The Game of Love

Chapter Four: The Chase Resumes

The music died down and the there came a thunderous round of applause from the audience. Arisu bowed gracefully as the clapping continued. There was a sea of faces smiling at her. She smiled as the curtain dropped in front of her.

Sammi met her. "That was fantastic. Your best performance yet," she told Arisu proudly.

"Thanks. I can't believe I pulled it off," smiled Tsukushi as she allowed her Arisu persona to slip. "Let's go to my dressing room." Sammi nodded as they made their way through the hustle and bustle backstage.

The F4 were stunned at the end of Tsukushi's performance. "My brother has been listening to her music for weeks. I didn't notice," murmured Soujirou.

"I didn't even know she could sing," said Akira.

"Tsukasa? Are you okay?" asked Rui.

Tsukasa was sitting in his chair in a stunned silence. Finally, he recovered and stood up. Tsubaki grabbed his suit sleeve. "Sit back down," she ordered.

"I have to go and see her," he said as he shook his sister's hand off. The rest of the F4 grabbed a hold of him.

"Just wait. You've waited five years. A couple more minutes isn't going to kill you!" exclaimed Akira.

"She's going to attend the post party," added Soujirou.

"So will we," said Rui.

Tsukasa begrudgingly sat down. He didn't want her to slip through his fingers again. He had to catch her no matter what.

*

Tsukushi knew that her night wasn't over yet. She cringed at the thought of having to meet with strangers. These kinds of gatherings made her feel uncomfortable. She hated going alone because men would attempt to talk to her. The solution was easy: get an escort.

Unfortunately, Yuki and Kin-san were unavailable. Yuki had to go to her parents' house for a family get together, while Kin-san politely said he would rather not attend such a grand scale event. He was just as uncomfortable as Tsukushi was.

Despite all the money and acclaim, deep down inside, Tsukushi still considered herself to be a common girl. She really didn't fit into upper class society. She felt out of place in big parties. The oddest thing was she was always the center of attention at the parties she attended. Tsukushi had managed to charm her way into upper class society, but part of her would never really belong. Before she felt like the outsider looking in, now she felt like the outsider struggling to get back out.

So, Tsukushi had to bully Susumu into coming with her to the post party. He was in the audience during the performance and he was extremely impressed with his sister. Her was wearing an Armani suit that was hard to spot because he blended in with all the other suits. "Ready?" asked Tsukushi as she meet up with him.

"Yep," responded Susumu.

About an hour later, they strolled into the ballroom where the post party was being held. The cameras started flashing the moment Tsukushi entered the room. Susumu stepped aside, letting his sister be photographed by herself. Tsukushi managed to smile, despite being blinded by the flash bulbs.

The F4 waltzed in just as the cameras started going off. Tsukasa could see Tsukushi smiling at the cameras. He made eye contact with Susumu, who gave him a smile.

"Ringo-san, please look this way," said one of the cameramen.

Tsukushi complied and allowed her picture to be taken. She wasn't really enjoying it. Anyone who knew her well enough would know that. She was trying her best not to take flight away from the cameras. She couldn't see anything because the flashes were too bright.

Sammi stepped in when she knew that Tsukushi had enough. "Excuse me. Ringo-san must be seated now," she announced. "Please move along."

The Prime Minister of Japan walked up to Tsukushi. She bowed low for him as he returned with a bow of his own. "Thank you for your performance, Ringo-san," said the Prime Minister.

"You're welcome, Sir," said Tsukushi.

"You will have an audience with the Emperor and his family later on," the Prime Minister informed her. "Please join us at the table."

Tsukushi walked forward, but turned to see Susumu still planted in one spot. "Come on," she told him. He moved forward with uncertainty. He took another glance at the F4 before moving, "Oneesan," he started.

"What's wrong?" she asked, turning around to face him.

"Um…nothing," he mumbled.

"Don't worry. I'm as nervous as you are, if not more," she said gently. Susumu finally followed her to the table and pulled back her chair for her.

"Who is this young man?" asked the Prime Minister's wife.

"This is my younger brother, Susumu," said Tsukushi.

"Ah, how old are you?"

"I am seventeen years old, Ma'am," replied Susumu.

