I do not own Skip beat.

Later in the text is a speech taken from the TV series Castle I do not own but struggled to write my own, this will be a two shot

Neh x

In oils and memories.

The phone call

"Lory, it's Honoka I have something you really need to see" Lory was confused by the tone in his sister-in-law's voice as he simply asked her where and when.

Lorys meeting

"That's!" Lory was astounded as he looked upon the scene.

"Yep!" Honoka said happily as she smiled upon what could only be one person.

"How! When?" Lory's voice was almost a whisper as he looked from every angle and marveled, it wasn't every day someone could knock Lory speechless but at that moment his voice failed him as he simply stared.

"There are only two people who could answer that," Honoka stated as Lory looked from the object of his intrigue to her and back again.

"This is her final piece?" Lory asked softly, still not trusting himself to speak too loud in case the spell that seemed to hang over the surrounding area would break at the intrusion.

"Yes," Honoka said a radiant smile on her face.

"What was the theme? Lory asked as he once again changed his viewing point.

"Enchanting" Honoka replied softly as she watched Lory wipe a tear from his cheek surreptitiously and she knew that it had touched his heart as much as it had touched hers.

1 month before this meeting.

"What do you think she's doing?" Ishibashi Shinichi asked his cohorts as the three of them watched the young woman who was calmly sitting in the corner of the busy studio large black ring-bound book in hand as her pencil smoothly glided over the page her eyes almost looked closed as she with flowing movements marked the page before her.

"Why not just go ask her?" Ishibashi Yuusei said as he went to stride towards her, Ishibashi Hikaru grabbed his sleeve pulling the younger man back as he shook his head.

"When I ask her earlier she said she is preparing for her exams, she's graduating this semester and after this week is taking a 3-week break from work to concentrate on it, I'm guessing she's already working on her revision," Hikaru said as they watched her stop looking at what was in front of her shake her head and turn the page.

"Well until then she is still expected to work and pull her weight so if you will please go and inform her to get ready we will start the show meeting," they all jumped at the director's voice from behind them as he looked over at the girl he had once called useless after that fateful first show it had seemed at the time like such a catastrophic thing but without the young woman he wondered if the show would have done half as well? People had simply fallen in love with the chicken and even he held a grudging respect for the young woman.

"What are you doing? Kyoko-chan? Shinichi said in a sing-song voice as the three Ishibashi surrounded her all full of curiosity, they all yet again jumped as the book she had been working in snapped shut instantly as she too jumped at the sound of his voice she glared at the practical joker of the group.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!" she scolded as he smiled down at her, winningly looking slightly sheepish as Hikaru jabbed him in the side.

"Sorry Kyoko-chan you just seemed so interested in what you were doing I was curious," they all noticed as she held her book tighter they could sense the nervous energy she was giving off as she smiled with pink-tinged cheeks.

"It's nothing I'm just preparing for my art exam," she said softly

"Can we see it?" asked Hikaru just as softly he wasn't surprised when she shook her head

"it's not finished yet I promise you can see it when I've finished ok?" they all nodded and she followed them to the pre-show briefing sighing in gratitude that they had not pushed the matter further.

3 weeks till Lorys meeting

"Mo! Kyoko! Are you awake in there?" Kanae all but shouted after having a completely one-sided conversation with her best friend since she had arrived 5 minutes ago, she had greeted her and then began her tirade about the accounting department insisting Sawara approve there love me request for her when she suddenly realized she had not yet spoken a word, as she turned watching her best friend seated on a chair with her knees resting on the table Chiori entered smiled at Kanae before greeting her happily.

"Hello Kanae-san, Kyoko-san." she watched as Kanae nodded over at her with a smile as her face turned contemplative once more and her eyes turned to back to the still silent Kyoko who continued to work in her book as if in her own world Chiori simply continued getting ready for work that day by the time she had pulled on her own pink overalls she was still amazed that Kyoko had still not said a word and Kanae simply continued to watch her.

"Has she said anything?" Chiori asked as Kanae shook her head before grabbing her locker door and slamming it hard enough for the entire row of lockers to shake violently the pencil that had been moving with such controlled movements suddenly vaulted of the page as Kyoko jumped in alarm her shins that had been resting against the table shot out as Kyoko almost flipped over completely as her chair crashed to the floor taking the young actress down with it the black ring-bound book going flying off behind her the pencil then following suit. It was with scared eyes that Kyoko looked up at the two other love me girls rubbing the back of her head before realizing exactly what was before her as she sprang to her feet in one movement and dove at her friends crying out their names.

