Disclaimer: I honestly think my life would be complete if I could own Kyoya Ootori, but I don't see Bisco Hatori allowing me to buy those rights...
Holy mothballs! A new chapter!? Yes, my lovelies, your eyes are still functioning properly. I have a new chapter for you guys. It's long-ish, it's cute-ish, and it's awkwardly-written-ish. I'm not sure if anyone was aware, but I had a rather hurtful review on my last chapter. I deleted it the moment I could, and yes - maybe it was simply someone "trolling" me. Still, it was very upsetting, and I kind of lost sight of this for a while. It doesn't help that Tsukiko is being very stubborn about wanting me to move past her whole fling with Takashi. [/is shot] Guess that's what I get for having the next three years of her life planned out quite thoroughly in my head. But I'll address that at the bottom; you guys want to read this chapter, no?
Before I move onto my reviewers, I want to apologize to everyone who's read this story and has waited for so many months for another chapter. I've had quite a heap of family issues recently, and it's just been a very rock time for me. My main concern is for my grandmama. She was recently diagnosed with cancer, and they found out that it was there for a lot longer than they had expected. There was a tumor all around her bladder and inside it, as well as around her uterus; she had surgery back in October for it, and did not get out of the hospital until the end of November - and then it was only to move her to a rehab center because she couldn't walk. She has since recovered, but they started her on chemotherapy yesterday.
I just wanted to address that issue because (even though I will try) I'm a college student, and I seriously don't know how much free time I will have - and it's possible that free time may be taken up with helping take care of my grandmama. So if it takes a while for the next update - I haven't forgotten about you guys. I'm just really, really busy, and I thank you all ahead of time for being understanding of this.
Now, before I finally shut up - I'd love to thank my reviewers~ ivyfedora, round and round we go, angel2u, and Ella (who was a guest)~ You guys are absolutely amazing, and this chapter is dedicated to you! I must have read those four reviews over and over this past week, and it's been my motivation to write (aside from yummy scenes with Kyoya beckoning me forth).
ivy,yes, you were the first person to review my last chapter. Feel proud. xD
angel, that is an excellent question. Tsuki will not like Renge at all, and Kyoya's honestly going to be amused by it. Tsuki...gets jealous rather easily when it comes to Kyoya, so it ought to be extremely entertaining for the lot of you. I do, however, think that Tsuki and Renge could become quite close friends, after Renge leaves Sook's man alone. Lol.
Ella, thank you for taking the time to review my story! I'm glad you like it, and I hope you'll stick around, even though (I'm going to go ahead and warn you) Takashi and Tsuki will not be together for more than another chapter or two (though it's really over two or three months in the story).
Jeez, I talk a lot don't I? (One last thing: if you guys haven't seen The Hobbit, you are seriously missing out. Kili is the most adorable thing in this entire world. I've seen the movie four times already, and want to see it again.) Anyway! Let's get on with it, shall we~?
chapter vii
"Well, someone looks chipper this morning," Hiroshi commented as I walked up to my trio of friends. It had been two days since Takashi had answered my proposition, and by that morning, I had practically been squirming with excitement about telling my friends; it wasn't a surprise that it was really obvious.
"What is it?" Emiko queried, sighing softly. I could only assume she thought it was something about a book or a movie; we didn't exactly have the same tastes.
I grinned at them, shifting my bag higher up onto my shoulder. "So on Friday I was conned into a sleepover with the host club," I started my story, holding a hand up to fend off any questions. "They took me to the Hitachiins' place to get some clothes, and then we went to the Ootoris' place for the duration of our sleepover. Mitsukuni left his stuffed bunny in the limo, and he told me it didn't matter since he could just use me while he slept. I'm sure you can guess who I was in the middle of." The looks on my friends' faces were enough to tell me I could continue. "Once everyone settled down to sleep, I got up and went outside on the balcony. Apparently, Mitsukuni tried to hold onto Takashi and woke him up, and when Takashi realized I wasn't there, he came outside. You guys know how he is when he gets tired—he just started talking to me and then finally brought up my proposition from two weeks ago. I just kind of nodded and said, 'Oh?' He was quiet for a while and then simply stated, 'yes.' I sat there, waiting, before he chuckled and said that was his answer." It was a mouthful, but I knew my friends well enough to know they would have asked for those details after if I had just told them Takashi was my boyfriend.
My three friends stared at me, mouths agape.
"Seriously?" Hiroshi asked after a short silence. I frowned, blinking at him. "I'm sorry; I am seriously gonna have to see proof of this one before I believe it."
"What do you mean proof?!" I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.
Emiko sent a glare at Hiroshi before trying to placate me. "I guess we're all just having a hard time comprehending since you two have been skirting around the whole thing for so long. I mean, it's been—what—a month since you got back home? It's been time."
"Hey, I told him two weeks ago! It's not my fault he's so hard-headed," I grumbled, causing all of them to laugh while Tamotsu ruffled my hair.
Grinning, he shook his head at me. "Kiki, that's like the kettle calling the pot black."
I blinked at him. "Don't you mean 'the pot calling the kettle black,' Momo?"
Tamotsu sighed, shaking his head at me. "Just ignore the meaning of the words, Kiki."
"Oh, well, I know I'm stubborn. That's why I'm allowed to say he is," I answered, shrugging. "It's not like I'm ignorant about it."
Hiroshi chuckled as Tamotsu sighed, exaggeratedly throwing his hands up. "Just don't worry about it, Tamotsu. In the end, she'll simply win."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" I asked, pouting at my best friend.
None of my friends got the chance to reply, considering I was suddenly side-glomped by a form slightly smaller than I was. "Good morning, Tsuki-chan~" the form chirped.
Blinking, I smiled and hugged the little blonde boy beside me. "Good morning, Mitsukuni~" I sang back. I looked up and over to see Takashi, and I smiled warmly at him. "And good morning to you, too, Takashi~"
To my surprise, he actually responded with, "Good morning, Tsuki." Our gazes met for a long moment, and I looked away first because it was suddenly very quiet.
I saw the looks from my three friends and asked, "...what?"
"Wow. That was awkward, Kiki. I'm glad you two are together, but save those looks for when you're alone, please," Tamotsu muttered, shifting awkwardly.
I blinked at him. "What looks?"
Hiroshi snickered as he answered, "Like you want to—"
I felt my face flush as I stepped forward and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Please, do me a favor and do not finish that statement, Hiroshi." He smirked against my hand but didn't attempt to say anything. "And for your information, that was not one of those looks. I have seen those types of looks before, and that most certainly was not that." Hiroshi shrugged, so I let my hand fall back to my side and took a step back.
"So, when is your first date?" Emiko queried, looking at me. I blinked and looked back at her for a moment before looking over at Takashi.
