Disclaimer I don't own any of the HYD characters nor the original plotline of HYD, but I certainly own this particular plot and all the characters I created for it...

A couple of important author notes :

- I know the legal age for alcohol drinking in the USA is 21 – I've been living there long enough to know that –, and that it is a remnant of the prohibition, but in most countries it's not that late in life you get to drink if that pleases you to do so. In France, for instance, it's 18 on your own, 16 if accompanied by an adult. I have no idea whatsoever about the legal age for drinking in Japan, but I decided that it was going to be 18 for this fiction (let's say it's my story, I chose the rules). I am NOT, in any case, promoting underage drinking – it's always wrong to break the law, and you know it...

- A question I already got twice now : "Will Akira ever get what he wants from Sophie ?"... Well, I'm a real chatterbox – considering the number of words this fic has, having been begun to be written less than a week ago, I'm sure you've kinda figured it out ... – and I still see a lot of things happening before I put an end to it. I'm already thinking of several twists, but I'm not sure about which will be in the final story... Let's say sometimes my fingers surprise myself more than my brain : I actually don't know where everything I write comes from... ;o) So, to answer (Mega SPOILER) : he'll get what he wants, but he doesn't really know what that is for the moment, and he's SO going to suffer before getting to it... :D (Sometimes, I wonder if writing is not a way to satisfy our little sadist tendencies...)

- I'm going to repeat myself, but I base all of this on the live-action drama HYD... So some events were depicted a little differently than in the manga – don't resent me for it. Besides, Abe Tsuyoshi – the actor who impersonates Akira – is such a hunk, I prefer my Sophie to be paired with him than with a drawing... ;o)

Thanks to my reviewers : az09 and Juliana ! I love you ! (Okay, maybe I'm overdoing it... ;o) )Anyway, thanks for taking the time to review – it makes me feel less alone !

Sorry for the length of this : but the length of the chapter is proportional (whatever...)

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10-Happy Birthday Tsukasa

"What is that party for again, sweety ?

- It's the birthday of this boy Tsukasa Domyouji, Mom. He's the boyfriend of my new friend Tsukushi Makino I told you all about.

- By the way, you should invite her over, sometime. She seems like a nice decent girl. What about Domyouji ? The name seems oddly familiar.

- Isn't it the name of this big corporation, intervened Sophie's father, here in Japan ?

- Yes, he's the only son of the president of the company.

- They're insanely rich and, from what I've heard, the lady that has all the power – a certain Kaede Domyouji, is it – is quite ruthless and haughty. I hope you're not turning into one of those kids that believe the world should be grateful they're part of it.

- Oh, come on, Dad ! Do I seem to be like this, now ?

- Well, I told you I don't want you to...

- I know, I know... And I'm not. It's just a party, and Tsukushi will be there, I promised her I would come.

- Just behave yourself and don't bring shame on the French. You should feel the responsibility you have as the only French student of Eitoku Academy. I had to go through a lot of trouble having you transfered you there, you know...

- Dad, it's offensive of you to say that to me ! As if I would behave badly...

- You always think everything I do for you is offensive, Sophie. And all I want is just for you to turn into a decent human being.

- That's the reason for you not sending me in the same highschool as Marion ?

- Oh don't worry about that, as soon as she'll speak correctly Japanese, I'm having her attending Eitoku like you are.

- Whatever... I'm going to be late !

- You should be more respectful of your father, Sophie."

Sophie found it difficult not to roll her eyes in disbelief. Great, her mother was taking sides with her father. She could not help it, he could piss her off so much at times ! She had to tell her sister to maintain a bad level in Japanese, for her own good. She sighed in frustration.

"I heard that."

She pinched her lips to avoid answering something disrespectful.

"And I saw that too. Do you really want me to cancel the car ?"

She breathed in and decided it wasn't worth it to begin a new argument.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm feeling a little emotional. The transition has not been easy at all on me.

- Who said it had to be ? Well, I'm sorry if I offended you. I just want the best for you."

She managed to smile.

"So, what are you still doing here ? You should be on your way already ! Have fun and don't come home too late.

- I won't. Thanks, Dad. Have a good evening !"

It was difficult to stay pissed when he apologized, after all. She reminded herself that the transition had to be difficult for him too, and for her mother, also. After all, they had begun to learn Japanese just a few months ago, when they had formed the project to move to Tokyo, and they were already working in all-Japanese environments. On some level, she was having an easier transition than the one they were having.

