A/N: If I wrote this entire chapter backwards, would you be able to read it?
Don't answer that. Or else I might just rewrite it all backwards because of your silly challenge.
Ugh, just so you know people, I AM sorry for not updating super fast. But you know how I said I had pertussis? Well, I don't know what it is anymore, I don't think it's actually pertussis... but whatever it is, it just hit me REALLY hard Thursday night and oh my god... it was AWFUL. I had theee worst fever, my body was achy and I could hardly lift a finger. I was so congested and coughing all night long and my eyes were leaking tears for no apparent reason...
Yeah, don't get sick this season, whatever you do. Drink water, eat your green veggies, build up your immune system nice and strong. Because, I tell you, sicknesses are really really unpleasant.
My mom was talking to me yesterday morning when I was still very under the weather and she said that it's always obvious when I'm sick, because I'm deathly silent and not perky and talkative as I usually am. I laughed with her at that- because I seriously barely spoke a word to anyone during my fever and I was bed-ridden for... all the time. It is very weird for me to not SPEAK or DO. And so, I'm making up for that now.
My fever broke yesterday evening (hurray!), and I haven't thrown up in at least 24 hours, so I decided to try sitting up in bed and getting on my laptop. So, here I am, doing that. I'm still sick but I'm actually feeling much better than before so phew- the worst is over!
And I dislike doctors, so I didn't end up going to see one, but I got better without any stupid medications sooo haha! Seriously though, all doctors do is take your money and then they just confirm that you are sick. I already KNOW that I am sick, I don't need a person with a stethoscope to tell me that. But still, doctors are nice and all, and no offense to that profession, but I just don't like seeing them. It's not that they creep me out- I just hate how they have to get all up in your personal space and they're asking you all these questions and you already feel horrible so you're just like: SHUT UP, I just wanna go home and lie on the couch, stop saying all these big words that I don't understand, get that thing out of my ear, *gag* why the hell did I have to say 'Ahh'? Seriously what's with the thing in my ear? What's with you wanting to feel me up like that? Get off of me!
Yeah... that's normally my thought process when I go to the doctors office... I don't actually SAY all that, but, you know... I'm thinking it.
Anyway, enough of my complaining and my talks of sicknesses, that's all super lame and uninteresting. Let's get on with the story! :D
Espionage: the use of spies by a corporation or the like to acquire the plans, technical knowledge, etc., of a competitor; the act or practice of spying
Chapter Fifteen. Espionage & Abduction
"You know what I think?" Aika said, pointing her chopsticks straight at the group. "I think that your ideas are all stupid, and mine rocks."
Seiji chuckled to himself, patting Ryunnosuke's arm.
"Quite the girl you've got there." He teased the other boy, who laughed a little as well.
"HEY! Just so you know, he loves me perfectly fine-"
"Just the way you are." Ryunnosuke gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, making the girl giggle before quickly refocusing her attention on a strangely silent Akari.
"What's your deal?" The girl asked, peering at her friend with a skeptic gaze.
"Huh? Oh, I dunno." Akari smiled a little. "I've been too quiet, huh?"
"Yeah. Were you even listening to me?"
"Honestly, no."
"HEY!"
Seiji laughed as Aika fumed to herself, and then he bumped shoulders with Akari.
"You seem down. What's up?" He asked, smiling easily at her.
"Oh, I'm just... worried."
"Worried?" Aika spurted out, spilling a bit of the food as her lunch box wobbled. "I thought smacking your family around made you feel better!"
"It did at first!" Akari said, and she suddenly regretted telling them the story of what happened on Saturday. Well, they kind of forced it out of her, though. "But now I'm really worrying about what I did... my actions were really rash and I didn't think things through at all. What if- something- happens?"
Seiji put a hand on her head and she made a startled sound and looked up at him.
"Well, there's no use worrying about it so much now. What's done is done, you know?" He smiled again, and she relaxed a little bit as he began to ruffle her hair.
"Hey, enough already. You're too damn stressed out all the time." Aika said, pulling Akari away from Seiji and to her side. "You know what you need? A visit to my house!"
Both boys groaned at the comment.
"But we have plans after school." Ryunnosuke openly complained, though his girlfriend was already pulling Akari to her feet with her.
