A/N: To answer several reviewer's question: It's…one of those scenes with details I want to leave to imagination…but in my head, yes, Shizuka did feel it. For us it's pretty obvious because hey, we read romance lol! For her character it's a bit different, and he might be brushing her bruised lips or something (because a lot of his actions don't make sense to her anyways). Would she have immediately realized, or dared guess what it was? …I'd say Atobe didn't think she would, else he wouldn't have bothered taking that discreet route.


Mother and Father Atobe


Monday was a holiday, Children's Day, and the second last day before school resumed again. The Atobes were having an unscheduled family reunion at their mansion.

Atobe Aritomo was sipping on coffee to alleviate the jetlag. Though his son had just arrived back from his school trip in Kyoto less than an hour ago, and had had an eventful day yesterday, the first confirmation he sought from his son was, "Is the acquisition going well?"

Mother Atobe gave her husband a look of undisguised grievance, but this kind of scene at the dining table was something all three of them were used to.

"Swimmingly," their son, Atobe Keigo, was responding like it was a mundane matter, his attention divided, "as long as no word of the security breach this time gets out."

"Hn. I trust you have already handled that," father Atobe remarked, glancing up from his newspaper; an old-fashioned preference of his. What would have made the headlines by today if word had gotten out, there wasn't even a whisper anywhere.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," mother Atobe said disbelievingly, setting down her cutlery and crossing her arms while reclining back in her chair. "I want to know how it was possible to miss such an obvious relation between the two men?"

"He hid it well," father Atobe responded as a matter of fact, going back to his newspaper. "The assassin was affiliated with one of our subsidiaries beforehand. A year and a half in the planning, transferring over to the Kyoto head office, waiting with none the wiser."

"Hmph." Atobe Keigo, the victim of this time's crisis, said between partaking of his noontime meal, "I didn't want to say this since you're my father, but you should really do a review of your internal screening processes. And while we're at this." He rubbed his temple exasperatedly with his thumb, tapping his head with index finger. "I don't appreciate being told to pick up your work on such short notice," Keigo forthrightly said.

The conversation was like this, but father and son had a peculiar type of mutual understanding.

Both of them were Atobes, but were intrinsically different types of people. The son was at the age where he could shoulder more and more responsibility, and the father was eager to unload challenges onto him under the guise of gaining him work experience.

Mother Atobe usually kept out of their arrangements, but this time, since her darling son had ended up endangered, there was no shortage of speaking looks she sent in her spouse's direction.

Father Atobe busied himself with the newspaper in an effort to delay that discussion. The table talk eased down to topics of their son's academic performance and his plans at the mansion later on this day.

There's something mother Atobe had been noticing for a while, her elegantly groomed eyebrow curving ever slightly higher over time. Their gorgeous and prideful Keigo kept glancing down at his phone, smirking and typing into it every now and then. And to think, Keigo was normally the stickler for them not playing with devices during a family meal.

Mother Atobe propped her elbow up on the dining table, leaning forward curiously. "Is it a girl?" she asked with quirked eyebrows.

"Is she cute?" father Atobe asked without lifting his eyes from the article he was perusing.

"Ma." Brushing his dark bangs with two fingers, Keigo replied as a matter of fact, smirking smugly, "Of course."

Their head butler who was waiting on them, Michael, gave an input at this time. "Kagami Shizuka-chan," said the elderly gentleman, "is a bright young lady who is attending the same school as Keigo-sama."

"Oh?" mother Atobe responded inquisitively, interested.

"Kagami…?" father Atobe similarly reacted, for another reason, temporarily glancing up from his newspaper.

"You've met her?" mother Atobe was asking their head butler.

"Answering the madam," Michael replied, "Keigo-sama has had his friend over a few times since they have known each other."

"Oh…?" Mother Atobe dropped her chin onto her palm, further leaning towards the direction of her son across from her. "When are you going to bring this girl over to soothe momma's eyes?" she asked him.

"Kagami-san," the butler Michael helpfully reminded, his humour given away by the wrinkling of his crow's feet, "is one of Keigo-sama's close friends."

Keigo felt the butler had emphasized the word 'friend' one too many times. "Oi, Michael!" he voiced his reproach. The master and missus were back, and now the butler didn't need to mind his words around the young master, was that it?

Oh…? Mother Atobe was absorbing the information she had been provided. A girl…whom their son was carefully pursuing? The woman exchanged a look with her husband.

Father Atobe knew what that look meant, although what he said to his son was, "Spend time with your grandfather in the following weekends. He's going to want to assign you bodyguards again."

