Wow! Chapter eight…I don't know how many chapters this fic would last though, but I don't want it to be super long! Maybe twenty or less than twenty chapters? Oh well, let's just see…
So where have I left off? Oh, yeah…Tsukushi x Tsukasa moments… ((just don't forget – I made their personalities a bit different here)) :D
Please read and review even if we all know that I don't own Hana Yori Dango and its wonderful characters… :)
"Rui." Soujiro called as he was handing out some important documents to him. Rui slowly turned his head to his direction. He was standing over the window area of their office at their boutique. "Here are the papers. You need to sign them." Soujiro said.
Rui sighed as he walks slowly to him, reaching for the documents. "Just what are these exactly?" he asked. He was just looking at the documents but not reading what's written on those white papers.
Soujiro sighed as well. He even scratched his forehead. "It's a contract." He told him and Rui looked at him. "Have you forgotten?" he asked in disbelief and Rui just gazed upon him. "Mirage Modeling Company wanted to hire you as their official photographer. Not to mention, they're getting new designs from us to promote, not only our boutique, but their models as well."
Those seemed familiar to Rui.
It has been months since the four of them attended a meeting with Mirage Modeling Company. They offered them a contract. The Company President itself was the one who told them that they want Tsukushi and Yuki's designs and in return, it's not only the Company who will gain popularity but their boutique as well. With such a great offer like that, Yuki, Soujiro, and especially Tsukushi was excited and were all pleased that they have agreed on that certain deal.
However, Rui wasn't listening at all. His eyes were focused on a large image on the hallway. He could see them clearly since the division between their office and the hallway is made up of glass. It was the face of Shizuka Todo and he was distracted by it. He was looking at the portrait of the beautiful maiden who was in France at that moment.
"Hanazawa-san?" he heard the President's voice. His mind pulled back to reality and he looked at her direction. He even realized that his three comrades are looking at him. "Are you okay with the deal?" she asked him.
He wasn't aware of any deal she made with his comrades but basing on what he heard, they want them to collaborate with the Company to promote their new models as well as their designs. He nodded. "Hai." He answered most shortly.
The President, Mrs. Kiritani, smiled. She looked pleased and happy. "Perfect." She told them.
"Oh. That." He then shortly went back to Soujiro. "Was it supposed to be today?"
"The signing of contract?" Soujiro asked. "Yes." He answered without waiting for Rui's response. "Those are just a copy, though. The formal signing of contract will be held at Mirage Modeling Company itself." He added. Rui seemed to be out of focus once again but Soujiro continued on giving him information. "The Company said that they're just waiting for Shizuka's arrival and now that she's back and she has free time on her hand, the Company now wants to start with the plan."
"Shizuka?" Rui repeated the name.
Soujiro stared at him. "Yes. Shizuka." He replied. "Surely you do remember her, right?" he asked.
Rui didn't answer. He just remained silent. He knew right there and then that he'll be working with her again. And even if he refuses, it's too late now since he already gave his word to the Company's President itself.
--
"I still think you should have just let him off without the payment!" Yuki was in between ranting and protesting as she and Tsukushi was walking towards their boutique. "He saved our lives, Tsukushi!" she added as she was hurrying to catch Tsukushi's pace.
Tsukushi turned to her as she paused right outside their boutique. "How many times do I have to tell you, Yuki?" she asked, eyeing her best friend. "The deal I only made with that guy is for me to take him in for the night! Breakfast isn't part of the deal!" she almost yelled at Yuki. "Besides, have you seen him eat all those food we have prepared? Not to mention, he ate every fruit on my refrigerator! Yuki, I was saving those fruits for Friday!"
Yuki gave a questioning look at her. "Friday? What's with Friday?" she asked.
Again, before Tsukushi could enter their boutique, she faced her best friend. She rolled her eyes in disbelief. "You forgot?" she asked and without any response from Yuki, she went on. "Mom and dad will be visiting me for two days and they will arrive here on Friday night!" she exclaimed.
Yuki looked shocked at what Tsukushi told her. "Oh, God! I forgot." She said truthfully. "Gomen, Tsukushi. My mind is preoccupied with a lot of things and I totally forgot about uncle and aunt's visit on Friday." She said apologetically.
