Long time coming,, but worth it :D Thank you all for your lovely support and your kind cheering. Here is the next chapter to this fluffy fanfiction. Again a big thank you to Droplets of Blue Rain, Amalia Ignisa for your reviews. They mean the world to me, so I hope you enjoy this long chapter. It was fun tow rite because I got a chance to experiment with line breaks (thanks to NoEarlyBird for the suggestion) and new words and phrases. So let's get it going :3 (PS I own Beyblade and I'm the president of Japan in an alternative universe xD)
"Heartbreak Hotel I"
It's been two weeks since the daunting inspection of Hilary's "wedding" and its progress – she was more than relieved to know that she and Kai were happily getting along. Two beings that were once complete strangers were now attached together in a seemingly unbreakable bond. Life was going easy on them once again; she continued to make progress at not only her relationship, but in others as well.
For Hilary was now appointed as one of the members of the board appointed to do all the matchmaking and see who was good for whom according to their "pre-determined data.", It was an elite which Yuna and Makato Tanaka and the notorious Shinsuke Takeshi were a part of. Being the youngest member of the board, not to mention being the most inexperienced in the field posed quite the hurdle for the brunette, but the loving twins with their support and the old keester with his "modus operandi" were proving to be enough boost needed by the brunette to be part of the board, yet a strenuous task it was and she needed time to adjust to not being listened that often.
However things were starting to get a little rocky at Kai's end, his school's former Head-Principal Mr. Irwin had recently retired and was duly replaced by the next most senior teacher in the school, Judy Tate. She was the class-teacher of the infamous tenth grade and was known for her strictness. She demanded obedience and sought punctuality, which was understood since the students of the tenth grade were a bit overzealous and even defiant at times, and the term at times was a generous way of describing this situation.
Consequently, this attitude was either met with high acclaim or at other times this disciplinary approach was ostracized by students and fellow teachers alike. To make matters worse, she felt as if she had a personal grudge with Kai – on the account of that he was too lenient on his students, even if they were twelve year olds.
"You do know they'll grow up to be like their elders, don't you?" She spoke in a very confidently low tone while tapping her finger on her desk, to further assert her message.
"It can't hurt to try now, can't it?" He dutifully replied, his tone suggesting he had the students under control.
"Oh grow up, Kai. I don't expect this hopefulness from you, of all the people. You should know better that these children are the devil's mini-agents, sent from Hell just to vex us adults." Judy opined rather harshly.
"Says the woman who has three children." Kai immediately shot back quite the answer.
"Well they're my children, Hiwatari." Judy implied heavily.
"Oh yeah sure, they're definitely innocent little angels, aren't they?" Kai sarcastically quoted.
"Oh come on, you. You know how much I keep my children under control; look at the result of my parenting." She boastfully said before getting up from her chair and walking towards the window.
Though Kai had a different opinion of Judy's result of parenting. "You do realize your own daughter is involved in a rather scandalous affair with the football team's captain." Kai reminded her of her daughter's quote-unqoute innocence.
"Hm, don't tell that to me boy. You're the one on a paper marriage." Judy wasted no time in elegantly, yet ruthlessly attacking Kai's weakness.
"At-least I love her, unlike you did your husband." The ever so eloquently vicious Kai stated back.
"Nonetheless," the blonde said getting up, "Back to the matter at hand – you need to control your children Kai, you can't be cool with them all the time."
"I'll be firm on them if they misbehave." He replied assertively, he was more than tired of listening to this "glorified old hag's" opinions and suggestions and wanted out instantly.
"Fine." Judy's simple answer was accepted as Kai went out of her office, but something in her tone suggested that she foresaw the future, and it was not looking good for Kai.
Meanwhile Hilary was late to the board meeting, again.
"You can't be late here all the time you know?" Shinsuke's grated voice mumbled at the brunette.
"Oh be a little soft on the child, will ya?" Makato implored rather fed-up from his constant looking down upon her. "It's her first time she's a part of our board, let alone be a part of our meetings."
"No," Shinsuke duly corrected the older Tanaka, "this is the third time she is late, and my policy states…" Shinsuke grated before being interrupted by a feminine voice.
"Oh stop it! Policy-schmolocy, my ass! You don't own this organization, the government does. So give it a rest." Yuna interrupted the old man, "Besides the only thing which is besmirching this establishment is your petty attitude. Grow a pair will you?" The blonde definitely took it to Shinsuke, which proved more than suffice to shut him up and send him back to his desk mumbling.
