So… Ryoma isn't who Hayami thinks he is? Things are about to get interesting!

Also, I am undertaking NaNoWriMo so my updates might be slow until I hit the 50k word goal. I'm already at 25k so only another 25k to go!

P.S I made a twitter! Come follow me there sunnichan9

Chapter 7

"Ryoma Tatsu isn't who you think he is Hayami"

"What?" she could hear her heartbeat in her ears

"Ryoma Tatsu is only his cover… his real name is Sosuke Kaneko of the Kasanoda Syndicate… 12 years ago he left on a top secret mission given to him directly from the Kasanoda patriarch and hasn't been seen since. He was one of the family lieutenants and his seat is still sitting empty. My contact has evidence that says Ryoma Tatsu was sent to infiltrate the Tanaka Syndicate and bring it down from the inside once the, and I quote 'young miss and the young lord are wed'"

"N-no…" Hayami shook her head quickly "your information is wrong… Ryoma is… has always been on my side… he… he…"

"Hayami…" Kyoya spoke up only to be cut off

"NO!" She leapt up to her feet "you are wrong Kyoya-senpai!" her fists were clenched and her eyes were brimming with tears "Your contact is wrong!"

"It's all in here"

Kyoya dug into his school bag and dragged out some documents that had been sent to him that morning. He tossed the manila folder onto the table, eyes still on Hayami as she fought not to burst into tears.

"All I was waiting on was my second source to confirm what I'd already seen… I'm sorry Hayami" he actually looked a little guilty.

Clearly Kyoya had no idea how close Hayami felt she was to Ryoma and now maybe, maybe he wished he hadn't dropped her into the deep end with his findings. She looked crushed, like he'd just kicked her puppy after petting it so nicely.

Hayami swallowed, fighting back the tears as her hands reached shakily for the folder, her whole being hoped to god Kyoya had this wrong… just once, could the shadow king be wrong? Opening the folder, she was greeted with a profile that confirmed what Kyoya had just told her and more… and to the left of the paper was a photograph of Ryoma. Her eyes flickered over the document as she stood there in disbelief of what she was seeing, fingers shaking as she turned each page in the folder; more and more evidence supporting what Kyoya had told her... Photographs, times, dates, call logs and so much more.

Hayami's hand darted up to cover her mouth as she let out a heartbroken sob. The man she'd grown up to trust, who she considered family was actually a man planted by Kasanoda… and by the look of it, he'd been planted to help take out her family once she was married off to Ritsu… so that the Kasanoda Syndicate could absorb what remained to their side.

"Hayami…" Tamaki reached out to touch her shoulder, worry etched onto his face.

She jerked back hard. Sure, she'd been the one asking for help but she hadn't expected to find out what she had… It was too much… why did this have to be the solution to her problem. Her father wouldn't believe her anyway, no matter how many documents she threw at him but she'd know… and she'd question everything all the time.

Turning on her heels, she ran from the music room, her vision clouded as tears coursed down her face. She had to find somewhere to hide, somewhere to not draw attention to herself where she could try and calm down before the end of school.

"Well that didn't go how I thought it would" Kyoya watched the retreating figure of Hayami, the document folder she'd been holding was on the floor, papers scattered.

"Of course not Kyoya-senpai" Haruhi turned her gaze to him "you just told Hayami that the one person on this earth she trusts other than her blood family, is a mole for the family she is being forced to marry into"

"I didn't realise she was so close to him" he defended

"Clearly" Hikaru and Kaoru spoke up

"Well someone has to go after her!" Tamaki spoke up "We can't leave her wandering around the school like that! What if Kasanoda finds her?"

"You guys…" Honey tried to butt in

"You have a point senpai" Haruhi nodded "I think Kyoya-senpai should go find her, apologise sincerely and bring her back"

"Guys?" Honey tried again

"I am not apologising for bringing her the truth Haruhi" Kyoya snapped a little "it's not my fault she took it badly"

"Hello?" Honey waved his hands

"No but you did drop it on her, so it's your responsibility to go try and even it out" Hikaru nodded

"Yeah, there is no telling what she might do or say to anyone in that state" Kaoru followed off from his brother.

"YOU GUYS!" Honey yelled, finally getting their attention.

"Yes Honey-senpai?" Tamaki blinked at the smallest host

"Takashi already went after her" Honey pointed to the slightly ajar door through which the tallest host had exited.

