CHAPTER 7
"The WHAT!?" Both Tsukushi and Tsukasa nearly fainted at that statement, Setsuna missed the surprise and continued, "She was pregnant when she got here and was about 8 months along when a man came by, a handsome man, I didn't get to see too much, grandmother kept me away from the door, I'm assuming he was the father, but I'm really not too sure," her eyes glazed over as her memory drifted off into the past, Tsukushi was silent, Mayuki had a baby? Where was he or she? Who was the father? And where was Mayuki herself? Still, what did this have to do with her and Tsukasa?!
"Do you remember what the man might have looked like?" she asked, the lady shrugged at first, then thought a bit more carefully, "Tall, I remember that and handsome, that was for sure, actually…" she said with a new found interest in Tsukasa, "He kind of looked like you,"
The room got a lot colder at that moment, Tsukushi looked at Tsukasa, his eyes were wide, and for good reason, the thought was chilling, so much so that Tsukushi hesitated to even form it in her mind.
'Was Koutaku the father, and if that was the case was there another rightful heir to the Domyoji family around here?'
Tsukushi decided that was enough questions for now, the best thing to do was to sit Tsukasa down and let it all sink in, she turned back to Setsuna, "May we sit down for a moment, it's been a long journey and we're a little jet lagged," she said, Setsuna nodded and motioned them towards the center of the inn, where a small lobby was set up. Tsukushi waited for Setsuna to leave, she then looked down at her shoes, the ceiling, anything but Tsukasa, who was still silent, when she felt she had given him enough time she spoke. Grabbing his hand and leaning towards him she whispered, "Are you going to be o.k.?" Tsukasa only stared out the doorways to the nearby beach, "I have an aunt or uncle somewhere, Tsukushi, and my family won't acknowledge it, I knew we were ruthless with people outside, but…" he didn't want to finish the sentence, but Tsukushi knew, where was this person, were they even alive? If he/she was dead was it of natural causes or did the Domyoji's of that time have something to do with it? Tsukushi pursed her lips, hating the lack of humanity this family seemed to have, and what was worse was knowing that Tsukasa would have given the poor man a chance if he knew where he was.
A light tap caused Tsukushi to turn away from Tsukasa and towards Setsuna, the woman was holding an old, what seemed to be a diary in her hands, "I think…you're the person I'm supposed to give this to," she said and laid the book gently in to Tsukushi's hands, Tsukushi stared at it then back at Setsuna with questioning eyes, "It belonged to Mayuki, it was her diary," out of the corner of her eyes she saw Tsukasa's head shoot back in their direction, "An old man came to me, about a week before you showed up, and told me that someone was going to be needing this, reporters have been coming since then asking about Takashi Mayuki, I thought to give this to them, but it never felt right, you're different," she said and walked away.
Tsukushi turned back to Tsukasa, still holding the book the same way as when Setsuna had just given it to her, Tsukasa leaned forwards, scooting closer to Tsukushi, she finally brought it to her lap and stared at it, it was a simple dark leather book, old, apparently, there was no lock, just a leather thread holding all the secrets closed, on the bottom, in cracked but shining hiragana was the name
Ta shi Mayu
Tsukushi's fingers began to tremble as she unwound the book, after a minute she opened it and began to read:
Takashi Mayuki Diary Story #1:
August 5th, 1939
Ryu-chan
I got a job today, after 3 weeks of nothing; I must remember to pray at the temple. The job is as a maid, it pays really well, and I can live in the mansion that I'm working for- yes a mansion, these people are rich! The rules are horrendously strict, we have to be up at 5 in the morning, from 5 to 6 is breakfast, 6 to 9 is cleaning the north side, 9 to 10 we take care of the washing, linens, clothing and such, 11 to 12 is lunch time, then from 12 to 7 is spent cleaning the entire south side, after that is free time before a strict 9 o'clock curfew. Sundays are off, so perhaps I can go visit you. It hasn't been easy Ryu, not at all, I miss you dearly, but you'd probably scold my ear off if I continued to mourn you, I try to remember things like that. Well, I have to go, work tomorrow and such.