The fast-adapting Keigo returned him a glance, and made an indifferent sound of assent. "I know."


[You won't need to prepare anything. Showing up is enough.]

Though Atobe's text message had read that, Shizuka had still stopped by a department store before heading over. It was such an easy date to remember, Children's Day, but Jirou's birthday had totally slipped her mind due to the chaos in the last couple weeks. And none of these guys have thought to remind her?

Admittedly, Shizuka had been unprepared. At the very least, she went and bought some chocolates of a brand she knew Jirou was fond of. It was just that she mistimed how long her trip would take her, and wounded up arriving earlier than she had informed she would.

Perhaps it was due to the incident from yesterday, but it looked like there were more members of the Atobe's security police stationed outside the mansion than the last times she had been here.

"Good day," Shizuka said to the ones she passed outside the front entrance. Fortunately, it appeared that they were expecting the young master's friends over. The barricade of bodyguards let her through without hassle, but she was just as curious to find that the head maid, along with an assemblage of male and female servants, were lined up on either side of the entrance hall doorway she had entered.

This wasn't them welcoming one of their young master's friends on ceremony, Shizuka distractedly realized. This was them seeing someone important out.

"I won't be back tonight. Have my assistant bring it up to my study when he arrives." A matured voice that transmitted effortlessly, emanating all the same authority without the drawl at the end. Long and valiant strides that would betray a disguise. The hairstyle and facial hair was groomed differently, and unlike Keigo's long eyebrows that tapered up sharply like twin swords, this man's were fuller up at the arch and sloped gently down at the ends. Nevertheless, Shizuka didn't need anyone to tell her for her to realize.

This must be father Atobe.

Didn't know why, but her immediate reaction was to step to one side like the household staff. Anyways, they didn't part ways for her to join their ranks. It was a little awkward.

The butler and the head maid were assisting their master with his coat and outdoor articles when the tall man's firm gaze landed on Shizuka's quiet presence. "You must be the Kagami-chan whom I've heard much about."

Shizuka saw footsteps approach, blinked and lifted her gaze up to meet the shrewd dark eyes of father Atobe who was slipping on his gloves. He came before her, but not fully faced to her. "Well," said the man, cryptically and with just a hint of knowing humour on his brow, "Do your best." Father Atobe received his hat from the butler's hands, heading out without further ado.

"Safe travels, Atobe-sama," the rows of servants sent him off, bowing in unison.

"Young miss," the head butler, Michael's greeting interrupted Shizuka's slight daze.

"Hello." Shizuka bowed her head in greeting. "It's been a while."

"It's the first time you've encountered the master of this household, isn't it?" Michael asked, the kindly elderly gentleman creasing a smile at the corners of his eyes. "Keigo-sama's parents are normally busy abroad. The stars would have to align to run into any of them," he said. He extended an arm, gesturing up the grand staircase while maintaining his bowing stance. "The young master is upstairs. If you please."

"Alright." Shizuka smiled and followed him up the stairs of the grand foyer. "He's not resting, is he?"

"Truly unlikely," the butler answered her, "Nevertheless, permit me to announce your arrival first." He had escorted her over to the intersection of a side hall on second floor, and here he turned to her with a courteous bow. "Please wait here a moment."

Shizuka was left standing on their lush red carpeted floor, and she strode around a bit, peering down at first floor where the head maid was providing instructions to the other servants. She really did wonder why Atobe needed her to come over early when he already had a household of staff who could help him arrange a party.

She saw Atobe's large and majestic Afghan hound strutting down the carpet in her direction. "Oh…" She was just about to bend her knees down in greeting.

Shizuka liked animals. Animals generally didn't like her. Still, this was the first time an animal had outright wrenched the gift bag she had been carrying in her good hand—and made off with it. "…Hey-?"

The long-furred dog had already put some distance between them by the time Shizuka reacted.

The girl was confounded. Her logical course of action was to simply inform the butler who should be returning momentarily. But then she seemed to recall hearing from somewhere that dogs shouldn't be eating chocolates.

Oh, shoot. "Hey-!" Shizuka went after it. What was this dog's name again? Rhythm? Flow? "Bob," she called, thinking she's got it.

Beat had no patience for some human who couldn't even remember her name. The dog made a sound suspiciously similar to a snort and showed no sign of slowing down.

Human and dog had a staredown at the very end of a long side corridor with wall-length windows on one side. "Alright. Put it down, gently." Shizuka thought she had the dog cornered.

