[fic] MEGA-crossover - Jinchi High School 4A/?
Last time....:
“
Thank you, Suzuki-san.” Said a voice, drawing everyone’s attention to the unlabeled door. A man in around his mid-sixties stood there. Hyde immediately recognized him from the portrait in the entrance hall. He was wearing a loose, soft looking, brown sweater over a pair of dark jeans. His hair was more silver than gray and he had deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and around his mouth, indicating that he spent a lot of time smiling. He ambled in comfortably, letting the white door swing shut softly behind him as he approached the crowd. “I can take it from here.”
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The butler bowed, stepping off and to the side behind the big cloth-covered armchair. Hyde turned slightly in his seat to see that Tetsu’s mother had hurriedly ended her call, and she and the other parents were also bowing at the casually dressed man before them.
‘Oh… He must be Doi-san…’ Hyde thought as he stood, following the parents’ lead, and lowered his head before the older man. The other three boys caught on as well and followed suite.
“Doi-sama, It’s good to see you again.” It was Tetsuya’s mother who spoke, sounding all-business.
“Is it?” Doi-san raised an eyebrow as his eyes raked over the other two boys’ parents.
Both Ken’s parents and Yukihiro’s mother looked positively forlorn, and not even their forced smiles could hide the water in their eyes. Hyde couldn’t help but begin to feel nervous. What exactly were they all doing here?
“Well, we all knew this day would come eventually. I can’t even begin to express my gratitude towards you all.” Doi smiled a sort of sad smile at the group of adults. “I don’t want you to think this means your connection with the children is going to be cut off. I’m sure you’ve all bonded quite well, and I don’t intend to keep them from you. They’ll be welcome to visit you whenever they wish.”
The boys all turned to regard the adults with confused and questioning frowns as he said these words. Hyde was sure he caught the boy called Yukihiro’s mother choke back a small sob.
“However, if it’s not too much to ask, I’d like to have today to myself so that I can explain things properly to the four of them and get them all settled in.”
The parents all nodded and spoke their assent. Doi shot another sympathetic smile towards them before continuing to speak. “Wonderful. Thank you all very much.” He turned his gaze towards the three maids lined up along the wall. “If you three would be so kind as to escort our guests out to their vehicles…” He smiled. “I know our hallways can be rather confusing. I get lost myself sometimes.”
The maids bowed, gesturing for the parents to follow them out. Tetsu’s mother shot him a blank look as she strode out after the first maid, cell already out and dialing before she’d even left the room properly.
Ken’s mother stared for a moment at her son, as though memorizing his features to her mind, before her tears over flowed and she walked out unsteadily with a handkerchief over her face. His father looked close to tears himself, and averted his eyes, looking anywhere but at his son’s face. His voice was a little hoarse when he spoke quietly. “You’re a good kid, Ken. Make us proud.” With that he hesitated a second longer before hurrying out after his wife.
Yukihiro’s mother was shaking, the tears streaming silently down her cheeks, as she stared almost longingly at her son. Yukihiro turned away when he saw her, his eyes trained intently on the ground beside Hyde’s chair as he refused to meet her gaze.
The last maid approached her, bowing politely and looking truly apologetic. “I’m very sorry, Ma’am, but we have to go.” She held out a lace-trimmed white handkerchief. “Your ride is waiting.”
Yukihiro’s mother hesitated before taking the offered tissue and dabbing at her tears with a shaky breath and a nod. Slowly she began following the young maid out of the room, shooting one last heart aching look at her son’s down-turned expression before she too left the hall.
There was a long silence before the man called Doi spoke.
“I suppose you’re all looking for answers.” He said softly, pulling the boys’ attention from their thoughts and onto him. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know, don’t worry.”
There was a short pause now, before Hyde got the courage to speak. “I don’t want to be rude, but who are you exactly? And what do you have to do with us and our parents?”
“Yes.” Tetsuya spoke quietly. “Please tell us what’s going on.”
“And why were our parents so upset just now?” Ken chimed in.
Yukihiro remained silent, staring down at the floor with his fists clenched at his sides.
Doi pursed his lips thoughtfully before nodding. “Alright. Please have a seat before I begin.” He gestured at the black armchairs before settling into his own, facing them. The boys hesitated before complying, wanting answers more than wanting to be defiant. “I’ll start with yours, Hideto.” He paused thoughtfully for another second before speaking again. “My name is Doi Hachiro.”
“Doi Hachiro?” Tetsuya frowned.
“It might be familiar to you. I’m the owner of The WhiteElm Corporation.” As Doi Hachiro named his company, Tetsu’s eyes shot open in shock and recognition. “I own many other companies under this name. From restaurants, to hotel chains, to things in real estate and the automobile industry. You name it and I’ve probably got a foot in it somewhere.”
“Um… I pay attention to stocks and businesses and whatnot, so I’ve heard about your company. It’s really huge.” He paused as if suddenly just realizing something. “Wait, you’re… If you’re Doi Hachiro, the owner, then that would make you one of the richest, most influential, people in Japan…” Tetsuya breathed, staring at the man before him in awe.
Doi Hachiro grinned somewhat sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “The richest, actually…” He chuckled.
“Wow… I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you…” Tetsuya said, still staring at the man in wonder.