Mayuki-chan
September 22nd, 1939
Ryu-chan
Forgive me, Ryu-chan, but I'm starting to have second thoughts about this job. So here's the story, this mansion belongs to the Domyoji family, a huge fortune 500 company family, there's the father Masaru, I call him Bad News Masaru and his son, whom in my opinion, is the most selfish, egotistical, brat I think I've ever seen! He's horrible! Some loser with pseudo dreads-
Tsukushi burst out laughing, Tsukasa didn't share in her delight at this passage, "What's so funny?" his question made Tsukushi cough, "Err…n-nothing," she stammered and continued reading:
and a violent temper to boot. No one messes with him; he terrorizes the staff, breaks things, is always yelling and is just plain bad! I wish I could give him a good thrashing, but I need this job, the war has gotten worse, there are no jobs around here, and I really don't want to move away. Pray for me, Ryu.
Mayuki
January 15th, 1940
Ryu
I'm sorry, I won't be able to visit you today. In fact, I may never be able to visit you, at least for awhile. I did something bad, something really bad, and it may cost me my job.
It wasn't my fault! I tried so hard to keep my tongue, you know I did, but today was the last straw. I had been minding my own business, carrying a vase outside so the plant could get some sunlight, that old bat with the cane had already been on my back all day-
"Old Bat? You don't think-," Tsukushi turned to Tsukasa, who shrugged, "Who knows? She's been the head of staff for a good while, she may have gotten on Mayuki's nerves too,"
I was in a rush to get this done, the servants were going to have a half-day off and I was hoping I could visit you, I turned down a small flight of steps too fast, on the last one my heel caught the carpet and sent the vase tumbling, and guess who it landed on, just guess?! He started yelling at me, I tried to apologize and clean up, but he kept on whining that the 20,000 yen slacks were ruined and that they were coming out of my paycheck, I wanted so bad just to get out of there, I excused myself to go get a broom, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back, you know how I hate that, before I knew it, he was on the floor with a black eye and I was standing over him, I can still remember the silence, it was horrible, I screamed at him that he could take the pants and shove them somewhere where the sun doesn't shine. I was so angry, I realize now that it was stupid, but I just couldn't let him get away with this behavior. I'm just writing now because I'll probably spend the next two weeks looking for a job, forgive me Ryu.
Mayuki
Ryu,
I don't quite know how to explain it…but I'm still working here, at his discretion more than anyone's, he's still sporting that black eye. It doesn't make sense and truth me told it worries me. Is he keeping me for revenge? I'm afraid, but it's nice to know the other servants look up to me, when he's not around they give me a "nice job" and a "you did what I dreamed I'd do" even the old bat!
Mayuki
The next few passages were of silly, unrelated things as Tsukushi read, she started to understand, her and Tsukasa's story was very similar. Tsukushi felt a bit of pride in Mayuki, she didn't put up with that kind of tyranny either, Tsukasa had fallen asleep, Tsukushi put the book down for a little, and asked Setsuna for a blanket, the hostess did so. She went back to find him curled in the chair, she choked back a laugh, he looked so funny cramped in a chair like that, Setsuna got an ottoman and allowed Tsukushi to prop his long legs up on them, Tsukushi herself then set next to him on the couch, leaned her head into his chest and resumed reading, as she did, she noticed a change in the way Mayuki wrote, mainly that she stopped writing to whomever this Ryu was and more to the diary itself:
I don't know what this feeling is, but I know I shouldn't have it. Where did it come from? And when will it go? Why did I have to go into that room? I know why, to do my job. I had to clean his room, but I didn't know he was going to be there. I should have just put the towels down and left, but he looked so helpless shivering in the cold, who told him it was a good idea to leave the windows open during the winter time? I just thought it was a kind gesture, we don't have that good a history together and I'm not likely to change that. So, I fixed his bed, grabbed the thick covers at the end and brought them up over his shoulders, he woke up and the look he gave me…that damned look, I can't forget it. Why did he have to grab my hand? Why did he have to thank me? Why in the hell did I let him? We're enemies, why can't we leave it there? Anyway I think he got sick, so I told the infirmary to go check on him. I think I'm going to ask that the old bat to give me another room to look after. And avoid him.
