Chapter Four.
Before he knew it, the semester was completely over with and the winter vacation started. Kaoru was thrilled that he could go to the couples workshop that's being directed by Master Matsumoto. Yet, the time from the visit at Master Ninomiya's office somewhat bothered him. He declared to Master Ninomiya's face directly that he's an enemy of him. Kazuko might not think that it's a big deal, but Master Ninomiya has a lot of influence throughout the fashion world. Yet... being who he is, Kaoru figured that Master Ninomiya wouldn't try something as stupid as blacklisting him. Kaoru's thoughts were disrupted when Hikaru threw a pillow at his face, "How long are you going to sit there? We told Haruhi that we'd meet her in thrity minutes!" Hikaru was thrilled that they were going to see Haruhi again... and not just see her, but actually be with her for an entire vacation. Sure, the vacation is suppose to improve his skills, but a part of him began to believe that he might get more out of the workshop.
When Kaoru and Hikaru arrived, Haruhi was already surrounded by both Kasanoda and Mei. Hikaru was a bit irritated, but shrugged it off. He walked over to Haruhi, "We're here!" Haruhi smiled, "Good. Now... we just need... uhh... what was her name again..." Mei smiled, "Kazuko. She called me a little while ago~ she said that she'll be here soon... just that she got held up by her father." Mei beamed when she saw Kazuko show up. She immediately rushed over to her and glomped her, "Kazuko! You made it!" Kazuko nodded, "Yeah... sorry about that... it's a long story... but Dad's ok with me going. He just... had to say his farewells... and give me lectures." Mei raised an eyebrow, "Lectures?" Kazuko's face turned a bit red and she shook her head, "It's nothing really. Anyways, this is the travel bus... right?" Kaoru nodded, "Yup, let's all get in so that we can get there at a decent hour." With that said, everyone filed onto the bus.
Once they arrived, they checked into the workshop. Even though it's a couples workshop, they separated the hotel rooms, leaving the three girls in one room and the three guys in the other. Kazuko let out a sigh after unpacking all her things, "I can't believe there's no workshop today..." Mei was busy applying makeup, "Really? I'm kind of thrilled about it! It means that we can just relax and have fun! Think! We're in a really amazing spot! The mountains! The view is gorgeous around here! Think of the chance of a romantic getaway!" Haruhi stared blankly at Mei, "Romantic getaway?" Mei laughed, "I'm talking about Kazuko and Kaoru! Don't worry Haruhi." Haruhi nodded, "So they are an item?" Kazuko shook her head, "No no! We're just friends! Really!" Mei smirked, "Just keep telling yourself that." Mei finished applying her mascara and smiled at her reflection in the mirror, "So Kazuko, Haruhi and I are planning on finding the guys... want to come with?" Kazuko shook her head, "No thanks... I think that I'm going to take a walk for a bit. I'll see you both later though." Mei frowned, "But... don't you think that it will benefit you?" Kazuko was a bit confused, "What exactly do you mean?" Mei let out a breath, "Well, the whole school seems to be talking about it... how Kaoru views you as a brother... don't you want to fix that?" Kazuko frowned a bit. Sure she wanted to change that viewpoint, but she had no clue how to do that. Mei glanced at Kazuko's body, "I seriously hope he's not so shallow-minded to think of you as a guy because of your body! There are LOTS of girls aside from you who don't have large boobs! I mean, look at Haruhi! She's got small boobs too!" Haruhi rolled her eyes as Kazuko spoke up, "Hey! It's not a bad thing to have small boobs!" Mei giggled, "I know, but... it sure is easier to have a decent size to impress the opposite sex~" Both Haruhi and Kazuko rolled their eyes with that comment.
