Illuminating the Umbra

~*~

July 20, 3.40 p.m

Classical music emanating from a restored antique gramophone. A huge, expensive Persian rug covering the cold marble floor. Thick, red velvet curtains with dark gold tassels drawn across large windows. Intricate tapestries, hand painted portraits of magnificent degree, hanging across the walls with a grandfather clock, carved out of dark mahogany and real crystals set within the hour and minute hands standing in all its silent stature in one corner of the room.

Atobe Keigo was clearly in his element.

On a chaise lounge like some lazy lion after a good hunt sat the young master of the Atobe household himself, silently reading a novel by Hemingway.

Having just thrown a party for no apparent reason other than to entertain his peers who were on holiday like he was in the grandest of styles (few would forget the extravagant, impressive affair that had involved his private jet, a trip to the islands of the Bahamas and three days of much frolicking in the tropics – those who had been invited weren't sure what they were celebrating but decided some things were just plain unsolvable mysteries) the previous week, Atobe had planned to spend the next few days winding down from the excitement. The adoring public wouldn't fault him for a few days of personal rest and relaxation. And even if they did, there was really nothing they could do about it.

The heavy doors swung open silently without announcement and quiet footsteps moved across the room. Atobe didn't even twitch a muscle, engrossed as he was in his novel, until the rising notes of a particular concerto was tuned down. It took a few moments for his ears to notice the quieter atmosphere and he raised his head smoothly, expecting a prompt explanation for this.

That expectation faded as he saw his mother smiling at him.

Returning the smile, he sat up, placing a bookmark where he left off. Atobe didn't pay full attention to everyone but the tall, elegant lady standing before him was amongst the first on his list to whom he did. "Yes, okaasama?"

Atobe Miyako's smile morphed into a small grin as she held out her hand to him. "I was wondering if my grown son would be too busy to accompany his mother for a stroll through the gardens. It's been quite a while since we've done that, don't you think?"

Atobe smirked, rising to his feet and leaving his book behind. He took his mother's hand and let it rest on the crook of his elbow. "Ore-sama would be happy to, okaasama."

She laughed good-naturedly upon hearing her son's words. "Kei-kun, one would think you wouldn't use that title with your own parents."

    "Well, if you don't like it, ore-sama supposes it would be alright to let it go...just for today."

Miyako chuckled again as they exited the room. "Your father may not approve too much of that but I certainly find that you've made it your own. It would be strange not to hear you call yourself that."

Atobe's smirk grew slightly at his mother's logic. She had always had a rather open mind about this. "Then in that case, ore-sama will continue. Shall we?"

~*~

July 20, 3.56 p.m

Outside, amongst the neatly clipped shrubs and colourful splash of red ixoras, white lilies and many other varieties of flora, mother and son strolled on a tiled path through the Atobes' south lawn, a small fraction of the entire estate. They passed by white sculptured fountains as they conversed as well as delicately pruned trees. Finally, they settled at a small gazebo about twenty meters away from the mansion. It was a quiet place that had a small marble table with iron wrought garden chairs, sheltered from other prying eyes by well grown, sculpted bushes. It was here that Miyako told her son that she had news for him.

Atobe raised one eyebrow slightly. "What sort of news?"

Observing her son's face for a moment, she cleared her throat. "Do you remember a business associate of your father's by the name of Mashiro?"

The boy nodded, the image of a man with salt-and-pepper hair and tired lines across his face forming in his head. "Yes, ore-sama does recall him. Does otousama need ore-sama for anything concerning -san?"

    "Well...that's part of the news." She sat up straighter, leaning closer in. "-san is going on an extended business trip overseas, to Italy as it were. That trip will be taking at least till September."

    "Hmm. Ore-sama expects -san is dealing with the expansion of his hotel chain over there."

Miyako chuckled lightly. "I wouldn't know about that. It isn't polite to pry into other people's concerns, particularly a businessman's affairs. In any case, he's concerned about leaving his family behind."

Atobe snorted rather derisively. "Is that anything to be concerned about? It's only about two months after all. And if he's so worried, let him bring his family with him to Italy."

His mother gave him a reproachful look. "Kei-kun, you forget -san's family circumstances. His wife passed away many years ago, leaving behind an only daughter." Miyako sat back, releasing a small sigh. "And to make matters worse, the poor girl is in fragile conditions."

    "...fragile conditions," repeated Atobe without much conviction.

Atobe's mother shook her head as she continued. "She fell extremely ill when she was quite young and took some time to recover. She did get better but the recovery wasn't a full one. As a result, -san's daughter isn't able to move much without feeling tired quickly and there are times when one would think she isn't meant to live for as long as one would like."

There was a pause as Atobe absorbed all that new information, figuring out the connections and quickly coming to a conclusion. "Ore-sama guesses that -san's daughter isn't able to follow her father to Italy due to her physical weakness."

    "I always knew my son is quick in mind as he is in tennis." Miyako beamed at him.

The young man released another sigh, knowing what was coming at last. "And we are to play babysitter for her while he is away."

Miyako raised an eyebrow at his reaction and stiffened slightly. "Babysitter, Kei-kun, is far from what we will be. -san is asking your father for a favour, something that hasn't happened till today even though he was amongst the very few people who helped your father when he was just starting out. Do you wish to shame your father by refusing to let the young lady stay with us for just a few months?"

Atobe quickly moved to pacify her. She didn't get angry often but whenever she did, it was proof of how Miyako was able to be mistress of the Atobe household. "Ore-sama hasn't the slightest intention of doing so, okaasama."

    "Good. The young lady will be here in a week's time. I've decided that she can take the biggest guestroom in the east wing of the house." The lady eyed her son pointedly. "Since both your grandparents have gone on that cruise to Europe, you're the one who spends the most time at home. I would like you to show -san's daughter every courtesy while you're here, Kei-kun. Like the gentleman that we ought to have brought you up to be."

Atobe smirked at his mother, raising his head a little higher. "Ore-sama will be sure to do exactly as you request, okaasama."

    "Oh, is that so? The last time someone stayed with us, they could only stay three days before deciding to move into a hotel since that would be considerably less hostile. And less slimy." She gave her son an impish smile, a knowing look in her eyes.

Atobe was nonchalant and breezy in his reply. "Okaasama, that was years ago, when ore-sama was only a mere boy of six. Mischief of preadolescence has long since faded away. Besides," The same gleam in Miyako's eyes now appeared in his. "Were you not pleased with the ousting of a guest who annoyed you, otousama and quite possibly all of the servants?"

Miyako restrained herself from laughing. Instead, she smiled wider, deciding not to answer that question. "Regardless, this is a different case altogether. And I know just how much your privacy means to you. Sharing the house, I'm sure, is not something you would easily like even if you don't protest. For my sake, Kei-kun, promise me you will be on your best behaviour."

In one smooth motion, Miyako's son had gotten to his feet and bowed with a flourish. "Ore-sama is appreciative of your concern, okaasama. You have ore-sama's word: -san's daughter will receive ore-sama's full hospitality."

    "That's my boy. Now, I would like to ask you for another favour," remarked Miyako with a pleased smile as she stood and took her son's hand.

    "And what would that be, okaasama?"

    "Help me pick out some suitable bedclothes for the guestroom." It was a good thing Miyako didn't see the look on her son's face as she firmly led him back to the house. "It wouldn't do to give our guest inferior lodgings. Perhaps the silk bed sheets from China that I bought last time would be best...or the ones from England, with the ivy print..."

Atobe refrained from sighing out loud, knowing no amount of smooth talking was going to get him out of this one. Hemingway, he supposed, would have to wait a while longer...

~*~

July 27, 2.30 p.m

    "Keigo-bochama, Miyako-sama would like you to come to the main foyer as soon as possible."

There was silence to which the maid cum messenger said nothing. Having served in the Atobe mansion for some time now, she had quickly learnt that when the master didn't reply, it didn't mean he hadn't heard. It just meant he had more important things to think about rather than her message and it would take a few moments for her number to come up in his order of priorities. She waited in quiet for an answer which finally came although not in the form she expected.

    "Yes, the darker vest looks best on ore-sama after all," commented Atobe to his personal butler who held out an empty hanger in one hand and a coat in the other. He barely spared the messenger maid a glance. "Inform okaasama that ore-sama will arrive shortly."

    "At once, Keigo-bochama." A short bob and she was gone, leaving Atobe to finish dressing and silently ponder on what the day would bring.

-san was due to arrive with their new house guest shortly. Earlier in the week, he had asked if it was possible for the s' butler to go with the young lady to the Atobe home. Atobe's father had readily agreed while his son wondered silently what was wrong with their own servants.

Atobe had not much tolerance for weaknesses in any aspect. Having gone to a school like Hyotei Gakuen where one learned one had to be strong to survive, he had seen many instances where the weaker students that couldn't handle the daily pressure fall away, drop out or just fade into insignificance and mediocrity. He on the other hand had pitted himself against the strongest of opponents, associated himself with the best of the tennis players in Hyotei and proven himself not just another rich man's brat of a son but a strong, charismatic star with the ability to back up every one of his boasts. Everything about his life had been bold, visible and unafraid of whatever came his way.

This girl was probably the complete polar opposite of his personality. Most likely, thought Atobe wryly, she would have been too weak to indulge in sports or any other outdoor activity. Perhaps too soft to even sharpen her mind in languages or art. He couldn't help but feel that this would be a rather tedious few months of entertaining a young lady who had no other interest than to sit down and make sure she didn't lose her breath too quickly. He'd seen it before in the children of the numerous acquaintances his father made in the business world. Quite frankly, it was the reason why Atobe preferred to grace the Hyotei tennis team with his presence whenever he had a choice.

What a way to spend ore-sama's days off from university, he thought with a grimace that quickly faded as he dismissed the butler and proceeded to descend to the mansion's foyer.

Still, the promise still stands. Ore-sama will extend every courtesy...if ore-sama is even around.