If anyone had walked past the Love Me section room at that time they would definitely have heard Kanae scolding Kyoko for her inattention, her daydreaming and the fact she had completely ignored not only her greeting but Chiori's also it took at least 10 minutes for Kanae's tirade to ebb away as Kyoko still looking sheepish apologized once more and Kanae finally accepted.

"What were you doing anyway?" Chiori finally asked as Kyoko literally flew around, ran to her fallen book and pencil which she grabbed up and hugged to her chest tightly before answering.

"I'm getting ready for my art exam." she said softly as both girls wondered just why Kyoko was so keen on keeping her workbook from them? Though if Kanae thought about it she had never seen Kyoko draw, yes she had seen her sew and those odd dolls that she made she had even seen her cut daikon into a rose or a cabbage as Kyoko had called it but not once had Kanae seen her draw maybe she was simply not good at it Kanae thought as she hurried Kyoko along and into her overalls to get ready for whatever love me tasks Sawara had agreed for today and it better not include President Lory's cosplay accounts!

"You'll show us your Art piece when you've finished it though?" Kanae asked, finally allowing her curiosity about Kyoko's drawing skills to come through as Kyoko nodded happily that her best friend was interested in her school work.

Two weeks till Lory's meeting.

"So you had three choices for topics and then you have to make an art piece based on the topic you chose?" Julie asked as she and Kuu sat around their Kitchen table chatting with the girl they had both come to love.

"Yes then you choose which medium you would like to use and you have a month to do the course work then 2 days to complete your finished piece, then it's all handed in to be graded," Kyoko replied as she sat on the bright pink couch in the love me room. It had taken Kyoko a while to pluck up the courage to phone her father at first... well actually it took Lory chastising her for the grief Kuu was putting him through with the fact Kyoko hasn't called him and a further Love Me task to call Kuu at least once a week on her company phone so as to stop the poor old mans suffering heart as Lory had told Kyoko.

"Wow, so what Topic did you choose? And what medium are you going to do? I know you have said before you enjoy sewing and making things with your hands." Kuu smiled watching his wife fully engrossed with the conversation with their second son, it was nice to see her this way again... As a mother, they still love Koun with all their heart and soul, but Kyoko had blown away the cobwebs left by the years of zero contact with their son. She could never take Kuon's place in their heart but she could and had entrapped it with equal measure.

"Well I used to really enjoy painting in middle school so I thought I would have a go with oil paints the choice where 'Lookup', 'Machine' and 'Enchanted' I chose Enchanted." Even though Kuu couldn't see Kyoko he could already tell she was blushing.

"So fairies princesses and castles then." He asked, chuckling knowing his suedo son's love of fairy tales. He could hear Kyoko light laughter as she replied "No actually I had another idea when the choices were given and I've stuck with it." Kyoko said her voice steady and confident to Kuu's ears as Julie jumped on her words.

"Well then what are you painting?" Julie asked on tenterhooks.

"It's a surprise, I've decided not to say until after the exam." Kyoko smiled it wasn't that she didn't want to tell her adoptive parents, it was more the fact she was scared of messing it all up and not being good enough to show people but she couldn't really tell people that. She heard Kuu splutter a bit with some indignant noises, but Julie's voice was calm as she replied.

"Fine, then we will just have to come and see this artwork with our own eyes!" Kuu looked at her with a look on his face she could read clearly, they couldn't do what they had promised Koun, "We will ask a few people and see if arrangements can be made." she continued looking at Kuu her eyes begging as he sighed inaudibly he supposed they could see what could be done, he wondered with how much Lory told them both he was falling in love with this girl if they told Koun it was for her and her happiness Kuu thought he would most likely move heaven and earth to make her happy. He pondered just how amazing this girl was she seemed to have such a charm a love for everyone but herself, she loved so purely yet feared it with the same passion he had never prayed so hard when Lory had confided in them that Kuon was falling in love as he too had so much love in his heart to give if he simply would throw of the shackle of Rick's death and let himself love another and accept there love in return.

