When Haru said that she will get him moved out of the Kosei dorms immediately, Yusuke hadn't been aware of exactly how serious she was. Apparently, shortly after awakening the next morning she had contacted her people to have his things removed from his dorm. After a train ride back to school, using the fare he'd gotten from Haru, the young painter found a group of movers carrying the things he owned into a truck with the Okumura Foods logo on the side of the vehicle.
Goodness, when Haru sets her mind onto something, she seriously gets it done without hesitation. Of course, it's not as if he's permanently moving in with her, right? It's only temporary until they come up with a plan to somehow get Junko and those hooligans off his back.
The thought of Haru's kindness fills him with joy. She really does care deeply for him, remembering her reaction when she found out about that wicked witch and what her bloodthirsty soldiers have done to him. But there was something about how much Haru wanted to take action to protect him. It was a nice feeling to have someone care about him, especially when he was so used to feeling ignored or, even worse, hated.
Just then, the school principal approached him, and Yusuke's thoughts return to reality. "Kitagawa-kun, all of the information for your transfer off campus has gone through so you are free to leave the dormitory," he explained.
Yusuke simply nodded before heading off to class. It wasn't long before word of his transfer and his involvement with the daughter of the late President Okumura spreads like wildfire. People will say random gossip for the sake of silly amusement. Only this time, students are spreading whispers or rumors about him in a supposed intimate relationship with Haru, which lead to his leaving the dorms. Those misguided fools have no idea of what they're talking about. Just because he's moving in with Haru doesn't say anything about intimacy.
"YUSUKE-CHAN!"
Speaking of misguided fools, Yusuke sighed as the wicked witch flounced over to him and latched onto his arm, ignoring how he flinched.
"Is it true? You're actually moving in with Okumura's daughter? Is it true that you two are really dating?" Junko starts throwing questions at him, sending him a concerned but also irritated frown. And is that a hint of jealousy in her eyes? Yes, it is.
Yusuke forcibly yanks his arm out of her grip. "First of all, I'm not interested in Haru as someone of the opposite sex because we're friends. Second, my living with her is only temporary because she has concerns about my living situation. Furthermore, she's going to be my model. Our work is strictly platonic as that of co-workers." He aims a firm frown right back at her.
Junko goes from feigning concern to overly sweet. "Oh, I see..." something else registers in her mind as she processes what he just said. "Wait, you just said you're moving out of the dorms because this girl claims to have concerns about your living situation? Is there a problem with the dormitory? If so, you should've told me sooner. I could've offered you a place to live... at my mansion."
Obviously, she was trying to coerce him into moving in with her. He swore if that happens, then he would dye his hair blond and dress up in an outfit similar to Ryuji. She's the reason why he's moving to Haru's place, but he didn't say this out loud. "Thank you for the offer, but my decision is final," Yusuke replied, not even trying to hide the venom in his voice. "Haru is my friend and I'm staying with her. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to class."
Now he hoped she would leave him alone after that, but he was wrong. Instead, Junko's expression contorts from overly sweet to bitter cruelty, and then back to sweet. "Well, I hope you manage all right. I mean, associating yourself with the offspring of a corrupt CEO could really land you into deep trouble. She might do something horrible to you, just like her father did horrible things to those poor employees..." she said purposely loud, drawing attention from other students.
Yusuke pretends not to notice, but his face reminiscences an aggressive predator... oh, if only he could summon Goemon in the real world and freeze Junko to death. He wants to tell her off for insulting his compassionate friend, but knowing Junko, she'll twist the situation in her favor and portray herself as a victim to convince his peers to attack him. He continued onward, ignoring her and the increased whispers of more ugly rumors he won't like listening to throughout the day.
When the day was done, Yusuke returns to the Okumura residence. Everything that had been moved from his dormitory had been set in the room he had spent the night in before, waiting for him to unpack and place wherever he needed to put. Yusuke looked over the things that he owned, the only possessions that belonged to him.
Other than his spare school uniforms and few pairs of casual clothes, there were his three paintings, his small portion of sketches, some painting supplies, his sketchbook, his futon, and a school issued laptop which he'd have to return at the end of his tenure at Kosei. His cell phone which is still in his pocket and the phone's charger in his carry-on school bag. To be honest, he felt guilty that Haru ordered a truck clearly meant to haul household furniture bring so little stuff.
