Disclaimer: As of the other chapters and Hey Juliet is LMNT's.

Warnings: You all know Kai…his drama and his reasons… and another dinner.

Chapter 11: Bedlam

Kai has some of the bestest friends in the world. They really…watched out for him. They made school days fun. Kai loved them, most ardently…

"Hey I've been watching you,

Every little thing you do

Every time I see you dance

In my homeroom class

Makes my heart beat fast…"

Kai. Really. Loved. Them.

Kai was not one to show his emotions too easily but at the sound of Tala's voice singing Hey Juliet, he hissed irritably and banged his books into his locker.

"Cut it, Ivanov," he said warningly, sending a glare the redhead's way.

Tala's voice lowered to a whisper but he still continued singing loud enough for Kai to hear:

"I think

You're fine

You really blow my mind

Maybe, some day

You and me can run away

I just want you to know…"

And then Tala bellowed out the final lines of the chorus:

"I want to be your ROMEO,

HEY JULIEEEEEET! HEY JULIET!"

Thus, causing the students passing by to stop whatever they were doing and look. At Kai's glare, they went about their businesses again somewhat hurriedly.

Tala started guffawing. Soon after Bryan and Ray came along, laughing as they had heard Tala's voice from down the hall.

"You wanted that part, Kai. I can tell. You wanted to be the one who said, 'Call me but Love and I will be new baptized'," said Tala dramatically clasping his hands.

"I see somebody memorized the whole thing," Kai said, leaning against his locker.

To this Tala replied, "Don't change the subject, Sourpuss. You got to face the facts."

"There is nothing to face."

Tala only smirked and opened the door of his locker.

"Whatever you say, Kai. Whatever you say," was all he said as he put in his books. Seeing Ray, Tala turned and drawled, "Heeeey! At least here's someone who has made progress!"

"Hey guys," Ray greeted them shyly. "It is really nothing, Tala." Then as a way of explanation to Kai, whom Ray was sure knew nothing, said to the young man, "I asked Max out."

Kai continued to look at his friend, not able to quell the sudden envy that rose in him.

"And he said 'yes'," Ray went on, as if to elicit some sort of reaction from Kai.

"Good for you," said Kai finally before turning to his locker and closing it. "About time too."

"Thanks, Kai," Ray replied, laughing a little. "Maybe you ought to make a move too."

"What move?" demanded Kai, looking steadily at Ray who did not seem to quaver under such attention.

"We all know what move, Kai," Ray began.

Tala butted his red head in and added, "Yeah. Listen to the lover boy, Kai, and ask Ty—"

"May I be let in on the gossip too?" a voice spoke up from behind Kai, causing him to start, hopefully not visibly.

He spun around to find Tyson standing there, looking pretty much like Tyson instead of Juliet in his school uniform.

"Tyson!" Tala cried, going over to the boy and suddenly putting a hand under the younger boy's chin. "Gosh! You are really pretty, Tyson. You know that? I bet you have a ton of admirers after the two day's running of the play!"

"Admirers?" Tyson asked, appearing a little confused. "No, I don't think—"

"But you are soooo cute, Tyson!" Tala went on. Still holding on to Tyson's chin and tilting it up uncomfortably high, Tala turned to Kai and added, "Don't you think Tyson's cute, Kai?"

Tyson was looking at Kai with eyes that no one could possibly say 'No' to, and it was not even intentional. Kai did not want to say 'No' anyway, because that would be a lie. Instead he turned away and mumbled, "Whatever."

"Say, Kai," he heard Tyson speak up. "Wanna walk home together like we used to?"

Kai ignored Tala mouthing 'like we used to' to the rest and focused on the bluenette, who had effectively made a mess out of him, flipped him all over the place, and made him question himself the way he never had to before. What was it about this bluenette that could shatter Kai's carefully constructed cold demeanour and knock down the walls he'd painstakingly built?

The word was out before he could stop himself: "Sure."

Something told him party poppers were going off and cheers were being hollered by his friends behind him, but he didn't want to turn and see their faces.