~*~

July 27, 2.40 p.m

Ten minutes passed by before a black limousine was seen coming up the Atobes' long driveway and wound its way to the main entrance. The first to emerge from the car was a tall man in a dark suit from the front passenger side. The man, possessing a pair of thick eyebrows combined with a Roman nose, strode to open the backseat doors.

He watched from the foot of the stairs as his father went to greet Mashiro with a firm handshake. The latter was older than Atobe had remembered, with more white than black hair and more lines that creased the contours of his face. Still, he stood tall with a wide smile as he greeted Atobe Sr. and Miyako.

Atobe Sr. turned and gestured for his son to come forward. "You remember Keigo, my only son?"

    "Pleased to see you again, -san," remarked Atobe smoothly as he shook -san's hand.

The older man scrutinized him for a few moments before chuckling. "Of course, of course. The boy who could use "ore-sama" and get away with it. It's been years since I last met you. You've grown well, my boy."

    "Ore-sama thanks you."

When laughed at his comment, Atobe's father sighed. "Please don't encourage him, Mashiro. We were rather hoping for that phase to end but as it turns out," Atobe Sr. shook his head. "It was a sticking point."

    "Just goes to show you how strong willed your boy is. Not a bad trait to have should you ever enter the world your father and I work in," commented towards the younger man with a grin.

Atobe smirked before noticing a young lady slowly emerging from the depths of the black limo, helped by the previous man, most probably their butler. She had dark hair tied up in a ponytail and had a faint smile on her face to see her father conversing with his friend. When she came to stand beside , she looked to be just slightly shorter than Atobe by about an inch or two.

With a fond fatherly smile, placed a hand around his daughter's shoulders, gesturing towards her with the other. "Allow me to introduce my daughter, , the one who will be bothering you for the next few months, I'm afraid."

Miyako made a ‘tsk tsk' sound. "Come now, Mashiro-san. -chan will certainly be no bother." She smiled warmly at the younger lady and held out her hand. "Welcome to our home, -chan. I hope you'll find it comfortable."

duly shook hands. "Thank you for letting me and Franz stay with you in the first place, Atobe-san." The tall man who'd helped his young mistress from the car bowed as she spoke. "It's very kind of you."

    "Don't mention it, my dear. Look at us, keeping all of you waiting out here! Come, we'll adjourn to the living room. The servants will bring your bags to your room." With that, , Miyako and her husband proceeded to head inside the house. Behind them, several menservants headed for the limo's trunk to remove 's luggage.

The young lady herself was about to head up the stairs when instead of finding her butler's hand under hers, she found Atobe's. Looking up in surprise, she met a charming smile as he led her up the short flight of stairs. Franz frowned slightly but said nothing.

Upon reaching the large doorstep, Atobe let go of her hand and bowed slightly. "Pleased to meet you, -san. Ore-sama's name is Atobe Keigo."

Blinking for a few moments, she nodded back at him. "It's nice to meet you, Atobe-san. You can call me if you like."

    "Ore-sama thanks you for the honour in return, -san."

With a smile on her lips, the young lady nodded and entered the house. Franz waited for the young master of the household to go in before he followed, silently thinking that this was going to be a rather long few months.

~*~

July 27, 4.17 p.m

It was quickly decided that 's father would join the Atobes for dinner before he left. But before that, there was catching up to do and conversation to be had.

Lounged easily in an armchair of his own, Atobe listened to explain his purpose in going to Italy. As he'd guessed, the man was going to explore the possibility of opening new hotels within the country. If things went well in the region of Rome, then perhaps the Zen-Kaze hotels would blossom in places like Venice, Florence and Naples. But that was far off into the future and for now, hoped he could reach an agreement with his Italian counterparts. The prospects were rather good but wanted to be cautious in such new waters.

Then the younger Atobe happened to look over to the other armchair where 's daughter sat, holding a glass of juice within her hands and sipping silently. She had been very quiet, listening more than she spoke. Her butler, Franz, stood in between her and the sofa where her father sat.

Silently, Atobe proceeded to assess her. She was thin and slightly pale but those weren't clear signs of a frail constitution. In fact, nothing about her air suggested someone who was ready to fall into a faint at any given moment. However, there had been moments when Atobe had almost forgotten she was in the same room. She faded into the background like a piece of furniture that had always been there, and she never said a word about it.

His father's sudden voice broke through his chain of thoughts. "-kun, perhaps you'd like to get settled in your room and rest a while before dinner. You must be tired after your trip."

Atobe saw her glance at her father who nodded. With a polite smile, she nodded. "Thank you, Atobe-san. I think I'll do that."

Atobe Sr. gestured at one of the nearby servants who immediately stepped up. "Take -kun to her room," began the man before his son interrupted him midway.

    "Ore-sama would be happy to personally accompany -san, otousama."

The elder Atobe raised an eyebrow but acquiesced. "Very well then, Keigo."

Rising from her chair, quietly bowed to the adults and waited for Atobe to lead the way to her room. The girl didn't give him her hand for him to support and Atobe didn't offer to as he just walked beside her. They headed out into the main hall and towards the right staircase that led to the east wing upstairs. Franz and several maids trailed a respectable distance away from them.

    "Which university do you attend, Atobe-san?" asked quite suddenly in a low tone.

As if he were talking about the weather, he replied, "Ore-sama is on holiday at the moment. But ore-sama will be returning to the University of Cambridge by the end of September."

She nodded. "I would have expected that. Cambridge is amongst the top ten universities in the United Kingdom."

Atobe smirked at that. "And yourself, -san?"

    "I'm on summer vacation currently but I'll go back to Todai once it's over." She smiled when he raised an eyebrow at her answer. "My father and I agreed that if he wouldn't send me overseas to study, I wouldn't listen to him if he did."

    "...that is...a unique arrangement."

's smile stretched a little further. "It works for the both of us."

They walked along the long corridors, aligned with tall picture windows that let the sunlight in. glanced out the windows as she walked, admiring the view below. It overlooked the east grounds, where there was neatly cut grass as far as the eye could see. The sea of green was interrupted in several places by strategically placed trees and some croquet hoops that were stuck into the ground. A small manmade lake glistened in the far side under the sunrays.

    "It must be lovely to see your gardens from here everyday...although it's a pity there doesn't seem to be any flowers."

Atobe followed her glance lazily. "Okaasama wanted a part of the land specifically for outdoor activities and picnics. Any unfortunate flowers grown there would certainly be pulverized by over enthusiastic croquet matches."

There was a small chuckle at his comment. "That makes sense. And I can imagine why she would wish it so," looked back at him. "My father told me before that your parents enjoy as much time outdoors as they can."

    "They spend most of their time in tall office buildings or walled areas. Naturally, they tire of such surroundings."

    "Do you feel the same way?"

Atobe smirked. "Ore-sama gets enough time outdoors, -san. Tennis is always best played on an actual court rather than an indoor stadium."

    "Ah, of course. Your tennis. Do you still play it in England?"

The smirk grew a little wider at her tone of voice. "Ore-sama's prowess at it is beginning to be as widely renowned there as it is here. It will only be a matter of weeks after I return before the whole of Britain recognizes ore-sama's name."

couldn't resist a small grin. "I'm sure they will."

Still smirking, Atobe raised an eyebrow slightly, silently noting that there hadn't seemed to be any tinge of sarcasm in her voice. "In any case, we have reached your room. Your butler will have the run of the smaller one connected next door."

The servants duly opened the cream coloured doors, revealing ivory white walls and a luxuriously soft beige coloured carpet that covered the floor of the small foyer within. Going in a little further, a full four poster bed sat beside an elegantly carved vanity towards the right side of the inner part of the large suite. Embroidered curtains muted the sunshine that filtered in through a few windows. In contrast to the mostly pastel coloured furniture, 's two black bags sat on the floor by the antique wooden chest that stood just in front of the bed.

She walked in, her eyes wide in appreciation as she surveyed her surroundings. "This is definitely bigger than my own room at home," she finally commented with a smile as she turned to Atobe who stood by the doors. "Thank you for walking me here, Atobe-san. I'm sorry for troubling you."

Atobe couldn't very well tell her that the only reason he offered was to be able to escape the other adults and return to his own lounge to read and listen to some Mozart. "Rest well, -san," was all he replied with his trademark smirk before disappearing out of sight just as the doors shut again, leaving and her butler in the room.

Franz coughed, bringing 's attention back from where she'd been staring the door. "Shall I unpack your bags, -sama?"

turned to him with an amused expression. "You don't approve of Atobe-san, do you, Franz?"

Franz wisely kept up his poker face without so much as a twitch of an eyebrow. "It is not my place to approve or disapprove, -sama."

    "Well, like it or not, this will be our home for the time being." She looked around the room before laughing softly. "Not a bad place to board though, I might add."

The loyal butler allowed himself a tiny hint of a smile to see his young mistress light up in laughter.

    "No. Not a bad place at all."

~*~

August 3, 8.35 a.m

    "Good morning, Atobe-san."

Atobe turned to look for the source of the greeting as he entered the dining room for breakfast. That voice was unfamiliar, the way he was called even less so. No one in this house called him that...

Oh. -san.

It was amazing how he could even forget she was around even after she'd been staying in the same house for almost a week. And his memory was never this fallible. Maybe it was due to how large the mansion was and the fact that he hung around a lot more in the west wing of the place. That and -san's remarkable ability to blend in with the background he always took for granted.

    "Good morning."

smiled and went back at her breakfast of toast, some baked beans and two fried eggs. Taking a seat opposite her, a covered silver tray was instantly placed before Atobe. The cover was lifted away and perfect freshly baked butter croissants sat neatly on a pristine porcelain plate. Imported jam along with a fresh pat of butter sat on the plate beside some sprigs of parsley.

Smoothly, he lifted the silver butter knife and began to coat the croissant with some butter. As he did so, spoke again.

    "Your mother left early this morning, Atobe-san. She went to the opening of a hospital over in Fukushima."