"That oughta take care of him." Yuna said rubbing her forehead.
"Now I know what you two had to go through for twenty seven years." Hilary gently chuckled at the blonde.
"Twenty eight." Makato corrected and got Hilary's surprised look in return.
"Today marks our twenty eighth anniversary of employment in this organization." Yuna told her, "We like to pin it as "the twenty-eighth tour d'Hell extravaganza."" She pinned with a gentle chuckle, followed by Makato's signature stifled laughter.
"Twenty eight years?" Hilary let out in surprise. She wasn't sure about Makato but age and the experience did not take its toll on Yuna, who was still lovely as ever.
"Mmhmm." Yuna nodded back.
"We should definitely celebrate this!" Hilary suggested excitedly.
"Darling, no one would exactly celebrate twenty eight years in Hell." Makato blissfully gave a sardonic reply, as the blonde Tanaka came off with muffled laughs of her own.
"No! We should!" Hilary stood her ground, "My husband knows these amazing recipes that'll get your mouths watering," The ecstatic Hilary paused for a second or two, "You guys should come over tonight!" Hilary elatedly invited her two heroes, who gave an uncertain sweat-dropped expression.
"Oh jeez! Umm, I – I don't know Hilary, I…" Yuna started, while gently rubbing the back of her blonde hair.
"Yeah, Hilary. Yuna and I got lots of paperwork to do." Makato tried to excuse them out of this.
"That's your excuse? Paperwork?" Hilary pouted at the two siblings; you can bet what was coming next.
"Please," Hilary beseeched the two almost unnerved siblings, "Please for me, please!" She literally hung on to their forearms like a little puppy, a similar trait which she would employ on Kai to get her needs, of-course paired up with the patent soulful stare would prove to be quite the bargain for the completely unnerved siblings.
"Oh boy…" Yuna husked out, careful not to be too audible.
"Alright, alright. Jeez! We'll come Hilary, we'll come! Cut us a break will you?" The completely flustered Makato accepted her invitation.
"Eeeeh!" Hilary hopped up and down in excitement as the two Tanakas let out a sigh of relief, avoiding the cute little puppy turning into a merciless hellcat.
"Oh look, Mr. Hiwatari's coming!" One of the children excitedly told the rest of the class as the children cleaned up the scrambled classroom into a proper educating atmosphere. The children of VII B had held high esteem for the blunette, who despite his smoldering demeanor was the kindest and friendliest teacher they've ever known. The children had cleaned the entire classroom and sat on their seats just seconds before Kai entered into the class.
"Good morning!" The children rose and greeted their teacher with high excitement and respect, earning a subtle nod and a gentle smile from the rather imposing Hiwatari. Truth be told, in his words he had learnt how to smile softly because of these children and this little practice was proving to be a big help for him in his marriage with Hilary. At times he had to smile gently at the brunette (whether it was essential at that moment or not). A smile was all she would need, and not being to smile due to the tragedies befallen on him made the simple task rather imposing and almost impossible to him. Maybe that was the reason why Kai had his hope in the students of VII B, they always managed to make him smile.
"Alright class, we discussed neutralization yesterday." Kai immediately started teaching as he gestured the students to sit. Yes he was the science teacher of VII B, and he loved it at that moment.
"Yes sir." A very bright Claudia replied while adjusting her big geeky glasses.
"And who will define neutralization?" Kai continued whilst pacing through the room and gently shooting gazes at the students.
"Oh, oh, oh! Me, me!" Aaron eagerly jumped on his desk while waving his arm, the entire class laughed at Aaron's sweetness, knowing he'd get the answer wrong anyways, but what the heck?
"Alright Aaron, define neutralization." Kai asked the excited child.
"The chemical reaction during which an acid and a base react with one another, with the end-product being water and a salt is called neutralization."
For a brief moment, everything halted for him. Now, he did not consider Aaron as a bad student, he loved the young boy who was full of energy and elation. But young Aaron was not one of the brightest bulbs in the lot. A definition that was so complex for a ten year old, and the ten year old was a below-average student, still the entire process was seamlessly described by Aaron. That definitely had startled the Hiwatari. This was one of those cases, where he was definitely "speechless".
And it would be conspicuous to him that that day would weave out to be one of the most shocking days he would remember for quite a while.
"Dress up all spiffy, okay?" Hilary said as she circled around the two twins, "I'm sure Kai would appreciate you in a classy suit rather than your business casual."
