écriture fatale
by crisis rain
Igarashi Tora had everything – power, money, looks. Aratake Gouki had bonds – friendships that rivaled many others. And in the midst of these two impeccably different people, is Kogarashi Hisui – daughter of a doctor and housewife, and has no particular outstanding background, assets, or a significant past. There is one thing in common however – the three of them are intertwined in more ways than one would expect.
Disclaimer: Kaichou wa Maid-sama!/Maid-sama! belongs to Fujiwara Hiro. Fiction plot & originals belong to crisis rain. No infringement intended.
Chapter 1: blue hour
Nestled inside the secure fortress of the Igarashi mansion laid a man upon his bed, looking devoid of a regular liveliness as he continued to sleep a rather fragile sleep. The soft glow of the bedside lamp was the only source of light in the room, and made the droplets of rain upon the vast windows illuminate as they streaked across the glass. Silence – and then he woke up, grunting in pain.
Upon cue, a weary-looking servant came rushing in as quietly as he could, and hurried over to the man's side. Age-worn yet a fire still burning brightly in his eyes, the head of the Igarashi Group pulled his body together; all the while gritting his teeth at the pain.
"Has the doctor arrived yet?" He rasped. The servant looked anxiously defeated. "I'm afraid not yet, sir. Please endure a little while longer."
Outside, the rain continued to fall heavily. A taxi tirelessly cruised onwards down the residential road, taking a turn here and there until it was nothing but a lane dotted with neatly-trimmed trees each side. A hand pressed against the backseat window, warm breath fogging over.
"We'll be arriving any minute now." The taxi driver informed, and the hand peeled away, leaving a faint, misty print behind. Sitting in the passenger seat, a clean-shaven man with half-rimmed glasses nodded silently, a doctor's coat draped over his shoulders.
"Hisui, do you have my bag ready?" He asked quickly, and there was a slow nod from a dark-haired girl from behind. Glancing upwards at her father and mentor with pallid, grey eyes, she held up his black carrying bag.
The car wheeled to a stop in front of a set of gates. After a moment's worth of procedures, the iron swung open and the car surged forwards, towards the enormous front courtyard of Igarashi mansion. She pressed her face closer to the window, stealing a glance at the glowing castle of lights before her. 'So this was where the famous Igarashi family lived', she had thought to herself, and continued to stare at the massive home despite the obscuring rain.
The taxi finally stopped in front of the main doors, and a few men dressed in black suits came out to greet them with umbrellas in hand. Kogarashi Katsuo stepped out of the cab, and was immediately greeted with a sturdy umbrella over his head.
"Thank you for coming at such a late hour, sensei." One of the men apologized, bowing quickly before him. Katsuo merely smiled, before waving a hand in dismissal. "It's nothing; it's part of my job. How is he feeling?"
"Not too well, I'm afraid. He's been paralyzed with pain since early evening."
Hisui opened the backseat door, and stepped out quickly while slinging the heavy strap over her shoulders. She reached out for the door handle, grasped it firmly and closed it shut and quickly rummaged through her pockets for the fare.
"Please, let us pay on behalf of Igarashi-kaichou." The man stopped her, before fishing out a 10,000 yen bill and slipped it to the driver. She didn't say anything, but watched their interactions briefly before lifting her head up towards the mansion. It was very tall and large; that much was given. The patter of rain began to soak her hair, but she didn't mind too much. The architecture was as expected, superb; her eyes glanced over the expensive-looking mansion before a figure caught her eye.
A boy – no, a young man around her age – was standing by the second floor balcony and had been staring down at her. She stared back at him, back at his impossibly sharp, golden eyes before her view was cut off by the fabric of a black umbrella.
"Please come this way." The servant had gently pushed her forwards, and she was forced to follow her father, through the marble steps and heavy-set doors.
And the boy vanished.
Entering through the front entrance, she was greeted by warmth from the cold rain and a cheerful light from the hanging chandelier from above. She bent down to take off her shoes, pausing briefly when she saw her father stepping out of his Oxfords and into a pair of slippers provided for guests. Quickly yanking her penny-loafers off, she slid into the waiting pair of slippers and tailed after her father who was already making his way up the stairs, following the leading footman.