    "Ore-sama knows that. She won't be back till tomorrow."

    "She told me the building costs were all paid for by one of your father's principal companies." 's smile was wide. "It's very admirable of Atobe-san to be so generous."

Atobe smirked, taking a bite out of his croissant and not speaking until he'd swallowed his mouthful. "Otousama has often opined that money is nothing if not put to good use."

    "Otousan says the same thing," commented the girl as she finished up the last of her baked beans.

    "Most likely that -san was inspired by otousama."

gave him a pointed expression. "If I recall, Atobe-san, it was otousan who first helped your father build up his empire. Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

    "Just because -san helped ore-sama's father in the beginning does not mean otousama didn't offer helpful advice to your father in return, -san," replied Atobe with a smirk.

regarded the boy sitting in front of her for a few minutes before breaking into a short smile. "Yes, I suppose that's true. I'm sorry for my rudeness."

    "No need for apologies," said Atobe generously. "Alle ist verziehen." ^[1]

He was about to translate that when spoke again, in a tone that suggested she was restraining some laughter.

    "Danke für verständnis." ^[2]

Atobe's eyebrows rose considerably. "Was für eine überraschung, -san. Du sprichst Deutsch?" ^[3]

She smiled and looked at her butler who stood a few feet behind her chair with an impassive expression. "Franz taught me a little. I'm not a very good pupil though. He's despaired of giving me any more advanced lessons. Isn't that so, Franz?"

He cleared his throat. "That isn't correct, -sama. I just find no more lessons to give."

laughed gently at the expression on his face. "You're a terrible liar, Franz. Well meaning, but still a terrible liar." The butler could say nothing to that and just kept mum even though a small smile had escaped him.

Atobe scrutinized her smiling face for a short while before smirking and raising his coffee cup in a toast towards her direction. "Well spoken or not, it is rare to find someone who speaks German here. Ore-sama congratulates you for even learning in the first place."

She chuckled amusedly. "Thank you, Atobe-san. Perhaps you and I should converse more often in German so I won't stutter as much whenever I speak to Franz."

He smirked, tearing away another bit of his croissant with his fingers. "Es würde mich sehr freun." ^[4]

    "Danke schön." ^[5]

The rest of the morning was spent within the dining room, Atobe speaking in complete and utter German while did her best to keep up. She fumbled a lot since she had spoken the truth when she commented she wasn't a very good pupil. Half the time, Atobe could see restrained amusement on Franz's face. But he could also see tinges of pride as the butler watched gamely carry on in rather broken German when it came to the more complex sentences.

Atobe himself had to smirk whenever she tripped over a phrase. He would correct her and after grinning apologetically, she tried again. She even managed to pull a sentence or two out of Franz. If it hadn't been clear before, it was certainly obvious now that Franz wasn't just a butler, but a kind of long suffering uncle albeit one who would obey orders at any given moment. Atobe wondered at the relationship since he had never bonded with any servant like that.

Still, -san had surprised him. To think that the girl would somewhat know a language he'd picked up in his preadolescent years.

He smirked, hearing another fumble from her.

Ore-sama supposes it won't be too boring having -san around after all...

~*~

August 11, 3.16 p.m

    "Kei-kun, is that- oh goodness me, it's not Kei-kun after all."

's head jerked upwards to meet Miyako's smiling expression. She immediately took her fingers off the black and white keys of the piano. "Atobe-san, I'm sorry...! I just came across the room a fortnight ago and when I saw the piano, I-"

    "Oh, don't worry about that, -chan. You're welcome to play for as long as you're here. Why didn't you tell us you were a piano virtuoso? I would have certainly told you about the music room sooner."

shook her head hurriedly. "Because I'm not that at all, Atobe-san. I just...play for amusement."

    "Ah well, at least you play better than my Kei-kun." Miyako sighed. "And here I thought he'd found his musical talent at long last."

    "I'm sure he cannot be all that bad..." ventured with a small smile.

The elder woman's eyes twinkled conspiratorially. Combined with the impish grin on her face, didn't doubt that she was up to something. "Hearing is believing, -chan. I'm sure my son will provide sufficient proof of that fact. Wait here, I'll call him to come and join you."

    "Atobe-san, I don't think that's..." trailed off as Miyako determinedly strode out of the music lounge situated in the southeast of the mansion. "Wise..." she continued with a helpless smile on her face.

Covering up some amusement, Franz took a few steps forward from where he'd been standing. "Well, -sama, at least now you know you're free to use this piano at your leisure." When she nodded in agreement, he continued speaking. "If that's the case, then there will be a lot more chances for you to play. You've been here for the past hour and a half after all. Perhaps you should take a break now."

The smile gained strength when she looked up at him. "Actually, Franz, I feel as if I could play for another few more hours."

    "...-sama, you've said that before many times..."

    "I mean it this time."

Franz sighed. "With all due respect, -sama, you always do. But Shujei-sensei has left strict instructions on how often you must rest."

imitated the butler's tired sigh. "And I know that too. I'm really alright, Franz. Please let me stay." At the dubious expression that flickered on his face, she leaned forward a little with a pleading face. "Bitte...?"

The butler knew when he had to throw in the towel. German for "please" combined with that particular look on her face didn't come often. But when they did, it was usually something wanted very much. Besides, if this tactic didn't work, -sama could be desperate enough to pout. And Franz was more unnerved by a pout than this method of wheedling.

    "...alright."

    "Thank you, Franz," replied just as the doors opened again. In walked Miyako who was clearly trying not to smile too much and Atobe behind her, a rather reluctant expression on his face. It disappeared though the minute greeted the both of them, replaced by the increasingly familiar confident smirk.

    "I just heard -chan play the piano and I thought it would be splendid if you'd play a duet with her. You haven't been practicing much, Kei-kun. Now would be the perfect opportunity to flex your fingers again."

To his credit, Atobe merely raised an eyebrow and declared, rather pointedly, that "Ore-sama has never had an interest in playing the piano, okaasama. It's only natural no practices are done."

    "Now, Kei-kun, don't be so modest," replied Miyako with a subtle wink in 's direction. "I'm sure you'll do marvelously. Now go on, sit next to -chan there. Perhaps you would care to play ‘Butterfly Kisses' again, -chan – I haven't heard that lovely tune since just now."

bit down on her lower lip at the look on Atobe's face when it hit him that his mother was serious about getting him to play and consequently embarrass himself in front of a guest. "Okaasama, ore-sama honestly thinks-"

    "Are you denying your mother one of her favourite songs of all time?"

    "Okaasama, that's going too far."

Miyako shook her head. "I never thought I'd live to hear you say such a thing. There is no such thing as going too far when it comes to good music, Kei-kun. Now will you play or won't you?"

With a resigned sigh and a hidden roll of the eyes, Atobe duly strode to the piano bench and took a seat. He nearly glared at the girl when scooted over and politely gestured for him to begin playing. Clearing his throat, he pasted a smirk on his face instead. "It's only good practice to let a guest start first. Never let it be said that ore-sama had less than perfect manners."

Struggling not to smile too widely, rested her fingers on the keys and began to play. The melody's introduction began and Atobe vaguely recognized it as C major. After a few seconds of not moving, Atobe drew himself up and allowed one hand to lay itself on the piano keys, trying hard to remember music lessons when he was much, much younger. He didn't get too far since he had always been much more interested in the way his tennis racket strings repelled a round, fuzzy sphere than reading music notes and discerning between sharps and flats or majors and minor keys.

He suddenly saw one pale hand atop his own, gently bringing it away from the piano. Looking up, he met 's smile and felt a rare sense of sudden embarrassment at having been caught at one of his few weaknesses. Glancing up at Miyako, he noted the amused expression and couldn't help glowering slightly now. Mother or no, this was all her idea from the very start.

    "Perhaps you could sing instead, Atobe-san," murmured the girl suddenly, beginning to use both of her hands to play. "Do you know the words?"

Now that was something he could do very well. He smirked, shoving embarrassment to the back of his mind and commenced singing as 's fingers continued to gently glide across the keys.

    "For butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer..."

~*~

August 11, 9.28 p.m

Hours later, after and Atobe had finished their duet of sorts for Miyako who had instantly pronounced her satisfaction and that their reward would be an extra scrumptious dinner menu (which it had certainly been and more), he found her there again. He'd gone to the smaller library to personally select a book for some light after-dinner reading when he heard the piano tinkling from within the half closed door of the music room.

Silently, Atobe pushed the door open further. There sat, playing with eyes half closed, in a dreamy sort of expression. For once, Franz wasn't with her, having been dismissed to have his own dinner.

It wasn't till the lilting melody she was playing came to an end did he speak. "Back again?"

Jumping slightly, immediately looked up. "Atobe-san...I'm sorry. I didn't notice you till just now."

Ignoring her apology, he walked over to stand by the piano. "You play quite well, -san."

    "Thank you." She looked back to the instrument with a fond smile. "But I believe your grand piano also adds to the effect. It's wonderfully maintained. Who plays it in your house?"

    "Okaasama used to indulge in playing music before her schedule was overrun by charitable works. She brought it over from her family home when she married ore-sama's father, an inheritance from ore-sama's great grandmother."

Atobe watched 's eyes linger on the piano in new light. "I didn't know it meant so much to Atobe-san. And she didn't say a word about it when she caught me playing earlier..."

    "You make it sound as if it was a crime to play this piano, -san. Okaasama was thrilled to see someone using this instrument after so long." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Too thrilled in fact."

laughed softly at his pointed comment. "I'm sorry but your mother was insistent." Her laugh turned into a smile. "She's very sweet really. Please don't be angry with her."

    "...ore-sama is never angry. Ore-sama knows okaasama well enough not to be that way." His smirk grew less sarcastic and more of a tiny smile.

The girl sitting by the piano watched his expression for a few moments before smiling wider. "You certainly seem very close to her."

    "...just as you are with your father," remarked Atobe, remembering the first night she arrived. There had been a long affectionate hug between father and daughter before -san left after dinner.

