Title: Flower Garden (A Hana Yori Dango AU)
Author: Yih
17: Moving Action (February 6, 2003 to February 17, 2003)
The next morning Sara was waiting at the top of a building for Soujirou to arrive. Despite the fact that it was early in the morning, she expected him to come because he'd promise to come. In a way, she'd always been meaning to tell him her feelings because she'd discovered this spot years ago. And today was the perfect day to see her declaration of love. It was sunny and clear--- most of all, beautiful.
Usually time passed by far too quickly and she could only be amazed at the speed of which the minutes rolled by. But this time, time was slow and unbearable as it passed by, taking its leisurely time. Glancing down at her watch, she had told Soujirou to be there at 6:15, now it was already 6:30 and the sign was gleaming on the side of the building, Suki Jirou. The tears rolled off her cheeks for the a few minutes was only visible for a few minutes. She cried because she knew Soujirou had deliberately not come. She had her answer after all these years.
"Mom," she called later on her cell phone, "I'm going home today."
~
He was in his room, pacing up and down, back and forth, from 5:00 to 6:00, when he'd finally flew out of his room and made it to the spot in record time. He still wasn't late, but standing on the street outside of the building. He couldn't make himself go inside and hear something that would forever change their relationship.
So the minutes ticked up and he didn't go, he didn't go. Finally, after the time had passed, he rushed into the buildings and up the stairs to the rooftop Sara had made him promise to go. When he got there, he saw nothing, worry and fear started to gnaw at him when he saw a girl standing by the edge, looking out.
"Sara," he cried out to her, "I'm sorry I'm late."
When the girl turned around, he received the shock of a lifetime, it wasn't Sara. When Yuki turned around, she was astonished at whom she had to tell the message the girl, Sara had asked her with tears to tell him. She had formed quite a bad opinion of the boy and to discover it was one of the boys of the F4, someone she admired and adored was crushing. She'd expected more out of them.
"Nishikado Soujirou," she murmured.
His eyebrow arched up with inquiry because it was obvious that he didn't know who she was even though she knew who he was. It was then that he noticed that she was wearing an Eitoku uniform, no wonder she knew who he was. "Who are you?" he asked irritatedly.
"Someone who has a message to give to you from Sara."
"Then give it to me!" he exclaimed with his anxiety and frustration and worry.
She looked at him with an irritated frustration of her own, which surprised him because at first he'd thought her to be a nice, happy girl like Sara. "She told me to tell you that she's leaving." Having said what was requested of her, she brushed passed him and headed down the stairs where she sped off toward her classes at Eitoku. She couldn't afford to be late.
He watched her go with intrigue because it'd been a long time since he'd met a girl with life about her. But as much as he'd like to muse about her, he had to find Sara, find Sara before she left. Yet, he felt torn between wanting to chase after this girl, this strange girl or to go after his very best friend, the one who understood him better than anyone.
~
It was another bad morning for the Doumyouji household as Tsukasa was running around entirely hounded by Tsubaki because he was running late for school. Finally, he couldn't stand if anymore and he shouted, "I'm only running half an hour late!"
"A half hour far too late!" his sister exclaimed back, he should know better than to think that he could win against his sister. Before he could do anything, she threw his bag at him, hitting him squarely on the head, almost knocking him out. But luckily it didn't and he ducked into his car, going to school to escape his insane sister. She was always like this when he was late to class and he didn't know why. It wasn't like Eitoku was going to prevent him from graduating, not with how much his family had already donated. Besides, his family owned this school.
His foot slammed on the break as his eyes widened. It couldn't be, could it? The girl that was as late as he was looked far too much like Shigeru. What was she doing at his school at this hour? What was she doing here? He wasn't quite sure if it was her until she turned around and he saw her face. It was undeniably her. The girl was Shigeru.
He got out of his car quickly and went to her, grabbing her by the arm and turning her to face him, "What are you doing here?!"
She chuckled and glanced up at him with a teasing expression. "Why do you think I'm here?" she inquired back.
"I don't know!" he shouted. "That's why I'm asking you. Don't you get it?"