"Please wait in the parlour while we go inform Igarashi-kaichou about your arrival." The footman informed, gesturing to a large room heavily decorated with British décor. A luxurious-looking sofa and two arm chairs in front of a crackling fireplace, a high-grade Persian rug, enameled cherry-wood coffee table with tempered glass, and a flower-glass lamp fashioned from blow glass greeted the father-daughter pair. Hisui hesitantly took a seat in the middle of the love sofa, across her father who had chosen to sit down on the arm chair. A maid came in with a tray and a teapot, and began to serve them tea with a platter of shortcake biscuits.
And then they were gone, and the door closed after them. Hisui glanced skeptically over to her father, who looked delighted at the snacks they were provided with.
"Oh jeez Dad, don't snack too much otherwise Mom will get mad at you again." She warned him, and he chuckled, picking up a piece of shortcake and plopping it into his mouth. "Ohhh, this is good! Try some, Hisui. You might not be able to eat something like this again."
She sighed, leaning back on the floral-printed sofa while watching her father glutton out on the free refreshments.
"Oh, remember to set up the computer during the examination," Her father informed in-between bites, and a sip of some tea. "I just need you to do some booking, and type up an invoice for today's visitation."
"Yes Dad, I know." She grumbled back in response.
"It's, 'Yes, Doctor Kogarashi'. Remember, we're on the job." Reminding his daughter wrought out a small frown from her lips. Their conversation was cut short unfortunately, when the door opened again, revealing the previous footman who had also welcomed them outside the door.
"Doctor; Igarashi-kaichou is ready to see you."
"Then, I'll be going now." He stood up, picking up his doctor's bag. Glancing back at his daughter, he gave her a wink and a small smile. "Try to entertain yourself while I'm gone. Don't wander!"
And so, she watched her father disappear as he walked out of the parlour, and presumably off towards wherever their patient Igarashi may be. The footman gazed at her, unsmiling, as if to warn her that wandering really was prohibited, and closed the door with a curt snap.
In the security of her own loneliness, Hisui heaved a heavy sigh.
"This is why I hate rich people." She muttered, before drawing in a long, sip of tea.
"My, but you seem to enjoy our tea very much." A voice whispered from behind her ear, startling the poor girl who nearly spat the aromatic water back out. Quickly catching her rattling cup and securing it back on the saucer of a rocket launcher, Hisui quickly put it back down on the security of the coffee table. The sudden presence behind her was gone; and out of the corner of her eye she spotted a tall, lean figure walk around the bend of the sofa before planting himself comfortably in the arm chair next to her.
She blinked large eyes at the unannounced intruder. He gazed back at her, the same sharpness she had felt before she entered. A pair of gently sloping golden eyes that slanted downwards set upon a handsome face, and a fringe of bleached hair that was styled in neat tuffs that complemented his eyes quite nicely. Hisui could feel the very aura of a being from another dimension radiating from this person – and fidgeted nervously; eyes dropping down to the hand that was rest on her lap and began to play with her fingers.
"U-Um, if I may ask who you may be…?" Perturbed was an understatement.
The male smirked slightly, eyes looking as if he pitied her for not knowing who he was. "Igarashi Tora; heir to the Igarashi Foundation, and student council president of Miyabigaoka High School. " He proudly announced, but a serene smile was quick to assume his prideful expression almost immediately afterwards. He courteously bowed his head towards her direction. "May I have the pleasure of knowing milady's name?"
"Milady…" Hisui felt her eye twitch at the word. She was but a commoner who certainly wasn't deserving of such formalities! "K-Kogarashi Hisui. Second year student at Oukashou High." Somehow she managed to respond back to his introduction, and bowed her head back in response.
Unbeknownst to her, the wealthy son was already surveying her with sharp eyes.
"I want to extend my warmest hospitality for your coming to our residence at this late hour," Tora continued fluidly as he weaved his fingers together. "My father has been in need of a specialist for a while and we're delighted to hear that your father's the best in the country."
"E-Er, n-not really, he just so happens to be the only doctor available in town…"
"I'm looking forward to Doctor Kogarashi's expertise. After all, my father personally requested for a new consultation with him."
"Actually, the hospital referred Igarashi-san to my father's clinic…"
Hisui squirmed in her seat, watching him dive into a lengthily one-sided conversation about how grateful his family was for their professional practice. "…but enough about my father," He finally concluded, leaning back in his seat. "Tell me more about yourself, Hisui-san."
