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...

I still don't own "Dinner at eight" by Rufus Wainwright either : if I did, it would be "Dinner at eight" by Frenchgal, and it would be our loss, because my voice and my piano playing is not nearly as nice as his... ;o)

Author Notes : Okay, so personally, I didn't have a single clue about the ceremony of tea, except for the few hints in the Japanese drama. So what's reported in here about it comes from an – extensive ;o) – research on Wikipedia and another website of an international federation of tea ceremony. The part about the unique bowl was mentioned there, and gave me an idea – that you will read below. So it's not just my imagination, it's a real possibility. As for the Japanese words that are used there, seiza is just the denomination of the traditional way of sitting on your heels, and hakobi demae is just the name of one type of tea ceremony, cf Wikipedia for more details.

Thanks to my reviewers Kashudoreineko (aka kashuneko – the 50th review on my story !), ANIMESHUNTER, Juliana and az09.

Basically, this is the confrontation + something else. So the dwelling part is over – for the moment. You'll understand by reading that it's not completely over, and of course, it wouldn't make any sense for me to have brought it this far without continuing to use it. So for those who wonder things like "Is Kyoko still alive ?", "Will we meet her", "Will Akira try to find her?" and so on... Just be patient and leave it to me... you'll read about that soon enough !

ANIMESHUNTER : Sophie reading Japanese : well she's been learning it. In France, at least, they never separate the reading and speaking part when we learn a language – I should know it's killing me with Chinese characters – but I admit, I'm impressed with her ease in Japan myself... ;o)

Juliana, I'm so happy to be surprising : it's not fun when everything is guessable, is it ? So thanks !

As for Sophie love life/interests : leave it to me ! If I told you know how it's going to end – and I know how it ends, I've already been writing some parts of the end – there would be no point it keep reading, wouldn't there ?

Once again, sorry with the huge blabber section and on with the story !

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24-Some people just need help

Izumi Mimasaka finally went quiet. He turned towards his son to try and see what his reaction was at the story that had preceded both his birth and this memory that still haunted him as a young man. Akira had lowered his eyes, probably during the speech. His head was maintained by one of his hands, and he seemed to be staring at one of his feet, which was tracing imaginary patterns on the hardwood floor – not quite the attitude you would have expected after such a revelation. When he raised his eyes again, the violent rage that was there before had left and been replaced by a painful and hurting gaze.

"You think this can actually satisfy me as an answer ? That may well explain 'why I have the nightmare', and 'why the hell you didn't tell me when you still thought I had no idea', but not at all 'why you had to lie to me when I asked you about it a few years ago'."

He shook his head in disgust and pain.

"This is why I'm pissed, why I'm hurt. This is why I feel betrayed. You're my father – the person I trusted above anyone else. You were the one person I thought of to talk about this nightmare that made me wake up covered in cold sweat... And when I told about that nightmare who made me feel so lost, so sad, so alone... You just made me feel like shit, like I was a bad son to Mom, like it was all my fault, like I was mentally deranged, he continued with an increasing rage in his voice. But maybe that's what you figured : like mother, like son ?

- Akira... Listen...

- I've been listening for about half an hour, he snapped. I didn't hear anything worth calming down. Quite on the contrary... All along, you knew. You knew it had to be a memory. It couldn't go away... How could it ? I saw my own mother leave me forever without even so much as looking at me... Accusing me to be the reason she felt deformed and despaired... My own mother, he repeated with emphasis. How could you ever think it might go away just by making me feel guilty ? It made things worse for me.

- I thought it would go away... Understand this, I never allow myself to think of your mother. You took me by surprise, that day. I didn't know how to react... And afterwards, I thought ut had stopped. Please understand : they wiped her out my life, and I remarried. I can't do that to Chie – I can't chase after Kyoko. And I thought it would go away, that you'd dismiss it as a bad dream...

- Magically, I suppose ? With a lie ? Did you think my subconscious was going to settle for a lie when it screamed at me to uncover it ? Gosh ! I even thought I needed to see a shrink, he accused. That my twisted mind needed to be analyzed to understand why I would dream something that awful about my own mother.

- Akira, son. Chie is your mother...

- I know. I don't see how I could resent her at all for any of this. Because, somehow, I admire her all the more as a woman for being able to bring me up and love me as she has, without ever making any difference between me, Yuri and Yoko. Without ever letting me have the slightest hint that she was not my biological mother. She is a great woman. Don't worry about her, I won't do or say anything to hurt her. I won't even tell her that I know, if you don't push me."

Izumi Mimasaka sighed in relief at that statement.

"Oh, be relieved for her. Not for you. I'm going to let this go away and forgive you like it was nothing to mess with my mind and my feelings. You I resent, strongly... More that you ever resented your parents for what they did to your life. I cannot trust you anymore...

- Akira...

- Shut up, Father. Since you had the nerve to lie to me on something as important as this, to your own son, who was in pain, I don't think I even owe you any respect anymore. I hate you for what you did to me.

- And what did I do that was so awful ? I just wanted to protect you, I wanted you to have a loving mother. Is that so awful ?

- What did you do ? From your story, it would more be 'what didn't you do' ! Letting them wipe my mother out of our lives... If she was depressed, she needed help, not a divorce, not a banishment. Not this... and you're not even able to know if she's still alive... The woman you claim to have loved. Do you realize how fucked-up this is ? No, I guess you don't. So then, just reflect on this : your withholding the truth when I came to tell about my nightmare, when I was twelve... you don't need to be a shrink to understand the effect it had on me.

- You're being unfair...

- Just think : I'm only attracted to older women and women who hate me... Does that tell you anything about your son ? Does that ring a bell ? Because, since I uncovered the truth this morning – thanks to a friend, by the way – I've been doing some thinking. And I drew a few conclusions. I'm dysfunctional. I'm 'emotionally challenged', as they say. Maybe I'm just trying to get my mother to like me, on some twisted 'Oedipus complex resolution' subconscious level...

- Don't be...

- What now ? What can you say that could only make it worse ? Don't be 'stupid' ? Don't be 'ridiculous' ? Don't be 'your mother's son' ?"

He looked at the man who was his father, and now, he almost felt contempt for him.

"I need some air. I need to get out of here."

He stormed out of his father's office in the same manner he had stormed in.

He didn't hear Izumi's comment.

"I'm going to lose him. Can't let that happen."

"So put up your fists, and I'll put up mine.

No running away from the scene of the crime.

-...-

But 'til then no, Daddy, don't be surprised,

If I wanna see the tears in your eyes,

Then I'll know it had to be long ago,

Actually in the drifting white snow,

You loved me."

"Okay... Just tell me again why I'm doing this ?"

Soujiro smiled at Sophie's question.

"Because you're stressed out, it unnerves me, and I said I wouldn't help you with your statistics problems if you didn't calm down."

Sophie raised an eyebrow and pointed at her clothing in disbelief.

"And this is your twisted answer to my being stressed out ?

- I told you, a real tea ceremony will calm down almost anyone – even you, I'm sure. So be quiet and enjoy it while it lasts.

- But why do I have to wear a traditional kimono and toed socks – that feel kind of strange to wear, by the way –, this time ?

- Because a tea ceremony in westerner's clothes is like a chocolate cake with ketchup.

- Always loved your sense of comparisons, Soujiro, but not when they have me ending up looking that stupid.

- Come on, Sophie ! You look everything but stupid. You actually look pretty cute. "

And his mind added silently : "More than cute, in fact." But he just smiled cockily in answer to her unconvinced glare.

"Come on... I look everything but Japanese...

- Who ever said you had to look Japanese not to look stupid ?

- Soujiro...

- You're right, it's not about fun, it's about relaxing. Stop worrying at how you look – which is fine by me and the kettle over there – be quiet, watch and learn."

Sophie pouted. Then again, she well knew that she really needed Soujiro's help – those statistics theorems had been driving her positively crazy. And Soujiro was good at maths. She felt uncomfortable in the kimono. Of course, her being tall and curvy didn't help to fit in Japanese traditional clothing ideally. Well, and if Soujiro wanted so badly to teach her a little about tea ceremony, his family domain, why not ? It could be interesting, after all.

She sighed. She was already feeling her legs going numb – sitting on her heels was just not a comfortable position for her. But Soujiro was adamant : hakobi demae was to be performed sitting in the traditional seiza position. She tried to shift her weight the most discreetly possible to let some blood get to her toes. Afterwards, she fixed her attention on Soujiro again.

While she had been thinking of her legs, he had already begun some of the necessary gestures. Rinsing the bowl, putting the water... Wait... the bowl ?

"Hmm. Soujiro ?"

He turned towards her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes ?

- Only one bowl ?

- That's the way it's done. Afraid I might have some tea-transmissible disease ?

- No. Just asking."

She looked for a lock of hair that wasn't there to toy with – the tight bun that went with the outfit would not leave any of them free – and reported her attention to the blank ceiling. He smiled indulgently and reported his focus on the ceremony. He showed her the powdered green tea, and, then, began preparing the tea in itself. Told her the words that had to be said and the moment they had to be said, the rules if the interactions between the host and the guests – the bows, the sentences, the gestures And then, he served some of the tea in the bowl. He continued the lesson very seriously.

"Normally, since I'm hosting the ceremony, I would certainly not be drinking first. This would be considered highly impolite. But I have to show you how it's done, so I hope you'll forgive me the rudeness."

She smiled. It was all too regulated. But it was fun seeing him so serious – so 'not him'. He continued the demonstration without making any comments on her smile.

