After that I never heard from Ichiro again, I think I finally got the message through to his head that I had no interest in him whatsoever, and there were plenty of witnesses to observe his humiliation and he didn't want to go through all that a third time. I ploughed myself into my chores and kept myself busy with this and that, helping everyone the best I could. I still went to Subaru's practices and cheered for him, the guys on the team constantly asking for good luck kisses but I would pointedly tell them that such things were reserved for brothers only on extremely special occasions.
I also started going to a few more of Futo's concerts whenever he asked me, and sometimes I showed up just to surprise him. It seems I had a permanent backstage pass I was always allowed through without question and I think people began to recognise me as they would start to whisper about Futo's new big sister. With the year starting anew, I continued to be myself to the best of my ability, however I kept on thinking to that night when Natsume had got drunk and took a swing at Ichiro and how he had kissed me afterwards. He never called afterwards, so I think he had been too drunk to remember. I made a good choice, I would have hated for our first time to be forgotten, if we ever did have a first time. So with that in mind, whenever we saw one another I did my best to act the same as I always would.
I'd even finally made up my mind about becoming a teacher and was set to join Meiji university the year after this one so that I'd enter as a freshman, but first I wanted to work for a while to be able to support myself properly so I even began to look for a job. To be honest I was looking forward to it and I kept up my studies, buying all my books in preparation and made sure to keep my own skills so that they didn't fade away. With all my brothers around me, a few of them started asking more favours out of me. Hikaru wanted to interview me about how I would react to things to help his research on a character he was developing. Although he was a journalist, he was really good at writing stories too and I really looked forward to buying my own copy of his book.
Tsubaki and Azusa even rehearsed their lines with me occasionally, asking for my feedback and took me to their conventions as well. They liked to introduce me as their little sister and soon I felt more than comfortable with strangers to be able to interact and talk to them on a basic level, however if any of the men ever tried a move on me I would instantly freeze up and one of the twins would have to rescue me. It's been tiring but I love it all, so it really was no trouble and I was glad to be able to support everyone in their own way.
One night I found Ukyo pouring over a case with the lights switched on low and his sleeves rolled up. It may be almost spring but it was still chilly so I picked up a blanket and turned up the lights as I walked over to him. He blinked then looked around, feeling the blanket as I placed it over his shoulders. "You'll hurt your eyes if you try to study in this kind of light, and you should keep warm to avoid getting ill." I said to him as he looked over his shoulder at me. "Do you want a drink?"
"Coffee would be greatly appreciated, thank you Rikona." He said so I went to make him that drink, noticing that he looked rather stressed.
"Is that a case you've been working on?" I asked and he nodded his head.
"Yeah, my client is in a pretty tight spot. He's been accused of murder and my gut tells me he's innocent, but there's just too much evidence stacked against him. Mostly circumstantial. He had a lot to gain by committing the crime, but the wife insists that it was him as she was in the house when it happened and that there was no one else around, plus there was no sign of a break in. It's not looking good." I felt bad for Ukyo, he was trying so hard to help this man avoid false accusations and I could see the stress it was causing him as he rubbed his face.
Placing the coffee down carefully in front of him I also brought him a snack to keep up his energy. "Is there anything I can help with?" I offered, wanting to try and make this a little easier for Ukyo.
"I don't think so, but thank you for your kind offer. I'll find something, I'm sure of it. I'm going to have a meeting with the widow tomorrow and try and hear what she has to say with her own lips. Maybe she'll slip up or reveal something she's been hiding. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something doesn't feel right." Ukyo said so I patted his shoulder, giving him an encouraging smile before making to grab some food for myself. There was a long pause of silence, disturbed only by the occasional rustle of paper until slowly, Ukyo turned around and spoke again. "Rikona, you're really good at getting a read on people, aren't you?" He asked and I blinked, looking over to him.
"I'm no expert, but I think I'm fairly decent at understanding people. Occasionally I'm fooled or I misjudge, so I'm not perfect." I revealed but Ukyo got up and walked over to me, handing over a picture of a handsome woman who was wearing lipstick too bright for her features and with her hair in an expensive looking perm.
"I would love for a second opinion. It would mean the world to me if you'd come along to my meeting and listen to what she has to say. I'm sure between us we can come up with something." He requested as I continued to drink in the lady's face. "Her name is Aiko, her husband was a very wealthy businessman who was part of the oil business overseas."