The dog hit the pedestal stand next to it with a bodycheck, the jade vase atop teetering dangerously to one side. Alarmed, Shizuka shot forward to catch it.

She didn't know what surprised her more: the fact that the vase had slanted to a precarious angle yet didn't topple, or that the section of the floor they were on rotated without warning. All of a sudden, the girl found herself on the other side of the wall with the dog. "Huh…?"

The floor beneath her feet shifted not just once, but a total of three times. Arm still outstretched in that forward-leaning stance, Shizuka raised her eyebrows when she was positive the movements have ended.

What they were facing now appeared like a windowless, interior hallway of baroque architectural style, stretching into nothing but darkness. Cool, dimly lit, and silent with the solemn atmosphere of a sanctum.

"Bob," the volume of Shizuka's voice subconsciously lowered in asking Atobe's dog, "Where…are we?"

Beat ran off on her before she could say, 'Hey, no, don't eat the chocolate!'

Instinctively, Shizuka didn't attempt to give chase.

There was something about the deep colour schemes, something about the insignia designs laid by the floor tiles that gave off the ambiance of 'walk, don't run.'

Compared to the white, gold, and red prevalent throughout the mansion, it was like she had trespassed into an alternate dimension.

Shizuka gathered her bearings and strode forward in search for the dog.

She had initially thought this was a section of the mansion that was neglected in the most recent renovation, or something to that effect. It didn't seem to be the case. The amber lights up on the wall have appeared like oil lamps, but upon closer inspection they were LED imitation bulbs, each one of uniform brightness. From above her she could hear the quiet humming of air conditioning.

It was a well-maintained space. Not frequented, but clearly a carefully preserved place. Her gaze travelled down alongside one wall that appeared to be adorned by mounted frames. Sort of like a private art gallery, was what it reminded her of.

Shizuka approached curiously.

The first frame looked the largest, carved gold on all four sides. It was an oil painting encased within, the size large enough to warrant her taking steps back to behold it in its entirety.

A valiant, stern looking man with hair more white than grey, a thick moustache, and a beard on his heavy jaw. Unlike the typical Japanese features, the man in the painting had a pair of deep-set eyes, his nose bridge and his brow prominent. The painter's skill was sublime, the brushworks detailed regardless of the scale. Most importantly, the artist had immortalized the air of supremacy emitting from the man.

"That is the Atobe family's patriarch, Atobe Tsuyoshi," an announced voice said from behind her.

Shizuka was startled by the unexpected presence of a maid who greeted her with a prim curtsey. "Outsiders are normally unpermitted," said the maid, regarding her with part interest, part guardedness. She then seemed to have thought of something. "You are…one of young master's friends?"

"Pardon the intrusion," Shizuka replied with a small bow. "I was just looking for my way out, actually. Also…for the dog."

The maid seemed to have understood something from that. "The exit is on the other end of this hall," she unhurriedly said, "Allow me to be your guide."

Shizuka couldn't resist looking over at the portraits on the wall they passed, and this didn't go unnoticed by the maid who was leading the way. "The patriarch, in other words, Keigo-sama's grandfather, is the man who founded the Atobe Empire from scratch through sheer ambition and business acumen," the maid explained. "There are no portraits of him from his earliest years, only from after he had established his powerbase in the business world."

In all these portraits depicting him at different phases of his later years, mostly posing by himself, sometimes with a woman whom Shizuka presumed to be his wife, the Atobe patriarch wore the same imposing look of an emperor.

Shizuka figured she understood where Keigo got his intimidating aura from.

"Ah, this one is recreated from an old photograph," the maid halted before a portrait larger than the rest and said. "It should be the youngest image there is of him."

Shizuka looked at the painting of the middle-aged man standing, a woman seated before him. Both man and woman in the portrait were wearing simple but formal European-styled clothing. His hair was styled in a western fashion that complimented his prominent features, though her hairstyle was distinctively Japanese in the traditional sense.

"This is grandfather and grandmother Atobe years after their marriage, before the birth of their son," the maid gave an explanation. "Atobe Mumeka. Her father was a wealthy city banker. They met when grandfather Atobe visited their house to request for investments into an overseas coal production facility and power plant. He had vision and the connections, but no family background or formal education. The banker rejected him, but the daughter Mumeka had decided on him there and then. Leaving behind a life of comfort and affluence, she took all her jewelry and eloped to find grandfather Atobe. She told him to sell all her belongings to make up for the starting funds he needed, and return to make her the foremost partner in all his future endeavors."

