Chapter 6: "A Dish Best Served Au Gratin"

As I begin walking towards the entrance to the mansion, I have once again cleared the unpleasant memories from my head. It has been a year. I love Nii-san with all of my being, and he loves me too. It might not be the way I love him, or the way I want to be loved... but I know there is love there. True, genuine love.

If there was not, Tohno Akiha would be a well-dressed skeleton approximately two meters underground.

I really should not dwell on such things; I know this. But ever since the beginning of the month, really, it has been in the back of my mind, and as of late, it just seems to be growing and growing and growing. Gnawing at me, at the fabric of my soul, like some sort of vicious animal, trying to rip every single piece of flesh that it can from a bone.

Kohaku is waiting by the front gate. She smiles and bows as gracefully as ever. "Welcome home, Akiha-sama. I trust it you had a pleasant day of leisure?"

"I did, Kohaku," I reply. "It is rare, but I did. This does not mean we will not speak of last night, however. We shall discuss this after my friends leave."

I have not forgotten about that, of course. I put it in the back of my mind briefly, yes, but for me to forget I would have been drugged... would have meant that Kohaku had concocted a powerful drug, indeed.

She nods once more, still smiling. "Of course, Akiha-sama. For now, however, I shall prepare dinner for the... four of you, is it?"

"Yes, Kohaku. Myself, Hanei, Seo, and Souka. Yourself and Hisui as well, if you wish, of course." It would be rude to have Kohaku cook so hard and not allow her to enjoy the fruit of her labors. And not allowing Hisui to share a meal with us would be inhumane.

Kohaku bows slightly. "Thank you, Akiha-sama. Well, if you will excuse me, I shall begin preparing." With this, she walks off calmly.

Kohaku is no longer like a doll, but she is still difficult to read sometimes. Unlike Hisui, who gives subtle but consistent clues about her feelings and emotions, Kohaku is generally smiling. I am certain she is genuinely happier with how her situation has changed over the last year, but it takes truly serious emotional conflicts or crises to make the smile disappear from Kohaku's face.

...How does she manage that, I wonder?

Surely, she must remember as well as I do the events of a year ago. In some ways, they were her greatest mistake as well as her moment of glory, as the former doll threw off the shackles of being a puppet and resumed being a human.

And yet... she acts as if her life has been perfect, without remorse or regret since.

Is it because she is doing it through sheer will?

Is she simply living yet another charade?

Is it because of Nii-san?

...Is it because I will feel guilty if she shows she suffers as I do...?

Argh, enough of this! I shake my head to scatter the thoughts.

We walk inside. Seo has been here before a few times, but Souka only once, and Hanei, never. Thus, Hanei is staring with bewilderment at the mansion, and Souka is as well but less as impressed. Seo could practically not care less, her nose stuck firmly between the pages of a doujinshi.

"Akiha-chan," Hanei begins. "Your house... it's so... big!" Her brown eyes wander around the hall in amazement. Misawa Hanei is from a fairly well-off family, but she probably has never seen or been to a place quite like the Tohno mansion. I am glad that it is leaving such an impression on her, and it means Kohaku and Hisui are doing a fine job keeping the mansion in check — not very easy considering it is the size that it is and they are only two people.

...And usually only one, as Kohaku is only here on the weekends. Hmm. Maybe it would not hurt to get some extra help...

I smile slightly. "Yes, well, the Tohno are a wealthy and famous family, of course. Come, we will sit in the tea room and relax while Kohaku prepares dinner. Ah... which kinds of tea do you prefer?" While traditionally, the host would make such choices, sometimes one will break tradition for friends. I do not have them over very often, so this seems like a good idea, although Otou-sama would probably not approve. However, Otou-sama is not the one making this decision — I am. And I will indulge my friends a little, even if it is not "proper" etiquette.

Hanei speaks first. "Green Tea for me, please." Hanei, in her simplicity, does not ask for a specific kind. Whether she simply does not care, or actually does not know, is somewhat hard to say. Hanei is not stupid, but subtleties such as specifics do tend to slip her mind.

"Of course," I reply. "Will Gyokuro suffice?" Gyokuro is, naturally, a fine and expensive tea, but nothing less than the best will do, if she desires it.

