Partially Awake
Chapter 9: Doubt
Notes: Yay for writing this instead of essays! At least I'm still being somewhat productive. :P Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!
Yzak swore that he was having some sort of flashback. Or rather, he was living in a flashback. Either that or it was a really strong sense of déja vú. It was a sunny day, he was enjoying a cup of coffee and desperately trying to not kill Dearka.
The latter had occurred so frequently since the early days of their friendship that Yzak should have become used to it by now. Of course, there were exceptions such as when being on opposite sides in a war when he absolutely refused to want to kill him. But Yzak liked to think that whenever he felt like he wanted to kill Dearka, it was a just sign that everything about their friendship was alright and normal.
Like today, when Dearka was sitting right across him and once again looking at Yzak with disbelief.
"For God's sake, we still didn't do anything!" Yzak shouted, slamming down the coffee cup on the table with force and making everything else on the table shake.
A waiter who was standing close by would have said something, but he turned away after deciding that this was not a good day to have any damage done to his ears. Meanwhile Dearka was still looking at Yzak with disbelief, which only reinforced the whole déja vú thing since it made Yzak want to slam something at the table again and protest loudly. Or perhaps scream a little.
"You're seriously telling me that this is the second time you two ended up in the same bed just out of coincidence?" Dearka said. "Either you're lying or you're telling the truth and really stupid."
"Why does everyone think that we even have that kind of relationship!" Yzak went on. "She's a subordinate for crying out loud, it's against the protocols."
Dearka raised an eyebrow.
"Dude, you're engaged to her," he pointed. "I don't think the protocol thing applies anymore."
"She was my subordinate before becoming my fiancée," Yzak muttered sourly. "Does everyone think that just because we're engaged we're going to jump into bed just like that?"
Dearka did not answer and took a sip of his coffee, but he had the distinct look that said: "Well, yes."
At that moment the only thing Yzak wanted to slam against the table was his own head.
"It's not like that!" he cried to his defence. "It's just... not!"
The memory of the previous night and the moments before he had fallen asleep came to mind, but he pushed those away quickly and forced himself to think of something else. After all, it was not like they had any other choice. Because Shiho had hidden in his room, Yzak had left the room first in the morning and thus Kevin had followed him, leaving Shiho to exit the room freely and get back to her own. Everything had gone smoothly, neither Ezaria nor Kevin showed any signs of knowing anything at breakfast.
"Well, whatever you say," Dearka said with a shrug, using his fingers to spin around a tablespoon that was lying on the table. "So you two are still trying to get out of this whole thing?"
Trying being the keyword, Yzak thought to himself.
"Yep."
"Well, you seem to be doing a great job."
"Don't you have someone else to bug? When's Maggie coming anyway?"
The teaspoon's spinning came to end quickly, causing Yzak to look up. What he saw was somewhat unexpected. Dearka was pretending to stare at a spot on the table but his expression was different, unusual. It was only at second glance that Yzak realized that Dearka actually looked sad.
"We kind of broke up," Dearka told.
"I see," Yzak replied.
Nothing more needed to be said. Sure, they were best friends but if there was anything they were good at it was avoiding direct talk about private emotions. Yet Yzak could not help but to wonder and in his mind he was already speculating about the reason for the break up.
"It was because of her, wasn't it?"
Dearka looked at Yzak, a little surprised that the latter pushed the subject further.
"You don't have to say anything, but you know just as well as I do that none of your relationships have worked out is because you keep trying to make them replace her."
Dearka did not answer and just looked away instead. Countless seconds passed while Yzak watched him in hopes of an answer but after a while he just gave up and finished his coffee.
Suddenly the garden wasn't so peaceful anymore.
There were people all over the place, all of them working like bee drones to finish their tasks. There were carriers with everything from flower baskets to white linen, not really sure of were they were supposed to go. A great white tent was being raised at the end of the garden. Statues were being moved to make place for a long line of chairs, a line that would be one of many. A thin carpet was being rolled out from the entrance of the garden to the gazebo.
Shiho stood in the middle of all this, watching quietly and feeling very detached from her surroundings. Everywhere she looked there were people running around, each busy with their tasks and struggling to get everything done until the wedding. Her wedding. It felt unreal somehow, to see all the preparations for something that wasn't even supposed to happen.
"Miss Hahnenfuss!"
