Hacking into my father's servers wasn't exactly my favourite thing to do but it was the only way I could keep an eye on things. Most of the time he handled things himself, but my father was a very impatient man and usually acted out in anger, so things tended to unravel from time to time but I was always there to patch things together. Like now, for instance. Due to him erasing numerous files in an outburst, he now needed them back for his next presentation however had not realised that he had deleted them and I had received a call from his assistant asking me to look for backups.
I knew my father never made backups. For all his genius with medicine and machinery, computers had never been something he could grasp. So with that in mind I hacked into his server and retrieved the files, reading over them and finished off the presentation for him as there was no time for him to do so himself. It was all about his new thesis and I found it incredibly fascinating. I used his notes to complete it before returning the files to their original place for him to find, saving copies to his email and sent another copy to his assistant also. With the crisis averted, I smiled to myself as I logged out and drifted away.
Today I wore a dress of rosebuds and pink chiffon, happily feeling rather girly as I walked about the penthouse wondering what to do. All my work was completed and I had been playing music for the last few hours before the call had come. I knew my cousin was in town and would probably attempt to stop by as a means to tease me for entertainment, so I sent a message down to the desk to let my cousin know I was not in should he arrive and by no means was he to be allowed up. The maid carried the written message for me and I smiled to myself. I felt more confident recently, it was a wonderful feeling.
A week had gone by since my father had left and I was beginning to feel increasingly lonely. After Kyoya's warning I had not been back to the hospital in three days and I was beginning to wonder if I should go back. He did not command me yet, after all, I wasn't his wife or his fiancée so he had no say in what I did and did not do. Decision made, I selected the instrument I was going to take with me, choosing a shimisen as it would appeal to all ages as it could make the most beautiful sounds. Ever since beginning to go to the hospital I had become quite adept at taking the bus and I liked listening to the conversations around me as well as observing people. There were a few couples today, snuggling close and holding hands and the interaction made me smile dreamily. I would like that with someone someday, it would be nice.
Stepping off the bus at the correct stop I walked down the road to the large hospital building, entering inside without hindrance however when I got to the desk, the receptionist looked up at me with recognition. "I'm sorry but I cannot allow you to visit today, your mother has been strictly ordered to rest without disturbance." This made my heart falter a little but I did not give up, giving a sweet smile to the lady before gesturing to my instrument case, patting it gently before then pointing to one of the ward signs, the one for children. "Oh! You want to play for the patients again? Well there's nothing saying you can't do that, I'll have a nurse escort you young miss." She beamed at me before calling someone over.
I did not recognise the nurse however she seemed to know me as she complimented me on my playing and chatted away as she took me back to the children's wards where I saw several familiar faces. "Onee-chan!" They chorused and I waved to them, glad to see their bright smiles. "Are you here to play for us? You kept your promise!" They were ushered back to their beds by the nurses as I set myself up, one of the nurses kindly bringing me a seat which I perched on before beginning to play. Their eyes all seemed to sparkle as I lulled them with sweet melodies and enchanting lullabies, fingers easily dancing up and down the string as the children all basked in the sound that surrounded them.
As I played I thought of my mother, wishing that I could play for her too. Please, let my music reach her, let my feelings fly to her through sound. I gave a small concert for the children, some of them falling asleep to the sound and the nurses all bowed to me in thanks as I then went visiting different wards and all kinds of patients, from ones who were terribly sick to those who were kept in isolation in privacy. I always had to wear a mask in order not to catch any germs, however I did not mind. So long as they could hear my music and I could find a way to comfort them, then that was enough for me.
I knew that my mother's window would be open so I played with all my heart, knowing that she would be able to hear it too. For this time only I shall obey the rules, not wanting to appear impertinent however next time I shall insist that I visit my mother and play for her. I enjoyed playing for everyone and seeing their smiles so long after my fingers were tender and raw I continued to play until finally, I packed up my instrument to leave as I did not want to become a nuisance and outstay my welcome.
