It was just after dawn in Japan. The sun could not break through the gray clouds. The rain was coming and it was going to come down hard. The wind wasn't very strong though.
Doumyouji Kaede flew to Tokyo on a private jet. She had spent the last month arguing with her husband over their son. She descended from the plane where she saw him waiting for her. He was as handsome as the day she met him. It sometimes amazed her how much her son resembled him, despite her best efforts. He smiled at her as she came down the stairs and took her hand.
"Good morning, my tsuma," greeted Tsutomu. His larger hand enveloped over hers.
"Good morning," greeted Kaede. Whenever she was with him, he seemed bigger than life. "How are the children?" she asked.
"They are fine," replied Tsutomu as they walked to the limo. He allowed her to go inside first. "The preparations are almost finished."
"Are you still intending to go through with your plans?" asked Kaede as she looked at him.
"Yes, I do."
"You can't be serious. He's not ready for it."
"I think he is."
"I know better. I know what he's capable of. He's not ready."
"We've already discussed this. I've made my decision," said Tsutomu. "And the reason why I don't know any better is because you lied to both me and the children."
Kaede laughed at him. "When the children were younger, you were the one who didn't want any distractions. You had to build the business. I was the one who spent more time with the children. You didn't bother ask before. You never cared before."
"I assumed they were fine. I trusted you. That's why I assumed everything was fine," said Tsutomu as he looked at her. "Why did you do all of it, tsuma? Why? I did everything I could for this family."
"And you left me to do what was best for our children. I did that. You're a hypocrite for what you're trying to do. You're doing the same thing I did with Tsubaki."
Tsutomu smiled at her, making her uncomfortable. "You're right. As usual, my tsuma."
"What are you planning?" demanded Kaede.
"Instead of making him do anything, we'll just make Tsukasa an offer," said Tsutomu with his smile unfaltering. Kaede thought of saying something more, but she knew that look on her husband's face. That look told her it was impossible to to get him to do anything.
The drizzling started. Soon the rain came down hard. Everything was set in motion.
*
By midmorning, Tsukushi was at the amphitheater. She had been there since early in the morning before five in the morning. Yuki looked beside herself with glee. She had planned something special for Tsukushi's concert. Something that Sammi couldn't pull off. There were times where Yuki was a little jealous and it felt like she was competing for her best friend's attention.
"Let's get the lighting right. Make sure everything is security," said Sammi as she looked around.
"I feel like we don't have enough time," said Tsukushi anxiously.
"Everything will be fine. You were never this nervous for the other concerts," observed Eddie.
"That's because this is the homecoming concert, Eddie," explained Sean. "This where the wayward girl comes home in triumph."
"You'll do fine. You've never let us down before," assured Robby.
Tsukushi looked at them wryly. "Have you eaten today at all?" asked Sammi.
"No, I haven't. Oh, look it's almost eleven," answered Tsukushi as she looked at her watch.
"Let's go and get you something to eat before you pass out," said Sammi. "Yuki, want to come along with us?"
"Sure," said Yuki. It was hard not to like Sammi. She was such a nice person. They were friends, too, but Yuki felt like she wasn't that good of a friend to Tsukushi. She was hoping her surprise would make Tsukushi happy. They stepped outside. The rain was pounding the ground.
"It's raining so hard. It's like being back in London," said Sammi.
"But, the rain is a bit warmer," pointed out Tsukushi. "Let's go, Yuki."
They all ran to a nearby cafe and took a seat a booth. Tsukushi turned on her cell phone because she had turned it off earlier during rehearsal. They waited for the waitress to come and take their orders. She made the observation that Tsukushi looked like Ringo Arisu, but the girls laughed off. It was just easier. "You know after today, things will really change for you," said Sammi.
"Yeah, I might not be able to go out like this again," said Tsukushi.
"But, it's really exciting," said Yuki.
"It--" started Tsukushi as her cell phone went off. "I didn't even get a chance to check my messages," she said as she pressed the buttons. "Hello?"
