently.

She nodded once, a short jerky motion.

"Keep that feeling in mind Kyoko-san, hold it close to you. Imagine, if you can, your hope of returning to that being crushed, with all the force of a tsunami."

Tears sprang to her eyes, but she quickly blinked them back and sniffed.

"Yes, sir," she said instead. Shingai waved her back to set after looking her over one more time.

She, Sugaya-san and Oohara-san settled back in at their table while Nick-san straightened his posture again so he was properly sitting. They waited patiently for another moment, then heard Shingai call for quiet on the set and for the cameras to roll again.

…

"I, I do not mean to intrude on your mourning period. Once we docked again in Tokyo Bay, I was ordered back here by Lieutenant Commander Taylorm," Lt. Bill Burnham said, then paused as he surveyed the women on the other side of the table, desperately wishing he had never needed to have come at all. But wishes very rarely were ever fulfilled in his experience.

"While he was unable to come himself, he entrusted me to pass along his message," he continued. This was never an easy task to complete, and he knew that. Still, every time, his heart ached. When the women said nothing, he spoke again, using the words his commander had instructed him to.

"The message my Commander wanted me to relate to you is as follows: Many months ago I made a promise to Yoneda Michitada that I would look after his family if ever he was not there to do so. I am ashamed to admit that I have failed to do so in this instance. In spite of my best intentions, I was not able to return Yoneda Daisuke safely back into your care. Regardless of my own intentions, Yoneda-san's actions saved lives and he died a hero. Without his actions-"

"We understand Lieutenant," Yoneda Yaeko broke in, her voice firm, "We always knew that Daisuke-kun was a hero. Our family appears to have been made of them."

Bill Burnham winced, "Yes Yoneda-sama. I apologize for my thoughtlessness."

"It is understandable, considering the circumstances," she replied coolly.

Burnham swallowed, nervously tapping his fingers against his folded knees, underneath the table they sat at. He hesitated a second, but then strengthened his resolve and spoke again.

"That is primarily what my commander wanted to relate back to you. While I myself did not know Yoneda Daisuke well, I am glad that I was able to stand with him, as we all did on our ship that day. He will not be forgotten by us at the base. I promise you that."

"Thank you Lieutenant," Yumika said softly.

Yoneda Yayoi simply sat, and said nothing. Burnham shot a discreet glance her way, having never met the girl before. She sat stiffly, looking tiny and fragile with her hands clasped in her lap. She did not once look up to meet his eyes.

"I shall escort you out now," said Yumika, her tone firm as she stood fluidly from the table. Burnham nodded, his heart aching and eager to quickly put such an awkward and painful encounter behind him. Before he stood to follow her though, he slipped a hand into his inner coat pocket, and pulled out a faded, wrinkled piece of paper.

"Yoneda Yayoi-san. This, I'm told, was to be seen by you, and you alone. My commander received it from Yoneda-san before he passed on. It was your husband's last wish that you have it."

He placed it on the table in front of her, and stood, hurriedly putting his uniform cap back on to avoid seeing the crumpled look on Yayoi's face. He turned to follow Yumika, and saw her pressing a hand to her mouth, a distressed furrow in her brow, and tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. He cleared his throat, and brushed by her, wanting to leave the family to their mourning. He'd waited to approach them until a couple days after the procession, but he still understood that his presence must be horribly intrusive. He felt a strong sense of relief when Yumika stepped out of the room a few seconds later, her features more composed, to escort him to the door.

Yoneda Yayoi stared at the words on the piece of paper she had just unfolded and felt her grief overwhelm her numbness for the very first time since she'd heard the news. She curled in on herself a little, sobs tearing free of her throat. Her sobs did not cease even when she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder.

"I had hoped," her mother began, "I had hoped he would be the man to make this place feel like home to you again."

Yayoi's crying did lessen some when she heard those softly spoken words, and she looked up at her mother.

"Kaa-san?" she whispered, desperately trying to comprehend the pain on her mother's face. But her mother just stroked her face gently, brushing away a tendril of hair.

"I am sorry, my daughter. I knew what losing your brother had done, what losing your cousins had done. You kids, you had a good life here, before the war. I had hoped, that married to such a good and honest man, that you would have a good life again. That he could have made this place feel like home again for you."

Tears trickled down Yayoi's cheeks as she heard her mother's words. She reached out for her mother, and Yaeko folded her into a tight embrace.

"I don't...I don't know what to do kaa-san! I don't know! I can't-"

Her mother shushed her gently, rocking her a little.

"You will stand strong, my daughter. You still stand tall, and strong, and proud. Because you are a Yoneda, and this, this will not break you."

Yayoi pulled away some, dazed by the confidence in her mother's voice, "But, but kaa-san...I just...I just feel empty. Like there's nothing left inside. I don't feel strong at all."

Her mother cupped her face then and caught her eyes with her own fierce gaze, "My daughter, if you take any of my words and hold them close to your heart, let it be these. The strength of a woman is not measured in the amount of suffering she has endured; it is shown in the courage she has to face every day that comes after."

A wealth of emotion welled up in the girl then, and tears flowed down her cheeks again, "I promise kaa-san, I promise. I'll be strong."

A watery, tear-filled smile came across Yaeko's face then, and she pulled Yayoi into another tight hug, "Good girl. Good girl."

"Cut!"

Sugaya-san sat back a little, and patted Kyoko on the head, "Are you alright there Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko sniffed loudly, bringing the sleeve of her mofuku kimono to her face to mop up the overflowing tears.

"I will be, shortly, don't worry," she replied, her voice thick with emotion. Sugaya-san just offered her a small smile though, while Director Shingai stepped up next to them.

"Well done ladies, well done. It took a bit, but we got it. Water?"

He offered the pair of them their water bottles, and they gratefully accepted. Kyoko, even as she swallowed many mouthfuls of water, felt shaky. But in spite of her own imbalanced emotional state, there was a strong resolve growing within her to take her secret to the grave with her. Sugaya-san's motherly comfort had hit a little too close to home and she'd been more Kyoko than she'd been Yayoi in that last moment. She had, with some confusion, felt like she'd actually been promising her own mother that she'd be strong.

The courage to face every day that comes after? Kyoko somehow thought that maybe even her own mother might respect such a notion.

…

When Hizuri Kuu had been informed by his wife that they were to travel to Japan to help their son, he'd stared at her incomprehensibly for a long, long moment. After the tears of happiness, after the reassurances that it was real, after he'd sat and grappled with it for a time, he had felt his first spark of curiosity. What was it about this series that made Kuon want them with him for the end?

When Kuon had been young, he had liked to have his parents with him for his last day of shooting. This didn't always happen, due to his and Juli's schedules, but they had done their damnedest for at least one of them to be there, if not the both of them. It had been a rare pleasure for Kuu to see his son step off of a set, and smile at him, and to tell Kuon great work today, son.

But after all this time, what was it that made Kuon ask this again? When Juli had said he'd asked for help, and she had elaborated on the why, Kuu had just been happy. Later, once they'd been emailed brief details of the work by both Lory and Kuon, Kuu had realized that this work was also what Kyoko had talked to him about months ago. And so, two weeks past that fateful phone call, he and Juli now sat in a lobby, sharing a pot of tea with one Shingai Seiji, and Kuu was intrigued.

"So I've been given permission by Takashi-san, our screenwriter, to share all of Act Six with you two. Tsuruga-san had requested this of us, and well, we felt it would be...wrong to say no."

Director Shingai offered them a smile, his eyes flicking between the two of them like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Nevermind the fact that he and Lory had set this up all on their own and made it possible to get them here in time, the poor man had had a look of stunned disbelief when he'd seen them get out of the LME car that had brought them to the site. That still hadn't gone away yet.

"We'll look it over, but would you mind giving us a brief overview? With how...our son was talking, he's fascinated by this story. And well, that makes..."Juli glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and Kuu gave her a small nod, "That makes the pair of us really curious."

She laughed a little and Shingai relaxed some.

"Certainly. Takashi-san wrote this in mind with a focus on a particularly prominent family, the Yonedas. Yoneda Yaeko is the okami-san of the Yoneda Inn, one that the Yonedas have run for over two centuries. Her husband became a diplomat and held a position in the Diet after the war, and the Occupation of Japan. Yumika and Yayoi are their daughters, and are becoming instrumental figures inside their town, just like the rest of the Yonedas. A running theme is that they're still trying to heal from the war and their losses"

"How interesting," Juli murmured, "A narrative primarily focused on women then?"

Shingai smiled, "That's a good way to put it. The strongest singular male presence, actually, would be Tsuruga-san's character, Lieutenant Commander Jack Taylor of the US Navy."

Juli and Kuu exchanged another glance, but Kuu kept quiet and took another sip of his tea as Shingai continued.

"Yoneda Michitada and Jack Taylor first come across each other at the Tokyo Embassy and realize that they have a few things in common. Michitada offered for the Yonedas to host outreach events at their Inn as a gesture of goodwill. Jack Taylor accepted and said he would head up the effort. Jack Taylor slowly comes to know the rest of the Yonedas, and his character grows and develops through his relationships with the various family members. Act Six in fact, covers the span of about four and a half years, and is all about Yayoi and Jack's growth as characters."

"How is this being marketed exactly?" Kuu asked, trying to finagle an approximation of a press release in his head. With such a narrative so heavily dependent on character growth, instead of an overarching plot, it would be difficult to muster up a two to three sentence paragraph about a miniseries, in his opinion.

Shingai took a sip of his tea, then carefully set the cup down before he replied, "Funny you should ask. We have both domestic backers, and international. This will be released in several countries worldwide, and simultaneously if we can manage it. So, the domestic marketing is all about the Yoneda Family, an old traditional family, trying to find their feet again after the war. Internationally…"

His voice trailed off as he looked at the pair of them. Kuu's eyes narrowed, but it seemed Juli had cottoned on before he had.

"Political intrigue and war with a dash of romance?" She asked, her tone contemplative. Shingai gave them a short nod. Kuu felt himself laugh.

"I can see why you're trying to keep that on the down-low domestically."

"Yes, well," said Shingai, "We're being very careful. Takashi-san wanted this to be a hard-hitter and knew she'd have to be sneaky about it."

