"And together, they ventured for the prince's kingdom and lived happily ever after. The End." Drawing a long and tired sigh, Arden gently closed the hardcover book.
"Again." Despite it being late into the night, the little girl who laid in the large bed requested with wide-awake eyes. "I want to hear the story again!"
"Again?" Arden raised an eyebrow. "Milady, you are eight years old now, haven't you had enough? How about outgrowing this story already?" He suggested with a wry smile, despite knowing that all his efforts will be futile.
"But I like it..." Sinking further into her pillow, Miki pouted as she pulled the covers over the bottom half of her mouth. "Please, just one more time? There are still so many things I don't understand about this story." She pled with large puppy eyes.
"Oh? What kind of questions would you have for a fairy tale such as this?" Arden questioned.
Holding her hand up in the air, the little girl began to list off her burning questions as she bent her fingers. "Why would the prince regain his sight the moment he and Rapunzel reunited? Why was he even blinded in the first place?"
Arden sweatdropped slightly. "Milady, aren't you overthinking it a little? This is just a fairy tale, after all." He spoke gingerly.
"But these details are too specific to overlook, and I don't understand why would the characters of this story make such weird decisions." The strawberry blonde reasoned with a serious expression. "For example, why did Rapunzel suddenly want to escape her tower?" Pushing herself up from her bed slightly, she continued to argue. "And, isn't her urge to reunite with the prince even after they were separated even weirder? She searched up and down throughout the entire desert for the prince, why would she suddenly gain such a strong dedication to him? And-"
"Alright, alright!" Gesturing for her to lower her voice, Arden chuckled. "I understand. I will read the story once more." He caved in, opening the storybook once again to the first page.
"Yay!" Throwing her hands up in the air, the little girl cheered as she leaned back, plopping onto the soft mattress with an excited grin.
Pausing for a moment, he glanced over at Miki who settled into her bed once again and laid ready for the third storytime of the night. "Though Milady." He called out to her, earning a small 'hm' in reply. "I'm sure one day; you will find the answer to those questions." His eyes crinkled softly before turning his attention back onto the book. "Once upon a time..."
~7:30 a.m.~
Miki shifted onto her side, curling her body into a fetal position as the sunlight that shone through her silk curtains gently poked at her cheek, urging her to awaken from the long, nostalgic dream she was having. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open as it gave into the warmth and coaxing of the morning sun. Blinking a few times as they attempted to adjust to the brightness of the room, she sat up drowsily, allowing strands of her ruffled strawberry brown hair to fall, hang over her shoulder like a drape.
It was the last day of their two-week long spring break, meaning when she attends school the next day, she will begin her final year of high school as an official third-year. Being a little too overly excited about the topic, she spent all of spring break binge-watching coming-of-age dramas with her brother, whom for some reason kept sneaking glances at her as if he had something he wanted to say. However, whenever she pointed out how fidgety and hesitant he was being, Tamaki would always immediately shake his head, claiming that she 'probably wouldn't understand' or that she was 'too pure for the subject.'
The notion confused her.
Letting out a small yawn, Miki reached up to stretch her limbs when a familiar jingle began to play from her bedside table. She glanced over drowsily, taking a moment to register it was, in fact, her phone that was ringing. Leaning over, she grabbed the rose-coloured device, making sure to check the caller ID before answering.
Quite frankly, a loud shriek is not something she'd like to wake up to again.
----------
Incoming call
Hitachiin Kaoru
----------
"Kaoru?" Staring blankly at the name on display screen, Miki cocked her head to the side curiously before flipping the phone open and pressing it against the shell of her ear. "Hello?" She greeted as she flopped back onto her bed lazily.
"Good Morning, Miki-senpai!" Kaoru chimed from the other end of the phone before pausing slightly when he heard the slight rasp in her voice. "Oh sorry, did I wake you up?" He swiftly apologized, feeling a little guilty for waking her up on the last day of spring break.
"No, not at all." Shaking her head, Miki reassured as she stretched her arms upwards once again. "I just woke up as a matter of fact."
"That's good then." He hummed, letting out a sigh in relief. From the light tapping of utensils in the background, it wasn't difficult to deduce that he was most likely still in the middle of breakfast. "Say, didn't you mention you needed to head to the Ootori mansion today? To help Fuyumi-san with something?" He asked.
"Huh?" Miki blinked a few times as her hazy mind slowly attempted to process his words. "Oh, that's right!" She gasped, sitting up from her bed as if his reminder had sent an awakening electric shock through her system. "She said she was in the area, so she asked me to go over there to help her start a new 'Commoner's Gourmet Food' map." She explained before tilting her head to the side. "Why? Is something wrong?" She questioned.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering if you wanted to carpool with me there?" He invited with a hint of mischief laced in his voice.
"Carpool?" Miki repeated curiously.
"Well, I have some things I wanted to discuss with Kyoya-senpai, and I want to get out of here before Hikaru wakes up," Kaoru said nonchalantly. "But I'm pretty sure if I get there early, he's still gonna be sleeping. So I thought I mine as well come pick you up along the way. You know, to kill some time?" He reasoned.
Besides, he was sure Kyoya would love to see her too.
"Of course!" Without a hint of hesitation, Miki nodded enthusiastically. "I'd love to!"
"Great! I'll pick you up in an hour." Kaoru replied cheekily. "Be ready!" He snickered before hanging up the phone.
Flipping her phone shut, Miki swiftly threw her duvet covers off as she swung her legs over the side of her bed. Standing up on the carpeted ground, she began to make her way towards the closet before suddenly halting in her tracks. Slowly turning her head, she glanced over her shoulder, peering back at the king-sized bed with a puzzled expression.
That dream... She was sure it was a memory from her time still trapped in the main mansion with Arden. She blinked a few times, wondering why it would resurface in her mind after so many years.
How strange.
...nce... U ...on ...