"I just hope that everyone will enjoy the show," said Sammi.
"I'm sure she'll do fine. Tsukushi does well in whatever she does," said Yuki. "I thought you knew that by now." She paused. She saw a strange look on Tsukushi's face. "What's wrong?"
"It was a hospital. There's been an accident," whispered Tsukushi. "I have to go."
"Wait! Tsukushi, you can't just leave. The concert!" exclaimed Sammi.
Tsukushi didn't look back as she ran in the rain. Sammi and Yuki followed her after putting some money on the table. She ran back to the amphitheater. Her band looked at her because she was soaking wet. "Tsukushi! Answer me! What happened?" shouted Sammi.
"There was an accident. They were on the road to Tokyo. Something happen. I'm not sure. I have to go to the hospital." Tsukushi's eyes filled with tears as she picked up her bag. "My mother's gone."
For a moment the noise stopped. Yuki and Sammi's eyes widened. "Oh, my God."
"I don't care if you're going to help me get there. But, I'm going there!" she shouted. "I have to go. My father is still alive, but he's in critical condition."
"We'll go. We'll see if we can take a helicopter there," said Sammi.
"Yes, we'll go with you," said Yuki.
"No, I need you to do something very important. Please," pleaded Tsukushi.
"Anything," said Yuki.
"Go to Eirin. Pick up Susumu. Don't take a helicopter. Take a limo to the hospital," said Tsukushi as she wrote out the directions. "Give this to the driver. Try to get there as soon as possible." Yuki nodded.
Tsukushi and Sammi found out that the helicopter could take them there, but it was dangerous to attempt a trip in the rain. There were no thunder clouds, so the pilot agreed after a few minutes of Sammi pleading with him. The rehearsal had come to a stop as soon as they left. Yuki took a limo to Eirin to pick up Susumu.
During the ride over, Tsukushi had her hands on the glass looking for the hospital below. Sammi didn't know what to say to her. She didn't know what she could do for her. The pain was so blatant on her face.
Tsukushi could hear the words the doctor had said over and over again her head. "We're sorry. Your mother is dead. We couldn't do anything for her. Your father is alive, but he is in critical condition." Not a single tear came down. She felt like something was clamping over her heart.
The helicopter touched down at the hospital in less than half an hour. Tsukushi was out of it before Sammi could say anything. Tsukushi took the stairs and raced down them. She asked someone where the front desk was. They gave her directions and she ran until she got there.
"My name is Makino Tsukushi. I got a call that my parents were in an accident," said Tsukushi as her voice shook.
The nurse looked at her. "They were brought in by the emergency. I'll page the doctor for you," said the nurse as she picked up the phone. "Soho-sensei to the front desk. Soho-sensei to the front desk."
Tsukushi bit her lip as she waited. She felt cold straight down to her bones. Her vision was blurring with tears. Sammi had caught up with her, but before she could speak the doctor came. "Makino-san?"
"Yes," said Tsukushi with a nod as she swallowed a sob. "What happened? What happened to my parents?"
The doctor guided her away from the front desk as he began to explain. "Your parents were during around a curve. Something happen. As far as the police have been able to gather, thus far, they lost control of the car. It hit the side and broke through the barrier and landed in a ditch, but not after it flipped twice. Your mother was dead on impact. Your father who was in the passenger seat is in critical condition."
Tsukushi closed her eyes for a moment and opened them again. "We need you to identify the body," said Soho-sensei.
"You can't make her do that right now," interrupted Sammi.
"No," whispered
Tsukushi. "I'll go. I'll go see my mother. Could you
wait here?" Sammi nodded. "This way," said Soho-sensei
as he directed her in the opposite direction. They were going towards
the coroner's office. Hospitals had a tendency to put the morgue as
far a while from the living as possible. Tsukushi waited for what
seemed like an eternity. She walked down the cold, dark corridor. A feeling
of emptiness filled her as she approached her destination. The doctor gave
her a nod as he opened the door and allowed her in first.
Tsukushi rubbed her arms in an attempt to keep warm, but it was pointless.