The Prime Minister's wife was a kind woman who liked to make conversation with everyone. She found it fascinating that two young people were joining her at the head table. "Really? What school do you attend?" she asked.

"Eirin Academy, Ma'am," answered Susumu.

"Ah. What a wonderful school. It's one of the top schools in the country. What about you, Ringo-san? Are you attending school in Japan? I read somewhere that you were going to London University while attending classes at Guildhall School."

"Yes, I'm currently attending Tokyo University."

"That's excellent. I would have thought that you would attend one of the private universities."

"I transferred as an exchange student, Ma'am. I have duel citizenship in Japan and Great Britain."

"Do you plan on going to Tokyo University as well?" the Prime Minister's wife asked Susumu.

"I am not sure, Ma'am. Perhaps, but we'll have to wait and see," he replied.

The table that the F4 was sitting at was situated near the head table. Tsukasa listened to the conversation very carefully. Now he knew where she attended school at. He watched her careful movements as she crossed over her left leg over her right. She wore a silver anklet that caught the light of the chandeliers, but there was something else that caught Tsukasa's eye: a tattoo of an apple. He grimaced slightly at it. He didn't like it because she had ruined her perfect skin.

Akira was watching a tall blonde woman with mystical green eyes. She was the foreigner who told the press to move along earlier. Judging by her accent, she was English. She looked like a classic beauty from one of those Western fairy tales.

Tsukushi waited for the Emperor to make his announcement. She was dying to slip out. She always managed to do that during a big social gathering. It was getting tougher and tougher because Sammi was getting wise to her. The announcement was finished and the Prime Minister gestured for her and Susumu to join the royal family in a private audience.

Tsukushi was too nervous to notice anyone else staring at her. She had gotten used to it. She couldn't believe that she was going to meet the Emperor and his family. Tsukasa watched as she stood up.

Sammi walked up to them just before they left to inform Tsukushi, "Don't just leave right afterwards." Tsukushi gave a noncommittal shrug.

The F4 waited until she was gone before speaking. "There you saw her, Tsukasa. She seems to have risen above her station in life all on her own," said Akira.

"She's the top performer out of Europe. No other Japanese performer has managed international acclaim before," said Tsubaki with a smile. "Guildhall happens to be one of the top schools for Music and the Performing Arts in the world. I had no idea she had a younger brother. And he's four years younger than her, too."

"Tokyo University. The public university," said Tsukasa slowly.

"Don't scoff, Tsukasa. I hear competition to just stay in is fierce. Everything is fiercer in the public education system. The teachers can't be bought," said Rui.

"Her English is very good now. That's probably why I didn't recognize her voice when my brother played her music over and over again. It was getting on my nerves," said Soujirou, remembering how bad Tsukushi's pronunciation was during the beauty contest.

"We should wait until she returns from her meeting with the Emperor. Okay, there's something I never thought I'd say," said Akira.

"She's going to take Japan by storm," said Tsubaki admiringly.

Another hour passed, Tsukasa was getting bored waiting for Tsukushi to return, but Susumu showed up fifteen minutes later. Sammi walked up to him, "Where's your sister?" He looked at her quizzically because she had asked him in English.

"Oneesan? Doko…" stumbled Sammi through Japanese.

"She went off by herself. She said not to worry," he replied in Japanese.

"Nani?" asked Sammi.

"He said that his sister went off by herself and not to worry," said Akira as he translated for her.

Sammi's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets. "What?"

Susumu shrugged as he walked off. He had seen the F4 earlier, so their presence didn't faze him in the slightest bit.

"Damn her!" exclaimed Sammi in utter frustration. "She keeps doing this to me. Always pulling off this disappearing act during big parties. Damn it." She stomped her foot in frustration as she pulled out her cell and called Tsukushi. She wasn't expecting an answer, but she did leave a message, "Where the Hell are you? I know you have your phone with you. Answer me."

"Um…hello?" interrupted Akira with a smile.

"Thank you for translating. Susumu-kun, get back here," said Sammi as she walked past him. "I can't let you wander around Kyoto loose. God knows that this place can barely handle Arisu."

Susumu turned around with a serious look on his face. "I recognize that look, too. You know where she went, don't you?"