Tsukushi sighed. "That's alright, Yuki-chan." She told her calmly. "Now, let's get to work."
--
"Just give me your payment and I'll let you off – easily!" the girl named Tsukushi said calmly as though she was bargaining with him for something good. She was half-smiling and half-challenging as her hand was still in front of him – open and waiting for it to be filled with his so-called payment.
"Please just agree with Tsukushi." He then heard Yuki's voice. "Once you've given her the 'payment' she's asking, she'll really let you off."
Tsukushi smiled at Yuki who seemed to be taking her side.
Tsukasa smirked as he was unbelievably looking at her. "If I had just accepted your 'payment' for me rescuing you…" he started, pointing at Tsukushi and Yuki's direction. "…maybe I wouldn't even be here." He finished. And before Tsukushi could even make a reply, he went on. "And if I choose not to rescue you, maybe I would have gone into a five star hotel with breakfast in bed is served, right?"
At that, Tsukushi made a pug-face – lips pouting in disagreement and eyebrows meeting at the center of her forehead. Tsukasa, however, gave her a victorious smirk.
"You know, he has a point Tsukushi." Yuki said, feeling guilty as she bit her lower lip.
"Thank you for taking my side and seeing my point, Yuki-san."
"Anytime, Tsubasa-kun." Yuki replied most instantly.
Tsukushi glared at her best friend for protest. "Will you make up your mind on who to side with?" Tsukushi snapped at her and Yuki's smile was gone. She turned to Tsukasa once more. "JUST GIVE ME THE PAYMENT ALREADY!"
Tsukasa sighed and grinned. "Fine." He said as he was taking out his own wallet and pulled out five hundred yen and handed it over to Tsukushi's waiting hand. "The next time I see you in trouble, I won't help you anymore." He finished playfully and Tsukushi and Yuki looked at each other.
"Fine!" Tsukushi told him reluctantly.
"Well, I guess that's my cue to go now. Ja neh." He told them both and headed outside the door where the two girls watched him disappear.
That was the memory Tsukasa was thinking as he was walking down the streets once more. He's looking for a place where he could stay. Thinking of that makes him feel refreshed – weird, but true. It doesn't piss him off, it doesn't even make him mad. He felt happy for some reason that he himself doesn't understand.
And as he was stopping for a rest, his eyes caught the flashy and colorful sight of a building right before him. He is at the foot of an odd-looking hotel. His forehead was crumpled in confusion and disbelief. "Is that supposed to be a hotel?" he asked himself while looking at the entrance of the building. It was odd – very, very odd. He has been into a lot of hotels in every part of the world, but those were really expensive – and he doesn't need expensive stuff right now. If he wants to be unnoticed, then he should live like a commoner.
He shrugged his shoulders and entered the hotel lobby. A girl, which he is sure that it's the receptionist, smiled sweetly upon seeing him. He smiled back unsurely. "Ohayou gozaimasu. Welcome to Merryland Hotel – where you can be merry even if you have less penny." The receptionist welcomed him cheerfully.
Tsukasa's smile dropped into a mere curled up lip and eyebrows raised. "Eh?" was all he could mutter to himself.
"Now, sir. What room do you wish to have?" the receptionist asked him with the same manner as she welcomed him. She was beginning to open the colorful covered book with pictures on it. Tsukasa, however, wasn't moving any muscle as he was disbelievingly looking to the pictures with the rooms available. They are strange, unusual, out of the ordinary, odd, and every term there is that he could use to describe what he was seeing.
"We have three types of rooms, sir." The receptionist was telling him once again. "We have the Fairytopia Room – the cheapest yet most eye-catching of all." She said as she was showing him the picture a pink-coated room with yellow-covered bed, green sofa, a television set which was covered with Christmas lights, and a karaoke covered with camouflage case.
"Is that supposed to be a…jungle?" he asked sarcastically.
The receptionist giggled. "You're such a joker." She said as if they have been friends since way back. "Anyway, moving on with the next room." She said, changing their topic. "If the first one doesn't suit your taste, then the second room might interest you. We call it Rainbow Mania Room." She said as she was showing him the most colorful room he had ever seen in his entire life!
