Disclaimer : I do not own Skip Beat!
"Cooooo~rn!" Kyoko laughed in delight. Inside the gift box she was holding, there was a crystal fairy figure. It was carefully crafted to be fairly resembled Corn, it had tinged of yellow on its head, the wings were very colorful yet transparent.
"I see you like it." Ren smiled.
"Ooooooh... I love it. Thank you!!!" Kyoko, overjoyed by the present, jumped out of her chair and hugged him.
Hearing gasps from the people around them, Kyoko stiffened and immediately drew back, or tried, coz Ren held her tighter and laughed. "No backing of now. People know. I'll announce it officially later. Now enjoy the parade of gifts from your awaiting friends, Koi!" Ren kissed her forehead and let her went back to the chair.
One by one, the guests came and congratulated both Kyoko and Maria. Soon, the gift boxes piled up around their chairs. Everyone laughed and clapped together and all that time, Ren never even once left Kyoko's side. He ignored the quizzical gaze people threw him and kept smiling, unabled to hide or deny the happiness he felt inside seeing his Kyoko happy.
Lory, who was standing behind the thrones with Ren suddenly came forward, holding a microphone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, another guest has come. Let's go and give them a warm welcome." Lory pointed his arm towards the entrance and two golden carriages, pulled by four white horses on each, could be seen.
Kyoko was completely enthralled by the scene and squealed in delight, mumbling something that sounded like "King and Queen Fairy are here" and danced lightly. Ren smiled and approached her, draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer.
"Wanna take a look?" Ren whispered.
Kyoko enthusiastically nodded her head, "Hm!"
"Let's go there." Ren guided her, together with Lory who carried Maria in his arms.
Trumpets were blown, announcing their arrival. The carriages' doors were opened. From the first carriage, a man wearing Majestic clothes looked very much like a king, was none other, Takarada Kouki, Maria's father.
Maria screamed and asked to be put down. She made a graceful curtsy and ran toward the man as soon as he smiled and returned the curtsey. "Papa!"
"My dear, Maria! Thank you for inviting me today. I'm very happy to see you." Kouki carried and hugged her tightly, tickling her by kissing all over her face.
Kyoko smiled at them happily but she suddenly turned her head when she heard people's shocked gasps. Ren chuckled lightly on her ear and whispered, "Happy Birthday, Koi. I'm happy your present got here safely and in time." Puzzled, Kyoko turned toward Ren, intended to ask him. But she caught a glimpse of the person got out from the carriage.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa...." She screamed as she recognized him, then another scream when she saw another person haughtily guided out.
"Mom! Dad!" Kyoko ran off to them, forgot that people were watching.
Kuu and Juliena Hizuri, majestically dressed as King and Queen with all its attributes like crown and robe, stepped out of carriage. Kuu laughed heartily, he caught Kyoko and lifted her up and made a full circle before putting her down and kissed both of her cheeks.
"My birthday daughter, are you happy?" Kuu asked, held her at arms length.
"Overly!" Kyoko nodded and then turned to Julie. "Mom!"
"Happy Birthday, darling! I wish you happiness and love!" Julie hugged her.
"Oh, Mom! Why didn't you tell me you'd come. I didn't even know you're in Japan." Kyoko pouted.
"Don't pout, Young Lady! That's so unbecoming. I just arrived here this afternoon and thanks to someone, we've sworn to keep it secret from you." Julie pinched Kyoko's nose and patted her head later, as parents did to their children.
"Alright, people, let's get inside. The party must go on!" Lory guided them back and the party went on with the arrival of the new stars.
Lory get all the stars near the stage, the thrones, pile of gifts and cakes were moved to the side. Foods and drinks were taken out, the bands played and while the guests attacked the food, the speeches begun.
"Happy Christmas to all of you. Thank you for coming here despite all the business I'm sure everyone has and struggling with. No measure of gratitude I can convey to express my feeling for all of you. Thank you for supporting me for the past year and I hope the best for all of us in the next year. To the greatest man whom I can't thank you enough for being there and opened countless opportunity for me to be myself, President Takarada, please take care of me onwards. To my family, in everything but blood, Okami-san, Taisho-san, thank you for your endless support. I love you. To my most esteemed adoptive parents, Mom and Dad, I can't find the words to express my feeling, thank you for kindly opened your arms and welcomed me to the family. And Moko-san, Maria-chan, Chiori-chan, thank you for being my friend, I love you all." Kyoko finished her speech by bowing low to the guests.
Taisho and Okami, Kuu and Julie, Kanae and Chiori welcomed Kyoko with hugs and then stood by her side, so Ren took the chance to announce their relationship and got onto the stage.
"Ah, seeing that it's almost dawn, I guess it'll be safe to say, good morning everyone. I know it's not my stage, but I'm on it anyway." His opening drew laughter from all. "It seems that Kyoko forgot, or maybe too scared to tell you one more thing, so as her senpai, I'll lend a hand, I hope you people don't mind." Another laughter abrupt.
"I won't take long from your time but everyone of you that's been invited to this party are considered as our closest friends so I'm sharing this with you. The lovely lady we all know to be one of the most promising actress, and if you look at her now, she's a lovely tomato too," people all laughed heartily at his words because they could see that his words were true. "and I proudly say this, is my lovely girlfriend for these past six months. It's not my intention to leave you in the dark but we all know that our world tends to go overboard with information. But, we decided that at least, in front of our closest friends, we can all be true. So, there, I've told you!" Ren laughed and made a fun face, but the bright smile couldn't hide his true feeling. He is utterly and irrevocably in love with her.
Ren got off the stage, walked straight to Kyoko, lifted her, and kissed her noisily. Applause and whistling were spreading. Kyoko slapped his head lightly and true to his words, people weren't so surprised by the news. They mostly said that they thought they were dating longer than that and just decided not to make it public.
People got on the stage in turns and time went fast, it's nearly 4 am when the last guest left. Lory's party, Kouki and Maria, Kuu and Julie, Okami and Taisho, Kanae and Chiori, Yashiro, Ren and Kyoko are the only people left. The villa was large enough to have them staying, as expected from Lory. Kyoko and Maria stayed in the same room, Ren and Yashiro, Kanae and Chiori, Kuu and Julie, Okami and Taisho. The rest were getting the single rooms.
Kyoko changed her clothes to a more comfortable one, sky blue pants and red hoodie. She headed towards the kitchen and prepared breakfast for everyone. It's not as hard as when she worked at the inn or at Darumaya, she found it was quite enjoyable because she knew she was preparing the foods for her loved ones. Ren came in minutes later, knowing her so well that she wouldn't be in her room, resting. So he decided to lend a hand.
"Morning, Koi!" He hugged her, trailed kisses over her neck before turning her to face him and kissed her.
"Kuon, how come you're here and not sleeping?" Kyoko scolded him lightly.
"Back at you, Darling..." He kissed her again. "Lemme help. I'll make the coffee and orange juice. Then, we could stroll around the garden. I haven't got to see the famous fairy garden.
"Alright then, what do you want for breakfast? I'm making Kyoto traditional menu since Father must've missed it. Should I make something fast for you?" Kyoko gave up and let Ren joined her in the kitchen.
"No need. I like everything you made." Ren smiled and started cutting the oranges and squeezing them while he waited the water boiled for the coffee.
As the two of them were busy, Okami-san and the Taisho came. Not long after, Kuu came down and joined them. In the end, Kyoko and Ren were driven out of the kitchen and told to enjoy the sunrise or something. It worked out just fine with Ren since he got another plan for Kyoko.
"Shall we go and take a look at the Fairy Garden?" Ren offered his arm and asked Kyoko out.
Kyoko laughed and took the offered arm then they walked out to the garden.
It's true that Ren didn't pass the garden last night but it didn't mean he didn't know. It was originally his idea to arrange the garden to look like that. He wanted her to have a piece of the memory they had 12 years ago. Yes, the garden was made exactly as the stream where they met for the first time.
"Wooooooow..... I was so busy preparing for last night, I didn't get a chance to take a look." Kyoko swirled her body, took a look around the garden and laughed. "It won't be surprising if the real fairy came out. I'm glad I got to come here with you, my fairy prince, Corn!"
"Go ahead and enjoy, the sprites might be shy if I'm too close." Ren told her to go ahead.
Kyoko walked, or more likely danced, through the garden, slipping through the bushes and struck speechless. There it was, a complete imitation of the stream where Kyoko spent so much time in her childhood, a place where she could pretend that life was so wonderful, a place where she finally found her first love. She stood there, frozen by the view and shrieked when she heard the noise from behind.
Looking at her by the stream, watching the morning sunlight fell on her, "There you are, Princess. Did you wait for long?" Kuon showed up, his true self, the dazzling blond hair, the soothing greenish eyes, was fully struck Kyoko to oblivion once more.
Apparently, he was well prepared for today and had asked Ten to change his appearance in advance. Turned out that he was wearing wig before.
"Co~rn.. Is this your idea? The garden?" Kyoko trembly asked, her eyes were glistening, she was totally touched by his affection and realized how much she was loved and treasured.
Kuon walked slowly towards her, held her by his intense stare, "Although this place is just a replica, it doesn't change the fact that it was our precious place. In this place, I met a very young girl, troubled by her mother but bravely face the world, the cute loving girl that adored the fairytales, she even had her Prince Charming. But then, she adorably addressed me as a Fairy Prince, which greatly amused me at first but turned out to be my irreplaceable memory, a light in my darkest path, a way that brought me back to who I was back then." Kuon caressed her face, his eyes never left hers as he talked straightly to her soul.
Kyoko, enchanted by the sound of his voice, entrapped by his loving gaze, raised her hand to his cheek, "In this place I met a fairy, frustrated by his sovereign father that stopped him to fly freely," she chuckled, "then, despite his own problem, he gave me a keepsake, a sapphire blue stone, a piece of the sky, and taught me magic to stay happy. Then I realized, he became a piece of happiness itself that always brighten my day in the blink of an eye. I named the stone as I called the fairy, Corn, and I never left anywhere without it. It is my talisman, a present from my guardian angel. And it was the thing that brought my fairy prince back to me and gave me a chance to return the favor and help him." She smiled, circled her hand on his nape of the neck, stood on her tiptoes and pulled him closer, kissed him sweetly.
Kuon hugged her, pulled her into his embrace and held her there, deepen the kiss. He released her after a while and held her in arms length.
"You can't imagine how happy I am to have you and I still can't believe the fact that you love me. I'm grateful for the rest of my life and I will live proving it to you of how much I love you. I am still hiding from the world and I can't guarantee that the future will be any easier but if you are to be by my side, I'm sure I can face anything. So, Kyoko," Kuon held her left hand and got on one knee, "I will ask your hand to stand and walk with me through the brightest day and darkest night, to face every twist and turn the fate will throw and seek the happiness together. Will you marry me?"
"Oh, Kuon!" Kyoko sniffles, trying to restrain the sobbing, but the tears melted beautifully and dropped to their holding hands.
'Oh Kami-sama! Please let it be true! If it is a dream, then don't let me wake up. Respond, Kyoko! Hurry! Don't let him hang too long! Ugh! I can't think anything to say to him.' Kyoko panicky thought.
"Yes!" In the end, that's the only word came out. And then, "Oh Kuon! A thousand yes. I love you!" Kyoko covered her mouth to stifle her cry.
"We still have a very long fight to face, but I promise you, I will never let you down, I will always protect you and we will fight together to show the world that we meant to be together. I won't let let anyone says otherwise and don't let anyone make you think otherwise. My love is true and this is my promise." Kuon presented her a box of jewelry.
It was a necklace that he always wear. "It's not an engagement since I haven't asked your parents permission. So this is my symbol of promise. It's the only thing that I took from the moment I left my home five years ago as my father took it off from his own neck and gave me to remind me that I have a place to return to. Now I give it to you to tell you that you have one too, a place to return." He got up and help Kyoko to put on the necklace.
"Don't get me wrong. After I asked your mother and every pair of your parents, and you have too many of that, I will officially propose you in front of the great crowds and once again I will be hoping that you won't reject me then." Kuon tilted his head to the side and smiled.
"How could I? Maybe you are the one who lost interest in me later, who knows? You are always surrounded by those sophisticated woman. And I am just a high school graduated." Kyoko hugged him and mumbled.
"Don't worry, Koishi... With me, you are free to choose any life you want and I will support you with everything I have. School, acting, modelling, friends gathering, anything, honey, as long as I am the one you are returning to." Kuon kissed the top of her head.
"Can we stay here a bit longer and enjoy it? Sometimes I missed Kyoto so much because of this. Oh, I forgot! Talking about Kyoto, I got a phone call from the Fuwas, hey, calm down," She squeezed his hand lightly when he jerked at hearing the mention of Fuwa, "It's not Shotaro, it's from his parents, the one who raised me in Kyoto. They told me that my mother called them and explained the whole situation and they were really sorry about Sho and asked me to come by if I ever visit Kyoto." Kyoko finished her explanation.
Kuon looked into her eyes and searched for any sign of distress and found none, so he smiled and nodded, "Let's go there sometime later. Haaaaaaah... Your parents keep increasing and I have another father to face to ask you to be my wife."
Hearing the word 'wife', Kyoko blushed furiously and made Kuon laughed. "What? Didn't you agree to marry me before?" He asked playfully.
"Oh stop it, Kuon! I guess the reality just struck me somehow. I'm just about to graduate from high school and I already promised to be someone's wife. Not that I regret it, I just find it incredible. Just 2 years ago I thought of love as a curse and now I have my own fairytale as I'm marrying a fairy prince sometime in the future." Kyoko chuckled and it soon turned into laughter.
They laughed and played together in the stream with the dazzling sunlight danced around them, reminiscing their once forgotten memory of the past. Too absorbed in the joy of being together, they somehow forgot that they were gone too long and made someone worried and went the trouble to look for them. But, as the person who was going to check on them saw the view of the happy couple, he quietly retreated back to the house, humming. "Everyone gonna love it. I guess I'll keep it secret for them and wait patiently with the other to hear their news."