Chapter 08 - The Father
"Where's my mother?" asked Tsubaki as she barged into the office of Doumyoji Corporation. "I'm sorry but you can't go in there," said the secretary, "They are having a meeting now." Tsubaki ignored her and entered the room. "What do you think you're doing?" exclaimed Kaede as her daughter stormed into the room, "Where are your manners?" Tsubaki stared at her mother and the familiar person at the table. "Hello, Father," she greeted, "I've come to settle some business with my mother. If you could kindly excuse her..." Doumyoji Seiryo smiled at his daughter and replied, "If it's family matters, I'm sure I can be around."
Tsubaki shrugged and said, "If you wish." Kaede made no reply and glared hard at her daughter. "Mother," she said, "It's about time you let go. Tsukasa has his own life and he should be given a chance to make decisions about his happiness." Seiryo raised his eyebrows and sat up to listen attentively. "What do you mean by he's capable of making his own decisions about his happiness?" replied Kaede sarcastically, "Is he capable of doing that now?"
Tsubaki frowned and clenched her fists. "You can't do this to Tsukasa like what you've done to me!" yelled Tsubaki, "He's not me and he'll never do as you say!" Kaede got up from her seat and walked over. "He is not you but he's my son and will obey my orders," replied Kaede firmly before turning to her husband, "I'm going back to my room. We'll discuss the matter later."
"I can't believe she's my mother," muttered Tsubaki angrily. "You can't blame her, my dear," said her father, getting up from his chair. Tsubaki turned to her father and sighed, "She can't go around dictating everybody including her children, Father!" Doumyoji Seiryo smiled and gestured his daughter to join him at the couch. "Come and sit down here," he said, "And tell me all about Tsukasa and the girl."
"How...How did you know?" stammered Tsubaki. Her father shrugged and replied, "From your conversation. Now, tell me about her." Tsubaki did as she was told and wondered how her father could tolerate a wife like her mother.
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Shigeru skipped down the corridors of Eitoku, looking for Sojiro and Akira. Peeping into their classroom, Shigeru found a boy sitting at his desk. "Er...Excuse me," she interrupted, "Do you happen to know where Sojiro and Akira are?" The boy looked up and Shigeru grasped. "You!" she exclaimed, pointing her finger at him, "What are you doing here?" Minami Tomoya replied nonchalantly, "Attending school."
"But...but you have a daughter..." exclaimed Shigeru. Tomoya laughed. "What's so funny?" asked a puzzled Shigeru. "Did I not say that it's not wise to be assuming?" replied Tomoya. Shigeru opened her mouth but stopped when Akira tapped on her shoulder. "Akira, Soujiro," she said, "Where the hell was the two of you?"
"Where we usually are," replied Sojiro, "Why?" Shigeru shook her head and pointed at Tomoya. "Did you know that he's going to join us?" asked Shigeru. Both boys looked at the direction pointed and shrugged. "Does it matter?" both asked. "Yes, it does!" exclaimed Shigeru, "He was the rude guy I met on the plane!" Sojiro ignored her and entered the classroom. Akira held her at bay and replied, "It's not a big deal, is it?"
"What do you mean by that?" yelled Shigeru, "It is a big deal to me! He was rude!" Shigeru gritted her teeth, as Akira passed her and entered the classroom. Just then, the bell for the afternoon period rang and Sojiro said, "Better be off for your classes." Fuming as both the boys refused to take a stand, Shigeru stormed off to her class. "I'll settle with him later on," she thought angrily.
Minami Tomoya watched as Shigeru disappeared from the classroom and turned to the two boys. "I never thought the F4 would associate themselves with assuming people," he commented. Sojiro and Akira raised an eyebrow each but none replied him as the rest of the class streamed in.
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Tsukasa sat on his bed and stared at the floor. "If Oneesan has gone to New York," thought Tsukasa, "Then, it is likely that that old hag knows I'm here and..." Jumping out of his bed, he rushed through the bathroom and into her room. Tsukushi stood up in fright. "What...what is it?" she stammered. Tsukasa looked at her and without a word, he grabbed her into his arms. "Wait...wait a minute," mumbled Tsukushi.
"I'm not gonna to let her take you away from me," whispered Tsukasa as he tightened his grip around her. "Who's gonna take me away?" asked a puzzled Tsukushi. He made no reply and Tsukushi wondered. "Doumyoji..." she said finally in a voice like that of a mother to her child, "What's going on? Did something happen?" Tsukasa shook his head and replied, "I just don't want to lose you."
"Doumyoji..." whispered Tsukushi. "Let's leave here tonight," said Tsukasa suddenly as he pulled away from her and stared into her eyes, "We must leave before she finds us." A dumbfounded Tsukushi looked at him before finally replying, "But...but school starts on Monday..."
"Who cares about school!" replied Tsukasa impatiently, "Now, hurry and pack! We'll leave tonight." Tsukushi glared at him and stood her ground. "I'm not gonna pack and leave here," she yelled, "How can you be so sure that she's already working on finding us...Besides, your sister did instruct us to wait for her call."
"By the time that happens, it'll be too late!" exploded Tsukasa. Before Tsukushi could reply, loud thumping on the door was heard. "Hey, you!" came a male voice, "Will you keep it down?!" Tsukushi took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Look, Doumyoji," she cajoled, "Let's wait another day. I'm sure your sister will have called us then." Tsukasa was uncertain if that was a wise thing to do. "Please..." she pleaded. He looked at her and nodded. "We'll wait just one more day," he replied uncertainly.
