Butterfly Love
On the phone
"Hello, this is Shinobu Chou. I wish to speak with, Yuzuha Hitachiin."
"Oh, I will get her right away, sir."
"Hello?"
"Hello Yuzuha, its Shinobu."
"Hello Shinobu, what a nice surprise. Usually I am the one that calls you. Are you throwing a fashion show with the accessories being the main show and need some of my designs?"
"Actually, I need a favor from an old friend. I know that it is short notice and informal to ask over the phone but it is an emergency."
"What is it?"
"Well I'm moving to England but my daughter wants to stay in Japan. Well I have no family here so I was wondering if she could stay with you."
"Emiko? I suppose she can stay here, as long as she isn't much of a bother."
"Emiko? Oh, don't worry about her, She hardly talks."
"Haha, I suppose your right. What time will she be arriving?"
"My driver will drop her off around 6:30."
"Alright, that sounds fine"
6:30 came around rather quickly. Mrs. Hitachiin was waiting in the sitting room drinking some tea. She hadn't seen Emiko since she was 8 and she wondered how much she had change. A maid entered the room and disrupted Mrs. Hitachiin's thoughts. "Lady Hitachiin," she started "The Chou's car has just pulled up in the driveway."
Mrs. Hitachiin put down her tea "Alright, go fetch my sons. I wish for them to meet her before dinner." She stood up and rubbed some wrinkles out of her scarlet dress.
"Um, your sons are all ready in the other room, Ma'am." The maid replied. As a reply, Mrs. Hitachiin left the room and walked towards the front doors. Hikaru and Kaoru were leaning against opposite walls, having a twin to twin mind talk about the new guest. When their mother walked in, the two twins straighten up and stood on either side of their mother. "Hello, boys." She said to her sons. Mrs. Hitachiin, Hikaru and Kaoru stood in front of the door.
Outside, Emiko stood in front of the doors holding one of her bags. The young girl was the same age as the twins. She had her shoulder length brown hair pulled back into a neat pony-tail with a embellish comb that had a diamond crested butterfly. One of her father's many designs. Emiko was wearing a simple pale blue sundress with white sandals.
"Lady Emiko, are you alright?" the driver asked holding two of her bags with two still in the car. The girl nodded. "Are you sure? You seem quite nervous." He replied. Emiko held up her index finger and thumb and put them close together to indicate "a little".
"You shouldn't be. Madame Hitachiin is an old friend of your father's. They go as far back as fashion school." The driver smiled at Emiko "besides I will ask Madame Hitachiin if I can stay until you fall asleep." Emiko smiled as her response.
The doors were then opened and Emiko was met with three people. A woman about her father's age and two boys, twins. For a moment Emiko just stood there, until Mrs. Hitachiin started to speak. "Hello Emiko welcome to our home, I'm Mrs. Hitachiin and theses are my sons."
The twin on Emiko's right interrupted his mother. "My name is Hikaru" he stated. Then the other twin introduced himself "I'm Kaoru."
Emiko's driver bowed and introduced her. "This is Young Lady Emiko Chou, the daughter of Shinobu Chou and heir to the Chou Chou Accessories Incorporation."
Hikaru humped "you're so snobby you pay someone to introduce you." He stated in harsh tone.
"Kaoru! That was very uncalled for!" Mrs. Hitachiin said mistaking the twins again.
The real Kaoru turned slightly to his mother. "Mother, I'm Kaoru" he stated. The woman sighed.
"Oh, Yes of course" she said then turned to the other twin. "I shouldn't have to tell you to apologize, Hikaru!" The twin just ignored her. Mrs. Hitachiin sighed once again.
"It's quite alright." Said the driver, "Madame Hitachiin, may I speak with you for a moment?"
"Oh yes. Shigori," She called out. The maid that informed Mrs. Hitachiin of Emiko's arrival entered the hall. "Please escort Emiko to her room." Mrs. Hitachiin then started to walk towards a different room with the Chou's driver following behind her.
The twins looked at each other then grinned an evil smile. The two simultaneously looked at Emiko. This startled the girl and she took a few steps back. "Mother" they called. She turned around. "We'll be happy to show our guess to her room." They said.
"Fine, just don't scare the poor thing" she replied.
"Ma'am let me get the other bags." Said the driver
"No" said the twins still talking at the same rate "Allow us. We don't mind." Emiko shook her head to indicate she did not agree with this. This made Hikaru laugh.
"Brother, why don't you get the other bags?" Hikaru said. Kaoru nodded as a response and went to go to get the bags. Hikaru linked his left arm with Emiko's right. "Come on Kaoru" he screamed, "We need to show our GEUSS to her room." The younger twin ran up behind the girl and linked his right arm with her left. The two twins half-dragged Emiko up the stairs.
"Do you think that was a good idea, Ma'am" said the driver.
Lady Hitachiin waved her hand, "They are going to do as they wish anyway might as well alow it." She replied. "Now, what did you wish to talk to me about?"
"Oh, I just wish to ask if I can stay here till Emiko falls asleep tonight."
"I don't see why not. It may help her settle in."
Hikaru and Kaoru led Emiko towards the eastern wing of the estate, up the stairs, down the hall and then up another stair case. They led her to a room at the end of a long narrow hallway. The twins walked in front of her and leaned on each other. It reminded Emiko of a horror movie she once saw. "So" Hikaru said.
"Tell us about yourself." Kaoru finished. Emiko shook her head. "Now that's just rude." Kaoru complained. The twins gathered close to her, one on either side. The twin's faces were nearly touching hers. Hikaru and Kaoru both whispered in Emiko's ears "Now don't be rude princess. It is un-lady like."
