A/N: I apologized for updating late. If you're wondering why I'm apologizing for, my holiday semester had just begin since 3 or 4 days ago so the update should've been quite faster now. Unfortunately, I was re-playin Pokemon HGSS again, and there's a certain pairing that become my OTP already which is, yeah, I've been readin too much fanfics about them although it's not quite popular much *ugly sobbing* I have such an odd sense of pairing, you know XDD Anyway, sorry for my stupid babbling, hope you enjoy~
I don't own Hakuouki nor the cover story. The cover story is actually a doujin that I found from Japanese shop online. But if you guys found the original artist PM me.
Warnings: OOC-ness, typos, grammar error, AU
Chapter 10
As she walked all the way from her house to the school, her thoughts were still remembered of Amagiri's words of Kazama's main reason why he had a habit of calling the brunette his wife...
"I believe that, the reason why Kazama-sama kept calling you that is may be because of your family's background."
"Kazama-sama has taken liking you the moment you were introducing yourself as Yukimura Taiki. In Japan, there isn't a lot of family that known of tea ceremony. So far, the Yukimura family is the only one that knows of tea ceremony and also one of the richest families in Japan."
Somehow, it sadden her a little as to why the President wants her just for the sake of her family's background, and not what she always thought of. Chizuru wants to fall in love with someone who could love her back because of feeling.
But not because of the tea ceremony of families.
If the only.. if the only the brunette could able to find a man she fell in love that way the President would stop seeing her again and stopped seeing her as his-so-called-future-wife.. Unfortunately, for a whole life in Hakuou Academy, she still hasn't find any guy that she had a very strange feeling as the President's one.
Heisuke was a very good friend of her despite he is her childhood friend. Since the brunette boy moved to a new house, she couldn't able to see him any longer back then..
Saitou was a very good friend of her as well. Even though she used to be afraid of him for the first time they met in the first day at school, the longer she get to know of him, the longer Saitou has starting to show his soft-side for Chizuru.. and seeing him embarrassed and flustered really cute too.
As for Okita... well, she somehow couldn't understand much of him. He sometimes really enjoyed threatening Chizuru with 'death' word, but sometimes, he also shows his affectionate side of him, in which that was rare for the emerald-orbs man
Hijikata can be a very strict teacher sometimes, always yelled everywhere whenever he found some students(even teachers) break the rules, but at the same time her Classic Literature teacher also showed his soft-side like Saitou, such as he always asked her whether she's fine in Hakuou Academy or not... he especially asked how's the President treated her too since he know Kazama more than her. She somehow really admired a little of that kind side from her grumpy teacher...
Ever since Chizuru had revealed herself as a girl, Harada somewhat has gotten being nicer to her and gentleman as well. When she asked her Homeroom Teacher why his behaviour suddenly changed than she pretended herself as 'Taiki' one, Harada told her then that "A man should be nice toward every woman, right?" In which, it made her flustered slightly.
Ryuunosuke is a very trustful classmate of her but of course, like Sen said, they shouldn't have stolen the blunette boy away from Kosuzu.
Chizuru had thought all of her friends that she's been closed so far, yet none of them had any strong feeling nor deep one unlike being just a friend one.
But Kazama..
Just what is this kind of feeling she felt for the President anyway? That man has always been by her side whenever she needed him, yet for a while now, she had starting to have a very strange feeling that she couldn't able to find out what it is..
Before class starting, the brunette knocked the Student Council room before she entered, decided to talk about something much more serious and she needed to stop letting Kazama thinks her of making her wife even if he likes her just for her family's background.
"Um.. Kazama-senpai!" As Chizuru about to speak, Kazama cut her words off with a very joy expression on his voice.
"Chizuru you came!"
"Eh..?" The brunette blinked in confused, rarely to see him such a very good mood.. unless, it would be talk about of their marriage arrangement, in which, she rather not knowing it... "You.. you look happy today, Kazama-senpai. Is something happened to you?"
The President shook his head slightly. "No, nothing much. But I've been meaning to ask this for a while now."
"And what would it be?"
His smirk then grew into wide one, in which, she had a bad feeling about this, regretful for asking him that.
"I would like to go out with you." He said simply.
And there was a very long silent then; she could've sworn she heard it right.. or maybe she must've listened to wrong words. Was it true? Was it.. really true that the President just asked her to go out? As in couple?!
As she was in a deep thought, the President then laughed out loud, in which it leaves her confused.
"Senpai..?"