She looked up at him, the same smile still on her face. "Indeed." The wistful flash that went through her dark brown eyes didn't go unnoticed.

    "...Ore-sama has heard about -san's and your loss. Ore-sama is sorry."

shook her head. "Don't be. It was such a long time ago...and okaasan passed away very peacefully." Atobe found himself walking around the piano to sit beside her on the bench as she continued to speak. "Otousan and I still miss her of course...but life must go on. And I believe that if she hadn't been watching over me, I would never have lived to see my ninth birthday."

Atobe decided not to let the fact that he knew a little about her background already slip out. Instead, he subtly prompted her, taken over by a sudden urge of curiousity. "Why is that, if you would care to tell?"

    "...I contracted a serious lung disease not long after okaasan went. I nearly gave otousan heart attacks with how sick I was. He'd just lost his wife and now he had to deal with a daughter who might not live. Can you imagine how he must have felt?"

    "...ore-sama cannot."

smiled wistfully. "Neither can I. Otousan said that at first, it was as if all the air in his own lungs had disappeared. He felt as if he couldn't breathe. But he kept on going anyway, taking me to every specialist he could find, heeding every advice he could...until I finally got better."

There was a pause before she bent her head to look at the piano. "Well...as best as I would ever be anyway."

    "..." Atobe followed her gaze and found her slowly opening and closing her fingers into a loose fist. He kept silent for a few minutes before speaking again.

    "Ore-sama doesn't happen to believe you are as weak as you think, -san."

She looked up at him. "Oh?"

    "So far, ore-sama hasn't seen you being carried around in a stretcher or fallen unconscious."

That made chuckle. "You can be sure I'm glad that neither has happened."

Atobe smirked. "But should that ever happen, ore-sama would put it to you spending all your time indoors. In the past two weeks, you've only gone out of this house twice."

    "I have no reason to go outdoors. I see enough of your estate grounds from the east wing windows."

He shook his head. "You still have much to learn of what it means to actually be out there rather than just watching from a window."

    "You'd be surprised how much you learn from watching, Atobe-san."

    "And you would be amazed at how much you gain from participating, -san."

The two nineteen year olds held each other's gaze for a whole minute before broke the silence with a soft laugh, looking back to the piano. "Maybe I would be amazed, as you say."

    "Would you care to be?" blinked in surprise at the offer as he continued breezily. "There is nothing to lose, -san, except your own insecurities about your health and your fragility."

    "..." She said nothing to that, mulling it over.

Atobe let his index and middle fingers plink against the keys for a moment before she answered.

    "...how, Atobe-san, would those insecurities be lost if I did as you say and went out more often?"

    "...for one thing, ore-sama is sure the estate gardens are full of fresh air, which is beneficial for any person. For another," Atobe smirked. "Our German lessons wouldn't just take place at breakfast time."

She smiled at that. "...then perhaps tomorrow I'll take up your suggestion."

    "Good. Ore-sama will show you the grounds and later on, you will be awed by ore-sama's prowess at tennis."

had to laugh, a little more heartily than she normally did. "Perhaps."

Atobe smirked at her amusement, the sense of triumph that he'd gotten her to somewhat agree to his plans overtaking any offense he might have taken. "For now though, you will show ore-sama again how you play this piano. This time, ore-sama will enjoy it better."

With the last of her chuckles, she nodded smilingly. "I would be happy to. What song would you like me to play?"

Behind them, as began to play the first few notes of Strauss' ‘Kaiser Waltz' while Atobe listened, Franz stood in the doorway quietly. He'd heard 's laughter and it made him smile to himself to hear her.

She hadn't laughed like that in a long time. Not until she'd come here to the Atobes. It was starting to look as if -sama hadn't just called in a favour from his old friend just because Atobe-san was the first one available in the phone book.

The butler pondered this possibility as he moved to stand outside the room so as not to intrude too much on his young mistress' privacy.

~*~

August 13, 8.30 a.m

Atobe had gone to breakfast in anticipation of another session of German with the new houseguest. So far, there hadn't really been much sign of improvement but he was starting to enjoy the conversations they had over their breakfast. His parents, when they were around, were amused by the two teenagers' antics.

Then the day before, he had accompanied her to the south gardens. He'd walked with her along the paths he and Miyako always took, their entire conversation spoken in an extremely jumbled up mixture of Japanese and German. He learned, while taking tea at the gazebo, that she had started playing the piano when she'd recovered from her illness, since it was one of the activities that didn't tire her out so easily. It soon turned into a passion she pursued slowly and with much persistence.

For his part, Atobe had gotten the chance to show her what his passion was when they continued their walk towards his private tennis court. When she admitted she knew nothing about tennis, he had told her about the game and how, like her piano playing, it had become one of the main features of his life. This he proved a little later with a racket in one hand and an automated ball machine at the opposite end of the court. Needless to say, she had been surprised by the skill he showed, tempered by the grace of his movements. 

-san's company had been quite enjoyable and while she seemed to laugh a tad too often, he didn't really mind. Her laughter was always low and short, although the amusement within it didn't dim. He had almost forgotten she was supposedly very fragile since she hadn't seemed that way at all yesterday. Even Franz, normally keeping his eye on her like a hawk, had relaxed considerably, allowing out of his sight in a few instances.

All in all, yesterday had been a very good day and Atobe looked forward to this one.

However, he was sorely disappointed. Upon arriving at the dining room, he found -san's seat empty and the absence of her butler. His father and mother weren't around either.

    "...where are ore-sama's parents?"

The addressed manservant duly answered. "They're in the east wing, Keigo-bochama."

    "With the guest?"

    "Yes, Keigo-bochama."

Atobe didn't wait to ask for explanations. Immediately, he turned on his heel and headed for -san's room. There, he was in time to see Atobe Sr. and Franz emerge from the room with a man in a white coat. They spoke quietly for a few minutes before a servant escorted the white coated man to the stairs. Franz spoke quickly with Atobe's father for a moment before going back into the room again.

    "Is something wrong with -san?" asked Atobe as calmly as he could when he approached his father.

Atobe Sr. let out a breath. "Nothing too serious. It's just one of her bad days, according to her doctor. She'll have to stay in bed to rest for all of today and remain quiet." Taking a brief look at his watch, Atobe Sr. clapped a hand on his son's shoulder. "I've to leave for work, Keigo. Take care of your mother and -kun."

    "Ore-sama will do that."

    "Good. I'll see you later tonight. Hopefully -kun will feel better by then," remarked the older man before striding off into the corridors and down the stairs.

Behind him, Atobe frowned in dissatisfaction, wondering what had happened exactly. He dismissed the other servants that were hovering nearby and gently pushed the door open about three inches. The entire room was dim but he could see the tall figure of Franz standing near the bed. The soft tone of his mother's voice floated from the same direction.

    "..."

Softly, the door clicked shut again.

~*~

August 13, 8.43 a.m

It was only at the dining room, where Atobe and his mother settled down to a delayed breakfast, that he managed to inquire of his mother, "What happened?"

    "Franz informed your father and me at breakfast that -chan felt too weak to get out of bed. He felt he needed to call her family doctor over as soon as possible. Naturally, we agreed at once." The lady grimaced as she sipped on some overdue green tea. "It was a wise decision as it turns out."

Atobe fell silent after that explanation, the gears in his mind beginning to whirr in a most unpleasant turn.

Was it possible...

No. In every single language available on the planet, no. It couldn't be.

And yet, the devious little thought snuck out from where it'd lingered in the dark shadows and took full grasp of his attention. He nearly scowled, pushing the thought away again and diverting his energy to his morning beverage. Yet, just as he took the first sip, it came sliding back out into view again.

Still, what if it's true?

He nearly choked, swallowing hard and setting his cup down on the saucer a bit harder than was necessary.

...if it is true, then ore-sama will take responsibility for it like the man ore-sama is. Even if it wasn't meant to turn out this way.

    "...okaasama, did the doctor say precisely what was the cause of -san's sudden change of health?"

Miyako eyed her son for a good two minutes. Then she spoke, still looking at him in a curious manner. "It happens upon occasion, according to Franz and -chan's doctor. She's gone through this sudden tiredness numerous times before...most of the time for no apparent reason."

    "But for this round?"

There was another one of those careful gazes that usually made Atobe feel like his mother seemed to have some hidden ability to look at his soul. He met her eyes head on nonetheless. "If you're concerned that yesterday's excursion was the source of her troubles today, you can put your mind at rest, Kei-kun. The doctor was informed of what happened and ruled it out. -chan did nothing but walk slowly and rest under shade throughout the entire time, remember?"

    "..." If Miyako didn't read souls, then she most likely read minds. Atobe sat slowly back in his chair, relief washing over him inwardly like ocean water.

    "If you like," continued his mother while looking at her breakfast plate, "you could visit her later in the day if she's strong enough."

    "...maybe," he replied nonchalantly.

Despite the tone of the single word though, Miyako's eyes twinkled in amusement as she speared a cherry tomato with a silver fork.

~*~

August 13, 3.26 p.m

Franz let out a deep breath as he sat on a chair, situated some seven feet away from the bed where lay sleeping.

It was not pleasant, to say the least, to wake up for the day and find your employer's daughter looking like death warmed over.

...all right, so perhaps he was exaggerating. Nevertheless, Franz always felt his insides dive to his ankles whenever these kinds of mornings occurred. It wasn't just the fact that he was supposed to make sure -sama stayed in an acceptable state of health as long as possible. It was also due to the fact that when one had been attending to the young lady for seventeen years and counting, one just couldn't keep from worrying when one saw her in such a state.

Franz silently admitted that he didn't make a very good butler at the rate he was treating -sama like the daughter he never had.

Still...something -sama's doctor mentioned earlier had intrigued him.

    "I must say though, I'm surprised to have been called this late."

Miyako's eyes widened. "What do you mean, Shujei-sensei? Is it serious?"

