Chapter 4

The sun shined through the navy blue curtains. The sound of sparrows chirping outside the window signaled the beginning of a new day. In his bed, Takashi took a deep breath and rolled over. He opened his eyes to the semi-dark room. He folded his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. There was a dip in the bed as his tanuki slinked up toward the pillows. He nuzzled Takashi's cheek and curled up on his shoulder. Piyo clucked and jumped onto the bed feeling left out. He stood on Takashi's chest and put his beak to his nose. Takashi smiled and slipped one hand out from behind his head to pat the bird.

The three laid there on the bed content with the company. Not before long, there was a knock at the door.

"Hmm," Takashi grunted.

The door slid open and his mother stood in the doorway. She smiled at the sight.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she said walking into the room and kissing her son's forehead. "Your father told me what you're doing today. I wanted to wish you good luck before I ran off for the day."

"Where are you going?" Takashi asked.

"Oh, I'm just meeting some friends," she said running her fingers through Takashi's hair. He closed his eyes and sighed. It had been a long time since his mother had done this. He had missed it. Hiromi chuckled at her son's reaction, "I've missed this. No matter how old you get, you'll still be my baby."

Takashi opened his eyes and shook his head lightly, "I know, Kaa-san."

"Any requests for dinner?" she asked.

"No," he answered.

"Okay," she leaned down and kissed his forehead again. "I'll see you tonight."

"Hmm," Takashi answered as his mother left the room and closed the door.

He laid there for five more minutes before he gently moved his animals and got out of bed. He stretched feeling his shoulders and back pop a bit. He patted Piyo and his tanuki on the head before heading into his bathroom to take care of business and take a hot shower.

By the time he was done with his shower, Takashi felt more awake and his mind was already going through the possibilities of what he would find once he got to the right dojo. He changed and looked at his clock. It was already nine o'clock. He made his way downstairs and said good morning to the staff. They presented him with breakfast which he took his time to eat. He asked for the car to be brought around.

He got into the car and pulled the folded picture out of his jacket pocket. He studied it once more before tucking it away.

"Where to Takashi-sama?" the driver asked.

"Shien Dojo," he answered.

"Yes, Sir," the driver said and off they went.

It didn't take long for them to get there. It was still early in the morning so traffic was light. The car stopped in front of the dojo and the driver came around to open the door for Takashi.

"I'll be waiting here for you, Sir," he told him.

"Hmm," Takashi answered and entered the building. There were classes going on. Young children were following their sensei, training in the style of karate. In another room, young teens were training in judo. Takashi surveyed the building and pulled out the photograph. He tried to make sense of the blurred background trying to place any decoration on the walls. One of the sensei approached him while he was looking between the photo and the dojo.

"May I help you?" the middle-aged man asked.

Takashi looked at him and decided to ask a question, "Do you ever work with any photographers to enhance your advertising?"

"Uh, no, not often. We usually just advertise in the papers," he answered and then squinted his eyes. He was taking him in. His eyes went wide, "Oh, you're a Morinozuka."

"Yes, Sir," Takashi bowed.

"What is it that you're looking for?"

"A photographer who recently took a photograph in a dojo. It seems this is not the place."

"Any idea what this photographer looks like?"

"No," Takashi answered. "All I know is that she is a young woman."

"Ah, no, we have not had any contact with any female photographers. Only a family friend who does the pictures of the students. And he is not so young anymore." The man chuckled.

"Thank you for your help," Takashi bowed.

"Of course," the man bowed back. "Have a nice day, Morinozuka-sama."

"You as well," Takashi answered before exiting the building.

His driver opened the door to the car when he saw him. He then got in himself.

"Where to next?" he asked.

"Kenjoto Dojo," Takashi answered.

The driver nodded and the car started moving again. Takashi was hoping desperately that he would be able to make a connection at this next dojo. He did not want to confront Mitsukuni about the photographs. He rubbed a hand down his face and sighed.

"Is everything all right, Sir?" the driver asked looking in the rear view mirror.

"Yes," Takashi answered.