Tsukushi sat up a bit, realizing for the first time what happened, 'They hated each other, Yuuta's story was correct, but she fell for him,' she concluded, the reality of it all hit her like a ton of bricks, the letters indicate a romance, but the worst was yet to come, she flipped through a few drawings Mayuki did and a few passages of things like the war and got back to the story, this one was definitely different, as old as it was, you could still tell where the tear stains were, Tsukushi read through the blotchy ink:
Who are you to tell me what's what? Who are you to tell me I won't listen to my heart, I know what my heart wants, you fool! You, you, ok? YOU! I wake up everyday and wonder, 'what's Koutaku gonna do today?' I work with my eyes down the hall looking at your room and wondering where you are. I hate you when you're arrogant, but I get depressed when we don't fight, I love your stupidity, I love your awkward social graces, I even love those stupid pseudo dreads! It's not fair, no one was supposed to take my heart, not after Ryu, but you did. You did.
"Lucky bastard," Tsukushi jumped and turned to see Tsukasa was awake, his eyes were still sleepy, but his smile was gold, too bad the words that came out next ruined it, "It only took her 3 months to realize she loved him," Tsukushi smirked, "I finally came around, didn't I?" Tsukasa laughed, "Yeah! After, what? Two years?! I'm surprised I didn't give up on you!" she hit him with the diary, "Well, you know what they say, it's harder to find a diamond than it is to find a rock, and which is more precious?" Tsukasa just stared, "What?!" he asked, Tsukushi started to get up, but he stopped her, she struggled to get free, "I'm just kidding!" he said, she hit him again, before turning back to the book. Tsukushi noted that it was at least a week before Mayuki wrote anything again, when she did, it was quite a story.
I was wrong, in the most wonderful ways I was wrong about him. He's still the arrogant, pompous moron he was when I met him, but I've seen his heart. That night at the cabin-
Tsukushi filed through the pages to see what she was talking about, this story was getting to be a little too similar, unfortunately there was nothing, she assumed for some reason Mayuki had to go somewhere with Koutaku, probably as his servant.
In front of his friends, his peers, his judges he proclaimed his love to me. Without even knowing how I felt in return. I'd have been dead without him, and it's not something I'll be forgetting anytime soon.
-So this is Mayuki's diary, nice, for a pauper.
-Big words from a 20 year old virgin
-Shut up.
-What are you doing?
-Watching you.
-Am I that interesting?
-Nope, but your top button is undone
-Are you gonna keep ignoring me?
-You hit me!
-That was for being a pervert
-You're the pervert, sneaking into my room at all hours of the night
-I was scared, it was raining
-Ha! So you admit you were scared
-Fine, yes, I was, happy?
-Nope, you have to kiss me first
Tsukushi blushed profusely, but with good reason, Mayuki's story was so real, so down to earth, it felt like she was there, watching them laze about on the bed, the doors open to left a summer breeze waft through, she imagined Mayuki was doing something, Koutaku was probably sifting through things under her bed when he came across the diary.
She stretched and turned, fully intent on telling Tsukasa something, but whatever it was was lost in the darkness that flooded the room, lost in the yelling and confusion that filled the both of them as men filed in and apprehended them, lost in the rag soaked with chloroform that was being pressed over Tsukushi's mouth. she struggled to hold her breath, but someone punched her in the stomach to force her to breath, slowly she felt herself losing her grip on reality, her eyes started to droop and the diary fell from her hands, she tried to find it, but the men wouldn't let go. Somewhere, the men were struggling to subdue Tsukasa, "TSUKUSHI!" his scream sounded muffled to her, the next sounds were the crack of a baseball bat and the thud that was his body hitting the floor. Tsukushi didn't hear him after that, in fact, she didn't hear anything.
