The Return Saga
Episode Three – Touga's Plan
(By Sakura-chan and Chariel)
Rain cascaded down the outside of the high office window, the skies remained open, and Akio let his mind slip as the torrent of abuse the trustee chairman's wife also continued unabated. Already several minutes into the dressing down he stood in much the same contrite pose he had started in, striving to maintain the meek expression on his face as she reiterated once again the delicate nature of his position.
"I'm beginning to believe you simply don't understand what we are trying to do here. I cannot believe you allowed things to go so far that my husband would hear of them! To have the student council go against you in this manner… It's been all I could do to keep it from becoming the gossip of the academy. I don't care if you are engaged to my daughter, if this isn't buried quickly and with the minimum of fuss I won't be defending you anymore. Now leave."
Akio said not a word, but bowed with fluid grace and walked slowly towards the door, fending off pangs of irritation. He was almost out before a hand landed firmly on his shoulder, stopping him. Her voice whispered almost inaudibly, "I will need another test of loyalty tonight." It was lucky she could not see the sour expression this invoked as he inclined his head in silent acquiesance. That she used the same teasing words he had spoken to Touga was an irony not lost on him. He supposed everyone did what they had to to obtain the power they desired, and keep it.
Touga swivelled the wingmirror of Akio's blood-red convertible so that it reflected the wound on his cheek, held carefully closed in this early stage of healing by two thin strips of plaster. Not for the first time he thought over his plan for revenge with relish, knowing he would savour making Juri pay for this. Akio approached him, coming under cover from the rain seemingly unconcerned by the water threading its way through his severely tied back hair. Glancing up from the mirror Touga rose from his crouch to meet him.
"How did the meeting go?" He wondered in a subdued tone, absentmindedly touching the cut again.
"It went as expected. All I know now is we need to push forward with this as soon as possible." As Akio reached the car he ran his fingers lightly over the bonnet, his present annoyance compounded by the fact that he was unable even to forget these setbacks for a while with a long drive.
"So you want me to proceed with the plan immediately?"
"Definitely," Akio growled with but a trace of the annoyance he felt. "We can't leave this place the way it is at the moment. We need to ensure its well and truly secure." He leaned against the side of the convertible, tilting his head back with a light sigh, dripping copiously over the paintwork.
"I'll go and attend to it then. I've already begun making arrangements." Without further pause Touga strolled out into the rain, droplets of water catching in his hair before running together into rivulets down the crimson lengths. Akio watched him go, then lay back on the bonnet of his car, staring up at the ceiling with suddenly impassive eyes and thinking over what would be required of him that night.
"I can't believe the state of my brother!" Nanami squeaked in a flurry of angst, a hand pressed melodramatically to her forehead as she thought of her beloved. "My noble, beautiful big brother being hurt like that…" She trailed off unhappily, and her three companions, Keiko, Aiko and Yuko, nodded in total agreement.
"Absolutely." "Terrible." "Unforgivable." They chorused.
"Of course, I was there to comfort him, but – " the words caught in her throat and she took a deep breath before continuing, "he was so upset he even pushed me away. We're going to have to show Juri what's proper around here." Her troop hummed their agreement, and at that very moment Juri limped slowly into view across the grass from them, supported by Miki who was also carrying their fencing gear and speaking to her in a low, urgent voice.
"I told you, Juri-sempai, we shouldn't have been practising today. Even if you are captain of the fencing club that doesn't mean you need to overexert yourself. There's no shame in taking a rest…" Juri said nothing in reply, but glanced up to meet the scorching lilac-grey gaze of Nanami as she marched across with the three girls in tow. Before anyone had a chance to react Nanami's palm made serious contact with the side of Juri's face, dealing a resounding slap that unbalanced her sufficiently to send her crashing to the ground. Miki was left standing beside her, utterly stunned.
"What are you doing, Nanami?" He cried as Juri immediately began to raise herself painfully once more. His attempt to assist her was pushed gently away.
"This… this thing injured my wonderful brother." Nanami replied, one hand planted defiantly on her hip whilst she pointed accusingly with the other. "She should be made to quit her position immediately. If I had my way she'd leave the academy entirely." Again she was backed up by the trio, but they sounded less certain now in the face of Juri's ire as she tenaciously reclaimed the vertical. She drew herself to her full height and took a moment to straighten her uniform before looking Nanami directly in the eyes and striding past her and the girls, fighting to keep her expression neutral through the pain walking caused her.
