(A/N: It's time for name that cameo! For all of you reading this fanfic, those who correctly guess the name of the suitor will receive a free cookie!
Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own Kannazuki no Miko. Kannazuki no Miko is copyrighted to the fine people at Geneon Studios as well as the mangaka Kaishaku. Please support the official release.
Second Disclaimer: The author of this fanfic does not actually have any cookies to give. Even if the author could, it would mean having to take down personal information, which is wrong to do over the internet. You may have an imaginary cookie instead)
The Suitor
Chikane Himemiya had a nightmare that lasted for an entire month. The nightmare had consisted of her being the Lunar Priestess and being forced into a hellish cycle of reincarnation. In this cycle she was forced to kill the Sun Priestess in order to seal the evil god, Orochi. However, it was inevitable that the two would fall in love with each other just as they would leave each other. Chikane Himemiya's final memory was her soul being sealed into a shrine, forever separated from her love.
But as with all nightmares, it ended.
When Chikane Himemiya opened her teal eyes, she rolled around in her king-sized bed only to witness the sun shining on a girl of pure innocence. Gently the sun basked in the light of her lover's straw locks and her soft white skin. She gently opened her eyes revealing a set of amethyst pools that she could get lost in. Chikane simply leaned in, brushing her azure locks away and kissed her lover on the cheek. Himeko Kurusugawa could not help but blush.
"Good morning, Himeko." Chikane whispered in her night gown.
"Good morning, Chikane-chan." Her blond counterpart whispered. The previous night of cuddling had been a magical experience of soft kisses and caresses. In fact, the only thing standing between them and full blown intercourse was their insistence to only do so after marriage. The two stared into each other's eyes, giggling like the school girls that they were meant to be. Finally free from their burden as priestesses, the two had not only reunited, but fell instantly back in love, both vowing to never let go.
"Chikane-chan?" The small blond asked as meekly as a mouse.
"Yes, my dear?" Chikane prompted, unable to force her mouth not to smile.
"Why do you think…well…why were you able to come back to me? Did the gods give us a second chance? Or…"
"I'm not sure. But whatever the case, I'm here. And I won't even let the gods separate us ever again." The blond smiled and knelt close to her lover, continuing to snuggle.
"I was so scared…" The straw-haired girl whimpered. "I was so afraid that I would never see you again and there would always be this emptiness in my heart. So when I saw you on that street that day, when all of our memories came back, I was so happy. I was so happy that I could see you again." She softly broke down on her lover's chest, not holding back any tears.
"No matter what happens," Chikane Himemiya smiled. "The moon will always reunite with her sun, regardless what nature says."
And they knelt closer to each other, giving each other soft kisses.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The Himemiya mansion was extremely large, but at the same time humble as well. Even though it was by far the largest house in Mahoroba village, the Himemiyas did not boast of their position to the world. Both Ryo and Hiromi Himemiya were never known for being arrogant in their affairs, but at the same time it was necessary for them to keep a good face with the public. So when word had gotten out that their only child, Chikane, had decided to take an…unconventional mate, they were concerned nonetheless. In fact, on an early spring morning, the two had gathered trying figure out their next step.
Ryo Himemiya, 1.74 meters, 90 kilograms and with a few gray hairs whispered to his wife. "Should I be the one to tell her or-?"
In contrast, Hiromi was a slender 59 kilograms, and 2 meters tall and had the same azure hint in her hair since high school. "I think it would best if we tell her together."
"Tell me what, exactly?" Chikane Himemiya's husky voice frightened her parents at first, but they quickly calmed down. The two coughed a bit and asked their daughter to sit down at the Victorian dining room.
"Daughter," Ryo Himemiya began. "You have always made us proud over the years. With your prestige in academics, sports and extracurricular activities, we could not have asked for a better daughter."
Without missing a beat, Hiromi Himemiya "And despite your…newfound tastes, we've always wanted the best for you."
Chikane gave them both an icy stare, mentally making the mood slightly chillier. Normally a parent wouldn't be so intimidated by their child, but Chikane Himemiya knew how to properly silence both of her parents. However, she was still willing to listen to what they had to say. After all, she still had some patience left in her.
Hiromi Himemiya cleared her throat. "We've decided to arrange a date for you. He'll be here tonight promptly at 7. We expect you to be a courteous guest."
For a while, a stillness invaded the room. Chikane had never been one to throw tantrums as a child, but their statement came off as so shocking to her, that she might have had her first one at the present. However, the young azure haired girl remained calm and took a deep breath before staring at her parents icily. Even if Ryo and Hiromi had spoken from an outsider's perspective, the upset look from their daughter said it all. She wasn't pleased with the arrangement.