She waited until he stayed quiet long enough for her to answer him, "I'm switching schools. I'm transferring to Eitoku to help you charm Tsukushi!" she finished cheerfully. "And to keep her company of course. You didn't think I cam here for you, did you?" From his perplexed expression, she concluded that he did and that made her laugh and tease him even more, "Oh, you did think that. Very well to make your ego feel better, I cam here because of you, does that make you feel better?"
"GRRRR!" he growled. "Who said I wanted you at my school?"
Her positively charming smile widened, and she linked her arms through his. "Of course you don't, but if I wasn't here, you'd definitely screw things up with Tsukushi, so follow my lead, will you? You might still have a chance with her."
Tsukasa sighed heavily and let Shigeru drag them both to class. He didn't think he had a chance anymore and that depressed him, but he couldn't help but get excited by Shigeru's enthusiasm. It was infection, and he didn't like feeling melancholy, it was truly a weird feeling for him. He didn't like it at all. And Shigeru didn't make him feel sad, anything but.
So he let her lead him through the rest of his classes, a bit amused to see the knives the other girls were throwing at her because she was holding onto his arm. He didn't understand the girl at Eitoku. They were boring; they were always trying to latch onto him. For Shigeru's ability to get his mind off Tsukushi and to keep other girls from grabbing his arm, he was eternally grateful.
~
Rui smiled waking up next to Tsukushi the next morning. He wanted everyday to be like this. To wake up next the one he wanted by his side was an amazing feeling. But there were things to do which was why he'd already arranged a meeting between his parents and her parents to rearrange the engagement. It was a plan that had been forming in his mind since they had first made up.
"Wake up sleepyhead," he murmured, nuzzling her neck. She nudged him away and pulled the covers over her head. "It's already noon, Tsukushi."
She jerked her head out of the covers and glared at him. "You made me late for school?!" He blinked innocently. "Don't you have an alarm clock?" He shook his head. "Why not?" He shrugged. He didn't like those bothersome things that woke him up from his nice sleepy dreams. "Then why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Because she was too adorable when she was sleeping, besides he hadn't been awake for that long either.
"You needed the sleep," Shigeru stated from where she was standing at the doorway. Shizuka had been an integral part of helping him finalize the meeting between the parents this morning. "After helping through the night, you definitely needed some down time, Tsukushi."
Tsukushi stared carefully at Shizuka. "Are you okay?" Shizuka smiled back. "You are better." They shared an understanding between them that drew them together as sisters when Shizuka had broken down crying yesterday because she was being weakened by her parents once more. All she'd ever wanted was a life of her own, was that too much to ask?
Having been through the same crisis, Tsukushi had perfectly understood this. So while Rui slept, both girls had confronted their fears of letting their parents control and manipulate them straight on. They had made a pact that they'd always remain strong together forever. In making this vow, Tsukushi hoped that her own sky high dreams were realized soon.
"You two had better be getting to school," Shigeru remarked. "The car's already ready out front for you two."
~
The lunch at Eitoku was incredibly uncomfortable for neither Tsukasa nor Shigeru wanted to say anything to disturb Akira, considering what he had been through for the past few days with Shizuka and all. What made it even more awkward was when Soujirou finally arrived with an utterly distraught expression. All three of them knew something very major had occurred.
"I can't find her!" he exclaimed. "I've looked everywhere and I can't find her. I have to keep looking, but I don't know where to look. Where possibly she might be. I don't know." Soujirou would have kept babbling onward but Akira stopped him from doing that.
"What exactly happened?" Akira asked. "What's wrong?"
So Soujirou explained the whole story, how Sara had asked to meet him somewhere, obviously to tell him her feelings. To make a long story short, he'd been afraid to go and he hadn't been intending to go, even though he had promised her to go. And when he had gone to the meeting place, he hadn't gone up... he hadn't because he'd been afraid of, afraid of...
"Commitment," Akira finished for him before to the amazement of all at the table, he burst out laughing like a banshee, a wild thing--- entirely uncontrollably. They didn't know how he managed to stop himself, but he managed to. "It's funny," he declared solemnly, "that you are afraid of commitment, but I am not--- yet Sara wants a relationship and Shizuka doesn't."
Before anyone could say anything, Akira took his tray and dumped it into the trash can as he walked out of the cafeteria. None of the boys knew what to say, but Shigeru summed it up into words perfectly, "Wooh... I wasn't expecting that."