"And our roles specifically?" asked Kuu.

"Ah, yes. We have these narration sequences, and episode six has Jack's. Or rather, Tsuruga-san's. So the narrative 'prologue' as it were, needed Jack's parents. Your roles don't take up too much screen-time I'm afraid, but you will be seen in this prologue."

"Fascinating structure for a dramatic miniseries," remarked Juli, as she gave her character biography a quick once-over.

"Thank you for the compliment," said a soft voice behind Kuu. He and Juli turned, surprised, and saw a woman their age, and their son. The three Hizuris stopped and stared at each other, before Kuon smiled.

"Mom, dad, glad you could make it."

It was Juli who moved first, and Kuu couldn't blame her. She rushed to fold Kuon into her arms, even though he had a good six inches on her, and didn't let up for a good long while.

Kuu smiled at the woman he now knew to be Takashi-san, "Takashi-sensei. Very good to meet you."

"Same to you Hizuri-san."

He turned back to his wife and son, just to get in on the hug, and bear-hugged the pair of them as tightly as he possibly could before they began protesting loudly. Kuu boomed out another delighted laugh and set the pair down again.

"Honestly Kuu! You pulled my hair doing that!" Juli grumbled, trying to set it to rights. Kuon was similarly trying to set his clothing to rights but Kuu just grinned.

"Shall we get some dinner then?" he asked his son, "Go over what you wanted to?"

"I figured that was what was next. Boss told me you hurried out of his place without even getting second helpings at lunch," Kuon teased. Kuu could only offer up a shrug.

"There was something I had to do that was more important."

Kuon glanced away, scratching at the back of his head in embarrassment. Shingai coughed and did his best to politely interject.

"We set aside a room for you three, and got a special chef for the occasion."

"Oh, you didn't have to go to those lengths," protested Juli.

Takashi and Shingai exchanged a glance but it was Kuon that spoke up.

"Yes, well, they insisted. They said it was a standing obligation?" Kuon let the amusement leak through his voice as he shot Kuu a telling look. Kuu grinned again and Juli looked them over before her face lightened with realization.

"Do I finally get to meet this other son of yours Kuu?" she asked as she poked at him teasingly, her fingers digging into his stomach for a second.

"It sure seems like it," Kuu replied. Juli then gathered up the script they were given and bowed to Takashi and Shingai.

"Thank you so much for this. Will you be joining us for dinner?"

Both Takashi and Shingai turned them down, saying they'd already eaten, and Kuu was relieved. He needed a good long meal with his favorite people. Kyoko cooking him his favorite food while he did so was just a bonus.

…

Once the Hizuris finally convinced Kyoko to come out of the kitchen to join their meal, Kuu was able to finally pin down what about her was so different. He'd been struck by how much she had grown, but couldn't pinpoint why.

"You grew your hair out," the words felt dumb to say. Especially since Kuon's hair had been cut short for his role, and that had startled him too. But Kyoko with chin length hair struck him as so unusual.

She blushed, "Yes, I did. This series covers a lot of months, and Act Six even covers years, so keeping my hair cut short seemed a little silly."

"Makes sense," said Juli, "I prefer mine long myself, I think it's so pretty. I will say though, that I was little sad to see your pretty hair cut short and dyed like this Kuon."

She shot a playful glare at her son who could only shrug.

"I do what the role requires."

Kuu nodded in approval. They'd had a light-hearted meal so far, just catching up on everything that everyone had done since they'd seen each other last, but a more pressing question weighed on Kuu's mind.

"So how did she find out?" He asked Kuon. He'd thought he'd said this quietly, but the girls on the other side of the table stopped talking when he asked as well.

Kuon tapped a nervous finger on the table, but simply took a sip of his water and said nothing.

"Kuon," Kuu said, his voice low, "I'm only asking because you were the one that wanted this kept quiet. I can understand telling your director and your screenwriter, especially since you requested us to do this and you would have needed permission. But we've been calling you by your real name all night. Hasn't fazed Kyoko-chan a bit. What's happened?"

Kyoko-chan looked as pale as the white plates they were eating off of, and Kuu felt some regret at that. But, he wanted to know what had happened with his boy that would make him so cavalier about someone else knowing. Had she found out all on her own? Had he told her? Were they truly that close? Kuu had to know, he didn't want anyone else taking advantage of his son.

"Kuu," said Juli softly as Kuon stayed silent, "Do we really need to get into this?"

"Yes," he replied firmly.

Kyoko shifted nervously, "Tsuruga-san, if you-"

"Don't! Don't call me that," Kuon cut her off sharply and Kuu's eyebrows raised as Kyoko flinched slightly. Juli stared between the two of them, concern clear on her face.

"Kuon, if she's supposed to call you that when you're in public, don't reprimand her like that! It's rude, and unnecessary," Juli scolded him. Kuon pinched the bridge of his nose, then rubbed harshly as his face.

"I'm sorry Mogami-san. I didn't mean to snap like that. Mom's right, it's rude. Dad, I told her. We knew each other as kids. We were friends then, and I couldn't keep quiet, not when I was effectively lying about it to her face, even as we reignited our friendship."

Kuon sent him a challenging stare and Kuu held up a hand in surrender, "Hey, I just wanted to make sure you were alright. That's all. I had no idea something like finding an old friend is what sparked this. If that's the case, I am beyond happy for you."

Kyoko piped up again, uncertainty coloring her tone of voice, "Um, I can leave, take care of the dishes in the kitchen if you guys need some time-"

"You're fine Mogami-san," Kuon reassured her, then turned to them again, "Look, Mom, Dad, I'm just taking it one step at a time here. I have found that I genuinely enjoy working in Japan. It's been...incredibly fulfilling. I think I've grown a lot. Do I know yet if I want to be known as Hizuri Kuon again? No, I still have no idea. But, I'm sick and tired of not talking with you, of not sharing things with you, of not being a family. I don't know how it would work, since I want to stay in Japan and keep working, but that's what I want."

Kuu and Juli looked at each other, a familiar longing springing up between them. Kuu looked away and studied the grain of the table as Juli spoke for the both of them.

"We want that too. If we just have to pre-plan a ton so we can spend time together, we will. We didn't do that when you were a kid, and that was our fault. We were...lackadaisical at best when trying to make sure we always had family time to spend together when you were growing up. If you think of this place as home now, we're not going to demand you do something crazy like come see us every weekend, when our home is all the way over in the U.S."

Kuu cut in then, "I do demand at least two vacations spent together a year."

His outrageously childish pout as he said it broke the rest of the tension in the group and a ripple of amusement ran through the room.

"I think I can manage that," said Kuon, a bright smile coming across his face. Kuu thought it was the best damned thing he'd seen all day. Kuu grabbed his glass and took a swig, and caught sight of the bittersweet look on Kyoko's face. He set his cup down gently, and tried to figure out a way to change the subject.

"Kyoko-chan! With the seriousness," she giggled a little at the ridiculous face he made as he said that, "...out of the way, tell me about your role. What's changed since we talked last?"

Kyoko looked stumped for a second, but then her face lightened, "Oh! We got the rest of the story! The Yoneda Matriarch, the okaa-sama problem I told you about, you remember it?"

"Sure do!" He replied, while Juli and Kuon looked on, curious.

"It got better!" Kyoko smiled brightly, "Sugaya-san even made me cry in our scene the other day! She was amazing!"

Kuon interjected, "Wait, why was it amazing to cry?"

Juli just sighed and shook her head, "It happens, idiot son of mine."

Kuon looked affronted but Kuu shoved a hand in his son's face to shut him up, "Tell me more Kyoko-chan."

Kuon spluttered behind his hand and Kyoko let out a quietly horrified giggle but Kuu just urged her to go on with her story.

"Okay, so, Yayoi gets widowed, right? It's this whole thing. Atsushi-san was amazing at being such a loving husband, by the way."

The look on Kuon's face turned sour then and Kuu distracted him again by stuffing part of a daifuku in his mouth. (Kyoko made delicious daifuku and Kuu knew that even Kuon couldn't complain about eating one.)

"Go on then, sweetie," said Juli as Kyoko looked at Kuon with some concern as he tried to swallow the part of the sweet his father had smashed onto his face.

"Um, alright. So the Yoneda family had such a strained relationship, and it was because Michitada disapproved of Yayoi getting married so young, but the okami-san, played by Sugaya-san, approved it anyway when Michitada was bedridden in the hospital from a mugging."

"What?!" Juli gasped, "Why would a wife do that when the husband disapproved?"

"Because she cared so much!" said Kyoko, partly wailing now.

"The okami-san just wanted her kids to have a place they could call home again, and she thought Yayoi being married to a man who loved her that much would mean that she would think of the place as home again! Of course, no one in the Yoneda family had any idea that Yayoi's poor husband was a survivor of the A-bomb, and that there was no way the marriage could last. Yayoi herself only learns that later, but the okami-san just wanted her daughter to feel like she had a home again!"

Juli sniffed along with Kyoko and Kuu rolled his eyes, "Twisted bit of logic there. What about what Yayoi wanted?"

"I know, right?" muttered Kuon, having finished the bit of daifuku.

Juli shot the pair a dirty look, "Sometimes what mothers do doesn't make sense to others, alright?!"

"They're just...they're just flawed human beings you know?!" said Kyoko, still sniffing, "They make bad choices sometimes, but they do it because they care so much!"

She began to cry at this, the tears running down her cheeks and Juli patted her sympathetically on the back.

"I get it, I get it. So this Sugaya-san, she did a scene with you that made you cry?" asked Juli.

"Yeah...She was just so good in it, you know? It was this scene in which Yayoi is given the last note Daisuke ever wrote to her, and the okami-san finally tells the truth about why she said yes to the marriage. So this scene is talking about how Daisuke and Yayoi had made each other this promise that because they had lost so much, they wanted to make the place feel like the home that they were both trying to find again and-"

"Oh, oh no. That's so rough," said Juli. Kuu and Kuon exchanged a look, feeling a little guilty again as Kyoko sniffed some more, and tried to mop up her tears.

Juli patted her again in sympathy, "A painful scene to be sure. But that's a good truth to have between mother and daughter. I can't say I disagree with the concept either."

