#03: Skip Beat! (Ren & Kyōko)
...xXx...
...xXx...
Katsuki pulled his coat closer as he stood under a closed store's awning while watching the pouring rain. He was on his way home, a few blocks from where he stood, when the sky decided to rain down its tears. It wouldn't have been a problem if he was to walk in the rain, but he didn't want to. There was no one at home waiting for him, so there was no reason to go home early. Maybe... it was time to look for a girlfriend, or a wife. A rueful smile formed on his lips. He was quite doubtful that he could find one when his heart already set on loving a certain raven-haired girl.
It had been five years since he last saw her. Right after he exacted his revenge on the Hongo Family, he, along with Mizuki and Mio, moved away to a two-bedroom apartment. He had thought everything was right and good since they were together, but unfortunately, it didn't last long. A month later, Mio left them with no notes whatsoever, and it hurt him more than he could admit it to himself. She was his constant silent supporter, even in destroying her own family. He would have thought she was mentally disturbed, but after learning of her scarred childhood, he could hardly blame her.
Aside from that, Mio had been supporting his relationship with Mizuki as well. He knew she didn't really like her cousin since they were like day and night. Mizuki was the light within the darkness of their lives. Still, she had nothing against their relationship. And sadly, after she left, everything changed. His relationship with Mizuki was never the same. He thought he could forget about Mio and move on, but every time he looked at Mizuki, he would always remember Mio. From there, he would silently worry about her safety. In the end, it didn't work. Mizuki seemed to realise this as well and ended their relationship peacefully before parting ways. He then moved away to Kyōto to have a fresh start.
For years now, he had loved Mio without knowing where she was. He absent-mindedly wondered if he would ever see her again. If he was given another chance to see her again, he would tell her his feelings, regardless of how she felt about him. After that, he would truly move on. How he was going to do that, he didn't know, but he was sure he would hold no more regret. His musings came to a stop when another person joined him. Looking at the violin case, he could only guess the young woman was a music student. He couldn't really see her face since she didn't stand under the light. Once she did, he lost his breath.
Mio mentally cursed her luck for not bringing her umbrella. She only forgot it today, too! Needlessly to say, she was soaked to the bone. Sighing, she then put her plastic-covered violin case against the wall of the closed shop. She gathered her black long hair and squeezed the water out. It wouldn't do her good to have wet hair. She knew that she was not alone, but she ignored that fact. It was raining, so there were always other people seeking temporary shelter. However, she was forced to stop thinking when she heard his voice.
Both stared at each other. Surprise and shock were clear on their faces.
Suddenly, she felt cold. It was not because of the rain though. She didn't expect to see him again. Years had passed by, but she sometimes still felt guilty for leaving without a word. But, could anyone blame her? Whenever she saw Katsuki and Mizuki together, her chest hurt. At that time, she didn't understand why. Only after months of away from them, from him, did she understood that she had fallen in love with Katsuki. Thankfully, by the time she realised this, she didn't have to deal with him, or Mizuki for that matter, anymore.
She let go of her wet hair and stood straighter. "It's been a while... Katsuki."
Mixed emotions spread across his face. He didn't know what to feel at that moment. Happy, sad and angry were just bumping at each other. In the end, he just studied her. Mio hadn't changed much after all those years. She was obviously more mature, and he could barely see the scar on her left temple. It seemed she had removed what could be the remainder of her former self.
After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, "Why?"
Mio looked away from him, unsure of how to tell him her reason for leaving.
Katsuki looked up at the darkened sky and decided it was time to go home. Without hesitation, he took Mio's violin case in one hand while the other captured her small wrist. Fortunately, she didn't protest and let him guide them to his apartment through the pouring rain. Less than ten minutes of running later, they reached his humble apartment.
Mio noted how empty his apartment was but said nothing. Soon, Katsuki shoved black shorts, a white bottom-up shirt and a towel to her. After being told where the bathroom was, she quickly took a quick shower knowing that he, too, would also need one, lest he wanted to become sick.
Sooner than either of them expected, they both sat across each other. No one spoke while Mio quietly dried her hair. It had been over ten minutes since then, and there were no more droplets. She then combed her long hair as best as she could with her fingers. Wet towel on her lap, she heaved a silent sigh. Really, the silence was just too much for her.