Half of the room is painted with the color red and half of it is painted with the color green. The image of the rose came upon his mind upon seeing it. Then, he saw that the bed has been covered with indigo inspired colors and the sofa next to it is covered with violet. The television set is in orange, the floor is yellow, and the curtains are – well, blue! So basically, all the seven colors of the rainbow is there.
Tsukasa seemed disgusted at that. Of course he has been living in a place wherein the only color that dominates everything is white. Add red as their manor is carpeted in that color. "Next please." He quickly told the receptionist.
"Okay." She answered, turning the book to the last page. "Lastly, we have here the Mermaidia Room."
The room that the receptionist is showing him is more manageable than the first ones he saw. It was in blue – the wall is blue, the bed is even on the lighter shade of blue, and because it was shot during light's off, he could see the tiny shell-looking bulb at the upper corner of the bed emanating blue light, and even the curtains are colored in blue like the sky.
He smiled. "I'll take the third room, please." He told her.
"For how many nights are you going to stay here, sir?" she curiously asked.
Tsukasa paused at that question. Of course, how could he forgot that hotels aren't monthly-rated? It's paid per day. He deeply thought about how long he could stay there. Maybe one? Or how about two?
"Uhm…two?"
He sound unsure, yet the receptionist smiled at him. "Okay. That would be…" she paused and made a gesture which Tsukasa knew that the receptionist is mentally counting. "Okay, let's see…" Tsukasa heard her say. "Eight thousand and five hundred yen times two is…" she trailed off as she seemed like having a hard time figuring out the exact amount her customer should pay.
"Seventeen thousand yen." Tsukasa finished and the receptionist looked at him with surprise. "Eight thousand five hundred multiplied by two is seventeen thousand." He explained.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
Tsukasa's jaw dropped. "Ehh?"
"Oh! Lookey, here! I've found my calculator!" she proclaimed gleefully at the sight of a pink calculator just near where she placed the book containing the pictures of their hotel rooms.
Tsukasa's jaw dropped more as he was looking at her, calculating for his payment.
"Ooooh… Seventeen thousand yen it is." She told him as she was handing out her hand in front of him.
Okay, two nights might not be a good idea. He mentally told himself as he was handing out seventeen thousand yen to the receptionist. But who cares? I'll just look for a new hotel tomorrow. Right now, I need rest!
--
Tsukushi and Yuki had only less than an hour at the boutique that morning. Soujiro reminded them about the meeting and signing of contracts that they will be having at Mirage Modeling Company. They left the shop as early as ten in the morning.
Rui was reluctantly following them – he was stiffly moving at the hallways of the company. Yuki was the one pulling him, Soujiro was right in front of them and Tsukushi is the one leading them to where they will be signing a contract.
Soujiro slowed down so that he could be right next to Rui. "Hey, Rui." He hissed, calling the attention of his friend. Rui did not responded though. "Why are you being so stiff? Aren't you supposed to be the one excited?"
Rui glanced over his playboy friend. "I am excited." He forcefully told him in sarcasm.
Soujiro, however, knows that he's being sarcastic and not telling the truth. "Whatever, Rui." He told him as they made their entrance at the meeting hall. Both of them froze upon seeing the beautiful woman staring back at them. "Here she is." He whispered more to Rui.
Shizuka Todo smiled. Her smile was very modest as she stood up from her seat, making her way to them. "Ohayou gozaimasu." She greeted them.
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Shizuka-san." The four of them greeted her back, except for Rui who didn't speak off her name.
Shizuka handed out her hand to Tsukushi who seemed to admire her. "You must be Tsukushi Makino, the owner of Wonderland."
Tsukushi smiled and nodded her head. "Hai." She said, blushing at the fact that someone like Shizuka knew about her boutique. "I'm very pleased to finally meet you personally, Shizuka-san." She told her honestly.