It was with admiration that the maid recounted the story to her. The maid's wise eyes turned to her. "This is something you youngsters may not view the same nowadays. For the sake of a man she left her family, left her future, and devoted herself entirely to helping him realize his ambitions. It was many years, fraught with hardship, before grandfather Atobe commanded enough return on investments to be freed from personally overseeing the start-ups. From then, his successes snowballed and his empire formed."

"Unfortunately," the maid dabbed the ends of her eyes with a handkerchief, "the toil from the early days of coal factory visitations had a lasting effect on grandmother Atobe's health. From the age of fifty, she has since suffered from an early onset of Alzheimer's disease. These days, it has progressed to the point where she will forget someone who she hasn't seen for over a week. The patriarch spends most his time, now, with her at their villa. He is impatiently waiting for the day he can hand over the reins to his heir, Young Master Keigo.

Was she just misunderstanding something, Shizuka thought, or did it sound like the position of heir skipped a generation and fell directly onto the grandson's shoulders?

"It is often said the greatness of the founding generation doesn't get passed down to the next," the maid said as though reading her thoughts. "Atobe Tsuyoshi and his wife had one offspring, the current master of this household, Atobe Aritomo." The paintings they now passed were portraying a different person. A toddler, a boy, a teenager, a fine young man… They documented the different stages of father Atobe's life. In all the portraits, his demeanor was calm and regal, but there was something about his eyes. Something inscrutable and mischievous.

"In front of his strict father, Aritomo-sama was serious. Behind his father's back, he was flighty and sentimental. He inherited his father's keen intelligence but not the same ambition. When the patriarch tasked him with proving his worth as the heir, Aritomo-sama chose to start up a security company from scratch, one of the few sectors his father's empire had yet to expand its reach into. Problem was, by the end of the test period, the master had grown such good rapport with his people that he could not bear to leave his position."

…But, wasn't there a huge issue that just cropped up with a fired employee? Shizuka thought about it. Well, she didn't know the whole story. It was none of her business anyways.

The maid continued forward, somewhat emotional. "Rather than abiding by the patriarch's wishes, Aritomo-sama had decided he would commit all his attention to what he had started, and to carve his own place in the world."

Oh my. None of the members in this family were exactly…conventional, thought Shizuka.

There was a wedding portrait. Next to Atobe's father was a lady in a grand white wedding gown with golden-orange hair and blue eyes, who looked to be a foreigner. The gold plaque at the bottom of the frame had the initials, 'A.A. & A.A.'

"Keigo-sama's mother, Atobe Arisa," the maid explained. "A prolific biochemist who had decided to devote her life to research. She had come to Japan as part of a collab effort to research a cure for a rare disease that the affected, at the time, could only receive expensive long-term treatment for. Her team had been on the cusp of a breakthrough, but had run into interventions by the multi-national pharmaceutical companies that have hoped to continue providing those expensive but largely ineffectual treatments. To an extent where the researchers feared for their lives. Hence, Arisa-sama decided to enlist the protection of the largest security corporation around. That was how the master and missus met."

With a twinkle in her eyes, the maid retold the story, "The missus had barged into his head office and had demanded his cooperation, claiming that she may not be able to afford it now or ever, but if he should decline her request he would pay a hell of a price with his conscience."

The maid chuckled. "The two didn't start off on good footing. It had taken until her team's research was complete, and the missus was returning to her home country, for the master to realize he had fallen for her. It was a pursuit that spanned two and a half years, and across two continents, but the missus finally agreed to be with him."

Shizuka was thinking… The servants of this mansion all seemed to be rather assured and spirited in their conduct. Was it a reflection of the leniency from the master and the missus of the household?

"The patriarch opposed their relationship at first." Take this maid, for example, who divulged on about her masters' business without as much as a care. "The missus worked as an expert in a field of specialization that uses equipment known to cause lasting side-effects with prolonged exposure. Not only was her having children an issue, at the time the patriarch had in mind a good daughter from the family of an influential business partner. With grandmother Atobe setting the example, the patriarch knew the impact of having a supportive wife, and had hoped to rein in his son with an arranged marriage."

"Those were trying times for the master and missus." The maid again dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief, though Shizuka couldn't tell if there were actual tears. "The patriarch didn't relent until his wife, in one of her half-lucid states, learned of the father-son conflict and smacked her husband on his head, proclaiming, 'I didn't toil away the entire latter half of my life for you to have to sell out our son!'"

Oh my. Shizuka shielded her mouth to hide her reaction. What a…what a character grandmother Atobe had.