An hour later, Kazuko sat down near a riverbend and stared at the water. Her mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts. "UGH. I wish that Mei didn't start talking about that stuff! Stupid Kaoru! I DO HAVE BOOBS! Even if they're... not noticeable... Ugh. So annoying." A voice from behind spoke up, "I agree with you... though... not with the stupid Kaoru part..." Kazuko practically jumped a foot, "Ah!" She turned around and saw Kaoru sitting diagnolly behind her, "What are you doing?! Trying to scare me to death?!" Kaoru smirked, "Miss Kazuko... you shouldn't be saying such things... considering that I was here before you. If I interrupted your conversation with yourself... then just pretend that I'm a rock. If people are bored or have something to say and keeping it inside is hard on them... then it's only neccessary for them to talk to rocks." Kazuko rolled her eyes with annoyance, yet she suddenly remembered their trip to Master Ninomiya's. She let out a small breath, "Say Kaoru... could you do me a favour?" Kaoru shrugged, "It depends on the favour." Kazuko began to speak, "Well... about that day inside Master Ninomiya's office... Could you just forget about all the things that I said? Because... those are words that no one would ever believe... Who could ever believe that a five year old girl drew up a tornado design that because the world famous designer's most successful piece? No one would ever believe such a story." Kaoru made his way over to Kazuko and sat down next to her, "I refuse to follow through with this favour." Kazuko frowned, "Are you trying to make me into a laughing stock or something?" Kaoru smirked, "I'll keep the words to myself... but the reason that I'm not going to do such a favour is solely because I believe all of those words. I believe that a five year old girl drew a design that became world famous."
Kazuko was touched by his words. There was a large amount of silence between the two of them, when Kazuko suddenly spoke again, "Say Kaoru... Do you... like men?" Kaoru raised an eyebrow, "What exactly do you mean by that question?" Kazuko blushed a bit and continued, "Well... I heard a classmate say that you never design women's clothing. And... everyone says that you never date... so..." Kaoru let out a large laugh, "Just because I design men's clothing and don't date automatically makes me gay?" Kazuko shook her head, "Well... I don't neccessarily think that, but... everyone else seems to!" Kaoru laughed and Kazuko continued, "Well... Why is it that you don't design women's clothing? I mean... there are courses where it's mandatory... everyone says that you haven't once turned in a single design for women's clothing... and... apparently you've angered many professors because of that..." Kaoru nodded, "That's correct. I haven't designed a single piece of women's clothing since I entered the university." Kazuko glanced to the side, "Well... when I went to your apartment to check up on you that one day... I noticed it... I noticed that there was only designs for men... I didn't even see a single picture frame that included a female... so... why don't you design women's clothing?" Kaoru spoke bluntly, "It's because I have no interest in women. So... I have no inspiration." Kazuko was surprised with his response, "I... I see... and you just see me as a man... which is why you're comfortable around me... I knew from the start you know... I knew that I wasn't your type..." Kazuko stood up and turned towards Kaoru, "At least... I now know the-" Before she could say another word, she ended up slipping on the ground and fell into the river, "AHHHH! It's COLD!"
Kaoru frowned, "Kazuko... are you ok?" Kazuko nodded, "Yeah... just cold... could you help me up?" Kaoru nodded and pulled her out of the water. When he saw her completely wet and muddy, he laughed, "Oh Kazuko... you're too funny! Here... put this on." He passed his coat to her. Kazuko shook her head, "No thanks. I'll dry soon enough." Kaoru spoke a bit louder, "PUT THIS ON. You'll catch a cold." "It's fine, I'm not going to catch a cold from something like this." Kaoru continued to try to hand the coat to her, only to be rejected each time.
Eventually the rest of the group appeared in the area. Hikaru let out a loud laugh, "Hey, hey! Kazuko-chan! Isn't it a bit cold to go swimming today?" Kazuko frowned, "It's not like I intended to go swimming... I fell into the water!" Hikaru laughed louder, "That's even better!" Kaoru frowned, "PUT THE COAT ON NOW!" Kazuko shook her head, "Absolutely not! I don't want to wear your coat!" Kasanoda and Hikaru continuously laughed and were talking about something. Mei then yelled out, "Kazuko! Your clothes are see-through! We can see your bra!" Kazuko quickly grabbed the coat and placed it on. She quickly walked as fast as she could towards her room.
Days of the workshop happened and they all learned a great deal of knowledge from Master Matsumoto.
A few hours passed after the last workshop and Mei rushed into the hotel room, "Kazuko! Kazuko! It's so exciting! The results from the College Fashion Contest were just announced and Kaoru womn first place! How about we go find him and congratulate him?!" Kazuko smiled, "Good for him... but... aren't we planning on eating bbq tonight? I think that I'll work on the preparations of the bbq instead of finding him."