    "No, no, not that at all..." The doctor looked at the sleeping girl again before turning back to the lady. "Usually I'm called to tend to -kun about once every two months. But in this case, it's already been a good three months. Not to mention, her exhaustion isn't as bad as it usually is."

    "I'm assuming that is a sign of improvement, sensei."

    "Well, I don't want to get anyone's hopes up too high...but it seems to hint at that way, Atobe-san." The doctor's eyes crinkled in a smile. "Maybe the change of atmosphere when she arrived here at your home has done -kun some good."

Franz found himself on the receiving end of Miyako's glance for a moment before she smiled. "Yes...maybe."

Looking up for the umpteenth time, he saw stir. Quick steps took him to the sideboard where a jug of water and a few glasses stood. As the clear water trickled into a glass, blinked, trying to focus.

    "Do you think you can sit up, -sama?"

    "...mm."

He helped her lean on the headboard before offering her the glass. "How do you feel, -sama?"

Accepting the water gratefully, took a gulp before answering. "...much better than this morning, that's for sure."

Some relief seemed to seep into the butler's blood and got transferred to the rest of his limbs. "Shujei-sensei advised you to rest as much as you can. If you don't feel better by tonight..."

She slowly shook her head. "I'm certain I'll be able to go downstairs for dinner. Don't worry."

The relief dissipated a little. Whenever Franz heard that phrase, he would inevitably do the direct opposite. Regardless, he returned a complying "Yes, -sama" and didn't comment on her voice being less confident than it was the day before.

It was at that moment that two knocks resounded from the double doors. Duly pulling them open moments later, Franz met the faces of the Atobe's butler and the young master of the home himself.

    "Keigo-bochama would like to see -san if she is able."

Of course, it would not to do to come and announce himself. The young master had to keep up appearances after all.

Franz very respectfully bid them wait while he asked if -sama would receive them. Going into the inner area of the suite, he took one look at her and just as respectfully decided that she should not have visitors at the moment.

    "Who's at the door, Franz?"

    "Atobe-san, -sama."

    "...which one?"

The butler mentally kicked himself for that. "Atobe Keigo-san."

    "Oh? What does he want?"

    "He wishes to visit you, -sama. But I'll inform him that you aren't feeling up to it-"

His voice got swallowed up by his throat when she pulled herself to sit up higher and pushed away some of the sheets that were covering her. As she did so, she nodded at him. "Please pass me my robe and let Atobe-san come in. I'm well enough."

The stunned look on Franz's face made her pause in her attempt to slowly get out of her bed. She smiled knowingly at him. "You've seen me in worse conditions, Franz. Please?"

Ingrained training kicked in as the butler found himself swiftly retrieving her robe, asking her not to get up and at the very least just sit on the edge of her bed while he went to the door.

A minute later, just as had put on her robe, Franz was back again, this time with the figure of Atobe coming up behind him.

    "Atobe Keigo-san to see you, -sama."

She smiled as she looked up. "Good afternoon, Atobe-san. I'm sorry I couldn't join you and your parents for breakfast this morning."

Taking in the look of her sunken eyes, pale cheeks and her long hair that hung limply on her head, Atobe swallowed the reply that he could see the reason why. He shook his head firmly, striding to take a seat by the bed, not bothering to ask Franz to move a chair closer for him.

    "You look terrible, -san."

She couldn't help but laugh weakly. "It's not like I can help it."

    "...ore-sama has heard that you're suffering from exhaustion."

shrugged lightly. "A weak constitution is a terrible thing to have. But I'm feeling much better than this morning."

    "That is good news. Okaasama has specifically ordered the cook to prepare a special ginseng tonic for you later. You should be receiving it around dinner time."

's eyes widened slightly. "...Ginseng?"

Atobe smirked. "Ore-sama realizes that while it's good for health, it's not necessarily to everyone's tastes. Nonetheless, okaasama swears by it."

    "No, that's not what I meant...it's just that, it's really much too kind of her. Your parents have been more than gracious hosts to me..." She caught the quirk of his eyebrow and smiled. "As you have also been, Atobe-san. I guess...I wasn't expecting this kind of kindness to be quite honest."

    "Well, now you have learned otherwise. My family can be expected to give the best to those we deem worthy."

Not for the first time, noticed Atobe's talent for including praise for himself and his family within a compliment towards another person. Nonetheless, she nodded. "I can see that. I will be sure to thank your parents later at dinner."

Atobe raised one eyebrow. "Who said you were going to be allowed out of bed, -san?"

    "...um, me?"

The boy frowned disapprovingly. "You will have dinner in bed tonight and for the next few nights as well. The servants will see to that."

    "But I couldn't-"

    "You will find, -san, that graciousness is not the only attribute ore-sama and ore-sama's family has." He smirked, the one that emerged whenever he was particularly pleased. "We are also used to getting our own way."

    "...Atobe-san, with all due respect, I-"

He waved her words away, getting to his feet. "Ore-sama will not hinder your rest time any longer, -san." Any more attempts to protest from fell on deaf ears as he snapped his fingers, an unspoken command for his personal butler to follow.

At the main door, Atobe turned to Franz. "Make sure -san does not leave the room for any long periods of time until she is clearly well enough."

    "Yes sir."

    "And inform her that ore-sama will see her later."

    "...yes, sir."

Nodding in satisfaction, Atobe turned on his heels and headed for his own room. Behind him, inside 's suite, the young lady was being stunned. When Franz walked back inside, she looked rather bewilderedly at him.

    "He just...decided that I would be having dinner in bed for the next few nights. I'm sure you heard him, Franz."

The latter carefully made sure he didn't give away any sign of amusement. "With all respect, -sama, I think we have been here long enough to realize the full extent of Atobe-san's...powers of persuasion."

    "Yes, the main part of those powers being that he gives no opportunity to anyone else to protest or agree." blinked for a few seconds, giving the whole thing some thought.

    "In any case, -sama, he said to tell you that he will see you later."

    "...see me later? What could that mean?"

    "...if I dare say so...perhaps a later visit?" ventured Franz.

    "...perhaps." She smiled again to herself, her pale cheeks regaining a tinge of colour.

~*~

August 16, 8.13 p.m

    "...Miyako?"

    "Yes, anata?"

    "I've just come to notice something since I'm not preoccupied with that Takayama business deal any longer."

    "Oh? And what is that?"

    "That for the past three nights, two people have been missing from our usual party. Or at least, in these circumstances, at least one more young gentleman should be sitting with us right now."

    "It's very rare that we get to eat alone, just the two of us like this for consecutive nights, anata. Don't you think it's rather odd if we don't savour the moment?"

    "For one thing, we aren't exactly alone what with the servants surrounding us. For another, you are hedging my questions, Mi-chan."

    "Oh, I do no such thing..."

    "However, that smile on your face answers every question that I have."

    "How astute of you, anata. What does my smile say to you, out of curiousity?"

    "It says to me, my dear Mi-chan, that our son has been dining elsewhere all this while. And it is most likely that -kun has always been within the same vicinity as he is."

    "Well done, my dear. Although I was hoping for you to take notice yesterday."

    "Ah, then I apologise for having fallen short of your expectations."

    "You are quite forgiven, anata."

The gentle chuckle of Atobe Miyako was joined by the smile of Atobe Sr. as they ate together in the main dining hall.

Upstairs, within the largest guest suite of the Atobe mansion's east wing, was Atobe Keigo, finishing his own dinner on a small glass top table. It was complete with its own tablecloth, a glass of wine and a silver candelabra, holding three white candles that glowed rather unnecessarily in the already brightly lit room.

Opposite him about three feet away, lay , trying to drink a bowl of the special tonic she'd been given the past few days without spilling it all over her bedspreads. Her dinner, or at least her dinner plate, sat on a special tray made out of very sturdy wood.

The first night Atobe had made it clear he would be dining with in her own room, the girl couldn't believe it. However, after being chided for her lack of memory that the Atobes were used to getting their own way, she decided that strange as it was, Atobe wasn't about to be deterred.

And far be it from her to chase the boy out since...well, quite frankly, she enjoyed his company. It was true that he was pompous and arrogant, and many other unflattering adjectives to tack onto a boy who seemed to have an ego the size of the Russian landscape. But in some way, who had never really dared to be as loud, bold and self-assured as her companion, found it all refreshing...and somewhat amusing. She didn't quite know what her quiet, uninteresting personality could offer to Atobe-san but if he insisted, then she wouldn't refuse his willingness to stay around.

Not to mention, Franz hadn't really liked the young man when they arrived. Now the butler seemed to welcome Atobe's presence for some reason. And he was always reliable when it came to judgment of character.

Coming out of her thoughts, she sipped the health tonic, trying not to let the grimace show on her face from the bitter taste.

It was obvious she had failed by the low chuckle from Atobe's direction. "Helpful medicine is never sweet."

    "That's rather easy for you to say considering you're the one with wine in his hands, don't you think?"

The rich liquid was expertly swirled within the glass as he scrutinized it. "Not just any wine, -san, but the famous ice wine of Canada." He raised it higher to the light. "Notice the light pink colour – the characteristic of a particular vintage made from Carbanet Franc grapes."

    "I never knew you were a wine connoisseur."

He smirked, swirling the wine gently again as he brought his arm down again. "Not particularly. However, this particular type of wine piques ore-sama's interest enough to do some reading on the subject. It's a delicate and long drawn out process to make such a wine."

    "Are you going to enlighten me on that process?" asked with a small grin, already having the answer in mind.

Atobe smirked wider again. "Ore-sama has already taught you a little about German, Greek philosophy and Athenian architecture already. There's no reason why you shouldn't learn about ice wine making tonight."

    "...you have diverse interests, Atobe-san...those which, if you don't mind me saying so, not a lot of people would easily understand."

    "Ore-sama is aware of that. Ore-sama is also not a lot of people."

There was that gentle smile of hers again, the one that couldn't seem to decide between amusement and admiration. "That much is clear to see."