Katsuki, who also felt the same, decided to break it. "Why?"
Obviously, he still wanted to hear her reasons for leaving. Not wanting to lie, she told him half of the truth. "I didn't want to become a third wheel."
Silence reigned once more.
It was then Mio decided to look around his living room. Rows of CDs in the small shelf beside the small television caught her attention, and she got up to look closer. What she saw made her eyes grow impossibly large, but of course, Katsuki didn't see this. Most of his collections were instrumental songs. She didn't know that Katsuki liked that genre of music. Though, she did know Katsuki could play piano. What surprised her was all of his MN collections. He had it from the first album until the latest one. Taking out the latest album, she turned to face him while holding the CD. "Do you like it?"
Katsuki seemed to sigh in relief at the change of topic. He smiled. "Yeah, I like her music. A lot."
Mio refrained herself from blushing by looking away. A lot from Katsuki was a huge compliment. She tried to calm her fast-beating heart.
Despite her attempt to look away, he saw her slight flush face. He didn't know why, but he glanced at her violin case and noticed the gold MN letters. Soon, realisation dawned on him as he looked at her in shock and surprise. He almost gaped at her.
At that moment, Mio turned to look at him and couldn't help but blush brighter. It appeared that her secret was out. She was the famous instrumental musician known as MN. No one had really seen her face, so she couldn't blame him for not knowing. Even the signing session was done secretly, much to her fans' dismay and delight. She just couldn't deal with the attention. Her fans did think it was cool, however, and they loved how mysterious she was.
"Wow," he murmured breathlessly.
Mio willed her face to return to its normal colour.
"Why MN if I may ask?"
Upon calming down, Mio chose to look at her album. "Mio Nagasawa."
"Nagasawa..."
She nodded. "My grandmother's last name."
Five years ago, the Hongo Family was utterly destroyed. Her mother and sister quickly left after learning her father had lost everything: the house, the cars, the company. As for her father, he was involved in a major car accident. Knowing how much Katsuki hated her father, everyone would think the accident was planned, but in truth, it was not. Losing everything was too much for her father, and he had drowned himself in liquor. Everyone knew that driving while being drunk was never a good thing.
After leaving Katsuki and Mizuki, she had wanted to have a new start by changing her last name. When she moved to Kyōto, playing violin was her way of earning money, and slowly, she found joy as well. It was just like when she was still a little girl. Not long after she started playing in various restaurants, she was unexpectedly recruited by a renowned recording company from Tōkyō. She didn't know there were a lot of people that liked her music. After her first album, she became famous in practically one night. Even until now, her new life was full of miracles.
"Mio..."
She looked up at him.
"It's good to see you again."
A small smile appeared on her lips. "Likewise."
"So..." they said at the same time.
Katsuki chuckled before gesturing with his hand. "Ladies first."
She shifted under her seat. "If... if you don't mind me asking... where's Mizuki?"
He hummed before glancing at the closed window where they could see the rain. "Not long after you went away, she left."
"..."
"It didn't work out because..."
"Because?" she prodded gently.
He gazed into her eyes. "Because I'm in love with someone else..."
Her breath hitched.
"And I'm still in love with this girl..."
Her heart pounded so loud in her ears that she almost missed his next words, "I'm in love with you, Mio."
For the next few moments, both didn't know who made the first move. What they knew was they ached for each other's touch. Kisses were exchanged, slowly at first before building into something more. By the time they made it to his bedroom, both were free of their clothes. Their moans and groans were muffled by the outside rain. Nothing else mattered after he became her first and only lover. They made love until both collapsed, tired but happy. Both slept with smile on their faces.
Both women looked at each other in shock.
"Mio."
"Mizuki."
Mizuki held the urge to slap herself so that she knew that she was not dreaming. Mio, her long lost cousin, stood before her and was heavily pregnant. Her heart beat faster as she guessed who the father of her child was.
"Are you looking for Katsuki?"
She nodded numbly.
"Come in." Mio opened the door wider. "He'll be home soon."
Mio led Mizuki to the living room while she left for the kitchen to serve a cool drink for her unexpected visitor. Halfway pouring the cool oolong tea, she heard the tell tale sign of the unlocking door. Once again, she made her way to the door and met her husband in the hallway.
Katsuki had a big smile on his face as he leaned down to capture his wife's lips in a kiss. "How are you doing, love?"
