1. Worlds in Motion
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"Did you hear? The F4 are coming to Eitoku! Apparently they're enrolled here!"
"Yeah! Wouldn't it be great if we could snag one of them?! The richest men in Japan! Not to mention ab-so-lute-ly gorgeous." It was strangely similar to that of working-class girls meeting Hollywood celebrities.
"…Personally, I like Nishikado-sama! He's so refined and elegant, yet so very wicked with girls…" Apparently, even if you were a heartless playboy, as long as you were one of the F4, you could do no wrong.
"Kya! I can't wait!"
The female population of Eitoku, with the exception of Makino Tsukushi, were going absolutely crazy.
Even Sakurako was caught up in her own fairytale fantasy of herself and Domyouji Tsukasa, successor of Domyouji Corporation. More than once, Ayano had caught her smiling secretly to herself while muttering things like "Domyouji Sakurako" and "Aishiteru, Tsukasa!" Frankly, it disturbed her quite a lot, but she bore with it, since it seemed like typical fangirl behaviour.
Makino Tsukushi continued with life, never once breaking her stride to swoon about the F4. The air of polite disinterest hung heavy around her. It was understandable. One couldn't expect a commoner to regard this kind of news with the reverence it rightfully deserved. They didn't know better.
Makino Tsukushi was unobtrusively indifferent. Deep inside, however, Kurimaki Ayano regarded this piece of news with interest.
So the F4 are coming. At long last.
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"F4!" The ripple spread through the starstruck crowd. Makino, had heard of the legacy that preceded their persons, how they harassed others, how they fought brutally and, last but definitely not least, how beautiful they were. Hence the name, Flower Four.
Makino Tsukushi smiled and feigned minimal excitement at the arrival of the richest of Japan's corporate heirs; Kurimaki Ayano quirked a brow and wondered at the truth of rumours.
She couldn't for the life of her imagine how the Eitoku population could be so blind as to lick the boots of the handsome but extremely cruel F4. Years ago, she would have violently rejected the very notion of Hanazawa Rui deliberately ruining lives, but time wears down the sturdiest of rocks; she would wait and see.
"…not wearing uniforms…"
"…so cool, as expected of the F4!"
Pasting a bland smile on her face, Makino Tsukushi glanced at the F4 for the last time out of the corner of her eye before disappearing into the crowd of worshipful students.
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"…Rui?" Akira was the first to notice his friend's dazed look.
"…Rui?" Soujiro joined in.
"RUI!" the hot-tempered Tsukasa's patience was wearing thin.
"What?" Hanazawa Rui was the only one, including the remaining F2, who could gaze unflinching into the dark depths of Domyoji Tsukasa's eyes when he was pissed.
"Aha! Some pretty girl catch your eye? I never would have pegged you for the love at first sight kind, Rui." Soujiro leered, ever one to relate everything to women. For once, he was right about the unreadable Rui. At least, kind of.
Years of apathetic behavior had given Rui all the expressive capacity of a glacier. His bored stare dismissed Soujiro's question as retarded and completely off the mark. Yet, internally, he was confused.
He could have sworn he saw a familiar face, albeit one tempered with change that came with maturity. A doubt slowly spreading its roots into the intricate maze of Hanazawa Rui's mind was currently stored away for future reference.
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A week since the arrival of F4, and the school was in chaos.
Apparently two out of four thought people's hearts were toys, meant to be played with and discarded. Fast.
Waterproof mascara became a new fad; you needed to find something that would stay even when you were blubbering your heart out. So did revealing clothes. How the vapid heiresses could be so ingenious when it came to revealing cleavage and leg even in the conservative school uniform, Ayano would never know.
Yet another one out of four decided that people's bodies and lives were toys, meant to be manipulated and toyed with. Mercilessly.
Three people had already left Eitoku – after getting beaten to within an inch of their lives.
Accidentally brushing past Domyoji-sama and soiling his exquisite sleeves with your low-class germs? Don't even think about keeping your business going in Japan.
Sneezing in front of Domyoji-sama? How disrespectful! You are so dead.
Such were the days that now defined Eitoku. In short: authoritarian dictatorship. Seemed like Hitler had been reincarnated.
Hanazawa Rui was stonily indifferent.
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"Mou, y'know I really don't get why anyone would like that stupid F4. I mean, getting the whole school to lynch some guy because he accidentally stepped on Domyoji's shoes? That's just crazy." Ayano complained as she tied the strings of her apron in a neat ribbon behind her back.
Yuki giggled, finding Ayano's complaints terribly entertaining. Ayano was her single glimpse into the world of the rich. It was like a parallel universe that differed drastically from her drab commoner's life.
"But they're handsome, no? Especially Hanazawa Rui?" A shrewd eyebrow arched, a knowing smile curled lips.
"Pffft. All pretty faces and black hearts, I tell you! Really, don't those stupid girls have an iota of sense in their empty brains? Forever talking about snagging Domyoji… as if he's such a great catch! Domyoji-sama, my ass!"
Yuki couldn't figure out if the girl was just dense or deliberately sidestepping her question, but nevertheless responded. "Maa, you also shouldn't be talking about them that way. Don't forget, you'll probably have business dealings with these people in the future. No point making yourself unnecessarily biased against them, ne, Ayano-ojyosan?"
"SHHH." Ayano pressed an urgent finger to Yuki's lips, eyes darting about nervously, peering out of the storeroom to the front of the empty dango shop. "Don't call me that! What if someone hears?"
"Like who? Okami-san is in Hokkaido with her boyfriend – was it John or that Tiger Mask guy? – and the shop is evidently empty. You underestimate my common sense, Tsukushi."
Ayano threw up her hands in surrender. "Fine, you win. Know-it-all."
The tinkling of the doorbell signaled the arrival of a customer, and Ayano and Yuki hurried out of the back storeroom to greet the customer.
As they walked out to the front, Yuki turned to Ayano and smirked, "The maids know everything."
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xoxoxo
So, a line in there has been shamelessly quoted, word for word, from a movie. Cookies for the ones who guess the movie right! (It's obvious though, imo) And, if I haven't made it clear enough, Yuki does know of Tsukushi's real identity and is a maid in the Kurimaki household. I wanted to flesh out Yuki's background more and explain her presence in the dango store, but it's kinda hard to without stating explicitly why.
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