For the third time, however, I bumped into Kyoya as I was leaving. This time he was smiling, leaning against the wall as I stopped and tilted my head curiously. How was it he was always here when I was? Stepping forwards he approached me, eyes observing me carefully as I blushed and swallowed hard. "I see there is no stopping you. Of course you would come back and play your music again, even if you didn't go and see your mother." He mused, seemingly impressed by my reading between the lines. "You are quite curious, Miss Akiyama. Quite curious indeed." Curious myself I pointed my finger to him, silently asking why he was always here. "This hospital is one of those under my supervision, I come to ensure that things are being managed properly. Also, I have an alert set for whenever you arrive, Miss Akiyama, so that I can ensure that you stay out of trouble." Now that was a bit presumptuous of him and I frowned, arching an eyebrow before exhaling.
I guess there's no escaping it, he was determined to do his best to have me obey my father but he has another thing coming if he thinks he can stand between me and my mother. I shall go through him if I have to. "Shall I escort you home? I have my car waiting outside for us." He questioned, reaching out his hand however I lifted my chin and walked past him, my pride getting the better of me and he started in shock, turning around to watch me walk away from him with my head held high. I was learning something new about him every time I met him, though each time I was more confused than before. How am I going to manage this arrangement if I cannot even make sense of him?
To my understanding, the arrangement was strictly business but I could not help but sense that there was something else underlying the issue. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I focused on getting home first. Once I was there I logged onto my extensive computer system and booted everything up, cracking my fingers before beginning to work my magic. Of course it was no easy task to hack into the Ootori system, however for a computer genius like me it didn't take me long to figure out a way in. Their security system was quite impressive, however my servers had been designed by yours truly and could not be traced. They'll never find out it was me as I had the signal bouncing all over the world, they couldn't possibly pinpoint the location.
Opening up a few emails I scanned through them, searching for anything concrete but nothing came up so far and although I searched, the Ootori family did not give me anything which allowed me to accuse them of fraud or scandal. It was mildly irritating and I pouted as I ended my search, leaning back in my chair with a long sigh. I know they were up to something but of course, there was no paper trail. It was a feeling in my gut that I couldn't shake, but perhaps I was wrong. My father knew what he was doing and often had a good sense about people, maybe I am just being paranoid because of the whole engagement thing.
Quickly I snapped myself awake. I cannot give up. I shall continue my search until I am absolutely certain that the Ootori family are as squeaky clean as they appear to be, only then would I be satisfied to enter into a contract with them. Though that being said, I probably had no say in the matter. Feeling hungry I prepared myself some food, making a note that my supplies were running low, however just as I began to cook myself some curry and rice, the door opened and a maid bowed. "Pardon the intrusion miss, but you have a visitor. I mean, lots of visitors." She informed me and I blinked before all at once the Host Club came piling inside.
"Megumi-chan!" Tamaki announced brightly, throwing his arms wide open before his eyes sparkled. "Megumi-chan you look so cute dressed like that! Haruhi, you should wear a dress just like that!" Tamaki announced without thinking and everyone went deadly quiet, the twins looking at him with deadpan expressions as he froze, making a small sound of disbelief at his own slip of the tongue barely two seconds through the door.
"Way to go boss, you screwed up big time." They chorused together as Tamaki seemed to shatter like glass before he collapsed to the floor.
"I'm so sorry Haruhi! Forgive daddy for not thinking!" He wailed comically as Haruhi walked over to me.
"Guys it's fine, Megumi-chan has known I was a girl from the very start." She told them all before she smiled at me in greeting. "Pardon the sudden visit but they dragged me here I hope you don't mind." Ignoring everyone's open mouthed stares I noted to myself that everyone was here except Kyoya. He must still be at the hospital. To Haruhi I shook my head and smiled to her in greeting before extending my hand towards the food where she sniffed. "Wow, that smells amazing. I didn't know you could cook Megumi-chan."
"Wait a second." Hikaru spoke, making us both look back at the others innocently.
"You mean to tell us…" Kaoru continued before they both finished the sentence together. "That you knew all along that Haruhi was a girl?" Tamaki stared at us before suddenly shrieking, gripping his head and I flinched slightly as Mitsukuni-sempai came bounding over.