The black-haired male looked down at me, murmuring, "Saturday evening." I knew it was a suggestion, not an "order" of some sorts, so I nodded.
"I don't have any events to do this weekend, so that's good for me," I agreed with a smile.
An arm rested across my shoulders, and I blinked over at Hiroshi as he spoke, "But you'll be picking her up at her father's place."
Quirking a brow, I crossed my arms, "And who decided that?"
"Well, I did, but I'm sure when you tell your father about this, he'll want you to be picked up there, anyway," Hiroshi answered, quite logically for him. I had honestly forgotten I would have to tell my dad about Takashi and me, and I knew that—even though he would be happy for me—he would also tell me it wouldn't be allowed to last for long.
I sighed and nodded. "You're right; he will want me to be there so he can talk to Takashi about my curfew and whatever," I answered, smiling at the thought of a "curfew" from my father when I was living on my own as it was. Hiroshi looked proud of himself, but he didn't get the chance to say anything else since the school bell rang. As a medium-sized group, we made our way into the school building. Mitsukuni was clinging to my arm, and Takashi's hand rested on the small of my back. It was weird, but not really as uncomfortable as I had been expecting. We were all split in two as Tamotsu, Mitsukuni, and Takashi turned to head up the stairs. I darted to Takashi's side to give him a quick hug before immediately joining Emiko and Hiroshi on our trek down the hallway.
"You two are most certainly not normal," Emiko sighed, glancing over at me. I simply blinked at her as we came to a stop just outside my classroom. "Rather than holding hands or the like, he practically guides you around like a sibling or a father. It's one thing to escort someone during an event or dance, but it's another thing to do it in this setting."
Hiroshi sent Emiko a look, and then he objected, "Not always. It's more of a gentlemanly act, and Mori is definitely a gentleman. She's lucky he's showing any signs of being possessive, so hand-holding is probably something that may take a while."
"I guess you're right," Emiko replied, smiling softly. "I'm sorry if I upset you or anything, Tsukiko. I guess we'll see you at lunch."
I simply nodded at her statement and turned around to walk into my classroom. Emiko's words were kind of bothering me since she hadn't said them out of jealousy but out of sincere confusion and worry. Though, if I were honest, neither Takashi nor I had been our normal selves since I'd basically asked him out two weeks prior. But that was just because we didn't know how to act as a couple; it was just kind of weird, really. That was the easiest way to put it. (1)
"Kyoyaaaa, Tsuki-hime's ignoring me!"
Tamaki's wail cut through my thoughts, and I started to turn toward him as Kyoya answered, "She is thinking about something, Tamaki."
I smiled sheepishly as I set my stuff down, leaning against my desk as I turned around. "I'm sorry, Tamaki. It was something Emiko said that was bothering me," I murmured, tugging at a lock of my hair.
"Oh, it's okay!" Tamaki replied, pulling me to his chest. I sighed before starting to wiggle out of his grasp. "I just wanted to tell you good morning!"
He got to tell me that every morning I was at school, so I could easily say it wouldn't be missed. "Good morning, Tamaki," I responded, and he finally released me. I leaned back against my desk again as I looked over at Kyoya, who was standing nearby. "Good morning to you, too, Ootori-san," I greeted with a smile.
Kyoya pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose as he replied, "Good morning, Nakamura-san."
"Is there anything I need to worry about for tonight? Will I be crushing the hopes of another older sister who, for some reason, thinks she knows me?" I queried, cocking my head and smiling good-naturedly to show it didn't really bother me.
Kyoya chuckled as he shook his head. "Fuyumi is my only sister, and she was only there that one night because my father had business to discuss with her husband. I am still unsure as to what made her think she knew you."
My brows furrowed at the tone of his voice with that last sentence. 'Did he just lie to me?' I honestly couldn't tell, but there was just something off about his voice when he had spoken that one sentence. "Huh," I responded noncommittally.
"However, I did realize what made her think we might be together," the black-haired boy added, and I blinked as Tamaki suddenly interrupted us.
"Hold it right there! Did you just say Fuyumi thought you two were a couple?!" Tamaki exclaimed, pointing his finger at Kyoya.
"Yes."
I couldn't help but laugh quietly at the easy answer Kyoya gave. "What were the two of you doing to make her think that?" Tamaki questioned, looking between the two of us.
"We walked into the kitchen together," I answered, shrugging. "I was hungry during one of our German tutoring sessions."
Tamaki nodded, stroking his chin with his index finger. "I can see how she might come to that conclusion," he agreed, and I nearly facepalmed.
"As can I, considering it was Valentine's Day," Kyoya added, and I gasped as it all clicked.
"Oh, wow, I can't believe we didn't think about that! That explains why Emiko gave me chocolates, then," I mused aloud. "Though I have to say, I think America's way of doing it is better. Both genders exchange gifts or chocolate on February 14th over there."
Tamaki gasped, and I blinked over at him. "Really?! I had always thought it was a commoner thing!"
I heaved a sigh, and rubbed a hand over my face. "Tamaki, you are seriously going to have to stop saying stuff like that. One day you're going to say it to the wrong person, and it's not going to end well."
Tamaki, however, either ignored what I said or simply brushed it off as unimportant since he continued, "But if you say it happens, then that must mean it's something everyone does. How strange; why does the United States do it that way?"
"I can honestly say I don't know, Tamaki. I was never particularly a history buff, and Valentine's Day is a day I have never had a reason to have an interest in," I answered with a shrug. "I honestly don't even think the day originally had anything to do with chocolates or the like."
"You are correct," Kyoya suddenly spoke, and Tamaki and I directed our attention to him. He turned his head to look at me as he continued, "The history surrounding how it became St. Valentine's Day is mostly made up of myths and legends of a man named Valentine or Valentinus. Christians in particular know of three men who were martyred by either of those names. It is said that during the third century, Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men because he thought single men made better soldiers. A priest named Valentine was said to continue performing wedding rituals and ceremonies in secret; therefore, he was deemed 'romantic.' There were a few different stories circulating that a man named Valentine helped Christians escape Roman prisons, though they're rather lacking in the romantic theme everyone thinks of on Valentine's Day. There was one legend, though, that Valentine fell in love with a woman whom he sent cards or letters to, and at least one of them was signed, 'From your Valentine.' Thus, there were simply some romantically-themed stories tied to his name."
I pondered on that as I cocked my head. "Huh; well, that's all fine and dandy, but what's so significant about the date? None of that explains February 14th being the oh-so-lucky date," I replied, grinning. Kyoya smirked lightly, and I knew he'd understood my sarcasm.