Emiko blushed furiously. She grabbed her bags from Kaoru and ran into her new room. The two brothers looked at each other and begun another twin to twin mind talk. 'Do you think we over did it?' Kaoru's expression asked. Hikaru shook his head. The twins then began their walk to their bedroom on the other side of the home.
In her bedroom, Emiko leaned against the door. She opened the door a crack to see if Hikaru and Kaoru were still outside. Not seeing them, Emiko closed the door and sighs out of relief. She stands up straights and looks around the room. The room itself is pretty simple, just like any guess room, same with the furniture. It was a large room with plenty of space. It had a closet and a full bathroom. In the room was a queen size bed with white sheets and pillows. There was a dresser with a mirror on it, two nightstands and a desk, all with the same design. The walls had recently been repainted a nice calm green. Emiko grabbed her three bags and placed them on the bed. She opened the first that filled completely of her cloths. The second bag had more of her cloths and some accessories. Her last bag, the one she was originally holding, was full of more personal things. In the bag was; her laptop, some books, her make-up bag, a sketch book, and a picture of her family. She smiled and placed the picture on one of the nightstands.
Around 7 o'clock, a maid informed everyone that dinner was ready. Everyone was at the table except for Mr. Hitachiin, who wasn't home, and Emiko, who was lost. She had managed to get back to the first floor but she had no idea where she was going. She walked down the maze like hallways and began to open random doors.
In the dinning room, Mrs. Hitachiin was starting to get irritated. "Boys!" Hikaru and Kaoru turned towards their mother "Will you boys go find our guest. I think she may have gotten lost." The boys nod their heads and begin to leave the room. Once out of the room the brothers looked at each other and smiled.
"Bet I can find her first!" Hikaru said childishly
"No I will find her first" Kaoru argued just as childishly. The two brothers laughed at their own argument. They looked at each other, nod, and went separate ways to look for Emiko.
Emiko was still just going into random rooms. She continued to do this until she found a room with a maid inside. "Oh, Hello Miss Chou" said the maid. Emiko bowed trying to be polite. The maid began to nervously wave her hands wildly and defensively "No there is no need to do that, Miss Chou." Emiko stood back up and the maid began to calm down. "Is there anything I can do for you? Do you need any help" Emiko nodded her head. "Well, what do you need?" Emiko didn't say anything. The maid waited patiently for her to respond. Without an answer, the maid looked down at her watch to indicate she didn't have time to waste. When she saw the time, the maid realized Emiko's dilemma. "Oh my! It is dinner time. You most be lost." Emiko nodded her head. The maid smiled and began to leave the room. "Come on I will show to the Dinning Room."
Hikaru and Kaoru met in front of the Dinning Room doors. "Did you find her?" asked Hikaru. Kaoru shook his head. The brothers sighed then opened the doors and began to apologize. "Mother, we're sorry. We looked everywhere but couldn't find Emiko"
"Of course you didn't" Mrs. Hitachiin said "She is right here." At the opposite end of the table, Emiko waved at Hikaru and Kaoru. The two boys looked at each other then at Emiko in disbelief. Hikaru and Kaoru made their way to their original spots; Kaoru on his mother's right and Hikaru on her left. 4 maids walked into the room with 4 covered plates placing one in front of each person at the table. A small bell rung and the maids reviled the dish.
"Tonight's meal is pan roasted salmon with root vegetables and lentil stew." Said one of the maids "A delicate roast salmon; sweet beets, carrots, and parsnips; and an herbaceous black-lentil stew." After she finished her introduction, the maids bowed and left the room. The rest of dinner was eaten in silence.
It had been a week since Emiko had moved in and she still had not said a word. And Hikaru and Kaoru tried. Everyday they would question the silent girl but would only get nods or hand gestures. After yet another failed attempt to make her talk the brothers returned to their room.
Hikaru flopped onto his back on the bed "This is starting to get frustrating! She is never going to talk!" Kaoru sat next to his brother and nodded his head in agreement. "We could lock her in a room till she says something." Hikaru suggested.
"No, I think we would end up being caught by Mother."
"Well, there is no point."
"What?"
"The point of trying to make Emiko talk was supposes to be fun but now it is more aggravating than anything." Hikaru sat up "Besides, only one question leads to weather we keep trying or not."
"And what question would that be?"
"Do we really want that girl to interrupt our world?"
Before Kaoru could answer a maid knocked on the door. "Come in" yelled Kaoru.
A maid walked into the room and bowed. "Young masters dinner is ready" she said and left the room.
"Want to have some fun?" asked Hikaru. Kaoru turned to face his brother with a smile, knowing exactly what he meant.
In the dinning room, Emiko and Mrs. Hitachiin were sitting in their spots waiting for the boys to come down. Hikaru and Kaoru walked into the room and sat in each other's seats, Hikaru sitting on his mother's right and Kaoru on her left. The maids reveled the dish for the evening and left.
Mrs. Hitachiin turned towards Kaoru "Hikaru, could you pass me the salt?" she asked. Kaoru passed her the salt without even thinking twice that she had just confused him for his brother. Emiko laughed lightly. "What's so funny, Emiko?" asked Mrs. Hitachiin. Emiko shook her head. "No Emiko, tell me what is so funny" she commanded. Emiko hesitantly lifted her hand and pointed at Kaoru, "Kaoru" she said in a melodic voice and moved her arm slightly to point at the other twin "Hikaru". All 3 of the Hitachiin sat there wide-eyed. Not only had she told the twins apart, but she actually spoke. It took Emiko a second to realize what she just did. She gasped, covered her mouth and ran to her room.
Kaoru stood up from the table "her voice" he whispered "Why would she hide it?"