    "...however, you seem to comprehend what ore-sama tells you," remarked Atobe nonchalantly. He gave her a look, one of curiousity that was covered up by nonchalance. "Or do you merely have a talent for disguising boredom or confusion, -san?"

She laughed again. "I have very little acting skills so rest assured, you haven't been boring nor confusing me. But I've never quite thought about the subjects we seem to discuss. Whenever we do, it makes me think...which is good." grinned. "I'm sure I will have plenty to tell my friends later when university starts again."

    "...ah. Yes. Of course...your new term will begin in a month's time."

nodded slowly and Atobe raised his glass to his lips, feeling an unfamiliar sensation of a sinking heart. There was silence in the room sans for the clinking of porcelain as the servants removed the used plates and silverware.

Then Atobe set down his glass and took hold of another smirk. "Nonetheless, that is some time from now while right now, you are still here. We should make good use of the time."

The smile from was comforting. "Yes, you're right. We should...starting with my lesson on ice wine, if you don't mind, Atobe-san."

The smirk was self assured and wide. "Pay close attention then – there might be a surprise test later on."

It was returned with an amused grin. "You can be sure I intend to pass, Atobe-san."

~*~

August 17, 7.56 p.m

    "Kei-kun."

Atobe turned around to face his mother, about to make his way into one of the corridors in the east wing. "Okaasama."

    "I hope you don't tire -kun out with your visit today."

He smirked. "If anything, okaasama, ore-sama is helping her recover. The more she hears of something else other than medicines and illnesses, the more she will be motivated to get better."

Miyako shook her head with a smile. "Well, you may pass on this news. Considering how she looked this afternoon when I checked in on her, I'll give the green light for her to finally come out and resume normal activities again. Her doctor did mention it'd take perhaps four to five days but...well," here her eyes twinkled in her son's direction. "Perhaps you may be indeed helping to keep her spirits up."

It occurred to the lady just then that her son rarely had a smirk that was all pure happiness. Mostly, they were smug, triumphant, restrained irritancy...other such debatable emotions.

But her already sharp eyes, refined further still by a kind of vision towards their children that only mothers seem to possess, saw that the one currently hovering at his lips was close enough with three quarters pleasure, one quarter smugness.

Miyako bit her lip, debating something within her mind about something. Finally she reached a decision.

    "Kei-kun, I think -chan can wait for a few more minutes. There's something very important you ought to know."

Atobe didn't miss the look on his mother's face. "...okaasama?"

    "..."

~*~

August 21, 10.32 a.m

Franz finally reached a conclusion (that he had to admit certain reservations to) as he closed the music room door behind -sama. They'd just returned from a short stroll through the east grounds of the estate.

Of course by "they", he meant he'd respectfully followed his young mistress alongside other servants while she walked with Atobe Keigo-san, the latter having decided to make it a point of walking with her through the gardens she liked to look at for at least a half hour every morning.

It'd been brewing for some time now but the butler, being the cautious type and disinclined to conclusion hopping, had carefully waited and observed. He wondered also, if he oughtn't to inform -sama the next time the master happened to call and check in on them.

    "Franz, are you alright?"

He wrenched himself from his thoughts and immediately snapped to attention. "Fine, thank you -sama. I apologise. Is there anything you need?"

smiled, shaking her head. "No, nothing. But you rarely drift off like that."

    "I'm alright, -sama. Thank you for your concern."

Nodding in satisfaction, she turned, heading for the piano. "The Atobes are going to a wedding dinner tonight so it'll just be us in the house later on."

    "...you are not going with them?"

    "How could I? The invitation's only for those with the family name of Atobe." She glanced up from where she sat and grinned. "I doubt if Atobe-san and his wife would like to pass me off as a well hidden, long lost daughter."

    "In that case, -sama, I would not suggest the role of a daughter."

    "Oh?"

    "No. The role of a niece or a cousin would be more believable."

chuckled gently, settling her fingers gingerly on the keys. "If anything, Franz, I would rather not go than be related to Atobe-san in any of those ways."

Franz delicately raised one eyebrow. Despite all inward restraint that screamed at him to stop, the words blurted out before he could stop them.

    "And if I may ask, why is that, -sama?"

There was a discordant ‘plunk' as 's fingers slipped. Blushing brightly, she cleared her throat. "Be, because...um, f, for various reasons, Franz. Now please letmeplayinpeacethankyou."

Franz said nothing about the speed she'd spoken at and wisely stepped back as a slightly flustered struggled to remember the first few notes for "Brahms' Lullaby" over the red, rather suffocating, mist of embarrassment.

After some further thinking, the butler thought it would be best not to inform -sama of what was happening. These kinds of things, no matter how long one has been in service towards a family, were best left to their personal attention. After all, Franz doubted if -sama would appreciate him telling her father that she was in love.

~*~

August 21, 7.20 p.m

    "Why men insist on tying bowties by themselves only to tie them crooked towards the left, I will never understand."

    "Why women always insist that the bowties are crooked towards the left when they're perfectly straight, I will never understand."

stifled a laugh at the bantering between her host and his wife. The Atobes were in the foyer, about to leave for their dinner and just waiting for their chauffeur to bring the Rolls Royce around to the main entrance. 

Nearby, Atobe smirked to hear the small snort of laughter that had escaped her. He took a step and lowered his voice so only she heard him.

    "Ore-sama is glad ore-sama has the sense to wear ties."

Smiling, glanced towards her right. In a pitch black suit, with a shiny dark maroon tie tucked beneath a dark red patterned vest, Atobe smirked back.

She nodded her approval, whispering a reply. "You look dressed to have a good time."

    "Ore-sama hopes that will be the case."

chuckled softly. "Somehow, Atobe-san, I would think you'll make sure you do enjoy yourself. You wouldn't accept anything less."

He regarded her with a raised eyebrow and a widening smirk. "Ore-sama will take that as a compliment."

Just as she grinned back, they heard Atobe's father calling them. Both looked up to see him nodding at them. "The car's here. We'll be leaving now."

Miyako smiled as a servant helped her put on a coat. "Take care of the house for us!"

    "I will," replied with a smile. "Have a good evening!"

    "Thank you, -chan. I'm sure we will. You two have fun too," said the lady with a grin before exiting the house.

    "Wh- us two?" She whirled around to stare at Atobe who was nonchalantly brushing some lint off his sleeves. "Atobe-san, why aren't you-"

    "Ore-sama's been to two of Miwayaki-san's wedding dinners, -san. Attending a third won't change ore-sama's opinion that she'll be unable to make this marriage work."

    "...that's...rather pessimistic of you, Atobe-san," weakly replied , having nothing else to say.

    "That is the optimistic view. The pessimistic view would be to say that she will declare a divorce before they even bring out the wedding cake. However, ore-sama is willing to give her the benefit of the doubt."

As he began to walk away in the direction of the main dining room, followed after, still surprised that he would remain behind...and a slight hope that it was because of her, selfish as that longing was.

~*~

August 21, 8.43 p.m

    "I wasn't aware you were so fond of Greek literature as well, Atobe-san."

Atobe's lips turned upwards in a smirk as he lounged, a German novel in his hands. Opposite him, was sitting on an overstuffed armchair, legs drawn up onto the cushion and folded beneath her. She'd chosen a Japanese folklore book, the pages opened up to the tales of the kitsune.

    "If one is to improve oneself in a language, one must immerse oneself in it."

    "That explains why I never did get further than Japanese and English," she smiled amusedly to herself.

    "You forget German."

    "Despite our many conversations, Atobe-san, I don't think it has improved to the point where it shocks Franz." She looked around once more, surveying the library they sat in. "It's amazing that this is one of the three libraries in your home. Most would have only one...or none at all."

The smirk was wide. "This is ore-sama's personal collection. The other libraries are where the rest of ore-sama's family keeps their own reading material."

    "I imagine your tastes are different from that of your father's or grandfather's."

    "...imagine the sky, the sea and the earth – that is how our interests run." He gestured to the book in his hands. "Ore-sama's grandfather hates history but loves politics. Otousama is indifferent towards both but warms towards economics. Ore-sama can take all three but admits preference for a good story. Can you see a pattern in there, -san?"

There was a minute of thought before she shook her head. "...I'm afraid I cannot."

Atobe proceeded to explain. "Politics and economics are both intertwined in history which literally is a story. The red thread is here is that all three are indispensable...much like how ore-sama, otousama and ojiisama are related. We are different but connected and thus make things work."

regarded the boy for a time before smiling. "What can I say, Atobe-san? You've certainly taught me a new way to look at books."

    "You would think of it as a good song, -san, made of different but harmonious keys, blending to create a solid tune." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Logical, ahhn?"

She stifled a chuckle at his prompting. "Indeed."

    "...although speaking of music..." He gestured to the stereo system standing at one end of the room. "This is one of your favourite songs, is it not? You told ore-sama some days ago."

She looked up and nodded. "Yes, it is."

    "Ore-sama is still surprised you favour such sad lyrics."

    "But the melody is lovely." tilted her head to listen and smiled further. "And besides, the words don't use things like "forever" or "permanently". Just for
"tonight".

    "...a kind of comfort that isn't really concrete, -san. But..." In one fast motion, he got up and headed over to where she sat, extending a hand. "Ore-sama believes there will be dancing around this time at the wedding dinner."

shook her head despite the increasing pounding in her heartbeat. "I'm afraid there won't be. Your mother told me it was a traditional dinner."

    "Then it's a good thing ore-sama didn't attend, isn't it?" With a smirk, Atobe reached for her hands and pulled her to her feet. "Ore-sama trusts you are able to waltz."

    "...very little."

Atobe rested one hand on the small of her back and his right hand clasped her left. "It's a small space. ‘Very little' will suffice."

was dubious about his definition of "small" since the library was about the size of a full living room. However, she was even more dubious about the choice of music to dance to. "Atobe-san, are you sure it's really possible to dance to ‘Ue o Muite Arukoo'? I mean-"

He cut her off by smoothly swaying her to the left. "Even if it isn't, ore-sama will make sure it is. You were the one who said so earlier, -san. Besides," He gave her a smirk full of utterly unshakeable confidence. "Ore-sama is all dressed up. One might as well make the most of it, ahhn?"

