Graduation day

Kasumi

The month had flown by so quickly that it was surprising how much work had been done for the graduation ceremony. Finishing the construction for the dome and laying out the special effects for the ball tonight was all coming together quite nicely. Even with things going this smoothly there was the conversation with Kim that happened last week that really bothered her. Kim was cheated on by Kaoru and he couldn't hone up to his mistake and be a man about it. Kim seemed alright after leaving her be for a few days and hearing nothing but training in the dojo on her own, it occurred to me she must have made up her mind on her future.
Following family tradition in the Matsumoto family, we are to take on a special guard to protect the family line. I knew of Kim and her true purpose coming into my life. Her step father that took her in that was only supposed to be a cover turned sour and the man was ridiculously greedy. But giving Kim her freedom to make her own life choices against her family fell short.
It's also been surprisingly easy avoiding Kyoya and speaking of what transpired between us. I keep it professional and maintain a business perspective between us without making a scene, but every now and then I will notice him staring and trying to contact me via phone.

"Everything seems to be in order for the ceremony. Now to just check off the list of party favors and that should do it." Just as I was about to take off I saw one of the council members coming my way out of breath. "Everything alright?"

"Kasumi, this is correct here?" She handed me a checklist and a balance sheet. She was a good student, and her duties on the council were not easy, but I guess this would be difficult for someone not used to balancing books.

"Yes, if you look here and divide the earnings and the labor here you will have all the data you need to make the payment arrangements. Be sure to sign each page and distribute the workload evenly and all should be sufficient."

"Thank you." She bit her lower lip and took a small breath in. "Um…I heard a rumor about you and Kyoya…have you two really—"

"Yes." She stopped and looked ashamed for asking. "It's bound to happen with the rumors…don't let the little things get to you. All is well and this separation was for the best."

"But…" she shook her head and dropped the subject without reason. "Is anyone going to escort you to the ball?" An innocent question from a girl to another, but I didn't know how to respond to it. "Um…was that alright to ask?"

"It's quite alright…if anything I will just come and be on my own and enjoy the festivities." She felt bad for asking and carried on with her work and walked away. I looked around the room and found Haruhi speaking with Tamaki as usual and getting closer day by day. She's grown in such a short time that it's inspiring. And I was proud to call her a friend and watching her grow to become a fine lawyer like her mother.

"Kasumi," part of the construction crew we had hired called and flagged me down.

"On my way," getting rid of my senseless thoughts and putting on the hard hat, I ran over and continued the finishing touches of the ball so we could say goodbye to our high school life.

~OoOoO~
Kim

"The decorum has to be aligned just right or everything will fall out of place! Why is this so difficult to understand?" Holding the map where everything needs to be and having trouble with the boys coordinating, I sighed and told them to go on break. "This is exhausting…" my ears trapped underneath the hard hat and feeling stuffy, I wanted to unravel my hair and let them free so badly. "How does Kasumi control a company? She has thousands at her command, and I can barely control five of them!" Tossing the plans aside and just done with it all, I glanced around and found Kaoru with his new girlfriend, Anne.
"…they look happy…" sour tasting after I said it, I turned away and really wanted to let loose. Checking the time and having some to spare I quickly made my way to the garden where the maze was and headed straight in to find the small gazebo in the center. The best location out of sight from everyone. My own personal getaway area.
Letting my hair down and unfurling my ears and feeling invigorated to let them stretch and bask in the sun's rays, it was a perfect spot for a quick cat-nap too.
"I should be fine for 30minutes or so…" sitting under the gazebo and getting comfortable, the smell of roses calming and not a soul around was refreshing. No Kaoru to look at, no Tamaki getting on my nerves, just a peaceful spot before the big ball tonight and having everything fall into place before taking Grimmjow back home. "This should be a great day…so why do I feel so out of it?" Plucking a rose out of the hedge and pulling petals, I just stared blankly and let my thoughts wonder aimlessly.

