-Michiru-
She was finally lying in bed alone and was staring at the ceiling of her room. Meeting Elsa was definitely unexpected, and in many ways dangerous. The other knew her from their high school days but a lot had happened since, so it wasn't really clear how close they still were. Especially since the contact was rather sparse after graduation and Michiru had fully dedicated herself to the agency after having finished her classical training in music and arts.
Originally, she wanted to join a lot sooner, but her parents were strictly against her choosing her own career after high school and so she was stuck for few more years with the civilian life. Looking back, she was in some way glad about that. It made her cover now a lot more believable and it bought her a bit more time before she forced herself to grow up.
It seemed as though Elsa hadn't changed much since their teenage years together, but Michiru knew that she couldn't let her guard down. Elsa was not that innocent girl who dedicated her life to sports anymore, she was a fully-fledged journalist with the distinct hunger for a story. Michiru had to be more careful around her friend.
Recalling their school days together, she eventually was reminded of the fateful day on which she was kidnapped and wondered if it had more to do with her father than the money that the family of the other girl, that was kidnapped with her, had to offer. All she could be sure of was that Setsuna was the one who had come to her rescue and that the guys who did the kidnap were either killed by the team that Setsuna belonged to or 'happen to have committed suicide' in jail. Michiru remembered that the file of her kidnappers was one of the first that she had looked for when she started the job, but considering that the death of the perpetrator's cut all links to possible employers, further search had gotten pointless. And now that she knew that her father had been the mediator at the time, he was probably also the one who had them eliminated,
Looking back, Michiru had to chuckle about her childish panic about being kidnapped. While it was by no means fun to be kidnapped and the kidnappers were very rough with her, it was by no means as bad as any other hostage situation that she had to attend to since.
Michiru had felt so frightened back then, so impotent, so vulnerable and defenceless, that she had vowed to herself never to get into this sort of situation again, that she would not take on the role of the defenceless hostage, but, like Setsuna on that day, to be the saviour rather than the one that needed saving.
Suddenly Yumi came into her mind, with her scar on her shoulder. She was kidnapped a lot later in life and was rescued by a blood thirsty Haruka. That must have been a lot more frightful than being rescued by the level headed Setsuna.
Michiru had seen many tapes of Haruka's fighting skills but she had never seen much in person. Haruka had been sick and the few things that she had shown in their training session probably didn't even scratch the surface of the blonde's true potential.
Her mind was back with the blonde, something that she had been desperately trying to avoid, but Haruka was just everywhere, no matter what she did, something would always remind Michiru of her. But Michiru didn't really have time to wonder what the blonde was up to. She had a mission and a mission objective and there was no space to think of that troublesome blonde that had wormed herself into Michiru's heart and seemed to have taken permanent residency there.
-Haruka-
She woke up before Yumi but just to keep the peace, she kept lying there while the other was still half asleep on top of her, or so she thought.
"You know, you should sleep more." Yumi murmured as she slid off her and turned her back to her.
"I am sorry, I didn't want to wake you." Haruka replied sheepishly.
"I wasn't sleeping" Yumi responded as she pulled the sheets higher over her body and Haruka realised that she must have made some sort of mistake.
"Did I hurt you last night?" She asked earnestly and wrecked her brain on when they both might have played a bit too rough but Yumi just sighed before she turned around again and looked into Haruka's eyes with her own dark ones.
Haruka looked into them deeply as if the answer to her question lay in there but before she could find it Yumi had closed them and sighed deeply again.
"You can't hurt me Haruka, not more than the usual anyway." Yumi reassured her, but Haruka didn't feel very assured.
"I … don't want to hurt you at all." Haruka blurted out and Yumi cupped Haruka's face tenderly.
"It is my choice to be here. I know what I am getting into." She smiled melancholically before she leaned up on one of her elbows and planted a soft kiss on Haruka's forehead and Haruka responded by wrapping her arms around Yumi's delicate body.
"Tell me again, why we didn't work out." Haruka asked while she held Yumi tightly in her arms.
"I am married." Yumi stated calm, but Haruka could tell that the voice of the other was close to breaking and just held her tighter. 'Why was this all so complicated and how did she make sense of it all before' Haruka wondered to herself, but deep inside she knew that she must have had her reasons. Why she still let Yumi come here was a mystery to Haruka. All other women, that she had reviewed so far, whoever shared with her a bed and then left or were left behind, none of them were ever as tempting or as irresistible to take back or to accommodate like Yumi. Haruka had started to go through her files on every lover that she had ever had and none elicited even the least bit of emotions in Haruka's heart, except Yumi. Just Yumi made it twinge bitter sweet. Even Sayaka seemed so far removed that the memory of her was so pale in comparison, Haruka would not even notice if the other woman would be close by or not. She always thought she would harbour an underlying current of hate for the other, but her heart didn't even have that left for Sayaka. Sayaka was married now, so she was off the table for all eternity, but so was Yumi.
"Is he good to you?" Haruka continued to ask.
"He is." Yumi replied earnestly.