"What? What does that mean?" asked Kuon, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Juli smiled over at him, as she patted Kyoko one last time, "I've always thought 'home' wasn't a place; it was people. They are the people you can tell all your woes to, and all your triumphs. They are the ones you want to see after a hard day's work. They are where you go when your mind, heart, and soul need rest. That place, that warm, loving place where you are together, it doesn't matter where it is, so long as you are together. That place, that is 'home'."

Juli caught Kuu's hand with hers and smiled at him. Kuu felt his heart race as she did and he drew her hand to his lips to press a kiss to the back of it.

"Well said, wife of mine."

"Well, you taught it to me, husband dearest."

They smiled at each other. They didn't notice, but Kyoko and Kuon looked away, embarrassed to see such a private sight. Kuu once more found himself feeling gratitude over the fateful phone call from two weeks ago.

Kyoko, as she watched Ren watch his parents, could only agree with what Juli had said.

Home wasn't a place, it was people.

…

Ren had the distinct feeling of self-consciousness creeping in on him. He didn't much care for the feeling. In his many years away from home, he'd forgotten the peculiar awareness he felt whenever he knew his mother and father were on set with him.

Act Six began from Jack's perspective, with his prologue and narration, then with his ship docking in Tokyo Bay. Jack then sent out Burnham to personally deliver both his message, and Daisuke's last words. The scene directly after that one for Jack, was one where he received his next orders for his unit. So while the first act of episode six was primarily exposition for both Jack and Yayoi and took place over the span of a week, the second act covered a much larger span of time. To keep the running time reasonable, there were brief scenes of Jack and his unit in several different locations, and included them fighting the enemy, or delivering supplies, or escorting bigger cargo supply ships.

Essentially, they had to cover the span of time from early 1951, to late 1953, when Jack resigned his commission, with his contract with the US NAVY finally fulfilled. As they had filmed the military combat and engagement along with the rest of the footage needed for Act Five, Ren's work on Act Six began with his resignation scene. As his parents had only been able to wrangle five days free from their schedule (and that included their travel time), their shooting time was set for right after he finished this scene. Shingai wanted to work with them himself, but didn't want his AD to direct Ren's scene, so Shingai had decided to just do them one right after the other.

Ren normally wouldn't mind this one bit, however, this particular scene hit a little close to home. He tried his best to bury that feeling deep though. His embarrassing rehearsal was still fresh in his mind, as was Kyoko's challenge. I'll be waiting on the battlefield. He wanted to knock this scene out of the park for more than one reason, but he still appreciated the motivation that challenging demand gave him.

After she'd touched up his hair and clothes once last time, Konou-san, his makeup artist, stepped back and gave him a long look.

"Ready?" she asked softly.

He nodded, his resolve growing stronger.

A smile flickered over her face, "Kick it in the ass. You've got some people to impress."

Ren smiled in return as she glanced over at his parents. This was a small, intimate scene, and so was the one his parents were doing. Such scenes didn't require a large amount of crew, so Konou-san was one of the few members of the crew that were on set with them. Ren had even asked Yashiro to refrain from attending. While Ren and Lory had finally come clean to Yashiro about what Tsuruga Ren's real name was (as it had become harder to hide it than to just be honest), Ren knew he would have felt even more self-conscious with his manager there as well. He could only be thankful that Lory was in Tokyo.

As it stood anyways, there'd been murmurings all morning because the resemblance was truly uncanny. No one had dared approached him about it, likely at the behest of the director. Regardless, he appreciated Konou-san's remarks all the same. He nodded to her and then took his mark. He was ready.

…

"Lt Cmdr Taylor, please, come in. Have a seat!"

Jack's CO was an older, jovial gentleman and often commented that Jack reminded him a great deal of his grandfather. It used to be, that Jack was happy whenever he'd heard that. But he'd grown since then. Commander Johnson peered out at him over a pair of bifocals, and ushered him further inside his office. Jack chose to stand instead of sit, tucking his uniform cap beneath his arm and placing papers on the commander's desk.

"This won't take long sir, I just wanted to make sure you signed off on these."

"Ah, yes, my secretary informed me you weren't re-upping your contract," said Commander Johnson as he picked up the papers to look them over.

"No sir, I'm not."

"Terrible shame that, your grandfather wanted you to make a career out of it, like he did."

A muscle in Jack's jaw flexed, but his tone was neutral when he replied, "While I'm grateful that my grandfather's recommendation helped me become a commissioned officer, I find that I'm...more fulfilled doing other work."

Commander Johnson's eyebrows raised as his gaze flicked back up to Jack instead of the paperwork.

"Not to play the devil's advocate, but you've got one of the best track records of any men under me. You were being fast-tracked for promotion at every point in your career. Pardon me if I'm a little, disbelieving as it were, but why the change of heart? You had fire in you boy."

Behind his back, Jack's fist curled and uncurled. Once more, he forced his tone into neutrality, "So it was. Does it matter how it happened? I've fulfilled the terms of my contract, have I not?"

His CO's eyes narrowed and he tossed the papers down on his desk.

"Your grandfather intended you to live up to his legacy, even surpass it. Your track record shows you were well on your way to do so. And what the boys in DC want right now, is a success story. Your grandfather was smart enough to calculate all that. All this, it's played out just as your grandfather intended."

"And I believe history will judge us not for our intentions, but for the actions we choose to take," Jack responded sharply.

A deep frown creased the folds of Commander Johnson's face, "You're walking a fine line Taylor. They aren't going to leave you be. Not with McCarthy on the warpath."

"With respect sir, no I'm not. I'm taking myself off the board of play," Jack tugged out another piece of paper from his inner coat pocket, and placed it on his CO's desk.

Commander Johnson let out an agitated hiss of breath, "Taylor this better not be what I think it is."

"If you think it's my proof of documentation for Japanese citizenship, then yes, it is what you think it is."

"Damn it Taylor!" Commander Johnson stood abruptly and shoved the piece of paper back at Jack. Jack shoved it back in his pocket as his CO glared at him fiercely.

"Your grandfather never would have allowed this!"

"Then it's probably a good thing that my grandmother disowned me, hm? There will be nary a mark left to the Taylor name."

"Don't get smart with me boy!"

Jack met the commander's gaze unflinchingly, his shoulders back and his head held high, "My parents named me Junichi Jackson Taylor."

There was a ringing silence, and then Jack spoke again, "Not boy, not Pete Taylor's grandson. I am Junichi Jackson Taylor. It's about time I was honest about that."

His CO's eyes were wide and disbelieving, but Jack was done. He put his cap back on, gave Johnson one last look, gestured to the paperwork, then said, "You can send that to me at my new address in Tokyo. You can't miss it, it's right near the Embassy."

Junichi Jackson Taylor gave Johnson one last smile, then turned and exited.

...

Ren's self-consciousness abruptly resurfaced when he stepped off set once Shingai cleared him to, when he saw his parents were waiting for him.

They held their arms out, and Ren couldn't help but step into them. His mother let out a loud sniff, and said something about her handsome, lovely son, but Ren couldn't make out much more buried in the three-way hug as they were. After some more sniffling, his mother stepped back and placed her hand on his cheek.

"You were so good Kuon," she whispered, "So, so good. You sounded so fierce and proud. I'm so proud of you!"

Kuu thumped him hard on his back when his mother stepped away. Ren went to protest how hard it was, only to find himself on the receiving end of his father's tremulous smile.

"Dad?" He asked, concerned.

Kuu just kept smiling, and then finally managed to get out the words.

"Great work today, son."

Ren found himself blinking back tears as he unexpectedly found himself remembering one of his last US-based productions when he was fourteen. His father had been there the last day, had hugged him tight when he'd done his last scene, and said those same words, great work today, son.

"Thanks Dad," he replied, his voice hoarse with emotion.

Then, without any shame or self-consciousness whatsoever, Ren pulled both his parents into another hug and held on tight.

…

"Are you alright sir?" asked Iwasaki-san as Shingai blew his nose into his handkerchief.

While his voice cracked tellingly, Shingai replied with certainty, "I'm good. I just can't believe I got to witness that happening. We're making magic here. We really are. Today's a good day."

Iwasaki smiled and shook his head a little before he noticed one of the crew members getting distracted from the fog machine.

"Hey! Hey!" He called out to them, "More fog! Not less! This is a hazy memory! Come on guys! Quit getting distracted!"

He winced a little as that came out and glanced worriedly at Shingai. He breathed a sigh of relief when Shingai waved him on.

Iwasaki hurried over to the lighting team as he saw them put on too orange of a light filter for their big spotlight.

"Too orange!" he shouted, "Too much! Tone it down. Come on people. This is a hazy memory!"

Shingai chuckled a little as he saw his AD whip the crew into a frenzy to fix up their last scene of the day. He checked the time on his watch as he saw the kid they cast walk in with his mom. They were a bit early, but ah well, he'd roll with it. He was having a good day.

He beckoned them over and gave them the directions they needed. After getting that squared away, he went to his preferred handheld camera he used for close-up, intimate scenes. The upcoming scene, since Shingai had had a specific image he wanted to show, was one where the audience would primarily focus on Jack's parents, and do so from Jack's point of view. They would walk beneath blooming cherry blossom trees in an arboretum, and would be swinging kid Jack as they walked along. All the while, Shingai would keep the camera behind the boy, and angle it up to mimic his point of view.

They'd have to fill in the arboretum in post-processing, as cherry blossoms were out of season. Shingai had loved the idea, so it was work he didn't mind doing, and luckily, their partial inside/outside set up they were using had a conveniently placed walking path. And he had fake blossoms and fake petals at the ready. As he saw the Hizuris detach themselves from each other, Shingai motioned for Kuu and Juli to go over to their places.

As they took their spots, playing around a little with the boy they'd cast, Shingai watched for Iwasaki's signal. Once it was given, Shingai felt himself smile. He couldn't help it, he was eager to see the final result.

…

"Mom, mom! Are these your favorite?" Jack asked, showing a blossom to his mother and eager for her to respond.

"They sure are sweetie," Jack's mother smiled down at him, "Aren't they pretty?"

He felt himself nod, "Yeah!"

"Say it with me son, sakura."

Father and son repeated the word a couple more times before Jack got distracted again.

