Koide smiles when she hears the news of his next date with Hiyori tomorrow and that the two of them will be alone. "That meddling bitch Akane won't be in the way this time," He smirks as he starts to plan out what they will do together. "First a meal then I will get her into the back of my car, and we can have some fun on the way to the hotel," Koide can't wait and starts to shake with excitement. "No woman is able to resist me, and now that Akane is out of the way Hiyori will soon be mine," Sitting down on his bed an idea pops into Koide's head. "I should invite that Kanami girl along so she can see her ex in my arms." But that idea is soon dismissed as he shakes his head. "She doesn't seem like the kind of girl to just sit there and watch, and as much as I want to put her in her place, I can't give Yukari any reason to call of my engagement."
Laying down Koide soon starts to plan out the time at the hotel. "Where to start," He wonders with a finger lightly tapping his chin. "A girl like Hiyori needs to be bound, that pride of hers will get the better of her, and she will foolishly fight me is I leave her unbound. I can already tell she would look good covered in rope with a gag in her mouth so she can't mouth off while I tease her body." Smiling happily, Koide turns his head to face his little box on the bottom shelf of a bookcase against the far side wall of his room. "Should I bring some toys along with me? No tomorrow Hiyori will only experience me. Then she will come back begging for more."
Kanami smiles as she picks up her ringing phone seeing Hiyori is the one calling her. She hasn't seen the former Toji since she spied on her date or talked to her in weeks. Thumbling with her phone in excitement Kanami can't wait to answer the call despite the fact that it's nearly one in the morning and she was just woken up by the ringing of her phone.
"Hiyori," Kanami answers feeling over the moon. "It's so good to hear from you after so long."
"Kanami…" Kanami's mood quickly changes when she hears the fear and sadness in the voice of the girl she loves.
"Hiyori, what's wrong?" Kanami asks, standing up ready to go to Hiyori's side despite the fact the trains have stopped for the night prepared to walk if she would have to if that's what it takes.
"I'm outside," Hiyori tells her. "Can we talk?"
"Sure," Kanami moves towards the door before she can even get the word out. "I'll let you in right away."
Kanami's walk turns into a sprite the moment she leaves her dorm room as she hurries towards the front door. Despite being only in her underwear, Kanami doesn't hesitate she reaches the stairs and slides down the bannister to get to the bottom floor faster. The only thing Kanami regrets is the fact she doesn't have Chidori so she could use her Jin'I to reach the door more quickly. On and on Kanami runs not even slowing down as she stumbles at the bottom of the stairs and only slowing down when she reaches the door, but even then she nearly bumps into it. Kanami can see Hiyori through the glass of the door and quickly unlocks it letting her in before she pulls the girl she loves into a tight embrace.
"I missed you Hiyori," Kanami tells her as she feels like crying. "I missed you so much, Hiyori."
"Kanami…" Kanami hears her name weakly called out as she feels Hiyori's arms wrap themselves around her. Kanami can feel the tears hit her shoulder as she holds Hiyori close. "Kanami I can't wait any longer… I have to leave now…"
"Okay," Kanami agrees, holding Hiyori as she sobs into her shoulder. "Let me get a few things and let's go."
"You don't have too," Hiyori tells her as she takes a step back. "I will just disappear somewhere, and you can carry on and live a normal life."
"Hiyori I promised to stand by your side and take on half your burden," Kanami replies, taking Hiyori by the hand, and she starts to lead her back to her room. "I'm coming with you so come and help me pack."
Sat on Kanami's bed Hiyori can do Nothing but try to dry her eyes as she watches Kanami move quickly through her room collecting daily necessities as well as what little money she has in her room. "I don't deserve her," Hiyori thinks as she watches a girl through away everything she has just to stay by her side. Wiping her eyes, dry Hiyori wants Nothing more than to kiss her, to hold her and have Kanami assure her that everything will be okay, but she can't move. She can't even dry her eyes as more tears start to leak out of her eyes.
