Canary

FanFiction

Disclaimer: In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only.

Chapter 5 - Higo

The days roll by and he has not heard a thing from her. It's not like he was expecting her to keep in touch but he would like to see her again. He couldn't get her out of his mind – those eyes that shamed the tide, that hair that fell like starlight – but she feared him so maybe it was better this way. It was a quiet Saturday in the morn of twilight and the cicadas couldn't yet be heard. Neither the birds nor the bees were awake to see that the sun had not yet met the horizon.

But Ritsu was up, awakened for the third time by his dreams until he could not close his eyes anymore. The same way he saw her, he saw Susano-wo's glittering eyes marked by a path of sun-foam complexion from the horizon where he met Hiruko. How the flaxen sun spray sending neo-shine into the world.

Ritsu could see himself walking across the water, down the path of shine and tide. With each rippled step, Hiruko receded and Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto arose, making his path paler and less glittery. Tsukiyomi's face was sallow on the horizon like but his shine couldn't be more lurid.

As the path came to an end, all the sky around him and the water below swirled together. Susano-wo, Hiruko, Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto, all became one to form the most beautiful being he'd laid eyes upon. This new creation was a being of unidentifiable light in the shape of a woman. Her face was too bright for his to gaze upon but he looked anyway. This would be the seventh time seeing her and each time she'd kiss him, his eyes would open.

Ritsu knew who it was in the dream but he kept quiet about it. Ever since she first looked at him with those unreal eyes, his heart was in knots and his joints were locked. He was pretty sure it wasn't love but just the same attraction to her that he had for Fujioka-san; simply drawn in by unparalleled beauty and the chance of a deeper connection.

He looked over at his clock which read 5:23am, far too early for him to awaken. Yet there he was, lying flat and staring at the ceiling, thinking of her. Just then, he heard a faint knocking. He listened closely for it again but another knock never came, so he dismissed it. After a while, he heard another faint noise, like a metal trashcan being ransacked by some hungry scavenger. He would have thought it to be some tanuki but next came another faint sound, a human-like grunt. After that came the breaking of a solitary roof tile. Someone was foolish enough to try to break into a yakuza syndicate.

One last sound before Ritsu left his room was another grunt. Ritsu grabbed a wooden bat and readied it for whomever he'd find. He wasn't thrilled about bashing anyone's head in but with things the way they've been lately, a little extra defense never hurt. The halls were empty and calm and no more noises could be heard to pinpoint the perp. He cautiously rounded a corner and went outside through the side shōji doors. It was still a little dark out but from behind the door he could barely make out a figure resting against the Kappa statue near the pond.

There was no doubt in his mind that this was one of the Mioji's flunkies trying to take him out. The grass was cool and wet in the morning air as he stealthily inched closer and closer to the figure breathing heavily. Once he was near enough, he raised the bat ready to strike the unsuspecting character. However, just before his swing, there was a tickle in his nose and he couldn't hold it back. He sneezed allowing the silhouette half a second to notice him and dodge.

The figured darted to the right just in time to miss his slugger. Ritsu brought his arms back around to swing again. He was not going to be murdered on his own turf. The figure just kept darting out of the way making him wonder why this person wasn't even trying to fight back. The character grabbed the nearest thing available – which happened to be an outdoor broom – and held it up as defense but in one swing, it was shattered. Ritsu didn't know he had that much strength. The blow frightened the individual just enough for him to let out a small whimper.

Ritsu stopped upon hearing that. It didn't sound at all like a killer but more like a scared girl. He looked more closely at the personage cowering at his mercy. It had long, wavy, light hair that Ritsu was familiar with. Letting his eyes adjust further, the character was now recognizable as Yuu.

"Wakamiya-san?" Ritsu dropped his bat, mortified at what he could've done and fell to his knees, "Are you okay?! Did I hurt you?!"

The poor girl was trembling uncontrollably. What he didn't know was that she had been out for a while and her eyes had long adjusted to the darkness. All she could see that scared her speechless was the most terrifying demon she'd ever laid eyes on trying to kill her. Even now, she still could not find words. He tried to reach for her but she shuddered, still hazed by the memory of his face.

