Chapter 8
When Haru awakened, he was in a strange yet opulent room. Pictures of Makoto hung on every wall. Except one of the pictures started to move. It was Makoto!
"How are you feeling?" Makoto asked.
"Okay, I guess." Haru replied; "Where am I?"
"In my y room which is in my house."
"Why did you bring me here…?" Haru asked suspisoulsy.
"Because the best doctors in the world live here." Makoto boasted. "Anyway, you need a new bike. Jeeves, get in here!"
An old butler entered the room along with a bunch of other people who all had bikes.
"Pick one of these!" Makoto shouted.
Haru went up to the bikes. They all looked ccool and majestic. He went up to the first one and checked the price tage. It was $5 million! Haru almost had a heart attack.
"I can't ride something this expensive1!" Haru excalimed. "Get me the bike I had! NOW!"
Jeeves left and bought Haruss exact bike.
"Thank you, Jeeves." Haru said to Jeeves.
That's when Rin burst into the room.
"By jove, we have a serious issue at hand. Makoto, Your mother is on the premisises!" He shouted fantically.
Makoto gasped. "Oh no! What's that woman doing here today?!"
"You must hide Nanase!" Rin shouted.
"What's going on?" Haru murmered.
Nagisa follwed in after Rin. "There's no time! She's coming this way!"
Rin led Haru by the arm into an adjacent room that seemed to be a lounge, probably for Makoto and his friends' exclusive use. He sat after being instructed to do so.
"Just act natural, and don't say anything," Rin said firmly. "No matter what may come to pass, we must keep her from discovering your true origins."
"What, that I'm a commoner?" Haru asked. Rin nodded, and Haru scowled. "I don't want to. Why should I care if she knows?" Nagisa grabbed Haru forcefully by the shoulders.
"Haru-chan, you really don't get it!" Nagisa bleated. "Mako-chan's mama really won't tolerate anyone she doesn't think is worthy getting close to him. She could ruin your family's life with a word!"
Haru looked skeptical.
"She has more power than you know," Rin whispered grimly. "Think of your family's restaurant, Nanase. It would be effortless for her to put you out of business forever!" At those words, Haru stalled. His family's mackerel shop was everything to him… Makoto spoke up, but his tone was just as bleak as everyone else's.
"My mother is absolutely someone who would do something like that," he scoffed. Haru was about to reply when the door abruptly opened, but it was just Rei and Nitori.
"What am I supposed to do then?" Haru asked after being rudely interrupted.
"If we're lucky, she won't even pay any attention to you," Nagisa said reassuringly, patting Haru jovially on the shoulder. "But if she does, then just go along with whatever we say and it should be fine!" Haru wasn't so sure. Rei seemed to feel the same way, because he shook his head.
Suddenly, the doors were flung open and in stepped the most intimidating woman Haru had ever seen. Her dark hair was wrapped in a tight bun and she was wearing a black dress suit. It was her eyes, though, that daunted Haru the most. They were narrow and cold.
"What are you doing here, Makoto? You should be in school at this time," she said sternly. "Is this the kind of businessman you're going to become!?" She shrieked. "Is this the son who will inherit his father's company? After all the work and money we put into raising you, this is how you show your gratitude!? Sponging off our wealth and not even attending school? This is how delinquent commoners live, not the Tachibanas!" She roared.
"But, ma'am, it is a Sunday." Rin piped up meekly. Makoto's mother paused.
"Is that so?" She glanced at Makoto, her calm demeanor now returning. "I suppose it's fine, then."
"Whether or not it's 'fine' to you," Makoto began in a low voice. "I really don't care." He leveled a cold glare at his mother, whose face showed no reaction. She turned to leave, but at the very last moment her eyes met Haruka's and she stopped.
"You," she began. Everyone in the room immediately tensed. "Whose family are you from?"
Haru could feel the dread sinking in. This was it: the end of his family's store. He looked at Makoto for assistance, but it was clear from the expression on the heir's face that he was just as helpless as Haru. "I-," he started, knowing silence would do him no favors at this time. "I am-"
"He's our cousin!" Nagisa blurted out suddenly. Makoto's mother's attention was directed toward him.
"Cousin? Whose?"
"Aah, that is-" Nagisa shifted for a second, before he threw his hands up in the air. "W-well, all of ours, of course!" Nitori fervently nodded his head in agreement, willing Makoto's mother to believe.
Her eyes narrowed, but just as she began to speak, Jeeves entered the room.
"There's an urgent matter you must attend to, Mistress."
"Very well." She said, leaving without a glance back. Jeeves winked at them. Nagisa gave Jeeves the thumbs up.
"Thank you, my good man." Rin whispered at Jeeves' departing back. Nagisa sighed in relief.
"I think that went pretty well!" He proclaimed.
"Well, I'm gonn go ghome now." Haru said riding his bike out of the rooom.
"Okay! See you at school tomorrow!" Makoto called after him, waving at him. The other swim club members just looked at him in bewildermint.
-At school the next day-
Haru rode his new bike to school. It was very nice. He hoped it wouldn't get burnt by Momo and Mikoshiba. No sooner had he thought of the two then they appeared. Haru dismounted his bike and Momo grabbed him by the arm. "You gotta see this, Nanase-sama!" He said, dragging Haru inside and to the caferitra. They pulled him in front of the bulletin.
"Look, that trash Goro Sasabe was the one who set you up with Rin's dad. Even if he did only take misleading photos of the two of u this is just going too far!" Momo said from his place behind Haru. Haru stared the board numbly.