I wonder if Kaoru has any regrets? No matter how often I think about it I can't help but wonder. Though its been helpful with Grimmjow at the house lately. He's learned a few things that honestly impressed me that he never knew how to do much of anything in the first place. Driving being one of them. I totally took him for a wild driver. Though he's been saying some strange stuff how he's lived his life, I can't tell if he's a loon missing meds or he honestly lived the way he described. That, and he's a father. Who would have thought that?
"So not father material…" laughing out loud as I lounged on the bench and stared at the ceiling. "And I have yet to draw him…what scenery should I have him pose for? I could make him do something outrageous…but then again maybe something a little more feudal era…so many choices."
Come to think of it he's sure been handy around the house lately. If asked to do maintenance he just asks' how to do it and just does it without question. Even tore up part of the yard and helped me move my statues.
"How the hell is he so strong anyhow?" Sitting up. "I'm pretty damn strong and so is Kasumi…yet he easily lifted one of my marble statues as though it was made of cotton candy." Feeling my ears twitch and sensing something wrong in the air, I got up and tried sensing what it was before—
*Loud crash*

"What was that?!" The smell of something slightly burnt permeated the air and I quickly rounded several corners to find the source in case it was the roses on fire. When I got to a point where the smell was most pungent, I was not expecting to find a man upside down laying on the hedges groaning in pain. A small slither of smoke coming off him as though he was the one set on fire.

"Ow…" hearing the man groan and tried moving, he was unable to move much.

"Uh…you ok?" Cautious about the guy and grabbing a stick to poke his shoulder, he groaned painfully and winced when opening his eyes.

"You—a stick?" Mumbling something else but getting himself upright, his hair disheveled and caught on the thorns, he yelped when he tried pulling his hair out. "Dammit…those bastards are gonna pay for this. Sending me flying through who knows where and in—"

"Need…need help?" He turned to me and didn't say anything at first, but he looked at himself and the predicament he's in and nodded.
I started at the worst of the tangle and slowly worked through the mass of thorns and hair. A steady process, but all-around soothing as I have come to realize I am touching another person's hair other than my own or Kasumi's. I was still wary of the man out of nowhere bit, so placing several precautions up in my head and following through calmly was the best course of action.
"May I ask how you got here?"
Being cautious and gathering as much intel for myself to see if a threat or not, he seemed innocent enough. But I've been fooled before.

"…well, don't know where to start, but I was kind of dropped off here. Sorry for the mess," managing to turn himself around and get off the hedge, he popped his back and neck and stared at his ruined clothes. "Well this is just grand…" clothes completely shredded, I looked at the clothing and was curious what kind of material was used and who the designer was. There was nothing of the like here in town and I don't know anyone with such strange taste in clothes to make it either. "Hey, thanks for the help—" he stopped so suddenly I didn't understand until I realized two things.
My ears were uncovered.
His shirt literally just fell apart the moment he moved and now he's bare-chested.

"O/O" embarrassed and running away to hide my face and ears both, I heard him calling for me but dared not stop. I made it back to the gazebo and got the hat on before hearing him again and knowing he got lost in the maze.

"So quick…" he let out. "Where did you go?"

"I don't know who you are, but this is private property and I suggest you leave before someone calls the authorities." Hiding myself and feeling so stupid for forgetting my hat of all things, I kept to the shadows and tried distancing myself away without notice.

"Really," he seemed to be following my voice and I quietly headed to the hedge that led out of the maze. "And why haven't you then?"

"…none of your concern," holding my voice steady and making sure no twigs crunched beneath my foot, I think I heard him getting closer. My heart was racing too hard to tell where he was exactly.

"I need help looking for someone. Do you know anyone named Grimmjow?"

I stopped and turned around and didn't know how to respond. Is this guy friends with Grimmjow? If so then how did he end up here? From the way Kasumi described her encounter there was a light, but I didn't see anything of the like. All he did was crash into our hedge and the smell of something burning filled the air.

"I take the silence as an answer." His voice close by and looking around, a shadow from above caught me off-guard and I gasped when seeing him standing on air! "I'm not going to hurt you; I just need to bring him back home."

"How the hell are you doing that!" I felt my body go rigid and wanting to run when he dropped down with ease and walked slowly towards me.

"It's alright…I'm not going to hurt you." Hands up like taming an animal, I felt the hair on my neck stand and not know how to respond to it. "Please…will you answer my question?"

"Just…" I fell on my butt and was startled I was so shaken up. This was a stranger that came out of nowhere and now I find him to have some creepy powers allowing him to walk on air?! Nothing has trained me in preparation for this!

"Ok…" he sat down and was level with me until I could calm down and I really didn't know what to do. "I won't come any closer…just hear me out."
I scooted back to the hedge and took comfort in the foliage and thorns while he started telling me his tales. I was unsure of anything at first hearing it, but the more he spoke and how he came to be here and where he's from I started to calm down. Everything he spoke of was identical to Grimmjow and where he's from and how he got here. Two different people telling the same thing would be highly unlikely told as a lie.

"So…this Karakura Town is just a place you can get to…but it's not really your home? You say you're a spirit that guides other spirits to a place called the Soul Society?"

