The following Monday at school, Akane never felt so strange. Suddenly, it seemed as though her world had opened up to unimaginble proportions since she found out she was the final descendant of the Katonozukas. She touched her throat, and felt the golden disk resting against her skin, hidden by the collar of her uniform. Mori had been against wearing the necklace, but the others had convinced him to let her wear it. After all, it was the only thing she had from her real parents.
Suddenly, she turned around the corner and almost ran right into Jun, who had his arm linked with another girl.
His face turned bright red. "Oh, Akane! This is, um---"
Akane blinked, the smiled. "Hey, she's your new girlfriend, right? Then that's great! I mean, it's about time you've found yourself a girl."
"So, you're not mad?"
"Of course not. Why should I be? I'm happy for you, Jun. Take care of her!" Akane called over her shoulder, before hurrying off to the Host Club.
As she pushed through the door, all eyes focused on her. It felt rather weird and relaxing to have your closest friends know your biggest secret, and to know that they'll support you. Akane smiled. "Hey! Sorry I'm late."
Kyoya tapped away on his laptop. "It's no problem. Today's been rather quiet. How has your day been?"
Though it seemed as a perfectly innocent question, it had a hidden meaning. Kyoya really meant Has anything suspicious happened? As in the Katonozukas and the mysterious threat.
"It's been great. Did you know, Jun's gotten himself a girlfriend."
The twins blinked. "He has?"
"Ooh!" Honey squealed. "Who is it?"
"I dunno. Some girl." Akane suddenly felt Kyoya's gaze on her. "Is something wrong, senpai?"
"It's nothing. Are you sure you're okay with Jun being with another girl?"
Akane frowned. "Why wouldn't I be? I mean, we weren't exactly 'together'."
"That's true, I guess." Kyoya turned back to his laptop. "But there's something you, Honey-senpai, and Mori-senpai might want to take a look at."
"Hmm?" Mori muttered. The three of them gathered around Kyoya, who tapped a few keys.
He pointed with the computer mouse. "See, there have been reports of attacks on several martial arts dojos by a group of Japanese yakuza, or mafia, if you will. There haven't been any reported deaths, though many were injured and hospitalized."
Akane frowned. "So they're looking for me?"
Mori shook his head. "No. They're looking for a teenager who can use the Katonozuka technique. As long as you keep your head down, you'll be okay."
Akane clenched her fists angrily. "Those bastards, attacking dojos like that. Mori-senpai, I'll make you a deal."
"Hmm?"
"I'll keep my head down, but if those guys ever come here, you'll let me fight them. Please."
Mori looked thoughtful, his dark eyes impassive. Finally, he sighed. "Fine, then. Deal."
Yakuza POV
The gang leader drummed his fingers on the table, a bottle of wine in front of him. He glanced over into the mirror on the wall, and his own scarred face looked back at him. He touched a particularly large scar on his left eyebrow, a souvenier from an encounter with the Katonozukas a little over a decade ago.
His eyes narrowed. He had joined his parents, who were the leaders of the gang back then, in his first attack on the Katonozukas when he was just thirteen. His orders had been to kill all he saw, and he did what he was told.
However, one couple escaped, along with their young daughter, who couldn't have been more than six years of age. But before they escaped, that daughter had fought him, and left him with the scar above his eye. It ruined his vision, and even now, he was still partly blind in that left eye.
Because of that girl, he had lost his sight. And he vowed revenge. Even now, with his parents long gone, the hatred for that daughter still burned in him as fresh as ever. And now, he had finally tracked her down to Japan.
He clenched his fists. He would kill that girl, the girl with the brown eyes, if it was the last thing he'd ever do. He'd kill that girl, even if it meant that he'd die as well.
Suddenly, a knock came from the door.
"What the hell do you want now?" He growled.
The door opened, and one of the gangsters came in. "My lord, it is lunchtime. What would you like?"
"Beat it. I'm not hungry."
"My lord, are you still thinking of that Katonozuka girl?"
He remained silent.
