AN: I am back from my almost-one-year hibernation.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and a few extra characters…
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~* Twists of Fate *~
Chapter Five – Overwhelming Revelations
by: chocopeanutplease
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"Welcome to Eitoku, Hanazawa-san."
Yes, that's right. Hanazawa Rui is back in Japan. He was already an official second year student of Eitoku.
After leaving the Principal's office, the temptation to surprise the other F4 was just too overwhelming to be overcome. True, he knew little about the place, but just a little interrogation from other students could get him to where he wanted. He wore his huge sunglasses to somehow conceal his identity, bringing Makino's wet overcoat in one hand, which he took from the Principal's office.
He paced, tall and domineering, looking for anyone he could ask who may know something about the F4's whereabouts. He preferred to ask innocent-looking guys because girls just might figure out who he was. Just might. Nande darou naa?
Just then, a guy about five feet tall was passing by. He looked like a lost first year. Chance!
"Excuse me. Do you happen to know where the F4 are?" Rui asked politely. It was characteristic of Rui to force politeness to get what he wanted.
"I-I-I d-don't know!" and the first year student rapidly ran off, as if afraid of giving information to Rui, or perhaps just frightened at the subject of the F4.
Rui tried to ask some other people to no avail. He got the same reaction from all of them. Fright, horror, terror, shock, you name it.
'I guess I just have to find them myself,' Rui thought. He began his search.
Library. 'Of course they are not here. Have they ever been here? Do they even know where the library is?'
Classrooms. 'They hate classes. Why would they hang out in classrooms?'
Rooftop. 'Rarely.'
Rui snorted. 'This temptation to surprise them is killing me. I guess I should just call them and tell them I'm here.'
Just then, a loud grumbling came from Rui's stomach. 'This is what I get from looking for those idiots.'
He headed straight to the Eitoku cafeteria to grab something to eat. He heard loud cackles from the upper lounge. He watched for a while and found out that the cackles were not because of mirth. They were because of cruelty.
Doumyouji Tsukasa was beating up a guy. Rui had no idea who that guy was. Rui had no idea why his friend was beating up a guy. It was not the Tsukasa he knew. He was a brute. He didn't seem normal.
'Tsukasa!' Rui thought as he hurried to rescue the poor guy. Rui did make it on time.
Just as Tsukasa was about to give his final blow to the guy, Rui covered the guy with his body in such a way that Tsukasa's fist hit Rui's right cheek.
Everyone was in shock. The poor beaten up guy was awed that someone dared to save him from the hands of the monster named Doumyouji Tsukasa. Tsukasa was confused as to why another person butted in and destroyed his fun. Akira and Soujiro, who were just sitting there, watching the whole entire time, stood up to get a better view. The whole cafeteria was silenced as everyone watched the scene.
Rui, however, could taste blood from his mouth. It wasn't good. He was wearing his sunglasses; so, nobody noticed him yet.
"Tsukasa, you BAKA!!!" Rui shouted as he removed his sunglasses and touched his bruised cheek.
Akira, Soujiro and Tsukasa were stunned, for the lack of a better word.
"R-R-Rui! Welcome back!" Tsukasa was the first to regain composure.
"Yeah, right. What a nice welcoming gift you have for me!" Rui said sarcastically as he assisted the poor guy down the flight of staircases.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" Tsukasa asked.
"Helping the poor guy whom you took the liberty of beating up," Rui called out as he led the guy out of the cafeteria and to the clinic.
"Oi!" the F4 called out to Rui as they followed him.
After Rui deposited the poor guy safely in the clinic, he turned to face the F4 who had been following him all along.
"You! What on earth have you been doing? What's the big idea, beating up people like that?" Rui demanded an answer as he directed his eyes straight at Tsukasa.
"Let's have a drink and we'll explain it to you." Tsukasa proposed and everyone agreed. They went to a bar named Frentzen and ordered their drinks. They abandoned their classes altogether.
"Cheers to Rui for being black!" Tsukasa said as he raised his glass.
