"Carmen?"
Kaname stared at the said person, his hand slowly reached her face, but the moment his vision cleared he gasped and sat up quickly, his forehead bump into her.
"Ouch!" Artemisia cried, rubbing her sore forehead.
Kaname groaned, "Sorry, I thought you were-"
"Carmen?" she finished, "Who's Carmen?"
"Oh, Carmen?" he laughed dryly, "He he, oh, nothing, just a girl I met. Hehe..."
Artemisia raised an eyebrow, "Okay, if you said so..." she cleared her throat, "Anyways, Ukyo said that you know a fabric store."
Kaname stood up and grabbed a small card and gave it to her.
"Here, there's the address and telephone number. Do you want me to go with you there?"
Artemisia shook her head, smiling at him. "No, it's alright, I think I can manage, but thank you for the offer."
He nodded at her and took out his usual monk outfit from his cabinet.
"Okay then, well, have a safe trip, Artemisia." he said, smiling genuinely at her.
Artemisia smiled at him, then turning her back on him and walked towards his door.
After Artemisia left the house, the brothers, Masaomi, Ukyo, Kaname, Hikaru, Tsubaki, and Futo were sitting and lounging in the living room as they wait for their other brothers.
Futo noticed that Artemisia was gone, "Where's Art-chan?" he asked to his brothers, receiving a 'hey!' from Tsubaki.
"She's in the fabric shop, she asked me earlier so I gave her the address." Kaname said, not taking his eyes from the T.V screen.
"Wait," Ukyo said, a vein on his head, "you didn't tell me?!" he shouted, hitting Kaname with a frying pan.
Kaname winced in pain, "Hey! She said that she'd be alright, so I think it's not a big deal," he sweat dropped when he saw Ukyo gripped the handle of the frying pan, "I-ii mean, she's a big girl, she can take care of herself... hehe.."
Meanwhile
Artemisia stood in front of an old temple as her eyes scanned the area. Her gray eyes caught a sign in Japanese, which she doesn't understand at all, people wearing traditional clothes came out from said temple. With her curiosity, she decided to enter the temple. She walked towards the entrance as the other customers passed by her and looked at her with curiosity. It was rare to have a foreigner visit a traditional fabric store since the store was not really popular due to some 'rumors' and 'magical' stuff happening there.
She sighed as slipped off her shoes and lay beside it on a black sandals. Her perfectly pedicured toes touched the slightly cold tile, her eyes again scanned the room.
(I'll let you imagine the store. I'm not good with these traditional things, lol, yeah, onwards!)
As the 'foreigner' searched for the perfect fabric for her latest creation, an old lady wearing a beautiful, royal red kimono, her gray hair in a bun, and a smile-making her get up more complete and simple. Artemisia looked towards the woman, then smiling at her. The woman smiled in return and said something at her assistant. Artemisia walked towards the woman, her smile not leaving her face.
Artemisia nervously gulped, "Uhh... Umm.. Konichiwa?" She cleared her throat, "ano... Umm... Damn, this is so hard." She muttered.
The woman laughed at her, "Do not fret, dear child. I can speak English... Well, a bit."
Artemisia sighed, her shoulders slumped, then straightening her posture.
"Does your shop sell wedding dresses?" She asked, pulling out her Ipad, "My friend is getting married and she appointed me to design her dress. But I'm not familiar with the Japanese weddings, even though I searched them on the internet, I still don't have any ideas on how am I going to design her dress." She showed her designs.
The woman hummed, "This is very good. However, there's something missing."
Artemisia quirked an eyebrow, "What? Can you help me with it then?"
The woman chuckled, "Ah. Ah, you're the only one who can help yourself."
This time, both of her eyebrows had risen, "What do you mean by..." Her words trailed, then something, deep inside her click.
Artemisia lowered her head and smirked, "Oh, that." She raised her head, "How did you know?" She said.
The woman smiled genuinely at her, "The first time you stepped into my store." She grabbed something beneath her table, "now tell me, child-your role?"
"Where is she!?"
"Not here... Dumbass."
"YOU IDIOT! I'M STILL OLDER THAN YOU!"
"Geesh! Hai, hai, oji-san."
"ARGGHHHH!"
(In case if you're wondering, that's Tsubaki and Futo. LOL! Okay, shutting up now...)
Ukyo sighed drastically, his shoulder slumped, "Has Natsume called yet?"