"Hilary, it's just dinner." Yuna tried to assure the brunette, "I doubt if Kai wouldn't want us to dress up lavishly for it."
"Yeah, he's probably likes simple things." Makato chimed in, trying not to over think this little party Hilary had planned.
"But you two will look so lovely!" She retorted back as she literally shoved her hand-picked outfits into the twins' frames.
"Wait here a sec; I'll be right back with the menu I've planned." She said before rushing out of the room to fetch the menus.
"She really wants us to visit her." Makato gently chuckled.
"I bet she's going to love it when we're going to have talk with Kai in our professional tone." Yuna hummed out as she and her brother waited to be prepped and chaperoned to Hilary's home.
Back in school, things were getting out of hand. There was only a week before the summer vacations, and everyone was eagerly waiting for them. Even the teachers were waiting for their much needed summer break, Kai was one of them.
"It's good to finally see the summer vacations again," one of the teachers began, "with the load of homework not to mention assessment, I was beginning to think that we weren't getting any vacations this summer."
"The students sure pulled a big one off, I mean they finished their homework before the vacations." Another chimed in.
"Looks like we'll be forsaken this time," A third jested as a parade of laughter and giggles followed his cheesy remark.
"What's your say on this Kai?" One of the female teachers asked, "You've been awfully quiet today. Not that you speak that often, but you are always mentioning vacations." The blunette simply shrugged to the answer.
"To be honest…" He began in his gentle grating tone, "I think it's a relief that there is no homework this time. I could use the time to make up with my "wife" and spend time with her." Kai finished as gentle gasps escaped from his comment about his nuptial status.
"From what I can make of it, looks like you've taken your wife for granted." A familiar voice opined, resulting in louder gasps.
"Hn, that's just your opinion Mrs. Tate." Kai nonchalantly replied.
"Hm, well opinions can sometimes change facts Kai." She replied with a visible smirk, "Just a thought." As she innocently capped off what would be a mental mauling. But this was Kai Hiwatari, who simply shrugged it off. But he might regret letting this little advice just pass by.
The students were starting to get raucous during recess, teachers looking on notwithstanding. Like little monkeys in a banana truck, the children and adolescents alike were wreaking havoc on the school playground. Something might've happened, someone must've hit someone, somebody may've vandalized the school building or a horny little tenth grader must've touched a female student and consequently war broke out. The teachers in the staff room quickly picked up the audible Armageddon and rushed out to find the school ground was a filthy mess.
"Stop this at once students!" Judy's voice blared over a megaphone as she addressed the chaotic lot.
"Stand down instantly, stop all activities students!" She sounded like a sergeant major or something, trying to maintain order among the students and then some.
"Stop this instantly!" Judy once again blared over the megaphone but to no avail. She then gazed over at Kai, and instantly he got the message.
"Everybody stop whatever you are doing," Kai tried to assert himself softly at first, no luck. He then turned up the volume a bit.
"Control yourselves." This time his voice was more demanding, yet nothing affected the students. Then as luck would've had it, the students of VII B were suddenly a part of the flurry and the students were thrown milk and juice at them by the tenth graders, instead of telling their teachers like they usually did, they too decided to fight fire with fire and throw garbage at the tenth graders, but that was nothing compared to what was coming next.
"Is that all you got?" The hotshot of the tenth grade Randy snorted at the children.
"You're weak and miserable." The self-proclaimed queen of the school, Nina Tate (Judy Tate's aforementioned scandalous daughter) lambasted the young children.
"Oh yeah?!" Claudia retorted at the teen, as tough as the young child could ever be. Suddenly Nina pushed the spectacled girl down, bullying her and asserting her prima donna status.
"Hey!" Aaron snapped at the bully and tried to fight her off, but Randy duly blocked his girlfriend and knocked poor Aaron down.
"Aaron!" Claudia shouted as the boy went down, Kai's eyes turned red. He immediately stepped into the fray and suddenly all halted to see the usually cool and calm Hiwatari with literally bloodshot eyes from all the anger. He was simply livid.
"Ms. Tate and Mr. Austin…." He began in his low, deadly and evil tone, "You two have caused enough trouble…"
"M – Mr. Hiwatari, I – I can explain!" Randy stuttered, who despite his behavior held the blunette on high esteem.
"Oh zip it, you little pussy!" The rather disrespectful Nina chiseled in, "Mr. Hiwatari, I believe you should use that tone of yours with the real agitators, not me." She demanded in her typical prom queen tone, pointing at the two children.