"If you're making food Meg-chan, would it be alright if we all stayed for dinner? I brought cake to have for dessert!" He informed me brightly with Usa-chan tucked under his arm, Takashi-sempai holding the wide assortment of cake slices in a fancy box tied off with a bow and my eyes looked down to his sparkling face. How could I refuse? Nodding my head he immediately began to celebrate, the twins also coming over to sniff the cooking pot.
"It does smell good, we want some too."
"Now hold on a moment! We didn't come here to eat all of Megumi-chan's food!" Tamaki protested however when his stomach growled loudly we all looked at him blankly as he blushed with embarrassment and tried to hide the noise. He was so funny, he really was an adorable guy. Walking over to him Tamaki looked to me in surprise as I welcomingly stretched out my hand and took his, drawing him to a seat at the table which sat low to the ground, inviting everyone to do the same as I fetched tea and lemonade according to what people wanted though Haruhi insisted on helping me to cook, the both of us dicing up ingredients as everyone else watched in fascination.
I tied back my hair into a ponytail to keep it out of the way, Haruhi and I both wearing aprons as not to get our clothes dirty. This was the first time I had cooked with someone since my mother had gone into hospital and it was a truly nostalgic feeling, making me tear up a little so I quickly rubbed my eyes and continued to cook. "This is a different recipe to the one I use, am I doing it right Megumi-chan?" Haruhi asked and I nodded my head in reassurance, turning down the heat a little so that it would simmer properly.
Using up the last of my ingredients I made plenty of appetisers, carrying them over to the boys who all marvelled at the food before tucking in, enjoying it all so much that it was fast disappearing so with a flourish I undid Haruhi's apron and made her sit down, pouring her a drink so that she could relax a little. I have no idea why they were here but I was glad they were, I was starting to feel a little too lonely again but then as if they were answering a prayer they had appeared. "This is super tasty Meg-chan! Did your mommy teach you how to cook?" Feeling warmed that they liked my food I nodded my head.
"Is that her over there?" The twins pointed to a picture and I nodded again, seeing my mom's smiling face from the family portrait that hung up on the wall. "She's pretty, you don't look anything like her."
"Do not be so rude you devil twins!" Tamaki scolded before he bowed his head to me. "Megumi-chan, we apologise for arriving without warning, but I just couldn't bear to think of you all alone up here in your high tower with no one to keep you company after Kyoya mentioned that your father was away, so here we are!" Kyoya had spoken about me? I'm blushing, I must be blushing because I feel extremely hot in my face.
"Tama-chan called us all up and everyone agreed to come and see where you lived, I wanted to see if you had any cute toys!" Mitsukuni-sempai announced however I felt that I would have to disappoint him as I didn't have any toys at all. I had donated them all to a children's charity last year and my father did not believe in cuddly toys, saying that they encouraged childish and immature behaviour. I had no idea what my father would think about Mitsukuni seeing as he was older than I was but acted like an eight year old child.
Lifting my head I looked back to the kitchen and went to check on thinks, stirring carefully before stretching up my hand to reach for some spices. They were slightly out of reach so I placed my knee onto the counter to climb up, reaching it down however before I could descend someone placed their hands on my waist and lifted me down, making me stiffen as I sensed Takashi-sempai behind me. "If you need help, just ask." He said to me with a finger pointing to the spice I held in my hand. As I looked into his eyes, I finally understood that he wasn't scary at all, he was actually filled with a lot of care and concern for those smaller than him.
Smiling I reached out and patted him three times on the head, showing him my gratitude however he inhaled slightly, staring at me as he then looked to my hand. What? Was that a step too far? "Looks like Mori-sempai has also been accepted. No fair. We're the last ones other than Kyoya-sempai." The twins suddenly spoke directly behind me and I freaked, hairs standing on end as I nearly dropped the spices. Takashi sent them a look which banished them with a bored sigh away from the kitchen, however when I saw the others looking at all the instruments I panicked and raced over.
Before Tamaki could reach out and take down one of my mother's prized violins I stepped in front of him and flung out my hands, blocking the way with a pleading expression. I tried to form the words, mouth opening and moving but no sound came out no matter how hard I tried as Tamaki blinked at me, however he seemed to understand. "These must be very precious to you and your mother, am I right?" He asked before gesturing to another picture of my mother playing the cello. "We won't touch them, you have my word." He vowed and I exhaled with relief before reaching out and taking his hand, drawing him over to the grand piano where I pulled off the covering and extended my hand, offering him freedom to play it. Looking like a child on Christmas day Tamaki sprang into the seat and began to play, making Haruhi lift her head and watch him curiously.