"Where's my mother?" asked Tsubaki as she barged into the office of Doumyoji Corporation. "I'm sorry but you can't go in there," said the secretary, "They are having a meeting now." Tsubaki ignored her and entered the room. "What do you think you're doing?" exclaimed Kaede as her daughter stormed into the room, "Where are your manners?" Tsubaki stared at her mother and the familiar person at the table. "Hello, Father," she greeted, "I've come to settle some business with my mother. If you could kindly excuse her..." Doumyoji Seiryo smiled at his daughter and replied, "If it's family matters, I'm sure I can be around."
Tsubaki shrugged and said, "If you wish." Kaede made no reply and glared hard at her daughter. "Mother," she said, "It's about time you let go. Tsukasa has his own life and he should be given a chance to make decisions about his happiness." Seiryo raised his eyebrows and sat up to listen attentively. "What do you mean by he's capable of making his own decisions about his happiness?" replied Kaede sarcastically, "Is he capable of doing that now?"
Tsubaki frowned and clenched her fists. "You can't do this to Tsukasa like what you've done to me!" yelled Tsubaki, "He's not me and he'll never do as you say!" Kaede got up from her seat and walked over. "He is not you but he's my son and will obey my orders," replied Kaede firmly before turning to her husband, "I'm going back to my room. We'll discuss the matter later."
"I can't believe she's my mother," muttered Tsubaki angrily. "You can't blame her, my dear," said her father, getting up from his chair. Tsubaki turned to her father and sighed, "She can't go around dictating everybody including her children, Father!" Doumyoji Seiryo smiled and gestured his daughter to join him at the couch. "Come and sit down here," he said, "And tell me all about Tsukasa and the girl."
"How...How did you know?" stammered Tsubaki. Her father shrugged and replied, "From your conversation. Now, tell me about her." Tsubaki did as she was told and wondered how her father could tolerate a wife like her mother.
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Shigeru skipped down the corridors of Eitoku, looking for Sojiro and Akira. Peeping into their classroom, Shigeru found a boy sitting at his desk. "Er...Excuse me," she interrupted, "Do you happen to know where Sojiro and Akira are?" The boy looked up and Shigeru grasped. "You!" she exclaimed, pointing her finger at him, "What are you doing here?" Minami Tomoya replied nonchalantly, "Attending school."
"But...but you have a daughter..." exclaimed Shigeru. Tomoya laughed. "What's so funny?" asked a puzzled Shigeru. "Did I not say that it's not wise to be assuming?" replied Tomoya. Shigeru opened her mouth but stopped when Akira tapped on her shoulder. "Akira, Soujiro," she said, "Where the hell was the two of you?"
"Where we usually are," replied Sojiro, "Why?" Shigeru shook her head and pointed at Tomoya. "Did you know that he's going to join us?" asked Shigeru. Both boys looked at the direction pointed and shrugged. "Does it matter?" both asked. "Yes, it does!" exclaimed Shigeru, "He was the rude guy I met on the plane!" Sojiro ignored her and entered the classroom. Akira held her at bay and replied, "It's not a big deal, is it?"
"What do you mean by that?" yelled Shigeru, "It is a big deal to me! He was rude!" Shigeru gritted her teeth, as Akira passed her and entered the classroom. Just then, the bell for the afternoon period rang and Sojiro said, "Better be off for your classes." Fuming as both the boys refused to take a stand, Shigeru stormed off to her class. "I'll settle with him later on," she thought angrily.
Minami Tomoya watched as Shigeru disappeared from the classroom and turned to the two boys. "I never thought the F4 would associate themselves with assuming people," he commented. Sojiro and Akira raised an eyebrow each but none replied him as the rest of the class streamed in.
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Tsukasa sat on his bed and stared at the floor. "If Oneesan has gone to New York," thought Tsukasa, "Then, it is likely that that old hag knows I'm here and..." Jumping out of his bed, he rushed through the bathroom and into her room. Tsukushi stood up in fright. "What...what is it?" she stammered. Tsukasa looked at her and without a word, he grabbed her into his arms. "Wait...wait a minute," mumbled Tsukushi.
"I'm not gonna to let her take you away from me," whispered Tsukasa as he tightened his grip around her. "Who's gonna take me away?" asked a puzzled Tsukushi. He made no reply and Tsukushi wondered. "Doumyoji..." she said finally in a voice like that of a mother to her child, "What's going on? Did something happen?" Tsukasa shook his head and replied, "I just don't want to lose you."
"Doumyoji..." whispered Tsukushi. "Let's leave here tonight," said Tsukasa suddenly as he pulled away from her and stared into her eyes, "We must leave before she finds us." A dumbfounded Tsukushi looked at him before finally replying, "But...but school starts on Monday..."
"Who cares about school!" replied Tsukasa impatiently, "Now, hurry and pack! We'll leave tonight." Tsukushi glared at him and stood her ground. "I'm not gonna pack and leave here," she yelled, "How can you be so sure that she's already working on finding us...Besides, your sister did instruct us to wait for her call."
"By the time that happens, it'll be too late!" exploded Tsukasa. Before Tsukushi could reply, loud thumping on the door was heard. "Hey, you!" came a male voice, "Will you keep it down?!" Tsukushi took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Look, Doumyoji," she cajoled, "Let's wait another day. I'm sure your sister will have called us then." Tsukasa was uncertain if that was a wise thing to do. "Please..." she pleaded. He looked at her and nodded. "We'll wait just one more day," he replied uncertainly.