"My lord, please keep in mind that it's never wise to choose a fight with a Katonozuka, especially not that one. She has been known as the greatest of the Katonozukas since their founding, and managed to dispatch three of the finest fighters in our gang ten years ago, at the age of six. You should remember that well, my Lord."
"Shut up! I do not need your advice. I will kill her."
"As you wish." The gangster closed the door and walked away.
Suddenly, the door flew open again, and a group of gang members raced in.
"What do you want now?" The leader demanded.
"We're sorry, my lord. But we've just received word of the sighting of a teenage girl jumping through a window at St. Lobelia's Academy. The girl is said to have performed the Katonozuka technique in her escape."
The leader stood suddenly. "Get the car ready at once. We're going to pay that little brat a visit."
Ouran POV
Akane laughed as she strolled down the sidewalk with Mori and Honey, on their way to the 'commoner's market'. Honey had insisted on trying out his finger painting set on all of them, and now they had paint smeared all over their faces. Sudddenly, the sounds of screams pierced the air, and the three of them tensed up. Mori glanced around.
"There." He pointed. Akane looked, and saw the tall white building of St. Lobelia's Academy in the distance. Thick black smoke was rising from the courtyard, mingling with the screams. To their horror, a gunshot was fired.
"Yakuza." Honey declared. They exchanged glances, before racing towards the academy.
They skidded around the corner. Akane growled. Students ran around in panic, and yakuza gangsters dressed in black struggled with some security guards.
Mori stopped her before she could jump in to help. "No. It's too dangerous. Leave it to us."
Before she could protest, he leapt into the fray with Honey and dragged the mafia members away from the students. Things looked okay, until some gang members pulled out guns. One of them shouted at Mori and Honey. "You a Katonozuka?"
Mori didn't reply, and neither did Honey.
"Answer, or I'll pull the trigger!"
Mori's eyes darkened, and Akane realised why he looked worried. Either way, those gang members would shoot him. If he didn't answer, they'd shoot him. If he said yes, they'd shoot him. If he said no, they'd still shoot him. Whatever he did, they'd still shoot him or Honey, or both.
Akane gritted her teeth. Sorry, Mori-senpai. She thought, before silently leaping up into the trees without so much as a rustle of leaves. She had to act fast. Jumping from branch to branch, she picked her way over, until she was directly above the gangsters' heads.
"Hey, you big behemoth!" The gangster shouted again. "Answer me or I'll shoot!"
Akane took a deep breath, then pounced onto the man's shoulders. Her feet landed right on his shoulder blades, and she quickly pressed his pressure point, temporarily paralyzing the man. Then, she tossed the gun to Mori, who twisted it into a lump of useless metal.
"Hey, you, you little bitch!" Another gang member yelled. "Whad'you think you're doin'?"
Akane glared at them. "You want a Katonozuka, you've got one." She pounced on them, hitting pressure points left and right. Soon, the gang was in an unmoving heap at her feet. All that was left was their leader. She rounded on him, furious.
Yakuza POV
The girl rounded on him, and his heart quickened. The girl was absolutely stunning, like a supermodel, even though her face was, for some reason, caked in paint. The paint hid most of her features. However, there was no mistaking those large brown eyes, which had looked into his own so many years ago before giving him the scar.
"How dare you?" She snarled. "How dare you attack innocent people like this? It's pathetic. If you're such a wimp that you won't even face someone who can fight back, then you shouldn't be a gang leader."
She took a step closer. "I'd sworn that I'd kill you should we ever meet again. And yes, now I remember you. You're that bastard boy that killed my unarmed grandparents with a freakin' shotgun. Then you tried to kill my parents. But I got there first. It's amazing how sharp fork tines can be. I'm sure you remember how I raked it right down the side of your face."
He reached for his pistol, but the girl picked up a chunk of brick and threw it with astonishing precision and accuracy. It knocked the gun right out of his hand. The gun flew off, landing twenty feet behind him. The girl picked up another brick by flipping it upward with her toe and catching it in her palm, her eyes fixated on him, daring him to turn around and try to reach his gun.