"Yusuke, I'm glad to see you're here!" Haru greets him when she enters the room, having just come home not long after he did. "I hope you don't mind that I sent the movers to collect your things so quickly." She looks at him, nervously.
"It's alright, Haru." He brushed off her fears and she sighs in relief.
He didn't dare tell her of what happened today when everyone at his school became aware of his transfer. Junko's words had been ruthless, and what's worse is that the students swiftly took her side. It didn't help that with Haru's status as daughter of the late President Okumura, who trampled over people as stepping stones, got her cruelly labeled as the trash of society. And the idea of sweet, compassionate Haru having to hear those scornful words said about her made his blood boil. He wasn't sure what he would have done if he lost his temper.
"How was your day?" Haru questioned as she got to work on helping him unpack his belongings.
"It was good." Yusuke made no attempt to tell her what had occurred. "And yours?"
"The usual - people asking how I'm doing, offering their sympathies about my father's passing or listening to some people expressing their happiness over my father's death."
Express their happiness? How could people do that? And in the presence of a girl who lost her father. Now Yusuke was very sure if he had been there, who knows what he would have done. Tell them off or direct a blow to one of their faces. But as a gentleman, he cannot perform such an atrocious act of violence. "I'm sorry... I should never have asked..."
"Oh no. It's okay." Haru waved off his apology, knowing he meant no harm. "Anyway, I hope this room is perfect for you. You can pick another one if you like. There are several to choose from, but I-"
"Nonsense. This room is fantastic, it'll be the perfect spot to create my work."
"Oh good." Once they were finished, Haru stretched her arms out to get rid of the stiffness. "Now I'm going to change into something more comfortable. Do you want to do something today or just relax?"
"I have no plans, other than the usual homework from school. Perhaps we could take care of the plants outside on your balcony." This could be the perfect time for him to learn about gardening.
"Good idea." Haru beams, smiling. "While we do that, I'll ask Umeko-san to prepare us our dinner."
Once settling in, he follows Haru to her room where she kept her little greenhouse and garden on the balcony. It was littered with planters. There are both ornamental, colorful and lovely flowers, and an assortment of tasty vegetables, some of them nearly ready to be plucked while others are not fully ripe yet.
She instructs him on what to do and how to care for the plants. Yusuke listens with firm attention, eager to learn. He wore gloves like she does so neither would get their hands dirty. Watching Haru tenderly care for the plants does make quite the alluring sight. He's going to need his sketchbook and pencil to capture her like this one day.
The hours fly by in good conversation as Haru spoke little of her past and her hobby of planting, the kind of fertilizer she uses in secret. She was honestly glad to know that her gardening skills can be of use to their work as the Phantom Thieves. A few of the plants she has been raising here are coffee beans. Although she's more of a tea person, something Yusuke bonded with her over their love of tear, Haru always made sure to have at least ten varieties on hand for morning and afternoon tea. The smile in her lips and the light in eyes when she speaks of the joy in the taste and aroma of coffee and learning to understand the depth of its flavor left an admirable impression on Yusuke's mind.
So caught up in the past that Haru forgot what she has been doing. She averted her gaze, slightly embarrassed. "Ah, pardon me. I was just thinking back on the past. Um... can I share with you again?"
Yusuke wasn't the least upset. "Of course. Please, continue."
"I... I cannot bring myself to trust any of the employees at Okumura Foods," she admits at last; a melancholy frown banishes that wonderful smile from her pretty features. "For as long as I can remember, the company has been run by my father. Being liked by him was always very important. Some employees would even come to ingratiate themselves to me. But since his passing, things have gotten unruly."
"What do you mean?" A look of seriousness laced with concern passes over Yusuke's expression.
"Most evidently, people have started trying to use my influence as majority shareholder to oust other employees." Haru doesn't want to be used by others to get rid of good employees out of spite. These employees need jobs to keep roofs over their heads and food on the table. It isn't fair to oust them for no reason at all. "They say they come to me out of respect... but I know they really just want to use me. I've heard so many rumors..." One of them about the company's new president has given her a negative impression on him. "The worst ones are about Takakura-san, the new president. They say he was thrilled to hear my father passed."
