Holy Mother's War

Chapter V: CHAOS (part two)


*Five minutes before Makino and Rui were called to the stage*

"Madam, young master, we've arr—"

"—I KNOW WE'VE ARRIVED! We should've been here three hours ago if you didn't drive like a snail!" Tsukasa barked his driver and opened the limousine door harshly, slammed it closed right on her mother's nose who was on her way to step out of the car.

"Tsukasa…~~~" Kaede wavered in anger as Nishida re-opened the door for her. She was on the edge to order the SPs to shoot her son in the head, but suppressed it when she saw all of the honorable board members of Japan's Commercial Chamber were standing outside her limousine on the red carpet, welcoming her with deep bows.

"Welcome, Doumyouji-san.. We've been waiting for you," The Chamber's Secretary bowed to her respectfully and escorting her to enter the building after the customary hand-shake session.

"Where's Hanazawa-san?" She noticed that one of the most important members, her second deputy, was not there.

"Oh she's got some hectic errands to run I believe.. She's been expecting you from the very moment she arrived," He explained.

"Oh right, I almost forget she's the head of this gathering committee," Kaede was grateful that she had such a trusted person to handle this big event; everything always goes well in her hands. "Did I miss so much?" She asked him nonchalantly as she saw Tsukasa rushing for the front door like an unleashed hunter dog.

"No, Mam. The main agenda has just begun."

Tsukasa had reached the security screening far in front of them. It was clear to him that the security guards couldn't keep up with his urgency and his mood of the day now.

One of them was brave enough to put his gut to the test. "Your ID, please, Sir.."

"Are you really that stupid?" Tsukasa walked closer and confronted the guard in a physical contact; nose to nose, chest to chest.

"We're just..doing..our job, Sir…" Sweats were coming down his jaw.

"Ahhh !..It's Doumyouji… Mr. Doumyouji Tsukasa. Here's his ID," Nishida showed the poor guard a card before his eyes and that guy had to rotate his eyes left to avoid Tsukasa's burning pupils one inch from his. "We're in a hurry, please excuse us," Nishida almost pleaded.

The guards opened the door at once, and Tsukasa moved his intimidating glare from that one guard to the frantic party presented behind those big doors in the hall. His long pace got him inside right away, and his eyes switched on to focus, searching frantically for his reason of coming there. He was taller than most of the guests, indeed, but that didn't help much to find her in a room with one thousand people floating around like this. That, and the fact that he didn't even know what color of dress she's wearing right now.

"Damned!" An old lady almost got a heart-attack for standing next to him so close. He was on the edge of coming to the stage, grabbed the MC and calling for her with microphone, when two names suddenly got out from the MC's mouth and his breath caught in surprise.

"…...MR. HANAZAWA RUI AND MISS MAKINO TSUKUSHI!" Then he heard the audience cheering.

MAKINO..? Tsukasa was so preoccupied with the searching that he missed most of the MC's announcement previously. There, far from where he was standing now, two persons were climbing the stage to the glass-made grand piano. He shoved all people who stood on his way to get a better view on what's happening on the stage. He usually ignored anything happened there in any party, but his uneasy feeling told him that something on that stage might be his concern.

And that was when his breath was taken away.

... ...

No, it can't be.

It can't be her.

There, standing next to the piano was his girl, his beautiful angel; covered in a long gorgeous dress that wrapped her petite perfect frame. Her brunette hair was a sexy chignon, with all those curled locks dangling down her silky neck.. And even he could only see half of her face from here, even if it's only a silhouette, he could savor her fluffy blushed cheeks and those pink delicious lips..

His saliva was filling his mouth full like Soujiro had predicted, and then he swallowed that big gulp down his dry throat. His heart was beating faster, so fast that he could even hear it in his ears. His eyes screamed for a blink, for he was too afraid if he closed the lid the scene would change…

But it was never changed, indeed; only now he was suddenly aware that there's another actor took part in it.

RUI? What's he doing with my girl, that bastard—

The intro was played, and Makino's sweet voice kept his feet from moving off the floor.

(When you have to look away…) Wait, she CAN SING?
(When you don't have much to say,)
(That's when I love you, I love you, just that way…) It's…It's… He was silenced right away.

While Tsukasa was speechless and breathless like an idiot, far enough from him, his mother was experiencing something that nobody in the world could understand. Standing on her black Prada heels and surrounded by the Chamber's elites, she couldn't take her eyes off the stage.

Nee-chan?

A hurting memory that had been buried long ago was breaking the surface now.

"Hey….You cry again?"

