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Chapter 1: Nowhere To Go But Down

The Usami's weren't normal.

I'm serious! What normal person would ever offer their captive tea after shoving them in their car and forcing them into their mansion? There was no way for my brain to process his rationality, and as I sat in what looked to be a small lunch area, my green eyes darted around in search of a house phone to call the police. It just seemed as if the longer the day dragged on, it was only going to get crazier, and I ruefully wished I had enough money to buy a cellphone. It would've worked miracles at a time like this.

Everything felt eerie except for the morning sunlight peering in from the large double window, and the aura the room emitted gave me cold vibes. It looks so wastefully spacious, I thought between skeptic glances. The fancy, velvet drapes were a forest-green color, and the floor and walls were made of some simple dark-based woods. Even the small, round coffee table and chair I was occupying were uninviting earth tones. The only thing that made this area look amiable was the white, porcelain tea set with golden rims, and I'm guessing each red leaf embroidering the handles and bases had been hand painted, considering how swanky this place looked. A large teapot to match was sitting idly on the large silver tray to my right and the butler, Sebas—Tanaka! He said his name was Tanaka.

I've got to remember that, I mused as an afterthought. Well, Tanaka was placing a plate of sausages and biscuits on the table.

My eyes kept darting around in search of a clock, but I couldn't find one, only full bookshelves that matched the wood of the round table… It's time to take my medication, I considered, bouncing my knees in an attempt to contain my jitters. If I don't take it soon… I could feel my body fighting against me, and when I placed my left hand on the table, I saw that the tips of my fingers were involuntarily having small tremors... It was happening again.

At this rate, it'd be difficult to do a lot of things…

"Would you like some breakfast, Master Takahashi?" Tanaka asked me in the kindest of voices. There were crinkles surrounding his aged eyes as he tried his best to give me a smile, but I knew he felt as uncomfortable as I did. His long, dark hair was tied back in a small ponytail, and I watched as it shifted when he leaned forward and reached for a small cup of white sugar near the teapot.

I took a moment to really observe him—the way his gloved fingers handled each utensil and sorted around the table like fluid clockwork, the smoothness of his black suit and matching tie… It had no wrinkles, only perfectly ironed creases… and then, there was the way his forced smile never left his lips. It was kind of sad, and when his dark eyes glanced at me, awaiting my reply, I nervously waved my hands in front of my chest, offering him the same expression. "Ah, no! But thank you very much!" I bowed my head several times.

"Plain," a shrewd voice said from across the room. It was coming from the large entryway that led into the hall. "And to think I added your name to my family's registry as my spouse."

Huh? I thought, feeling my brows rise. Family registry as his…? Is that even legal…?! I already knew the answer, of course. A few months ago I overheard some women saying it wasn't, but partnerships were acceptable in some cites—whatever that meant.

Tanaka straightened up in a poised movement while I stood so fast the chair I'd been sitting in slid back and tumbled over. Feeling annoyed, I slammed my palms against the table, eyeing my kidnapper with what I assumed to be a glare—but most people told me when I get upset I looked like my tail was between my legs. "You!" I pointed at him accusingly, seeing my finger twitch. Dang tremors… "Why did you bring me here?!"

Haruhiko fixed his black glasses, and I couldn't help but follow his dark eyes as they roamed my simple green jacket, my beige shirt, denim jeans and my white sneakers. "You're quite plain," he said.

The 'tch' sound I produced was out before I realized it as I placed my arms near my sides and curled my hands into fists. My head hurts… but what's this guy's problem? He was dressed in a black suit, a red tie and his short, dark-brown hair swayed in the slightest of movements as he approached us.

"I was expecting Takahashi, Takahiro to look older."

Taka… Takahiro?

My eyes rounded and I inclined my head. "W-wha…?" I couldn't help but furrow my brows, and when he was three feet in front of me, I took a step back. "Who are you?"

"I told you before we arrived that I'm Usami, Haruhiko," he replied. He was so still when he talked, almost robotic. Definitely creeper material… "I've brought you here today because you know my brother, Akihiko."

Not trusting my voice, I chose to remain quiet, opting to give him a curt nod. I was afraid of what he might do once he found out I wasn't Takahiro because I assumed if he had the guts to abduct me, he had the same ballsy sentiments about murdering me and dumping my body in a gutter later…

What if he kills me after he finds out I'm not who he thinks I am?

"And you're the one he loves most in the world," Haruhiko continued, breaking me from my thoughts. "Takahiro…" He reached forward and grabbed my left wrist, but instead of holding it affectionately like in the movies, he just… held it? It was like romance was foreign to him. "I'm going to fall in love with you today."

