Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC

IV

Cursed Arrangements

"Ocean is lovely

With wonderful scenery

Not with tsunami,"

- Ency Bearis

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut through with a knife. While the maids served them tea, none of the Yamashita family moved to drink any of it. There wasn't any time for trivialities, as the Head of the family had to delicately put it, and Rei saw no need for indulging in said trivialities either had she been offered such.

"I have heard reports that you made an excellent student while in France," her grandfather suddenly spoke, his voice even and void of any detectable emotions. His face remained firm as ice, and while it might have sounded like his words were aimed towards a compliment, Rei knew better to assume it. It wasn't a compliment; it was a fact.

"Yes, sir," she confirmed, seated by the table as firm as a statue. "I've put everything into my studies for the sake of excelling,"

"Good, then you would be wise to continue with it,"

Akihito looked back and forth between his father and daughter, trying his best to find a way to lighten the mood but coming to no conclusion.

"As you are well aware of," her grandfather continued, either not taking notice to his son's erratic behavior or simply not caring. The latter option was the likeliest. "We will be hosting a gathering at the end of the week to celebrate your enrollment back to Ouran Academy. The Ootori Group will be attending as well, so you will be able resume your contact with Kyoya-san as expected,"

Rei unconsciously bit the inside of her cheek at this, but no visible sign of pain befell her countenance. Indeed, she had expected this matter to come up at some point; it was inevitable. However, being met with the fact face-on didn't do much to diminish the ever-increasing dread that was gradually building itself up in her body.

"Yes,"

"I expect you to get on equal footing in this arrangement. It is of vital importance,"

At this, something in her snapped. Her hands knotted themselves into fists on her knees, and she couldn't keep the words from escaping her where she sat.

"Of course it is,"

The room fell deathly quiet.

Akihito visibly flinched at this while his father didn't as much as move to make his displeasure known, but it was there alright.

Rei sat there frozen; her face unexpressive but she was fearful of what kind of repercussions she would have to face because of her uncontained insolence. Her grandfather was not a lenient man, she had known that for as long as she could remember. Any sign of disobedience of God forbid insult aimed towards him did not go unnoticed, and it most certainly wouldn't this time.

But Akio Yamashita remained seated, his face expressionless but firm as always. Then, he stood up and slowly made his way over to her side of the table, each step resonating through the room like a thunderstorm.

With each step he took, Rei could feel her body fall paralyzed with terror, even if her face didn't show it.

"Reiko, stand up," her grandfather commanded without raising his voice in the slightest.

Like a machine, Rei got to her feet and faced him. He towered over her height by several inches, and the proximity between was unbearable.

Before she knew it, her cheek was exposed to an excruciating burn that came like lightening and her feet threatened to buckle beneath her, but she remained standing and didn't make a move to caress her aching cheek. She was shocked from the impact of the slap, but it wasn't anything she was unfamiliar with from him. She had expected this, and she would have been a fool not to.

Akihito instantly got to his feet, concern and enragement washing over him. "Father!"

But her grandfather didn't budge, nor did he avert his attention away from the scorned child. "She has no manners, even with all the years I've tried to teach her the way of this world."

"Father," Akihito immediately placed himself between his daughter and father, shielding her as best he could even if the presence of his father diminished his courage slightly. "Don't you dare lay your hands on my child again,"

Rather than chastising his son in a similar manner he had done his granddaughter, Akio Yamashita merely gave him a cold stare and walked away to the exit, not even bothering to look back.

"Be at your best at the gathering, Reiko," was all he said before he disappeared out, leaving his son and granddaughter behind with nothing more than disappointment.

That night, Rei sat alone in her room, a patch placed firmly on her injured cheek. As it turned out, the slap she had received had managed to sever her skin slightly, but she doubted it would stay there until the party. It would be best, as she would hate to raise a stir when people gathered. Not that they would have bothered much either way; talking nonsense made it easier to aim their attention the other way.

There came a knock from the door, and before she had the chance to grant entrance to whoever had decided to pay her a visit, her father's head popped up from behind it. A sheepish smile spread across his lips as he stepped inside, but there was a plate of mochi in his hands.

"I thought you were hungry, you didn't have dinner today," he said as he walked up to her.

"I wasn't especially hungry," she said, but sighed as she accepted the mochi. "But this does look delicious,"

"It's always been your favorite," her father pointed out. "Oh, how you used to snack on them when you were a child. So precious,"

She raised an eyebrow. "And because of that, I gained a considerable amount of weight,"

"That was then, you've grown out of it. If anything, you look like you could afford to eat some more,"

"I've been careful with what I consume,"

"Still, you can indulge in a few whims on occasion,"

So they sat there, eating the mochi like a father and daughter would. It almost gave them the appearance of an ordinary family dynamic.

"So…" her father began cautiously. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm adequate, it was just a brief slap,"

"Still … he can be an ass,"

This made her brows quirk with amusement. "Since when were you one for such foul language? … I should have considered my words more carefully,"

"I would have done the same thing. Saying that, I mean. That's all he cares about, and not just with you, sweetie,"

Rei said nothing to this.

They continued eating until there was nothing left of the mochi, and her father decided to leave, but not before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and kiss the crown of her head.

"Sleep well, dear,"

Only that she didn't.