Tachibana Uyeda is an OC.
Chapter Fifty-seven
Someone You Know…
Tatsuki answered the door of the suite and noticed the bellhop standing there in the hallway.
"I didn't order this service," Tatsuki said.
"I'm sorry but I'm simply following orders. Would you like me to leave and come back at a more convenient time," the man asked.
"No I just have one bag it is pretty manageable," she replied.
"You should just use the service I get paid either way," he said pushing his way through the door.
Not wanting to get ran over she stepped aside saying, "alright."
The service had to be a part of the prize package that Renji failed to tell her about before he left. The man quickly placed her suitcase on the rack.
"Anything else," he asked looking around.
"These," she answered pointing out the obvious.
Her cosmetics case and zippered up wedding gown lie on the bed. She was packed and ready to leave before the bellhop interrupted. He finished loading the cart and started out the door. She followed after with purse and keycard in hand.
The airport shuttle pulled up and she began walking towards it when the bellhop stopped her.
"This is us," he nodded to a shiny Lincoln Navigator adding, "Shall we go?"
Before she could say a word a man jumped from the car and opened the door for her. The bellhop loaded the open rear of the vehicle despite her protests and gave her a wave as the driver continued to wait for her to step inside behind his steering wheel.
"There must be a mistake so if you just open the back I'll get my stuff," Tatsuki said worried the man would drive off with her stuff and her cell phone was in the top pocket of her suitcase an error she didn't have time to correct.
"We don't want to hold up traffic so please do get in Mrs. Abarai," the man behind the wheel said.
"You speak Japanese…and how do you know my name," Tatsuki said cautiously approaching his window. The man had on sunglasses and stared directly ahead.
"Questions are for later," he lowered his shades and added, "for now just trust me."
"I refuse," she sat on the curb and crossed her arms.
The dark green eyes sparkled in the daylight as he removed his glasses and pushed them up above his dark hair to glare at her.
"Just give me my things so I can leave," she pleaded.
He reached in a jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone tossing it to her he said, "Go on talk to him quickly and then take your seat please."
Tatsuki stared at the phone the number had already been dialed and she noticed the parking police beginning their approach. The driver ignored the enforcement officers' requests waiting for her.
"Hello," she spoke into the phone.
Her father spoke back telling her to follow directions of Tachibana-san and make her way home. Tatsuki sidestepped the officer staring into the open door and managed to shut the door telling him they were leaving.
"Bottom line your family chose me to look out for you," Tachibana said peeling out of the lobby entrance.
"My family," she asked.
"Yes your family chose me and I came the minute their enemies became aware of you," he replied.
"The moment they became aware of me…I don't understand what that means," she said shaking her head.
"The family recognizes you as their heir and consequently you are the princess. You go nowhere without the noble sentinel which happens to be me comprende amigo," he asked.
"In that case when I land back home you are free to go home. I don't need your sentinel services," she said.
"Home you say," he said laughing.
"That is funny to you," she asked.
"When you see doors open to you then you'll understand," he said.
"Understanding doesn't mean acceptance and your laughter isn't helping bring clarity," she said.
"From the time I turned five years old I not only understood but accepted my fate. I admire you and I know everything to know about you," he said.
"That is a nice story but I'm taken," she said.
He laughed and said, "I always thought it would be Mien-san. But who could know you'd end up with a Soul Reaper."
"So what you're going to list all that you know about me," she said.
"Right now you feel this way and I can only hope in the future you feel differently," he said.
"I don't know you and you're annoying to say the least so what makes you think I'd keep you as my bodyguard," she asked.
"Think on it you do indeed know me. But for fun my resume includes a multitude of desirable talents. As you can see I am fluent in many languages. I am calm under pressure. I can blend in easily and I'm quite strong," he said.
She stared at his face through the rearview mirror. If she did know him she couldn't place him. He was good looking and charming so anyone would take notice. Those eyes of his dark forest green were unfamiliar to her.
His black hair fell over the frames of his sunglasses and was cut spiky short in the back reminding her of panther cats. His demeanor was too superior to be considered cute but he was handsome even with the dimples that lit up his face when he smiled.
Trim and athletic build was clear as soon as he discarded his blazer. She tried to picture if she knew him from karate but nothing came to her mind. Suddenly he began to sing his voice was clear and beautiful she recognized it.
"You were in a band with Huyu once before Ordinary Work," she said.
"Yes," he said confirming.
"I remember hearing you're voice on a demo he gave me," she said.
"He helped me write a song once for my wife…well girlfriend at the time," he said.
"That was what you were singing just now," she asked.
