I've adopted this from the beloved SuzukiChiyeko. If there are any repeats in the words or paragraphs, let me know in a review or PM! Hope you all enjoy, and thanks to SuzukiChiyeko for letting me adopt this! All of the first nine chapters are Suzuki's entirely.
Chapter 1 - Blessing in disguise
Misaki could still remember the day he decided to apply for the job. It had been three months ago that he had made up his mind. One evening, when he got home after a long tiring day at school, Takahiro was sitting in the living room, looking at their financial situation. It didn't look good for the both of them, even though Takahiro always worked hard and tried not to spend money on useless things.
Takahiro had given up his dreams to study and started working after graduating high school. Because of this, he had never been able to get a job with a high salary. On top of that, Misaki proudly announced that he wanted to go to Mitsuhashi University. The only reason why he wanted to go there was to fulfill the dreams Takahiro had given up for him. He'd never told Takahiro the reason, which made it hard for his brother to accept his choice. After all, M University was one of the best universities and definitely not the cheapest.
Feeling guilty for asking his brother so much, Misaki concluded that he had to earn the money for his tuition fees himself. They had enough money to live a comfortable life, but there was no more room for luxuries. Knowing this, Misaki was determined to find himself a job so he could lift some weight off Takahiro's shoulders. Whenever his brother was off to work, Misaki would use the computer and search for job offers on the internet. He wasn't sure what kind of job he should get, which made it harder to find something suitable.
Then, after a week of searching, the brunet found a small article written by a wealthy American man. The guy's name was Jeff Honda, a 27-year-old man who was married to a Japanese fashion model named Emi Honda. The couple appeared to be needing a housekeeper, preferably a maid, who could clean the house and cook meals for them.
There was a bit of doubt present in Misaki's mind as he studied the article. So many things indicated that the family was looking for a girl, a female housekeeper, but he really wanted to job. Not only was the pay very good, but it was also something Misaki was good at. Takahiro had occasionally teased him, telling him that he'd make a perfect housewife, so Misaki was certain that he was fit for the job. The real question was whether he wanted to take the risk and apply.
Nearly an hour had passed when Misaki had finally made up his mind. He decided to give it a try and see if Jeff would invite him for a job interview. Knowing the proper rules of an application, Misaki helped himself with a template to write his curriculum vitae and added this to his covering letter. As he sent it, a feeling of nervousness entered him, and he realized that it was all a matter of luck if Jeff would actually invite him.
All he could do was wait.
Fortunately, Jeff managed to reply within five days, telling Misaki that he was impressed by his letter and wanted to invite him over to discuss the details of the job offer. The two set a date, and Misaki used every bit of his spare time to prepare for his job interview. Since he had never done something like that before, the wait was only making him more stressed and uneasy.
Takahiro noticed Misaki's unusual behavior and would occasionally ask his brother what was going on, but the teen would only say that his schoolwork kept piling up and that he was busy. There was not a single trace left behind of Misaki's attempts to get a job; it had to be kept a secret. Misaki promised himself that he would tell his brother as soon as he got the job.
That was, if he actually got the job.
Misaki's uncertainty only grew stronger as the days passed by, but he kept his head high and left the apartment to go to his first job interview. Jeff had given him the address of a coffee shop nearby, because he didn't want to force Misaki to come all the way to his house. He lived rather far away, and seeing that Misaki didn't have a license it would only be inconvenient for the young man.
When Misaki arrived at the coffee shop, Jeff was already there and greeted him warmly, yet professionally. The man was a lot friendlier than Misaki had imagined, especially since the brunet always thought that rich people looked down on commoners like him.
Fortunate for Misaki, everything went well and Jeff seemed to be very fond of him. Even though there were still other candidates, Jeff told the boy that he definitely had a great chance of getting the job and that he would get back to him once he'd decided who was going to be their new housekeeper. With a few last pleasantries, Misaki and Jeff bid each other farewell, and Misaki went home with a little more confidence than before.
It was six weeks later when Misaki got home from school, feeling relieved that summer break was about to start. After unlocking the front door and getting the mail from the mailbox, Misaki got in and took off his shoes. He studied the letters and was surprised to see one that was addressed to him.
"That's odd, I hardly get any mail." Being only seventeen years old, Misaki wasn't exactly an adult yet, and there was no way he could ever receive letters from family members as his brother was the only family he had left.