"Kiiiiite!"

His parents looked up at the sky, and Jack took the opportunity to start swinging himself between them. His parents laughed, and pulled him up, playing along. Jack did this for a little while longer before he spotted something else.

He paused in his walking, and pulled his hands free from his parents' grip. Once Jack walked near enough, he could see what was on the tree properly.

"A ribbon?"

His mother stepped up close to him, "Oh, now this is something I've not seen in some time."

His father stepped closer, "What's it mean?"

"Old legend says, if you a tie a ribbon on a tree, it'll help make your wish come true."

"Is that right?" said Jack's father softly, running his fingers over the knot in the ribbon.

Jack yanked on it though, trying to get it off, "I like the color though, I want it!"

His mother closed her fingers around his, "No, Jack. You don't get to have this."

He pouted, "Why not?!"

"It's a wish remember? If you take it off, it won't come true."

Jack stopped yanking on it, not wanting his mother to keep making that disappointed face, "Oh, ok. Can't I put a ribbon on the tree then?"

His mother hummed in thought, "I think any kind of cloth will do. Here," she tore a bit off from the frayed hem of her yellow skirt.

Jack frowned at it, "But it's not red."

"Well, yellow is important too."

"It is?" He looked at her suspiciously, and both his parents chuckled.

"Yellow is important. I promise. It can mean hope, it can mean joy. It's even a symbol for the season of spring. Oh, you remember the daffodils I grow? Those yellow flowers and how early they bloom? They're some of the earliest blooms I get. It lets me know spring is coming," Jack's mother smiled down at him and he giggled a little as she chucked him under his chin.

His dad ruffled his hair, "Want us to help you tie it, son?"

"Yes please!" Jack said. The three of them picked one of the lower branches, and Jack tossed the ribbon over the tree limb, his mother grabbing one part of the cloth, and his dad the other.

"Alright kiddo," said his mom, "Make a wish!"

Jack squeezed his eyes shut and made his wish. When he opened his eyes again, the three of them had tied it on. His parents smiled down at him and Jack was pretty sure his wish would come true.

Remember. Remember this moment. Remember this forever.

…

Ren and Kyoko managed to wrangle enough time free in their schedule, with Yashiro's cooperation, to spend some time with his parents the last day they were on site with them. For Kyoko, it was a genuine joy for her to watch Ren and his parents reconnect. As they toured around the premises together, and enjoyed the autumn blossoms in the gardens they were near, Kyoko got the sense that Ren's parents also genuinely didn't mind that she tagged along. Kuu really liked her cooking, and apparently Juli really wanted to know more about her son's old childhood friend. It was such a difference from being around Kanae's family, or even around Shotaro's, that Kyoko didn't even realize what about it felt so weird until she and Ren were actually saying their farewells to them.

Both Kuu, then Juli pulled her in for a hug after they had hugged him, then Juli smiled and said, "I'm so happy we got to spend time with you. You're so fun to be around."

"And smart too. You keep my boy on his toes, hm?" Kuu winked at her as she blushed.

(They may have witnessed an incident in which Ren attempted to help her in the kitchen and Kyoko had turned to him, smiled sweetly, then said, "You? In my kitchen? Tsuruga-san, as your friend, I urge you to recall the last time you tried this, and in which you burned scrambled eggs. You still have much more to learn, my cooking kouhai." Ren had sulked. It had been adorable.)

But it was then, as they said their goodbyes, that Kyoko had finally understood. Shotaro's parents had never said things like you're fun to be around and Kanae's family had never said things like you're smart, hm? With Shotaro's parents, it had always been worry, concern, and despair at trying to raise a child they'd not anticipated that they would need to raise. Kanae's family, as fun as they were, had never once asked her about herself, only things about Kanae.

Kuu and Juli had wanted to know her, truly know her, as she was. They were genuinely curious, and honest about their curiosity. They were like the okami-san and taisho of the Darumaya. Something warm and fuzzy bloomed within her then, and Kyoko found herself smiling as she waved at them as they were driven away in the car sent by LME.

"Thank you for letting me spend time with them Ren," said Kyoko softly.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her hair, "I had an ulterior motive you know. We've hardly been able to spend time together this past week. They were just a good way to get time alone with you."

A laugh was surprised out of Kyoko and she shoved his arm off of her, "Oh you're such a liar. Konou-san and Nagahama-san were totally gossiping about how many times you guys were hugging on set."

Ren shrugged it off, throwing her a teasing glance, "Whatever you'd like to believe. Two birds, one stone."

She rolled her eyes, "You're impossible."

"You love it," came his quick response. Kyoko blushed again, twirling a bit of her hair so she could distract herself from him saying something like that.

They entered the lobby of the building about then, and Yashiro looked up from his planner, "They get sent off ok?"

"Yeah. Thanks for all your help Yashiro-san," said Ren.

Yashiro smiled back at him, "No problem. That's what a good manager is for. Isn't it so much easier for me to do my job when I have all the facts?"

His pointed emphasis did not go unnoticed and Kyoko snickered while Ren looked abashed.

"Ahha, indeed. Can I just apologize again for this summer?"

"You may," responded Yashiro graciously.

Ren bowed a little, his tone a touch sardonic as he spoke, "So kind of you to accept my many apologies."

Kyoko giggled when Yashiro sniffed haughtily.

"I need to get to my scene at the teahouse, so I'll see you guys later, alright?" Kyoko piped up.

The two of them waved her off, and she left the lobby, sighing in contentment. It'd been a long couple days, but they'd been good ones. She thought again to Ren's words the first night his parents had come. I'm taking it one step at a time. She could appreciate that philosophy.

…

When it happened, it was when Kinji least expected it. They'd only had a week left, and he'd spent most of his time on shift clearing out their personnel badges in their system that let them access the rooms they needed in the building. He was behind their security desk, tossing another pile in their bin when he caught sight of an oddly bundled up pair.

He recognized Morizumi Kimiko on second glance, but stayed ducked out of sight, and she and her companion sailed right by, and the man with her carried a camera bag. She did it so confidently, Kinji could only assume she'd been watching him for some time. She must have made note of when he did badge clear-outs. It would be the only thing that would make him pay less attention to their cameras in their lobby.

Since Morizumi would then be working on the assumption she hadn't even been noticed, Kinji thought that maybe he might then have the advantage. She was down the hallway now, so he got out his walkie talkie and patched a message through to the security team on set with the cast and crew.

"Bogey spotted. Notify Yashiro Yukihito."

Static came through and then, "Notified."

Kinji smiled slightly as he watched Morizumi turn a corner.

Morizumi Kimiko, trespassing is a crime you know.

...

Ren was exiting the dining hall when the call came through from Yashiro. Ren paused near the A/V room as Yashiro related Kinji-san's message and sighed. He knew their good vibe had been too good to last. Grimly he wondered what kind of trick she'd use this time.

On the Lotus set, it had been pulling emergency handles, causing people to evacuate. Maddeningly, she had never been caught, and until Uesugi Hiou had overheard one of her phonecalls at his family's dojo, they'd not realized she'd had a person on the inside. They'd been able to handle it once they'd gained that one vital piece of information.

Kinji-san and Momose-san had informed them about the trouble with her and Ogata's AD from his last production and the resulting consequences. Ogata had eventually got it under control, but still Ren wondered. What would she do this time? Would it escalate?

"Keep an eye out, we don't know which of us she'll come across firs-"

Ren didn't catch the rest of what Yashiro said because he caught sight of Morizumi just then. He disconnected the call, and brought up the recording app on his phone and turned it on, then slid the phone into his shirt pocket, where it would more easily pick up sounds.

He did this not a moment too soon, as Morizumi looked around her, and over her shoulder, and saw him.

"Tsuruga-san! I'm so glad I got to see you!"

"Well, color me surprised Morizumi-san. What brings you here?"

What exactly had Morizumi put together for that matter? Did she know he was CEO of Riverbank? Or did she only know of Yashiro and the inquiries he'd made? Did she know that it was Ogata that had tipped them off at the TraMa premiere so Yashiro could further deepen his investigation? Ren studied the unconcerned smile plastered on her face, and felt his unease deepen.

"Your casting director put out a call for extras for the festival you all are doing in this part of your production, and I got lucky enough to be included!"

Nanaka-san had done no such thing. People in town had offered to set up a historical recreation of one of their shrine festivals for the event in question-with the help of base personnel, and Shingai and others on the production had happily accepted. But Morizumi lied so flawlessly about it, that if Ren hadn't known the truth already, he would have been hard-pressed not to believe her.

"Is that right? Good for you!"

"Truly, it was pure luck!" Morizumi leaned in closer, and Ren took a step backwards.

"One question Morizumi-san," said Ren softly.

"Yes?" she batted her eyelashes and leaned in closer. Ren barely held back a snort of disgust.

"If you're here as an extra, why are you in our lodging building? For that matter, why did you bring your own personal photographer?"

He tossed his bag down the hallway, the material of it letting it slide quite far down, about to where he'd pinpointed seeing a lens peek around a corner. He heard muffled cursing down that way, and Morizumi paled, and whipped around.

"Should I leave?" the voice drifted out to them and he thought he heard Morizumi growl in frustration.

She swung back around and glared at him. Ren raised an imperious eyebrow. Morizumi sneered and shouted back at the photographer.

"Get the shot, or don't get paid."

Ren stared her down, "Luck, was it? Did you really think this was going to work?"

"Perception is all that matters Tsuruga-san," she said as a cruel smile twitched her lips upward. Ren continued to be unimpressed.

"You're just giving me more ammunition you know," He warned her.

She scoffed, "Ammunition for what? How easy of a target you are?"

That… didn't even make sense, but Ren hadn't really expected her to. As he was contemplating this, Morizumi's eyes widened and she stared past him at something. Ren turned to look, only to feel her grab his upper arms and yank him closer to her. Almost immediately, he shoved her away, but even as he glared at her in fury, she smirked.

"I got it Morizumi-san!" came the voice down the corridor. Morizumi's smirk widened.

"Thanks for your cooperation, Tsuruga-san."

"I wasn't cooperating," he snarled back at her, beyond done with her immature and childish tricks, "What you are doing though, is actually against the law. You're trespassing, and you know it."