"Black?!" Akira asked.
"Nani sore?!" Soujiro said.
"You have changed a lot, Tsukasa, but I see that your stupidity hasn't changed yet," Rui said indifferently. "Cheers to me for being back!" Rui said, emphasizing the last word to Tsukasa with eyes wide open.
"That's what I said!" Tsukasa brushed them off with a wave of a hand.
"Geez. Can't you at least welcome me properly?" Rui commented. "What's with that a while ago?" Rui demanded.
"Oh, that! You see, you shouldn't have intervened. That guy deserved a beating! He was looking at us weirdly and everything…" Tsukasa justified his actions.
"Just that? Just because he was looking at you weirdly?! Seriously!" Rui was outraged at what his friends had been doing.
"We decided to come up with a red tag," Akira explained.
"Red tag?" Rui asked curiously, remembering what Makino told her. 'Once you get one, anybody from the student body can target you for torture. What a stupid thing! Are the people here that bored that watching other people suffer entertains them?!'
"Yeah, we give it to anyone who acts improperly towards us, so they will learn proper manners." Soujiro elaborated.
"What the hell for?!" Rui challenged.
"To rule the place! Remember Niccolo Macchiavelli? 'It is better to be feared than to be loved if you can't be both.'" Tsukasa reasoned out.
"What's the point in ruling Eitoku? It's just a school." Rui said.
"You're too naïve, Rui." Soujiro commented.
"Ruling the school can be compared to ruling a company. We're just using Eitoku as a training ground." Akira explained.
Rui tried to process everything his friends had said. He never really thought about it that way. Ruling a school is comparable to ruling a company. Still, it was not in his concerns. He had no intentions of ruling any company in the first place.
"Anyway, how are you?" Akira asked excitedly.
"Yeah. How's France? Did you meet some hot French girls so you stayed there for so long?" Soujiro asked teasingly.
"Don't be stupid. He already has Shizuka." Tsukasa commented.
Before Rui could answer any of their questions, a loud ringing came from Tsukasa's phone.
"Moshi moshi," Tsukasa answered, and immediately moved away from the group to keep the phone conversation private.
Meanwhile, the three were still bickering in the table.
"So, any improvements with Shizuka?" Akira asked.
"Or any new lovers? Come on… It's France! There should be girls everywhere," Soujiro reasoned.
Rui merely rolled his eyes at the two and just looked at Tsukasa instead. Tsukasa was still on the phone with his back facing them. Rui couldn't tell who Tsukasa was talking with.
Perhaps it would still take time before Tsukasa would get off the phone…
"Whatever. I just studied the entire time," Rui shrugged as he answered the curious Akira and Soujiro.
"STUDY??" the two chorused.
"Stop messing with us Rui," Akira commented.
"What a blatant lie! Don't try to get away with the topic." Soujiro remarked.
"Honto da yo. My mother entered me into a university there to study business administration for a year. I was also tutored during my free time." Rui said.
"Damn, man! You stayed for a whole year in France and all you did was study?! How lame is that?!" Soujiro said.
"Hmm… My teacher was quite good-looking though." Rui said with a smirk. His teacher was actually male. He just wanted to tease the two playboys, make them hear what they want to hear.
"Spill!"
"What was she like?"
Before they could continue their conversation, Tsukasa cut them off with a sudden goodbye.
"I got to go. My mother said she had something important to discuss with me." Tsukasa said, looking apprehensive. He looked at the three apologetically and dashed out of the bar. Three pair of eyes followed Tsukasa's retreating figure.
"Wonder what that was about…" Akira pondered loudly.
"Anyway, Rui - " Soujiro started, wanting to continue their conversation about Rui's alleged good-looking tutor. Just then, another ringing of a phone greeted their ears, cutting Soujiro in his desire to interrogate Rui.
"Moshi moshi." Rui said as he immediately moved away from the two to keep the phone conversation private, just like Tsukasa had done minutes before.
