In order to update my stories more often, I've been skipping my lunch breaks at work to write. I usually only have about 20 minutes to write, and so I email what I've written to myself to compile together later. It's been very productive! But it makes it really hard to judge how much I've ended up writing. ; It turned into 50 pages this time! I split them up into two chapters. I promised some humor in this one, but I think it turned out fluffier instead. I hope people like it anyway. -- Merrow
:0:0:0:
Uwahh!" Tooru gasped. "The Souma's own this train!" She looked around train car in new appreciation. Hatori had arranged for them to be picked up within hours of Shigure's phone call.
"Yup!" Momiji smiled. "But you know what? We also have our own airplane!"
"We do not!" Kyou spat, whapping him across the back of his head. "We share an airplane between 3 companies and we only rent this car, we don't own this whole train!"
"That's still really impressive." Uo-chan said, relaxing back on the plush chair, marveling that she could stretch out her legs. "I knew you guys had money, but really I had no idea. A private luxury car, airplanes, wow. Why don't you guys live in a mansion?"
"Yes, and why does Tooru-kun have to work for you when you could have maids?" Hana was helping herself to the mini-bar in the back corner of the car.
"Hey, yeah!" Uo-chan slapped her knee. "Why not?"
Shigure chuckled. "Maybe if we were important members of the family we would. But our allowance is small. Momiji's father owns a company so he can arrange for these types of things in the Souma's name, but I'm just a lowly writer."
"So you don't rank, huh?" Uo-chan said, deflating. "Just Tooru's luck."
"Oh, but I think it's wonderful that Shigure-san is a writer!" Tooru said, absently patting Momiji who lay across one seat and had his head in her lap. "I can't imagine how Shigure-san comes up with all those stories!"
"Yes..." Hana-chan agreed, sitting down next to Shigure on his side of the car. "But we're still waiting... the sequel..."
Shigure went white. "Oh, well, it just so happens I brought a notebook along! I'll start writing now!" He pulled out a notebook and began writing furiously.
The ride home was anti-climactic after the rush of the weekend, and everyone dozed as it wore on. (Except for Shigure, who kept writing under the watchful eye of Hanajima.) When they got to the platform of their home station they were all happy to be home. Momiji and Haru were picked up by Hatori and hustled back to the honke after promising Tooru to come to Shigure's for a picnic the next day. The others waited with Hana-chan and Uo-chan for the train that would take them back home. A chauffeured town car waited to take Yuki, Kyou, Tooru, Shigure and their luggage back to their home.
"So what is Uotani-san going to do?" Yuki asked as they waited. "You said you liked the modeling didn't you?"
Uo-chan nodded. "Yeah..." She looked down the track for their train, face carefully blank. "But it'll be a hassle to Tooru if I do it now." She stretched and folded her arms behind her head.
"Ah." Yuki said, at a loss. He hadn't thought about that. If Uo-chan decided to work for Rising Stars there was no way Sawatari wouldn't use that as a way to get to Tooru.
"Oi!" Uo-chan grinned as the train rolled up, "At least I have a resume now! The first job is always the hardest, or so they say!"
"I'm sure there will be many more opportunities." Hana-chan said from behind them. "We will be seeing you tomorrow."
Yuki turned to Tooru after they'd boarded and smiled. "Ready to go home?" He knew that they weren't out of the woods yet, but he was relieved that things were finally going to start going back to normal.
"Yes!" Tooru smiled. She went to pick up her suitcase, but Kyou snatched it before she could.
"Stupid, you'll probably just trip over it." He blustered and walked over to the car. Tooru slid in between Yuki and Kyou while Shigure road up front. She smiled and nodded as the boys argued over her head. No one noticed the flurry of workers tearing down posters and priming billboards in the busy square.
:0:0:
Tooru hummed happily as she put some finishing touches on the lunch she was preparing. They'd have a full house today and she wanted to make sure they had plenty of everything. She hadn't had time to cook for fun for a while, so she'd experimented a little. Besides onigiri she'd made a sesame rice dish, and some fish using some new flavorings she'd read about, pork cutlet sandwiches, and a cake with fruit filling. She'd been cooking since breakfast and couldn't remember the last time she felt so content.
Shigure was in his study, working, reading or napping...what ever it was he did in there. Yuki had gone out to his garden and Kyou was practicing in the yard. Hatori should be arriving with Haru and Momiji soon, and Uo-chan and Hana-chan's shouldn't be long either. Tooru decided to mix up some lemonade, and start the tea.
The phone rang and she heard Shigure step out of his study to answer it. She didn't think much of it; the only people who would call her were all on their way over. She finished putting the tea on and began mixing the lemonade.
Tooru hardly noticed when the rumble of his voice became terse and that his voice retreated with the phone towards the living room. It wasn't until she heard the TV click on and a familiar strain of music drifted to her that she looked up from her lemonade.
"-heart... never be apart... -ing of you...believing its..."
She walked into the living room, still mixing the lemonade. The chord from the phone stretched from the hallway and Shigure stood in front of the TV with a dark look on his face. She glanced at him and then at the TV.
She gasped. She was on screen! Singing!
"Suitcase Travels! Let us pack you up and take you along to the fabulous Kaede resort community!" A peppy announcer's voice cut through Tooru's singing and the image of her on stage zoomed to the bottom corner. Her singing faded out and girly giggles replaced it as a picture of Tooru, Hana and Uo in their bathing suit took up the screen. "Fabulous resort with heated pools!" The announcer said spastically, as that picture zoomed to the opposite bottom corner. "Helpful staff!" He shouted and a picture of Tooru in the Kaede maid uniform flashed full screen for a moment before zipping to the top right corner. "And an exciting nightlife around the city!" There was a quick image of Tooru being tugged into bar by Dai before it shrunk to fit into the last corner. The images kept looping through Tooru smiling, laughing and singing.
"Suitcase Travels!" The announcer said urgently, "New episode Monday on a special triple play! See it first at 10 am, watch it again at 5 pm and catch the special extended version at 11pm! Featuring new discovery, Honda Tooru!" Almost as an afterthought, in a hurried voice, he added, "Hosted by Mikage Dai."
The lemonade jug dropped from her nerveless fingers to spatter on her feet and the tatami mats. "Oh!" she cried waking up from her stupor. "I'm sorry!" She bent down and righted the jug and began to mop up the spillage with her apron.
"Ah!" Shigure said, covering the phone mouth with a hand. "Is Tooru-kun okay?"
"Yes!" She said, blushing and flustered. "I was just so surprised. I-I'm going to get a towel." She took off her sopping apron and picked up the pitcher as she crossed into the kitchen.
"Ah, Mii-chan, yes, I'm still here." Shigure said, focusing back on the phone. "How often are they playing this?" He put a hand on his hip. "That often? But the contract-" He paused. "Yes, I see..." He got a broad smile on his face, "Well, of course I can't concentrate with all this going on." His voice became a singsong, "So please extend my deadline by two weeks. Thank you!" He hung the phone up, just barely catching the start of her wail.
He looked back at the TV, his face much more serious. "Every ten minutes or so, hmmm?" He mumbled.
Tooru rushed back into the room with some towels and continued patting at the tatami mat. "I hope this doesn't stain." She mumbled. She might have to replace the mat, she tried to figure out where the 10,000 yen would come from if she had to.
"What's going on?" Kyou asked, stepping inside from his workout.
"Ah, it's just-" Tooru started when the doorbell rang. She looked up and started to stand.
"I'll get it." Shigure motioned for her to stay put and walked out of the room.
"Tooru!" Uo-chan cried bursting into the room. "Look at what they've got up all over the train stations!"
She held up a fist full of posters, all plastered with Uo-chan, Hana-chan and Tooru in their dresses from Ayame. Tooru took one and sat back on the floor.
"From Spotted! to TV, new discovery!" the posters read and there was a little inset picture of Tooru's magazine cover down in the bottom left corner. Beside it was a little blurb extolling the virtues of Spotted! magazine as an ideal way keep up with popular new stars and trends, along with a note on subscription prices and release schedules.
"Ehhhhh!" Tooru gasped as it finally sunk in that it was her standing there in her golden dress looking like someone famous. She looked up at Arisa and Saki. "These were in the train station?"
"There's more, tell 'em!" Uo said looking at Hana.
"In the square..." Hana said softly, "There were lots of billboards with Tooru-chan."
"Billboards?" Kyou said looking over Tooru's shoulder at the posters. "Of these?" He was still reeling from surprise, but he wondered if he could get a copy of one of those posters...
"No." Hana said flatly.
Everyone stared at her but she obviously wasn't going to continue without prompting.
Impatiently, Uotani took over. "Of her in her bathing suit!"
"What!" Kyou yelled.
"What's going on?" Yuki asked from the doorway, a small basket full of carrots.
"They got this idiot in her bathing suit on billboards in the square!" Kyou yelled. He grabbed the posters out of Tooru's hand and threw them at Yuki. "And these things all over the train station."
Yuki snatched them out of the air and was about to comment when he heard a familiar voice coming out of the TV.
"Hello, my name is Honda Tooru..."
Everyone went silent as the same commercial played again.
Shigure looked at the clock on the wall. "Mii-chan was right... every ten minutes."
"What?" Kyou asked, dumbfounded. The idiot, the idiot was on TV in that dress and that bathing suit.
"It's playing every ten minutes?" Yuki deducted. "How can they be ready to air the show already, they just finished shooting yesterday? These posters and those commercials must be costing them a fortune."
"Not to mention," Hana-chan reminded them, "the billboards."
Can they do that? I mean, Tooru's contract with them expired." Arisa said, hunkering down next to her and patting Tooru on the head.
"Un... they found a loophole." Shigure said.
"Loophole?" Yuki bristled; he'd looked over that contract forwards and backwards. He hadn't found any loophole!
"The contract states that they can use photographs from the magazine and any footage from the show to promote Spotted! or Suitcase Travels." Shigure gestured to include the posters and TV, "These, and even the billboards, they're using them to sell magazines and to get people to watch the show, so they can use them without our permission."
Yuki just stared at Shigure. With calm deliberateness, he put his basket of carrots down on the table and turned on his heel. "We'll see about that." He bit out and stomped up the stairs to examine his copy of the contract.
"We're here!"
Tooru turned to see Momiji and Haru standing at the back porch doorway with Hatori a tall shadow behind them. She stood up. "Lunch!" She shook her head, "I mean, welcome!" She paused again. "I have to check on lunch!" She said finally and fled to the kitchen, her mind in a whirl.
"What's going on?" She heard Momiji ask and Shigure's low rumble answered. Tooru refilled the lemonade pitcher and mixed up some more instant lemonade. She preferred to make real lemonade, to squeeze the lemons and sweeten it to taste, but on short notice the mix would do.
She tried to steady her shaking hands and concentrate only on dissolving the mix in the water. It shook when she heard her voice come on the TV again and everyone fall silent listening to the commercial.
What did this mean? She thought that she was finally in the clear that life would go back to normal. What did it mean now that her face was... everywhere? She'd known, in an abstract way, that she'd be on TV because of Suitcase Travels. But she'd thought it'd be months down the line and that it would be just a little blip in her life. Suitcase Travels had been described as a mildly popular late night travel TV show, she didn't think there would be billboards! She didn't know what this meant, but everyone was being so serious and excited that it made her scared too.
"Need any help?"
Tooru jumped at Kyou's voice and the long handled spoon she was mixing with fell into pitcher. "Ah!" She cried and hesitantly stuck her fingers in trying to fish the spoon out.
She pulled it out and dropped the dripping thing into the sink and then looked helplessly between the pitcher and her sticky hand. She really shouldn't serve lemonade she'd stuck her hand in, but that would be two pitchers wasted.
"It's fine." Kyou said taking the pitcher out of her hand and setting it on a waiting tray with glasses on it.
"But-"
He poured a glass and drank it quickly. "Your hands are clean, it tastes fine. C'mon." He gathered up the lemonade tray and started into the living room. He glanced over his shoulder. "Let them stick whatever they want wherever they want. Like it matters, people hardly notice that kind of stuff anymore."
"You... you really think so?" Tooru said giving her hands a quick rinse and picking up a basket of food. They were going to walk a little ways into the wooded area out back for their lunch. She'd been looking forward to it so much.
"Yeah, they're just trying to make you nervous. By the time we get to school next week, it'll be like nothing had ever happened." Kyou said confidently.
"But..." Tooru started again.
"It's not like you were in some great movie or anything, you were on a stupid travel show... it's a bunch of people running around doing boring stuff. Who's going to watch that?" Kyou scoffed out loud, but reminded himself to see if Shigure had a vcr... he'd never paid attention to stuff like that before. If he didn't maybe Shishou could record the program for him. He really wanted to see Tooru in that dress again. He decided to make a trip down to the train station to see if there were any more posters up that he could filch if he couldn't get his hands one in the pile in the living room..
"I'm sure Kyou-kun is right." Tooru said uncertainly a she followed him. Maybe she was blowing this out of proportion. After all, Shigure had said it was just promotion for the TV show and magazine. Maybe she was reading too much into it that it seemed to be focusing all on her. She must've gotten a big head with all the fuss the past couple of weeks.
She smiled at her friends as she came out of the kitchen... people might make a little fuss now, but after the show aired Monday and everyone saw how dull she was she was sure someone more interesting would catch people's attention.
"Is Tooru-kun okay?" Shigure asked gently, switching off the TV as she entered.
"Yes!" She said, putting all her will behind it to make it sound like she meant it. "It was just such a shock to see myself on TV... and on the posters." She shook her head. "I'm sure it will blow over soon."
Shigure wasn't so sure, but he could tell that she needed comfort now not more worry. "Like they say in English, "Everyone has their 15 minutes of fame", this must be Tooru-chan's 15 minutes." He patted her on the head.
"I can't wait to see To-ru on singing on TV!" Momiji enthused. "I'm going to record it to DVD, does To-ru want a copy!"
Shigure raised his hand, "I do! I do!"
"Does Shigure-san have a DVD player?" Tooru asked curiously. She'd never seen one, but then she couldn't say as she'd ever watched TV besides playing a Mogeta video... and Hiro had had to set that up for her and Kisa to watch. She just kept getting static on the TV.
Shigure thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I'll buy one."
"Welcome to the 21st century." Yuki said blandly, coming down the stairs. He'd found the clause that allowed them to use Tooru's picture for advertising purposes and was still peeved that he hadn't discovered it on his own. But he thought he might have found something that could help later on, and he gave Tooru a smile anticipating when she'd be looking up at him in admiration. "I'd appreciate a copy as well, I'd like to see that pretty Honda-san again." Tooru flushed bright red at his smile and compliment.
"Me too." Haru said tugging on Yuki's sleeve and looking plaintive.
"What the hell do you want one for?" Kyou spat and then had to scramble to keep from spilling the jug of lemonade he'd forgot he was carrying.
"Kisa-chan will want to see." Haru blinked at Kyou. "And Kagura-nee." He gave another slow blink. "Kyou-kun doesn't want one?"
"Of course not!" Kyou said; turning red and his mouth moved faster then his brain. "I can see her every day, why do I care if she's on TV?" Realizing he'd have no copy he quickly said, "But Shishou will want to see!" He glared at Momiji, "So you better give me a copy anyway..." He looked at Tooru. "Not that I want one for myself you understand!" His ears were so warm they felt like they might burst into flame.
"Yes!" Tooru smiled and then looked around at everyone. "Is everyone ready for lunch?"
"Yes." Hana smiled, looking serene and holding the rest of the goodies from the kitchen, she patted at her mouth, obviously having nibbled a bit. "Shall we go?"
Everyone tromped out of the living room, into the yard and started down the path towards Tooru's favorite picnic spot. Hatori helped to carry the blankets and casually asking Momiji to make a copy of the DVD for him as well. He'd be working all day Monday and would likely be kept attending Akito till after the last showing. He pointed out that the boy should probably wait and record the last "extended version" showing of the program.