"Father, Mother, I understand that you want the best from me, and I appreciate it. However, I refuse to accept this arrangement. You may question my tastes, but I assure you, I love Himeko. If you had spent you energy trying to know her instead of shunning her, perhaps then you can realize how magnificent she is."
Ryo began to let his short temper get the better of him. "Daughter, you will not disobey us. I worked hard to arrange this meeting. Do you know how difficult it is to arrange a meeting with this man? He is-"His mouth was quickly and gently pressed against his wife's palm.
"What your father is trying to say is that…we care for you, Chikane. We are sure that this girl makes you comfortable. Please, just attend this meeting. If you do not like the arrangement, simply leave and we'll have a driver pick you up. However, if you do like the arrangement, we'll go from there. How does that sound?"
The only child of the Himemiyas stood up in her frustration. The two parents looked to each other, concerned.
"May I at least know who he is?"
Ryo Himemiya reached into his coat pocket and showed her a photo.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
He stared at the simulation, ruined. In short, it was a flaming wreckage of its former self. The impact of his strategy had not only proven successful, it drew a wide grin on his face. "So this is what it means to wield the power of a God." Needless to say, he felt a surge of invincibility on him. In fact, the ravings of his scientists working the control room didn't bother him at all. Once he finished with the simulation, he was pursued by a hyperactive teenager, with black hair flowing to his back.
"Nii-sama! You were great! You beat the simulation with only one shot!" The business man smiled, knowing his accomplishment.
"With this in my hand, I shall be unstoppable." He stared at his tool one more time before stuffing it into his container.
After exiting his laboratory, he passed through a crowd of top scientists each bowing down before him. He simply dismissed them with a wave of his hand. He wore a taut frown all through his trip through the office. From the useless receptionist in the hall to the common pencil-pusher trying to charm his way up the corporate ladder, everyone bowed down respectfully to him. He tired of their usual antics, and their usual false compliments. They would never understand the trials he had been through.
Here he was surrounded by the things he understood in this world: technology, machines even digital imagery. For him, it was perfection. Nothing should have been able to defeat flawless calculations and thinking. Yet, he had lost to one who believed in superstition and luck. It made no sense. Like many things in his adult life, they stopped making sense for him. Of course, he was too proud of a man to show it to his employees. Thus, he fled to his office, ready to do his work.
Inside, he checked his PDA only to realize that he had an arrangement with the only child of the Himemiyas. Personally, he did not think very highly of them. After all, considering their wealth and power, they could've easily thrived in the business world, and possibly misconceive to out buy his corporation. However, they had instead invested all their time to charities and human causes. They made themselves appear soft in public. However, he did not stop to realize the opportunities that could be achieved through common means. He might not have liked alliances, but he was willing to make an acceptation this time.
The set-up was simple: they needed a suitor for their daughter and he needed sponsors for his tournament.
He realized what the appointment meant, so he quickly had to cancel his prior arrangement. The first thing that ran through his ever calculating mind was, "He's going to be very upset at this."
He stared at his prepubescent brother, unsure how to break it to him.
"Hey, Nii-sama! You promised that we'd go boat-riding today, right? Should I get ready?"
The young man sighed, seeing his little brother in such an optimistic mood. It was true: he had swore to set an appointment to see him today. However, his tournament needed as much support as it could get. If he could somehow convince the Himemiyas to pick up for at least a quarter of the expenses, he would have more time to concentrate on his master strategy. When a few seconds had pat, he finally addressed the situation at hand.
"Forgive me, but I had scheduled an appointment with a daughter to a potential sponsor. I'm afraid…that I can't make it today."
"Oh, I see." Immediately, the young business man saw the energy drained from his sibling's face. It instantaneously made it difficult for him to concentrate. He never realized how shallow business seemed when it came to affairs with family. However, this conflict had raised its head beforehand. Even if he wanted to cater to the whims of his younger brother, there was another side of him than needed to succeed. A dragon inside him told him to pursue competition, no matter how difficult. Thus, he compromised.
"Listen, I can't go boat-riding. But you can order anything you like on the business account. Games, DVD's even that new sound system you wanted. Then, I'll be there tomorrow."
"Nii-sama…" The young boy replied with a hint of joy in his eyes. "Thank you. I know these past few days have been difficult for both of us. But I know you'll win this tournament! You have to, it's your own competition. I know you can beat him! So for the both of us, find the best way not to lose!"
"Don't worry. I don't plan to lose, especially not to him."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chikane Himemiya gently folded as much clothing as she could fit into her briefcase. Her azure colored eyes transformed from icy to fiery as she could not comprehend the situation presented to her. "How could they?" she thought to herself. "How dare they try to take me from the one I love? Of all the nerve." Her hidden anger built up from a small spark to a roaring ember. She knew that her parents were nothing more than high society onlookers who wanted nothing more than social status than they ever needed while their only child had been finally reunited from her destined princess. She knew some mortals were fools, but her parents were the biggest ones of all.