"Enjoy your walk, Kai!" Bryan and Tala called out as Kai walked off with Tyson

The walk went with Tyson chattering beside Kai as usual, mainly about the two days of the play and how it was like on stage, how nervous he was, how he couldn't see the faces of those in the audience, save for those sitting in the front row, and how (to Kai's secret amusement) he actually liked his dress, but couldn't say the same for the manicure and tiresome hairstyling.

"We are going to put the play up again for another two days," Tyson explained to Kai finally. "It is going to span the whole of next weekend."

"That popular?" asked Kai, only briefly glancing at Tyson.

"No, that's not it. You know the guy everyone calls Crusher?" Tyson asked in turn, looking at Kai. When Kai nodded, he went on, "You see, his sister is undergoing treatment for leukemia. He is one of the stage hands for the play and a scholarship student like me. So anyway, I thought, we could perform the play for the public and help him out you know?"

It struck Kai that this was just the sort of thing for Tyson to do and couldn't help smiling a little to himself.

"You think Crusher will be fine with charity?"

"Sometimes, you got to put aside pride for someone you love, Kai," Tyson explained, not looking at his companion but up at the quickly gathering dusk.

Kai glanced at Tyson again, but said nothing.

"Robert was really nice," Tyson said suddenly, sounding, to Kai, almost dreamy. "He said we can perform at the opera house his parents owned and offered to be in charge of invitations—we need VIPs, you see—and the ticketing."

Kai felt the prick. So Robert was nice to Tyson… Of course, Robert had the right personality, the right connections. Robert was quite the gentleman and Robert would dance with Tyson. Robert could charm Tyson. What could Kai Hiwatari do?

"And Brooklyn was for the idea a hundred percent!" Tyson cried excitedly. "He even organised additional rehearsals 'cause we will need to do even better since some really important people are coming to watch."

Yes, Brooklyn. What could Kai Hiwatari do?

Kai became aware of his repeated self-evaluation and felt annoyed at himself. His annoyance unfortunately showed on his expression causing Tyson to quiet down for a while. Maybe, Kai doesn't like Brooklyn, Tyson thought uneasily.

They went past Tyson's house and, before Kai realised the mistake, were approaching the tall gates of Kai's mansion.

"Tyson—" Kai started to protest but was immediately cut off by the bluenette, walking on and not looking at Kai as he spoke.

"It would be a good change, Kai."

At the gate, they stopped and found themselves facing each other. There was a little side gate through which Kai would enter to go up the path to his house. Kai suddenly had the idea to invite Tyson over for dinner, only he didn't know how. On all the other occasions Albert was there to invite Tyson for him. Kai felt acutely how socially inept he was. Tyson looking up at him the way he was then---without veil, all steady and sincere---was not helping matters one bit.

In a moment of epiphany, it occurred to Kai that Tyson meant more to him than anything else in the world. That was why he kept every single gift Tyson gave him, even if they were miniature furniture sets he knew he didn't need. That was why the boy-Kai worried, as only Kai could worry in true Kai-style, about birthday presents for the bluenette. That was why he hated it when boys in school hung around Tyson so much and hated how Brooklyn and Robert were both trying to sidle up close to the younger boy. That was why something, perhaps his heart, perhaps his spleen, broke when he saw Brooklyn kiss Tyson.

Tyson had always been special in the way he stood up for others, especially back when they were younger, and when someone was in need of help, Tyson was always the first to lend a hand. No matter where he was or what he was doing, he always made sure that he enjoyed himself. No matter the walls Kai built, no matter with what immutable material, Tyson was always able to find a way through.

Kai could never do that. What could Kai Hiwatari do? What could Kai Hiwatari do indeed?

Right then, Kai had the urge to lean down to Tyson and take, just for a while, what had been stolen from him on stage some days before. Maybe he would take Tyson into his arms and press him close. Maybe, just maybe he could forget he was Kai Hiwatari for once, forget what it meant to be Kai Hiwatari.

Without thinking he had his hand on Tyson's cheek and that was the first time he had touched the boy since their past playground fights. The cheek was dark against his pale hand and he found that it was soft, very, very soft…as if puberty never happened. Brown eyes stared up at him, widened with surprise though, in doing so, it perhaps beckoned to Kai as well.

"Kai?"

