Chapter 8: First Step
The growl of a motorcycle engine being cut off outside the expensive mansion is what caught the attention of Suguru and Saki Kaiou as they waited in the den for the two riders. Suguru's blue eyes could already see that his wife had tensed, and he was silently willing this not to be another of the infamous fights between mother and daughter. Saki had promised to stay calm, but once the two were in the same place it was often anyone's guess what would happen next.
The door opened, Ichiro's quiet voice was heard and soon after two sets of footsteps approached. There was a pause, Suguru could just make out that Michiru's voice was whispering something but he could not tell what. He was also sure he had heard a quite reply come from Haruka before a set of footsteps seemed to trail off up the stairs. Saki was watching the door to the den as it slowly opened and their daughter entered, taking a moment to bow respectfully to her parents.
"Please have a seat Michiru." Suguru smiled at his daughter and indicated a chair beside him, across the room from his wife. The youngest Kaiou was doing her best not to seem hesitant about whatever it was that her parents wanted to talk about.
"Where were you?" Saki asked her voice still neutral for the moment.
"Haruka-san invited me to lunch." Michiru smiled slightly as she answered her mother. She did not notice her father watching them both and seeming to try to gauge things silently.
"You left a few hours ago." Saki pointed out, dark eyes narrowing slightly at her only child. She mentally bit her tongue to keep from sounding too accusatory. After a few moments of regarding the young woman she spoke again. "Where did you go to eat and what took so long?"
"We went to a small place down by the beach." Michiru started to almost feel like the whole conversation was a game of chess. That in mind she decided now was as good a time as any to start her plan. "Haruka-san had promised to take me for a ride on his motorcycle so after lunch we rode around for a while."
"You two seem to have been spending a lot of time together." Suguru pointed out, trying to interrupt his wife's soon to be interrogation. He sighed as he received a glare from his wife but focused instead on his daughter. "Some people may start to mistake you for a couple, if no one has yet."
"Haruka-san was being nice; he didn't want me to be bored and alone. He's been a charming host." The young woman smiled a little more brightly as she said this, and her parents exchanged another look. Saki clearly wanted to say something but Suguru again cut in before she could.
"So, he's just being a good host?" Suguru eyed his daughter in a slightly protective manner. For the first time in the entire conversation Michiru felt the under lying tension snap and laughed at her father's look. He raised an eyebrow and poked her shoulder. "If he hasn't I can talk to him."
"He's been nothing but a wonderful host father." Michiru hugged her father's arm, remembering her time in school. Her father had come all the way to her school one day after finding out a boy had made an inappropriate comment to her. He had barged into the office and demanded to speak to the boy himself. The boy had been so scared after that, though the school had not let Suguru near him that he'd never even looked her way again.
"So, if we were to pick Hiroshi-san tomorrow you'd have no problem with our decision?" Saki's voice held a measured tone and she watched how the comment sobered her daughter quickly. Michiru seemed to be thinking over how to respond to that comment for a few long moments.
"You haven't decided, have you?" Her voice was filled with mild worry and Saki raised an eyebrow at her daughter.
"I thought, Michiru, that you were against an arranged marriage all together." Mother and daughter watched each other again.
"I am." Michiru's expression became a cool mask of indifference as she spoke. "I'm still hoping that you'll change your minds all together."
"No decision has been made yet but maybe you could lend us your opinion." Suguru saw Michiru begin to smile lightly again as he said those words. He thought over his words carefully before he said anything. "We haven't spent much time around Haruka-san yet you two seem to be getting to know each other. How would you describe Haruka-san?"
"Charming, kind, polite." Michiru turned her full attention toward her father as she continued to speak. "He's been nice enough to drive me to anywhere I might need to go. He has been polite enough to invite me along to business parties and to get to know me. Overall, he's a very charming young man."
"Not to mention good looking?" Suguru commented in a teasing voice, expecting his daughter to deny the comment. He was surprised when Michiru looked away with a blush and nodded mutely to agree with the observation.
"Keep in mind that the choice is ours to make young lady." Saki spoke in a calm voice but Michiru was sure that a wrong word right now may set off the older woman.
"Of course, mother."
"I think that's enough for now." Suguru gently squeezed his daughter's shoulder and nodded toward the door. Michiru knew this was her queue to get out while she could. "I think your mother and I should talk."
