Okay.. So.. I'm not a good promise keeper, I know -_-". It's been a month since the previous chapter, and yet you still come back to check on this. I just can't describe how LUCKY I am to have such generous readers like u guys. That's why I'm going with two chapters this time. (I suggest you re-read Chapter 3 before going into this..^.^)
All right..let's the war begin. Ladies and gentlemen.. here's your CHAOS!


Holy Mother's War

Chapter IV: CHAOS (part one)

"….. I'm really sorry young master, Madam's still—"

"OIYY OLD HAG WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WE'RE ALREADY LATE!" Doumyouji Tsukasa shoved all the SPs standing outside the door as he stormed into his mother's make-up room.

"No, we're not. You're the one who set your watch too early, I noticed it since yesterday. Why are you so excited about this, Tsukasa?" Kaede suspiciously eyed him through her reflection in the mirror, as the make-up artist adding more concealer cream into her bruised forehead. She knew the answer already.

"E-excited? Haah! Like I could have excitement spending night talking bullshits with a bunch of old people like you!" He loathed at how much suffer he would have to bear tonight if Makino wouldn't be there—

"She will be there, won't she?" Her tone was flat, emotionless, which surprised her son a little, since this must be the girl she hated the most in the universe they're talking about now. Tsukasa didn't answer. He didn't care what her mother would say or do; he'd make Makino showed up there no matter what.

She unleashed her sniffing smile. "Then I can only wish you know what you're doing.. I bet she'll find a lot of difficulties even to understand the conversations," her scorn was interrupted when the make-up artist applied powder to that painful bruise. "Oh, one thing. Have you bought her a dress? You don't want all the guests handing her used plates and glasses the whole night, do you?"

Tsukasa balled up his fist in anger. His mother was indeed, asking for a smash. "No need to worry about that. What I'm worrying now is that face of yours."

Of all people, Kaede should be the one who knew better that her son would never let anyone who had humiliated Makino go without a settled score. Walking closer to the mirror, Tsukasa approached the artist. "It's useless, you know," He grabbed the powder brush from the artist's hand, throwing it somewhere as he talked to him in the eye. "Another gallon of powder wouldn't turn that monster to human." Hearing his mother gasping at his comments, he left the room to find Nishida downstairs.

He was on the edge of screaming to Nishida, giving order to bring one of his drivers and limousines to take him to the venue and leave his mother behind, when his step was stopped on the stairs. There, under the stairs, he saw his ever-so-calm secretary walking frantically back and forth, sweating from head to toe, face as white as bone. Something was definitely not right.

"What is it?" He confronted.

Nishida jerked his head up. "I-i-it's…. L-let me explain, young master— it's… There's this… Well… " Nishida's sweat drops became much bigger and bigger as Tsukasa raised his one eyebrow at him; his glasses turned cloudy from the panic heat. "Well… It seems that everything goes as planned except—"

"—EXCEPT WHAT?"

"—e-except we couldn't find Miss Makino in her apartment! Y-young master…,"

The great young master grinded down his teeth. "… What did you say…"

"W-when the delivery boy was… delivering the dress, he… h-he saw Miss Makino has gone…in... in a limousine... " Nishida was cursing his stupidity for finishing two disaster reports in one too-brief sentence; that would mean a sooner death wish in his part. He should have known better to spare his life through two or three longer lines. He didn't dare to look up. His master's boiling anger aura radiated stronger and stronger to his bowing head; as his steps came closer to the lowest stair. He was beginning to see smoke evaporating from his master's black shoes, when he saw his owns lifted up from the floor.

"M-master…," The poor secretary choked as Tsukasa grabbed his collar tight, taking his face closer with two big angry hands.

"I thought I'd told you to deliver it on Friday," He emphasized the day word, reminding Nishida that he had made a 24-hours mistake. "Is this some plan with that old hag to put her away from that gathering?"

"No, no, young master, I would never do that!" Then he remembered something in the past. "I mean, never again, young master! I'll take care of it—"

"Take care? Well let me tell you HOW I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT! I WILL KILL YOU NOW AND THEN I'LL RAISE YOU UP FROM DEATH SO THAT I CAN KILL YOU AGAIN! Now explain to me any reason not to kill you twice!"

Nishida's black hair all suddenly turned grey as he knew too well that his master wouldn't hesitate to do anything whenever somebody screwed up with his beloved girl. 'Never mess up with any "Miss Makino" things' had been his life motto since the day he discovered that this almighty prince had chosen death over one single scratch on her when he was beaten up by that Junpei's guys in the school basement.