"Let me guess," Kazama said. "You thought I meant by becoming my girlfriend, right?"
"Well, yeah.. I mean.. that's what you've ask for... right?"
"As much as I do want you to be my girlfriend now, but I doubt that you're ready for that." He sighed. "But, what I meant is, I would like to go out somewhere just wanted to know more about you. After all, you'll become my future wife, right?" As he said that, he grinned widely.
She waved off her hand, thought that he might taking a joke of being his future wife. "Uh... no, that wouldn't happen."
Kazama continued smiled widely, amused to see her rejecting him even though she's soon going to be...
"So what do you think?"
"What do you think what?"
"Want to go out somewhere just a friend?"
The brunette didn't know why but she doesn't feel like how he said 'friend'. It was as if he spoke in teasing one.
"Well.. I, I don't know..."
"In that case, how about we make a bet?"
"A.. bet?" She questioned confusedly.
"If the date turned out well and while I do not do anything that you dislike, I will continue making you my wife."
"And... what if if you touch me without my permission?"
"With that, I will stop forcing you to be my wife. Just think of us as a friend only."
His tone was very stern one, she could felt her heart suddenly shattered instantly like a fragile glasses. Friend.. somehow, it hurt her a little so much just hearing his voice saying both of them just a friend, nothing else. As much as she always kept saying to everyone that they're just friends only. But when she heard that word from his lips, she could felt her tears starting to form on her eyes already..
Really, just what is her feeling toward this man, anyway..?
It took a while then Chizuru nodded hesitantly, but dropped her head down not to let the President noticed of her strange behavior.
Kazama blinked in confused because of her odd behaviour but let it be like that then.
"Anyway, about the date," the President began, in which Chizuru raised her head then to look at him. "I've heard that most couple always goes on a date in the amusement park, so the best date spot that I think of would be the amusement park."
"Amusement park?"
"..You don't like it?"
"Ah... no," she shook slightly. "I don't really mind where we go. After all, you're the one that asks me to go out right?"
The President then ended up chuckling once more. Just as he was expected from the Yukimura family, Chizuru is definitely perfect to be his wife.
And so, the day of Chizuru's first date with Kazama starting to begin. According from the President, Chizuru needed to wait for him from her house since he would take her to the amusement park from her place.
There, the brunette sat on the couch, waiting for Kazama and of course, wearing something that would warm her from the cold weather.
Sooner later then, the door was knocking and Chizuru was expected to be the President. Stood up from the couch, the brunette went toward the door and opened it, meeting Kazama like he promised for.
"Now then, should we go?"
"Ah.. ye-yes." She nodded slightly, ready to leave from her house.
On their way to the amusement park, she could felt her hand felt so warm until she realized that the President was holding her hand. Despite how they've been holding hand for numerous times in school, yet this is outside. Everyone might've thought of them like a couple or something.
"U-Umm.. K-Kazama-senpai?" She blushed deeply.
"What is it?"
"Sh-shouldn't you stop holding my hand?"
"Why?"
"Well, it's embarrassing, and.. didn't you say that you wouldn't touch me in our date?"
"I did say that. But haven't we done this all the time? I thought you would've getting used to hold my hand already." He smirked at that.
"Ah.. well... that is, um.." she mumbled slightly, turned her face away from him giving up on arguing with him already.
"More importantly, Chizuru, haven't I told you before already?"
"Eh?" She blinked.
"Didn't I told you that you can just call me 'Kazama', no need to add '-senpai'. But.. since you'll be my wife once we're graduating, you can always calls my first name if you like."
"B-But haven't I already revealed that I've been Taiki all this time?" She exclaimed. "After all, you're also a family from tea ceremony, right? Wouldn't it be rude if I call you your first name only?"
"Well, you are also from a tea ceremony family too. Aren't we having a same title?"
"Ah.. well, um.." she muttered under her breathed, once again, couldn't able to fight back to the President, deciding to call him what he's been meaning to listen.
After they arrived at the amusement park, they begin to do what most couple does. Kazama doesn't mind at all of what ride they go on as long as his wife happy. In afternoon then, they needed to take a break for a moment, sitting on the bench.
"Ah, that's right," as she said that, Chizuru took out her bento box from her bag. "I thought you might be hungry already. So I brought bento just in case if you want it."
"Oh, so you did bring it for me," he said in teasing tone, his grin turned into wide.
"It-it's not what you think of!" Chizuru began. "I-I just make too much food this morning. And I thought it'll be such a waste if I didn't bring it!"