Hikaru shook his head, "No, how 'bout Azusa?"
"Oh, he just returned 10 minutes ago. He said that he returned early because he heard on the radio that there will be a storm approaching." Masaomi sighed, "though I hope Wataru is safe tonight..."
"That. Is. Why. I . Am. Worried. About. Art-chan!" Tsubaki screeched, tugging his hair like a maniac. "Who knows what will happen to Art-chan?! There would be monsters lurking in the shadows..." Gasps, "NO!"
"Tsubaki, you idiot."
Tsubaki raised his head and saw Azusa on the stairs.
"Azusa! I miss you, my dear twin~!" He ran towards his twin, wrapping his arms around his neck like a monkey.
Azusa rolled his eyes, "You're being over dramatic again."
As the twins having their 'reunion', Ukyo felt his phone vibrate from his pocket. He took out his phone and saw that Natsume's calling him.
Ukyo quirked a brow, answering the call.
"Hello?"
"Kyo-nii."
"Oh, Natsume, what's the matter?" Ukyo asked.
He heard a sigh, "I can't come tonight, I'm stranded here." He heard again a sigh, and the sound of the rain falling on the ground.
"Where are you?"
"I'm in front of... Kaname-nii's favorite shop."
Artemisia's there also, he thought.
"Could you go inside and check if Artemisia is there?"
"Why?"
"She left two hours ago; she should be home now." Said Ukyo, sighing a little. "We're worried about her since she's not very familiar with the surroundings"
"Oh, Artemisia. The bride to be?"
Ukyo's eyes widened, "H-how d-did you know?!"
"Mother told me, " he simply said.
"This is harder than I thought," he muttered to himself. Now I thought I had the upper arm, he thought.
"What was that, brother?"
Ukyo sweat dropped, "O-oh nothing! Just call me when everything's okay."
-Natsume-
"O-oh, nothing! Just call me when everything's okay."
Beep... Beep... Beep...
Natsume stared at his phone, "What the?" he sighed and shook his head. "Same old Ukyo-nii."
Natsume stood in front of the store with a black umbrella from preventing getting wet under the rain. He walked towards the store as he checked his watch from his phone and it says, '8:30 pm'.
It's late, he thought. Ukyo's right, she should be home by now.
He sighed inwardly and knocked three times on the door.
"Who's there?" a voice said coming from the door.
"Uhh... I'm here for my friend, her name is Artemisia." he said.
"Oh," the person behind the door unlocked the door and revealed a woman wearing a white robe.
The lady smiled at him, "She's your friend?" she looked outside and noticed that it's raining. "Oh, dear! Come in! I don't want you to get sick or anything."
Natsume blinked, then smiled on her kindness, "Thank you," he said, bowing a little.
He followed behind the woman and saw her grabbed something from a box. She returned to him with a smile on her face and her hands clasped together in front of her.
"Here," she grabbed one of his hand and she put something on his palm, once her hand was gone Natsume saw a small antique hammer with a dragon wrapped on the handle like a snake. "I want you to have this."
Natsume's brows creased, "What do you mean by this?"
The lady smiled again, "Oh, it's just a gift from me. It will break anything." she said, winking at him.
"Anything?"
The lady laughed and waved her hand, "Hai hai, now, let's go to your friend, she fell asleep after we talked about her...'things'."
Natsume slightly narrowed his eyes, then nodded. "Okay, lead the way."
"So tell me child, your role?"
Artemisia smirked and chuckled at the woman's words. It actually takes time for someone to know something, but this is different. Now she knows why they called this place 'off'.
"Well," she started. "There are things that an actress cannot tell her role to someone who she only met. You know what the teenagers say today, 'spoilers'. We don't want to spoil the fun."
"So you're making your friends know that you are what they think you are but you are not." (That doesn't make any sense... lol..) the woman shrugged, "well, you know what I mean."
"They are her friends, not mine."
"But still," she took out a perfectly curved glass with rocks in it from the antique box and held it against her. "You need to tell them your real identity."
"What are you? Some witch or something?" she asked, glaring at the bottle.
The woman smiled again at her, "No, I'm just an old lady selling fabric and dresses."
"Okay then, please elaborate me... this." she said, pointing the glass.