"What is this?! Call-a-Friend day?!" Soujiro demanded, seemingly irritated.
"Aww… Calm down. Just let them be." Akira said, as he displayed his ever calm face. As Soujiro looked at him, calmness seemed to have rubbed off on the former.
"Want to make a bet?" Soujiro suggested just to get rid of boredom.
"Bet?" Akira asked, taken aback. "About what?"
"It's the 'Who-is-Rui-talking-to-on-the-phone?' game!" Soujiro said comically. Akira was too amused at Soujiro's ideas that he immediately agreed.
"Fine. Loser gets to shout at the top of his voice inside this bar." Akira proposed the terms of the game, saying the first thing that popped into his mind.
"Deal. You go first." Soujiro said curtly.
Akira surveyed Rui for a while before coming up with a decision. Rui had his body turned back from them so Akira couldn't easily guess from his kinesics and facial expressions.
"He is talking to his mother." Akira stated matter-of-factly after one whole minute.
Soujiro snorted. "What made you say that?"
"Well, Tsukasa was on the phone with his mother a while ago. Just a wild guess." Akira reasoned regarding his guess.
"Whatever. I think it's Tsukasa." Soujiro said as he slightly leaned back on his chair with an air of indifference.
"Tsukasa??" Akira blurted out as he stared at Soujiro as if demanding a reasonable explanation for that guess.
The two barely noticed as Rui approached them, ready to deliver his news.
"I'm sorry guys, I need to go as well." Rui said after helping himself to one last gulp from his drink. Rui did not notice the grumpy expressions on their faces. "Ja!" he said turning his back, ready to take leave.
"Wait!" Akira called out. "Who was that on the phone?"
"Kaa-chan!" Rui raised his voice to let them hear.
Akira wore a triumphant yet shocked look on his face. His wild guess had been right after all.
That was one of the times when wild ideas turn out to be better than well thought-of ones.
However, Soujiro was wearing a triumphant look as well.
Without warning, Soujiro let out a yell that sounded like a growl of a wild beast. The bar shook alarmingly. Every head inside it turned to their direction.
Akira raised one of his eyebrows and pointed out, "You sure enjoy attention when Tsukasa's not around."
Soujiro had a sinister smile plastered on his face after the feat and after hearing Akira's statement.
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As Rui reached the place he and his mother were staying, he was breathing wildly. He had just run all the way from the bar, having no privilege of a chauffeur following him around. It had been a two kilometer run and he was glad it ended.
As he was in front of the door to his room, he was unceremoniously greeted by his mother, Hanazawa Haruko. She was wearing semi-formal clothing with a tinge of businesslike feel. She was placing her earring as Rui came in.
"Just in time, son. Now dress up and look smart. We were invited to a dinner by very important people." She said as she picked out decent polo and slacks perfect for making his son look impressive. She chose black slacks and midnight blue long sleeves and placed them on Rui's bed.
Rui was amazed at how his mother gracefully held the clothes that she wanted him to wear. He took them and carefully laid them on the bed and then headed to the bathroom. He washed his face then looked at the mirror. He thought that he looked like the epitome of a stressed marathon runner. He washed his face a second time as if to remove the traces of fine lines. As he emerged from the bathroom, he saw his mother holding out a gray tie.
"Kaa-chan, I hate ties! I don't need to wear that!" Rui complained and darted towards his mother to snatch the tie away from her.
"Rui," her mother started, suddenly on serious mode. "This is important. Just this night, please wear a tie."
Rui noted the seriousness in his mother's voice and half-heartedly obliged.
"Where are we going, anyway?" Rui asked just to divert the topic from the stupid tie.
"Maple Hotel." His mother replied tersely.
A car came to pick them up, mother and son.
No word was exchanged between them until they reached their destination.
As the car stopped at the entrance of the hotel, Rui got out of the car carefully so as not to leave creases on his impeccable get up. His mother went ahead and walked a couple of meters before him with her poised gait.