He could understand Kuon though in some respects, wasn't he the reason this had happened to his son? Wasn't he the one that had not noticed the pain his fame and work was putting Koun through? If he had been a better man... a better dad surely Koun would never have felt the way he did? He would never have got in with the wrong crowd and needed Rick to save him.. He would have been happy if he himself had been better. He could feel himself slipping into his own personal darkness as a strong slender hand rested on his shoulder and squeezed in tightly he looked up into the eyes of his wife, his other half and the woman he knew he would not be here without. She was still talking to Kyoko but his self doubts had made him deaf to everything around himself in those moments but her love for him drew him back and he took a deep calming breath before placing his hand on Julie's shoulder and squeezing back. He was ok, he would not blame himself for the choices of others that was not fair on the people that made those choices all he could do was love the woman before him, the son across the ocean and the young woman he had fallen in love with, with all his heart because this was life and as Julie always told him when she was throwing off her own deeper depression 'Life isn't perfect, but it has perfect moments and those are what we should truly be living for those moment that make all the bad times worth living through.'

As he hearing returned he couldn't help but chuckle quietly as he could probably guess the entire conversation he had missed out on, Kyoko telling Julie not to worry herself that they didn't need to do that for her that she wasn't worthy of them spend the money to come visit her just to see her artwork she wasn't worth that, the Julie would put her straight and that as their daughter with whom they were always proud that of cause they would like to see her art work and of cause they would travel to see her even is she was on the moon or further! They would travel to the ends of the earth to make this young woman happy.

"So make sure you let us know! Now how much course work have you completed?" and like that the conversation was over and Kyoko had no chance of changing Julies mind the small sigh the other end of the line showed her resignation to the fact as she started to tell Julie about what she was doing and what she still had yet to cover he listen quietly and simply enjoyed the conversation and the twist and turns it took it wasn't until a name Julie hated simply for the reason it was so fake crossed his wife lips that he really honed in on the words though.

"Well I'm sure your senpai Tsuruga Ren will help you out you've told me before he gives you rides from time to time. Why not ask him? I'm sure he will be fine with helping you get your coursework to school." Julie said only shifting slightly at Koun's fake name as she chatted.

"Oh I couldn't ask Tsuruga-san that would be inappropriate, he's so busy and he has lots of work I simply couldn't!" they could both hear the feelings in her voice even if they couldn't see her and it was here that Kuu decided to see if he could help his son out even if it was a tiny bit.

"You know Kyoko, I was once the top actor in Japan just like Tsuruga-san and do you know what the one thing I would have liked is?" she made a noise os query as Kuu continued "I would have liked people I counted as friends to treat me like a real human, Tsuruga-san might be an amazing actor but he is also a man and sometimes even though you think you being respectful and correct it can lead to a very lonely and cold life for him, it's hard to explain but when people put you on such a high pedestal it's hard for you to get back down and while people think you flying high and living this amazing life really you've been placed in isolation because people don't want to offend, they don't want to be seen as inappropriate as you call it." Kuu stopped for a moment remembering times when he truly had felt alone in Japan; sometimes the honour system had its flaws. It's one of the reason's Julie wasnt a fan. She understood the need for it but she also saw the flaws.

"You know I think back then I would have loved a friend no matter how young asking me to help her out, I would have enjoyed being asked to be a normal man doing normal things because I bet if you really think about it and stop and think for a workaholic like Tsuruga-san time to make good real friends is something he lacks and I bet he would be really happy if you asked him to be your friend, of course you can be respectful at work and such but I if he's anything like me and how I was back then he would like a friend like you." Kyoko listened quietly, she could hear the honest and simple truth in her pseudo father's voice as he spoke and Kyoko truly thought about his words.

She couldn't truly understand loneliness caused by greatness as she thought of it, but she could understand loneliness was Ren lonely? She thought about it seriously for a moment and she could not think of one time she had ever asked Tsuruga-san about his day and he had mentioned a friend? Not that she could remember, she remembered how he had explained the actress kissing him and how she had simply been using him for her own benefit, that wasn't a friendship... she could honestly not think of anyone that Ren was really close too except maybe Yashiro.. The president and then of course Maria... but that seemed like such a small number of people, he surely had other friends but was Kuu right? Was the top a lonely place when people only saw you as something akin to a god in the acting world?

Kyoko knew she was in love with Ren and the thought that he would be feeling lonely like the yearning in Kuu's voice when he thought about his own time in Ren's shoes made her heart hurt. "Do... Do you really think he would like me as a friend? Even if... even if I'm not... I'm not in the same league as him?" Kuu and Julie both heard the fear in Kyoko's voice and the self depreciation she was fighting back (It would never fly with Julie Kyoko had learned the hard way with their conversations so she tried to keep it to a minimum even if she did feel it.)Kuu decided not to comment on her thought of herself as she answered truthfully heart on sleeve.

