Disclaimer: I still do not own any of the characters you recognize…
Author's Note: Hello there! I apologize for not updating at all last week. I was actually sick with the flu plus, school had just started for me last week so I wasn't really in a very relaxed state during those seven days. In other words, I didn't have the time to do anything else but either sleep or read for lectures (actually, just read for lectures…). Again, sorry! Anyway, here's the fourth chapter of my story. I'm not sure if any of you will like this chapter…it doesn't lend much to the plot of the story. Although this chapter does have a little icebreaker type of thingie between our two main characters…alright, I won't say anything else about the chapter. But please, don't forget to review once you've finished reading – I need to know how I did, right? And what you thought about this chapter as well…okay I'll stop talking now. Enjoy!
Chapter Four: A Small Talk Between Close Strangers
The swinging, beige double doors of the large kitchen swiveled open, prompting Misao to look up from the dishes she was drying. Dismissing the person who had just entered the room, Misao reverted her attention back to her chore. Earlier that day, she had asked the head staff member if she could help the others with their chores, seeing as Megumi rarely asked for her help. Besides, Misao felt useless, doing nothing for the past four weeks but help Megumi carry some books to her room.
"Don't ignore me, little girl!"
Inwardly sighing, Misao turned to face the speaker, clutching the towel in front of her in a straight line, each of her hands clasping an end of the cloth tightly. Fixing her lips to turn upwards in a fake smile, Misao beamed at the person who had addressed her rather rudely. "What did you want, Kamatari-san?"
"Fumiya-san asked me to call you into his office," replied the beautiful man, impatience evident on his well-made face. When he saw that the young woman did not budge, he placed his hands on his hips and said, emphatically, "NOW."
"Why?"
"I don't know!" said Kamatari, his perfectly arched eyebrows scrunched in annoyance. "Just go." He watched as Misao plopped the towel down onto the sink and slowly walked past him. As the young woman slowly opened the swinging doors, he stopped her. "Hey, if you run into Megumi-san's bodyguard, give him a wink for me, alright?" And with that said, he made his way towards the sink and took over the task Misao had just abandoned.
"Weirdo," scoffed Misao, exiting the room with a mixture of irritation and disgust on her face. With quick strides, she made her way through the hardwood-floored halls, finally reaching Fumiya Takani's office in less than a minute. Quietly, Misao turned the knob on the double oak doors, entering the room without a word and closing the door behind her with a faint click.
She scanned the room, noticing that the executive office was the same room where Aoshi had killed Ryusei Takani. Her examination of the room stopped when her cerulean eyes landed on two people congregated by the large desk sitting directly in front of the window – apparently, no one had bothered moving the furniture despite what had happened to its previous occupant. Misao's current employer, Fumiya Takani, sat behind the desk, his face somewhat flushed as he listened intently to his younger sister, whose hands were propped on the table as she leaned towards her brother, her back towards the girl, arguing about something Misao had no idea about. Slowly, Misao made her way towards Soujiro, whom she had just noticed was standing a few feet away from her, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest.
"What's going on?" whispered Misao, nodding towards the two arguing siblings as she imitated the young man next to her, leaning against the wall and resting folded arms across her chest.
"You mean you haven't heard?" asked Soujiro brightly, cocking his head to the side. "Fumiya-san received a letter this morning."
"A letter?"
Soujiro nodded. "Apparently, someone's going to try and hurt Megumi-san today."
Misao gasped, her gaze suddenly fixed on the older woman, who was now seated on a chair in front of her brother's desk, calmer than earlier. "Why are they arguing?"
"I actually just got here myself, Misao-chan," said Soujiro, his voice somewhat apologetic. He turned his attention to the two conversing siblings. "Why don't we just listen?"
Nodding, the pair remained quiet, both paying attention to the scene unfolding in front of them.
~~*~~~*~~
Megumi took a seat on the cushioned chair in front of her brother's desk, throwing her leather-bound organizer on the desk with an exasperated sigh. Her brother had called for her twenty minutes ago, informing the raven-haired woman that he is placing her under house arrest for the day. Obviously, she had not taken the news well.
"Fumiya-nii," interrupted Megumi, irritated that her brother had asked her to calm down a minute ago and asked her to take a seat. "For the third time, would you please tell me why you're placing me under house arrest?!"