The President smirked, believing that he can tell that the brunette was lying. Then again, she, of course, not very good on lying after all.
As Kazama was about to take a bite of Chizuru's homemade bento with chopsticks, the brunette prayed to herself quietly, hoping the food weren't that bad. After all, Kazama is from rich family, right? Of course, he would refuse to eat such a simple food just as Chizuru made.
For a few moments then, the brunette stared the President, wanting to see his reaction of her homemade bento, hoping he would approve of her cooking skill or compliment how good her homemade food is.
Kazama gave her his usual smirk on his face, expected from his future wife's skill.
"As I expected, my taste were perfect, after all. You're definitely worthful to be my wife," he spoke with such a seductive tone, smirking widely as he managed to turn his future wife turned into deep scarlet on her cheeks once again.
"H-How do I tell you for so many times now?!" she exclaimed, her face still in flushing red. "I never plan to marry with you even if you like me for my family's background!"
"Oh, you'll soon to be." Gripping Chizuru's chin with his thumb and forefinger, letting her eyes laid on nowhere except his crimson-red orbs. He grinned once more as her cheeks burnt deeper again. "Whether you like it or not, you'll soon to be mine. Although you look like you're annoying of my habit of making you to be my wife, you're just hate to admit yourself and couldn't realized what your heart wanted." He spoke in a half seductive and a half serious tone. The brunette wasn't sure what she meant by now. True, she hates his habit of calling her his wife, intending marry her just because she had a high title as his, but.. what does he meant by… what her heart wanted? Haven't she told him that she doesn't want to marry him? That's what her heart said… right?
As Kazama noticed Chizuru was in a deep thought, he loosened his grip, still had a smirk on his face, and continued to eat his future wife's homemade bento, taking a break for a moment once more.
It seems that she's starting to feel confused, eh?
2 hours after they took a break, the couple went to go on another place to gone before it's almost dark although it's still noon. Kazama's eyes then laid on a very interesting place.
"Chizuru," the President called her.
The brunette stopped walking, turned around realizing that Kazama has stopped walking next to her. "What is it?"
He waved his hand, and there's a widen smirk on his face in which she can tell there's something he intended to do…
A little hesitated, the brunette went to the President, waiting patiently for him to speak..
"Why don't we go there this time?" he suggested, pointed his finger to the big, scary and old castle. Although it's still bright, but in the brunette's point of view, she can see the sky was in dark, jolted slightly as the thunder came above from the sky. It gives her shivered down in her spine already…
"H-Haunted house…?" Chizuru stuttered, she could felt her knees began weaken already, almost felt herself to fall down already.
"What do you think? We couldn't able gone to the Haunted House in Cultural Festival so why don't we give it a try in the amusement park then?"
The brunette shook her head multiply, refused to go to the Haunted House. "N-No thank you.. why-why don't we go ride on somewhere else?"
"What? Are you scared?" Kazama mocked her.
"I-I'm not scared!" She exclaimed. "It's just that, well… if something that would surprising me, I might ended up clinging on you then…" she spoke honestly, dropped her head down on the floor then, embarrassed to look at the President.
Kazama smirked. "That's what I've been meaning to do."
"Eh?" Chizuru raised her head back, looked at him in confused. What.. what does he meant by that?
"I wouldn't want to get missing of getting clinging by my future wife before our marriage come." He spoke in teasing tone.
Chizuru's face turned into red like a tomato, feeling embarrassed and angry at the same time. Releasing her both emotion to him, Chizuru pouting and punched his chest as hard as she could(though it wasn't that hard for Kazama)
"You're horrible! You're completely horrible, you know that!" she exclaimed, still punched him without non-stopping.
Kazama ended up laughing once more.
When the brunette finally calmed down, she could've sworn she'd just heard a familiar voice somewhere.
"Chizuru-chaan~ is that you?"
The brunette laid her eyes on behind, surprised to see her childhood friend at the amusement park, who she ran toward her, waved her hand, wanting to make sure Chizuru noticed her.
"Osen-chan!" Chizuru called her happily, went to her childhood friend's side, returning her embracing too. "I'm surprised to see you here, Osen-chan."
Sen grinned. "Well, I'm surprised to see you here too."
"What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Oh, I went out with my friends from my school, that's all."
"Is.. is that so?"
Sen nodded slightly, then laid her eyes on the familiar person next to Chizuru. She blinked for a moment then, wanting to make sure her eyes didn't lie what she sees in front of her. Kazama's crimson-red orbs then blinked as well, surprised to see her again.