Turning her head upon being called, Shiho spotted a familiar man heading towards her. It took a moment for her to realize who he was, but when she saw him wearing a pair of gardener's gloves, she recognized him as Geoffrey the florist.
"Mr Geoffrey," Shiho greeted. "How nice to see you again."
"Well, it's a joyous occasion, miss," Geoffrey answered. "Or should I say Mrs Jule? I bet it is ten times more joyous for you and Mr Jule than anyone else though."
He gave her a toothy smile and Shiho surprised herself by forcing a smile automatically in response. Since when did it become so easy to pretend?
"I've seen plenty of weddings in my time," Geoffrey went on. "None as grand as yours will be, of course, but I recognize that look on your face. Seen it on plenty of brides. You're feeling a little lost, aren't you? This wedding is so huge and you start to lose track of everything that's going on. But don't worry, it all works out in the end, you'll see."
The smile on Shiho's lips felt suddenly felt much less forced. There was something in Geoffrey's words that brought reassurance, even though he had no idea what was really going through Shiho's mind.
"Thank you," she said sincerely.
The old man's smile widened, and then suddenly he jumped slightly and dug into his pockets as if he had just remembered something.
"Oh, before I forget… I wanted to ask you…"
"Shiho!"
Before Shiho had the time to react Ezaria was already by her side, as if she had appeared by magic.
"Mrs Jule," Geoffrey greeted politely.
"How lovely that you were able to come so early," Ezaria chirped and hooked Shiho's arm in a way that made Shiho feel very uncomfortable. "Now, what were you asking my soon to be daughter-in-law?"
Aside from her discomfort being increased by Ezaria referring to her as her daughter-in-law, Shiho couldn't help but to frown a little at Ezaria diving right into what could have become a personal conversation. Even Geoffrey seemed slightly taken back.
"Most of the flowers won't arrive until tomorrow but I was wondering if Miss Hahnenfuss could give me her opinion on the current design for the arrangements..."
"Oh, I'll take care of that later," Ezaria answered before Shiho could. "We have other things to attend to right now!"
Before Shiho could say anything else to Geoffrey, she was pulled away by Ezaria who started to lead her back into the house. Shiho carefully tried to pull her arm out of Ezaria's grip but the latter took no notice of it, much less Shiho's discomfort at being dragged away without having any say in it. The two of them entered the main house and Ezaria lead her towards the parlor, occasionally stopping and giving an order or two to the servants.
Shiho fought the urge to slam her head against the wall as one of the maid told Ezaria that the hotel had called and confirmed the reservations for the honeymoon suite. Seeing as she wasn't coming up with any plans or ideas to get them out of this, she might as well be using her head for something else. Maybe if she was lucky she would get a concussion and the wedding would be put off for a few days.
Then again, knowing her own mother and Ezaria, they would probably have her and Yzak marry at the hospital while she would be too disoriented to protest.
"Shiho? Come along, dear!"
Shuddering at how affectionately Ezaria called her name, Shiho bit her tongue and followed Ezaria into the parlor. What she saw in there was far worse than she could imagine.
"Oh God."
The wedding dress. Beaded, embroided, richly white wedding dress. It was finished.
"Oh, I knew you would love it!" Ezaria exclaimed happily, thinking that the shock on Shiho's face was a positive sign. "This is Clara, she'll be making the final adjustments to the dress."
Shiho smiled vaguely at the seamstress, who picked up the dress and held it in front of Shiho. Clearly at loss at what to do, Shiho just stood there and stared at the dress blankly.
"Well, go try it on," Ezaria urged, placing the dress in Shiho's hand. "You can change over there."
She pushed Shiho in the direction of a divider that had been set up in the corner of the room. The dress feeling heavy in her hands, Shiho swallowed and headed over there. Once behind the divider and out of Ezaria's sight, she could not help but to take a deep breath and mentally reminding herself to not panic. But the dress itself was a reminder of how close the wedding was. It was the day after tomorrow and if she and Yzak couldn't get out of it who knew what would happen?
Reluctantly, she unbuttoned her blouse and took off the rest of her clothes. First she took on the top of the dress and as she pulled up the zipper she noticed that it was rather loose on her. Next was the skirt, which luckily fit her perfectly.
Luckily, Shiho thought and rolled her eyes.
"Shiho, are you done yet?" Ezaria called from the other side.