The chill she felt wasn't from the environment at all. It was deep down past
her bones and into her soul. The doctor gestured for her to follow him. They
stopped at the foot of one of the cold, metal slabs. Tsukushi noticed how
everything smelled clean and sterile, which was odd considering where she
was. There was a white sheet that was drapped over a body. Tsukushi steeled
herself because all she wanted to was turn and run away. None of this was
really happening, was it?
The doctor gave her a look of sympathy before saying, "You don't have
to give me a vocal answer. You can just nod, if you wish."
Tsukushi jerked her head in a quick nod as if to test it out. The doctor
gave her another nod before he pulled back the sheet. Tsukushi's hands
formed into fists and her nails dug into her palms. A lump formed in her
throat as she recognized the person on the slab. The doctor looked at her
for an answer. After another moment, she gave a tight nod.
"I am very sorry for your loss," said the doctor. "I'll fill
out the paperwork. You need to sign it."
"May I be alone for a moment? Please?" requested Tsukushi.
"Go ahead. I'll be getting the paperwork in order," said the
doctor as he left the room.
Tsukushi walked up to the slab. She unrolled her hand as she reached out.
She rubbed her hand against her cheek. Tsukushi studied the deep lines that
once characterzied this face. Now all the lines were buried under the
bruises and cuts. Pieces of glass and plastic were wedge into her. Parts of
her were broken. Tsukushi could feel how cold her skin was. Tsukushi
couldn't remember the last time she felt the warmth of her skin. Her eyes
started to fill with tears.
It wasn't right. How could someone so strong be broken so easily? None of
the bruises or the bones would ever heal. There was no life left. Nothing. A
course of fear began to run through Tsukushi. For the first time, she felt
utterly lost. For the first time in her life, Tsukushi felt abandoned. It
was as if the bruises and broken bones on the lifeless body was on her own
and she could the pain go through her.
"I'm sorry. So sorry. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Please,"
whispered Tsukushi as she struggled to keep her tears at bay. She knew how
futile it was. It was easy to gain forgiveness from the living, but not from
the dead. She pulled the sheet over the body.
Soho-sensei looked at her and said, "Let's go to the ICU. Your father is there."
"Can you tell me anything?" asked Tsukushi as she started to walk out. She didn't want him talking about her father's condition in front of her mother, even though she was already dead. The pain was too fresh and too numb to completely consume Tsukushi.
"Your father sustained many injuries. He broke the vertebrate in his back, he has fractures in both his arms and one of his legs, and half of his ribcage is broken. His left lung collapsed. We could not stop all of the internal bleeding. The CAT scans show that there is some fissures in his skull--" the doctor read off a long list on the chart.
"Stop it!" interrupted Tsukushi. "Stop telling me what you can't do. Or what's broken. Tell me what his chances are." Her voice had echoed in the corridor. "Just tell me."
"He only has a 10% chance of survival. He's not a young man, so his chances aren't very good. I'm sorry, Makino-san," whispered the doctor. "We tried in surgery, but there was too much damage done to his internal organs. We could only do so much."
"Enough. I'm not going to waste any more time listening to you, Sensei. I am not going to waste any time listening to you when I could be with my papa," whispered Tsukushi.
Soho-sensei didn't take it as a personal insult. In his line of work, he came to understand it. He nodded and walked with her to the intensive care unit. The room was dim, even though the curtains were open. The clouds wouldn't all the sun through. Tsukushi walked up to the bed and stared at her father. The doctor left without saying anything.
Her father was connected to so many machines. There was a respirator, aiding his breathing. She could hear the beeping of the heart monitor. The sounds were too far in between. His face was just as battered as her mother's. There were bandages wrapped around his face and appendages. The IVs were plugged into his arms.
"Papa, it's me. It's Tsukushi," she whispered as she reached out and stroked his hand. It was still warm. She sank to her knees as she pressed her cheek against his hand. "I'm here now," she whispered.