She felt her phone vibrate with a notification. She drew it out of her pants pocket to look.

There was a new message at the end of the text chain with Atobe from this morning.

[Where are you?]

Was this guy trying to figure where she had disappeared off to?

"I can get out by continuing straight?" Shizuka asked the woman who was with her. The maid folded her hands before the lap of her skirt, and bowed in confirmation.

In terms of portraits, there were no lack of them on display throughout the mansion, albeit they were of the young master and his dog. Atobe Keigo didn't have the habit of flaunting the status of his elders and she had never heard him bringing them up in conversation, thus his family environment had always been a bit of a mystery to Shizuka. That was probably why she had found herself tarrying so long in here.

"Excuse me, then." Shizuka picked up her pace. However, she hadn't gotten much further before a quick glimpse to the side arrested her attention on a uniform row of life-size portraits.

Oh? Wasn't this…

His deep blue eyes, tilted up at the corners. His distinctive eyebrows, as though drawn by one who had predetermined what kind of approach this boy would have towards life. The hair colour and the tear mole beneath the right eye was the same as his father's and his grandfather's, but Shizuka didn't think she could mistake him regardless.

"The apple of the master and missus' eye, and the child the couple thought they wouldn't be able to have: Young Master Keigo."

The maid had come up beside her while maintaining a respectful distance. The woman followed the direction of her gaze. "It seems as far back as the patriarch's great-grandfather's generation, the descendant of this family will always be a single precious son, and that son," said the maid whose glance, for whatever reason, trailed over to the girl with a smile, "will inevitably be drawn to a bold and determined woman."

Shizuka felt that had been said meaningfully, and didn't quite know how to react except to refocus her attention on the boy captured in the paintings. She drew steps forward.

This was something she would likely never admit, but Atobe sure looked innocent as a kid. He hadn't yet possessed the cocky, world-is-mine deportment that was pretty much inseparable from his name. His large eyes have appeared quiet rather than loud and expressive, the natural angle of his eyebrows making him appear like a mini philosopher. It was just that… What was it…? Shizuka moved, curiously, from before one frame to another. In all of these portraits…he wasn't smiling?

"The young master," the woman's voice nearly startled Shizuka, stating, "wasn't like most other children." Leaving no room for interpretation, the maid continued, "He didn't find enthusiasm like other children. He didn't interact like other children. He was different, and most tragically, he knew it."

Hold on… Shizuka was stuck in a strange headspace of disbelief right now. Was it alright to be telling her this?

"The master and missus sought experts around the globe, all of whom have advised against the possibility of the young master experiencing a normal development," the maid recounted with a tragic tone.

But, that certainly wasn't how things have turned out, was it? The Atobe Keigo that Shizuka knew, whether in terms of ability or popularity, did not lose to anyone.

"In the end, it wasn't a method from some big name expert that had cracked the young master out of his shell…" the woman ambiguously said, peering over with a quirked eyebrow, "But tennis, of all things."

Shizuka was confounded hearing this revelation.

"It's hard to say what was the exact catalyst. To read his opponents, he learned to observed people. To overcome obstacles, he challenged his limits. It's such an intuitive thing to anyone else," admitted the maid, "but for him, it was the gateway to opening up his entire world."

…For some reason, Shizuka had always presumed his kingly bearing was rooted in his blood, given the family he was born into. It wasn't that she had thought that he had reached his current level without any effort. She just hadn't dreamt that he might have had to put in effort greater than anyone else.

Really…such an intense individual who had gone from one extreme to the other. Shizuka felt her mouth twitch. Who was it who had told her someone like Atobe didn't know the meaning of moderation? That person might have been correct.

The maid's narration redrew Shizuka's attention. "The master and missus were relieved to find him enjoying something, and gave him freedom in all things. In hindsight, perhaps the couple had spoiled their son too much. The young master grew up privileged, eliminating all constraints and surpassing all expectations, but also grew up to be an egotistical young man unable to sympathize with those who aren't able to clear obstacles through sheer effort; a young master unable to take 'no' for an answer." The maid sighed wistfully.

…In all fairness, this woman's disguise was near flawless.

It was just that, when the maid lifted her handkerchief to her eyes, Shizuka spotted the initials, 'A.A.' embroidered on the corner of it. That, in addition to a few suspicious points in this maid's behaviour, had Shizuka beginning to suspect where the Hyoutei captain had gotten his theatrics from.

…Atobe Keigo…why didn't you warn me that your parents might be home?