In a reverse situation like this, he wouldn't think twice to give death to anyone messing up with her, Nishida told himself. He gulped. "Well, everything was going as planned before, young master.. And since the size didn't fit, I asked them to make an adjustment and to get it delivered to Miss Makino's apartment on Friday at the latest, but.." He trailed off.

"But?"

"But unfortunately.. there was a volcano eruption on Thursday in Iceland, master.. and France, the country where this dress is being made was covered in fog, and so were the whole Europe. All flights into and out from Europe were cancelled—"

"So? So WHATT?"

"So the dress couldn't be—"

"They could've delivered it with A DIVING SHIP!"

D-diving ship? Nishida blinked.

"Or send some OLYMPIC SWIMMERS to carry it!" Tsukasa was becoming redder in anger every second.

"B-bu-but young master..… That was a dangerous ocean, full of sharks—"

"THEN LET THE SHARKS CARRY IT HERE I DON'T CARE! THEY WILL THANK THOSE SHARKS LATER IF THEY KNOW HOW THEY'LL DIE ON THAT EDELWEISS TOWER TOMORROW IN MY-OWN-HANDS!"

It's Eiffel, young master.. Nishida sighed.

"I don't care what it takes or how can you get it, you will bring those brats here TONIGHT after the gathering to see me. Now call my driver! I'm leaving NOW!" He threw Nishida back to his feet and stomped forward to the front door.

"Madam's still—"

"Your madam can stay here and put on that stupid powder the whole night she wants. I'm gonna see Makino."

"Oh, really?" A composed seething voice iced the conversation uncomfortably as its owner approaching them closer to the aisle. Another sound of pacing heels on the granite floor helped much to make it even creepier. "Nishida, get the car," Kaede ordered.

Nishida was on his way to call the limo outside when another disaster picked its time to happen at such a perfect moment. His nose had even touched the giant door, and so did his fingers, but that automatic door still wasn't opened.

"Oiy Nishida you have a stroke or what! What are you doing there?" Tsukasa came closer to check whether his barking before had done some severe damages to his secretary's neuron system.

"It..can't be.. opened—uuggghhhh… —young master…," He tried his best to crack them open, but to no avail. That's it. This time I'll be dead for real, he grimaced.

Tsukasa came to his rescue. "Is there anything you can do right today, huh?" He puffed his chest and crackled his knuckles; ready for the Doumyouji's strength show up. "Aaaaaaaargh…!" The door stayed unmoved. Closed and secured. You're kidding me. Makino's dress and then…this? What kind of day is this? "OPEN UP YOU STUPID DOOR!" He beat the door furiously, and the sound echoed through the entire mansion.

Unlike the two struggling men on the door, Kaede had already sensed that something was up. "Get me the security head," her voice had a little tension on the edge.

"I'll check the other doors," Tsukasa ran for the other 19 exit doors, thanking his family silently who seemed already prepared enough back up exits to rescue them from some possible stupid situations like this.

But there was no back up exits this time.

"Are you sure? I'll hang you all if you lied!" He was over frustrated now, he couldn't understand the meaning of this. All of his SPs who were caught along with them in the house found him only to report that the other doors, all of them, were locked dead automatically. Now Tsukasa cursed the way his mansion's security system was designed; a fully integrated automatic system where all the access in and out of the Doumyouji mansion was controlled in one room located 200 metres away from the house: the security center. All the windows were automatic too, and they were bullet-proof, so there would be no hope for him to crush them with anything. Meeting a dead end, he and the rest of the SPs ran to the room where Kaede and Nishida were in.

"This is all your fault!" Tsukasa barked his mother up. "If you didn't make up that ugly face for TWO HOURS AND A HALF we wouldn't be locked up in here! You must be the one who did this… Yes, this is all your plan—"

"Do you think I would risk my reputation by skipping this event for that filthy poor girl?" Kaede lost her composure at the reminding of how bad tomorrow newspapers' headlines would turn out at the cost of her absence in this very important occasion.

Drifting her eyes away from her son's accusing stare and inhaling deeply as if it could push the stresses away, she pushed the redial button on the portable phone in her hand. "Takayama-san," This time it would be undoubtedly, a threat. "I need to get out of here. Please do not disappoint me for promoting you as our security head last month. Oh, and your son," She paused full-trickily. "Give my regards to him, would you? I heard he has successfully inherited his father's career in Doumyouji Media Tower," Her meaningful sentence was interrupted soon after. "Oh, all right… Thank you." She hung up the phone.

"Thirty minutes." She delivered brief of the conversation to everyone in the room and got back to her sitting position, massaging her temples.

