Chapter 2. Unrequited Love.

Kyoko was running wildly towards the apartment door. When she finally reached it, she opened it and exclaimed loudly, "Sho, you're back!"

And there he was, Sho Fuwa, a boy with broad shoulders and long legs that made him look really tall. He had spiky blond hair and sharp brown eyes. His skin, which seemed flawless earlier in the poster, had a few blemishes up close. But he still had that boyish charm which could make any girl fall for him. Even though he was wearing jeans and a casual hoodie, Kyoko, with her over-active imagination, saw him dressed up in a prince's attire. She even saw a crown on his head.

He was carrying a bag, which meant that he just came in too. As he heard Kyoko, he turned towards her and whispered irritatedly. "Not so loud, Kyoko. Do you want the whole neighbourhood had to find out that I live here?"

He set down his bag, moved into the room and began to fiddle in the closet drawers.

Kyoko grinned like an idiot, as she closed the door behind her. She was so happy to see him home, she couldn't contain her happiness.

"Did you eat? Do you want me to cook something for you?" She asked him happily. She loved to cook for him.

"Of course, I ate. It's eleven." Sho immediately let down her hopes.

"It's just that, it's been so long since you came back and you don't call me either, so I don't know if you're eating right or not." Kyoko said looking down trying not to sound too clingy.

"Do I really need a guilt trip?" Sho suddenly turned towards her and looked at her angrily.

"No, I didn't mean that."

"Between recording my new album and my tours, I'm sorry that I don't call you everytime I pick a salad." Sho said sarcastically. He took out some clothes from the drawer and began putting them in his bag.

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Kyoko wondered why he was in such a bad mood. It had been like this lately. Since he started getting popular, his schedule was becoming more and more packed. His manager was always telling him what to do. And Sho had always hated being controlled.

It was the same reason that he decided to run away from home. His family was rich and had a successful business, so Sho was naturally supposed to graduate and then join his father in the family business, no questions asked. No matter what he did to persuade his parents otherwise, they never allowed him to even consider anything else. If Sho even dared to bring up the topic about being a star, it was always followed by unending arguments and fights.

Kyoko was the only one who understood him. She was the foster daughter of Sho's parents, so she grew up with him. She always had a crush on him. She saw how passionate he was about music, which made her fall for him even more.

It was right after middle school when Sho decided to run away from home to Tokyo. That was when Kyoko got her ultimate wish.

He said to her, "Kyoko, my parents have chosen a plain and boring girl for me to marry, which means that eventually, they will force me to marry her. I can't live in that house anymore. I have decided to run away to Tokyo. Will you come with me?"

For Kyoko, it was like a fairytale. Out of all those girls in their class, who fawned over Sho and were far prettier than her, he asked her!

Her Prince had asked her to come with him. How could she have said no to that? Of course, she accepted.

The days when they first came to Tokyo were the best for Kyoko. Sho was so nice to her. She worked at her jobs and he practiced on his guitar and went out for auditions. They would eat dinner together each day, like a married couple. He always waited for her to come back no matter how late it got. He would often sing to her. So, no matter how hard things got, Kyoko always smiled because she had her Prince with her.

When Sho started getting recognition, he spent less and less time at their apartment. It took him days to come back. Days turned to weeks. Kyoko

kept waiting for him and when he finally would turn up, he'd be frustrated about one thing or the other.

As Kyoko was wondering about how quickly the good days pass by, Sho was done with his packing, so he put his shoes back on.

That snapped her back to the present.

"Where are you going?" She almost shouted. He was back after three weeks. She knew that she couldn't take it if he left again so soon.

"I just came in to pick up a change of clothes. I am staying at my manager's place. I have to rehearse in the morning." He said and turn to leave.

Kyoko just stood there helplessly. She knew that if if she still asked him to stay then he would get even more mad. But she couldn't just let him go either.

Suddenly, she remembered that she still had a secret weapon. Something that Sho could never refuse. She ran to the kitchen and brought back a bowl filled with chocolate pudding.

"Wait," she shouted. Sho, who was almost outside, turned back."I have chocolate pudding." She smiled.

He looked at the pudding with such a longing expression that she knew that he wouldn't be able to say no now.