Neither had Soujirou or Tsukasa.
~
"Look who decided to arrive," Soujirou drawled as Rui and Tsukushi made their late entrance. "Where have you two been?" His eyes widened as it hit him that they had arrived together. "What have you two been doing?"
Rui blinked and Tsukushi blushed. Behind Soujirou, Tsukasa went red in the face, while Shigeru simply smiled. Before any of the others could do anything, she took Rui by the arm and asked, "I heard that you played an instrument. I love music, will you play something for me?"
Shigeru dragged a helpless and unwilling Rui off to the recital room, hoping that he played well because she couldn't stand it if he played horribly. After those two had left, an awkward silence developed between Tsukasa and Tsukushi until Soujirou interrupted with a cough, "I need to go run after Sara."
Tsukasa nodded and Soujirou ran off. He disliked it when things became as uncomfortable as they clearly were now. I wasn't like him to say nothing to her, but everything he said invariable were insults. He definitely didn't want to insult her, so he kept his mouth shut tight.
"What is Shigeru doing here?" Tsukushi questioned, attempting to break the disquieting silence.
Tsukasa mentally sighed with relief when she inquired thus because it gave him the chance to speak without saying something mean to her. "She transferred to this school," he explained. "I guess she thought Eitoku was the better school, which it is."
Tsukushi smiled at his arrogance and his innocence. "She really must like you to switch schools for you," she commented. "I mean staring in a new school isn't easy."
"She does not!" he exclaimed vehemently. "She is just trying to help me get---" He managed to stop himself in time when he realized that he was about to blow his cover. "Eh, maybe she does," he finished lamely.
Tsukushi gave him an utterly strange look, but this time the bell rang signaling the end of lunch and the renewal of classes. Usually Tsukasa hated going to classes, but he had this class with Tsukushi, which mean he could stare at her dreamily, while she took notes like a crazy person. Oh, his Tsukushi.
~
The last place Soujirou had thought to look was his house and when he burst into the room that Sara was staying in, he found nothing of hers. Everything was gone. The only thing left was a letter that he didn't want to read, but he had to:
Jirou, I'm sorry for running out of you, but the realization that we are only friends is crushing me. I hope you understand. I sincerely hope that when I get over this crushing feeling, we can still be friends. Yours, Sara.
He let the letter fall from his hands. He felt horrible for causing Sara that pain, but there was no helping it because he still didn't know how he felt. In the end, he had caused her pain, but he hadn't lost her as he thought he would. He had gravely underestimated Sara's fortitude. But he doubted, despite what she said, that things would ever be quite the same.
~
Tsukasa didn't even get much of a chance to talk to Tsukasa because as soon as class was over Rui came to get her and drag her off. Shigeru had tried to get him to play another piece for her, but to no avail. He was determined to get where he was going and she couldn't stop him from getting there.
Both of them watched the duo leave with surprise written on their respective faces. "I wonder what that was all about," Shigeru remarked. "Wherever they're going must be important."
"Maybe you scared him off," Tsukasa retorted.
Shigeru stared at him with amusement. "I don't think Rui scares so easily, I think you scare more easily than he does."
Tsukasa scoffed at that idea. "Rui's always been the baby of the group, always has been. It's because Shizuka and Tsukushi have babied him too much."
"Well whose the one that's got the girl?" Shigeru countered.
That definitely caught Tsukasa's attention and made him growl in indignation. "Their parents arranged that," he sputtered his response. "It wasn't like Rui himself asked her to marry him!"
Shigeru didn't say anything, but the expression she had was filled with thought and reflection.
~
"What is all this about?!" Tsukushi cried out after surveying herself in the mirror. Though her voice seemed upset, she wasn't by a long shot. She'd never looked as absolutely beautiful as she looked now. Rui had arranged hair and nail and makeup appointments, overseeing the entire process and even making suggestions of his own. He definitely knew what made her look her best.
Rui grinned. "You will see when we get there," he explained calmly, nothing perturbed him. "There is nothing to worry about." He studied her carefully along with the pale yellow dress he'd picked out that flattered her figure considerably. "You look beautiful."