Susumu was pretending to not understand any English. Of course, he had to learn some because it was required at Eirin. The school turned out politicians, and most of them had to learn English. "I don't know where she went," he responded in English. It wasn't as good as his sisters, but good enough for anyone to understand.

"What? Wait a minute, you've understood what I've been saying the entire time… you little bastard," said Sammi angrily. "You are as bad as your sister."

Tsukasa stood up. "Who are you?" he asked in Japanese.

"Her name is Sammi Collins and she's Tsukushi's manager. Hello again, everyone," greeted Susumu calmly.

"I am Tsubaki," said Tsubaki as she stood up to greet Susumu. "I had no idea that Tsukushi-chan would have such an adorable younger brother."

"Who are you people?" asked Sammi.

"She's rude even for a Westerner, " said Susumu. "These people are from my Oneesan's old school."

"I see," said Sammi.

"Allow me to introduce the F4. Hanazawa Rui, Mimasaka Akira, Nishikado Soujirou, and…hey where did he go?"

Everyone whirled around to find that Tsukasa had managed to slip out. Tsubaki betrayed a look of surprise as she looked around. "Damn," muttered Susumu under his breath.

*

Tsukushi managed to separate from her brother and make her way to the gardens outside. It was a little chilly outside, but she remembered to take her shawl with her. She was star gazing as she pressed her hand against the pendant under her dressed. She could feel it along with her heartbeat.

Tsukasa left the party as soon as he heard that Tsukushi went off by herself. This was a great opportunity to find her. It always came down to him chasing her. She's really good at disappearing, he thought ruefully as he looked around. Then, his breath was caught in his throat for a moment as he spotted her standing in the garden. She was looking at the stars above her.

She turned around just then and froze. He smiled at her, but she was stunned. This wasn't the same Doumyouji she remembered from before. He wasn't looking at her with cold eyes, but with warm, gentle ones. "Who are you?" she managed to ask.

"You know who I am," he replied with much annoyance.

"Do I?"

"Yes, I was your boyfriend."

Tsukushi felt a rush go through her. She realized something: he remembered who she was. "I have to go back to the party," she said as she managed to recover her senses. She walked passed him, but he pulled her close to him, catching her by surprise. "Let me go," she managed.

"No. I let you go by mistake before. I won't do it again," he said as he held her tightly.

"Ringo-san," said someone dressed in a suit. He had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Tsukasa released Tsukushi from his grip. "Are you all right? Has this person been cleared with security?"

Tsukasa temper rose. "Of course, I don't have to be cleared by security. Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" he demanded.

"It's all right. I'll be heading back to the party," said Tsukushi. "I just wanted to go for a short walk. That's all. He's no one, excuse me."

No one. He was stunned by what she said. "Hey! Tsukushi, wait!" he exclaimed angrily, but the bodyguard blocked. He was just as tall as Tsukasa. "Watch it, Sir. That is Ringo Arisu."

"Get out of my way!" shouted Tsukasa as he proceed to shove the bodyguard. "Tsukushi!" She continued to walk away from him in the same hurried pace she started at, but she was fighting the compulsion to run from him. The bodyguard managed to keep him from pursuing her. "You bastard! Do you have any idea who the Hell I am?!" he shouted.

"I don't care. My job is to protect her from pushy fans," said the bodyguard. He then spoke into his headset, "I've secured the area. The Songbird's going back to the party. I've also apprehended someone."

Tsukasa broke free of the bodyguard's grip and turned on his heel. He saw the direction she had gone, but went back the way he came. He could double back and find her again. He ran back towards the party and found the rest of the F4 standing there. Sakurako, Shiguru, and Kazuya had joined them. "What's going on?" asked Tsubaki.

"Where did her brother and manager go?" demanded Tsukasa.

"They left as soon as they got a call. Where did you go?" asked Tsubaki. "What did you do?"

"Damn it!" he exclaimed. "I got held up by one of her bodyguards. They're crawling all over the place. I swear there's more security for her than the Emperor or the Prime Minister."

"Tsukasa, what did you do to her?" demanded Rui quietly.

"Nothing. Her bodyguard found her before I could do anything," answered Tsukasa.

"I can't believe she's Ringo Arisu. She's my favorite singer. I was wondering if I could get an autograph from her, but I guess that won't be that hard to do," said Shiguru.