On her way out, she smiled to her little sister, who was sitting on the stairs to see her before she left.

"I wish I could come with you so much, Sophie !

- You wouldn't if you really knew, Marion...

- But you get to be all dressed up and all. And you look so pretty !

- Well, thank you, sis... Have a good night, I'll tell you all about it tomorrow when I get up, I promise.

- Great !"

She kissed her sister goodnight and proceeded to the car. She hoped the night would be nice despite the desperate gold-digging females that resented her for having shared a lunch with 'Akira from the F4'... If only they knew how little she actually cared ! And she also hoped the guy in question would leave her alone for the evening – she wasn't exactly in the mood to deal with him.

When the car pulled to a stop in front of the Domyouji residence, Sophie understood what her father meant when he had said they were 'insanely rich'. And that was quite obvious. She had thought the Mimasaka mansion was indecent in its size, when he had brought her there for his little demonstration, but this was just... way too much.

The driver opened the door and she got out. She smiled at him and thanked him. He smiled back – it's not every day you find a rich family that actually respects their employees. She took the bag where the present was – a very good bottle of French wine. She had not been able to think of anything else more personal : she didn't know the guy, so she didn't know what else to get him. He was turning nineteen, so she guessed it was okay.

She gathered her coat more closely around her. Maybe the dress she had chosen was not warm enough. Then again, she could hardly change into something else, now. She hoped she had not overdone it – Tsukushi had said the dress code was formal, but that had left her with the difficult task of determining how formal it was going to be.

She entered the mansion, left her present with the other presents and her coat with the other coats. She was a little late considering the time she had told her friend she'd be there. What did the person that took her coat say, already ? At the end of the hallway, on the right. Well, she could hear some music down that way. She breathed in. It could not be that terrible. She'd live through it all right – she was not one to be overwhelmed.

"It's not the moment to be a coward, Sophie.", she reminded herself.

Tsukasa couldn't stop looking at Tsukushi, who was blushing from the undivided attention – she felt he was devouring her with his fiery eyes. The dress she was wearing was a white one – kind of the same cut than that night when Shizuka had lent her one of her own and some silver shoes to replace the outfit Asai and her stupid friends had ruined with their petty bullying. The night of their first kiss. Well, kind of their first kiss, if you call falling on top of each other with lip contact 'kissing'...

White was a great color for Tsukushi : it made her complexion seem even more silky and her skin more luminous. She did look stunning in the dress – Tsukusa's Wednesday stupid grin had been somewhat justified. She was happy to have finally accepted his absurd request, since it made obviously him so happy to see her like this. But she had been adamant : it was a one time thing, she didn't want him buying her designer's clothes all the time. It just wasn't her.

Faithful to himself, Rui was not talking much, and he seemed bored already. He looked very good in his white tuxedo, though – the perfect romantic hero. Akira and Soujiro were commenting on the girls attending the party, or, more accurately, associating a number on the 'no way'-'totally in my bed' scale to every female entering the room. After all, that allowed them to decide which of the ladies would have the opportunity to 'know them better' afterwards. They had decided to indulge in their game out of Tsukushi's earshot, to avoid being called once again 'the pack of perverted pigs' and any of the other kind names – if she actually restrained herself to just names – that usually associated with them during this activity.

"I would totally do this one.

- Which one... The one that just entered ?... No, too tall.

- Still, I'd do her. It's not like it would matter when she's not standing, Akira commented with an expert wink.

- That one in the red dress would be more to my liking. Let's say... eight out of ten on NWTIB.

- Too young, too girly, too slutty. I'll never understand why you always go after those.

- And I'll never understand why you like to bed women in their thirties. But I live with it – it's actually better for us to have separate 'hunting grounds'. Besides, slutty young girls usually know what they're doing, if you see what I mean.

- Of course I know what you mean, you see, I..."

Akira stopped in mid-sentence when he saw her enter the room. Soujiro just proceeded with his blabber.

"Oh... but we have got a nine and a half coming ! Who is this babe and how come I don't know her yet ?"

Akira stayed mute. He had recognized her immediately – but hardly. Her face was the same, but her whole figure looked so different in this outfit compared to Eitoku's uniform. She looked like a woman all right, he couldn't help but think. Her hair was elegantly gathered in a high elaborate bun, with a few loose curly locks that framed her harmonious face, showing a graceful neck that came out of the V-neckline of the silk black dress that enveloped her body gracefully all the way down to her feet, wearing simple black stilletoes with a strass buckle. Akira admired her shoulders and couldn't help but but think for a moment it was a shame the uniform concealed those usually.