…Say what? There was a lot of different ways he could've worded that, and I'd still be giving him the same 'I don't comprehend' expression I was giving him now. My face was burning, but I wasn't sure whether it was from knowing my brother was being fawned over by a guy, knowing that said guy's brother had kidnapped me, or knowing said guy was trying to…

Wait, what? I thought again, blinking repeatedly until I could formulate a decent thought. "Um…" Okay, that wasn't a proper sentence, but it was the best I could come up with. He was wholeheartedly strange!

Haruhiko was still completely motionless; his other hand at his side... It freaked me out how immobile he was, how indifferent his expression appeared. "How long have you been romantically involved with Akihiko—?"

Reality came back to me, and I made a shriek unknown to man as I snatched my hand away and raised both palms up defensively. "He hasn't—!" I shook my head, forgetting that I was pretending to be Takahiro. "We're not together!"

Haruhiko scoffed, fixing his glasses. "I see… So what Isaka spoke was true." He wasn't making sense.

Who? "Isaka—? HEY!" He had grabbed my right arm again, and he was dragging me off to God only knew where. Poor Tanaka even appeared to be surprised, but he didn't stop him, even though the look in his surprised eyes told me that he wanted to.

I squatted during my struggle so that I could try and weigh Haruhiko down, pulling at his fingers that had securely latched around my wrist. "Let go of me!"

"Akihiko will try and find you if he comes," he said. He easily overpowered me and yanked me up, pulling me out of the room. "I can't allow that to happen. I'll have to keep you safe until he leaves."

Safe? Was I really safe in the hands of an abductor?

Oh, don't tell me... I don't wanna know…

"You're a Usami now," he stated. "You're on the registry."

"That's not even legal!" I shouted. When Takahiro finds out about this…! I could only imagine what the rest of his family might think about some forged documents claiming him to be a Usami… Did this mean Takahiro was going jail if someone found out about this…?!

Fighting Haruhiko was a lost cause; I just wasn't strong enough to take him on, even if my flight or flight responses had kicked in… I don't even remember what the rest of the mansion he dragged me through looked like due to both of our aggressive behavior. The only thing I comprehended was Haruhiko jerking me upstairs—despite my pleas—tugging me down the hall of the second floor, pushing me into a room and locking the door from the outside.

How'd he go from offering me tea—which I assumed to be poisoned—to locking me away like this? He was definitely giving me sociopathic vibes… I would've laughed at my own dark humor—which really was no laughing matter—had I not suddenly felt so tired, and I leaned against the wooden door. My forearms were pressing against it for support until my shaking legs gave in and I abruptly sank to my knees. Lifting my fingers, I saw that they were trembling again and I plopped them in my lap. "I've gotta get out of here," I murmured, noticing my breathing was a little off and my eyesight blurry. My head was spinning and there was a small ringing inside that just wouldn't stop.

Without preparing myself, my body collapsed backwards in a heap, and my back hit the floor with a thud. My lips parted as I tried to get my legs to move, but they just couldn't. I wouldn't say they were paralyzed, just… weighted. It was like someone put a rock on them and they were too numb to move…

I did the only thing I could think of next: I called out for the one person that cared about me, the only person besides my parents that I had ever called whenever I was afraid, my big brother.

"Takahiro," was my raspy call. It sounded so low that it was almost muted. I strained every muscle in my neck to turn my head, becoming aware of my surroundings as my vision slowly returned to focus. The room was lighter in tone than downstairs had been. The wood used was made of what looked like oak and the desk on the left side of the room matched the light floor. The white walls made me feel like I was suffocating in solitary confinement, and the closed window gave me the impression that I was trapped, and…

The window…?

Was that my ticket to freedom?

As I lay struggling, all I could think about was Takahiro and this Akihiko guy… I'd heard them talk on the phone a lot, and I knew he was some famous author, but he never came over when I was around. During their phone conversations, Takahiro always called him Usagi-san… I've always assumed them to be best friends, but if this guy was in love with my brother then… I huffed, feeling waves of uneasiness. Nothing was making sense to me now and the dizziness in my head wouldn't go away. Somehow I found enough strength in my right arm to wipe the small amount of sweat that had collected on my forehead.

"Takahiro," I whispered.

I could hear a dog barking downstairs, but I couldn't overhear any yelling. Were the Usami's capable of yelling or did they normally fight while standing in cool poses and using only their sharp tongues to finish their wars…?

Do rich people use their fists to fight or their words…? What if they bought other people like hit men…?! What if they just bought their enemies?! Money gave people limited restrictions these days, and anyone could buy their way out of anything with a decent price.