~11:30 a.m.~
Kyoya raised an eyebrow at his jam-packed call history. He had just woken up and put on his glasses, and the first thing he had to deal with was the 22 missed calls from Tamaki. He felt his eyebrow twitch as he began to sluggishly scroll through his voice mail, only not even find a message related to what was so damn important for the blond to be calling him since the crack of dawn. He was about to call him back when an unexpected voice sounded next to him.
"Ah! You're awake. I can't believe you slept for so long." In a mixture of shock and confusion, his eyes snapped over to the other side of his bed finding Kaoru of all people; laying on on his stomach and casually reading a book.
As if that wasn't already a surprise enough, another voice chimed from the foot of his bed. "Good Morning, Kyoya-kun!" He whipped his head over, spotting Miki who gave him a sweet smile as she cradled a different book in her arms.
"It's not 'Good Morning' anymore; it's already lunchtime." Sitting up from the bed in a relaxed manner, Kaoru corrected. "Man, I'm starving!" He complained.
"Miki... Kaoru... How long have you two...?" Kyoya mumbled, staring groggily at the two intruders.
"Hmm... About two hours and a half now?" Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, Kaoru stood up with a light hum. "I wanted to make sure to leave the house while Hikaru was still asleep, so I got here early. And since Miki-senpai needed to come and talk to your sister, I brought her along." Covering his mouth, he snickered mischievously.
"Sorry for the intrusion." Closing her book and placing it on his bed, Miki tilted her head slightly. "We'd figured you'd still be asleep, so I suggested we waited in the foyer until you woke up, but then Kaoru ended up dragging me in here." She cupped her cheek as she heaved a small sigh.
"Well, that's because Akito-san almost caught us!" Kaoru justified.
"Ah, I see. My brother must only have afternoon classes today." Kyoya muttered, letting out another yawn.
"I really don't like being around him." Awkwardly scratching the back of his head, Kaoru stated. "He makes me feel so tense. Whenever I come over, he always gives me disapproving looks."
"Really?" Blinking a few times, Miki cocked her head to the side curiously. "Akito-san never does that to me." She informed.
"Wait, really?" Kaoru raised an eyebrow.
"Mhm." She nodded with an airy smile. "He usually just avoids me or calls me an 'airheaded fool' when he thinks I can't hear him." She explained, lifting an all-knowing finger.
"It's amazing how you can say that with a smile..." Kaoru sweatdropped. "Anyways, he always asks me things like what your school life is like or how popular you are." He continued to speak as Kyoya slowly got out of bed. "Why does he do that? It's as if he's trying to monitor your activities to keep you in check or something..." He grumbled in annoyance.
"Kaoru, don't speak ill of my brother." Descending staircase of his room with his two uninvited guests following close behind, Kyoya scolded. "Akito forwent club activities to focus on his studies during high school. He's just irritated because it appears I'm not taking my high school career as seriously." He revealed.
"Why, though?" Miki tilted her head with a troubled expression. "Despite being in a club, you've still always placed first in our grade." She pointed out as Kaoru nodded profusely in agreement.
"Perhaps my older brothers are far ahead of me. They've gone on to achieve great things." Kyoya gave a light shrug. "So until I graduate from university and can stand equal ground with them, I have no right to say anything against them." He admitted.
"But that's-!"
"Which is to say," Cutting off Kaoru's words of protests, Kyoya glanced over his shoulder with a self-satisfying smirk. "When that time finally comes, it will be my turn to shine it last." He proclaimed confidently, watching as Miki and Kaoru's eyes widened in amazement. However, before either of them could say anything else, there was a light knock on his door.
"Miss Miki. Miss Fuyumi is waiting for you in her room." Aijima informed as Tachibana brought in some tea and snacks for Kyoya and Kaoru.
"Oh, I'll be right there!" Nodding enthusiastically, the strawberry blonde hurried out the door. "I'll see you both later then!" She waved at the two with a bright smile.
"See you." Kyoya nodded.
"Have fun!" Kaoru sang.
Seeing that Miki was gone, Kyoya made his way to his dresser and began to change out of his pyjamas while Kaoru moved towards the lounge area of Kyoya's room. As Tachibana poured out the rose tea, his eyes wandered over to his upperclassman, spotting what seemed to be a silver chain around his neck. He raised an eyebrow in estrangement. Kyoya never really strike him as the type to be wearing a necklace for no reason.
"Kyoya-senpai, since when did you wear a necklace?" He decided to ask.
"This thing?" Peering down at the silver tag necklace resting on his bare chest, Kyoya hummed before allowing his expression to soften into what could only be nostalgia. "It was a gift." He simply replied.
Kaoru blinked a few times at his vague answer before an idea flashed across his mind. Covering his mouth, he attempted to hide the wide grin that began to form on his lips. "Hehe~" He chuckled. "Could it be from Miki-"
"Well? What was so important you felt the urge to sneak into a sleeping person's bedroom uninvited, my ill-mannered underclassmen?" Not allowing him to finish his sentence, Kyoya swiftly finished changing and lunged forth, grinding his knuckles into either side of Kaoru's head and effectively noogie-ing the boy.
"OWWW! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Comically flailing his arms, Kaoru yelped as he struggled to escape his upperclassman's form of torture. "I came to discuss with you about something interesting I found!" He explained, rubbing the sides of his head in pain. "You know how you told me the other day about the chairman's subordinate who went missing?" He asked, plopping down onto one of the couches.
"Yes. What of it?" Moving over to the lounge area, Kyoya sat down on the opposite side of the coffee table.
"Have you heard of any other strange incidents involving the chairman? Because I've been looking into the matter a bit myself." Kaoru revealed. "You've heard of Dr. Alleman, right?"
"You mean Tamaki's mother's physician?" Picking up one of the teacups, Kyoya brought it close to his lips. "He retired two years ago. His whereabouts are unconfirmed." He asserted.
"No, they're not. I tried sending an email to him." Kaoru said.
"Kaoru..." Kyoya stared blankly at his underclassman. "You aren't afraid of making rash moves, are you?"
"It turns out he's a friend of a friend of my dad's, so I was able to get his private email address." Kaoru shrugged.
Heaving a small sigh at how bold of a move Kaoru took, Kyoya went back to sipping on his morning tea. "And? What excuse did you make up for writing to him?" He questioned.
"I wrote, 'I'm visiting France, and I was really hoping to meet you. I really want to become a doctor when I grow up!'" Kaoru recited as he reached out to stuff a biscuit in his mouth. "I made myself sound like a disgustingly sweet and earnest 10-year-old, so he probably couldn't refuse to answer." He laughed dryly. "To keep up the act, I even misspelled a few words here and there. Soon after I got a reply from his wife that said, 'Just between us, the doctor isn't here right now. Keep this a secret okay?'" He said.
"You would make a great con-artist..." Kyoya sweatdropped.
"I guess adults can't lie in the face of the child's pure innocence," Kaoru spoke with almost what seemed to be pride laced in his voice. "Then, through a friend of a friend of my dad's relative, I learned another interesting piece of information." Leaning forward, he rested an elbow on his knee before propping his chin on his hand. "Did you know? The disease milord's mom has is a serious one, and there is no cure for it yet. When someone infected with it reaches adulthood, that person will begin to deteriorate rapidly." He reported, causing Kyoya's eyes to round in shock. "So then, why did milord's mother appear to be in perfectly good health when you met her?" He pointed out rhetorically.
"That's..." Kyoya's eyes shifted from left to right, becoming astounded by this new information.
"Speaking of which, Kyoya-senpai," Kaoru spoke again as he leaned back on his seat once more. "On an unrelated note, I had a few questions I wanted to ask. I've been wondering about this for a while now, even more so after you brought it up. Between Milod and Miki-senpai, Milord was the one that was given the bastard-status despite being older, right?" He hummed, crossing his arms over his chest. "But logically speaking, wasn't Miki-senpai the first to be... erm... created?" He described awkwardly. "So then, why was she born later than milord? It just doesn't make sense."
Kyoya paused for a few moments as his gaze dulled. "I have wondered about that before as well." He revealed reluctantly. "And though I do have a couple of ideas, I cannot be quite certain. The only one who should know exact details of how it happened is most likely limited to Miki's mother, Elisa Fernández." He said with a hint of guardedness in his tone.
"Milord and Miki-senpai... They both mean a lot to you, don't they?" Kaoru said through fits of laughter.
"What would you say that?" Calmly peering over his teacup, Kyoya raised an eyebrow.
"Because look at the evidence." Opening his palm, Kaoru gestured both Kyoya and the coffee table. "All this research and time you put in, just to make sure neither of them will end up hurt. It's a lot to do for just 'their sake,' isn't it?" He snickered cheekily.
Kyoya's eyes widened in surprise for a brief moment before allowing his gaze to drop towards the light-brown tea that carried his reflection within. "I was under the belief that if Tamaki realizes feelings for Haruhi, it would mean the end of the host club." He admitted wryly. "There was also the possibility he'd step aside for Hikaru, but either way, it didn't seem possible that things would continue as before. Ever since that day Haruhi became a member of our club, I figured I should resign myself to it if that's things were going to play out. But then," He paused for a moment as a gentle smile spread across his face. "That girl came storming into our lives without even as much as a warning. She took everything I thought I understood and completely flipping them on their heads. And now, things haven't ended up as how I predicted." His eyes shifted to the side as he continued. "Especially that fool, his idiocy has always exceeded my expectations time and time again. That's why," He sighed. "I've also decided to stop regarding this as just a bit of fun during high school, thinking it's only temporary." He spoke softly before allowing his brows to knit close. "That's also why if anyone tries anything that will harm either of them. I'll..." His voice trailed off.
"Hmm..." Hearing his declaration, Kaoru hummed thoughtfully. "Then maybe you should stop playing around with Miki-senpai now, shouldn't you?" He pointed out before feeling a chill jolt up his spine as Kyoya shot him a look that told him he was being too nosy. "Well, what I mean is that you should have a little more faith in her." He rushed to explain himself. "You said that if you were to explain to her the emotions she feels towards you, she would become something like a puppet without a clear mind in the relationship, right? While I would believe that if you were talking about her a few months back, but now I really don't think that's the case anymore." He speculated. "You saw how she handled herself during that birthday event; she's starting to become more independent by the day." Still seeing that Kyoya's unconvinced expression on Kyoya's face, he continued. "She has surprised you many times before, hasn't she? Maybe these are one of those moments." He suggested, lifting an all-knowing finger.
...a... Tim...e ...
~5:00 p.m.~
"I apologize for dragging you here on your break, Miki-san." Sitting in Fuyumi's room of the Ootori mansion, the two ladies sat across each other as they enjoyed some afternoon tea in the seating area.
"It was no trouble at all." Miki quickly waved her hand. "In fact, I'm honoured you called on me, and this map turned out amazing." She beamed, turning to stare at the freshly drawn 'Commoner's Gourmet Food Map.' It was a large-scale painting of Japan that spanned across one of the more spacious concrete walls of Fuyumi's room, colour-coded and labelled by regions and provinces, even going as far as drawing the little landmarks of the area for that extra amount of detail.
"Yes. I especially loved all the little icons you designed for the specialty foods; they look lovely with the bright colours of the map." Fuyumi chimed as she took another sip of her tea, before glancing over to admire the finished product. "Though, I can't believe we had to expand the scale of the map all the way to Hokkaido." She noted. "Well, I suppose that only means more gourmet food for Tamaki-san and I to try out. I'm quite looking forward to that." She said as she cupped her cheek dreamily. "Of course, you are welcome to join us whenever you'd like, Miki-san."
"Really?! I can come too?" Miki twinkled.
"I don't see why not." Fuyumi chuckled softly as she scraped the bottom of her cup on it's matching saucer. "You may someday become my sister-in-law, after all. It would be nice to spend more time together." She added brightly.
Miki was about to take a sip from her cup before flinching midway as what Fuyumi said finally processed through her mind. "Sister-in-law?" She repeated, staring up blankly at Fuyumi.
"My," Hearing the confusion in her voice, Fuyumi's eyes rounded. "Has there been no development between you and Kyoya-san since the school festival?" She questioned in disbelief.
"Huh?"
"Oh, dear." Placing her cup down on the saucer with one hand, Fuyumi cover her lips with the other in surprise. "You're much denser than I expected." Then tapping a finger to her chin, she hummed thoughtfully before allowing a small mischievous smile to curl on her lips. "Tell me Miki-san, is there any you want out of your relationship from Kyoya-san?" She asked with a teasing head tilt.
"Kyoya-kun?" Miki's gaze flickered up for a few moments as she was lost in thought. "Not really." She replied, hesitating slightly.
Fuyumi's eyes crinkled slightly."Why is that?" She pursued, trying to refrain her grin from widening.
Hearing that question, Miki's eyes line dropped down towards the tea rippling gently before her. "Because Kyoya-kun has always been so kind to me." She said absently. "Wouldn't it be greedy of me to want anything more from him?"
"Of course not!" Shaking her head, Fuyumi immediately shot down the notion. "Listen to me, Miki-san. If you want something from Kyoya-san, just ask him for it. I'm sure he'll be more than delighted to accommodate you, no matter what your request is." She suggested as she lifted a finger along with giving a close-eyes smile.
"Really?" The blonde gasped lightly.
"Mhm!" Resting her hands on her lap, Fuyumi nodded happily. "After all, you are very precious to Kyoya-san." She stated.
Miki's eyes widened at Fuyumi's comment. I am... precious to Kyoya-kun? The idea resounded through her mind like a water droplet that rippled through a still pond of water. Now that she thought about it, she never pondered about how Kyoya saw her as a person. The only thing she really knew was that he viewed her as a 'benefit' to himself, just a tool to serve his goals. But... Did people ever see their tools as 'precious'?
As far as she knew, they didn't.
The thought confused her severely.
However, before she could formulate a response to Fuyumi's words, there was a knock on the door as it was thrown open to reveal Kaoru. "Hello? Miki-senpai? Fuyumi-san?" Poking his head in, he greeted the two with a weary look.
"Kaoru?" Instantly recognizing that voice, Miki whipped her head around. "What are you doing here?" She asked curiously.
"Well, I'll be heading home soon." The ginger informed as stepped into the room, ruffling his hair nonchalantly. "Shouldn't you be too? It's almost 5:15 p.m, Milord is gonna lose his mind worrying about you." He pointed out with a dry laugh.
"Ah!" Snapping her gaze up to the clocking hanging above the double doors, Miki gasped. "It's already this time!? I need to call Koganei-san!" She said, scrambling off to find her phone.
"Fufufu..." Watching as the strawberry blonde pulled her phone out of her bag, Fuyumi chuckled endearingly. "Having Tamaki-san as an elder brother. Miki-san, you're fortunate." She said in amusement.
"I can only imagine how much of a hassle it is..." Kaoru sweatdropped with a deadpanned smile.
Flipping the rose gold top open, Miki quickly scrolled through her contact numbers to find the Suoh family driver before freezing up. "Eh?" She blinked a few times, noticing something was slightly off on her dial screen.
"Hm? Is something wrong?"
Miki clicked around a few times, trying to see if she could solve the problem prematurely with no avail. Brows knitting together, she flipped the device around to show Kaoru. "My phone says it has no service." She informed.
"Let me see." Taking the phone from his upperclassman, Kaoru raised an eyebrow. Sure enough, whenever he tried to dial anyone's number, the simple message of the phone having 'No Service' would pop up.
"That's strange... The cellphone reception should be pretty good in this house." Glancing over his shoulder at the screen, Fuyumi cupped her cheek in thought. "Would you like to use the home phone instead?" She offered.
"Nah, it's fine." Kaoru hummed as he scratched the back of his head. "I could just give her a lift home." He proposed, casually toss the phone back towards Miki.
"Would that be alright with you?" Cocking her head to the side, Miki asked.
"Of course." Kaoru immediately reassured her with an enthusiastic thumbs up. "We carpooled here, to begin with, I don't see why we can't do the same heading back." He shrugged.
"Alright!" Giving a brisk nod, Miki beamed. "Thank you, Kaoru."
"What're friends for?" Returning her radiant smile with a bright grin of his own, Kaoru replied before checking his phone for the time. "Well then, we should start heading towards the main entrance now," He suggested. "The limo will be here soon."
"Ah! But I forgot my book in Kyoya-kun's room." Tapping her index finger to her bottom lips, Miki gasped lightly. "I'll go get it now!" She announced before throwing her bag over her shoulder and dashing out of Fuyumi's room.
... the...re ... wa...s...
~5:15 p.m.~
Kyoya stood on the upper level of his room, staring down at Miki's book that she had left on his bed. Gently, he picked the book up, glazing his fingers across the geometric design printed on the hardcover. As usual, it was some book about colour and design theory that he and many others would know little about. His eyes dulled as his mind wandered back to Kaoru's little advice from earlier in the day.
This was the second time someone has suggested for him to have a little more faith in Miki.
It wasn't like he didn't have any faith in her. As a matter of fact, he felt as if he could entrust her with many things he wouldn't be able to with others. But when it came down to subjects that related to her well-being, both physically and mentally...
"Kyoya-kun?"
... Just a little... He'd lose his mind.
Turning on the ball of his foot, Kyoya peered down beyond the top floor railings of his room. Sure enough, he could recognize that voice anywhere he went. Miki stood at the door, staring up at him with her usual blank expression.
"Kyoya-kun, if you want to go back to sleep, you should wait a little, you know?" Cocking her head to the side, Miki suggested seriously.
Kyoya felt his eyebrow twitch at her obvious statement. "I'm not going back to sleep." He grumbled in irritation, making his way towards the stairs that led to the lower floor of his room, book in hand.
"Then what were you doing up there?" Moving forward to meet him at the base of the staircase, Miki asked, only to freeze when she saw the book he carried in his arms. "Ah!" She gasped, pointing at the familiar object.
Approaching her, Kyoya extended his arm to gently bop the base of the book atop of her head. "You came back to get this, didn't you?" He smirked.
"Yes!" Nodding curtly, Miki reached up to take the book from him and cradled it in her arms. A relieved smile spread across her cheeks as she tenderly caressed the hardcover. "Thank you very much," Glancing up, she gave him a small bow in gratitude. "I'd be troubled if I lost this."
"A gift from the chairman?" Kyoya assumed.
"Mhm! It's a signed pre-release too!" Miki added proudly.
Seeing her excitement over something as simple as a signed book, Kyoya huffed out a small laugh. "Is Koganei-san coming to pick you up soon?" Switching the topic, he asked.
"Oh, I'm actually leaving with Kaoru," Miki informed. "My phone said it didn't have any service, so he's giving me a ride home." She said with a wry smile.
"I see." Humming, Kyoya turned away from her for a moment as he looked out the large sliding glass doors. He watched in silence as the orange and gold rays of sunlight stretched far across the horizon, creating a red to orange hue on the early April sunset. It emitted a soft light into the room, casting both of their shadows onto the wooden flooring that grew longer with each passing second. "What is it?" He questioned, not bothering to cast the blonde a second glance as he could feel her curious gaze lingering on him.
"Kyoya-kun," Holding her book closer to her chest, Miki stared directly at him with probing eyes. "There is something I want from you, is that okay?" She requested.
Kyoya raised an eyebrow at her odd behaviour. "If I recall correctly, I lost that bet from two weeks ago." Shifting his gaze to the side, he reminded nonchalantly. "So either way, I need to endure a punishment game, don't I?" He pronounced.
"Ah, that's right..." Averting her eyes slightly, Miki hummed absently as she began to rock her weight back and forth. "So that means I can have anything I want, right?" Turning her focus back to him, she playfully asked once more, placing her emphasis on the word 'anything.'
Closing his eyes, Kyoya heaved a sigh at how many times he had to repeat it. "Of course-" He was about to continue and reiterate the rules of their bet when he felt something soft graze against his lips. It felt like a gentle breeze, brushing over his skin with a taste of lingering warmth before disappearing almost as quickly as if came. His eyes shot open in disbelief as he processed what had just occurred, just in time to see the girl with strawberry brown hair pull away from the small peck with a dust of pink on her cheeks.
"That's what I want from you, Kyoya-kun." Bathing in the faint tangerine glow of the sunset, Miki announced brightly as she gave him her signature radiant smile.
Lose his mind... huh?
With that little stunt, Kyoya lost what little sense of self-control he held onto when it came to her. "You brought this on yourself." He muttered to no one in particular as his body moved forward on its own. His hand swiftly encircled around her shoulder, pulling her close as if it were second nature while the other gently caressed her jaw, lifting her face towards him. He took a moment to observe her, watching with a smirk as her hazel eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and wonder. Then, drunk on his only desire to touch her, he directed her lips towards his and kissed her without hesitation. He felt her breath hitch momentarily at the strangely familiar sensation, but before long, she voluntarily kissed him back, pressing a shaky palm against his chest as her knees began to wobble.
Despite her weakening stance, Kyoya had no intentions of letting her go. Instead, he directed her body up against the walls next to the sliding glass doors to better support her weight. Snaking his arm around her neck, he cradled the base of her head and deepened the kiss. She made him wait too long. She tempted him too much. There was no way he would let her go so easily.
Miki's hand gently clawed at his clothes as her mind began to spin. She had neither the strength nor urge to resist him. So she resigned herself to him, indulging in the sweetness that tingled throughout her body and accepting the kisses that came over and over, sinking deeper and deeper each time.
Sensing that she was running out of breath, Kyoya finally broke the kiss. Panting softly, he leaned down to rest his forehead against hers, watching with a smug sense of pride as she struggled to regulate her breathing once again.
Miki peered up at Kyoya with misty eyes and flushed cheeks, emphasized even more by the sunset hue that emitted into the room. "Kyoya-kun..." She whispered through her parted lips, unable to say anything else. As feverish as she felt, she wanted to do that again. It was a new, special feeling. Something she knew that only Kyoya could give to her, no matter how many people she was to meet.
Something unique to Kyoya-kun...
She didn't hate the thought of that.
But...
What's the name of that feeling?
"We'll talk about this another time." As she was lost in thought, she hadn't noticed that Kyoya was slowly backing away from her, giving her space to move freely again.
"Eh?" She sounded, not understanding what he meant.
"Kaoru is waiting for you." He reminded with his usual snarky expression. "Besides, if I keep you here any longer, your brother is going to start bothering me even more than necessary."
"Ah! That's right..." Shifting her eyes to the side wistfully, a small pout began to form on her lips.
Sensing her unwillingness to leave him, Kyoya couldn't help but feel a hint of victory rise within himself. Gently poking her on the forehead, he brought his face closer to hers. "We'll talk about this next time, alright?" He smirked.
Blinking a few times at the familiar gesture, Miki then broke into a sweet smile. "Promise?" She asked, tilted her head slightly.
"Promise." He assured, planting a feathery kiss on her forehead.
... a... bea...utif... ul...
~5:45 p.m.~
After finally sending off Miki and Kaoru in the Hitachiin limo, Kyoya closed his room door behind him with a weary sigh. His eyes almost instantly darted over to the wall next to the sliding glass doors. He couldn't help but allow a wide smirk form on his lips once again as he thought back to the events that transpired merely half an hour ago.
"What a troublesome woman..." He uttered to no one in particular.
It was just as Kaoru had predicted, Miki had taken him by surprise yet again. Now all he had to hope was Tamaki wouldn't give him an hour-long lecture about taking care of her as he was predicting.
Oh... My phone. The thought of Tamaki reminded him of the 22 missed calls from earlier that morning before Miki and Kaoru appeared in his room, uninvited. Pacing up the stairs, he picked up his phone that was lost in the bedsheets somewhere, only to sweatdrop when he was met with a missed call count of 46. He must've panicked when Miki disappeared. He thought to himself before noticing that during the blond's final call attempt, he had left a voicemail. Clicking into it, he pressed his phone against his ear with a brow raise.
"Kyoya?! Come on; you can't still be sleeping!" Tamaki's boisterous voice immediately poured through the speakers, causing Kyoya to instantly regret all of his life choices. "I heard that Miki went over to your place this morning to see Fuyumi-san. Make sure she's back home for dinner! But that's not why I'm calling right now. Listen, I've got some big news, so prepare yourself!" He cleared his throat. "I'm moving into the main mansion!"
Kyoya's eyes rounded.
"In fact, I'm heading over there right now to greet my grandmother! I guess the power of my charms finally won her over, huh? Okay, I'll call you again later!" With that, the voice message came to an end, leaving Kyoya in a state of confusion.
Was this the reason the lawyer was tailing Tamaki? Does it mean this was the chairman's aim all along? His brows knitted together as his jaw tightened. It's no use. He thought to himself as he readjusted his glasses. I can't discern the chairman's motives.
But I have a bad feeling about this.
Deciding it would be best to call Tamaki back to get the details of the situation, Kyoya quickly dialled his best friend's number and pressed his phone against his ear once more.
Ring... Ring...
Ring... Ring...
"Hello! This is Tamaki! I'm most likely extremely busy right now, so please leave a message, and I'll be sure to get back to you later-"
Kyoya swiftly hung up as he grit his teeth in frustration. The pressuring sensation against his chest immediately shot up once his call went into an automated message system - something Tamaki would never allow despite how obnoxious that self-recorded message was. Deciding it would be best to head over to the Second Mansion to get a better understanding of the situation, Kyoya swiftly began to move down the stairs when his phone began to ring once again.
Thinking it was Tamaki, he quickly peered down only for the tension to momentarily leave him as the number was one he didn't recognize. He raised an eyebrow at the caller ID's area code.
+34...?
Spain?
Hesitantly, he answered the phone.
"Hello? Is this Master Ootori?" A recognizable voice quickly flooded his ears, confusing Kyoya.
"Arden-kun?"
"I apologize for calling you on such short notice," Arden was breathing heavily. Kyoya could hear his rapid footsteps in the background like he was rushing somewhere. He sounded tired, frantic and almost... afraid. "I couldn't reach milady, and she's mentioned she was going to be at your place today. Is she there right now? Please let me speak to her immediately!" He requested anxiously.
"Miki is not here right now. She just went home." Picking up the terror in his tone, Kyoya began to tense up in suit. "What's the matter?"
Arden cussed under his breath. "Master Ootori, I beg of you, please stop her immediately!" He instructed gravely. "Do not let her step into the Second Mansion!" He warned, causing the feeling that had been lingering on Kyoya's mind to grew even heavier with every passing second.
"Arden," Completely fed up with how much he was beating around the bush, Kyoya began to speak in a harsh tone as he dropped the honorifics. "Tell me right now, what has happened to Miki?" He enunciated.
There was a long-held silence before Arden finally broke. "Milady... Milady's custodianship has been transferred once again." He revealed in anguish. "And this time..." He swallowed hard. "This time, it's gone to Mistress Shizue."
Kyoya felt his blood run cold.
My phone said it didn't have any service.
Was it really just that?
Taking a deep breath, he did the best he could to remain calm. "Where are you right now?" He asked, shifting his eyes towards his phone.
"I am hurrying back as quickly as I can," Arden replied. "But the Suoh cooperation seems to have fired me from my position as a staff member, so I've lost all privileges to immediate flight booking." He said with a hint of spite laced within his voice. "The earliest flight I can take into Tokyo is next week. So please, you must go warn her in my place." He requested once more.
With his jaw clenching, Kyoya grunted. All of his unfavourable suspicions towards the Suoh family is coming true one by one, and it didn't seem like it was going to stop from there. "I'm going to check on her now." He said, rushing down the stairs. "Send over your information; I'll have Tachibana to arrange something for you to get here as soon as possible." He notified.
"Please don't concern yourself over me. I will get there on my own means as soon as possible" Arden asserted before pausing for a few moments. "I'm counting on you, Master Ootori." He then stated sincerely.
Hanging up the phone, Kyoya slammed his room door open in a fit of frustration. "Tachibana." He called out urgently.
"Yes, sir." The man in sunglasses appeared almost instantly.
"Bring the car to the front immediately. We are headed to the Second Suoh mansion." He instructed sharply, leaving no room for arguments.
"Yes, sir." Without question, Tachibana complied.
As he began to make his way towards the front of the mansion where the limo would be waiting, Kyoya swiftly dialled Kaoru's number.
"Hello?" Within two rings, Kaoru greeted his upperclassman in a carefree manner, completely unaware of has transpired in his absence. "Kyoya-senpai? Did-"
"Where's Miki?" Cutting him off, Kyoya interrogated.
"Huh? Miki-senpai?" Estranged by how impatient he was being, Kaoru hummed. "I dropped her off a couple of minutes ago. Is something wrong-" Before he could even finish his asking his question, Kyoya had hung up the phone.
Miki!
... g...irl... tr...ap...ped ...
~6:00 p.m.~
"Master Kyoya, I cannot move in any closer." Pulling over to the side of the street, Aijima informed his young master solemnly. "The gates are closed, and there are moving trucks crowding at the front gate." He announced.
I don't like our chances here.
Brows knitting closer together, Kyoya peered out the window, spotting what seemed to be Shima and the staff of the Second Mansion standing around the moving trucks. "Wait here for a moment." He instructed the three bodyguards before opening the car door and rushing out. "Shima-san!" He called out to the elderly woman, drawing the attention of all the servants who watched at him with grim expressions.
"Master Kyoya." The housekeeper of the Second Suoh Mansion greeted him with a small nod in acknowledgment.
"What is going on here?" Kyoya raised an eyebrow, eyes sweeping across the familiar faces who all avoided his piercing gaze as they continued to pile their pieces of luggage into the moving vans. Even Antoinette was standing outside next to one of the maids, whimpering sadly with her tail hanging low. "Why are you all carrying suitcases?" He questioned.
"Master Tamaki will not be returning to the Second Mansion," Shima informed, watching as Kyoya's expression tensed. "The other servants are all being scheduled to begin working at a new place of employment starting tomorrow, and thus we are packing for our leave." She said, gesturing the various staff members of the mansion who lowered their heads in a bow.
"Was this done under the Director's orders?" Kyoya proceeded cautiously.
"Naturally, this is the will of the madame." Shima's eyes shifted to a downcast as she continued to speak. "We were prepared from the start." She admitted, though her reluctant tone seemed to contradict her words. "We knew this day would come eventually, and we had been instructed by Master Yuzuru to act in accordance with the madame's wishes when the time came." She revealed, causing Kyoya to flinch at the new piece of information.
By the chairman...?
"What about Miki?" He pursued, recomposing his posture in an effort to remain calm. "What will happen to her now that you all are leaving?" He pointed out.
At the mention of that specific name, the air that surrounded the front gates of the Second Suoh Mansion seemed to have suddenly shifted. Kyoya's eyes narrowed, noting that the atmosphere had taken a rigid turn. The staff members to shuffled nervously, exchanging unsure glances among themselves as if they had something they wanted to say but were forbidden to. In the silence that ensued, Shima stepped in once again.
"I apologize, but we do not know anyone by that name." She assured diligently, though the pained expression she wore as she spoke seemed to tell a different story entirely. Kyoya opened his mouth, about the point out those blatant lies when Shima continued. "We are truly saddened we shall no longer have the privilege of watching over Master Tamaki as he continues to grow." She stated as she, along with the other staff members all lowered their head, bowing to show the utmost sincerity towards him. "Please take good care of yourself as well, Master Kyoya." She said before allowing the staff to scatter.
Kyoya watched in a mixture of confusion and disbelief as the maids, butlers and chefs each boarded their individual moving vans. One by one, they exited out of the long driveway and turned onto the main street that led towards the city, leaving him standing before the firmly shut gates of Second Mansion.
All except one.
In his perplexed state, he hadn't noticed a single maid who stood behind the thinning crowd, holding the handle of her suitcase before her with both hands, watching. Her platinum blonde hair that was usually tied up in a neat bun was now let down, swaying gently with the spring breeze that blew from the side.
"Master Kyoya..." Finally, she decided to call out to him.
Startled by the sudden voice, Kyoya snapped his head around. Instantly, he recognized her as the maid who was always accompanying Miki during her time in the second mansion. "You are..." His brows furrowed slightly.
"Suzuno, sir." Placing her suitcase down, the woman lowered her head in a bow. Taking a few moments, she slowly lifted her head, meeting his probing gaze. "I..." She paused, hesitating for a few moments before biting her bottom lip and solidifying her resolve. "I am fully aware of the consequences and retribution I could face for revealing such information," She admitted. "But I feel like you must be informed of this. Miss Miki is such a sweet girl. She does not deserve to be treated this way." She said, almost as if she were trying to reassure herself that what she was about to do was the correct choice.
Taking a deep breath, Kyoya took a step closer to her. "Where is she right now?" He asked calmly.
"Miss Miki... She..." Suzuno's voice trailed off as she cast the grand mansion a solemn glance.
...in a... to...we... r...
~5:45 p.m.~
"I'm home!" Seeing the door open as usual, Miki chimed excitedly as she took a step forward into the Second Suoh Mansion, only to be met with an empty grand hall and complete silence. She blinked a couple of times, a little confused to why she didn't receive anything in reply. Usually, be it a mixture of Tamaki and Suzuno's compliant 'Welcome home!'s and Antoinette's excited barks or Shima's stern reminder of maintaining an elegant image, at least a couple of the staff would be present to greet her. She cocked her head to the side as she glanced over at the door. "Hello?" Figuring that the giant doors couldn't have moved without out anyone operating it, she peeked her head around the corner only to jump back in surprise when she came face to face with a man she's never seen before. "Oh!" She gasped, covering her lips with the tips of her fingers. "Sorry, you startled me." She admitted with a wry chuckle, quickly examining the man from head to toe. He looked to be in his mid to late 30s, dressed in a different butler's uniform than the ones she was used to seeing in the mansion. "Are you new here?" She asked with a curious head tilt. "I don't recognize you."
"Yes, my name is Kouhei." Still holding onto the door with one hand, the butler pressed his other against his chest as he bowed his head. "I will be serving you from here on out." He announced seriously.
"I see." Readjusting her bag over her shoulder, Miki nodded in understanding. "Then I am in your care, Kouhei-san." Lowering her head to a small bow, Miki flashed the man a warm smile before allowing her eyes to dart around the room in search for anyone else in the main hall. "By the way, where is everyone else?" She hummed.
"They are currently busy." Without much emotion in his voice, Kouhei informed. "Dinner will be ready soon, please feel free to retire to your room, Milady." He asserted.
"Oh. Okay..." Though a little put off by his flat tone, Miki nodded compliantly. Tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear, she turned on the ball of her foot and began to make her way towards the grand staircase when...
Miki!
"Huh?" As if she had heard someone desperately calling out to her, Miki whipped her head around, just in time to see the large wooden doors of the Second Suoh mansion close shut, sealing the last rays of sunlight out of the darkened hall.
Click!
That sound of the lock sliding into place rang crystal clear in the empty Main Hall, jolting an unpleasant tingling sensation throughout her limbs as well as a strange sensation that began to crawl under her skin. It was that feeling again. The terror of being trapped, the urge to leave and the need to escape. Faintly, she could feel her pulse palpitate as her heart began hammering against her chest and echoing against her eardrums, blocking all sounds out. "Kouhei-san." She addressed the man shakily.
"Yes? Is something the matter?" Almost as if nothing had happened, Kouhei responded.
"Why did you call me that?" She questioned stiffly, feeling her voice choke at the back of her throat.
"Pardon me?"
"'Milady.'" She elaborated, slowly taking steps backward to get away from him as a theory she prayed was false began to formulate in her mind. "Why are you calling me that? I never permitted you to refer to me as 'Milady.' Where is everyone?" She repeated her question, double-checking her surroundings once more.
Realizing that she had caught onto what was happening, Kouhei clicked his tongue. He'd been told that she was a pretty naive and clueless girl and that he'd have at least have a couple of days before she could even begin to suspect something was wrong. Heaving a small sigh in frustration, he closed his eyes. "From this day forward, they are none of your concern." He then stated firmly.
"What are you talking about?" Miki's breathing began to grow uneven as she pressed her lips together in distress. "Where is Tamaki-kun? Suzuno? Shima-san? What have you done to them?!"
"I didn't do anything to them," Kouhei explained calmly. "But you will not be leaving this mansion from this day forward. It was the madame's wishes." He informed with a polite bow of his head.
Miki's eyes rounded as she flinched. The first thing she wanted to do was to collapse on her knees as her legs felt as if they were ready to give out beneath her at any moment in time. But instead of allowing herself to submit to the terror that grappled her body, she dug her nails into her palms, jolting herself to break through the stiffness of her limbs and sprint around the stairs and towards the back of the mansion.
"Milady!" Startled by her sudden movements, Kouhei followed in suit.
Miki sprinted through the empty kitchen and dining room as quickly as her legs could take her, trying her best not to stumble over anything and fall. As she thought, the mansion was completely empty. Other than she and that butler, there was no one else; not even Antoinette was anywhere in sight. She dashed into one of the many salons, arriving before a large, wall-length glass sliding door. For a few moments, a slither of hope began to shine through her situation just like the tangerine hue that shone into the salon through the glass doors. Placing her hands around the handle, she attempted to pull it open with no avail. Thinking that is was simply locked, she reached to the wall beside to unlock it only to find a familiar looking card reader panel in place of the usual hook mechanism.
She's seen that device.
It was the same card reader that was beside the door in her room in the main mansion.
"Milady, please calm down."
Snapping her head around, Miki pressed her back against the cold glass with a dreadful expression as she glared at Kouhei. "Let me out of here! Right now!" She demanded.
"I regret to inform you that the House is on lockdown; no one will be able to exit without a specific keycard." Narrowing his eyes at how rash she was behaving, Kouhei pronounced clearly before extending an inviting hand towards the blonde. "Now, would you please come with me-"
"Don't come any closer!" Watching him take a step closer, Miki instantly reacted by sliding her tote bag down into her hands and swung it towards him, forcefully smacking him across the head before bolting past straight past him as the man attempted to recollect himself after the impact.
"Milady!"
Ignoring his cries for her to stop, Miki made her way back into the main hall and up the staircase. Her legs were exhausted, her arms hurt that swinging attack, and her mind was on fire. Despite all that, she didn't slow her steps for anything or anyone. There was no way she was going to let some second-rate replacement of Arden get anywhere close to her.
As she arrived at the hallway that separated her and Tamaki's room, she was about to turn left towards her room, only to freeze when she noticed the familiar card reader next to the large doors to her room.
Possibly due to her split second of hesitation or the fact that she didn't have enough stamina to outrun a grown man, Kouhei had caught up to her. "You should retire to your room, Milady-" He gingerly took a step closer, speaking as if she were some sort of wild animal he was trying to ease back into its pen.
Snapping her head around, Miki's body tense. Her eyes swiftly darted over to Tamaki's room, confirming that there was no card reader there before dashing in. "Don't you dare call me that!" Placing a hand on the edge of the door, she shouted in a commanding tone she never knew she could use. "There is only one person in this world that can call my 'Milady,' and it's not you!" She declared before slamming the door to her brother's room close, hurriedly turning the lock as to prevent the man from coming in.
" Please open this door! Milady! That is not your room!"
As Kouhei knocked on the securely locked double doors, Miki began to pant heavily as she dropped her bag at the side, attempted to make sense of what was happening. Her heart was racing a mile per minute, not helped by the fact that she had just willingly locked herself into a closed room, with no escape. She returned home to find that not only everyone in the Second Mansion had vanished, but Tamaki was nowhere to be found either. There was a stranger, claiming to be her 'new butler' and familiar card reader locks had been installed throughout the house.
It was the madame's wishes.
She sucked in a sharp breath as those words began to echo in her mind, shooting a bone-rattling shiver up her spine. As if she were still trying to disprove her theory, Miki glanced over her shoulder, holding her hands before her chest.
Kuma-chan.
Other than the brown stuffed bear sitting atop the neatly made bed, all of Tamaki's belongings had been stripped clean. His closet was empty, his bookshelves were cleared, and his collectables were bared. In fact, if it weren't for Kuma-chan, Miki could've fooled herself to believe that she was in any other guest room within the mansion. She took a staggering step forward, only to collapse to her knees in horror. Staring blankly ahead at the empty room, the reality of the situation finally began to sink in.
She was trapped.
"Kyoya-kun... Tamaki-kun... Everyone..." She called out in a trembling voice as her hands dropped limply to her lap. "What should I do...?" She whispered dreadfully.
The Second Suoh Mansion, a place where she had longed to live in, had become her new prison.
Once Upon a Time, there was a beautiful girl trapped in a tower...