PART VII
"I see now what you've been doing," Kaede said as she rose to her full height. "You had better hope I make it there in time, for your sake, O'okawahara-san." And off she went.
"Oba-sama..." Shigeru raised one hand, but it was too late. There was nothing she could do. Kaede was gone.
Shigeru didn't move for a good ten minutes. The cafe bustled around her. People came and went, casting glances at the frozen figure of the girl and sharing confused looks with each other. But this was too classy an establishment for anyone to push her out, so there she sat, petrified, mind utterly frozen. Then, abruptly, she came to life again.
"AGGHHH!!"
The entire cafe turned to stare.
Shigeru bolted upwards from her seat. "Gotta warn them. Gotta get to them somehow. Oh, but Tsukushi said her stuff was stolen! I should have bought her a new cell phone the minute I found out!" She sat back down for a split second, then rose to her feet again. "Maybe I could call the house? No, there's no way. 'Hello, security? Could you please tell the intruder on the second floor not to get caught?' UGH! I'm so STUPID!"
Having a young woman bouncing up and down from her seat and whining out loud was a new experience for the staff of this particular establishment. Especially since they didn't understand a word the girl was saying. But the stares weren't enough to faze her. "Gahhh...!!" Shigeru whined out loud to a non-comprehending cafe. "I'm the worst...!!!" She buried her head in her hands and moaned in agony against the smooth marble of the table.
"Now, now," came a gentle voice at her ear. "Please, young lady, don't say such things about yourself."
"Eh!?" Shigeru bolted upwards at the shock of a sudden voice (and one speaking her language at that!) -- and with a sickening thunk, her head smashed directly into the one just behind her. Whoever it was doubled over in pain. Shigeru flung herself back onto the tabletop. "Ahhh, I really AM the worst!!"
Distraught beyond reason, Shigeru didn't look up at her unfortunate victim even when his voice intoned again. He spoke in a voice as smooth as chocolate, deep and warm and rich. "Now, now," he repeated, laying a firm hand on one of her hunched shoulders. "Tears don't suit a lovely young lady such as yourself."
Even through her tears, Shigeru had enough presence of mind to jerk away. "Geh..!" she spit out in panic. "Skirt-chaser!!"
Her companion found this accusation most amusing. He laughed a full, round laugh. "Hohohoho..." he chuckled. "Is that what you think? Raise your head a little, my dear."
Shigeru hesitantly obeyed, and as she did, the man walked around the table to face her. His gentle face was creased with deep furrows, and although he was far from being an old man, he certainly was not a young one. His hair tumbled thick and dark around his ears, and where it fell free, and where it clustered about his mouth and chin, it curled like dark coiled wire. The smile that beamed at her was gentle, and reflected in dark eyes with the slightest hint of royal purple. He seemed a person surrounded by nobility - there seemed to be an aura of that same regal shade of violet wrapped around him like a king's robe. Shigeru was breathless.
The pleasant smile never wavered. "See? An old man like me could never hope to catch a young lady like you, even if he tried. I'm simply not fast enough." The lines around his eyes deepened with laughter. "You seem a little bit like my daughter, strong-willed and lovely. I always hated to see her cry, and I'd hate to see you keep crying, as well."
Shigeru was silent. The tears dropped silently down her cheeks and hovered on her shivering lower lip.
"Are you afraid of me, my dear? You're still trembling."
For the first time since he'd appeared, Shigeru found the courage to speak to the concerned man. "No, ojisan," she said demurely. "But I can't help the tears. I've just betrayed my dear friend."
"Betrayed?" Thick dark eyebrows shot upward. "Strong words. I'm sure it can't be that bad."
"..." Shigeru's misty eyes wavered hesitantly. She felt as though she were going to melt under the wave of compassion he was drowning her with.
The man took the seat opposite her and nodded gently. "Now then. I'll treat you to another cup of tea, and you tell Takehiko-ojisan everything."
