The bus creaks to a stop, hours later, in front of a large, white, plantation style house, almost most isolated from any other signs of life, save for a grocery store and a gas station. I saw only a handful of other houses in this village. No wonder Ryoshi wasn't used to people…
A man and woman wait on the wide porch. I adjust my dark blue wig. I can't be sure they haven't seen a picture of Okami Ryoko before.
I step nervously from the bus, lifting my heavy luggage with ease.
As soon as I am close enough, I am certain the woman is Ryoshi's mother. She looks exactly like him—the same eyes and smile, though her hair is dark violet, like Yuki's. I want to dislike her, because she stole him from me, but her smile is so kind, so like his. It's impossible.
"Hello, and nice to meet you." I bow low.
"It is an honor to be of service to the Morino family."
Ryoshi's mother bows in return, and speaks. Her voice is soft.
"It's lovely to meet you too. Please, what is your name, young lady?" I blush embarrassed.
"My apologies, my name is Capulet Emi."
"A beautiful name." She gushes.
I congratulate myself. I picked a common, generic first name, and a foreign surname so she couldn't possibly mistake me for being in a family she knew. Capulet came to mind because Romeo x Juliet is my favorite anime.
What?! The romance is cute, okay?!
"Thank you, Morino-sama. And what is the name of the gentleman to your left, if I may be so bold?" Thank God for Otsu's Proper Maid example. Otherwise I'd have blown the whole thing by now.
"I am Iragashi Horatio. As Head Butler; it is my job to welcome my subordinates. Pleased to meet you." We exchange a bow.
"Hey, how did you guess that I am in the Morino family? I don't believe I mentioned my name." Morino-sama laughs.
"Um! It… it was just an instinct, I suppose?" I smile.
"Well, now that the introductions are through, let me show you around!" Morino-sama takes my arm.
We enter through the grand front doors. My breath catches in my throat.
Ryoshi's home is beautiful. The ceilings are high and white. The entrance room is grand, and open, flooded with golden sunlight through the plantation windows. I watch as other servants rush from place to place through the halls.
"I'll take that gasp as a compliment," says Morino-sama proudly.
"Your home is amazing!"
"Thank you, Capulet-san. I hope you will enjoy living and working here." She walks me through the halls.
"The servant's quarters are here. Here is your room." She unlocks the door to a cute room with a twin bed with baby blue and white sheets inside. A writing desk and chair accompany it.
"The showers are just down the hall. You may leave your belongings." I step inside, taking it in. I place my bag on the bed.
"Upstairs we have the master bedroom and my son's room, as well as the guest bedrooms. You are only allowed on the top floor to clean. The servants take meals in the kitchen, and you may do whatever you wish in your spare time, as long as you remain on the bottom floors or in town elsewhere."
"Yes, Morino-sama."
She smiles. "Such a sweet girl. And so pretty. Which reminds me—I do not meddle in personal business, but if you have any male guests, please do not bring them to this house. There are places in town for dating. Few, I'll admit, but still. There will be no fooling around in my beds, understood?"
"Of c-course! I-I don't even, um!" I stammer.
She laughs and pats my head.
"You'll be fine. You have the rest of today to find your way around, but work starts tomorrow!"
"Yes, Morino-sama."
"Well, then. I will leave you to unpack." She smiles once more, and leaves. I shut the door behind her, and sigh. I plop on the bed, and place my maid uniform in the mini chest of drawers. This will be harder than I expected if the servants are not allowed upstairs except to clean. And Ryoshi will be at school all day. I can't see him at meals either. And I'll be so busy with cleaning that I won't have time to sneak off and meet him in town… I'll think of something. It seems like my best chance is at night. I'll have to wait and see.
When the unpacking is done I run outside, eager to explore my home for three weeks. Rushing servants shove past me. I wonder if they know I'm one of them.
The halls are spacious. I want to run upstairs and see what Ryoshi's room is like. But I can't get fired on the first day, so I don't. I duck out the back door, and into a green clearing. There is a small swimming pool. I kneel in front of it, and skim my fingers over the blue water. I've always wanted a swimming pool.
I rise, and survey the area. The lawn is green, the hills rolling. Ryoshi is lucky to live here. I wish I could talk to him about his mother, about his father, about everything. I smile, and turn, walking to the side of the house.
A glance at my watch tells me that I missed dinner about thirty minutes ago. I don't mind. I'm too excited to be hungry anyway.