"Chikane-chan?" The Himemiya princess turned to see a pair of amethyst eyes, holding excess pools of tears in them. "What are you doing?"
"Himeko…" The azure-haired girl found herself at a lost for words, seeing her fragile partner so upset. "I-I'm leaving this dreadful place! These people think they know what's best for me, but they are cowards, unable to accept what is true love. I do not need them. They are merely temporary. They've only known me for 16 years, while I've spent lifetimes searching for you. Let's run away together!"
"You can't!" The smaller girl broke out in tears, holding her lover close. All the fury Chikane Himemiya held in her soul, became deadened by her partner's tears. " I know they haven't known about us for very long, but they're still you parents! They do care for you, and they want what's best for you! Even if…I'm not part of it."
As the smaller girl stared at the bedroom carpet, Chikane woke her out of her misery. "No. Don't say that! I…need you. You're a part of me and I cannot live without something that is a part of me."
Himeko stared at her partner. "Then…will you try to please your parents…for me?"
Chikane stared at her love, unsure of how to respond. That's when she came upon an important realization. Himeko didn't want to let go of Chikane, but rather wanted to gain the acceptance of her family. She had remembered how Himeko was robbed of two loving parents as a child and was forced into a miserable foster home. Chikane thanked the gods for how they had spared Himeko from that hell by sending her to a dorm. However, it was possible that she wanted another set of parents to love: Chikane's. With this, Chikane understood completely.
"Okay, you win. But promise me that we'll snuggle tonight."
"I promise." Himeko said with an affirmative nod.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After the sun had set, and a half-moon filled the night sky, all of the residents of the Himemiya mansion waited eagerly for their guest to arrive. Ryo and Hiromi Himemiya waited eagerly for their daughter's suitor to arrive. The maids knew it was necessary to greet a guest with pleasant manners. Chikane had picked her snow white dress, not to make an impression on the suitor, but to remind herself of whom she was doing this for. She felt her right hand intertwine with her partner's as they waited for the guest to arrive.
"Perhaps he did not think much of this appointment." Chikane said bitterly, as if to sway her parents to give up.
However, Hiromi Himemiya displayed the same stubbornness as her daughter showed. "Do not worry. If he is the man your father says he is, he is no doubt a world-class gentleman."
Suddenly the moment everyone had been waiting for, whether it was with pleasure or dread, a black limousine pulled up in front of the mansion. Chikane and Himeko stared at each other nervously, unsure what to expect. However, when a neatly groomed man wearing a black suit walked up to the various people, everyone hushed in confusion.
Naturally, Ryo Himemiya began to protest. "I don't understand. Where is he?"
"The master shall be down shortly. In the meantime, please read this letter." With an envelope handed to him, Ryo Himemiya took out a thin piece of paper, with bold kanji written on it.
"Ryo, don't keep us in suspense." His wife scolded. "What does it say?"
"It says 'Look up". Surely enough as the members of the estate followed its directions, they were soon greeted by a large helicopter descending from the heavens. Its sleek gray design slowly revealed itself as it began to set itself on the front lawn. Most of the Himemiya estate began to whisper and shout to each other with panic. However, the Himemiya princess and her lover simply tightened each other's grip, bearing the high winds in front of them.
After the dust had settled, the servant went and opened the door revealing the young man in question. Himeko could tell he was the genuine suitor by the way that Chikane gripped her hand tightly.
The young man could not have been out of his twenties but had a dead gaze of an aging businessman. His cold blue eyes lacked any sort of warmth or comfort. His short, morose hair was gently combed back, the longest part being at the end. His 'suit' mainly consisted of a large white trench coat with rhinestones, a black undershirt and matching pants. However, while his dress was nonetheless extravagant, he gave off a sense of coldness, even as he walked. There was a sense of cold calculation rather than genuine emotion coming from him. Chikane couldn't help but notice the English initials written in silver on his collar. The letters read KC.
"Himemiya Ryo. I am glad we could meet again under these circumstances." The boy's voice was deep and throaty. Even now, Chikane could see his arrogance leaking out of his personality. Not only did he forsake the tradition of honorfics, he also used 'ore' rather than the usual 'boku' to signify his self-importance. As he shook the hands of the elegant Ryo and Hiromi Himemiya, he finally stood face to face of their only child.
"Ah, you must be the infamous Himemiya Chikane. It has been a while since I've met someone competent in this day and age." He leaned in to kiss her right hand, sending a chill down Chikane's spine. Never before had she felt such dead coldness from a single kiss. In a way, she wanted to leave right there and then, but refused to because of Himeko's request. The night grew darker as he began to lead the girl to the helicopter.
"I'd love to stay, but as the Americans put it 'time is money'."