Kazuko and Haruhi were working on preparing the bbq meal outside when Hikaru and Kasanoda appeared. Hikaru smiled, "Hey! Did you two hear the news?! My brother won first place!" Haruhi nodded, "I'm really proud of him. He worked hard to deserve that award." Hikaru nodded, "Yup! How about we throw him a party?" Haruhi nodded, "That sounds like a great idea." Kasanoda watched Kazuko as she was peeling potatoes, "Say Kazuko... you know... you're really beautiful when you peel potatoes." The sudden remark caused her to miss the potato and hit her finger, "OUCH!" Kasanoda walked towards her, "Say, what happened? Let me see it." Kazuko frowned, "No. Just go away! It's your fault this happened." Kasanoda took a few steps back, "Sorry... what happened to your hand?" Kazuko was cleaning the cut, "It's just a small cut... your sudden crazy remark did it." Kasanoda nodded, "I see... and uhh... Nothing's wrong with you and Kaoru, right?" Kazuko was pretty disappointed knowing that Kaoru had no interest in women what-so-ever, but she couldn't really say anything to him, so for the past few hours she avoided him like the plague, "Nothing's wrong..." Kasanoda raised an eyebrow. He could tell that she was purposely avoiding Kaoru, but had no clue what the reasoning could be. Unless it had to do with the coat... but that would just be a really stupid reason. After Kazuko bandaged her finger she went back to peeling the potatoes, "Oh... Kasanoda... I've got a question for you." Kasanoda nodded, "What's your question?"
"Do you know why Kaoru has never designed women's clothing?" Kasanoda shook his head, "No clue... I never asked." Kazuko continued, "So the boutique store that you all are going to open will only sell men's clothing?" Kasanoda was shocked for a moment then spoke, "He told you we were going to open a store?" Kazuko nodded, "Yeah. When you guys graduate... aren't you going to open a boutique store?" Kasanoda was stunned, "He even told you that?! Wow... he really does treat you differently." Kazuko cocked her head to the side, "Eh? How is that even possible? He only sees me as a guy." Kasanoda raised an eyebrow, "Really? If he only saw you as a guy... he never would've offered you his coat when you got wet." Kazuko smiled a bit to herself, "So... he won first place... I guess we should plan a surprise party... let's get out of this area to make specific plans."
Mei and Kaoru eventually made it to where Hikaru and Haruhi were. Mei decided to help out with the bbq. Kaoru looked around the area then looked at Hikaru, "Say... do you know where Kasanoda is?" Hikaru nodded, "Yeah... well, kinda. He was here up until a few minutes ago... he was with Kazuko... both of them were acting pretty secretive... I don't have a clue where they went." Kaoru frowned, "That's not the answer I wanted." Hikaru smirked. He could tell that the whereabouts of the two was bothering his brother... and yet, he wanted to help his brother out a bit by causing some panic. "Maybe they ran off on a date or something." Kaoru ran off in search of Kazuko and Kasanoda. The fact that they could be on a date bothered him. After ten minutes, Kasanoda wrapped his arms around Mei's waist, "So... we decorated the hotel room... let's all move everything to the room. Kazuko will lead Kaoru to us and we can congratulate him on his award."
Kazuko was searching everywhere for Kaoru and was failing. She had absolutely no clue where he was. Kaoru continued to search for the two. Eventually Kazuko saw him run by her and she smiled, "KA-O-RUUUUUUUUUU! Over here! I finally found you!" Kaoru stopped and turned around, giving her a nasty glare. She let out a small breath before speaking again, "I have something to show you." Kaoru frowned, "You can just go show it to Kasanoda." Kazuko was surprised by his coldness, but decided to try to joke around with him instead, "Wha'ts this? Are you jealous?" Kaoru let out a snarky laugh, "Why would I be jealous?! Just because I'm nice to you doesn't mean that I like you. Don't get a big head." Kazuko twitched. She then forced a smile, "I know that already. I know that you don't like me..." She turned away and began to run, she fell twice, but continued to get up and run. She went near the riverbend and sat down, "Stupid... stupid... I shouldn't be sad... I shouldn't get upset... he already mentioned earlier that he's not interested in women... and... well... he did say that being nice to me doesn't mean he likes me... Ugh... why is it that I can't get him off of my mind? I need to do more important things... like... work on a new design..."
