Haruka took a deep breath in and let it out, holding her eyes closed tightly, her head bent down to her lap. Haruka continued to breath, her breath speeding up from time to time. Haruka squeezed her fingers in her hands, her arms shaking a little. This was it. Haruka looked up when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She made eye contact with Tomochika who gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry," Tomochika squeezed Haruka's shoulder lightly. "You'll be fine. You've been studying for this." Studying? All Tomochika has told her is to act in a traditional Japanese way, the rest she told her in the bathtub, and Haruka couldn't pay attention in there at all. Still, Haruka took Tomochika's words to heart, her shoulders sagging a little, untensing her body. She nodded her head lightly, whispering a thanks to Tomochika. She smiled back, hugging Haruka.
"You look adorable-thanks to me!" Tomochika boasted, making sure not to ruin Haruka's hair. Her hair had been drawn up into a bun in a pink tangle, a strip of her hair falling out on both sides to ever so slightly frame her face. Tomochika tried for hours to apply makeup to Haruka's face, but no matter how much she tried Tomochika could never find the right amount of make up, deciding to just wipe the entire thing off and focus on her hair. Tomochika dressed Haruka up in a pink kimono, colored silky with cherry blossoms. A red flower was tied up in Haruka's bun, bringing out the light color of her pink hair.
"You look good as well." Haruka smiled. Tomochika was dressed in a purple kimono, various blue and white flowers all clumped around her legs and on her left arm.
"We'll be arriving at the Hijirikawa Mansion soon." The limo driver informed from the front seat, twisting his head around so Haruka could hear him.
"Oh, thank you." Haruka said quietly. Haruka still fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably, awaiting their arrival.
"Stop worrying." Tomochika frowned, pinching Haruka on the cheeks.
"Sorry." Haruka moaned, rubbing her cheeks.
"Hey, wheres your husband?" Tomochika asked. "We're the only ones here."
"Oh, Jinguji-san is sitting in another section of the limo."
"What?! He isn't even sitting with you! Thats not right. Heck, he should be the one sitting next to you, not me." Tomochika complained, blowing some of her hair up with a hissed breath. Haruka sighed, chuckling nervously. Tomochika had learned of the distance in Haruka and Ren's relationship and had seen it first hand. Tomochika had been outraged at first, needing Haruka to literally hold her by the legs to keep her from storming into Ren's office. But once Haruka explained the reasons for the marriage, she had calmed down.
Haruka had gotten very lucky earlier. Tomochika was only hired to teach her about the Hijirikawa family and was to be relieved of duty afterwords. But, thanks to another sudden outburst from Haruka, Tomochika became her personal assistant. Of course, according to Tomochika, a personal assistant has other duties to attend to outside of the job. Long story short, she now washes Haruka's back during baths, picks out clothes for Haruka, making Haruka talk about her problems, and causing as much ruckus as humanly possible to keep Haruka active and on her feat. So all in all, Tomochika proved to be too much to handle.
The car turned down the driveway, heading to the Hijirikawa mansion. Haruka sat up straighter, biting her lip lightly in panic. Did she really know enough to impress the Hijirikawa family? Did she properly dress herself-well, did Tomochika dress her properly.
The car came to a stop, the driver getting out and opening the door for her. Haruka stepped out, looking around. The mansion was beautiful, surrounded by nature and trees, lined with unseasonably budding flowers. The mansion was styled with traditional Japanese, just as Tomochika had told her, but much bigger than she expected. It wasn't tall, rather it was long and wide, spreading out around the gardens.
Haruka gulped, intimidated by the size. Tomochika tapped her on the shoulder, smiling at her. Haruka smiled back, taking a deep breath.
"Come on, hurry up." Ren ordered, walking past them. Haruka nodded to no one, following Ren as he quietly strode down the stone plated path to the house. Haruka's shoes clocked on the stones, even the lightest step seemingly echoing through the air. They stopped right in front of the house's entrance. Waiting at the entrance was a familiar bluenett. His normally messy hair was drawn back a bit in a business way. He held a stoic disposition, straightening up when the two guests came in sight. He was wearing a different style than them, wearing a tunic like kimono with a jacket over it. So that's a boy's Kimono. The tunic was white with so many gray dots on it it seemed gray while the jacket was a navy blue with sea foam green designs under the arm. He stood perfectly still, his posture perfect as always.
Next to him was a familiar redhead whose hair, which despite trying to be tamed, just wouldn't stay down. He was wearing the same style kimono. He had a grayish tunic with black stripes running down his legs, the color fading as you go up, a red shirt tucked under the waistline. He had a red jacket over it, plain without designs. He brightened up when he spotted Haruka, his smile widening. He lifted his arm, going to wave before being thumped on the back of his head by his employer.
"We're glad you could come, Ren, Haruka." Tokiya said, bowing to them.
"Thank you for having us." Ren thanked, bowing as well. Haruka peered up at Ren, studying his clothes. He had a gray tunic on, a mostly black shirt tucked in around the waist, parts of it hanging out. He had a black jacket on which he let loosely hang around his shoulders, showing a bit of toned muscle. The entire outfit was messily done, making him look almost ravishing. Haruka blushed, looking away, ashamed by her thoughts.
"Nanami, it's good to see you again." Otoya smiled, jumping down the steps and onto the ground before Tokiya could grab him. He stopped in front of Haruka smiling.
