************************************************************************
Part II: Around the World
Chapter 8: Graduation
************************************************************************
[Eitoku High School]
"I can't believe the F4 are graduating!"
"School is going to be boring without them. Who else is as rich and handsome as them?"
Through out the school the girls were talking about the F4's graduation. The boys on the other hand...
"F4 F4 that's all the girls are thinking about. What's so good about them? They're rich, but so is every guy in this school."
"They pretended to be all that, especially that Doumyouji! If you ask me they were just bullies. The girls were blinded by their looks."
"Now we don't have to worry about being red tagged."
"The faster they leave the better."
********
[Knock Knock]
Tsukushi stirred, slowly opening her eyes. She saw a middle-aged maid standing by the doorway.
The maid blushed bright red and immediately bowed low. "I'm sorry for intruding! If Doumyouji-sama doesn't wake up he'll be late for his graduation." The maid stayed bowed, her whole body tense. She was waiting for Tsukushi to scold her for interrupting her sleep. That's what Tsubaki- sama and Doumyouji-sama always did.
But Tsukushi didn't do that. She yawned and murmured, "Ok."
The maid heard that Tsukushi wasn't mad and cautiously raised her head. "May I leave?"
"Ok." Tsukushi yawned again and turned around to wake Tsukasa up. She nudged him but he wouldn't budge. She used a bit more strength but he still didn't stir. Tsukushi sighed. He sleeps like the dead she thought. She took a deep breath, "Tsukasa! Wake up!" she yelled in his ear.
Tsukasa's eyes shot open. "Ow! Can't you wake me up a little more ladylike? You're going to make me dead."
"Deaf," Tsukushi responded.
"Whatever."
"Just as dumb as ever." Tsukasa's eye ticked in anger. "You're going to be late for your own graduation."
"Doesn't matter. They don't dare start without me."
"Spoiled brat." Tsukushi turned to get out of bed.
But before she could get out Tsukasa hooked his arm around her waist. "But you love me anyway."
Tsukushi turned around to retort but he smiled so innocently and bright that she couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah, but I'm probably the only one."
Tsukasa placed his hand on her cheek, "I only need one person to love me."
********
They didn't get up until a bit later. They skipped breakfast and took the car to school.
"It's your last day of high school; you should have worn your uniform."
"I hate that outfit. It made my skin itchy. I burned it the day I got it."
"Sometimes I wonder if you people are a different breed. You can't eat this, you can't wear that."
"I just have sensitive skin and refined tastes."
Tsukushi scoffed.
"That wasn't ladylike."
Tsukushi stuck her tongue out at him. The car stopped just at that time. Tsukushi got out of the car before Tsukasa said anything else.
Soujiro and Akira were waiting by the gate. "We saw you two coming by, thought we might as well wait for you." They were both wearing their high school uniforms.
"They don't have problems wearing the uniforms," Tsukushi said to Tsukasa.
Tsukasa shrugged, "Like I said, I have sensitive skin."
"I suppose it's right that you don't wear a uniform. After all you don't show up in classes anyway."
"I don't need to. I'm naturally smart."
"Yeah, so smart that you don't even know your characters."
Soujiro and Akira looked at them and sighed. They were always like this. It doesn't seem like they'll be lovey dovey like most couples. Soujiro and Akira left the couple alone and walked into the school. Once they stepped through the door they were immediately confronted by a group of girls.
"Don't graduate!" "Don't leave us alone!" All the girls were teary eyed.
Soujiro smiled charmingly, "It's ok. We're just going to the college campus. You can still visit us. And in a few years you'll go to college too."
All the girls took hope at Soujiro's words. Each thinking that it was addressed to her and only her. None of them noticed that Soujiro's smile didn't reach his eyes.
********
"Seniors! Please take your seats in the front rows," the principal announced. He was bald and pudgy, only his shiny head was visible behind the podium.
The seniors took their seats. Soujiro, Akira and Tsukasa sat by themselves, occupying the whole first row, which could sit 10 people. The parents sat behind the seniors. The F3 didn't bother looking back; they knew their parents wouldn't be there.
