Okay, so I had promised myself to post this story after I had completed it but I couldn't wait any longer. The plot is completely based off on a line of a TV show I love. It's AU so I really, really, really hope the characters are not OOC. Especially Usui. I hope that if I get support, I'll be able to have finished it by the end of the month which means fast updates! Lol, but we'll see, won't we?

I really wish that you'll like it, because to me...well, let's just say that I've grown fond of this story.

Restless. Usui Takumi was restless. It was one of the rare occasions when the ever impassive young man would get a queasy, unwieldy feeling of uncertainty. Of course, as always, he succeeded in hiding it from the rest of the world perfectly, he had been taught to do so his entire life after all, but it was still there, a knot in his stomach that grew tighter and tighter by the minute.

He got off his chair. He had admitted to himself by now he would not finish the last chapter after all, so he delicately placed his book on the stand and walked before a mirror in the room he rarely ever used. He wasn't sure what had urged him to do so; he had just felt a need to gaze back at himself, in his jade green eyes that always observed carelessly in boredom every little thing around him.

He ran a hand through his golden, spiky hair. Yeah, he definitely was not like every other person; his every move gave away an air of nobility, he seemed so much like one of all those stuck-up aristocrats he had lived for eighteen years with. He hated that. On top of that, he happened to excel at almost everything he worked at. If not for his looks, gazes of wonder would still turn to his direction. He had been receiving so much attention from everyone who got near him that he had grown tired of it, if not sick of it.

His hand traveled to his velvet, sea-blue tie. With a frustrated but silent groan, he loosened it up around his neck, letting it hang free-style like a delinquent or just some normal -how did his family call them again? Oh, yes, commoner. But what was he thinking? With his good looks and the gentle aura of a rich man surrounding him that was everything but subtle, no one would ever mistake him as either.

Damn, how he wished for a change in his life.

He gazed at his wrist-watch, a gift from Cynthia Havens for his seventeenth birthday. She definitely wanted to show off to him her wealth by buying him platinum Rolex, but why bother? His father seemed to have arranged their engagement long ago already. Of course without consulting him or asking for his consent to proceed to such an arrangement. But Takumi had long ago learned to live the life that others pulled its strings for him.

It was 11:37 p.m. Just how long did Gerard, his half-brother, need to convince their father? He should have been done by now. They had been talking for the past two hours in their father's study room. But obviously convincing William Walker on passing his business on Gerard and not on himself was harder than they had thought.

He was rather annoyed that his father could not see how much more suitable his half-brother was for the job than him, for the simple reason of Gerard being actually interested in becoming the 'head' of the Walker Company. Takumi seemed to be a far better and skillful leader and therefore he had been educated and raised so that he would one day become the successor of his step-father –since his biological one was long dead- without him actually knowing it. The moment he was informed, he had protested immediately and repeatedly –always in a calm manner- but it was a rare occasion, changing the eldest Walker's mind.

"You have one more hour, Gerard, or I swear I'll barge in his office myself." He muttered to himself as he finally decided to completely take off his tie. He held the item before him and observed it for a good minute. It was funny how quickly he compared his family to the tie that he was gripping in his palm, getting tighter and tighter around his neck, suffocating him by pressing him into taking the reins of the Walker Company. They clearly asked of him to forget any possibility of leading a normal, peaceful life, what he actually wished for the most.

Unstrung, he tossed the tie on the couch by the great window of his room and sank in said couch himself. Only to be pulled out of it when a sudden, rather urgent, knock on his door interrupted his train of thoughts.

He opened his bedroom door only to come face to face with a shocked, blond man in his thirties. "Takumi-sama, thank God I find you here!"

"Cedric? What's wrong?" he furrowed his brows in question at his brother's bodyguard, or more like, Gerard's guardian angel, as he jokingly referred to him.

"Gerard-sama, he…" he paused dramatically, disbelief, panic and frustration, all mirroring in his face with one expression. It made his insides wobble incessantly, despite the calm mask he was permanently wearing.

"Your brother has just been murdered, sir!"

Takumi barged in his brother's room hastily, a part of him not wanting to accept what he had just been informed. But the sight he met with left him speechless and his eyes rounded momentarily in shock.