"Agreed." Ryo Himemiya chuckled along with the rest of the mansion, save the young lovers.
"I'm sure we don't need to bother with introductions, since everyone here knows each other."
"It's fine!" Hiromi Himemiya replied, continuing to push their daughter towards the business tycoon. "Stay out as late as you want to!"
"Aren't we going out to dinner here?" the azure haired girl asked, wondering why he led them into a helicopter.
"I understand your tastes are…simple, but I like to be extravagant when I'm entertaining guests. I'm sure you'll appreciate this when it's all over." Chikane wasn't sure how to take the word simple, either as an insult to her hometown or as an insult to her lover. Regardless, she kept her real intentions quiet as she stared out the window, seeing a set of amethyst eyes follow them up two the heavens.
"Himeko", she thought. "I swear I won't let this man tame me."
"Himemiya Chikane." He spoke his muffled voice. He gestured toward the iced bottle in the corner. "Would you care for some wine?"
Normally, she would've politely refused. However, there was a need to escape from the situation before her, and she needed nothing short of the power of alcohol to get her through the night.
"Just a sip." As she took the crimson wine to her face, she tasted its smooth rich flavor, possibly from very fine vineyards.
"Perhaps there is another way to pass the time?" She suggested.
"How about a game of chess?" Chikane, for once, felt surprised at this suggestion. Most men, at this point, would've been past seduction and lost her interest. Instead, the business man wanted to play a game of chess with her.
"Wouldn't that be a bit inconvenient, with the helicopter in motion?"
"Don't insult me, Himemiya." The man said, quickly taking out a small boxed chess board and opening it up, revealing several miniscule chess pieces with thick plugs at the bottom. "I always come prepared for a duel." The only child of the Himemiya clan thought for several long moments. "Perhaps he aims to humiliate me." She thought to herself. However, she could not help the possibility that she could've won, thereby showing control of the situation.
"Fine. I will take you up on your challenge."
"Excellent." He said as he set up the pieces for their game.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Himeko Kurusugawa was grateful that the Himemiyas let her stay at their residence as she waited for Chikane. However, she couldn't help but feel a sense of hostility from everyone in the mansion, as if she were a cyst in an otherwise functioning body. She felt awful for taking enough of their resources, so she insisted on using her cell phone rather than using up the land line. Quickly, she decided to dial her friend's number in an attempt to waste time.
"Hey, Himeko!" Makoto Saotome greeted through the other line. "How's it going?"
"It's going great, Mako-chan! It's so loud in there! Are you at the gym today?"
"Yep!" The girl replied. "I just got out of my aerobics class. So, how's it going between you lovebirds?"
"It's going great!" Himeko replied. She didn't wish to burden her best friend about her trifles. "I wish you could be here, Mako-chan! It's wonderful out here!"
After a brief pause from the other end of the line, Makoto Saotome gave her response. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?"
Himeko sighed, letting go of the façade she depicted for her friend. "I'm sorry."
"Why don't you really tell me what's happened?" After another silence between the line, Himeko began to explain the situation to Makoto, from the general awkwardness of meeting Chikane's parents to how she felt seeing Chikane leave on the helicopter. In a way, discussing the whole situation lifted the weight off of her shoulders. Looking at her timer, she ended up talking for ten minutes straight. Regardless, she was in need for some advice.
"I don't know what to do, Mako-chan. I want Chikane-chan to be with me, but I don't want her to lose her parents. Maybe, maybe it would be best if I wasn't a part of-"
"Don't you dare complete that sentence!" Makoto's scream rang through Himeko's ear, causing her to spring back before listening again.
"Love is a beautiful thing. It doesn't matter how much money or what upbringing someone has! Didn't you see that movie, Titanic? True love always wins at the end!" Makoto's speech gave a sort of inner fire to burn inside Himeko. No longer did she have doubts or fears. Instead, she felt a raging flame of confidence inside her.
"You're right, Mako-chan! I-I just have to have faith in Chikane-chan, that's all!"
"Yosh! That's the Himeko I know. Well, take care and never give up!"
Himeko nodded fiercely. "Right!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chikane Himemiya mistook her opponent for an uneducated spoiled child who had no understanding of the outside world. However, after a very difficult and complex game of chess, she found herself in a difficult position. The choice between losing her bishop and her queen was indeed something to consider.
"I admit you have some understanding of this game." The businessman spoke with his very curt tone of voice. "At least you're much tougher than other opponents I've faced in the past."
"Really?" Chikane replied, trying to make the night go quickly as possible. "Who else did you face?"
"My stepfather. Sad to say that even though he was a master chess player, he could not beat me as a mere child."
"But in the end, it was simply a game, right? No one lost anything." Chikane rationed as she made her move.