Their table was empty; the people they were supposed to have dinner with had not yet arrived. Rui felt slightly relieved, but tension built up afterwards. He was curious regarding who they would meet and he believed his mother would not tell him anything had he asked.
Rui sat on a seat with his back facing the entrance of the dining hall. His mother sat on a seat across the table. Rui paid attention to the elegant table setting. It was just like the restaurants in France. The center of the table was adorned with dimly lit lamp giving away a sensual feel. Rui set the table napkin on his lap and as he was about to take a sip of water, his mother stood up and held her arms out graciously as if welcoming something – or somebody.
Rui stood as well and turned around to see the well-awaited guests. It was a party of four that seemed like business people. Rui focused his eyes on the youngest one who was almost as tall as him. As the group drew closer, Rui could have sworn that the youngest guy looked like a long lost twin of Tsukasa. The group's youngest guy, on the other hand, was processing thoughts similar to Rui's – that the real Rui before him looked like 'a long lost twin of Rui.'
They were too intent on staring at each other that they did not notice the people around them. Introductions were made, which brought the two back to the real world.
"It has been a while," Rui's mother greeted.
"A long while at that," a person from the group answered. She was a woman, with an air of superiority one would not dare to challenge.
"Konbanwa," a man from the group greeted as he shook the hand of Rui's mother. Based on his age, it seemed that he was the husband of the woman.
"Haruko, how are you?" the old lady from the group said as she kissed Hanazawa Haruko on the cheeks.
"I've been doing well, ma'am. I was delighted when I received your invitation! It has been years!" Hanazawa Haruko replied graciously. She turned and saw the young guy. "And I believe this young man is - "
"Doumyouji Tsukasa. Pleasure to meet you." Tsukasa politely smiled as he shook her hand.
"And it would be very ridiculous to introduce you to my Rui…" she laughed.
Tsukasa and Rui stared at each other with thought bubbles filled with question marks. Why were they there? Why were their families gathered for a dinner? Was it a business meeting of some sort? Neither of them knew. They just sat there and waited for an explanation.
The party of four consisted of Tsukasa's parents: mother Kaede and father Tsunabi, Tsukasa's grandma Sayuri, and of course, Tsukasa.
The six people ate the delectable food that was specially prepared by the staff of Maple Hotel just for them. The four adults talked, exchanged stories and laughed once in a while. Tsukasa and Rui quietly chewed as they listened to the conversations.
As desserts were served, Doumyouji Kaede blurted out, "I think some people here need to be informed."
Every head on the table turned to Kaede. Rui's and Tsukasa's face exhibited curiosity and longing.
"Let me tell the story," Grandma Sayuri volunteered after taking a small bite of blueberry cheesecake. She shifted in her seat to face the two teenagers.
"Years and years ago, a man named Doumyouji Tsunabi died of heart attack while his wife was in her seventh month of pregnancy. Realizing that she had to be strong for her unborn child, she pretended that everything was okay. However, she knew that a huge burden was upon her: she had to take over her husband's company. She reluctantly left her three year old child under the care of her parents, the boy's grandparents. She went to France and rarely returned to Japan." Grandma Sayuri finished her story rather abruptly as she took a drink of water.
"My mother?" Rui asked before he could resist himself. He wanted to ask earlier as the description of the woman very much fitted her mother.
Grandma Sayuri just nodded curtly.
Questions built up again inside Rui. He needed clarifications. Now.
"Doumyouji Tsunabi?"
Grandma Sayuri nodded with a trace of smile.
Rui knew that his father was named Tsunabi, but 'Doumyouji Tsunabi?' Doumyouji?
"Then," Tsukasa pondered. "Rui is…"
"You two are cousins." Grandma Sayuri answered before Tsukasa could even finish the question.
Tsukasa blinked. He didn't know what kind of reaction he should display. Rui was stunned.
"I believed it is getting late and these two still have classes tomorrow," Hanazawa Haruko started.
"Yes, we should call it a night." Doumyouji Tsubasa seconded.