"That actually came about because of the Christians; they didn't like one of the pagan rituals that was celebrated in mid-February—particularly since it was a fertility festival dedicated to the Roman god Faunus, as well as the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. In order to get rid of that ritual, the Christians chose to have their Valentine's Day around then and decided on February 14th." Well, wasn't Kyoya just chock full of information?
I nodded as I tried to piece it all together. "So in essence, the date happened to be of no significance to St. Valentine—whoever he may be—and the other traditions used by the countries now developed of their own accord. Nice," I sighed, shaking my head with a slight smile. "That sounds akin to how I remember traditions developing throughout history. They typically have nothing to do with that particular day."
Kyoya, his history lesson finished, turned back to his notebook on his desk with a small smirk, though I heard him hum in what I assumed was agreement.
"Tsuki-hime, you're so cynical!" Tamaki wailed, taking hold of my hands as he invaded my personal space again. "We don't know what those traditions may have developed from; we weren't there!"
I sighed, resisting the urge to yank my hands from his grasp. "Tamaki, feel free to believe that those traditions are significant to anything historical, but I will rest assured knowing that the world is full of people who can create a tradition for just about anything and attempt to tie it into a historical event to suit their needs." The blonde boy was struck speechless after that, and I was able to wriggle my hands from his grip on them and to seat myself at my desk before I heard our teacher begin class.
Though there were many things I was expecting after I announced mine and Takashi's relationship, the one thing I was not expecting was the overly awkward silence in the room. My father was looking down at the table in front of him, his elbows propped on it with his fingers laced together. He briefly bent his head forward a little, resting his mouth against his knuckles. I tried not to fidget as I waited; normally, such an awkward silence wouldn't bother me that badly. But this was my father, not some prospective client to his business, and it affected me a lot more than I had ever thought. Finally, he spoke.
"You know it cannot last, Tsukiko."
I actually winced; those weren't exactly the first words I'd expected to hear from him. Yeah, I knew it was one of the more important points he'd have to make, but he could've at least seemed like he was glad I'd finally gotten a satisfactory response from Takashi. I mean, it wasn't like I had hidden my crush from my father—not that I even could. "I know," I answered softly, meeting his gaze. "But I'm fifteen, Dad. I have three more years before I can even marry, and even more years before I'll take over the business, which is really when I'll have to be married, anyway. Takashi and I both know it can't last, but we weren't given the chance seven years ago, and with how Takashi is, I'm surprised I'm getting this chance. Can't you be at least a little happy for me?"
My father sighed, looking a lot older than he was; he honestly sounded tired. "Of course I'm happy for you, Sook. I guess I had just expected that this crush would go away, or that you wouldn't feel like acting on it. You're just always acting a lot older than you are, and I was not expecting this sudden announcement. I wasn't even aware you had spoken to Takashi about how you felt," he replied, and I could tell he was trying to relax. He was also trying to rationalize what I'd done, but I'd never been rational when it came to Takashi, and my father knew it.
"I cannot always be more mature than you expect, Daddy. I'm sorry if I've disappointed you with this, but I haven't exactly had the chance to lead the 'normal' life of a teenaged girl before now. If I don't do it now, I may never have the chance. Sometimes duty is allowed to take a back seat, isn't it?" I queried, frowning slightly at him. He didn't answer for a long moment, so I sat silently, waiting for what I assumed would be somewhat hurtful words.
"At your age, yes, it is. I suppose I had just hoped you would be with—" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "But it does not matter. I hope you enjoy your time with Takashi, and I'm sure the two of you will have fun this weekend. I assume he is picking you up here?"
I really wanted to make him finish his sentence, even if I was fairly certain I knew how he was going to end it. Or I suppose I should say with whose name he was going to end it. And that was probably what bothered me the most, or at least enough to make me shake my head while looking at him incredulously. "With whom, Dad? Kyoya Ootori?" The name was spoken with a short, bitter laugh after it. "I've been here for over a month, and he still speaks to me with this annoying little detachment at least ninety percent of the time, and the other ten percent is typically more of a forced response than a genuine one. I have no problem with admitting he's attractive; he knows he is. But aside from that, the only other thing he has going for him is his intelligence. He has shown concern for me on two accounts, one of which he treated me quite nastily and forcefully before purposely angering me, and the other involving him mentioning seeing one of his family's doctors—which is quite convenient for him and his father. He has walls miles thick and miles high built up around him, and quite honestly, I have no inclination to break them down or attempt to vault over them in order to see the real boy behind them."
My father was looking at me in slight wonderment, and he had an odd little smile curve his lips. (2) I couldn't even begin to discern what it could possibly mean, and it only served to annoy me further. "Kyoya Ootori treats others the way he believes they want to be treated, Sook. You speak and act formally with him, so he does the same. If you slowly altered and treated him like a friend–if you would let him in–I'm almost certain he would do the same in due time. As for him treating you nastily, I can only assume you're referring to the evening of your party when you nearly collapsed. As I recall, you did not treat him too kindly, either. And he was concerned about you; he called the next morning to see how you were faring."
I was honestly shocked by my father's words. Kyoya had called the next morning? And he'd never said a word about it! "What do you mean he called the next morning? And why did he call you?"
"He said you did not answer your phone when he called, and thus he called me. I don't understand why you sound so mortified. It's not like he was offended. He thought you were sleeping," my father answered with no small amount of amusement. He was enjoying this!
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. Surely this was some sick joke my father was playing on me. I vaguely remembered an unknown number popping up on my phone, but I hadn't thought it would be Kyoya, of all people. "No wonder he was in such a horrid mood those first couple of days. Why didn't you tell me? I treated him so rudely because he was the only one who didn't ask if I was feeling better that day, and then he was downright nasty back to me, and for good reason, obviously! Jeez, I'll be lucky if he thinks I'm not the most ungrateful thing in the world." I released a pained groan as I let my head fall forward and hit the table. And it was definitely too late to apologize for how I acted towards him. Oi vey; it was anyone's guess as to why he even tried to tolerate me.
"Nonsense. I'm sure he worked it out on his own, Sook. Kyoya's a bright young man; you said so yourself. Besides, if he hadn't figured it out, I am quite certain he would be treating you a lot more coldly than he has been, and he definitely would not have been so obliging to have a room be set up for you to stay in last week."
Thinking over it, my father did have a point. But that did not keep me from feeling horrible about how I'd treated him. I'd have to make it up to him somehow, though I wasn't sure what that "how" would be. Heaving a sigh, I tried to think back on what had led us to this topic. I wasn't as angry or upset with my father now as I had been, but I still didn't know what made him hope something would happen between Kyoya and me. Kyoya was the youngest child, and therefore the least likely to inherit his father's company, no matter how hard he was trying to earn it. So, really, there would not be much gained between our marriage, if one were to be arranged for us (which sounded very likely by this point).