"Eh? Ha-san too!" Shigure chortled, "Ah, poor Ha-san, he was the only one who didn't get to see our Tooru-chan perform live! Is he jealous? Feeling left out? Is he? Is he?"
"Shut up." Hatori's response was flat and measured, but his stiff gait made it obvious Shigure's barb had struck tender flesh.
The author teased him relentlessly about it as they set up and ate their picnic lunch. By the time lunch was over, the entire situation had been reduced to a joke. Everyone was relieved to see Tooru smiling and laughing freely, even if many of them had reservations about how serious this situation would end up. Life at Shigure's house often felt like living in a bubble, and all of this intrusion from the outside world was disconcerting to everyone involved.
When they finally returned to the house, late in the afternoon nobody noticed, or at least pretended not to notice, Yuki carefully folding up one of the posters and hiding it in his pocket. By the end of the day all the posters "disappeared" or were claimed. Momiji took one for his scrapbook, and Shigure took one despite getting a beating for drooling over it a little too obviously.
Kyou snuck another and Hana and Uo each kept one and promised to "steal" another for Tooru on their way home since all the others were gone. Shigure teased Hatori about missing out again causing Tooru to blush and the doctor to decide to end this outing for the day. Momiji protested, but it was getting late and no one wanted to press Tooru into feeding such a large crowd another meal. Uo and Hana left just behind them, promising to bring the poster to school next week when they would see Tooru next.
Tooru hummed in the kitchen, cleaning up the last remnants of everyone's visit, and feeling almost as content as she had that morning.
She was sure there would be some fuss at school over the posters, commercials and TV show, but it would blow over soon enough she was sure. One thing she knew for certain was that there were much more interesting things then plain old Honda Tooru out there.
:0:0:
Monday was a very long day for Tooru. Even though they were on break she woke up early out of habit. Her first sleepy thought was that today she'd be on TV. She just couldn't imagine it. Her. On TV.
The filming with Dai had been disjointed and strange, she tried to piece the different segments together in her mind to figure out how they'd make a show out of it and couldn't do it. She'd never been good at puzzles, all the rules like "find the outside edges" or "group by color" never seemed to work. She'd always ended up with gaping holes or random finished bits and never the complete picture.
She sleepily decided to get up and start breakfast. It was early for a day when they didn't have school, but she was sure that Kyou would be up soon and the smell of food was usually enough to draw Shigure out of his study. Yuki would wake up eventually, she'd just make sure to make something that would reheat easily. She smiled to herself as she brushed her teeth; she kind of liked it when Yuki walked around half asleep. He was usually so guarded and careful, it was nice to see him vulnerable once and a while. And he was really cute when his eyes were dreamy and half-lidded.
She started breakfast, keeping herself occupied with vague thoughts of sleepy Yuki's wandering around the house, with mis-buttoned shirts half tucked in. She smiled at Kyou as he wandered through the kitchen after his run. He pulled out his milk carton and drank from it as he mopped at his neck. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and frowned.
"What?" He said defensively. He wiped his mouth and resisted the urge to check and see if his fly was open. He kept an eye on her as he put his carton back in the fridge.
"Nothing." Tooru smile grew a little wider. Kyou's hair was sticking on end and he'd obviously been running hard, he had sweat stains under his arms and down his back. There was a time when he would have cleaned up before coming around her or even into the kitchen for something to drink. And he would have used a glass to drink his milk. She loved that he felt so at home here and around her to really be himself.
"Then why are you grinning like an idiot?" Kyou could feel himself start to heat and hoped she'd think he was still flushed from his run. He smoothed his hair nervously and fiddled with his towel. Maybe he had something hanging out of his nose?
Tooru just shook her head. "Does Kyou-kun want eggs or fish for breakfast?"
"Fish." Kyou said, looking at her like she was nuts. He paused, taking a moment to wash his hands before falling in place beside her to help with the onigiri she was making. "So you're okay... with everything?"
Tooru paused, losing a little of her smile. She'd been carefully not thinking about "everything", the billboards, the posters, and the TV show that was going to play three times today with a special extended version at 11 pm.
"I don't understand it." She said finally. "I don't know why they're doing this." She said a little softer. "It's a little scary." It was a lot scary.
Kyou shaped a few onigiri. He wanted to say that there wasn't anything to be scared about and not to worry. But he was worried. It made him feel nervous and unsettled to think that there were billboards with her in that little white swimsuit and that soon anyone who tuned into channel 18 would see her singing in the sparkly dress that took his breath away. And he didn't understand why they were doing this either.
Kyou sighed. "It freaks me out too. I don't get it." He washed his hands and leaned against the sink. "But, I dunno, it's not like I've ever been involved in anything like that. Maybe this is normal."
"Normal?" Tooru repeated. She started on the fish, so used to the preparations that she didn't even have to look at the fish as she sliced and cleaned them.
"Maybe this is just how it works... You've told 'em that you won't work for them, so maybe this is just how they try to make money off of what they've got." Kyou's argument was unconvincing, even to himself. "Anyway, Shishou always told me," He said in an unconscious imitation of Tooru's story telling, "that you can't control other people, you can only control what you do yourself." He took some place settings out and walked towards the living room to set them up. "So just mind what you can manage yourself, and let them do whatever they want."
Tooru nodded. Mind what I can manage myself, she thought to herself firmly. She couldn't control what they put up on billboards, or in the train station or on TV. She couldn't control what other people thought about it. So what could she control? The acrid smell of burning fish, wafted under her nose. She could control if she burned breakfast or not. She quickly moved the fish off the burner and onto plates, just a little crispy around the edges.
She and Kyou ate in companionable silence. Shigure didn't stir out of his room, despite the good food smells wafting through the house and it was no surprise that Yuki still hadn't appeared. It would be more surprising if he showed his face before noon instead of after on a day off. Kyou started to get antsy after breakfast. He'd gone for his run, and now he didn't have anything to do. Usually when he had free time he'd work out or nap on the roof. Working out and napping were pretty much the closest things he had to a hobby.
Tooru was feeling restless too. Usually her life was scheduled down to the minute with chores, school work, part time job and the attention various members of the Souma family required. Even now she could think of half a dozen things she could be working on, but with only an hour before the TV show was going to air for the first time she was reluctant to begin anything. She tended to lose track of time and even knowing that it would replay twice more, and that Momiji was recording it, she didn't want to miss a minute of the first airing. She wondered vaguely if that was conceited of her.
Still, she didn't want to just sit here and twiddle her thumbs. Tooru started to rise, causing Kyou to start.
"Ah, sorry," She said, "I'm just going to get some mending to work on."
"Ah." Kyou said intelligently. "Whatever." He watched her from the corner of his eye, and then flopped back onto the cushions as she left the room. This was so frustrating. He wanted to reassure her but the words just wouldn't come, this situation was so far out of his realm of experience he had no way to comfort her. He rolled into a pool of sunlight to bask and tried to calm his thoughts. The warmth melted into him, relaxing his muscles and making him languid.
Tooru walked back into the room, pausing on the threshold to smile at the picture Kyou presented. He was sprawled out boneless on the floor, his shirt twisted up to show off his lean stomach. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be communing with the sunlight that poured over him. It lit his orange hair and made it look even more like flame. It chased away any shadows on his face and made him look very young and worry-free.
He cracked an eye when he heard her soft step on the tatami mats. "What?" That was the second time today he'd found her just staring at him. Not that he minded especially...He'd spent so much of his life being unacknowledged by the people around him, other then Shishou, that he kind of enjoyed the novelty of her watching him for any reason.
"Kyou-kun really is a cat." Tooru said lightly setting her mending down on the table looking at him sideways. Her voice was tinged with a slight bit of envy.
"It feels good to lie in the sun." His tone was defensive, but he closed his eye, stretched and went limp on the floor. "Haven't you ever done it?"
Tooru started to say of course, but stopped. She really couldn't remember any time she'd just lain back and enjoyed the sun. She'd been with Kyou on the roof, but she usually sat while he stretched out.