"Okay, Sophie. So you place the bowl in front of you, like that... Stay in seiza, Sophie, he remarked when seeing she was changing her legs position.

- You're even worse than Shizuru...

- Thanks, if that means I might actually get you to do something properly, he commented with a smirk. So, where was I ? Right... then you put your left hand on this side of the bowl, and use your right hand to rotate it this way. You should never drink from the front of the bowl.

- Why ?

- Just because, Sophie. If you want, I'll lend you a book about the history and meaning of the ceremony afterwards. For the moment, just watch, listen and reproduce what I'm doing. Once the bowl is rotated, you should take it from the table like that. Don't lean forward to meet the bowl, it will arrive at your mouth soon enough and it's not distinguished to do so. Your right hand goes under the bowl now. And you drink this way."

He illustrated by drinking a small sip in the perfect manner.

"Then, you put back the bowl on the table, and you rotate it back so that the next person can drink from it. Okay ?

- I think I got it.

- I'd be amazed : it takes years, classes, discipline... But, well, you might be talented. Try it, he said, gesturing towards the bowl.

- Well, a lot of fuss for a cup of tea, if you would believe me. If I didn't know you otherwise...

- Sophie ?

- Soujiro ?

- The tea, he pointed. It's not getting any warmer."

She glared at him. Well, she would try – and afterwards, he would leave her alone. After all, Soujiro had looked kind of cool when doing it. Refined, handsome. She smiled. Okay. Now that he had made all the recommandations and pointed difficulties she didn't really see, she wanted to show him she could do it. Hesitantly, she placed her hands around the bowl as he had shown her earlier. She rotated it slowly. Until then, no blunder. Next, taking the bowl, and not leaning towards it. Okay. She took the bowl, placed her right hand. Then, she brought the bowl slowly to her mouth to avoid any spill.

Soujiro was observing her movements. Of course, to someone born in the tea ceremony universe, it was all fairly simple. But he was always fascinated by the multiplicity of ways to mess a simple tea ceremony. Well, maybe not as many ways as a guest than as an host.

Of course, Sophie was a little clumsy, mostly for want of practice, and her lack of assurance made her tea drinking less graceful than most of the girls that came to the tea ceremony classes for years. But he had to admit to himself that with the kimono he had managed to make her wear, and her unschooled movements, she was sort of cute. No, sort of beautiful, more like.

He saw her rotate the bowl, and couldn't help but notice that she had given almost the exact same turn he had just before. When she brought the bowl up to her mouth and drank, her lips touched the exact same place of the bowl he had drunk from. He felt himself heating up at that thought. An indirect kiss. But, soon enough, his reason and pride came to the rescue : what ? Soujiro, God's gift to womanhood, the Tokyo Casanova, the playboy by excellency, blushing because of an indirect kiss ? Something wasn't right, there. That was just childish. No, actually, worse than childish, worthy of a virgin teenager – worthy of Tsukasa. In any case, definitely uncool. "Get a hold of yourself, Soujiro." He closed his eyes to cool down. When he opened them again, Sophie had placed the bowl back on the table and was looking at him quizzically.

"You look strange, Soujiro... Are you feeling alright ?

- I don't know why, I feel hot, somehow.

- Yes, she remarked with a smirk. And what else is new ?

- Your ability to make puns about everything will always amaze me...

- Self-derision could help you, Soujiro, with those ankle problems of yours. (In French, to say someone has got ego problems, you say their ankles are swelling – avoir les chevilles qui enflent – Sophie is using an idiomatic French expression that doesn't translate well, hence Soujiro's reaction...)

- What problems ? Never mind. Well... As far as tea is concerned, at least, you've got the basics, now. But your movements were awfully slow and clumsy. You've got a lot of practice ahead of you before mastering the art of tea.

- And do you think, then, that we could get to the art of statistics before I get to mastering the art of tea ?"

He smiled and got up.

"Go change yourself back in your regular clothes, and wait for me in the living room of the mansion. I'll join you as soon as I'm done here. Prepare your questions – don't be afraid. I won't let you out of here before I'm sure you know everything you need to know about statistics.

- Thanks ! I really appreciate your taking the time to do this for me..."

She smiled brightly, got up, shook her legs a little to promote the blood's circulation again, and planted a quick amical kiss on Soujiro's kiss before trotting out of the room. Soujiro felt the blush reappearing at the particular spot her lips had touched, and he almost slapped himself for it.

"Get a hold of yourself, man. You've got a reputation to live to !"

He shook his head. The girl was really making him act and think strangely.

French people, really...

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Okay, just because Soujiro has a right to some Sophie time... And needs it to come to terms with his feelings... sorry if seems OOC, but his falling in love kind of is OOC...

Hope you enjoyed !

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