It irked her a little when he had so easily called her by her first name. "I couldn't possibly do that; I'm afraid I might bore you to death with my bland life, Igarashi-kun."
As if to purposefully challenge him and his right to call her so casually, Hisui was sure to emphasize on the fact that there was a definite gap between them. And she would be sure to remind him dearly of that.
"My, you're so cold." He chuckled in response. "Is that any way how a nurse should treat her patient?"
She stared blankly back at him. "I'm sorry? I don't see a nurse or a patient anywhere in this room."
It was his turn to laugh. "You're not a nurse, Hisui-san? That's disappointing. I thought for sure the reason why you tagged along with your doctor father was because you are one." Cupping his chin with his hand, he leaned forwards slightly. His eyes assumed an almost predatory gleam in them. "Just when I thought I would have a nurse to add along with a maid."
Hisui unfortunately, did not get the joke, for the story of Seika High's school council president working as a maid is saved for a different time, and a different place.
"I work as my father's secretary," She sighed, pulling the carrying bag onto her lap and unzipped it. She pulled out a laptop as if to show him. "I'm only here to consult with your father or his secretary about the follow-up appointments he may have to make under my father's future care." Speaking of which, her father had instructed her to start the darn computer up before the examination ended. And so, Hisui reached for the cover, unlocking the lid.
"No aspirations to become a nurse, at all?" He sounded slightly disappointed, and was met with silence and a few keys hammering on the laptop. Hisui tore her eyes from the screen for a moment, glancing back at her odd, conversation partner.
"Well, I do plan on studying nursing once I graduate from school, but I'll see how things go." She answered curtly, starting up the program. "My father's a specialist; he can only help those who are in need of his field of expertise. I want to become a nurse who can care for any patient regardless of their diagnosis." Most often, she sounded like she was reciting Charles Dickens when asked about her dream, but for some reason there was a bouncy lightness to her tone today. Perhaps it was the excitement of being on the job – perhaps it was the fact that she had never met anyone so earnestly dead set on having her become a nurse.
Igarashi Tora's lips curved back into a smile.
"I heard Oukashou's curriculum is only so-so; adequate enough to get by for regular people and regular jobs." He drawled, eyes lighting up when he elicited a response from her. Hisui froze halfway, fingers pausing from typing up the invoice letterhead, before narrowing her eyes slightly back at the male, but did not answer him. He inwardly scoffed, and pressed on.
"If you're aiming to secure a spot as a nursing student at the best university, you should choose your school track seriously. I doubt there is any school who can match our academic excellence at Miyabigaoka." Tora continued, watching her face lose concentration in the middle of her task. Hisui for the most part, kept on staring at the letters on her screen, rendering the black font letters into little bytes of data that looked like pixilated nodules plugged across the screen systematically. A bead of sweat began to form on her forehead.
He would land the finishing blow. "Ah, but I guess the tuition at Miyabigaoka is too expensive for you, isn't it?"
The lid of the laptop screen was slammed shut. Tora watched the dark-haired girl, close her eyes for a moment, looking quite unsure and distraught, before she opened her eyes – hard-edged silver eyes that met the mischievous gold of Igarashi Tora.
"Igarashi-kun, perhaps it's not in my place to tell you this, but whichever school I choose to go shouldn't be of a concern to you." She swiftly began, standing up slowly from her seat. And she stood there, wearing her Oukashou's school uniform quite confidently without shame, staring down at the growing look of surprise on his face. "If I can overcome that academic hurdle with a 'handicap', I hope you'll take back your words someday."
Ah, she was going to lose it, she had thought. Often times she was quite quiet and reserved, but things like this annoyed her to no end.
He gazed back at her wordlessly, before his face clenched into a pleasant smile. "Of course, I never intended to offend you. I apologize, Hisui-san." But despite his words, he stood up as well, taking a step forwards and towering over her effortlessly. By instinct, Hisui stepped back away from the male, unconsciously trying to separate herself from him. Being this close, it was almost like –
The sofa seat met her legs and she buckled back down in surprise, landing back in her original seat on the couch. A hand slammed down on the edge of the couch, effectively boxing her in this little play-pretend prison. Glancing at his hand, then back to his face, Hisui glared back fiercely at his smiling face which was now twisted sadistically into a smirking grin.
"Oooh, such a scary look you have there." Tora chuckled, watching her expression shift into subtle rage. "You aren't very good at hiding your emotions, are you? I bet you think you're so good at doing that all the time, am I right?"