*
Susumu was sitting in his class looking outside the window. At least it was something that entertained him for a while. He was so distracted that he didn't hear when the teacher first called him. "Makino-san!" called the teacher again with great annoyance.
"What?" asked Susumu, earning laughter from his classmates.
"There's someone in the office who wants to see you," said the teacher as he scowled at him.
"Oh," said Susumu, thinking it was very strange. For all the things he had done not once did he have to be sent to the office. To his surprise, Yuki was waiting for him. She looked pale and shaken. She was also wet. "What's wrong?" he asked, not enjoying the pit in his stomach.
"There's been an accident. We have to go. I'll tell you in the car," said Yuki, not wanting to say it in front of the office staff.
"What's happened? Look, I have class. I just can't leave," said Susumu.
"Don't make me say it here. Let's go. We're wasting time," said Yuki.
"Not until you tell me what happened!" shouted Susumu.
"Your mother's gone. And your father's might be dying, but I'm not sure," whispered Yuki. Once again the room was really quiet. The expression on Susumu's face changed instantly as the staff gasped. "We have to leave now. Your sister took a helicopter, but the rain's gotten worse. We'll take a limo."
Susumu didn't know what to say. He walked out with Yuki as they climbed into the limo. The roads were now slicker than they had been. It took Yuki a while to get to the school. There were accidents on the streets, grim reminders of what had just happened to the Makino family.
The traffic had gotten worse. Susumu and Yuki sat in it. Neither said a word as they waited. They tried calling Tsukushi, but the signal had gone out. What they didn't know was that Tsukushi had to leave her cell phone off because she was inside the ICU.
*
It seemed as if Tsukushi had nothing, but time on her hands as she watched her father breathing. The machines were doing it for him. There was no change. She had no idea what time it was. Sammi came in for a few minutes, but left again. She was staying outside in the waiting area, leaving Tsukushi alone with her father.
Tsukushi looked at her father. "Mama's gone," she whispered. There was no reaction to it. "Why were you outside in the rain like that? Why?"
She thought about the pain he must have been in. If he ever woke up, he would be alone. He only had a less than 10% chance of survival. After an hour, she allowed the doctor to explain everything to her.
Soho-sensei told her that his chances of fully recovery were nearly zero. Her father's brain was also damaged in the crash. The neurologist predicted that he would never wake up again. "I'm sorry," whispered Tsukushi. 'I'm sorry, Papa."
Tsukushi saw the button that was connected to the nurse's station and pressed it. The nurse and Soho-sensei came in. "I'm sorry. I just needed to talk to Soho-sensei," apologized Tsukushi.
"It's all right. We thought that something had happened, but we didn't know what. The machines are wired to the nurses' station," Soho-sensei told her. "What did you want to talk about?"
Tsukushi swallowed a sob again. She had come to a decision. It was the hardest one she had to ever make. She wasn't sure if she could say it. She looked at her father before looking back at the doctor. "He doesn't have a good chance, does he? Even if he makes it, he doesn't have a good chance?"
"Yes, I'm afraid," admitted Soho-sensei.
"He can't live like that afterwards, especially without my mother," Tsukushi told him. Her voice was starting to sound hollow in her ears, as if it wasn't her own voice. "If his heart should stop, please don't revive him."
She finally said it. She could feel her will breaking.
"Very well. I'll give the nurses' your orders," said Soho-sensei and left the room. Tsukushi sank back down in her chair. She looked at her father. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me," whispered Tsukushi.
Another hour passed, then another. Tsukushi never left her father's side for a moment. It seemed as if time had truly stopped for her. The pain was sinking into her. A void feeling encased her. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She couldn't cry. The tears were on the surface, but she couldn't cry. Never in her whole life did she feel so alone.
Susumu finally arrived at the hospital. Sammi and Yuki waited together in the waiting area. He was directed straight to ICU and was told that his sister had already identified their mother's body. He could only imagine how it must have been like for her.