"You never did answer my question, Sook. Is Takashi going to pick you up here on Saturday evening?" My father's question broke through my thoughts, and I blinked at the sudden topic change, managing to nod in response. "Good. We'll have a bit to discuss before he whisks you away for a long overdue date," he murmured, his tone teasing even though I knew he was completely serious. I was also fairly certain he would voice his concerns to Takashi, as well, and I knew all I could do was cross my fingers and hope it wouldn't be enough to make Takashi choose his sense of duty over his feelings for me.
I glanced at the clock as my mom babbled in my ear. The blue numbers were bright against the black background; 9:55 pm. Five minutes left before she'd have to get off the phone. Now was as good as a time as any to interrupt her with my news. "Uh, Mom?" I queried softly, breaking her flow of speech for the first time in years. There was a short, stunned silence before she made a humming sound, an indication for me to continue. I bit down on my lower lip as I twirled a strand of hair around my index finger, feeling my anxiety spike suddenly. "I'm, uh... I'm going on a date this Saturday. With Takashi."
There were many responses I had expected, but the one I received was definitely not one of the scenarios that had taken place in my mind. My parents were just full of surprises this week. "Oh, sweetie, that's great! I'm so happy to hear this; I was wondering how long it would take you two to finally hit it off again. You'll have to call me the moment I get off work, do you hear me? I want to hear everything!"
"Of course," I replied dumbly, not entirely sure how I was supposed to react to that. I had always thought she wouldn't approve of Takashi and I having a relationship (and didn't approve of the possibility), but obviously I was wrong. I listened to her babble about it for another couple of minutes before she realized she had to stop talking. We bid each other goodbye, and I sat on my couch in stunned silence.
That was until a buzzer sounded in my penthouse, of course. I blinked out of my wonderment before rushing over to the call button, holding it down as I spoke. "Yes?"
"Your favorite person of all time is here with some sweets," Hiroshi's voice answered, and I laughed as I pressed the other button to unlock the elevator's call button so he could access the one that came to the penthouse. I headed back to the living room and sat back down on the couch, turning on the television so I could play whatever random DVD was in the player. I didn't really watch television, so I usually had something in the DVD player to watch. Right now I was just using it to have some sort of noise in the background; Hiroshi and I always preferred it that way.
The elevator's ding! sounded, and I looked up as the doors opened. I laughed at the sight of Hiroshi walking in with several bags on his arms, and two large to-go cups in his hands. I rushed to help him, taking the drinks out of his hands and setting them on the table nearby before taking the bags and doing the same. "Did you bring enough?" I asked, grinning as I sat back down on the couch.
"Well, I wasn't sure how much damage your mother would do, so I simply prepared for the worst. Apparently she didn't do as much as I thought she would," Hiroshi answered, watching me warily as though he wondered if I would break out into hysterical sobs.
I laughed softly, shrugging. "Yes, well, she had much the same reaction towards it as I thought my father would, except she didn't lecture me about it not lasting. Granted, she's always been one to think I should be allowed to marry whomever I wish, and a stronger company bonding be damned," I replied with a grin. "But I still was quite surprised at how happy she was over it; I always had the impression that she didn't want me coming back home in part because of Takashi."
Hiroshi nodded thoughtfully, and for a brief moment I wondered if he was hiding something from me; he looked like he wanted to say something, but whatever it was, I was not to find out for quite a while to come. (3) "Oh, well. I guess this is more of a celebratory sweet-eating time, then. Which works just as well for you, eh?" he teased, winking at me as he pulled out a box that I knew held either a cake or cupcakes in it.
"Hiroshi," I murmured, watching him as he set the box down on the coffee table. He turned his gaze to me inquiringly. "Thank you, for knowing that I would be worried about talking to my mom about all this. I'm glad you came. And I hope you know that the sweets aren't necessary to make me feel better."
He smiled softly back at me. "You're my best friend, Sook. I make it my business to know what worries you. And I know, but I have seven years of spoiling time to make up for. I know you hate being coddled, but someone's gotta do it." He returned to opening the pastry box, asking, "Now you do like sprinkles, right?"
I laughed at his horrid attempt to make a joke, and he glanced over at me with a grin. Though it probably would have been wrong of me to do so—if anyone had ever asked me which of my friends I could not begin to think about never having, I would answer (without any hesitation) that it was the boy who stood crouched over a pastry box, all because he was worried my mother might have upset me over something so small as a date.
"Will you quit fidgeting?" Emiko sighed exasperatedly.
I barely managed to respond through gritted teeth, "Yes, when you quit pulling my hair."
She made a face at me before she muttered, "It's not my fault you have so much of it."
"It's not mine, either!" I retorted before hissing in pain. "Just stop! I don't have time for you to mess with it again, Emi. Besides, I have a horrid headache from all your tugging. Just give me a brush."
Emiko made a noise of frustration but did as I ordered, leaving my hair alone and handing me the brush she'd been using. I quickly parted my hair to one side and pulled the brush through it to get rid of the tangles before I tried to make it look a little more tame. Once I was satisfied, I stood and grabbed my purse before heading to the door. Emiko followed, deciding she needed to make one last comment. "I still cannot believe you're wearing that on a date with Mori."
I frowned and glanced down at the dressy blue, black, and silver plaid shirt I wore before looking at my dark washed skinny jeans with my flat-footed, black suede boots that reached my mid-shin. "It's not that bad, Emi. I wore something much like this on Christmas Day a month and a half ago. I was sick of wearing dresses, and there was no way I was going to wear a skirt. We're going to an amusement park; he told me to dress casually." I continued walking down the hallway, heading for the sitting room on the first floor. "Besides, Takashi's seen me at my worst—sweating profusely and partially bruised with my karate clothes on. This is probably a large step up compared to that."
Emiko didn't say anything else as we walked down the stairs and proceeded down another hallway until we came to the sitting room. We walked in just as my father clapped Takashi on the shoulder. I came to a halt, wondering just how long Takashi had been there and wondering just what they had finished discussing. I felt a rush of anxiety and hoped it didn't show on my face as both my father and Takashi turned to look at me.
"And there she is. You have excellent timing, Sook. I just told Takashi that he was to have you back home by no later than one am. That should be plenty of time for you at the park. You two have fun now. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," my father teased, winking at me.
I had half-expected my father to escort us to the door, but he and Emiko stayed behind while Nobuyuki walked us to the front door. I was extremely conscious of Takashi's hand on the small of my back as we made our way down the hallway. Nobuyuki opened the front door, smiling kindly at us. "I hope you both have a pleasant evening," he bade, bowing low.