They all got up and walked to leave the dining hall. Tsukasa and Rui stayed behind.
"Amazing. Who could have thought that we are relatives?" Tsukasa spoke silently, keeping their conversation private for no particular reason.
"Yeah… but after all these years of being buddies, I don't think being blood-related will change anything." Rui said.
Tsukasa merely grinned in response.
At the entrance of the hotel, they parted ways. Rui and his mother went back to the hotel they were staying while the Doumyoujis returned to the mansion.
At the hotel…
Rui gathered his nightwear to get ready for sleep. It was almost midnight and he was too tired. He entertained his own private thoughts, so there was an invisible barrier in his ears from anything happening around him.
"You really should be the heir, Rui. Why do you think I made you study Business Administration and Economics in France? It shouldn't be that Tsukasa. The only thing he knows is to fool around. I will do something. I have to…" Hanazawa Haruko spoke more to herself than to Rui. The latter barely registered what his mother just said. His mind was full of thoughts of Tsukasa and of the F4.
What 'heir' was his mother talking about? And why was she so desperate to make Rui the so-called 'heir?'
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The next day…
Rui went to Eitoku a little too early because he was apprehensive of getting lost. He walked along the corridors and spotted a sign on the door of the classroom. It was similar to what was written in the crumpled piece of paper in his hand.
2-C.
He slowly entered and paced around the room. He had never been to a Japanese high school classroom before because he was in France. He motioned towards the announcement board when the door creaked.
Makino Tsukushi absent-mindedly entered the classroom without noticing the guy who was standing stupidly at the corner. She sat on her chair on the last column and looked blankly out the window.
Rui coughed to announce his presence. Tsukushi abruptly turned her head that her neck gave her a searing pain.
'Ow!' She gently massaged her neck as she stood from her chair and faced the guy.
"Ohayo gozaimasu!" Rui greeted her politely.
"You! You were that guy from yesterday!" Tsukushi said with a shrill voice that connoted surprise.
"Thought I might be seeing you…" Rui said. "I brought your overcoat. Clean and dry." Rui smirked as he handed it to Tsukushi.
"Thanks! Wow… You have saved me from those bullies and you even took the trouble of getting my overcoat cleaned. How can I ever repay you?" Tsukushi said earnestly. She was obviously thankful that such a person had transferred to her school… to her class, even.
"Just tell me your name."
"Makino Tsukushi desu." She said as she eyed him rather curiously.
"Now, you have repaid me half…" Rui said mysteriously.
Just then, students came entering the classroom and went to their respective seats. Tsukushi sat on her chair once again while Rui sat on the chair of the last column of the last row. He leaned on his table and laid his head on his arms, a position of sleep. Because of this, people hardly recognized him no matter how popular he was. They were too busy with their own glamorous lives. All except Tsukushi.
"Ohayo, minna…" Yamaguchi-sensei greeted the class with her usual bright face.
Rui straightened up on his seat to show some respect to his new teacher.
"Before anything else, I would like the class to welcome your new classmate, Hanazawa Rui-san." She said as she pointed towards Rui.
Murmurs and conversations broke out here and there.
"Did she say Hanazawa Rui?"
"Is he really our classmate?"
Sakurako leaned towards Shigeru's table. "This is our chance!" she whispered. A look of knowing was evident in the eyes of the two girls. They had always been fond of the F4.
Rui just bent his head slightly to show acknowledgment.
After the necessary introductions, the class started and Rui did not bother taking notes.
Lunchtime was a usual affair. Students go to the cafeteria to buy their extravagant meals. Tsukushi, however, brought her own bento and ate with Yuki who did the same. Shigeru and Sakurako brought bentos as well even though they could afford Eitoku's extravagant meals just so that the four of them could eat together. Only five people were left in the classroom: the four of them and Rui.
Rui was not in the mood to eat. He was only in the mood to sleep. He was always in the mood to sleep. Once again, like he did hours ago, he leaned on his table and used his arms as pillows.