They reached the Kenjoto Dojo within fifteen minutes. The driver opened the door and Takashi made his way into the building. This one was packed with five different rooms all teaching different levels of varying martial arts. He pulled the picture out of his pocket and unfolded it. He looked at each of the rooms trying his best not to be a distraction to the students. He was approached by a middle-aged woman this time.

"May I help you, Morinozuka-sama?" she asked.

"Yes, can you tell me what forms of martial arts you teach here?" Takashi asked.

"Oh, we teach karate, judo, tae kwon do, and muay thai," she answered. "Karate is our most popular class."

"Muay thai, that's unusual," Takashi commented.

"We're one of the few dojos in the city that offers it," she told him. "Do you have an interest in it?"

"I might," Takashi said and looked at the picture again. "In which room is muay thai taught?"

"Ah, this one here," she said pointing to the room farthest to the right.

"May I take a look?" he asked.

"Of course," she led him to the room and opened the door slightly to check the status of the class. "There are only a few people in here right now. Just our instructors. Go ahead and take a look around. I'm sure the instructors would be happy to answer any questions you have."

"Thank you," Takashi bowed and entered the room. There were three instructors in the room. Two men and one woman, all in their early to mid-twenties. The woman was tall, just under five feet nine inches with a fit body, dark brown eyes, and long dark hair pulled back to the nape of her neck. The men were only slightly taller than her, both with short dark hair, one with large gray eyes, and the other with small brown ones. They looked up when he approached.

"Hello," the woman spoke up. "Can I help you?"

"Maybe," Takashi answered. He looked at the photograph and then around the room.

"You wouldn't happen to be Morinozuka Takashi, would you?" One of the men asked.

"I am," Takashi answered.

The man who spoke stepped down from the ring in the middle of the room. He had a manila folder in his hand. That got Takashi's attention.

"She said you'd be coming," he said holding out the folder to him.

Takashi took it and looked at the other two instructors. "Is she a muay thai fighter or was this just to throw me off?"

"She's another instructor," he answered. "I'll let her know you picked up the folder."

Takashi paused for a moment. He was debating asking her name or anything else about her. "Can you tell me anything else about her?"

The girl spoke, "No, she told us not to give anything away."

"Hmm," Takashi acknowledged her response. "Thank you."

"Have a nice day," she said as Takashi left the room.

He walked out of the building and got into the car. The driver pulled out of the parking spot. "Where to now, Sir?"

"Home," Takashi answered. He kept fiddling with the file. He didn't want to open it until he was in the privacy of his room. Within twenty minutes they reached the Morinozuka compound.

Takashi walked into his home and up the stairs to his bedroom. He could here Satoshi listening to his music and being loud as usual. He loved his brother, but sometimes he wondered how they were related. He shook his head as he closed the door to his room and sat at his desk. He stared at the folder. He was anxious.

Takashi took a breath and opened the folder. Two photos fell out. The first one was a picture of him and Mitsukuni walking out of the university together last night. Mitsukuni was smiling while he told Takashi something. Takashi was looking at his cousin intent on listening. The other picture was of an empty classroom. From what he could tell, it looked like it was from the high school section of Ouran. He sat back in the chair and took a good look at the picture. He lifted it toward the ceiling. Light shone through the back of the photograph and he could see words. He flipped it over and read, 'I hope that last photograph gave you a better idea of who I am. This one should be easy for you.' Takashi turned the photo over and looked at it again. It was definitely a classroom in the high school section of Ouran. He inhaled deeply and scanned the empty desks. Two stood out in particular.

Takashi pulled the magnifying glass out of the top desk drawer. He looked at the first desk that stood out to him. On the desktop was covered little dragon statues. He looked at the other desk. In the seat he saw Mitsukuni's Usa-chan sitting. Takashi stared at it for another moment before slowly putting the photo down. He remembered how his father suggested going to the Haninozuka dojo and now Usa-chan was sitting at a desk in a picture sent from his anonymous stalker. He groaned and slumped in the chair. He was going to have to confront his cousin after all.

Standing from the desk, Takashi made his way out of his room and next door to his brother's room. He knocked and when there was no answer due to the loud music, he knocked louder. The stereo shut off and light footsteps ran to the door. It opened and Satoshi stood there with a smile on his face.

"Hey Taka-kun," Satoshi greeted. "What's up?"