"C'mere." Kyou gestured with one hand, "Try it."
"I couldn't..." Tooru said hesitantly, but she was already putting down her mending and turning towards him.
Kyou tipped his head back so that his chin jutted in the air and he was looking at her upside down. "Don't be stupid. C'mere."
Tooru crawled over beside him, until she inched into the pool of sunlight. She could feel the difference in the air, it was warmer and the sun beat against her dark hair.
"Don't just sit there." Kyou commanded. His eyes closed again. "Lay down."
Feeling foolish, not an uncommon feeling, she cautiously lay down on her side facing Kyou. He was stretched out in the sunlight, but she was only half in. Kyou peeped at her again with one eye.
"That's no good, turn this way so you're in the sun completely."
Tooru obeyed twisting herself so that her head lay near his stomach. The rest of her body stretched out in the sunlight and she shifted around until they made a crooked T on the floor. She put her hands under her head and squirmed a little trying to make herself comfortable. She had to scrunch up a little to keep herself in the sun. Kyou watched her and finally sighed in frustration.
"Move more towards me so you can stretch out. Put your head on my stomach, that'll give you enough room." Kyou patted his stomach.
Tooru looked at him in surprise, but he already had his eyes closed and laid completely relaxed. She inched forward and gently put her head down on his stomach like it was a pillow. She lay on her side and looked up at Kyou's head past what seemed a vast stretch of stomach and chest. He glanced down at her when she stopped moving and she blinked trying to hold his gaze. The sun was in her eyes.
"Close your eyes." Kyou said, following his own advice. "Just relax."
Tooru closed her eyes, and the world went a vague red color as the sun beat on her eyelids. The heat of the sun seeped into her, and she felt like she was being gently rocked as Kyou breathed. She could faintly hear his stomach digesting their breakfast.
She heard her own breathing slowing down, and her joints relaxed as the sun's warmth penetrated into her. She heard herself sigh, releasing the last tension from her body, but felt like she was observing it from a far distance. Her mind drifted away in the warm bath of sunlight as she lightly dozed.
Kyou felt the soft puff her sigh on his stomach and her body go boneless. His lips quirked in a slight smile. Her hair cascaded over his stomach, a few locks flopping over onto his hand. He fingered it gently, sliding the soft strands through his fingers. He finger combed it, not really noticing when he'd worked his hand up to the roots. His hand settled there cupping the crown of her head. He felt more relaxed then he had in weeks, possibly more so then he'd ever felt in his life. He hoped she was feeling at least half the contentment he was, it might make up for the fact he'd been so useless up to now.
Her hands were resting on his stomach, next to the curve of her cheek. He could feel her fingertips against his skin shift slightly back and forth as she unconsciously curled and uncurled her fingers, gently kneading at him when he ran his fingers through her hair.
"Who was the cat now?" He thought with a smirk. He really enjoyed this arrangement... maybe next time they were on the roof he could get her to do this again. He liked when she talked at him while he was basking on the roof, but he liked this even better. When he was young and living with Shishou he used to lay in the courtyard and think there was nothing better in the world then a sunbath. He'd been so, so wrong. A shared sunbath was the best thing in the world.
A sharp high-pitched noise cut through the air. They flew apart, Kyou leaping to his feet in a defensive crouch in front of Tooru. She huddled on the floor, wide-eyed and confused. Kyou's head swiveled back and forth trying to figure out where the noise was coming from. It sounded like screeching breaks, high and shrill.
There was crashing from Shigure's study and the noise cut off. There were a couple more thuds, the sound of a body falling and rising again, and what sounded books clattering to the floor. Shigure slid back the door his yukata only held shut, his hair even messier then usual, and an alarm clock in one hand. He leaned against the doorframe, breathing heavily.
"Did I miss it?" He gasped.
"It?" Tooru said from the floor, peeping around Kyou's legs.
"The TV show... I broke the clock, did I miss it?" Shigure waved the clock in his hand. His yukata slipped open a bit more and his long slim legs showed in the gap.
Tooru gasped and looked at her watch. "It'll be on in 10 minutes!" Had she and Kyou been laying that long in the sun?
Shigure sagged in relief, resting his head on his forearm against the doorframe. "Thank goodness." He looked down at his gaping yukata. He grinned at Tooru and Kyou. "I'll be back in a moment." He slipped back into the room and shut the study door.
"What was that noise?" They looked up to see Yuki, still in his pajamas, standing at the top of the stair.
"Alarm Clock?" Tooru guessed, she stood up, her pulse still racing from the shock of it. "I think it was Shigure-san's alarm clock."
"He had an alarm clock?" Yuki sounded confused.
Tooru nodded. "Does Yuki-kun want breakfast?" She clenched her hands together. Less then 10 minutes until the first broadcast of Suitcase Travels.
"Dummy!" Kyou said, already moving over to the tv cabinet, "You'll miss the start of your show."
"It's that late already?" Yuki ran quickly down the steps.
"I'll just get the onigiri." Tooru said turning to flee into the kitchen, "Shigure-san will want some too." She couldn't just sit there and wait for the show to start.
"Do you need any help?" Yuki asked following her in.
"Tea... why doesn't Yuki-kun get some tea cups?" Tooru said distractedly, not even noticing that his shirt was mis-buttoned just as she'd imagined that morning. Yuki quickly put a tray together of teacups and took the decanter of tea off the counter. He waited impatiently for her to put the onigiri on the platter, his ear cocked to catch the starting strains of the Suitcase Travels theme.
"Toooorruuu-kun, hurry up my little flower," Shigure called from the other room, "or you'll miss it!"
Tooru's knuckles were white as she gripped the sides of the platter and walked into the room. She gave Shigure a strained smile as she put them on the table. He was only looking slightly more put together then he had when he'd been in the doorway. His yukata was tied shut, but his hair was a shaggy mess and as she came up close she could see he had faint beard stubble, something she'd never seen on him before. He gratefully accepted a teacup and she barely managed to keep her hands steady as she poured the tea. He politely pretended not to notice, focusing on the commercial paying on TV.
Yuki hovered in the background, waiting for her to settle. Kyou sat in front of the table. He leaned back on it rudely and held the remote loosely in one hand. He glanced up at Tooru as she moved around behind him on the table.
"Sit down!" He commanded, thumping the cushion next to him. "It's their own fault they woke up late."
"Y-Yes." Tooru stuttered and sat down next to him. Yuki quickly took a seat next to her. Tooru sat between them ramrod straight between them and looking more like she was facing a firing squad then the airing of a simple TV program.
Carefully not looking at her, Kyou covered one hand with his. On her other side, Yuki glanced at her white face. He looked away, turning and reaching for an onigiri and "accidentally" covering her hand in the process with the other. Tooru didn't flinch or blush; she just threaded her fingers through theirs as she waited for the program to begin.
The commercial ended and Suitcase Travels began. A jazzy instrumental started and a cgi suitcase fell into the screen. It flung itself around the screen, striking the walls and bouncing off until it burst open revealing a collection of still pictures from past episodes, a little, chibi cartoon Dai and the "Suitcase Travels" logo. The song ended and Mikage Dai's voice came over the a long panning view of a fanciful map of Japan, complete with giant temples, dragons in the water and abstract clouds surrounding Mount Fuji.
"Are you ready for a wild weekend! Get ready for sun, fun and pretty girls this week on Suitcase Travels. I've packed my bags, let's get going!"
The view switched to a more realistic map of Japan and a little red arrow pointed to the coast side city where the resort was located. "Nestled away from the rest of the world, this small resort town near Yokohama, has tons to offer for tourists looking for someplace new to go. It's just a short train ride away from Tokyo!"
It cut to Dai diving into the water, and zoomed in close to show Tooru recoiling prettily from the splash. It went into a slow motion, jittery camera, MTV style shot of Uo-chan walking along the side of the pool in her bathing suit, followed by a similar shot of Hana-chan walking and flicking her hair.
"I didn't realize they were filming then." Shigure said, making all three teenagers start.