Kai only shook his head, desiring Tyson to speak no more, and pressed his forehead against the bluenette's. Tyson did not jump back as Kai half-expected him to. Instead he took a step towards Kai and Kai knew, despite the cloud that marred his usual caution and rationale, that if they sealed it all then, they were both going to tumble into an abyss they couldn't climb out of. A smart person, in full knowledge of the implications would stop and take a step back, explain that it was all a mistake. But Kai, despite knowing his situation, was not feeling very smart then. He pressed a hand to Tyson's back and pulled the hazy-eyed bluenette closer to him.

No turning back.

The sound of a car screeching to a halt at the gate caused them to pull away from each other. For a while, all either could do was stare at each other as if they had just committed the biggest sacrilege in the world. Tyson stood muted, his eyes couldn't have been bigger, his heart pounding in his chest. Kai was in no better shape, and his mouth opened sporadically, trying to bring out words but those words, whatever they may be, would not come. Kai wanted to apologise, he wanted to shout, he wanted to curse and swear, he wanted to confess everything he'd ever felt, he wanted to call out to the universe to stop time just for them…

"Kai."

Neither of them heard the car door open, what more see the elderly man climb out of it. When they broke their gazes and turned, Tyson saw the burly man, about his own grandfather's age, standing by the immaculately shiny black car in his equally impeccable suit, his hands resting on the golden knob of his ivory cane. Kai stared at the man, not knowing who he was for a while.

It was the man who had called out to Kai the second time Kai heard his name called and as his mental cloud cleared, Kai saw his grandfather and the steady way the eyes of the elder Hiwatari was taking him in.

"Just came back from school, Kai?" the elder Hiwatari asked, though his tone was by no means conversational.

It was just a question and yet it had the potential to make anyone nervous, yet under the man's gaze, Kai did not falter, only said, "Grandfather."

Unperturbed the elder Hiwatari asked again, "Why didn't you take the car?"

"I…" Kai trailed off, looking back at Tyson, his mind racing questions about what he ought to do and whether his grandfather had seen what had passed, or nearly passed between Tyson and himself. Turning back to his grandfather, Kai replied, "I prefer walking."

"Get into the car, Kai," Voltaire told his grandson. It was more of a command than anything else. "The driver will drive you in."

For a moment, no one moved and Kai perceived the sound of the wind mocking life around him. In time, he turned his body a little and indicated Tyson to his grandfather. "This…this is Tyson," Kai said by way of introduction.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Tyson chirped, going up to extend his hand to the elder gentleman even if everything was unnerving.

His own grandfather would have taken that hand and pumped it up and down with an energy that belied his age, however, Voltaire Hiwatari did not even look down at the hand as he climbed back into the car without so much as a glance at Tyson. It took Tyson a moment to understand what was going on and once he comprehended where he stood with the elder Hiwatari, he lowered his hand and clenched it by his side.

Kai made to leave but hesitated and looked back at Tyson. When Tyson turned his eyes away from the car and looked at Kai, the latter found that the gaze was the hardest one he'd ever had to meet. Kai felt aghast. He knew how his grandfather could be, but to act like Tyson was less than human…

Kai tried to open his mouth to apologise but no words could he form. As for Tyson, he saw clearly the chasm that gaped between Kai and himself, the chasm none of them could cross. It would have been bad if Tyson had been a girl of inferior birth (as compared to the Hiwatari family), but it was ten times worse that he was a young man of inferior birth.

In time and with much effort he grinned.

"Hey, I shall not disturb your family reunion and be on my way," he said, already starting to walk backwards towards his house on the lesser side of the neighbourhood. "See you in school, Kai!"

Kai watched with not a little pain as Tyson turned and hurried off. At the persistent tug of his grandfather's gaze, Kai took his eyes away from the road and walked towards the car, his world suddenly spiraling into bedlam.

Once Tyson heard the car door slam shut, he started running. He did not even bother looking back to make sure that Kai was still not standing there to see him. Tyson cursed his stupidity as he ran past his house and turned into the town. He didn't feel like going home too early that day.

He had one question to think about: Why a Hiwatari?