"Wouldn't it be rude of me to be there with you? Surely you wouldn't be able to use anything she said in court?" I reasoned, frowning slightly.
"It's just an informal chat that she's agreed to, so don't worry about a thing. She understands that she has every right to choose what she says, but let's just say I've worked my charms to get her on side." He smiled down at me so I nodded my head, agreeing to go with him. If Ukyo said it was okay then there was no reason to be concerned, so the next morning I got dressed in a smart blouse and my nice beige jeans, twisting my hair up and securing it with a bobble before grabbing my jacket and coat.
Ukyo wore his usual smart attire, his long coat draped over his arm waiting for me. "You look lovely, are you ready?" He asked and I nodded my head, taking a breath for confidence. This was for Ukyo, so I had to do my best. I'd taken a course or two in law and politics so I had the basics gathered at the very least, besides all I would be doing is listening to what this Aiko had to say for herself. If Ukyo was right, then she could be hiding something. We ended up at a luxurious restaurant and I blinked, glad that I had dressed up a little.
On the way Ukyo had told me a little more about the case. Not specific details, but things like his client was the businessman's son and Aiko was the stepmother. I thought carefully over all the facts that I knew but I could not see anything out of the ordinary. It was not unreasonable to think that the son would kill his father to inherit, however it seems that Aiko would be the one to receive everything as the father and son were having disputes running up to the death.
Ukyo led me to a reserved table where the woman, Aiko, was already waiting. Her wild hair was jet black and made her face seem rather small, large grey eyes locking onto Ukyo to blossom into a smile, however when she saw me her face instantly dropped though I smiled to her in greeting. "Ukyo my dear, you did not tell me that we were having company." She said slowly, eyeing me up and I swallowed back the lump in my throat.
"A last minute change of plans, my apologies, may I introduce my sister Rikona Hinata? I promised that I would run her on her errands but there was no time to collect her after our meeting."
"Hello, it's very nice to meet you ma'am." I said, giving a polite bow. "I won't be any trouble, please just pretend I am not here." I requested and she glanced at me one more time before nodding her head, a sickly smile on her face. Something about her felt off as well. Her eyes never left Ukyo as he pulled out a chair for me and kindly sat me down before assuming his own seat directly opposite her.
"You look dashing my dear Ukyo, I'm so glad you asked me here today. With my husband's death, it's nice to be treated like a lady and forget it all for a while." She said to him and the conversation continued. A waiter came and took our order but I refused to order anything despite Ukyo's offer, saying that this wasn't meant to be a treat for me and that I wasn't hungry. Aiko pointedly ignored me, not engaging me in conversation as she was completely fixed on Ukyo and that was fine by me.
She avoided the topic of her husband's murder and Ukyo did not push it, not wanting to give himself away. He was actually a very charming man, sometimes even rivalling Kaname with his skill to woo a lady like Aiko. With her distracted, it gave me the chance to observe her facial expressions. She was coy and obviously very manipulative, but underneath it all I found no suppressed innocence, just coldness. She did not even seem remotely upset that her husband had been brutally murdered, in fact she glossed over it as easily as if it were a minor inconvenience. She was stone cold and I did not like her. The waiter came with their food however he accidentally knocked my fork off the table when his hand slipped, alarm showing in his face but I smiled to him. "It's alright, allow me." He seemed to relax when I did not kick up a fuss and I bent down to reach for it.
With my head lowered downwards, I glanced under the table and almost stopped. Aiko had wiggled her foot out of her high heeled shoe and was massaging her foot up and down Ukyo's leg before pressing between his thighs, making him shift slightly as she toyed with him slowly. Blushing furiously I grabbed the knife then sat up, placing it back on the table as I did my best to try and forget what I just saw. Ukyo was beginning to struggle to keep on track, trying to find a way to get Aiko to talk again about what had happened, so finally I decided to step in.
"Although this court trial is rather taxing, at least I can be comforted that justice will be done. It's a shame you were forced to be my step-son's lawyer, Ukyo, I would have much preferred you to be advocating for me." Aiko said with a smile and I could see Ukyo going slightly red so I lifted my head.