They glanced at him and then looked back quickly before they missed anything. Dai broke through the surface of the water, grabbed Tooru up and perched her on his shoulder.
"Hi! This week on Suitcase Travels we're at Kaede resort. I'm Mikage Dai."
It cut again to the same jittery, trendy style shot of Tooru dropping her robe and being accessorized by Mine. Ayame's assistant was entirely shot from the back, in a kind of shadowy blurred effect that reduced her to a shadowy shape and a pair of busy hands.
It zoomed back to the regular shot of Tooru draped across Dai's shoulder looking strained and saying "I-I'm Honda Tooru!" The rest of the scene played out just as they remembered with the Uo and Hana introducing themselves and rescuing from Tooru from Dai's clutches.
Kyou and Yuki leaned forward unconsciously; they were getting to a part they hadn't been able to see for themselves, the limo ride with Dai.
The screen swiped to a night time view of the hotel and Dai standing idly by the limo. He looked artfully bored, until he glanced at the doorway and saw something that caught his eye. He straightened and grinned broadly. The camera panned to show what he was looking at, showing Hana, Uo and Tooru nodding to the doorman of the hotel.
Tooru looked up and smiled, and walked quickly down the path. Her skirt swirled and flounced around her and the streetlights made her dress spark with bits of gold dust. The other girls walked behind her at a slower pace, almost like a pair of bodyguards. Hanajima managed to glide down the walkway looking more like she was on wheels then feet. A black parasol perched on her shoulder and she twirled it idly. Her face was bland as usual, she glanced at the doorman as she passed and he stood straighter and took his eyes off Tooru. Uotani sauntered a step behind her, her eyes roving back and forth as if she was on the lookout for danger. A man moved towards the path, perhaps thinking to enter the hotel. Uo-chan pinned him with a glance and he froze. Everyone stayed still until all three were out of frame. The contrast of Tooru's innocence with the implied danger of her friends made her look like a sheltered angel with two tamed demon women.
"When did they shoot that?" Yuki said frowning. "I don't remember that."
"Kuso Nezumi, that's when we were all standing around figuring out what car to ride in." Kyou answered. "She ran down to talk to us."
Neither took their eyes off the TV.
"They were filming then?" Yuki asked rhetorically.
"It seems as if they were filming when we didn't realize often." Shigure said around mouthfuls of onigiri.
Tooru glanced at Yuki and Kyou out of the corner of her eyes, they both looked serious. She bit her lip and focused back on the show. She was embarrassed by the amount of skin she'd been showing in that dress. It hadn't seemed immodest, but from the high angle they had shot the footage in the limo (the camera man had been standing and looking down through the skylight for part of the ride) she was showing a lot more cleavage then she'd remembered. She'd never thought of bared shoulders as being that daring before, but now she felt like she must've looked half dressed. She sounded like an idiot, saying "yes" and "no" to every question, or just nodding and smiling.
She winced as she felt both boys' hands clench around hers when they saw how Dai had gotten so close in the limo. When he wrapped his hand around her waist and tugged her close, they both rose up on their knees looking murderous. Tooru, their Tooru, was on the screen bright red and stuttering.
Yuki was practically shaking he was so mad. That bleached idiot was obviously staring down Honda's dress. He couldn't see where the idol's hand was, but from the way she was nervously glancing at her hip he could tell she didn't like what it was doing. Dai's smile got larger as she got more flustered, and he leaned in closer. The mouse tried to remind himself that this had happened days ago and it wasn't any use getting mad now, but it really didn't help.
"Can't decide on a place, my little peach?" There was a close up on Dai and Tooru, her cheeks stamped with red and his toothy smile. "Then perhaps you can decide what kind of delicacy those lovely lips would like to feast on? Fish? Meat? Me?"
"That bastard!" Kyou punched his fist into the floor cracking the tatami mat. What was that slime implying? Kyou's face was aflame and his ears burning red he was so angry. He wanted to smash the tv, as if that would somehow fix that she'd been put in that situation. He wished he'd given in to the urges to smash into something that weekend, that he'd at least punched that blonde guy once in the face, just so he'd have the satisfaction now that he'd done something.
"YOUCH!"
On screen it looked like Uotani was close to breaking Dai's finger, and doing it with a dangerous smile. She tossed his hand back into his own lap and hooked Tooru's arm with her own, pulling her close. "Fish!" She grinned at Hanajima, ignoring the idol who was massaging his finger frantically. "Don't you think fish would be best?"
"Yankee's good for something." Kyou muttered and sat back against the table again.
Yuki's eyes widened as he watched a spark of electricity travel down Hana's braid like a jacob's ladder and make a leap to her parasol and Sawatari's corresponding yelp. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen the denpa girl in action before, but he'd always assumed that it was, at least partially, a trick of the mind. But here was her talent caught obviously on film.
"Meat... I think meat." The sparks were running down quicker now, and even though her face was still mask like the tiny upturn of her lips and the electricity in her gaze showed her enjoyment.
Yuki sat back and loosened his grip a little on Tooru's hand, realizing how tight he was gripping it. She glanced at him and gave an uncertain smile as her response and the choice of the serenade grill was made on the TV. He felt guilty that he hadn't been able to protect her better during the filming, but at least she hadn't been alone. He smiled back and gave her hand a little squeeze. She brightened and looked back at the tv.
The screen shifted
rather abruptly from the limo to a long outside shot of the
restaurant. Uo and Hana escorted Dai in while voiceover he gave a few
details about the restaurant, how long ago it'd been established;
it's star rating and other trivia. There was a quick comedy montage
of the girls ordering. It flashed back and forth between Tooru
hemming and hawing and ordering nothing, Uo-chan pointing to various
sushi to add
on, and the waitress frantically flipping sheets to
get all of Hana-chan's order in, all played in fast forward with a
funny tune in the background. It ended when Dai ordered for Tooru,
and started interviewing her in earnest. Dai and Tooru chitchatted
back and forth, and she slowly became more relaxed on screen.
It was hard to judge this by a stranger's eyes. Would they be able to see how unsure she was? How much she disliked this? How uncomfortable? She was always smiling and nodding, and before he'd gotten to know her, Yuki never would have been able to tell when she was upset, sad or lonely, not when it was herself that was hurting. She never hesitated when she was worried for someone else, but when it came to herself she had a mask better than his. She smiled into the camera after one comment, and he felt his breath catch. Would anyone else watching this show be swept away by that look as he was?
"So what do you think she would she have thought about you becoming an idol?" Dai asked, referencing Tooru's mother.
"M-Me? An Idol? Oh, I'm not..." Tooru was obviously shocked and amazed that someone thought she could possibly be considered an idol. But there she was on tv, dressed like an idol, being wined and dined like an idol.
The screen flipped around and Dai was on the Serenade Grill's stage mugging at the camera, and dramatically finishing a song. He seemed to have an okay voice, but all they showed of the nearly 5 minute song he'd sung was the last chord. There was a smattering of applause and Dai acted like he'd gotten a standing ovation, bowing and flipping his hair.
"Thank you, thank you!" he said into the mike, after the last of the tepid applause finally died down. "I hope you enjoyed that, and I know you'll love our next performer! Suitcase Travels is pleased to bring you a brand new star!"
Tooru blushed. She'd been so scared before her performance she hadn't even heard his introduction. If she had she probably wouldn't have been able to force herself up there.
The stage went dark and the restaurant dimmed, and Tooru watched a golden version of herself step up onto stage. She didn't look like herself, not at all. Tooru always thought of herself as rather unremarkable, mud colored hair and eyes, not too tall or pretty. She was average (or a little below) in almost everything. But the girl on tv looked like she belonged there. She shone under the lights, sparkled with every movement, and moved on the stage like a pro.
Kyou couldn't remember how many cameras had been floating around the stage and restaurant, but there had been enough that every time she turned away to look in another direction the camera switched to keep her in frame. It was filmed so she was singing directly to the tv audience, directly to him. Occasionally it would switch to a long shot, to show how the audience was focused on her, and it was a slap in the face when the connection broke.
