Kaoru set up the displays in the empty classroom. He'd asked Megumi to arrange for her students to take a late lunch so they could get the full effect when they returned to the classroom. He'd arranged the clothing displays around the classroom, centering his mother's two most elaborate kimonos in the front. Kyoya's paintings were on side of the display, and Hikaru's photos were on the other. He was debating the arrangement of Hikaru's shots when he heard the door open.
"These are incredible," he heard Hisakawa say behind him.
"I'm not sure about the placement of these," Kaoru said, not turning around. He had blown up four of Hikaru's photographs; two were stereotypical images of the falls at Takachiho Gorge, but one focused on the swirl of an eddy as it left the riffle for the run, and one was a black and white shot that had been hand-tinted to show the autumn foliage of a single tree.
Hisakawa was silent. Kaoru turned, looking at her. She was staring at the pieces, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. She's a lot cuter than I remember, he thought. But her manners leave something to be desired. She could at least say hello.
"May I?" she asked. Kaoru gestured toward the canvases, as if to say go ahead. Hisakawa stood for another few moments, her head cocked to the side as the studied the pieces. To Kaoru's surprise, instead of rearranging Hikaru's shots, she first went to Kyoya's paintings. She pulled the smallest canvas out and placed it between largest of Hikaru's two photos. She then moved the water photograph so it was sandwiched between the last two paintings.
Kaoru studied her arrangement. The photos of the Takachiho falls framed Kyoya's study of a Carolina wren. The contrast of the panoramic landscapes framing the small bird brought out the intimacy of the painting. Hikaru's water photograph was set off by two cell studies Kyoya had done. The simplicity of the photograph accentuated the complementary simplicity of the painting's subjects, while the relatively constrained palette of Hikaru's shot helped bring forward the bright colors Kyoya had used to evoke nerve cells.
"That's pretty good," Kaoru said. It hadn't occurred to him to mix the media like that.
"It just seemed to work better like that," Hisakawa replied. "I hope you don't mind."
"Hang on," he said, grabbing Hikaru's last canvas, the hand-tinted tree, as well as the easel it stood on.
"Between the kimonos, yes?" Hisakawa asked, already moving the two dress form models further apart so Kaoru could place the photo between them. He smiled gratefully at her as he placed the easel down in its new spot. That's a nice surprise. I didn't expect to work with someone who actually knows what they're doing.
"What do you think?" he asked, as they stepped to the back of the classroom to get the full effect.
"Well, it's certainly a visually arresting display," Hisakawa said. She moved to look more closely at the painting of the small brown bird. "I don't think I've ever seen this bird. Do you know what it is?"
"It's a Carolina wren. They're fairly common in Washington, D.C. Kyoya lived there for about five years before moving back to Japan with his wife a few months ago."
"Coming from Ootori, I understand the anatomy paintings, but why the wren?" Hisakawa wrinkled her forehead, obviously puzzled.
Kaoru grinned. "It's his wife's favorite bird. She actually threatened to skin me alive if anything happened to this particular canvas."
"She sounds delightful," Hisakawa said drily.
"Actually, she is," Kaoru said mildly. "We've become very good friends."
"I'm sorry." Hisakawa had the grace to look ashamed. "Sometimes I speak without thinking. I meant no disrespect to Ootori-sama."
Sure you didn't, Kaoru thought, but decided to let it lie. "So, Hisakawa-san, how did you become a teacher at Ouran?" he asked instead, turning the full force of his charm on.
"I guess I just stumbled into the position," she said, meeting his eyes straight on. "I had just graduated from Ouran University with my teaching credential, and a position had opened up in the elementary division." She laughed, a little uncomfortably. "I hadn't exactly planned on teaching at Ouran after attending this academy as a student for so many years, but Chairman Suoh thought I could bring a unique perspective to the faculty. He was very persuasive."
There's a shock, Kaoru thought wryly. Like his son, Yuzuru Suoh was impossible to stop once he'd set his mind on something. He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a rush of students entering the classroom. He gave Hisakawa a helpless smile. She nodded to him, and moved to the front of the class.
"Everyone, I'd like to welcome a special visitor. This gentleman was once a student in this very classroom. I know you will all be on your best behavior so you don't embarrass yourselves or your teacher," Hisakawa addressed the class sternly.
I definitely don't remember her being this confident, Kaoru thought as he walked in front of the class. But the whole strict-teacher thing could be kind of a turn-on. If I was looking for something like that. "Hello, students. You may address me Hitachiin-sensei. I think we're going to get to know each other very well over the next year."