"How could I have failed to notice it was her all along?" asked Sakurako.

"I knew she could sing, but she didn't do it that often when we were younger," said Kazuya.

"You knew that she could sing?" asked Tsubaki.

"Well…she didn't do it that often. She didn't think she sounded good before," he replied with a shrug. "And I bet he," Kazuya gestured at Tsukasa, "didn't even realize it either when he heard her singing. Her single's climbing the charts in America. Bet you don't even have the CD."

"Actually, none of the F4 have it. They don't listen to English music," said Tsubaki.

"Hey! We listen to English stuff," said Akira defensively.

"Then, why don't you have the CD?" asked Shiguru.

"My brother has it. He plays it all the time, so I know the words without trying," said Soujirou. "Tsukasa, this means that she's gone up a couple of tax brackets in recent time. New money. And she earned all herself."

"Somehow, I always thought she'd do it that way," said Rui quietly. "Tsukasa, what really happened?"

He glared at Rui. "She said I was no one," he managed in a growl.

"Ouch," said Akira. Soujirou also winced.

"You deserve it," said Kazuya. The moment he said it, Tsukasa grabbed his suit. "What do you mean?" he demanded.

Tsubaki pulled her brother off of Kazuya. "Stop that, you brat. You should have outgrown such childish behavior already. We're in public."

"He deserved it," continued Kazuya. "He was the one who pushed her out of Japan in the first place. You forgot all about her, so you deserve to be forgotten as well."

Tsukasa couldn't' bring himself to say anything against Kazuya because he was right. Instead, he stalked off, leaving everyone worried and bewildered at the same time.

*

"I am just saying, Tsukushi, you can't just leave like that!" shouted Sammi as she walked along with her and Susumu towards their suite in the hotel. They were staying at a traditional inn in Kyoto because it was secluded and they were able to put security where they saw fit.

"I was bored. Those functions are boring," said Tsukushi calmly as she kept her shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She was still thinking about how Tsukasa grabbed her earlier. She refused to tell Sammi or Susumu was happened during her absence. Susumu had an idea, but Sammi had no clue.

"Did you know some of those people at the party?" asked Sammi.

"Old news," said Tsukushi. "I'm going to bed. I've been up since five in the morning. I'm tired. Good night." She opened the screen door to the suite and marched up to her room. She paused for a moment because she could feel their eyes on her. "It's been a long day. Everything will be back to normal in the morning." Finally, she slid the door open and went inside.

The first thing she did was take off the clips in her hair then the shawl and finally the dress. She saw down on the futon in the middle of the room. She shook her head at the size of the room. She was a petite woman. Why was she staying in such a large room? The larger the room the lonely she felt. She slipped on a long nightshirt that came down to just above her knees. She got inside the warm futon. She realized that there was something she had forgotten to take off. She felt the Saturn pendant against her skin.

Suddenly, she remembered the warmth of his gaze when he looked at her. She stared up at the ceiling. There was no way she was going through this ever again. She had decided that a long time ago. Tsukushi had shed too many tears before. She wasn't about to do it again for him. She had spent five years building herself back up from all the strength she had lost in such a short span. Once again, Tsukushi could felt Tsukasa draining her. His possessiveness threatened to stifle and suffocate her, threatening to pull her back down.

Five years ago, Tsukasa was stabbed and when he woke up he couldn't remember who Tsukushi was. He had forgotten that he loved her. It broke her heart, but she soon learned something else. She had loss the her sense of self. Everything revolved around him too much. She realized she had lost who she was in the process. She used to be independent and then she depended on him. When it became clear that Tsukasa wasn't going to remember her anytime soon, Tsukushi decided to go off and find herself again. Only then, could she come back to Japan and face him.

However, their chance encounter at the garden, shook her. She still wasn't whole. She wasn't herself anymore because she had changed too much from the last time she had known him. Why did she have to have so much pride? Why couldn't she just accept things and settle? No. In her evolution into Ringo Arisu, Tsukushi had learned not to settle for anything. Everything had to be on her own terms. There was no compromise. This was her life and she was going to live it no matter what. She wasn't about to let anyone control it. Not Tsukasa, not anyone else.