"I hope you do, too, Tanaka. I must say I do not envy you having to deal with my father this evening," I called over my shoulder with a grin. Nobuyuki did not answer, but he did wait until Takashi and I slid into the Morinozukas' limo before he retreated back into the house. Now that we were at least in a somewhat private setting, I shifted my gaze to Takashi and blurted, "I hope my dad didn't say anything too bad to you."
Takashi blinked slowly, tilting his head slightly as he looked at me. "Not really," he answered after a long moment, and I nodded as I bit down on my lower lip. I didn't want to ask if my father had mentioned our relationship not being allowed to last long, but at the same time I was dying to know. Of course, I didn't think Takashi would keep quiet if he'd decided to do the "correct" thing duty-wise, so I allowed myself to relax a little. "You look pretty."
The sudden comment surprised me, and I blinked up at him. His words finally registered, and I felt heat creep into my face. "Um, thank you," I answered quietly. He didn't reply, and I glanced over at him. It struck me that he was wearing a short-sleeved blue shirt with a sleeveless black jacket/vest over it, with a pair of dark washed jeans and black (probably designer) shoes. It was the type of outfit I hadn't seen him wear in a very long time, and I was fairly certain I sat there for a long moment just soaking the sight in. Briefly, I wondered how I hadn't noticed it before he'd made a comment about how I looked, but then I heard a soft chuckle, and I blinked out of my trance-like state, feeling my face burn hotter. Takashi was smiling slightly, and I realized I had been staring intently at him, and probably had been staring for a few minutes. I coughed awkwardly and managed to murmur, "You look handsome, as well," before we both lapsed into silence. I stared at my boots, unsure of what to say, unsure of what topic to bring up.
As it were, we didn't really have to talk. I felt Takashi's hand settle on mine (which was braced on the seat) and I glanced up at him to see his smile. I blushed and smiled back before sitting back and trying to relax for the duration of the ride. It wasn't a really long ride, honestly; we arrived within about ten minutes, and all of it was in comfortable silence. The limo stopped outside the amusement park, and a man was shortly opening the door. Takashi slid out, grasping my hand and pulling me out gently behind him. I smiled at the man who had opened the door and thanked him before Takashi and I set off towards the entrance.
Though he'd dropped my hand while we stood in line, Takashi did stand close by, as though he were guarding me – which in all honesty could have been possible. There were many people gasping and staring, and it wasn't hard to guess why since it was in our general direction. It was awkward, to say the least. I'd never enjoyed being gawked at, and this was no exception. Thankfully, the line moved quickly, and we were inside the amusement park before too long.
I unfolded the map we'd been given, smiling to myself as Takashi's hand came to rest on the small of my back, guiding me safely around benches and groups of people as I studied the map of the park. "It seems to go in a sort of circle, with random dead-end branches leading to other attractions. When we go up here, we can go ahead and turn to the right, and there will be a roller coaster almost immediately after," I announced to Takashi as I closed the map and folded it up. Takashi took it with his free hand and tucked it into one of his pockets, causing me to grin. His hand didn't leave my back as we walked to the first coaster and weaved our way into the line.
And thus began the cycle. At first Takashi didn't talk much, but each line we entered seemed to have a longer waiting time, and eventually we were simply having quiet conversations, pretty much about anything. We discussed martial arts and school and music, and he prompted me to tell some stories about people I'd met while on tours the past couple of years. I was in the middle of one such story while we were taking a break from riding roller coasters and were instead waiting in line to get something to eat—and that was when I felt the odd sensation that I was being watched intently, though it did not really feel malevolent. Unfortunately, that sort of sixth sense was honed very well since it was not unnatural for people to stalk me in America, and I had long since been able to discern what sort of interest said stalkers had.
I paused in telling my story, glancing over my shoulder with a perplexed look and making a slow perusal. Takashi interpreted it quickly, moving into a more protective stance as I searched the crowds of people nearby. Finally, I turned my head back up to Takashi with a frown. "What was I talking about?" I sighed, feeling no need to comment on what had just occurred. It was always possible someone had just noticed who I was and had proceeded to make sure of it before scampering off to join their companions. In any case, I didn't feel the stare (or stares) anymore, and I ended up shrugging it off as we stepped up to the window to place our orders.
I found my hand clutching at Takashi's shirt violently as we walked with a small group of people through the park's Haunted House. He didn't seem to mind and pulled me closer to him, my side pressing firmly against his. I heard someone ahead of us stumble slightly, and they must have tripped some sort of switch because the lights suddenly went out. I went practically rigid and gripped onto Takashi's shirt tighter. Okay, this had definitely not been our best idea of the evening, but it had been one of the attractions along our route, and I had honestly thought we'd be sitting in a cart of some sort—not walking.
Someone grabbed onto my arm, and I bit back a scream as I jerked violently away from whoever it was, accidentally slamming my shoulder into Takashi's side. The next thing I knew, I was in his arms and cradled against his chest. "It's all right, Tsuki," he murmured, brushing a kiss against the top of my head. I blushed darkly and turned my head into his neck, trying to calm down. I had never been able to stand watching horror or thriller movies, typically because my imagination ran amok when I did. But I'd never had a problem with haunted houses—likely because they were just so obviously fake. This one, however, had obviously been prepared and planned with great effort because it had only taken a couple of minutes for them to have me latched onto Takashi's side, and then only a couple more minutes to have me where I was now. I released a shuddering breath, nuzzling the crook of Takashi's neck and closing my eyes as I breathed in his scent.
I heard a clicking noise and dared to turn my head and open my eyes, taking note that our guide had turned on a flashlight and was aiming it in our direction. He was actually rather young, probably in his early twenties, and he told the rest of the group to stay put as he walked back to us. "I can have someone escort the two of you out the side entrance, if the two of you would prefer," he spoke quietly, though he was looking directly at me. He shifted his gaze to Takashi and added, "She looks like she's about to faint."
I felt my face flush in embarrassment, and I snapped, "I am not about to faint!" The guide quirked a brow at me but did not comment, and the next person who spoke was Takashi.
"The side entrance sounds fine. Thank you."
The guide nodded and headed off somewhere before coming back with another person. Takashi lowered my feet to the floor, and I bit my lower lip, refusing to look at him (or the others) as our original guide told us this other person would escort us out. I knew none of what was going on was real, but it all reminded me a bit too much of one stalking incident gone bad—the only one that had. And it didn't help that I had a rather irrational fear of the dark. Takashi's hand against my back was my only signal that we were to start walking, and I had to force myself to pay attention to our new guide, who would occasionally point out switches on the ground.
We were back outside in a few minutes, and Takashi and I walked along in silence. I finally managed to muster an, "I'm sorry, Takashi." When he didn't respond, I continued. "You had to pay extra for us to do that, and I couldn't even make it halfway through. I didn't think I'd be so frightened by it. And I didn't think they would allow the workers to touch the people walking through." The last bit was said as an afterthought, but that had been what had caused most the problems.