"I remember you now. You're Waru Ban, son of the former gang leader. So, you're the leader now, huh? You're still the same as you were ten years ago. And, now that I think about it, I didn't remember anything about my past until now. Strange."
Waru growled. "So, you're the Katonozuka we've been searching for for so long. You're going down."
The girl smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't be too sure." She chucked the brick at him so quickly he didn't even have time to dodge. It smashed into his temple, and his vision spun. The girl stood over him, her face blurry. She sneered, then hit him in a pressure point. He blacked out.
Ouran POV
Akane smirked as she looked down at the now unconscious form of Waru. Still, she felt a little sad. He couldn't have been more than twenty-five years old, and yet, he was already a killer. He had been corrupted from the moment he was born. There was nothing she could do.
Akane felt Honey climb onto her back. "You okay, Aka-chan?"
"Yeah, I am. Shall we go, before police start coming?"
Mori nodded. "Yeah."
They turned and headed back down the street, continuing their way to the market.
"You what?!!!" Tamaki hollered. He turned the plasma screen TV on in the music room. On the screen, a reporter was talking into a microphone, gesturing at the partially destroyed St. Lobelia's Academy.
"Geez, senpai. Relax. It's not like we were the ones who blew up the school or anything." Akane's voice came from the speaker.
Kyoya sighed from the sofa. "So, they know she's the Katonozuka they're looking for. Now what do we do?"
"Um,actually, I had paint all over my face, courtesy of Honey-senpai. I really doubt he got a good look at my face. He recognized me, that's for sure. But then again, it's been ten years. He can't know for sure it's me if he just sees me walkingdown the street, my face free of paint."
"That's true." Kyoya remarked. "But just in case, we'll prepare something for you. Hurry back as soon as possible. We have a bed ready for you."
"Why do I need a bed?"
"Because until this whole thing blows over, your parents and the rest of us decided it was safest for you if you stayed here at school in the music room. And in case you get lonely, we'll stay here with you."
Akane's sigh crackled over the speaker. "Fine. You don't have to go that far, you know. And what about the other students?"
"Oh, don't worry. See, we've managed to convince the school board to announce winter break a week early, and to extend it an extra week. So, in short, we'll have four and a half weeks of winter break, starting tomorrow. That should give us enough time to think of something else."
Akane sighed again. "Fine. We're on our way." She hung up, and Tamaki closed his phone, turning his attention back to the TV.
"Mommy?"
"Yes?" Kyoya answered.
"What do you think's gonna happen now?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure. But I can say that it won't be pretty."
Akane shut her cell phone. That Kyoya, always on top of everything.
She turned to Mori and Honey. "Well, guess that means our shopping trip is getting cut short. We'll come back some other time."
Mori nodded. "Yeah. Let's go back."
They paid for the groceries, then headed out into the streets. Her breaths formed clouds in the chilly winter air, and the cold stung against her skin.
Together, the three of them walked through the streets back to Ouran.
"You know, this is really freakin' weird." Akane commented at the dinner table. "I mean, eating dinner at school with you guys."
Most of them didn't pay any attention to her, as the twins had started calling Tamaki a pervert again. Haruhi, however, heard her. Then again, she was sitting right next to Akane.
"I know, right? At least the food's great. Hey, Mori-senpai! Pass the fancy tuna, please!" Haruhi called down the table.
"Fancy tuna, huh?" Akane muttered.
"You could say that Haruhi's rather fond of it." Kyoya explained from his seat across from her. He speared a chunk of beef with a fork and ate it. Akane stared. "What?" He asked. "Is something the matter?"
"Oh, no. It's just that this is the first time I've ever seen you actually eat anything."
"Well, I have to eat sometimes, right?"
"Er, yeah." Akane poked at her broccoli.
"Are you not hungry?"
"No. I don't feel too good." Akane reached for her glass of water. Suddenly, her vision spun, and she almost tipped out of her chair.
Kyoya pushed his chair back and hurried over, steadying her. "What's wrong?" He demanded.