"Ryoshi!" I hear a cry inside the house. My stomach flips in excitement, and I peer in through a back window. Ryoshi's mother is giving him a hug.
"How was school?"
"Honestly, mom, I couldn't tell you." Boy, he sounds depressed…
"Why not?"
He shrugs. "I guess I wasn't paying attention. Can I go to my room?"
"Okay, Ryoshi…" His mother watches him climb the stairs, her face worried. I duck from behind the window before she notices me. Poor Ryoshi.
I yawn. Being up since 4:30 this morning has exhausted me. I reenter the house, go down the hallway to my room, and crawl in bed. Sleep comes as soon as my head hits the pillow.
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Brrrriiiiiiiing! Brrrriiiiiiiing!
"Mmmfggg…" I lazily shove the alarm clock off the desk. It lands with a crash on the floor. Groaning, I sit up and snatch it from the floor, my hair a tangled mess over my back. The time is 6:00. But of course I already knew that.
"Okay. Time for work." I climb out of bed. My eyes catch the sight of the maid uniform, hanging menacingly from one of my half open drawers. I frown at it. Come and get me!
The maid uniform is a huge pain. The buttons refuse to budge. Finally I manage to pull the huge mass of ruffled dress over my head and arrange it correctly. I slip on the black stockings and shoes. They pinch my toes. Finally I put on the white gloves and make sure my hair is tamed and stuffed under the wig. Now I'm ready to go.
Before I head out, I check the little handheld mirror on the desk.
"I look like a complete idiot." I mutter to myself.
Sighing, I grab a broom from the hall closet and head upstairs.
The other servants either stare at, smile at, or ignore me in the halls. I do my best to avoid the other people. There's no point in getting attached to any of them, considering I'll be gone in a few weeks. Hopefully with Ryoshi.
"Ahm, hello, miss?" I reluctantly touch the shoulder of a passing maid, a woman probably in her late twenties or so. She looks rough.
"Could I have a moment?"
She sighs. "Okay, but make it quick. You're the new girl, ain't you?" She pokes my small chest.
"Uh, yeah… I just wanted to ask—"
"Listen, sugar. There ain't no questions you gotta ask round here. Job's easy as all get out. Hell," she swears.
"Most of the time, Jared over here's drunk off his ass!" She roughly grabs a passing man servant.
"Agh! Carol-san!" He cries awkwardly. Jared is tall, about Ryoshi's height. Maybe a year or two older, with shaggy dark hair and round glasses that cover decent features. He's the type who'd be cute if he noticed himself enough to care. He notices me, and slowly, his eyes widen. He smiles sweetly.
I've seen that look before. Oh no.
"W-wow. I haven't, um. Haven't seen you before!" he squeaks.
"Yeah, well, I just showed up yesterday…"
"I'm Jared!"
"No last name?" He blushes, and I feel a twinge of guilt for making him feel stupid. Not that I'm about to show it.
"Just call me Jared… please?"
"Yeah, I guess, man."
"Um, great! So… What's your-"
"So anyways, I was going to ask what time the work day is over?"
"Five sharp, sweetie," Carol-san replies.
"Thank you." I bow.
"So, maybe I'll see you around…!" Jared gasps, as I turn and walk away.
"…or not." I hear him sigh dejectedly behind me. Good. The last thing I need is some other guy interested in me. The last time that happened I ended up as a maid in a foreign village for nearly a month. Besides, he doesn't even remotely interest me. Jared doesn't even know what my real hair color is.
I sigh, and begin my day of vacuuming and dusting. As I work, I plan.
I honestly have no idea how to deal with any of this. I curse myself for diving into a situation without thinking it through… When I started this crazy rescue adventure I was completely pushed by my feelings and desperation. In other words, I didn't think worth a crap.
How will I get to Ryoshi? When I do get to him what the hell am I supposed to say to him? Oh hi, I know I've basically been almost nothing but a total jerk to you since you gave me your heart, but I kind of realized a day too late that I can't live without you in my life…?
How will I have the courage to tell him? On one hand, I could do what's always worked for me- pretend like I came because we're friends, or because the Bank needs him, or something. Give a reason that is true but not the truth. Or I can give myself some peace and tell him how I really feel. But then, there will be no turning back. I hate to face the harsh reality, but the truth is: I'm scared. Scared of how I feel. Scared of how to be the real me. Scared to let him see that.
I'm just scared.
But that doesn't matter. I've been scared before. And I've always gotten through it. I can do it again! There's no way I'm going to make the mistake of letting go of him twice.