"You've mentioned that your husband was murdered, you have my deepest condolences. It must have been so awful for you to be informed that your husband died in such a way." I said and Aiko blinked before looking at me, surprised that I had finally spoke up but I smiled to her and reached across, sympathetically patting her hand and she continued to stare at me in surprise before giving a long sigh.
"Oh it was far worse than that, sweet pea, I was the one who found him. You see, I'd been in the shower in my vanity room when I heard a lot of thumping around upstairs. I thought it rather odd but I was in the middle of washing my hair, so I finished up first before going up to my husband's study which is directly above my vanity room." She explained to me, giving a full account of the tragic details. "That's where I found him, blood everywhere with his throat cut. I just about saw someone jumping out the window but I was in such a shock, all I could think to do was run to my husband." Aiko gave a little sniff, dabbing at her eyes though there weren't any tears. "And it had been such a good day as well. I'd been to the hairdressers, had my nails done and we were even planning on going out that evening. My husband was always so busy, but he made the time for me that day and it was all ruined."
My eyes flashed slightly, flicking towards her as something caught my attention. Her hair? She went and got her hair done? "It is tragic, but you are such a beautiful young woman I'm sure that you'll find happiness again soon. Tell me, where do you get your hair done? It looks absolutely wonderful, is it naturally like that?" I questioned, engaging her in a topic that she obviously liked to discuss as she finally turned her full attention to me as Ukyo tugged on his collar. Poor Ukyo, I'm doing my best.
"Oh no my hair is naturally very straight but that just makes my face look extremely wide, so I have it permed every now and then to make it look softer. Do you want to feel? There's practically no damage to it at all." It was very soft and I complimented her again, telling her that I left my hair in the care of my brother Louis as I wasn't very good at fixing it up. Aiko agreed with me, saying that I didn't suit the style I was wearing at all and started to pull out the bobble and pins, letting my hair fall loose around my shoulders. "There, that's a small improvement. With the right cut and some makeup, you could make for a somewhat cute girl." She said to me and I smiled, pretending to take it as a huge compliment.
As she became distracted with Ukyo once more, I quietly reached across and tugged his sleeve, making him look at me. All I gave was a single nod and he seemed to understand that I had something for him. Keeping my mouth shut after that Ukyo and Aiko ordered desserts, however when Ukyo received his he passed it to me, placing a beautifully crafted slice of strawberry and cream cake in front of me. My mouth watered. "As a thank for you for being so patient. I know it's your favourite." He smiled to me and I thanked him, beaming happily before tucking in.
It was light and fluffy, absolutely perfect and I ate it all down to the last crumb. Aiko tried to persuade Ukyo to go for a walk with her and even hinted at a hotel but Ukyo stood as I pulled on my jacket and placed his hand on the back of my neck, smiling down to Aiko. "Apologies, but I really must get Rikona to her appointment. Thank you for your time, I shall see you soon in court." He thanked and Aiko pouted slightly as Ukyo turned and led me away. "I'm sorry that took longer than I intended, are you alright?" Ukyo asked and I nodded my head, deep in thought as I went over the details in my head. It was a very small catch, but unless the right person caught it then it would have gone completely unnoticed. "Rikona?"
"She's lying about everything, Ukyo." I revealed and he stopped slightly but I tugged on his sleeve to keep him walking, leaving the restaurant as not to let Aiko see us. "In fact, I think she's lying even about seeing that man jump from the window. I can't be certain yet, but would it be alright if I looked over your notes from the investigations? If I'm right, I want to be a hundred percent sure, because it could very well prove your client's innocence."
"Of course, I have them all here with me. Would you like to go sit down somewhere?" I nodded my head, eager to have a look so we walked further downtown to my favourite café and Ukyo ordered us both drinks whilst I found a large coffee table and started to read through his notes. He returned with a camomile tea for me and I sipped it thoughtfully, my other hand holding the police reports from the crime scene as well as reading over Aiko's alibi. Technically I had no right to view these, however I could argue that a second opinion from someone who has studied law is not illegal. I've studied a great many things to be well rounded in my education since I had no social life growing up. Studying was the only way I passed the time.
