Chapter Three

All in all, Miho thought, the interview with Kyouya had gone rather well. If nothing else, they seemed to understand each other.

She walked out of the school's front gates, expecting to find her car waiting, and it was; but parked slightly to the side was another long black car. Miho only glanced at it as she headed for her own, but as she approached it the strange car's door opened, and a tall, slim woman stepped out. Miho recognized her, of course.

"Miho-san, excuse me," the only Ootori daughter said, smiling, "do you suppose we might talk for a while? I know of a nice tea shop, not far from here."

"Of course," Miho said automatically, bowing deeply. "Let me just send my driver home, if I could." Fuyumi nodded, and Miho went over to her own family's car to tell the driver that she would call him later to pick her up.

"We can take you home, Miho-san," Fuyumi called in her gentle voice. "It would be no trouble."

"Oh, no, it's fine," the younger girl replied. Her driver nodded politely, and pulled away from the curb, heading home. Miho turned back to Fuyumi, who slid back into her waiting car; at a gesture, Miho followed her in.

"I'm sorry, this must seem very random," Fuyumi apologized.

"No, of course not, Fuyumi-sama—"

"Please, call me onee-sama," the older woman said with a smile. "Or onee-san, if you'd prefer."

Miho smiled warmly back, though in truth she was not so easily won. She said nothing more, and Fuyumi let the silence sit until they reached the tea shop. It was one of Miho's favorites, an elegant little shop with private alcoves and a clean, bright atmosphere. The wait staff there knew her by name, and the tiny old woman at the cashier beamed in welcome when Miho and Fuyumi walked in.

"Miho-san, Fuyumi-san, I'm so glad to see you both! I did not know you two knew each other! How nice!" the old woman said, clearly pleased. Fuyumi and Miho both smiled back.

"Obaa-san, how are you today?" Miho asked; the shop owner laughed.

"Oh I'm fine, I'm fine! There's a nice table toward the back, you girls go and sit down, I'll bring you something right away. What kind of tea would you like? We have all kinds today! And a special cake today, too, you must try! Sit, sit, I will bring it all, yes?"

The girls nodded and went to the table she indicated. Moments later, their cakes and teas had arrived, and after exchanging polite conversation with the sweet café owner, the girls were left to their own company.

"I guess this may seem so rushed and unnecessary," Fuyumi said, once they had both settled down with steaming cups of tea and a slice each of the "special cake." "I mean, you have at least six years until you officially join the family, and six years in which to get acquainted with Kyouya. It is a long time." She paused, taking a sip of her tea. "But I didn't know how well you two knew each other—if at all—and I didn't want you to…hate him, before you could grow to like him."

That surprised Miho; of all the things she had expected Fuyumi to say, that had not been one of them.

"I don't hate him," she said, truthfully. Fuyumi seemed relieved.

"No, perhaps not," the older woman said. "But I thought…well. My own husband is a kind man, and much…easier to understand, than my brother. And yet I still resented Reizo, in the beginning."

Miho raised an eyebrow, but took a smallbite of cake instead of saying anything. Fuyumi smiled.

"Of course, it didn't last very long; I don't really have the temperament to be rebellious, I suppose, and my husband charmed me with his own sweetness." She paused, taking another sip. "But Kyouya…is not my husband, and you are not me."

Miho chewed slowly. What did one say to that?

"Oh dear," Fuyumi said, looking embarrassed. "That didn't come out right."

Miho smiled at the older woman. "I understand what you're trying to say," she assured her. "It speaks well of Kyouya, that his sister would take such care in trying to make sure he will be happy."

"But you do not know what I hope to achieve through this," Fuyumi guessed. Miho hesitated just briefly before nodding.

"I am hoping that you will simply give him a chance," Fuyumi said gently. "I do not know how things stand between you, but I know that Kyouya has never depended on love, and is not likely to, unless he is shown how to."

Miho was startled, though she hid it well; she listened attentively, but looked down at her tea instead of at her future sister-in-law. Love? Was that ever even a possibility? Fuyumi, however, seemed to be done speaking for the moment; Miho realized that the other woman was waiting for her to say something. She looked up, meeting Fuyumi's kind gaze with her own direct one.

"I don't know what to say," she said carefully. "Fuyumi-sama, Kyouya and I have spoken exactly twice. I have known that we are to be engaged for precisely one day. I haven't had time to think about it, nor time to act upon it, and…we hardly know each other."

"I understand," Fuyumi said softly. "Thank you for your honesty." She smiled. "It is something Kyouya will appreciate as well, I think, though I do not know if he will ever say so."

That is something that just remains to be seen, Miho thought. They finished the rest of their tea in companionable silence; Miho was relieved to find that Fuyumi was easy to sit with—she didn't feel uncomfortable or uneasy, despite their last topic of conversation. That boded well, at least. She had never had a sister; she did not know how to treat one. But Fuyumi seemed easy enough to get along with. So far.

"Do you like the ring?"

Miho looked up. "I'm sorry?"

Fuyumi smiled knowingly. "The ring. I asked if it suited you."

"Oh, yes, I like it—it's very different, fresh," Miho said, astutely aware of the lack of a ring on either hand. Fortunately, Fuyumi seemed to understand.

"I picked it out—my father asked me to. I don't believe Kyouya knows anything about it."

"Oh." Miho considered that. "My father said it was a pair ring."

Fuyumi blushed. "Ah. Yes. It was meant to be, but then…I didn't think I could get Kyouya to agree to such a thing…so it is a gift, instead. Something to make you happy." She smiled again. "He will not recognize it, or its intended meaning."

"Thank you," Miho said, with a genuine smile. She would wear the ring, then. It's not like she needed a reminder, but…she might as well get used to the idea, and as a piece of jewelry, she liked it well enough.

When they were finished, Fuyumi insisted on treating the younger girl, and then she took her home. After she had dropped Miho off and they had exchanged the proper thank-yous and farewells, Fuyumi headed back to her own home. Her husband was still at work, but she called him anyway.

"Fuyumi, love? What is it?"

"Are you very busy?" she asked, smiling.

"No, not at this very moment; we've just finished a meeting, and I have a short reprieve. Was there something you needed?"

"I just had tea with Miho."

"Kyouya's fiancée?"

"Yes."

"And? How is she?"

"Just like Kyouya." Fuyumi sighed, letting some of her concern slip into her voice.

"Fuyumi, they're very young. Love is not something that appears overnight."

"You do not understand. Kyouya will respect her, treat her well, be civil. And Miho, in turn, will respect him, treat him well, be civil. It is how they were raised, and how they have grown up to be. But they are treating this as another business transaction; neither of them think of this marriage as anything more than a union of names—they do not consider the possibility of it being anything other than a way to link their family names together. All Miho is concerned about is that they get along in some civil manner, if that."

"I still think that they are too young, Fuyumi."

She laughed. "Kyouya has never been too young, dear. And Miho…she is a strong girl."

"Then they will sort it out. It is probably best not to meddle, don't you think?"

Fuyumi sighed. "I know, I know. But I worry."

There was a slight chuckle on his end. "I know. But we'll talk about it some more later, love. I have to go now."

"All right. I'll see you at home."

"Of course. Good-bye, Fuyumi." He hung up. She put her away her own phone and sighed again, leaning back against the headrest of her seat. Reizo was right; she should mind her own business. But a little help here and there couldn't hurt, right?