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Boy, do the hours drag by. Lunch comes after what feels like a million years.
"Hey, it's new girl!" Carol-san jovially cries and waves me over to an empty seat next to her in the kitchen. Her violet eyes smile at me. I know I didn't want to be attached to anyone here, but I can't say I'm not grateful for the company. I allow myself a half smile at her. Practice for Ryoshi, I decide. To get stronger.
"How was your first day with us?" She smiles sweetly, rolling up her sleeves. The kitchen smells of Ramen noodles, steam wafting around us. Laughter skirts the air as the other staff members joke and exchange smiles with each other. Looking around, everyone in Below Stairs status seems pretty comfortable with each other. Almost like a family. An image of the Otogi Bank having crêpes together flashes through my mind.
"Um, it was fine! Thanks." I burst out.
"Well, this won't do!" cries someone from the back of the room. I turn my bar stool to see a large, but friendly looking, man with rosy cheeks. The apron and netted black hair, which is turning gray, tells me that he's definitely a cook. For some reason, he instantly reminds me of Santa Claus.
"We've got ourselves a nubie! Anyone of you suckers bother to ask what this pretty young thing's name is?" He saunters up to me and grabs me roughly by the shoulders. I'm a little shaken up, but I can tell it was a friendly gesture.
"Well? No one?! I'm ashamed of all you shanks! You call yourselves house servants?!" he scolds them teasingly.
"On behalf of the Morino household servants I apologize, lady. Usually these jokers have manners. What's your name, kid?" He grins.
"It's Ok- Ahem, I mean it's Capulet Emi! Nice to meet you, sir." He laughs.
"Forget the formalities, Sweetheart. It's just 'John' to you."
I smile. "Well, thanks."
"No problem. Wait a second!" He suddenly puts his large hands on my waist, lifts me up on the counter top, and stands me up.
"Whoa!" I cry.
"Hey everyone! Shut up!" They all shut up. I can tell John is the father in this servant family.
"This is Sweetheart! She's one of us now! If anyone gives her shit, they answer to me!" The other servant's eyes are glued to me. I start to sweat, but at the same time, I'm taken by this atmosphere, the light in the room. Then, one at a time, the servants begin to smile encouragingly at me.
"Well, don't just sit there! Three cheers for our newest member!"
The servants stand and gather around the countertop.
"Woohoo! Sweetheart!" They scream, clapping and grinning at me. I blush and beam back, as John scoops me up, and places me down gently. My maid uniform swishes around me with a poof.
John faces me. "You're one of us, like I said. So if you ever need anything, you come straight to us. We're a team, so don't be afraid to lean on us." He smiles and pats my head.
"Alright! Time for Ramen! You know the rules—Sweetheart's the nubie. She gets hers first!"
Some of the servants groan in mock horror. John ushers me to the line for food and fills me up a bowl. Carol-san and Jared come right after.
"Wait, her name's really 'Sweetheart'?" I here Jared ask Carol-san beside me.
"Guess so."
"No, it's-!" A crushing hug from Jared silences my desperate attempt to stop the spread of my new humiliating nick-name.
"Welcome to the Morino household staff!" he cries. I shove him off me.
The love and acceptance these people are so eager to show me is something I'm just not used to. However… I can't help liking it a little bit. These are people who want me to depend on them. Just like…
"Ryoshi!" I gasp. I need to find out how to get to him. His room wasn't one of the ones I cleaned this afternoon.
"Hm?" Carol-san turns to me.
"Do you know the Morino boy? I believe his name was Ryoshi…" Jared asks.
"Um, no, I don't… but… could you tell me which room is his? I really need to know whose is who's… being a maid and all." Real smooth, Okami.
"I think…" Carol-san's face scrunches in thought.
"I think it's the third room on the left. Oi, Ritz!" She shouts to a blonde girl, another maid.
"Where's Morino-kun's room?"
I frown at the idea of another pretty girl knowing which room is Ryoshi's, and going there often… Excuse me, master? How may I pleasure you today?
I want to smack myself.
"Third on the left, Carol-san," she replies breezily, before returning to her conversation with a cute kitchen boy.
"There you have it." Carol-san smiles at me.
"Just wait till you see him. I'm almost old enough to be his mom, but…" She fans herself with her left hand dreamily.
"Let's just say he can hunt me anytime."
"Barf!" says Jared.
I'm inclined to agree, except for that she's… well, absolutely right.
Tonight, I get what I came for.