"You're kidding me. It was even on TV?" Tsukasa's jaw had dropped nearly to the floor.
"You didn't figure that out? I bet it was on the front page of a bunch of newspapers, too."
They were sitting side by side on the floor of his room, leaning against the wall. Tsukasa's fist hit the wooden slats of the floor. "Damn! What lousy luck! That idiotic noisy ballgame. I knew we shouldn't have gone."
"Sorry," Tsukushi couldn't help smiling even as she apologized. "I was the one who insisted we go."
"Damn it!" he ranted, his anger cooling only when the sound of her musical giggles reached his ears. "But never mind that, Makino," he went on, "how did you make it here?"
"Oh, I had help," Tsukushi said. She sighed contentedly, putting a hand on her heart. She felt so warm now, lifted by the gladness in so many hearts, whispering to her from across two oceans... ::you did it!:: And of course, her own heart sparkled at the gladness she felt from this man sitting beside her, knowing he'd... oh god, she felt embarrassed to even think it... knowing he'd missed her as much as she'd missed him. Tsukushi felt a little out of control, like she was going to overflow.
"Help?" Tsukasa raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Tsukushi murmured. "Tama-senpai.. oh, and Thomas..."
"That blondie!?" He practically popped a blood vessel just at the sound of the name.
"Yeah, and Shigeru-san, too."
"Shigeru?" This surprised him even more.
Tsukushi nodded. "She even came to New York. Amazing, huh? Even right now, she's helping us."
"And now she's going to catch them and it's all my fault!" Shigeru sniffled, steamy tea misting her raw red eyes. Her face was a picture of perfect misery... big tear-filled eyes turned all shades of wrong, trembling lower lip, flushed cheeks stained still further with the warmth of the teacup she held delicately, like it was her last bastion of comfort.
The man called Takehiko rested his palm on his chin pensively. "That doesn't sound like betrayal to me so much as bad luck. After all, to go this far you must really care for both of them. You're a good friend."
Shigeru's already red cheeks deepened their flush "Well, Tsukushi is a really special person. I figure if anyone deserves to be happy, she does."
"What a strong name that is," he said gravely. "And yet lovely."
Shigeru felt a smile creeping onto her face. "That's exactly how she is."
"And you must care for the young man a great deal as well," Takehiko observed.
"Well... actually..." Lulled by the taste of the warm tea, Shigeru found words bubbling up onto her lip before her tact could bite them down. "I used to.. sort of... be in love with him myself."
"Oh?" One of Takehiko's dark eyebrows arched quizzically. "What a lucky man, to be loved so by two such marvelous young women. But to help your friend out so is admirable. What about your feelings? Are you still in love with him, or not anymore?"
"That's a good question, actually," Shigeru sighed. "Do I still love Tsukasa or don't I? Until a while ago I could have sworn I did, but..."
"You refer to him by his first name," the man observed.
"I know, and Tsukushi still calls him Doumyouji!" Shigeru laughed. "Isn't it weird?" She stopped as she realized her lips were curving upward, that she was smiling. Somehow this man's presence was actually cheering her up. He was comforting somehow, like a fog of warm air settled around him wherever he went. Still, whenever she thought of the danger Tsukasa and Tsukushi were in, she felt sick at heart... "Oh, man, if only there was something I could do," she whined again, staring into her teacup as though trying to drown herself in it.
"Then," Takehiko said deliberately, "perhaps you are the lucky one."
"Eh!?" Shigeru's head snapped up to stare at him.
He was already at his feet, wrapping a thick brown coat around his shoulders. "If this is the Doumyouji I think you're talking about, I have business with them. Shall we head out there now and see what we can do?"
Shigeru blinked.
She swallowed.
She rose to her feet.
Her head began to swim. "Ojisan..." she finally stuttered. "Who ARE you?"
He was already at the door. "I'm the mysterious knight in shining armor," he said without turning back. "Come on, let's go."