Admittedly, I actually felt excited about the thought of them possibly arguing. This was like one big soap opera and I needed popcorn… but I did want to get home. When Haruhiko had taken me this morning, I had already brushed my teeth, showered, changed and just when I was about to take my meds, the doorbell rang. I had said to myself, "I wonder who that is…"

Now all I'm thinking is, I wonder when, and if, I'll ever get out of here…

"Takahiro," I whispered. It took me a minute to find some strength again, and once I had, I rolled over and pressed my palms against the floor. I used them for leverage as I pushed myself up on all fours and crawled over to the window—my only escape.

I could hear a loud dog barking as I moved, and it was getting louder as I reached up for the metal latch, flipped it, and pushed the glass open. The sun pouring in felt even hotter now that it was kissing my skin directly, and while I squinted from the brightness, I pushed myself up so that I could stand. Once I had, I leaned against the frame to peer down below.

I saw that I was on the second floor and there was freshly cut grass, along with several red rose bushes aligned perfectly along the mansion's exterior. A beautiful forest was close by, and the birds were chirping out of tune. It looked like something out of a fairy tale, something I wasn't used to… It's so weird how everything looked so picturesque on the surface, but on the inside; behind closed doors… it was unwelcoming.

"Okay, Misaki," I whispered to myself. A pep talk was the only chance I had of getting out of here. "Time to get moving. You can do this…" I absently strummed my fingers over the wooden frame. "What to use…? What to use…? " Glancing behind me, I almost wanted to smack myself at my lack of observation.

You'd think I would've noticed the bed over there, I thought, scratching my chin with my index finger. When I became aware of what I'd done, I nodded to myself. "Got some energy back…" I still needed my medicine, though. If I didn't take it, terrifying things were bound to start happening…

For starters, my body would literally begin to attack itself… then there was the aftermath of…

It was a struggle just walking over to the plain bed and gathering the white sheets. The exhaustion that followed hit me like a tone of bricks and by the end of it—tying them together and strapping them to the beam that was centered on the ceiling—I had heaved the sheets over the window frame with a huff and mopped the sweat on my forehead with the back of my left hand.

Now all that's left to do is—

The sound of the door being pounded on startled me, and I startled by shrieking and turning to see that there was a small crack in its center. Who the heck has that kind of strength?! Even as I gulped, my throat was still pretty dry and I found myself wanting to shrink away until I became invisible to my abductor… unless…

Is that…? Takahiro's friend…?

Akihiko…?

No, Takahiro calls him Usagi-san… but is that really him? As the door thumped again, I felt unnerved. What if it had been Haruhiko? What if he figured out I'm not Takahiro? I didn't know the man, so I didn't know what he was capable of, but I assumed the worst since he did have the guts to abduct me in broad daylight—right off my front porch—and casually toss me into the backseat of his car…

When the door crashed open, to avoid it, I jumped back…

I hadn't really factored in the how close I still was to the open window, or that I was suddenly falling backwards as the door was thrown open. I barely had time to process that someone had grabbed my right ankle before I fell the entire way out of it, so I was left hanging outside by my upper half while my legs rested on the window frame.

"Takahiro!" a man shouted at me, but I was unable to see him from this angle. When he peered over the ledge, I'll admit I felt as flabbergasted as he looked right then. He had silver hair, pale skin and he was dressed in a white collared shirt with a navy blue vest. To compliment his attire was a yellow tie, and to compliment this shocked face were his now rounded, violet eyes and parted lips.

I think I frightened him, because the next thing I knew he had this baffled expression, like when you run towards someone you were expecting in a dream and their face turns into something else, so then all you're left to do is either flinch and scream or flinch and runaway…?

Well, he didn't scream.

And he didn't run away...

But he did flinch, and when that happened, his grip on my leg loosened, causing me to continue my fall. I just remember the entire time that I fell, I gazed into his intense eyes—and boy did they look accusatory… It was like he was mad at me for not being Takahiro, as if this were all my fault.

I was the victim here—not him…

...

A/N: So a friend suggested that I read this manga/watch this anime because she's so yaoi obsessed. I've only ever read two manga prior to this to see if I'd like it, and I wasn't really pulled in. But after reading this manga and giving the anime a go, I can honestly say that I absolutely fell in love with these characters! The anime has become one of my guilty pleasures!

I'll explain what Misaki's autoimmune disease is in the coming chapters, and this whole family registry spousal business. The latter is subtly depicted in the cover art… I started writing this in third-person but I just didn't like how the chapter turned out so feel free to tell me if this was horrible or whatnot. I don't mind feedback so if you have time you're welcome to leave a review or something!