"So what if I'm trespassing? I'm done here now," she leaned in closer, her features twisting into something ugly as she spat out her next words, low and ugly, "The more I get in your way, the more your wonderful manager has to deal with the consequences."

Ren's temper flared and he stepped closer. He'd not wanted to use his size for intimidation, not when such a situation could be misconstrued, but, he found himself unable to refrain from doing so.

"Whatever stupid, childish tricks you try, he'll tie you up in so much legalese it'll make you wish you'd never even heard the name Yashiro Yukihito."

"Well, that's a flattering remark on my capabilities there, Ren."

Ren looked up from where he was glaring down at the girl, smiling in satisfaction as he heard his manager's voice. Kinji-san, Kotonami-san and Kyoko were with him, and they dragged the photographer with them.

As soon as Morizumi caught sight of Kinji she curled her hands into fists.

"What is this?!" She hissed.

It was Kyoko who answered, as sweet a smile on her face as her words were ruthless, "Oh my, what disgraceful behavior. Weren't you ever taught how to greet your betters?"

"Kyoko-chan!" Yashiro gasped, while everyone else could only stare, shocked by the rudeness.

"Oh I apologize. It is impolite to scold another in public isn't it?" Kyoko smiled sweetly again, but the cold anger in her voice was obvious.

She let out a chuckle then, and said, "I'm just so amused that she thought this would actually work."

"Shut up!" Morizumi snarled.

Ren, now having stepped away from her, shot her a disapproving look.

"Morizumi-san-" he started, but was interrupted by Kyoko.

"Oh I imagine she believes her attitude to be completely in the right, don't you Morizumi-san? You like to believe you're above us don't you? You reek of the kind of entitlement that's let you get away with bad behavior like this," Kyoko took her kimono sleeve and raised it to her face as if to mask a foul stench as she said this.

There was a long, stunned silence as everyone marveled over Kyoko's viciousness even as Morizumi glared at her, visibly enraged. Kyoko slid forward suddenly, startling Morizumi-san into stepping backwards and further away from Ren.

"Do us all a favor Morizumi and don't lower our collective IQs by acting like you got in here by mistake. You act for shit in any case. You're trespassing, and you did it deliberately to cause trouble," Kyoko's sneer was harsh and spiteful and Morizumi's face bloomed a humiliated red.

While the rest seemed speechless still, Kyoko spoke again, "Apologize to Tsuruga-san for your behavior. And apologize to Yashiro-san and the rest of us for wasting our time."

"Kyoko-chan!" came Yashiro-san's aghast whisper. Kyoko just stared the other woman down until Morizumi could no longer look her in the eye.

"Apologize," demanded Kyoko.

Morizumi looked to the side, obviously seething, then spat out the words, "I apologize for my behavior."

"And?"

"And for wasting your time," Morizumi snarled.

Kyoko sent her another merciless smile, "Good girl. Now leave. Kinji-san would love to escort you out."

Morizumi shot her one more humiliated glare but let Kinji-san take her arm. Something deep in Kyoko purred in satisfaction and she crossed her arms and smiled as she watched it happen. Kanae grabbed the man's camera and he protested before Kyoko silenced him with a glare.

"Get the memory card," said Yashiro, still sounding faintly appalled.

"That's my property!" the man protested.

"And you used it, and a camera, on a premises that deliberately bans such actions unless you have the proper authorization. But hopefully, Morizumi-san here will pay your legal fees," Yashiro smiled sunnily at the horrified looks on both their faces.

He and Kinji then marched them back down the corridor once Kanae had given them the camera and memory card. Kanae waved them farewell sarcastically, then started typing away on her phone, her fingers flying over her keyboard. The action reminded Ren of his own, and he pulled his phone out and stopped his recording app. He then sent the file to Yashiro, so it would be taken care of as needed.

After a moment, Ren cleared his throat, "Mogami-san."

Kyoko glanced at him, raising one questioning eyebrow.

Ren spoke up hesitantly, "Wasn't that a little harsh?"

Kyoko smirked, "I don't know, was it? I was simply trying to employ skills you've taught me about unprofessional behavior in the workplace. You've taught me well, don't you think so?"

Something about the glint in her eye struck Ren as disproportionately satisfied. Before he could say anything though, Kyoko went to Kanae's side and peered down at her phone.

"Notifying Koenji-san?"

"Yep. And Hiou-kun. He wanted to be told."

"Ah, good plan. I should do the same with Momose-san. Well, Tsuruga-san, we have to get back to set, but I'm sure we'll meet you for dinner with Yashiro-san later," Kyoko had on her typical sunny smile as she said this, and that dashed most of Ren's worry.

She and Kanae walked off, talking to each other, and notifying the others involved, and Ren stared after her.

He had the lingering feeling that he was missing something.

…

"I hope you're aware that your behavior earlier was unacceptable."

Kyoko only glanced over at him, her face clearly spelling out how ludicrous she felt that comment was as she tossed her purse down on her bed. Yashiro's lips thinned in frustration as he saw it. Kyoko had seemed perfectly fine the rest of the day, but when he'd caught Ren looking at her in concern as well when they'd all met up for dinner, Yashiro had requested that Kotonami-san steer clear of their dorm room so he could talk to Kyoko alone. Clearly Kyoko had been expecting such a thing to happen, because she didn't even blink when she saw him.

Yashiro paced a little, then turned to face her, "I'm not kidding. That out there, earlier, I don't want to see it again. It was unnecessary, and unacceptable."

Kyoko, to his surprise, simply scoffed, and looked away, "Yashiro-san, surely you haven't forgotten how spiteful a person I can be when I'm angered."

The flippancy of her words, the arrogance of her tone, it left him speechless. He paced again, running a hand through his hair in agitation.

"You will listen to me in this. We were done with this Morizumi problem. After months of me grinning and bearing it, and wrangling every damn story I could out of people, and remember, I began this to protect you and to protect Ren, this was simply the icing on the cake. And that's when you decide to be reckless? No, not on my watch. Not again."

Kyoko glared over her shoulder at him, "Of course I get scolded over this. Why not? It seems any time I try to stand up for myself, I get scolded. I suppose I should just get used to it by now."

"Damn it Kyoko-chan! What you need to be, is self-aware. Stand up for yourself, fine, defend what you need to, fine, but that, that behavior earlier, that was more than that. And you know it! You know it! It was unnecessary to go that far, and you were mean, and you were cruel. And I know you're better than that! I know it!"

"Isn't it that you just would like me to be?" replied Kyoko snidely, "Isn't that just like people. They want you to be nice, to rise above it. But guess what? I'm petty."

Yashiro returned her glowering look, stare for stare, "I know I'm right. And I know I'm right because I have been watching you for nearly two years. And I have watched you grow. The Kyoko that I admire, the one that I see, every day that we are together, is the girl that is kind. She's considerate, generous, and strong. That's the girl I am proud to call my client. The girl I'm proud to call a rising star of LME."

"That out there," he pointed in the direction of the door for emphasis, "That out there was nothing but a spiteful schoolgirl rubbing her rival's face in the fact that she had lost. Am I wrong Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko's chin trembled as she fought back tears. It was all for nothing, and hot tears began to run down her face, as she looked away, her hands clenched in the folds of her skirt. She shook her head almost imperceptibly and heard Yashiro sigh. She felt his hand on her shoulder then, patting it gently while he made soft hushing noises to try to soothe her.

"We've effectively neutralized the Morizumi influence, but that made me worry. It really did. Don't worry me like that, alright?"

Kyoko nodded as she sniffled, and Yashiro handed her a handkerchief to blow her nose.

"I'm sorry Yashiro-san, I'm so sorry. She just made me so, so angry. I know it's stupid, I do," Kyoko blew into the hankie and Yashiro made more shushing noises.

"It seems so stupid now. You must think I'm so childish. God, I don't even want to imagine what Ren will say about my behavior. I know he loves me, and accepts that I have a temper, but he must be disappointed in me. Right!?"

Kyoko turned a tearful gaze on him, and Yashiro blinked down at his charge, astonished. There was a long silence, and Kyoko cocked her head.

"Yashiro-san?" Her face turned pale then, "Oh no! You think he'll yell at me don't you?! That's why you're not saying anything!"

"Kyoko...Kyoko-chan," tried Yashiro, his voice cracking in his shock, but Kyoko talked over him.

"He's gonna yell at me! He'll tell me that I'm the worst kouhai he's ever had, and that I was dumb to even-"

"Kyoko-chan!" Yashiro finally managed to shout over her, "Kyoko-chan! You know he loves you?!"

Kyoko turned white and she tried to wiggle away, but Yashiro held her in place.

"Do not try to run from this! If you can't be honest with me, then I'm going to assume the worst," he told her, his voice hard as he studied her.

"The worst? What's you worst?" She asked, her tone more panicked than before.

"That you know he loves you and you're just messing around! Ren is actually pretty fragile, if you haven't noticed. You're a lot stronger than he is!"

Kyoko tore her gaze away from his and muttered down at the floor, "I'm not though. I'm not."

Yashiro felt all the wind disappear from his sails and he let out a sigh, releasing her. The two of them slid down to the floor, Yashiro's back against Kotonami's bed and Kyoko's back to hers. They stared at each other for a long moment before Yashiro pulled off his glasses and rubbed a hand across his face.

"You are strong Kyoko-chan. From what you've told me, you've known a lot of betrayal. And still, you make friends so easily. You still trust in others. You believe that their default nature is 'good'. Ren doesn't. He...tolerates people."

"There's some people he likes," she mumbled back.

"Sure. That's true. And of all the people he likes-short list that there is, you're the one he trusts the most. Please, I am begging you here. Please be honest with me. Have you said those words to each other?"

Kyoko glanced away again, "...No."

"Then how did you find out?"

Kyoko swallowed, and she tapped the toes of her boots together nervously, "It's...uh...it's in the little things, you know? It used to be, he didn't really know what love really was like, you know? I told him once, that he would know it, would know it's beginnings, if there was someone that he would look at, and if their smile made him happy, that was the beginning."

Yashiro stared at the girl in front of him, trying to comprehend this. She looked away, her words quiet, but strong as she continued to speak.