Tsukushi was on the upper level of the auditorium. She looked down and immediately saw Tsukasa. Even if he didn't sit apart from everyone else she knew she would find him anywhere. He simply stood out; maybe it was that arrogant attitude of his. He exuded so much power without even knowing it.
The principal tapped the mike and cleared his throat. "First of all I'd like to welcome everyone here today, in celebration of our graduating class of 1997..." The principal droned on and on. His monotonous voice put everyone to sleep.
In the back of the auditorium there were two men in suits.
"Thought you wouldn't come," said one of the men.
"I was able to clear my schedule."
"Kaede-san didn't come."
"She's here, maybe not physically, but she's here."
"You know your wife pretty well." Doumyouji (dad) didn't answer.
In the Maple Hotel Headquarters, Kaede was watching the graduation ceremony. She was wearing a dark green dress suit and a yellow scarf. Her hair was tied up in her usual bun. She rested her head on her wrist, elbow on the table.
[Knock knock]
Her personal assistant came in. "Here are the files for today's meetings."
Kaede didn't look up. Her assistant looked to see what Kaede was watching. There was a bald man talking. He smiled when he saw the banner behind the man, graduating class of '97.
"If you wanted to see it, you could've rescheduled your meetings."
Kaede's eyes hardened. "Why would I change my schedule for this?" She reached to shut off the screen. The desk opened and the screen went down. The desk closed back. She reached for the files and the assistant knew he was dismissed. He walked toward the door, stopping just before exiting to look back at her, wondering why she was trying to keep the façade that she didn't care about her children. It was probably a question he'll never know the answer to.
Meanwhile, in Eitoku, the ceremony continued. The valedictorian had given a five minute long speech. Then the principle read the names of the graduating students. Luckily there were only 100. The names were called by classes, which there were five.
The principal had finally finished calling everyone's names. "I present to you the –"
"You forgot someone."
Everyone looked back to see who had said that. Tsukushi froze, clearly recognizing that voice. "Hanazawa Rui," she whispered.
************************************************************************
Hey everyone. Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I've been busy writing a 50 page paper. I'm finally done, but I have APs next. I'll try to update more regularly now that school work is almost done.
Feedback is always appreciated!
Part II: Around the World
Chapter 8: Graduation
************************************************************************
[Eitoku High School]
"I can't believe the F4 are graduating!"
"School is going to be boring without them. Who else is as rich and handsome as them?"
Through out the school the girls were talking about the F4's graduation. The boys on the other hand...
"F4 F4 that's all the girls are thinking about. What's so good about them? They're rich, but so is every guy in this school."
"They pretended to be all that, especially that Doumyouji! If you ask me they were just bullies. The girls were blinded by their looks."
"Now we don't have to worry about being red tagged."
"The faster they leave the better."
********
[Knock Knock]
Tsukushi stirred, slowly opening her eyes. She saw a middle-aged maid standing by the doorway.
The maid blushed bright red and immediately bowed low. "I'm sorry for intruding! If Doumyouji-sama doesn't wake up he'll be late for his graduation." The maid stayed bowed, her whole body tense. She was waiting for Tsukushi to scold her for interrupting her sleep. That's what Tsubaki- sama and Doumyouji-sama always did.
But Tsukushi didn't do that. She yawned and murmured, "Ok."
The maid heard that Tsukushi wasn't mad and cautiously raised her head. "May I leave?"
"Ok." Tsukushi yawned again and turned around to wake Tsukasa up. She nudged him but he wouldn't budge. She used a bit more strength but he still didn't stir. Tsukushi sighed. He sleeps like the dead she thought. She took a deep breath, "Tsukasa! Wake up!" she yelled in his ear.
Tsukasa's eyes shot open. "Ow! Can't you wake me up a little more ladylike? You're going to make me dead."
"Deaf," Tsukushi responded.
"Whatever."
"Just as dumb as ever." Tsukasa's eye ticked in anger. "You're going to be late for your own graduation."
"Doesn't matter. They don't dare start without me."
"Spoiled brat." Tsukushi turned to get out of bed.
But before she could get out Tsukasa hooked his arm around her waist. "But you love me anyway."
Tsukushi turned around to retort but he smiled so innocently and bright that she couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah, but I'm probably the only one."