"Yes Kyoko I truly think Tsuruga-San would love to have you as a friend." the call did not last much longer as they moved to lighter topics and goodbyes with Kyoko saying she would consider Kuu's advice and Julie's suggestion to ask Ren for a lift and as the call ended sound filled there kitchen Julie hugged her husband to her chest "I love you my Kuu-bear" he smiled at the way she simple new how to make her feel better as Kuu hugged her just as hard back "And I love you my Julie-bean."

10 days till Lory's meeting.

Yashiro looked up at the office door. It was uncommon for people to come to his office at LME, for one he was hardly there and for another thing he wondered how many people even knew where it was located? It wasn't in the main acting division area, it was tucked away by the smaller studio's for the acting/modeling side of the agency they had found at the very beginning of Ren's start rising that it wasn't sensible to keep him where fellow female co-stars would have easy access so this room had been found cleaned out and made into a rather cosy office for them both away from the hussle and bussle as he now looked over to ren who was seated on one of the two couches reading a script, Ren was looking at him then to the door as Yashiro finally cleared his throat and called "Come in"

The door opened slowly and Yashiro sighed in relief as Kyoko stepped over the threshold, she had been of work now for just under two weeks preparing for her exams or so Lory had told him so he was surprised to see her at LME but was happy all the same knowing just how much his charge had been missing the girl.

"Kyoko-chan! Come in! come in!" he said truly happy himself too he realised as he looked upon the girl he thought of like a younger sister "How are you? Can we help you in any way? Would you like a drink?" he asked as he directed her to the other sofa by Ren she bowed to them both and greeted them correctly as she allowed Yashiro to guide her to the sofa and took a seat with her normal perfect posture.

"I am well thank you, I just needed to ask Tsuruga-san a question and I am fine thank you." she answered all his questions and he smiled at her seeing a chance once more for his charge and friend.

"Oh that's good to hear, well I'm sorry to run out on you but I was just on my way to visit Matsushima-san about what offers Ren has so if you will please excuse me and with a slight nod of the head he was gone without Ren even managing to get word out about how they had only just come back from seeing Matsushima-san about his offers!

"I'm glad you are well Mogami-san." Ren said almost blinding her with one of his true smiles as Kyoko fought back from shying away from it for the joy but also pain it brought her heart, she had really been thinking long and hard over what Kuu had said and had even had a rather unpleasant nightmare the night before where she had viewed Ren stuck on a column unable to escape and no one below had paid any attention to him as he withered and died in loneliness, yes she new it was just a dream brought on by her over active imagination created by Kuu's heartfelt words but still she found it a terrifying thought which is why she was here today.

"So what was this question you wished to ask me?'' he said pulling his leg up across his other to sit comfortably in a completely relaxed way, she fidgeted as he had not given her a chance to ask how he was and now she would have to jump straight to the point in fear of being rude to his question.

"Well actually there are a few things I would like to talk about but I will start first with asking a favour if I might be so bold." he watched her as her nervousness increased Kyoko was never one to ask for favours on a whim and normally it was almost he knew a last resort so for her to seek him out for a favour like this was not unheard of but uncommon enough that he was slightly shocked. 'If you asked for the moon I would find a way to get it for you' he thought as her golden eyes drew him in completely and a few things to talk to him about? He just prayed it was nothing bad like asking for advice on dating another guy.

"Of course Mogami-san if I can be of help in any way I will gladly do so." of cause he would say that Kyoko thought this was Tsuruga ren the perfect gentleman her heart had so against her will fallen in love with, the man who cared for everyone as equals.

"Well... you see.." she stuttered out before smacking both her cheeks sharply this was no way to ask for a favour! Be direct, be sincere and before Ren could show his worry at her actions she turned to him seriously and started again "Tsuruga-san I find myself in a bit of a situation this coming Tuesday I need to arrive at school with all of my current coursework for my art exam, but sadly the Taisho and Okami are away visiting her sister and I am unable to ask them to help me transport my work so I was wondering if you would be able to? It doesn't need to be Tuesday. I will happily make arrangements to suit your schedule so I can deliver them correctly. It's just I didn't know whom else to ask and mom and dad said that I should ask you as you have been kind enough to help me out in the past..." she allowed her sentence to trail off as her courage waned she was by this point looking down at her hands before her as she sat still. In a way he was shocked yet happy she had come to him for this he had expected help with a new role with acting but this was helping her Kyoko not a character she wanted to portray but Kyoko the girl herself.

