I don't own anything.
Sweet as Candy
Drip! Drip! The shop was silent, nothing could be heard except the ice drip coffee machine. Usui and Hirose Yuu just stood at the coffee counter; both of them couldn't take their eyes off Misaki and her father. At one of the far corners of the shop, Misaki and her father sat down at a table. They didn't say anything, only Misaki staring at her father with eyes burning with anger, and her father trying to avoid eye contact.
"Why didn't you come back to Tokyo?" With a really cold tone, Misaki asked.
"Well... you see I... after I came back to Japan I didn't have the face you guys..." Misaki's father shrunk into his chair.
"So you're here?! Living a carefree life, leaving your wife and daughters at an economic crisis?!" Both of Misaki's hand slapped onto the table.
"Wow." Usui and Hirose Yuu said at the same time, when the loud bang on the table shocked their ears.
"No! I'm working really hard here, and I planned that once I saved up all the money that will pay the debt fully, then I will go back to Tokyo!" Before Misaki could say anything, Mr. Ayuzawa explained.
"AYUZAWA SAKUYA! DO YOU KNOW SOMETHING CALL INTEREST RATE?!" Misaki was really going go crazy.
"What is that?" Mr. Ayuzawa tilted his head. "Is it a new type of hobby?"
"No!" Misaki covered her face with both of her hands and sighed. "I'll just make it simple, debt grows as time pass. So the longer time it takes to pay a debt, the more extra money you are paying."
"What?!" Mr. Ayuzawa exclaimed. "There's something like that?"
"Dad, just a question." Usui said as he poured some hot coffee into a small cup.
"Don't worry, I'm in charge of the finance here." Hirose Yuu knew that his son was going to ask.
"I'm relieved." Usui honestly answered.
"How can you do this!" Misaki stood up from the table and slammed both of her hands onto the flat hard surface. "Even if you didn't have money...You could have returned. If you didn't dare to face your children and wife after you owe a large debt, then you shouldn't have borrowed that large debt!"
Without saying another word, Misaki dashed out of the shop. She was so in a hurry that she forgot her winter jacket and scarf that she left on the table.
"..." Mr. Ayuzawa just sat there, he didn't know what to say. All what Misaki said were true. He was a coward, an irresponsible coward.
"Misaki!" Usui saw Misaki chased after Misaki, before he exited the door, he grabbed Misaki's winter jacket and scarf.
Without even thinking, Misaki just ran in one particular direction. She had no idea where she will end up in, and she had no idea what she was doing right that moment. All she wanted to do was to get away from her father; this encounter was too surprising.
"Misaki!" Usui finally caught up with Misaki, and then he grabbed onto one of Misaki's cold hands.
"..." Finally, Misaki also stopped. She was breathing hard, the cold air of winter reminded her that she has to calm down.
"Idiot." With a single pull, Usui pulled Misaki into his arms. "What if you get sick?"
Misaki didn't say anything, she just hugged Usui back. She snuggled her frozen nose and cheeks into Usui's chest. While Misaki was doing whatever she was doing, Usui wrapped Misaki's scarf around Misaki's freezing neck and placed her jacket above her shoulders. After a moment, Misaki realized that Usui wasn't wearing his winter jacket nor his scarf. She pushed Usui away, looked at Usui with furious eyes.
"Why aren't you wearing your jacket?!" Misaki scolded.
"It's ok, aliens don't get sick easily." Usui smiled.
"Idiot!" As Misaki pouted, she looked to the side. She knew that Usui wasn't able to get his winter jacket, because he chased after her before even considering himself.
"So, are we going back?" Usui held onto to Misaki's hands, and looked into her eyes. "Just like you told me, don't run away."
"OK..." Misaki nodded then she took her scarf off and wrapped it around Usui. "Aliens don't get sick, my heart hurts when you are freezing."
"Some people are worth freezing." With a sweet smile, Usui replied Misaki.
"Don't use the lines you saw in movies." Softly, Misaki flicked Usui's forehead. "Let's go back?"
"Yes, Milady." Gently, Usui held Misaki's hand, and they walked hand in hand back to the shop.
...
"You two are finally back." Hirose Yuu welcomed Usui and Misaki back into the shop.
"Where is Mr. Ayuzawa?" Usui asked.
"He's hiding in the kitchen." With a finger, Hirose Yuu pointed at the kitchen entrance. "Probably complaining to his salmon."
"Thank you." Misaki said to Hirose Yuu, and then walked into the kitchen.
Just like what Hirose Yuu predicted, Mr. Ayuzawa was standing at the table of the kitchen and staring down at the salmon he received from the fishermen. From where Misaki was standing, she could see her father murmuring something in his mouth.
"Nee... Minako, won't you forgive me?" Surprisingly, this fresh salmon has the same name as Misaki's mother. "I know I am irresponsible and..."
"Do you really think talking to a fish will make any change to your life?" While walking towards her father, Misaki pointed out.
"I..." Mr. Ayuzawa didn't know what to say.
"If you have time to do this, why don't you just call home?" Misaki asked.
"Misaki!" Mr. Ayuzawa looked up with eyes of hope.
"No, that doesn't mean I forgave you." With a cold tone Misaki crashed Mr. Ayuzawa's hope. "It's only because mom is worried sick. The house number is still the same, we didn't move."
After saying what Misaki wanted to say, she walked out of the kitchen immediately. Due to Usui's incident with the Walker family, Misaki fully understood that ignoring or escaping her father will not solve any problem. However she still needed some time to adjust.
"Taking it step by step it is." Once Misaki walked out of the kitchen, Usui appeared in front of her. "You did great Misa-chan."
"Don't call me that..." Before she could say anything else, Usui was already ruffling her hair. "Hey! Stop it!"
"Why don't I show you two your room upstairs first?" Hirose Yuu suggested.
"Sure." Usui shrugged and went to get Misaki and his luggage.
Under Hirose Yuu's guidance, Misaki and Usui went to the second floor of the shop. The overall design of the shop is a fusion between modern and Victorian style, however the second floor was in an extremely different style. The second floor, where Hirose Yuu and Mr. Ayuzawa live on a daily basis, consists of mainly wood and neutral colors. Along with the simple color scheme, the furniture are also mainly made out of wood and does not have much design to them. Though everything was designed in a very simple manner, it gave off a really comfortable feeling.
"Here is your room." Hirose Yuu opened one of the wooden doors.
"Thanks." Usui replied back to his father as he placed the luggage into the room.
"...ummm... Sorry for being rude..." Misaki gulped. "But... Usui and I share the same room...?"
"What's wrong with that?" Hirose Yuu asked.
"I..." Before Misaki could say anything, Usui interruptted her.
"My Misa-chan is planning to abandon me after she played with my body..." With a depressed tone, Usui half teased Misaki.
"Hey! What are you saying!?" Embarrassed Misaki furiously walked towards Usui and started hitting his shoulders.
"It's not like we never shared a room, why are you so nervous about?" Just like the speed of a page flipping, Usui sadistic side started to show.
"Usui!" Angrily, Misaki growled at Usui.
"Hohohohohoho." Usui just stood there and did his normal teasing laugh while Misaki was so embarrassed she wanted to hide herself in the closet.
"It's so nice to see youngsters in love." Hirose Yuu grinned. "Hohohohohohoho."
"Is that part of your family genetics...?" Silently, Misaki asked Usui.
"Hohohohohohohoho." Both Usui and Hirose Yuu started to laugh in their unique way together.
"genetics..." Sweetly, Misaki chuckled.
"You two might want to take this time to unpack first, I'll be busy downstairs preparing the things for tomorrow and dinner." After finishing his sentence, Hirose Yuu headed downstairs.
"So... we really stay in the same room...?" Misaki glanced at Usui, suddenly she had a really weird feeling. She saw something in Usui's eyes, a type of emotion she slightly recalls, but not fully. Before Misaki noticed, she was already dashing towards the door. However, before she reached the door, Usui already slammed the door shut and locked the door.