She was wearing neither too little or too much make-up : just enough to make her eyes look magical and her lips delicious. Everything about her screamed elegance and taste – well, isn't it what you would expect from a French girl ? Akira licked his lips and interrupted Soujiro's commentaries.

"It's her... It's Sophie."

Soujiro raised an eyebrow and turned towards his friend.

"You forgot to mention she was a babe...

- She's handsome enough in uniform, and I told you so. You didn't seem to respond to the description I made then.

- As I said, you forgot to mention she was a babe. I feel inclined to go international like you, now.

- She's mine, Soujiro.

- Well, apparently, she begs to differ, if I believe what you told us of your adventures... But you could keep trying – it's being quite entertaining. A shame, though...

- You know, I actually didn't recognize her right away. She looks... like a woman.

- She looks like a man usually ? It's hard to believe...

- Don't be stupid, Soujiro. She looks like a girl, usually.

- Well, whatever you say, the good thing is that now, I understand why you won't give up : it kind of makes sense. With a body like this, it's really a pity she won't let herself be seduced.

- Shut up, Soujiro."

Oblivious of being the subject of the two playboys conversation, Sophie glanced about the room, trying to locate her friend. Tsukushi spotted her nearly at the same time than she did see her, they nearly ran towards one another, as if they got a chance to meet after years of separation. Tsukasa couldn't believe those girls : they had been together only a few hours ago. And tonight was his night. It was his birthday, Tsukushi was supposed to want to be with him all the time. So why the hell did she leave him to run to that girl ? He sighed and decided to go towards them. He took Rui's arm in the process, waking him up a bit and making him follow the whole movement.

"Rui : tonight, you've got a mission, he said calmly as he was going after Tsukushi. You're keeping the psycho occupied. I want Tsukushi for myself. Tonight – is – about – me.

- I'll always be amazed by your sense of priorities, Tsukasa.

- Come on, man, you owe me. Besides, you already know the girl.

- You'll have to protect me from Akira, if I do that. He won't appreciate my interference.

- Just do it.

- Hmm."

When they arrived near the two girls, they were still babbling about how good each other looked this night and how glad they were to be there, and everything girlfriends talk about in this kind of occasion. Tsukasa wrapped his arm around Tsukushi's waist possessively. She frowned, nearly nudging him away, but decided otherwise.

"Hey Sophie, I don't believe you've met Tsukasa, yet.

- I didn't get the chance, no. It's nice to finally meet you ! Happy birthday to you, I hope you'll have a fantastic year, she added with a warm smile. Tsukushi talks an awful lot about you."

Tsukasa blushed uncomfortably. Tsukushi talked a lot about him? She had to care about him, then. He looked at the genuine smile on the French girl's face, and the comfortable warmth of her expression, devoid of all the stupid worshipping fear that crept on all the likes of Asai and her followers, and he decided he liked her, kind of – she seemed to be made of the same wood as his Tsukushi. But well, this one seemeed crazier. Two violent girls in this one room... he hoped that would not turn out to be scary. Then again, she was Tsukushi's friend – it had to mean something.

"Nice to meet you. I hope you'll have a nice evening."

She smiled again, and then she spotted Rui behind Tsukasa, who had kept quiet.

"And if it isn't Rui Hanazawa. How have you been since last Friday ?"

Rui thought that she was the second person to call him with his full name, as if his first and last name were not separable.

"You can call me Rui, you know.

- I'll try, but I can't promise anything, she answered with a smile and a shrug. You know, I've begun to read the book you told me all about when we ran into you in the Gardens last week. It's a little difficult with all these ancient words that I don't really know, but I think I'm already liking it a lot !"

Tsukasa was not sure he had just heard this comment correctly. Rui had talked about something, he had brought up a topic ? Okay, this girl had a strange – potentially bad – influence on the F4 she met. Akira became unable to turn on the 'fall for me' vibe for her and Rui was actually talking to her ? He just hoped nothing as dramatic would happen to him. Rui just smiled in return.

"I'm glad you like it. If you have issues with the language, you can just talk to me about it, I'll clear what I can.

- Great ! I'll hold you to your word!"