Takashi suddenly stopped walking and lightly circled my wrist with his fingers, tugging me to the side and out of the way of passersby. His hand released my wrist and moved to tilt my face up, cupping my chin. I blinked at him in surprise, feeling my face heat up. His thumb lightly caressed my jaw, and I expelled a quiet breath I hadn't known I was holding. "Stop worrying. I have been through it with Mitsukuni before, so I am not missing anything. I should have known you would not like it," Takashi murmured softly, his onyx eyes searching mine imploringly, as though he were looking for forgiveness.
"Don't you dare turn this into your fault, Takashi," I snapped immediately. "It was my responsibility, and I was even the one who suggested we go inside. I'm not going to stand here and watch you try to twist it around. You couldn't have known I'd react like that, and if you continue to act like you're blaming yourself for this, so help me—I will be very put out with you." It was a very empty and vague threat, and with how Takashi's lips twitched, he obviously noticed it, too. But he seemed to acquiesce, and he slowly released my chin.
Stepping back slightly, Takashi let his hand settle on my back once more as he asked, "Where now, Tsuki-hime?"
I opened my mouth to object to him calling me that when I felt the weight of someone's stare on me, yet again. I knew it wasn't Takashi's, and I quickly glanced around the area without turning my head—I simply let my eyes sweep from left to right and back. It had felt the same as before, which made me wonder if someone was following us. The feeling was gone shortly after I'd done one more sweep of the general vicinity, and I pushed it to the back of my mind for the moment.
"I think there's a boat ride, like the type with a theme that typically has a really annoying song playing in the background. If you've ever been to Disney World, it'd be the 'it's a small world' ride. There's also a theme park in Georgia—one of the states directly above mine—that has sort of the same thing, but it's based around some odd monsters, and the only annoying thing about it is the horn at the end." I knew I was probably babbling, but if Takashi minded, he didn't say anything. Instead, he merely guided me through the ever-growing throngs of people. It seemed as though most people enjoyed coming later at night. Normally, I wouldn't blame them, since the nights were when the temperature dropped several degrees and the winds picked up—but that wasn't exactly ideal during the winter months, even if it was warming up just a little.
Of course, since it was a kid-friendly (and kid-oriented) ride, the line for that particular attraction was the longest of all the lines we had been in all evening. We fell back into our routine of quietly speaking, but it didn't last long since it was suddenly very quiet around us. I chanced a glance at the people surrounding us and found that they were all staring at me as though trying to solve a puzzle. I managed a smile but found myself instinctively shifting closer to Takashi.
I heard a young girl nearby pipe up and ask, "Mama! Is that Tsuki?!"
The mother's response was hushed, and I honestly wasn't sure I wanted to hear it. Thus far Takashi and I had managed to make it through lines without calling much attention to ourselves—well, to me, at least, since Takashi was kind of hard not to notice—but we had obviously pressed our luck by waiting in line for a kid's ride. Though my songs were directed toward a teenage audience (whether early or late teens) there had been one song that had been specifically for kids, and unfortunately that song had been one of my more popular ones. It had even become the opening song for a ridiculous anime show about girls who had compatible DNA with animals and had to save the earth from an alien race, or the like; I wasn't entirely sure, honestly. (4)
Either way, though, the situation quickly got out of hand. Soon there were many people murmuring around us, and I was fairly certain Takashi and I were having our pictures taken. I groaned quietly in frustration, glancing up at my date. "I'm so sorry about this, Takashi."
The smile that spread across his face had my heart racing, and I heard him reply quietly, "There's no need to be sorry. No magazine or newspaper would post anything about a Morinozuka, for fear of the Haninozukas' response." I blinked in reply. That wasn't what I had been apologizing for, but it was a valid response since I hadn't elaborated enough to state my true meaning. But I could explain myself later.
It was a relief when we were finally allowed to get into one of the boats. It was big enough to seat eight people comfortably—four rows with two adults side by side—but apparently the workers felt bad for us and allowed the two of us in the boat on our own. I was extremely grateful, and I mouthed my thanks to them. They smiled and nodded back to us, and shortly we were going through a short, dimly-lit tunnel. I could hear the distant sound of some sort of music, and as such I allowed myself to relax.
Takashi relaxed, as well, and I allowed my head to lean against his arm. "It's a very childish ride, but at least it's semi-relaxing. The music sounds like it's going to be awful," I sighed, smiling wryly, even if he couldn't see it. Takashi did not reply, but his hand did lightly take a hold of mine, and I felt his thumb start lightly rubbing over the back of it. I closed my eyes as the doors to the first room opened, and I tried my best to block out most of the music that suddenly blasted our ears. It wasn't uncomfortably loud, but it was enough to where I slightly regretted this choice of ride. I still hadn't opened my eyes, so I wasn't sure what the theme was, but the words I picked up on made me think it was probably some sort of monster theme (that seemed to be quite popular).
"I remember one time when we rode a ride like this—it was Hiroshi, Tamotsu, Emiko, and me. That was a huge mistake. We were those kids that got out of the boat and ran along the landing before jumping back in." I laughed at the memory of it and felt Takashi's chuckle. We had been about eight or nine, old enough to know better and young enough to not fit the standard age group of kids who would do it. The looks on the worker's faces when we'd come back out had been enough to tell us there were cameras, and we'd all tried our best to look too cute to get thrown out—it had worked. The workers had laughed and quietly chastised us, but we were free to run off. We hadn't done it ever again, though Hiroshi had seemed like he was going to do it a couple weeks back at the theme park we'd gone to in a different city. He hadn't, though—which the rest of us were thankful for since we were fairly certain we wouldn't get out of it again—and we'd steered clear of the ride for the rest of the day so that none of us were tempted.
Sadly, all the kiddy boat rides were rather short, and within a couple minutes, we were back outside. I finally permitted myself to open my eyes and sit up straight. Takashi stood and stepped out of the boat before assisting me out of it, and we both took a short moment to stretch before heading down the exit pathway. "I think there are only a couple more coasters left. Shall we ride those and then go get some funnel cake?" I asked the older teen as his hand settled on my back once more.
"That sounds fine with me," Takashi answered, and I glanced up at him, slightly startled. I could tell by the way he was blinking that he was starting to get sleepy, and I knew we would likely be heading back to my father's estate soon—after we finished off some funnel cake, of course. I had mentioned it, so there was no way Takashi would let me go home until I got it. The thought made me smile as we weaved our way through the crowd to our next destination.