For a long quiet then, Sen finally realized whose the man in front of her now, pointed her finger at him, gave a very surprise expression on her face, in which gives Chizuru left on confusion.
"K-Kazama!" Sen exclaimed. "Is that really you?!"
"Sen..?" Kazama said, still stunned to see her. "What are you doing here?"
"Don't what are you doing here to me!" she raised her voice as if she was intending to lecture him. "Where the heck were you anyway? You didn't even call me for such a long time now! You do realized you make me worried, you know"
Kazama snorted. "Please, you're not even my mother."
"Yeah, but I'm still worried about you," she pouted and sighed.
"Um, Osen-chan.." Chizuru began, feeling a little guilty for ruining their conversation. "You know him?"
"This guy?" Sen pointed at the President. "Of course, I knew him. He can be such a spoilt little rich boy, actually. He also likes to cause everyone some trouble.." she said, sighed, remembered that she needed to keep away him from causing people annoyed of him.
"Hey, that was when I'm 9 years old.." Kazama muttered under his breathed.
"By the way, Chizuru-chan, by looking of it, you seemed to know Kazama too. How did you guys meet?"
"W-well, Kazama-san and I are in a same school. He's also the President that I've used to talk a lot about." As she spoke that, she was feeling regretful to say it out loud. Chizuru laid her eyes on Kazama's, his expression looked shocked, then turned into a very wide grin. The brunette slightly relief as Sen spoke once more.
"Oh, is that so?" she said, doesn't seem to be worrying much of Chizuru having a friend like Kazama. Then she faced to the President once more, pouting like a child and 'lectured' him again. "Anyway Kazama, you should at least call me every once in a while. I've tried to call you but you didn't answer me back and…"
For a moment then, Chizuru watched them having a conversation, couldn't help but had a very strange feeling she had deep inside of her. The longer she looked at them closing together, the more she felt hurt at this rate. Deciding not wanting to ruin their reunion, Chizuru took a leave silently.
For such a long time now, she now realized something…
I didn't know..
She now realized what kind of feeling she felt for the President…
You're just hate to admit yourself and couldn't realized what your heart wanted.
But why…?
She thought she had always liked him as a friend.
She thought she had always admired him only.
But it wasn't…
In the end, she actually falls in love with him.
It's been proof already.
Just seeing Kazama with another woman, she couldn't stand to look at it no matter what.
Why would she need to angry about, anyway?
Kazama is a very handsome man despite had a very childish personality sometimes, of course he would get attracted by women already. It's because of his looks, he must've already a girlfriend.. right?
"Where the heck were you anyway? You didn't even call me for such a long time now! You do realized you make me worried, you know"
Those words..
She somehow can tell that the woman that has been close with the President so far is none other than… Sen. It's obviously that there's something going on between him and Sen. Something much deeper.. something that Chizuru couldn't able to reach her feeling to the President..
Why…?
As much as she tried to deny herself, the brunette knew that she definitely fell in love with the President for such a long time. She didn't knew when but she can tell that she had fell in love with him probably for the first time she met him in the first day of school.
She sighed softly as she walked around the amusement park, not sure where she wanted to ride anymore but her mind filled about her feelings for the President only. She had never felt depressed before except when she hated to be alone.
Her feelings for Kazama…
If it was true that she had a feeling for that man, what would he thinks of her anyway? She knew he likes her just because for the sake of her family's background. But what about Sen? Isn't Sen from family of tea ceremony as well?
If the brunette really do likes the President, then.. then...
"Meow"
As she's been deep in a thought about Kazama, she suddenly returned back to reality as she heard a cat make a sound.
There, the black cat stood there in front of her as if it wants her to give an attention on him and him only. Chizuru couldn't helped but curled her lips upward. Somehow, the black cat reminds her of so much of Kaoru. She didn't know why the cat reminds her of her older twin brother but back then before her parents died, she remembered how Kaoru really fond of cats so much, begging their family to have a pet of cat so badly.
Forgetting of her feelings about the President, Chizuru went toward to the black cat, carried it on put on her lap as she returned to sit back on the bench.
She giggled quietly as the cat gave a purr when she pat on its head affectionately.
I guess I finally realized why Kaoru likes cats so much...
Suddenly, she flinched as she heard a very familiar male voiced then.
"Hey."
"E-Eh?" Chizuru exclaimed, faced to the man, and by looking of it, Kazama looks like he's pissed off..
"Why did you leave me just now?"