He redraws his reach just as her level of alarm reached its peak sending her into a state of unconsciousness. Ritsu looked at her just lying there and panicked. Even though he knew his bat never hit anything aside from the broom, he invented the idea that he hit her head instead of the broom. Terrified of his delusions, he carried her on his back and took her back to his room to look at her.

Setting Yuu down on his futon, the first thing he checked was her head. He was certain he'd find blood on in her hair but he searched every inch and found none. He sighed deeply in relief before continuing the examination. There were no further injuries outside of the one she had when she saved him. Her whole arm was still covered in bandages. Her left hand now had bandages on it though. He couldn't remember her getting that around him. The bandages looked old. Since the first aid kit was still in his room, he decided to redress them less out of a small sense of duty and more out of curiosity.

She seemed to wince in her sleep upon touching her hand so he tried to be as gentle as possible. The bindings were slightly discolored as they unraveled. Underneath the final wrap, her skin had the print of the gauze wrappings. There were deep scratches on the back of her palm on the side of her pinky finger and most of her hand was swollen. If he had to guess, she probably got her hand crushed, maybe under some furniture. That would explain the scrapes and the wincing, but the other injury there puzzled him. On Yuu's ring finger though was signs of an extra injury; a halo of dried blood, a flattened scab, encircled her finger as if an undersized ring was wrenched off violently.

He reached for the kit and prepared to use the gauze. Wrapping fingers were challenging to Ritsu but he gave it his best shot. Ritsu couldn't take his gaze off her ring finger even as he wrapped the gauze over it. Even as he finished, the visual was still in his head and he didn't know why. Was it because it was the most notable injury on her hand or was it the fact that it was on the finger that binds two people together? Now that he thought that, he wondered if this meant Yuu had another man. He didn't see her wearing a ring the last time she was here so perhaps not.

There were no signs that she'd wake soon so he decided to let her sleep. The other arm didn't appear to need tending and he was glad of it since rebinding that might rouse her. even though she fainted, her sleep face was almost as radiant as when conscious. Ritsu pulled the covers over her so she wouldn't catch a cold in the chilled air. He rested at his desk, watching his Kamehito for a while crawling in and out of the water in his tank, until sleep took him.

Loose in slumber, he heard footsteps but his eyes were too heavy to see whose they were. Moments later, he felt a slight weight on his back and sudden warmth to block out the chill in the air. Then more footsteps came before true sleep took him.

Later that morning, Ritsu awoke again, no haunting dreams this time. The light of the sun was seeping through the washi paper of the shōji doors. There was a blanket on his back, no doubt from his dad's softer side. Yuu still lay unconscious in his futon, unaffected by the light filling the room. Her skin was glowing in the light, her wavy, platinum locks glimmering. There was a celestial asleep in his bed and he dared not do anything to wake her. Ritsu looked over at his clock, it read 8:44, just a few seconds shy of when he'd wake up to feed Kamehito. Then he realized it was also just a few seconds shy of buzzing. He leapt over Yuu in the futon and lunged for it to stop the buzzing just moments after the first buzz. He heaved a sigh of relief that he made it in time until he heard Yuu shifting on the futon. He hadn't noticed that his landing was louder than the alarm would have been.

Yuu opened her eyes slowly, trying to get a feel of her surroundings. Ritsu remembered the possibility that he slugged her and darted to her side, "Are you alright?! Does it hurt anywhere?"

Yuu looked up at him trying to register the voice until her eyes adjusted to the light, "Kasanoda-san?" She sat up and tried making sense of his questions but she was wobbly and nearly flopped back down when Ritsu caught her, "You shouldn't get up yet."

Now Ritsu was convinced; he whacked her and now she was too dizzy to even sit up, "I'M SO SORRY! I'll make up for it! Here," he grabbed the wooden bat, "you can beat me all you want until I bleed out. No wait, you can't right now because you're too dizzy from when I hit you! I need to call a doctor. No wait, you wouldn't want to see a doctor! But you need medical attention so maybe I'll be your doctor. No wait, that would seem perverted and I'm not even certified! But what if you die?! ARGH! WHAT DO I DO?!"