"I know, because he does things to make me smile. I know, because he worries. I know, because he chooses to tell me things about himself, that he would tell no one else. He's honest. And I can't not be honest back."

A tear slipped down her cheek and she covered her mouth with her hand and sniffed.

Yashiro was hard-pressed to not hold back his own tears. Funnily enough, he found himself being honest.

"My niece you met. I was eleven when she was born."

Yashiro saw Kyoko look over at him in confusion, but he continued, "My sister was seventeen when she had her. She'd fallen in love with an older man, wasn't going to college, had a position with a company lined up after she graduated high-school. For all intents and purposes, they were a match made in heaven."

Kyoko sniffed some more, and wiped at her face with her sleeve. Yashiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Except now, her older man has had an affair, has divorced her, and now she's thirty-four and thinks travelling the world with her daughter would be an exciting path to pursue. My niece has yet to graduate highschool, and wants to go to Todai, has been working her ass off to get in, but my sister thinks this is a wonderful idea."

"Yashiro-san?" asked Kyoko questioningly.

Yashiro put his glasses back on, and sent her the most serious look he could muster.

"What do you want to do when you're thirty-four Kyoko-chan?"

She stared at him, "Yashiro-san, I don't even know what I'm going to want for dinner tomorrow."

Yashiro snickered, he couldn't help himself.

"And if Ren says he wants to marry you tomorrow, what would you do?"

"Ask him if he's hit the whisky too much again," she gasped, scandalized.

Yashiro laughed, long and hard.

"Alright, alright. Then where do you see your relationship with him going?"

Kyoko worried at her bottom lip for a moment, "I don't...honestly Yashiro-san, we just have a lot of fun together. We've learned so much from each other, that...that sort of stuff...we could learn something new about each other tomorrow, you know? I want us to stay, just like this, taking it one step at a time."

Yashiro smiled, leaned over, and ruffled her hair, "That's a good answer."

"Thank you, for asking, Yashiro-san. For not letting me run away," said Kyoko, a long while later.

"You're welcome Kyoko-chan."

They exchanged smiles. Then Yashiro spoke again.

"And Kyoko-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"My friends call me Yuki."

"Thanks Yuki."

"You're welcome."

…

With only a week left of shooting, Kyoko was facing the end of their long time on set with a vastly different perspective then from when she'd first arrived. She felt as if she'd grown as an actress, as a student still learning about the different parts of the industry (though she most enjoyed wardrobe and make-up work outside of acting), and as a young woman.

And if the past week had taught her anything, what with the Hizuri visit and the Morizumi problem, it was that she still had a lot more to learn.

"How are you feeling Kyoko-chan?" asked Nagahama-san as she pulled out Kyoko's heels for the dance hall scene and had her put them on.

"Nervous," muttered Kyoko back.

"Understandable."

In the Oguso part of the storyline, the years that passed for Yayoi before she saw Jack again felt both short, and like an eternity, or so it was described in their script. It felt short, because Yayoi had begun tutoring and teaching more and more students, both in traditional arts and in the philosophy she'd learned from her father.

Additionally, Yayoi had chosen to adopt from the orphanage. Shion-chan, the baby Yayoi had once come across as she was being left on the orphanage's doorstep when she was fifteen, had grown into a bright, vivacious girl. And Shion-chan loved the tea ceremony. With the rest of the Yonedas' permission, Yayoi had chosen to adopt her.

Those years also felt like an eternity, because when Yayoi would read something new from her father's library, like Akutagawa or Camus, she would then turn excitedly to the other people she was around to discuss it, only to realize no one would be there to listen. The more Yayoi felt fulfilled by her duties and her purpose as the scion of the Yoneda Family, the more distant and disconnected she felt without someone around who could truly define her. She'd lost the surety that she'd once held that people truly knew her, knew her innermost thoughts and dreams. It felt...unbearably lonely.

Jack, conversely, had been lucky enough to come across Yayoi twice before they met again at an officer's retirement party in a dance hall in 1955. Yayoi hadn't known either time that he'd been there. The first time, had been an autumn festival in 1954. Shion-chan had gotten lost in a crowd, trying to keep up with her cat, and had stumbled across Jack.

Jack, even though it'd been years since he'd seen the girl last, had recognized her. He reintroduced himself to her, and through their brief conversation, Jack had come to figure out that Yayoi had adopted her. He'd looked for the Yonedas in the crowd, and helped her find them again. But when Shion-chan had turned to introduce him, he was already lost in the crowd again.

The second time he'd come across Yayoi, he'd been in a cafe, getting a coffee, and overheard her quoting Camus to the group of kids that were with her. It had been the very first thing Yoneda Michitada had ever said to him, in fact. It is a great deal to fight while despising war, to accept losing everything while still preferring happiness, to face destruction while cherishing the idea of a higher civilization. It had struck him, like an arrow nocked on a bow and released, striking true.

Jack, even after he'd resigned, had not dared to approach the Yonedas. He could not face them after his failure. He did not have the courage. And it seemed, as opposed to Yayoi's longing, that the gods were actually testing Jack's resolve. And his resolve broke on their third meeting. The officer's retirement party at the dance hall.

As so Kyoko stood there, aggravated by her own nervousness over the scene, and eager to face Tsuruga Ren once more on the battlefield.

"Kyoko-chan," said Nagahama-san as she stepped away.

Kyoko looked at her, listening. Nagahama-san smiled.

"Chin up," Kyoko did so, "Shoulders back," Kyoko did this too, "And most importantly," Nagahama-san's tone trailed off meaningfully. Kyoko looked at her questioningly and the seamstress smiled again.

"Have fun!"

Kyoko smiled at the unexpected sight of Nagahama-san doing her best interpretation of jazz hands.

"I will Nagahama-san."

Kyoko took her mark, and waited for Shingai to call action, Yayoi restless and yearning deep inside her.

…

Yayoi sipped her champagne, then looked down at it with a frown. Bubbly drinks were fun, but they just refused to makes ones that tasted yummy. That was her opinion anyway. She sighed and set the champagne back down on the tray the wait staff carried about the party.

Her cousin Hina had long since disappeared, and Yayoi was swiftly returning to the state of loneliness that had made her say yes to her cousin's invitation in the first place. Mi-chan was so preoccupied with her kids these days, and Shion-chan was a little too old to be happy playing with them all the time. Yayoi had recently begun to realize that she genuinely missed their old girl's nights she and Mi-chan used to have.

Perhaps she could do a fun one for Shion-chan? Or do an overnight event at the Inn for Shion-chan and her classmates? It would at least give her something else to focus on, she thought as she contemplated checking out the dessert table again. It was near the musician set up, and that violinist was the best she'd ever heard. She contemplated this, wondering how she could wiggle past some of her father's old drinking buddies without being stopped and asked if she was thinking about marriage. She was a widow thank you very much, and wore that title proudly.

All of these thoughts came screeching to a halt when a waiter appeared in front of her with a white chrysanthemum on the cream and gold tray he held. The waiter bowed.

"From the gentleman at the railing Yoneda-sama."

She picked it up off the tray, studying it. One of the meanings of the flower was truth, and that suggested a puzzle of some sort. Who knew flowers like that? Who did she know that knew such things? An old student?

She searched the dance hall. There were two tiers, with an upper gallery for people to view dancers below on the main floor. She looked up, heading to the staircase, trying to see if she could catch sight of anyone.

She got to the upper gallery, and checked the cafe tables around the railing. As she came upon her fourth one, she caught sight of a blue violet on one of the seats. She readjusted her parameters. Blue violets meant faithfulness. Truth and faith? Have faith in the truth? Have faith in what you trust?

Another waiter passed by, and handed her a note, "The gentleman said to give it to the lady at the railing."

She thanked him and opened the note, more excited for her puzzle then she'd been in some time.

"When one is weary of one's work and devotion to duty…" Yayoi stopped, and stared at the familiar handwriting on the note. She knew those words, had held them deep in her heart since she was but a girl. The one other person who would know what those words meant to her…

"And what did you and father discuss this time?" Yayoi teased.

"Camus, as he likes to," his hazel eyes smiled down at her, and they said the words together, "Always there comes an hour when one is weary.."

They laughed quietly together.

Yayoi's hands trembled as she held the note, and a very familiar hand closed his fingers over hers, and brought one of her hands to his lips. She looked up, her heart racing.

Jack Taylor looked back down at her, and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her hand.

"Do you trust me?" Jack Taylor whispered down at her.

Yayoi, numb with disbelief, could only stare up at him, helplessly confused.

"I thought you were gone...You...you were supposed to be gone."

"I've been in Tokyo for over a year. That's where you can find me these days."

"You never...why didn't you ever come back?"

"I failed you. How could I have returned?"

Yayoi yanked her hand away, tears coming to her eyes.

"Goddamn you Jack Taylor."

He looked away, disappointment clear on his features, "I'll leave you to it then. I'm sorry to bother you."

He got one step away, before she spat out other words, "Why did you even bother with this…" she gestured angrily at the flowers and the note, "Why did you even bother to bring this up again, if you're so lacking in a spine that you turn away when I curse your name? Where's the man that stood in front of me years ago and demanded more?"

Jack Taylor wheeled back around, fire in his eyes, "Well, what happened to you?! What happened to your smile? I watched you for an hour down there! You stood around, sighed, sipped champagne, and God help me, but I was worried."

"Yeah, well, I grew up! There, no need to worry!" She shouted back. Neither individual noticed other dance hall attendees slowly moving back down to the main floor, away from the shouting match that looked like it was going to escalate.

"I am always going to worry Yayoi!"

"Why?!" She fairly screamed at him, her chest heaving, her hand crumpling the note she held.

"Because someone should! Because you spend so much goddamned time worrying about others, that you have none left over for you! And damnit, it might as well be me! I've been in love with you since I can't even remember when!" He shouted back.

"Cut!"

Both Kyoko and Ren were abruptly thrown back out of their characters when the clapperboard snapped shut between them. They both shot a glare at the crew member, who scurried away as quickly as he'd come.

They turned to look at their director. Shingai seemed unable to stop smiling, but was trying his best to cover it up, "Great energy guys, I'm really loving this, I am, ahem, but ah, Kyoko-san, can you come here please?"