"Good. The twins are not giving me a hard time yet."
He knelt down before her and kissed her protruding belly. Looking up at her, he lovingly muttered, "I love you."
She ran her fingers through his dark hair. "I love you, too."
Unknown to them, Mizuki witnessed their loving exchanged with aching heart. She had meant to look for Katsuki and see if they could give their past relationship another chance. But now, she knew better that she had lost that chance. The look in Katsuki's eyes was enough to tell her that he truly loved Mio. Moreover, this was the first time she heard him vocalise his feelings to anyone. Even when they were together years ago, he had never told her he loved her. She glanced at the wall of their living room where their wedding pictures were shown to all. They both looked so happy.
With a teary smile, she vowed to herself that she would make sure they would always be happy. Both of them, especially Mio, had suffered enough, and everyone deserved a happy ending. She might not have hers now, but she believed that she would find it when the time comes. Looking back at the happy couple, she blushed brightly.
"Hey! Will you two get a room already?"
The couple broke apart immediately. Mio, who just remembered they had a guest, sputtered, "I'm so sorry, Mizuki!"
Mizuki waved her hand dismissively before glancing at Katsuki, who looked quite shocked to see her. "Katsuki-san, you will answer to me if you ever make my cousin cry!"
All of them laughed when Katsuki answered, "Yes, Madam."
Mizuki was extremely shocked when she found out that the famous violist MN was actually her own cousin. Katsuki she found no longer teaching but working in a trading company nearby. The married couple was expecting a pair of twins and asked her to be their godmother, something she accepted instantly. The three of them kept in touch even after she married one of Katsuki's colleagues and had her own children. Even though she had lost her chance with Katsuki, she had been given another chance to have another kind of love and a happy relationship, and not once did she regret her choice to let her most important persons live happily ever after.
It had been five years since he last saw her. Right after he exacted his revenge on the Hongo Family, he, along with Mizuki and Mio, moved away to a two-bedroom apartment. He had thought everything was right and good since they were together, but unfortunately, it didn't last long. A month later, Mio left them with no notes whatsoever, and it hurt him more than he could admit it to himself. She was his constant silent supporter, even in destroying her own family. He would have thought she was mentally disturbed, but after learning of her scarred childhood, he could hardly blame her.
Aside from that, Mio had been supporting his relationship with Mizuki as well. He knew she didn't really like her cousin since they were like day and night. Mizuki was the light within the darkness of their lives. Still, she had nothing against their relationship. And sadly, after she left, everything changed. His relationship with Mizuki was never the same. He thought he could forget about Mio and move on, but every time he looked at Mizuki, he would always remember Mio. From there, he would silently worry about her safety. In the end, it didn't work. Mizuki seemed to realise this as well and ended their relationship peacefully before parting ways. He then moved away to Kyōto to have a fresh start.
For years now, he had loved Mio without knowing where she was. He absent-mindedly wondered if he would ever see her again. If he was given another chance to see her again, he would tell her his feelings, regardless of how she felt about him. After that, he would truly move on. How he was going to do that, he didn't know, but he was sure he would hold no more regret. His musings came to a stop when another person joined him. Looking at the violin case, he could only guess the young woman was a music student. He couldn't really see her face since she didn't stand under the light. Once she did, he lost his breath.
Mio mentally cursed her luck for not bringing her umbrella. She only forgot it today, too! Needlessly to say, she was soaked to the bone. Sighing, she then put her plastic-covered violin case against the wall of the closed shop. She gathered her black long hair and squeezed the water out. It wouldn't do her good to have wet hair. She knew that she was not alone, but she ignored that fact. It was raining, so there were always other people seeking temporary shelter. However, she was forced to stop thinking when she heard his voice.
Both stared at each other. Surprise and shock were clear on their faces.
Suddenly, she felt cold. It was not because of the rain though. She didn't expect to see him again. Years had passed by, but she sometimes still felt guilty for leaving without a word. But, could anyone blame her? Whenever she saw Katsuki and Mizuki together, her chest hurt. At that time, she didn't understand why. Only after months of away from them, from him, did she understood that she had fallen in love with Katsuki. Thankfully, by the time she realised this, she didn't have to deal with him, or Mizuki for that matter, anymore.
She let go of her wet hair and stood straighter. "It's been a while... Katsuki."