Tsukasa placed his hand on her cheek, "I only need one person to love me."
********
They didn't get up until a bit later. They skipped breakfast and took the car to school.
"It's your last day of high school; you should have worn your uniform."
"I hate that outfit. It made my skin itchy. I burned it the day I got it."
"Sometimes I wonder if you people are a different breed. You can't eat this, you can't wear that."
"I just have sensitive skin and refined tastes."
Tsukushi scoffed.
"That wasn't ladylike."
Tsukushi stuck her tongue out at him. The car stopped just at that time. Tsukushi got out of the car before Tsukasa said anything else.
Soujiro and Akira were waiting by the gate. "We saw you two coming by, thought we might as well wait for you." They were both wearing their high school uniforms.
"They don't have problems wearing the uniforms," Tsukushi said to Tsukasa.
Tsukasa shrugged, "Like I said, I have sensitive skin."
"I suppose it's right that you don't wear a uniform. After all you don't show up in classes anyway."
"I don't need to. I'm naturally smart."
"Yeah, so smart that you don't even know your characters."
Soujiro and Akira looked at them and sighed. They were always like this. It doesn't seem like they'll be lovey dovey like most couples. Soujiro and Akira left the couple alone and walked into the school. Once they stepped through the door they were immediately confronted by a group of girls.
"Don't graduate!" "Don't leave us alone!" All the girls were teary eyed.
Soujiro smiled charmingly, "It's ok. We're just going to the college campus. You can still visit us. And in a few years you'll go to college too."
All the girls took hope at Soujiro's words. Each thinking that it was addressed to her and only her. None of them noticed that Soujiro's smile didn't reach his eyes.
********
"Seniors! Please take your seats in the front rows," the principal announced. He was bald and pudgy, only his shiny head was visible behind the podium.
The seniors took their seats. Soujiro, Akira and Tsukasa sat by themselves, occupying the whole first row, which could sit 10 people. The parents sat behind the seniors. The F3 didn't bother looking back; they knew their parents wouldn't be there.
Tsukushi was on the upper level of the auditorium. She looked down and immediately saw Tsukasa. Even if he didn't sit apart from everyone else she knew she would find him anywhere. He simply stood out; maybe it was that arrogant attitude of his. He exuded so much power without even knowing it.
The principal tapped the mike and cleared his throat. "First of all I'd like to welcome everyone here today, in celebration of our graduating class of 1997..." The principal droned on and on. His monotonous voice put everyone to sleep.
In the back of the auditorium there were two men in suits.
"Thought you wouldn't come," said one of the men.
"I was able to clear my schedule."
"Kaede-san didn't come."
"She's here, maybe not physically, but she's here."
"You know your wife pretty well." Doumyouji (dad) didn't answer.
In the Maple Hotel Headquarters, Kaede was watching the graduation ceremony. She was wearing a dark green dress suit and a yellow scarf. Her hair was tied up in her usual bun. She rested her head on her wrist, elbow on the table.
[Knock knock]
Her personal assistant came in. "Here are the files for today's meetings."
Kaede didn't look up. Her assistant looked to see what Kaede was watching. There was a bald man talking. He smiled when he saw the banner behind the man, graduating class of '97.
"If you wanted to see it, you could've rescheduled your meetings."
Kaede's eyes hardened. "Why would I change my schedule for this?" She reached to shut off the screen. The desk opened and the screen went down. The desk closed back. She reached for the files and the assistant knew he was dismissed. He walked toward the door, stopping just before exiting to look back at her, wondering why she was trying to keep the façade that she didn't care about her children. It was probably a question he'll never know the answer to.
Meanwhile, in Eitoku, the ceremony continued. The valedictorian had given a five minute long speech. Then the principle read the names of the graduating students. Luckily there were only 100. The names were called by classes, which there were five.
The principal had finally finished calling everyone's names. "I present to you the –"
"You forgot someone."
Everyone looked back to see who had said that. Tsukushi froze, clearly recognizing that voice. "Hanazawa Rui," she whispered.
************************************************************************
Hey everyone. Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I've been busy writing a 50 page paper. I'm finally done, but I have APs next. I'll try to update more regularly now that school work is almost done.
Feedback is always appreciated!