Resisting the urge to say "No", Shiho took another deep breath and stepped out from behind the divider. The skirt felt heavy on her as she walked and made swishing noises for each step she took. But Ezaria noticed none of that and squealed in joy upon seeing Shiho wear the dress.
"You look so beautiful!" Ezaria stepped closer and her eyes drifted to the loose top, or to be exact, where it was loose. "…although you are lacking a bit in this department."
It took every ounce of will power Shiho had left to not make a face at that comment.
"No worries, Clara will fix it!"
The seamstress stepped forward, bearing a stool and a sewing box. She set down the stool in front of Shiho and with Ezaria's help Shiho managed to step up on it without losing her balance due to the heavy skirt.
"Hold out your arms please, miss Hahnenfuss," the seamstress asked, but it sounded more like an order.
Holding both arms out, Shiho stood there and tried to think happy thoughts as the seamstress started to work on the top. She found it difficult to think about anything happy though, most of the time she felt frustration regarding the situation and how she hadn't been able to get out of it. Other times it was pure irritation, because the seamstress kept pricking her with the needle and Ezaria was watching them both with great interest.
Looking at her, Shiho realized that it was Ezaria who was the true force behind this wedding. At first she had thought that it was the combined efforts of her parents and Ezaria but the past few days had confirmed that it was Ezaria who wanted this match most out of everyone. Her own parents could be argued with and rebelled against even if Shiho preferred not to do those things. But Ezaria was in a league of her own and Yzak would never turn directly against his mother's wishes.
Her reflections were suddenly disrupted by the sudden feeling of pain in her side.
"Jesus Christ…!" Shiho whispered, wincing as she slowly pulled out a needle and tossed it aside.
But rather than looking remorseful or even showing the slightest sign of feeling sorry for poking a needle through her skin, the seamstress just looked at Shiho with disapproval. She crossed her arms and spoke in a tone that reminded Shiho a lot about her mother.
"Miss Hahnenfuss, please don't move around that much!"
Even a voodoo doll would be fed up with you by now, Shiho thought angrily and lifted up the heavy skirt to stand up on the stool again. But she bit her tongue and took a deep breath, nothing good would come out of arguing anyway.
"Oh dear!" Ezaria exclaimed, walking closer to Shiho. "This is terrible!"
"It's okay, it doesn't hurt much," Shiho reassured with a forced smile. Ezaria becoming upset over nothing was the last thing that Shiho needed.
"Oh no, I meant the dress," Ezaria said, suddenly reaching for Shiho and turning her around. "There's a bit of blood on the top."
Shiho was nearly knocked over as the seamstress suddenly rushed over to the other side. She nearly fell off the stool, yet frowned in annoyance as Ezaria pulled her back suddenly even though it helped her keep her balance. She bit her bottom lip to keep quiet and just stood there as Ezaria and the seamstress panicked behind her back, literally.
"Oh my goodness, you are right!"
"What are we going to do? Blood on white fabric is absolutely the worst thing that could happen!"
"Let's get it off quickly!"
Before she knew it, Ezaria and the seamstress had untied the laces on the top and taken it off her. Then they both rushed out of the room, probably to the laundry room, leaving Shiho standing on the stool in the middle of the room, wearing just a wedding skirt. The sound of their rushed footsteps faded eventually.
"For crying out loud…" Shiho muttered, covering her chest and stepping off the stool.
She grabbed the blouse she had worn before and quickly pulled it over her head and put in on. Once she was properly covered, she finally let out the sigh that she had been holding in all day. She sat down on a chair, not sure of what do next. Ezaria and the seamstress showed no signs of returning and Shiho wasn't exactly in a mood to go and look for them.
Hers arms and chin resting on the window sill, she looked out the window and saw once again how the servants ran about in the garden and tried to get everything ready. Geoffrey was among them now, moving a few plants while waiting for his own to arrive. Things looked no more ready than they were when Shiho had left the garden. She guessed that it was a good thing, but knowing Ezaria she would probably find a way for everything to be done for the wedding no matter how behind schedule they were.
Resting her head against her arm, Shiho closed her eyes and shut out any images of the wedding as her thoughts once again drifted. How on earth was she supposed to think of something that could defeat Ezaria's plans? The woman was a former chairman in the Supreme Council, she had not led the war against the naturals for nothing. But war was all about strategy and using everything to your own best advantage. Shiho might not had the same strategic experience as Ezaria, but this was wedding was one war she wasn't going to lose.