"Oh you mean two seventh graders?" Kai gently asked, his voice still low and visibly fuming.
"Yes those pests." Nina replied.
"Do you have any proof of them being devils?" He queried to which Nina pulled her phone out and handed it to him, with a video on it.
"Play the video Mr. Hiwatari." She said crossing her arms, Kai played the video thinking it would be some sort of prank. What he saw next made him hope that it was some prank, but it wasn't.
He saw the students of his beloved class, VII B, open his desk and pull out their test papers and change their grades… His eyes suddenly bolted into an even redder tone, Aaron and Claudia had recognized their voices over phone and already began shaking. The operation was being lead by (surprise) Nina Tate, who in the process of boasting herself forgot to edit out the part where she was shown in the school camera. She instantly snatched the phone from his hands, but what was done was done and there was nothing to undo it.
"Mr. – Mr. Hiwatari…" Claudia tried to softly approach her beloved teacher, who received a hand telling her to stop. A quiet Kai dragged himself from the school ground with empty eyes, broken trust and painful reality resting on his shoulders, leaving a tearing Claudia and Aaron and a whining Nina behind him.
"I told you they'd be like them…" His ears picked up the evil dominant sound of Judy Tate, who had no idea how broken he was.
"I told you they were like the rest, Kai." She asserted her victory, not knowing how broken he was.
"I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY!" He snarled at the head teacher, with his torn and painful voice blaring into the ears of the blissfully vaunting blonde, before turning stupor. Kai marched into the school building and possibly out of school itself, leaving a very discomforting silence in the air.
Elsewhere in town Hilary was driving the Tanaka's vintage cruiser like a sports car through the rush hour, running on pure adrenaline and passion to serve and please. The two twins hung onto each other for dear life. "This girl's gone crazy!" They must've thought. After what seemed like forever, they pulled up in front of Hilary's house, of-course not without that clichéd Hollywood 360 car rotation. The smell of burning tire and rubbed off asphalt dissipated into the air as the two queasy twins stumbled out of the vehicle, and the unaffected brunette immediately shoved the still recovering twins into her vicinity called home.
"Kai!" She tunefully called as she entered her home; the twins were still a little green about the gills. She once again called him but was met with nothing. She was doing all she could to give her heroes the best dinner, and not seeing her husband reply to her calls was starting to tick her off. She stormed off to his bedroom and foun him with his head hung low.
"Kai!" She called him, no response.
"Kaaai?" She tried the falsetto, nothing. She approached him, nothing, she tapped his shoulder nothing, she gently shook him, nothing!
"Kai! I demand you look up at me right now!" She asserted loudly.
As he revealed his face, tearful bloodshot eyes, smudged facepaint and apathy and misery riding his face she instantly fell down before hurrying up.
"Kai!" She said before plopping on the bed besides him, she started feeling her own tears come out as the silent Hiwatari continued to stare helplessly at her.
"Kai! Oh I – wait!" She thought of something before rushing out of the room to where the two twins were getting impatient.
"I swear Yuna, this is the last time I-!" Makato was finishing before he and Yuna felt a massive push and were out of the house, as a tearful Hilary emerged in front of her.
"Hilary!" Yuna tried to say before she slammed the door shut, the twins quickly rushed to the back of the house to inspect Hilary's unexpected behavior. They darted across the bedroom window, before rushing back there to find Hilary trying to comfort a crying Kai.
"Oh my…" Yuna let out, astonished to see someone as brave and "kick-ass" as Kai being in such a broken state.
"We'd better leave them alone." Makato said to a worrying Yuna, "I am sure they'll figure out…"
"But I don't want to see another couple break down!" Yuna asserted to her brother, who gently stroked her shoulders.
"Yuna, believe in these two – they are a couple, they're bound to cry and laugh together. Hope for the best dear." Makato reasoned with the blonde as they both backed off to let the two youngsters be in their privacy.
"Kai! Kai what happened? Please talk to me." She begged the blunette, getting on her knees so that she could see his hung-low head, tears streamed down his face as he looked at her and told whatever had transpired. She patiently listened what happened, he would jerk at times but she'd stroke his face whilst her tears rolled down her eyes.
"…The fact that she was right battered my pride," he murmured, "I hate it when that ungrateful whore is right. I respect her but she has no humanity for the children, and the fact her slut of a daughter misguided those poor things," he hissed out as his fists balled up and his muscles twitched, "makes me sick."