"T-T-THIRTY MINUTES?" Tsukasa shrieked.


"Miss, we've arrived." The very brief announcement of their arrival from the chaperon woke Makino up from her daydreaming stupor. She had just realized that the limousine had been fully stopped before a very luxurious and enormous building where she thought the gathering must take place.

Well, this is it.. Better deal with it already. Taking a long deep breath as the chaperon encircled the car to open her door, she was preparing herself to face the glittering celebrity crowds, the blinding paparazzi blitz and the very unfriendly welcome of Tsukasa's mother, when she found herself out from the car only to be standing before a beautiful goddess in a long silver gleaming dress. She was now facing her on that long red carpet that was rolled out to the building main entrance; studying her details as thousands of cameras' blitz and lights surrounding them from every angle.

"Makino Tsukushi-san," She unleashed an angelic smile that almost melted her heart to liquid. It's weird, Makino thought to herself. This is my first time meeting her yet I felt I knew that smile too well… She racked her brain trying to remember time and place where she'd met this beautiful woman. A slender arm reached out for her hand. "You're more beautiful than I thought.. I'm Hanazawa Ashita. It's a bless for me to see you finally," Makino felt a wave of comfort enveloped her suddenly as she let her hands squeezed enthusiastically by her. Rui's mother. No wonder I recognized such a familiar smile before.

"Aah, Ha-hanazawa—"

"Obaasan," Ashita interrupted.

"Eh?"

"Just call me obaasan. I'd like to hear you calling me that way," She held both her shoulders firmly, as if to make her promise on something important.

"But—"

"Would you please call me like that?" Ashita looked her in the eyes. And if Rui was any indication of how the Hanazawa family's stare had the power to break Makino's heart to pieces, she could have the same effect on her too.

Makino nodded. "…Obaasan," The word came out a little unsure.

Ashita smiled happily and grabbed her hands to walk towards the building entrance. "Hmmm... we better go in now.. Shall we? Someone is dying to see you." Ignoring Makino's gulp and ordering her guards to help, she got her out of the crowds, looking at her face contentedly as she led her towards the door.

After passing some heavy lines of security check and guest welcomers, they heard indistinct sound of a beautiful solo violin accompanied by other musical instruments filling up the building with a mesmerizing melody. It became clearer and louder, as they approached the main venue closer.

They finally arrived at a giant luxurious hall where the guests, probably one thousand of them, were walking, dancing, dining, chatting and laughing with their colleagues in the most possible sparkling dresses and elegant tuxedos Makino had ever seen. Her eyes even twitched from the shimmer of it. Many round tables were spread out neatly in the entire hall; wrapped in golden cover with all the expensive plates and glasses laid on them that made her afraid even to touch them.

Makino then took her sight to the upper landscape of the hall. Uncountable roses in every color they had were decorating the room lavishly along with many beautiful crystal chandeliers hung on the ceiling, filling the room with such sparkling rich golden light. This is incredible. Before someone noticed, she quickly shut her mouth and obediently followed Ashita to one specific direction; a spot reserved for VIP guests like the F4 families.

"Wow..wow.. wooooow… Look at you, Makino," Soujiro's patented grin came out unstoppably when he noticed Makino's coming. His staring examined her every detail up from her toe to her face. "I bet that idiot will dry up all his saliva tonight, seeing you like this.. Have you met him?" He blinked an eye.

"Ah, there he is!" Ashita sighed joyfully and dragged Makino out from Soujiro's stare to one table in the corner before she even mouthed her answer.

There, sitting— no, sleeping—on the table, was Rui in his broken-white suit, surrounded by some annoying pretty girls who were persistently nagging and trying to wake him up.

"Rui, dear, look who's coming here…" Ashita whispered in her son's ear and patted him on the shoulder, shook it slightly to make him conscious. But Rui wasn't that easy one to wake, so he just shifted his head to face the announcer of the news, eyes kept closed, comforted himself with the softness of the table cover and got back to sleep. "Rui—"

"It's all right, Hana—obaasan.., he must be very tired. It's okay…"

Rui's eyes flew wide open.

Ma-ki-no? There, standing right before him was "his" Makino in a figure he had never seen before. Wearing his favorite color of dress, she was like a fairytale princess came in flesh to the real world; so charming and beautiful, her hair was so classy with those locks, and her innocent cute face was becoming more glowing with the touch of such glittery make up. She's perfect. Rui jerked his head up and did not blink for ten seconds.