Mixed emotions spread across his face. He didn't know what to feel at that moment. Happy, sad and angry were just bumping at each other. In the end, he just studied her. Mio hadn't changed much after all those years. She was obviously more mature, and he could barely see the scar on her left temple. It seemed she had removed what could be the remainder of her former self.
After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, "Why?"
Mio looked away from him, unsure of how to tell him her reason for leaving.
Katsuki looked up at the darkened sky and decided it was time to go home. Without hesitation, he took Mio's violin case in one hand while the other captured her small wrist. Fortunately, she didn't protest and let him guide them to his apartment through the pouring rain. Less than ten minutes of running later, they reached his humble apartment.
Mio noted how empty his apartment was but said nothing. Soon, Katsuki shoved black shorts, a white bottom-up shirt and a towel to her. After being told where the bathroom was, she quickly took a quick shower knowing that he, too, would also need one, lest he wanted to become sick.
Sooner than either of them expected, they both sat across each other. No one spoke while Mio quietly dried her hair. It had been over ten minutes since then, and there were no more droplets. She then combed her long hair as best as she could with her fingers. Wet towel on her lap, she heaved a silent sigh. Really, the silence was just too much for her.
Katsuki, who also felt the same, decided to break it. "Why?"
Obviously, he still wanted to hear her reasons for leaving. Not wanting to lie, she told him half of the truth. "I didn't want to become a third wheel."
Silence reigned once more.
It was then Mio decided to look around his living room. Rows of CDs in the small shelf beside the small television caught her attention, and she got up to look closer. What she saw made her eyes grow impossibly large, but of course, Katsuki didn't see this. Most of his collections were instrumental songs. She didn't know that Katsuki liked that genre of music. Though, she did know Katsuki could play piano. What surprised her was all of his MN collections. He had it from the first album until the latest one. Taking out the latest album, she turned to face him while holding the CD. "Do you like it?"
Katsuki seemed to sigh in relief at the change of topic. He smiled. "Yeah, I like her music. A lot."
Mio refrained herself from blushing by looking away. A lot from Katsuki was a huge compliment. She tried to calm her fast-beating heart.
Despite her attempt to look away, he saw her slight flush face. He didn't know why, but he glanced at her violin case and noticed the gold MN letters. Soon, realisation dawned on him as he looked at her in shock and surprise. He almost gaped at her.
At that moment, Mio turned to look at him and couldn't help but blush brighter. It appeared that her secret was out. She was the famous instrumental musician known as MN. No one had really seen her face, so she couldn't blame him for not knowing. Even the signing session was done secretly, much to her fans' dismay and delight. She just couldn't deal with the attention. Her fans did think it was cool, however, and they loved how mysterious she was.
"Wow," he murmured breathlessly.
Mio willed her face to return to its normal colour.
"Why MN if I may ask?"
Upon calming down, Mio chose to look at her album. "Mio Nagasawa."
"Nagasawa..."
She nodded. "My grandmother's last name."
Five years ago, the Hongo Family was utterly destroyed. Her mother and sister quickly left after learning her father had lost everything: the house, the cars, the company. As for her father, he was involved in a major car accident. Knowing how much Katsuki hated her father, everyone would think the accident was planned, but in truth, it was not. Losing everything was too much for her father, and he had drowned himself in liquor. Everyone knew that driving while being drunk was never a good thing.
After leaving Katsuki and Mizuki, she had wanted to have a new start by changing her last name. When she moved to Kyōto, playing violin was her way of earning money, and slowly, she found joy as well. It was just like when she was still a little girl. Not long after she started playing in various restaurants, she was unexpectedly recruited by a renowned recording company from Tōkyō. She didn't know there were a lot of people that liked her music. After her first album, she became famous in practically one night. Even until now, her new life was full of miracles.
"Mio..."
She looked up at him.
"It's good to see you again."
A small smile appeared on her lips. "Likewise."
"So..." they said at the same time.
Katsuki chuckled before gesturing with his hand. "Ladies first."
She shifted under her seat. "If... if you don't mind me asking... where's Mizuki?"
He hummed before glancing at the closed window where they could see the rain. "Not long after you went away, she left."
"..."
"It didn't work out because..."
"Because?" she prodded gently.
He gazed into her eyes. "Because I'm in love with someone else..."