"N-nee-chan… They did it again… T-they, they said…"

"It's not important what people say, dear…. I might have a better voice, but you can do those maths faster than anyone I know! Everyone has their own talents, Kaede-chan… I can only end up as a singer, but you.. You will have the biggest business empire in the world… Promise me, would you?" Aritake Kaosa raised her little finger, asking for a swear from her little sister.

"I promise." Kaede twisted that finger with her own.

"No more crying?"

"No more."

"You're gonna be a strong, unshaken, independent woman?"

"A strong, unshaken, independent woman." She wiped the last shred of tears off her cheeks.

Kaosa hugged her tight. "You're the best sister in the world." She stood on her feet, taking Kaede with her. "Come on, I got a concert to finish. Go to your seat and enjoy the show, okay?" Kaede nodded. "Love you." She kissed her on the forehead and headed for the backstage.

Thirty minutes had passed, and everybody still locked their gaze on the teenage girl who was singing by the grand piano on the stage. It was the fourth song now, but no one had become bored of her. How could they, when the performer was a beautiful girl who had voice that fascinating and sweet? Kaede couldn't take her eyes of her sister. She was just too stunning. "You're the best sister the world." She repeated Kaosa's line; feeling that it was supposed to be her saying that—

"DORRRRRRR!" A gun fired through one of the window, its deafening sound shocked all of the guests inside and they all running for the exit in chaos. Little Kaede was shoved in abrupt back and forth, up and down, she could even feel shoes and heels stumping on her back. "Nee-chaaaaaan!" She called for her sister from her seat. "Nee-chaaan! Nee—"

Yes. She'd seen her sister now.

"NO. Oh no..no..NOOOOO... NEE-CHAAAAAAAN!"

There, lying on the stage floor next to the piano was her sister; her long white dress was covered in red as the blood flew unstoppably from the hole in her chest, her curled brunette hair was now a messy bun with drops of bloods sprinkled on it too. She still looked charming, as always, but a little paler now.

"Go… get out..from…here…" She managed to say between her weakening breathings.

Kaede couldn't see nor speak for the tears had blocked her view and her throat."No.. I…. I…"

"It's okay…." Kaosa touched her sister's drenched cheeks with her blood-covered fingers. "…okay…. promise…. you'll… ….a strong… wo-man…"

"Nee-chan don't...—don't leave me… p-please…" She traced the hole in her sister's chest hysterically, as if trying to find the bullet to spare her life. The odds were against her, she knew it. But she wasn't one that easy to give in. "Nee-chan please, please… I beg you….." Her tears were dropping right into her sister's eyes, and Kaosa struggled to give her last peaceful smile. And that was when she saw the last shine coming off Kaosa's eyes; her last hope, her last reason to live as a human.

"I promise."

Leaving the world in the hug of her sobbing sister, Kaosa never thought that such promise had turned her little sister to be a strong— heartless woman— the world would ever known.

"Doumyouji-sama?"

Kaede was knocked back to reality. Her usually composed brain was a little disheveled now.

"Are you all right?" All of the members were really worried.

She wiped a sweat drop from her head. "I'm.. I'm fine." Looking at those unsure faces staring at her, she knew that she must look terrible. "I'm fine. I'm… mesmerized by the performance, that's all. " They, in fact, couldn't buy her words that easily since that iron lady never pay attention to any performance delivered by even the best artists in the world, but they decided to drop the topic for their own safety anyway.

Back to the spot where Tsukasa was standing and couldn't pick his chin off the floor, people were chattering in whisper about the two performers on the stage.

"What a pretty girl…," A young man stared in awe.

Tsukasa jerked his head.

"Yeah..and her voice is fantastic! Hey, is she new? I haven't seen her in any party before.." Another guy replied.

"Why didn't he ever bring her around? She's so charming.. Ahh what a lucky guy.."

Tsukasa was grinding his teeth. Hold it together.. Just hold it—

"So that's his girl?"

WHATTT ?

"Of course!"

"I guess they're engaged."

His ears were crimson red. He's ready to explode any second now.

"So this is like... Oh my God, are they going to announce it now?"

"What a perfect couple..."

THAT'S IT! That was his limit.

As the song ended and the audience sank in applause, Tsukasa marched his steps to the stage. He didn't know what to do though; as usual, he'd just act prior to thinking. But one thing for sure, he's gonna grab his girl back. The view of her beauty had soothed him for a mere second; but there's something wrong with it.

She's wearing white, he noticed. The color he hated the most on earth. Who gave her that dress? He slowed his pace to think.

