Standard Disclaimers Apply. Hana Yori Dango belongs to its respectful
owners and not me =)
Ch. 2-Going Home
Their flight left early this morning. Tsukushi woke up her children and the three of them left their home for good. There was no turning back now. Mariko and Ken were already fast asleep even before the plane took off. Tsukushi sat in her seat watching her two children. They knew nothing of Tsukushi's past in Japan, nor did they know what made her leave. She didn't want to burden them with her sad story. She didn't want them to know of the man who broke her heart many years ago. Tsukushi sighed, trying to get comfortable in the airplane seat. Ever since Hiro told her that they would be moving back to Japan, she had been so nervous. It's been so long. Would anyone care? Would anyone remember? 'Hmm.Would he remember?' The thought crossed her mind many times in the past. Tsukushi still loved Tsukasa, but locked him away long ago. It didn't matter because he never remembered her.
Tsukushi thought of the first day she arrived in Boston. When she stepped off the plane, she felt lost and scared, not knowing what lay ahead. She didn't know who to look for at the airport, but she saw a boy about her age holding a sign with her name on it and walked towards him. He was quite tall and very good looking. He had midnight black hair and deep brown eyes. Tsukushi blushed when he approached her and smiled at her petite form.
Time passed so quickly. Now Hiro, nearly 40, was the President of Nagane International, a top 10 accounting and consulting firm in Japan. They had many offices in America, Japan and Europe. Up until his father's death, Hiro ran the main offices in America. Now, he's taken full responsibility of the whole company. He had been born and raised in Boston, but his parents raised him so he was familiar with Japanese traditions, because he knew he would have to run the company one day. Hiro was good to his employees and treated them with a high amount of respect, which in turn made him well respected man in this business world. The great thing about Hiro is that he always made time for his family. He loved them and would do anything for their happiness. Whenever he was spending time with his family on vacation or just a normal dinner, he refused to take any calls or disruptions dealing with work.
Tsukushi was jarred from her thoughts as she heard the stewardess announce over the intercom, "We will be landing shortly. Please return your seats in an upright position and buckle your safety belts. Thank you"
'This is it' Tsukushi thought, her heart beating rapidly as the plane touched down.
Stepping off the plane, Tsukushi saw her husband right away waving to her at the gate. She ran to him and threw her arms around his waist holding him close. Hiro wrapped his arms around her and kissed his wife gently on the lips.
"I've missed you. I'm so glad you all made it safely."
"OTOU-SAAN!!!!" Looking up, Hiro saw Mariko running to him like she hadn't seen her father in years. Ken followed close behind and told Mariko several times to calm down.
As their children neared, Tsuskushi and Hiro broke apart.
"How was your trip?" Their father asked.
"She" Ken pointed to Mariko "wouldn't know. Riko-chan slept and snored the whole trip practically waking up the rest of the cabin." Ken burst in laughter as he saw the look on Mariko's face.
"I DO NOT SNORE!" Mariko yelled in defense of her brother's teasing.
"Let's get going. I have the car waiting and we still have to get your luggage from baggage claim." Said Hiro as they began walking.
The drive seemed so long for the 15 year old who was eager to explore this new city. As they entered Tokyo, Mariko's eyes lit up in excitement. She knew right then and there that she was going to enjoy this place. Mariko sat impatiently in the limo, occasionally bothering Ken while he tried to sleep.
Hiro broke the silence in the limo, sounding very serious, "All the funeral arrangements have been made for tomorrow." Tsukushi laced her fingers with her husband's, as she could sense the sadness in his voice.
"I believe you two.." he said looking directly at Ken and Mariko ".will be on your best behavior. This isn't America. The rules here are different. Please do not bring any disrespect to the family name. Is that understood?" Hiro concluded. He knew his children were normally well behaved, but he also knew they inherited their mother's temper.
"Hai Otou-san" They replied. Those two knew better than to disobey their father. He was a very stern man when it came to punishing them if they did something wrong. Ken and Mariko were hardly ever punished, but when they disobeyed their father, nothing was worse than the look of disappointment and anger that spread across Hiro's face.
