Advent '09 [21/25]
Advent 09
December 21th - 4 days to go
Kyoko woke in a bad mood.
The argument that she had had with Sho the day before still permeated the air, making everything seem distasteful.
She just couldn't believe that Sho had accused Ren like that. It was a good thing that she had called him on it. She could hardly imagine just what he would have said next if she had allowed him to go on.
She pulled on her clothes with suppressed viciousness. Sho just got her so riled up! She needed to talk to someone about this, Kanae preferably.
Double checking that she had her key she quickly made her way over to Kanae's room, which was just down the hall from her own. Kanae had spent the night in her own room, and Kyoko had been too angry last night to feel grateful.
With the way she had been acting there had been the chance that she would have snapped at her friend and destroyed the friendship between them. Just another thing that Sho would have caused.
Kyoko gritted her teeth and knocked on the door. She only had to wait a few seconds before Kanae was there, still looking sleepy.
"Kyoko?" she asked, "What's wrong? Is there something you needed?"
"Can I come in?"
"Oh, yes of course." Kanae said, moving to the side to make room in the doorway.
Kyoko walked in and sat on the unmade bed. It was only then that she noticed that Kanae was still in her pyjamas. She ducked her head, feeling sheepish.
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
"Yeah," Kanae said. "Don't worry about it though, seems like I should be getting up sometime soon anyway. After all, it is half...six...in the morning..." she trailed off when she realised exactly how early it was and shot a glare at Kyoko.
Kyoko winced. "Sorry. Didn't realise it was that early."
"No. I bet you didn't." Kanae said a little peevishly, making her way to the bed and settling under the covers again.
"Er..." Kyoko said, looking at her friend who seemed to be trying to go back to sleep.
"It's early and you made me wake up. I'm going back to sleep unless you have something desperately important that you need to say to me."
There was a moment's silence where Kanae waited for Kyoko's reply.
"Um...not really..." Kyoko said.
Kanae sighed in relief and snuggled down further under the covers, switching off the bedside light.
"It's just that Sho's being such a git!" Kyoko burst out, unable to help herself.
Kanae sighed and sat back up, switching on the light. "What?" she asked blankly.
"Sho!" Kyoko stressed to her friend. "He was going on yesterday about how Ren had said some things to him! It was obviously untrue, Ren told me what happened. Sho was just using me for entertainment or something, trying to get more popularity for himself." Kyoko finished with a flourish, obviously expecting her friend to agree with her wholeheartedly and join in on how much Sho was being horrible.
Instead Kanae just chewed on her bottom lip, looking uncertain.
"What?" Kyoko asked, feeling dread creep into her stomach.
"Well...it's just that...Kyoko, I heard Ren say some things to Sho."
"What?" Kyoko asked, "No! That can't be true. You must have misunderstood. Walked in at the wrong moment."
Kanae shook her head. "I was there for the entire conversation, Kyoko. There's no way I could have misinterpreted what they were saying."
Kyoko looked horrified. "Wh-what did they say?"
"Sho was trying to find you, he wanted to talk to you. And Ren...Ren said that he had already talked to you and that you didn't want to see Sho at all."
Kyoko felt like the bottom had dropped out of her stomach. She felt sick. "B-but, I didn't say that."
Kanae nodded sympathetically. "I know. It sounded a little strange to me. I was trying to figure out just what Ren was up to. I haven't got very far though."
"Why would he say something like that though?" Kyoko asked.
Kanae shrugged, "I don't know. I think that if you want any answers you're going to have to talk to Ren directly."
Kyoko nodded, standing up in a daze. She needed to see Ren, talk to him. Try to figure out just what had happened because, if what Kanae had said was true, then she had just falsely accused Sho and shouted at him in front of a room full of people.
She groaned to herself at the memory. She really hoped Ren could deny the accusation.
-/-
Ignoring the half-hearted protest made by Kanae, Kyoko went straight to Ren's room and knocked on the door.
Ren answered, also clad in his pyjamas but Kyoko was too distracted to really care. Besides, she had already seen him in such a similar state of dress when she had to take care of him when he was ill that time.
"Kyoko-chan?" Ren asked, sounding surprised.