"Give me a moment." he said uncrossing his legs and standing up smiling, a smile was what she had not expected surely this should be a burden to him? But he was still smiling honestly and did not seem in the least put out by her question as he crossed the room and moving aside paperwork of Yashiro's desk found the diary that she knew Yashiro always carried with Rens schedule in it and of late her own too as he would after the Sacred Lotus auditions manage her as well. She watched as Ren flicked through the diary to the correct week.

"What time do you need to be there on Tuesday?" he asked, looking at his own commitments for that day before looking up at her as she looked at him with an odd expression before shaking the expression away and answering.

"Erm... 7:45am if possible." she replied as ren looked down once more at the schedule and smiled.

"Ok then I will pick you up at 7:15 and drop you off will you need a lift with your work back?" he asked as she shook her head he really did seem happy she had asked him for this favour that should have been beneath him... NO Kyoko don't think like that she scolded herself as she remembered Ren in her dream wasting away alone had she been making him feel lonely? Had she been placing him so high that she had been unable to see it was hurting him? Ren watched as her face took on that expression again as she softly answered.

"Thank you Tsuruga-san if you're sure that it will be ok that would be a really big help to me." Ren was astounded but smiled at her. She had simply allowed him to help her and it made his heart skip at the thought that she needed him, even if it was only for his car and driving experience she had asked him and she had not tried to argue but accepted his help willingly.

"It would be my pleasure Mogami-san really, you work so hard on your schooling I will gladly help you in any way I can." and just like that with no fuss... well not much fuss Kyoko had asked and received her help just like Kuu and Julie had assured her Ren would do so for her and in that moment she decided to throw caution to the wind and just do what her heart told her to do.

"Erm Tsuruga-san?" he had just placed the diary back down on the desk slipping in a piece of paper so he could ask Yashiro to push back his first filming of the day on that tuesday when his name as a question made him look back up and at the woman he loved.

"Yes Mogami-san?" he asked, turning to face her as her fist clenched and unclenched. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment then before he could ask if she was ok she was speaking rapidly once more.

"IwouldlikeitverymuchifyouwouldcallmeKyoko!" she almost spat it out as in a rush the words left her, she feared to look at him fearing a look of disgust but as she forced herself to open her eyes she saw only confusion as he gently said "Sorry I didn't really catch that." He had of course but he was sure he was mishearing things so all he could do was ask for clarification, she took a deep breath, she could do this she told herself as she forced herself to speak in a slower even tone.

"I would like it very much if you would call me Kyoko!" she almost felt like she had run a marathon her heart was beating so fast as she ended her words and this time she really did look down as Ren stood there completely gobsmacked, she wanted him to call her by name? Was she serious? Or maybe something had happened with her mother and she no longer wanted to associate as a Mogami? But no, she had told him herself she was now in contact with her mother and although they were not close they were on speaking terms once more and she was happy.

He realised suddenly with how her head dropped dejectedly that he had taken a few moments to register her words and she thought his silence as a rejection as he jumped upon her words himself in a hurry.

"Are you sure?" His words were not as fast as her first attempt but they were not far off as longing in his voice made that small bubble of fear that had been growing in her chest pop completely as she looked at him both with expressions of the same shock and underlying excitement.

"I would like to think... that maybe... outside of work of course we could be... friends?" the last word was almost inaudibly quiet but he heard it and his heart swelled, it filled his body with warmth just from those simple and very unexpected words as his smile became luminescent and he beamed its full power completely at her "I have thought of you as a friend now for a very long time Kyoko and I am so happy to hear that you think of me in the same way and please call me Ren." Kyoko felt her demons being extinguished by that smile in small pops as they turned to dust in her mind, the true pleasure her words had brought him filled her with warmth but also dread as her name without any honorifics from his lips made her want to run into his arms and ask him to love her as she loved him but she couldn't she had promised not only herself but the president this was how it should be, but friends? Friends she could do and friends were there through the hardships, the temporary romances and the good so maybe in that way it was a safer position than love? Yes she decided as she blushed and smiled back Friend is better than lover.

"Thank you Ren...-san" well she tried but she was Kyoko after all the san just seemed to slip out but Ren couldn't have cared a yen as he sat down on the sofa before her and started a very animated conversation about work and jobs and roles and if when Yashiro came back he was completely nonplussed about the pure joy in the room when nothing seemed to have changed he was happy that two of his most favourite people in the world were happy.

The day of Kyoko's art exam.

"You really don't have to do this Ren-san." Kyoko said as she carried her bag and two of her art portfolio folders towards the school building, but Ren only smiled down at her as he carried the two boxes of her coursework beside her.