The limo turned the corner and arrived at the gate to the Nagane mansion. The gates opened and they drove up, what seemed like, an unending driveway lined with sakura trees. It was simply beautiful. Mariko had only seen pictures of this place never knowing how amazing it all was. The mansion was grand, as well as the land around it.
Tsukushi was instantly reminded of the Doumyoji mansion. It was nearly as large, but the design of this house was more modern and sophisticated. Hiro said it was remodeled over the years to keep up with the changing times.
Stepping out of the limo, Ken and Mariko stared at the mansion in awe.
"This is our new home? We actually get to live here?" Mariko asked in astonishment. Her home back in Boston was pint-sized compared to this estate before her.
Several maids and butlers gathered around the family to assist them with their luggage and to welcome them.
"Okaeri nasai, Nagane-sama" They bowed politely and smiled.
"Hana-chan, will you please show the children to their new rooms." Hiro said to Hana, one of their maids. She nodded and bowed, bringing the children inside.
If one thought the outside was amazing, the inside of the grand estate, left a person breathless. Upon entering the mansion, Mariko noticed the beautiful split staircases, leading upstairs. The floors were white marble and whoever decorated this place must have wanted a clean and very modern look, due to the pristine white walls and contemporary furniture. The main house was split into three wings, south, east and west, with the entrance facing north. Downstairs, the south wing was a sitting area with large windows, overlooking the garden outside. In the center of the sitting area, there was a square shaped area with a spherical fountain in the middle, benches surrounding the four sides of the fountain.
Hana-chan, Mariko, and Ken walked up to the east wing corridor and first arrived at Mariko's room. Hana-chan opened the door, "Here is your room, Oujo-sama."
"Please just call me Mariko"
"Hai, Mariko-san" Hana said.
Mariko's eyes widened as she saw just how huge her new room was. 'Sure the house back in Boston was big, but this place is HUGE.' She thought. The glass windows spanning one of her bedroom walls let in a great view of Tokyo's skyline.
"Amazing." That was all that could come to her mind as she looked out her windows. Mariko thought she felt stupid using such small words to describe this estate. She couldn't think of anything else though because it was all so breathtakingly beautiful.
Ken and Hana-chan left Mariko alone. Mariko explored her room, the massive bathroom and walk in closet left her speechless. Sitting on her bed, her thoughts began to consume her 'Maybe it won't be so bad here.' She knew she had to get used to a new culture and the people. She just hoped the kids here were nothing like the snotty brats she had to deal with back home.
'I wonder what else they have in this place.' Mariko wondered if there were any secret passageways in this big old house. There has to be at least one, so she decided she would be the one to find it.
Ken's room was just as large, if not larger, than Mariko's. His room was a few doors down from Mariko and it overlooked the skyline as well with those large windows against the outside wall. Ken heard a knocking at the door.
"Nii-san? You in there??"
"Yeah Riko-chan, come on in!"
Mariko entered and was even in more awe and somewhat jealous that he got the bigger room, but she didn't let it bother her too much. "You wanna go explore the rest of this place with me?" Mariko asked.
"Sure thing. I was about to ask you the same thing." So the two headed off and went on their adventure for the day.
They first explored the rest of the east wing upstairs, which just had their parents room, the study, the library and their father's office. There wasn't anything too interesting for them, except they discovered a secret door at the end of the corridor that turned out to be an elevator, which took them down to the kitchen. Mariko and Ken were friendly with the kitchen staff and stole a few snacks before continuing the exploration. The bottom half of the east wing led them to the dining area, breakfast area, and the living room, in which one wall was dedicated to photos of Mariko, Ken and their cousins. It seemed that their grandparents had all these photos of them taken at different ages and moments in their lives. Mariko looked over all the photos and laughed at her brother's bowl-hair cuts from the past. She found it amazingly cool that her grandparents had this wall dedicated to their grandchildren.
They decided to explore the rest of the first floor and discovered a ballroom that took up the rest of the west wing. 'Wow! They must have thrown so many parties here.' Mariko thought as she peeked into the grand ballroom. Ken found another elevator and noticed it had a button for an underground level, so the two headed down, discovering bowling lanes and a movie theater. The theater sat about fifty people and was extremely high tech. There was even a snack and drink machine outside the theater.