Her mind was still drawing blanks though when it came to actually forming a plan. She didn't know for how long she sat there and tried to think of something but when she opened her eyes again it was because she heard the sound of footsteps. Someone was approaching the parlor. Lifting her head and looking at the watch on her wrist, Shiho noticed that she had been sitting there for almost hour now.
"Oh, you're still here!"
Recognizing Ezaria's voice, Shiho cringed before slowly getting up and forcing herself to look somewhat happy to see her.
"I forgot you were still here," Ezaria laughed while Shiho did not find it funny at all. "We managed to get the spot out and Clara is doing the final touches on the top now. You can change back into your clothes, we still have a few more things to do."
Forcing a smile, Shiho got up and walked over to the divider again, where she quickly took off the skirt and put her jeans back on. Ezaria was waiting for her by the doorway and upon seeing that Shiho had finished changing she left the parlor. Shiho caught up with Ezaria in the hallway, the latter was going through a checklist of everything that needed to be done.
"The dress is almost done, table placements are done, the cake will be delivered on the wedding day…" she murmured, checking off a few things on the list. "Now to the next thing…"
Ezaria made a sudden stop and Shiho did as well. She looked up to see that they had gone into the dining hall and a maid was setting the table for two.
"Time for lunch," Ezaria told and took her seat. "The caterer has come and is cooking a sample menu, I thought that we would taste it and see if anything needs to be change."
"Combining work and lunch," Shiho answered and realized that this was the first thing she had said in a long time.
"Exactly," Ezaria agreed. She took a napkin and folded it elegantly in her lap without making an effort. "After this we'll watch the musician's rehearsal and just make sure that everything in the garden looks alright."
"Wonderful."
Before Ezaria could say anything else, a series of quiet beeps echoed in the large dining room. Shiho looked around at first, but then saw Ezaria picking up her phone and apparently reading a message she had received. Whatever that message said, it must have been good because Ezaria giggled like a schoolgirl and looked very excited when she had finished reading this.
"Excuse me, I'm just going to make a quick phone call," she said, getting up and quickly leaving the dining room.
Shiho said nothing, Ezaria was already gone by the time she opened her mouth. Instead she leaned against the back of the chair, sitting more comfortably and waited for Ezaria to return. The grandfather clock on the other side of the room told her that ten minutes have passed when the maid served the food and Ezaria hadn't returned.
The rich aroma of the food made Shiho's mouth water and suddenly made her feel very hungry. She crossed her arms, staring at the clock and waiting for Ezaria to return.
Another ten minutes passed.
Shiho tapped her fingers against the table, glancing at the food and resisting the urge to start without Ezaria. She tried to rationalize it by thinking that the food would grow cold but the thought of Ezaria getting upset over her starting to eat was slightly worse than going hungry for another few minutes. When she heard footsteps again, she looked over her shoulder in hopes of seeing Ezaria but to her great disappointment it was only another maid passing by.
"Excuse me?"
The maid made a sudden stop and turned towards Shiho who had risen from the chair.
"Have you seen Mrs Jule?" Shiho asked. "She left to make a phone call a while ago."
"No, I haven't, miss," the maid answered and looked apologetic. "Would you like me to look for her?"
"No, it's okay… I'll go look for her myself," Shiho said, already on her way.
She looked in the nearby rooms first but found no trace of Ezaria at all. Every servant who walked by claimed to not have seen her and Shiho was starting to believe that Ezaria had vanished into thin air. Outside on the patio she met up with Geoffrey again, who had not seen Ezaria either. When Shiho went back inside, hands in her pockets like a discontent child, she decided on going back to the dining room and wait there instead.
Taking the first few steps, she sourly thought that the food had to be cold by now when she looked up and saw the half closed doors of the parlor. Perhaps Ezaria had gone back to get the dress and forgotten about Shiho? After all, it would not be the first time that happened.
Approaching the door, Shiho reached out her hand to open it further so that she could go inside. But just as her fingers made contact with the door she suddenly froze right in her tracks. Her whole body began rigid and did not move an inch. Time seemed to stop and the only thing she could think was that her reaction was not weird considering what she saw.
There, standing in the corner of the parlor, were Ezaria and Kevin.
Holding hands.
Kissing.
