Chapter Two: Brothers
Hiroshi Tenoh may once have been a happy child, even during a time when his father had been a heavy drinker the boy had his mother. That worked, until he was four years old and his mother started to feel sick each morning. Young Hiroshi did not understand why exactly his father seemed to suddenly start getting help with his drinking, or why his parents did not argue as much as they had before. All he knew was that nine months down the road his father brought home a baby girl and his mother had to spend loads of time in the hospital.
Things changed radically for the young boy, he even found himself suddenly enrolled in preschool and that neither of his parents seemed to have much time for him. To spite this, he still initially loved to be around the blonde wobbly little girl with her teal eyes shining at him. In fact, it was hard to pinpoint when that had changed. Maybe it was when Hiroshi got older and began to realize that his sister's delivery contributed to their mother's death, or the fact that when it was time for her to start school Haruka was home schooled for a number of years.
Whatever the reason, the young doctor now glared toward the young woman across the living room. He had humored his grandmother and stayed home this afternoon, knowing well what he may lose if he did not, but he hated having to be around his younger "brother". It always seemed that the blonde was given what she wanted, somehow things always seemed to work out for her. Or maybe it was that she seemed to refuse to fail, other than one slip in morals Haruka did not seem human. Hiroshi knew though, he knew the one thing she hid more closely than her gender and why.
"Hiroshi, Haruka, I want you both to be as nice as possible to the Kaiou family." Their Grandmother addressed the two Tenoh heirs. Maiko's gray eyes were stern as she shook a finger toward her grandchildren. "The Kaiou Family has invested a lot of money in the hospital your grandfather started and a marriage between our families would ensure our family keeps a controlling share."
"So, this is all over money and property?" Haruka voiced what both siblings were thinking, though Hiroshi was more eager inside his mind then the young racer sounded. He fixed his brown eyes on the tom-boy, noting if anything that she looked more masculine since she had moved out of their family home.
"No, the Kaious were good friends to this family before you were born. Hiroshi used to play with their nephew before your mother died." Maiko stood and straightened her kimono as the doorbell chimed. "Remember, I want you on your best behavior until their visit is over."
"And when will that be?" Hiroshi muttered as he stood and tugged at his tie.
"It will be over whenever they feel like leaving, young man." Maiko glared at her grandson before shuffling into the front hall, her grandchildren not far behind. Ichiro was greeting two people as bright sunlight flooded into the front hall blinding the three Tenohs for a few moments. Hiroshi blinked and raised a hand to shield his eyes so he could get his first look at the Kaiou family.
'This is going to be easy.' He thought to himself as he smiled toward the older couple on the doorstep.
"Suguru-kun, Saki-chan! It's so good to see you two again!" Haruka listened to her grandmother speak to the two as if they were still so young. For their part, the two smiled and bowed politely to the older woman.
"It's our honor to be here, Tenoh-sama." The man spoke as he bowed, deep blue eyes twinkling happily toward Maiko. His dark hair had a shot of gray in it and there was a line or two on his face but all in all Suguru Kaiou looked younger than Haruka expected.
"It's been too long, Tenoh-sama." Saki Kaiou spoke as she too bowed. Her brown eyes were more serious than her husband's, even as her red kimono seemed more festive than his gray business suit. Her hair, which draped to nearly her mid back, was almost as dark as her husbands, though there was not a hint of gray in her locks. "And who are these two fine young men?"
"May I present my grandsons? I believe you've already met Hiroshi." Maiko first waved Hiroshi forward as the darker Tenoh bowed toward the two. "He's a doctor at Tenchi and I let him sit in at the last board meeting."
"Yes. Good to see you again Hiroshi-san." Saki spoke as Suguru seemed to size the older Tenoh heir up visually. Hiroshi had taken to cropping his hair close to his scalp and shaving every morning. He wore a slightly wrinkled, though expensive, suit which was black and seemed to easily present the image of a somewhat tired young doctor. The only problem, Haruka mentally assessed, was that Hiroshi looked older than he actually was.
"And this is Haruka. He has been away for some time on business." Maiko waved Haruka forward and she could already see gears cranking in the Kaious' minds. One son looks too old while the other seems much younger, Haruka thought as she bowed. Not that it mattered to the blonde; she was only here to make the family look unified for their guests.
"This is little Haruka-kun?" Suguru voiced the statement in a surprised tone as he stepped forward and eyed the young blonde. Haruka brought her teal eyes up and noticed Suguru was level with her, landing him just an inch shorter than Hiroshi. The man smiled at her in a way that reminded the blonde of her late father. "To have heard your father talk about you I'd have thought you were still a little boy. What business are you in?"
"I race professionally." Haruka answered honestly and saw the same look she had received from her grandmother that first time. It was not precisely disapproving so much as disbelieving. Why would the heir to a fortune want to risk life and limb in such a field? Most people saw Hiroshi's career as the far more sensible choice.
"You race cars?" Saki asked, her tone having lost its cool in her own moment of shock.
