Loveless (Book 1) [Completed]

Chapter 36.

THE CREATIVE SLUMP.

Kyoko sat on Mio's bench and waited in her classroom for the scene to start. As she did, a big grin was stuck to her face. She was still thrilled about the fact that Ren actually praised her Mio. It was hard not to smile.

"Mio."

She snapped her head at the Director, who called out to her.

"Err... We're waiting for you to get into character."

"Right!" She slapped her cheeks hard to resist the urge to keep smiling before letting out Mio again.

At the end of the day, when all the targeted scenes were shot, the Director asked Kyoko in front of the whole cast-what inspired her to approach Mio the way she did and how did she manage to empathize with her twisted personality-so that the other cast members might also use her method to develop their characters - if they find it helpful.

"The way I see it," Kyoko softly caressed her temple and Mio's scar on it as she replied, "this scar is not just a scar but a metaphor for what Mio has gone through. I think of her like a princess in a fairytale. She has been put under the spell of ugliness. She feels like the most hideous girl in the whole world because all she can do is hate. Mio is a prisoner of her own self image. Her scar is a constant reminder. As long as it's there, she..." Kyoko's voice faltered with pain and tears flooded her eyes. She continued dramatically, "she can never turn back into the the beautiful princess she once was. It's so tragic!" The little drizzle of tears flowing from her eyes turned into a fountain. She sobbed, "someone lift the cause and make her whole again!"

"Kyoko," the Director's voice sounded concerned as he hesitated on how to react. "You think you might be taking this a little too for?"

"Well," Ren smiled at her over-dramatic reaction. "She's just...empathetic." He resisted the urge to laugh out loud. He found it hilarious that even after ten years, Kyoko had not changed one bit when it came to princesses or fairies. Living in her own fantasy land. He wondered if she still believed that fairies actually existed and Corn was one.

.

.

.

The clear blue water of the pond sparkled in the sunlight. The tree leaves rustled with the soft breeze. And in the middle of the picturesque scenery, sat a beautiful ten-year-old boy along with a little adorable girl with her dark hair tied in tiny pigtails.

She asked the boy a question in a voice dripped with hurt and sadness, "Corn, do you really have to go back to the fairy world? You're not coming back?"

"I am afraid not," he smiled sadly.

"Can I write to you?"

"Your letters won't reach me. I live in another world, remember?"

"I...thought we were friends!" Her eyes flooded with tears and she sobbed. "Don't leave me, Corn!"

"Don't cry," he gently wiped her wet cheeks and took out a blue rock from his pocket before giving it to her.

"What's this?"

"Just hold it up to the light."

"'kay." She did as she was told. Her tears vanished in an instant as she grinned at the object in her hands in amazement. "Hey! It changed colour!"

"I know," he chuckled. Dropping his voice to a mere whispered, he muttered, "it's magic."

"Really?" Her eyes went wide.

"Yes. It's colour is the blue of sadness because it takes people's sadness away. See for yourself, didn't you stop crying..."

The image of the two kids kept getting blurrier and blurrier until it was finally consumed by total darkness.