25 Women 1 Wife. (A Skip Beat! Fanfic)

She's In Love

"My dad is not worthless!" Oka hissed as Chiori smiled a sad smile.

"And neither are you Oka-san. Just because someone believes it wrong or unbecoming it doesn't mean it isn't right. Take me for example. I was labelled, I was the childhood actress that was unable to play another role after one role affected me physically and mentally, but look at me now. I may not yet be able to stand against the likes of Kyoko-chan, but I am doing better every day. Just because someone has labelled you a rich playgirl who can't be serious and is a spoilt brat, doesn't mean that is who you have to be. Oka, it doesn't mean you have to bend to their stereotype. Just think about what you want and who you truly want to be."

With that Chiori turned and left. A few moments later Oka dropped herself onto one of the stools and stared into thin air, her mind in a state of shock and quiet hope at Chiori's words. Could she really cast aside her mask and be herself?

Lory looped the recording again as he watched Love Me number 3 with pride. She really was an amazing young woman he thought as he decided to proposition Soft Hat once more for her contract. Maybe our companies could join? He thought as he watched the same recording again.

"So have we more to plan?" Sebastian asked as he materialised from the shadows. Lory nodded with a small smile gracing his lips.

"How have they all grown so much in so little time?" Lory asked and even though Sebastian knew it was almost a rhetorical question he answered the only way he knew.

"She has this amazing gift with people sir. Maybe that is her true talent." Lory turned to Sebastian, his hand on his chin as his smile grew.

"She really is a magical young woman." and as he turned back to the screen which they were both now watching Sebastian whispered.

"She really is."

Kyoko looked up as there was a knock on the bedroom door. Chiori who was sitting on the floor brushing Tama looked across at Kyoko who shrugged, a bad habit she had picked up from Kuon.

"It's open." Kyoko called looking up from the script on her lap to the door which opened slowly revealing a figure who made her leap from the bed and race across the room.

Chiori smiled at the happy expression on Kyoko's face as she flung herself into the arms of the man who asked her to call him Dad. Kuu was just as happy to see his 'adopted' daughter. After Kuon had come out about his true identity it had taken a little time for Kyoko to feel comfortable with her adoptive parents again, feeling she was pushing Kuon away. But Kuon had told her in a very firm way he would feel very upset if he thought that she would not be happy sharing his parents with him. So she had retained her family who she loved dearly, though she would never have considered Kuon as a brother and hoped he never asked her to. How would she explain that her feelings were not correct for a sibling like relationship.

"DAD!" Kyoko cried as Kuu hugged her tight.

"Hello sweetie." Kuu said hugging her back with all his might.

"It's so good to see you! But why are you here?" Kyoko asked stepping back slightly confused. "I thought you were shooting in Taiwan?"

Kuu smiled. Trust Kyoko to be fully up to date on his work he thought as he smiled at her and grabbed her into a hug again. "Well you see the leading lady decided it was a good time to learn to jet ski." Both Kyoko and Chiori laughed at the face Kuu made as he continued, "But I don't think she was counting on the weather or the pier that sneaked up on her." Kyoko made an ouch sound as Chiori looked sorry for the woman.

"Is she OK?" Chiori asked as Tama wandered over to sniff at Kuu's shoes.

"Hello, little lady!" Kuu said as he scooped up the little dog with one hand, handling her like a professional as he cuddled the small dog to his big frame. "She's OK. Broken arm, but nothing major, nothing that will really affect her career anyway. It just means we have to push back shooting a little and shoot all the scenes we can without her. But the good news is it allowed me to have 2 weeks holiday that I would have spent in Taiwan." Kuu smiled again as he pulled Chiori to her feet and gave her a one armed hug.

"And how are you Chiori-chan? I watched your new drama, very well done on the suicide scene by the way. That was some wonderful acting!" Kyoko smiled, she loved the way both her adoptive parents accepted her friends just as easily as they accepted her. And for the next hour they all sat together on Kyoko's bed chatting and laughing together. Kuu really was a wonderful father.

"So out of you two, who has the first date with my lovely boy?" Kuu asked like an excited teenager as Kyoko raised her hand slowly while Chiori grinned wolfishly.

"Kyoko-chan is going on Monday. I got next Thursday so I'm the last." Kuu winked at Chiori as Kyoko looked away embarrassed.

"So what do you both think of my son?" Kuu asked as Chiori offered him a thumbs up moments before dropping her hand as Kyoko's head snapped around. Her eyes were wide and fearful.

"What do you mean Dad?" she asked and Chiori was amazed she didn't stutter. But she had instantly covered her look of fear with her perfect daughter mask.

God what an actress the two thought as they watched her settle into her nonchalant behaviour. But Kuu wasn't going to be beaten by her acting. Not again anyway as he put on his own mask, his mouth slanted down as he looked very solemn.

"Well you know I just thought that maybe you would think he was nice or something as you're still here, but maybe now you know who he is... and what happened before..." Kuu sighed deeply and looked away, tears shimmering in his eyes. Kyoko took the bait like a donkey to a carrot.

"Father! Don't think like that! Kuon is a wonderful man, he's a wonderful actor with a great work ethic. He's kind, generous and loyal. An amazing friend and person in general. He always knows how to make me feel better and even though he probably doesn't believe it what happened before was not his fault. He pretends to be so strong, but sometimes he just needs a shoulder to cry on, or someone to talk to. He has a way of making people feel at ease or scaring them to death with just a look or a word." Kyoko smiled a soft warm loving smile as she continued on without thinking and the more she talked the more her feelings for Kuon showed on her face.

Chiori looked across at Kuu whose jaw was nearly resting on the bed. Lory had told him of course that Kyoko-chan's feelings had changed towards his son, but this! This was more than he had ever hoped for. He looked across at Chiori who smiled and nodded in a knowing way. 'She's in love' she mouthed and Kuu's smile was radiant.

Now I know where Kuon gets it from! Chiori thought as she rubbed her eyes. Kuu left not long later and the girls got ready for bed. Oka had the first date tomorrow, followed by Sachi, Kyoko, Seina, Maemi and finally Chiori.

Kuon would be organising the date for each girl seeing how well he knew each of them by what he picked and if the girl enjoyed it or not. Just the thought of being on an official date with Kuon was making Kyoko's heart race. As she lay in bed that night she wondered if she had been able to hide her true feelings from her father. She would hate for Kuu to try and turn Kuon's feelings towards her. She knew she wasn't the one Kuon would be with by choice, but maybe Kuon feeling guilty about how long he had shut his parents out would try and make it up to them a little by deciding on their choice and not thinking about his own happiness. It wouldn't be her, she had already drilled this into her head. Kuon could never love her, but it could never stop her dreaming.

"Hello hunny." Kuu called lovingly through his phone as he heard Julie pick up.

"Kuu! How's it going? Have you had chance to talk with her? Is it really true? Has she really fallen for him finally?" Kuu laughed at his wife's impatience. She had wanted to come over too but had a fashion collection to finish promoting first so she wouldn't arrive until next Thursday and for both of them it couldn't come soon enough.

"You were right." Kuu had to move his phone away from his ear as Julie's celebrating exploded down the phone. Even this couldn't dampen Kuu's mood as he smiled like he hadn't smiled in years. It took over 20 minutes for Julie to calm down enough to say more than a few words before breaking out into excited yells and screams again.

"Do you think we will really have a daughter soon?" was the one question she managed. Kuu smiled as he remembered Kyoko's looks and her words about Kuon.

"I really hope so hunny, I really hope so."