Miki hesitated a moment before skipping after her, casting an uncertain glance over the girls as he went. Nanami merely made an indignant sound and folded her arms angrily, strutting away in the opposite direction with her companions traipsing after her.
Settling back against the grand piano Touga's gaze swept the music room, considering its appearance in the grey afternoon light. Briefly his mind swam with reminiscences of numerous past liaisons he'd had in this very venue, but he put them dispassionately from his mind to focus on the task at hand. Unfastening his shirt so that it hung partly open, exposing his smooth chest, he tossed his head back so that his hair would fall about his shoulders to the best effect. This routine was old, and it bored him by now, but he knew it had not lost any of its effectiveness even if the spark wasn't there on his part anymore.
He was pulled from his musings by a sudden tapping at the door, and he left a suitably tantalising pause before calling softly for his guest to enter. A satisfied smile appeared on his face as Shiori slipped in and closed the door behind her, lowering his head now to level a licentious look at her and allow the hair to fall across his face. He intended it to also obscure his injury to some extent. The slightly hesitant curiosity in her plum-hued gaze made him choose to change tack slightly from straight seduction. Against his hope he would have to employ charms other than the physical to pull this off.
"You wanted to see me about something, sempai?" She wondered, blinking as her vision adjusted to the dimness of the room.
"I did. If you would come over here – there's something I need to discuss with you." He opened in a low voice. As soon as she was within reach he wrapped an arm around her and drew her against himself, gazing down at her with an intensity summoned from his affection for another girl entirely. "I can't help myself. I think I've fallen for you." Shiori stood aghast for a moment, staring into the bewitching blue eyes of the council president before collecting herself and holding him off slightly.
"If you don't feel you can be with me – " he turned away slightly, lowering his gaze. "I would understand. I know I have a reputation, and there's nothing I can do about it now. I've been trying to find the right girl, but it seems they all just want me for my looks. Somehow you seem different – " She laid a hand gently on his shoulder, encouraging him to face her again, smiling coyly.
"This is all rather sudden. I – " a slight frown creased her brow as she gazed up at him, and she reached out with wavering fingers to brush the hair away from the right side of his face. He flinched unthinkingly and her hand dropped. "I'm sorry. I just saw you were hurt…" Now there was sympathy in her tone, of course his injury would only make her warm more to him. Immediately he began turning the situation to his advantage, affecting a suitably vulnerable expression long enough to be sure she had noticed before returning to his previous, more seductive look.
"It's nothing," he breathed. "Shiori – do you think you could return my feelings?" Her slight nod was invitation enough for him. Tilting her face gently upwards he laid a kiss on her waiting lips, tentative at first then increasingly intimate as she responded.
Outside the window a small, raincoated figure lurked as subtly as he could with a camera pressed to the glass. Tsuwabaki could not control the spreading blush as he continued to take pictures, and as an explosive sneeze interrupted his photographic efforts he couldn't help but think there were better ways to spend an afternoon than standing out in the rain. He only hoped the contents of the film would satisfy Touga sufficiently.
Miki carefully sidestepped through the throng of people eating their lunch under cover on the patio, his eyes scanning the packed area for somewhere to sit while his thoughts continued turning over all the trouble he had caused Juri by abstaining from the vote. Locating an open seat he dropped into it and slid his tray onto the table in front of him. He stared at it for a moment before propping an elbow on the table and resting his chin on it, his appetite all but gone. His decision had seemed a good one at the time; now he was afraid it had just been cowardly. How could he have chosen otherwise though?
So intently was he mulling this over that it was a moment before he noticed a brown-haired girl directly opposite him, mirroring his pose and also gazing absentmindedly at him as if her mind was elsewhere. She seemed to notice him a second later, and he summoned a cheerful smile for her.
"Good afternoon, Wakaba." He greeted as she smiled back rather weakly. "How are you today?" She picked up her fork as if she would eat some more of her half-finished lunch, but just pushed it around a little more as she replied.
"Oh, I'm doing okay. How did you find that last maths class?"
"I suppose it went all right." He had never found maths greatly challenging, but lately he just had trouble concentrating. They sighed in unison, and Wakaba felt a little awkward now the conversation had fallen into silence. She decided coming here hadn't helped her melancholy any and thought perhaps the best thing to do would be to simply return to her room and do some revision. Things were so quiet of late – everything seemed to have lost its sparkle for her.