Yuki kept thinking they'd cut into the song, that there was no way they could leave the whole song in the show. Didn't they usually just show a portion? It wasn't fair that everyone should get to see this, not those soft smiles, meaningful looks, and sweet phrases. Those were supposed to be just for... well, they weren't meant for everyone, that was for certain. But they did play the whole song.
"Wasn't that great folks?" Sawatari's voice proclaimed. "You've witnessed it here, the birth of a new idol!"
Tooru, her golden dress glittering, covered her burning cheeks, crying "Oh No!" prettily. Dai teased her and the crowd responded with catcalls, all caught on film.
The screen swiped to a screen catch of a small caricature version of Dai trying to pull a cart full of suitcases behind him. "Suitcase Travels will be right back!" His voice said cheerfully before the stack of suitcases came falling down on him.
A commercial came up, some advertisement for luggage, and the members of Shigure's house sat in shell shocked surprise.
"I..." Tooru shook her head. "That didn't sound like me at all... did they do something to my voice? To make it sound... better?"
"It sounded like you." Kyou spat. "Just like you did that night."
"They might've cut out some of the background noise." Yuki said, nodding, "But Honda-san's voice was as nice as I remembered."
Tooru went bright red. "But-"
"Ne," Shigure said, tapping her on the back of her head to make her look at him. "Did you know that your skull resonates with your voice and fools your ears?"
"It does?" Tooru looked at him.
"Un... so what you hear isn't what anyone else hears." Shigure smiled and spread his hands. "So you'll just have to trust us when we say that's what you sound like."
Tooru nodded, but she didn't looked convinced.
"Oi!" Kyou said, "You're in another commercial!"
"I'm Honda Tooru!" It was a short clip of Tooru in her bathing suit from the beginning of Suitcase Travels.
"BEFORE." A deep man's voice intoned and the screen faded to the very first snapshot that had appeared in Spotted, Tooru, Hana and Uo with their ice creams.
"After!" A cheerful woman's voice chirped and a series of photos flashed on the screen, with camera "snap" noise as each one changed. They were photos of Tooru from "Spotted" magazine shoot. It froze on a photo of Tooru holding a bouquet of lilies and the "Spotted" logo faded in until it looked just like the magazine she'd appeared in.
"Let Spotted! make you a look like a star too!" The girl's voice enthused. The magazine flipped open and the commercial went on to rhapsodize over it's makeup and clothing features. "Next issue comes with a special enhanced CD of Tooru-chan's song "Come Home," as seen on Suitcase Travels, and special screensaver, but only if you subscribe! Subscribe now to get your copy!"
"Can they do that!" Kyou asked Shigure, standing and point at the tv. "They can't do that, right?"
"It's advertising." Yuki said, trying to keep his hands steady as poured himself a glass of tea. "So it's covered in the contract as fair usage."
"Yes...my address is..." All three teenagers looked up to see Shigure reading off his address into the phone. "Yes, and I'll receive the special CD to come out next month? Next week? But I'll get it? Good."
"Shigure!" Kyou stomped over, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Ah, please hold a
moment." Shigure put a hand over the mouthpiece. "What is
it Kyon-Kyon, did you want me to get you a subscription too?"
Kyou sputtered and Shigure went back to speaking on the phone. "Is
there a limit on how many subscriptions one can have by household...
good, please put us down for 4 subscriptions. Thank you, yes... all
to the
same address. Yes, we're very big fans."
"Shigure-san didn't have to subscribe..." Tooru said hesitantly. She was so shocked by the massive exposure Rising Stars was pumping behind her that she just couldn't encompass it all. Her mind focused on little things, like how expensive it would be to have 4 subscriptions to a magazine and what would they do with all those magazines.
"Ne, if I didn't get enough they would break my house fighting over it." Shigure gestured to the boys who both looked indignant at the suggestion, "And-"
"And how, back to our show!" The cartoon Dai exclaimed trying to stuff a pile of things into a suitcase. He jumped on it and it bounced back tossing him off the screen. The screen went to black and then slowly went up to a night scene of the city.
Everyone quickly sat back down, eyes glued to the tv.
"After Tooru-chan's fabulous performance, we just had to treat her to a night on the town!" Dai's voice explained, "We scoped out the hottest hot-spots the town had to offer." A bunch of bubbles popped up over the city. Each had a name of an establishment in it. "First up," One of the bubbles began to blink furiously, "Maple-leaf Games."
The scene switched to Tooru, Hana, Uo and Dai walking into an arcade in fast motion. They spread around, examining the place in super speed. Hana settled herself at a crane game where she won prize after prize without reaction, slowly building a crowd behind her.
It was played in fast forward, so the crowd and piles of prizes seemed to grow by leaps and bounds. It flipped back between her and Uo-chan. Uo played one fighting game after another, beating all opponents. Every once and a while it would flash to Tooru watching Dai play another game. When Hana-chan had more prizes by her side then inside the machine in front of her the speed went back to normal. Dai pulled Tooru in front of a punching bag game.
"Let's try this one! You go first!" Dai smiled.
"Me?" Tooru said startled. That was the first time he'd suggested that she try game.
"Go ahead!" Dai plunked a couple of tokens in. "Give it all you've got. One hard punch."
"O-okay." Tooru stepped in front of the game. "Right-Straight!" She cried and struck the bag with her fist. It hardly moved and the little register that monitored how strong the punch was lit up in neon "Wimpy! Wimpy! Wimpy!"
"E-heh-heh..." Tooru said into the camera, scratching the back of her head. "Pretty weak."
Kyou grinned at her unconscious imitation of him. The camera had caught her glance towards him as she'd spoken. He looked away from the tv and glanced at Tooru catching her eye. "That was pretty weak. 'Right-straight?'" He looked back at the tv, "You need WAY more training."
Tooru gave a small laugh, "Dai-san too." She gestured to the tv. Dai had given the bag a punch and it had gone a little past half way to "Strong Punch!" He flexed an arm at Tooru, inviting her to see how strong he was.
Uo-chan came up behind him and plunked a few coins in the machine. He glanced behind him just in time to see her register the top score of "ULTRA PUNCH!" She flexed an arm at him and the scene ended. The rest of the in town segments ran in a similar comedic vein.
At the cake shop Hana ordered a half dozen varieties. Uo-chan stole food from everyone's plates, and Dai got chased away after trying to feed Tooru a piece. Yuki and Kyou stiffened at that scene. It had been staged, and explained beforehand to the Sohmas and Tooru's friends to make sure the idol didn't get attacked. On screen it looked very natural, but the audience wasn't seeing the 5 takes it had taken to get that scene. All of which put Dai much too close to Tooru for anyone's comfort.
At the bar Dai went behind and pretended to mix drinks, but got pushed aside by Uo-chan when he tried to slip alcohol into Tooru's drink. Looking dangerous and adult in her slinky red dress, Uo flipped a few bottles around coyote ugly style mixing up a few virgin drinks. Hana stood at the end of the bar watching passively and eating cherries off the garnish tray.
"After having too much fun for one evening poor Tooru-chan couldn't keep her eyes open." Dai's voice-over sounded condescending. The camera went in close to Tooru's face as she and Dai exited arm in arm. She yawned, and rubbed an eye cutely. She blinked and seemed to notice the camera looking her way and gave a little wave. "So we decided to call it a night. There are lots of entertaining spots for the older crowd for those that might be thinking of visiting." The city skyline returned with little bubbles popping up advertising hostess bars, all-night live music houses and dance clubs.
"The next morning, Tooru-chan and I were honored to take a tour of the Kaede hotel."
"Wow, Tooru-chan, you're really getting into it!" Dai enthused walking up to Tooru in the lobby of the hotel. He did a wide circle around her, nodding approvingly. She blushed under his scrutiny, fiddling with the apron of her skirt. She was dressed in the maid's uniform used by the Kaede staff, a French maid uniform in a deep navy.