"And no offense Aika, but your family's kind of crazy." Seiji said, giving Akari a sympathetic look.
"Sorry, sisters before misters!" Aika said, winking at Ryunnosuke, who looked crest-fallen. "And nonsense- my family's the best!"
And with that, Akari had no choice but to be pulled along by an excited and determined Aika, unsure if she should be worried even more now or not, as the bell rang for the end of lunch.
Truth be told, she should probably be worried even more now.
"Yes, school's out!"
Suddenly, the long-haired, pretty-faced music-lover was in front of Akari's face, smiling happily.
"So, I guess we're going to your house?" Akari said, though she threw Seiji a 'help me' look as he exited the classroom.
"Yup! Lezgo!"
And no less than a minute later, they were proceeding towards Akari's awaiting black limo.
"Just tell the driver to go." Aika said, waving her hands dismissively. "My house is right down the street, we can walk."
Akari nodded and hurried around through the cold air to the driver's window. It rolled down promptly when she knocked on it, and a man she'd never noticed before peered at her through black shades, though the sun wasn't bright enough for him to need the shades.
"Um, I'm headed to a friend's house. You can return to the estate without me."
The man gave a curt nod, and then the window rolled itself back up.
Akari walked around the car and back to her friend, who was examining her nails as she waited.
"Ah, so you're good? Let's head off then!" Aika said, slipping her arm through Akari's and hurrying her down the sidewalk.
Akari didn't think to look back behind her, as the eccentric friend next to her made her feel a little less worried and she had slowly begun to relax. But, if she had chosen to look back, she would have caught the black car idling too long at the curb, and then, slowly, as it peeled away, she'd have seen it slowly turned after them, following from behind...
"There are two kinds of people in the world Maki." Tora said, slapping down the stack of reports on his desk and then uncrossing his legs and leaning forward. "The type who think but don't do, and the type who do but don't think. What type do you think miss Michiyo is?"
Maki's calm, collective voice was as familiar and simple as always as he replied; "Could she be both, perhaps?"
Tora placed his hands together as he leaned forward, eyes pinpointing the edge of the table as he chuckled lowly at his vice president's response and a cunning smile came to his face.
"Perhaps."
A sudden ringing filled the air, and Maki peered on politely, standing before Tora's desk as the other boy reached into his pocket, pulled out a phone, and answered the call.
"Ah, Mr. Michiyo." Tora said into the phone after listening for a moment. "I was expecting you to call sooner or later."
Maki's eyebrows raised slightly as the call went on.
"No, that is something you'll have to take up with my father."
Tora's voice suddenly became less personable and more stern.
"That's being a bit unreasonable."
Maki leaned forward slightly, trying to catch the angry voice on the other end of the phone. Tora peered at him for a moment, then went back to focusing on the call.
"I hardly think that's fair to your daughter." Then, Tora was laughing. "Plus, she wouldn't do it."
Maki watched on as Tora's face suddenly went slack, and then changed to being unforgivably cold.
"Oh, I apologize sir, in advance. But I can't allow that to happen. You see, it isn't up to me to-"
There seemed to be an explosion on the other end of the line.
"Could you please lower your voice, I can't make out what it is that you're saying."
Maki leaned back again as Tora spun in his chair to slowly face the window behind him.
"...I see." He sighed. "Very well. Do what you must, I assume you've already taken action even before this call. One last thing before I go, then-"
Suddenly, Tora was standing up, and he slowly walked to the window and placed one hand in his pocket as he peered out at the snowy afternoon. Maki watched the President's strong shoulders tense up before he spoke again.
"Mr. Michiyo..." And then Tora's shoulder's suddenly relaxed, and he let out a irritated sigh. "Thank you for calling."
When the blonde young man held the phone away from his ear and pressed the end call button with a decisive 'click', he smirked to the day outside the long window as he thought things through for a moment.
"Kanade."
"Yes, President?"
Tora turned his body slightly away from the window, both hands in his pockets now as he grinned toothily at the other boy, a bright glint in his golden eyes.
"Let's go get her."
"...And this is my family! My mom Ayane, my dad Fumio, my youngest brother Hibiki, and my sisters Kotone, Setsuko, and Wakana."
Akari stared at the beautiful faces before her. They were all smiling and looked more-or-less like Aika. The three young women who were her sisters all looked alike, except one of them looked older than Aika and the other two looked younger. Their mother looked just about as young as they did, as did their father, and the one brother looked young too, no older than fourteen. Their family was truly the picture of beauty and youth. She couldn't imagine why Seiji thought they were crazy-
"Hey!" Aika suddenly called out. "Where's Suichi?"
One of the younger girls rolled her eyes and popped on some headphones.
"Don' ask me!" She yelled a little too loudly as she brought out her own ipod and started playing music.
"Well, I want him to meet Akari too!"
"Why? He's so dull." The other younger sister said, and then she grabbed Akari's hand suddenly, jerking her down to her level.
"Ah!" Akari had no choice but to be pulled down so the petite girl could whisper a bit loudly in her ear.
"He's a little crazy."
And then she pulled away and placed some ear buds in her ears, heading towards the cough and plopping on it next to her brother, who was sitting reading some sort of book or notebook.
"Hibiki!"
The boy suddenly looked up.
"Huh?" He asked, his bright brown eyes blinking with long lashes that startled Akari.
"You know where Suichi is?"
"Probably in his room, as always."
Aika suddenly slapped a hand to her head.
"OF COURSE HE IS! Duh..."
And suddenly she marched off, leaving Akari alone with everyone.
The father suddenly peered up from the binder he was holding in his hands.
"So, you're Akari Michiyo?"
Akari blinked.
"Yeah."
He adjusted his glasses and smiled politely.
"Nice to finally meet you. I glad I have work off on Mondays- otherwise I would have missed you coming over this afternoon."
"Aika talks a lot about you." The mother suddenly said, though she seemed too busily indulged sitting at the piano writing something to really converse with them.
"Aika talks a lot in general." Hibiki suddenly murmured, and Akari looked over to notice that he was scribbling down on sheet music.
Okay, who were these people, the next Mozart generation?!
"And she's also told us how rich you are." One of the sisters commented, and Akari looked over to see that it was the oldest one. The girl peered strangely at her, like the day when Aika first met her after finding out she was rich. "Filthy, rich."
So that's who Aika got it from.
"Here he is! I finally pulled him out of his lair."
Abruptly, a young man was pushed into the room, Aika following behind him. He stumbled for a moment, a few notepads in his hands and a pen at his ear, and then he was standing up straight and shooting his sister behind him a scowl.
"You don't have to shove me. I would have come if you called."
"I did call!"
"Then I might have come if you at least explained the situation."
"Suichi, don't be rude." The father suddenly called out. "We have a guest. And that goes for all you kids, actually. Be a bit kinder, would you?"
The young man suddenly turned to face Akari for the first time, adjusting his glasses (he looked a lot like their father) as he gave her a quick one-over with the same brown eyes he shared with his little brother and Aika. He looked like the oldest of all his siblings.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance." He said, giving her a nod but not extending his hand, due to the collection of notebooks he had in his arms. And then, he turned back to blink at Aika, who was mocking his words behind his back and making faces. He only sighed at her expression. "Can I get back to work now?"
"Sure thing, ya nerd." And she gave him a shove towards the door. "Thanks for meeting my friend!"
Akari sighed and shook her head. This was going to be a long afternoon...
Behind everyone's heads, a flash of a person's face moved by the window, going unnoticed by the occupants in the home.
Tora stepped up to the door of the house in front of him, raising one hand and knocking while he looked around in the slightest bit of appreciation.
It was larger than he expected, and prettier. Though it didn't even amount to the grand beauty and impressiveness of his own home.
A short, dark-brunette-haired girl answered the door, yawning slightly before looking at him with widening eyes and giving him an approving look.
"Hi."
"Hello." Tora gave her his best, award-winning, heart-throb smile.
She took the headphones off her ears and left them around her neck, looking up into his eyes in both startled awe and curiosity.
"Are you here looking for someone, or are you lost, or something? Mr.-?"
"Igarashi."
A face he faintly recognized appeared suddenly behind the younger girl, the long, curling black hair swinging slightly, the honey-colored streaks in the strands glinting in the fading afternoon light as she pushed the door open and glared over her younger sibling's head, at Tora, her voice ice-cold.
"I remember you."