"I'm ready," Hiyori looks up to see Kanami dressed not only appropriately but also wearing a backpack that isn't full of swords for once. Hiyori half expected to see the wooden blade of a training sword sticking out of the bag but she sees Nothing of the source. "Are you ready to leave now."
"Yes…" Hiyori nods her head as she stands, but when she looks to Kanami again, she notices the Minoseki Toji looking angry for some reason. "Kanami…"
"Hiyori what are you not telling me?" Kanami asks. "What did he do to you?"
"He… nothing…" Hiyori looks down, but she doesn't need to look back up to know that Kanami isn't buying it. "Nothing yet but he sent me a package… of underwear…"
Three Hours Earlier
Hiyori was laid on her floor, staring at the ceiling as she watches the shadows from the sun slowly move across the room. She's been laying there all day not finding the energy to do anything other than occasionally rolling over when either her back or stomach started to get sore from laying on it for too long. Her schoolwork has been completed long ago, but instead of enjoying the day, Hiyori finds herself unable to do anything.
The news of her date the following day has depressed her and learning that Akana or anyone else will be accompanying her only made things worse. She doesn't want to meet that man again, and she never wants to be alone with him. He creeps her out, and there is something about him that Hiyori can't stand. She might have only met him once, but for Hiyori, that was one too many times for her liking. All she can do is that Akane would get her sister to call off the wedding. "She saw how upset I was at the restaurant there's no way someone as kind as her will leave me to suffer," Hiyori assures herself clinging to the hope she placed in the younger Origami sister.
Then there was the note Hiyori found hidden in her homework which brought the promise of help from her friends. Kanami, Mai, Mihono, Koide, Ellen and even Kaoru and Sayaka all promised to help her with the messy handwriting Hiyori knows belongs to Kanami telling her that everything will be alright. When she read the note, Hiyori couldn't help but feel the strength return to her body after so long of being helpless. Ever since then, Hyiroi had the strength to stop herself from crying herself to sleep and press on with every day. Then word of her date reached her, and Hiyori found herself feeling weak and powerless once again.
"Kanami…" Hiyori softly speaks to the empty house feeling desperate, and like she might cry again. "Please sa..." A loud knock at the door makes her jump. Slowly Hiyori picks herself up and drags herself to the door. "Hello."
"Miss Juujou?" An old man Hiyori doesn't recognises ask.
"Yes," Hiyori replies, noticing the box in his hands.
"My employer asked me to deliver this to you," The man tells her, handing her the box. "He says to wear it on your date tomorrow and be ready to have your mind blown tomorrow night."
With that said the man walks away, leaving Hiyori alone holding the box without a simple goodbye before he goes. "I shouldn't be surprised if her works for him," Hiyori thinks as she closes the door and steps back into her house. Deciding to bite the bullet and get it over with Hiyori sets the box down and opens it up quickly wishing she had thrown the box at the old man for even offering her this parcel. A set of white lace underwear with frills and pretty polka dots that Hiyori could never see herself wearing as the material is almost see-through and feels like it was designed to be easily torn. Wasting no time at all Hiyori throws the parcel and underwear into her fireplace and quickly sets it ablaze.
"I can't do this," Hiyori realises as she watches the package burn. "I won't do this." Hiyori feels the tears she's been holding back finally burst. "How can they expect me to do something like this with a man I just met?" Hiyori curls up in a ball and cries into her knees. "Doesn't anyone care about what I want?" All her frustration, all her sorrow and all her emotions she had about this engagement come out as Hiyori cries. "Kanami… Why can't I just be happy with her?"
She hears her phone ring, but Hiyori doesn't answer it unable to do anything but cry on the floor as her tears refuse to stop flowing. For ten minutes, Hiyori ignores her phone ringing until several texts start to come in, but still, Hiyori doesn't move to check her phone. It was another ten minutes until Hiyori final moves, and when she checks her phone, she is glad she didn't answer. Three missed calls from him and five text messages unread all from Koide.
"Hey, Hiyroi pick up the phone,"
"You better not be ignoring me Hiyori,"
"I take it you are busy so just send me a picture of you in that underwear when you have the time,"
"Hiyori where's that picture?"