"I think I've finished eating." She'd hardly begun. "Nice to talk to you again, Miki. See you soon." He drew himself briefly from his reverie to absentmindedly bid her farewell before returning to the task of prodding his own rapidly-cooling food around the plate.
Sauntering along the corridor leading to Juri's dormitory Touga flicked through the pictures Tsuwabaki had taken. He had to give the boy his dues, they had come out well – photographs of nothing more than an intimate kiss that somehow hinted at unseen closeness. There was no need for anything more explicit – these were suggestive enough. Dropping them back into their envelope he pressed down the rose seal at its back, not hesitating as he reached the correct door and slid it smartly underneath. He barely broke his stride, increasing his pace to clear the vicinity before Juri opened the letter – he already knew she was in, and could be fairly certain he wouldn't have to await her response long.
Within, Juri pulled her dressing gown around her and rose from the window alcove she had been perched in amongst neatly arranged white cushions. The view out was of the academy in hesitant late afternoon sunlight, a steady stream of students going to and fro about their business and enjoying the reprieve from constant rain. She enjoyed watching them whilst doing work, though recently she was beginning to feel increasingly segregated from those others around her. Drawn by the rustle of the envelope passing under her door she retrieved it before returning to the alcove and reseating herself, arranging her injured leg carefully before breaking the seal.
Withdrawing the first picture she regarded it with confusion, the subject being a faintly voyeuristic shot of Shiori alone in what appeared to be a music practise room. As she began to pull more of the photographs out she could not control the feelings of rage and disgust welling within her. She was only able to get through the first dozen or so before she dropped the envelope to the ground, scattering glossy pictures of Touga and Shiori's embrace all over her floor.
She clenched her fists until her nails dug painfully into her palms, shaking her head in unconscious denial of what she had seen. Through her haze of anger she thought bitterly about how this should not have come as a surprise. Somehow she had not expected Touga to use such dirty tactics, but when had he ever proved himself above such things? Damn him. How could he so cruelly use the affections of a girl such as Shiori? All because she had bested him in a duel over petty academy politics. It amazed her he could sleep at night with such actions on his conscience.
Collapsing back onto the padded seat she fell onto her side, catching the locket up in her hand as it slipped from inside her gown. Lying there a piece of paper that has slipped from the envelope as she dropped it caught her attention. She drew herself slowly up again. She could decipher neat writing, and at the corner, unmistakeably, Touga's signature.
In the early night stillness Touga stood towards one end of the bridge he had instructed Juri to meet him on, gazing down at the darkly sparkling ripples of the river beneath. He hoped the summons had been suitably worded, but reasoned the photographs would speak for themselves. Besides, it was a beautiful evening to spend outside, the air somewhat cooled after the recent rainfall and the clouds parted sufficiently for the brilliant starscape above to shine through, and indeed it was always novel for him to be kept waiting by a woman.
Hearing voices approaching he drew himself up and turned away from the water to lean his back on the wooden rail. A gaggle of younger female students passed him by, giggling shyly amongst themselves as he afforded them a pleasant smile. Somehow though he found their interest didn't give him the same satisfaction it might once have done. Seduction had begun to lose its thrill no little time ago, and since Akio had recommenced meddling in his life it seemed all he could think of was a rose-haired ex-student he had been on the brink of forgetting entirely.
So it was that Juri came across him, caught in his own world of thoughts and oblivious to her arrival until she had limped right up to him. Recovering his composure he lounged extravagantly back against the rail, bathing her in a radiant, self-satisfied smile and bidding her good evening. She continued glaring at him with cold rage, unmoved by his charms.
"Touga, how could you? You have any number of floozies to amuse yourself with, don't bring Shiori into this. She's better than that." Even this brief contact with him was lending fuel to her anger, and every arrogant glance and smug retort brought her closer to snapping.
"I don't know," he began with easy grace, tilting his head musingly and gazing off into the darkness. "This could be the real thing. She's certainly a lot more interesting than most of the girls on campus and I'd like to see where this goes." He leaned forward suddenly to add in a confidential whisper. "She's very forward, isn't she?" Juri stepped back smartly to put more distance between them, reminded once more of her injury by the pain the action called from her ankle. It sharpened her irritation.
"There's more to this and you know it, otherwise you wouldn't have had the pictures taken. You have no feelings for her other than as a pawn in one of your games – or as another conquest." He drew in a slow breath, leaving a pause after she had spoken and running a hand back through soft strands of his hair that gleamed cerise in the wan moonlight. Forcibly resisting the urge to touch his fingers once more to the cut she had left in his cheek his eyes hardened, and he decided to toy with her just a little more.