Shiho didn't know for how long she stood there with her mouth half open in shock. Once her mind was starting to function again, she immediately questioned her own sanity. She couldn't possibly be seeing what she was seeing?
"Kevin… muffin, I can't stay long… Shiho's still waiting…"
Muffin.
This was too absurd to not be real. Feeling a mixture of shock and repulse, Shiho quietly turned around and ran back to the dining room.
Upon seeing everyone heavily occupied with preparing for the wedding, Yzak made a smart move and ran upstairs into his room before anyone could drag him into doing anything. Once the door was closed behind him and all the noise of the house shut out, he threw himself on his bed. There he lay with his hands tucked underneath his head, staring at the ceiling and enjoying the peace and quiet. The rest of the house could stress themselves to death for all he cared. Except his mother of course, he wished her no harm.
"Don't you think you can escape by hiding in here."
Yzak sat up quickly.
"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" he snapped.
Shiho ignored him and entered the room fully before closing the door after her. She stood by the foot of the bed with crossed arms and looked down at Yzak rather angrily. For a moment he forgot about being irritated at her for entering his room.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked.
"I suppose you wouldn't know, you've been running around having fun with Dearka all day while I was stuck here with your mother," Shiho snorted. "Do you know how many needles I've had poked into me today! One of them actually drew blood!"
"I'm sure someone called an ambulance for you," Yzak muttered and lay down on the bed again.
He was starting to get the feeling of déja vú again with Shiho barging into his room and seemingly upset over something.
"You need to do something about your mother," Shiho went on and sat down next to Yzak on the bed. "If you can get to her, then we might have a chance of stopping everything. All you have to do is to tell her what you really feel and stand up for yourself!"
"Yeah, because it's really that easy," Yzak retorted sarcastically. "I haven't seen you having a heart to heart with your parents."
"They're not the ones who are here now, aren't they!" Shiho protested. "Besides, your mother is the one pulling the strings here. She's the one who got us an apartment and now she's up to her ears in planning this wedding, if you don't stop her then…"
"Stop talking about my mother like she's some villain!" Yzak shouted, sitting up.
"She's controlling everything and everyone!" Shiho continued like she had not heard Yzak. "The flowers, my dress, the music…"
"Why the hell do you care about that!"
The question clearly caught her off guard and Yzak saw how Shiho's cheeks became red. But she looked away in hopes that he wouldn't notice.
"I'm just saying… you need to do something about your mom."
"No one is going to do anything to my mother," Yzak muttered angrily, feeling defensive. "And considering your relationship with your own mother, you really shouldn't talk."
He lay back down again and was about to turn his back on Shiho when he saw her face redden again. This time it was not in embarrassment, it was full blown anger. He could see it in her eyes and how she was starting to breathe a lot heavier. A small part of him was starting to regret the words he had spoken.
"…your mother made out with Kevin!"
Shiho brought her hand up to her lips the moment the words had slipped out of her mouth. What he had said to her had been so hurtful, so inconsiderate. At that moment she had been filled with anger and all she wanted to do was to hurt in response. But now when the anger was gone and the words out of her mouth, she could only sit there in silence and watch Yzak for any sort of reaction. He was still lying there, hands tucked under his head, as before. But his eyes were wide and staring directly at her in a way that made her want to run away and hide.
"What?" he whispered after a while.
Shiho shook her head.
"No, it was nothing," she murmured. "Don't listen to me, I was just…"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!"
Shiho let out a gasp as Yzak suddenly rose up and grabbed her by her shoulders. Although she tried to shrug his hands away, his grip on her shoulders was so tight that she could barely move an inch. He moved his face closer to hers, still staring directly into her eyes in a way that made Shiho aware of how rapidly her heart was beating. She convinced herself that it was out of fear because she had no other explanation for it.
"Your mother… I…" Shiho stammered, not sure what to say. "I saw her and Kevin…"
Apparently those few words were all that were needed. Yzak let go of her immediately and jumped off the bed. Just a few moments later he was out of the room and running down the corridor, leaving Shiho all alone in the room. She bit her lip, mentally berating herself for telling him so abruptly. It wasn't like she wasn't going to tell him, but had she not blurted it out in anger she would have found a better way to break it to him.
Considering his reaction, Shiho was sure now that it would have been the right decision.
Leaving the room as well, she looked around for Yzak but found him already on his way downstairs.
"Yzak!" she called. "Wait!"