XxXxXxX
Megumi unlocked her car, sinking gratefully into the driver's seat. She had to admit it; Hitachiin had been nothing short of magnificent. He had the students absolutely eating out of his hand. It probably doesn't hurt that he comes from one of the top five richest families in the entire country, she thought uncharitably. But the truth was, even accounting for the expected amount of bootlicking, the students had responded to his enthusiasm. Well, I guess the legendary Hitachiin charm hasn't faded any in ten years, she told herself. Everyone seemed to love him back in high school, too.
It had been a long week, and Megumi was looking forward to nothing more than a hot bath and a glass of wine. She turned the key in the ignition. The engine coughed a few times, but refused to turn over. "Fabulous. This is exactly what I needed right now," she grumbled to herself. She waited a minute, then tried the engine again. Nothing.
"Need help?" A voice came from outside her window. Megumi shrieked, startled.
"Jeez, settle down. It's just me." She looked up into the face of Hitachiin, who was giving her a cocky smile.
"I thought you'd already left. Class ended two hours ago," she said lamely.
"Nope. I wandered around a little bit. Revisiting old memories, that sort of thing," he said, a little melodramatically, in Megumi's opinion. "What's the problem?"
"My car won't start. I don't think it's the battery—the lights and everything are working just fine."
"Let me try," Hitachiin said.
"What, you think because you have a penis it will magically start for you?" Megumi asked caustically, even as she slid out from the driver's seat.
"Well, you've sure changed," Hitachiin muttered, clearly not caring whether or not Megumi overhead. He tried turning the key. Nothing. He tried several more times in rapid succession.
"Will you stop it? You're going to flood the engine," Megumi fretted.
"I think it's probably your starter," Hitachiin said after trying one more time.
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, the fact that it's not starting is a pretty good clue," Hitachiin grinned up at her. "Actually, I don't know much about how cars work. But you have to admit—I did sound very manly just now."
"Oh, very," she agreed, rolling her eyes.
Hitachiin pulled out his phone. "I'm going to call my mechanic. He'll come deal with this and I'll give you a ride home."
"I really don't think that's appropriate," Megumi started, but he cut her off.
"Don't be ridiculous. After all, I'm the one who flooded the engine and probably broke your starter." Hitachiin turned away and started talking into the phone.
That doesn't even make sense, Megumi thought. He's just talking to hear himself speak, isn't he? God, is it really true that men don't mature until they're in their 30s? And how presumptuous, just charging in and taking over the situation.
Hitachiin hung up and smiled at her, grabbing her hand and towing her over to a low-slung blue Bentley. It looked surprisingly modest, although Megumi was certain she'd have a heart attack if she looked up the price. The Hisakawa family was rich compared to most of Japan, but the Hitachiins were in another class entirely. On every conceivable level, Megumi reminded herself as Hitachiin opened the door for her.
"Beautiful car," she murmured once he'd settled in the driver's seat.
"Thanks," he gave her another roguish grin. Then he suddenly sobered. "Oh, shit."
"What?" Megumi asked warily.
"I completely forgot. I was supposed to have dinner with the guys tonight. The old Host Club. Tamaki's going to be furious if I skip out, and I'm already running late." He glanced over at Megumi. "I know-why don't you come with?"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Megumi demurred. "I'd just be intruding."
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm sure Huni and Mori would love to see you again."
Megumi wavered. She would like to see Huni and Mori again, as well as Haruhi. The three of them had always been her favorites among the Hosts. "Haruhi too?"
Hitachiin laughed. "You won't even recognize her. She's as big as a house."
Megumi gave him a hard stare. "Excuse me?"
"She's almost eight months pregnant," Hitachiin explained, unable to keep a giant smile off his face. "That's why Tamaki is strict about getting together; I think he knows that once that baby is born his schedule is suddenly going to get a whole lot busier."
Megumi couldn't help but smile herself at the thought. But still … . "I don't know. I was planning on an early night."
"Honestly, Hisakawa-san, you'd be doing me a huge favor. Kyoya's wife doesn't know very many people in Japan yet, and I know he'd be very grateful to both of us if you came with me tonight. Besides, when was the last time you went out and had fun? I bet it was a while ago."
Rat bastard, Megumi fumed silently. That last part had to have been a shot in the dark, right? "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt," she smiled, hoping he couldn't see how irritated she was at him. At least once I get there I can get a taxi home after dinner. And if Ootori thinks I'm doing him a favor, that will cancel out the favor he did me by loaning those paintings. When she thought about it like that, she realized there was really nothing to lose. Plus I'm going to make Hitachiin pay for my dinner, she thought sourly. A while ago indeed!
Author's Note: Thanks so much to felinesarefabulous and mutemuia for the favorites, and to mutemuia for the reviews. You know how much I love you for that! :)