"Do you love him?" Haruka didn't know why she was afraid to ask that, but she knew that she would not find peace if she didn't.
"It was an arranged marriage." Yumi clarified.
"You can still grow to love him." Haruka argued. "Many arranged marriages are quite happy."
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Yumi asked while trying to hide her irritation and Haruka apologised by just pulling her closer and planting a kiss onto the other's forehead.
"I just want you to be happy. You are important to me." Haruka told Yumi earnestly.
"I know." The other responded quietly. "But you don't love me like you love her." Yumi added almost inaudible.
"Who?" Haruka asked surprised, admittedly she had not finished reviewing all her files, but she would surely have at least some sort of inkling that there would be more important things in it and looked for it by now but before Haruka could finish that thought it was Yumi who was now looking for something in her eyes. What the tea master was looking for, Haruka wasn't sure, but something told her that whatever it was, the other had found it.
"You know, you are important to me, right?" Yumi suddenly asked.
"I do." Haruka confirmed unwavering. "You are very important to me, too." Haruka added.
"I know." Yumi just mumbled as she nuzzled into Haruka's shoulder.
"Our stars just didn't align in this lifetime." Yumi continued to mumble.
"Maybe in the next?" Haruka suggested.
"Promise?" Yumi asked her imploringly.
"Promise you what?" Haruka asked confused.
"That whatever happens, you look for me in the next lifetime." Yumi told her.
"I can't promise you what isn't in my hand, but I promise you to do all I can in this lifetime that adds to your happiness, so ... stay by my side?" Haruka asked sincere in return.
"It is not as if I have choice." Yumi chuckled melancholic.
"We always have a choice. To accept our fate or to grumble with it." Haruka replied half serious. "I for my part will not grumble." Haruka added.
"Neither will I." Yumi sighed and moved a loose strand out of Haruka's face. "Your hair has grown quite a bit." She commented.
"I know, I am getting it cut soon, the latest the day after tomorrow." Haruka noted.
"Going on a long and dangerous mission, aren't you?" Yum wrapped her arm around Haruka's waist and held her tight.
"I have to." Haruka replied resolute.
"Of course you do." Yumi sighed. "Does Kakyuu know or is she coming along?" Yumi continued.
"No." Haruka replied sheepishly.
"Need anything?" Yumi asked with a sigh.
"Can you …" Haruka started.
".. look after Hotaru? Of course, I already am. She is under surveillance the moment the Yamaguchi's are out of sight." Yumi finished her sentence.
"Why didn't we work out again?" Haruka asked rhetorically and earned herself a punch in the arm.
"I guess we wouldn't ever really work out either way." Yumi sighed again.
"Why?" Haruka asked surprised.
"I might be like a secretary to you, but by the heavens, if I wouldn't love you as much as I do, you would be the most annoying person that walks the earth to me." Yumi elaborated.
"Am I not really lucky then that I am so irresistible." Haruka smirked and Yumi just groaned playfully.
"Don't push it Tenoh." Yumi replied before she got up.
"Where are you going?" Haruka asked.
"Shower. Unlike you, I do have a day business that needs attending." Yumi smirked.
"But the sun has barely risen." Haruka argued.
"But it will do so soon enough. Take me through the secret path to your bathroom." Yumi instructed her stern. "There is no need for any of our subordinates to see any of us naked and dishevelled."
"Wow, bossy." Haruka chuckled.
"If you don't behave, I won't let you shower with me." Yumi retorted.
"So much to being my secretary." Haruka smirked.
"I said LIKE a secretary, not that I actually am one." Yumi clarified.
"No, you are a proud Myamoto, who can hold her own." Haruka confirmed "A secretary to no one, unless she wants to be." Haruka added with a smirk and Yumi just shook her head as Haruka got up and wrapped them both into the blanket that had been covering them during their slumber.
"Well, let's go, before your subordinates suspect you of slacking around." Haruka chuckled and walked Yumi to a small hidden passage when suddenly a tremor passed her left leg and searing pain shot through the blonde's brain, but Haruka covered that by holding Yumi tighter, kissing her shoulder and resting her head for a moment.
Before they entered Yumi suddenly turned around and faced her, looking her straight into the eyes with an urgency that Haruka had not seen before, or at least did not remember every seeing in the otherwise calm and collected tea master.
"Promise me, no matter what happens, no matter how bad everything goes, no matter how bad things turn out to be, no matter how broken you are, no matter what is or is not between us, you will always come home to me." Yumi urged Haruka.
"I…." Haruka didn't understand the sudden urgency.
"You have promised me that before, just confirm it again with me. I need to hear it." Yumi pressed Haruka and Haruka could feel that the other, despite all her usual calm and hidden playfulness, had become suddenly distressed.
"But you have your husband to rely on and who is in your home" Haruka reminded her counterpart.
"Haruka…."Yumi looked up at her with the look that melted all of Haruka's resolves in an instant.
"I promise." Haruka answered while she held Yumi tight in her arms. "I promise, no matter what happens, I will always come home to you when you need me." And Yumi leaned into the embrace.
"I will always need you." Yumi mumbled.
