Title:     It's You I See

Warnings: Angst. Really angst. And torture…I'm a sadist, you know.


It's You I See

When the Sun goes West

Casting the black curtain of the Night

Makino Susumu wanted to slit his wrist after the friendly plunge of a handy katana that by a stroke of genius would just land right where his heart is located. 'Better yet,' Susumu started to wonder, his eyes narrowing, 'I'll kill him first, then commit seppuku. Now that sounds better. Then nee-san can finally be free of the jail society has placed her in.' A ghost of a smile played upon his lips as his mind conjured images of the woman he remembered his sister to be—happy, carefree, and simply Makino Tsukushi. 'Nee-san will be free…' The beginnings of a wider smile dropped as the word etched itself into his consciousness. 'Free. Free of everything else and be herself. Free of prison I was one of those who put her in,' he thought sadly, his anger dissipating, replaced by heart-numbing anguish. 'I should have been thinking of what was right for her, not of what would be nice for everybody else!' He closed his eyes, and rested his head on the wheel. 'Everyone was expecting them to be together! For all intents and purposes, they should end up together, like in the fairy tales, where the prince and the princess lived happily ever after all the troubles they've gone thru!'

Blaring horns caused him to look up and saw that their lane already had the green signal. He stepped on the gas and, and heard a distinct 'Thank goodness he moved already!' somewhere in the public transportation that was behind him. He stepped on the gas, pushing to the borders of the speed limit. 'As if they'd arrest me. The brother of the wife of the topmost powerful man in Taiwan—wouldn't that make a laughingstock of the police?' His hold on the steering wheel tightened—the car was a gift of the object of his current hatred. The anger that was dampened surged once more. 'She loved you. Kaasan and Tousan worshipped you. I idolized you! And what we got in return was…what nee-san got in return…' He trailed off, his vision blurring. The sound of wheels screeching caused him to step on the brakes as well. He was about to curse the driver of the car in front of him, when he saw the stoplight had turned red. He closed his eyes and swiped a hand through his face. 'Oh God. Nee-san doesn't need another problem. Nee-san..' His eyes rested on the small photograph—a snapshot, actually—of he and his sister, six, seven years ago. Another figure, one in the background whose features were barely visible, but one wouldn't need such a trivial matter to know who it was. Anyone living on earth would know him by his shadow. He silently addressed to the man. 'You loved her then—I know you did. Why do you do this to her now?'

He looked up just in time to see the stoplight turn green, so he switched gears as he stepped on the gas. Maneuvering to a left turn, the line of men that could be mistaken as statues were stationed, became visible. Very visible, in fact, the moment he entered the general vicinity. It was hardly astonishing, at least for those who have been visiting this place for at least half a decade at least once a month, for the entire block, as well as the following two, were the Hanazawa residence. It wasn't even their estate yet. That would be the entire five surrounding blocks, that were called blocks for convenient purposes—servants were often ordered to 'Go to Block C to get this, or go to Block A to fetch so and so'. Makino Susumu entered without any fuss, where any other soul wouldn't even have been able to raise a placating hand. The massive gates opened, the driveway that was almost as long as the Doumyouji's were lined with sculptures from a period or periods he didn't know, and trees whose origin were from around the world provided the screen for the magnificent house that rested on the middle. He stopped the car when he reached the house—or castle from the feudal ages—and killed the engine. He opened his door, and stepped out of the car. He expected the butler to greet him, but was taken aback. The master of the house, the very person he was visiting, was standing at the doorway, waiting for him.

"Hello, Susumu."

Makino Susumu, almost three years ago, was the one who talked to this man to set free of his sister, and let her marry Doumyouji Tsukasa. Now, he is one of those who want to turn back time, and undo what they had done.

Hanazawa Rui should have been selfish.

Hanazawa Rui not have listened to them.

Hanazawa Rui should not have let Makino Tsukushi go.

Hanazawa Rui loved—loves—Makino Tsukushi.

Susumu bowed his head, wanting to hide at the deepest hole on earth. "Ohayou, Hanazawa-sama."

