Last Name

indeed, what is KYOUKO's last name?

Ryosuke was nervous. He had been hosting for two years now, but it was his first time talking to such a veteran actress that had years of experience behind her. He wanted to talk to her beforehand and get comfortable, but she was far too busy, and the President just told him, with a twinkle in his eye, to just ask any question, and just do his job as he normally does. That wasn't much of an advice, thought poor Ryosuke.

So in the end he just pored over all the articles and information he could get about her, without getting into the company archives (because that was cheating, and Ryosuke wanted to remain ethical, unlike the others in his line of business).

And he discovered a question that perhaps, perhaps, he could ask.

The amount of time he studied wasn't much help for his nerves, however. On the day of the show, he was sweating and thumb-fiddling, and had to change twice. He apologized to the stylist a lot, but she just laughed at him, saying she understood how a very big star's presence could affect him a lot, and musing I wonder if he would be there, too?

Before Ryosuke could ask who he was, he was whisked away on set. A little time later, he was finished with his open spiel when—BAM, there she was, gliding into the set, shaking his hand (he forgot how he stood up, really, he had no idea), sitting down, smiling at him and at everyone.

He couldn't help but stare at the beautiful actress, who was in her late twenties already but still remained very beautiful.

And there was dead air for a few minutes. His director was waving frantically at him, and it was all he could do to salvage the situation with a quick—"I'm sorry, everyone, Kyouko-san was just too dazzling that I'm afraid I was taken a bit speechless there." She had laughed at him slightly, and that was his opening for a "You have to know that I'm a very big fan, I myself couldn't believe you're going to attend this talk show." She smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Ryosuke-san."

And everything was effortless after that. He laughed, she laughed, everyone laughed. He was sliding effortlessly into his own cheerful talk show persona.

Except for—

"Kyouko-san, if you wouldn't find me rude, there's always one thing that has me curious about you."

She looked at him questioningly.

"Kyouko-san, would you reveal to us your last name?"

There was a pause, as Kyouko-san looked at him for a moment. Then a slow smile spread across her face, "I suppose I have been hiding my last name for a few years now, aren't I?"

Then she faced the camera, and answered, "It's Hizuri."

Ryosuke blinked, and connections whirred and linked in his mind; "Hizuri—would that mean you're related to Hizuri Kuu? Is he your uncle? Or perhaps—your father?"

The smile that the actress gave could only be called mischievous.

"I suppose you could say that he's my father."

Shock reverberated across the studio, and for the third time in this wretched hour, Ryosuke was rendered speechless—there, standing in the wings, was Tsuruga Ren, laughing to himself.

.

.

This is me operating on the fact that Kyouko's stage name was KYOUKO. It was that during Dark Moon, right? And her last name was never revealed. Right? Ha.