The older man ignored her question, instead taking his glasses off his face and massaging the bridge of his nose. Irritated, Megumi abruptly got up from her seat, almost knocking the furniture over with her action, and turned to leave the room. She stopped, however, when her brother called for her name.
"Megumi, please wait."
She turned to face him again, her face a mixture of irritation and curiosity.
"I am placing you under house arrest because someone has made a threat against your life."
"So?" she scoffed.
"What do you mean, 'so'?" asked Fumiya, exasperated with her sister's reaction.
"You've received threats before, have you not?" asked Megumi, her eyebrows arched in question. "So why, all of a sudden, am I to be placed on house arrest after the one-millionth threat against my life?!"
"It's best that we are careful, Megumi-san."
The two siblings turned their faces towards the man standing next to a tall shelf a good ten feet away from them, his hands tucked inside his pockets. A small frown made its way into Megumi's lips – she had forgotten that her bodyguard was also in the room. Turning to face the man, Megumi rested her hands on her hips and her weight onto her left leg. "What are you talking about?!"
"Fumiya-san is only looking out for you," responded the man, his voice calm but imposing. His next words struck her oddly. "And so am I."
Speechless, Megumi tore her angry gaze from the man. She had been hostile towards him since their strange interaction three days ago, not even looking at him whenever he opened the door for her or did whatever he usually did that she thanked him for. For some reason, Megumi did not bother telling anyone about the event. In fact, she didn't want to. She had convinced herself that he is the most capable person to protect her, given his extremely alert senses both when he's awake and when he's asleep.
"Megumi, please understand," said Fumiya, jerking his sister away from her thoughts. "Aoshi suggested that you remain here at home where you are less likely to be a target and where you are safe. Obviously, I agreed with his request."
Sighing in defeat, Megumi relented to her brother's command. "Fine, I'll stay in the house. But could you please ask someone to get something for me?" She moved to retrieve the leather organizer on her brother's desk, unaware that some of the planner's contents had slipped silently onto the floor.
Nodding, Fumiya nodded at the young woman leaning against the wall next to a young man. "That's why I've called Soujiro and Misao in here. Let them know what you need and they'll take care of it."
Without another word to her brother, Megumi walked towards her driver and personal helper, smiling at the two. "Please come with me, Soujiro, Misao."
With that, the three disappeared from the office, neither of the two young adults saying a word.
~~*~~~*~~
"I wonder who sent that letter to Fumiya-san…" said Misao, asking herself the question out loud with a pout. She turned to face the young man sitting next to her, his eyes glued to the road as he drove the silver sedan. "What do you think, Soujiro-kun?"
"I don't have a clue either, Misao-chan," replied Soujiro with a chuckle, his eyes still on the road. "Although if I did, I am sure I will inform Fumiya-san immediately!"
"I would too," said Misao absentmindedly. They drove in silence for ten minutes, the quiet finally being broken when Misao yelled at Soujiro for running a red light. The young man smiled at the girl next to him, scratching his head as he chuckled an apology. With the uncomfortable silence lifted, the young woman racked her brains for anything to talk about. "Soujiro-kun, may I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Misao-chan."
"Why is Kamatari-san such a bitch?" Misao blurted, her head tilted to one side. "She has a really pretty face but her attitude really ruins her beauty."
"Kamatari-san is a complicated man, Misao-chan."
"Man? Don't you mean woman?"
Soujiro gave a hearty chuckle at the young woman's expression: her mouth was slightly agape in shock; her eyes were wide in disbelief. "Kamatari-san is a man, Misao-chan."
"Oh my God!" exclaimed the young woman, a hand flying to cover her mouth in surprise. "But she, I mean he, has such a pretty face! And for crying out loud, he has a curvier body than I do! I've been jealous of a man all along!" A pout made its way onto the young woman's lips, her arms crossed across her chest as she gave a frustrated groan. "This isn't fair! A man is better looking than I am!"
"Don't worry Misao-chan," said Soujiro, his lips turned up into a fond smile. "You're an extremely pretty girl and I'm sure Kamatari-san would love to give you some tips to make you even more attractive, given that you ask him nicely."
A frown suddenly made its way into Misao's lips, her eyes changing color into a dark blue as a nerve twitched on her temple. "Are you saying that I'm pretty but NOT pretty enough?!"
Soujiro cringed. "Umm…I never said that," muttered the young man defensively, his eyes avoiding the young woman's as he scanned the shops they passed.
"You were implying it!" said Misao with a growl. "Weren't you, Soujiro?!"
Luckily for the young man, he spotted the gift shop Megumi had told them about. And, pulling over to a stop, he faced the angry young woman and chuckled nervously. "Ano…Misao-chan, we've arrived at the gift shop," he said, pointing at the store directly in front of the parked car. "Shouldn't you go and get Megumi-san's order."
Turning to look at the shop, Misao slung a red purse on her shoulders and glared at the young man before opening the door to get out. Prior to closing the door, she glared at Soujiro again and muttered, "You got lucky Soujiro-kun. Just pray that I forget about what you said."
And with that, the girl closed the door with a light bang, leaving Soujiro to sit in the car with a nervous smile, hoping against hope that Misao will forget whatever it was he had said to offend her.
~~*~~~*~~
Aoshi walked in silent strides through the portrait-laden hallway, the rolled-up sleeves of his white, long-sleeved shirt brushing against his khaki pants as he made his way to the white doors at the end of the corridor. An hour and a half had passed since the short meeting in Fumiya Takani's office, forty minutes since he began his search for the woman he was supposed to be protecting. He chose to go to her room last, knowing that she would want to be left alone for some time. Finally reaching the door at the end of the hallway, Aoshi raised an arm to knock on the white door. He heard a faint shuffling from within the confines of the room and five seconds later, the woman he had been looking for opened the door slowly.
"I see you've finally arrived, Misao-"
The raven-haired beauty's words stopped mid-sentence as she looked up, surprised that it was not Misao who had knocked on the door. Aoshi stared at the woman impassively, noting that her arm covered her somewhat exposed chest (her sleeveless shirt had a very look neckline) as her delicate hand flew to cover her mouth in surprise. Noticing the woman's sudden discomfort, Aoshi turned to leave.
"Wait, don't leave yet."
Stopping, he turned to look at the young woman, who had now fully opened the door. She extended her hand, motioning for Aoshi to enter the room. "Please, come in."
Without a word, Aoshi complied, stuffing a hand on each pocket as he entered the room and calmly rooting himself to a spot by the door. He watched as the young woman closed the white door silently and made her way to her closet, slipping on a blue jacket to cover her exposed skin. As the raven-haired woman made her way to sit on her bed, Aoshi scanned the large room, noting the hints of femininity: the floral bedspreads, the light-pink curtains, the geisha scroll painting hanging atop her bed. His gaze finally rested on the woman sitting on her bed, the way her shirt dipped dangerously down her chest contrasting with the primness of her ankles crossed together and her hands clasped gently on her lap. Clearing his throat, Aoshi dug into his left pocket and took a step towards the raven-haired woman, extending his arm towards her and handing her a colored photograph. "You dropped this earlier, Takani-san."
Brows scrunched in bewilderment, Megumi extended a slender hand forward and gingerly took the said item from the man's hand. Turning the photograph over, she smiled fondly and whispered, "Arigatou…"
Nodding in acknowledgement to her thanks, Aoshi moved towards the door, his hand loosely clasping the brass knob. As he turned the knob, Megumi got up from the bed and carefully touched his shoulder. Curiously, he turned his head to look at the pale hand resting on his shoulder. He looked at the girl with curiosity, his green eyes meeting her brown orbs in question.
"You're leaving already?" inquired the girl, the photograph still held in her other hand, which was resting on her chest. She gently lowered her hand from the man's shoulder, dropping her arm to her side. "And here I thought we were actually starting to get past your communication problem."
Shrugging, Megumi walked towards the white desk resting next to her bed, taking a seat on the chair in front of the table. She heard the door close and sighed, running a finger through the small photograph she held in her other hand.
"The little girl on the picture…is that you?"
Startled by the voice cutting through her thoughts, the raven-haired woman brought her gaze to the man, who had closed the door and rooted himself once again onto the same spot next to the door. He leaned against the whitewashed walls, a hand on each pocket as he waited for the woman's answer.
She nodded, her eyes fixed again on the snapshot in her hand: a man in his late thirties wearing a charcoal-black suit and red tie held a small child around four years; her beautiful hair was held in two pigtails and her red dress, adorned with white ruffles at the hem of her skirt, brought out the beauty of the child. "This was the very first photograph I remember my father and I ever taking together," she whispered, a fond smile creeping across her lips. A lone tear dropped onto her hand.
"You were very close to your father, were you not?" asked Aoshi, an unfamiliar feeling of concern coursing through his veins as he saw the tear hit her hand.
"Yes, I was," replied the girl in a strained voice. Composing herself, she lightly kissed the photograph and set it gently onto her desk. "I admired my father a lot. In fact, he's the reason why I'm studying pharmacology myself." A fond yet bitter chuckle escaped her lips. "That's why I was so devastated when I saw him get shot…" She looked at the man with melancholy eyes. "I saw the man I admire and treasure the most killed in front of my eyes…"
Aoshi shifted uncomfortably from his position, his eyes landing on the floor as a surge of guilt flowed through his body. Megumi, noticing the man's discomfort, sniffled and forced a smile onto her lips. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes on the distressed man. "I didn't mean to place you in an uncomfortable position."
When the man did not reply, she cleared her throat and again smiled at him. "Thank you again."
"It was nothing."
"No really…that was my favorite photograph of my father and I," said the girl, moving her head from side to side. "If I had lost it, I wouldn't know what to do. So…arigatou."
"You're welcome."
A minute of uncomfortable silence passed, the raven-haired woman's attention fixed on her nails and Aoshi regarding her with perceptive eyes. Finally, she looked up to meet his gaze and smiled. "This is probably a stupid question," began the girl, a slight chuckle escaping her lips. "But, could you please tell me your name?"
"Aoshi."
"Aoshi…" repeated the girl, stretching out his name as though coaxing him to say more.
"Aoshi Shinomori."
"Aoshi Shinomori," she repeated again. The young woman got up from her seat silently and walked to stand directly in front of the man. Extending a hand, she said, "Megumi Takani."
"I already know that, Takani-san."
"No please, just Megumi," she said, raising her hands in dismissal of the rather formal name.
"Very well, Megumi-san."
A ring from within Aoshi's pocket saved the two adults from another awkward silence. Giving the woman an apologetic look, Aoshi pulled the mobile from within his right pocket and answered the call, unaware of the inquisitive gaze Megumi sent his way during the one-way conversation – Aoshi seemed to only be nodding his head as the person on the other line spoke. After a minute, Aoshi replaced the phone in his pocket, his gaze immediately landing on the woman in front of him.
"Who was that?" asked Megumi, her head cocked to one side in wonder.
"Misao and Soujiro have arrived," answered her bodyguard. "Would you like to meet up with them?"
Getting up from her bed, Megumi nodded. "I would like that."
Nodding in compliance, Aoshi moved from his position next to the door and clasped the brass knob, opening the white door as he waited for the raven-haired woman to exit the room. He closed the white entrance with a snap as the woman brushed past him, the heels of her shoes clicking against the hardwood floor, echoing across the quiet hallway. Following the woman in silent steps, Aoshi stopped in his tracks when Megumi suddenly turned around, a slim hand slipped gingerly inside a coat pocket.
"Shinomori-san?"
"Yes?"
"Arigatou."
"You've thanked me enough for returning the photograph, Megumi-san," Aoshi replied politely, his hand raised as though asking the woman to desist with her constant showers of gratitude.
"Iie, that's not what I'm thanking you for," said the woman, shaking her head from side to side, raven tresses rippling gently on her shoulders. A confused look made its way onto Aoshi's face as he watched the woman turn around and resume her walk down the hallway.
When she was a good twenty feet away from him, Megumi turned again briefly and said, "Arigatou, Shinomori-san…for looking out for me."
~~**~~~**~~
Erm…not so good, was it? First off, I apologize if I made any typos or anything like that. I usually don't bother rereading the stories after I've typed them up. My laziness is to blame for that. Second, if they seemed OOC, I apologize for that too. I think I kind of deviated away from the true Megumi in this chapter. She just seemed a little too nice, didn't she? And lastly, I apologize if the ending wasn't very good. Looks like the two of them are beginning to warm up to each other, right? Anyway, it's pretty obvious now that this story will center on Aoshi and Megumi. I've pretty much hinted that with the summary. The next chapter will definitely be more plot related, and of course there will be more interactions between the two. However, it might take me awhile to update chapter 5. I'll be busy with schoolwork. So yeah…please be patient with me. Okay then. Please don't forget to review this chapter so I can read them and get some super motivation to write the next chapter as soon as I find the time. Thank you for taking the time and reading this little story of mine, and I hope to hear from you guys through your reviews! Thank you again!
~~:AzaleaFaye:~~