Yuu reached up and took Ritsu's pants since he was standing in a panic right now, "You didn't hit me, I just got a little scared. That's all." Ritsu let go of the hair he was aiming to rip out and calmly sat down next to her relieved. Yuu giggled a little, she had such an eye catching smile, "I seem to have caused you trouble again."

The tone of her voice was serious now as she tried again to get up, "I'm sorry. It was a mistake coming here." Her left hand hurt from the sudden weight of lifting herself off the futon. She grimaced, alerting Ritsu, "Does it hurt?"

"I'm fine," she insisted, "it's not that serious." Nonetheless, he insisted on helping her up. Just then, Ritsu's father poked his head in, "I see you're up. Come with me."

Yuu seemed slightly unnerved but at the same time calm. It was as if she were prepared for this but still worried about it. Hayato led them into the room where most negotiations took place. Now Ritsu was unnerved because this was also where deals went sour and incompetent flunkies were dragged away screaming for mercy. His fathr sat on the pillow in his designated spot and motioned for Yuu to sit on the pillow in front of him. Ritsu sat on the pillow far off to the side where he usually sat to observe and learn from his father. Now he was wishing he could sit next to her to help her face whatever his dad had planned. She didn't know much about his world to even fathom the danger she might be in just by sitting on that pillow. It was clear she misunderstood how serious her offense of breaking an entry on a yakuza compound in the middle of such tense circumstances with a rival syndicate was. Anything could happen in the game now and his father was holding all the cards.

Ritsu held his breath when Hayato opened his mouth to speak. But before any words came out, Yuu paid him a traditional bow of apology, "I apologize for breaking into your compound. There is no excuse so I will accept any punishment you deem fit." His dad was almost speechless, he gambled that she would apologize first but never imagined she wouldn't try to excuse her actions, "So you have nothing to say in your defense?"

Ritsu was on the edge of his seat while Yuu remained with her head an inch off the tatami calm as can be, "No, Kasanoda-dono. My actions were inexcusable and I pray for your forgiveness." His grin came at a surprise, "Then you may have it. I don't think a punishment is necessary after that."

He was impressed and it saved her. Yuu rose her head with a stern face, showing no signs of divergence. Ritsu tried to let out his breath slowly so no one would notice, his heart still racing to a danceable beat. His father continued, "However, I must ask, why did you break in?" Yuu sat up strait to seem as professional as possible a feat Ritsu was accustomed with from attending Ouran, "I came to ask a request of you if you will hear it."

His father nodded, "And what is your request?" Yuu took a deep breath before speaking, "I request transitory asylum."

Both Hayato and Ritsu were arrested to this. It was never heard by yakuza of to give asylum to anyone outside of the family. It crossed the boundaries of the trust system where in the yakuza world it meant 'trust no one'. But Hayato was curious still, "My sources also tell me you are the daughter of Wakamiya Minato of the Senhikari Industry, electricity manufacturing. Am I correct?"

Yuu nodded so he carried on, "It would seem you are a well-honed businesswoman in magnanimous standing so what could provoke such a request? And why here?"

Ritsu could feel the air intensifying but remained silent as he still had no place in this to speak. Yuu almost seemed as emotionless as the dons of other syndicates, "Your reputation precedes you. My father's company has been compromised and I require a remote, undocumented place to reverse the dilemma. I cannot share how or why this has all come about as it is also personal family business so all details will be kept on a strict, need-to-know basis. I can assure you that your only involvement in all this would be my asylum."

The tension kept building within Ritsu while his father grew ever more collected. Hayato's eyebrows went up into his head line then remarked her hand, "You wouldn't be running from anything, would you?"

Yuu shook her head, "Do not mistake me. I have made certain arrangements for the company and my family. However, being within their access jeopardizes those arrangements as does going to a friend for help."

"So you wish to use someone who is not on record?" Hayato thought for a moment then, "I'll have to refuse your request. In trying times such as these, I can't afford to expose my family or my syndicate directly to a total stranger, especially one of your background. You'll have to find somewhere else." Yuu acknowledged his decision with a nod, "That's perfectly understandable. Nevertheless, since I have nowhere to go, I'm forced to this as repaying a debt."

"And what debt do I owe you?" his father queried, the room getting tenser. "Going on ten days ago, a car was accelerating at impressive towards your son, and, had I not impeded, you would undoubtedly no longer have an heir."