After awhile, Kaoru decided to head back to his room. It was a long day and he was irritated. When he opened the door and turned on the lights, a large group yelled, "Congratulations!" He blinked a few times, "Uh, thanks..." Mei spoke up, "Say... where's Kazko?" Kaoru ignored the question and looked at his brother, "Say Hikaru... did you plan this?" Hikaru shook his head, "Nope. Kazuko and Kasanoda did... didn't Kazuko find you?" Kaoru turned away and ran out of the door, "I'm such an idiot!" He ran with all his might. He needed to get away from everyone. He needed to clear his mind. He went towards the riverbend and laid on the grass, staring at the night stars in the sky, "UGH! You idiot! If the one she liked was Kasanoda... why would she treat me the way she does? What the heck is Kazuko up to?!" Kazuko glared towards him, "Who ever said that I liked Kasanoda. I thought that he was an item with Mei... regardless... I KNEW you were jealous, but you just wouldn't admit it." Kaoru let out a deep breath, "I'm sorry." Kazuko stood up and began to walk away. Kaoru glanced towards her, "Hey... where are you going?" Kazuko glanced towards him, "I'm going back." Kaoru frowned, "Don't go." Kazuko rolled her eyes, "If I don't go back, what should I do?" Kaoru sat up and looked directly at her, "Don't be angry... why are you so stingy? And... what happened to your neck?!" Kaoru noticed a dark mark on her neck that wasn't there earlier.
Kazuko lightly touched the black and purple bruise, "It's all your fault... I was running through the grass field and I got hurt." Kaoru laughed, "Why do you always blame me for everything?" Kazuko let out a deep breath, "Say Kaoru... did you know that... I originally vowed that unless I surpassed Master Ninomiya... that I would never fall in love..." Kaoru raised an eyebrow, not really sure where she was going with this. She continued, "Well..." She moved her hand from her bruise, "Well, from the looks of it... I think that I have to break that vow now." Kaoru was a bit surprised with her sudden confession. It wasn't the first confession that he'd ever received, yet... it was a confession that was deeper than any other. He let out a sigh, "Listen carefully Kazuko... for I'm only going to say this once." Kazuko nodded, waiting for him to speak again. Kaoru continued, "When you're sad... I'll support you. Whatever happens... I will do whatever it takes to protect you from Master Ninomiya... but... there's one thing that I can't do... I can't accept your feelings. We can't be together. I'm sorry. I... I don't know how to explain it to you... I'm just... sorry." He got up and began to walk away from her. His heart began to sting. As he walked away, he could hear her voice yelling out to him, "Kaoru! Why?1 You have to explain to me! Why can't we be together?!" Kaoru tried his best to ignore her. He needed to ignore her. Words from Master Ninomiya rang inside of his head, 'It's best that you don't get close to her... I'm just reminding you... I hate that girl, and the people I hate can never have a place in the fashion world.'
In the morning, everyone walked to the bus to return home... everyone but Kazuko. Hikaru spoke up, "Say... where's Kazuko?" Mei frowned, "For some odd reason she had to leave late last night. I think that she caught some bus at two in the morning..." Haruhi spoke up, "She seemed pretty depressed about something. I think that she had to rush home to see her father. I guess something tragic happened." Kaoru spoke up, "Enough about Kazuko. Who cares why she left. We need to get on this bus to head home, ok? So, let's go." Hikaru exchanged looks with Mei. Just from Kaoru's comment, they could tell that something happened last night... but the real question is what happened.
The rest of the vacation period, Kaoru didn't meet with Kazuko once. The night before school started back up, Hikaru looked at his brother, "You've got to tell me." Kaoru was working on a new design, "This one is a new suit... I thought that I told you that already..." Hikaru shook his head, "Not about the design... Kazuko. What exactly happened between you and Kazuko at the workshop. I thought that you two were getting along just fine..." Kaoru continued to sketch, "It's nothing Hikaru. Nothing happened between us." Hikaru didn't believe his brother for a second, "I find it strange... during the time up until the workshop, you were constantly seeking out Kazuko in one way or another... claiming it to be coincidence..." Kaoru didn't speak. He just absorbed himself into the design he was making. Hikaru was frustrated, "Look. I don't get why you're keeping things secretive... you and Kazuko like each other. You should make a move to-" Before Hikaru could finish his statement, Kaoru cut him off, "HIKARU. Stay out of it. You couldn't possibly understand the situation." Hikaru thought for a moment, "Ah... you don't want to be blacklisted... so you won't get involved with her..." Kaoru slammed his fist on the table, "That's NOT it. When did you become so bad in understanding me?! Besides... who are you to play cupid when you can't even steal Haruhi from Tono?!" Hikaru was stunned. The words that came out of Kaoru's mouth was a deep blow. It was rare for Kaoru to act like this. Of course, Hikaru has seen a few times that Kaoru was like this, but everytime it was a shock. For Kaoru to attack him like that meant that whatever was going on between him and Kazuko had to be severe. Yet, what exactly is it that bothers his brother?