"What could you possibly mean by that? I simply wanted to discuss this with you since I know how much she means to you, and here you are saying such slanderous things about a fellow council member…"
"Stop it!" She blazed suddenly. "Enough of your damned games. You're doing this for a reason, and we both know it's connected to the council meeting. What else could it be?" Hands on her hips she tried to conceal her true distress with anger. "What do you want?" She breathed at last, her voice edged with the despair she felt. "For me to back down? Is that the price for this?" Touga smiled his satisfaction, leaving a teasing silence before replying.
"Hmm, that's an interesting proposition. I suppose if you're prepared to go before the trustee chairman himself and explain this was all a mistake on your part – " he hesitated, his gaze on his fingers as they played idly with his hair, "I could find other girls to interest me. If not though I won't waste your time any further. Shiori and I have a date planned for later tonight and who knows what she might agree to…"
Juri stepped further away from him, bristling with anger barely kept in check. "I'll meet with him first thing in the morning. Tell her tonight – tell her you can't see her anymore. Just don't be unkind…" He inclined his head in assent to this request. She went to leave, but as she walked past him she stopped briefly. "This is a new low, even for you. Just hope we don't cross swords on the duelling arena ever again." With this threat lingering between them she strode away as fast as she could.
"We can't have you messing around with school politics in this fashion." The trustee chairman's wife exclaimed. Next to her, sitting behind his expansive desk, her husband merely nodded his agreement occasionally, allowing her to berate Juri alone.
"You have my apology," Juri returned stiffly. "That's all I can give you."
"No," the blue-haired woman corrected with a slight smile, "no it's not. I think you have proved yourself unfit to remain on the student council. I think someone else should be given an opportunity, someone more suited to the role than you. Until further arrangements can be made we have arranged for a proxy to sit on the council, one selected by the president's own recommendation. Your business here is concluded." She finished abruptly. "You should leave."
Meeting the woman's uncompromising gaze for but a second Juri turned smartly and left the office without further comment. In the corridor outside she met up again with Miki who was resting against an imposing column. Before he had a chance to ask how things had gone Juri launched into a furious rhetoric of what had occurred as they started walking.
"This is not the end, Miki." She added bitterly in closing. "I can see Touga didn't mastermind all this himself, and we know who's pulling his strings. I think the trustee chairman is involved somehow as well. We're going to get to the bottom of this, one way or another."
With the thick curtains of his room drawn tightly to omit the early morning light Touga rested in a chair, a half-finished glass of red wine clasped loosely between his long fingers. The record player emitted a wash of white noise having long since finished the LP, but he made no move to rectify the situation.
"This is a new low, even for you." That one sentence echoed in his mind along with the recollection of Shiori's face as he had explained to her they couldn't see each other again. She hadn't said very much after he had turned down her entreaties to rethink his sudden decision. Perhaps she was already blaming Juri – it wouldn't be much of a leap to assume his fellow council member – former fellow council member, he corrected mentally – had had something to do with his apparent change of heart. Of course essentially his ruse had been successful. Juri had made her apologies and been retired from her council duties; Akio would be pleased. Why then were his thoughts still heavy with the distressed and accusing looks of the two women he had manipulated to achieve this end?
He had coldly and unfeelingly used a girl's tender emotions for his own nefarious purposes, then dumped her as soon as the opportunity arose. He'd deeply hurt more than one person, and, for the first time in his life, knowing this bothered him. It bothered him that he was bothered. Upsetting women was naturally something he tried to avoid wherever possible, but where it served a purpose he had always done it and not stopped to worry afterwards. Now things were different, and he suspected he knew why.
He was drawn unwelcomely from his brooding thoughts by the telephone across the room from him trilling into life. Slowly he raised himself, hesitating a moment longer before he lifted the receiver and unsurprised to be greeted by a distinctive bass.
"It's done, Touga. Not only is my position secure, I have also concluded preparations for our trip. We should leave immediately. Can you be ready in an hour?"
"I'll be ready." He replied glibly, closing his eyes wearily.
"Then I'll meet you at the car." There was a click as Akio hung up, and Touga did the same, turning to go and prepare. Seeing Utena again would make all of this worthwhile, he assured himself. Their reunion would change everything.
- End of Episode Three -