As he thought, she was too busy blushing to question him further as he made the rest of the last minute preparations. He didn't care what the costs came out to be, he wanted this night to be special. He thanked his lucky stars that Shizuka was here to help because he knew he couldn't do it without her. Definitely not. Most of all, he was glad he had her approval for that meant more to him than his parents'.
Of course, they barely made it to the restaurant before their parents. Yet still he had not told her why he had done all these lavish preparations. He kept telling her that it was a surprise, that she'd soon find out once they got to their final destination. When they were at their destination, she immediately started asking but he still didn't answer, merely gesturing to where their parents were approaching.
Her eyes widened and she glanced at Rui with astonishment. "Why are our parents here?" she inquired.
He smiled mysteriously and leaned toward her to kiss her on the lips before all their parents. His parents, of course, were the most shocked as Rui was hardly the type to show public affection. But all of them were somewhat flabbergasted because they all had thought the engagement was cancelled. Obviously not with the way they were kissing.
As soon as Rui's lips left Tsukushi's, she blushed a scarlet color. "I didn't know you were coming," Tsukushi greeted, trying to get her composure together after that unexpected kiss.
Her parents looked at his parents, it was finally his father that asked the questions that all were wondering, "Rui, what's going on?"
Rui stared at his rigid and stern father calmly as he answered in a dead serious voice, "I brought you all together because I wanted to announce that Tsukushi and I want the engagement rearranged formally, and what better occasion than today?"
So that was the reason he'd brought them all together, Tsukushi thought. Her parents exchanged a bizarre look before gazing at their daughter to make sure she wanted it because she was the one who had broken it off. She smiled reassuringly, thinking that this was what they wanted--- surprisingly enough, the exact same thing that she herself wanted. All was going well until Rui's father said severely, "No, absolutely not!"
All the rest of them stared at the head of the Hanazawa in absolute bewilderment. Even his wife couldn't believe what he was saying. It was entirely a surprise that he would reject the suit when their son was enamored with Tsukushi. "Why?" his mother asked for all present.
"My son and my heir doesn't need to be with someone that rejected him! He can find someone better than her!"
Author's Note: Please review, it's how I know that you're reading! Also, I know that it's been slow going so I hope that this chapter is sparking interest for the major conflicts ahead!
Author: Yih
17: Moving Action (February 6, 2003 to February 17, 2003)
The next morning Sara was waiting at the top of a building for Soujirou to arrive. Despite the fact that it was early in the morning, she expected him to come because he'd promise to come. In a way, she'd always been meaning to tell him her feelings because she'd discovered this spot years ago. And today was the perfect day to see her declaration of love. It was sunny and clear--- most of all, beautiful.
Usually time passed by far too quickly and she could only be amazed at the speed of which the minutes rolled by. But this time, time was slow and unbearable as it passed by, taking its leisurely time. Glancing down at her watch, she had told Soujirou to be there at 6:15, now it was already 6:30 and the sign was gleaming on the side of the building, Suki Jirou. The tears rolled off her cheeks for the a few minutes was only visible for a few minutes. She cried because she knew Soujirou had deliberately not come. She had her answer after all these years.
"Mom," she called later on her cell phone, "I'm going home today."
~
He was in his room, pacing up and down, back and forth, from 5:00 to 6:00, when he'd finally flew out of his room and made it to the spot in record time. He still wasn't late, but standing on the street outside of the building. He couldn't make himself go inside and hear something that would forever change their relationship.
So the minutes ticked up and he didn't go, he didn't go. Finally, after the time had passed, he rushed into the buildings and up the stairs to the rooftop Sara had made him promise to go. When he got there, he saw nothing, worry and fear started to gnaw at him when he saw a girl standing by the edge, looking out.
"Sara," he cried out to her, "I'm sorry I'm late."
When the girl turned around, he received the shock of a lifetime, it wasn't Sara. When Yuki turned around, she was astonished at whom she had to tell the message the girl, Sara had asked her with tears to tell him. She had formed quite a bad opinion of the boy and to discover it was one of the boys of the F4, someone she admired and adored was crushing. She'd expected more out of them.
"Nishikado Soujirou," she murmured.
His eyebrow arched up with inquiry because it was obvious that he didn't know who she was even though she knew who he was. It was then that he noticed that she was wearing an Eitoku uniform, no wonder she knew who he was. "Who are you?" he asked irritatedly.