"Ittoki-kun, it's good to see you too." Haruka smiled, bowing to Otoya.
"O-oh, you don't have to do that!" Otoya blushed, waving his hands around in panic.
"Yo, this him?" Tomochika asked, nudging Haruka.
"Oh, yeah. Tomo-chan, this is Otoya Ittoki. Ittoki-kun, this it Tomochika Shibuya." Haruka introduced.
"So, this IS that guy you were talking about." Tomochika said, leaning in.
"S-she was talking about me?" Otoya asked, blushing and scratching the back of his head. He stepped back in confusion as Tomochika began to circle around him, observing him. When she circled back around she smiled, sticking out her hand.
"Nice to meet you!" Tomochika smiled. Otoya nodded his head, shaking her hand.
"You must be worn from your long trip. Please, come in." Tokiya said respectfully, opening up the door for them. Ren nodded his head, stepping inside, removing his shoes in the entrance.
"Thank you for your hospitality." Ren said quietly. Haruka and Tomochika stepped in as well, doing the same, leaving their shoes by the door. They were followed by Tokiya and Otoya, who closed the doors behind them. Haruka was surprised by the simplicity of the Hijirikawa family's house. It was like an old Japanese house, nothing too fancy.
"I'm sorry for Masato's absents, he'll be here soon." Tokiya informed.
"I'm surprised that the host who invited us is not here. Where is he?" Ren asked, turning to Tokiya, eyes hard and hostile. Tokiya didn't flinch, standing as still and strong as ever.
"I'm afraid he had to quickly deal with something. Some of the money that one of our colleagues repaid wasn't done in full." Tokiya said, leaving all hints of names out.
"Well, it's understandable. He's a bit of a scatter brain sometimes." Ren said, knowing exactly who Tokiya was talking about. But who was it? Haruka wondered.
"Yes, but he is brilliant in his own light." Tokiya said, leading them to a room with a small table laid out in the middle of it. Ren nodded in agreement, sitting down at the table. "Please, Nanami-san, take a seat." Tokiya bowed, gesturing for Haruka to seat herself.
"Oh, thank you very much." Haruka cried, bowing even lower than Tokiya. She moved to the table, sitting down. She sighed, looking down in disappointment. What was that?! Her nerves were way too high, she looked like an idiot. A dark cloud of disappointment hung around her, causing people in the room to sweat drop. Ren sighed, shaking his head.
Otoya bent down to Haruka, touching her shoulder. "Nanami? Daijōbudesuka?" He asked. Haruka popped out of her dark cloud. She yelped, nodding her head furiously. Otoya simply sweat dropped again, blinking a few times. "Are you sure?" Haruka laughed nervously, nodding once more. Otoya let go of her shoulder hesitantly. Tomochika sat down next to Haruka, patting her on the head.
Tokiya was still as he stared at them, watching their every move. He squinted his eyes, growling in frustration. The more he observed, the more confused he gets! She's confident, strong, and impulsive one minute and the complete opposite the next. It's like she's trying to confuse him. Everything she does counteracts what he previously knew, making everything he observes useless. Haruka giggled as Tomochika pulled and pushed her gently, Haruka smiling beautifully. Tokiya's still figure rose a bit more, concentrated on her face. Was she wearing lipstick or not? It looked like she was, but she wouldn't just keep wearing the same color every time she sees him, right?
Tokiya's eyes focused on her entire being, looking her up and down. She had a beautiful body under her kimono, he could tell. Her legs fit perfectly with her skinny figure and her arms looked almost like twigs- he was afraid he could snap them. Her skin was a creamy white, as if she hadn't been in the sun in forever. Her pale skin really brought out her eyes. Her eyes. Her eyes were like a crystal gold, jewels to drool over. And the way she stably let her eyes roam over everything... and that sweet glimmer in her eyes when she laughs. Her voice was angelic, soft and slick.
Tokiya stared at her, his mind beginning to bleach as time went on. He soon found himself entranced by her. He shook his head, bringing him back to his senses. He rubbed his neck and sighed. He must have eaten something bad the other night, he was practically ogling at her. He cracked his shoulders and joined his guests at the table, sitting down in a free spot, right in between Haruka and Ren.
"I'm sorry I'm late." The doors slid open and in walked a familiar bluenett whose eyes were closed, knowing exactly who was in the room. He was dressed in a blue, bubbly designed tunic with a matching jacket. His hair was perfectly combed as always, not a strand out of place. He opened his eyes, staring directly at Haruka, his light blue eyes looking her over.
Masato had to admit, she looked stunning in a kimono and, like always, it was nothing fancy. In fact, it looked cheap. Normally Masato would find it disrespectful to wear something cheap to the Hijirikawa's house, but it simply would allow him to gain a few more hints to who she is. And once he knew who she was, he could use his knowledge against the Jinguji family if necessary. Masato strode in, keeping his eyes on Haruka. He sat down in the only empty spot, looking around at everyone.
"So, lets begin."
Hey! I'm really glad I got this Chromebook for school, or else I wouldn't have this chapter up now, I literally just finished it around an hour ago! In fact... I would probably be on chapter 3 right now if it wasn't for this Chromebook. Yay, technology!
Please fave, follow, and review! See ya!