The braided girl stirred in the bed. Mumbling, she rubbed her neck, wincing at the pain on one side. She quickly became aware of where she was, and her mind went in turmoil.

WHY WAS SHE THERE?
She was sure she passed out somewhere else!

Her mind filled with the previous events, her frantic eyes scanning the place for observers, examiners, hell, anyone who looked like a menace.

However, something told her she was in a greater spider web than before.

Yet, that very something told her she wouldn't be alone and safe for long…

As if on cue, the door opened. The writer sat on the bed, trembling. What now… wasn't the ordeal over…

It was a young woman, in her mid-thirties, dressed in an elegant two-piece suit. She came in pushing a wheeled teatray full of western pastries and wagashi. She smiled at Touko as she set the sweets on the table, not taking her eyes off her.

"You are Touko, ne?"
Fukawa nodded but glared at her, not wanting to seem familiar with that environment that had treated her so badly…

"Kojiro-sama told me what happened. You poor thing" She noticed the young woman spoke with an accent, she couldn't put her finger which, but she definitely wasn't Japanese.
"Are… you pitying me… as everybody does?" Fukawa's sore sour phrase had the opposite effect, as the young woman smiled at her.

"Not pitying you… you have been very strong for your age. All this must have been hard on you anyway. This family can be so crushing with newcomers… Here, eat up, you'll feel better…"

She took her hand, and put some pastries in it. Defensive as she always was, Touko couldn't help but feel at ease with this lady. She was beaming at her as she spoke. So there were still good people in that cold-as-ice manor…

"You have nice braids. Never knew Koshaku-kun liked braided girls… that explains a lot"

Koshaku… That meant prince. There was only one person she could be referring to…
"NO! I-don't get ideas… Byakuya-sama and I – I can never-he will never…"

The lady smiled sweetly. "If you are here, that means he has a thing for you, Bya-chama" -she again spoke cheekily, mimicking the honorific title- "Couldn't be otherwise. The System sees, knows and deduces everything, and is never wrong".

"The System… is horrible" she mused "T-they treat you like cattle…"
"Nah. They treat you as you allow them to treat you, nothing less, nothing more. If you believe you are enough for the Heir, just show no fear. They want to crush you… In a sense, they're desperate to prove his judgement wrong. Many people who work in the System would love to say 'you are not perfect, look at what you chose, she's pathetic!' in the Chosen's face…"

She looked through the window, where a small park could be seen in the fading light of the evening. Her misty, clear eyes surprised Touko. How could someone so lively become used to living in a golden cage?

"It's their work, after all. I pity them now" she added, looking at Touko again and smiling "because Koshaku-kun chose right."
"H-h-how can you tell?! I'm… I'm pathetic… I fainted in the interview!"
"Based in my experience, I can tell. Mind, he has always been picky with what he chooses. If you're here, it means he chose you, in a sense… Besides, you still have an interview to go. Ganbare-oh!"

She grinned again, as footsteps were heard in the corridor. Touko's heart began to race again, anxiously.
"You can sit now. The Head himself, Kojiro-sama, is coming" – The cheeky tone in which she spoke eased a bit of the tension, as Byakuya's father entered the room, as solemn and regal as ever.

He eyed the woman as if questioning her attitude, but she just giggled, bowed in a pretty childish way and left.

He heaved a sigh, similar to the one his son heaved whenever she was being too intense.
"I hope that Maya wasn't too overwhelming. She thought you would need – how did she put it – some encouraging before you spoke with me. Can be upsetting sometimes, even to me… he didn't scare you, did she…"

Touko denied. So her name was Maya… the energetic young woman never got to tell her.
"I guess you're not easily scared, anyway… being that part of you is Genocider Syo"

Fukawa gave a yelp of terror. He found out… of course! She had passed out, after all!

"I-I couldn't h-help it… I n-never…! Now you d-d-don't want me n-near Byakuya-sama anymore… y-you are going to g-give me to the police…"
Kojiro remained silent. His eyes were fixed in the cup where he was pouring Earl Grey tea.
"I could have done so while you were asleep, don't you think" he mused.

Touko couldn't help buy nod. That would've been an easier way to handle Syo.