"Even if one day we will only be friends?" Haruka asked, her heart twinging at the thought that one day Yumi would have to have kids with Katashi and then this would definitely be over. Haruka was not the kind of person to stand between two people. Especially when kids were involved. Family always came first for Haruka, even if it wasn't her own. She had always chosen to walk away rather than to tear a relationship apart for her own sake.
"Haruka, we will always be friends first. You are my most precious friend and I know that I am exactly that to you as well." Yumi reassured her and finally Haruka found a bit of peace and comfort in Yumi's words.
-Seiya-
His head was dizzy and his body ached when he slowly opened his eyes.
"Stay down and stay quiet." A familiar voice instructed him from nearby and someone helped him to sit up straight.
"Give him time." Seiya could hear Kakashi saying and tried to focus on his surroundings.
He was in a dimly lit room that was a bit too warm for comfort and no windows where on the walls.
Kenji, Kakashi's right hand man, had helped him to sit up and was passing him a cup of water.
"Where…" Seiya mumbled before he took a sip from the water.
"in the cabin." Kakashi just replied short.
"How…" Seiya started to ask confused.
"We found you behind the wood pile" Kenji answered his unfinished question.
"Haruka….?" Seiya asked hopeful but both men just looked at him grim.
"We have not been able to contact home for the past 10 days and we have just recovered you.." Kakashi replied sombre.
"I saw her." Seiya croaked and Kakashi looked at him with pity.
"It is the fever talking." Kakashi addressed Kenji who just nodded empathetically.
"No. I am sure that I saw her." Seiya insisted and hoisted himself up to sit straighter, just to have more pain running through his body.
"Sit still. You have a really high fever and it has not broken yet." Kakashi instructed him with a strict tone.
Sudden realisation hit Seiya. The implant, he thought to himself.
"I can't stay here…." Seiya insisted and tried to stand up, just to be pushed down onto the make shift bed on which he had been laying by Kenji's strong hands. Moving the shirt and exposing the area between his neck and his shoulder, he showed the other two men a tiny incision that was taped over.
"I can't stay!" Seiya repeated and moved his hand to his ear to indicate that it was a tracking device as well as a listening device with which he was implanted.
Kakashi looked at him stern and just shook his head and signed for him to stay put.
"You are delirious with fever." Kakashi said loud and clear.
"I need to see Haruka." He insisted with his voice but shook his head, causing Kenji to look at him oddly but Kakashi pulled his shirt back over the wound and nodded while mouthing 'we know'.
"She will talk to you as soon as your fever has gone down." Kakashi informed him steadfast but shook his head slowly. "She is just out moose hunting. She should be back soon. You know her, when she puts something into her mind and has found a trail, she will hunt it down no matter what."
-Haruka-
She had taken a secret path to the underground storage facilities to avoid the others and headed towards storage unit 67. It was one of the most secure ones that she had and she headed straight to the back of it to an area filled with old school file cabinets.
She was well aware that in the age of digitalisation that this was, ironically, the safest way to store secret files away from prying eyes.
On the way, she passed storage unit 68 and for some inexplicable reason she felt drawn to it. Her father's old storage unit for all his gadgets. She decided against going in there for now, and went ahead to her own unit.
She entered it, stepped up to one of the cabinets and pulled out a paper file on Yumi. It was a big one, with a lot of scribbles on it, that no one in their right mind could decipher, but considering that it was Haruka who had started this one at the beginning of their encounter, it all made somehow sense to her. Till now Haruka had been avoiding all the files that actually meant something to her but now there was no avoiding it. She had made a promise and needed to note it down, just in case that she would forget it later, but then she found a note of having made it before and had to chuckle to herself. It was Yumi she had talked to, of course she would remember every little detail. It was Haruka who tended to be a bit more scatter brain after all, with work and all being in the forefront of her mind rather than all the nitty gritty things of day to day life. A small note fell out it with a reference number on it. K1201219. She picked it up, looked at it and wondered what it meant before she started looking for that file but before she found it, she found another file, Kaioh Michiru, and Haruka opened it, just to find it empty.
She sat down on a smaller cabinet as her head suddenly ached a bit again and it would be only moments before she would fall if she didn't lean on something.
Another empty file on Kaioh Michiru.
Haruka didn't just have this repository of mementos, as she called this room, but of course also a digital, slimmed down version without all the emotional attachments to it, that she could access from the comfort of her working station in her apartment and there she had encountered the first empty file on this person. Judging from the amount of time, as denoted by the system, she had spent hundreds of hours on it, yet it was empty. And here, again, it was empty. Haruka couldn't remember if she had destroyed it on purpose like she had destroyed Sayaka's at one fateful night or if she had just never been able to articulate her thoughts precise enough to merit an entry. All that she could gather from the information that she still did have was that she had met this person a few months back, trained her, conducted a mission with her and had been on vacation with her and Hotaru. Not something Haruka did lightly, but also not something so extraordinary that would warrant a file here for this person. Maybe she was overthinking this. According to the system she had also spent thousands of hours on Yumi's file and they had known each other for around a decade, yet the personal digital file that Haruka had on Yumi only included a picture of a tea cup with cherry mochi to its side. For something to be empty it didn't have to mean much, or did it? She did spend a lot of time on it after all, just to have it…empty. Haruka sighed and put the file back to where she had taken it out of and continued looking for K1201219.