"Ren-san. We need to talk."
Ren nodded and moved to the side, allowing Kyoko access to his rooms. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"
"Did you tell Sho that I told you that I didn't want to see him?" Kyoko burst out, needing to know the answer.
A dark look passed over Ren's face. "Who said that? Was it Fuwa? You shouldn't believe anything that he says."
"Actually, it was Kanae. She overheard the conversation."
Ren froze for a second, but that was all the confirmation Kyoko needed. She took a step back, betrayal showing starkly on her face. "Why?"
"I..." Ren started, "You're too good for him. You deserve better than him, someone who would treat you like you should be - not someone that looks at you as a possession.
"I was just trying to keep him away, keep you safe."
Kyoko took another step backwards.
"Ren-san, you didn't need to...you made me...he..." She was unable to finish any of the sentences that she needed to. Not fully being able to understand what Ren had just admitted to. She needed to think. She needed space. "I have to go." She said, turning and going for the door.
"Wait! Kyoko! I was only trying to protect you."
All the breath left Kyoko at once. She stared at the open door. "But you didn't, did you?" She said hollowly, "You just did what Sho did. Lied to me and manipulated me into thinking something that would benefit you."
"Please, Kyoko..." Ren begged quietly, reaching out towards her as if he could grab her and never let go. He sounded so lost at that moment.
Kyoko refused to look at him. "I need to go. I don't want to see you for a while."
With that parting shot she exited and closed the door behind her, leaving Ren standing alone in the middle of his room.
-/-
Yashiro had not expected the knock on his door that morning.
He had been up already, this being the time he was usually at breakfast and going over what Ren would be doing for the day. Just because he had stopped being Ren's manager made his body revert back to his old schedule.
Thus he was up and dressed. It didn't stop him from being shocked when he saw Ren standing in his doorway looking like his entire life had shattered around him.
"Ren-san?" Yashiro asked hesitantly.
"Yashiro..." Ren said quietly, "I think I've made a mistake."
Yashiro's heart clenched and he motioned for Ren to come in. "Tell me what happened."
And Ren told him everything. From his feelings to the plan that had led to him leading both Sho and Kyoko onto the black run. He spoke of the guilt he felt and how he didn't think that was going to go away.
The he told Yashiro about what he had said to Sho and how Kyoko had found out and now everything had turned bad.
Yashiro just sat and listened, knowing that Ren needed this outlet, needed to cauterise his wounds.
It wasn't until Ren had completely finished that Yashiro spoke.
"Are you a complete idiot?"
Ren flinched.
"I mean," Yashiro continued, trying to clarify, "Did you ever think that lying to Kyoko was going to work? That she would never find out?"
"Well...I was hoping..."
"Really?" Yashiro cut Ren off, "Because it seems to me that you've been so caught up that you've forgotten who you are.
"God! You can't just..." Yashiro made a noise of frustration, "Argh. You see, this is why you need me. Inspire some logic into the situations you seem to find yourself in. I swear, all of you seem to lack common sense sometimes.
"I blame President Takarada."
Ren stared at him.
"Look," Yashiro said, "You betrayed Kyoko's trust, but she's forgiving...kind of..." Yashiro added when he remembered Kyoko's vendetta against Sho that had lasted for over half a year.
Ren seemed to remember this fact too if the grimace was anything to go by.
"I think," Yashiro continued slowly, trying to gather his thoughts. "If we can get Kyoko to listen to you, and you repeat exactly what you just said to me...you might have a chance."
Hope flared briefly in Ren's eyes. "You think I should go talk to her now?"
"Good God, no! She's more likely to hurt you than forgive you at this moment in time."
The hope died. "So what do I do?"
Yashiro patted Ren on the shoulder. "If I was you, I would try to avoid her for the rest of the day. I'll think of some way that will get the two of you together so you can explain properly."
Yashiro was rewarded by the respect that showed in Ren's expression. "Why are you doing this for me?" he asked, "You aren't my manager anymore."
"Ren," Yashiro said patiently, "I am, and always will be, your manager. But more importantly than that, I see you as a friend."
Ren smiled tiredly at him, "Thank you."