Kyoko did so, feeling a surge of guilt. What had she messed up?

"Sir?" She said softly.

Shingai patted her on the shoulder, and pried the note out of her hand. Kyoko flushed.

"I appreciate the energy, I do, ah, but we needed this slammed down on the table, we wanted a shot of it with the flowers, remember?"

"I am so sorry, Director," she mumbled to the floor, her face bright red. Shingai studied her for a moment.

"Hey, everyone, let's go ahead and take a break, hm? Meet back here in fifteen! Let's nail this in one more take, how's that sound?!" Shingai called out across the dance hall set and got back a smattering of cheers.

"Kyoko-san, can I be honest with you?" asked Shingai one they'd settled themselves into seats. Kyoko nodded, as she tightened the grasp on her fingers so she didn't start fretting over parts of her outfit. She was so incredibly conscious of what she was wearing, she'd struggled with not pulling at it since they'd put her in it in wardrobe.

"Alright then. To be perfectly honest, we went through a lot of girls before we got to you. Some didn't have the right look, some didn't have the right amount of knowledge of traditional customs, some didn't have the right amount of maturity, and some, well, they were too self-conscious."

Kyoko stilled her tapping toes as he said that last part, and she darted a guilty glance up at the director. He appeared to be part exasperated, part amused.

"Sir?" she squeaked out.

"I'm telling you this because we almost said no to you because of your age."

Kyoko felt herself relax slightly, she knew how to handle this. This complaint she'd heard many a time.

"Don't worry sir, I'm determined to finish this out. I won't give up! "

"No, that's not-"Shingai sighed and rubbed at his forehead. He decided another approach would probably be better.

"Kyoko-san, I know a bit of your story. Raised traditionally in a traditional inn, holder of a broken heart, and working in a traditional restaurant, even still, even though LME has employed you. You respect where you came from, despite what you've gone through because of it. What does this sound like?"

Kyoko swallowed nervously, "Um, like, a determined person?"

Shingai had to laugh at her sauciness there. And she probably hadn't even meant it. "No. What it sounds like, is Yayoi-san."

"... It does?" Kyoko blinked, "Oh, wait, I guess it does."

Shingai smiled, "I do apologize. But the deciding factor in using you, was because you already had similar tendencies and inclinations as Yayoi-san does. You're a natural actor already, and you've begun to refine your craft, to be sure. But you won this part, for your determination, and because you share so many qualities already with Yayoi."

"...Thank you?" she replied.

Shingai smothered a chuckle. Others might have been offended to be 'used', but this girl... Ah well, "The point being, we knew, meaning myself and Takashi-san, we would need to help you along in other ways other than those aspects. Especially with emotionally charged and complex things. This is because of your age. "

Kyoko winced a little as it circled back to the original point. "I'm sorry sir, if there's something I'm missing I can adjust-"

"Kyoko-san, look at me."

She glanced up as he interrupted her. Shingai smiled reassuringly.

"We're talking about you right now. Do you believe that what you've experienced has helped you to where you are now?"

"Yes. Undoubtedly," she replied with no hesitation.

"Good. Tell me about why you chose this path."

"But don't you already-"

"Humor me Kyoko-san."

"Well. Alright. Someone dear to me had a dream he could not give up. I wanted to support that. I did my best to support that, even leaving behind the people that had raised me," Kyoko couldn't help but look away, her fingers flexing and curling as she talked. She did her best to restrain her leftover grudges from thinking of the time she'd been so naive like that.

"It was entirely my fault that I expected more of my choice than what I got. I didn't realize that at the time. At the time, I just swore I'd get my revenge and become a bigger star than he could ever be and I finagled my way into LME. They took pity on me and let me stay. But, still, it was…so petty a reason that I am ashamed of that behavior now. I am both thankful-because it got me here and I wouldn't change that for the world, and ashamed for behaving so recklessly and brazenly."

Shingai sent her a sympathetic look when she glanced back up at him.

"Then what happened? Heartbreak, then LME, what was the next big step?"

Kyoko smiled then, "Your Ring Doh set. It made me enjoy the craft itself, and everything about it."

"What else about it?"

Kyoko tilted her head, questioning, "What do you mean?"

"Wasn't there something you said to me then? What was it? Something about your own ability… How did that go?" His voice trailed off suggestively and Kyoko blushed.

"I, uh, I said, that uh, that I could not abide that I could not face Tsuruga Ren of my own ability," her words were quiet but Shingai heard them all the same.

"Ah yes, that's right. He pulled your reaction out of you. And how did you feel about that?"

"Terrible," said Kyoko flatly.

"Do you want that to happen again?"

Kyoko stared fearfully at the director, "What, what do you mean?!"

Shingai held the note up, crumpled as it was.

"This scene right here, right now. He's close to swallowing you up. Simply because of his age, he's had more experience doing this kind of scene. He's keeping his head. You misstepped. Are you satisfied with that?"

Kyoko was shaking her head side to side ferociously, a horrified look on her face.

"Then listen very, very carefully. Think of every single instance that you think defined the you that came onto my set and had the guts to take up Matsunai Ruriko's challenge," Shingai paused a moment as Kyoko seemed to be studying the floor with an oddly fierce intensity.

"Do you have them all in your mind?" he asked after a moment.

Kyoko nodded slowly. Shingai spoke again.

"As we are right now, you have done more in the last year and half since then to redefine and reshape yourself, then you did in the previous sixteen years, is that not the truth?"

"It is," she said quietly.

"When I talk about your age, I'm simply referring to the amount of time in which you have been able to experience things. This can be events, relationships, and work, whatever. What you need to think of right now, to appropriately sync with what Yayoi is feeling in this scene, is someone who has helped you do that."

Kyoko's mouth opened, then shut, her face adorably bewildered.

Shingai smiled, "Yayoi's family and their traditions defined Yayoi and made her the woman she was when she met Jack Taylor. But that is only her beginning. Jack Taylor, along with a couple others, wind up defining the very woman she becomes for the rest of her life. Think of the people that have helped shape you into who you are now. It can be man or woman, adult or child, but there is one person out of everyone, who you first thought of, right? There is one person out of everyone you've met, that you know, even as young as you are, you know they will define the woman you will be for the rest of your life. "

Kyoko felt helplessly transparent as Shingai studied her carefully, but she nodded again.

After a moment, Shingai said, "OK. Good. Now imagine yourself three years from now, or five. Are they with you?"

Kyoko nodded again, doing her damndest to not show how shaken she was by what Shingai had said.

Shingai's eyes glittered with something unfamiliar when he spoke again, "Now then, what if they weren't? What if you thought of that person every single day in that time, but you never met? Not once."

Kyoko gaze darted to Shingai's, her cheeks getting wet from tears she'd done her damndest not to spill, and had spilled out anyway.

"What would you do Kyoko-san?" Shingai asked softly," What would you do?"

"...I...I don't know."

"And what if you met again? Some innocuous place, like a festival, a restaurant, a dance hall. What would you do then?"

Shingai felt a little bad when Kyoko just stared, and sniffled, trying to get her tears to stop. But as bad as it felt, he was more fascinated by the fire he saw appear in her eyes.

"I'm wearing Dior."

"Yes you are."

"I look fantastic."

"You're gorgeous even."

"I have had too many regrets to make this another. I refuse. Not again. I won't let that happen again."

A slow, delighted smile grew on Shingai face as Kyoko stood from her chair, her face fierce. She tossed her hair, and smoothed out her dress.

"Shingai-san, thank you very much."

"What for?"

"For helping me find my fire."

"My dear, you've had that all along. I just helped you channel it."

Ren tried to ask her what happened when they both took their places, but Kyoko only smiled.

"Are you here Ren?"

"What?"

"Are you here? On the battlefield?"

Kyoko sent him the most challenging look she could muster up, and was rewarded by Ren stepping back a little to look her over. A smirk flitted across his face for a millisecond.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm here."

…

"I am always going to worry Yayoi!"

She slammed the note down on the table next to the flowers, "Why?!" She screamed, her chest heaving as she got right up in his personal space.

"Because someone should! Because you spend so much goddamned time worrying about others, that you have none left over for you! And damnit, it might as well be me! I've been in love with you since I can't even remember when!" He shouted back.

"Liar!"

"I'm not lying!"

"If you'd loved me, you wouldn't have left me alone!" She was crying now when she screamed and Jack's heart ached.

He found himself slowly drawing her into his arms, enclosing her into a tight embrace. Her cries were muffled some as she buried her face in his chest, and Jack made soothing noises, over and over.

"I'm sorry, shh, shhh, I'm so sorry. I promise, I promise I won't do it again. I'm so sorry. Please, please believe me. Shhh, I'm sorry."

When her sobs slowed down enough for her to hear his words, Yayoi pulled away, and Jack offered her his handkerchief to mop up her tears.

"I'm sorry, your suit coat is a mess," Yayoi said eventually.

Jack shrugged, and whipped it off, "Look, I look good as new, hm?"

Yayoi laughed a little, then blew her nose once more.

Jack then tilted his head as he heard the double bass, guitarist and the violinist down below pick out a familiar tune.

"My final little bit I set up," he said quietly as he held his hands out to invite her to dance.

"All of that for a dance?" asked Yayoi, surprised at the effort.

Jack bowed theatrically, "Only the best for Yoneda Yayoi-sama."

Perhaps it was the ridiculous flattery, or the genuine affection on his face, but Yayoi just found herself blushing, and stepping up to join him. And he took her hand in one of his, and put his arm around her waist, and they began to dance.

"I'm pretty sure this is my favorite violinist I've ever heard," Yayoi mumbled into Jack's chest a little later, as he held her close and swung her side to side with the beat.

She heard him chuckle and his hand tightened on her waist for a moment, "Just wait til the trumpet joins in."

The trumpet did so a minute later, and Yayoi picked her head up in delighted surprise, but Jack just shook his head, "Nope, wait for it."

He began to move her faster, spinning her around once, twice, and the crescendo hit and Yayoi felt herself start to smile, then she began to laugh. Jack laughed with her, and spun her once more. The song slowed again, and Jack caught her and held her close to him again, his hand catching the back of her head, and tucking her face in close to his chest again.

