Yo! Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year to you all! -hugs- I actually wanted to post this chap on New Year's Day but...I'm just nice. :P And, a big thanks to everyone who reviewed! They are: Satomika, Suryasree, Yuki Kawaii and EiRist!
This chapter has been edited on April 2012.
Chapter 2: What I've Been Looking For
Our heroine was humming sweetly while taking cautious steps towards a desk. She was inside Shiori's room and was pushing her luck to find the keys to the attic. It has been four days and she had never uttered another word to Shiori or anyone else about wanting to explore the said room which let the maid's guard down. Her trick to convince Shiori to take a short nap worked unexpectedly.
"Hmm...keys..." Sayaka easily found a bunch of keys inside the first drawer and carefully examined each of them while not making any suspicious sound.
She slowly browsed through the paper labels stuck to each key. Library, Guest Room 1, Guest Room 2 and when she finally spotted Attic, she accidentally let out a loud 'Gotcha!' She quickly clamped her empty left hand on her mouth while turning around to look at Shiori. Fortunately, the maid didn't seem to be a light sleeper and didn't even stir a little. Sayaka sighed in relief as she unhooked the attic's key from the other keys and made her way out of the room and upstairs.
Sayaka stood by the attic's door while checking her surroundings. After seeing no one, she pulled the key from her pocket and slipped it inside the dragon's mouth. Slowly, the door opened and she was surprised to see a neat room. The notebooks and old tables had occasional dust on them but there was not a single messy item around. She went further inside the room and found a pile of books which had titles relating to medicine. As she looked around, she spotted a purple book with complicated chains on it lying on the floor.
She sat seiza style on the floor and picked it up. The chains were connected to a big padlock that was glued to the hard cover of the book.
"It needs a password..." Sayaka was feeling adventurous today that the idea of her breaking a secret code excited her. She immediately tested it and inserted random letters but found out the padlock only accepted four letters.
"Let's see..." She inserted numbers, four-letter words, even gibberish but to no avail. She then tried inserting 'Kiri', then 'Hara' but it was fruitless.
"This is the last combination and if this doesn't work, I'll just break the lock or burn this thing!" She entered 'KISA' from Kirihara's 'KI' and Sayaka's 'SA'.
Sayaka was left speechless when the padlock released the chains.
The Hokage members were gathered in a circle discussing if it's okay if they tell Tokiya the truth that Fuuko and Miyuu had gone missing. It has been 4 days and the car accident news that Yanagi read in the local newspaper was making them suspicious. "Recca, I think we should call the newspaper editors and ask about the accident with the white car." Yanagi suggested while holding the paper.
Recca eyed the newspaper in Yanagi's hands and with hesitation, he muttered. "...Yanagi, I understand you're worried but you shouldn't get paranoid. Fuuko's not the only one with a white car in this town and the lady was identified by her family."
Before Yanagi could respond, Domon butted in with a different topic. "Let's just tell Mi-bou when he gets back. He's probably tired, busy and stressed of his job in America and if we tell him while he's still there, he might be surprised and freak out." He proceeded to imitate Tokiya's freaked out face when Recca used Ensui to put off the fire he set on Genjurou a few years ago.
"I hate to say this but I agree with Domon-niichan on the freaking out part." Koganei came chuckling from the kitchen while carrying a tray of orange juice and some snacks.
"Snack time guys, don't stress yourselves too much." Ganko said as she gestured the others to help themselves.
"Oh yeah, we haven't heard your opinion on this matter, yet, Brat. Don't tell me you don't worry even a bit for Fuuko?" Domon said as he ruffled the 14-year-old's head.
"Of course I care and worry for Fuuko-neechan! And who are you calling a brat?" She frowned as Domon continued pestering her and kept on ruffling her head like she was still a child. Their bickering continued until Koganei blurted out something that got their attention.
"I think she's just...hiding somewhere."
"And why would Fuuko hide, huh, young man?" Recca asked before munching on the potato chips.
"Yeah...that's the question...or maybe she went to America to visit her husband without telling anyone?" Everyone's eyes gleamed upon hearing this and was convinced that Koganei's idea might be right.
"But it's not fair! She should've told us! I want to go to America, too..." Recca whined like a child.