While walking to the living room, Misaki opened the envelope and tried to get the letter out. He laid the rest of the mail down on the coffee table and then focused on reading the letter. Much to his surprise, it was a letter from Jeff, telling him that he'd decided who was getting the job as his housekeeper. With sweaty hands, Misaki clutched the paper tighter as he continued to read. As he reached the bottom of the paper, he could feel his heart stop.
He had been hired.
Re-reading the contents in disbelief, Misaki's eyes grew wide with enthusiasm. It was hard to believe that a simple boy like him would be hired. Misaki could hardly express his happiness and could only jump and dance around the room. He couldn't wait to tell Takahiro the good news.
Just when he was about to go to his room, his cell phone started ringing. Not paying any attention to who the caller was, Misaki fished the device out of his pocket and answered the call.
"Hello, this is Takahashi Misaki."
"Good day, Takahashi-kun," a kind voice replied, "This is Jeff Honda. I was wondering if you have received my letter yet."
"Yes, I have! Thank you for hiring me, Honda-sama. I'm looking forward to my job as your housekeeper." Misaki's tone was cheerful and enthusiastic, easily expressing his gratitude and happiness.
A soft laughter could be heard on the other side. "Glad to hear that you're so eager to work for me," Jeff spoke in a calm voice, "I figured that you should be free from school about now, so perhaps you could start working here from tomorrow onwards?"
Misaki blinked in surprise. "Really? Is it okay for me to start so soon?"
"Do you have any problems with that?"
"No, of course not! I was just surprised, that's all." Misaki was grinning like a madman. "Tomorrow is fine. Could I get the exact address?"
"There will be no need for that, Takahashi-kun. One of my drivers will come to pick you up and bring you to my house. Please make sure that you're all ready when he arrives."
"I-I understand. Thank you again, Honda-sama. Good bye."
"Well then, see you tomorrow." Last words spoken, Jeff put the phone down, putting an end to their conversation.
Misaki put the cell phone back in his pocket and smiled happily when he heard the sound of the front door being opened. Running over to the hall, he greeted his older brother. "Welcome back, Nii-chan," he said loudly, "I've got some great news!"
"Oh, and what would that be?" Takahiro asked as he got up and approached the young male, placing a hand on his head, "You're happy that you have a few weeks of summer break and want to go on a trip with me?"
"Nii-chan, you know we don't have money for that," Misaki replied, his tone slightly sadder than before.
"You're right. So, what's the good news?"
Filled with sudden joy again, Misaki looked back up at his brother with a bright smile on his face. "I got myself a job!" he exclaimed proudly, guiding his brother to the living room.
Even though Takahiro had a smile on his face, he didn't feel entirely comfortable with what Misaki had just told him. He had no idea that the brunet had been looking for a job, leaving him to wonder what kind of job it could be.
"Nii-chan, are you okay?"
Takahiro snapped out of his thoughts to meet Misaki's concerned gaze, realizing that he'd been dozing off. He nodded and tried to show his brother a bigger smile. "I'm fine, but this is really unexpected. I didn't know you were trying to get a job."
"Well, I want to get some money to pay my tuition fees, so I will be working until summer break is over," Misaki explained, "I will start tomorrow, so I'm going to pack my bags now."
"Tomorrow? Isn't that a bit fast? What kind of job is it anyway?"
"Oh, I'm becoming a housekeeper." Digging in his pockets, Misaki found the article he had printed and handed it to his brother, who studied it carefully. A mixture of amazement and worry crossed Takahiro's face, but he said nothing. It was obvious that the family Misaki would work for was very rich, and Misaki had never been around wealthy people before. What if he didn't know how to act around them?
While Takahiro was thinking things over, Misaki quickly made his way to his room and started packing a pair of suitcases. He was very excited to start the next day and was unaware of his brother's worries. To him, it was surely going to be an exciting day.
Takahiro stared at his brother absentmindedly as he carried his luggage to the hall. There were two dark blue suitcases, one with clothes and essentials and the other with things that Misaki desperately wanted to take with him. As excited as Takahiro tried to be, he knew that he was going to miss the brunet. Because of his new job, Misaki would get a guest room at his master's house. That meant that he wouldn't see his brother as much as usual.
"Are you sure you haven't forgotten anything?"