The woman hummed, then placing the glass on the table. "This," she touched the glass, "is your shield," she tapped the glass, "and the rocks are you. They can see, you, but they cannot touch you because there's a wall-an invisible wall." she looked directly at Artemisia's eyes, "you want someone to break everything so that you can share 'that' everything from the inside with 'that' someone, am I correct?"
Artemisia laughed dryly, "This is so fucking cliche!" she laughed again, "I thought these things only exist in fiction and dramas."
(Welcome to our world, Artemisia. lol)
The woman sighed sadly, "Open your heart, child. It's alright for you to tell them how you truly feel. It can lead-"
"I never wanted this..." she muttered, tears rolling down on her cheeks, "I never wanted this..."
The woman saw tears falling down from her face, she grabbed her hand and patted it.
"It's alright child, just tell them, I think they would understand."
Artemisia raised her head and saw the woman smiling again. She chuckled and wiped the tears off her face.
"I'll tell them, tonight."
Natsume saw Artemisia sleeping softly with a white blanket covered her body. He saw a roll of pink fabric and a box on the table, her bag on the end of her feet and her shoes on the floor.
"She's been sleeping for an hour," she sighed, "she must be tired from all the stress on how she's going to design the dress of her friend's dress."
Dress? Oh, for Ema, he thought.
He turned and faced the woman, then bowed.
"Thank you for taking care of my friend. We must get going, my brothers are very worried right now."
The woman nodded, "I understand," she patted his shoulder, "please take care of her as well."
Natsume nodded and headed towards Artemisia. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her bridal style.
-Time skip (cause I'm lazy typing this and that.. lol)-
After Carrying all Artemisia's things, he sat in the driver seat and started the engine. Since it was late and still raining hard outside, he decided to take her to his apartment. He called Ukyo that the both of them will not be coming over and said that they will be there in the morning. Much to Ukyo's dismay, he has to say yes.
Natsume sighed, rubbing his temple. He looked over his shoulder where Artemisia's snoozing in the back seat.
Not bad for a foreigner, she looked beautiful, he thought.
Natsume smirked and stared at the hammer on his hands.
"Anything, huh?"
He put the small hammer inside of his pocket and drive off to his apartment.
-Back in the Asahina household-
The brothers (except for Louis, Iori, Yuusuke, and Wataru) sat on the couch with shock faces, their mother on the T.V screen, smiling cheerfully at them thru Skype.
"Are you serious, mother?
"This is..."
"...Insane.."
"But how?"
"..."
Miwa laughed and waved her hand, "All of you are being over-dramatic. This was planned last 20 years ago. Her mother wanted her child a suitable husband so she did business with me." she saw her sons gaped, "b-but, it's up to you if want to marry Artemisia. I mean, all of you are growing up now-"
"We know that mom," Tsuabki said in a bored tone.
"AS I was saying, if you don't want to marry her, then it's alright. I'm just saying this because the girl is now alone, her parents are gone-the poor thing doesn't know how to cook..."
"Mom..." Ukyo groaned.
"Oh, sorry, sorry. Just think about it, okay?" she said to her sons, "I love you all."
"We love you too, mom." they said in unison.
Behind Miwa, Louis waved at them, "Miss you guys!"
Then the screen went blank.
As the brothers were having their own moment with the Marriage thing. Sure Artemisia was beautiful, smart and funny. But Marriage? Already? She only lived here for 3 weeks.
"So..." Tsubaki started.
"Yeah.." Azusa whispered.
"So..." Kaname repeated what Tsubaki said.
Then they all said in one breath.
"Who's going to be the groom?"
Okay, so that ends chapter 4, I think I might be able to update tomorrow afternoon since school is close (NOOOO! T_T)
If you're wondering why was Louis is not with the brothers because he accepted a job from Paris, but do not worry, he will come out in the later chapters. Iori, well, he's in America studying so no-no for him (Let him study, people!). Yuusuke, he moved out when Ema and Subaru started dating.
I'm planning to have a sequel of this and the groom (if that happens, lol. SPOILER! .)
I'm going to ask you guys, who will be the groom?
(I'm going to put here the options)
a. Ukyo
b. Kaname
c. Azusa
d. Natsume
I noticed that most of the reviews said, Ukyo. Don not, again, worry. She might end up with Ukyo. MIGHT! LOL
*SPOILER
(I'm going to put this at the end of my note, lol XD. This will be like the preview for the next chapter.)
Hikaru knows Artemisia's secret.