Hanei blinks. Apparently, she does not know Gyokuro apart from some mass-produced green tea, meaning she does not remember the kinds of green tea very well. But she smiles a few seconds later. "Uhhh... yeah! That will be fine, Akiha-chan." She will like it, I am sure. Hanei is a bit of a traditionalist, in that regard.

"Very well." I nod, and turn to Souka. "Next up is you, Souka. What do you prefer?"

"Mmmm. Do you have anything sweeter than Gyokuro?" That is Souka... always one to buck the trend, and actually make some demands. I like this aspect of her, however, so I do not mind it.

I think for a moment, cradling my left elbow in the palm of my right hand as my left hand finds its way to my chin and rubs as I think. "I believe we have some Matcha. Is that sufficient?"

Souka nods. "Yeah. That'll do, Tohno. Thanks." She gives a slight grin. It is not the same as Hanei's radiant smile, but it has a charm of its own, and much as Hanei's smile suits her, Souka's grin is likewise the perfect one for her.

"And you, Seo? What will you have?" I ask.

I am met with no response.

"Seo?" I look around.

I see her in a chair, having already pulled over a footstool and relaxing as if she were completely at home, her nose buried deep inside her doujinshi. At the moment, Seo Akira is oblivious to the outside world.

I put my hands on my hips momentarily and sigh in exasperation.

Seeing Seo absorbed in her doujinshi, I walk over to her and wait on her patiently, to see how long it is before she notices me. It is approximately a minute later — and with some leaning over so some of my hair slowly moved into her vision — that she becomes aware I am standing over her.

"...Uh, yeah, Tohno-senpai?" I can see the regret in her eyes at being interrupted. She must be in the middle of a particularly enjoyable section of the doujinshi. Of course, if she would have been paying attention, she would still be reading it.

"Seo. What kind of tea do you prefer?"

"Uhhhh..." She taps her lips with her finger for a moment as she thinks. "...today I think I'd like some black tea. With honey, milk, and two sugar cubes, please." Unlike Hanei or Souka, Seo knows what she wants.

While I would love to pour some of my most bitter green tea down her throat as I cackle evilly and tell her she does not need any more sugar, I nod and smile obligingly. "Of course, Seo. I will go inform Kohaku now, so please wait here for me to return." I smile slightly as I walk off in the direction of the kitchen, although I find myself cursing her under my breath the entire way.

Kohaku is inside, preparing our dinner. It appears to be some sort of dish made with cheese. I believe the cooking style is called "Au Gratin." French cuisine, if I recall correctly. It is an interesting style of cuisine, a sort of offshoot of western food, but with its own unique traits and ideas. In particular, it favors cheese on a lot of dishes, usually as a topping.

"Hm? Akiha-sama, is something wrong?" Kohaku looks in my direction and smiles slightly as she sprinkles cheese onto the dish. "Dinner is not ready yet. Please wait about another twenty or thirty minutes."

"No, Kohaku, nothing is wrong," I reply. "I would like to request some tea, though, when you have a moment."

"Of course, Akiha-sama. I already have yours steeping." Smart. But Kohaku has done this often, so it is unsurprising.

I nod and smile slightly. "Thank you, Kohaku, but my friends would request something different. I need you to prepare one cup of Gyokuro, one cup of Matcha, and one cup of Black Tea, ehm... Masala Chai, with milk, a hint of honey, and two cubes of sugar. Can you remember all of that?"

"Very well, Akiha-sama." Kohaku bows. "I should have them out in about ten minutes."

I nod, and walk out. I think Kohaku could tell I still wanted to talk to her, and so she does not make a fuss out of it now with company over. That is very wise of her, as I do not appreciate having difficulties or delays during the rare times I have company over.

Precisely ten minutes later, our tea arrives. Gyokuro for Hanei, Matcha for Souka, Masala Chai for Seo, and for myself, a simple serving of Aki-Bancha.

I calmly sip my tea, and talk with my friends. I do not admit it very often, but sometimes I long for days like these. However my work got done, I am thankful for it deep down inside. I may be Tohno Akiha, but even Tohno Akiha needs friends and time to relax.