"No. He simply had to adopt me, as per rules of our wager. Check." The Himemiya princess paused hearing this. Apparently, he had not only beaten his stepfather, but had done so to be adopted. Curiosity struck her, unsure what to make of this shocking development. However, considering she had multiple parents in multiple past-lives, it was perhaps understandable. Still, one detail of his tale rubbed itself the wrong way.
"Exactly how old were you at the time? Check."
The man smiled, as if he waited for her question. "Ten. Check." Not only did her opponent surprise her with his move, but with his story as well. It was hard to imagine this man as a child, let alone one capable of beating a chess champion. Still, Chikane Himemiya would not allow herself to drop her guard. Taking in the entire chess board, she quickly calculated her next move. However, as she would have gained the upper hand, the pilot's voice declared, "We've landed, sir!"
As quickly as she reached for her rook, the businessman quickly shut the portable chess board, and stowed in away in his pocket. "We'll have to complete this duel some other time. For now, we have business to attend to."
"Business?" The azure-haired beauty repeated. "I did not know you were capable of such casual speech."
"Do not misunderstand. When I say the word business, I mean it with the utmost seriousness. And for the record, I don't speak casually." Chikane remained frozen for a moment. Business was such a dead word to her. The fact that this man suggested that their supposedly romantic was nothing more than a profit struck such an angry blow for her. Where once she had thought she was about to make what would at most be a friend, she had now realized the man was nothing more than cold, calculating business tycoon.
"Very well. If you want to talk business, let us discuss it in a more comfortable setting."
"I have just the restaurant. Kurogane! Escort us, if you will!"
"Yes, master." The man spoke. As the two young millionaires walked toward the restaurant, Chikane noticed that the city they were walking through was vastly different from Mahoroba's urban district. For one thing, it was much larger with department stores at every other corner. Several large LCD screens highlighted the city stage, as well as millions of other neon lights. Mahoroba, though quite large, never was a city which rivaled New York City. With curiosity, she looked toward her host.
"Where are we, might I ask?"
"The city where I plan to hold my tournament." The man said in his usual cold demeanor. Chikane lost her breath once more. Normally, most tournaments, even the largest poker tournaments, usually took the area of an oversized casino. However, the idea of an entire city of being the place for a tournament was ludicrous to say the least. Chikane then took into consideration that she simply misunderstood. Unwilling to believe the outrageous claim she heard, she tried to clarify the situation.
"You mean, we are near the place you plan to hold your tournament."
"No. This entire city will become a battleground. That is why I need your assistance. With this city at my disposal, I will crush my opponents and become victorious." Chikane Himemiya continued to stare at the odd man before her. He was not only arrogant, egotistical, and boastful, he was also obsessed with competition as well. She could not tell what sort of appeal her father found in this man. It was possible he abandoned all redeemable traits for financial security. It wasn't as if the Himemiyas needed any additional wealth, but it was likely her parents were far too narrow-minded to care for her spiritual being.
However, Chikane Himemiya's physical well being was about to be threatened. Unbeknownst to her, a lone burglar had slowly crept up and knocked Kurogane unconscious. It wasn't long before he had aimed his handgun right at Chikane Himemiya's head. It took a moment to realize this, and to see the man in his rags for clothes. The business man already raised his thin hands into the air, oddly staring at his right hand. Regardless, she kept her composure.
"I don't wanna hurt you!" The homeless man cried. "Just give me the cash, and I'll leave you and your lady friend alone."
As much as she wanted to protest to being the man's 'lady friend', she slowly remembered her Judo training and the proper stance to take. However, just as she was about to do so, the suitor interrupted her.
"Is this how dogs beg for scraps?" He sneered, continuing to stare at the palm of his right hand.
"What did you say?" Obviously, the homeless man was more than upset at this statement.
"I just find it pathetic to see someone take such a pedestrian method of gaining money."
Chikane turned to the suitor in the white coat. "Stop provoking him."
"If such a dog is desperate for scraps, why didn't he fire yet?"
Chikane watched in fear, seeing the man pull the trigger. Using her quick reflexes, she dodged the bullet's path. However, no such bullet came. Both she and the robber watched as a bent card had prevented the trigger from firing.
"You made me ruin one of my good cards, you Bastard!" The businessman yelled, elbowing the homeless man in the stomach. Chikane would've reacted sooner, but by the time she had pulled herself up, the young man had already thrown his opponent across his shoulder, taken his gun and aimed it between his eyes.
"Do you know why you cannot beat me?" He spoke in his deep, curt manner.
Chikane, seeing how awful the man was, could not stand by. "Release that man, he is no threat to us."
"Do you know why you can't beat me?" The man repeated, as if he had never heard the girl's protest. "Because I was once a stray, like you. But instead of begging for scraps, I chose a better future. I tricked a master into adopting me, then I beat him. That is how I became a man. However, some dogs will always remain strays." As he continued to point the gun at him, Chikane once again spoke up.