Tsukushi noticed that Rui was not eating.
"Do you think we should, uhm, offer him food or something?" Tsukushi asked the three with a soft voice, careful not to make Rui notice that they were having a conversation about him.
"Hey, he's no beggar." Sakurako answered rather rudely though deep inside, he was longing to share her bento with him, with Hanazawa Rui, one of his beloved F4.
"Whatever. I only have eyes for Doumyouji Tsukasa." Shigeru said as she took a huge bite from her tempura.
"I think if he is hungry, he would have gone to the cafeteria to buy food. I mean, surely he can afford it, right?" Yuuki said reasonably.
Tsukushi was still bothered that Rui was not eating during lunchtime. She was always told by her mother not to skip meals. No matter how poor they were, they made sure that they ate three times a day.
Tsukushi stood up, bringing her bento with her, and walked towards Rui.
"A- Ano… Ha- Hanazawa Rui… uhm…" Tsukushi stuttered, lost for words.
Rui glanced up at her, with his sleepy eyes. She was holding a piece of chicken with her chopsticks. She didn't mean to feed him or anything. She actually didn't know what made her talk to him. Surprisingly, as Rui saw the chicken cutlet, he made a swift motion to place it in his mouth. One moment, it was dangling on Tsukushi's chopsticks, the next moment, it was in Rui's mouth, being torn into smaller pieces.
Sakurako, Shigeru and Yuuki were watching the whole time. They froze at Rui's antics. Even Tsukushi was shocked beyond belief.
Rui continued to chew and devour on the piece of meat.
"It's delicious. Thank you." He said as he swallowed. "Cleared of all debts." He said. Tsukushi remembered, 'How can I ever repay you?'
She just smiled in return.
Just then, the door swung open wildly. "Rui!" a man said from the door.
After hearing that voice, Tsukushi tensed up and instinctively ducked, hoping to be blocked from view through Rui's table. Rui stood and walked toward the source of the commotion. This gave Tsukushi time to relax a bit, but she still hid there.
"We have been expecting you!" Soujiro said
"Why weren't you in the cafeteria?" Akira asked.
"Not particularly hungry…" Rui shrugged. It was true. His mother made her eat a feast of a breakfast because she was also apprehensive for her son.
Sakurako and Shigeru were thrilled that the F4 were standing inside their classroom. They stopped eating just to watch as the four conversed.
"Why don't you just transfer to our class? It's 2-A. That way we don't need to fetch you here…" Tsukasa proposed.
"Fetch? No one's asking you to fetch me…" Rui answered. However, Tsukasa's attention was suddenly diverted by what he spotted.
Tsukasa saw a girl entering 2-B alone. She walked prim and proper with her short, shoulder-length hair clipped on one side. Tsukasa focused his attention on her; Rui stood forgotten.
Her name was Amane Mizuki. Tsukasa had admired ever since they were young. They were childhood friends who somewhat drifted apart. Still, Tsukasa still clung to his admiration for her.
Meanwhile, more students entered 2-C, even the teacher came, signaling the F3 to leave.
"See you later…"
"Yeah… bye…" Rui said.
The moment the F3 left, Tsukushi stood up and went back to her proper seat. Without the F3 in sight, she felt safe and relieved.
"Ok, ok. Settle down." Onizuka-sensei said. He was their English teacher. At the back of the classroom, he spotted Rui who looked rather lethargic.
"Hanazawa-san, please transfer to that seat," Onizuka-sensei said pointing to the seat directly to the right of Makino Tsukushi's.
As Rui sat, Tsukushi was careful not to look at him. She was quite embarrassed about the incident earlier.
Onizuka-sensei greeted the class with a quiz about English grammar. It was simple; Rui need not take the previous lessons to be able to get perfect score.
The day went on as uneventful as possible after that.
Right after dismissal, the F4 went to a bar near the school named Blue Light. As much as possible, they wanted to try every bar in the vicinity and then go back to the bar they first went, as if a cycle.
"We lost you a while ago…" Rui noted toTsukasa.
"What? Who… me? What did I-?"
"You suddenly went in a daze after you asked me to transfer." Rui accused the defensive Tsukasa.
"Oh yes, about you transferring to our class, I can easily fix…"
"Don't change the subject." Rui cut in before Tsukasa could finish the sentence.
"Well, Rui, while you were in France, our friend Tsukasa here has developed a huge mental crush on…"
"Shut up, Soujiro! Don't talk about that when I am around!" Tsukasa snarled.
"You mean we can talk about it when you are not around? Thanks for the tip." Akira's remarked gained him a frown from Tsukasa.
"Stop it! Just because we're cousins, it does not mean that he needs to know everything about my business." Tsukasa said rather sourly.
"Cousins?" Soujiro and Akira asked blankly.
And then it hit Tsukasa and Rui. They forgot to tell their two best friends about what happened the night before. Tsukasa took the honor of retelling the tale.
Soujiro whistled as Tsukasa finished. They pondered on the said idea for a while.
"Well, being cousins or not does not really change anything." Akira stated matter-of-factly and everyone at the table silently agreed.
Just like what happened the night before, Tsukasa's phone rang and he distanced himself from the group.
"Wow. That guy sure is busy," Soujiro said as he gulped the contents of his glass.
"So," Rui started. The two looked at him wondering where he was getting at. "What was that about Tsukasa's huge mental crush?" Rui asked with a characteristic smirk.
The two earnestly filled Rui in with their limited knowledge regarding Amane Mizuki.
Amane Mizuki was Tsukasa's childhood friend. Because Mizuki's mother was a maid in the Doumyouji mansion, Mizuki frequently came along with her. That was when the two of them were merely three years old. She was his neighbor and they used to play a lot in the Doumyouji garden. They pretended to be gardeners; they tilled the soil using mini-shovels, scattering dirt all over their faces and clothes. They were together until they were seven.
When Mizuki was seven years old, her mother decided to marry an English gentleman. From then on, Mizuki and her mother stayed in London. Before she left, she visited Tsukasa for the last time. However, she didn't tell Tsukasa that she would be leaving, without the certainty of coming to Japan again.
Tsukasa placed a key chain on Mizuki's left palm. It was a replica of a small shovel, just like what they used to play with a lot. She smiled. His carefree grin, which was oblivious of the fact that she was leaving, saddened her. It was inevitably heartbreaking. She felt guilty about not telling him that she was leaving, that they might not meet again. Mizuki took Tsukasa's left wrist and placed a bracelet of flowers which they planted together years before. She knew that the flowers on the bracelet would soon wilt.
All she wanted was for Tsukasa to remember her until the time the flowers dry up and to live his own life after that.
The following day, Tsukasa discovered the truth from the other maids. He was a pampered child who usually got whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. It was the first time that he was totally out of control of the situation. He hated it. He changed. The kind and friendly Tsukasa turned into an arrogant, self-righteous boy.
That same day, he was introduced to Rui, Soujiro and Akira. That was the beginning of the F4. At first, the three were very much intimated of Tsukasa and his character. Still, after ten years of being together, they learned to be tolerant of him. Since he was seven years old, Tsukasa never again spoke of Amane Mizuki. It was not until Mizuki started studying in Eitoku a year before that Tsukasa started to talk about her. Rui knew nothing because he was in France for their whole first year.
After ten years of separation, Tsukasa did not know how to approach her. And he didn't want to talk about it with the three. He was not good with girls; he believed that Soujiro and Akira would just give him stupid advices, or laugh at him instead.
Just after Soujiro and Akira told Rui everything they knew about Amane Mizuki, Tsukasa darted towards them.
"I'm leaving." Tsukasa said tersely as he turned in one swift motion.
"What? Again?"
"How busy can anyone be?"
"Oi! Pay for your drinks."
No matter how loud they called out, they were out of Tsukasa's earshot. He was already in the car on the way to the Doumyouji mansion.