Shizuka speechlessly looked ahead, wondering for what reason Atobe's mother was going through the hassle of seeking her out like this.

Inferring from the chronological arrangement of these portraits, it was during a two year period between the ages of seven and nine when the boy's demeanor had undergone a drastic change. Into the whimsical and arrogant disposition that she was used to seeing. How fitting was it that the only painting in the row that was in landscape orientation was of a young Atobe posing with his hand flipping his bangs on a tennis court, against a backdrop of what looked to be an European style castle?

Shizuka felt another tug at the corner of her mouth. So this must be what tennis meant to him.

"He really is the typical young master of a powerful family who can be insensitive to other people's feelings," Shizuka found herself saying. "He will take your side, but you'll have to prove yourself. He will consider your point, but you'll have to make a convincing argument. Honestly, it gets tiring sometimes," she admitted with a self-deprecating smile to herself.

Sometimes, she simply didn't want to be confronting all her problems.

"But, despite his blatant flaunting of his wealth and privilege," Shizuka remarked, "I have yet to see him oppress anyone out of personal grudge, or to crush his opponents through underhanded means." She had eventually come to understand that someone with his background would be able to get away with much. Yet Atobe Keigo was righteous and law-abiding.

She didn't know why his mother was going through the hassle, but Shizuka figured that honesty was the best policy here. "I think that his parents," Shizuka surmised with a faint smile, thinking that the values of the parents were generally passed down to their children, "must have raised him with plenty of care and love."

In this world, it turned out that there were people who possessed everything.

"Young lady…" the woman's clever and thoughtful gaze regarded her with interest "Do you…" A sound coming from the end of the hall drew both their attention.

Lifting a finger to her own lips, the woman who looked like she hadn't aged a day over thirty smiled with her eyes.

"Shizuka!" That was Atobe Keigo's voice.

When Shizuka glanced back, the woman was gone. The dumbfounded girl stood there until Atobe, in black dress pants and collared shirt with a white vest, reached her with his long strides.

"Oi, you alright?" Atobe appeared a tad more hurried than usual, a furrow on his brow. He took hold of her arm that wasn't in a sling. "You didn't encounter anything weird?"

Why? Had she actually been in trouble just now? "No…" Shizuka replied with a strained smile.

His skeptical gaze scanned the place as if looking for someone. "How did you come to be here?"

That reminded her. "Your dog…" Shizuka looked behind Atobe at the long-furred culprit that had come tailing after her owner. The girl stepped past him to crouch down before the Afghan hound, extending her hand. "What have you done with them, hm? Did you eat them? Cough up the chocolates," she demanded.

"Your dog," explained Shizuka in response to the look of incredulity Atobe regarded her with, "robbed me of the present I brought."

"Nonsense." Atobe had the attitude of an overindulgent parent as he leisurely crossed his arms and lifted his chin. "Beat is a highborn lady who wouldn't resort to petty thievery, and over a bunch of chocolates to say the least." He tossed his beloved hound a glance. "Go on, Beat; show her how classy you are."

As though she were perfectly capable of comprehending human speech, the large and regal canine strutted forward towards their guest—…and pulled down the front of Shizuka's shirt by its neckline. In fact, it got stretched so far in that moment, there was the distinctive sound of a tear. Shizuka reacted instinctively, instantly wrenching back her shirt.

Cue a very stifling and awkward silence.

In a painstakingly slow manner, Atobe Keigo reached his hand up towards his forehead, but paused part way, instead holding his hand out in a pacifying manner. His expression was serious and his gaze firm. "I can explain."

People handled embarrassment in different ways. For Shizuka, it was to coolly lift her gaze and question him, "Did you see?"

"I can explain," Atobe calmly repeated, arching an eyebrow. "Put down the dog."

Which was why, when the rest of the gang had come over later, a deadpan Shizuka was still holding onto an equally deadpan dog.

When asked about it, she replied to Shishido and Otori, "You have to keep a close watch on a troublemaker. Right, Beat?"

Beat growled in response.

"Speaking of which," Shizuka made an observation, "Whether this dog agrees with you or not, she will growl to let you know."

Hmm… Shishido tried to keep his expression under control. Didn't that mean Atobe's dog simply not like her? "Hey big girl," he and his fellow dog-lover Otori patted the dog, "How've you been?"

Beat calmly wagged her tail.

"You're not joining them down there?" Shishido asked Shizuka. He indicated to the first floor with his thumb. Jirou and the others were on the lower level of the banquet hall. From their vantage point, they could pretty much see everything that was going on downstairs.

"You guys go ahead," Shizuka answered.