Half an hour passed and it was just not in here. Haruka grew frustrated. She hated looking for things because they caused her headaches and nausea and with this all being physical files it was just so inconvenient that she couldn't just type her search into a search bar and let a system figure out where she had put it and then she remembered that extremely important files weren't kept here, but in her father's store room. Maybe that was the reason that she felt that pull.
She exited her storage room and walked carefully over to the other one. It had been a long time since she had entered it. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach that she hadn't visited for a long time, judging from the mixture of dread and longing that nestled there. Taking a deep breath, she put her hand on the panel to get authorised to enter and the familiar click indicated to her that it was unlocked for her.
With a heavy heart she opened it and inhaled the familiar scent that was distinctly that of her father. It was faint, but it was present and Haruka looked around with deep melancholy. It had been decades since he had been in here, and Haruka as well as Haruki had left most of his things untouched, as if to preserve his presence. She walked past the old golf clubs and hunting rifles into the room to centre of the room and sat down on the chair that her father often used when he needed to think in peace. The leather had retained its distinct smell and Haruka leaned back in it, closed her eyes as if to capture his presence and to wait for him to pick her up from it to ask her what was on her mind. But, of course, that didn't happen. After a moment's rest and letting her emotions settle, she opened her eyes again. In front of her was her father's game of shogi, an open party at play. She looked at it and instinctively moved a piece to take one of the opposite side. Suddenly she heard another clicking sound coming from inside the board and a secret compartment opened up underneath it.
Haruka reached down and found two old VHS tapes. One sealed and one unsealed.
The one that was still sealed had her name on it, the other had her brother's name, both neatly written in her father's handwriting.
Haruka looked around for something that could play what was on them and found an old TV and VHS player in the corner of the room. Excited, intrigued and yet shaky, she connected it all up and watched it how it came to life after all these years of non-use. She pulled the old leather chair in front of the TV as the old thing started to flicker in front of her. She looked down onto both tapes and wondered which one she should watch first.
Haruto's one had the seal already neatly broken, and she wondered why, if it was her brother who had found it first, did he not tell her about this. He was her brother after all, they shared everything and yet, he had kept this a secret from her.
Maybe something on this tape held the answer to her brother's secret keeping and so she put that one in first.
The film started and subconsciously Haruka held her breath as she recognised that her dad was the one who taped this and leaned forward in her seat.
He had set the camera up in the office that Haruka had been using since they had moved in here. Haruka recognised the corner of Tokyo that it was facing thought the window and how it was barely cracking dawn. She could see how young he was, barely older than she was now, his hair messy as if he had just woken up, but his eyes sharp as ever. He readjusted the camera and then sat down on his leather chair facing it.
"Haruto, my son," her father spoke in serious yet soft manner before he took off his glasses and looked back into the camera.
"I know that if you are watching this that I am no longer with you and that you have made the right move on the shogi board to have gotten this tape. I hope that you can forgive or even have already forgiven your mother and I for our selfishness to have created you and for what I am about to tell and ask of you." It was so quiet in the room that you could hear how hard it was for him to vocalise his thought. He swallowed hard before he put his glasses back on and continued to speak.
"As you know, in the Tenoh-family we only allow male heirs to continue our family tradition, and because of that, we have created you. Your mother and I were desperate for a male heir, that we did everything in our power to ensure that the baby that your mother would carry would be male. By no means, were you made with any less love than Haruka, if anything, we have made you out of the love for her and love you equally based on your own merits. When your mother took the morula that would be Haruka and spit a cell from her to create you, she didn't do that because she just wanted a spare child to sacrifice to our family's duty to the world but to protect the both of you. To have two children that would always have each other's backs. She knew that there would be no more children after this attempt and it was the reasonable path to take. I hope by the time you watch this, that you are a responsible adult and have not caused your mother too much grief. I know you and Haruka will grow up and make me proud no matter what you two get up to. I know I have no right to ask of you anything, considering all the grief we must have caused you because my Y-chromosome didn't patch up the genetic mistake in your DNA, but for the sake of the future of the Tenohs' I have to ask you to leave the inheritance of continuance to Haruka. Not just because she is the first born, but because it is time that we change our old ways and adapt to the changes of time and because we owe it to ourselves to be better and we have a duty to this world, no matter how ugly it has become, to protect the innocent. Nothing displeases me more than exposing any of you to danger, but I, of all people, know how cruel and cold the world truly is and I hope that I leave you both a better world than the one you were born into. My wish for you is to live your life to the fullest and to a good ripe age, to love and live responsibly and to not harbour regrets. I live with many of those and some will never ever go away, but know that you are not one of them and that I love you."
Her father then stood up and stopped the tape and not until then Haruka noticed that she had been holding her breath and leaned back to take a deep breath. She needed a moment to digest the emotional rollercoaster she had just been pushed on before she could watch the tape that was meant for her from her father, but before she could take the tape out, it continued.