Ukyo patiently waited, observing me quietly as I leaned back in my seat, reading over the last paper before I neatly set it down and put everything away just as I had found it, making sure it was tidy before I returned the folder to Ukyo. He waited and I bit down on my lip, a little nervous. "The investigation of the crime scene didn't reveal any sign of breaking and entering, the only struggle was in the study, right?" I asked and Ukyo nodded his head, fixing his glasses and watching me closely. "Well there's something else I noticed. Aiko said that the man jumped from the window, well according to the layout of the house that would be the second floor as she was on the ground floor in her private room. It's a stroke of luck, but one of the officers noted that the bushes below the window did not show sign of being disturbed or disfigured in any way."
"So she has made up the man from the window." Ukyo realised, frowning. "Unfortunately that won't be enough to accuse her of being involved with the murder. I'll need more solid evidence."
"It's much worse than that, Ukyo. I think Aiko might have been the one who killed her husband." His eyes widened in alarm so I proceeded to explain. "She slipped up, it's in her alibi which you have written in ink and you can refer to it in your case. You heard her when she said she'd got her hair and nails done, right? Well, the thing is, she then said that she was in the shower washing her hair when she heard the disturbance. Now ordinarily I wouldn't have noticed it, but Louis has taught me a thing or two about hair care. If there's one thing you don't do after getting a perm, it's washing it. She's lying about everything, trying to cover up that she's the real murderer and is trying to blame it on the son. I'll bet anything she's even tampered with the will. Is there a way you can find out?" Ukyo already had his phone in hand and was making a call.
He stepped outside to talk, standing just within eyesight of the window as I finished my tea, giving a long exhale as I reached out and picked up Ukyo's file, tucking it into my chest to keep it safe as I waited for several minutes until Ukyo returned. "It's in hand as we speak. Are you finished with your tea? I'll take you home for now." He said, eyes serious and a little distant in thought so I nodded my head and picked up my bag, handing him back the file which he slipped into his briefcase.
Together we left the shop and began to make our way home in complete silence as I was unable to think of anything to say and I didn't want to interrupt Ukyo's train of thought. I could tell that he was tense and the mood was a little morbid, however several minutes later Ukyo received a call and he answered it. I caught snippets of the conversation and to my understanding, I was right. The will had been tampered with and it had been changed moments before the husband's death. How could a woman do that to a man she was supposed to be in love with? All that for money, it made me sick.
"Rikona, you were right about the will and I'm convinced that you're right about Aiko. How on earth did you catch on so quickly? You barely even looked at the case yet you could pinpoint it almost straightaway." He frowned slightly so I just turned a small smile up at him.
"Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see things from a different angle. If Louis hadn't told me all sorts of things about hair then I probably wouldn't have found the flaw in her alibi, yet there was something I sensed about Aiko that didn't sit right with me. In my opinion, she is not a very nice person and was very cold hearted." I reasoned as my voice paled slightly unhappily, thinking that such people really did exist in the world. "A person like that, definitely would be able to commit murder."
"Well, I'm in your debt Rikona. If all goes well, we may be able to turn this case over on its head and my client will be spared a prison sentence." Ukyo said to me and I nodded my head, taking some comfort in that truth. At least the innocent should be able to walk free. That's something at least, and hopefully Aiko will be made to pay for doing such unthinkable things to her husband.
"Please, let me know how the case goes. I'll be sure to keep my fingers crossed for you." I said and Ukyo gave me a smile, his hand going to my head to smooth back my hair in an affectionate pat.
"I will, but don't you worry about a thing. I'll handle everything from here so you just focus on what you need to do and keeping healthy. You're looking rather pale, have you been sleeping enough?" In truth I'd hardly slept at all these past few weeks. Since that incident with Natsume all I could think about was how he'd thrown me against the wall and had said many things that had made my skin burn with heat. Maybe it had been the alcohol talking, but what saddened me is that I'll never know the truth. It's not like I could just demand answers for something he couldn't even remember.
"I'm fine, I haven't really been out in the sun all that much so that's probably the reason." I excused and Ukyo accepted it without thought. The cherry blossoms would be blooming soon and it was steadily getting warmer. I think I'll suggest going to see them with everyone when they arrive. Lifting my head I exhaled quietly, tucking my hair behind my ear before tying it back to keep it from my face.