It wasn't readily apparent, but things were a bit awkward between her and Atobe, right now.

Not all of the tennis club members were present, mostly third-years who were considered mutual friends of the regulars. There were, however, enough guests to keep Atobe occupied with his role as host. Rather than mingling downstairs, Shizuka was much more comfortable observing from afar like she was used to.

It looked like someone had asked about one of them, for Atobe briefly looked up in their direction. Shizuka blinked and involuntarily averted her gaze.

Staring at the chandelier-lit ceiling, she gave an inward sigh. "…I can probably be more understanding of him, right?"

This she asked to Beat, who answered with a growl.

"By the way," Shizuka asked the two Hyoutei regulars who have shrugged among themselves and have turned to the stairs, "Did the rest of the district tournament progress without issue?" Since no one had taken the initiative to tell her, she could only outright ask to hear the words from these two.

Shishido and Otori exchanged a glance. "Of course," Otori responded with a determined gaze. Both the guys turned to face her. "Those Raidoku punks who tried to start trouble," Shishido informed her, "won't be advancing to the Prefecturals. We've made sure of it." The more aggressive of the two punched into his own palm and vindictively cracked his knuckles.

Otori Choutarou coughed, cuing his upperclassman in a rare gesture of interruption. His chocolate-brown eyes turned smilingly to their ex-manager, announcing, "Our school was able to take first place with overwhelming momentum." The captain's 'encouragement' might have had something to do with it. "Ah, our first year, Ginzo-kun did really well. He will likely rise to the position of regular soon, right, Shishido-san?"

"Oh…yea." Shishido had relaxed his grip on his fist, absently agreeing with his junior.

Look at this, they've started trying to keep things from her, huh. "I see…" Shizuka glanced downstairs at where she recalled sighting the first-year Ginzo Shigeru who had played singles during the district tournament.

Having known her for this long, the pair next to her also had a pretty good grasp on her character. "Hold on…" Shishido Ryou dropped arms to his sides. "You're not thinking of getting involved, are you?" He came forward and placed his arm down on the railing before her. "You and Choutarou weren't here back in our first year, so you wouldn't know. That guy, Kure Raiden, their captain whom you saw that day," Shishido warned her, "He's dangerous."

Dangerous…

Dangerous was a term used to describe the actual deadly situations from yesterday.

In response to what must be legitimate concern they have about her intentions, Shizuka gave a wry smile. "I won't go looking for trouble." The guys' tense shoulders loosened up, if only slightly.

The problem was… Shizuka's thoughts flashed back to that furtive, sardonic smile the Raidoku captain had worn when he had deliberately drawn his thumb across the base of his neck.

Even if she didn't go looking for trouble, it seemed like she had been marked as a target.

Shizuka was just about to open her mouth to clarify if the Raidoku captain had been a student of Hyoutei and a member of its tennis club at one time, when Jirou yelled up at them with the nickname he had for her. "Ku-chan!"

The three of them glanced over the railing to see Jirou cheerfully waving up at her with his entire arm.

The guys didn't know who exactly had filled in Jirou on what happened last evening after he had been knocked out by Kabaji's flick on his forehead, but the carefree Jirou cupped one hand to his mouth and shouted, "I like you!"

It was no exaggeration to say nearly the entire room was astounded by his declaration.

Shizuka, too, was greatly surprised. So much so that she barely noticed when Beat slipped out of her arms with a snort.

"Oh…" The brunette reacted after a stunned moment, returning with a friendly smile down at him, "I also like you." Obviously not in the romantic sense of the phrase.

"Captain Atobe!" Akutagawa Jirou had turned to Atobe without delaying a breath, declaring happily with his arms clasped behind his head, "I like you more! I like you the most!" He grinned cheekily.

As their captain Atobe appeared at a dear loss for words, Oshitari Yuushi who was beside him had to stifle an abrupt laugh. The blue-haired ex-member of the team couldn't resist prodding Atobe with his elbow, telling him teasingly, "Accept his confession."

The laughter surrounding him roused Atobe from his slight stupor. His brow settled into a disbelieving frown. "These fools," he uttered under his breath, moving away with Kabaji in tow.

Gakuto sidled up behind Oshitari's back, faking a cough. "Is there anyone else," asked the redhead, for his ears only, "who wants to make a bold confession?"

These fellows weren't aware he had already been rejected, Oshitari thought with a partial roll of his eyes. Not that he was in any hurry to correct their misconception. Why? Well, likely for the same reason no one had volunteered to inform Kagami-chan it had been a kiss, yesterday.