There he was, Gerard Walker, sitting comfortably on his sofa, his lifeless green eyes, wide open, an arm hanging loosely and the other one resting on his lap. Judging by his half unbuttoned shirt, he had been in the middle of undressing. The creamy white shirt was stained by his owner's blood, which was still dripping slowly from the deep cut across his heart.

"He had been in his room for almost thirty minutes, I believe. He had told his maid he needed some time alone with some woman before he'd come to you." Cedric explained a little, a doleful expression distorting his handsome features as he gazed at his murdered master. "I had been having a small chat with your father while all this happened. Please forgive me for not guarding your brother as well as I should have. If only I had not left his side-"

"There's no need for you to apologise, Cedric." Takumi raised a hand and gently interrupted him. He honestly believed that blaming one's self would not lead anywhere and it would only create misunderstandings. "If anything, it could never be your fault. You had been taking care of Gerard all these years successfully. If something is doomed to happen, it just will."

"How can you be so calm, Takumi-sama?" the bodyguard asked in wonder that expressed admiration but also, distaste.

"Would it be of any help to panic myself?" he lightly chuckled sadly. But by the looks on Cedric's face, he guessed that his brother's faithful follower could now see his mixed emotions of rage and shock.

"You really can master a poker face there, young master." He noted, attempting to hide his own invidious feelings. "But don't you think it's good to let one's emotions free for a while?"

Takumi forced a small smile but remained silent. Truth is he wasn't sure himself how he felt by that sudden event. He had not really been attached to his brother, they had both lived apart for the most part of his life. Gerard was usually traveling all around the world with their father on business and whenever they returned in England, they would only spend time with him talking business. His brother was definitely a loss but not one that made his heart tremble in unbearable pain. That was one of the times he yearned for deep and true emotions and feelings.

"You said a woman was escorting him?" he changed the subject without ever taking his eyes off Gerard's body. "Was she anything like the usual girls he brought here?"

He was surprised to see him shaking negatively his head. "No. The maid noticed that despite her presentable looks and sharp eyes, she was dressed in cheap clothing and looked more like a commoner, visiting him on business. They also mentioned her Asiatic characteristics."

That was strange. What business could he possibly have with such a woman? But he got no time to voice out his question as police officers barged in the room, requesting them to evacuate for investigation.

Shock has brought worldwide the cold-blooded murder of the universally known businessman Gerard Walker, who was probably to success his father William Walker as the heir of the Walker Corp. The young man was found dead in his room last night at 11:37 p.m. with a deep wound in his chest.

The murderer used the old-fashioned way of anaesthetizing the victim with chloroform and stabbing him with a dagger right through his heart. The main suspect is a woman, going by the name Misaki Ayuzawa, whose fingerprints were found in Gerard Walker's room and even his car. The villainess has not been discovered yet and is rumoured that she has fled for Japan, her own country. Please, take a good look at the picture of the young woman and contact with the authorities for any information you might have on her.

The young blond turned his TV on mute and observed the young girl of the picture. Could that possibly be her? The murderess of his brother? It seemed weird, laughable even. She looked to be the same age as him, if not younger. She was in her full school uniform. Her raven haired bangs were shadowing her face a little and despite the sharpness of her look that was directed at the photographer, there was something in her great, amber orbs that emitted the most subtle feeling of sadness and sorrow.

Taking a closer look, it was slightly visible she had been crying by her red eyes, while the lack of sleep was evident at the bags under them. Her lips were pressed in a firm line that warned everybody to watch their tongues and attitude around her or to generally steer clear of her and not be the cause of her frustration. He found himself wondering what kind of secrets and thoughts were sealed behind those lips, what could be the cause of the pain in her eyes.

But he didn't have to contemplate a lot as the picture of her was suddenly gone from the screen of his TV. He shrugged his shoulders indifferently and turned it off. His usual habit of observing nonchalantly people had taken over again. Either way, he had been sick of seeing her face as well as Gerard's all over the news and listening of his brother's murder.