Mei and Kazuko left their color theory class the next day and began to head towards the cafeteria for lunch. Mei could tell that something had been bothering her friend lately, but didn't know how to approach the topic on Kazuko's mind. Once they walked into the cafeteria, Mei noticed a table occupied by the twins and Kasanoda. She beamed a bit with joy and immediately sat down next to Kasanoda, "I can eat lunch with you~" Kasanoda blushed as she playfully tapped his nose. Mei then glanced at her friend, "Kazuko... aren't you going to come and sit?" Befoer Kazuko could respond, Kaoru stood up, "See you guys later. I just remembered that I have a report due this afternoon, so I'll be heading out first." As Kaoru turned around, Hikaru spoke up, "It's not like you to forget reports... so..." Kaoru gave his brother a dark smile, "I'm heading out." Hikaru then glanced towards Kazuko, "Say... did you do something to him? It seems like he has no intenetions of sitting with you..." Kazuko was irritated and turned on her heels, immediately walking out of the cafeteria. Hikaru looked at the couple infront of him, "Uhh... did I say something wrong? She even left..."
Kaoru was walking through the campus' garden center when Kazuko caught up to him, "HEY! What exactly is going on? The other day, why did you say that we couldn't be together? If you don't like me... just tell me. If you don't like me... then why... why did you say that you would protect me from Master Ninomiya? What exactly did you mean by that?" Kaoru let out an exaggerated breath. He knew that he would have to face her sooner or later. He turned towards her, "Listen up. You like me because you don't understand me. I don't want you to be sad. The more that you love me... the more you will hate me. If that happens, it would be best that nothing ever begins between us." Kazuko was completely confused, "Why would I hate you?" Kaoru turned away from her and looked at a small flower, "Just remember my promise, ok? I will protect you from Master Ninomiya. That's the only thing that I can do for you." Kazuko was incredibly irritated, "Look. You still haven't answered my question. You still haven't told me why I will hate you." Kaoru responded, "Before it's too late. That's all I'm going to give you." Kazuko stepped infront of him to look directly into his eyes, "Explain it clearly! I won't let you leave this area until you explain it clearly to me! I don't understand why you won't tell me!" She waited a few seconds then spoke again, "You treat me nicely, but you won't accept me... Why do you keep hurting me this way?" Kaoru frowned, "I already gave you the answer. You're not getting any more than that. It's just best for you to focus on defeating Ninomiya." With that said, Kaoru left as fast as he could.
Three days later... Hikaru, Mei, Kasanoda, and Kazuko were all sitting at a table in a sports bar. They were there to eat dinner, yet Kazuko was so irritated with earlier events that she continuously downed drinks instead. Mei freaked out, "Kazuko! This is alcohol you're drinking! You're having waaaaaaay too much!" Kazuko rolled her eyes, "It's a sports BAR... you're suppose to drink." Kasanoda and Hikaru exchanged glances, not really sure what to do or say. Mei frowned, "At least wait for dinner to come before you drink more..." Kazuko laughed as she picked up a jello shot, "Don't worry, don't worry... just have a good time everyone." Hikaru blinked a few times, "Uhh... are you really ok?" Kazuko waved her hands around, "Don't worry about me! I'm peachy~" Kasanoda looked at Mei, "Say... isn't this too much for her weight?" Mei nodded, "I agree but... I don't know what I can do to stop her... I don't even know what caused her to drink so much..." Hikaru frowned, "Why are you so high?" Kazuko laughed, "Super high! Yeah! This is fuuuuuun!" Hikaru nudged Mei, "Say something to her! I don't want to carry a drunkard out of here later..." Mei sighed, "Isn't it obvious... no matter what I say it won't change anything... she's obviously upset about something." Hikaru was irritated that Mei had already given up. Kasanoda grabbed Mei's hand, "Let's go to the dance floor while we're waiting, ok?" Mei nodded, "Great idea! Hikaru! I leave Kazuko in your care until dinner!" The couple rushed away from the table.
Hikaru eyed Kazuko and her mountain of empty cups. He let out a large sigh, "Say Kazuko... I know that upset people usually take alcohol... there's a poem from some Taiwanese guy... that says 'Upset alcohol hurts the kidney'... so..." Kazuko downed another shot. Hikaru felt defeated. Obviously the hurt kidney approach wasn't going to work, "Alright... I'll tell you straight up... these drinks are expensive and we're not paying for them. I highly doubt that you'll be able to afford any more of them." Kazuko glared at Hikaru and he backed up a bit. He really wish that he had Kaoru to back him up here... but no... Kaoru informed Hikaru earlier that he had plans everyday this week. Hikaru looked down in defeat, "I guess... if you really want to... just drink as much as you want. Drink as much as you want, but if you cry... no one's going to take care of you. In fact... we'll all take pictures of you crying and post them as giant posters around the school." Kazuko stood up and swayed a bit, "I need to pee."