"If you continue to threaten that man, then I will cancel this evening. Is that clear?" Apparently, her words gave her enough influence as to cause her suitor to empty the bullet casing and toss the gun aside. The robber stood up, unsure of what to express, except for total gratitude.
"Here", Chikane replied, pulling ten thousand Yen from her hand purse. "Get yourself something to eat; just please do not put anyone else through this." The man quickly grabbed the money and ran off, not saying a word. She witnessed the man picking up his servant, ordering him to dust off and continuing to walk towards the location.
"You were wrong to do that." He spoke boldly. "Men like him are too old to do that. Giving him what he wants just turns him back into a child again."
"He was desperate." She reasoned. "It is never wrong to give to those who need it."
"Of course you wouldn't understand." He replied. "You were never a stray."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Himeko Kurusugawa felt her mouth dry after several moments of waiting in the bedroom. Quickly, she ran down to the foyer and made a right to enter the kitchen. When she entered, she wasn't shocked to see a world class dining set with the latest refrigerator and oven with several maids working on it. Rather, what surprised her was the cold, dead silence of both Ryo and Hiromi Himemiya staring at her. "They must have been talking about me." Such unpleasant awkwardness could have only one solution.
"E-Excuse me, but may I-I have a glass of water?" The girl shyly said, biting her lip nervously.
"Of course." Ryo Himemiya replied. "Otoha-san, please get Kurusugawa-san a glass of water." As the head maid poured the girl a glass of water, fresh from a bottle, Himeko couldn't help but notice the tension in the air. Without a doubt, the entire kitchen was completely silent. Himeko looked both at Chikane's parents, forcing smiles, until Otoha handed her a tall glass of water. As she drank it, she thought to herself. "They called me Kurusugawa-san. They still think I'm just a guest here." When she finished up, she gave a curtsey and excused herself to the confines of Chikane's room.
Himeko somehow felt worse than she did a moment ago. Rather than truthful dismissal, there was only polite denial. Their cold behavior sent shivers down her spine. In her worried state, she decided to call another friend. Going through her phonebook, she was tempted to call Chikane once more. However, she felt that she would only be interrupting whatever affairs the young Himemiya was up to. She sighed, unwilling to upset Ryo and Hiromi Himemiya. Thus, she called another person.
"Hey, Kurusugawa!" Souma Oogami screamed, through the receiver. In the background, sounds of chaos seemed to ring in her ears.
"Good evening, Oogami-kun!" Himeko shouted back, unable to hear herself think with all the background noise. "Umm…what's going on?"
"Oh! I'm just over at Yukihito's new apartment! We're watching a movie on his home entertainment system. Do you need something?"
"Uhh…" Himeko couldn't really divulge any information with all the background distractions. "Could we talk somewhere more private?"
"Sorry." The boy said. A few seconds later, the noise faded to nothing as Himeko breathed a sigh of relief. "There. Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Well…" Himeko swallowed loudly. Perhaps she needed the background noise after all. "I'm just staying at Chikane's house, right?"
"Uh huh."
"And Chikane-chan's parents. Well…they're very nice to me. But they like to call me 'Kurusugawa-san, rather than just Himeko. They also set up Chikane on a date with this other boy. He's very well dressed, I admit. And do you know that feeling when someone in the room was just talking about you, but then you enter and they go silent?"
"Yeah."
"I had the same experience with Chikane-chan's parents."
"Oh." Souma replied. Apparently, the subtext did not escape him.
"I'm just wondering, do you think I should still go through with this? I mean, do you think Chikane-chan will still want to be with me? Should I just leave?"
Souma sounded almost furious when he replied back. "Then what did you dump me for?"
Himeko felt shocked. She hadn't realized he held a grudge against her for that. "E-excuse me?"
"You told me that you were waiting for somebody, that you were waiting for a special person. If so, then why did you even bother rejecting me?" Himeko felt unsure how to handle this revelation. It somehow insulted her and helped her at the same time.
"Listen to me, Kurusugawa. Chikane Himemiya is your special someone, and once you find that person, you never let them go. Never mind the parents, never mind this rich boy. In the end, love is the only thing you have left. You got that? Because I'd be really sore if you dumped me for no reason." Himeko felt a surge of passion from Souma's words. Now, she understood what she had to do. Rather than just sit and cry, she would place her faith in Chikane, knowing that her love was most important of all. She smiled, realizing how beautiful their love was.
"Thank you, Oogami-kun. Thank you."
"It's fine; I'm just heading back inside right now."
Before Himeko could say a polite goodbye, a voice boomed on her speaker. "By the end of this day, One shall stand, One shall fall."