Smiling happily Mitsukuni-sempai warned off the twins from touching anything with pride, telling them that it might make me cry if they broke something so they sat down obediently, but I could tell they were bored so I opened up one of the closets and pulled out the drawers, showing them a multitude of things which they immediately began to dive through, putting on different uniforms and costumes and rifling through old newspaper clippings and photos to their hearts' content. Satisfied that my guests were entertained I finished up the meal before I clapped my hands, calling everyone to attention and immediately they raced for the table, pressing their hands together and crying out their thanks for the meal as I dished up and served, taking a seat next to Haruhi.
"Hm! So tasty!" Mitsukuni beamed happily as Haruhi took a bite and instantly she reacted.
"This is amazing, I never thought about using this kind of combination before! Megumi-chan, would I be able to have the recipe please? I know my dad would love to try this." I was all too happy to share and I saw a genuine smile on Haruhi's face, bright and free as she ate her food, however before anyone had finished the maid returned to announce another guest. Kyoya stood there, fixing his glasses with a large cluster of papers tucked away in a case under his arm.
"I see you are already making yourselves at home. Did you not consider what an inconvenience this might be to Miss Akiyama?" He questioned however I simply stood up and walked forwards, bowing to him in greeting before I invited him inside. He looked at me quickly before complying, walking forwards and he took a seat with the others as I went and brought him some food. "That is unnecessary, I will eat when I return home." He informed me however I insisted, wanting to make sure that he did not go hungry whilst he was in my home. I placed the food in front of him regardless of what he said before returning to my own seat, once more thanking the universe for the food before eating.
"It would be rude to refuse to eat a meal that Megumi-chan cooked especially for us." The twins said to Kyoya and I noticed his eyebrow twitch in irritation. As everyone else insisted that he at least try it, Kyoya unwillingly picked up his chopsticks and took a bite, chewing carefully and I watched him to await his verdict. Was it too spicy? I hope it wasn't too spicy for him. I'll get him a drink. As an excuse to busy myself I brought tea and lemonade over once more and served everyone, nodding my head every time someone complimented the dish however when I reached Kyoya he moved his hand to cover his cup, signalling he did not want a drink.
"It's fine. Spicy food does not bother me." He said before continuing to eat. The tone was abrupt however the way he was eating signalled that he actually did enjoy it. I was satisfied with that, at least I knew what kind of foods he liked now. We ate our meal together and afterwards we had dessert and I chose the plainest cake I could though Mitsukuni-sempai looked at it in surprise.
"Meg-chan, don't you want a chocolate cake? This one has flowers one it." He offered it to me however I shook my head, pointing to the cake I had in front of me to signal I preferred it. "Oh! Do you like plainer cakes Meg-chan? Do sweet things make you feel sick?" I nodded, glad that he understood however he seemed upset by this fact. "That's so sad Meg-chan, you can't eat all the cake you want otherwise you'll feel yucky!" He said before flinging his arms around me, howling into me as I looked at him in confusion. Why would that upset him so much? I liked plenty of other foods.
"Mitsukuni." Takashi-sempai said sharply to bring his cousin back in line however as Mitsukuni wiped his face I lifted my fork and reached out, taking a small portion of the chocolate cake he had offered me and he blinked, watching me winsomely as I then took the bite and chewed, swallowing it carefully before smiling. He beamed back at me, all tears forgotten as he happily finished off the rest as well as another slice for himself, everyone watching our interaction with different thoughts in their heads, however I noticed painfully that Kyoya was also watching. His eyes were so intense, I could scarcely breathe with him looking at me like that.
Everyone stayed for coffee afterwards, exploring the penthouse before asking to go down to the pool so I loaned a swimsuit to Haruhi, one that had a frilled skirt and a matching top before going down with them all. I did not go into the pool with them, content to sit back and simply enjoy their laughter as they completely took over the pool, splashing around. It was a good thing that it was private otherwise we would be interrupting the guests however when one of the lifeguards came forwards and blew the whistle I held out my arm, signalling that it was alright.