Her expressive face was the theater of so many feelings it was hardly ever still. Apparently the hyperactivity and the extra energy she irradiated were somewhat contagious. Not that Rui was actually making a full speech, but he was talking and smiling – just as when he was with Tsukushi.

That was the moment Soujiro and Akira chose to show up near the little group. It would have been difficult not to notice the effect Akira's arrival had on Sophie's liveliness. The smile died on her lips and her back stiffened, as she muttered : "And here comes the moron." Tsukasa almost said something but decided rectifying the offense wasn't worth being molested by Tsukushi for defending Akira's behaviour. Rui just pinched his lips to avoid a smile from forming on them.

Akira and Soujiro looked gorgeous this night – and they knew it. They were walking through the room as if they owned the world. Akira had not anticipated Sophie would come to the party, and even less that she would look that good. But, as a seducer, you learn how to make the best out of unforeseen opportunities. He flashed his most seductive grin at her.

"Good evening, gor... Sophie.

- You stopped yourself just in time, she noticed.

- I had to... I don't have any red piece of clothing on me tonight to match the slap mark.

- Did you taste the snails, yet ? Were they any good ?

- We go on so well, together, Sophie... We really have got to stop meeting like this.

- As far as I'm concerned, you can drop the 'like this', you know.

- Ouch, that was actually hurtful."

Tsukushi decided it was the moment to intervene to avoid a public slaughter – she could already see Sophie's annoyance from running into Akira build up inside of her, and that was not why she had convinced her friend to come. So she did the only thing she could think of.

"Sophie, have you met the infamous Soujiro Nishikado, yet ? Those four useless guys are actually childhood friends, she said as she pointed successively at each of the F4. They're all supposed to be in class C – except they never attend.

- Yes, we do. But only when we need to, Soujiro justified.

- Then you don't seem to think that happens very often", Tsukushi remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Sophie recognized the aim of Tsukushi's intervention and decided she was not going to be obtuse about it. She took the bait and proceeded to ignore Akira.

"Soujiro ? It's very nice to meet you. I would have to ask how you put up with this moron over here, but that's not the point."

Soujiro decided he was going to use what he knew from Akira's experiences not to earn his very own slap from her.

"Sophie, is it? Likewise. But you know, he's not always that bad."

He paused the time to choose an appropriate subject of conversation.

"So, I hear you recently moved here from France ? Where is it exactly you used to live ?"

Akira felt he could kill Soujiro when he heard him say that. He had no right to do this to him. And when he saw his friend lead her to the dance floor, following Tsukushi and Tsukasa, he tightened his fists. This was not normal : the first time she met him, she had slapped him. But after two lousy question, and a charming smile, Soujiro was going to have a slow dance with her, just like that ? And to say she claimed to hate playboys... Soujiro was even worse than him – after all, he didn't have that stupid one-week rule that his friend lived by.

"I can't believe she's in his arms, laughing at a joke already. He's a worse playboy than I am !"

Rui's voice startled him – he had forgotten his quiet friend's presence.

"Well, he didn't come on to her as strongly as you did every last time you met her. He even tried to save you from her wrath, I think. Not like he would try anything with her. He was just being a friend to you.

- You bet. He was giving her a nine and a half on NWTIB not ten minutes ago. I know him – we're of the same kind. If he's being nice to a beautiful girl he hardly knows, you can be sure he has an ulterior motive.

- You're overreacting.

- I'm not. Especially when he knows I'm interested in the girl.

- He said himself her kind were too much trouble.

- But it's just like him to try to make a point to me. Boy, that girl has a problem.

- She doesn't like you but tolerates Soujiro, so she has a problem ? That's not a twisted way of thinking...

- Like you would know. You're partial, you think 'she's nice and funny, he said making a face and mimicking Rui's voice'.

- Well, she is... Whatever, anyway. If Soujiro is taking care of her, I guess Tsukasa won't resent me from resuming my previous occupation."

Rui began to trail back to the chair he had been previously falling asleep in, after a simple : "Just calm down, Akira."

As if it was that simple. The girl was infuriating. The first slap had come from nowhere : he had not even been trying to really seduce her then. He just wanted the spot she was occupying in the library. And she had hated him instantly – even if she refused to admit to hating him when he had asked, and had eluded the question with a clever remark. And he didn't understand why. And now, she seemed to like Soujiro ? Soujiro who was the one that went after young ladies like her ! Didn't she smell real danger when it hit her in the face ?