"Me, too, Tsukushi-san." She answered and turned to the other three. "Ohayou, Yuki-chan." She said and Yuki blushed as well – Shizuka remembered her from the last time they worked together. "Soujiro-kun!" she said excitedly and gave him an embrace which made both Yuki and Tsukushi's eyes grew in surprise.
"Shizuka, hisashiburi!" Soujiro replied as they let go of each other from their embraces.
Shizuka then turned to Rui. "Hisashiburi, Rui."
Rui merely looked at her. For what seemed like a minute, they were both locked in each other's gazes and it was Rui who broke it off. Shizuka gave out a slight laugh. "After all these years, you haven't changed." At that comment, Tsukushi and Yuki looked at each other in confusion. "Aren't you glad to see me again?"
"AGAIN?" Tsukushi and Yuki burst out in shocked.
Shizuka, Soujiro, and even Rui looked at them as if finally realizing that they are still there. "Oh, haven't I told you?" it was Soujiro who spoke to them and both Tsukushi and Yuki looked at him. "Rui and I went to the same high school with Shizuka. But only Rui went into the same college with her."
The lips of the two girls formed the shape of the letter 'O'. "HONTOU NI?" they both gasped and Shizuka nodded her head in agreement.
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Author's Note: Well, that's chapter eight. I hope you all liked it. :D I also want to apologize for delaying the update… I have a valid reason though… see, the thing is I'm working for a new HYD fic (in the middle of my busy schedule :D) and I'll be uploading it as soon as the first chapter is done… it is entitled as 'Dreamland Princess'… :D
And because I love you guys for always reading and reviewing my fic, I'm going to give you the summary of Dreamland Princess… My next fic goes like this: "Every time Tsukushi Makino closes her eyes to sleep, she is being swept into a magical world where she plays a lot of characters. There's just one question that runs in her head though: who is that guy that often appears on her dreams?" – so, how was it as a summary? I'm not good in giving summaries, gomen…
To anime07, thanks for the review… there will definitely be more Tsukushi x Tsukasa moments on the next chapters of my fic… I just needed them to meet, have their first encounter, then made them go their separate ways for the meantime… :D
To addieXmitsume, thank you for the review… I'm glad you loved my fic… I hope you'll continue to read and review… :D
To cheshirecat, thanks for reviewing… don't worry, there'll be Rui x Shizuka moments soon… :D whether or not Shizuka loved Rui back or if Rui still has feelings for Shizuka is something that I think you can look forward to… this fic isn't just plain Tsukushi x Tsukasa – it also involves the other lives of F3… and with regards to the fic you've told me, I haven't read it but I'll try to search for it… :D and I understand if you'll only talk about Rui and Shizuka so don't worry… :D
To blueprincess16, I couldn't really think of any other names… LOL… thanks for the review… :D
To hana yori dango forever, thank you very much for the kind words as always.. :D
To mgirl955, I know you've waited for the update as well… thank you for that and for the review… :D and yes, there'll be more Tsukushi and Tsukasa moments – more chaotic (should that be the term I should use? LOL)… oh well, just wait and see… :D
To FilmMaker, honestly I don't know what to say… I'm speechless and overwhelmed with everything that you wrote on your review…it's like I'm listening to a very wonderful music (and so my head is getting bigger and bigger because of your compliments… just kiddin')… :D I'm glad that Tsukushi and Tsukasa's arguments made you laugh though I haven't really had the idea why they're getting closer with every time they argue (I just thought I would like to make them blush in the succeeding chapters when they do that again – wait, did that answer your question? LOL… but I'm sure, our beloved Tsukasa will provide us the reason later on :D)… oh, and please don't cut down your reviews… I really love reading long reviews (and as you can see, I love giving LONG author's note in response…do you guys wish for me to cut it down? just say so…hihihi :D)
Oh, and yeah! Time to guess… (I miss everyone guessing! Haha)
QUESTION: who is the receptionist that Tsukasa met at the odd-looking hotel? Any guess? I'm really interested with what's on your mind… LOL :D
Another Author's Note: well, just in case you don't know what it means… "Hisashiburi" means 'it's been a long time'… the Japanese always say that to people whom they haven't seen each other in a while… :D
Well, time to go to class now… ja neh… till next time… ;D