Tama heard the door slam shut like the crack of doom. All at once her joints failed her, and she fell backwards onto her chair even as she desperately tried to rise. Her aged heart beat at the pace of those high-heeled footsteps, brisk and fevered, merciless. She fought to get up, but her body refused to cooperate, too frozen with panic and the rustiness of age to keep up with her racing mind. And even if she sprang to life now, she realized as the pitch of the footsteps changed as they ascended the staircase, she would still be too late. All she could do now was pray.
Dear God, she thought desperately. Someone, anyone, warn those children!
"Doumyouji!! Wait a second!"
It was an old, familiar scene. Tsukushi tried to scramble across the floor, tripping over the bulky maid's skirt, as Tsukasa held her wrist tight, trying desperately to pull her closer. "This isn't the time for this!" she protested. "We have to figure out what to do now!"
"You owe me," he pointed out. "You were stingy before I left and wouldn't kiss me."
"But I did just now...!" Tsukushi protested. "Don't you think of anything else?"
Tsukasa was coming ever-closer. "That doesn't count. I want an extra."
"You're so greedy!" she cried in frustration. Somehow, though, her heart was singing. This was the kind of problem she'd rather deal with in her life-- better an overenthusiastic Tsukasa than no Tsukasa at all. She was relieved.
Relieved, perhaps, but still! Would he EVER cool down?!
"Makino." The words burst like firecrackers, hot and loud onto her skin. In her moment of introspection, she'd let her guard down, and now he had her by the waist, holding her wrist tightly with his other hand. His eyes were full of fire and his face came ever-closer... Tsukushi felt her own heartbeat speed up and her strength start to drain away. Giving up her resistance, she let her eyes slit closed...
and then they flew wide open.
With a bang, the back of the door slammed against the wall of the room and came flying in the other direction. A hand stopped it in mid-rebound, clutching the door handle with a white-knuckled fist. A scowl filled the doorway.
There was no escape now.
"I see now what you've been doing," Kaede said as she rose to her full height. "You had better hope I make it there in time, for your sake, O'okawahara-san." And off she went.
"Oba-sama..." Shigeru raised one hand, but it was too late. There was nothing she could do. Kaede was gone.
Shigeru didn't move for a good ten minutes. The cafe bustled around her. People came and went, casting glances at the frozen figure of the girl and sharing confused looks with each other. But this was too classy an establishment for anyone to push her out, so there she sat, petrified, mind utterly frozen. Then, abruptly, she came to life again.
"AGGHHH!!"
The entire cafe turned to stare.
Shigeru bolted upwards from her seat. "Gotta warn them. Gotta get to them somehow. Oh, but Tsukushi said her stuff was stolen! I should have bought her a new cell phone the minute I found out!" She sat back down for a split second, then rose to her feet again. "Maybe I could call the house? No, there's no way. 'Hello, security? Could you please tell the intruder on the second floor not to get caught?' UGH! I'm so STUPID!"
Having a young woman bouncing up and down from her seat and whining out loud was a new experience for the staff of this particular establishment. Especially since they didn't understand a word the girl was saying. But the stares weren't enough to faze her. "Gahhh...!!" Shigeru whined out loud to a non-comprehending cafe. "I'm the worst...!!!" She buried her head in her hands and moaned in agony against the smooth marble of the table.
"Now, now," came a gentle voice at her ear. "Please, young lady, don't say such things about yourself."
"Eh!?" Shigeru bolted upwards at the shock of a sudden voice (and one speaking her language at that!) -- and with a sickening thunk, her head smashed directly into the one just behind her. Whoever it was doubled over in pain. Shigeru flung herself back onto the tabletop. "Ahhh, I really AM the worst!!"
Distraught beyond reason, Shigeru didn't look up at her unfortunate victim even when his voice intoned again. He spoke in a voice as smooth as chocolate, deep and warm and rich. "Now, now," he repeated, laying a firm hand on one of her hunched shoulders. "Tears don't suit a lovely young lady such as yourself."