Akane blinked, rubbing her eyes, trying to clear her vision. "I feel lightheaded. And dizzy." She mumbled the last few words, then fell face first onto the table, missing her plate by a centimeter. She was unconscious before she even made contact with the tablecloth.
"What's wrong with Akane?" asked Tamaki.
Kyoya turned her over and felt her forehead. "She's burning up with fever. Hurry, get some wet towels. Mori-senpai, Tamaki, help me get her to the sofa."
Haruhi ran off to the bathroom, while Tamaki, Mori, and Kyoya heaved Akane from the chair.
"Gosh, she's heavier than she looks!" Tamaki remarked.
Kyoya ignored him, cradling her head as the three of them gently lowered her onto the sofa. He propped her head up with a cushion. Akane moaned, her cheeks flushed pink. Kyoya frowned and felt her forehead. He swore she felt warmer than she had a minute ago.
Haruhi ran over, her arms full of dripping towels. She folded one and laid it across Akane's forehead. Kyoya stood, looking down at the still form of Akane. Her breaths came in soft gasps. Mori groaned. "A fever. It's bad."
"But how did it get this serious so quickly? One minute she was fine, the next minute she fell face forward and blacked out." Hikaru and Kaoru asked.
Mori frowned, then reached down and began patting Akane down. The twins hollered in protest. "Hey, what're you doing?"
Mori ignored the twins and found what he was looking for. He drew out a clear plastic bag, containing a few small white pills, which he poured out into his palm.
Kyoya's flew open as he recognized the pills. "That's aspirin. So she's been sick for a long time now, if she's carrying medications around. Why didn't she tell us?"
Haruhi knelt next to Akane. "Well, if it were me, I wouldn't want you guys to worry about me if I was sick. I'm sure that's what Akane was thinking."
Kyoya sighed. "What a stupid thing to do."
Haruhi ignored him. "Hey, Mori-senpai. You never told us why the yakuza are hunting down Akane."
Mori sat down in a chair. "I'm not sure. It's possible that they were out for revenge, or saw the Katonozukas as a threat. But I think they're after the Katonozuka fortune."
The twins perked up. "Fortune?"
"Yes. The Katonozukas were extremely wealthy, though they never flaunted their riches, and lived simply. However, the Katonozuka fortune is legendary. As rumor goes, their wealth was beyond even our imagination."
Hikaru frowned. "So, in other words, the Katonozuka fortune---"
"Would make even us look poor." Kaoru finished.
"Exactly." Mori nodded. "And since her parents are gone, Akane is now the heir to her ancestors' wealth. It makes sense that the yakuza are trying so hard to kill her."
Hikaru face-palmed himself. "And you never mentioned this because--?"
"Well, I thought you already knew. After all, the Katonozukas are famous in terms of wealth, if not martial arts skill."
Haruhi groaned. "And is there anything else that you haven't told us but we need to know?"
Mori looked thoughtful, or as thoughtful as it's physically possible for him to look. "Well, the Katonozukas are also like royalty in the world of martial arts. She's a princess to Honey's and my family."
Honey laughed, hugging Usa-chan. "Yay! Princess Aka-chan!"
Kyoya gazed down at Akane's sleeping face. Even with a dripping towel on her forehead and a faint smear of paint on the tip of her nose, she still looked beautiful. Her lips were pink and full, her cheekbones high, her eyebrows in a thin, perfect arch, and her dark lashes were the longest he had ever seen on anyone before. In short, she looked like royalty.
His heart gave a sharp pang as he saw the longing looks on the twins' faces. They both really loved Akane; he didn't stand a chance. He was much too serious for someone like her, and she needed someone who could live a fun, happy life with her. But even so, it didn't keep his heart from soaring when she smiled at him, or laughed her sweet, tinkling laugh.
Suddenly, Akane moaned. Her eyelids fluttered, then opened, revealing her large brown irises. Her gaze locked with his own. "Kyoya-senpai?" She asked. "Why are you upside down?"
He chuckled. "Actually, you might want to look again."