"Yeah…" scratching his head and finding his face contorting with curiosity, he seem baffled by something.

"And none of this is made up…"

"Nope."

"…the whole floating on air is completely normal." Pointing up at the sky.

"Very much so."

"…." My head hurting and trying to place it all together I just stared at him and kept trying to make sense of it all. "You and Grimmjow are from the same place but not really from the same place and you are getting him back home because some experiment had gone haywire and these scientists sent you because you weight the same?"

"That about covers it, yeah." He was smiling and leaning in his hand when staring at me, but not once did he ask about my ears. Feeling self-conscience about it and reaching for my hat, he perked up and pointed to his head in question. "Is that a fashion statement here or are those real?"

"…" I looked away for a moment and he seemed patient enough to wait for my reply. "Their real…"

"Huh…didn't think I'd see a human with cat ears apart from the soul society and Hueco Mundo."

"Wait, there's others like me?"

"Kind of. Grimmjow actually is a feline when he goes into his second form during a fight."

"What?!" A hundred questions emerged but he wasn't going to answer any further questions as he raised a hand to cut me off.

"Enough about that, can you help me?"
He rudely cut me off but then I figured we covered all the basis that he was no threat to me. The problem was his torn clothing. He can't go around the school in threads, it would give the girls here a heart attack they can't handle. I already can't handle it, but that's beside the point.

"Stay here until I can bring you some clothes. You can't walk around the school this way."

"School?" He just realized where he was and looked around. "Pretty fancy for a school, don't you think?"

"Well this is a high-class academy for the wealthiest of families. Can't find any other school this prestigious for miles around."

"That right," he stood up and stretched a bit and managed to tie his hair in a manbun before helping me off the ground. "I guess I'll wait here then until you return…um…sorry, I don't have a name to call you by."

"Oh," dusting my uniform off and straightening myself up, I smiled as I spoke. "I'm Kim."

"Renji Abarai," shaking his hand and feeling how rough his hands are from whatever job he described, I nodded and proceeded to get him some clothes.

"I'll be back, don't let anyone else see you!"

~OoOoO~

I scoured the drama club for clothes that could fit Renji, but being high school students, we were not nearly as tall as he is. Frustrated and trying my best to stay out of sight from the Host Club, it came to be that I had to make something for him. Even if just a quick tailoring on the fly it would have to do.
"Where will I find clothes no one will mind losing though?"

"Kim," hearing Kasumi and squeaking in surprise, she raised her brow and walked over to me. "Are you up to something?"

"N-no," terrible liar. "I thought you were Kaoru…"

"Oh," she flinched and stepped back when hearing of our breakup and she felt bad for me. "Are you needing something here at the drama club though? We have all the clothes set up for the ball in the Host club."

"Well…these clothes are not going to be for the club…or anyone in it…it'll be for one of Grimmjow's companions." Not thinking how this will sound or turn out, she was puzzled and cocked her head to the side. "Ok, so here's how it went…"
*Explaining everything to a confused Kasumi*
"So…yeah…" she looked baffled at first, questioned a few things second, but calmly nodded and started to help me. "Kasumi, if this guy is trying to take Grimmjow back home then we don't—"

"I know…but I guess we'll know more when the two meet up." Her voice seemed sad when she turned away from me. I know the two had gotten closer thanks to sparring and among other activities lately, but I wasn't expecting her to show such a sad look on her face. "I can give Grimmjow a call and ask him myself if he really knows this Renji guy and have him come over here. Clothes though, there is one I think might fit the guy from what you told me." She led me down the corridor and passed by many fangirls waving at her until reaching the abandoned music room 3. I didn't really want to go in there quite yet, but she swung the doors open and waltzed in like normal straight to Tamaki's wardrobe.

"Are you seriously suggesting we take Tamaki's costumes?" I whispered.

"He's taller than normal boys here and has a slim figure, but if you tailor some of the more loose-fitting outfits he owns I figure it'll be easier to work with. I'll help with whatever you need to do." Nonchalant as though this new arrival never even fazed her, she was a working businesswoman right now without showing anything on her face to what she was up to.

"Kasumi you're the best." Hugging her from behind and feeling her hand pat me, she scrolled through the long line of clothes in search of something decent and pulled a few choices out. Getting creative and making something up and tailoring on the go, we got something we could work with and Kasumi got Grimmjow on the phone to ask him about Renji.

After maybe a few minutes discussing with him, she finally came close enough for me to hear the rest of the conversation. "You remember how to get here right?" She waited and got his response and nodded. "Alright then, see you here shortly around the building where you'll see the rose maze." She hung up the phone and faced me with a smile. "Looks like we'll be having another house guest joining us for dinner."

