A/N: First chapter out of three for today!

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The Beginning of Summer Break: Akita

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Summer holidays started the next day. They took their family's private helicopter to Tazawako, Akita. The Fugusawa's summer house was roughly double size of their old home and near the famous Tazawa Lake. They could have gone directly by the Akita Shinkasen which ran directly from Tokyo to Akita- only 3 hours, after all! But riding in the helicopter for the first time was fun, and Yumi didn't complain. The temperatures was cooler in Tazawako too, to Yumi's relief.

After the helicopter trip, the four youths (Yumi, Yuuki, Suguru and Sei) were bundled into a waiting car (another Bentley! Was her family obsessed with them?) and driven to a quiet neighborhood. There weren't many hedges in this neighborhood, and it had an open, friendly feel towards it. Tall pine trees lined the sides of the roads leading into the estate. It was a paved road, narrower than usual roads and just wide enough for the Bentley.

They drove past a small stream. Yumi longed to dip her toes in them. Suguru mentioned how the stream ran past each of the twelve houses in the neighborhood, and how as young children, he and a few other boys used to swim in it during summer.

"We used to race each other- starting from the Arima house and ending at the Kashiwagi house. That was an almost perfect circuit- past all twelve houses. I was a good swimmer, and usually the first to reach the finishing mark," beamed Suguru as he told his tale.

"This is a Bloodchanger enclave, where all twelve families have their summer houses. It's just us here, so it's really quiet. The Ogasawaras, Minamotos and Harunos don't really come here often, though. Sorry, Yumi-chan. But maybe when Sa-chan finds out you're here she'll spend more summers here instead of that misty place near Tokyo." Suguru patted Yumi's head sympathetically, and plastered a cheeky grin on his face.

Yumi had guessed correctly that the twelve houses belonged to the twelve Bloodchanger families. With a sigh of relief, Yumi relaxed her beating heart. She didn't have to face haughty, pedigree-conscious society girls this time. She remembered how they almost ruined her summer with Sachiko last year. If only her Onee-sama was here in Akita!

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Earlier that day: Tokyo

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She had a good night's sleep, especially after the two drinks she had in their family's indoor bar. Waking up with the sun shining in her face, Yumi remembered that she would be travelling to Akita. Yumi was glad that Sei was with her, but she wished so dearly for Sachiko to be there too. Would her Onee-sama somehow visit her Akita summer home? But she'd mentioned being busy during that summer so Yumi quashed her hopes at once.

Nevertheless, she couldn't help but ask at breakfast that morning, "Why can't Sachiko-sama come too? I mean, if I wrote and she said she was able to come?" The question was directed at both her parents, who were with her in the "modern" dining room.

"The Ogasawara family is not as close to ours, Yumi-chan. Be happy that you have Sei-chan and Suguru-kun with you for company, other than your brother. The Saitos and Kashiwagis have been our close family friends for centuries-almost family, so we have no qualms about letting them help you both. But the Ogasawaras…" Her father frowned, attempting to phrase his words properly before saying them.

"What about them, Father?" blurted Yumi impatiently.

"I do not think highly of the men in the Ogasawara family. And I do not want our family associated too closely with families who treat their wo-"

"Father, is not Kashiwagi-sempai part of the Ogasawara family too? He and Sachiko-sama are cousins." Yumi's mind was reeling from her Father's blunt answer.

"He is a Kashiwagi, first and foremost. Besides, his engagement with the young Ogasawara heir has been annulled last New Year's, so he's not going to be part of the Ogasawaras. Thankfully. I'm glad her parents decided that they were too young to be engaged, and his parents realized that he didn't want to be engaged and set him free."

"Sachiko-sama did mention the annulment. But she told us to keep it quiet."

"It will be announced publicly at the Summer Ball, where the prominent families gather to socialize. We'll be there, and you'll get to meet our family friends at long last." Her father seemed relieved that he had swiftly changed the conversation topic.