"Ah, well, I..." before she answered, Kazama cut her words once more.
"Aren't you suppose to date with me? Why did you ran off?"
"I.." she murmured softly. "I thought I want to give you some space to have a reunite with Osen-chan.. I mean, she's really missed you and all.."
He sighed heavily, putting his hand on his head, scratching it. "As much as I hate to admit it, it does been a long time since I last seen her. Not that I'm worried about her or something.."
As he spoke that, Chizuru couldn't helped but something deep inside her broken like a glass once more. The words he used jsut now... it's almost liked her. depsite how he said he doesn't looked worried and all, but by looking on his expression, he does worried of Sen and cares for her very much.
She wondered.. is it true that she fell for him?
This kind of feeling made her confused somehow..
As Kazama noticed Chizuru's strange behaviour, he decided to change the subject:
"More importantly, Chizuru," the President began, and spoke to her in a cold tone. "You might as well leave that cat alone."
"Eh? Why? Are you afraid of cats?"
Kazama's expression began to change into darken in which, she felt a little scared to come closer to him and regretful asking that.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'd just prefer dogs more than cats, that's all." He muttered under his breathed, looking anywhere except the brunette.
Chizuru looked at him in confusedly once more, realized that Kazama covered his nose with his palm of hand, as if he could smell something horrible and... is his cheeks turned into red.. or maybe it's just her hallucination?
For a moment then, the brunette finally realized something about the President.
"Um... Kazama-san, by any chance," she stopped for a moment, as Kazama finally laid his eyes to hers. "..are you... allergic in cats."
Then, there was a very long awkward silent between them. She could felt time has stopped between them.. until Kazama became pissed off even more, giving a 'tch' sound then.
"Just shut up and leave that cat alone," he hissed, intending to scare her though he failed. Instead of scared of him, Chizuru ended up giggling quietly, find it hilarious for Oni President to have a pathetic allergic such as this.
For a moment then, the black cat finally jumped away from the brunette's laps, in which it relief the President a little then, but hated to see Chizuru finds him funny.
"Anyway, which ride should we go on? This would be our last riding in our date."
Our last...
Chizuru thought deeper, believing that this must be their last time to date together somehow. After all, she now knew what is going on between the President and her childhood friend. So... which ride should they go that could kept her precious memory with the President?
"Chizuru..?"
Kazama noticed Chizuru was still in a deep thought. It's almost evening, the amusement park is almost starting to close already...
Finally, Chizuru smiled to the President gently(which is rare for Kazama) and pulled his hand.
"Let's go to the ferris wheel." She answered. "I would like to watch the sunset even better one."
Just like the brunette has been desired for, they'll able to watch the sunset on the ferris wheel. It was lucky for them that they make it a time to get into the ferris wheel since there were lots of people wanted to ride as well.
"It's beautiful..." she whispered, exhaled softly, it was breathtaking as they watched the sunset reached down on the horizon.
The President didn't say anything, only agreed of her, watching the sun coming goes down.
For a whole of their dating, it was unfortunate that Kazama couldn't able to know more of her family since they've been focus too much of what riding they needed to go and so on.
Speaking of family, Kazama still hadn't find out of what his future wife's life is ever since her parents died. From what he learnt from Amagiri, Chizuru's parents died in car accident when they were still in elementary school.
Chizuru is a very unique woman.
Despite how she lost her parents such a young age, yet, she'd still look a kind of woman who would never given up herself so easily. The President had met so many rich women, none of them are very much like Chizuru. They were spoilt, proud, and cared for their beauty than their hearts.
Although the brunette looked a bit boy-ish sometimes, she doesn't mind of beauty much. She'd just like what she is, in which, that's the reason why the President likes her more than any other rich women he'd met.
Chizuru then turned to Kazama's, smiled to him once more but this time.. it was filled with... sadness somehow. He couldn't understand why she's being like this ever since he reunited with his old friend again, Sen. Her behaviour looks odd and strange. And it bothered the President a little...
As much as he wanted to know of what becomes of her, he doubted that she could answer his question.
A/N: Welp, here it is, a new updated of Change. And this is also the interesting plot that I was talking about （ΦωΦ） Thank you for reading hope you enjoy of the new chappie.
As for a question of Kazama's birthday, I'm not exactly sure since the Shinsengumi's birthday were followed up in the original Shinsengumi(probably go and check in wikipedia for more information). And it's because Kazama is not even exist in Japan history/wars, his birthday is unknown(that's for me ofc)
Give some review to support this story ^_^