"Man Riko-chan, we've got it made here. We shoulda moved here long ago." Ken said in the elevator as they rode up to the top floor of the west wing. All they found upstairs in this wing were more bedrooms, obviously guest rooms as each room had their own motif.
In the south wing, they found a home gym and a full salon. The game room was the best part of the south wing though. There was a huge 52" flat screen tv, with a great surround sound system attached to it. Ken didn't even need to bring any of his gaming systems, because they were all there, attached to a separate television on a different side of the room. There was a full sized pool table in the middle of the room and a raised sitting area in the back, whose doors opened up to a balcony, overlooking the property. It was going to be their second room, considering how much those two played video games and how much time they spent in front of the television.
Exploring the grounds outdoors, they found an olympic sized pool with a nicely furnished pool house, tennis courts and a basketball court.
"Allright! We get to play tennis and ball, and we don't even have to go anywhere!" Ken jumped around like a little boy.
They found the living quarters for the house helpers. Hana told them that their grandfather was kind enough to give her and several other maids and butlers a place to live.
"Hey Nii-san! Check this out!! We've got our own hot springs here. This is awesome!!" Mariko exclaimed, upon entering another building. The building was meant to hold tea ceremonies, but beyond that was a hot spring for outdoor baths. Mariko had heard so much about these outdoor baths, where you just sat there and relaxed in the hot spring. 'This isn't bad at all. I've already fallen in love with this place.' Mariko thought as her and Ken headed back in.
After a few hours of exploring, the two were exhausted and plopped themselves on the couch in the game room.
"Where have you two been? We've been trying to find you since we got here" Tsukushi, standing next to Hiro, asked the tired pair.
"Kaa-san, we've been walking around the grounds of this place all day. It took us a few hours, but we found everything around here." Ken answered sounding like he was about to fall asleep.
"You couldn't have possibly found everything around here" Hiro muttered under his breath, remembering all the secrets of the mansion.
"Huh?" Mariko heard her father murmur something, but didn't quite catch it.
"Nothing. Anyways, I hate to disturb your rest, but we have more important matters at hand right now. After dinner, you should both get some rest. Tomorrow is the funeral, meaning it will be a long day for all of us." Hiro spoke.
"Hai.."
The following morning, Mariko and Ken got dressed and went downstairs to meet with their parents. The ceremony lasted a few hours. Everyone was crying, especially Mariko and Ken, because they were so close to him, even if he was running the business in Japan. Their grandfather managed to always take the time off and visit his grandchildren in Boston. He loved them dearly, and it was sad he was gone now. Tsukushi thought of her father in law as her own father. He was always kind to her, especially when she first arrived in Boston. Hiro's older sister and younger brother flew back to Tokyo for their father's funeral. The three of them held each other close and cried together.
Many people of great importance were at the funeral to give their respects to the Nagane family, and after the funeral, the guests traveled back to the Nagane mansion for the reception. Tsukushi did not really pay attention to those around her. She mainly kept her eye on her husband, who broke down in tears every once in a while, and her children, who she was trying to console at the same time. She had to be strong for all of them right now.
Arriving back at the house, they greeted their guests at the entrance and accepted the many condolences offered.
"Tsukushi.Hiro." At the sound of their names, the couple looked up to see Tsukushi's parents standing before them. Tsuskushi's mom hugged the daughter she had not seen in ten years. She was so happy to see them. Her dad, mom, Susumu and his family were there. Tsukushi missed them terribly. They visited her in Boston every five or ten years, so it had been awhile since they'd seen each other. Tsukushi was so happy to be in the arms of her family.
Walking in behind her parents, Tsukushi saw her old friends. Rui, Soujiro, Akira, Tsubaki, Shigeru, Sakurako, Kazuya and their significant others were all there. Though it was a time of sadness, Tsukushi was relieved and felt so much better that her closest friends were there for her and her family. She hugged them all and thanked them for coming.
"Please come in and help yourselves to what we have to offer. Thank you for coming." Hiro said as they all walked inside.
Mariko and Ken were thrilled to see their grandparents and all their aunts and uncles. They sat around in the south wing's sitting area talking about how the children have grown.
"You look just like your mother," Soujiro said speaking to Mariko, "but you're much more beautiful."
Mariko just blushed and said thank you. Their grandparents asked about school and everything else that's been happening in their lives.