"Hiyori you better answer me soon or else,"
Hiyori feels like throwing her phone in the fire too now that he has her number. She never gave it to him, so she guesses Yukari was the one who told Koide her number. Feeling her phone buzz again Hiyori sees he sent her yet another text message.
"Answer me soon! I expect that picture in under an hour Hiyori. I won't let you get away with ignoring me like this once we are married."
Hiyroi finally throws her phone down, watching it bounce and shatter against the floor. "I can't do this," Hiyori struggles not to collapse into a heap of tears again. "I have to go. I have to disappear." Hiyori tells herself as she grips the locket that has given her so much strength since this engagement first began. "Just one quick stop, just one good by and then I am gone." Hiyori doesn't bother to take much, just some spare clothes and what little money she could find before she grabs her train pass and hopes to make it in time to catch the last train.
Present Time
Hiyori watches Kanami's fists ball up and her knuckles turning white. The look in the Minoseki Toji eyes scares Hiyori as she has never seen Kanami this angry about anything before.
"Kanami," Hiyori steps forward and gently takes one of Kanami's clenched hands. "Forget it okay," Hiyori gently tells her as she carefully opens up Kanami's hand. "Let's just get out of here."
"Okay," Kanami replies, and Hiyori can quickly tell she still hasn't gotten over her rage. "But first we need to stop by Mai's room she has the key and address to a place we could use."
The next morning Akane walks towards Hiyori's home to help the young girl prepare for her date again feeling like she has failed Hiyori by not getting her sister to call off the wedding. "I hope you can forgive me one-day Hiyori," Akane hopes before she knocks on Hiyori's door only for it to fall open.
"Hello! Hiyori are you here?!" Akane calls out from the doorway. "Hiyori?!" Still nothing, no sounds or movements reply to Akane's voice. "Hiyori?!"
"I'll take a look," Kaoru says, pushing past Akane to enter the house while the other elite guard who accompanied them Sayaka stays outside with Akane. Several minutes pass before Kaoru returns with what appears to Akane to be a broken phone. "No one's here, but someone smashed their phone and was burning something."
"Do you think Hiyori is in trouble?" Akane asks. "Does it look like she was dragged out of her home?"
"No," Kaoru shakes her head. "I think she left by herself and if I were to bet on it, I would say that this is what drove her to leave."
"Make sure to wear this on our date,"
Akane knows that handwriting all too well. She screws up the piece of paper the moment she read it.
"I would also bet on Hiyori burning whatever he sent her," Kaoru adds. "Looks like she finally had enough of the wedding deal and ran off. I could also make a good bet on who went with here."
Taking out her phone Akane wastes no time in calling her friend at Minoseki Academy knowing instantly who Kaoru was hinting to. She hates to do this, to bother Ema at a time when she knows her friend will be busy, but she needs to confirm what has happened to Hiyori. As expected, Akane has to wait a minute or two for Ema to pick up the phone.
"Hello Ema," Akane greets as her friend picks up. "I'm sorry to bother you but is Kanami at school today?"
"No, she's missing, and I just finished questioning her friends, and they know nothing about where she is although I suspect Mai and Mihono know more than they are letting one," Ema replies sounding tired. "I called her family, and they haven't heard from her either. I take it since you called that Hiyori has also gone missing."
"Yes she has, it seems they ran off together," Akane tells her before taking a deep breath. "Can I ask you for a favour Ema? Can you delay calling the police for another hour?"
"Sure," Ema answers. "I doubt they are endangered with Mai, Mihono and most likely others helping them."
"Thank you," Akane says as she turns around find Kaoru already laid out on the floor. "Hat are you doing?"
"Killing time since we have an hour till you call in Hiyori is missing," Kaoru tells her and Akane feels relieved to see the two guards are willing to delay the report as well.
AN
With Hiyroi and Kanami running away and everyone giving them a head start will they make it or will they be caught? How will Yukari and Koide react to the news? Keep reading to find out.