Ritsu's eyes went wide and his whole boddy began to shake as Hayato arose slowly from his seat, his tone reformed to menacing, "Ojō-sama, are you attempting to threaten me?" Ritsu's eyes whizzed to Yuu who faltered only a moment before going blank again, "No, I'm simply reminding you of the circumstances. I may not know much about the world of the yakuza and very well never will, but I am well-versed in the language of business and both have their own standard honor code. I respect you Kasanoda-dono and would never purposely force your hand or try to manipulate you but I have a family to look after as well and if it means that I have to beg you for sanctuary to protect them, then I will."

Yuu returned her head to the tatami and groveled shamelessly, "So I beg of you Kasanoda-dono, please, for the sake of my family and the future of my company, will you grant my asylum."

His father stood tall, still very much visibly enraged. He directed his attention to Ritsu who felt a shiver crawl slowly down his back. He felt every bump, every square millimeter of ice, as he found his composure and returned to a sitting position. "May I at least know of any possible threats to my family in agreeing to this?"

Yuu took a deep but restrained breath and sat up, "Your only concern would be for Ienari Hiroshi of the Ienari Enterprise for Refined Goods. He is a small threat though and you would likely not come into contact with him even on the tertiary level." Ritsu watched the irritation drain from his dad's face, "Wakamiya-san, you are right. A life debt is owed, but not from me. My courtesies were paid with an invitation to join at my table. All further courtesies have been rescinded with this dangerous stunt of yours."

Hayato's eyes flared at Yuu's, "Ritsu, this young girl saved your life and has come to ask if you will put her up for a while in return. As the future head of this syndicate, will you deny you're her and your debt?"

Now his knees were shaking, he prayed it wasn't noticeable. Ritsu had a tendency for wanting to help others but would this decision reflect poorly on him? Would it endanger the 'Family'? Would his father lose respect for him? Yuu looked uncomfortable for the first time since they sat down. All the pressure was on his shoulders and they were both waiting for an answer. He thought up the most satisfying answer for both of them, "I-uh…feel…that…a man should be…held accountable for his debts…especially a life debt. So…I…I'll take full responsibility for the asylum of Wakamiya-san."

Her eyebrows never unfurrowed as she shifted attention to Hayato, as did Ritsu. Hayato simply closed his eyes and nodded, "A wise answer. And sound judgment."

They both let out a sigh of relief. He resumed, "Wakamiya-san, my son has allowed you to stay. However, you will be monitored daily and if you are deemed a threat to me, my family, or my business, then he will not suffice to secure your safety. Is that clear?" Yuu nodded, "Yes sir."

He persisted, "I can respect what you've done here today. You have the makings to either destroy or dominate a man and all of his assets. Pray your insolent tendencies don't ruin your chances to see tomorrow. You are dismissed."

Yuu left first as Hayato took hold of Ritsu's shoulder. His feet froze in place, "In the future, when making decisions for this family, you must make them with the family in mind, not which way my approval will go. You've done well this time and I support your reasoning. A man should honor his debts and promises. Make sure she's comfortable…and keep her out of my sight for the remainder of the day."

Ritsu nodded, "Hai, Otou-san."

"…close all your blinds and curtains to make it seem like I'm hiding there. And don't go anywhere alone. I really appreciate you doing this for me, Ran. I'm counting on you. Bye." Yuu hung up the phone just as Ritsu rounded the corner.

"Hello…" Yuu greeted. Ritsu didn't have much nerve left to look her in the eyes, "Yo…"

Yuu also kept her head lowered, "I…I just got off the phone with my friend. She's going to bring my stuff to any place you assign as safe." Ritsu scratched the right side of his jaw, "Well…I guess that could be the school. Ouran, I mean."

"I guess that works."

"I'll try to set up getting you to attend there. It'll be safer, and you'll be less likely to run into my-uh…dad."

"I see." Ritsu was looking off to the side with his hands in his pockets and his elbows locked. Yuu gripped her left elbow rather firmly. He felt obliged to end this setting, "I…should inform the guys to set up one of the guest rooms."