"So where are all the kids at?" Mariko asked, looking for her childhood friends.
"We decided it was best if they stayed at home. You'll get to see them soon enough Mariko-chan." Shigeru answered.
After a few moments, Hiro said, "Tsukushi, I believe that is all the guests. Let's go in. It's getting cold."
As they turned to go in, one more limosuine pulled up to the door. Tsukushi turned around to see none other than Doumyoji Kaede step out with her husband. Tsukushi's legs went weak, but Hiro helped support her.
The Doumyoji couple made it up the steps and bowed to both Hiro and Tsukushi.
"We are terribly sorry for your loss and give our sympathy. Your father was a great man." Doumyoji-san spoke.
"Thank you for coming. Please come in." Hiro said politely.
Tsukushi could feel Kaede's evil eyes on her, but it was not the most appropriate time to bring up the past, Tsukushi thought. So for today, she would not be bothered by this woman's presence.
The four walked into the sitting area and when they entered, Rui, Akira, Soujiro and the rest halted in whatever they were saying or doing.
"What's wrong? Uhh.Uncle Akira?" Mariko said waving her hand in front of him.
"Who are they?" Ken asked, but still received no answer as they all froze. In shock? Or in terror?
"Mariko.Ken.Come here please." The two approached their parents.
"May I introduce you to the Doumyoji's. These are my children, Mariko and Ken." Hiro spoke.
Both Mariko and Ken bowed deeply.
"They are beautiful children Nagane-san." Kaede spoke. Tsukushi's face froze, as she actually heard the witch give a compliment.
"Thank you Doumyoji-sama." Mariko replied.
The Nagane children left their parents and attended back to the many guests at the house.
After she made sure all her guests were situated, Tsukushi headed over to where her friends and family were.
"Tsukushi, why is she here?" Shigeru asked quietly somehow thinking Kaede could hear her every word. To this day, that woman still set fear in their hearts. Tsukushi stared at friend without an answer.
"Sorry Tsukasa couldn't make it. He got.uh.tied up at work" Akira said.
"You don't have to lie for that idiot brother of mine Akira." Tsubaki said glaring at Akira for lying. "He's at home Tsukushi. He didn't feel it would be appropriate to come here after all this time, but he does send his deepest regrets."
Tsukasa.Tsukushi hadn't heard his name in so long, but it didn't mean she forgot about him. She would always remember him and the love they shared. They said they were friends, but she hadn't heard from him since the day she left for Boston. Tsukushi sighed and tried to push him out of her head for now, but Hiro sensed her uneasiness about the subject of Tsukasa.
They talked some more, catching up with everything. Tsukushi loved the fact that her friends didn't treat her any different, thought they barely saw each other over the years. It was like she had never been gone at all and that put a smile on her face. Her friends occasionally visited Tsukushi and her family during business trips or just family vacations. Their children were all friends and kept in touch with each other over the years.
Hours later, guests began to leave.
"Thank you for your support and care." Hiro and Tsukushi said as guests began clearing out the house. Both Mariko and Ken were exhausted and when the last guest left, they said good night to their parents. Ken started to walk away, but Mariko stayed back.
"Kaa-san, who was that Doumyoji woman?"
Not really knowing how to answer, "She...well...She and her husband run the Doumyoji Corporation. Why do you ask?"
"Well, she looked kinda scary and when the two of them walked in, everyone I was sitting with just froze and stopped talking. I was just wondering why she had that effect on them. That's all. Well..Good night Kaa-san!" She hugged her mother and left the room. Mariko hugged her father good night as well when she ran into him in the hallway. 'This was a long day' she thought.
"Tsukushi, what's wrong?" Hiro asked his wife who had a lost look on her face as they lay in bed that night.
"Nothing anata." she looked up and knew that answer wasn't enough ".I was just thinking that's all."
"About?" Hiro questioned. "Is it Tsukasa?" Tsukushi froze. Her husband knew her all too well.
Hiro sighed, "Don't worry about it right now. Get some rest now. You've had a long day." He kissed her as he tried to fall asleep. She was thinking about Tsukasa. Hiro knew that was inevitable, but he understood. He knew Tsukushi would always have a place in her heart for him, and even though he was always a little jealous, he knew it would never get in the way of what he and Tsukushi shared now.