"We are friends Kyoko, this is what friends do, they help each other." his smile was so happy and boyish she didn't want to refuse him since that day he had messaged her random thoughts and funny things that had happened to him throughout the day, he had called her to check her studying was going ok and to make sure she took regular breaks and had even called her to ask for an opinion on what tie she thought would be better for an interview he had sending her pictures by the outfit he had picked out, it had got to a point that Kyoko now wondered how Ren had lived without this new faucet of their relationship opening up and one of the biggest changes was how happy it seemed to make him to simply use the word friend to describe them. She had almost died of shock when Ren had come to collect her from the Box R set instead of Yashiro and told the director he was there to pick up his friend Kyoko-san as her manager was running late. The whispers around the cast and crew had worried her but when the next time she had been at the set she had made sure they understood they were just friends nothing more and it was simply the fact they had worked together so much and that they had become friends through a mutual love of acting and he was still her senpai in that world. The fact that a few woman were jealous and the men just felt they now had no chance never registered with Kyoko neither did the fact that Kyoko would have such high positioned friends in the industry to them after watch her become Natsu she was held in high regards here that it was only natural for people with such talent to become friends.

"The art teacher and the 12 or so other students in the room had all been stunned when Japan's number one actor had entered with the strange girl Mogami Kyoko, all the Teachers loved her she was hard working and eager to please but with Mimori-san and her ilk yet again in school Kyoko didn't really have any friends but they had not expected this... no one could have expected how the odd girl would pout and slap the larger man's arm as he laughed and greeted her teacher respectfully and Kyoko never begrudged any of her class an introduction to the famous star who was happy to sign autographs and chat with the students and teacher and in the students hearts a little thron wiggled as Kyoko happily introduced them by name and even told the man a little about them and what they did, as they realised that they could not do the same about her.. They had only listened to the gossip and the rumours that went around the school not about the girl herself and for many years to come that little thorn would remind them not to judge a book by its cover or other people's opinions as you could never really know if you yourself would like that book unless you picked it up and asked the pages yourself.

Back to Lory's meeting

"So many people love that girl. I always wondered how she did it, but she sees so much beauty in this world in other people she reminds me of our Jun." Lory said as they sat in the head teachers office looking upon the course work his love me number one girl had completed the study of her chosen topic 'Enchanting' a cup of his favourite tea at his side as he looked over at the sister of his late wife who nodded smiling.

"She has a lot of Jun's characteristics. I've heard about them myself from the teachers even if I don't get to interact with the young lady myself. Is she still refusing to allow LME to pay for her tuition?" she asked, smiling as Lory sighed and rubbed his hand down his face yet he smiled.

"In a way, to be honest I allow her to pay the money into LME and all the money she pays in I will then return to her slowly through work as a incentive bonus or some other way, I wish it was pride that made her feel that she has to do everything herself I could deal with pride and find a way around that fact so I could pay it without all this tomfoolery but it's not so easy with someone who lacks self confidence to the point she is scared to love herself." Lory sighed once more this time sadly.

"I hope one day I can teach that girl to love herself with her mother now partially on the scene. I wonder if it could help but at the same time I'm not sure how much difference it will make? In all honestly I'm hoping having someone love her completely and wholly will help but at the same time the guy I know will do it is dragging his own feet scared of scaring her." Hanoka laughed at Lorys face as he sat before her in a plain black pinstripe suit, she had visited his office at LME on more than one occasion she knew of Lorys cosplay loving habits yet she felt pride that still he would come so professionally dressed to the school he and Jun had helped build a school to help those children who where cast adrift in the entertainment industry the young ones that people failed to see as children anymore once they became what this world would call famous.

This school was here as a testament to normality, it was not normal of cause! How could it be when every day one of its talented children could be setting off for a music world tour? Or walking down the red carpet for an A list movie in which they starred? No it wasn't a normal school far from it, but it did offer those wandering stars an anchor a place they could come and remember they were children with hopes and dreams that could learn the same as other people there own age, a place they could make friends who didn't place them on a pedestal only to watch them fall when things became to hard and they had no one to lean on as everyone had already thought them above themselves.

Honoka had worried about Kyoko at first she had explained to Lory how it seemed some of the students had already degraded her due to her talent, yet the girl never complained so nothing could be done but watch and protect her when possible Lory had told her not to worry as Kyoko already had strong ties to hold her down and she loved the simple act of learning of course he worried to but Kyoko never complained and when asked she was so happy to be attending the school he didn't wish to damped her thoughts of school to question her friendship status there, he knew how much her Moko and even Chiori after there messy beginning loved his love me number one. Honoka watched the worry in Lorys face as she decided to broach another subject she had been meaning to bring up with him.