"Ah, Kasanoda-san!" Ritsu stopped but refrained from turning all the way. Yuu backed up and bowed low, "I apologize for speaking of you in that way. I did not mean it how it sounded." He turned his side to her and looked down. He did feel a little offended but was more worried about how his dad would respond to acknowledge the comment. At the current time, he didn't know how to feel about it.

"I'm very grateful, though, for what you did. I can't imagine that was easy." He never looked up but he started to blush a little, "It's nothin'." She finally came up from the bow and found some courage to look him in the eyes though he couldn't even face her way. "…It was scary though. The way you challenged my dad like that."

Yuu shuddered, "I was terrified. But I know from experience that you never falter or back down in a situation such as that." Ritsu snickered a bit, "I bet. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed. I've never seen anyone corner my dad like that."

"Yeah?" she giggled along with him, then when it calmed down, they both took a deep breath. He started, "So what now? What'll you do?"

"I don't know." she answered, "I'd like to call my mother to tell her I'm okay but she'll stay on the phone too long panicking. She always causes such a fuss over little things. I wish she'd be more professional but I guess it's not in her nature."

They walked down the halls slowly towards the guest room, a ploy by Ritsu so he could get a chance to talk to her more, "So~ what's your mom like?"

Yuu thought for a moment to consider the right words, "Well," she started, "she's very compassionate, but stern. She gets emotionally involved easily though she tries to be more prudent. A few days ago at a temple down the road, she lost her temper and threw my tsuchibue in the pond. She's a great mother but it's obvious that there are just some situations she doesn't know how to handle no matter how hard she tries."

Ritsu remembered seeing Yuu in her furisodo kimono playing the saddest music he ever heard when her mother came out and pulled her inside the temple. Yuu continued, unaware of his part in all this, "Actually, she was initially against the thing that started this whole ordeal. This has been as difficult for her as it has for me. I'm sorry I can't tell you the details and I hope you can understand that."

Ritsu acknowledged her, "Nah, it's none of my business if you don't want to talk about it." Yuu half smiled, "Thank you. Still, I wish I could have gotten it back. That tsuchibue had sentimental value to me."

Just then, Ritsu remembered the tsuchibue he retrieved for her. He never gave it back. It was still in his room, "Wait here."

Yuu stood leaning against the wall waiting for Ritsu until he came back with a cloth in his hand. Inside the cloth was her tsuchibue. "My tsuchibue! Where did you find this?"

"I was there when your mother chucked it into the pond." Ritsu started, "But you left before I could give it to you so I took it home and cleaned it up for you. I went back the next day but you weren't there so I went home. We met that day at the intersection."

Yuu looked at him and recognized him "You were the boy with the vibrant, red hair standing in the pond before I left." Yuu stated as she graciously hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much."

Ritsu blushed violently, "Uh, Y-y-you're w-welc-c-c-come." He couldn't believe it. A girl just hugged him. No girl had ever even touched him before, much less hug him. His heart was racing past the speed of light and he only prayed she couldn't feel it. Yuu remembered herself and corrected her actions, "Oh, I'm sorry. I…just…thank you. Thank you so much."

Her eyes look almost watery, like she was about to cry with joy as she held the instrument close to her heart. Ritsu could see the connection she had to it and barely noticed how a creeping warm feeling made him smile serenely. All he could manage was a simple but sincere, "You're welcome."

Higo – Asylum

Susano-wo – Japanese Shinto God of the ocean

Hiruko – Japanese god of the morning sun; more commonly known as Ebisu, the only one of the seven lucky gods to come from Japan

Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto – Japanese Shinto god of the moon

Tanuki – raccoon, more commonly translated as raccoon-dog

Shōji – traditional Japanese sliding doors

Kappa – a legendary water sprite in Japanese folklore; the equivalent of the Scottish Kelpie

Futon – traditional Japanese-style bedding that can be easily stored

Washi – Japanese-made paper used for shōji doors, origami, clothes, cooking, etc.

Senhikari – it's my combination of sen (1000) and hikari (light) to fit the genre of the company

Ojō-sama – Young Lady, Miss, Ma'am

Tsuchibue – Japanese for ocarina

Disclaimer: In no way do I own or claim to own OHSHC. I am not selling this FanFiction and it is purely for personal use only.