"The delivery boy…he…he saw Miss Makino has gone…in a limousine…" Nishida's voice replayed in his head. He stared at the stage, taking in the costume of Makino… and Rui's.

And then all the puzzles were plugged in together.

Quickening his steps in anger, he saw Makino and Rui on the stage, holding hands, smiling to each other as they bowed to the audience, and his blood reached its boiling point.

Soujiro grimaced from below the stage; his hands were just inches from the hem of Tsukasa's tuxedo when his curly-haired friend arrived on the stage. Better enjoy it then.. He sighed helplessly.

... ...

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

... ...

The audience was silenced. Makino blinked. "Do-doumyouji?"

"Is this u'r hobby? Huhh? Doing affair behind me?"

She couldn't think. You— you're the one who order me to sing, moron!

"Affair? You're the one who—"

"— do you think u're pretty in that outfit? Let me tell u something. It did not suit you AT ALL! I NEVER SAW A WOMAN THIS CHEAP, THIS CREEPY, THIS- T-THIS UGLY IN MY ENTIRE LIFE ! "

I won't fight this idiot in front of people. I WON'T humiliate myself, she told herself. She took a deep breath and count….….. one, two, thr— and lost it.

"WELL I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE THOSE LONG TANNED LEGS YOU CRAVE SO MUCH, MISTERR! AND THOSE DARK EYES, THAT BROWN HAIR, AND THAT PERFECT OLIVE SKIN!"

" Who asked u to have long—"

" AND YOU EVEN GAVE HER A BLACK PEARL YOU JERK!"

"Whaa—WHATTT? I don't even know there's a black-colored pearl—"

"— you are much much MUCH WORSE THAN AKIRA!"

The said yakuza heir grimaced in the corner. Geeez…..thanks, Makino… He looked at Soujiro who seemed going to die from laughing.

"…AND SOUJIRO!"

Whaattt? That laugh was immediately turned to choke.

"AT LEAST THEY NEVER DATE THEIR OWN SECRETARY!" Makino was fuming in rage.

"I DON'T DATE NISHIDA!" Doumyouji barked. All people gasped and turned their eyes to Nishida, who seemed no longer had any intention to live now.

Doumyouji was frustrated. What's wrong with this woman? I AM NOT A HOMO OF ALL PEOPLE!

Makino decided to continue. "WHY are you mad, HUH? You're the one who ASKED me to sing!"

"Heeh… ME? Ask you to.. SING?" Doumyouji made a face. "Why would I do that, stupid! MY PARROT BIRD CAN SING MUCH BETTER THAN YOU!"

That's it… That's—THAT'S IT! You're soooooo dead now, Doumyouji!

"Well I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAVE A PARROT BIRD! LAST TIME I HEARD YOU STRANGLED THAT POOR BIRD JUST BECAUSE IT LAUGHED OVER YOUR CREEPY SINGING WHEN YOU'RE TAKING SHOWER! HAHH! LIKE I COULD EVEN CALL IT 'SING'!"

That one shut Doumyouji up. She was right, he killed that poor bird back then. He was so happy that Tama decided to make Makino his private maid that time, so he sang all the way from his bed to his bathroom. Oh God, she must have heard me singing then… He gulped.

"Makino… did you—"

"I don't know what you want, Doumyouji, but I'M SO GOING HOME NOW!" She took off all her jewelries and threw them to the floor, except the Saturn necklace. "Here, take this!" She was just beginning to undo her dress when remembering that she wore nothing inside except underwear. "I'll send the dress back tomorrow. GOOD. NIGHT!" She paced down the stage and stomped her heels to the exit door.

All eyes were following her every step out of the hall when Domyouji suddenly reminded of the 'culprit' of all this messy night.

"OIYY RUI—"

... ...

?

He stared in horror. Rui was sleeping peacefully on the piano.

H-how come this brat sleeps…. through all THAT THUNDEROUS FIGHT? Come here you— He was so tempted to wake him and beat him to death for what he had done, but his mind was filled with Makino again too soon. Wait a minute, she— she's going home? In that...outfit?

"MAKINO!" Doumyouji jumped from the stage and running for the exit, racing with her steps to the main gate outside.

Meanwhile, the hall he left was so awkward now, with Rui sleeping on the stage and all. But they hired the best MC in Japan for this occasion, so there was no way it couldn't be saved no matter how tragic the accident was.

