Behind Closed Doors

-TheSilentReader-


CHAPTER 3: The Dinner


Two years ago, December:

He was walking two blocks away from his house when he saw her silhouette moving from one light post to another. He did not know yet who the person was, but he wondered why his intuition bothered him to check. It painfully registered to him that this was the way of a stalker. The girl was reaching to a crossed road when she pivoted left. Then realization hit Yuuki. With that dark maroon hair arranged in drilled pigtails, Touko shone. Maybe it was because of the bright light that emanated from a light post meters away from her. Why was she here in this area?

His curiosity led him to get closer to her.

"Matsudaira Touko-san."

Her body froze. It was as if she were caught into something very compromising that it took her a moment to compose herself and turn around to know who hollered. He did not shout at her; he just called her name like a normal acquaintance would do. Then, after those silent moments, her back straightened and levelled to relaxation. Yet she did not face him.

"Fukuzawa Yuuki-san."

He could detect forlorn in her voice even though she spoke it with a perfect apathy. He wanted to gain the upper hand, therefore, he ran toward her, and faced her. Through all that, Touko did not move. She just watched him block the dizzying white light coming from the light post ahead of her.

"Why are you in this area?"

He was very direct, questioning her. He did not even bother a good greeting or an apology for disturbing her. Yet, her emotions were still all over her head, and it was best to at least be honest about it. Almost honest about it. Since he was now facing her.

"I was having a long walk since this afternoon. I haven't notice that I am already in this area. Maybe I was too preoccupied. But, here I am." She tried to suffice her comment with a small giggle. But, Yuuki's face remained serious. He's concerned, if Touko would be too honest for her sake. Yuuki instead wanted to reverse the gloomy situation they were in. He then behaved like a kid.

"It's dark now. Why don't you come home with me?"

What the hell? "Eh?"

That unguarded expression. It was the same as Yumi-sama's, but she was doubtful. Was he trying to ease the heavy environment they were in?

"Yumi is there, so maybe you could talk to her. And you're cold." By the time that he was saying this, he was already holding her hand. She had seen many of scenes like this before, and she was encouraging herself not to relate those daily soap operas her mother watched occasionally. Or even a story from a shoujo manga. She once heard that one who assumes loses. They were walking very fast until Yuuki noticed that they were a block away from the house. He decided to explain his actions to her, since her eyebrows were literally meeting. Cliché as it seemed but her stare could possibly break a person. Then yet, he stopped and faced her again.

"Will you please let me go?"

"I'm sorry if I get too familiar with you, and almost drag you to our house. But..."

"But?"

"I assumed that you wanted to see Yumi." He further continued: "I know that you might reject the idea to come to our house, so I dragged you, instead. I'm imposing, but I think you must get warm first."

Meddler.

She had no choice but to comply. Walking from the Matsudaira mansion to this area took all afternoon just to cool her down and gather her thoughts about her argument with her parents. She was still surprised that she blurted out her secrets to her parents. She did not know what do; her worst thoughts came to the point that she would be disowned. Their relatives knew her secret, and for that she felt ostracised. She could not even go to Suguru-Onii-sama. She was afraid of everything.

Meddler. Even she had several conversations with him in the past, that did not mean that she won't be offended by him being too close. And too friendly. But he still did not let go of her hand.

"I will not give you other options, so come with me."

They haven't said a word afterward. They walked slowly. They haven't said a word.

-ooo-


-ooo-

When Yumi mouthed "Arigatou." after he brought Touko to the house, he was satisfied. It was weird. Was being satisfied weird?

-ooo-


-ooo-

Inside the room, the air was quiet, Yuuki noted as he passed from the along the hallway from the stairs. Apparently, he noticed that Yumi was quite timid and shy whenever Matsudaira Touko was around. He sensed that Yumi somehow guarded her attitude and mannerisms by not being too imposing to Touko-san. She seemed laid back, and her usual giddiness and hyperactiveness bolted down by fluctuating notches. Why was she like that?

He was quite knowledgeable about the Yamayurikai members, and as far as he was concerned, Touko-san did not belong to that elite group. Yet, he had a feeling that Yumi had her eyes for the underclassman. Especially, when they talked—no, when she babbled him about Touko-san after the dinner. Yumi, however, was wondering during the dinner why Touko-chan was quite aloof to Yuuki. Her parents were so amused with her that they were actually (yet, subtly) fighting for Touko-chan's attention. Yuuki, for most parts, never said a word, unless some condiments were wanted to be passed on. Until Miki-okaa-sama opened the topic about last summer's Koshihikari issue.

The rice. Touko did not hide the irritation on her face.

Although her current reaction about the topic subsided because of Miki-okaa-sama's funny perspective about it and the other members' frequent laughs, Yuuki tried to change the mood by being serious. Even he was surprised at what he said.

"I mean, at least Yumi bravely faced those chits," he said the last word bitterly.

Touko procured a visible smile. And she directed it to him. "Yes, she did."

Later that night, Yumi went to Yuuki's room. After Touko's departure, his sister suddenly nudged him. He noticed that she was quite preoccupied about what happened to Touko that day. Surely, he expected some interrogation from her, which she usually did to prod whatever concerning her. Apparently, since Touko was the subject, and judging from the kouhai's actions, the "accidental" visit was meant for her.

Maybe Touko just wanted to see Yumi's face. That, he suspected.

"What did actually happen?"

He decided that this Touko business was serious. Judging from Yumi's attitude about it right now and what he heard from his parents, he selected his words. "I just saw her, walking blocks away from the house. It never occurred to me whether she intended to go to us, but I decided to take her."