"Someone who has a message to give to you from Sara."
"Then give it to me!" he exclaimed with his anxiety and frustration and worry.
She looked at him with an irritated frustration of her own, which surprised him because at first he'd thought her to be a nice, happy girl like Sara. "She told me to tell you that she's leaving." Having said what was requested of her, she brushed passed him and headed down the stairs where she sped off toward her classes at Eitoku. She couldn't afford to be late.
He watched her go with intrigue because it'd been a long time since he'd met a girl with life about her. But as much as he'd like to muse about her, he had to find Sara, find Sara before she left. Yet, he felt torn between wanting to chase after this girl, this strange girl or to go after his very best friend, the one who understood him better than anyone.
~
It was another bad morning for the Doumyouji household as Tsukasa was running around entirely hounded by Tsubaki because he was running late for school. Finally, he couldn't stand if anymore and he shouted, "I'm only running half an hour late!"
"A half hour far too late!" his sister exclaimed back, he should know better than to think that he could win against his sister. Before he could do anything, she threw his bag at him, hitting him squarely on the head, almost knocking him out. But luckily it didn't and he ducked into his car, going to school to escape his insane sister. She was always like this when he was late to class and he didn't know why. It wasn't like Eitoku was going to prevent him from graduating, not with how much his family had already donated. Besides, his family owned this school.
His foot slammed on the break as his eyes widened. It couldn't be, could it? The girl that was as late as he was looked far too much like Shigeru. What was she doing at his school at this hour? What was she doing here? He wasn't quite sure if it was her until she turned around and he saw her face. It was undeniably her. The girl was Shigeru.
He got out of his car quickly and went to her, grabbing her by the arm and turning her to face him, "What are you doing here?!"
She chuckled and glanced up at him with a teasing expression. "Why do you think I'm here?" she inquired back.
"I don't know!" he shouted. "That's why I'm asking you. Don't you get it?"
She waited until he stayed quiet long enough for her to answer him, "I'm switching schools. I'm transferring to Eitoku to help you charm Tsukushi!" she finished cheerfully. "And to keep her company of course. You didn't think I cam here for you, did you?" From his perplexed expression, she concluded that he did and that made her laugh and tease him even more, "Oh, you did think that. Very well to make your ego feel better, I cam here because of you, does that make you feel better?"
"GRRRR!" he growled. "Who said I wanted you at my school?"
Her positively charming smile widened, and she linked her arms through his. "Of course you don't, but if I wasn't here, you'd definitely screw things up with Tsukushi, so follow my lead, will you? You might still have a chance with her."
Tsukasa sighed heavily and let Shigeru drag them both to class. He didn't think he had a chance anymore and that depressed him, but he couldn't help but get excited by Shigeru's enthusiasm. It was infection, and he didn't like feeling melancholy, it was truly a weird feeling for him. He didn't like it at all. And Shigeru didn't make him feel sad, anything but.
So he let her lead him through the rest of his classes, a bit amused to see the knives the other girls were throwing at her because she was holding onto his arm. He didn't understand the girl at Eitoku. They were boring; they were always trying to latch onto him. For Shigeru's ability to get his mind off Tsukushi and to keep other girls from grabbing his arm, he was eternally grateful.
~
Rui smiled waking up next to Tsukushi the next morning. He wanted everyday to be like this. To wake up next the one he wanted by his side was an amazing feeling. But there were things to do which was why he'd already arranged a meeting between his parents and her parents to rearrange the engagement. It was a plan that had been forming in his mind since they had first made up.
"Wake up sleepyhead," he murmured, nuzzling her neck. She nudged him away and pulled the covers over her head. "It's already noon, Tsukushi."
She jerked her head out of the covers and glared at him. "You made me late for school?!" He blinked innocently. "Don't you have an alarm clock?" He shook his head. "Why not?" He shrugged. He didn't like those bothersome things that woke him up from his nice sleepy dreams. "Then why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Because she was too adorable when she was sleeping, besides he hadn't been awake for that long either.
"You needed the sleep," Shigeru stated from where she was standing at the doorway. Shizuka had been an integral part of helping him finalize the meeting between the parents this morning. "After helping through the night, you definitely needed some down time, Tsukushi."