Well, apart from the confrontation in the garden, the evening had been pretty nice, she guessed. She leaned against the backseat of the car as it was bringing her back to her home. She removed her shoes and rubbed her sore feet. Fashion was indeed cruel. Like they said back in France : "Il faut souffrir pour être belle." ("A girl has to suffer to achieve beauty." – It's a real French saying, I swear... And I've learnt only a few weeks ago that there was no equivalent in English...)

She relieved her skull by beginning to undo the sophisticated bun she had fashioned earlier – she could not understand why, but those always ended up by giving her a splitting headache. As the locks were falling one by one on her shoulders, she thought again of the night.

Now that she had met all of the terrible F4, she was seriously wondering why the all the students of Eitoku lived in such fear of them. Yes, they were rich, that much she had well understood. But they seemed quite harmless in person, after all. Rui was this sweet, almost shy guy, always elsewhere, in his mind. Tsukasa was an unrefined gruff guy, but his love for Tsukushi had clearly brought out the best in him. Soujiro was a nice guy – she could feel there was more to him than he had been willing to show, but he had been funny and nice throughout the evening. She had noticed that this new acquaintance of hers had provoked some new glares from other girls in her direction. Not that she really cared. They could be stupid if they liked – she didn't want to be. As for Akira, sure, he was a moron, but there was nothing to really fear from him, was there?

She still had trouble understanding how a somewhat drunk Akira had had the nerve to corner her in the garden of the Domyouji property, though, while she was taking some air, away from the overcrowded and noisy room, demanding an absurd answer from her.

"I thought you hated womanizers.

- I do.

- Then tell me why you do act so friendly towards Soujiro. He's even worse at that than I am."

She remembered being taken by surprise by this remark. How dare he monitor who she befriended ? Sure, she had felt the womanizing vibe in the young Nishikado, but she had not felt as threatened by it as she had felt by every move Akira had made on her since their eventful encounter in Eitoku's library. Soujiro had not tried to name her anything else than 'Sophie', which was her name, after all. He had not tried to put his hands on her the way Akira had believed himself entitled to. He had not blurted out used-up pick-up lines. He had just been a bit too charming, but, well, you can't blame a guy for being who he is, as long as he gets that you're not falling for it and accepts it. And she was pretty sure he had not tried anything other than friendliness towards her – besides, he had left the party with one of the slutty girls that attended it, one wearing an outrageously short red dress. If she judged by that, she was safe – she could not be his style, and it was actually a relief.

Tsukushi herself had admitted to being amazed by his gentlemanly behavior towards her friend, when they had been resting on a couch towards the end of the evening, while Sophie was waiting for the car to come pick her up.

So why did the other moron believe himself to have the right to come and make this kind of remarks ? She did not have to justify herself, but, still, she had not been able to shut herself up.

"I only hate them when they're trying to make me the latest entry on their hunting list."

Apparently, this was not the answer he had been expecting. Well, what possibly would he have wanted her to answer ? "Sorry, I did not notice. I won't speak to him anymore."? The more she thought of it, the more she felt the adequate answer would have been "Mind your own business" or "Go to hell." She felt stupid not to have been able to answer that, instead of nearly explaining that she didn't want another playboy to think he could toy with her and then discard her.

No, she had already been there, she had already done that. She closed her eyes, and her jaw shivered. She would not think about it, not now. Not ever again. The sad bastard would never have another tear from her. He had already had enough of them. She bit her lips and clutched her dress nervously.

She shook her head as if to shake the thought away. A shame Rui and Soujiro had to be friends with the other moronic jerk. She would have liked to be friends with them – especially since Tsukushi spoke so highly of them.

She'd think about all of it tomorrow. Tonight, she was too tired, and she needed some sleep. Tomorrow, she would not think of him. Tomorrow, she'd tell Marion all about the room, the group that had been hired for the music, the boys, the dresses, and the most huge birthday cake she had ever seen in her life.

Yes, tomorrow would be a good day. A better day. Another day.

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Okay, lots of things happening there – I hope not too much. I hope you enjoyed the chapter – personally, I think I like it, because it finally gives a little depth to Sophie...

Well, JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK !

And because I'm sure some people are going to wonder about the whole NWTIB scale : it does not come entirely from my imagination. I have this friend who actually does this (The French name of the scale, for those who can appreciate it : "Pas Moyen-Quand Elle Veut"...). and he's only a pig as a boyfriend - that's why he will always stay on my friend zone - or so I hope !