Pursed lips, calculating eyes, and a hand situated upon her hip; Risa Keno stood in the living room of the Fujioka residence. She had been assigned to the small apartment complex for a week, starting today. Looking around the moderately sized room, her eyes swooped across the table surfaces, up to the light fixtures, and then back down to the floor.
'I can work with this, she thought after her quick inspection. Whoever was in charge of the cleaning had done a job worthy of approval.
"Excuse me?"
Risa whipped around, surprised that she had been caught off guard.
"Miss Fujioka!" Risa exclaimed, providing the startled girl with a deep bow.
Haruhi looked at the woman in front of her. She was dressed in a crisp, clean maid uniform with an 'Ootori' patch on her right breast. She figured this was the person who Kyoya had sent in as her replacement of sorts. But how had she managed to get into the apartment? Maybe she had been give a spare key. Kyoya, after all, had invaded every aspect of her life. He probably had an Ootori Investigative Agency set up to track her.
"Thank you for coming, Miss..." Haruhi started, but extended the sentence as she waited for the other woman to provide her name.
The maid raised herself from the bow, "Risa. Risa Keno."
"Well, Miss Keno, my father is currently asleep at the moment, so perhaps we should discuss -"
"No need, Haruhi," Ranka interrupted as he joined the two women standing in the center of his living room. He held a hand to his head trying to stable himself and calm the pounding headache. He was incredibly hungover from last night's drinking session with his buddies. Thankfully Haruhi had already been asleep when he stumbled in drunk only a few hours ago.
Risa turned to face the man she'd otherwise be babysitting for the entire week and pressed her lips together as if in a disapproving manner. The data she had collected while researching the Fujioka family and their lifestyle had her prepared, but she hadn't suspected the cross-dressing father would be hung over when they finally met in person. Disappointing indeed.
"Daddy has a headache. Would you mind, Haruhi?"
Haruhi nodded and was about to fetch some painkillers from the kitchen, but a blur bypassed her before she could even take her first step.
"Here you are, Mr. Fujioka," Risa said as she presented a glass of water and two tablets to the stunned cross-dresser.
Haruhi looked at the maid with a stunned look which then melted into a disbelieving gaze. The woman was better suited for the Ootori private army than the Ootori cleaning crew!
'I guess I won't have to worry too much about being gone,' Haruhi thought to herself as she watched her father down the two tablets and the water.
"Have you already packed for your trip, Miss Fujioka?" Risa inquired as she turned to face the young woman again.
"Ah," Haruhi said with a smile, "yes, I have."
Risa nodded and moved towards Haruhi's bedroom despite the reassurance.
"Eh?" Haruhi looked at the woman's retreating back as she disappeared into her bedroom.
"Master Kyoya would like to ensure that Miss Fujioka will have the proper attire for the cruise," the maid replied as she spotted Haruhi's suitcase and unzipped it.
The clothes were neatly organized and packed delicately inside the black rolling bag. On top of the clothes was a bag full of toiletries. Risa placed those on the side, acknowledging the travel toothbrush that was in a separate baggy from the other objects. 'Smart girl,' Risa acknowledged and let her hands wander onto the dresses that she pulled out. Then the skirt. Then the tops. Then the underwear. Then the bikinis.
"Don't worry, I already checked over everything while she was at school yesterday," Ranka said as he stood in the doorway behind his daughter and rubbed the top of his head. The ache in his head was finally beginning to disappear.
The maid smiled, despite the fact her back was facing the two that stood in the doorway. Perhaps Ryoji Fujioka did deserve more credit than people gave him.
"And since Hikaru and Kaoru sent over that cute little white bikini, I had to put that in too!"
Haruhi looked at her father with the same disbelieving look that she had given the maid only moments before.
Risa placed everything back into the suitcase, stood up, and grabbed the cellphone that was tucked into the folds of her uniform. She hastily let her fingers fly across the number pad and placed the device against her ear, reminding Haruhi of a certain Shadow King with each action the maid performed.
"Everything is in order. She's ready," Risa said before snapping the phone shut and replacing the phone back into the folds of her uniform.
Before she could ask what was going on, the sound of the front door being thrown open caused her to back up against the wall in fear.
"Haruhi," two voices called in a sickly sweet voice that was laced with a hint of mischievousness. Hikaru and Kaoru swept into the house in search of the girl they were ordered to pick up (abduct). They stopped when they finally spotted her, pressed up against the wall in surprise. Ranka, who had been somewhat blocking his daughter from his position in the doorway, moved to the side so they had a better glimpse of her.
"I thought you said she was ready," Hikaru said dully as he looked at the maid.
"She is ready," the maid confirmed as she glanced over the girl again. Her items were packed, she was dressed, and was as prepared as one could be for a week away from home.
"That's not ready! Look at that outfit! And her hair! Definitely not good enough," Kaoru said as he tossed his head dramatically to face his brother.
"What's wrong with my hair?" Haruhi said with a dark look. She didn't particularly enjoy it when her club members spoke as if she wasn't there.
"Nothing we can't fix!" the two brothers said, grinning madly.
Haruhi didn't even get a moment's warning before they had pounced.
As for Ranka and Risa, the two had stepped out of the room, completely ignoring the girl's cries of protest.
"How about some tea?" Risa asked.