Who the hell did he think he is? Hisui thought angrily, watching his smirk widened into a full grin when she refused to say anything. She couldn't quite believe that she was being harassed by the only son of the Igarashi Foundation – the first for everything, it seems. "The fact you haven't said anything… that means I hit dead center, didn't I?" Tora chuckled, a hand flitting over to grasp her chin with his fingers.
"I really want us to become good friends, Hisui-san. So don't look at me like that." His voice leveled down to a hushed whisper, eyes transfixed upon hers. "How does a truce for our friendship sounds? I have some very sweet proposals for you… Miyabigaoka wouldn't simply be a dream anymore for you, not as long as you have me by your side." The young heir smiled when he saw her grimace. He loved it when things go his way.
A hand thrust out and slammed against his chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs temporarily. Before he could react, her legs intertwined with his, tripping his balance and knocking him down. Instead of crashing down on the coffee table however, a hand grabbed his collar and flipped him over until his back was resting on the sofa cushions, head crashing lightly against the soft arm rest. A rather unimpressed-looking Kogarashi Hisui stood idly above him, her red tie slightly crooked askew.
"I'd rather die than to attend the same school as you." She spat out venomously. He was right, she was terrible at hiding her emotions, especially when she was so riled up with… with this farce –
He had gotten back up without a word – but this time, he wasn't smiling anymore. She watched him nervously as he removed his school jacket, stripping the white coat off with swift, deft motions before tossing it over to the nearby arm chair. Loosening the collar flaps of his dark shirt, he glared back at her and grabbed her wrist, wringing it painfully.
"Are you challenging me?" He asked softly. Hisui's face paled. She hadn't intended to go that far, but her anger had lashed out and gotten the best of her. Upsetting the tyrant son of the Igarashi Foundation was the last of the things she wanted to do in life. He pulled her arm up roughly, and she resisted the urge to cry out at the pain, but rather instead she bit her lip and held it in. Patient… she needed to be patient. Dangling the girl who dared not to resist his clutches in front of him, Igarashi Tora leaned in towards her face, malice painted upon his flawless features. "You don't want to anger me, just a word of advice." He whispered.
The door swung open at that moment, and he immediately released her. Her arm fell back towards her side, and she cradled it painfully, immediately bounding away from the terrible young heir. Looking up cautiously to see who it was, she spotted the familiar face of the footman. He was silent, glancing at the unintended presence of the young master and the daughter of the doctor.
"Miss Kogarashi, if you may come with me for a moment. Igarashi-kaichou needs to book a follow-up appointment with the doctor." He replied tersely, and she nodded without another word, quickly sliding the laptop back into its case and hurried out of the room without another word or threw another glance at the young male's way. "Please wait in the room next over, I'll be with you shortly." Tora glared back at the footman, looking quite displeased before falling back into the armchair, dissatisfied.
Making sure that she was out of earshot, the footman closed the door. "Young Master; what on earth are you doing?"
"Hanagata. You interrupted me just when I was about to have my way with her." He growled, kicking the edge of the coffee table irritably. The teapot shuddered, skating off its coaster and promptly knocking down the cups of tea. Tora watched the rich amber liquid flow across the glass and wood with a bored look in his eyes. The cup she had drunk from was now cracked like a broken glass flower; china pieces lying in a wet puddle on top of glass.
"I suggest you shouldn't involve yourself with the affairs of common locals." Hanagata replied dutifully, and bowed respectfully. "As well, the fact remains that she is Kogarashi-sensei's daughter…"
Tora raised his chin, eyes digging sharply at his servant. "So? My father's health doesn't concern my business."
"That much is true." Hanagata agreed. "You seem to enjoy taking advantage of your ailing father's absence and squandering your allowances on purchasable women and drinking his esteemed wine collection when you are clearly under-aged."
He laughed aloud at his caretaker's accusations, clearly still feeling shameless at his less-than-respectable tirades. "Then messing around with a fellow high school student must be the most honorable thing I've done in my life."
A disappointed voice grumbled from the back of Hanagata's throat, as if to voice his concerns for his master's affairs.
"Still…" Tora leaned his elbow on the armrest of his chair. "…She said she would rather sooner "die" than to attend Miyabigaoka. Isn't that a laugh?"