Tsukushi stared carefully at Shizuka. "Are you okay?" Shizuka smiled back. "You are better." They shared an understanding between them that drew them together as sisters when Shizuka had broken down crying yesterday because she was being weakened by her parents once more. All she'd ever wanted was a life of her own, was that too much to ask?
Having been through the same crisis, Tsukushi had perfectly understood this. So while Rui slept, both girls had confronted their fears of letting their parents control and manipulate them straight on. They had made a pact that they'd always remain strong together forever. In making this vow, Tsukushi hoped that her own sky high dreams were realized soon.
"You two had better be getting to school," Shigeru remarked. "The car's already ready out front for you two."
~
The lunch at Eitoku was incredibly uncomfortable for neither Tsukasa nor Shigeru wanted to say anything to disturb Akira, considering what he had been through for the past few days with Shizuka and all. What made it even more awkward was when Soujirou finally arrived with an utterly distraught expression. All three of them knew something very major had occurred.
"I can't find her!" he exclaimed. "I've looked everywhere and I can't find her. I have to keep looking, but I don't know where to look. Where possibly she might be. I don't know." Soujirou would have kept babbling onward but Akira stopped him from doing that.
"What exactly happened?" Akira asked. "What's wrong?"
So Soujirou explained the whole story, how Sara had asked to meet him somewhere, obviously to tell him her feelings. To make a long story short, he'd been afraid to go and he hadn't been intending to go, even though he had promised her to go. And when he had gone to the meeting place, he hadn't gone up... he hadn't because he'd been afraid of, afraid of...
"Commitment," Akira finished for him before to the amazement of all at the table, he burst out laughing like a banshee, a wild thing--- entirely uncontrollably. They didn't know how he managed to stop himself, but he managed to. "It's funny," he declared solemnly, "that you are afraid of commitment, but I am not--- yet Sara wants a relationship and Shizuka doesn't."
Before anyone could say anything, Akira took his tray and dumped it into the trash can as he walked out of the cafeteria. None of the boys knew what to say, but Shigeru summed it up into words perfectly, "Wooh... I wasn't expecting that."
Neither had Soujirou or Tsukasa.
~
"Look who decided to arrive," Soujirou drawled as Rui and Tsukushi made their late entrance. "Where have you two been?" His eyes widened as it hit him that they had arrived together. "What have you two been doing?"
Rui blinked and Tsukushi blushed. Behind Soujirou, Tsukasa went red in the face, while Shigeru simply smiled. Before any of the others could do anything, she took Rui by the arm and asked, "I heard that you played an instrument. I love music, will you play something for me?"
Shigeru dragged a helpless and unwilling Rui off to the recital room, hoping that he played well because she couldn't stand it if he played horribly. After those two had left, an awkward silence developed between Tsukasa and Tsukushi until Soujirou interrupted with a cough, "I need to go run after Sara."
Tsukasa nodded and Soujirou ran off. He disliked it when things became as uncomfortable as they clearly were now. I wasn't like him to say nothing to her, but everything he said invariable were insults. He definitely didn't want to insult her, so he kept his mouth shut tight.
"What is Shigeru doing here?" Tsukushi questioned, attempting to break the disquieting silence.
Tsukasa mentally sighed with relief when she inquired thus because it gave him the chance to speak without saying something mean to her. "She transferred to this school," he explained. "I guess she thought Eitoku was the better school, which it is."
Tsukushi smiled at his arrogance and his innocence. "She really must like you to switch schools for you," she commented. "I mean staring in a new school isn't easy."
"She does not!" he exclaimed vehemently. "She is just trying to help me get---" He managed to stop himself in time when he realized that he was about to blow his cover. "Eh, maybe she does," he finished lamely.
Tsukushi gave him an utterly strange look, but this time the bell rang signaling the end of lunch and the renewal of classes. Usually Tsukasa hated going to classes, but he had this class with Tsukushi, which mean he could stare at her dreamily, while she took notes like a crazy person. Oh, his Tsukushi.
~
The last place Soujirou had thought to look was his house and when he burst into the room that Sara was staying in, he found nothing of hers. Everything was gone. The only thing left was a letter that he didn't want to read, but he had to:
Jirou, I'm sorry for running out of you, but the realization that we are only friends is crushing me. I hope you understand. I sincerely hope that when I get over this crushing feeling, we can still be friends. Yours, Sara.