Ch. 2-Going Home
Their flight left early this morning. Tsukushi woke up her children and the three of them left their home for good. There was no turning back now. Mariko and Ken were already fast asleep even before the plane took off. Tsukushi sat in her seat watching her two children. They knew nothing of Tsukushi's past in Japan, nor did they know what made her leave. She didn't want to burden them with her sad story. She didn't want them to know of the man who broke her heart many years ago. Tsukushi sighed, trying to get comfortable in the airplane seat. Ever since Hiro told her that they would be moving back to Japan, she had been so nervous. It's been so long. Would anyone care? Would anyone remember? 'Hmm.Would he remember?' The thought crossed her mind many times in the past. Tsukushi still loved Tsukasa, but locked him away long ago. It didn't matter because he never remembered her.
Tsukushi thought of the first day she arrived in Boston. When she stepped off the plane, she felt lost and scared, not knowing what lay ahead. She didn't know who to look for at the airport, but she saw a boy about her age holding a sign with her name on it and walked towards him. He was quite tall and very good looking. He had midnight black hair and deep brown eyes. Tsukushi blushed when he approached her and smiled at her petite form.
Time passed so quickly. Now Hiro, nearly 40, was the President of Nagane International, a top 10 accounting and consulting firm in Japan. They had many offices in America, Japan and Europe. Up until his father's death, Hiro ran the main offices in America. Now, he's taken full responsibility of the whole company. He had been born and raised in Boston, but his parents raised him so he was familiar with Japanese traditions, because he knew he would have to run the company one day. Hiro was good to his employees and treated them with a high amount of respect, which in turn made him well respected man in this business world. The great thing about Hiro is that he always made time for his family. He loved them and would do anything for their happiness. Whenever he was spending time with his family on vacation or just a normal dinner, he refused to take any calls or disruptions dealing with work.
Tsukushi was jarred from her thoughts as she heard the stewardess announce over the intercom, "We will be landing shortly. Please return your seats in an upright position and buckle your safety belts. Thank you"
'This is it' Tsukushi thought, her heart beating rapidly as the plane touched down.
Stepping off the plane, Tsukushi saw her husband right away waving to her at the gate. She ran to him and threw her arms around his waist holding him close. Hiro wrapped his arms around her and kissed his wife gently on the lips.
"I've missed you. I'm so glad you all made it safely."
"OTOU-SAAN!!!!" Looking up, Hiro saw Mariko running to him like she hadn't seen her father in years. Ken followed close behind and told Mariko several times to calm down.
As their children neared, Tsuskushi and Hiro broke apart.
"How was your trip?" Their father asked.
"She" Ken pointed to Mariko "wouldn't know. Riko-chan slept and snored the whole trip practically waking up the rest of the cabin." Ken burst in laughter as he saw the look on Mariko's face.
"I DO NOT SNORE!" Mariko yelled in defense of her brother's teasing.
"Let's get going. I have the car waiting and we still have to get your luggage from baggage claim." Said Hiro as they began walking.
The drive seemed so long for the 15 year old who was eager to explore this new city. As they entered Tokyo, Mariko's eyes lit up in excitement. She knew right then and there that she was going to enjoy this place. Mariko sat impatiently in the limo, occasionally bothering Ken while he tried to sleep.
Hiro broke the silence in the limo, sounding very serious, "All the funeral arrangements have been made for tomorrow." Tsukushi laced her fingers with her husband's, as she could sense the sadness in his voice.
"I believe you two.." he said looking directly at Ken and Mariko ".will be on your best behavior. This isn't America. The rules here are different. Please do not bring any disrespect to the family name. Is that understood?" Hiro concluded. He knew his children were normally well behaved, but he also knew they inherited their mother's temper.
"Hai Otou-san" They replied. Those two knew better than to disobey their father. He was a very stern man when it came to punishing them if they did something wrong. Ken and Mariko were hardly ever punished, but when they disobeyed their father, nothing was worse than the look of disappointment and anger that spread across Hiro's face.
The limo turned the corner and arrived at the gate to the Nagane mansion. The gates opened and they drove up, what seemed like, an unending driveway lined with sakura trees. It was simply beautiful. Mariko had only seen pictures of this place never knowing how amazing it all was. The mansion was grand, as well as the land around it.