It happened when we were in line for the last coaster in the circle we'd made. I had turned around to say something to Takashi when I felt the intense gaze fall upon me again, and that was when I saw them. I likely wouldn't have seen them if we hadn't been near the back of the line; in fact, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have—and the whole lot of them would have gotten away with it. Instead, however, I politely asked the people behind me to let me by, and it was rather easy to make it to the entrance (or in my case, improvised exit) of the ride. I heard Takashi's footfalls behind me, and I was glad he didn't try to stop me or ask me what I was doing.
I had honestly half-expected them to at least try and get away. If they'd made a break for it, they would have quite easily made it out of the park before I could find them. As it were, they were all seated at a table, trying to seem nonchalant. If their disguises hadn't been so horribly obvious, I might have overlooked them. Unfortunately, the only one who even seemed to know that was the one who was clearly indifferent about it all, for he was simply writing in his little notebook.
I stalked over to their table, and I knew the moment they realized they were caught. They all seemed to wilt slightly, and one started practically wailing. I stopped directly in front of the wailing one and hissed, "Tamaki. What are the five of you doing?" This only caused the blonde to wail even more, and he was soon hidden behind Kyoya, whose lips pressed together into a tight line, his displeasure evident. I figured Kyoya would have enough wrath to deal out to Tamaki without my addition, so I rounded on the other three. "Do you have any idea how frightened I have been almost all evening? It doesn't take long for my senses to kick into gear and tell me when I'm being watched. I have had far too many stalkers for my liking—and though I could tell there was no malevolence directed toward me from whomever was following me, it still did not keep me from nearly having a panic attack."
Mitsukuni frowned, pulling off his ridiculous mustache and hat. "We're sorry, Tsuki... We didn't mean to worry you. Besides, Takashi was with you, and he would never let you be hurt!" He knew that his quick tears wouldn't work on me (though they were probably the only thing) and as such, he typically acted rather mature during moments like this.
"Mitsukuni," I sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "Takashi was the one I was worried about. Just because I don't feel malevolence doesn't mean someone wouldn't want to take it out on him. And there's not much he would have been able to do if whoever it was had a gun." I was fairly certain they probably thought I was paranoid, but there was a valid reason why I usually had so much security when on tour. It hadn't occurred to me that I might need to have someone with me when I was back home. Briefly, I actually wondered if my father didn't have someone looking out for me—I seriously wouldn't put it past him to hire a bodyguard for me.
The twins shared a glance before murmuring at the same time, "We didn't know it would upset you, Tsuki-hime. Please don't be mad at us!" I felt my eye twitch at the nickname they'd obviously adopted from Tamaki; I truly did not want it to become commonplace amongst the group.
"They're right, Tsuki-hime!" Tamaki wailed, finally venturing out from behind Kyoya. The blonde grasped both my hands in his as he looked at me imploringly. "We only wanted to make sure your date with Mori-senpai went well! We won't do it ever again; promise!"
I slowly felt my anger ebbing, and I made a frustrated noise as I extricated my hands from Tamaki's hold. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Tamaki. I know you guys won't be able to stop yourself from tagging along every now and then. But I'd prefer it if you told me before you did it." My gaze shifted to Kyoya, who had been unnaturally silent throughout the entire discussion. "Ootori-san, you're at fault just as much as they are. I'm hardly gullible enough to expect an apology from you, but you could at least pretend you feel some remorse for it all."
Kyoya took a moment to look up at me from his notebook, and I almost found myself taking a step back. His eyes were hard—maybe even cold—as he, well, snapped at me, "Actually, Nakamura-san, if you must know, I have been seated at this table the entire duration of your and Mori-senpai's date."
I actually believed him before the others piped up with "it's true" and "yeah" and all other sorts of agreements. I frowned slightly as I held his gaze, wondering what on earth was wrong with him. He seemed angry, but I truly could not fathom why. Part of me wanted to ask him, but I knew that even if I did (and even if it had been privately) he would not tell me. Thus, I simply dropped my gaze to the ground before turning back to Takashi.
"Do you still want funnel cake?" he queried, not even hesitating or blinking at my guarded expression. I managed a smile and a nod, and he offered me his hand. I took it, squeezing it a bit more tightly than I likely should have.
I smiled at the other host club members, bidding them farewell until Monday, and then Takashi and I were heading to one of the many places that served funnel cake. I clung to his hand like it was my lifeline, not knowing exactly why it hurt so much that one of his close friends seemed fine with me one moment and then angry the next. He didn't say anything as we sat down at an empty table, and he didn't try to tug his hand away from mine as I picked at the funnel cake. It was when I had analyzed the look Kyoya had given me over and over inside my mind—and was basically just feeling nauseous—that Takashi finally spoke.
"Don't be upset." His voice was soft, and I glanced up at him inquiringly. "I saw his expression. All of us have received it at one time or another. He is not exactly angry with you. He is more likely angry with your carelessness of your well-being." (5)
I winced, even though I knew Takashi hadn't meant it like that. "I'm not careless, though. I take martial arts for a reason," I mumbled pathetically.
Takashi chuckled, using his free hand to brush my hair back from my face before he looked at me seriously. "Tsuki, how many people have stalked you? I know martial arts has honed your senses, but it still takes too many instances for a girl to realize she's being watched after a couple of seconds."
It hit me instantly. "Oh, please tell me I did not say that out loud," I groaned. Takashi didn't answer, and I nearly cursed. "I cannot believe I even mentioned that. It... was really early on in my career. No one expected for me to become popular so quickly. It really wasn't that bad. Nothing...violent happened until after I already had several men assigned to guard me. And even then, I wasn't anywhere near being harmed. All the hate mail has mostly stopped, actually. Most of it stemmed from a tabloid that was quickly proved incorrect, and people got over it and moved on." I didn't really want to elaborate. That evening had been one of the most frightening ones of my life, and I had never been back to that city while on tour.
Takashi didn't press me for more information, and so we sat quietly for a few minutes as I slowly regained my appetite and quickly finished the funnel cake. Takashi briefly pulled out his cell phone to call his driver, and then we were walking out of the park's gates. I leaned into him when he slid into the backseat after me, and I felt him rest his cheek against the top of my head. His fingers lightly played with mine, and I smiled at the somewhat childlike gesture. The silence in the car was overwhelming, and I allowed myself to hum since I wasn't sure what to talk about. I could feel him getting tired, and he probably would have fallen asleep if the ride to my father's home had been just a few minutes longer.
He easily helped me out of the car, and we walked to the front doors of my father's estate. Suddenly feeling awkward, I smiled shyly at Takashi. "I had a lot of fun tonight. Thank you for taking me. Thank you for...you know...giving us a chance." I ended up mumbling the last bit, sure that my ears were even pink from the blush I was now sporting. He smiled knowingly, and I shifted my gaze somewhere to the side of him. I bit down on my lower lip as I felt my heart start pounding and heard the blood rushing in my ears. I snuck a glance at him to find him looking down at me, his expression impossible to place. "Um..." I attempted to stall for time, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Good night, Takashi."