When we arrived home I started on dinner, urging Ukyo to take some time to himself and make any last minute preparations that he needed, assuring him that I could handle things in the kitchen by myself. Once I had my apron on I started to cook the food, noting how many would be coming and was happy to see that most of us would be there, with the exceptions of Hikaru, Masaomi, Futo and Iori. Today I was making an Italian dish from one of the recipes in Ukyo's new cookbook that Wataru and I had got him for Christmas, so I carefully followed the instructions and cooked enough that everyone could eat their fill. "Hey little lady, how are things looking in here?" I gave a tired smile, feeling hot and bothered from working over the stove.
"Almost done, I think it'll all be ready in five minutes or so." I answered Kaname as he stood in his casual clothes rather than his monk robes.
"Just to let you know Natsume will be joining us this evening, sorry we didn't inform you sooner but it was a rather sudden decision. I hope it's not any trouble." Kaname said, giving me his charming smile and I almost faltered but I managed to cover up any surprised or uncomfortableness, stirring the bubbling contents of the pot slowly.
"It's no trouble, I made plenty even for extras." I answered, turning my attention back to what I was doing, though in my mind I was reeling. Natsume was coming? It gets harder and harder to try and act normal around him each time I see him. I hardly know what to say and each time I look at him, I keep on thinking back to how angry he'd been when he was drunk. Also that kiss, did he mean it? In some ways I hope he didn't as it had hurt a lot and almost bruised but I'd been able to ice my lips without anyone knowing when I got home.
Shaking my head I focused on the food, wiping away a little sweat from my brow before starting to dish it out onto plates. When I called everyone for food Azusa went knocking on doors, making sure everyone came to the table. As Kaname and Louis helped take the plates out to the table I made myself a coffee then made my way over to the table just as Natsume came downstairs. I forced myself not to look at him, taking a sip of my drink as Tsubaki and Yusuke came running down the opposite set of stairs, Yusuke yelling at his brother.
"Come on dude, give it back! This isn't cool!" I don't know what Tsubaki had taken, however before I knew it Yusuke had collided with me, not seeing me step out in front of him and I felt my entire body lurch, the drink falling from my hands as I collapsed to the floor, Yusuke falling against a chair. "Rikki!" Hot coffee flew from the inside of the mug, flaring outwards and came tumbling down towards me as I gasped, staring in fear before I instinctively rolled to the side twice, hearing the mug smash as I gripped my head with my hands. "Rikki are you okay?!"
"Rikona!" Several voices called out and they rang painfully in my head which was throbbing with hurt. I haven't had such a painful migraine in a long time and my eyes hurt too. For a moment everything sounded fuzzy and muffled until my senses sharpened, allowing me to push myself slowly up onto my side as Azusa reached me first, closely followed by Yusuke and Louis as everyone else froze in shock. "Are you alright? Were you burned anywhere?" Azusa questioned hurriedly, hand going to my face however the moment he felt my burning skin he tensed. "Rikona, you have a fever, are you unwell?"
"I'm alright. It was just an accident." I excused, giving a smile to Yusuke who looked like he'd just accidentally destroyed the world. "Just please don't run around the kitchen anymore, alright?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry Rikki." He said, his hand resting against my arm as everyone else crowded around. My head felt painfully tight and I gripped it, realising that I really did have a temperature.
"I think I'll just go and have a lie down, I'm rather tired after all." I murmured to myself and I slowly began to get up, Azusa and Yusuke insisted on helping me but I forced a smile to my face, turning around to reassure everyone. "Please, enjoy the food, there's enough for everyone."
"Rikki are you sure you're alright? You look like you're about to faint." They started to fuss over me, wanting to take me to a doctor or call Masaomi but I didn't want anything like that, I just wanted to go to bed with a cooling cloth over my head. I appreciated their concern but it really was unnecessary for the moment. Somehow I managed to calm them down, stepping backwards and lifting my hands, telling them that I was going to have a sleep and if I wasn't better by morning then I'd go to a doctor. This seemed to pacify them so I turned around to head back to my room but then I saw Natsume, watching me intently.
For a moment I was unsure of what to do, panicking when his eyes fixed on mine but I managed a shaky smile as I walked tentatively past him, though nothing more than that. The stairs were a pain as I felt even more lightheaded when I reached the top, however by the time I got to the elevator I was depending on the walls for support. I just needed sleep. I'll be fine after that. Some rest will set me right as rain, then I'll be ready to face the world again.