They could play and mess around as much as they wanted to, I was glad that they were enjoying themselves. Tamaki laughed the loudest, splashing around and repeatedly going on the waterslide. Since all of them except Haruhi had brought along their swimwear, I suspected that they had anticipated going into the pool on such a hot day so I ordered ice cream to be brought for everyone as a cooling treat and had them open up the bar for drinks too. I must say, being the daughter of the owner certainly had its perks. In fact the staff seemed overjoyed that I finally had some friends over to explore the hotel and they readily came with whatever we needed, even warming the towels ready for everyone when they would come out of the pool.
"They act like such children at times." Kyoya announced and I almost fell off my deckchair, turning my head to see him lounging next to me under the umbrella, wearing a shirt and shorts with his laptop at his side. "My apologies for us surprising your staff, they must be growing tired of us already." Relaxing I shook my head and pointed to the staff at the bar and the maids waiting with bright smiles near the pool, making Kyoya look to realise that they were happy to be here. "I see, they are glad that you have company." Nodding my head I leaned back on my chair to sun myself a little. It must have been a long time since I last came down here, I never saw the point for as long as I was alone. "Tell me, Miss Akiyama, what is your view on the arrangement being made between us?"
His question caught me off guard and I sat up again to look at him, wondering why he would ask me such a thing. His eyes looked calmly and coolly into mine and I realised that he wanted my answer because he wanted to know what I was thinking. Perhaps I really was an oddity to him, seeing as I did not give much away as regards to my thoughts and that meant I was unpredictable to him. Smirking playfully I pressed a finger to my lips, signalling that it was my secret and he drew back in surprise as I then accepted the ice cream that was brought to me and everyone else immediately clambered to get theirs.
With ice cream, everyone seemed to calm down, floating in the pool on inflatables with their dessert before they were finished and the chaos started again. "Meg-chan! Meg-chan! Can you bring us the ball please? It flew out of the pool!" Mitsukuni called out so I opened my eyes and looked to where he was pointing and saw the ball next to me so I picked it up and carried it over to the edge of the pool and handed it to him. "Thank you Meg-chan!" He grinned before paddling away with his ring, making me smile as I stood back up. Turning around I intended to head back to my chair to doze a little longer, however my foot slipped on the wet surface and as I fell, the maids cried out in horror and everyone turned around.
Quickly I tried to right myself however my other foot slipped as well, my shoes having very poor grip and I felt myself go flying towards the water, pressing my eyes ready for the splash however someone grasped my hand and pulled me back up, another hand going to my back as my legs didn't quite manage to catch my weight. "Are you alright?" Kyoya asked me and my eyes immediately flew open again as he helped me to stand, his grasp gentle and concerned as he continued to hold my hand in his. "You should be more careful, all that splashing around has made everything too wet to walk on. Here, let me help you back to your chair."
Overwhelmed by the worried tone in his voice I couldn't turn my eyes away from him unless it was to look at the way he was delicate holding my hand in his. The maids all swooned at his charming words and I blushed slightly as my pulse quickened, dumbly following him back to my deckchair where he sat me down then crouched before me, lifting one of my feet. "Did you hurt your ankle? I saw you twist it awkwardly." Shaking my head as he tentatively rolled it to ensure there was no pain he exhaled, looking up and fixing his glasses where the mask seemed to settle over him again, voice growing more distant now. "You should be more careful, Miss Akiyama." My mouth dropped open slightly as he stood and walked away, his words rattling around in my head and I did not move again until Tamaki called out my name.
"Megumi-chan! Can we visit the spa now?"
"Spa now! Spa now!" The twins chorused in answer so I leaped to my feet and nodded quickly, bowing to them instinctively before gesturing that they should all follow me. Immediately the maids handed out towels and I went to Haruhi, helping her to wrap up warm and I walked with her to the spa where immediately the staff there stopped and stared.
"My goodness! Has the young mistress truly brought guests of her own?" They questioned and when I nodded, they all squealed with excitement. "How truly marvellous! We shall provide the VIP treatment at once, please come this way young masters, we shall be sure to provide you with every comfort you need."
