Clarity

Chapter 1

There was no mistaking those words from his mouth as he spoke to his mother about her. Kyoko stood in the doorway in shock as she listened to the man of her former dreams describe her. Plain, boring, ordinary, no sex-appeal and wouldn't marry her if she was the last living two legged creature on the planet. Did he really have to take it that far? Well, she was kind of glad he did, otherwise it would have made the decision she was about to make much more difficult.

When the camera crew and staff came in from Tokyo a month ago to film the commercial for the ryokan, Kyoko had been dazzled. When they had asked Yayoi Fuwa if she had any suggestions on a replacement for the actress that was down with the flu, she had suggested sweet little Kyoko. She was the perfect image she wanted representing their establishment. And when Kyoko had dazzled them with her dormant acting skills the director and producer made a call to a close, very eccentric friend that had made her an offer.

Yayoi Fuwa looked up at her pseudo-daughter and glanced at her son. The unreadable look the girl had on her face from his impromptu revelation, broke her heart and her next words send the shards scattering. There was only one thing she knew to do to make amends for raising such an uncaring, ungrateful son. She removed the permission documents from her desk drawer as Sho sat wondering what was happening, and she signed them.

She looked up at Kyoko knowingly. "Kyoko-chan... You have our blessing." She smiled softly yet sadly. "Ryuu would like to accompany you to the train station."

Kyoko nodded. "Thank you Okami-san... I will be ready in an hour." She told her without emotion as she took the documents from the torn woman and left to pack her meager belongings.

"Where is she going?" Sho asked irritably.

His mother raised an eyebrow at the arrogant 15 year-old. "I don't see how that is any of your concern Shotaro." She stood and walked to the doorway and looked out into the hall where her husband had entered. "Ryuu... Kyoko-chan had decided to take the job offer."

He started to protest but she gave him a pointed look and shook her head sadly as she glanced back into the office.

"Would you be kind enough to accompany her to the train station?" She asked him quietly.

He nodded. There was nothing more that he could do, she wasn't really their daughter. If she decided that she no longer wanted to be there, they would not stop her. They had discussed this when Lory Takarada had approached them about her talent and the offer. They had seen how happy she was when she finished that day and decided that, that was the happiest they had seen her since the summer of when she was six years-old.

"Thank you Dear. Please let her know, we will always be here for her if she needs us." She added quietly.

It had been seven months since Kyoko had left and now it was Valentine's Day. Girls from every class had showered him with chocolates and gifts. Life would be good but something seemed like it was missing. He shook the cobwebs from his thoughts. It was for the best that she was gone. He didn't need her hanging around him ruining his image and he certainly didn't need his family trying to marry him off to her.

"Did you see that new PV for Vie Ghoul?" He heard one of his male friends asking.

Why were guys talking about that band?

"Hai, hai... The girl they got to play the demon was hot!" His other friend answered lustily. "Wouldn't mind her wrapping those sexy fingers around my neck." He laughed.

"I know right? They did a feature on her in TeenBeat! Magazine." He pulled it from his bag and opened the magazine.

Sho's interest was piqued and he decided to see what all of the fuss was about. "So... Who you guys talking about?" Sho casually sat in the desk next to the owner of the mag and leaned back in his chair.

"Oh... It's this new actress that just made her debut. The article said she's been modeling, doing commercials and she's already done a couple of dramas." The boy opened the magazine's centerfold and displayed her picture.

Golden eyes on glossy paper stared back at him and strawberry-blonde hair glistened under the studio's lights for the photo.

"Too bad she's dating that Reino guy." The first one commented sadly.

"No man... She's dating Tsuruga." The other corrected.

"I thought she's been seen a lot with Hikaru Ishibashi from Bridge Rock." Another piped in.

"Doesn't matter who she's dating... Kyouko's still cute and I'm still a big fan." The first declared.

Kyoko? Sho felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. Can't be... Didn't she work at a ryokan in Tokyo? Wait... they never said what the job offer was. He felt a migraine coming on. It can't be. He repeated over and over in his mind until he finally got home, but not before he stopped at the news stand and picked up a copy of that magazine.

One really wouldn't know if it was pride, stubbornness or, denial but Sho never bothered to ask his mother the answer to the question that plagued his mind. Where exactly did Kyoko go? One would think that he would attempt to pursue music like he had briefly thought to before Kyoko left but without her there to support his dreams, he just didn't have the motivation to do so. Besides, why leave a place where he was being doted on and cared for so well, now that he didn't have to worry about being married off to her? He snorted at the ludicrous thought.

"Ryuu... Hurry up! Dark Moon is on!" Yayoi called to her husband as he walked into the family room with a bowl of popcorn and two sodas.

"Hai, Hai woman... She's not going anywhere. There's still a commercial. See?" He smirked. However, he was just as excited to see his pseudo-daughter as she was.

She smiled brightly and shocked Sho as he walked in to tell them that he was going on a date with Aimi-chan, his flavor of the week.

"Alright Shotaro... Have a good time." She waved him off without looking at him as the opening credits started on their stupid little night-time drama and the image of that disgusting pretty boy Tsuruga came on, then some chick with blonde hair and then this strangely beautiful girl with a big scar on the side of her face, dressed in an all black velvet dress flashed on the screen.

"Oh Ryuu... She looks so elegant. Doesn't she?" Yayoi commented proudly as she watched Kyoko descend from the stairs of the large mansion, riveting Sho to the spot behind his parents while his date waited for him to pick her up.

Ryuu nodded and rubbed his wife's shoulder. "Yes Dear... She looks like a queen." He whispered and kissed her temple as she dabbed the tears from her eyes.

Sho left the room rolling his eyes at his parent's behavior. "What's the big deal about that stupid actress?" He groused and left for his date. Who by the way, wouldn't shut up about the latest gossip about said actress and her long-time beau Tsuruga. (Because after all, he wasn't there to keep goading her ire and stoking the fires of her hatred. He meant nothing to her.) She kept going on and on about how they knew each other when they were children and the red string of fate or, some crap like that. He decided that he would go out with Mina-chan next week instead of listening to this.