He stopped at the doorway. He saw her sitting next to the bed with her delicate hand on their father's. He couldn't believe it was real. He wanted to turn and runaway. "Oneesan," whispered Susumu because he was afraid if he talked above a whisper, he would start crying. Tsukushi turned around and faced him. Her eyes were clear, but expression was sad. She stood up and walked up to him.
They met in an embrace. "Are you all right?" she whispered as she kept her arms around him. She had to feel that he was alive.
"I'm fine. You saw Mama," he whispered as he kept his arms wrapped around her.
"It was horrible. Almost anyone else wouldn't have recognized her right way," whispered Tsukushi. "Did anyone tell you about Papa's injuries?"
"Not really," admitted Susumu. Tsukushi told him everything the doctor had said. "But...only 10%. And he's never going to really recover. He may never wake up," he said when she was done. He walked up to the bed. "This can't be happening. Oneesan, this can't be happening."
Tsukushi said, "It is, Susumu. He's not going to make it. I gave the order that if his heart stops, they are not to resuscitate him."
Susumu's eyes opened wide as he turned and looked at her. "What?"
"I told them not to revive him."
"But--what about me?"
"What about you?"
"How could you decide on your own what to do with our father? How could you? You're just going to let him die!"
Tsukushi stared at him with blank eyes. "Let's not waste our time arguing. Let's just sit here like a family," she said calmly.
"Like a family? You haven't been around for the past five years! How can you stand there and tell me that?!" shouted Susumu, getting the attention of the nurses. They came, but he looked so furious that they didn't want to stop him. "How could you decide on your own what's good and what's bad for our family if you haven't been around?! You were the one who left us! You were always ashamed of our family! That's why you didn't use our name!"
Tsukushi allowed Susumu to shout as much as he wanted to before saying, "There is nothing you or I can do. We must leave it in God's hands. How long do you think he'll last without Mama?"
"That wasn't your decision alone. It was ours. We're both their children! How could you do this to me?!" fired back Susumu.
"No. I am the oldest. It is my responsibility. Not yours. I have always been the responsible one in this family, Susumu," said Tsukushi calmly as she stared at him.
"Take it back!" shouted Susumu.
"No. I won't. The decision has been made. It stands. I am the adult here. You are not," said Tsukushi. "I will not change my mind." Everything he had said was like a knife going into her, but she kept her resolve.
"I will never forgive you for this," whispered Susumu.
*
Tsukasa wasn't really enjoying his birthday all that much. For one thing, he had to attend his birthday party under the order of his parents, rather than go to the concert. He was very annoyed at them. He knew that Tsukushi wasn't coming to the party because of the concert. Tsubaki had extended an invitation, but she never replied.
"Happy Birthday, Tsukasa," said Tsubaki as she came to see him.
"There's a storm. Why couldn't it have struck earlier, preventing her from coming?" asked Tsukasa.
"The weather report says it's the first big storm of the year," said Tsubaki. "I wonder what they're up to."
"I shudder at the thought," muttered Tsukasa. It seemed that he and his sister were in one camp, while their parents were in enemy's camp. Neither Tsukasa nor Tsubaki had any idea what their parents were up to. "There are times why I wonder why they're even married," he added.
"What about the other times?" asked Tsubaki.
"I swear they're made for each other," replied Tsukasa. "But I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
"Don't worry about anything today. It's your day," said Tsubaki as she smiled at him.
"And it's raining. This reflects my luck," said Tsukasa.
"No, it doesn't," said Tsubaki.
Just then, they heard the servants bustling. They knew what was going on. Their mother and father hadn't gone straight home from the airport. Tsubaki and Tsukasa looked wryly at each other. Tsubaki asked Aki to take Reiko out for the day and return for the party. "Let's go and see them, shall we?" suggested Tsukasa, knowing that they would be eventually summoned anyway.
They walked to main door. Kaede and Tsutomu looked at them. It was most unusual for the whole Doumyouji family to be together in one room. "Happy Birthday, Tsukasa. Hello Tsubaki," greeted Kaede. "Where's your husband and the baby, Tsubaki?"