Her breath hitched.
"And I'm still in love with this girl..."
Her heart pounded so loud in her ears that she almost missed his next words, "I'm in love with you, Mio."
For the next few moments, both didn't know who made the first move. What they knew was they ached for each other's touch. Kisses were exchanged, slowly at first before building into something more. By the time they made it to his bedroom, both were free of their clothes. Their moans and groans were muffled by the outside rain. Nothing else mattered after he became her first and only lover. They made love until both collapsed, tired but happy. Both slept with smile on their faces.
...xXx...
"Coming...!" Mio exclaimed as she waddled her way to the front door and opened it. "Yes?"Both women looked at each other in shock.
"Mio."
"Mizuki."
Mizuki held the urge to slap herself so that she knew that she was not dreaming. Mio, her long lost cousin, stood before her and was heavily pregnant. Her heart beat faster as she guessed who the father of her child was.
"Are you looking for Katsuki?"
She nodded numbly.
"Come in." Mio opened the door wider. "He'll be home soon."
Mio led Mizuki to the living room while she left for the kitchen to serve a cool drink for her unexpected visitor. Halfway pouring the cool oolong tea, she heard the tell tale sign of the unlocking door. Once again, she made her way to the door and met her husband in the hallway.
Katsuki had a big smile on his face as he leaned down to capture his wife's lips in a kiss. "How are you doing, love?"
"Good. The twins are not giving me a hard time yet."
He knelt down before her and kissed her protruding belly. Looking up at her, he lovingly muttered, "I love you."
She ran her fingers through his dark hair. "I love you, too."
Unknown to them, Mizuki witnessed their loving exchanged with aching heart. She had meant to look for Katsuki and see if they could give their past relationship another chance. But now, she knew better that she had lost that chance. The look in Katsuki's eyes was enough to tell her that he truly loved Mio. Moreover, this was the first time she heard him vocalise his feelings to anyone. Even when they were together years ago, he had never told her he loved her. She glanced at the wall of their living room where their wedding pictures were shown to all. They both looked so happy.
With a teary smile, she vowed to herself that she would make sure they would always be happy. Both of them, especially Mio, had suffered enough, and everyone deserved a happy ending. She might not have hers now, but she believed that she would find it when the time comes. Looking back at the happy couple, she blushed brightly.
"Hey! Will you two get a room already?"
The couple broke apart immediately. Mio, who just remembered they had a guest, sputtered, "I'm so sorry, Mizuki!"
Mizuki waved her hand dismissively before glancing at Katsuki, who looked quite shocked to see her. "Katsuki-san, you will answer to me if you ever make my cousin cry!"
All of them laughed when Katsuki answered, "Yes, Madam."
Mizuki was extremely shocked when she found out that the famous violist MN was actually her own cousin. Katsuki she found no longer teaching but working in a trading company nearby. The married couple was expecting a pair of twins and asked her to be their godmother, something she accepted instantly. The three of them kept in touch even after she married one of Katsuki's colleagues and had her own children. Even though she had lost her chance with Katsuki, she had been given another chance to have another kind of love and a happy relationship, and not once did she regret her choice to let her most important persons live happily ever after.
The End
Thanks for reading.
:)
ReplyDeleteshort but beautiful and wonderful story :)
ReplyDeleteIt's nice. Bitter and sweet. I liked it.
ReplyDeleteKudos.
I loved this! Short and sweet! Write more fanfics cuz ur style's pretty good and engaging!
ReplyDeletei always thought the relationship between Mio and Katsuki was interesting...i like this story, i wouldve liked a little more with Kyoko and Ren, but it's very good as a stand alone story :)
ReplyDelete-Kate
I have always love Mio. She such a poor girl that my heart is aching for her! I truly love this story. I have to wonder what Kyoko reaction to this is though?
ReplyDeleteAwww...that was cute and I liked it alot :) .
ReplyDeleteNice story:) wish there is an extra story about what happened to ren and kyoko After filming this. Pls pls pls can you make one? -kakurin too lazy to log in
ReplyDeletebeautiful, simply beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteHow cute! I love that you decided to write a fic from the story within the story that is Skip Beat! It's a really cool and original idea. I very much enjoyed it _
ReplyDeleteIts such a heartwarming fanfic! I will continue to root you!
ReplyDelete