"The yummy and delicious food..." Domon nodded in agreement as Recca continued...
"Disneyland..." A few more nods.
"Nice beaches..."
"Yes, yes."
"Lots of sexy girls...!"
"YES!" Both of them drooled.
And soon, they were hit by a frying pan by yours truly, THE YANAGI SAKOSHITA. "Stop it, you two! This should not be the time to think of such things." She exclaimed while giving Recca a death glare and he just froze.
"If she did go to America, don't you think she would've called us the moment she arrived there?"
"Hmm...you're right, Hime. I just wish that both Fuuko and Miyuu are safe..."
"Shiori! Why are you sleeping? You should be working! You wouldn't get paid if all you do is sleep!" The head maid, Ayaka, shouted in a voice that rattled the entire Kirihara mansion. Upon hearing this, Sayaka hugged the purple book in her chest and scurried off to her room not too far away. She locked the door and threw herself on her bed.
What she saw inside the purple book, which turns out to be her diary when she was 19, was shocking. After getting rid of the chains, she turned the cover only to be greeted by a picture of a man pasted in the center of the first page. The man had short blue hair with soft blue eyes that she was sure she had seen somewhere. She tried her best to look inside her empty memory but no luck.
The diary started in April 10, the first day of her second year in university. Apparently, she was forced to enter the said university by her Mom. Her Mom was a controlling person, Sayaka remembered the intimidating look Akemi Kirihara gave her after ordering Shiori to dye her hair brown. According to the diary, there were a lot of instances where Sayaka had no choice but to obey.
"Now, we'll go back to business." She was reading the middle part of the diary when Ayaka's shouts interrupted her.
August 17, Monday, Year XXXX
Mom just disposed of my books about medicine. I couldn't find them in our library. She very well knew that those books are important to me and they're the only pieces left of my crushed dreams of being a doctor. But what can I do? I have to obey her to make her happy. What makes her happy makes me happy, was what I had been thinking all these years but am I really happy?
November 9, Friday, Year XXXX
...I've finally realized something. I'm in love. Yes, in love. His name is...
The most important part, the name of the man probably in the picture, was crossed out many times with a black pen. Sayaka lets out a hiss of annoyance and was forced to skip.
He's my best friend since kindergarten up until now. I never liked the idea of going into this university at first, especially in the lawyer course, but I was saved from hell when I heard from him he was going to the same university. Of course I didn't tell Mom about it or else she would've picked another one. As always he's pursuing a career in medicine, too bad I couldn't be in the same classroom as him.
After this entry, there were some pages of the diary that was torn and missing. Sayaka flipped roughly to the last page in irritation like a book-lover who couldn't wait what would happen next.
March 22, Friday, Year XXXY
I can't take this anymore. Mom's too much! I'm not her puppet who would take orders involving my personal life! First, she forced me to take a lawyer course in this university even if I didn't want to and now this? I'll put an end to this, she won't ever see me again! I know you won't be able to read this but, Mom, goodbye...
"Just that? What exactly happened?" Sayaka was very confused on the last part. Since the other pages were torn, there wasn't a way to know what happened before the 'goodbye mom' diary entry.
"Him? Who's 'he'?" She asked no one in particular, wondering about who she was 'in love' with and what happened to 'him'. She flipped back to the first page and narrowed her eyes on the picture as if she would find the answers to her questions if she looked thoroughly. Giving up, she closed the book and put it under her pillow.
"There's only one person to ask..."
At the Hanabishi Residence...
Everyone was busy laughing and having fun like they have forgotten about Fuuko until the doorbell rang. Yanagi muttered an "I'll get it" to everyone and slowly made her way to the door. She opened it with no hesitation and was about to ask "Yes?" when her brain finally identified the person standing in front of her.
"Good evening."
"Oh my..."
- - - To Be Continued - - -
Author's notes: I actually thought of putting Raiha in this fic. He'll be the 'he' that Sayaka fell in love with and because Fuuko and Sayaka looks alike, that's the reason why Raiha always protects and saves Fuuko...mwahaha. But I decided otherwise and changed it. :/
Spelling and grammar mistakes are all mine, I'm not a native English speaker so if something doesn't sound right then please forgive me. :D