Tsukushi was instantly reminded of the Doumyoji mansion. It was nearly as large, but the design of this house was more modern and sophisticated. Hiro said it was remodeled over the years to keep up with the changing times.
Stepping out of the limo, Ken and Mariko stared at the mansion in awe.
"This is our new home? We actually get to live here?" Mariko asked in astonishment. Her home back in Boston was pint-sized compared to this estate before her.
Several maids and butlers gathered around the family to assist them with their luggage and to welcome them.
"Okaeri nasai, Nagane-sama" They bowed politely and smiled.
"Hana-chan, will you please show the children to their new rooms." Hiro said to Hana, one of their maids. She nodded and bowed, bringing the children inside.
If one thought the outside was amazing, the inside of the grand estate, left a person breathless. Upon entering the mansion, Mariko noticed the beautiful split staircases, leading upstairs. The floors were white marble and whoever decorated this place must have wanted a clean and very modern look, due to the pristine white walls and contemporary furniture. The main house was split into three wings, south, east and west, with the entrance facing north. Downstairs, the south wing was a sitting area with large windows, overlooking the garden outside. In the center of the sitting area, there was a square shaped area with a spherical fountain in the middle, benches surrounding the four sides of the fountain.
Hana-chan, Mariko, and Ken walked up to the east wing corridor and first arrived at Mariko's room. Hana-chan opened the door, "Here is your room, Oujo-sama."
"Please just call me Mariko"
"Hai, Mariko-san" Hana said.
Mariko's eyes widened as she saw just how huge her new room was. 'Sure the house back in Boston was big, but this place is HUGE.' She thought. The glass windows spanning one of her bedroom walls let in a great view of Tokyo's skyline.
"Amazing." That was all that could come to her mind as she looked out her windows. Mariko thought she felt stupid using such small words to describe this estate. She couldn't think of anything else though because it was all so breathtakingly beautiful.
Ken and Hana-chan left Mariko alone. Mariko explored her room, the massive bathroom and walk in closet left her speechless. Sitting on her bed, her thoughts began to consume her 'Maybe it won't be so bad here.' She knew she had to get used to a new culture and the people. She just hoped the kids here were nothing like the snotty brats she had to deal with back home.
'I wonder what else they have in this place.' Mariko wondered if there were any secret passageways in this big old house. There has to be at least one, so she decided she would be the one to find it.
Ken's room was just as large, if not larger, than Mariko's. His room was a few doors down from Mariko and it overlooked the skyline as well with those large windows against the outside wall. Ken heard a knocking at the door.
"Nii-san? You in there??"
"Yeah Riko-chan, come on in!"
Mariko entered and was even in more awe and somewhat jealous that he got the bigger room, but she didn't let it bother her too much. "You wanna go explore the rest of this place with me?" Mariko asked.
"Sure thing. I was about to ask you the same thing." So the two headed off and went on their adventure for the day.
They first explored the rest of the east wing upstairs, which just had their parents room, the study, the library and their father's office. There wasn't anything too interesting for them, except they discovered a secret door at the end of the corridor that turned out to be an elevator, which took them down to the kitchen. Mariko and Ken were friendly with the kitchen staff and stole a few snacks before continuing the exploration. The bottom half of the east wing led them to the dining area, breakfast area, and the living room, in which one wall was dedicated to photos of Mariko, Ken and their cousins. It seemed that their grandparents had all these photos of them taken at different ages and moments in their lives. Mariko looked over all the photos and laughed at her brother's bowl-hair cuts from the past. She found it amazingly cool that her grandparents had this wall dedicated to their grandchildren.
They decided to explore the rest of the first floor and discovered a ballroom that took up the rest of the west wing. 'Wow! They must have thrown so many parties here.' Mariko thought as she peeked into the grand ballroom. Ken found another elevator and noticed it had a button for an underground level, so the two headed down, discovering bowling lanes and a movie theater. The theater sat about fifty people and was extremely high tech. There was even a snack and drink machine outside the theater.
"Man Riko-chan, we've got it made here. We shoulda moved here long ago." Ken said in the elevator as they rode up to the top floor of the west wing. All they found upstairs in this wing were more bedrooms, obviously guest rooms as each room had their own motif.
In the south wing, they found a home gym and a full salon. The game room was the best part of the south wing though. There was a huge 52" flat screen tv, with a great surround sound system attached to it. Ken didn't even need to bring any of his gaming systems, because they were all there, attached to a separate television on a different side of the room. There was a full sized pool table in the middle of the room and a raised sitting area in the back, whose doors opened up to a balcony, overlooking the property. It was going to be their second room, considering how much those two played video games and how much time they spent in front of the television.
Exploring the grounds outdoors, they found an olympic sized pool with a nicely furnished pool house, tennis courts and a basketball court.
"Allright! We get to play tennis and ball, and we don't even have to go anywhere!" Ken jumped around like a little boy.
They found the living quarters for the house helpers. Hana told them that their grandfather was kind enough to give her and several other maids and butlers a place to live.
"Hey Nii-san! Check this out!! We've got our own hot springs here. This is awesome!!" Mariko exclaimed, upon entering another building. The building was meant to hold tea ceremonies, but beyond that was a hot spring for outdoor baths. Mariko had heard so much about these outdoor baths, where you just sat there and relaxed in the hot spring. 'This isn't bad at all. I've already fallen in love with this place.' Mariko thought as her and Ken headed back in.
After a few hours of exploring, the two were exhausted and plopped themselves on the couch in the game room.
"Where have you two been? We've been trying to find you since we got here" Tsukushi, standing next to Hiro, asked the tired pair.
"Kaa-san, we've been walking around the grounds of this place all day. It took us a few hours, but we found everything around here." Ken answered sounding like he was about to fall asleep.
"You couldn't have possibly found everything around here" Hiro muttered under his breath, remembering all the secrets of the mansion.
"Huh?" Mariko heard her father murmur something, but didn't quite catch it.
"Nothing. Anyways, I hate to disturb your rest, but we have more important matters at hand right now. After dinner, you should both get some rest. Tomorrow is the funeral, meaning it will be a long day for all of us." Hiro spoke.
"Hai.."
The following morning, Mariko and Ken got dressed and went downstairs to meet with their parents. The ceremony lasted a few hours. Everyone was crying, especially Mariko and Ken, because they were so close to him, even if he was running the business in Japan. Their grandfather managed to always take the time off and visit his grandchildren in Boston. He loved them dearly, and it was sad he was gone now. Tsukushi thought of her father in law as her own father. He was always kind to her, especially when she first arrived in Boston. Hiro's older sister and younger brother flew back to Tokyo for their father's funeral. The three of them held each other close and cried together.
Many people of great importance were at the funeral to give their respects to the Nagane family, and after the funeral, the guests traveled back to the Nagane mansion for the reception. Tsukushi did not really pay attention to those around her. She mainly kept her eye on her husband, who broke down in tears every once in a while, and her children, who she was trying to console at the same time. She had to be strong for all of them right now.
Arriving back at the house, they greeted their guests at the entrance and accepted the many condolences offered.
"Tsukushi.Hiro." At the sound of their names, the couple looked up to see Tsukushi's parents standing before them. Tsuskushi's mom hugged the daughter she had not seen in ten years. She was so happy to see them. Her dad, mom, Susumu and his family were there. Tsukushi missed them terribly. They visited her in Boston every five or ten years, so it had been awhile since they'd seen each other. Tsukushi was so happy to be in the arms of her family.
Walking in behind her parents, Tsukushi saw her old friends. Rui, Soujiro, Akira, Tsubaki, Shigeru, Sakurako, Kazuya and their significant others were all there. Though it was a time of sadness, Tsukushi was relieved and felt so much better that her closest friends were there for her and her family. She hugged them all and thanked them for coming.
"Please come in and help yourselves to what we have to offer. Thank you for coming." Hiro said as they all walked inside.
Mariko and Ken were thrilled to see their grandparents and all their aunts and uncles. They sat around in the south wing's sitting area talking about how the children have grown.
"You look just like your mother," Soujiro said speaking to Mariko, "but you're much more beautiful."
Mariko just blushed and said thank you. Their grandparents asked about school and everything else that's been happening in their lives.
"So where are all the kids at?" Mariko asked, looking for her childhood friends.
"We decided it was best if they stayed at home. You'll get to see them soon enough Mariko-chan." Shigeru answered.
After a few moments, Hiro said, "Tsukushi, I believe that is all the guests. Let's go in. It's getting cold."
As they turned to go in, one more limosuine pulled up to the door. Tsukushi turned around to see none other than Doumyoji Kaede step out with her husband. Tsukushi's legs went weak, but Hiro helped support her.
The Doumyoji couple made it up the steps and bowed to both Hiro and Tsukushi.
"We are terribly sorry for your loss and give our sympathy. Your father was a great man." Doumyoji-san spoke.
"Thank you for coming. Please come in." Hiro said politely.
Tsukushi could feel Kaede's evil eyes on her, but it was not the most appropriate time to bring up the past, Tsukushi thought. So for today, she would not be bothered by this woman's presence.
The four walked into the sitting area and when they entered, Rui, Akira, Soujiro and the rest halted in whatever they were saying or doing.
"What's wrong? Uhh.Uncle Akira?" Mariko said waving her hand in front of him.
"Who are they?" Ken asked, but still received no answer as they all froze. In shock? Or in terror?
"Mariko.Ken.Come here please." The two approached their parents.
"May I introduce you to the Doumyoji's. These are my children, Mariko and Ken." Hiro spoke.
Both Mariko and Ken bowed deeply.
"They are beautiful children Nagane-san." Kaede spoke. Tsukushi's face froze, as she actually heard the witch give a compliment.
"Thank you Doumyoji-sama." Mariko replied.
The Nagane children left their parents and attended back to the many guests at the house.
After she made sure all her guests were situated, Tsukushi headed over to where her friends and family were.
"Tsukushi, why is she here?" Shigeru asked quietly somehow thinking Kaede could hear her every word. To this day, that woman still set fear in their hearts. Tsukushi stared at friend without an answer.
"Sorry Tsukasa couldn't make it. He got.uh.tied up at work" Akira said.
"You don't have to lie for that idiot brother of mine Akira." Tsubaki said glaring at Akira for lying. "He's at home Tsukushi. He didn't feel it would be appropriate to come here after all this time, but he does send his deepest regrets."
Tsukasa.Tsukushi hadn't heard his name in so long, but it didn't mean she forgot about him. She would always remember him and the love they shared. They said they were friends, but she hadn't heard from him since the day she left for Boston. Tsukushi sighed and tried to push him out of her head for now, but Hiro sensed her uneasiness about the subject of Tsukasa.
They talked some more, catching up with everything. Tsukushi loved the fact that her friends didn't treat her any different, thought they barely saw each other over the years. It was like she had never been gone at all and that put a smile on her face. Her friends occasionally visited Tsukushi and her family during business trips or just family vacations. Their children were all friends and kept in touch with each other over the years.
Hours later, guests began to leave.
"Thank you for your support and care." Hiro and Tsukushi said as guests began clearing out the house. Both Mariko and Ken were exhausted and when the last guest left, they said good night to their parents. Ken started to walk away, but Mariko stayed back.
"Kaa-san, who was that Doumyoji woman?"
Not really knowing how to answer, "She...well...She and her husband run the Doumyoji Corporation. Why do you ask?"
"Well, she looked kinda scary and when the two of them walked in, everyone I was sitting with just froze and stopped talking. I was just wondering why she had that effect on them. That's all. Well..Good night Kaa-san!" She hugged her mother and left the room. Mariko hugged her father good night as well when she ran into him in the hallway. 'This was a long day' she thought.
"Tsukushi, what's wrong?" Hiro asked his wife who had a lost look on her face as they lay in bed that night.
"Nothing anata." she looked up and knew that answer wasn't enough ".I was just thinking that's all."
"About?" Hiro questioned. "Is it Tsukasa?" Tsukushi froze. Her husband knew her all too well.
Hiro sighed, "Don't worry about it right now. Get some rest now. You've had a long day." He kissed her as he tried to fall asleep. She was thinking about Tsukasa. Hiro knew that was inevitable, but he understood. He knew Tsukushi would always have a place in her heart for him, and even though he was always a little jealous, he knew it would never get in the way of what he and Tsukushi shared now.