Tooru was used to wearing short skirts. Her school uniform was shorter than what she was wearing, but the stiff petticoats of the maid uniform made it seem slightly indecent to her. She was wearing thick white hose, which should have made her feel better, but didn't. The starched half-apron was tied tightly around her waist, and the top, a bodice made up of blue and white fabric was too small making her feel constricted. The lace of the puffed sleeves had itched horribly.
Sitting in the living room now, seeing herself on screen, Tooru's face flamed bright, bright red. She looked ridiculous in that dress. It was too small, and too flouncy and girly to look good on a plain girl like her.
Kyou lost track of what was happening on the show taking in how she was dressed. He'd seen her from across the gym, but he'd been so angry that day what she was wearing hadn't really registered. That apron made her waist seem tiny, like he could wrap his hands around her. And her legs... Kyou had never classified himself as a person who noticed one part of a girl over another. Before Tooru he hadn't noticed particularly that there was an opposite sex. But maybe it was because he liked to lounge on the floor as she walked around doing chores, or that she'd sit while he laid on the roof, or that one of his best memories involved her knees and him in his cat form, but lately he'd really begun to take notice of her legs. And now there those long legs were, wrapped in white and being shown off to the whole world.
Yuki was vaguely aware that Dai and Tooru were talking about how nice the free hotel breakfast was, and about how generous the basic amenities that came with the room were, and other boring things. He was quick witted enough to be able to follow that while at the same time noticing that the top of Honda's dress was much, much too small. The scoop neck had a shell of modest white fabric over it, so she wasn't hanging out of it. But the way the fabric hugged and molded itself around her made it obvious just what it was concealing.
"Maid-san." Shigure said happily. "One of my favorites."
As one the two boys turned to glare at the dog.
"You pervert!" Yuki hissed, "How could you okay that outfit? Weren't you supposed to be there to speak up for her?"
"Damn dog!" Kyou slammed a fist on the table. "Just 'cause your sick fantasy is-"
"Is it really that bad?" Tooru asked, her brow furrowed as she looked back and forth from the TV to her housemates. "I knew it didn't suit me. I'm not good in frilly things like that..."
"T-that's not the problem." Yuki said quickly. The problem was it suited her too well.
"You look fine." Kyou said, his cheeks reddening. "Its just a stupid outfit. It's not like they dressed that dope like a bellhop, why should you be dressed as a maid?"
"Tooru-chan looks super cute," Shigure sing-songed. "The boys are just J-E-A-L-O-U-S."
"Shut up." Kyou said, "I can't hear what they're saying."
By this time Dai and Tooru had toured the kitchens, the gym and one of the special guest suites. Dai and Tooru exited from the room, chatting comfortably about how nice it had been.
"And that was just a regular double, you should see one of the suites!" Dai enthused.
Tooru smiled and nodded, "Uo-chan, Hana-chan and I are in a suite." She blushed and waved her hands. "Its very large and there are three separate double bedrooms!"
"Ooooh!" Dai exclaimed, "You must be in one of the mega-suites! I'm jealous!" He paused and gave an artful pout, allowing Tooru to maneuver a little past a maid's cart in the hallway. "But I'm sure Tooru-chan is used to getting the best treatment." He poked curiously at the contents of the cart looking like a little boy jealous at the attention someone else was receiving.
"Oh, no!" Tooru flushed bright red, "I mean, no one treats me badly, but that room is much too fine for a regular person like me."
Down the hall a doorway opened and a dripping man in a towel popped his head out. He scowled, looking down the hallway. Spotting Tooru he brightened and called out, "Oi! Miss! More towels please!"
Tooru started and took a quick glance around. "Yes sir, right away!" She turned to the cart and bent over. The cameraman had to step back quickly to avoid shoving his camera right up her skirt, making the shot shaky and very ad-lib. She dug out a couple of snowy towels and ran down the hall. "Here you go, sir!" She bowed and handed him the towels.
"Panties?" Kyou muttered under his breath. Had he just seen panties?
Tooru gasped, placing her hands over her backside as if she could retroactively protect herself. "Could you-? Did I-?"
"No, I checked." Shigure said, sounding more disappointed then anything else. "All you see is a little petticoat."
"Why were you checking?" Yuki glared darkly at him. Kyou's eyes widened at the question and started to rise, violence brewing.
"If there were panties, I could have had them re-shoot the segment." Shigure said nonchalantly, soothing both boys. He grinned, "And I could've asked for a copy for myself!"
"You-" Kyou started.
"Shh... We're missing it." Shigure said waving him silent.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Dai said, hands on hips, "Don't you think you're getting a little too into it? Remember, you're not really a maid!"
"Aaah!" Tooru blushed again, "Sorry! Sorry!" The dripping man noticed the cameras for the first time and gave a muffled curse as he ducked inside. Tooru trotted quickly over to Dai, her head down.
"I thought this outfit suited you." Dai said, "It looks like you're used to this type of work." His tone was nasty, and all three males watching the program stiffened. "What are you going to do next, mop some floors?"
"Well," Tooru said, smiling uncomfortably, unsure of how to take his tone. "That is what I do normally. I guess I am used to this kind of work."
"What? You're a maid?" Dai asked, genuinely surprised. He didn't know of an idol-wannabe or model worth their salt that would dare risk their skin and face doing menial work like that.
Tooru shook her head. "Cleaning lady, part-time... I clean office buildings." She fingered her skirt, "It would be hard to clean in an outfit like this. I wear a smock, it's much easier to move around in." She smiled, "But this is much cuter."
An illusionary image of Tooru in her work smock floated in the minds of all present. Its contrast to the pretty girl on TV was palpable. It was hard to imagine the girl who was dressed in gold the night before, and that white bathing suit, and this frilly fantasy dress on her knees scrubbing at a floor.
"Why?" Dai asked incredulously.
"Why?" Tooru repeated, blinking, "Well, school tuition... and expenses..." She looked down, it was embarrassing to talk about.
Something caught Dai's attention over her shoulder. As if realizing he was being filmed again he pasted on a smile and wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders, "Well, you are hard-working! Why don't I treat you to a massage by one of the experts they have on call here at the hotel?" Dai ushered her out of the hallway, talking about the hotel as he went.
The show came to a close with Tooru and Dai eating an ice cream together at the outdoor cafe. Tooru had changed out of the maid's uniform and was wearing a yellow sundress with a sheer orange shawl over her shoulders. Dai ordered her a specialty of the house, a huge ice cream confection larger then her head with bananas, whipped cream, and cherries and drizzled with chocolate. She looked traumatized when Dai handed her a spoon and told her to dig in.
"Eehh!" Tooru gasped. "This is too much!"
"We'll share it then." Dai grinned and snagged a spoon off the table beside her. He dug out a big spoonful and waved it around. "I'll feed you, you feed me." He made little plane noises, ignoring her shock at his suggestion. "Bzzz, bzzzz here it comes into the hangar!"
"Yum." Hana appeared between Tooru and Dai, accepting the mouthful of ice cream. Dai gave a girly little gasp and reared back, leaving the spoon in Hana's mouth. She took it out and nonchalantly started helping herself to the sundae.
"Your turn!" Uo crowed, scooping out an oversized spoonful and cramming it in Dai's slack jaw. He choked and coughed. Tooru patted at his back while her blonde friend looked at the camera.
"We hope you enjoyed this week's show..." Uo-chan grinned, picked up a spoon of her own and digging out a bit for herself.
"From the Kaede hotel..." Hana-chan said.
"We hope to see you again." Tooru said from where stood next to Dai and bowed her head. "We thank you for spending time with us..."
"On Suitcase Travels." Dai finished up, smiling uncomfortably, wiping chocolate sauce and whipped cream from his face. "I'll be seeing you next week!"
Tooru remained silent through the closing credits, a snapshot montage of Dai in various cities. The screen faded to black and a commercial came on.
"That wasn't so bad." Kyou said turning around to lean on the table. "I mean, it was a pretty dumb show, but you weren't bad on it."
"Honda-san did very well." Yuki agreed, turning around and pouring himself a cup of tea. He helped himself to the last onigiri, glancing at Shigure who seemed unashamed that he'd eaten the rest. "Uotani-san and Hanajima-san too."
"I can't wait for Momichi's DVD copy." Shigure grinned, using the remote to switch off the TV. "Sweet Tooru-chan Maid Fantasy."
Yuki glared at Shigure. "You're disgusting." He caught Tooru looking down at her hands and winced. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad. He sent daggers at the dog, placing the blame on him.
"Such a cute Tooru-chan, I want to see that again and again." Shigure continued blissfully. He leaned across the table grasping her hands and looked at her pleadingly, "Maybe Tooru-chan can wear the one I bought her, the White Day-"
Yuki knocked his hands away and turned Tooru away from Shigure as if to shield her with his body. Kyou stood and slapped the top of Shigure's head, bouncing it into the table.
"Quit trying to manipulate her!" He groused. The phone rang and he stalked over to answer it. "What!"
Shigure held his hand over his forehead, pouting, "Ne, don't be rude on the phone... who knows who might be on the other end."
Kyou ignored him, focusing on the phone at his ear. His face went blank and his ears reddened. "Just a moment." He mumbled. He put his hand over the mouthpiece and looked at Tooru. "It's for you. Your aunt."
"My-" Tooru said and stood quickly. She hadn't spoken to her aunt since she'd left her grandfather's house. "Thank you." She said taking the phone from him.
"Sorry." He mouthed and sat back at the table. The Souma males exchanged glances. They didn't like her family, other then the grandfather, and a phone call out of the blue made them all nervous.
She nodded distractedly and put the phone to her ear. "Hello?" She could think of a half a dozen reasons for her aunt to call, and none of them good. Was her grandfather hurt again? Had they been contacted by the school about her tuition? She thought she'd sent it in on time. Maybe one of her grades had slipped? Her grandfather was still listed as her school contact...
Even sitting away at the table they could hear a strident voice echoing over the phone line. Tooru's face went blank with surprise.
"Ah, sorry, it was just filmed this past weekend." Tooru said finally. "I didn't think-"
She was cut off and her cheeks began to heat at whatever was being said on the other end of the line. "I didn't know-" She started only to be cut off again. Her fingers clutched at the chord of the phone, her knuckles white and her body tense. "Ah, yes! I mean, no, " she said when the voice paused, obviously flustered and confused. "Grandfather-" She winced when her aunt's voice raised another decibel, going off on a harangue. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to hold back tears.
The voice cut off and she looked up in surprise. Shigure stood behind her his long arm reaching around to disconnect the phone. He patted her on the head and took the phone from her, putting it back on the receiver.
"Shigure-san-" She started but was cut off when the phone rang again. Shigure put his finger to his lips in a shushing motion and picked up the phone.
"Hello! Souma residence!" He said cheerily. A furious screeching could be heard. Shigure held the phone away from his ear, letting her scream herself out. "Sorry, I can't let you speak with her." She started to shriek again but he cut her off. "Sorry!" he sing-songed. "That was me. I hung up on you." He nodded, "Yes, yes, I'm very sorry." He said insincerely. "I just thought you needed a moment to calm down." The voice on the other end picked up volume and Shigure hung up the phone again.
"Ah!" Tooru goggled. "Shigure-san!" She couldn't imagine being so rude.
"Ne, Tooru-chan, I know we just finished breakfast, but it's almost lunch time." He patted his stomach, "Can we have gyoza today? We haven't had that in a while."
"Gyoza?" Tooru's brow wrinkled, trying to keep up with the quick change in subject. "I might have to go shopping-" The phone rang and she jumped.
"Why don't you go look." Shigure suggested, his hand resting possessively over the phone. "I'll handle this."
"But..." Tooru said biting her lip and glancing at the ringing phone and then finally nodded. She didn't want to talk to her aunt anymore. She hadn't thought that her aunt would be upset about her being on tv. It hadn't even crossed her mind to tell family besides her grandfather or that they'd even care. "Okay." She glanced over her shoulder at Shigure as she walked out of the living room. He smiled and waved jauntily.
He waited till he heard cupboards opening before he picked up the phone. "Souma residence!" Shigure continued to smile as Tooru's Aunt spoke quickly, angrily, but now at a more modest volume.
"I shouldn't be surprised that that girl has fallen in with such a rude man. It's only to be expected, coming from that mother. I don't see what my brother ever saw in her-"
"Was there something you wanted?" Shigure interrupted pleasantly.
"Yes! Why wasn't I informed that she'd taken up that line of work? How dare she! Doesn't she know my son is trying to become a respectable policeman? Who's going to promote a man who's cousin is traipsing around showing off her panties on tv!"
"Ne, it was just a bit of petticoat." Shigure replied. "Was there anything else?"
"Just a bit of-" the woman sputtered off, "You'll tell her to stop parading herself on TV like some sort of-"
"Our Tooru-chan will do whatever she likes." Shigure interrupted, his voice steely. "And maybe next time she goes on TV she'll tell everyone about her loving family that blamed a sweet, kind girl for being unfortunate enough to be orphaned and left her to live in a tent."
"How dare- What, Father-wait, give that-"
"Hello?"
Shigure looked at the receiver, taken aback by the much softer male voice. "Hello?" He replied back.
"Ah! Is this the nice young man who took my place at the parent conference?"
"Yes." Shigure smiled, trying to imagine how angry Tooru's aunt must be with her father taking the phone away from her like a naughty child. Kyou and Yuki had both spoken highly of this man; someday he'd like to meet him in person.
"I have to thank you then for taking my place as chaperone too." The sudden silence in the background on the old man's end of the line was priceless. Shigure was gaining a deep respect for the man. He'd just put his daughter in her place, informing her that he'd known all along that Tooru was acting on TV. "It's hard for an old man like me to get around these days. I wish I could have gone, that resort looked very nice."
"It was no trouble." Shigure grinned. "Do you have a dvd player?"
He heard a hand muffle the receiver and the old man querulously ask if they had "vdd player thing." Shigure suppressed a snicker.
"We do." The old man paused, "I think."
"Would you like a copy of the show? My cousin is recording it." Shigure got the feeling Tooru's grandfather would enjoy tormenting his daughter with watching the program over and over.
"I'd like that very much." Shigure could almost see him nodding into the receiver. "I apologize for my daughter. Please tell Kyoko to be happy and do what she likes and I will support her in any way she needs."
"I will." Shigure promised. "And I'll mail you a copy of that DVD when I get it."
"I look forward to it." The old man said and hung up.
Tooru appeared back in the doorway just as Shigure was hanging up the phone. He grinned at her, and patted her on the head. "Your grandfather says that your aunt is worthless and to do what you want to do."
"Eh?" The girl's face went blank. "Grandpa did?"
"Mmmm-mmm." Shigure leaned back against the wall. "He said, "Please tell Tooru to be happy and to do what she likes." Only, he called you Kyoko by mistake." He said apologetically.
Tooru colored prettily. She kind of liked it when her grandfather mistook her for her mother. Most people said she looked and sounded like her father, but being compared to the woman she admired most made her feel warm.
"Ne, do we have what we need to make gyoza?" Shigure asked.
"Ah! No." Tooru said shaking her head, "I don't have the shells...or..." She looked at her list and shook her head again. "A couple other things as well. I have to go to market."
"I'll go with you." Some time during the phone call Yuki had disappeared upstairs and gotten dressed. He couldn't sit still knowing that Tooru had been insulted. "It's a nice day out and I'd enjoy the walk."
"I'm comin' too." Kyou said pulling a fresh shirt on as he came down the stairs. He was still embarrassed that he'd gotten off on the wrong foot with Tooru's aunt and was itching for an opportunity to make it up to her. "There's... There's somethin' I want to get at the store, " he lied badly.
"Okay!" Tooru smiled, the message from her grandfather completely erased any guilt her aunt had weighed her down with. She looked forward to a pleasant walk with Yuki and Kyou. Besides, she much preferred shopping for lunch fixings to thinking about the TV program or what else might come out of it besides an angry phone call from her estranged aunt.
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