"What's Yasuchika up to today?" Takashi asked.

"Oh, he's at home," he answered. "He's meeting Mitsukuni's girlfriend."

Takashi nodded. "Has Yasuchika mentioned anything odd going on at home?"

"No, of course not," Satoshi said not understanding what his brother was asking.

"Hmm," Takashi groaned. How was he going to ask without being blunt?

"What's wrong, Taka-kun?"

"I think," he paused. "I think Mitsukuni is hiding something from me."

"I can ask Chika-chan," Satoshi said holding up his phone.

"No, no, that's okay," Takashi exhaled heavily. "I'll talk to Mitsukuni myself."

Takashi walked away. Satoshi was used to his brother's tendencies to walk away when a conversation was over. He shut his door and went back to listening to his music.

Takashi made his way to the room just off the side garden. The meditation room was what he needed right now. He needed to think. He took his house slippers off and entered the silent room. He immediately felt tension release from his shoulders. Takashi sat in the middle of the room and crossed his legs. He closed his eyes and just breathed. Nothing felt better right now than breathing. He felt his body become lighter as he let every emotion and though pass through his mind, not dwelling on a single thought.

He was finally able to think calmly about the situation he was in. He wasn't being blackmailed per say, but if Mitsukuni had been drawn in against his will, then there was a big problem. On the other hand, what if he was involved of his own accord? That was when the feelings of betrayal sunk into the pit of Takashi's stomach. He exhaled heavily trying to get rid of that thought. The other picture in the file had been of him and Mitsukuni together. He forced himself to move on to the next thought. The next logical idea was that she had sent him that picture with Usa-chan in it just to make him believe Mitsukuni was somehow involved. That made him feel a little relieved. But how would she get Usa-chan? Unless maybe it was a look-alike.

Takashi opened his eyes and noticed the way the shadows had moved. He must have spent a couple of hours in the meditation room. There was a knock at the door. It slid open to reveal his father.

"Taka-kun," he smiled. "How did it go today?"

"I found a folder at the Kenjoto Dojo. Thank you for your help," Takashi answered.

His father entered the room and closed the door. He came to sit across from his son and looked at him carefully.

"Something troubles you, though," he said slowly. "Something you found in the photograph."

"Hmm," Takashi nodded.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say it has something to do with Mitsukuni-kun," he said.

Takashi's eyes snapped to his father. He nodded his head.

"Yorihisa-kun told me just a little bit ago that Mitsukuni-kun mentioned something about helping a friend with a project. One that involved pictures," Akira said.

There it was again. The pit of betrayal opened wide in Takashi's stomach. He felt a burn in his throat. He changed his sitting position so that he could hug his knees. He lowered his forehead and exhaled shakily.

"Are you all right, Takashi?"

He couldn't speak; he knew his voice would betray him. He shook his head. He felt his father's hand on his shoulder.

"What was in the picture that made you think of Mitsukuni-kun in the first place?"

"His Usa-chan was sitting at a desk in a classroom at Ouran," Takashi said barely above a whisper.

"Ah," Akira said releasing his hold on his son's shoulder. "Do you think she may have sent you that picture intentionally? Maybe to make you confront your cousin."

"I don't know," Takashi said quietly showing no emotion, still hiding his face. His throat burned even more now.

Akira was quiet. He watched his son breath in and out, still not lifting his head. Still showing no emotion.

"What are you feeling Takashi-kun?" he asked.

Takashi finally lifted his head; the muscles in his jaw looked strained. "I feel angry and sad at the same time. I feel betrayed."

Akira nodded silently, then said, "You should speak with Mitsukuni-kun."

Before Takashi could respond there was a light rapping on the door. He looked across the room. Mitsukuni was standing there holding his Usa-chan. He looked at his cousin and saw the hurt in his eyes. Mitsukuni squeezed his stuffed rabbit harder and then opened his mouth.

"Takashi, can we talk?" he asked quietly. "There's something I need to tell you, but by the look in your eyes I think you already know."

Akira stood and left the room to give them privacy. Mitsukuni closed the door and walked to his cousin.

"I need to talk to you about the photographs," Mitsukuni started.