Curious, the blond haired girl asked a single question. "Souma-kun. What are you watching?"
Souma, caught off-guard, began to make excuses. "Eh-Uh-Ah…Iron Man."
"Liar! He has a hard-on for giant robots and he knows it!" Said another voice in the background.
"Yukihito, shut the hell up!" The boy replied before hanging up the phone.
Himeko smiled, grateful she had great friends to back her up, and an even greater person supporting her.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Despite having the best seats in a five star restaurant, Chikane Himemiya did not have a pleasant time. In truth, her surroundings were beautiful, to say the least. Crystal chandeliers hung with a low candlelight glowing in each of them. Slow, beautiful violin music was played professionally in the background. The maître d and waiters were courteous as ever. The food, ranging from freshly baked Game Hen and fresh Filet Mignon tasted succulent with each juicy flavor. However, despite all of this, she continued to wear a taut frown, as did the man before her. The dinner in question was preceded by one of the most unpleasant events one could experience. Yet, the man gave no effort to comfort her or calm her. Instead, he had been in his own world, wondering in his own devices. It wasn't until the meal was half-over when he raised a question.
"Why do you wear such a cheap trinket on your neck?" The man's slur not only pierced her heart, it drove her mental state to sheer madness. It was at this point she gently set her dining utensils aside and addressed the man directly.
"You're awfully blunt for someone trying to impress me." She replied quietly.
"It's only natural that my opinion of you changes." He replied with his arms crossed. "At first, I perceived you as someone strong enough to run the Himemiya business with a tight fist. You were strong, smart, elegant and skilled. However, now I see that you're no better than a charity worker, trying to relieve her conscious. It's unbecoming of you. Now that I've answered your question, you must answer mine."
Chikane, unwilling to take any more insult, clutched her small seashell with her right hand. "Have you hard of the game of Kaiawase?"
"I have." He said automatically. "It's a game where you write the first part of the song on a seashell and the second part of the song on another shell."
The azure-haired beauty nodded. "That's right. And for double sided sea shells, there is only one match in the entire world. I believe every person has someone waiting for them; just one special person waiting for them. I believe humans are the same way as well. There is only one person in the world waiting for you." Chikane gave a gentle sigh, calming down after a very heated battle with the man sitting across from her. She clutched the shell gently, thinking of its other half, and her other half. "Himeko."
"Nonsense." The man said in a very insulting tone. "Seashells as people? Ludicrous. To compare the power of man to an inanimate object, waiting to be fit into another shell is absolutely preposterous."
The only child of the Himemiya clan felt her rage built up. This man not only missed the point of anecdote, he had began rambling about his own issues again. She remained calm and looked squarely into his eyes. "While I'm sure that is true, you have to admit there is a greater power at work here."
The man's deep voice began to get louder. "Once again, you continue to propose these occult beliefs have some sort of validity to them. It is merely superstition. There are no such things as fate. Man carves his own fate, just as man carves into the dirt, ready to build civilization. It is man who does these things, not false gods."
"You'd be surprise, sir." Chikane casually remarked, keeping her temper. The same could not be said about the man before her.
"Nonsense! You still continue to believe in these illusions? Show me your proof! Where does it say that destiny is written? Where does it say I must obey to a 'supposed god's rules'?"
"Sir…" She warned to no avail.
"You're just like him, the only person who defeated me. He's always boasting about some idiotic fate he has to master, but I don't believe it."
"Sir…" Chikane chimed in again.
"I write my own destiny!" He cried out, slamming his fist on the table. After a few brief moments of venting, he stared all around his surroundings. Everybody, from the esteemed guests to the seasoned waiters had all paused to stare at this man. He glared at Chikane, somehow enjoying his public outburst. With this, he grimaced and took his seat once more. Chikane Himemiya felt proud of how she single-handedly humbled a multimillionaire. Somehow, it felt satisfying.
It was only moments later that the young man's cell phone went off. Within a few rings, he picked up the phone. "Hello. Who is this?"
However, after a few brief moments of listening to the speaker, his face went from emotionless to horrified. Even so, he listened to the message, ignoring the woman before him. Quickly, he threw more than enough yen on the table and departed at once. Chikane, confused, followed the man. After all, she needed him to return home.
As they descended the stairs up to a roof, Chikane yelled after her suitor. "What's going on? Where are we going?"
The man continued to walk several flights above her, not acknowledging her existence. "They have him. How could they have him? I kept several guards on him, didn't I?" It was then Chikane Himemiya knew the full extent of the situation. Somehow the man had someone close to him that was in grave danger. She quickly followed him, hoping that he was courteous enough to escort her home. As he burst open the roof access, letting the night winds freeze the both of them. However, he continued to storm forward to the copter waiting for him.