She ran after him, seeing as he showed no signs of even listening to her. Somewhere in the distance she could hear Ezaria speaking, she had to be close by as well. Taking the last few steps of the stairs, she caught up with Yzak, placed herself in front of him and grabbed his arms to stop him.
"Yzak, wait," she tried. "Listen to me, you have to calm down… nothing good going to come out of this if you…"
"Get off me," Yzak muttered coldly and shoved her arms off him.
Shiho nearly stumbled backwards but stared at him blankly as he turned his back on her and walked away. The way he had spoken to her and just pushed her away… for some reason it felt painful even though there had been no physical harm. She was breathing heavily again, as if breathing normally had suddenly become difficult. It was not out of anger, why was she feeling like this?
Shaking her head, Shiho forced herself to focus and followed Yzak anyway. He headed towards the parlor, from where Ezaria's voice could be heard. When he opened the door completely, they both saw that it was filled with various people from the staff and the ones working on the wedding. Ezaria was standing in the middle of the room and had been speaking up until Yzak had appeared.
"Ah Yzak, you're home!" Ezaria said, approaching Yzak to give him a hug.
But Yzak stepped away, much to Ezaria and everyone else's shock. Instead he looked around and when he finally saw the one he was looking for, he made a beeline for one of the corners in the room. Ezaria looked at Shiho for some explanation, but the latter just tried to avoid her and everyone else's gaze. If there was a moment Shiho wanted to sink through the floor, this was it. In the mean time, Yzak headed towards Kevin.
"YOU!" he exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the bodyguard. "You son of a…"
"Yzak!" Ezaria rushed forward and placed herself between Yzak and Kevin. "Watch your language!"
"He deserves to be call that!" Yzak yelled in response and then turned to back to Kevin. "You are so dead, I swear…"
"Mr Jule, please calm down," Kevin replied in his usual monotonous voice.
"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!"
"Yzak, honey, what are you doing?" Ezaria questioned, her eyes filled with worry of her son.
"Don't pretend like you don't know!" Yzak shouted loudly, causing Ezaria to take a step back. "Shiho saw you… and him… YOU TWO ARE HAVING AN AFFAIR!"
The staff members drew a collective gasp upon Yzak's revelation and once again looked towards Shiho for an explanation. Shiho smiled awkwardly at them and pretended to admire the nearest vase.
"What…?" Ezaria whispered, full of confusion and guilt at the same time. "Honey, Shiho must have misunderstood what she saw…"
"Are you saying that she's lying?" Yzak cut off abruptly.
When Ezaria looked away instead of answering, Yzak turned back to his primary source of anger. During this whole conversation, Kevin had not moved an inch or even changed his facial expression, a fact that probably infuriated Yzak even more from what Shiho could tell.
"You…" he started again. "I knew something was wrong with you from the start, you stay the hell away from my mother!"
"Mr Jule, please restrain yourself or I will be forced to take action," Kevin spoke.
"So you want to fight, huh? Fine by me! Let's see how much action you can take when you're being trampled by a mobile suit!"
"Yzak!" Ezaria stepped in front of Yzak again and looked straight into his eyes. "I realize that you are upset and trust me, Kevin and I were going to tell you but this is all new to us too! We…" Ezaria's expression changed from looking upset to looking like she was pleading. "Honey, don't you want your mother to be happy?"
Yzak opened his mouth but to everyone's surprise he said nothing. He repeated this several times as if he actually wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words. Either that, or he was just realizing that his mother was right. Shiho watched him in concern, the servants hoped that their ears would be spared from another of round of shouting.
"Screw this!" Yzak snapped and pointed at Kevin. "YOU! You are so fired!"
"Mr Jule, you are not my employer."
"Whatever!"
As Yzak started on another round of shouting, Shiho sighed and buried her face in her hands. Just when things could not possibly get worse, she felt someone tap on her shoulder and turned around to face one of the maids.
"Excuse me miss, Mr and Mrs Hahnenfuss have arrived."
As if called on cue, both her parents came walking from the hallway. Shiho felt as if the last bit of sanity in the house flew away. If she had been able to have things her way, she would have flown away with it.
"Well, aren't you glad to see us?" Keiko asked when Shiho didn't greet them.
Shiho smiled awkwardly.
"Yeah… very."
Notes: Return of capslock!Yzak... the final chapter and conclusion to this story is up next.