"Hey, Nee." Haruto had appeared on screen. He had filmed this segment in the very room that she was in. The décor was just as it was now and he looked so healthy and happy unlike her, who had tears streaming down her face.
"Tissues are under the elephant stand." Her brother chuckled. "I know it can get humid down here." He continued to joke and Haruka had to smirk as she reached for the tissues that he had mentioned to wipe her face dry.
"When you watch this, I take it that I did not distract you from coming down here because I am either busy looking after Hotaru, or because I thought that it was about time for you to find it, or because am not around anymore. Before the rain in the storage room becomes stronger, I want you to know that I hold no grudge nor regret." He continued in his mild manner.
"I didn't tell you about this, because knowing you, you would have just run off to avenge mum and dad. But considering you have now found this, you probably made the move on that shogi board that dad had intended for you to make. It took me ages to figure that one out to open the compartment that was meant for you to put my tape in along side of it." Haruto continued to explain with an ever so gentle smile on his face.
"Well, now you know how we came to be and I hope from the bottom of my heart that you can forgive me for keeping this secret from you. Life is bigger than just us, our revenge, our lives, our loves or our desires. Today is the day that Hotaru was born and while I don't know if I will be able to watch her grow old and have kids of her own, I understand where dad is coming from. I want her to grow up in a better world than we are in and my wish is, that you see that, too. I know the move that unlocks your compartment is hard one. A painful one in the least, but I also understand that dad adjusted that board for that very reason like that. That when we would make the hard decisions, that he could be by our side with his advice." Haruto continued to explain.
"I have faith in you to do the right thing, and I believe in you that you love little Hotaru as much as I do, if not even more. I also want you to know, that you are never alone. No matter what happens, I have your back. In this life and the next. Love you sis." He finished his speech with a wink and then the screen went black again.
Haruka needed a moment and looked over to the shogi board that still stood where it had been standing for decades and reassessed the move that she had made to get these tapes.
It was not the most intuitive move to be made in this constellation, but it was the most effective one and Haruka finally understood what she needed to do, but before that, she would watch the tape that was meant for her and broke the seal to the tape that was meant for her.
-Yuuko-
There was an alert in the system and Yuuko looked up from her microscope.
'I take it that Haruka has finally found her dad's glasses', Yuuko thought to herself with a mixture of dread and apprehension as she got up and made her way out of the vault.
"Would you like me to cut the connection." Tomo, the hologram asked her but before Yuuko could reply, the alarm stopped.
"No, it was inevitable that she would find it eventually. It is better when I go and see her now. Please lock all specimens away and put the laboratory back under seal until I come back. Also, take me to where she is right now." Yuuko instructed the system and a small robot dog rushed to her side.
"Yuuko-sensei, Haruka-sama is in the storage units, I need authorisation for you to enter there." Tomo informed her and Yuuko sighed, before she took a small needle out and pricked her finger to give a drop of blood to authorise her to go where Haruka was.
As soon as her access was greenlit, the dog sat down for her to get on took her though an internal path to the storage units.
In front of storage Unit 68 it came to a halt and Yuuko hopped off the dog and walked through the half-opened door, just to find Haruka sitting with her back towards her and her eyes focused on an old TV screen.
"…I know what I am asking of you is very unfair and hard Haruka and I also know that I cannot force you to do what you don't want to, but I do hope that you sincerely consider my request. I want you to know that no matter where you are and what you do, you will always be my beloved child and that I will always be proud of you." Haruki's voice could be heard coming from the TV and Yuuko saw how a young Haruki was sitting on the very chair that Haruka was sitting on was addressing his child. Just as he was about to stand up to turn off the camera, a small Haruka, no older than Hotaru now, burst into his office with all the energy only a child could have and charged towards her father.
"Papaaaaaa…..why are you working so much, you work all the time, why don't you come and play with me?" Little Haruka demanded to know from her father who picked her up and hugged her tight.
"I needed to get this done, it is very important to me." Haruki explained little Haruka. "And why aren't you still asleep and here my little tornado?" He asked fatherly in return.
"Because I am hungry and mum and Haruki are still asleep." Little Haruka justified her presence.
"Well, then I guess it's time for banana and chocolate chip pancakes, right?" Haruki chuckled and a wide grin grew on little Haruka's face. "You know I love you, right?" Haruki asked Haruka and Haruka nodded vigorously and replied "Of course I do."
"Good." Haruki said on the tape before he kissed his daughter's forehead and continued "Well then let's say bye to the camera." And both father and daughter waved bye.
Yuuko had read many reports about Haruka, actually all that were ever made, and they all always portrayed the blonde as the brash, overconfident, almost reckless agent that got the work done, but right now Haruka was the same little Haruka that Yuuko had to leave behind almost three decades ago. As the blonde was sitting there with her eyes brimming with tears, her hand clutching her father's old glasses and his cane and her gaze transfixed on the screen that had gone blank, Yuuko asked herself why she didn't contact Haruka sooner, but deep inside she knew why. Having to face up to the fact that she couldn't be there for her goddaughter all these years was hard and the uncertainty how Haruka had turned out, as well as would take it, was terrifying to Yuuko, who needed a level predictability to function. But right now, she blew all her caution in the wind and reached out to put a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder.