The former nodded as he stepped aside. Susumu had enough encounters with this man to know that it was an invitation to go inside. He followed the silent man with trepidation, his heartbeat accelerating with each step he took. The corridors where they were treading were familiar. This was also where he, along with Mimasaka Akira and Nishikado Soujiro, initiated The Talk. This time, the reason wasn't different; it was still about Tsukushi, but the pleas? The last time, he asked Hanazawa Rui to leave Tsukushi. At the present…

They were at the study. The door was opened, and Susumu followed Hanazawa Rui. The door closed shortly after, and when Hanazawa Rui seated himself behind the table, the younger man met his gaze. Cold, calculating, stoic and observant—the blue eyes were more freezing than ice—and Susumu thought to himself how different the most feared man in this business, and not because of what he has but because of who he is, looked whenever his beloved sister was present. And so he cleared his throat, and ploughed in. "My sister needs your help."

Blue eyes narrowed, and Susumu saw the man before him tense.

"What happened to Tsukushi?"

Susumu swallowed. "She's pregnant."

If it were any other person than Hanazawa Rui, an eyebrow would have risen. "Tsukushi wants to be pregnant."

Susumu's knees threatened to go out. "Nee-san and Tsu—Doumyouji had a disagreement," he started, his voice nearly inaudible, and he noticed the other holding the arm rest of the leather-bound chair. The slip of the name hadn't gone unnoticed, but there was no obvious reaction. "Nee-san walked out of Tsu—Doumyouji,­" he re-stated, and this time a glimmer of a question made its way to the surface of Hanazawa Rui's mask, "But he caught her…she was at the top of the stairs…" The vision played itself in his mind, taking away his strength to speak. This was the scene where he had seen for himself, the way his sister's wife, the man that had given their family every possible dream they have, and their payment was every drop of blood of his sister's. He was shaking, he felt his knees starting to give out. Hanazawa Rui started to rise.

"He hit her." Susumu's words bit through the air-conditioned room, fog forming out of his mouth as he spoke. He didn't notice Hanazawa Rui rise to his full height, which was at most a good one ruler taller from his form. He didn't even know that he was crying, didn't even consider that it was tears that blurred his vision. "He hit my sister and she fell and there was so much blood…so much blood…" he was swaying now, but he took made out whose strong arms supported him, breaking his fall. He didn't stop talking, he couldn't stop talking. "The bastard hit her! I've never seen so much blood, Hanazawa Rui! Never! It was so much…too much—"

"Where is she?" The voice that permeated through his ears and made its way to his brain was still cold, but Susumu rather thought that if fire could be cold, it would burn the way Hanazawa Rui's voice could. Cold ice burns, after all, and Hanazawa Rui is everything of that. He would rarely burn, but when he does…heaven help the one on the other side of his wrath.

The firm shaking of his shoulders and blue eyes brought him back from the void he felt himself falling into. The question came back to him, and he answered almost out of impulse. "He doesn't want to bring her to the hospital—she's in a separate room—" he slid down his knees as he clasped the shoulders of the man that never let his sister down. "Please help her. I'll serve you for the rest of my life—I'll give you the rest of my life, just save her." He was crying again, and he knew it this time, but he didn't bother to hide it. This was the man everyone wronged—he most of all. "I'm sorry for making you let her go—" He was aware he was babbling, he knew, but he meant every world he said. He made a mistake, and he wanted to rectify it, now more than ever. He played a very big part in destroying two lives, now three, and his life could hardly amount to any of it.

But he was stopped as he was brought to his feet, and a lilting voice spoke, similar to the sun peeking out of the clouds after a devastating storm.

"I'll go to her. I'll bring her to a hospital, the best there is." 'And one probably untouched, and out of reach of Doumyouji,' Susumu thought, his heart lifting. The doors bursting open and a flock of men wearing black suits entered, and the young man almost died of a coronary. He was handed over to them.

"Wait for my call in the room prepared for you." Then Hanazawa Rui was gone, and Susumu followed until the opened doorway of the study. Another flock of body guards, 'Or his own personal army,' he said to himself, followed the brown-haired man. He deigned to notice it was considerably larger than any other time he had seen Hanazawa Rui surround himself with—or command, at public eye, at least.

"Thank you," he wanted to shout, as the last of the dark-suited man turned at the corner, but Hanazawa Rui was long gone from his vision. He closed his eyes as he was led out of the room, following the housekeeper. Arms supported him at either side, and men three times his size flanked him. "I'm so sorry…so sorry…" And then he closed his eyes and gave in to oblivion.


To all those who reviewed, thanks a lot. To pam, lubs u! To dang, I really hope this would appease you for the meantime, or at least until I get out of my lazy $$ and type the next chapters. Surprisingly, the first few weeks just sucks, and isn't hell yet. I'll inform you guys just when I start the first few flames that lick my sorry b, alright?