Chapter 20

(Sophia's POV)

I'd barely gotten my father into the back room before he was yelling. Kaoru and Baki slip in moments after, standing beside Kozue, Takeda and I as my father paces the room like a crazy man. His hands were tossing around the room and he grumbles under his breath. "Unbelievable."
"How could you be so irresponsible?"
"I thought I raised you better than this."
"I should have come home months ago, you have clearly lost all sense of reason."

After a few more moments Kozue elbows me lightly, nodding at my dad and I sigh, preparing for the hellfire.

"Dad."

He stops, freezing on the spot like he'd forgotten we were there. "Sophia, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm running a business."

"Sophia you don't have the training to run a business!"

"She has help and a manager Mr. Jones."

"Stay out of this Kozue! You are just as bad as she is! I can't believe your mother let you come here and on a school night no less."

"Just because Sophia is young doesn't mean she can't succeed. Look at this place; this was abandoned before Sophia got her hands on it." Baki adds, wrapping a hand around his girlfriend

"Sophia has final exams, school work, a life to be preparing for. She does not need to be saddled down with all these distractions."

"Dad this is a business. A professional and safe place for high school students to relax and let go of the stresses of school and expectations."

"This is a club, this is not a business."

"Why not? Because I'm catering to high school students? I have all the paperwork, I had all the inspections, all the safety checks."

"Sophia has the support of her friends and family," Takeda adds

"I'M HER FAMILY! You work for me, you were supposed to report to me! And considering it was your job to keep her IN-LINE you should stay out of this Menma!"

"DAD! THAT'S ENOUGH! You want to yell at me fine, but don't you dare yell my friends." I turn to them "Go, please, all of you, I'll be out soon."

When everyone but Kaoru leaves I turn, grabbing his hand briefly and turn back to my dad. He stood before me fuming, a permanent scowl on his face "A club? How could you be so careless!"

"Dad, if you bothered to ask before you got angry you'd see that this club is alcohol-free."

"So you're saying you chose to dress like that sober? This is not appropriate Sophia."

"Dad, I'm eighteen in two months. Everyone here is seventeen or eighteen. As a group of high school seniors, we are more than capable of dressing how we want and if I can encourage some sexual release in a safe and controlled environment then I will. We're not sheltered to the acts of adults."

"A safe and controlled environment?! Sophia, you opened a club, what part of that," he swings his hand down to the dance floor "Is controlled."

"Dad it's just dancing! Everyone out there wants to be there, we have two security guards for anyone that feels unsafe and everyone knows that I have a zero fighting policy."

"Mr. Jones, can I say something?"

"No, you can't." he snaps Kaoru a glare and I was more impressed Kaoru didn't return one, "My daughter asked to be alone, why are you still here delinquent?"

"Dad!"

"Don't dad me! As far as I'm concerned he is to blame for this. You never used to act out or talk back, now look at you. Look at what your wearing, you look like some sort of hooker!"

"Dad, it's a club! It's meant for dancing and having fun and experimenting with your friends and classmates in harmless fun. And if that means some of them to go home and have sex then so what? I can guarantee you over half of them are already sexually active. It is normal for people my age to be curious about our bodies, to desire other people! And as for running the club, I was given an amazing opportunity to test my creativity and my strength. Kaoru runs the largest organization in Japan; everything is sitting on his shoulders. If I can do this and find success then maybe one day I can help him do other things. This is so much bigger than you. I was given these tasks and I am going to see them through."

"Sophia."

"Dad, I can do this. Please... have faith in me."

"Sophia... you're just a child, I don't expect you to see this my way-"

"Seriously? We're back to this again?! You do not get to disappear for fourteen years and start telling me what to do the moment you show up! I have enough shit to deal with already!" I see his face break slightly and I feel the tears rim my eyes "Dad, we haven't talked in three weeks, we haven't seen each other in three years and the first thing you do when you come back is belittle my success, question my judgement and yell at my boyfriend and my friends who have done nothing but come here to support me!"

"Sophia-"

"This club is open to high school seniors only. You're not allowed in here." I grab the walkie talkie "Security please come to the back room and escort my father off the premises."

"Sophia Marie Jones!"

"This is my business! These are my customers and I won't have you causing a scene! The car will take you home so please, for me... just go."

He looks at me painfully "Who are you? You are not my daughter."

"It's called growing up dad."

He laughs painfully when the two men come in the room grabbing his arms "You are acting like a child!"

"How would you know? You weren't around when I was a child!"

(Kaoru's POV)

While I hadn't expected Sophia's father to take this well I never thought he'd act like this. I had talked with Baki a bit about her family life, trying to get an idea of his personality but watching the two of them talk was like a sucker punch to the gut. Sophia's father was explosive, openly abusing his daughter in front of us, trying to push her into a corner with his authority and when that doesn't work he gets upset and pulls away, playing the victim.