"Hmm, is there any proof to the truth of these rumors?" he questioned after thinking it over for a moment.
"I don't have any proof, but there may be truth to that though. He's been with the company for years but has only started being nice to me recently. He even offered me to assist me with asset management." Haru could be blinded by these ugly rumors as she has a fair reason to be wary and distrustful of people who only wish to use her influences to get what they want. "I fear he has an ulterior motive though... I can't help but wonder about him... He even went as far as to recommend I sell my shares the other day. He said I could make a fortune. But I realized that if I did so, he would be able to strike the Okumura name completely."
Yusuke knows she has a good point. "So, you believe this Takakura must be scheming to take the company for himself?"
"At least, it's possible."
How familiar this suddenly feels regarding his first encounter with Kawanabe, the famous art dealer. Yusuke thought that man had been taunting him out of amusement until he realized how wrong he was when the gentleman's true intentions was to ignite the boy's competitive spirit, no matter how crude it was. He did it for someone who was also freed from Madarame's chains. Ren once told him that Kawanabe had been suspected in shady practices, but it turns out the old man's assistant had been committing these crimes. Yusuke doesn't know why but perhaps there are suspicious characters spreading malicious rumors regarding Takakura to ruin his reputation and seize control of the company. He has no proof, but he can't help comparing this to his first time meeting Kawanabe.
"This is a complex issue. But, as I asked before, is there proof to Takakura's alleged schemes? No, there's not. You might be wrong about him. Rumors are full of nonsense with no truth to it." Yusuke sympathetically smiles at her. "I was once in the same position as you are in. When I first met Kawanabe, I had my suspicions about him after Ren had informed me of the man involved in some shady dealings with other art companies. Turns out he wasn't, only his subordinate was. Everything worked out all right in the end after I learned what a good man Kawanabe is. He only provoked me to ignite my fiery passion for art, and to do something in return for another one of Madarame's victims. He used to be a friend of Madarame's, but greed and darkness clouded the heart of my foster father, and the two men had a falling out. Perhaps you should keep an eye on Takakura and investigate if his intentions are either selfish or selfless."
Haru considers everything he told her. "I suppose you're right. You know, none of the advice I've gotten so far has been helpful. Everyone only speaks out of their own self-interest." And that wonderful smile he has grown fond of has returned. "Thank you for listening to me. I feel a little better after talking about this with you."
Yusuke nods, satisfied to have ceased her worries. "My pleasure. And make sure to keep yourself motivated, even through these difficult times." He can sense Haru's trust in him growing, and he was glad to have won her confidence. Not like those wretched fools who scheme to take advantage of her, Yusuke only wished to help her because he genuinely cares and respects her as a person and a friend.
The door in the room opens and a maid calls out to them, "Miss Haru! Mr. Kitagawa! Dinner is ready!"
"Oh, it's time for dinner. We should probably go wash our hands. We simply can't eat with dirty hands." No sooner did Haru get up, her foot got caught on one of the empty pots and fell over.
Alarmed, Yusuke swiftly leapt forward and caught her in his arms. Her body collides in his embrace, barely hovering over the garden. Thank goodness, otherwise she would've accidently destroyed her life's work. "Are you all right?"
A pink dusting of embarrassment colors his cheeks, staring directly in those gentle brown orbs. The way she looks at him with surprise at his rescue forces his heart beating out of his chest as he tried to avert his gaze from those hypnotic eyes. Over time, he had been confident and happy in those moments of interacting with Haru and instead, he no longer felt confident or happy. But it's not a bad feeling right now as all he felt was... what was this feeling?
"Yusuke?" her sweet, princess-like tone breaks the spell and whatever this unfamiliar feeling he felt was instantly forgotten.
"Uh, yes. I'm fine." Yusuke's reassurance seems to have calmed her down because his lack of response briefly worried her. He helps her stand up and for a moment, anyone would've noticed how vaguely similar the two resembled a pair of ballet dancers on stage. The male holding onto the female in an elegant, careful position so she won't fall.
After checking to see nothing was damaged in the garden, Haru sighs in relief. "Thank you for helping me. I should've watched where I was going."
Yusuke smiled. "It's okay. Accidents happen."