Even though the discussion is rather topical and, honestly, ridiculous half of the time, that is what makes it so... endearing. Usually I am very formal and courteous due to my upbringing, but when I talk amongst our family, I have to take a voice of authority, a tone of assertiveness. Kohaku and Hisui I talk to in the tone of a mistress, and they reply in the tone of a servant.

...Nii-san, I speak very respectfully to.

So really, the only time where I do not have to worry about being so "proper" is when I am in situations like I am now, simply talking about things with Hanei and Seo and Souka. Mind you, I am not going to suddenly begin using slang or vulgar language as they do, especially in Souka's case, but it feels... open, to have discussions like this. I wish I could put a better word on how I feel about it; I cannot.

The dinner goes well. Everyone loved Kohaku's dish. I seem to be in the mood for western food today, as I enjoyed it quite a bit. Western food has an altogether different way of mixing its flavors. While Japanese cuisine tends to be careful blends of one flavor and another, all of them blending harmoniously, I find that western cuisine tends to focus on layering, rather than blending, flavors. One might, say, get a sharp tang of meat before a mellow layer of cheese. It is quite interesting to me. Lately, as Kohaku has been experimenting more with these sorts of dishes, I find myself liking them, much to Nii-san's chagrin, who seems to like, for the most part, Japanese foods more than western ones.

Well, even if we are brother and sister, I cannot expect us to be EXACTLY alike. Even fraternal twins have some differences... not that Nii-san and I are twins in any sense of the word, of course. And it is not like I dislike Japanese cuisine, either... I suppose I am just more willing to experiment with it than Nii-san is.

...Then again, Nii-san did not grow up in a household where one had as many choices of food, either. What was served was what you ate, or you went hungry, from what he said...

Sadly, even though time seems to slow down while I am working, it seems to speed up while I am relaxing. The hours seemingly fly by as I talk with Seo, Hanei, and Souka, and Kohaku and Hisui both join us for a short while as well, but before long, I realize it is approximately 8 PM. My friends have to leave, as I lock the mansion up at 9 PM sharp.

"Apologies for this, but I just noticed the time... it seems to have gone faster than I thought it would, and I do not want to keep you all here too late, so I will have Ishizaki all give you a ride back. Please collect your things," I say with certainly notable dissatisfaction in my voice.

Resignedly, they collect their bags of things we had bought earlier today as I inform Ishizaki over the phone that his services are required.

We are all a bit sad at this. Nobody really wants to leave, and truth be told, I really do not want to have to make them go, either. But I am nothing, if not consistent. The mansion is locked down at 9 and the guard dogs released at the same time; the lights are mostly out at 10. This way I can ensure I get enough sleep, allowing myself to rise in a generally timely manner, usually at 5 AM and almost never later than 6.

"Seo. Take care of yourself for now. I will see you in class on Monday." I smile at my kouhai as I help her get her filled backpack on.

Seo smiles in kind. "Yeah. Thanks, Tohno-senpai! It was fun today."

"Yes it was..." I quietly say under my breath. Seo is more or less oblivious to the fact that until she was served tea, she kept her nose firmly stuck in a doujinshi. Truth be told, though, I did enjoy the time with her... well, after she began actually participating in our conversation and topical discussions, anyway. She is not wholly unlikable or unredeemable, she just... rubs one the wrong way at times, as the expression goes.

I walk over to Souka. "I will see you on Monday as well, Souka."

She grins slightly, in the manner that pleases me. "Yeah. Catch ya later, Tohno. Wear that sweater more often, it's nice on you."

"I shall consider it," I say. Honestly, I still prefer the color red far more than the color blue... but a change of pace every so often is not bad. Perhaps once in awhile I will wear such an outfit, if for no other reason than to change things up a little.

Last but not least, is Hanei. "Hanei... just because you bought a..." I struggle to find the right word for a moment. "...a flashy bra, it does not mean boys will flock to you."

Hanei blinks, looking slightly sad. "It... won't...?"

"Of course not, Hanei. Bras are worn under the clothing, not over them. You would have to remove your shirt in order for a boy to see it, unless you wear very sleazy shirts." I cross my arms, and await the inevitable reaction that will come.