As he spun her gently and barely missed a bookshelf in the process, a fully amused laugh that surprised herself as well as Atobe at its volume, rang past the song that played in the background.

They danced for what seemed like hours, not caring what tune played for them on the stereo since all they did was move slowly from side to side. felt that even if there hadn't been any music, they would have carried on anyway. She was quite unwilling to end their pseudo-waltzing because while she still felt the floor under her feet, her head felt so light and unconcerned about the rest of the world. It had been too long since she felt this carefree.

As for Atobe, the actual smile that emerged from out of nowhere midway through their dancing just said everything about his feelings that night.

Eventually though, they stopped around ten when noticed Franz's unobtrusive presence near the doors. After one last spin, she came to a halt. "Thank you for the dance, Atobe-san...but I believe I should go now."

He bowed with a flourish. "Ore-sama should be the one thanking you. Have a good night, -san."

    "I already have, thanks to you." The smile she gave him was grateful and sweet. "Good night."

As Atobe watched her quietly leave, he only thought one thing with a small smile on his face.

So has ore-sama, -san. So has ore-sama.

~*~

August 29, 10.56 p.m

    "Phone call for you, Keigo-bochama."

Atobe turned smoothly, excusing himself from a conversation he'd been holding and picking up the cell phone that sat on a silver tray one of the servants held. "Speak."

    "Not like you to stand people up, Atobe."

    "When has ore-sama ever stood people up, Oshitari? Ore-sama's appointments are always made and kept."

    "Then if we're meeting you for a match, why're you still hanging around your room instead of out here on your own tennis court?"

Atobe smirked. "Ore-sama is not in his room, just so you are informed. And you are eager for a taste of defeat already?"

    "The only thing we're eager for is to get the formalities over with so we can all go for that French lunch you promised us." One could almost picture the Kansai youth's lazy smirk on his face. "Even Kabaji's here already. Hence the call."

    "Ore-sama will be there shortly. In the meantime, you may tell the rest that ore-sama is not a personal bank one may withdraw money from at any given moment."

    "No, but you are a source of free meals."

At the sound of the dial tone, Atobe hung up without ceremony and leaned back in his chair, picked up his glass of juice to sip through the straw. Opposite him, tilted her head at him quizzically.

    "Aren't you going to meet them, Atobe-san?"

    "There is no hurry."

gave him a knowing look. "Your friends are expecting you to be there already. You had best be on your way."

    "Is there a reason you're so eager to escape ore-sama's presence, -san?" asked Atobe with a smirk.

Hoping that she wasn't sporting any sort of blush on her face, smiled resignedly. "It isn't that...but you yourself said you always keep your appointments."

    "Ore-sama never promised not to follow the code of the fashionably late. However," He put the glass back down and got to his feet, walking around the table to stand a foot before his companion. Atobe languidly extended a hand to her. "Since you insist we be on our way, we shall make a move."

Her eyes widened immediately. "...I couldn't possibly intrude-"

Atobe cut her off with a brusque wave of his other hand. "If you persist in arguing any further, you will be making ore-sama even later. Do you wish that to happen?"

There was a helpless expression on her face as she placed her hand in his and he pulled her gently upwards. "No, of course not."

    "In that case, let's go."

~*~

August 29, 1.19 p.m

    "Out!"

    "You blind?! That shot was in, dammit!"

    "Oi, who's the referee here? Me or the idiot in the blue cap?"

    "What was that, Mukahi?!"

    "Stop wasting ore-sama's time, the both of you. Hurry up and serve."

There were colourful yet inaudible mutterings from Shishido's side of the court as he got back into position. Opposite him, as he waited, Atobe flicked a glance to the shaded area just a few feet past the fence that surrounded the tennis courts. Two figures sat there, with other servants standing by. He narrowed his eyes slightly to see Ohtori talking with there while the rest were within the grounds of the courts, watching the match.

It didn't distract him from returning the ball that flew in his direction an instant later but still, he wondered what they were talking about.

---

    "You and Atobe-san must be pretty good friends if you're staying with him for the summer."

smiled, shaking her head. "Our fathers are the ones who are good friends. I only knew Atobe-san by face and name...and some general meetings in the past."

Ohtori eyed her curiously. "Oh, I see...I guess you've gotten to know each other better now."

    "I think we have. I hope we have, at least." She turned to look at him. "Atobe-san has told me about you and his other teammates, Ohtori-san. I've heard you're as passionate about tennis as he is."

There was an embarrassed smile as he mussed up his hair. "Well, I've to admit we're a...determined group of players. Even up to university, we're all still playing tennis. It's pretty amazing."

    "I have to agree. I don't know anything about tennis but from what Atobe-san has told me...it seems like none of you have lost your touch from when you were in junior high." gave him a smile. "One shot to your soul, was it?"

A larger, more sheepish smile emerged. So she had heard him when he and Shishido played against Mukahi and Oshitari earlier. "Uhh..."

She laughed gently. "I've to say it sounds less arrogant than Atobe-san's order to be awed by his prowess."

Ohtori grinned. "But inevitably people always are, even if they don't want to be. I know I was. Still am, actually."

    "...he has a talent for that."

The silver haired tennis player watched 's eyes take on an unusual look as she gazed out towards the court. Her voice grew lower and more contemplative, almost as if she was talking to herself.

    "A talent for amazing people and drawing them in..."

He kept silent, still watching the look in her eyes when she trailed off. In his mind's eye, he remembered the way Atobe had introduced this girl to them some hours earlier. His ex-captain rarely gave away any emotion other than confidence and pompousness but Ohtori was been an old friend who was quite observant.

The way Atobe led to the table to sit and made sure she was comfortable before they went into the courts had not been missed. And he'd noted how Atobe was the only one among them who looked in her direction every so often. Ohtori had thought it was because Atobe was worried about -san hence his quietly making his way here to keep company. But...

Ohtori looked back to where Atobe was playing. He could have sworn Atobe had looked their way several times.

The younger boy couldn't help but grin slightly at the conclusion that formed within his head.

    "-san, I don't want to sound rude but..." He beamed at her. "You're the first girl I've seen Atobe-san pay this much attention to."

    "...Ohtori-san, I'm sure there must have been many others." -san shook her head rather vehemently. "A person like Atobe-san would have his pick of girls if the stories are true."

    "I can't deny that...but none of them has ever caught his eye..." He trailed off meaningfully while glancing at her, the words "till now" silently hanging in the air.

could feel herself going red in the face. "I...I..."

There was a short awkward quietness before Ohtori spoke again. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, -san. I don't know what got into me..."

    "It's alright, Ohtori-san." The pleased, wide smile on the girl's face was accompanied by the blush on her cheeks. "It's quite alright. In fact...thank you." The smile was directed at him now.

He couldn't help but grin back. "...you're welcome."

~*~

August 29, 4.46 p.m

    "You really like her, don't you?"

Atobe didn't look at the speaker as he wiped his face with a towel. "What are you talking about?"

    "I'm talking about that -san you introduced to us this morning," drawled Oshitari as he took a swig of water from his bottle.

The two boys were the only ones on the courts as the evening proceeded onwards. After the promised (and delicious) French lunch, the other boys with the exception of Oshitari who hadn't gotten a chance to play against Atobe, had gone home. had disappeared to her room to rest.

    "What business is it of yours if ore-sama likes or doesn't like her?"

    "Absolutely none. But I was just checking considering how we've never seen you in any serious relationship since high school."

Atobe gave Oshitari a look. "Ore-sama doesn't need a keeper. And it's unlike you to be so concerned."

    "I'm not. There're already more than enough people to be concerned about you on my behalf," answered the Kansai born youth with a smirk. ", for one."

    "Don't be rude."

    "I'm sorry, did I hit a nerve?" Oshitari nearly grinned at the irritated glower he received from Atobe. "Alright, alright, -han."

    "Better. Ore-sama wonders if it's the company you keep at Keio University that has diminished your courtesy, Oshitari."

    "That's low, Atobe." He raised an eyebrow. "I suggest you make a direct move before the girl goes back to university. It'll be much easier on the both of you."

Atobe let out a long, drawn out breath. He knew very well the other boy wouldn't quit harping on the subject until something stopped him. "Oshitari."

    "What?"

The latter didn't turn around as he spoke. "-san is going for an operation soon."

    "...operation?"

    "Five days from today."

Oshitari stood, watching Atobe's back as his friend explained, in a modulated, deliberate tone.

The Atobes had been asked to take care of -san because of this very reason: Atobe Sr. was also the only one -san trusted to watch over his daughter until the day of her operation since 's father wouldn't be able to make it back in time from Italy.

Atobe had not been informed until recently, when had had her sudden case of over exhaustion. The operation would help ensure that such things didn't happen again. But while it would help, there was also a risk of her not being strong enough to go through with it. She may not be able to survive delicate surgery like the one she was about to through.

    "...-san knows all this?"

There was a silent nod from Atobe. "...and after her operation, ore-sama must already go back to England to prepare for the new term."

    "...is that why you haven't told her how you feel?"

    "...partly." He turned around, his expression unsmiling at Oshitari.

There was an incredulous expression on the tensai's otherwise smirking face. "You're not going to tell her simply because she's going for an operation she might not survive."

You could almost see Atobe's irritation roll off him in the other boy's direction. "Ore-sama doesn't see anything simple about it."

The genius tennis player shook his head. "I didn't mean it that way. But if anything, I would think it'd help her. If you fear for her, imagine what she's going through."

Atobe heaved another tired sigh. He'd debated this with himself over and over again. Every time, he came up against a brick wall of ruthless logic. "How would it help to tell her ore-sama has feelings for her and then not be there to help her recover? How would it help her, Oshitari?"