"Oh. And then?"

"I don't know. I told her to come home with me, since its getting dark. Then, I realized that she was cold."

"Oh. Then?"

"Then I dragged her here. I asked her why she was in our area, and she replied that she was just walking. Since then, we never spoke."

Yumi realized the dejected expression behind the disguise. Why he was concerned, she doesn't know. She played their conversation again and again while doing her embroidery (for Onee-sama), until a question finally hit her. How on earth Yuki knew that Touko-chan was cold? But being thick-headed she was, she was more focused to Touko-chan's unknown dilemma rather than her brother's unusual attention to his bangs.

-ooo-


-ooo-

The student council of Hanadera Academy had an extreme pride and regard for their seniors that graduation did not stop them from seeing one other and discussing recent news regarding the school and the student council. So far, as true men minding their business, the Hanadera graduates provided insights about possible projects that the current student council could spearhead. It was just a typical day, and most of the graduates (of the former student council) from the high school division were in Hanadera University. Apparently, "bothering" their sempai-s was not a problem for the high school boys.

It was just today that the lively discussion among the men was a little down low. It seemed that Kashiwagi-sempai was not himself today, since his behaviour was too sulky for his typical arrogance. Yuuki and Alice had never seen this side of Kashiwagi-sempai before. However, this display of weakness lasted for only a moment. Then he was back to his old self, albeit much more arrogant this time. Seeing this transformation of contrasting emotions from the sempai, and for such a short time, Yuuki thought that Kashiwagi-sempai tend to overact just to hide his true feelings. He usually rolled his eyes whenever he unveiled few of his sempai's flaws, but this time, he wasn't sure if he deserved this reaction quite brutal.

The coffee shop was actually opening at around afternoon until midnight, and where most of the Hanadera students hang out after classes or club meetings. It was just a walking distance from the said school, thus every time the graduates and their former subordinates meet, there would be a silent agreement that the meeting would be held there. Since the student council was highly regarded by the students, and even the crew of the shop, a table near the glass walls on the second floor of the cafe was assumed for them. Beyond the glass, a terrace was located, where three more sets of tables were arranged for the customers. By the time the men finished with the "council business", less important, rather silly topics typical for high school boys sprang into the conversation. And by the time this commenced, Yuuki's sempai excused himself from the lot and went on his way beyond the glass door to the terrace on the same second floor.

To the surprise of Yuuki, Kashiwagi Suguru was smoking. That was the time that Yuuki bothered himself to question what was happening to his elder.

He found Kashiwagi sempai watching the space, the sky actually, while whipping his cigarette to the air. He was crouched, the black-painted rails of the terrace supported his forelimbs, and his knees were bended so that he could at least level himself with the rails of the terrace. He still acted cool amidst his sudden failure to elicit a decent conversation.

"You seemed troubled, Sempai."

"Uhuh."

He assumed, since it was several days after he went to Yuuki's house as a representative of the Matsudaira family, that the reason for his melancholy was about that certain Matsudaira that he escorted to his house. He was trying to test the waters whether the topic about his cousin would make his sempai drop the attempted conversation with drastic force. Then, he otherwise rejected his attempt to be silent.

"Matsudaira-san?"

Kashiwagi-sempai finally drifted his gaze from the smokes that he emitted to the boy who situated himself next to him. Yuuki was now watching the clouds float. Then, he revert his eyes back to the smoke produced by the cigarette.

"You may say that."

"It was quite obvious. You are trying too hard puffing your smoke. You can't even correctly do it. You can't even hold the cigarette properly."

"Quit nagging, Okaa-san. Are we still on the same page?"

It was a moment after Yuuki replied. He seemed to be calculating his words, as shown on his face. His brows met again, and focused on whatever object on the street. He knew himself that this sudden interest for Touko-san must not reflect upon his eyes. He was talking to the surrogate brother of the topic; he's not going to be the one experiencing violence from the sempai who aimed to protect her against possible suitors. Suitor? What the fu…? "I regret opening the topic. I sound like I'm prodding on your own family business. Sorry, I blurted it out."

"No, it was alright. You hit the nail, Yukichi."

He then removed himself from the rail and turned to one of the tables. He tapped the end of the cigarette with one hand to the black cigarette holder situated on the middle of the table. Smoking was not his style, anyway. Then, he went back to his original position, supported by the rails of the terrace, near Yuuki.

"What do you think of her?" Asked Kashiwagi.

Find a generic term—"She seems nice."

"What a boring thing to say about her. I'm the exact opposite of how you decribed her, Yukichi. She and I are close relatives. You get my point? Find a better adjective. 'Tis stressful to find us dull."

"That's what I think about her. She's generally nice."

"Okay."

"She was angry when Yumi's Koshihikari issue came into the conversation when she was with us at that time, though."

"Really?" His tone never sounded like a question. Yuuki assumed otherwise.

"You were there?"

"Saa-chan was there, Touko-chan was there, and they invited relatives, like me."

"Truth is, I don't know how I could describe her. My instinct tells me that she's a very serious person. As serious as Sachiko-sama."

"That, she is."

"Is that why you're so bothered, sempai?"

"Hm."

They just watched the sky wafted its colours like pastels of red, yellow, orange and light blue smudged carelessly.

"You have almost the same response with Yumi whenever the topic is about Touko-san."

"Eh?" Kashiwagi-san blurted. Yuuki again hit the nail.


TO BE CONTINUED


Author's Notes: Chapters are meant not to be in chronological order.