The bodyguard also served as a reminder of someone else. There was the stalker. He was an even bigger threat than Tsukasa. He was lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right time. Tsukushi remembered the first fan letter he had written. It was tied with a red ribbon. The last line of the letter was written in Japanese: "You will be mine. You have always been mine."

The stalker served to increase Tsukushi's fear of being controlled. He was controlling her. He was the one who forced her to get more security and to go to Japan. He was pursuing her like a wild animal. He was a threat not just to her, but to everyone else around her. In her nightmares, he chases after her and there is nowhere to run or hide. There is no safe haven for her.

With these thoughts, Tsukushi feel into a dreamless sleep.

Susumu and Sammi stared at each other for a good five minutes before either one spoke. "Why is there so much security around my sister?" asked Susumu.

"I'll tell you, if you tell me how she knows those people from the party," replied Sammi.

Susumu shook his head. "Good night," he said as he walked off to his room.

"I didn't think so," said Sammi quietly. She knew so little about Tsukushi's life in Japan. She didn't talk much about it, except for her family and two close friends. She didn't even like to talk about her school. Sammi recalled an incident when someone asked where Tsukushi went to high school and how she refused to answer. It was no wonder that Tsukushi made such a fine stage actress in the beginning. She was good at playing parts. Sammi didn't want to pry, but her instincts told her that the man with the oddly curled hair knew her very well. It was something worth investigating.

*

"Okay, now that we have vital information, we can fill in the cracks," said Soujirou. "Let's see. According to her official website, which is in English, she attended school in Australia. Later on, she went to school in London. Apparently, she did this on scholarships. There are tons of programs willing to finance the road scholar. She took English Literature as her major in London University where she's been living for more than four years. That's why her English is so good now. She released her first album three years back and went platinum in Europe, starting England."

"What's her record company?" asked Akira.

"The female ran company out of London, Gaia Records. Ringo Arisu happens to be their top seller," said Soujirou as he continued to read the information on the website.

"Play the sound clips," said Tsukasa.

"Okay," said Soujirou. He went to the discography section and played the first clip at the top. The music came out of his laptop speakers, but the room was extremely quiet as they listened to the first clip. It played for thirty seconds.

"Play the next one," said Tsukasa as soon as it was done. Soujirou complied and by the end he ended up playing all the sample sound clips.

"There are no music videos. That's kind of strange. Most musicians have music videos. However, judging by her tour dates, she only tours when she doesn't have school," said Shiguru as she read over Soujirou's shoulder.

"According to her bio, she plays two musician instruments: guitar and some piano," said Soujirou. "She was self taught with the guitar."

"Guitar? That's so lower class," muttered Tsukasa. "Only poor people play guitars."

"Stupid!" exclaimed Tsubaki as she stood up. "I'm going to call and check on Reiko then sleep. Good night."

The door snapped loudly behind her. "A guitar is not only affordable, but you can take it with you anywhere. According to a quote on Ringo Arisu's site, 'You can take it almost anywhere, which is what I do. You never know when you'll be inspired to write a song,'" read Soujirou.

"This is so weird," observed Sakurako. "This site has a wonderful, artistic layout, but it doesn't really show any face shots of Makino-sempai at all. Look at the album cover. How clever is that?"

"What?" asked Tsukasa as he stood up to look at the laptop. He stared at the picture for a moment. "What the Hell is wrong with her?" he whispered. "Who in their right mind would tattoo an apple on their ankle?"

"Aw…did you know that in some cultures the ankle is consider a very sexual part of the body?" teased Akira. "Or perhaps a fetish."

"Shut up!" shouted Tsukasa.

"It's not like she's your girlfriend anymore," said Soujirou. "According to her martial status, she's single."

"Are there other fan websites?" asked Akira.

"Let's see," said Soujirou as he went to a search engine. "Whoa. There are over 20,000 hits."

"Where's Rui?" asked Akira.

"He went to sleep already," answered Soujirou. "It's been an eventful day for all of us, Tsukasa. Do you really want to continue this?"

"I want to know where she's staying," said Tsukasa.

"Come on, Tsukasa. It's one in the morning. This is ridiculous," said Akira. "You won't be able to do anything about it till later anyway."