Haruka turned around with red but widening eyes.
"Yuuko-bachan" her tear-filled voice managed to say with a small croak.
"Hey there baby bear." Yuuko said soothingly before hugging Haruka tight and that seemed to put the blonde completely over the edge and the tears just poured as Haruka buried her face in Yuuko's chest.
"I missed you, too." Yuuko tried to console Haruka and the blonde just nodded between sobs,
Nothing of the bravado that Haruka was known for was there and only the child that was left so many years ago was present.
"It is all going to be alright." Yuuko said while she caressed Haruka's messy hair and slowly Haruka caught herself.
"Why are you here?" Haruka managed to ask between sobs.
"You needed me, so I came." Yuuko smirked.
"…Is…?" Haruka started to ask and looked past Yuuko.
"No, I am sorry. You know how it is. Work doesn't wait." Yuuko knew what Haruka was about to ask and just held Haruka tighter. "Trust me, she really wanted to come and see you." Yuuko explained, but Haruka just nodded understandingly.
"We all have our duties." Haruka just stated to show that she understood.
Yuuko stepped back a bit and wiped Haruka's tears away with her thumps in her sleeves.
"Had breakfast yet little bear?" She asked the blonde who shook her head in response.
"You know what would really do right now? Banana choc chip pancakes." Yuuko grinned and Haruka smiled faintly.
"Can you even reach the stove." Haruka managed to chuckle between the last few hiccups that her tears caused her.
"Well that is what I got you for now. You have grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you." Yuuko smiled gently.
"Indeed." Haruka agreed and wiped the last bit of tears away with her tears.
Yuuko took the glasses out of Haruka' hands and put them safely into her lab coat.
"I'll show you later how they work. Right now, we need breakfast." She explained and Haruka just nodded and let Yuuko guide her out of the storage unit.
-Taiki-
'We need to talk. Come down to the storage. H.' Was all that the message, that he had received from Haurka, was saying as he looked down on his phone and suddenly an ill sensation festered in the pit of his stomach as he made his way to the elevators. He was sitting peaceful with all the others for lunch when the message reached him and he immediately dropped everything to go to the blonde.
The doors closed and he put his hand on the panel, waiting for her to authorise his access to the Tenoh-storage levels. No one, besides a real Tenoh, was allowed on there, so there was no getting there without Haruka explicitly authorising each visit by an outsider.
As the elevator descended, a lot of things went through Taiki's mind. Did she find out that he stayed over at Kakyuu's last night? Not that this was the first time, but he still felt at unease about it. Or did she find out about his past and would she take him through the interrogation again that he had to endure at the beginning of their relationship? His stomach sank a bit further. Maybe she found out how reckless he had been in Rome, or worse, she had bumped into Yuuko, after them all having carefully engineered a total avoidance of the two of them bumping into each other. Haruka did not accept strangers in her tower that weren't approved by her, and Ami's mother counted as borderline acceptable, since she was the personal physician for Hotaru and an old friend of her mother's, but Yuuko… he didn't want to think about what would happen when Haruka would eventually find out. Given, that Yuuko knew the Yamaguchis intimately and was also a close friend to Satomi, he could probably argue his case with the vouching that Ami's mother had given in regards to Yuuko and that Kakyuu had been her student, but Taiki knew that the problem was not just that Yuuko was let in, but that she was working in the vault. The one place that was off limits to everyone, because it was Haruka's mother's terrain that she never wanted to be tainted by anyone. The descend into the underground levels suddenly felt very long and foreboding made Taiki want to empty his stomach contents right then and there, but he pulled himself together. This was not what Haruka needed. He had been instructed by Haruto to do everything in his abilities to aid the blonde and to stand by her side before he had passed away, and Taiki was not one to break his vows. The inevitable halt jolted him out of his reverie and he waited patiently for the doors to open and to face Haruka, but she was nowhere in sight. Another message alert in his phone.
'68' was all it said and Taiki made his way there. The door was open and he peaked inside, to find Haruka standing near a file cabinet, reading a file labelled "Kurozawa,K" through thick rimmed glasses..
He was about to enter when Haruka stopped him. "Stay where you are. I am coming out in a moment." Haruka said evenly before she put the file back into the cabinet and reached for a black cane, on which she supported herself on the way out of the room.
"Taiki, where are we here?" Haruka asked rhetorically and Taiki wasn't sure if he should answer as he followed her to another storage unit.
"Your storage level." Taiki eventually replied as Haruka didn't say anything.
"Yes. This is the Tenoh storage level, where we Tenohs keep everything that is important to us. Do you know what we can't keep here?" Haruka continued to ask and Taiki wrecked his brain to figure out what Haruka was trying to get at.