His mother almost laughed to see him acted that way. "Ehmmm… I guess you wouldn't be mad at me for waking you up, would you?" She released her grip on Makino's wrist and patted both Rui and Makino's shoulders together at once. "Well, I need to go now, there's something needed to settle down. You two have fun together, all right? Have a great night, dear.." She cupped Makino's cheeks with her gloved hands and pecked her on the forehead before went and disappeared in the middle of the guests crowd.

"You're beautiful," The words came out a little too soon in the middle of Makino's hard thinking of the affectionate physical contact Hanazawa Ashita made to her just a moment before.

She smiled nervously. "T-thank you, Hanazawa Rui… Well.. I.. I don't really think it suits me though.. It's too expensive," People's compliment tend to have strange effect on this one girl it seemed; it only made her felt more contrast to every attribute attaching on her body.

"Did Tsukasa choose it for you?"He asked. She nodded. "Then it is not expensive. Nothing is more expensive on this earth to him than you." The blatant declaration brought a deep blush to her face; made it cuter than ever. Rui couldn't take that sight for long. He raised his one hand, palm faced up, as if going to ask for something. "Would you dance with me?"

She gulped then nervously looked at her surroundings. "D-doumyouji is going—"

"He hasn't arrived. If he did, he would have already cuffed you the moment you step out of the car, not to mention with appearance like this," The smile was touching his eyes as he repeated his request. "So, would you dance…with me?"

Makino couldn't resist such a request from an angel. "…of course, Hanazawa Rui…," She took his hand and they both headed for the dance floor, shoving everyone else step aside with their beauty radiance as they walked.

"Uuhmmm…, I… I can't dance." She sheepishly made a confession when they were about to start.

"Well, do you think I can?" Rui tilted his head.

"Eeh?"

Then he laughed so hard that Makino thought he was drunk. "Hahaha… Makino, we can just jump and jog here if you like. Don't worry. Me, Tsukasa, Soujiro and Akira did that once in a school party and everybody followed us," He told her happily as if that was one of the most prideful school experience somebody could share.

"Well, you're an F4 in case you forgot! You can just walk to this party in a clown trunk and everybody will think it's the new trend of the era." She scowled.

He loved it when she frowned like that. "What I mean is…" The smile came inevitably. "…you don't need to be embarrassed in public just because you can't do something so common, like dancing, which everyone can do. Actually, Makino, the best thing four of us have is our self-confidence.. That's it, that's all. Money and power will just be nothing without it. However, we acquire that confidence from those things, while you.. You were born with it in your soul. That's why you're luckier than us, Makino.. You can do what everyone cannot do, you have what everyone does not have. We envy you."

Makino couldn't blink nor breathe; she didn't expect to hear such an ironic statements yet awakening words came from a sleep-addicted, ignorant guy like Rui. Then, before she could even process his sentences, something weird happened.

Rui locked his eyes with her, lowered his head to reach her—

"WHAT A WONDERFUL NIGHT, EVERYONE!" The MC was standing on the stage, calling for the guests' attention. Ooooooh…..THANK. GOD. Makino sighed almost audibly. What the hell was he thinking? He must be drunk, that must be it. Yes, he's drunk, he's drunk, HE IS DRUNK! She tried to clear her head and release herself from Rui's hands in an awkward gesture to listen to the MC's announcement. Rui, as always, stayed unaffected like he hadn't committed any wrong thing ever.

"Everyone's enjoying the party so far?" The MC let the audience answered in a buzz and pretended like he understands those answers. "Ehmmm… I see many people had been drunk this early hahahaa… Well, that's a sign that this party rocks I guess hahaha… Okay, okay.. enough with the chit-chat. One honorable member of Japan's Commercial Chamber dished me just a minute ago that we have a talented piano player and a gifted singer from Eitoku High School among us tonight..."A sudden noise aroused among the crowd, and Makino imitated the people's gesture; jerking heads right and left, looking for the persons who had just been announced. "So…let's just rejoice our night with their performance now, shall we? Ladies and gentlemen…I present you….. ….. MR. HANAZAWA RUI AND MISS MAKINO TSUKUSHI!" The crowds cheered in applause.

WHHAAAATT? Oh my God, OH.. Tell me I'm dreaming. No this can't be true no, no… tell me I'm –- He-he CAN'T JUST ORDER PEOPLE TO SING LIKE THAT! Oh my God what should I do... Ooooh please please… Doumyouji where are you? ….T-t-this must be HIS doing! He must have seen Rui almost kissing me, yes he is punishing me now... THAT BASTARD! I swear I'm going to—

"Makino?"

Rui's voice woke Makino up from her train of cursing and she realized that all the guests were staring at her, and Rui, waiting for them to climb up for the grand piano on the stage. She felt like her feet suddenly turned to jelly. She gulped nervously, unable to move a finger.