He let the letter fall from his hands. He felt horrible for causing Sara that pain, but there was no helping it because he still didn't know how he felt. In the end, he had caused her pain, but he hadn't lost her as he thought he would. He had gravely underestimated Sara's fortitude. But he doubted, despite what she said, that things would ever be quite the same.
~
Tsukasa didn't even get much of a chance to talk to Tsukasa because as soon as class was over Rui came to get her and drag her off. Shigeru had tried to get him to play another piece for her, but to no avail. He was determined to get where he was going and she couldn't stop him from getting there.
Both of them watched the duo leave with surprise written on their respective faces. "I wonder what that was all about," Shigeru remarked. "Wherever they're going must be important."
"Maybe you scared him off," Tsukasa retorted.
Shigeru stared at him with amusement. "I don't think Rui scares so easily, I think you scare more easily than he does."
Tsukasa scoffed at that idea. "Rui's always been the baby of the group, always has been. It's because Shizuka and Tsukushi have babied him too much."
"Well whose the one that's got the girl?" Shigeru countered.
That definitely caught Tsukasa's attention and made him growl in indignation. "Their parents arranged that," he sputtered his response. "It wasn't like Rui himself asked her to marry him!"
Shigeru didn't say anything, but the expression she had was filled with thought and reflection.
~
"What is all this about?!" Tsukushi cried out after surveying herself in the mirror. Though her voice seemed upset, she wasn't by a long shot. She'd never looked as absolutely beautiful as she looked now. Rui had arranged hair and nail and makeup appointments, overseeing the entire process and even making suggestions of his own. He definitely knew what made her look her best.
Rui grinned. "You will see when we get there," he explained calmly, nothing perturbed him. "There is nothing to worry about." He studied her carefully along with the pale yellow dress he'd picked out that flattered her figure considerably. "You look beautiful."
As he thought, she was too busy blushing to question him further as he made the rest of the last minute preparations. He didn't care what the costs came out to be, he wanted this night to be special. He thanked his lucky stars that Shizuka was here to help because he knew he couldn't do it without her. Definitely not. Most of all, he was glad he had her approval for that meant more to him than his parents'.
Of course, they barely made it to the restaurant before their parents. Yet still he had not told her why he had done all these lavish preparations. He kept telling her that it was a surprise, that she'd soon find out once they got to their final destination. When they were at their destination, she immediately started asking but he still didn't answer, merely gesturing to where their parents were approaching.
Her eyes widened and she glanced at Rui with astonishment. "Why are our parents here?" she inquired.
He smiled mysteriously and leaned toward her to kiss her on the lips before all their parents. His parents, of course, were the most shocked as Rui was hardly the type to show public affection. But all of them were somewhat flabbergasted because they all had thought the engagement was cancelled. Obviously not with the way they were kissing.
As soon as Rui's lips left Tsukushi's, she blushed a scarlet color. "I didn't know you were coming," Tsukushi greeted, trying to get her composure together after that unexpected kiss.
Her parents looked at his parents, it was finally his father that asked the questions that all were wondering, "Rui, what's going on?"
Rui stared at his rigid and stern father calmly as he answered in a dead serious voice, "I brought you all together because I wanted to announce that Tsukushi and I want the engagement rearranged formally, and what better occasion than today?"
So that was the reason he'd brought them all together, Tsukushi thought. Her parents exchanged a bizarre look before gazing at their daughter to make sure she wanted it because she was the one who had broken it off. She smiled reassuringly, thinking that this was what they wanted--- surprisingly enough, the exact same thing that she herself wanted. All was going well until Rui's father said severely, "No, absolutely not!"
All the rest of them stared at the head of the Hanazawa in absolute bewilderment. Even his wife couldn't believe what he was saying. It was entirely a surprise that he would reject the suit when their son was enamored with Tsukushi. "Why?" his mother asked for all present.
"My son and my heir doesn't need to be with someone that rejected him! He can find someone better than her!"
Author's Note: Please review, it's how I know that you're reading! Also, I know that it's been slow going so I hope that this chapter is sparking interest for the major conflicts ahead!