Meanwhile, in a different room, Kogarashi Hisui had managed to settle herself down upon a large desk, already re-starting up the computer and busying herself in getting right back to that invoice she had been typing up earlier. But she could shake off this feeling – this unease – that the confrontation she had with Igarashi Tora would pose some future implications and problems for her life.
Shaking her head slightly, she continued to type. Now wasn't the time to worry about things such as this.
The door opened, and she glanced upwards to see the same footman from before. He closed the door and bowed, before quickly making his way towards her.
"I am Hanagata Jouichirou; I'll be responsible on setting up all of Igarashi-kaichou's appointments from now on." He took a seat opposite from her on the table, pulling out a thick laptop case of his own. "Then on to business; the master would like to see Doctor Kogarashi again. Sensei advises to book a one-week follow-up appointment."
Nodding, Hisui's hands were already working as she scrolled through the calendar in the booking program, her mouse hovering over today's date before clicking one week exactly from today. "Would Igarashi-san like to keep the same time as tonight?"
"Please, if that's possible."
"Most certainly; I'll have him filed in for 9:00pm next week Saturday, on the 17th." Fingers hammered on the keyboard again, and a short gap of silence filled the air.
"The doctor also wrote a prescription for some injections – painkillers for the master's left knee." Hanagata continued. "And a few requisitions for a local bone scan is in order. Please fax them to the hospital as soon as you can so we can acquire the proper medication."
"Of course; I'll fax them tonight and it will be available as soon as the hospital office opens tomorrow morning." Hisui assured, before saving her progress. "I'll have the invoice printed out and faxed towards your office so that your accountant can claim a portion of the medication cost for Igarashi-san's insurance."
A wry smile came across Hanagata's lips for a short moment. "You are most certainly skilled, Miss Kogarashi. Thank you, we are grateful for your assistance."
Hisui smiled faintly. "No, I should be thanking you. Please expect the fax tomorrow morning whenever Igarashi-san arrives at his office."
And then they were both packing away their laptops, and as she got up from her seat while slinging the bag over her shoulder, she spotted Hanagata stand patiently in front of her, as if he wanted to say something. "Yes, what's the matter?"
"Please forgive the young master's behavior." Hanagata bowed deeply. Hisui's eyes widened slightly, looking slightly surprised at this. "E-Er, you don't have to – he didn't really…" She spluttered, feeling quite self-conscious at having being so respectfully bowed towards. Hanagata straightened back up, looking quite serious. "And please forget about the young master. I'm sure you've realized this, but the young master is the crucial key to the future of the Igarashi Foundation, and if anything should happen to him – "
"I understand." Hisui sighed, placing a hand on her hips. "I'm glad I provided him some form of entertainment tonight, but otherwise I don't have any intentions of involving myself further."
Hanagata looked somewhat assured at her words, before nodding briskly. "Thank you for understanding. Please come this way then, your father is waiting for you."
And then before she knew it, she was walking out of the front doors of the Igarashi mansion, feeling the wet patter of rain streak down her back as she followed her father towards the waiting cab. Turning around, she spotted Hanagata standing on guard in front of the door, staring at her with a solid gaze. Remember your promise, as if he was saying. She nodded slowly. I will.
He stood outside in the rain, high above ground as his hands rested upon the stone balcony edge. Rainwater washed through the cracks of his clenched fingers, his damp fringe blowing slightly in the cold, autumn wind as he stared down at the retreating back of the girl following after her father. She paused for a moment, opening the taxi cab door and placed her bag inside, before turning around and glanced up.
And they locked eyes with one another, before her orbs of silver detached away from his golden stare and she disappeared into the frame of the car.
"Kogarashi Hisui." He murmured her name, rolling the syllables around his mouth.
"What an interesting woman."
A/n: I honestly at first, was abrasive towards the idea of writing fanfiction for Kaichou wa Maid-sama!, but after polishing through the anime series when I wanted a fill of some good shoujo, my mind was changed otherwise. Anyway, please forgive me if Igarashi Tora seems to be little too ooc; writing sadistic split-personality psychos are a first for me, haha. This story will be centered around Tora, Hisui and Gouki - the latter of which has yet to make an appearance, but fear not! The next chapter, the stage belongs to our little upstart heartthrob.
I humbly thank thee readers for your kindness. Please do leave a review; I'd love to hear from you.