"Yeah that song is awesome right," he asked.
"So you finished working on the song," she asked.
"I did and she loved it. I do enjoy singing now and then but that industry isn't for me," he explained.
"A lot has happened back then so I didn't pay much attention but I remember you. Oh wow you look so different just from a hair cut and you're not as thin," she said.
"Yeah let's see I had longer hair. Not confident and a bit obsessed with looking like a rock star. I'm fed now that I left that starving musician role behind," he said.
Tatsuki leaned forward in her seat now engrossed in remembering someone from her past.
"You were in my computer science and drafting classes," she said.
"Looks like it is coming back to you," he said.
"Tachibana Uyeda from middle school and even before that…you never participated in class," she said.
"Karate you mean," he said clarifying.
"Yes you were the kid who just watched then suddenly you stopped coming," she said.
"My father thought I would develop my skills as a fighter much quicker if I took private lessons," he said.
"You think you're that good," she asked.
"I didn't train solely in martial arts. My training crosses many disciplines. Like I said I need to be able to keep up with you," he said.
She sat back in the seat. It didn't matter to her that she knew this guy in the past she didn't need him as her protector. The place her father was putting her in now angered her and the feeling was starting to overshadow her nice feelings about Uyeda.
"When we land I'm returning to my apartment Yoda," she said.
"The green eyes you remember the nickname I see but no one calls me that anymore," he said.
"Yoda was kinda cool," she said.
"I will not stand in your way if that remains your choice," he said.
"Good to know," she said.
"Of course a necromancer like you would do better to have a living friend like myself," he said.
"I don't talk to the dead I just happen to see them," she said.
"Well you should try it sometime you'd be surprised what they have to say back," he replied.
"Do you love to hear yourself speak," she asked.
"I do and fancy words always seem to perk up other interest. Besides if you're so determined to ignore me I have to try something," he said.
"How am I ignoring you when we've spent the past fifteen minutes talking," she asked.
"Maybe ignore was the wrong word. I am curious about why you got married," he said.
"To someone I love," she added.
"To someone you'll hardly ever see," he corrected.
"You should pick another subject in this game of getting to know you," she said.
"Listeing is what I do," he said.
"He'll always be a Soul Reaper and nothing will change that. Marriage was something I just wanted to do. He's the only one I wanted to do it with and nothing I say will explain my reasons so stop asking," she said.
"I love that about you. Even now you can't explain it yet you believe in it so strongly. Huyu never had a chance at all you were always going to chose him even if it meant a lifetime of loneliness," he said.
"Why are you telling me this," she asked.
"It is the truth. You respect the truth. Imagine if I never picked you up how lonely it would have felt riding to the airport alone," he said.
"Why trample over my feelings as if it is a big joke," she said clearly upset.
"As your bodyguard…guardian of sorts I really do believe in your love," he said using the same tone of voice he had all along.
Tatsuki got the feeling that Uyeda would always speak like this he hadn't changed and perhaps she was being too hard on him to expect anything else.
"You haven't changed," she said blinking away her tears.
"I want you to seriously look at ever way possible you can be happy. Even if it means keeping your secret I'll do everything I can to help you see him. Happiness is worth it even if you have to fake it," he said.
"Why," she asked.
"Because I understand," he said.
"How could you understand," she asked.
"Fair enough," he slipped off the sunglasses and set them on the dashboard as they pulled into a parking structure.
She waited for him to speak again as he parked the car.
"I didn't want to give so many secrets away this early on but let me just say you'll want someone on your side. Your father knew what he was doing but now the game's changed. Trust me I'm not your enemy," he said.
That didn't give away any secret, she thought.
Handle on the door she said, "The minute we land I'm heading to my apartment. I'll sleep, wake up and start on my long list of things to do. I'll head to work, come home and start it all again. If I'm lonely I have plenty of friends to keep my company.
I don't need a sentinel or a bodyguard. I don't need royal attendants or whatever I have plenty of friends but many more acquaintances so I'm not sure where you'd fit," she said stepping out of the vehicle.
"Maybe we can start over and I can gain your confidence as a friend. What about lunch," he asked stepping out of the vehicle and popping the trunk.
"I doubt your wife would approve of you spending so much time with other women," she said pulling her bags down.
"How about you come meet her she'll make us lunch and invite whomever you like," he said helping her take down the suitcase.
Tatsuki was confused. He was so nice to her but she knew it wasn't what she wanted.
"I'll see," she said walking away from the car following after the signs and arrows to the airport.
"Finally a smile," he said waving as she continued ahead.