"I started with dirt bikes and motor cross racing, I'm a five-time champion on my motorcycle." Haruka could swear she could hear her grandmother's oncoming lecture already. "However, this past season was my rookie year behind the wheel of a professional car. I have a few Tokyo based sponsors now."
"Haruka is being modest." Maiko said in a tone filled with pride, she caught both her grandchildren off guard with her next words. "He finished his rookie year as a first-time champion and I'm sure he has been fighting off sponsors from all over the world."
"Well, that's a bit dangerous." Suguru commented with a laugh. Haruka nodded absently as Maiko asked where their daughter was. The two replied calmly, being led further in the house even as the blonde slipped toward the door. In front of the steps was a polished black limo and a young woman seemed to be fighting with something in the trunk as the driver apologized again and again.
"Is something wrong?" Haruka asked, walking up behind the two and causing them both to jump. The driver and the young woman both turned to her and Haruka found herself frozen in place for a moment. The young woman before her looked to be 5'4" with a set of deep blue eyes, aqua hair cascaded lightly over her shoulders and she wore an intricately decorated blue and gold kimono. The blonde bit her tongue and suppressed the urge to let her eyes rove across the young woman's figure.
"I'm sorry, Tenoh-san." The driver seemed to be guessing; of course, it was a safe bet as Haruka was wearing a blue Italian suit with gold cuff links and a golden Rolex on her wrist. Most people, she doubted, would mistake her for the butler currently. "I'm afraid we seem to have buried Kaiou-sama's violin case."
"Well, why don't I help you lift this luggage off of it then?" Haruka smiled and bowed formally toward the beautiful young woman before her. She might just enjoy what seemed like a family duty if it meant getting to know the young woman. "I'm Haruka Tenoh."
"Michiru Kaiou, and I think you already met my parents." The young woman replied, smiling politely toward the blonde before stepping back. She watched as Haruka and the limo driver easily lifted several pieces of heavy luggage from the trunk in search of the priceless Stradivarius her mother had insisted on placing there. She winced at the horrible images of what could have happened to her violin.
"I think we've got it." Haruka said, glancing over her shoulder and forcing a smile for the other young woman. She waved Michiru forward and gestured toward the trunk, where a leather covered violin case had safely wedged itself into the place where a spare tire once set. "It seems to be intact."
"Thank you, Tenoh-san." Michiru said as she was handed her precious violin. Again, the blonde smiled and bowed politely.
"Please call me Haruka; there are too many Tenohs inside Miss Kaiou." Haruka said reverting to the more western style speech she seemed to favor.
"Thank you Haruka-san and you can call me Michiru."
"Master Haruka!" They both looked up to find Ichiro standing halfway down the steps and approaching them. "Your grandmother is looking for you. Lunch is ready and she wants everyone to eat in the dining hall today."
"Thank you, Ichiro-san." Haruka looked again to the young woman next to her and offered her arm. "May I escort you, Michiru-san?"
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Hiroshi glanced up from his conversation with Suguru as Haruka entered, and he would have ignored her entrance completely if not for the young woman on her arm. Maiko seemed pleased as Haruka politely led Michiru to the table and pulled out a chair for the young woman, she looked back toward Hiroshi and her words echoed in the man's mind again. The twenty-seven-year-old doctor was not worried though, after all Suguru and Saki seemed greatly interested in what he had to say.
Michiru was happy when lunch and the day in general, were over. She mulled over her fate and any possible escape as she stepped from her guest room's shower. She pulled on a robe and felt a headache coming on as she relived this morning in her mind. She'd thought that her parents were joking at first, but it soon was clear they were dead serious about this whole issue.
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Flash back:
"What do you mean I'm engaged?" Michiru stood and looked straight into her mother's brown eyes with indignation. "When did this happen?"
"It was agreed before you were even conceived." Saki replied as if it was a natural detail the young woman should have expected to face someday. "This marriage would benefit both families, besides which your father and I have known the Tenoh family since before we were married."
"Tenoh?"
"The family which founded and owns the controlling share of Tenchi Hospital in Tokyo." Suguru provided as he saw his daughter seemed more confused. He sighed and waved to her chair, knowing that if he let it go his wife and daughter could continue to argue this all day. "Sit down hime."
"Why didn't I know this?" Michiru asked, her blue eyes looking to her father's. He had always been far calmer as a parent than her mother had.
"We didn't see a need to say anything until you started dating, when you never brought anyone home it must have just slipped our notice." Suguru looked at his wife as she took her seat again and returned to drinking her tea. "Things were so hectic around the time you were born, and after a while the Tenohs seemed to almost pull into their own world. It's been years but we used to visit their home on holidays."
"So why is this coming up now?" Michiru said, shaking off the new information and turning toward her current predicament.
"We'd agreed that our children would marry on your twenty-second birthday." Saki smiled, thinking perhaps her daughter had seen reason. "When Tenoh-sama and I spoke, she reminded me that we may need to visit for more than one reason."
"Tenoh-sama has two grandsons, one of which is a doctor at Tenchi Hospital." Suguru took a drink of his coffee and sighed. "When the idea was agreed there was only one, but now we know nothing about the brothers aside from Hiroshi Tenoh's career field. Haruka-kun, however, we've never even laid eyes on."
"So, I'm engaged but no one decided to which brother?" Michiru wanted to scream as her mother smiled at her. "Isn't this tradition outdated?"
"Regardless of your views young lady, we gave our word, and you'll marry either Haruka or Hiroshi." Saki's tone left no room for argument as she stood. "We are leaving today to spend some time with the Tenoh family so your father and I can choose which one is best for you. If you think it is outdated, then you can change it with your children."
End flashback:
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Michiru was brought from that flashback by the sound of a soft thump in the hall. She walked over and eased her door open a crack, noticing how dark the hall was and seeing two figures standing in the dark. She listened and started to pick up on the quiet conversation.
"Why did you even bother to come? I sure as hell don't need you here." The first voice sounded angry.
"Grandma called me and asked me to come; I'm not here to cause any problems Hiroshi." That was Haruka, Michiru was oddly sure of it.
"Drop the good guy act Haru-chan, I know you're here to win her over." Hiroshi growled back.
"Win who over, Grandma?" Haruka, whom Michiru realized was the slightly shorter figure, backed away a little. "How many times do I have to tell you I don't want the hospital? Hiro all I want to do is race."
"Yeah, and we both know what Haruka wants Haruka gets." Hiroshi snapped back stepping closer again to the younger Tenoh. "Just like you got to go to whatever school you wanted, and Dad paid extra to get you motorcycle lessons. Just like you got to go study abroad while Grandma told Dad I should stay here in Tokyo. But no, little Haru got to travel and do whatever. Why don't they ever treat you like they treat me?"
"Hiro."
"Shut it!" Hiroshi turned away from his sibling and growled. "Perfect little Haru and your perfect little life. Just stay the hell out of mine! You wouldn't get spoiled like this if our mother were around."
"You think Mom would agree with what you've been doing?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come off it Hiro, I know what the hell you're doing. I knew in high school, hell you showed me, and I know you still are."
"I'm not like that anymore!" Hiroshi got a bit too loud, so he turned back toward Haruka and got into the blonde's face. His voice dropped so low that Michiru strained to hear. "One little mistake and you all throw it in my face, never let me live anything down. You're not so perfect either you know."
"I never said I was."
"Then admit to the things you've done!"
"This isn't getting anywhere, leave me alone." Haruka started past Hiroshi but the older brother grabbed Haruka's arms and glared.
"I'm still your older brother you ungrateful little liar."
"Hiroshi get your hands off me before I get pissed." Haruka's voice finally seemed to be getting beyond frustrated and for an unknown reason Hiroshi relented. He stalked off and a door was heard shutting down the hall.
Michiru shut her door as silently as possible and quietly exhaled a sigh of relief, she was sure neither Tenoh meant for that to be overheard. With that in mind she nearly jumped out of her skin when there was a light tap on the door she had started to lean against. The violin player felt almost like she'd walked into one of those teen horror flicks and she was about to confront the killer. With that in mind she slowly turned and edged the door open, not expecting the set of teal eyes to be as close as they were.
Haruka managed to get a hand over Michiru's lips before the scream could escape her. The blonde was a bit worried someone had heard so she backed the violin player into the guest room and kicked the door lightly shut, seeing blue eyes go even wider. Haruka had to think for a moment before she realized how bad this must look to the young woman before her.
"Oh! I'm sorry Michiru-san." Haruka released the young woman and backed away, bowing as blue eyes took in the leather biker gear she wore. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's alright, how did you even know I was awake?" Michiru asked, doing her best to play innocent as the blonde eyed her.
"Hiroshi didn't see you but I spotted the little slip of light from your door." Haruka blushed very lightly as she realized that Michiru was not wearing anything but a robe. "I only wanted to apologize for what you saw; we don't normally treat our guests to family disputes."
"And that couldn't wait until morning when I was dressed?" Michiru teased playfully, not totally sure why she seemed to like the blonde's company. Something about Haruka seemed to amuse her, maybe the fact that the blonde had her parents completely fooled. Michiru was not sure why, but no one else seemed to notice the blonde was female, so for now she was playing along.
"Well, I didn't realize, I mean." Haruka stumbled over her words for the first time since the two met that morning. She felt a bit flustered by the woman before her and she was not sure if she should take the comment as a rebuke, flirting or a joke. She opted for the last and forced a smirk. "Not that I do not enjoy the view Michiru-san, but I didn't plan on walking in on you after a shower. Gomen."
"Apology accepted Haruka-san, but why are you still up?"
"Just going out for a late-night ride." Haruka sighed. "I have a bit of trouble sleeping around here sometimes."
"Well be careful." Michiru said, verbally dismissing the blonde even as Haruka started to turn away. The blonde paused and could not fight her habit of flirting, before she opened the door she looked back to the blue-eyed woman.
"If you'd ever like to join me for a ride, just let me know." With that the blonde disappeared back into the hall and shut the door. Michiru smiled and went back to getting ready for bed. Maybe, if Haruka was as nice as she seemed, the blonde could help her find a way out of this mess.
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Published 2007
Edited November 2020