"Here! Let me at least walk you to the bathroom!" Hikaru grabbed her arm and started to lead her in that direction. While walking, Hikaru was surprised to see his own brother drinking with a woman that he'd never seen before. Mei and Kasanoda walked over to Hikaru. Mei spoke up, "Who's that girl, Hikaru?" Hikaru shrugged, "No clue... I've never seen her before." Kasanoda looked at the situation, "Hmm... it shouldn't be Kaoru's new girlfriend... right?" Kazuko stood still and watched as Kaoru was happily talking with the model-like woman. She grabbed a random drink from a nearby table and downed it, she then walked over to him, "Haha, Kaoru! What a... coincidence!" The woman eyed Kazuko, then looked at Kaoru, "Do you know her?" Kaoru shrugged, "She's an underclassman at my school." He ran a hand through her hair, "So, what were you saying before we were rudely interrupted?" Kazuko stood still. She couldn't believe Kaoru. Hikaru face-palmed and looked at Mei, "If you didn't leave the table... this never would've happened! You should know that I don't know how to control Kazuko!" The woman with Kaoru smiled towards him, "I saw saying that there's a new store in the Eastern District... want to go?" Kaoru stood up and grabbed her hand, "Let's go." Kazuko dropped the shot glass on the floor, not even watching it shatter everywhere, "Kaoru! How can you pretend that nothing happened?!" Kaoru wrapped an arm around the woman and looked directly at Kazuko, "I think you're drunk." Kazuko clenched her fists, "Do you even understand how I feel? Even if you've rejected me... the LEAST you can do is give me a clear reason!" Kaoru rolled his eyes, "Fine, fine. How about I don't like you? Is that reason enough?" His sight glazed over to his brother, Mei, and Kasanoda, "Why did you three bring her here?" He asked the question, but wasn't expecting or caring to hear an answer to it. He looked at the girl in his arms, "Let's go." He began to walk towards the door when Kazuko spoke up again, "If you don't like me, then what was that all about? To you... I mean nothing, right? Then WHY do you always say such nice things to me?!"
Kaoru was frustrated. He looked at the girl, "Sorry, I guess we'll have to raincheck the new shop for another time." She nodded, "Be careful, ok? That girl seems like a lunatic..." Kaoru waved towards her as she left the vicinity. Kaoru stepped up to Kazuko and grabbed her wrists, looking directly into her eyes, "See what happens if you ask me these stupid questions again!" Mei and Kasanoda were stunned to see how evil-looking Kaoru could be. Hikaru knew that his brother was beyond pissed at this point, though... he honestly didn't know what was going on. Kazuko wasn't one to turn away, "FINE. I'll say it one more time!" Hikaru rushed inbetween the two, "Come on now... take it easy you two..." Kaoru looked at his brother darkly, "Take Kazuko with you and go." Mei rushed over, "Hey, hey. There's no need to fight!" Within moments Mei froze up, staring at a man who just walked into the sports bar. He walked directly to the twins and pulled them apart, "You two are an embarrassment right now! This is public. Don't fight!" Kazuko glared at the man who showed up... it was Master Ninomiya. For the life of her, she didn't understand what made him think that he had the right to butt into the scene that was going on. Kaoru looked at Ninomiya, "You seem to always show up at the worst times.. UNCLE." Kazuko froze in place. The word 'uncle' replaying in her head. Ninomiya smirked, "It's been awhile since you've called me your uncle." Mei blinked a few times, "He's... he's the twins' uncle?!" Hikaru nodded, "It's not like we were hiding it... but it's not like we wanted to announce it to the world either. Regardless, we're going to kick his ass in the fashion world." Kaoru walked to Kazuko and spoke up, "Now you know the real reason." Kazuko was stunned, "How... how... can that... be?"