As he stepped on the entrance, he was greeted by Nishida, the personal assistant of his father. Tsukasa was led to the Doumyouji sitting room.
Grandma Sayuri and Kaede looked at Tsukasa with concern painted on their faces as he entered the room and took a seat beside his grandmother. In front of him was his father with his characteristic poker face. Beside his father, there sat a man he had not yet met. The man looked very much like the lawyers he saw in American films.
"Tsukasa, this is Shirota-san; he is the lawyer of the Doumyouji Group and of your dead grandfather Kendo." Tsukasa's father introduced the lawyer-looking guy who was indeed a lawyer. "He will explain everything."
Shirota-san seemed startled. He wasn't informed that he would be the one to explain. He knew the character of Doumyouji Tsukasa so he had every right to be scared. He realized, though, that Tsukasa was surrounded by his family. Shirota-san clung to the belief that Tsukasa would not gash him if ever Tsukasa would get exasperated by what he would say.
"Tsu-Tsukasa-san, your grandfather left his last will and testament under my care. To put it simply, your grandfather wanted you to marry by the time you turn 18 to maintain the stability of the company. And to be sure that the marriage is not a hoax, you have to stay married for at least three years." Shirota-san said. He started to relax at Tsukasa's presence. It took some time before what Shirota-san said sunk in.
"I am 17! You want me to get married in a year's time?!" Tsukasa said indignantly.
"It is fine if you choose not to marry." Shirota-san offered.
"Oh." Tsukasa said taken aback.
"However, the company would be turned over to Hanazawa Rui-san who is second in line."
"Nani?!?"
"Doumyouji Tsunabi-san, Hanazawa-san's father should have been the president of the company. However, he died so your father took over. You, being the sole son of Tsubasa-san, have to option to take over the Doumyouji Group."
The news was enough to overwhelm any person, even the Doumyouji Tsukasa. As he analyzed the situation, he only had two choices: either he would marry when he turned 18 and be the president of a huge company OR he would let Rui do the job. He had never liked the idea of losing to someone. He certainly did not want to Rui to be the President instead of him. As his arrogant, self-righteous mind works, he believed that he was better for the job. Still, marriage at the age of 18 was unthinkable.
"Thank you, Shirota-san. Please allow us to have some private time." Tsukasa's father said as Shirota-san was escorted outside by Nishida.
Doumyouji Tsubasa faced his son with a look of dead seriousness on his face. "Tsukasa, you understand your responsibility, don't you? You have to be the next heir of the Doumyouji Group, not Rui."
"Yes, sir." Tsukasa answered politely to his father. Father and son had always been civil towards each other. Everything between them felt business-like.
"By the way, I invited Haruko and Rui to the connecting mansion. We are all blood-related anyway." Grandma Sayuri said, eager to ease the tension.
"Yes… I have already asked the servants to clean the place up and to add some furnitures." Kaede added, not knowing what to say.
That night, Tsukasa hardly slept.
He knew whom he was supposed to propose to.
He knew whom he wants to propose to.
It was evident, partly because she was the only girl she had spent time with.
The big question was: How?
How was he supposed to propose to a girl whom he hadn't spoken to for ten years?
He turned and turned on his bed for the whole night. When he looked out the window, beads of sunlight reached his eyes.
It was already morning and he was restless.
It was already morning and the question he was pondering all night was still left unanswered.
...to be continued...
AN:
Thank you for reading this chapter!
Review please.
It has been months since I last updated and I hate myself for that. I got too busy with my studies (or perhaps I was just too lazy to write). I believe writing needs inspiration and I have just recently gotten that inspiration.
To those who read and reviewed, thank you very much!
To anime07, addieXmitsume, lhotshot83, blueprincess16, NorikoTheGhost, converse and Precious5881, after reading your reviews once again, it made me realize how much I miss writing and how much I get encouraged by kind words.
I can't promise that I will update as regularly as possible.
Once again, any comments are highly appreciated and welcome...
Arigatou yo!