"They went out today. They're spending the day together and they'll be back for the party, Okaasan," replied Tsubaki.
"I was hoping to see my granddaughter sooner," said Kaede as she took off her coat and handing it off to one of the maids. She bowed and took Tsutomu's coat. "Thank you," he said to the maid before she bowed and went to go hang up their coats.
"Are all the last minute preparations being taken care of, Tsubaki?" asked Tsutomu. Of course, Tsukasa wasn't put in charge of his own birthday party. Tsubaki was in charge of the last minute preparations.
"Excuse me. I have to take care of some business," said Tsukasa. "There's some paperwork for the offices that I need to look over and sign." It was a good excuse to get away from them.
"There's no need for you to do that today, Tsukasa. It's your birthday. You can have the day off," said Tsutomu. "I am your boss, so I insist that you have the day off."
Damn him. He knows that I want to get away from him and Okaasan, thought Tsukasa. He looked at Tsubaki to help him out. "Why don't we sit down and have some tea?" suggested Kaede.
The same thought went through Tsukasa and Tsubaki: No! They looked at each other, but Tsutomu spoke up, "That's a wonderful idea, my tsuma."
Tsubaki and Tsukasa had no choice, but to surrender to the will of their parents and join them for some tea.
*
The rain refused to let up as the time went by much more slowly. Tsukushi was sitting at one end of the bed, while Susumu sat on the other side. It had been a while since they had uttered a single word to each other. They spent the time avoiding looking at each other. They kept their eyes on their father or on the machines that were keeping him alive.
Tsukushi felt even more alone than before Susumu had arrived. She expected him to be angry, but not like this. The look on his face told her he felt betrayed. She did not want him to feel that way, but she didn't have much of a choice. She knew that he wasn't strong enough to make the decision that had to be done. It was now late into the afternoon.
Sammi had to do damage control, using her cell phone she called Patricia and informed her that the concert was a no go. She had to go outside of the hospital to make the calls. It was cold even under the terrace outside. Sammi had no choice, but to call Ryan on his vacation to get him to come in. Yuki stayed in the waiting area. It was almost as hard for her as it was for Tsukushi and Susumu.
The silence was almost unbearable, but they couldn't find any words to speak to each other. As far as either was concern, there was nothing really left to say. The doctor came in from time to time. These were times when Soho-sensei really hated his job. Countless times he had to watch a family like this, but he had never seen people this young before. It was nearly heartbreaking for him.
It was already too late to return to Tokyo for the concert. Tsukushi realized at that moment how everything could suddenly change in an instant. She stood to lose everything she had ever held dear to her. She was now losing both her father and brother. She knew that the moment their father would die that Susumu would be lost to her as well. She felt utterly helpless.
Tsukushi could feel her world breaking and falling apart slowly. However, she was still in denial. It was the only thing that enabled her to make it through the day. It was also the thing that prevented her from crying.
By late afternoon, the doctor came with the police. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but this is Officer Hirata," said Soho-sensei, "and he would like to tell you something about the accident." Tsukushi and Susumu nodded.
"I was the officer was called to the scene. Witnesses say that the car flipped over twice before it landed in the ditch," Officer Hirata stopped because of the looks on their faces. "The driver's side was nearly completely crushed. Your mother's dead was instant. Your father..." He had to stop. He couldn't continue talking with their father present.
"Please go on," said Tsukushi calmly.
"Yes, of course. Your father's injuries were already too bad. We had to use the jaws of life to pry the car open. The medical team showed up almost as soon as I had. We couldn't do much. My apologies," said Officer Hirata.
"What about the car?" asked Tsukushi. "Are you looking at it?"
"We have it in our police station. The investigative team is working on it. They will give information as soon as it is available. The car is really wrecked, so it is taking them time to piece it back together," said Officer Hirata.
"What about the witnesses? What did they say?" asked Tsukushi.
"It seems that the brakes went out on the car and it went out of control. But we need the investigative team to finish up their report first," answered Officer Hirata.