Even through her tears, Shigeru had enough presence of mind to jerk away. "Geh..!" she spit out in panic. "Skirt-chaser!!"
Her companion found this accusation most amusing. He laughed a full, round laugh. "Hohohoho..." he chuckled. "Is that what you think? Raise your head a little, my dear."
Shigeru hesitantly obeyed, and as she did, the man walked around the table to face her. His gentle face was creased with deep furrows, and although he was far from being an old man, he certainly was not a young one. His hair tumbled thick and dark around his ears, and where it fell free, and where it clustered about his mouth and chin, it curled like dark coiled wire. The smile that beamed at her was gentle, and reflected in dark eyes with the slightest hint of royal purple. He seemed a person surrounded by nobility - there seemed to be an aura of that same regal shade of violet wrapped around him like a king's robe. Shigeru was breathless.
The pleasant smile never wavered. "See? An old man like me could never hope to catch a young lady like you, even if he tried. I'm simply not fast enough." The lines around his eyes deepened with laughter. "You seem a little bit like my daughter, strong-willed and lovely. I always hated to see her cry, and I'd hate to see you keep crying, as well."
Shigeru was silent. The tears dropped silently down her cheeks and hovered on her shivering lower lip.
"Are you afraid of me, my dear? You're still trembling."
For the first time since he'd appeared, Shigeru found the courage to speak to the concerned man. "No, ojisan," she said demurely. "But I can't help the tears. I've just betrayed my dear friend."
"Betrayed?" Thick dark eyebrows shot upward. "Strong words. I'm sure it can't be that bad."
"..." Shigeru's misty eyes wavered hesitantly. She felt as though she were going to melt under the wave of compassion he was drowning her with.
The man took the seat opposite her and nodded gently. "Now then. I'll treat you to another cup of tea, and you tell Takehiko-ojisan everything."
"You're kidding me. It was even on TV?" Tsukasa's jaw had dropped nearly to the floor.
"You didn't figure that out? I bet it was on the front page of a bunch of newspapers, too."
They were sitting side by side on the floor of his room, leaning against the wall. Tsukasa's fist hit the wooden slats of the floor. "Damn! What lousy luck! That idiotic noisy ballgame. I knew we shouldn't have gone."
"Sorry," Tsukushi couldn't help smiling even as she apologized. "I was the one who insisted we go."
"Damn it!" he ranted, his anger cooling only when the sound of her musical giggles reached his ears. "But never mind that, Makino," he went on, "how did you make it here?"
"Oh, I had help," Tsukushi said. She sighed contentedly, putting a hand on her heart. She felt so warm now, lifted by the gladness in so many hearts, whispering to her from across two oceans... ::you did it!:: And of course, her own heart sparkled at the gladness she felt from this man sitting beside her, knowing he'd... oh god, she felt embarrassed to even think it... knowing he'd missed her as much as she'd missed him. Tsukushi felt a little out of control, like she was going to overflow.
"Help?" Tsukasa raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Tsukushi murmured. "Tama-senpai.. oh, and Thomas..."
"That blondie!?" He practically popped a blood vessel just at the sound of the name.
"Yeah, and Shigeru-san, too."
"Shigeru?" This surprised him even more.
Tsukushi nodded. "She even came to New York. Amazing, huh? Even right now, she's helping us."
"And now she's going to catch them and it's all my fault!" Shigeru sniffled, steamy tea misting her raw red eyes. Her face was a picture of perfect misery... big tear-filled eyes turned all shades of wrong, trembling lower lip, flushed cheeks stained still further with the warmth of the teacup she held delicately, like it was her last bastion of comfort.
The man called Takehiko rested his palm on his chin pensively. "That doesn't sound like betrayal to me so much as bad luck. After all, to go this far you must really care for both of them. You're a good friend."