"You are here because I had a chat with her. It wasn't – friendly, but quite informative, to say the least"
Informative. Touko gulped, wishing the floor would open and swallow her...
"I-I'm sorry for whatever she said to you, Kojiro-sama!"

"Wasn't that bad" the Head stated nonchalantly "Now, to the point… The Group's Security division is after Syo, following a request from the Government. But this changes things around. Based on our information, you haven't killed since you're around Byakuya. He has turned up fine in his last monthly checkup, so I can't say Syo has harmed him in any way. Meaning… I can afford to be lenient if the situation stays the same…"

Touko didn't understand fully if being lenient would be a good or a bad thing. She had been accustomed at the twisted reversal of good and bad Togami used so frequently. The true meaning of both left her wondering…

"I can offer you that, still, I need your – cooperation. To begin with, let me ask you some questions that are nagging me now. First and foremost... does Byakuya know about this?"

Fukawa nodded. "I usually hide it, but I felt… he n-needed to know. I-I confessed everything to him. "

Kojiro gave her a strange look. "You confide in him, then…"

Touko remained silent for a moment. When she spoke, she did so in a quiet voice, eyes lowered. "I would trust him with m-my everything, Kojiro-sama…"

"Sou desuka… He seems reliable to you, then. Is there a deal involved in this… did he offer something in exchange?"

Fukawa didn't say anything, but she rose from the table, decided to leave. Any more of this business talk and she'd snap.

Behind her back, Kojiro's voice had a note of apology.
"Don't misunderstand, I'm better with numbers than with words. Perhaps I said something that bothered you?"
"You did" she snarled, her back still turned to him. "I'm s-sick of getting this… s-sick of hearing you all treat me like a p-product y-your son decided to p-purchase and everyone t-t-tells him not to. I'm not p-perfection as Byakuya-sama… but I'm human… in a w-way you people here w-will never understand!"

She heard Kojiro heave a deep, pained sigh, and felt bad -she was lashing at her savior, after all.
"Well, I figure we need to get back to what bought you here. Touko-shi, I'm not pleased with what happened earlier, and if there is a way to make up for it, I certainly would want to hear it."

Touko bit her lip, turning to face the table.
"N-never mind. You… you came to stop it… that's enough. Just… d-don't speak of deals and gains… I'm not that kind of person… "
"Understood... I will mind my choice of words better. "

Fukawa sat down again, trying to get her hands to stay still. Gracefully, Kojiro pushed a plate with pastries towards her.
"Sugar with the tea?"
The writer nodded, as the Head of the Togami Group dropped two cubes with silver pincers into her cup. She was rather afraid of taking the porcelain cup, it would probably break in her trembling hands…

"Let me set this clear. I don't have power with the System. All the people in there are professionals, men and women that have come here because they indebt themselves to the Group in one sense or the other. It's an ally that is also an enemy, and they rule several instances of a Heir and Chosen's life. They have a duty and they perform it, period. Also, they are in a hurry to match up our current Heir to someone his age"
"You mean… t-t-to m-me?" Though internally delighted, Touko´s eyes were incredulous saucers. Were they pushing Byakuya to an early fatherhood...?
"For the System, whoever got close to him would do." Kojiro stated. "The Chosen…"

Fukawa's grey eyes turned darker.

" Why doesn't that d-damn System… allow him… f-freedom to choose? And why don't you… c-call him by name? … All this Heir and Chosen and King stuff… all t-that blabber is not him… His name… t-the name you. gave him… that's him…"

Brave girl, Kojiro thought, to unsheathe a sword at him... not intimidated, huh…

He nodded profoundly, with a nobility in his gesture that made Touko sorry she had been so blunt. When he raised his head again, he reset his golden glasses and sipped his tea pensievely.
"My son is now above me in hierarchy, and our relationship has never been very – close. Everyone hopes for the best on him. I'm past news already. But if you request me to, I guess it's okay if I call him Byakuya in private, although I'm not supposed to."

Poor people, Touko thought. His own parent wasn't allowed to call him by his own, beautiful name? Truly, being rich was opposite to being happy.
"You have earned your right to know. I'll tell you everything, if you would listen to me"

She found herself answering in automatic, aware that she had suffered for her White Knight's sake, but also guessing that he had endured worse on his own.
"Kojiro-sama… I will listen to whatever helps me… understand Byakuya-sama better."