Since their king was so confident… Oshitari ponderingly swirled the glass of fruit punch in his hand. He'd like to see Atobe's ability.

It had looked like an airheaded declaration in the eyes of others, but that was actually Jirou announcing his support in favour of Atobe, wasn't it? Shishido glanced over at Otori who was beside him. "You really alright with this?"

Personally, Shishido thought that the real way men should act was in the vein of what rivalry Atobe and Oshitari have going on between them. Girls have this lame thing where mutual friends weren't supposed to go after the same guy, but the same 'rule' was not mirrored in the universe of guys. In any case, it wasn't as though their bonds were so weak to be unlinked by heartfelt competition like this.

His uncertain, one-sided feelings was something Otori Choutarou hadn't disclosed to anyone, but it seemed like his close friends have been able to pick up on it anyways. "Un." He humbly smiled to himself. "I'm fine."

Their…ex-manager's conduct ran a very different trajectory from most people. And once she had made up her mind, it was near impossible to hold her back. This was becoming an undeniable fact, and was a quality Otori both admired and felt discomfited by.

To be a safety net for her when she did slip up, in his opinion, only someone like Atobe-san was suitable.

He felt Shishido place a hand atop his shoulder, the latter giving a sigh.

"Ku-chan! Guys!" The birthday boy Jirou was waving up again. "Let's take a group photo! All of us!"

The two guys with her found it was a bit unusual that the girl didn't immediately respond, and went up to her to ask, "Aren't you coming down?" It wasn't like she was hesitating over taking a group photo, was she?

Shizuka blinked over at them distractedly, responding with a smile, "Oh, let's go."


"School is resuming tomorrow?" Atobe Aritomo asked his son over breakfast the following morning.

Keigo gave a sound of affirmation, his attention partially elsewhere.

"Your mother and I are going back tomorrow, after paying your grandfather a visit," father Atobe informed him.

A quick appearance and a just as quick exit was typical of them, given the wife's many obligations abroad.

"You both didn't need to come all this way for something like this," Keigo replied in a matter of fact manner. He was about to lift his cup, and saw that Kagami Shizuka had replied to his text message.

[This is when I usually wake. Why?]

While Keigo could relate to being an early riser even while on holidays, was this girl truly unaffected by the shooting that took place on Sunday? His long fingers tapped the table surface while he was in thought. The list of signs the experts have advised him to watch for reiterated inside his mind.

He typed with a knowing quirk of an eyebrow, [Seeing as you can rest easy, it shouldn't be that you have left your homework until the very last day. Correct?]

Judging from her lack of response following his question, he reckoned she really wasn't done.

[For goodness' sake. Ore-sama will offer to help with the unfinished assignments. I'll be sending over a driver at 10 AM.]

If this were before, he was certain the girl's immediate response would be to decline the invitation. As it were, following a long pause, the response he received from her end was a single word.

[Fine.]

He smirked to himself.

Atobe Arisa, who had been observing her son from across the table, gently laid down her fork and interlocked her fingers together before her. "I quite like this Kagami girl," she made the remark to both men at the table. There definitely was something that was charming about her… "Well, I liked Sakaki's girl, too," admitted the woman. Too bad that hadn't worked out.

At the mention of his ex-girlfriend, her son, Keigo, didn't even comment.

Her boy was now old enough to not be telling her things; independent enough to be living his separate life in Japan; experienced enough to handle crises on his own. She had watched him grow up to be a fine young man, and someday in the future, it was going to be another woman whom he would be completely devoted to.

Mother Atobe shed a figurative tear. It's so lonely being a mom.

"Keigo," said the seemingly emotional woman. For she would have few if any opportunity in the future to be teasing her son like this. "Momma doesn't want to see a shotgun wedding."

Father Atobe signaled for a maid to refill his coffee while his son choked and coughed over what she had said, the latter strangling out a shocked, "Ma!"

And here his wife wondered why their son never brought any girls home.


...

A/N: …Yep, I dared. This is one of the most controversial chapters I will write, though it's kinda been my headcanon since the beginning. You readers have probably realized by now that if I dared write a relapse to Yukimura's illness, I dare write anything, lol.

…So I have something for the readers who like to dissect what they're reading: I'd like to hint for you to think about what was meant by the 'signs' Atobe was thinking about in the last scene. Four words. If you catch the drift before proceeding to the next chapter, I think it will allow you to read the next chapter—and perhaps the entire story—very differently.

I will probably upload the next chapter later today ;)