"This way mistresses, we hope that you enjoy our facilities." Another of the staff maids said to Haruhi and I so I took her hand with a reassuring smile and led her forwards.
"I can't exactly afford to pay for all this you know, I've never even been to a spa before." Haruhi said so I looked to the maid and she quickly explained to me.
"The young mistress has never before brought friends to this establishment, my lady, so of course this means that everything is complimentary as she has shown you all her favour. The young mistress is so kind and wonderful to us, it is the least we can do to show our gratitude!" She said and I blushed. I did not mean that she had to say all that. "We are so happy that Miss Akiyama has brought home friends, we will be certain to do our very best to impress all of you! So please relax and enjoy this experience." Haruhi was soon being treated like royalty alongside me, enjoying massages, a facial treatment, pedicures and manicures as well as the sauna whilst she marvelled at everything.
"This was definitely a good trip though I feel bad I can't repay you in any way." Haruhi said guiltily as she thought hard. "I don't want it to seem like I'm taking advantage or anything…I know!" As if a light bulb went off in her head, Haruhi smiled to me. "It might not be much, but if you ever want someone to cook you a meal then I'd be happy to make you anything you like. I know my dad would like to meet you, I think he'd be glad that I finally found a friend who isn't a boy and is a really nice girl." Her words touched my heart and I beamed, flinging my arms around her to hug her tightly.
Once we had gone through all the treatments I treated Haruhi to a new outfit, having her dress up in a pretty frock of white and purple with a pair of silk evening gloves as the frilled layers shaped her figure prettily whilst I wore the same pink rosebud dress. Her hair had been styled to look more feminine and we'd even got our makeup done, our artists being some of the best available as my father wanted all guests to have whatever they wanted with a snap of their fingers. "I feel so different. This is a really pretty dress." Haruhi mused as she turned around, looking at herself in wonder before smiling. "My dad would freak out if he saw me like this."
"Good thing we took a picture." The twins announced after a flash and I looked across to see everyone else dressed smartly in suits and tuxedos. "Does this mean we're allowed to go to the casino?" Firmly I placed a hand on my hip and wagged a finger at them, telling them that they were too young to gamble so instead I showed them to the entertainment theatre were there was always a show going on. Everyone enjoyed themselves, watching the magician act and trapeze with stars in their eyes as we all partook of the best cuisine our chef's had to offer. The moment the head chef had heard that I had guests of my own he rushed out to meet us, wanting to take our orders personally as he sobbed.
"I'm so happy! The young mistress has finally brought us some of her friends that we may show off our skills! Do not worry my lady, we shall not disappoint you!" He vowed with a deep bow before sprinting back to the kitchens to prepare our food.
"The staff here love you with all their hearts, Megumi-chan, it is a lovely thing to watch." Tamaki said to me warmly and I smiled.
"Of course young master." One of the maids spoke as she bowed. "The young mistress may be quiet but we love listening to her play and she never scolds us for making mistakes. She is understanding and helps to organise our rotas so that we have plenty of holidays and will even help us in our busy times. In fact, all the accounts are kept by our young mistress, we are happy and proud to serve her." The three maids all bowed again as I blushed and waved my hands, trying to say that there was no need to be so kind however they were all smiling so brightly that I don't think they noticed.
"Indeed." Kyoya mused, seemingly interested by this fact so I blushed and looked away. The chef returned with his well wishes and set before us a marvellous meal before then returning to ready dessert as he had heard that Mitsukuni loved cake more than anything in the world. I knew that for the staff, this was also their way of showing their devotion to their jobs but also their chance to serve some of the greatest names of our society. The first time they had each introduced themselves, the staff had near fainted in shock before quickly gathering themselves back together again.
"Wow! Look at how high they're flying!" Haruhi gasped in awe, smiling joyfully and I took the time to look at everyone's expressions. They looked so happy and contented that I felt joy in my own heart. I always enjoyed bringing a smile to someone else's face as it made me feel like I had done something good, no matter how many other ways I might mess up. So long as I could make people smile then that felt like a gift better than any gem.