"Remember what I told you? You have what they do not have. Nothing's to be afraid of," Rui whispered to her from behind.

Yes, I was born with it in my soul. And then, with the 'weed' confidence filling up her flesh and bones, she stepped forward, forward, got a little faster and steadier in each step, until she found herself standing before the stunning glass-made grand piano. She could have spent more time appraising its beauty if it wasn't for this stupid prompt performance. Rui had sat down comfortably on the piano chair, ready for the show.

"What's your favorite?" He asked.

Makino blinked. Geez, I haven't thought of any song yet! "Uummmm…. Ano….. Ummmm…" Think Tsukushi, think! Those people can get old of waiting for you to start! Suddenly, a song came across her mind. "That's When I Love You," She told Rui. He smiled. He knew exactly why she chose that one. Then the intro was played… and her singing began.

When you have to look away,
When you don't have much to say,

That's when I love you, I love you, just that way …..Yes, I love when he's run out of words like an idiot..

To hear you stumble when you speak, …...He ALWAYS stumbles when he speaks…
I see you walk with two left feet,
That's when I love you, I love you, endlessly
…Yet I love those silly misspelled words…

And when you're mad cause you lost a game, …...Oh, he's mad 24/7….
Forget I'm waiting in the rain,
…...But he's the one who ALWAYS waits..
Baby I love you, I love you anyway..

Cause here's my promise made tonight,
You can count on me for life,
Cause that's when I love you, when nothing you do can change my mind
….Yes, none of your absurdity can change my mind…
The more I learn, the more I love, the more my heart can't get enough
That's when I love you, when I love you, no matter what..

So when you turned to hide your eyes
Cause the movie, it made you cry
…...It's the doggie that made him scared…
That's when I love you, I love you, a little more each time..
….Yet I love that look in his eyes, still..

And when you can't quite match your clothes,
Or when you laugh at your own jokes,
….Oh this one is DEFINITELY HIM, trust me…
That's when I love you, I love you, more than you know..
…..Yet I love that stupid joke, still…

And when you forget that we had a date …..No, I'm the one who ALWAYS forget…
Or that look that you give when you show up late
…and ALWAYS late…
Baby I love you, I love you anyway..

Cause here's my promise made tonight, …..I promise you…
You can count on me for life,
… Count on me for life…
Cause that's when I love you, when nothing you do can change my mind
… even if you enjoy punishing me right now…
The more I learn, the more I love, the more my heart can't get enough
…..My heart had learned its lesson tonight….
That's when I love you, when I love you, no matter what..
…..that I couldn't ever stop..

No matter what.. …...loving you, Doumyouji.

Makino exhaled all her nervousness in a big sigh as the song ended and Rui finished the closing melody. I did it. She raised her head up to face her audience and smiled contentedly, proud of her little concert. She never knew she could sing though. It took a moment before the crowd realized that the performance had came to an end; most were holding their claps as if not willing for it to stop so soon.

Then the hall was drowned in a big deafening applause for a long minute without any pause. Those people, who Makino saw with fear and anxiety previously when she entered the hall with Ashita, were now gave her a standing ovation with cheers and loud whistles while she bowed again and again on the stage.

"Way to go, Makino!" Soujiro shouted from the VIP table.

"Great job, Tsukushiiii!" Yuki yelled cheerfully from a corner – which made Soujiro jerked his head to her direction at that instant. Gotcha! He headed for Yuki right away, and noticed that Akira had hid her from his viewing range so quickly somewhere in the way after her squealing.

His pace was stopped suddenly when he saw his friend, the curly haired one, was heading for the stage. "Tsukasa?"He could almost see the anger smoke evaporating from his ears and nostrils. Oh no. Here comes the second 'performance', ladies and gentlemen... He grimaced at the thought. A wrestling performance. Soujiro quicken his steps to grab Tsukasa before he reached the stage, praying all the way that he'd catch him in time.

"Thank you… thank you…," Makino bowed and smiled happily as the audience seemed to be can't get enough of cheering for her and taking her pictures. She was just going to ask Rui to end the applause by walking down the stage, when a powerful handgrip pulled her arm so abruptly from behind. "Thank—"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HUH?"


The song is 'That's When I Love You' by Aslyn. It's a very touching song, especially when your lover's personality is like the one described. The guitar melody is great, I love it so much. I'll give the song hyperlink soon in my profile.

By the way..what do you think Tsukasa will do? Hehehe..… Ready? Go ahead to Chapter 5! ^_^