"AHAHAHAHAAA… What a greaaaat drama performance, isn't it? We were rejoiced with a great song, and then a great drama was presented as the dessert! AHHAHAHAHAHAAA… That was entertaining…" People seemed to buy it, and they gave applause with cheers. "Thank you… Thank you….. Well give it once again for Mr. HANAZAWA RUI, MISS MAKINO TSUKUSHI, AND MR. DOUMYOUJI TSUKASA...!" The claps were louder than before. "I've heard that Eitoku University's students are the most talented ones in this country…Well… Seeing that performance, we've proved it tonight, right? All right…let's just proceed with the next one…" He studied his audiences' faces, and he knew it's safe to let the party rolled again.

But one lady couldn't drop it that easily.

Gripping her black fur purse, she approached a friend who was standing next to the tables reserved for the VIP guests.

"Oh, Kaede-san!" The approached one gasped in surprise. "You came finally! Oh...What a great performance Tsukasa did, I didn't know he has such a wonderful talent in drama…" She smiled heartily and offered her a glass of champagne.

"Well… He does have talents in many things," Kaede replied meaningfully, taking her glass.

"Oh right, I knew that of course…..So, how's the party so far? Do you enjoy it?"

"Yes, I do. Especially the drama part. You really are a great party planner, Ashita-san," She tilted her head and smirked.

"Oh, you speak of me too high, Kaede-san… Well, however...that wouldn't be any success if she didn't come," Ashita shook her glass and asked for a refill.

Kaede raised one eyebrow.

"You know… Rui's girlfriend, Makino Tsu—"

"—she is Tsukasa's girlfriend, I'm sure you knew."

The silence was too immediate; a very uncomfortable tension burst between those two most powerful ladies in the room, and the atmosphere around them was getting heated every second ticked.

Ashita unleashed her patented smile. She chose to accept her invitation of war. "I thought you've tried every way to get rid of her, Kaede-san." She dropped her glass. "Now..after seeing her happy with my son, you want to take her back?"

"She is not happy with your son."

"Oh so that fight we saw was her expression of happiness?"

Kaede gripped her glass. No one could humiliate her son like this. "They have their own way, I'm sure—"

"—then you should have seen her dancing with Rui before."

She grinned. Snorted. "Dancing? Oh please... That's the farthest your son can get? Tsukasa had gone further than that!" She wished she could brag that picture before her eyes now.

"Oh really? I'm even sure he hasn't had his first kiss!"

"He has!" Tsukasa, tell me you've done it.

A few people standing close were staring. Another drama? They looked at each other confusedly. Not so far from them, the MC sighed helplessly. Oh..not again.. He racked his brain; trying to find another mad, acceptable excuse for his audience.

Both Kaede's and Ashita's guards were in their positions, preparing for any weird things happened between their Madams. After all, the President Directors of Hanazawa and Doumyouji Corporations were no longer there.

"Here's the thing, Kaede-san," Ashita ignored those people's stare. Her son worth much more than anything; even than her face in public. "You and I can fight the whole night here, if you want, but it wouldn't do anything o Makino's choosing the one she truly loves. And we both know that it would be my son, so listen to me—"

"—no, YOU listen to me. This is not about Tsukasa or your weird son who can sleep on a piano, Ashita-san," Kaede hit home and Ashita's eyes blazed in anger. "Tsukasa and Rui can have their fight, but we'll have our own. Go prepare yourself, because I'm all on it."

Without saying any last regards, Kaede turned on her heels and stepped out of the room, followed by Nishida and all of her SPs. She met Kareika, Ashita's secretary, on her way to the door, and stopped when she bowed.

"Good job, Kareika..," She came closer and patted her shoulder. "It's been a long time since anyone can hack my mansion security system," She caught her off guard already. "If I were your Madam, I'll ask you to BLOW the house instead," The smile was so ironic with the promise, and Kareika held onto the wall to keep herself from wobbling.

Walking closer to the front door, Kaede asked Nishida to get the limousine. He quickly ordered some SPs to find Tsukasa. "Go look for young master—"

"Leave him. There's so much we have to do."

And so the car sped up on its four screeching wheels, disappeared into the darkness of the night.


So… tell me what u think of it. I receive anything..anything… but no flame, please.. or her car will end up crashing in a fire accident HEHEHEEE…. Naww.. I'm kidding.. ^_^

Next chapter: Kaede will challenge Ashita in the Annual Meeting of the Japan's Commercial Chamber! Will this executives meeting turn into chaos like the party did? Shall any of these powerful ladies back off? I won't make a deadline anymore.. I've disappointed you too many times.. But I promise I'll work on it faster. So…till the next chapter! ^.^

Owhh I forgot. Review please..!