If anyone had stepped into the second Hiwatari mansion, they would have guessed that the elder Hiwatari was home even without meeting with the said person. The atmosphere was that of rigid orderliness and the servants did not even dare look at each other as they passed in the corridors, what more strike up a conversation among themselves. It was as if the walls were staring at them to make sure they performed their duties to perfection. Albert did not straighten up from his welcome bow until he heard his name being called by the elder Hiwatari.

Dinner was a silent affair. Voltaire sat at the head of the long table, with Kai a few seats on his adjacent left. All that was heard was the clink of silverware and the occasional serving and pouring of food and drinks. Kai felt that it stretched for hours and while usually he barely tasted his food, during that dinner, he tasted it even less.

When it was over, Voltaire laced his fingers together, elbows resting on the table, as the servants cleared the remains of dinner away, and leveled his gaze once more on Kai who had taken to studying the patterns on the ornate placemat before him.

The old man reached for his glass of wine and asked casually, "Who was that boy outside the gate with you just now?"

Kai met his grandfather's eyes briefly before replying, "Tyson."

"What's his family?" Voltaire went on, swirling the wine in his glass as he did so.

"Granger."

"Never heard of them," Voltaire declared dismissively. "Not business people, are they?"

"His grandfather has a dojo. Teaches kendo. His brother is a teacher in my college and his father is a professor at a university in the city."

Voltaire let out a snort. "Salary men."

Kai clenched his jaw and said nothing.

"How could he afford the school fees in your college?"

"He…" Kai found it hard to reveal. "He's on scholarship."

"A charity boy," Voltaire sniffed. Leaning back in his chair, he went on, "The standard of your college has dropped a significant amount if they are allowing that sort of rat-bag in."

"They only give out ten scholarships every year," Kai couldn't help but argue.

"I thought that the college would be good for you, Kai, but it seemed that it does not hold anything for you anymore." Voltaire looked at Kai. "It is time you move to the first Hiwatari mansion."

Kai sat up straighter and could not help but stare at his grandfather in horror.

"This place will be sold—" his grandfather went on.

"And the mansion staff?" Kai demanded to know.

"Naturally, they will be told to take a permanent holiday."

"You can't do that!" Kai was not in the habit of raising his voice to his grandfather but right then he could not help himself. There were some of the serving staff lined up behind him and yet Voltaire could say it all so easily without even batting an eyelid.

Voltaire stared at his grandson before saying, "If you move to the first Hiwatari mansion, there will be no need for them or this mansion. Over there, you will be enrolled into the finest college which will prepare you for the university of my choice. It is also easier for you to integrate into the Hiwatari business."

He paused and settled back into his chair. "It is time you learn the ropes, Kai. Your father never had a chance to and you wouldn't want to fail him, do you? And be a weak link?"

There. Voltaire always knew when to pull it out and use it against Kai: his father's unfulfilled dream, the fact that Kai Hiwatari was his father's son, the sole heir to the Hiwatari business empire, and also, the one with the greatest potential to be the family's weak link.

"You will meet a pretty girl there," Voltaire continued, casting the briefest of glances Kai's way. "Not in that college full of…funny boys."

Kai's hands clenched into fists where they rested on his lap under the table. He did not lift his eyes from the tabletop for fear that seeing his grandfather's face might make him punch the old man.

It was no pretty girl he wanted…but siring an heir for the next generation was part of the future that loomed before him. Even as he came to terms, painfully slow, with how he felt…about the college…about Tyson, about what he wished he could have, could do, there was in his consciousness what it meant to be Kai Hiwatari.

"We will be leaving by the end of the next week, Kai."

Voltaire it seemed could only talk in commands and rhetoric.

By the end of the next week… Kai clenched his hands tighter.

"Everything will be settled by then and it will give you ample time to pack." Voltaire paused and looked at his grandson who, since the conversation took the particular turn, had not lifted his eyes from the tabletop. "You will be coming, Kai."

Kai let out a breath and loosened his hands. To run the family empire, to be his father's son, that was what he wanted, wasn't it? That was why he had been holding himself back all these times…with his friends…with Tyson….

Tyson…Granger.

"Yes, I will, grandfather."

With that he pushed himself away from the table and muttering a barely audible "Excuse me" strode out of the dining room. On the way out, he went past Albert but didn't dare meet the butler's eyes.

Next Chapter: Decision