I'm not sure if he knew it was coming, and because of that, he had done something to accommodate for my short stature, but I managed to rock up onto the tips of my toes and lightly kiss him—and when I say lightly, it was possible that he may not have even felt the brushing of my lips against his hardly at all. I silently fell back onto my feet again, wishing I didn't blush so easily. I was honestly ready to slip into the house behind me to hide since I wasn't sure how he would react—would he be fine that I'd made the first move? angry? disappointed?—but Takashi's hand was suddenly cupping my chin, and I found myself staring into onyx eyes. My own eyes widened, and I felt my breath hitch as his nose brushed lightly against mine before his lips were pressed softly but firmly against mine.
It was a very mild kiss; his lips lingered against mine for a long moment, simply brushing back and forth—when I reflected on it later, I realized he was probably slightly teasing me, honestly. But at that moment, I was too giddy to even care. His lips were warm against mine, and I felt something akin to euphoria spread through me. And then it was over all too soon, and he smiled down at me before kissing my forehead and murmuring, "Good night, Tsuki-hime."
It wasn't until I was safely inside the foyer that I remembered how to breathe properly, and I felt myself start grinning like a fool. I was honestly going to enjoy telling my friends and my parents about my very first date—it had gone a lot better than I thought it would.
(1) So I'm sure anyone reading this is probably going, "Uh, what the hell, DM?" That entire conversation is important because Emiko is noticing something that none of the others (except Hiroshi) have realized, and she's the only one who would be willing to call attention to it. By this point, Tsuki and Takashi have basically fallen into a routine of how they react around each other...while their feelings for each other are actually starting to dwindle. [/winces] Please don't kill me, because it has to happen. But let me explain: it's been seven years since they've seen each other. Their feelings never really "died" when they were separated, but they obviously were not going to act on them since there was no telling when Tsuki would be coming back. Seven years is a long time to harbor feelings for someone without reinforcing them, especially when you're that young. Now that they're back together, the spark is still there, but it's not really growing; nor is it going to, mostly because of her frustration with Kyoya (read (2) for more information on that one). Takashi is actually starting to feel more of a brotherly affection for her, and within the next couple of months, that's all it will be. So please don't be too angry with me about how "short" their relationship may seem. It's really lasted about seven years. xD
(2) Naturally, the first person to realize how Tsuki feels about Kyoya is her father. I say "naturally" because she and her father are practically the same. And when I say "how Tsuki feels about Kyoya" – I mean that she's starting to like him. He's a mystery to her, and that's something that appeals to her, whether she realizes it or not. Her rant shows that she's more intrigued by him than she cares to admit to her own self, and it also shows that she's irritated that he refuses to try and be friendly with her because he wants them to be friends; instead, he only has his rare moments because his father wants him to be friends with her. What she says about not having any inclination to break his walls down is entirely true, though. She expects him to build a door of sorts and welcome her in, even if it's only a little bit at a time. And Kyoya's going to do exactly that, in his own way. C;
(3) I'm always alluding to other parts of the story. I already know when this will be brought up again, and I'm calling attention to it because it is several chapters away. So just be prepared for an author's note when I bring it up in that chapter. :)
(4) If you know what show this is alluding to, send me a PM (do not say it in the review, because that would give it away)—and I'll give you a nice little preview of one of the upcoming chapters~ It's TsuKyo-centric, so it's bound to be good. xD
(5) That is not why Kyoya's angry. He'll apologize to Sook the next day, but since it won't necessarily be explained (since she's not going to know) I'm going to go ahead and fill you guys in. He's angry with her for making him angry at himself for being jealous but not knowing that he's jealous. (That makes so much sense, right?) Let me elaborate. What he said about not spying on her and Mori is completely true; the others were not simply covering for him. By this point, he likes her. Not consciously, but a part of him realizes it. The thought of her with Mori make something inside him rebel and rear its nasty little head. He doesn't like it because he doesn't understand why it's happening. Thus, he gets irritable, and it just slowly builds until he finally gets angry with it—with himself. He's at least come to the conclusion that it's something about Tsuki that makes him mad—he just doesn't realize that it's because she's unavailable and everything in him is clamoring to be possessive of her and he...can't. (Well, technically he could, but that's not the Kyoya we all know and love.) [/shrug] So when she accused him of doing something he did not do, he simply had a reason to "lose his cool" and could not suppress his anger. Don't worry though; it will only be eating him alive for a couple more chapters (maybe a little less). Granted, by the time it's done, it will have been nearing two and a half to three months of torture for him, but...I can't rush things too much. ^^;
And yet again I end it in a way I'm not too sure I'm happy with. I just had no idea how to work this one out... I'm also kind of conflicted about my next chapter. I had originally planned to make it a chapter that involved Mitsukuni's birthday dinner and that involved Kurisa showing back up, but... I don't know. I would actually rather summarize it since there's not much that will be involved. I was thinking of going ahead and skipping ahead to April because if I don't... well, I'm not sure how long it will take me to get the next chapter done. A lot of it would be filler—and I mean a lot.
Just let me know what you'd like. Would you prefer a chapter that starts to progress the plot along (and that will likely be out within a week or two) or would you prefer something that will likely take me a long time? I have to say, even if people would prefer to have Mitsukuni's birthday dinner and Kurisa showing up, I'm kind of leaning toward skipping that chapter so that I can get into writing this story again. This chapter really slowed me down, and I'm sorry for that. But Tsuki is so much more developed in my mind, and it just creates so many problems. It may not make sense to some of you, but if you've ever written a character who has three years of her life planned out in your head, it's just...a cacophony. I'd advise never doing it because she will rebel continuously.
On a side note, I have a friend who has posted her own story on this site~ It's yaoi, and it's between her male OC and Kaoru. Our characters (and therefore our stories) will be crossing paths when I finally get to the episodes. If you're interested, go check it out~? It's called The First Snowfall by Twin Snow. Tsuki's already mentioned (end of the second chapter), and we have loads planned for these two characters (mostly mischief)~
Anywho, I would love any reviews you guys leave~ Well, aside from simply "this story sucks" or something akin to that; those sorts of reviews (and I have received one from an anonymous person; it's been deleted) are actually disheartening. Again, I'd like even a "cool story, bro." It just feels nice to know people are still reading it, and hopefully enjoying it. There will be TsuKyo soon. I promise. :D
And since I kept forgetting to mention it - this chapter's title goes with blink-182's song, "First Date." I figured it would work well enough for Tsuki and Takashi since almost everything that happened revolved around said date. xD [/is shot]
~DM ;)