Blink. Blink.

It takes a few seconds for her mind to process it, but when she does, she crumbles.

"...Wahhhhhhh! I forgot about that!" She looks positively crushed.

Souka and myself, after glancing at one another, once more roll our eyes. Unless Hanei is a very bold woman — and as long as I have known her, I have not known her to be so bold — she will surely be wearing some form of shirt over that ostentatious bra.

"Souka... keep an eye on her for me, please," I say with a notable tang of frustration in my voice.

"Yeah, Tohno. Of course." She sighs in exasperation as she scratches her head. It is not the fact she must do it that stresses her so; rather, it is that we have both been down this road many times before with Hanei, and it very rarely changes.

I walk with them outside to Ishizaki, instructing him to take them home. Wishing each other a final farewell and a few hugs later, I shut the door and watch as the limousine drives off, until it is nothing more than a speck.

And then the speck disappears. My friends are, for the moment, gone. It is back to business as usual at the Tohno mansion.

I sigh a bit sadly. The wind blows through my hair as I do, and it has that light crispness of middle autumn — no longer a warm breeze, but the air is not so cold as to make this wind chilly. On the whole, it is a pleasant feeling, and one that gives me, for some strange reason, a sense of melancholy in me. I am unsure why, but on the whole, I find it... bittersweet, for lack of a more elegant word to describe it.

I head back inside, locking the gate behind me after I re-enter the mansion grounds proper.

...?

A doujinshi is on the floor near where Seo's bag was. It must have fallen out. I can tell based upon the current lack of cover art that it is one of her own — cover art is always the last thing Seo will draw in her own doujinshi.

Come to think of it, it has been awhile since I have had a good look at how far Seo's progressed in her art. She is intensely private about her doujinshi until she finishes them. To her, reading one of her doujinshi before it is "finished," in her mind, is about the same as reading a girl's private diary — a tremendous invasion of her privacy that is not so easily forgiven.

Well, she is not here now. For tonight, at least, this one is mine. I will call her tomorrow and inform her she left it, as there is no way she will arrive back here before 9 PM, and I am not going to unlock the mansion gates just to give her a simple doujinshi.

I walk back over to my favorite sitting chair, and begin to open it up and flip through it.

The story, according to the cover page, is "Shuufuurakubaku."* An interesting title. Perhaps Seo is writing some form of romance story? It seems fitting for her. She is, after all, fifteen, and nearing sixteen in January; a girl her age... well, it is only natural she begin having romantic thoughts. I know I was about Nii-san at that age.

I flip the page to the first panel...

...The main heroine of this tale looks very much like Seo. A slightly older Seo, but the resemblance is uncanny. She is talking about how she pines for the one she loves the most, using horribly flowery and romantic language. Seo is a good artist, but she still needs to realize that real people do not talk like this, even about one they love. Even as elegant as I am, I would not want someone to say I am "pretty as a flower" or "smile like the sun." It is false language, in my opinion. I would much prefer that they tell me I am attractive, or I have a beautiful smile.

...Of course, if they say my chest is as "still as the ocean" I will become a hurricane and make them regret it.

At the same time... I suppose this is natural. At her age, after all, most girls her age are indeed concerned with getting a boyfriend and have an idealistic view of love and relationships. They all believe that their own prince exists somewhere and wax romantically, almost poetically, about getting them, and how they will make all of their dreams come true. So far, this doujinshi is fitting this mold precisely.

It seems that she is about to enter a panel where the reader will flip a page to find the love interest — an excellent technique that builds suspense and anticipation. Admittingly, I can feel such an emotion within myself as my fingers carefully reach for and turn the page. I scan the page to see who her ideal boyfr—

...

...

...

...

...Why am I on this page?

...More importantly, why are me and Seo... kissing...?

* Shuufuurakubaku translates roughly to "Forlorn and Helpless" and/or "Lonely and Desolate."

...What is the meaning of this...?
Why would Seo... draw something like this...?
Does... this mean...

Next Week (7/18/10) - Chapter 7: "The River of Dreams"