He still was uncertain of his own feelings for the event but he couldn't deny he felt sadness with his brother gone. They may have not spent much time together, but he had been kind enough to stand up for him when he tried to change William Walker's mind on passing the Company on him. Well, he could have done so that he would be the heir, but either way he was supportive and respected his every decision. All in all, he had been a good brother to him, despite his being away most of the time.

With a scowl, he realized that now there was no escape from his step-father's wishes for him. He was the only one to inherit the Walker Company and there was nothing he could do. And he was not one to run away either. "Maybe that Ayuzawa should have come for me, after all." He said to himself in bitter sarcasm.

"Excuse me?" An unfaltering voice made him turn his attention to the open door that led to his balcony. He couldn't see clearly but behind the thick, blood-red curtain there was definitely someone.

"Who's there?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes but not really waiting for an answer, his voice firm and emotionless. The one he used in the meeting room when he talked business.

"Isn't it obvious?" the voice said again and a girl walked in the room, looking identical to the girl everyone was looking for, the one whose picture he had been observing just a moment ago. Despite the dynamic aura she was emitting, there was something different in her eyes. Uncertainty? Hope? Fear? He couldn't tell. "Are you Takumi Usui?" she surprised him by calling him by his real last name. She was speaking in English but seemed to be having a hard time trying to do so. She was Japanese after all. Maybe he would take advantage of that.

"Do you want me to be?" he answered in his perfectly flawless English, disregarding the fact that her words should have shaken him even a little, and started walking closer to her, his hands dug in his pockets when she surprised him by taking out a gun and holding it up with both hands.

"Don't joke with me and don't come any closer!" she warned, pointing the gun at him. Despite her firm grip on it, it was evident she was trying hard not to tremble. "Just answer my question; you are Gerard Walker's brother, aren't you?"

He eyed her through narrowed eyes, trying to figure her out. Had she actually come back for him? What was her purpose? What could she gain by the death of the two heirs of the Walker Company? She didn't seem like a spy nor did she look like a member of an enemy, rich family. "And if I am?"

"I take that as a yes." She announced. For some reason, he got the impression she was holding onto the gun tighter and tighter.

"And you must be Ayuzawa Misaki. Gerard's murderess. I suppose you returned for me?" He ignored her warning and started closing the gap between them again, only to stop a few steps closer to her as she warned him again. "But you don't seem really keen on killing me, you know?"

She seemed to be struggling with herself for a moment. "That's because I didn't return for that reason and I'm not Gerard's murderess."

"Really? That's a pity, Gerard wouldn't mind someone cute like you killing him and neither would I." He had no idea where that had come from, he had just felt an irresistible need to tease her. Was it because she looked to be anything but a killer? Her reaction only fueled the fire.

"Are you stupid? What are you saying!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone. "How can you talk about your brother's murder like that? Are you a total insensitive jerk or something?"

"You seem to speak more confidently when calling other people names in another language, don't you, now?" he replied in Japanese, taking her off guard. He humorlessly smirked at her wide-eyed expression only to brush it off. "Rather than that," he took another step closer. "What do you want with me, Ayuzawa, if not kill me?"

Suddenly, her sharp expression turned into an uncertain one that revealed fear. "I didn't kill Gerard, I swear!" she exclaimed, surprising him with her sudden outburst. "I would never! You must believe me! They've all got it wrong!"

The urgency in her voice was unmistakable. Then had she returned to gain his trust and find justice? And by her expression he could only assume her relationship with his brother was more than friendly. However, he decided against mentioning it yet. "And what's the truth then? Your fingerprints were all over his room and even in his car."

"That's-"

"Takumi-sama!" a maid at the door interrupted them by entering hurriedly in but was shocked by the sight of the girl holding up the gun and left the room shrieking.

"Shit!" Ayuzawa exclaimed under her breath. She turned her gaze toward the window before glancing between him and the door. She was definitely terrified now and was searching for a way of escape. But of course, all of the security would be notified when the maid found Cedric and the Walker Mansion would instantaneously turn into a fortress with no way of escape.

"I-I-"She started stammering but was cut off short when she realized he was just a step away from her. "H-Hey! I told you to stay away from-"

"Yeah, yeah. We have no time for this." Without giving it much thought, he grabbed her by the wrist and led her before his wardrobe's doors. "Get in!" he ordered.