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Sho switched on the TV and then sat down to enjoy his pudding. He watched the commercials play as he stuffed his face. He savoured every bite. It was his favourite but it had been a long time since he ate it. His manager had forbidden him to eat sweets, since he had to maintain his figure now. He understood that, but his mouth watered when he saw that delicious pudding and he just couldn't help himself.

When he was done, Kyoko asked him, "Did you like it?"

"I loved it. It had been so long since I ate it." He answered honestly.

"Why is that?" Kyoko wondered aloud.

Damn my talkative mouth!, Sho thought. He couldn't tell Kyoko that his manager forbade him to eat sweets or she would never bring another pudding for him again.

"I'm a star now. It's not like I can just go to the supermarket to buy pudding," he replied to her question, which was also true or he would have secretly bought some when his manager wasn't looking.

"Oh, right." Kyoko giggled. "I guess, I didn't think of that. Oh and I almost forgot. Today, one of my workmates totally switched from being a Ren Tsuruga fan to your fan. She also said that Ren has no talent." She said excitedly.

She knew that Sho would be really happy to know about this. And he was. He was happy that he had another fan now, but he was elated about the fact that he stole a fan from that jerkface, Ren Tsuruga.

"Alright!" He exclaimed. He was boosting with confidence. He stood up and pointed at an invisible Ren and said, "You, listen up, Ren Tsuruga, your reign as the Number One Sexiest Bachelor showbiz celebrity in Japan is over now. Because, the day that I snatch the top spot from right under your nose isn't too far. You just keep the seat warm for me for a little while longer. And then it will be time for you to retire." He laughed. Kyoko was also very jubilant to see Sho getting so worked up. He just acted the way like he used to when he was young. That proved that he was still the same old Sho at heart, whom Kyoko loved so much.

Sho was still laughing when a loud cheer of the fangirls from the TV interrupted him. The commercials were over and a talk show had started. He sat back down to watch it.

"Finally, the survey is done," The anchor said. "Here is the list of the top 10 bachelor celebrities that these women in their 20s want to date"

The anchor's face was replaced by a list. And the name Ren Tsuruga was on the top. Kyoko searched for Sho's name. It was on the 7th spot. She knew what was coming next, so she tried to divert his attention away from the TV.

She asked him if he would like more pudding, but he didn't say anything. His face looked like a volcano that could erupt any moment. He was glued to the screen.

"As expected," the anchor continued after the cheers from the fangirls finally turned down. "No one else can take the top spot while Ren is still in this industry.

As a surprise for these young ladies present here, we have called a special guest today. So please give a huge round of applause for the one and only, Ren Tsuruga."

The cheers came even more loudly this time. Even the anchor was blushing herself when he walked in.

This is bad, thought Kyoko but there was nothing else she could do now, but wait. So she waited.

As Ren Tsuruga walked on the stage, the audience went nuts. All the ladies screamed out their lungs as they cheered for him. But that was no surprise because he really did deserve the title of the number one sexiest male bachelor in Japan. He had short dark hair and deep dark eyes, which had a hint of sadness in them. His face was triangular, his skin flawless. He had long limbs and neck, a lean frame. He was really tall. But the best part about him was his perfect signature smile. It was perfect. It looked so pure and genuine as if it could melt the toughest of hearts with a single glance. The air around him was surrounded by an aura of confidence which only boosted his already sky-rocketting sex appeal.

Even after he got to the stage, the cheers didn't stop for another fifteen minutes.

Sho suddenly got up in a hurry and started to leave. Kyoko knew that he was boiling inside so she caught him by the arm and said, "You know the show was rigged, right?"

He just snatched away his arm and kept walking. Kyoko tried again. "The women were in their 20s. The only reason they chose him was because he was closer to their age." She said desperately.

This time he did stop. He looked at her angrily and spat, "So, even you think that I am not old enough to be in a competition with this guy." He snatched his arm back again so violently that Kyoko almost fell down. He stormed out and slammed the door in her face.

For ten minutes, Kyoko just stood there, motionless, wondering where she went wrong. Maybe she should have taken Sho to the dining table instead of the living room or maybe she shouldn't have left ON that certain channel the previous night, before switching off the TV.

But there was no way she could have known. She walked back to the TV and saw the face of Ren Tsuruga. It was his fault, she decided. She hated him. She had never hated anyone but for the first time, when she looked at his charming smile on his perfect face, she didn't want anything more than to just rip it right off.

To be continued.