"Yes, we've met, haven't we?" He smiled, but with pointed teeth showing that glinted along with his golden eyes as they blinked.
"You know this guy Aika?"
"Jeez, Wakana, could you please just mind your own business?"
The younger girl grumbled, placed the headphones back over her ears, and left the two to stand staring each other down.
"I don't like you. Why're you here?" Aika said, folding her arms over her chest as she stood in the doorway.
"I'm looking for Akari and have been informed she was last seen with you."
"Sorry, she's not here. In fact, you just missed her."
His smirk suddenly left his face and his gaze intensified.
"Could you explain?"
"She left with some guy in a limo. Told me it was important and she had to go." The girl shrugged.
"Could you explain better?" He snarled, getting impatient with her attitude.
Aika's eyes narrowed.
"You know, what's in it for me?" She smirked this time at him.
He stepped a bit closer, as close as he could without entering the house. She took a step back, but he gripped her wrist tightly.
"Hey-"
"The satisfaction that your friend is safe."
Her eyes widened as she stared at him, listening to his words. Then, just as quickly, he let go of her wrist, turning his back on her.
"Nevermind. I've gotten enough of the information I'll need." He began to swiftly walk towards the limo waiting at the curb for him, throwing up an arm over his head but not turning around to look back at her. "Have a nice night."
And he left the girl to stand in the doorway, watching him as he got into his car, staring on in shock as he shut the door and the sleek limousine drove away out of sight.
"That rich bastard makes me uneasy." A voice said behind her.
Aika spun around, facing her older sister.
"Kotone! How long have you been standing there?"
"I was just listening in from the next room."
"...He is a bastard, huh?"
Her sister scoffed.
"Hell yeah!"
The two laughed together mockingly, but as Aika shut the door, she couldn't help but give one last glance up the street, wondering if Akari was going to be alright...
"You know, your brother sent me because he was sure he might kill you if he saw you alone."
All she could do was sit back in the seat of the car, looking out the window as they drove around, seemingly in circles in an area she didn't quite recognize to her mind. Or didn't want to.
"I suppose there's a point for you dragging me around with you, Mr. Ikehara? Get to it."
He tsk'd at her.
"My my, someone's a bit uncomfortable. Maybe I could-"
She turned on him quickly and slapped his reaching hands away.
"Touch me again and I can assure you things won't turn out in your favor."
He leaned back in his seat, smoothing his hands over his suit and looking a bit too pleased with himself.
"Alright then. For now, I'll leave you alone."
"So, you've been spying on-"
"Sorry to interrupt," He said (man, that got on her nerves) and leaned forward again. "But to skip over the fact that yes, indeed, we were spying on you-"
"We?"
"-you asked me to get to the point, and so..." He turned, calling through the glass divider to the driver. "Are we to the estate yet?"
"Yes, sir." Came the curt answer through the glass.
"...You kidnapped me?" Akari said, staring blankly at the man sitting in front of her.
He chuckled darkly, then looked her up and down in an unsettling way, his eyes lingering on her like duct tape that couldn't be ripped off quick enough.
"Oh you're hardly a kid anymore, miss..."
"Then you've abducted me."
"I'm following orders, but I suppose you would be one to call it that."
"I'm only calling it what it truly is."
"No," He said, leaning forward to stare right into her eyes. "you know what it really truly is? It's bringing you home."
"President, is that a limo in your drive?"
Tora looked up to look out the window and peer with narrowed eyes at the limousine, not belonging to him, that was resting with the lights on in the dimming day, a trail of smoke pouring out of the exhaust and into the cool, chilly air.
"How did it get past the gate?" Maki pondered aloud.
"Because Akari's with them." Tora said, and as they pulled up after the other limo, he got out of the car at just the same time that Akari stepped out of the other car as well.
She turned for a moment to lean down and speak with someone through the open door, and then the door was pulled shut and the limo drove off. Tora stalked towards her quickly, his long legs carrying him to her in less than five steps.
When he stopped directly in front of her, he watched after the disappearing limo with a look of displeasure, and then he felt her eyes on him and looked down at her.
"I convinced him to take me back here." She said quietly, immediately looking away from him as his eyes found hers.
"Don't look so uneasy to see me." He said, staring at her with a calm, unreadable face. "Especially when I've been looking for you half the day."