    "...before I give you an answer, I need to know two things." Oshitari looked at Atobe carefully. "Do you really like her or are these feelings a result of pity for her?"

The moment that question emerged from his lips, the Kansai genius had his answer in the way Atobe seemed to try and glare a hole into his head. If looks could kill, Oshitari would've been dead, buried and given a memorial in about three seconds.

    "Ore-sama will be generous this time and forget that you ever asked ore-sama that."

    "Fine. Then do you know if she likes you in the way you like her?"

For one rare moment, there was an air of uncertainty in Atobe's stance before he nodded. "...ore-sama believes so."

    "How sure are you?"

He glanced wryly at the dark blue haired boy. "Insight can be a gift and a curse at the same time."

    "If that's the case, then isn't it already obvious how your confessing could help her?" Oshitari raised an eyebrow. "For all that insight of yours, Atobe, you don't seem to use it to its full potential outside of the court."

There was a pause before Atobe stared him right in the eye, the look purposely blank and curt.

    "...within the court, Oshitari, no one walks the thin line between life and death."

Oshitari's brows narrowed slightly.

~*~

September 1, 9.53 p.m

    "Shouldn't you be supervising the packing for tomorrow?"

continued running her fingers along the piano as she felt someone take up a seat beside her on the bench. "I've packed already, Atobe-san."

He raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. And here ore-sama thought you'd sent Franz to do that task."

She smiled slightly, her eyes still on the instrument that she played. "I gave him the night off. He's had his hands full the entire day with arranging the details and making sure everything is ready."

The music played on and he tilted his gaze towards the piano. "...Für Elise."

Nodding quietly at his remark, maintained her pace, the famous tune echoing through the music room and bouncing back from the marble. Atobe let the music fills his senses, closing his eyes to imagine black music notes and lines across a clean white background dance to the melody.

When it came to an end, he opened his eyes once more, smirking and found 's focus on him.

    "Did you know, Atobe-san, that ‘Für Elise' is another name for Beethoven's ‘Bagatelle in A minor'?"

    "...with such a name as that, it's no wonder ‘Für Elise' is better known."

There was a gentle chuckle from the girl sitting beside him. "And the story's romantic too...composing a song for a woman he was in love with and placing the letters of her name in the title."

    "...most artisans would be expected to pay tribute of some kind to a lady they secretly admire." Atobe waved one hand languidly. "Artists paint portraits, sculptors use marble...musicians compose melodies."

There was a sudden low mumble from her. If Atobe hadn't been sitting so close, he wouldn't have heard. But as it turns out, his ears were sharp enough to catch the murmured, "What about tennis players?"

He smirked. "Tennis players dedicate trophies and medals, -san."

She jolted, and immediately turned red at having been caught. Unable and unwilling to say anything more, turned back to the piano, her fingers starting to play another song.

    "Ore-sama can see it's pointless to ask if you're nervous."

    "And why is that?"

    "Because I can hear tremors in the notes you play," explained Atobe shortly, nodding at the piano. "You're shivering."

The music abruptly halted as she took the pressure off the keys. But with her fingers still lightly touching the keyboard, stared at the back of her hands. After a while, she shook her head.

    "...I don't know what to say to you. Am I supposed to apologise? Or am I supposed to be defensive?"

    "...neither."

She sighed, dropping her hands in her lap. "I'm not nervous, Atobe-san."

    "..."

    "I'm terrified." regarded him once more, eyes finally meeting his for the first time that day.  "I'm terrified, scared...any other frightened adjective you can think of. I keep thinking that when I go into that operation theatre and they give me the anesthesia..."

A cold hand seemed to squeeze her heart as her voice quieted.

    "I don't know if I'll ever wake up again."

He could see the fear slowly rising to the surface of her face, in her eyes that didn't have the wildness of thoughtless panic but the deep realization of the implications the situation held. To his chagrin, Atobe had a small suspicion that he was to blame for the interruption of her previous serenity, fake as it was. Nevertheless, he bent forward slightly, his hands on his knees.

    "-san...anyone in the same state as you would be just as afraid."

There was a small quirk of her lips. "Even you?"

    "..."

His silence was the best admittance she would get from the boy.

    "...do you know what the most ironic thing about this whole thing is?"

    "No."

She looked up to the ceiling of the room, made of white plaster and molded cornices. "I actually wanted this to happen." The raised eyebrow went unnoticed as she continued talking. "Shujei-sensei has mentioned this operation before, when I was thirteen.

I wanted to go through with it, right then and there, if it would indeed make me stronger. But the irony there was that I was too weak to go through with it. My body would never sustain the surgery.

...it was a disappointing day. The only small comfort was that if I eventually got stronger, I would be able to go for the operation. However, back then, neither I nor my father thought I'd get any better."

    "...and yet six years later..."

nodded slowly. "It was a surprise even to him when Shujei-sensei informed us at the beginning of the year. But...when he said it was best they perform the operation now while they had the chance, I had to beg my father to let me go through with this...even if my chances of survival went from only 40-60 to 55-45." A wry laugh emerged.

    "But now look at me. I'm actually thinking of not going. I actually want to ask your parents to call Shujei-sensei and tell him I want to back out...tell him I don't want to go to the hospital tomorrow or go for the operation the next day."

Bending her head, her long unbound hair covered her face, hiding it from Atobe's view. He gazed at her for a few moments, his heart twisting in several different directions all at once. It actually physically hurt a little to see her like this – afraid, upset...seemingly alone even though she was surrounded by people.

His voice echoed through the room a second later.

    "...but you're still here."

There was no reaction with the exception of a small movement of 's head.

    "You're still here," repeated Atobe firmly. "You've not told ore-sama's parents to cancel your operation. You've not told Shujei-sensei you're not going. You're packed, ready to go to the hospital tomorrow...you're still sitting here, playing the piano instead of running out the mansion's front door."

    "You know what you want. You know what you have to do."

Now she looked up at him, the hair falling back from her face, helped along by Atobe's fingers as he brushed some strands back and tucked it behind her ear. He smirked, or at least tried to, at her.

    "And you're going to do it."

    "..." She shook her head again. "I'm still frightened, Atobe-san. Frightened beyond words."

    "And yet you're still talking. Being frightened and running is one thing. Being frightened yet staying is another." 

The words traveled into her mind, hovered there for a while before sinking in.

    "..." Atobe leaned forward slightly.

    "It's what people call courage, -san."

There was silence – a drawn out one where she did nothing but look at Atobe's face and wonder just how much confidence this boy had...until there was enough left over to be given to her.

Eventually, and gradually, she managed to smile.

    "You know, Atobe-san, I think it's time I told you something...a secret of mine."

He silently raised an eyebrow questioningly.

    "...when my father asked if I was willing to stay with you and your family...I said yes because of one thing."

    "...Ore-sama knows-"

She shook her head, looking downwards once more. "It wasn't because of my frailness or your large mansion or your servants. It was because...last time, when we were younger, you saw me."

Surprise flashed through Atobe's eyes as she continued to quietly explain.

    "I was so silent back then. So used to staying in the background because I couldn't play like the rest of my father's friends' children. But then...one day, I remember sitting under a tree while everyone else was playing tag...and I heard a voice from the other side.

    "I turned to look and I saw a boy, a boy with a large grin on his face, talking to the other children who weren't chasing each other. He was...quite loud but very confident...so very assured in his ways. And everyone paid so much attention to him, looking up to him while he talked like a real adult. He made me laugh too, at the way he spoke. He made me laugh a lot more than I was used to.

    "And then...the boy turned. And he looked at me. He actually looked at me and smirked before looking back at the other kids."

didn't dare look up, her shaking now not because of the operation but because of what she was saying to him.

    "You were the only one who saw me that day. Even if you don't recall...it was the first time someone my age actually paid attention to me. Quiet little me who never made a sound, was always sitting and resting and couldn't play any game properly.

    "I always remembered that little boy because he was the first one who showed me what it was like to be noticed...you were the first of my peers who showed me what it was like to be seen."

Silence flowed through the room as she stopped, head reeling from telling him all that...and essentially telling him a secret she'd harboured for over ten years. Something like that took a certain amount of wind out of a person.

    "...does ore-sama show you that now as well?"

A small laugh escaped her. "Yes, Atobe-san, you still do. And do you see? Somehow you just make me laugh. The way you speak amazes me because you're so sure of yourself...so sure of everyone else. It amazes me...and the way you do it makes me laugh because...it seems to help me be a bit more confident too."

    "So..." raised her head, met his eyes and smiled fully for the first time that day. "Thank you, Atobe-san."

    "...you're welcome," he replied although his mind was elsewhere, trying to catch up with his heart. Atobe could hear Oshitari's voice already, the last part of that conversation they'd had days ago suddenly replaying in his mind.

    "A desperate game can turn in any direction at any moment. So can this situation. It could turn out, Atobe, that whatever support she knows she's receiving from you might push her onto the side of life."

Atobe turned away, and Oshitari frowned harder at his unwillingness to resolve the issue.

    "Or are you actually afraid to tell her you love her?"

There was a stunned silence.

Slowly, Atobe turned around and offered his friend the coldest glare he could muster. "Ore-sama is not."

    "...." The tensai raised both eyebrows. "You are afraid. You're afraid you'll lose her so soon after you finally find a girl you care this much for."

    "...we're done here. You know the way out, Oshitari."

There was a sigh as the dark haired boy zipped up his bag and tossed his towel over his shoulder. "Alright, alright. But I'm tellin' you, if you don't let that girl know now?"

Atobe didn't see Oshitari glance over to the mansion.

    "You may not get the chance to do so again."

    "...out."

    "Gone. See ya round."

He spent another three seconds debating the matter with himself before releasing a deep breath. Damn Oshitari and his advices.

    "Ore-sama is glad to hear that ore-sama gives you confidence. Very glad indeed. Now...ore-sama confesses that ore-sama has a secret as well. One that ore-sama wishes to let yo