"He used to look like a middle aged man, but all of a sudden he vanished overseas and came back looking like a completely different person. He must have goten plastic surgery just so he could get close to Tachibana-sama!" Mikoshiba jeered. "Honestly, who does he think he is?"
Haru glared at him. "Who cares if he got plastic surgery?!" Everyone fell quiet. Haru turned to them. "Are you only allowed to get plastic surgery if you're already beautiful to begin with? It's okay for beautiful people to become more beautiful, but it's wrong for an ugly person to want to become beautiful? After all the pain of plastic surgery, hasn't he earned the right?" Eeryone stood around looking really awkward. Haru turned to leave, but as he reached the top of the stairs he realized Goro was standing there with tears in his eyes.
Haru merely stepped by him.
-In class-
After that strange incident, Haru went to class. He went to his desk and saw that there was a note on top of it. He knew at once from the flawless handwriting that it was from Goro. He picked it up and it read:
Haru, I'm so sorry for everything I've done. Thank you for standing up for me in the cafeteria. You may only be average-looking on the outside, but on the inside you're far more beautiful than I could ever hope to be. I want you to know that I'm transferring out today. You're the best friend that I've ever had. Good-bye, old bean.
A single tear streamed down Haru's cheek.
-Later at lunch-
Sighing, Haru trudged down the stairs to caferita. Suddely, someone wrapped their arm around his shoulders.
"Listen up, everybody!" Makoto announced. "Thsi guy here and I are dating for reals. If I catch ANYONE insulting him, it's the same as insulting me, Makoto Tachibana! Is there anybody who has a problem with this?!"
"Yeah. I do," a voice said suddenly from behind them. Haru turned to see who it belonged to, and his eyes widened. It was Sousuke! Everyone gasped. He looked different though. His hair was past his shoulders now, wild and free. His lips curled into a smirk. "Hey Haru, you're looking good."
"Sousuke, are you okay?" Haru questioned concernly.
"I'm free, baby!" Sousuke yelled taking out his cello and rocking out. He started flirting with all the girls and maybe some guys too?
"Sousuke, what's happened to you…?" Haru whispered in astonishment.
-Elsewhere-
Nagisa entered Nanase's Mackerel World. He couldn't get Inuyasha off his mind for some reason. So, here he was for the upteenth time. Inuyasha was behind the counter doing something on the register.
"Inu-chan, how are you doing?" Nagisa grinned at him.
"What is it now? I'm working, so if you're not gonna buy something, just get out!" Inuyasha scowled.
"So, does that mean if I buy one of everything, I can stay?" Nagisa leaned on the counter, smiling deviously.
"One of everything? That would be over $1,000!" Inuyasha exclaimed.
"I can afford it." Nagisa gloated. Inuyasha glowered at him.
"Fine then. One of everything. Will that be all?" He said, raising an eyebrow.
"Hmmm," Nagisa said, looking thoughtful. "Ah! Could I also get your number?"
"I don't have a phone."
"Oh, really? I'll buy you one then." Nagisa suggested.
"No, thanks. The only thing I need is my trusty Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha replied, taking out his sword from off his belt. It was very long and wide and had furry stuff at the hilt.
"Swords are illegal in Japan now, but phones aren't. So, let me get you one." Nagisa said.
"Ugh, fine. If you insist." Inuyasha growled.
"Sweet, I'll go get it now!" Nagisa said, pulling out a $5000 bill out of his wallet and slapping it on the counter. "Keep the change!"
Nagisa skipped out of the store.
-A cople days later-
Haru was sitting in his room staring at the wall when the doorbell rang. He went up and ansered the door. In came like 4 dozen men all carrying applinces. They set them down and then left.
"What's all this?" Haru murmered. In came his mom and dad and borther from antoher room.
"Woow, do we get to keep all this?" HIs brother exclaimed.
"LOok there's a note on the washing machine." HIs dad said picking it up. "It says, "greetings from the tachibana coporation. all this stuff is foryou. love, makoto.'"
"Good going haru. You rascal!" HIs mom shouted. "YOu nabbed yourself a rich boyfriend."
"He's not my boyfriend.. What are we going to do with all this?" Haru said. He picked up his phone and clalled Makoto.
"You rang?" Makoto said happily.
"Take all this stuff back! We don't need it." Haru said. His dad reached over and took the phone from him.
"Nevermind him. He's just shy. We'll definelty use this stuff well. Thank you so much, Tachibana-san. You are so generous!" HIs dad said hanging up the phone.
"We don't even have room to walk around!" Haru protested, snatching his cell backfrom his dad..
"That's ok. We'll make do." His dad said.
-Later that day-
Haru went to work with Inuyasha.
"ANything happen at work yesterday?" Haru said puttin gon his apron.
"That Nagisa guy keeps coming. He bought me a phone." Inuyasha said pulling out his new cellphone. It was the latest cellphone. It was like $10,000. It was red like inuyasha.
"Wow, that's much better than mine." Haru frowned, looking at his cellphone. It was an older cellphone. It only cost about $50. It haad a mackerel charm hanging from it. It was blue.
"Nagisa must really like macherel." Haru said. "Maybe I misjudged him…"
"YOu should bring him some tomorrow. He really like the mackerel curry." Inuyasha replied.
Then a whole bunch of customers came in so they couldn't talk anymore.
-MEanshile-
At Haru's house, Haru's mom, dad, and brother, we're about to eat dinner when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" His brother yelled. He opended the door and there was Makoto!
TBC!