"People." Haruka answered her own question. "The only thing we cannot lock up to keep them save are people, especially people that we love. Do you love Kakyuu?" Haruka proceeded to ask as they walked to unit 49.
"I do." Taiki eventually answered unwaveringly.
"Good." Haruka just replied short. "From now on, I want you to change your utmost priority to keeping her and Hotaru safe."
"But.." Taiki was about to protest, just to be stopped by Haruka in his tracks.
"One day, if it ever comes to that where I am not around, Hotaru will be instated as my heir and Kakyuu as her legal guardian. All that is mine will be hers and therefore also Kakyuu's. I have grown up with my uncle, so I know how it is when you don't grow up with your own parents. I know how it is when you have to rely on people who love you but aren't your parents. I want you to be aware of that when you do make an official move on Kakyuu. She is taken by my child first. I love and trust her to look after what I cherish the most in this world and I want you to be aware of that." Haruka explained evenly.
"I am aware." Taiki confirmed.
"Good." Haruka said steadfast as she halted in front of the unit and then turned around to Taiki. "This is the unit that Hotaru will have to open one day, when she has turned 21. I need you to guarantee me that she will do that with Kakyuu present if I am not around." Haruka stated calm and Taiki nodded.
"I will do all that is in my power to ensure that." Taiki stated steadfast.
"Good." Haruka just nodded and then headed towards the elevators.
Taiki followed her silently and they took the elevator up to the office level, where everyone was still sitting.
-Atsuko-
Haruka had picked Hotaru up from Akira's place herself and taken her to Atsuko's in the late afternoon.
"Do you know why we are here Hotaru?" Haruka asked as they walked the windy hallways up.
"To have tea?" Hotaru guessed.
"You can have tea while you wait for me." Haruka chuckled before she knocked on Atsuko's door.
"I almost expected you Haruka-chan." Atsuko greeted the tall blonde and waited for her to bow down so that Atsuko could hug her.
"I can always rely on you Atsuko-bachan." Haruka chuckled and entered the apartment with Hotaru.
"Hotaru, since generations, the Yamaguchi's are the ones that cut our hair." Haruka explained as Atsuko led them inside her apartment into the back room where newspaper was already laid out ready for them.
"You never went to a hairdresser?" Hotaru asked surprised.
"No, since I am as little as you, Atsuko has been cutting my hair." Haruka explained and Atsuko just smiled gently as she pointed for Hotaru to sit down on a pillow a few feet away from Haruka who sat down on the small stool in the middle of the laid-out newspaper and let Atsuko put the sheet of fabric over her shoulders.
"How short this time?" Atsuko asked experienced and the blonde just replied: "With shave." And Atsuko frowned.
"You just got back." She chided Haruka, because she knew that if the blonde asked for a shave, she didn't intend to come back for a while.
"I will hurry, I promise." Haruka reassured Atsuko. As she leaned forward a bit so that the old woman would have a better access to her neck as she started to cut Haruka's hair.
"Atsuko-ba, will you cut my hair, too when I am older?" Hotaru asked curiously.
"I am not sure if you would want my old hands to cut your hair." Atsuko mused as the took the scissors to Haruka's soft blonde locks.
"If papa gets her hair cut with you, then I want the same." Hotaru insisted.
"Reminds me of someone." Atsuko chuckled and Haruka just smirked.
"Of whom?" Hotaru asked curiously.
"Of your Haruka-papa. When she was as little as you, she demanded to get her hair cut every time her father got her hair cut, and so we got to the typical Tenoh haircut." Atsuko reminisced and Haruka just chuckled.
Both knew that the only reason why Haruka and her father had always come down here to get their hair cut was not because of Atsuko's great hair styling skills, but because they felt reassured that it was Atsuko who was the one with a blade so close to their jugular, but that was not something to tell a four year old.
"How was your day Hotaru? Did you learn a lot today?" Haruka asked the child interested and Hotaru started one of her monologues that she only graced Haruka with. Anyone else could ask and they would only get clipped answers but when Haruka asked, it was like a small encyclopaedia was released about Hotaru's day and views.
As Atsuko cut Haruka's hair, she noticed how calm the blonde was and wondered what was going on in her mind. Usually before a long mission, getting her hair cut, Haruka would be all antsy and it couldn't be done fast enough for her, but today the blonde sat there patiently for the old woman to trim her hair to what she wanted it to be. When she was nearly done and pulled out the sharp blade to shave the neck, Haruka leaned down in anticipation and Atsuko let the blade glide across the smooth skin.
"All done." Atsuko announced and handed Haruka a handheld mirror to double check the result.
"I look like dad." Haruka noted.
"You do." Atsuko confirmed.
"Perfect, as usual." Haruka grinned and Atsuko ruffled the fresh cut hair.
"It is sooo short Haruka-papa, do I have to do that one day, too?" Hotaru sounded a bit more concerned than Haruka did at her age.
"Hopefully no." Haruka just replied with a crooked smile.
"I will be leaving her in your care." Haruka had turned to Atsuko.
"Don't leave her for too long. I am getting old and I need my naps." Atsuko joked but her eyes were full of concern.