Misaki rolled his eyes at his brother's overprotectiveness. Although he was nearly eighteen years old, Takahiro was still treating him like a child. He slowly turned around to face Takahiro and noticed that he looked a bit down. Emitting a soft sigh, he walked over to him.
"I'm going to miss you too," he muttered softly, trying not to become too sentimental. He knew what Takahiro was thinking and he understood that perfectly, but this was for the best. At least he had a good job for the time being. Once summer break was over, he would get back home with the money he'd earned and they would be a happy reunited family.
Takahiro ruffled the boy's soft brown hair. "Please promise me that you'll be careful."
"Nii-chan, you're worrying too much. I'll be fine."
"Please…just promise me." Takahiro's pleading voice echoed through the narrow hallway as his hazel eyes looked at Misaki.
Sighing again, the brunet simply nodded. Seeing this made his brother smile, and he was just about to give the other a hug when the doorbell rang. Hurriedly, Misaki sprinted to the door and opened up. He was met with a tall, yet rather old man. His hair was shaded black and grey and his eyes were brown and friendly-looking.
"Arima at your service. I'm here to pick you up, Takahashi-kun." Given Misaki's position as a domestic worker, Arima didn't need to be overly polite towards the teen.
"Ah, you must be the driver!" Misaki said, smiling kindly at the man. "Thank you very much for coming. Could I say goodbye to my brother before we leave?"
The old driver smiled. "Of course you may. I will take your suitcases to the car while you get ready." He took both suitcases in his hands and Misaki nodded, bowing slightly to show his gratitude. While Arima went back outside, Takahiro approached his younger brother and wrapped his arms around him.
"Well then, I guess this is goodbye," he said softly, his voice tainted with sadness.
Misaki frowned as he looked up to meet Takahiro's gaze. "You make it sound like I'm never coming back. Don't worry, it's only a month and then I'll be home, safe and sound." As the brunet wriggled to free himself, Takahiro slowly let go of him.
"Take care, Misaki."
Standing right in front of the doorway, Misaki glanced over his shoulder. "You too, Nii-chan," he spoke before walking out and closing the door behind him. Deep inside, he was a little sad to leave the house for so long, but he brushed it off. It would all be worth it in the end.
Walking in the sun, Misaki soon spotted the shiny black car that was parked near the apartment. Cocking an eyebrow at the sight, he started to tremble a little at the thought that the family must have plenty of those cars at the mansion. He picked up the pace, noticing that Arima was holding the door for him. Smiling sweetly at the man, he got into the car and watched as Arima took the driver's seat.
"Are you all ready to go, Takahashi-kun?"
Misaki nodded as he met Arima's gaze in the rear-view mirror, giving him the sign that they could head for the mansion. He leaned back as the rays of the sun caressed his face and listened to the sound of the engine. It was pleasantly warm that day, a perfect start of summer break.
The buildings quickly passed by, but were soon replaced by the sight of tall trees. Misaki's master lived in the forest, not too far from away from the city, but still far enough to give the family the right amount of privacy.
"I must admit that I'm surprised." At the sound of Arima's voice, Misaki sat up and looked into the mirror again. "You are the very first male housekeeper Honda-sama has ever hired."
"Are you saying that there have only ever been maids working at the mansion?" Misaki asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Well, yes. Honda-sama doesn't seem to be too fond of other men working around his house, except for the gardener and his drivers. That's why I was very surprised to find out that you're a guy. When I first heard your name, I thought that you were a girl."
'Hey, I can't help it that I have a girl name!' Misaki screamed in his head, but he covered it with a nervous laugh. First impressions were very important, after all.
"I think that you have impressed him very much during your job interview, or he simply likes you a lot." Arima focused on the road while he kept talking to the brunet in the back. "You should know that Honda-sama doesn't always care about the capability of his workers."
"What do you mean?"
"There has been a maid who didn't even know how to cook rice, let alone make a proper meal." Upon hearing this, Misaki's eyes widened. What kind of man would hire a girl that didn't know how to cook? What was the use of getting a maid like that?
Misaki got too lost in his thoughts to hear the rest of Arima's story, and he rested his head against the window on his left, staring into nothingness. Until they had arrived at their destination, he would only think to himself, completely oblivious to his surroundings.
Completely oblivious to what was important.