They stood there, still hugging, even as the song ended. Until, finally, Jack stepped back, bowed, and kissed her hand one last time. Yayoi smiled, then curtsied, just to make him laugh again. That succeeded, and she smiled again.

He cradled her face as she did so, and he studied her intently, "There it is," he said, his voice sounding impossibly gentle and loving, "That's the smile I missed so much."

It was all Yayoi could do to stand there, and gaze back without fleeing the room. Kyoko felt this a little bit too, and was promptly relieved when Shingai called cut. She blew out a huge sigh and stepped back to catch her breath.

"Oh my God Tsuruga-san! This dress is so tight! Can you move in your clothes? I think I busted a seam!"

Any remaining tension between them promptly disappeared as Shingai-san, Iwasaki-san, and other crew that were close enough to hear, began to laugh. Ren sighed, looking as put upon as he ever did.

"Time and place, Mogami-san," he said, an absolutely hangdog expression on his face.

Kyoko could only giggle to herself a little. She had to keep him on his toes after all.

…

It wasn't an ending, not really. But it was. The past week had primarily been for the very last scenes of the third act within the last episode, such as the dance hall scene. And at the end of that week was the ending scene. The finale. Done, of course, to Takashi-san's specifications.

When Kyoko had first received the script for Act Six, she couldn't even pretend to be surprised. It seemed as if everything was leading up to this moment. Of course Director Shingai's series would end like this. Of course it would end with the tea ceremony. Of course that was how Jack and Yayoi's story ended.

Kyoko's heart was pounding so fast and so loud that she was sure everyone around her knew. Her eyes involuntarily sought out Takashi-san's. The writer had deliberately left the ending vague until the last possible moment. Kyoko knew now that that had been deliberately planned, most likely in cahoots with the director.

But, the writer gave her an encouraging smile, and Director Shingai, seated next to her, had a subtly pleased smirk on his face. Kyoko couldn't help but flush as she tore her gaze away. She knew that they knew. Was it not Shingai-san to whom she had first admitted what scene had made her start wanting to act? Who else knew, specifically, about that scene on that set that had first ignited her passion? And who knew, besides him, that it was the man that had been seated across from her that day that had been the spark? Kyoko swallowed, licking her suddenly dry lips to wet them.

On Ren's end-on Jack's, he would come into the inn, and be directed to wash his hands by Shion-chan, and then be directed to her room. And so she sat there in her sapphire blue iromuji kimono, after having placed her red carnation in its dish so it would be prominently displayed, and waited for him to come to her.

Jack entered, wearing similar formal dress to hers, and took his seat. Kyoko once more noted to herself how different this experience was to her last. She then began the steps of the ceremony. They greeted each other, and she set out her bowl of sweets and offered them to him while he waited on her to prepare the tea.

Once the tea was prepared, she offered that.

"I would like to serve you a bowl of tea," Yayoi said quietly.

Jack's response was just as quiet, "Thank you for making tea."

Another couple moments passed.

"I will finish," said Jack, his soft murmuring barely heard.

Jack handed the tea bowl back to her. She then began the typical cleaning up process, her movements efficient and graceful. As she was tucking a cleaning cloth back into her kimono, Jack spoke again.

"The red carnation."

"Yes, sir?"

"Picked for it's coloring?"

"Yes, sir, to compliment the sunset," Yayoi motioned to the sun setting from the deck they were sitting near, with the outside door open.

Jack deviated then, "No other meaning to the flower?"

Yayoi hid a smile as she finished cleaning, "Just one more."

She sat back on heels, meeting his gaze and smiling. She stood fluidly to escort him out to the garden.

"Available for you to view as you like, sir."

Kyoko expected Shingai to call cut once all motions and blocking of the scene were complete and they stood gazing out at the sun setting over the gardens. But he did not. And so she and Ren stood there, carefully not looking at each other until it became too awkward to explain. A soft sigh came from Ren's direction and she knew then that he'd garnered a solution.

His ability to improvise was uncannily good and she felt a brief moment of relief before her own challenging spirit rose again in her. They would leave this scene as equals, or not at all. She grit her teeth and tensed as he slowly turned to look at her. She almost missed what he said, his voice was so soft as he turned his gaze away again.

"Thank you very much Yoneda-sama. It was truly, truly the most beautiful I have ever seen you," He played with his hat, carefully looking out at the garden as he waited to hear her respond.

Perhaps he had been expecting something different, but Kyoko immediately understood that there was something more important Yoneda Yayoi needed to say to Junichi Jackson Taylor.

"You are my Odysseus," The words fell between them, damning in their certainty and Yayoi nearly lost all her courage in the face of speaking the truth, in this sacred place.

The man's face snapped towards hers, his face filled with uninhibited shock. His eyes roved over her features as he attempted to decipher what she'd just said. Absolutely stunned, he could only stare at her as she gazed steadily back, his heart pounding in his chest and hope began to sweep over him in dizzying waves.

"I may not be your Penelope, but you are my Odysseus." Yayoi said, stepping towards him and reaching out to touch his arm. The gesture was fluid, even as she felt she was one heartbeat from panicking over revealing the truth she'd kept locked inside for so long.

"It may have been only five years, and not twenty, but it's the truth, all the same. We made no promises, never even mentioned it, how could we have? But all these years, I have found myself walking those garden paths, ones we always used for our talks, and it was there, among the chrysanthemums, the carnations, the lilies, the daisies and the daffodils, that I realized. It did not matter how long it took, it did not matter the obstacles. I would wait. If I ever even had the shred of a chance to know the other half of my soul, if it could ever be possible… Then I would wait."

There was a pause, and Kyoko was startled to find that she'd gotten so far off-script but the scene had yet to be stopped. Underneath Yayoi's desperation and panic, Kyoko began to feel a trickle of unease.

"I… I was a fool. It was foolish of me to think that I could be satisfied simply by your memory. I cannot. I cannot and I refuse to do so any longer."

Jack reached out a hand as he said this, cupping her face, his eyes hot like fire, but the gesture gentle all the same. His thumb brushed her cheekbone and she felt herself swallow hard against the lump in her throat.

"If there is even the smallest chance that I could make you happy, the smallest chance for us to be together, then I'll take it," he said, his voice low and fierce, "Damn all the rest of it, but I'm taking this."

A laugh full of relief bubbled up out of her and she pressed her hand to his that still cupped her face. They stood there, laughing like a pair of fools, and tried to not cry at the same time.

"Cut!"

They blinked at each other, then glanced over at the director. Ren was the first to speak up, his voice hesitant.

"... Sir?"

Shingai frowned at them and Kyoko's unease came swooping back in. He turned away to look at Takashi.

"Kiss or no kiss here?"

Kyoko squeaked, turning bright red, and Ren had to quickly stifle laughter.

Takashi only studied the three of them, tapping the script against her shoulder absently.

"Why Odysseus?" she asked instead.

Kyoko fretted, and clasped her hands together to avoid fidgeting, "Because um, um, because the very first time they are honest with each other, it's because Yayoi wants to know if he has a Penelope. It seemed… right to say."

Takashi smiled, "Good. Very good. I wanted honesty here, above all else, I wanted a truly honest connection to happen here."

Kyoko felt a moment of pure relief, but that dissipated when Takashi turned to Ren, a frown on her face.

"Why no kiss?"

Kyoko had to stifle her own amused reaction when Ren flushed, looking uncomfortable.

"Uh, well, it, uh, was not… Previously discussed and uh…"

Takashi and Shingai exchanged amused looks, before Shingai spoke, "We admire your professionalism. Kyoko-chan, would such an action feel suitable here to you?"

Kyoko's own amusement disappeared now that the ball had landed in her court again. She looked between them all, and wetted her lips nervously. When she darted a glance at Ren, he just sent her a reassuring smile. She felt herself fall in love all over again as he just stood there, a strong figure of encouraging support, patiently waiting to hear what she would say. With renewed courage, she turned to the others and smiled.

"Yayoi is incredibly private about her personal feelings. This is a place where she works everyday, but also it is her home. It is...sacred to her. If we want to stay true to that, I suggest that it be left to the audience interpretation. Have us lean forward, but have it too dark to tell, perhaps. What do you think?"

When she read pride on Ren's features, and saw returning smiles on Takashi and Shingai's faces, she felt pretty positive that that was the right answer.

"Alright you two, back into position, let's take it from when your hand is on his Kyoko-chan. And let's wrap up this ending shall we?"

The small smattering of crew with them cheered as they got back into place. Kyoko had to struggle to keep her face neutral, as a warm, fuzzy feeling came over her.

"What's that smile for?" Ren whispered. Kyoko let herself smile anyways, as Shingai hadn't called for action yet.

"I'm happy. It's because I'm happy."

...

I cannot remember when I realized how lonely I was. It seemed as if all of sudden, that's all I knew. I spent my days reading, when not working. I took long hikes, simply to enjoy the lack of other people reminding me of my loneliness.

But, as always, the inescapable knowledge of loneliness would become known to me again. That is how I found the Yonedas. That is how I found the town at the base of Mt. Oguso. They were kind, but wary. I did my best to do right by them, and return their regard in kind. I succeeded sometimes, but know I failed at other times too.

But it made me learn. It made me learn that a tired, old professor who quotes Camus at you can tell the worst jokes, then say his son always did them better. It made me learn that a stern okami-san can wish you well on a hard journey, even when she dislikes you. It made me learn that love is in the little things: a daughter faithfully learning from the books her father gave her even when he is gone, an older sister helping sew a younger sister's wedding dress even when they're at odds, and one last love note faithfully kept by a widow even when it's stained with tears.

I thought for the longest time, that when we were at our loneliest, it was because we were truly alone. But that's not right. We are at our loneliest when we are scared to look around to see the love that surrounds us.

Take a look. It's in the little things.

-Spring at Mt. Oguso, Act Six, Junichi Jackson Taylor's Ending Narration

...

This chapter is dedicated to my mother; she passed on three years ago this April. It's also dedicated to my mother-in-law, who held me tight and let me cry as much as I needed to.

Special shutout to: tmbookworm, kurakuma, michiyo, ariasm

Hit me up whenever ya like! Love the feedback guys!

Special thanks: brennakai, daamile, aikori

Regards,

Artsy