"I figured as much," we both laughed and ventured back out to the halls and made our escape outside to find Renji. And just like I had asked he was still waiting at the gazebo. "I'm back." He turned and saw Kasumi and put his guard up. He reached for something but quickly withdrew his hand from his hip and just posed for hand to hand combat.

"Relax hot-shot, Grimmjow will be coming to get you shortly." Not expecting to hear such crass words from her, I watched Renji take on her words and laugh.

"That's what Grimmjow calls me, so you really do know him." His laugh was contagious to me. I slipped a giggle out and held back when I noticed he heard me. "Those the clothes you want me to wear?"

"Y-yeah," handing it to him and watching his face contort with confusion, Kasumi stepped in and explained.

"We're a bunch of high schoolers here, we don't have the body-build clothes order to accommodate you here. Kim and I stitched something together so you don't put the girls here into a frenzy."

"A frenzy?"

"Yeah, ravenous teenage girls loom here and they will eat you in a matter of seconds if given the chance." She quickly glanced him up and down and rolled her eyes. "And judging by the way your in tatters they would surely eat you without mercy."

"That's a little terrifying…" he started stripping off the small amounts of clothing he had on and we both turned away with red faces.

"Did he really just strip in front of us?!" Kasumi whispered frantically.

"He really did! No decency!" I whispered back just as frantic.

"How long till Grimmjow arrives?" He asked. Taking a chance and peeking to see if clothed, he was done, I nudged Kasumi.

"Look, Grimmjow will get here. But there is something that Grimmjow wanted for me to tell you." He waited, as did I. "Your senkaimon won't work here and soon neither will your reiatsu."

"What?" Confused as I am hearing this as well, she shrugged her shoulders and left it at that.

"That's all he told me. He'll fill you in when he comes to get you. You can follow us to the spot he'll get you at and we'll head back inside to finish our graduation project."

"Wait you're leaving me like this?"

"Yeah," flat out telling him, he had no words and just blinked blankly. "Kim, head back and finish your side of the project and I'll be right there to wrap it all up. I need to confirm something with Grimmjow when he gets here."

"Ok…" she was acting like a business woman dealing with her company when she spoke, but when she took out her phone and smiled slightly to whoever it was I couldn't tell what she was thinking.
But doing like she asked and heading back inside, I happened to run into Kyoya of all people and he stopped me in the corridor overlooking the courtyard.

"Kim, a word?" Not really wanting to speak with the guy that broke Kasumi, but since it has come to this I really couldn't pull away. Part of this mess is kind of my responsibility. "Is Kasumi doing alright? She won't speak with me properly…I'm worried about her."

I about scoffed! "Worried? You put her through that mess yourself! How can you be worried about her if you were the one to cause all the worrying?"

"I know what I did was indecent of me and I apologize for all of it. If she would just speak with me I could properly apologize to her…" his voice shaken a little, I had no room left in my heart to play the friend game with him. "Please…I never meant for any of this to happen the way it did."

Bitter, I shook my head while shutting my eyes and saw all the images of Kasumi on the brink of despair because of his father and his cowardice. Now he wants forgiveness. I never knew he could be so shrewd.
"You know, you and Kaoru both are nearly the same. At first I was so gung-ho about you two getting together because you were so invested into her. If I had known you would cause her such grief I would have kept you two apart with all that I have. I was just so grateful you were nothing like Zen, but clearly I never saw the politician in you to begin with and only thought of opening Kasumi's heart to be happy. I failed seeing that as her closest aid."

"Kim?"

"No Kyoya, I think it's good that she ignores you and separates herself from the Ootori family. Besides, she doesn't need you around in her life any longer, she is quite happy with what she has now and who she's around now." Maybe slipping that in was too much because his face contorted angrily, and he gripped his black book with brute strength I didn't know he possessed.

"What did you mean by those words?" His words were dark when he spoke. Seething anger and his eyes glared at me. "Is she with someone else?" He stepped forward and loomed over me, I was not prepared for such a threat it caught me off-guard. "Who is it? Tell me, Kim!" His hand reached for me but stopped when I noticed him staring out the window.

I looked out the same window and saw Grimmjow getting out of Kasumi's car. Kyoya fumed knowing it was her car he got out of and he stormed angrily away before I could react and I watched the interaction between her and Grimmjow with her smiling and felt Kyoya's anger seething from that view alone. I ran after him, knowing that something was about to happen and I should try and stop it the best I can.