Rei hesitantly waited outside the music room. She was afraid to go in knowing that she would have to explain everything to them. She was afraid about what they would do when they found out what really happened to her. She slowly raised her hand to the doorknob and turned it. She slowly stepped inside where the club all looked over.
"Hey Rei!" Hikaru smiled.
It was obvious that Honey and Mori had not told the others yet. She was somewhat relieved that she would be the one to be able to explain everything.
"Rei…please tell us who's hurting you." Honey looked over at her his big eyes filled with sadness and worry. Honey never liked when his friends were hurt. Normally he would handle the matter right away but couldn't when he did not know who was hurting her.
Rei walked into the back room, knowing the more they saw, the less she would have to explain. It was time for her to finally admit what was going on. She rummaged through the closet and found a knee length, short sleeved kimono. She tossed her dress off to the side and put the kimono on. She looked in the mirror and wiped off some cover up around her eye revealing a soft purple bruise around her right eye.
"Rei, you okay?" Haruhi could be heard outside the door.
"I'll be right out…" Rei sighed heavily and walked over to the door, stopping a moment. She was having second thoughts about showing them what she had been hiding all this time. She shook off the thought and stepped out of the back room.
The hosts all looked over wide eyed. The twins gasped as did Tamaki.
From the shoulders, where the sleeves of Rei's kimono stopped, down the club could see her pale arms stained in dark bruises resembling hand prints. Her right eye framed by a soft purple circle.
Honey began to cry and ran, hugging Rei.
"What…happened to you?" Haruhi stammered.
"You look like you were put through the ringer." Hikaru choked out.
Honey soon let go of her once she started to speak.
"Most people…think my father is the greatest man in the world…But he…has a bad temper. He used to take it out on my mother but once she died he turned his hatred towards me…it only gets worse when he drinks…" Rei sat down on the couch, her legs suddenly feeling weak. "When he drinks he gets angry…He thinks about my mother and gets mad…Everything I do makes him angry and he takes it out on me…"
Tamaki slammed his palm on the table in front of him. The sound echoed through the silent music room.
"No one…should be put through what you have. As a gentleman I can not sit back and let this go on." Tamaki clenched his hand into a fist and looked at the group.
"I say we go talk to this so called man" Hikaru got to his feet.
"No" Rei began to speak then stopped and looked down at her shaking hands that laid on her lap. "He isn't the kind of man who talks…"
Mori was behind the couch where Rei sat. Rei suddenly felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and saw it was Mori.
"He doesn't have to talk…we will have plenty to say to him" Tamaki smirked with his face still looking at the floor. "No man should ever lay his hand on a woman in such a manner"
Tamaki turned to Kyouya "You knew about this didn't you?"
Kyouya shut his laptop. "I had suspicions but nothing like this…" He looked up at the group. "I smelt the whisky on his breath the day we all left together."
"Alcohol or no alcohol, there is no excuse for this kind of behavior!" Tamaki's voice was rising.
"If you do anything he will just get more angry…he made me switch school when the school started having suspicions about my injuries…he will just move me again." Rei kept her gaze low.
"We won't let that happen" Honey had stopped crying and was now sitting by her side.
"He is coming to pick you up soon, right?" Tamaki looked over at her.
Rei nodded "He'll be here any minute…" She looked up at the clock, each movement of the second hand taunting her mind with thoughts of her father.
"Well then we will make him come here to find you." Tamaki walked over to the window and saw a black limo pulling up the driveway of the school. "Perfect timing."
Rei began shaking a little in fear. She had never kept her father waiting since she knew what would happen if she did. Rei watched the slow moving clock tick by.
Tamaki kept his gaze out the window as he saw Mr. Oshiro open his door taking a sip from a bottle before stepping out of his limo and slamming the door. He was walking down the path leading to the school.
"Here he comes…" Tamaki walked back over to the group.
Mori and Honey stood in front of Rei. Mori stood tall with his arms crossed in front of him. He was staring at the music room door. He was like a wall protecting her.
The twins sat on the couch watching the door as well. Kyouya sat in his chair scribbling down notes in a small notebook while Tamaki paced back and forth. Haruhi stood behind the couch where Rei sat.
The door swung open and there stood Mr. Oshiro. His eyes were bloodshot and he could barely stand up straight. He looked at the club members and straightened up, clearing his throat. "Oh hello, I was just looking for my daughter. Have you seen her?" His voice was rough with a hint of anger.
Tamaki smiled "Come sit for a moment wouldn't you?" He put on the princely façade flawlessly.
Mr. Oshiro looked at his watch. "I suppose I have time to talk." He walked over and sat on one of the dining chairs facing the club.
"Are you and your daughter not getting along sir?" Tamaki smiled at the man while the twins slowly got up and stood behind Mr. Oshiro, blocking his only way out.
"I don't believe so." Mr. Oshiro spoke with a slight hesitation in his voice.
"Then would you care to explain this?" Honey spoke as he and Mori stepped aside revealing Rei who was frozen looking at her father.
"You bitch…" Mr. Oshiro got to his feet. "Get in the car we are going home."
Rei was about to get up when Mori looked at her and she sat back down. She did not want this to turn into a fight. She was tempted to just leave with her father and take whatever punishment he planned to deal her but something in Mori's eyes stopped her.
"What kind of a man lays a hand on their own daughter in such a hurtful fashion?" Tamaki glared at the man.
"You have no idea what kind of girl she really is…just like her mother she likes to keep me waiting and takes her time doing what she is told to do." Mr. Oshiro growled.
"Only weak men think that way" The twins chimed in. "Weak men think they need to prove their strength by hitting girls."
Mr. Oshiro glared at his daughter again "We are leaving now. Or I will have your friends charged with kidnapping."
Rei knew that even though it was a ridiculous statement, he would be able to word it in a way that the club would get in trouble. That was the last thing she could ever want. These were her friends who just wanted to protect her. She got to her feet and walked past the club and over to her father who brushed past the twins.
Rei looked back at the shocked club and spoke in barely a whisper "I'm sorry…" as she followed her father out of the school.
Haruhi looked out the window and saw Mr. Oshiro push Rei into the limo.
"We can't seriously let her go Senpai!" Haruhi looked over at the still silent Tamaki.
"We aren't…we will catch him in the act so she can finally be free from this…" Tamaki looked at Kyouya who simply nodded approval.
"I supposed my family's police are free, it shouldn't take long to get some proof of all of this." He closed his laptop and shot a look at the club, his eyes screaming I am the shadow king!