"Master!" The pilot replied with the blades still whirling "We have the coordinates. Give us the word and we'll fly you over there!"
"Get out of the copter." The man ordered.
"Excuse me?"
"Somehow, there was a leak in my security plans. Until I figure out who exactly sold my secrets to terrorists, you're suspect as well as Kurogane over there."
"Sir!" The pilot exclaimed, "I would never-"
"If you're so willing to prove your loyalty, then escort Himemiya home. I'll go in by myself." As quickly as he arrived, the pilot took his helmet off and handed it to the young man. As he pushed several buttons, the copter began to speed up once again.
"Himemiya. You told me that people are seashells waiting for that other part. I know you're wrong because I'm not waiting. I'm searching." And with that, the young entrepreneur flew off into the night sky, towards his goal. Chikane Himemiya, couldn't have been more relieved.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After a long and mostly tiring night, Chikane Himemiya burst out of the limo door, provided by the servants, and sprinted up the household. Inside, several maids and even her own parents tried to give a greeting to her, but she simply ignored them. As she climbed up the stairway, she took caution as not to trip on her high heels. Finally, when she entered the room, she found her lover, resting peacefully on the bed. Chikane, wanting more than anything in the world to talk to her lover, decided that a simple peck on the cheek would do.
So imagine how surprised she was when she was kissed on the lips instead. Chikane smiled.
"Himeko…I didn't know you could be so cunning."
Mockingly, Himeko opened one eyelid, resting on her back. "I just wanted to surprise you, that's all." The girls both looked at each other, before wrapping themselves in a warm embrace. "I knew you'd come back, Chikane-chan. I knew deep in my heart."
"And I always will. I'll always love you, no matter what anybody says." The two lovers gazed into each other's eyes, oceanic pools meeting with amethyst, and fell into a deep trance.
"Chikane-chan…" Himeko whispered gleefully. "What do you say we surprise your parents tomorrow?"
"What did you have in mind?" The azure-haired princess asked.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Amazing…" the young teenager with a head full of jet black hair said. For the last couple of hours of being held prisoner in dank basement, the young boy sang his brother's praises, seeing only unconscious bodies on the floor. "You're amazing, Nii-sama! You beat them all!"
The multimillionaire bent on one knee and looked at him in the eye. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
"No." He replied, taking out a card shaped necklace with a photo in it. "I kept our secret safe, Nii-sama."
"I know you did. Come. We're going home."
As the man took powerful strides, his brother tagged along as quickly as he could. "How did your date go?"
"Like many other business ventures, I found it to be a complete waste of time." In truth, his mind continued to wrack over the nerve of that insolent woman. He figured her to be someone worth become allies with, however, she revealed to be as soft as the one who beat him. He continued to walk, towards the helicopter parked on the roof.
"Nii-sama, is it time for the tournament to begin?"
He looked at his brother and shot him a sly smile. "Of course it is. After waiting so long for all the pieces to fit in, it is time to execute my plan. After this day, my victory is assured. It's time for my Battle City to begin!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ryo Himemiya carefully woke up from his kingside bed, making sure not to disturb his guests. Seeing as the other side was empty, he realized his wife had already woken up. Grumbling, he slowly tiptoed down the main staircase and went outside. A servant presented a single letter. Ryo Himemiya opened it only to receive the biggest shock in his life.
"An invoice for five hundred thousand yen?!" He screamed, staring at the details. "Helicopter rental and maintenance? Restaurant bill? Emotional distress?" Had it been not for his calm upbringing, he would've torn out what little hair he had left.
"Ryo. Ryo, you must come see this." Hiromi Himemiya walked towards her husband in her nightgown.
"That cursed boy charged us for taking our daughter to dinner! That's the last time he'll ever set foot on this estate again!"
"Oh hush, Ryo." Hiromi scolded. "You have to come see this."
Ryo sighed, as his wife dragged him into the kitchen. There, they saw a fine spread of pancakes coated with syrup, sausage paired with bacon as well as well made rice porridge to the side. But most intriguing of all were two girls, dressed up in maid outfits and covered in flour. On a chair, the only child of the Himemiya clan slept with her lover on her lap.
Taking one sip, Ryo exclaimed. "This is quite good. I can't believe they did this all by themselves."
"Maybe…we were a bit too hard on them, weren't we?" Hiromi Himemiya's statement caused her husband to think for a while. For the first time in a long time, he saw a smile creep on his daughter's face. Chikane had always been raised to be courteous and polite, but seeing her at ease became something of a revelation to Ryo Himemiya. With a sigh, he nodded his head in defeat. He turned to his wife.
"Let's…give this girl one more chance." He kissed his wife on the head as they leaned towards each other.
"Besides, she's a lot cheaper than that boy."
"Ryo!" Hiromi scolded her husband.
"You know I'm only joking, dear."