Michiru stood, bowing again before she silently left the room. When the door was shut behind her she sighed in relief and turned toward the stairs. It did not take her long to make her way up the stairs to her guest room and she smiled at the blonde waiting for her there.
Haruka was lying on Michiru's bed with her head hanging off one side playing a PSP. Based on the sound of a police siren, what sounded like a crash and car engines Michiru'd have to guess it was a racing game. She sat down next to the blonde, who looked comfortable in a position that should not be.
"How did it go?" Haruka spoke quietly, turning the game off and shifting her teal eyes up to the other woman.
"Well, judging by their reactions and questions I would say that my mother thinks you are trying to seduce me, and my father thinks I would like to seduce you." Michiru laughed at the upside-down look of confusion she received. "They called me because they wanted to know where we went all afternoon."
"Did you tell them about our secret no clothing allowed beach party?" Haruka asked in an over dramatic voice as she set her PSP aside and slowly sat up. The young racer had to grab her head at the sudden change in blood flow.
"No, but my father did ask for my opinion of you." Michiru managed between the giggles caused by the goofier side of the blonde.
"And you said you were falling madly in love, but you'd been rebuffed by me as I already had a fan club president, right?"
"Haruka!" Michiru slapped the blonde's arm as said woman started to laugh. Michiru shook her head and sighed. "And how do I know you aren't the president of my fan club's Tokyo chapter?"
"Ah, I tried but they said the position was already filled I'm afraid." Haruka placed a hand over her chest and pretended to be deeply disappointed. "However, I consoled myself by merely buying a copy of every CD you ever released."
"Very funny." Michiru stuck her tongue out at the blonde who smirked and winked at her.
"But I really do have all your cds."
"I'm sure." Michiru stated in a very unconvinced voice.
"I'll prove it, just come to my apartment one day."
"If my father heard that he'd be convinced you were just making up a reason."
"What if I were?" Haruka laughed when Michiru slapped her arm again. Teal eyes met blue and Haruka's laugh died into a smile before she stretched and stood from the bed. She grabbed her PSP, making it fit in one of her pockets to Michiru's surprise. "Well, best I get out of here before your parents decide we require a shot gun wedding."
"Haruka." Michiru caught the woman's wrist for a moment and the blonde looked at her. Michiru smiled in return and raised an eyebrow. "Do you realize how much fun you can be when you're relaxed?"
"Thank you for the compliment." Haruka leaned down to bring her face close to Michiru's, smirking when this caused Michiru to blush again. "Normally I don't relax very much in this house, but your company has made all the difference Miss Kaiou."
Michiru was quiet as Haruka stood straight again and left the room. She hoped this plan worked. There was simply no way she would be sticking around to find out if Hiroshi had anything in common with his younger sister. Something told her that in a lot of ways the two were as different on the inside as they physically were on the outside.
"Master Haruka." Ichiro's quiet voice made the blonde jump just as she left Michiru's room. With a nervous smile she turned to face the butler, knowing that she would have a much harder time explaining why she was in the woman's room than why they spent so much time together. He did not seem about to comment, so the blonde took a few steps nearer to him.
"Yes, Ichiro-san?"
"The hospital just called for Master Hiroshi." Haruka raised an eyebrow at this, not seeing what it had to do with her. The butler sighed a bit deeply and continued. "Master Hiroshi left for the hospital over an hour ago, he hasn't returned yet they seem to need him there."
"Why did he leave earlier?" Haruka felt herself becoming suspicious again.
"He claimed they had paged him and left in a very cheerful mood."
"Wait, Hiroshi got paged to come in after his shift and left cheerfully?" Haruka blinked as she thought this over. "Did he even call them back?"
"No Master Haruka."
"Does Grandma know yet?"
"No."
"Good." Haruka turned toward the end of the hall and spoke over her shoulder to him. "I'm going to go find his car and make sure he's okay, see if you can keep this from getting to my Grandmother or the Kaious."
"Consider it done Master Haruka." The old butler started to turn and Haruka turned back herself.
"Wait, Ichiro-san." The butler turned to look at her again. Haruka smiled a bit nervously at him. "Can we keep the fact that I just came out of Michiru-san's room between us?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about Master Haruka." Without another word Ichiro disappeared down the stairs and Haruka grinned. The man had always reminded her of an uncle or a grandfather more than a butler. After a moment she sighed heavily and started toward her room in the attic.
"Hiroshi, what the hell are you pulling this time?" She muttered.
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Hiroshi looked out the cracked window of a second story room in the small house. The man's brown eyes watched the few people brave enough to travel this area after dark. Under a flickering streetlamp he could also make out the three men in leather jackets that leaned against his car, making sure no one would touch the doctor's Honda. Taka was still off but that only gave the man a bit more peace, without his old classmate trying to cheer him up.
"Why the hell did Haru have to come home?" Hiroshi growled to himself. He could remember vividly the conversation he and Maiko had regarding the blonde's return.
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Flashback:
Hiroshi was aggravated as he followed Ichiro into the den where Maiko waited. She was sitting in an old recliner with a cup of coffee in her hands as she watched him enter. Hiroshi, for his part, picked a chair and all but threw himself into it. He crossed his arms and jiggled his foot with an expression that clearly conveyed that he saw whatever would come next as a complete waste of time. He ignored how Ichiro pulled the den door closed and stood before it as if guarding them.
"We will soon be welcoming some very important guests, which means among other things that we will not be welcoming your personal guests." Maiko's voice held clear distaste for her grandson's choice of company. As the last word left her mouth Hiroshi was already rising to his feet with angry indignation stamped across his features.
"I am a grown man and I will not be told what to do by you or anyone else!" As the young doctor turned toward the door however he was halted by her next words.
"You most certainly well if you expect to live here as well as continue working at Tenchi." Maiko smiled as the young man froze in his steps, he couldn't see it, but he knew she was smiling. The old woman had one up on him if she was playing this card. "Sit back down."
"You can't do this; it's my right as the heir." Hiroshi tried to sound confident, but he felt as if his confidence were starting to desert him. "I have more right to be here than you do, as a Tenoh by birth."
"Young man, don't try me. First, your Grandfather left our family holdings to me alone, not to your father so until I die no one has any claim to anything." Her gray eyes seemed to be shooting daggers at him as he took his seat again. "Secondly, as I recall, you are not the only Tenoh heir left."
"What are you saying? Haruka left us and is out trying to get herself killed." His voice gained venom again as they landed on the topic of his only sibling. "Who would hand the hospital or any of the family holding to her?"
"I would in a heartbeat if you don't shape up." Hiroshi clamped his jaw tightly shut as Maiko said this, knowing full well the old woman had the legal right to do it if she so chose. Hell, she could leave the lot to Ichiro if she chose and there was nothing he could do.
"What do you want this time?" He ground out, feeling as if he would scream soon.
"As I said, we will be having some important family guests, so we need to set some ground rules. I called you here to tell you what is expected of you and what will happen if you don't do as I say." Maiko relaxed into her chair as Hiroshi's hand gripped the arm rests of his own so hard his knuckles were white. "Rule number one is that I do not want any of your friends with in ten miles of this mansion while they are here. Is that clear?"
"Yes." Hiroshi ground out through his clenched jaw muscles.
"Rule number two is that our guests are not to, nor am I to; find anything relating to your personal habit."
"I stopped that years ago." Hiroshi snapped but he knew the old woman still suspected him regardless. He would never live down his past, would never stop having it thrown in his face. What the hell had been the point of the year he had spent in withdrawal? No one in his family had taken notice; no, they had still watched him.
"I'm sure you did for a short time." Maiko waved off his defense without any care, she had stopped acting like she believed him years ago. Currently cold gray eyes locked on the young doctor and her voice held steel in its tone. "Regardless, if they so much as ask me about odd behavior from you, I'll make sure you have no claim to anything."
"Is there anything else your majesty?" The doctor shot back sarcastically.
"Yes, in fact there is." Maiko waved toward a family picture adorning one wall and her smile warmed a fraction. "Haruka will be returning for their visit as well, I need you both here."
"What?!" Hiroshi stood again and glared at her as he waved his arms erratically. "Why in the hell do we need her interference? Has she ever lifted a hand to hold up the family name? Has she once done anything for anyone but herself?"
"Sit down young man!" Maiko stood as well and held a look that left no doubt that she would not take much more from the younger Tenoh's mouth. "Unless you'd rather I sign everything into Haruka's name tomorrow."
"Don't expect me to treat her like a guest." Hiroshi muttered as he fell back into his chair again.
"What I expect is for you to treat her as your brother, just as we have done publicly for years." Maiko slowly eased into her own seat again and took a moment to calm herself before she continued. "Our guests won't be here to just take a vacation; they will be looking for a husband for their daughter."
"I don't want to marry some random woman so why should I care?"
"Because this was already arranged, they're going to choose between the Tenoh boys. One of you was promised to them before your mother even died." Maiko shook her finger at the man before her. "By Kami Hiroshi if they choose Haruka I will disinherit you. If you want the hospital, then you'll be planning for your wedding soon."
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Hiroshi came out of his thoughts as a motorcycle shot quickly past the house. The men guarding his car turned their heads to watch it disappear down the street until it was out of sight. The doctor let out an aggravated growl and looked as if he was going to pull out his own hair. He knew he had to get this all over somehow; the answer just was not coming to him.
Haruka sighed as she slowly brought the motorcycle to a halt before a nice apartment building. The blonde had a hunch, and she almost hated the fact she had been proven correct as she pulled her helmet off and headed for the building entrance. Needless to say that an upscale apartment complex was the last place people expected to find the blonde as she was currently dressed. Heads turned as she calmly caught an elevator up several floors. The young racer caught a teen girl eyeing her in the elevator and grinned in a playful manner. For whatever reason, the girl turned bright pink and focused her eyes on the nearest wall.
Once she reached the floor she was looking for she got out and quickly strode along the corridor. There were few doors up here, being that each apartment was big enough to be a small one level house. She stopped before a particular door and pushed the doorbell set in the wall next to it.
"Who is it?" Called a timid voice after a brief pause.
"Tenoh Haruka." The blonde answered and grinned widely when the door swung open and she found herself standing before a young woman roughly a foot and a half shorter than her. The seventeen-year-old adjusted her reading glasses so that her blue eyes could look over them to take in her guest's appearance.
Haruka stood before her in black boots with exposed metal protection on the toes; they came up her calf with several metal clasps to secure them. For pants the blonde wore an older and slightly faded pair of black slacks with a chain hanging out of one pocket attached to her belt, the buckle on which clearly showed a skull and cross bones. Her jacket, all black and designed to protect the rider from road rash, was unzipped to show a black t-shirt bearing another skull and cross bones. To cap it all off her hands were covered in black gloves that had small metal plates on them.
"Why are you dressed like that Haruka-sama?" Tumbled out of the girl's mouth before she could get over the shock.
"Good evening to you too, Ami-chan. How are you?" Haruka's grin became a sadistic smirk when the blue haired high school student before her turned bright red and muttered an apology. The blonde took some pity and shrugged off the apology. "It's okay Ami-chan, I was just out doing a bit of night recon."
"And what exactly brought you to our door, Haruka-kun?" This question came from an older woman as she walked out of the living room holding a thick book. Her keen blue eyes, hidden behind her own customary glasses, gazed warmly at the young woman on the step. "You don't look like you've been in any sort of accident? Is Tenoh-sama alright?"
"My grandmother is fine Mizuno-sempie, but I'm afraid I need a favor." Haruka gave Ami a helplessly apologetic look before turning her full attention toward the older Mizuno. "I need you to take care of something at the hospital."
"Haruka-kun, you know my days off are few and at times very far between." The doctor raised an eyebrow in question at the blonde. "And I'm sure that you've been informed that I now only allow them to call me in on such an occasion if it directly affects your family."
"I'm aware Mizuno-sempie, and it does." Haruka bowed her head as she continued with a sigh. "I'm not sure what Hiroshi's field is but the hospital has been trying to get him."
"He's disappeared again hasn't he." The statement was followed by a sigh and Doctor Mizuno turned to set her book down on a small table near the door. She began to walk down the hall as she spoke. "I'll get my keys, but I would appreciate if you'd keep Ami-chan company while I'm gone."
"Um." Haruka unintelligently looked back toward her seventeen-year-old charge and scratched her neck nervously. After a moment she smiled and offered Ami her helmet. "I hope you don't mind coming by the mansion for a while. We have company and if Hiroshi and I both disappear Grandma Tenoh will be on the war path."
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Haruka's statement was not entirely incorrect. As she entered the house followed by Ami Mizuno they were stopped. Ichiro looked at them for a moment, Haruka knew exactly what had happened, it was dinner time and the old butler had been stalling for her return. Ichiro, for his part, welcomed Ami and politely took her coat and the helmet as Haruka raced wordlessly up the stairs to change. The man blinked, since the blonde was gone so quickly it was almost as if she had never stood before him.
Inside the dining room Maiko was getting slightly impatient as she had been waiting for her grandchildren for a little over ten minutes. She'd found out from the Kaious that Hiroshi had been summoned to the hospital, but no one seemed to have any idea where Haruka had disappeared to. Or at least they did not until Ichiro led Ami in and pulled out the chair next to Michiru for the teen.
"Master Haruka has returned with a guest." Ichiro announced as Maiko looked surprised. She quickly shook the surprise off and smiled to the nervous teen now sitting at the table with them.
"Ami-chan!" Maiko seemed delighted with this surprise and Ichiro thought to himself that this may just save the younger of his two masters. The oldest Tenoh looked around the table and nodded toward the teen. "This is Mizuno Ami; her mother works at Tenchi and is also our family doctor. Ami-san these are Suguru, Saki and Michiru Kaiou. They are close family friends and have been staying with us for a time."
"It's very nice to meet you." Ami spoke quietly and bowed a bit awkwardly in her seat.
"Ichiro, tell Haruka-kun that he should be quick with whatever he's doing." Maiko said when everyone had greeted the teen politely.
"I'm already here." All eyes looked up to see Haruka striding in the door with a slightly nervous smile as she bowed. "I'm sorry that I'm late, something came up that needed to be taken care of immediately."
"And what was that?" Maiko asked as Haruka slid into the chair on Ami's other side.
"My mother agreed to take an extra shift for a friend who had a personal emergency." Ami interjected as politely as possible and blushed at the five sets of eyes now focused on her. "She didn't want to leave me home alone and we happened across Haruka-san on his way home."
"After that I had to swing by their apartment long enough to get Ami-chan's schoolwork and a change of clothes." Haruka looked to Maiko for permission. "I was hoping she could use one of the guest rooms as her mother may be at the hospital all night."
"That's fine." Maiko visibly relaxed and seemed to let things slide once again. Haruka breathed a mental sigh of relief for the fact that her grandmother had always liked the young genius next to her. Haruka would go so far as to say that Maiko even viewed Ami as a third grandchild. Haruka still remembered how worried her grandmother had been the day Doctor Mizuno went into early labor. Haruka's poor father had been forced to get up at an odd hour of the morning, along with his two children, in order for them all to ride down to Tenchi. Even ten-year-old Hiroshi had seemed pale with worry as they followed their father around the small gift shop looking for flowers and a teddy bear.
The conversation at the table turned again to the hospital, its business workings and medical equipment. While Haruka and Michiru did their best not to appear alternatively lost or bored young Ami took it all in with clear interest. In fact, soon she was taking part in the discussion herself and causing the two young women to either side of her to be impressed with her clear knowledge. No one, aside from Maiko, expected someone so young to already know so much about the medical field or about Tenchi itself. Haruka grinned, and then winked at Michiru over the teen's head. In return she received a curious look.
Ichiro slipped out of the room as the house phone rang. He answered in a professional tone.
"Hello Ichiro-san. Are Haruka-kun and Ami-chan there?"
"Yes Mizuno-sempie." The man heard a sigh of relief and could picture the doctor shaking her head. "Is something wrong?"
"No, it's just that I'm sure Haruka-kun must have broken a number of laws to get back so quickly." There was a pause before he heard what sounded like a small alarm going off somewhere in the background. "Well you please let them know that I won't be able to leave the hospital until morning?"
"Of course, Mizuno-sempie."
"And I hope that it's okay for Ami-chan to stay there tonight, I really don't want her to be a burden."
"It's taken care of Mizuno-sempie. Tenoh-sama was quite happy to see her."
"Thank you, Ichiro-san, please tell them I say thank you."
"I will. Good night Mizuno-sempie."
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Published 2007
Edited November 2020