"What the hell? Are you stupid?" she protested but he pushed her in and followed after her, closing the door behind them. "Oh, so now that you got us in here with your fancy suits they won't find us! Of course!" she hissed sarcastically. He remained silent and walked before her, searching the wooden back of the wardrobe. "And where do you think you're taking me?"

"Shut your pretty lips for a moment, would you?" he asked in a manner that brought no refusal but she was clearly annoyed by the use of the particular adjective before her 'lips'. He sensed her folding her arms and waiting impatiently for him. "There it is." He finally said victoriously, grabbing a wooden knob and turning it. Instantly, a small door opened, leading to what looked like wooden, greatly narrow catacombs. "Welcome to the Walker Mansion's secret passageways, Ayuzawa-san."

"Huh?" the word softly escaped her lips but he ignored it.

Instead, he dragged her in by the wrist and shut the door behind them, before speed-walking across the corridors that were fit for just one person. Good thing she was thin, he noticed. "It's better if you don't say a word until we get out of here, or we'll be heard." He advised her in a soft voice. Surprisingly, she followed obediently.

He led her silently through the corridors for a good five minutes, before he entered one of the doors. He had been accustomed to walking between those narrow walls. Whenever he'd get bored, he'd explore those passages under the noses of everyone but Gerard, of course. Now his hobby had proven useful. "Here we are."

He felt her pulling him back and he glanced almost annoyed over his shoulder to see her staring awestruck around her. "Are we in-? "

"The basement, yes."

"The garage?" Well, he thought it was natural for a commoner like her to stare unbelievably at all the expensive cars parked in there. "Holy cow! Is that a-a Lamborghini Reventon?" she exclaimed in childish awe and he could have stared at her amused if it weren't for the urgency of the situation. "This is the coolest thing ever!"

"Yeah, the guy you murdered owned that one." His need to tease her resurfaced and her face got sharp and murderous again. Maybe his teasing self was brought out because of the peculiarity of the situation.

"Didn't I tel-"

"No time for your talking, miss. Follow me." He speed-walked until he reached the end of the immense room with her forcibly tailing him. He let go of her wrist as he grabbed a small purse and dug it in his pocket and grabbed one of the keys hanging from the wall. "Get on." He ordered.

"Get on wher-? Whoa!" she exclaimed when she followed him with her eyes. "A –A Ducati? For real?"

"Just get on?"

She was about to obey when she started hesitating. She studied him with her eyes, searching his own for something. "Why are you helping me?"

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Because it's fun."

She gave him a death glare that, he guessed, could send most guys run away petrified. "I will use this." She threatened, holding up the gun. "You have no intention of answering seriously?"

"None. Now get on!" he ordered again and reluctantly and with a sigh of exasperation, she did as she was told. "Oh, and you might want to hold on tight."

"Hey! Aren't we supposed to have helmets on?"

"Who says so?"

"Uhhh…the law?"

"It's fine, then, isn't it?"

"Are you really stupid or do you want me to actually shoot you?"

"We'll soon figure it out, won't we?"

"What ar- ahhh!"

Knowing they were just wasting precious time, he surprised her by the roaring to life engine and by speeding away, through the garage's open door. He felt like chuckling at her surprised shriek but instead he focused on the road ahead of them.

He felt the girl's arms snaking around his waist but actually holding onto his shoulders. She was actually that reluctant to trust him while he was helping her escape. Her, a total stranger that was wanted for his half-brother's murder. For a minute there he truly wondered if he was insane. He searched for a good reason why he suddenly felt like acting crazily.

However, the cold, whipping wind brushing sharply their faces, entangling their hair, somehow blew all his thoughts away. For the first time in a long while, he actually felt freedom, independence. Was that what it was all about then? Freedom? Escape from the Walker Mansion? He had yet to find. For the moment, he just had to focus on their trip and the fact that his rushed actions would have unwanted consequences.

So, love it? Hate it? Should it be thrown in the trashbin? Gimme some love people! (love as in reviews :p)