Yumi thought about the girls she'd met at the ball, a summer ago. Goosebumps prickled her skin. She had survived those encounters with them, and even left the place with the name Tenshi-san ('Angel'), but that didn't mean she wanted another mano-a-mano with them.

Yumi sighed. "Must we go?"

"Well, yes. We're one of the nine oldest and leading families, so our presence is expected. Besides, we can't abandon the other eight to the wolves out there, can we?" Noticing his daughter's glum look, and remembering how she had described the people she'd met over that summer, he patted her on her back sympathetically. "This time, you'll have other Bloodchanger families around you, so you won't have to face those wolves alone."

Yumi understood what her Father was trying to say. By presenting a united front, the nine families cohesively discouraged personal attacks on themselves by any jealous persons who bore them ill-will. She remembered Suguru-san's jibe about the Ogasawara syndrome the girls and their parents had. She remembered how Sachiko-sama was so worried for Yumi's feelings at their open scorn. Strengthened by that memory, she battled on. She wanted to have at least the option of asking Sachiko-sama for a visit.

"But Sachiko-sama's my Onee-sama, Father! Surely…"

"Surely- surely nothing! We are not enemies with the Ogasawara, Yumi, but I do not agree with how the men lead their lives." Yumi's father looked disgruntled that the conversation was now back to this.

"Sachiko-sama is a woman, Father!"

"But you are a Fugusawa young lady, who is to be trained and educated in our tradition, history and other gaps in education you've missed for the past sixteen years. Such an intimate affair as teaching and accompanying you as you learn will only be open to the Saitos and Kashiwagis. They've stood by us all these centuries, and hold on to the same ideals as we do. The Ogasawaras- treat their women badly. It sickens me. And the women accept their fate, just like that! No, Yumi, you will not ask if Young Lady Ogasawara would like to come to you."

"Then how can I tell her of what has happened? If she knows that Sei-sama is here instead of her, she'll be very…"

"Then don't mention Sei-chan, is it that difficult?" Father was losing his patience, Yumi could tell. And she was losing the battle.

"Sachiko-sama knows me very well Father. I find it very difficult to keep things from her, especially if they're weighing down on my mind…"

"You're eighteen, Yumi. While still very young… you're growing up to be a fine young lady. I'm sure you'll find the best way to tell Young Lady Ogasawara the news." Bam, bam, bam, words flew like a tennis ball volleyed furiously across the net during a high-stakes match.

"I thought you and Mother were in awe of the Ogasawaras!" Yes, she was definitely losing the battle, if that was the only retort she could come up with.

"We had to live out our undercover lives as fully as we could, Yumi-chan. That included behaving in a way expected of an upper middle class household. Please, Yumi-chan. We're not enemies with the Ogasawaras, but we're not bosom buddies either. They're part of Japan's nine families, and we're friends, although not on warm terms." His voice had a note of finality to it.

Mother spoke up. "Yumi-chan. It's hard for your Father to express this in words. Let this go. You'll see Sachiko-sama after the two weeks away in Akita. We know that she means a lot to you. So by no means feel pressured to distance yourself from her. But for these two weeks, just focus on your lessons, all right?"

Still unsatisfied, but consoled by her mother's soft words, Yumi hugged both her parents before leaving. She wanted to find out more about the nine families. Perhaps she could discover the reason why her Father disliked the Ogasawaras- well, not disliked, but he didn't think very highly of their personal lives either. And that translated into a cool relationship between their families.

Was this why Suguru-san didn't tell her Onee-sama about Yumi's true origins? Perhaps he wanted to protect her. Perhaps if Sachiko-sama knew, she wouldn't… she would draw away from Yumi. She did say she liked how Yumi's life and family were so normal… her words carrying the implication of Yumi being uncomplicated. Yumi could hardly say that her life now was anything but normal. Or simple.

With a sigh, Yumi finished her breakfast and left to get ready for the journey to Akita.

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