Ninomiya left the college students and made his way to a reserved back room of the sports bar. Kazuko was in a daze. The man that she fell for was blood related to her worst enemy. She tired to be composed, but once again, it seemed that the curse of Ninomiya had taken over her life. Once Kazuko came out of her daze, she grabbed her bill and paid for it. She then left the bar, running as fast as she could. Not sure of where she would end up. Before he realized it, Kaoru was running after her. She eventually stopped at a local outdoor fountain, where she was sitting down and looking at her reflection. Kaoru sat down next to her, "Kazuko... listen to me... you might not believe me, but... I hate Master Ninomiya more than you do." Kazuko shook her head, "There's no way that you could hate him more than me..." Kaoru let out a deep breath, "Just listen, ok? My uncle had been married to my aunt for fifteen years. I always believed that they were a happy, healthy couple. They were the prized couple in my opinion. Everything between them was so perfect. I kind of idolized that relationship they shared... my aunt... she was diagnosed with cancer when I first started high school... so at that time, my uncle admitted her to the hospital. From then on, she always stayed in the my uncle put her in an expensive presidential hospital room, he barely went to see her. She was in constant pain. I never really thought to being close to family until my high school years, because Haruhi really opened up my eyes to the world. Well, in my 3rd year of high school, I got news that my aunt had taken a turn for the worst and had very little time left. Hikaru and I thought that it would be great to get my uncle to visit her before she passed away. So, Hikaru went to the hospital while I agreed to get my uncle to visit her. I called him a few times, but he didn't answer, so I ended up going to his house. I walked in with no problems and saw a bunch of models there. I had forgotten that they just finished his new design's runway show. They were all celebrating the success of the new line. I went through the entire house trying to find him... and when I did find him, I found him lying naked on top of one of his many models.
I tried my best to ignore what was going on and decided to give him the news regardless of the situation. I told him that the doctors predicted that his wife would die that night. My uncle looked at me and said, 'This is an important event. I can't be bothered with something as trivial as that.' He then went back to happily screwing that woman. I ended up going to the hospital without him. I told Hikaru the situation... and yet, I couldn't bring myself to tell my aunt the real reason why he couldn't see her before she passed away. He didn't show up. From that day onwards, I refused to even recognize him as a blood relative. A week after she passed away... my uncle remarried a model. I hate my uncle... and I hate female models..."
Kazuko listened intently to him, "So... is that why you don't design women's clothing?" Kaoru let out a small laugh, "I guess you could say that's one of two reasons. I don't want those greedy types of models to wear anything that I design." Kazuko nodded, "That makes sense... what's the other reason?" Kaoru smirked, "It's kind of a different story." Kazuko was intrigued, "A different story?" Kaoru nodded, "I haven't told anyone this... not even my brother." Kazuko was eager to hear the other half of his reasoning to not design women's clothing. Kaoru spoke up again, "This is a secret... during my childhood... when Hikaru was ill, I was forced to go to a banquet... there, I met a little girl with beautiful hair. Kazuko... do you know what I'm talking about?" Kazuko thought for a moment, remembering a moment in her past about a little boy hiding under a table. It couldn't possibly be that they were the same kids from that time, could it? Kaoru spoke again, "Kazuko... the moment that I saw you... I realized that you were the same girl... the black and shiny hair that resembled a doll... I could tell that it was you."
Kazuko was a bit stunned, "You were... that little boy?" Kaoru nodded, "Anyways... after I made the declaration to never design women's clothing... I figured that I would change my mind on one condition... that if I ever met that girl again... If it's for her... I would be willing to design women's clothing..." He looked directly at Kazuko, "But the real question is... does that little girl still like me? Will she learn to like me... despite the fact that I'm the uncle of Master Ninomiya?"
Tears began to form in Kazuko's eyes. She now understood what Kaoru meant by her getting hurt by getting involved romantically with him. It would cause nothing but pain. Hearing that Kaoru was the same boy that she deemed as her first love, she didn't know what to do, "I have always... thought of that little boy... that little boy who was my first love... Why is it... that it had to be you? Why is it that you're blood related to Master Ninomiya?! I... I won't accept this... I absolutely won't accept this!" She stood up and ran away from him, heading straight home. Kaoru sat dejected at the fountain, watching her run from him, "As expected... her feelings of hate towards Ninomiya are too strong..."
Kazuko laid on her bed, thinking about everything. She didn't even realize when she fell asleep. When morning came, she felt miserable, "I need closure... I need an official ending with Kaoru... otherwise, I'll never be able to move on. Remember Kazuko! Your goal is to defeat Master Ninomiya! And that's what you'll do! So! It's time to work hard for success!"