"The brakes? How could they go out? The car's not even a year old," said Tsukushi. "It's a Lexus. I had it bought brand new for my parents' wedding anniversary."
"You were the one who bought the car?" asked Officer Hirata as he jotted that down on a notepad. "Excuse me for saying this, but you do look familiar, Makino-san. That is your name, right?" He thought she looked familiar.
Susumu muttered under his breath. He stood up. "Enough. Get the Hell out," he told the officer.
"I'm sorry. But, he's right. We would like to stay alone. However, here's my business card. Please contact me as soon as the report is completed," said Tsukushi as she handed one of her cards to him. The officer nodded at both of them, then bowed before he left.
Susumu sat back down again. His eyes refusing to meet hers. "We have to find out what really happened, Susumu," she told him. He didn't say anything to her. Tsukushi sighed before sitting in her chair. The wait was far from over. Everything was at a stand still again.
*
Tsukasa and his friends met before his party. "I swear next year, I'll be far away from Tokyo before my birthday," he muttered as he took a shot of whiskey.
"You really shouldn't do that," said Rui. "You don't want that many people seeing you drunk."
"It's the only way I can stand both my parents at the same time," said Tsukasa.
Shiguru and Sakurako were present along with Tsubaki. The rest of the F4 were dressed in wonderful tuxedos. "I have no idea what they're up to," added Tsukasa.
"I've never seen your father before, Tsukasa. What's he like?" asked Shiguru.
Tsukasa shrugged. "Like my father," he replied. "I don't know. Tsubaki can answer that question better than I can."
"He's like Tsukasa," explained Tsubaki.
"No, he's not. I'm nothing like him!" exclaimed Tsukasa.
"What are you doing here?" asked Tsutomu as he entered the drawing room. Tsukasa scowled at him, while Tsubaki stood up. The rest of the F4 could barely remembered him, while the girls were immediately intimidated by him. "Who are these people?" He was asking about girls.
Tsubaki had to introduce them because Tsukasa wasn't doing it. "Otousan, this is Sanjou Sakurako and Okawahara Shigeru," said Tsubaki.
"I take it that Makino-san will not be attending because of the concert," said Tsutomu. The others nearly collapsed at his comment. They didn't expect him to know that.
"No, she never even replied," said Tsubaki. Tsukasa looked away from all of them.
"That's just rude isn't it? Makino-sempai didn't do that before," said Sakurako.
"She's busy, Sakurako-chan. She has work to do. It just awful that I couldn't get tickets. They were sold out in less than fifteen minutes. I couldn't even find a scalper," said Shiguru.
"We all had that problem," said Akira.
"You met her, didn't you, Doumyouji-san?" asked Rui.
"Yes, I did. She's an amazing, young woman," replied Tsutomu. "Come let's go out to the party. It's almost six. We have an announcement to make."
"What announcement?" asked Tsukasa.
"It's a surprise," replied Tsutomu. This caused Tsukasa and Tsubaki to eye him suspiciously. "Don't you two trust me?"
"No," replied the both of them automatically and simultaneously.
"I'm hurt. My own children don't trust me," said Tsutomu.
"You haven't exactly proven you're worthy of our trust, Otousan," Tsukasa reminded him. "Let's go. I've had enough of this talk."
They all walked out towards the main ballroom of the house. His friends and sister separated from him, while he walked the rest of the way with their father alone. On the way over just before they got to the main balcony where his mother was waiting for them, he said, "Just know how proud I am of you, son."
Tsukasa looked at him with his mouth slightly opened, but he didn't have time to respond. "Tonight, is a very important occasion for my son, Doumyouji Tsukasa. Not only is it his twenty-third birthday, but my husband, Doumyouji Tsutomu, also has a very important announcement to make," said Kaede. She was the very image of serenity, even though she had her doubts.
Tsukasa stepped out and there was applause. He saw much more people than he normally did on his birthday. His father stepped out and there came more applause. He then held up his hands to command silence from the crowd.