"You know Kyoko returned her graduation form without any need for tickets for the ceremony?" Lorys head shot up at mention of this "when her tutor asked she said that it was during a week day and almost midday that anyone she might have invited would be working and she wished not to bother anyone. Kyoko-san will be the standing valedictorian with her grades. I informed her yesterday via a phone call and she thanked me happily and said she would be prepared." Honoka watched as Lory shook his head sadly.

"That girl." he said knocking his hand onto the table in frustration as he looked up at her "How many people are graduating?" he asked softly already working on plans in his head as he started a list. "Only 16 people including Kyoko it's a small graduation so we have said the children may have as many guests as they like as long as they are not silly with it."she said answering Lorys next question before he could even ask it as she sipped her tea and smiled

"Leave it with me and maybe we can have a viewing then?" He asked as she nodded her head on the side.

"I think a gallery of the graduating students' art work is a wonderful idea." Honoka patted Lorys knee lightly "Jun would be proud." Lory nodded and smiled as he patted her hand.

"Of us both," he replied as they finished their tea in a companionable silence.

Kyoko sat nervously behind the curtain awaiting her turn to receive her diploma like the head teacher had told her too she listened and clapped as the 15 other people in her graduating class were called into the stage and walked along the line of teachers before returning to there seats in the large auditorium, it didn't sound full which as the valedictorian was a good thing if she messed up it would only be before a few hundred people not the thousand or so this room could hold when at capacity, she breathed in and out deeply reminding herself she was on stage every week before a live audience as Bo this wasn't so different but still her hands shook with suppressed nerves as she quietly mumbled to herself.

"Yeah no different at all Kyoko you're probably just going to go out there and embarrass yourself in front of what could be some of the biggest names in the Japanese showbiz industry without a giant chicken to blame it on!" it would also have helped if she wasn't feeling guilty after the Okami had found out today was her graduation she had asked Kyoko with all seriousness why she had not told them! They would have come and watched. They would have loved to see her graduate the shop would not collapse if shut for one day, why had she not told them?

She had seen the hurt in her eyes and the disapproving look the Tasho had sent her way made her feel weak, she had mumbled how it wasn't a big deal and that she didn't want them to miss out on patronage for her silly little graduation, it was when strong hands had settled gently on her shoulders that she realised she had been looking Down at the floor and now she was face to face with the Taisho as he held her gaze with a look full of what could only be called love.

"Kyoko you are like a daughter to us and nothing you do is ever a small thing." he looked across at the large tv screen he had brought as his laughing wife had told the sales clerk there adoptive daughter was going to be on a TV drama so they needed a good screen to watch it on replacing the TV that had probably been there 20 years before this day.

He saw Kyoko's eyes follow his gaze and then looked back down to her as yet again her eyes met his "Kyoko I brought that TV as I wanted to watch every drama, every MV every CM or Movie you are in because we are so proud of what you have accomplished, you are strong hard working and a beautiful independent young woman and I hope you understand that no matter what you do or where you go you will always have two people here that love you like their own blood." And with that he pulled her into his arms, hugged her tightly and went down to the restaurant to start the day.

The Okami watched as Kyoko wipes the tears from her eyes as she stood there trying to get a grip on her emotions, stepping forward she too took the young woman in her arms and hugged her tightly and using a no nonsense tone spoke giving Kyoko the grounding she needed, that was one of the longest most heartfelt speeches she had ever heard her husband give the last time was possibly their wedding day.

"Now get yourself cleaned up and when we see you later we will all celebrate your graduation together yes?" she asked smiling as Kyoko looked up and smiled a radiant smile "Hai!"

Standing here now Kyoko wonder just how many people actually truly cared for her the way the Okami and Taisho did? Learning about the loneliness and feelings of others she observed as being happy people opened up gates in Kyoko's mind she had never really considered before. How other people felt about situations regarding to herself did the loss of her motherly figure at such a young age blind her to the feelings of others? Or had it simply made her affraid of seeing it?

She rememebered Sho's mother badaging her fingers and kissing each one as she told her not to push herself too hard while teaching her a living she could be proud of, she remembered Sho father teaching her recipies and cooking tricks while smiling at her. Now looking back she realised that although they had said it would be wonderful if her and Sho were to marry they had never forced a relationship on the pair they had never set it out in stone as they could have with an arranged marriage they had simply cared for her like a child of their own like a daughter they did not have much like the Okami and Taisho if she had married Sho she would have been there daughter. Kuu and Julie where the same they never did not answer her calls, msgs or emails, they would give her advice ask about how she was and ask about her life her projects her friends and truly listen to her they new her friends names and where able to call them as such chowing that they had taken time and care to learn about people in her life when really they didnt need too... but they simply did in regards to her because as she stood there shaking slightly behind the stage curtain she realised that they all loved her and not only just those people she had mentioned.

Lory had always had time for her as the president of a large multi million dollar company he never did not have time for the love me girls, he would come and visit her sets and make sure they were happy and as he put it growing well. She wondered if half of the people in the employ of LME could say the same? Yes he called all of his employees his children but still he had those special few that he kept close and he showered with his love because and she truly believed this fact now that he believe these people needed and deserved his love. Then of course there was Maria the little girl who she thought of as a little sister tyhe little girl who on meeting and leaving her person would say "I love you Onee-sama." and she had always said it back truly because loving Maria had been safe and easy.

She thought about her own mother and the traumatic experience that led to her conception and later birth the man who had tricked and lied to a young woman much like herself a woman as she stood there now thinking on everything she had just realised was not yet healed, had not yet had the epiheny that she herself was having it was like a light had just suddenly been switched on her brain as she saw the love surrounding her the girl who had not only been guardian her heart from the idea's she had thought she could create with Sho but the love she had been blocking out for so much longer than that she thought about Sho now and thw thought of being intimate with him in the way she sometimes thought about now days and she felt disturbed, she had always looked up to sho as a child, he was strong princely even in the way he had himself all figured out he had a dream and a desire, with which he was willing to sacrifice everything to get she had wanted that too she had wanted his dream to come true she wanted to see just how high he could rise but she didnt want the man as a lover... she wanted an older brother... someone who would catch her when she fell, try and cheer her up when she cried and would teese and bully her but no one else was allowed to do that, no one else could because she was his family.

Kyoko almost stumbled as the pieces slipped into place, Kanae the woman called Ice Princess by so many but would get upset is Kyoko kept things from her... worried about her she loved her like a sister and Chiori who had joined there little family in LME later but meant no less to Kyoko. Yashiro who instead of taking a holiday had given up his free time to become her manager instead scared over her well being saving her not once but multiple times the way he would ruffle her hair and call her Kyoko-chan in such a happy voice. Then of cause there was that one man... then man who could make her heart race with a single smile but also fill her with fear with another, the man who held her heart and soul in his hands without realising it, the man she loved so much it hurt her physically but she could no longer stop loving him than the earth could stop its orbit of the sun it was simply a fact of law, of nature and for the first time ever Kyoko took a deep breath and letting it out her shacking stopped as she realised that it was ok.

It was ok for her to love Ren, because to love was natural it was beautiful and as her heart eased into a normal rythem she heard her name called and she stepped out onto the stage to give her speech and recieve her diploma.

The lights where almost blinding in the same way the lights on bridge rock were meaning past the first 3 rows she could see no one as she collected her diploma from her tutor and moved down the row of teachers before joining the head teacher at the podium shaking her hand and bowing respectably to the older woman who smiled and to Kyokos shock pulled her into a hug before stepping down and giving her the stage which she took graciously with a smile no one in the crowd had seen before this day the smile that screamed I am me and thats ok.

"There's a universal truth we all have to face whether we want to or not. Everything eventually ends. As much as I've looked forward to this day, I've always disliked endings. The last day of summer. The final chapter of a great book. Parting ways with a close friend. But endings are inevitable. Leaves fall. You close the book. You say good-bye. Today is one of those days for us. Today we say good-bye to everything that was familiar, everything that was comfortable. We're moving on. But just because we're leaving, and that hurts... There are some people who are so much a part of us they'll be with us no matter what. They are our solid ground, Our North Star, and the small clear voices in our hearts that will be with us... always." It was almost as if her epiphany cleared her eyes as they ajusted to the bright stage lights and she looked out over the people below her it should have shocked her that in the audience sat a large group of people she new were there for her people who she had not wanted to bother, people who she thought would be bothered by her invitation but she had suddenly come to the conclusion this was not the case they wanted to be here to support her, to see her success that she was proud of and she wanted them here too more than anything they were her northern stars.

To Be Continued...