Akane's brow wrinkled, until she realised she was lying down on the sofa. Her cheeks flushed pink. "Oh, sorry, senpai. My bad." She sat up, letting the towel on her head fall into her lap with a 'flop'.
Honey pounced. "Aka-chan! You're a princess!"
Akane frowned. "I am?"
"And you're the heir to a humongous fortune!"
"I am?"
"And---"
Akane held up her hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up. Someone explain to me what's going on."
Haruhi repeated their conversation, while the twins continuously muttered under their breaths about Akane's newfound wealth.
Akane's eyes grew rounder and rounder as Haruhi spoke. "So, I'm royalty?"
"Yup."
"And I'm heir to a fortune that would make me super rich?"
"Yup."
"And that money is what we believe to be the goal of the yakuza?"
"Yup."
Akane clenched her fists. "Those bastards! Stupid, greedy jackasses!"
Kyoya blinked, while the others shrank back at her outburst. "What's the matter, Akane? Aren't you going to celebrate? After all, you're now a princess with more money than all of us combined."
Akane scowled. "Not if my entire family line was murdered in cold blood just for an amount of cash. I swear, if I ever meet Waru again, I'll shoot him through the head!"
Mori stopped her mid-rant. "Calm down. You're forgetting something. Waru isn't after the money, at least not entirely. He's out for revenge."
Akane blinked. "He's still mad at me for that?"
Hikaru and Kaoru cocked their heads. "Mad at you for what?"
Akane glanced over. "Oh, I almost forgot. You guys don't know. Anyways, I first met up with Waru ten years ago. He was probably thirteen, and I was six. Somehow, I still remember that day crystal clear. I was with my parents and grandparents in a room in our home. Suddenly, two shots were fired, and my grandparents slumped forward, both dead."
She sighed, looking down at her lap. "The door was pushed aside, and Waru stood there, a smoking gun in his hand, along with two other gang members. My mother and father tried to protect me, but were engaged in combat with the two gangsters. Waru advanced on me."
"I was scared, yet furious and heartbroken. My grandparents loved me, and I loved them back. Now, both of them lay dead at Waru's feet. I was only six, but I was rather impulsive. Acting on instinct, I grabbed a fork and slashed his face with it before he could reload his gun. Ten years later, he's still partly blind in that eye, and has quite a few nasty scars."
Kyoya and the other Hosts listened, half in horror, half awestruck. So, Waru was a fully fledged killer even at age thirteen. And even so, a six year old Akane had sliced his face with a fork! He didn't know which one scared him more.
Hikaru, Tamaki, and Kaoru back away from Akane uneasily. She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you guys. I'm not gonna attack you with silverware or anything, unless, of course, you make me mad."
Tamaki and the twins flinched, backing up even further.
Akane burst out laughing. "Oh, god, you should've seen your faces! I wouldn't use a fork, knife, or spoon on any of you!"
Haruhi covered her mouth with her hands, snorts of laughter escaping between her fingers. Honey burst into a fit of giggles, and even Mori cracked a smile. Kyoya chuckled softly. She was right. Their faces were priceless.
The twins scowled. "That's not funny!" Then, they bared identical evil grins. "We'll get you back!"
Kyoya sighed as the twins chased Akane around the room, who was still laughing. She did back flips across the tile, bouncing off tables and chairs, giggles erupting every other bounce. Honey whooped in delight before joining her. Haruhi grinned, running after Honey.
Tamaki collapsed into a chair. "Gosh, that was terrifying!"
The corners of Mori's mouth turned up slightly. "Akane is not that kind of a person. She is headstrong, impulsive, and enduring. However, under that hard shell, she's kind and fiercely loyal. This is one of her finest qualities."
Kyoya nodded. "I have to agree. Tamaki, you remember what happened at Lobelia's Academy, when they tried to recruit her? I'm sure that Benio told her many not-so-nice things about us, yet she still fought back to stay at Ouran."
Tamaki blinked. "Oh, yeah. So, she won't attack me with a fork?"
Kyoya sighed. "You hopeless moron."