"Where is my Misa-chan think she is going...?" With an EXTREMELY teasing tone, Usui asked.
"I'm kind of thirsty... I kind of need water..." Along with her anxiety, Misaki's voice shivered.
"Before you do anything..." A sneaky smirk was hanging across Usui's face ,and he moved closer and closer to Misaki.
Though Misaki tried to avoid this situation, this still happened. There was something Usui was looking for, something he was eager for. With a single swift, Usui grabbed Misaki's waist and put her over his shoulders.
"Ahhhh!" As Misaki struggled as she hanged on Usui's shoulders. "You are not going to do this!"
"Don't be shy, this is not the first time anymore." Usui walked towards the bed.
"No! No! No!" As Misaki shook her head, Usui lightly tossed her onto the bed.
"Shh..." Usui bit his lower lips and started to loosen the buttons at his collar.
"!" All MIsaki could do was to shut her eyes tight, and try not to imagine what was going to happen next.
"Just joking." Playfully, he flicked Misaki's forehead. Then he relaxed his body which caused him to be laying atop of Misaki.
"You're kind of heavy..." With a little squishing, Misaki tried to move her body away from Usui's.
"I was SOOOO nervous the moment I got on the plane... and that really killed some neurons." Like a child, Usui snuggled into Misaki's neck. "I need some sleep."
"Have a good night sleep." Misaki smiled as she brushed her hands in Usui's surprisingly silky blonde hair.
"I don't need melatonin when I have you..." After saying this phrase, Usui fell into deep sleep.
"Wait! What was that supposed to mean?" There was no one to answer Misaki's question.
...
"You still haven't called your wife?" While cutting the onions, Hirose Yuu asked Mr. Ayuzawa.
"I... will call her later." Without taking his eyes off the salmon he was cutting, Mr. Ayuzawa replied.
"You have a really strong daughter." Hirose Yuu complimented.
"Thank you, your son is really handsome too." Mr. Ayuzawa complimented back.
"After the salmon is cut, you want a drink?" As Hirose Yuu put all the chopped onions into his stew and closed the lid, he offered. "Just a little to make you feel slightly better."
"Sure..." Mr. Ayuzawa nodded.
After the salmon was cut and the stew was boiling, Hirose Yuu and Mr. Ayuzawa sat at one of the tables with liquor in their hands. Hirose Yuu had a glass of scotch while Mr. Ayuzawa had Umeshu*.
*Umeshu- Plum wine, has a sweet and sour taste.
"Remember that weird conversation we had?" Suddenly, Hirose Yuu asked.
"Which one?" Mr. Ayuzawa asked back.
"The one that I said you will make the worst in-law." As Hirose Yuu chuckled he sipped his glass of scotch.
"So ironic..." Mr. Ayuzawa chuckled as he watch the ice in his Umeshu melt.
"I have this feeling that my son will do anything to marry your daughter." From what Hirose Yuu saw in those short hours, he knew that his son found 'the one'.
"Yuu..." Mr. Ayuzawa suddenly called out.
"Hm?" Hirose Yuu replied back.
"Did I ever tell you the reason why I borrowed that money and left my wife and children..." Depressingly, Mr. Ayuzawa mentioned.
"Yes, you did." With a little nod, Hirose Yuu answered.
"How come I tell you everything?!" Shocked Mr. Ayuzawa complained.
"Sometimes I give you a glass of alcohol, and you tell me everything." Hirose Yuu just shrugged.
"Just like his daughter." A voice came from the stairs, it was Usui. He recalled the first time he met Misaki, a crazy drunk girl who intruded his shop.
"Where's Misaki?" Out of curiosity, Hirose Yuu asked.
"We took a nap, and I woke up before her." Usui explained. "She's still sleeping."
"Oh.. ok..." Mr. Ayuzawa nodded. Deep down in Mr. Ayuzawa's heart, he really wants to talk to his daughter about her life, and about everything he missed. However, he does not have the courage.
"Mr. Ayuzawa?" Usui grabbed a chair and joined Hirose Yuu and Mr. Ayuzawa. "Do I also have the honor to listen to your story?"