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

Down to Two

Kyoko looked down at the foyer below. They had all been summoned after Kuon and Maemi's return for this... the rose ceremony. The penultimate ceremony which would decide the final two women who would be staying for the final week. She couldn't help but smile at Seina and Sachi who approached from the other side of the adjoining staircase. Both women walked with effortless grace as Kyoko felt herself to be almost stumbling along.

"Well then, shall we?" Seina asked as she smiled knowingly at Kyoko.

Smiling and nodding in recognition Kyoko joined them both for the final descent. The scene before her almost made Kyoko stop in her tracks. Maemi's face whilst clinging closely onto Kuon's arm smiling and laughing at something he must have said. It was only the slight push on her elbow from Seina that kept her walking forwards without a pause as Maemi left Kuon's side and they all took their positions once more.

"Well ladies." Makoto stated as she stepped forward enthusiastically.

"I hope we have all had a pleasant week and dates that you will all remember as happy memories, but now we are here tonight to go from 4 to 2." Stepping back Makoto motioned for Kuon to take his place and smiled encouragingly as Kuon looked down at the flower bouquets beside him. For the first time Kyoko realised these were not all single roses. Of the bouquets only one of them was made of roses which only made her more curious as Kuon smiled at them all.

"As our wonderful host has already said, I hope you all had a wonderful week and that all of you have made more fond memories... I know I have."

They all watched him as he reached down and picked up the first bouquet of flowers on the table beside him. It was a small bouquet of roses but if Kyoko had to give them a colour it would be lilac or maybe blue? She thought as Kuon continued.

"Tonight's ceremony will be a little different. With Valentines day I felt it only right you should all receive flowers. Thank you to all of you that have given me little gifts for this special day," Kuon motioned to a table to the left where 3 large boxes of very expensive looking chocolates stood and what appeared to be a cooler bag for wine.

"To start off, I will present the flowers to the two people who, regrettably, I will be asking to leave tonight. And I want you to know now that all of you have special places in my heart even if we do part ways this evening." Kuon twisted the bouquet in his hand as if in thought.

"These are Suntory blue rose applause. They are the only true blue roses in the world at the moment and they belong to Sachi."

Kyoko watched as Sachi strode forwards smiling. She hugged Kuon and kissed his cheek gently as she accepted her flowers and exited the competition gracefully. Kuon picked up the next bouquet of flowers and Kyoko couldn't help but smile at the beautiful scent they gave off.

"These are yellow jasmine and these belong to Seina." Kyoko's heart trembled, she was still in the competition. She had known she would be, but still standing here as Seina gracefully accepted her flowers Kyoko couldn't help but feel relieved. Though as she played the scene back in her head of Maemi clinging onto Kuon's arm was she being a little too self confident now?

"Now ladies you have both been chosen to stay for the final week." Kuon said as he looked at both Kyoko and Maemi, before him. His heart clenched at the thought. He would have to wait another week before he could truly just be with Kyoko in the way he wanted to be. But this was his job and Kyoko herself would not be happy with him if he left it unfinished.

As she watched him pick up another of the remaining bouquets Kyoko wondered as to what type of flowers they were. They were beautiful with a variety of hues as Kuon looked up and smiled.

"These are Alstroemeria and these belong to Maemi." Kuon strode forwards and handed the beautiful flowers to the smiling woman as she too kissed and hugged Kuon with a grateful smile. Kyoko watched as Kuon returned to the last bouquet. This one was much more colourful she noticed than the others and she knew the flower's name without Kuon saying them as he smiled at her.

"These are tulips and they belong to Kyoko." Kuon strode towards her holding out the bouquet as she smiled at him fondly.

"Thank you Kuon." she said as she accepted the bouquet and kissed Kuon's cheek before hugging him. Though she'd never admit it she really didn't want to let go of him in that moment, but released him after the customary time the other women had set only to find Kuon's eyes on hers. He smiled at her in a way that made her knees weak.

"Well then ladies." Makoto said striding forwards once more into the camera's view as Kuon went to stand by his mother, father and Lory who had been present.

"You both have now made it to the final week of the show. With that it is my time to reveal the destination." Pulling out a golden envelope and pausing for effect, Makoto smiled at them both.

"For the next week you both will be traveling with Kuon and his family to Hawaii. For 5 glorious days you will be spending time getting to know not only Kuon but the ones who could perhaps be your future in-laws. There will be set activities you will be doing together and a romantic date for each of you decided by our wonderful audience at home..."

Kyoko tuned out as Makoto continued to tell the viewers about how to enter their romantic date ideas as Kyoko smiled at the beautiful flowers in her hand. She loved tulips. They were sweet and simple yet beautiful in their colours and patterns though she wondered why Kuon had given them all different flowers? was it simply that they were the flowers he thought they would like the most? Or was there some other meaning to the bouquets? Well whatever it was Kyoko was happy and as she hugged and kissed the twins goodbye she couldn't help but feel a slight thrill in the thought of spending 5 days with the Hizuri family she loved so much.