"Thank you all for coming. My wife and I are very happy to have you all in our home. I have spent many years working with many of you. I should thank my wife for being so understanding and being tolerant of me. Very tolerant of me. I have to admit that I am not an easy man to live with much less be married to." The audience laughed at his comment.
"However, tonight we celebrate one of our two greatest achievements in our marriage. The first being our daughter, Tsubaki. What am I about to say tonight will come as a surprise to you all. I am a man of many surprises. This may be my biggest one yet." Tsutomu looked at Tsukasa. "My son, you have proven to be much more than I would have expected. You have managed to increase profits for the Doumyouji Corporation, while at the same time being compassionate to our employees and putting the people first before the bottom line, Tsukasa. You have made both your mother and I very proud. Therefore, I have decided to make you an offer."
Tsukasa stared at him when he paused. The room fell absolutely silent. "The offer I make is this: you have the right to take reign of all of the Doumyouji Corporation and run it how you see fit. I will step aside. However, we will not force you into anything. It is for you to decide."
Tsukasa betrayed a look of utter surprise. The room was utterly stunned. All eyes were on him. At that moment, the answer came to him automatically. This was what he was born and breed to do.
"I accept."
*
The machines started going off. Susumu and Tsukushi stood up in alarm. Out of sheer panic, Tsukushi hit the button to summon the nurses, even though the machines were already signaling them. The doctor with a team of nurses stormed in.
"He's gone into cardiac arrest," said the doctor as he ordered the nurses. Everything was going too fast. Tsukushi and Susumu's father started to go into convulsions. His upper body was seizing up. Soho-sensei started doing chest compressions. Then, there was no more movement.
Soho-sensei stopped when he heard the flat line. "Shut off the machines. Time of death, 18:03," he announced. Susumu broke down sobbing.
Something else happened to Tsukushi. Something finally gave out inside her. She immediately ran out of the room. She kept running. She didn't know where she was going to exactly. It was awful. It was worse than the day she had left her family.
Sammi, Yuki, and Ryan saw her coming and stood up. "What's happened?" asked Sammi.
"I have to go. Give me your keys!" she shouted at Ryan, knowing he had to come by car. He looked at her as if he were half afraid of her.
With a shaky hand, he gave them to her. "Here."
"Tsukushi, he's gone, isn't he?" whispered Yuki. "Don't go out there! The road is dangerous! Tsukushi!"
"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!" she screamed as she shoved Yuki, causing to her fall. She ran outside and found Ryan's Honda. She turned off the alarm and quickly climbed in. She didn't know where she was going. She had no idea. She turned on the car and drove.
She drove until she figured out where she wanted to go. She knew where she was going.
"This isn't happening. This can't be happening. No," she muttered in the car as she clutched the steering wheel. "NO!" she screamed.
She stopped at the place where she wanted to go. It wasn't that hard to figure out it was the right place. The railing was completely smashed through. There were shards of broken glass. She pulled up and parked the car awkwardly. She stumbled out and walked until she was over the edge. She walked all the way to where the most glass and fiberglass shards. There were pieces of the tires. She touched the ground with her hands.
The rain started to come down again. She staggered back to the car, but found that she was unable to climb into the car. She turned around instead and sunk down to the ground. Her back was to the car.
The tears started to fall with the rain. Tsukushi was on her knees.
"This is real."
AN: The word "kanai" means wife in Japanese, but that means the person who stays in the house. Something tells me that word doesn't fit with Kaede, so I used the more egalitarian word "tsuma." This chapter shows a contrast between the Makino family and Doumyouji family. As one family falls apart, the other is starting to repair itself. This was another long chapter to write. The next part is the aftermath as we dig deeper.
It's ironic that as Tsukasa comes into his own as Tsukushi's father dies. And it's all on Tsukasa's birthday. I thought that timing was very important here. The next chapter goes into the grieving process and how everything has been destroyed. This is the start of the final arc of this story.
There's more that will happen and a few more surprises up my sleeve. ^_^ For more theories and ideas go to ayane.blurty.com
Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango.