Responses to Non-Member Reviews:
To Raspberry jelly: Thank you! I will try my best!
To Entiya: That's fine! I love how he's so possessive haha. Kaoru is one of those characters who I both love and hate. I love how he's so obsessed with his sister, but I hate how absolutely evil he is (and how he cockblocks Chizuru and Kazama LOL).
To AnimeAishiteru: (Chapter 1) Yes, I'm quite busy too. :\ I'm grateful that you are finding time to read my story though! I'm so sorry about the miscommunication there. Please don't blame yourself. It might have been my poor writing skills. xD (Chapter 2) I'm glad you're fangirling over this chapter! I was too! (Chapter 3) Although Heisuke has pretty much done his part in the story, I will try to include him. He will always be that friend who supports Chizuru from the back! Thank you for your blessings. I will try my best!
To tcute8: Thank you! I'm so sorry for the late update! I've been having a bit of an author's block on this fic, but I'm back! Aww, your words make me blush!:')
To Person P: Thank you so much! I think it'd be adorable too, having Kaoru have a little obsession with Chizuru. xD
Standard Disclaimers Apply
Chikage is going to be so happy about this, she thought to herself as she skipped towards the student council room.
She knocked on the door but didn't bother waiting for permission to come in. After all, she was the secretary and the fiancée of the president. She had enough privilege to walk in without being invited to do so.
"Chizuru," he greeted as she stepped in.
She smiled and didn't waste any time. "So the transfer student was Kaoru? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"There was no need to. You'd find out eventually anyway."
Any other time, Chizuru would have been mad about it, but she was just too excited at the moment to feel any negativity about the situation. "Can I go over to his place today?"
His reply was immediate. "What?" He seemed genuinely mortified and she didn't know why.
"What?" she asked back. "I can't?"
"You can't." His voice held a tone of finality to it.
She didn't like the sound of that. "But why? We were finally able to meet up! Aren't you happy for me?"
Happy for you, but not for that annoying little twerp. "You have to understand. I can't let you go to the Nagumo's house."
"I'm asking why I can't," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Chikage found that absolutely adorable, but he kept quiet about it.
"Have I ever been fond of Kaoru?"
She browsed her mind for what she could remember on the relationship between Kaoru and Chikage. Images of the two constantly arguing were the only things that came up. "No…" she admitted.
"Exactly."
"But that's just you! I'm perfectly fine with Kaoru!"
Chikage looked away. He rarely avoided her gaze so Chizuru found this as a bad sign. "He's…changed," he muttered with remorse. "He's not the same as he was when we were kids."
She was skeptic of him. "And how would you know?" At the way he still hadn't turned back to her, she gasped. "Have you been meeting up with him behind my back?"
He didn't answer.
"So you have." Chizuru sighed.
When he didn't comment, she suggested an idea to him. "Why don't you come too? It'd be like the old days!"
He didn't agree right away, and she didn't expect him to, but he finally met her eyes again. "Deal."
They were having the opening ceremony on the first day –like they were supposed to.
"Finally! A proper opening ceremony!" she grinned as she glanced down at the crowd of students starting to gather.
"The ceremony last year was proper," Chikage stated. He actually seemed to believe that.
"Hardly! It was so unprofessional!" Chizuru stuck her tongue out.
He smirked. "Do you want me to kiss you again?"
She quickly stuck her tongue back in, remembering the last time she had stuck her tongue out at this demon. She had had a nightmare and had woken up with her tongue sticking out, and Chikage had teased her dryly, asking if she wanted a kiss. Never again, she mused.
"Okay babies, let's get this party started!" Shiranui shouted. The crowd cheered back.
"Shiranui! That's not how you hold an opening ceremony!" Chizuru shrieked, trying to pull the man back. He had been trying to jump on the crowd and crowd-surf on them.
"You are acting like a child," Chikage scolded. "Introduce yourself properly."
"Damn it," the navy-haired male muttered. "Fine…" He faced the audience. "The name's Shiranui Kyou! I'm your…uh…what was I again?"
Amagiri whispered into his ear.
"Right! I'm your Vice-President! My tasks are doing whatever the President doesn't have to do, which is basically nothing! It's nice to meet you!"
Behind him, the three other members of the council shook their heads disapprovingly.
"My name is Amagiri Kyuuju. I work as the treasurer of the council. My tasks include managing the school budget and distributing the money to the clubs. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
Shiranui muttered a "How boring".
Chikage glanced at Chizuru, cuing her to speak.
"Oh!" Chizuru started. "M-my name is Yukimura Chizuru! I am the secretary of the student council! My tasks include taking notes at meetings and…and…" She thought hard.
"And pleasuring the president," Chikage added with a sly smirk.
The audience broke out in whispers and squeals.
"Chikage!" She slapped him lightly on the arm. "Don't say that!" She turned back to the crowd. "And I also file documents! Thank you very much!"
Chuckling a little, which was quite a rare view for the students, Chikage stepped up in all of his president glory. "Kazama Chikage. President. I hold power over everything there is in this school, even more so than the principal."
Kondou-sensei swallowed nervously on the side.
"Approach me with caution," he sneered to the fear of most of the students in the crowd. Some swooned. Others, like a certain twin brother, only sneered back.
Seeing that, Chikage growled.
"And one last thing. This woman," he put an arm around Chizuru's shoulders and pulled her to him, "is mine. No one touches her but me. Understood?"
The whole audience seemed to nod together in unison at that moment, but Chikage wasn't paying attention to the crowd as a whole. He had his eyes fixed on Kaoru, who as expected, did not nod.
He was smirking.
After school, Chizuru wasted no time. She quickly packed her school bag and hurried to the student council office. Chikage had been leisurely taking his time, but Chizuru had rushed him and pushed him into the car, immediately demanding the chauffeur to drive to the Nagumo's mansion. Upon arriving, Kaoru was already there, welcoming them into his home.
"Wow! Your mansion looks so nice and grand!" Chizuru fluttered all over the place.
"It's nothing compared to Kazama-san's," Kaoru reassured with feigned benevolence.
"The Kazama family possesses more power than the Nagumo family after all," Chikage provided nonchalantly.
The atmosphere was heavy for poor Chizuru who was caught in between the two men's silent war. Sparks seemed to fly and they seemed to have caused a storm to start outside as just then, thunder roared.
"A storm," Chikage speculated. "Chizuru, we should leave."
"But we just got here. We haven't even paid our respects to the Nagumo family yet," she reasoned.
Just then, another person entered the room. "Our parents are working late."
Recognizing the voice, she turned her head. "Shizuka-chan! What are you doing here?"
Shizuka smiled slightly. "Nagumo Shizuka. That is my full name."
Chizuru was surprised. "You were living with Kaoru all this time?"
For a second, Shizuka was afraid Chizuru would be angry, but then the next moment, she smiled. "That's great. I'm a little jealous." She merely laughed it off.
Shizuka didn't know what to say. Seeing the bright girl smile so genuinely made her feel guilty, so she apologized. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
Shizuka just smiled. "For everything. I promise I'll make it up to you."
Chizuru tilted her head in that adorable way both Chikage and Kaoru loved so much, but Kaoru's attention wasn't on her at the moment.
He was glaring at Shizuka.
"I don't really care what you do from now on as long as it doesn't interfere with my plans."
"I know."
"Do you? 'Cause last time you said that, you messed up pretty bad."
"…"
His expression was menacing. "Don't let it happen again, Shizuka."
Shizuka knew what she had to do. While Kaoru and Chikage were immersed in their little battle, she walked up to Chizuru. Tugging on her sleeve, she whispered in her ear. "Come with me for a bit."
She led Chizuru upstairs to her room. Closing the door after they were both in there, she pressed her ear to the door.
"Um…Shizu-"
"Shh," she shushed her.
It seemed like minutes before Shizuka finally got up and sat on her bed. "I'll get straight to the point. Chizuru, your parents are here."
The brunette blinked. Within seconds, she was beaming. "I knew they'd be here! They left with Kaoru all those years after all. They have to be here with him! So when can I meet them?"
Shizuka's expression was serious. "Not now. They're out of the country. I'll contact you as soon as they're back."
"Oh, okay. Where did they go?"
"They're on a vacation in England right now."
Mom and dad seem to be getting along with the Nagumo's well, Chizuru thought, relieved. "That's wonderful."
Before Chizuru could further express her gratitude, Shizuka spoke. "You can't tell anyone about this, especially Kaoru."
She was caught off guard. "What? But why?"
"You just can't. I'm not even supposed to tell you this, but I owe you. Consider this as my payment for all the trouble I've caused you."
"But-"
"I can't say anymore. I'll tell you when they get back...when I get the chance. Let's go now. Any longer would be suspicious."
Crossing his arms and legs, Chikage relaxed as soon as they left the Nagumo's property. "Where did you go?"
"Nowhere," Chizuru replied softly, watching the scenery blur pass as the chauffeur drove them home.
"What a bad liar," he commented but did not pry any further. "You'll tell me eventually."
"How do you know?"
"Easy," he smirked. "I just have to force you."
"You better not have told her anything."
"My lips are sealed."
"Good. I'm glad we know who's in charge here." When Shizuka didn't say anything, Kaoru laughed maniacally. "I bet you're just jealous that I get all of the family power!"
"I am not jealous."
"That's okay. I'll just have to make your life a living hell when I inherit all of the fortune. Mother and father will be so proud."
She felt a sudden surge of defiance in her. "Which mother and father are you speaking of?"
The sound of his hand slapping her cheek echoed in the room. Her right cheek stung, turning red from the harsh contact right away.
"I only have one set of parents, and they're the same as yours. Don't you dare insult me ever again," he glowered.
Shizuka could do nothing but nod, tears threatening to roll down her cheek. At that moment, she wished they did roll down -anything to cool the swelling of the pain.
A/N: Wow, I've been gone from this fic for a very long time. I'm really sorry! The plot deepens once again! Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated!