(Seina's POV)
That evening I changed out of my school uniform and into a simple blouse and black trousers.
Then rather than sitting and working at my desk like I normally would, I headed to my mother's study. I knocked and entered, bowing respectfully as she looked up at me from her work.
As a child I loved her study. Books on every shelf in all languages, from all cultures. Maps and photos all over the walls in a haphazard fashion and artefacts slotted into every spare nook. Every visit to her study had felt like an adventure into undiscovered lands.
Unfortunately she had noticed I had broken routine and was now staring intently over her glasses as if I were an interesting foreign artefact.
'Mother I was wondering if I could be excused from the dinner this weekend. You see I have a lot of work to do and I think I'll need that day to get it all-'
'Seina don't lie to me. I'm your mother. If you had that much work to do then you would be at it right now and you would work all night, whatever I said, to get it done. You've always been like that. So. What is really going on?'
I looked at her and winced, laughing nervously. 'I was hoping to spend the day with Karou...'
'Karou Hitachiin?' I nodded. 'But not his brother?' I shook my head. 'You don't normally want friends round Seina.' I held her gaze as she stared at me, trying to unlock whatever secret I was keeping. 'Very well. I don't see why not. I'm sure it won't matter just this once. Miyaki-san will be sad to have missed you though.'
I nodded. 'Please apologise for me. Thank you Mum.' She gave me a warm smile before turning back to the text she was reading. She looked very much the scholar she was.
Later that night I was helping my mother adjust the table settings as she showed our newest maid how she liked things done. I gave the girl a sympathetic smile as she desperately tried to write notes fast enough to keep up with my mother.
I was just about to tell my mother to cut her some slack when I heard one of the other maids greeting someone at the door.
Wondering who could possibly be calling right before dinner I wandered through to the entrance hall. He never stood a chance as I gave a joyful shout and threw myself into his arms. He stumbled back a little, laughing but kept his balance. 'Hello Seina.'
I grinned, 'Oni-san you're back.' I hugged him tighter as if by doing so I could reclaim my brother and prevent him disappearing off on another one of his adventures.
The eldest Kamei was always away from home, traveling the world. I couldn't believe he hadn't yet run out of places to go. I kept hoping he would. But there was a part of me that desperately wanted to go with him, just escape my convictions and responsibilities for a short while.
He was so laid back. I sat ramrod straight at the dinner table, every inch the lady I'd been raised to be but he lounged in his chair, one leg resting on the other as he drummed a beat with his fingers. He never stopped moving or stood still, always anxious to be off again. Perhaps he'd heard of arranged marriage and was afraid we'd tie him down if he stayed in the same place too long. I glanced at him and attempted to swallow my bitterness. However, grateful I was for my position or proud of my achievements, I also resented my big brother for not being good enough, for abandoning me to his fate. Sunny days when I was working, unable to stop were the worst. But I was equally glad he had evaded fate because he was too free spirited to be restrained by duty and obligations, he would have faded into a stranger. Yet who might I have been without my fate?
My mother appeared and enveloped her first born in a tight hug 'My Tatsuo.'
Our little sister and brother then came charging into the room but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw him, evaluating him. Then Ayumi sat opposite him, Sora beside her. She took one look at Tatsuo's chin length hair 'Oni-san you look like a prince!'
Sora noted the stubble on Tatsuo's face in disagreement, 'More like a pirate!' They then began an energetic conversation among themselves.
My father settled into the chair at the head of the table, having entered unnoticed. Dinner was eaten quietly for the most part until Tatsuo opened his mouth.
'So Seina getting married? Big plans ahead. I hope you know I expect to be maid of honour.' His tone was joking and his joke terrible but there was concern in his eyes. He was testing the waters, trying to find out how I felt about the situation.
I met his eyes while blinking back tears. 'I hadn't even thought about those sort of things...'
My mother cut in quickly, 'Well there's plenty of time to work out the details.' I gave her a weak smile and caught my father and brother glaring daggers at each other.
I released a guilty sigh, it wasn't unusual for them to be at each other's throats but this time it was my fault. I considered leaving the rest of my meal and returning to my room but Honey-senpai's lecture on food groups came to mind and so I continued to eat. I wouldn't let my friends down.
I stayed up late talking to Tatsuo. I wanted a blow by blow account of every adventure and every exotic destination. I'd already heard most of them by email but my brother was a great story teller and it was always better in person. Eventually though, he wanted to hear about me and my life.
'So I've been warned off this subject.' I grimaced. Here we go. 'How do you feel about this marriage thing?'
I looked at his worried face and the tight set of his jaw and chose my words carefully. 'At first I was furious then completely distraught. Then I talked it out with Mum and a couple of friends and now...I don't know how to feel.'
He ran a hand through his hair. 'So how are you going to choose then? Wealth? Blood? Good looks?'
I looked up at him confused. 'Choose? I don't get to choose. Uncle will.'
His eyes narrowed and his face became positively murderous. For a second I thought he might go and drag my father out of bed and have it out with him then and there. I tensed ready to leap to my feet but he stayed where he was.
'How can they not give you a choice Seina? Not even a top five?'
I shook my head, 'It's for the good of the family and the company.' I parroted the words I'd been told again and again for my entire life. The words that hung over every choice taken from me and became a mantra on repeat inside my head.
My brother barked a harsh laugh. 'I'm sure that's what they said. You know they used to make me write that out when I was a child? Pages and pages every time I made the wrong choice, or argued, or failed to put in enough effort or live up to Uncle's impossible expectations.' I looked up at him in surprise. So Uncle had tried to temper my untameable brother and make him a productive member of society after all. And he'd failed. I stifled a laugh. Tatsuo frowned, 'Well I'm glad that you find it funny.'
I shook my head apologetically and moved from the armchair to sit with my brother. I leaned my head against his shoulder.
'I love you Oni-san. I'm glad you're back.'
He hugged me to him. 'I love you too Seina.'
We talked for a while longer before I eventually began to drift off to sleep. I knew I should go to bed but I was afraid he would be gone again in the morning if I left.
My eyes brushed open again to find my brother carrying me to my room.
He pulled the sheets back with one hand and gently deposited me between them. As he made to leave I grabbed his hand, sleep pulling at the edges of my consciousness and slurring my words slightly. 'You weren't meant to be back for two months...'
He gave me a lopsided smile and squeezed my hand. 'I heard my little sister needed me.'
The rest of the week was a blur which I spent working. I had to make up for the day I was planning to spend with Karou and all the weeks to come during which I was anticipating my brother being a major distraction.
When the weekend finally came my fingers were calloused and ink stained but I felt satisfied with my effort.
I spent Sunday morning helping my mother categorise some artefacts which had been sent to her from a local collector for classification.
Then I went to change into more casual clothes. This turned out to be something of a struggle as most of my clothes were varying degrees of formal wear. Eventually I settled on a thin white blouse and a flowing red skirt which I tied at the waste. My maid, Yuuki, gave me an approving nod as I checked my reflection. Not necessarily casual but certainly elegant.
Tatsuo appeared in the door way. 'You look nice Seina. All for Miyaki-san?'
I shook my head. 'I'm not going to dinner. Kaoru is coming over.'
He straightened slightly, protective older brother mode kicking in. 'Why?'
'To talk.'
'About?'
'Does it matter?' I knew he could keep this up all day so I ducked under his arm. At that moment the door bell rang and for a moment I met Tatsuo's eyes.
We both set off running towards the door but I had the upper hand being smaller and fitter. I dodged maids and furniture alike as I ran for the door.
I reached the entrance hall first only to find one of the maids had let him in. I came to a sudden stop and Tatsuo crashed into me as he came barrelling through the door.
Kaoru smiled at me mischievously, 'Are you that eager to see me Seina?' I blushed, embarrassed by my behaviour.
'She's not.' A voice behind me growled.
I looked at Tatsuo, 'Oni-san! Go!'
'I think you need a chaperone.'
'I do not!'
My mother then appeared behind him. 'Is there a particular reason you two just came thundering past my study like a two man stampede.' We exchanged a look and she finally caught sight of Kaoru. 'Oh Kaoru-kun it is lovely to see you again. How are your parents? I trust your studies are going well.'
He gave her a charming smile, 'My parents are well thank you Kamei-san. My studies are going well. How are you?'
When my mother was finally done with pleasantries she turned back to Tatsuo. 'Will you please go get ready for the dinner. I want you clean shaven and squeaky clean.' He glared at Kaoru one last time before returning to his chambers.
'Thanks Mum.'
'No problem sweetie. I'll see you before we go.'
I glanced at Kaoru uncertainly. I wasn't sure what the correct conduct was when alone with a boy your own age. 'Can I offer you a drink or a snack? One of the maids could...'
'I'm alright thank you Seina.' I nodded my head. 'We could go to my rooms.' He nodded in agreement clearly amused by how nervous I was. I was normally completely cool and collected.
Inside my rooms I sat down in an armchair opposite the sofa Kaoru had chosen to sit in. I chatted amicably about school and sports and the up coming dance. I basically covered every subject other than the one I had planned to discuss.
Eventually my mother knocked on the door. 'Seina, please come out for a moment. We're leaving soon and I need to speak with you.' I pulled myself to my feet. Kaoru followed behind.
The maids and kitchen staff were assembled outside the servants quarters. I gave a reassuring smile to the new maid who was looking tense.
'Ok ladies and gentlemen. We will be leaving for the evening but Seina is remaining here with her friend. I am leaving her in your capable hands but in my absence she is also the lady of this house and she will be treated with the respect she deserves. She is in charge.'
The servants bowed their heads. 'Yes Kamei-sama.'
I nodded my head at them awkwardly. My mother had never officially left me in charge before. I then followed my mother to the entrance hall where the rest of my family were waiting to leave.
Tatsuo and my father both shot angry, disapproving looks at Kaoru, clearly unhappy with the arrangements. It was strange to see them in agreement for once. Ayumi and Sora however were very excited to see Kaoru, if a little disappointed that Hikaru wasn't there. They greeted him energetically until a pointed cough and stern look from my father had them composed and presentable once again. They could be a handful and it was best to get a handle on their behaviour early on to avoid disruptions at the dinner party.
My father pulled me aside to remind me of my obligations to my family and warn me against foolish choices.
(Kaoru's POV)
Seina looked beautiful that evening and I honestly found it difficult to keep my eyes off her. The clothes hung from her athletic figure as if they'd been made for her and truly complimented her dark hair. I could tell she was nervous about something which I found very endearing. Seina the goddess was gorgeous, intelligent and untouchable but this human side of her seemed to put her within my reach.
As we saw her parents off she disappeared from my side momentarily to talk to her father. I couldn't hear what they were saying but she was blushing a dark shade of red and looked angry.
While I was distracted her older brother, now all polished up, had approached me. I gave him a polite, questioning smile.
'Look Hitachiin, I think this is a terrible idea. Seina's life is complicated enough at the moment without you working your way into the picture. She cannot be with you so keep back. You're only going to make a difficult situation worse and I swear to god that if you lay one hand on her I will-' He abruptly stopped talking and walked towards the door as Seina returned to my side.
'What did he want.'
'Oh nothing much. Just to chat.' She gave me a look that clearly said she knew that was a lie but she didn't press the issue further.
Once her family had left for the evening I followed her back to her rooms. She seemed to want to remain in the seating area so I didn't get much chance to look around but I could see part of a bedroom through one doorway and there were a couple of other closed doors. Tatsuo may not have been able to finish his threat but the message was clear enough and I was suitably convinced that he would actively look for an excuse to hurt me. However, I was a Hitachiin. There'd never be a day when I was good at following the rules. So I reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to me.
Then before she could say anything, I kissed her.
(Seina's POV)
I was just starting to piece together what I wanted to say to Kaoru when he suddenly grabbed my wrist and drew me to him. I stared at him in surprise but before I could ask him what he was doing, he leaned forwards and pressed his lips against mine. I went stock still for a second unsure what to do. But somehow, against the undeniable logic of my brain, which was frantically announcing a threat, my heart sped up and I relaxed into his arms. I placed my hands on his chest and began to move my lips hesitantly against his. As I kissed back I felt him smiling into my lips.
That was enough to pull me back to reality. I broke the kiss and gently but firmly pushed him away and went to stand by my window. Stupid, stupid, stupid. How could I possibly tell him now? He came up behind me and gently wrapped his arms around me. I resisted the urge to lean into him and moved away from his grasp. He looked a little hurt.
'Seina, what's wrong?' I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath.
'There's something I need to tell you.'
He grinned. 'Yeah me too.'
Only when he saw the look on my face did he realise how wildly he'd misconstrued the situation. He sat down hard on the sofa and looked at me expectantly, waiting for the worst yet unaware of how bad it could really be. This time I sat beside him, my heart still unsteady in my chest.
'I'm terrified you'll hate me.'
He met my eyes, 'Never.'
I looked down at my hands, knotted together in my lap and took a deep, calming breath. Yet when the words came they spilled over in an unstoppable torrent. 'I'm to be engaged then married. I don't get a choice. My uncle is making the match on my behalf and all I can do is hope they're not some middle aged paedophile. I wanted to tell you so many times I just, I didn't know how. And I didn't want it to be real. I wanted everything to stay normal at Ouran. I'm sorry Kaoru. I was selfish. I didn't realise your feelings...'
I remained looking at my hands, unwilling to meet his eyes for fear of what I would see there. Hurt? Anger? I swallowed and blinked back tears. I would not cry. I would not. I clenched my hands into tight fists. I was about to lose my closest friend. Yet when Kaoru finally spoke there was none of the venom or bitterness I had expected, only kindness.
'This is what's been bothering you?' I nodded, still not meeting his eyes. 'You could have told me Seina, you didn't have to suffer by yourself all this time.' This time I looked up and matched his sad smile, a single tear spilling over my left cheek. He gently brushed it away with his thumb and I threw my arms around his neck.
It wasn't like hugging Mori-senpai, Kaoru was warm and he lacked the muscle which hardened Mori-senpai into an impenetrable wall. His clothes were soft and he smelled good. I buried my face in his shoulder and for a moment I allowed myself to imagine what it would be like to have him be mine.
'I'll marry you.' He whispered into my hair. When I looked up and met his eyes I knew he meant it. He would marry me, throw away so much of his life for me and I loved him for it but I couldn't let him do it.
'I am in an impossible situation Kaoru. I'm trapped but I won't have you condemned alongside me. You have your whole life and so many choices to make. I want you to be free, not tied to me.' He leaned his forehead against mine.
'I love you Seina.'
'You think you do.' He pulled back a little. 'You're not actually engaged yet right?'
'Right...'
'Do you like me?' His hands were gently running up and down my arms and I shivered slightly. 'Yes. But...'
He gave me a heartbreaking smile. 'Then...let's be together just for tonight.'
'Kaoru you're just going to make this harder on both of us. Please.'
However, when he kissed me again, I didn't pull away. I kissed him back softly at first, running my fingers through his soft, red hair. Then I pulled him closer to me, deepening the kiss. He pushed me down on the sofa, not breaking contact, my small gasp of surprise allowing him to slip his tongue into my mouth. That was new and surprisingly pleasant. Kaoru sat up again breaking away from the kiss as we both gasped for breath. He removed his hoodie to reveal an expensive shirt underneath. He pulled me up and into his lap as I ran my fingers along the collar.
'You told me casual and you're wearing this?'
He grinned and kissed me again. 'I know you're not good at casual.' He began to finger the top buttons on my blouse, looking at me for permission but I couldn't give it to him. I moved his hand back to my waist.
'This can't go any further Kaoru.'
He sighed, 'I know.'
I hugged him close and buried my face in his neck.
(Tatsuo's POV)
The dinner party ran late, I tried to convince everyone to call it a night several times but to no avail. Everyone else was having fun, unconcerned by Seina.
When we finally left I said my goodbyes through gritted teeth and got in the front of the car with the chauffeur. Nobody told me I couldn't so as soon as they had all piled in the back I informed the chauffeur that there was a small scale crisis and we needed to be home as soon as possible. After that he put his foot down and we were home quickly.
I was about to head to Seina's rooms to check on her when my mother stopped me. 'Tatsuo could you please settle Ayumi and Sora down for bed.'
I nearly screamed with frustration but my little siblings had been quick to grab a hand each and lead me down the hall to their adjoining rooms. They cleaned their teeth too thoroughly and in the end I had to bribe them to get them to stop jumping on the beds and go to sleep. That is what happens when children have dessert right before bed. By the time I left their rooms I was exhausted but I made my way to Seina's chambers anyway.
I knocked and finding the door unlocked, I went inside. She was fast asleep, her head in the Hitachiin's lap. There was nothing suspicious about that, perfectly innocent behaviour. However, his hair looked tousled and he looked down at her with sad, adoring eyes. He held one of her hands tightly in his.
I watched them for a moment and my anger faded to sadness. If she wanted to be with this ginger moron she should be able to. The boy looked up at me, offering a sad smile. I sat down opposite them on the armchair.
'I don't want to leave her.' He said the words so quietly I almost wasn't sure he'd spoken. I nodded.
'I'm sorry for being so harsh on you. It's just I'm the only one she has to watch her back. Our father is too much of a coward and our mother naively trusts our father. Our Uncle cares about the company and the good name of our family more than life itself. If I don't watch over her, she has no one.' He acknowledged my apology with a small nod.
'I should be getting home.' He muttered.
I stood up and reached down to pick up my sister, cradling her gently in my arms. She must really be tired to not have woken up. He stood up and against my better judgement I gently returned my sister to his arms. 'Put her on her bed.'
He nodded and walked carefully towards her bedroom. He wasn't as strong as me so he couldn't hold her with one arm and move her sheets with the other as I had so many times. Instead he lay her gently on one side of the mattress and pulled the other side of the duvet over her, leaving her looking distinctly like a human sushi roll. He brushed her hair from her face and kissed her forehead. Then he slowly backed away.