"Who are you? You are not my daughter."

"It's called growing up dad."

"You are acting like a child." He laughs painfully when the two men come in the room grabbing his arms

"How would you know? You weren't around when I was a child!"

Her words were bitter and laced with pain and I could only shake my head when he's dragged out of the room. Thankfully most of his protests are drowned out by the music and I take in Sophia. The happy smile on her lips was gone; her eyes were broken and filled with unshed tears. Her arms were wrapped around her body as she stares at the floor before her.

This night had been going so well, Sophia had truly created something wonderful here and now that was ruined. I feel pain bloom in my chest and I walk over to her, placing my hands on her shoulders.

"Sophia."

My voice seems to snap her out of whatever state she's in and she looks at me, the movement causes tears to pour down her cheeks "Where's my phone? I have to call Kinuyo before my father goes over there and makes a scene."

"Sophia look at me" I try but she pulls from my hands wiping her tears as she turns

"I'm fine Kaoru. I just need my phone."

I stand there quietly as she disappears into the sea of bodies and out of my sight.

..

..

"Is it often like that?"

We were lying in my bed, the extra-large shirt Sophia was wearing ended at her thighs but if she stretched her arms up I could easily see the brown curly hair in between her legs. Sophia was trimmed, of course, taking great care to have no lingering hairs anywhere she didn't want them, a fact I knew as her smooth calve was lightly tossed over my right foot. I enjoyed some hair down there, mine was waxed as it got in the way of my fights but I found it very mature on my partners. Sophia had always had a little, the hair buzzed short and neat. Now it was grown a bit longer but still neat and thanks to the essential oils were very soft to the touch.

Sophia sighs, tracing the muscles of my chest with her fingers "it never used to get so bad, I guess its cuz I always gave in. Now that I'm not I'm sure he has no idea what to do with me."

Sophia and Takeda were staying at my house, after the fight, Sophia thought it was best to not go home and after sending her father a message both of them were now lying in separate rooms. Sophia had left her room for mine, crawling into bed beside me. After forty minutes of silence, we were still wide awake. My hand rubs her leg softly, enjoying the way the material of her shirt teases my fingers if I go to high

"Did you fight with your dad a lot?"

"I did once, the day he died my mom tried to stop him from leaving. He got angry and hit her, I stopped him and I broke the skin on his left arm. But no, for the most part, my dad let me do what I wanted, as long as I didn't get in the way of his business."

"and your mom?"

"my mom never got angry, even when she should have she didn't. She was a very gentle soul."

She smiles softly "I see where you get it from."

"most of the time."

Her fingers trace gently over my chest, down in between my pectoral's and it rests just above my abs. I look at her, clearly seeing the pain in her eyes and I quietly wondered if I should send her to Takeda. Yes, it bugged me, but her well-being and happiness are more important.

"Sophia" she hums "no matter how tonight ended, I want you to know I'm proud. The club was a success, and that was thanks to you."

She smiles a small smile, tilting her head to kiss me softly "thank you Kaoru."

She turns, pressing her back against my chest and I feel her move my hand arm around her body. I get the hint and hold her close, watching his eyes close. Hopefully, it would be better tomorrow.

..

..

I walked into the hall, seeing Takeda standing there, wearing the same clothes as last night. I was the same, the purple dress was all I had with me but I had taken one of Kaoru's white suit jackets sliding my underwear into the pocket and my arms into the long sleeves. If it were any other time I would laugh at how his jacket covered my entire dress, so I left it slightly open

"Come on, let's go." I lean back; kissing Kaoru for a few seconds and grab my phone. Hitting the first contact I hold it with my shoulder and head as I slipped on my heels. It rings three times

"Hello?" I hear a bit of jostling and had no doubt Kozue was getting ready for school.

"Hey it's me, how is your mom? Did my dad come over and flip out."

I hear the phone thump as she grabs it with her hand, stopping whatever she was doing "Yeah he did, but mom says thanks for the heads up."

I sighed deeply "tell her I'm sorry again,"

"Sophia it's fine. Mom talks down cops daily. That was nothing."

"It was still extremely inappropriate." I sigh "He's acting like a child."

"Well I'll give you a big hug at school!" she tries

"Well, that's why I'm calling. I am heading home with Takeda now, I am going to talk to my dad, so can you please let our teacher know I won't be there till the second period."

I slide into the car, kissing Kaoru once more before shutting the door, Takeda sighs, leaning his head back against the seat and I take his hand comfortingly

"I can stay with you if you want," Kozue suggests

"No, I don't need him yelling at anyone else. I'm gonna figure out what he wants and I'm gonna lay down some hard truths."

"How are you going to get into the school?"

"I don't know. I'll climb over the gate or something?"

I hear her snort loudly "Okay weirdo, just know I love you."

"I love you too."