"There, problem solved… now I have some more information to acquire…" Kyoya rose from the couch, collected the documents and moved in the direction of his usual seat.

"So cold" Hikaru shook his head

"Should have been the ice king not the shadow king" Kaoru sighed.

Kyoya brushed off their words and got back to work. He might have come off as cold and uncaring but Hayami had asked for a way out and he wasn't about to give up yet. He had some suspicions and he intended on verifying everything and bring a solid plan to the table to get Hayami out of that life… He needed to find a way to turn the information he'd gathered into an actual foolproof plan and he already had some ideas.

Hayami's POV

I couldn't believe it… The proof was there yet I was finding it so hard to believe that Ryoma was really Sosuke Kaneko and that he was a lieutenant of the Kasanoda family. Why would Kasanoda be willing to play the long game like that and how on earth had Ryoma not gotten caught?! 12 years is a long ass time to keep that kinda thing under your hat… and even longer since it would be another three years before any kind of wedding could happen.

Then again, it didn't surprise me… this lifestyle… it was rife with dangers like this, syndicates trying to fuck each other over on a daily basis… and this? This would be the ultimate 'fuck you' from Kasanoda to my family… take their daughter, have her fall in love with his son, make her a Kasanoda and turn her back on her own, leaving them to burn. God why hadn't I noticed anything!? I had been taught from a young age how to read people… how to spot a liar a mile off yet this had flown in under my radar and my father's too apparently.

"FUCK!" I cursed, kicking the door of the empty room I'd stumbled upon.

Almost immediately I regretted that "ow… owowowow!" I hissed, hopping around on one foot before tripping over myself and landing on my ass. The moment I landed on the floor, hot tears of anger and despair burst free and I sat there, wailing like a small child who'd just been told they were leaving the park.

I'd ended up on the side of the school which was mostly used for storage, so I knew I'd be alone for a while, well until school let out at least. Or so I thought. I heard the sound of the door to the room creaking but it wasn't until I felt someone tug me into their arms did I register someone was actually there.

"Hayami…" the rumble of his voice had me crying harder.

God bless Mori and his ability to convey words without speaking them. I sobbed into his chest as we knelt on the floor of the storage room, his hand rubbing gentle circles on my back; his steady heartbeat was rather soothing in all fairness and I found myself slowly calming down.

"It's not fair…" I hiccupped lightly, pulling back enough to look up at Mori

"I know" he nodded

"I have known Ryoma all my life pretty much and… and… how could he be a traitor like that?!" I looked at Mori with a look in my eyes that begged him to tell me it was all a lie.

"I'm sorry Hayami…" he sighed, cradling me to him as I started sobbing again.

Mori's POV

I held Hayami as she sobbed into my chest. I know Kyoya had a reason for dropping that information but it hurt me to see her so broken up over this. Sliding my phone from my pocket, I sent a text to Mitsukuni to let him know I'd found her before turning my attention back to the girl in my arms.

"Hayami…" I spoke gently "I know it is a lot process… but maybe finding this out is a good thing"

She hiccupped a little and looked up at me "a good thing how?"

It was breaking my heart seeing how distraught she looked right now, her pretty face all tear stained and her eyes red from the crying. I felt a weird fluttering feeling in my stomach but I pushed it down… now was not the time to be feeling those kinds of feelings.

"Well Kyoya went to a lot of effort to dig that information up… maybe if we show it to your father, it'd be enough for him to break the arrangement?" I blinked as she stared at me with a blank expression.

"My father wouldn't believe it… In the whole time Ryoma has been with the family, he has not once stepped out of line, not once given my father any cause for concern… why would some information dug up by high school kids convince him otherwise? He'd know I was doing it to get out of marrying Ritsu and then… and then what? I'd get sent away from the 'bad influences' around me to another school until I graduate!" she was getting angry again, I could feel it in the way she shook against me.

Normal POV

They sat there for a good fifteen minutes before Hayami had calmed down enough that they could return to the music room.

"Welcome back Haya-chan!" Honey greeted her as Hayami and Mori stepped back through the doors.

"I didn't think you'd come back" Kyoya watched her move to sit back down on the couch.

"I nearly didn't" she lowered her eyes from his gaze "but you went to the effort to help me, so I will hear you out"

"Wonderful" Kyoya smiled "I have a plan"

Everyone crowded around to hear what Kyoya had come up with.

Oof! Hayami found out a harsh truth today! What could Kyoya's plan possibly be? You'll have to wait until next chapter!