"Kai…" She tried to assuage him, but he needed to vent it out.
"I've lost all hope for these…" Kai stated as he pulled out a photograph of his class and proceeded to tear it into shreds.
"Kai!" Hilary tried to stop him, he wasn't stopping as he ripped through the photograph,
"Kai stop!" She protested before he shoved her off and she fell on the bed.
"Ah!" She screamed as she crashed on the bed, Kai instantly stopped whatever he was doing and tended to her.
"Hilary?" He rushed out as he sat down with her. She burst into tears as Kai looked on uncertain of what to do next. He wanted to pull her in a tight hug, but the silver of doubt prevented him – what if Hilary was angry at him? What if she would leave him forever alone and miserable? These nasty thoughts clouded his already broken down mind before Hilary pulled him into a tight hug, with his head resting on her shoulder.
"Oh God, Kai." She muffled out as she stroked his head gently trying to ease him off," I am so, so sorry." She cried as he pulled her closer with his tears coming out again.
"I have no idea what you must be going through…. The pain, the betrayal, the battering of your pride. I don't know what's it like to have children trust you, Kai. I never had anyone trust me…" The brunette spoke softly and truthfully before she pulled his head up to look him in the eye, "Not even my parents trusted me at times…" She finished as her ruby orbs gleamed with gentle dusk.
"I….do…." Kai muttered out, broken, betrayed, heartbroken, but still faithful to his partner, still faithful to his friend and still faithful to his wife…
Then as luck would once again strike, they pulled closer as their eyes gently shut before the gap between them was sealed forever. No one remembered who made the first move; in all honesty, they happily agreed on that they both made it. A simple kiss, nothing more. But for these two it would be lifting their pains off of their bodies and strengthening their bond.
They pulled from the kiss, "Judy's right…" Kai said, hurt to the bone but comforted at the same time.
"No," Hilary gave him hope, "She's wrong. They were fooled Kai, they know that and so do you. I'm sure they are sorry for damaging your trust." She said, "And you will see a happy ending."
" See? Even I break down." Kai jested as he chuckled gently, "Oh Kai." Hilary pulled him closer in a tight hug, "Maybe you and I deserve each other, we're broken people." "I heard Yuna and Makato at the door," Kai said, "Why didn't you let them in?" Hilary's silence and finger fiddling was an answer enough to Kai.
"Oh," He realized, "I hope they won't fire you."
"I'm sure they won't," Hilary shrugged, "And if they do so what? You're important to me." She said as she cupped his face.
"Really?" Kai asked as a helpless child would when he'd think his boo boo will not heal again.
"Really." She replied as she kissed his forehead, before they gazed into each other's eyes, broken, battered, slightly confused, but together. Finally together.
The next day, Kai woke up and saw Hilary with a cup of hot chocolate and her patent cheeky smile.
"Good morning sunshine!" She greeted before hopping to him and sitting o his bed.
"I'm not exactly sunshine, but good morning." He greeted back with his weak smile while she continued to smile brightly.
"Um is there something you want to tell me?" He asked getting awfully suspicious.
"Hm hm," She said as she showed him the letter which came in that morning, "Check it out."
He read the letter and smiled a bit brightly, the letter was in two parts - the first part was a notice form the school board that they had suspended Nina Tate and charged a small fine on Randy for their misbehavior, and the second part was a deeply apologetic letter from the students of VII B, saying that they were really sorry and that they wanted to make it up to him in any way.
"See?" She beamed as she gently swayed side to side, "Oh and I got a call from Yuna just now, she said that she had seen us crying from that window, "she told him pointing at the bedroom window, " And decided to leave. I'm okay from their side and they're willing to invite us to their house for dinner tonight." She said as Kai got up from his bed without answering, Hilary frowned a bit
"Unless you don't want to come." She finished lowly playing with her fingers again, Kai came back with two shirts in his hand.
"Which one would suit me for school and the dinner?" He asked as her face lit up again before she began helping him pick out a shirt for school and dinner that night. Somehow and some way they were able to pull through this and come out strongly bonded as ever. Their love was rekindled and their hopes were high. Who knows? This "paper marriage" just might turn into a walk down the church aisle one day.
Too much? To little? Experimented a lot? Yeah. Well I had fun writing this chapter and I hope you liked reading this chapter, and I hope I was able to generate the right reaction from you, dear reader. So please review and leave a tip or two about my writing and how much it can be improved. Until next time, I id you adieu.
~Machu