Hikaru wasn't used to his brother sitting in a chair and sighing for hours. He knew that it had to do with Kazuko, but he didn't want to get screamed at for saying anything. Sometimes, Kaoru could be really scary and he didn't want to get that wrath again... After the five-hundreth sigh, Kaoru answered his cell that started ringing. "Yes! Of course! I'll see you then!" He hung up the phone and immediately got dressed in proper attire. HIkaru raised an eyebrow, "Is everything good?" Kaoru nodded, "Yeah! It's great! Kazuko and I are going to hang out for a bit. I guess that she finally came to her senses." Hikaru smiled, "I'm glad that things are no longer going to be awkward between you two." Kaoru nodded, "Next it's your turn Hikaru! Steal Haruhi's heart!" Hikaru scratched the back of his head, "Uhh... about that..." Kaoru rolled his eyes, "When will you gain a pair?"
Kazuko was waiting for Kaoru at the amusement park. They spent several fun hours riding rides and taking pictures with mascots. They went out for a dinner, then Kaoru walked Kazuko home, "This was fun... let's do it again sometime." Kazuko smiled, "Want to come inside?" Kaoru raised an eyebrow, "Isn't this your father's home? Isn't that a bad idea?" Kazuko shrugged, "He's out and won't be back til morning." She opened the front door, "Just come in for a little bit." Kaoru nodded, taking a step inside the house, "Just for a little while then..." Kazuko began to make some tea in the kitchen, "Kaoru... thanks for staying with me today." Kaoru sat down at the small kitchen table, "I know that you have something to say to me... just say it already." Kazuko grabbed a pair of scissors and handed them to Kaoru, "Can you cut off my hair?" Kaoru was stunned, "What?! Why?!" Kazuko sat down next to him, "My hair... this long hair of mine... it was grown solely for my first love... I always had this belief that if I left my hair long... the hair that he complimented... that sooner or later... we would meet again."
Kaoru placed the scissors on the table. He wasn't liking the sounds of this. Kazuko continued, "It's because of you that I allowed my hair to grow to this length... all of these years, I thought of you... but now... it's the time to stop. It's the time to end it all. So... please... help me cut them off... so that it can end my endless thoughts of that boy." Kaoru looked down, "Why? Is this all because I'm related to Ninomiya? Can you not see me as just Kaoru?" Kazuko stared at the scissors on the table, "I really want to think of you as Kaoru... I want to... and yet... I really, really hate Ninomiya... Not only did he steal my design, but he's also responsible for the divorce of my parents... it's because of him that I lost the most valuable part of my life! But... It would be a lie for me to say that I don't like you... I really... really like you Kaoru... I like you so much that I don't even know what to do. But... because of this... the more that I like you... the more I hate him... the more I can't forgive him!"
The tea kettle made a loud whistling noise, so Kazuko grabbed it and placed it to the side. She continued speaking, "There's no way that I can accept you... I have no idea how I could accept you! I can't! Just looking at you will remind me of that bastard! That ruthless bastard!" Kaoru continued to stare at the scissors on the table, his heart sinking with every word she spoke. It wasn't long ago that he was the one who said no to her... he wanted to protect her from this truth, but she was so percistant of knowing why he wouldn't be with her. He figured that once she learned that maybe, she would choose him regardless of her hatred towards Ninomiya. Yet, he was wrong, "So... there's no other choices?" Kazuko nodded. He let out a breath, "Kazuko! You're not being fair! Today... when you called me, I was so happy! To be able to hang with you... to create happy memories together... I was happy..." Kazuko couldn't look at him, she was in just as much pain as he was, "I... I was happy today too... but now... help me cut off this hair... this is your chance to cut off the hair that existed because of you... it's also the perfect ending." Kaoru shook his head, "I can't do it! Don't you realize that this is too cruel?! Too cruel to both of us?" Kazuko grabbed the scissors and forced them into his hands, "You know clearly that it's impossible between us! Otherwise... you NEVER would've intentionally called him [uncle] in front of me! It's not too late Kaoru... I don't hate you yet... so... let's just put an end to whatever it is we have..."
Kaoru stood behind her, eying the scissors and her hair, "Is this really going to be an end to everything?" Kazuko let out a small breath, "It will at least make me feel better. Please... help me stop these endless thoughts... I can tell just by looking at your shaking hands that you don't want to do this... But... I still want you to disconnect them... this way, the past can be forever forgotten. Cutting off the hair is more than just a hair cut... It's this past dozen or so years of thoughts... If the hair isn't cut... this will never end..." Kaoru took a deep breath, then cut her hair. As he chopped off her hair, they both were silent and in deep thought.
TO BE CONTINUED.