"Did you know about this?"
Tora was quiet for a moment, and then he was quick to reply.
"Not until today."
"He was taking me to my father's estate."
"Who?"
"Ikehara."
Tora clenched his fists, but other than that he held back.
"You negotiated with him, then. He's not a man to just do as anyone asks."
She nodded, still not looking at him.
"Akari."
"President."
The both of them looked over at Maki, who was standing politely beside the car.
"Now that we've found her, I'll be heading out."
"Yes-" Tora waved a hand. "Thank you, Kanade."
When Maki got back in the limo and the door shut, Tora turned back to Akari, only to find that she had already walked past him and was walking away from him towards the mansion.
"Akari!"
She didn't stop, but quickened her pace. She was obviously upset, but he hurried to catch up with her, gripping her arm when she wouldn't stop.
"Ignoring an Igarashi is always a bad idea." He whispered in her ear, and she stopped struggling in his grip and leaned back against him suddenly.
It was only for a moment though, and then she stood up straight again and tried yanking her arm from his grasp, though he only used the force to turn her around to face him, still not letting go.
His eyes widened, big, golden orbs staring down upon wet silver ones.
She was... crying.
And he wasn't really sure of what to do. Not with her, at least.
"I'm almost sure of what's going to happen." She said quietly, not sobbing as most girls would, but simply lowering her voice to an almost inaudible volume. "And I really, really don't want it to happen..."
Tora could only stare at her as she sniffled and silent tears streamed out of those silvery depths. In the darkened evening, with the snowy lawn around them illuminating things in a shiny grey-white glow, the tear drops shown clear and bright for his eyes to see. It was almost as if they mocked him, or were daring him- daring him to make a fool out of himself for her sake and do something stupid like-
He wrapped both his arms around her, and her head automatically ducked onto his chest as she continued to cry. He held his arms at her back all too gently for someone like him to be holding someone, and he knew he himself was showing weakness just for providing a warm gesture.
But as she cried into his coat while he simply stayed silent like that, staring straight ahead of him over her head, he couldn't find any way to care in that moment how weak he appeared.
Tora had no words to say, his lips pulled into a serious, straight line as he pulled back from her, unbuttoned his coat, and placed it over her shoulders. His eyes had a dull, unreadable look in them and they didn't find hers to reassure, because he couldn't reassure her when she looked like that. He couldn't even find one single word to come out of his mouth. And so, he simply left the coat around her shoulders, paused for a moment, and then walked past her, placing his hands in his pockets and staring at the ground as he walked towards the house in the fading light, with her standing in his coat behind him and staring after him as he briskly pulled himself away.
A/N: Woot woot! Over 2,000 viewers now! Yes!
Hey, hey you. Yeah, yeah, you. The end of this chapter was for those of you who are 'fangirling over the cute moments' ;) wink. Ahh, the classic 'he gives her his coat' gesture. Hey, it's not a cliché if no matter how many times it's done, it's still pretty damn adorable.
-Just a quick add-in here that's a fun little thing I did with Aika and her family's names: Aika means love song. Her sister's names: Wakana means 'harmonious music', Setsuko means 'melody child', and Kotone means 'sound of the koto' (the japanese harp). The youngest brother's name, Hibiki, means 'sound, echo'. Their mother's name, Ayane, means 'colorful sound.' The father's name, Fumio, means 'literature, scholarly hero' and the oldest brother's name, Suichi, means 'disciplined, studious first son'-
Here are some backwards ways to say things that I find completely strange.
cheese and mac, thank you and please, down and up, yellow and black, Ernie and Bert, Queen and King, dogs and cats, dad and mom, down and up, tomorrow or today, no and yes
yeah I'm done now so-
Catch you later viewers~
Also, I just wanted to say: thank you for your reviews and for telling me how much you enjoy my story, I really appreciate the support and the active commentary. Please continue to review and tell me what you think :) I thoroughly love to hear what anyone has to say
:* CK
(psst, remember to WEIVER, or ETIROVAF this story ;)
P.S- figurative thumbs up for backwardness! (!ssendrawkcab)
P.S.S- for pokemon fans: did you know that backwards, Ekans = Snake and Arbok = Cobra (with a K instead of a C) ^_^ I love it. just some random backwards information :)