"I hear that she's due back in Tokyo by Monday. Gaia Records is planning a press conference at the corporate offices," said Shiguru.

"How did you know that?" asked Sakurako.

"My father owns an entertainment magazine. Which one of you owns a recording studio?" asked Shiguru.

"Rui's father owns a record company," replied Akira.

"Gaia Records is still trying to set up their offices in Japan. Chances are that if Tsukushi starts recording her album the recording studios won't be opened in time. So, that means she'll have to use other studios to record in the mean time," said Shiguru.

"Let's stop talking about this and go to sleep," said Soujirou as he closed down his laptop.

"I think I'll go out," said Akira. "Anyone care to join me?"

"I'll go," volunteered Sakurako.

"Soujirou?" asked Akira.

Soujirou shook his head. He wasn't really up for it. Sometimes it was really tiring to keep going out with different girls and after what happened tonight, he just didn't feel like going out. "The night's pretty much shot anyway," he said.

Tsukasa got up and left the room without a word. Shiguru also left after Akira and Sakurako. "Are you okay, Soujirou?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Just been doing a lot of thinking."

"Well, then I'll leave you alone," she said as she finally took her leave.

Little did anyone know that Rui wasn't really sleeping at all. He was wide-awake in bed thinking about Tsukushi. He was surprised to see her at the same time he was happy. He didn't expect her to be the famous singer Ringo Arisu. She was still as natural as ever, but she carried herself the same way she had before.

Rui remembered the first time he had met Tsukushi. She was a spitfire who impressed him immediately. Most people didn't know that he was the first one of the F4 to actually notice her. She was the person who really brought him out of his shell. Shizuka was the one who opened the door to the world for him, but it was Tsukushi who taught him how to live in it.

He loved her enough to take care of her. He would do anything to keep her happy, even if it meant letting her go to Tsukasa. However, things were different now. She was different. He went to sleep remembering the soft song she sang.

Tsukasa was pacing back and forth in his room, unable to sleep. He felt like he was wasting valuable time. He remembered how much comfort he had felt when he had heard her music in New York. Now he understood why. Something that Soujirou had said earlier made Tsukasa hopeful. There was a chance now that Tsukasa's parents would accept Tsukushi. She was new money, but she was an internationally acclaimed performer.

He also was confident he could win her over again. He did it once against the odds, and he could do it again. It was this thought that finally allowed him to go to sleep.

*

Tsukushi woke up early the next morning. She got up and got ready for the day. She wanted to go out for a walk before Sammi and Susumu got up. It was just after dawn and Kyoto was already up and running for the day. She got dressed in slacks and simple top. She put on a knit sweater because the weather was chilly outside and she put on a pair of boots. She quietly crept outside and took a deep breath before going out.

The wind gently played with Tsukushi's hair as she walked along the streets. It was strange to be alone outside. She felt more at home in London or Tokyo, even Sydney. The chilly reminded her of London, while the atmosphere reminded her that she was still in Japan.

Rui had also gotten an early start that morning. He went out by himself to go to the record store to pick up her CD, which he found in the import section of the store. He was rather glad to find that the store was opened so early. The storekeeper said it was the last copy because of Ringo Arisu's performance for the Emperor.

He froze when he saw her walking down the street. She was walking with purpose and grace that could only come with age and experience. The light breeze was whipping her hair in front of one of her eyes. She pulled it back behind her ear. She stopped at a café and ordered a coffee. Rui smiled and decided to join her.

"What would you like, Sir?" asked the lady at the counter as she smiled at him.

"Earl Gray Tea," he replied. He walked up to her table quietly as she sipped her coffee. She was reading a newspaper that was left on the table. "Fancy seeing you here," he said quietly. Tsukushi looked up at him in surprise.

"Rui?" she asked in a whisper.

AN: Okay, been sick for the past week. That's why this has to be longer than the last one. Yet another cliffhanger, but it's a good one. Sort of. Can anyone tell what a big mess this whole love polygon is? Don't discount Kin-san. He's a stronger contender this time around. There's also the stalker. There will be clues given about his identity throughout this story, so pay close attention. For more updates and notes go to http://kirika.ujournal.org.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Yori Dango. ^^ If I did, I would have more money. So, no suing.