Shigeru's already red cheeks deepened their flush "Well, Tsukushi is a really special person. I figure if anyone deserves to be happy, she does."
"What a strong name that is," he said gravely. "And yet lovely."
Shigeru felt a smile creeping onto her face. "That's exactly how she is."
"And you must care for the young man a great deal as well," Takehiko observed.
"Well... actually..." Lulled by the taste of the warm tea, Shigeru found words bubbling up onto her lip before her tact could bite them down. "I used to.. sort of... be in love with him myself."
"Oh?" One of Takehiko's dark eyebrows arched quizzically. "What a lucky man, to be loved so by two such marvelous young women. But to help your friend out so is admirable. What about your feelings? Are you still in love with him, or not anymore?"
"That's a good question, actually," Shigeru sighed. "Do I still love Tsukasa or don't I? Until a while ago I could have sworn I did, but..."
"You refer to him by his first name," the man observed.
"I know, and Tsukushi still calls him Doumyouji!" Shigeru laughed. "Isn't it weird?" She stopped as she realized her lips were curving upward, that she was smiling. Somehow this man's presence was actually cheering her up. He was comforting somehow, like a fog of warm air settled around him wherever he went. Still, whenever she thought of the danger Tsukasa and Tsukushi were in, she felt sick at heart... "Oh, man, if only there was something I could do," she whined again, staring into her teacup as though trying to drown herself in it.
"Then," Takehiko said deliberately, "perhaps you are the lucky one."
"Eh!?" Shigeru's head snapped up to stare at him.
He was already at his feet, wrapping a thick brown coat around his shoulders. "If this is the Doumyouji I think you're talking about, I have business with them. Shall we head out there now and see what we can do?"
Shigeru blinked.
She swallowed.
She rose to her feet.
Her head began to swim. "Ojisan..." she finally stuttered. "Who ARE you?"
He was already at the door. "I'm the mysterious knight in shining armor," he said without turning back. "Come on, let's go."
Tama heard the door slam shut like the crack of doom. All at once her joints failed her, and she fell backwards onto her chair even as she desperately tried to rise. Her aged heart beat at the pace of those high-heeled footsteps, brisk and fevered, merciless. She fought to get up, but her body refused to cooperate, too frozen with panic and the rustiness of age to keep up with her racing mind. And even if she sprang to life now, she realized as the pitch of the footsteps changed as they ascended the staircase, she would still be too late. All she could do now was pray.
Dear God, she thought desperately. Someone, anyone, warn those children!
"Doumyouji!! Wait a second!"
It was an old, familiar scene. Tsukushi tried to scramble across the floor, tripping over the bulky maid's skirt, as Tsukasa held her wrist tight, trying desperately to pull her closer. "This isn't the time for this!" she protested. "We have to figure out what to do now!"
"You owe me," he pointed out. "You were stingy before I left and wouldn't kiss me."
"But I did just now...!" Tsukushi protested. "Don't you think of anything else?"
Tsukasa was coming ever-closer. "That doesn't count. I want an extra."
"You're so greedy!" she cried in frustration. Somehow, though, her heart was singing. This was the kind of problem she'd rather deal with in her life-- better an overenthusiastic Tsukasa than no Tsukasa at all. She was relieved.
Relieved, perhaps, but still! Would he EVER cool down?!
"Makino." The words burst like firecrackers, hot and loud onto her skin. In her moment of introspection, she'd let her guard down, and now he had her by the waist, holding her wrist tightly with his other hand. His eyes were full of fire and his face came ever-closer... Tsukushi felt her own heartbeat speed up and her strength start to drain away. Giving up her resistance, she let her eyes slit closed...
and then they flew wide open.
With a bang, the back of the door slammed against the wall of the room and came flying in the other direction. A hand stopped it in mid-rebound, clutching the door handle with a white-knuckled fist. A scowl filled the doorway.
There was no escape now.