"I won't. I will be home sooner than you think and I will bring you a lot of snacks." Haruka chuckled to alleviate the tension in the room.
"Will you bring me some, too?" Hotaru enquired and Haruka picked her up and kissed her cheek.
"Of course I will. But you need to be back with your cousins for a while and be a good girl when you are there." Haruka explained.
"I am always a good girl, so that you will always come home to me." Hotaru explained and for a microsecond, a pained expression passed the blonde's face.
"I will always come home to you. No matter how you behave." Haruka assured Hotaru who only hugged Haruka in return.
"I like that." The little girl said cheerfully.
"I will be leaving now." Haruka said to Atsuko as they reached the entrance door and Atsuko hugged both of her guests tight.
"Safe travels and come home soon." The old woman wished sincerely while knowing that there was no guarantee that she would see the blonde again.
-Michiru-
She dreaded what she was about to do, but she didn't have much of a choice left, considering the bouquet of roses that was facing her.
"Ooooh, do you have a secret admirer." Elsa asked teasingly from behind her as she spotted Michiru in front of a huge flower arrangement. "Was there a card?" Elsa continued to ask curiously and Michiru handed her a small white card which Elsa read aloud.
"Congratulations on the successful opening of your new gallery tour. D." Elsa read chuckling. "Wow Michiru, I have not even reported on tonight's exhibition yet and the praise is already coming in. Imagine what will happen when I publish my article tomorrow." Elsa added with glee.
"Yeah…" Michiru smiled politely and she could see that Elsa interpreted it as an act of humility, rather than the discomfort that Michiru actually felt.
"So, who is this mysterious D.?" Elsa continued the conversation without any encouragement on Michiru's behalf.
"If I am not wrong, it could be someone called Daniel…I think he introduced himself as Daniel Ferguson." Michiru pretended to search in her mind and Elsa's eyes lit up.
"You mean THE Daniel Ferguson, UN ambassador for the UK?" Elsa asked excitedly.
"Oh, do you know him?" Michiru asked innocently.
"I am a journalist. It is my business to know important people. More pertinent question here, how do YOU know him?" Elsa asked in return.
"I think he attended one of my charity events." Michiru deflected. "I meet so many people on them, I rarely remember them all."
"You hold charity events?" Elsa asked surprised.
"I do, but very small and private ones. I value quality over quantity, so I prefer small events that are sold out and actually contribute a lot of money for the charity that I am making the effort for, rather than big publicity events where most of the money is lost in the promotion of them." Michiru elaborated.
"And HE comes to your charity events?" Elsa asked with amazement.
"Seems so. I do not keep a list of all that come. That is something my manager takes care of." Michiru avoided answering the question.
"Your aunt knows him?" Elsa's journalistic instincts were very visibly tingling.
"Probably. She interacts with very many people for all of the artists and events that she manages. It is best to ask her directly because I actually wasn't keen on widening my audience, but my aunt kept insisting on giving it a try on the international stage, rather than to limit myself to the Japanese market." Michiru explained and Elsa seemed to take the information in like a dry sponge.
"This makes sense. Your aunt is famous in her own way in the world of the arts." Elsa spoke more to herself when suddenly Michiru's phone rang.
Daniel was calling and Michiru couldn't avoid taking this call, on the risk to get even more questions from Elsa.
"Excuse me for a moment Elsa" Michiru pointed at her phone and Elsa just enthusiastically waved for her friend to take the call.
"Hello, Michiru speaking." Michiru answered the call.
"Good evening Michiru, it's Daniel here." Daniel's voice came from the other side. "Did you receive the flowers that I have sent?" He enquired while a gleeful grin grew across Elsa's face.
"Oh, yes, thank you very much. They are very beautiful." Michiru commented with all the sweetness that she could muster in that moment and the grin on Elsa's face spread even wider.
"I was wondering if you would mind if I came to your Paris exhibition, I just happen to be in town then and maybe we could have dinner together as well." Daniel came to the point quickly and Michiru knew that she had to go there but she didn't want to make it too easy for him.
"I have to see how my exhibitions in Florence and Venice go first before I make any commitments regarding Paris. A collector has already asked my aunt for a special exhibition just for him in Venice and that might cut into the free time that I have in Paris." Michiru avoided taking the forceful invitation.
"I understand, but you would consider it?" Daniel tried to be humbler and more hopeful and Elsa who listened to every word that was exchanged nodded with enthusiasm and Michiru rolled her eyes.
"Of course I will consider your invitation, Daniel-san." Michiru replied politely and she could hear a sigh of relief from the other side.
"I am glad." Daniel said with genuine relief. "I might see you in Paris then." He continued.
"Yes, we might see each other then." Michiru confirmed and feinted a faint yawn of which Daniel luckily got the hint.
"Oh, you must be exhausted from all this excitement, I better let you rest then. Till Paris." Daniel bid his goodbyes that Michiru returned in kind with grace.
"Uh huh, you barely know him but you both are already on first name basis…." Elsa chuckled as she nudged Michiru who pulled herself together with all her might, not to roll with her eyes.