“How is it that you know our parents then, if you’re really such an important, famous guy?” Ken frowned.
“Well, they’ve been working for me for years. Since well before you were all born.” He paused. “In fact, they’re all different department heads. Very reliable workers, I trusted them all immensely as employees, and as people, so about sixteen years ago I entrusted them all with the most important job I had to offer.”
There was a long pause before Ken spoke again and interrupted it. “… And what was that job?”
Doi Hachiro considered them all a moment, looking like he didn’t want to continue. “…Before I get into that, there’s something we need to clear up.” He hesitated again before closing his eyes and simply saying it straight out. “The people who have been raising you all these years are not your real parents.”
A shocked silence reigned for an instant before Hyde burst out incredulously. “W-what?”
“Is that a joke?…” Ken choked out.
“P-please don’t mess with us, Doi-sama… It’s n-not funny…” Tetsuya stuttered.
Hyde looked over at the faces of the boys beside him. Both Tetsu and Ken looked positively rattled, and Hyde was sure he had a similar expression on his own face. Yukihiro’s expression, however, remained impassive.
“I’m sorry, there’s no easy way for me to explain this to you, but you can all be assured that I’m not lying. Everything that I’m about to tell you is the truth.” Doi turned his apologetic eyes on each of the four boys before continuing. “I’ll start at the beginning… When I was young, I married a young woman whom I cared deeply about. We’d planned to start a family together, but it became apparent after a couple of years that it was impossible for me to have any children of my own. Then, a few years later my wife got sick and she died only a year after that. In my loneliness and grief I devoted my life to my work, and built my company up around me like an empire.” He paused to take a deep breath before he continued his tale. “About twenty years ago, one of our departments was suffering some minor setbacks that had me looking bad in the media. It was suggested that I do something charitable to get the media back on my side, so I opened up a beautiful little orphanage not far from here, in the countryside. I ended up getting into the habit of visiting the place. Originally it was just to check up on things, but eventually I found myself growing closer to the children there. They didn’t have a family, and neither did I, but I found my want for one being rekindled after all those years.”
Hyde glanced over to see that Ken and Tetsu both head their heads down, and Yukihiro appeared to be blinking something out of his eyes. Hyde turned back to the man in front of them, who also seemed lost in his thoughts. “So you adopted one of them?”
Doi Hachiro looked up, and then shook his head. “At that point in my life, work was demanding too much of my time. There was no way I could keep up the way I was and still try to raise a child properly. It was hard enough to squeeze in a few hours a week to visit the kids at the orphanage, so as tempted as I was, I couldn’t allow myself to take one home.” He paused to stretch his arms and cross his legs. “A few years ended up passing, and then I had a heart attack. It was only minor, but it brought me very abruptly into the reality of my situation. Everybody who’d heard about it was clamoring to ask me who would inherit the company in the event of my death, and I was forced to wonder the same thing. I’d never really thought about it before, but I was getting older. I had many close friends and valued employees, but none that I was willing to pass the whole company on to. It was a big responsibility, not just anybody could handle it. And, of course, I had no heirs.” He gestured towards the butler behind him. “Suzuki-san, my good friend, was listening to me complain and worry over this, and he suggested adoption. Of course, I mentioned the problem with my large workload and lack of free time for parenting, so he said ‘why not adopt an older child?’ I considered this, but it was my opinion that an orphanage is no place for a child to be raised properly. I spent many sleepless nights worried over this, before I got an idea.
“It was four months after my heart attack. The doctors had all told me to reduce stress by reducing the amount of work on my shoulders, so I’d gradually shifted more work onto the different company department heads. It made more sense that way anyhow. I was still doing a lot of work, but I had enough time to get it all done now. Things were running smoother than ever, and the reduced stress I was feeling must have helped to smooth out my frazzled brain waves as well, because I came up with a wonderful idea.
“Not long before I’d had the heart attack, four babies had arrived at the orphanage around the same time. One of the women who usually cared for the infants had been off sick one week that I came to visit, and so I’d ended up helping out the other workers in her place. It was a wonderful and entirely new experience for me. Even after that week, I kept coming back to the infant’s nursery and helping look after the four of them. They were wonderful babies, and I was thoroughly taken with them. For months, even after I’d had the attack, I found myself spending more and more time with them. Even the other caretakers told me it was strange how strongly the four had bonded with me, and I with them.
“So when I got this idea, I could only think it was genius. Four of my friends and trusted employees would raise these boys where I could not, and once they were old enough we’d be reunited… Maybe even as a family.”
All four of the boys looked uncomfortable.
“I’m not expecting you to love me like a father, or treat me like one. I’m not crazy. I understand the people who raised you are your parents in your hearts and you are free to visit them as often as you want, but this will be your new home. We feel like strangers now, I know, but I feel that the bond we used to have must still be with us somehow, and with a little time and patience we’ll learn to rediscover it.”
“So… You’re our father? And we’re… brothers?”
“Not officially. None of you were ever actually adopted. You can call what’s been going on these past sixteen years a sort of ‘foster care’ program, and now you’ve just switched ‘caregivers’. You’ve all spent your lives traveling from place-to-place, country-to-country, right? I own other, less extravagant, residences all over the globe. It was my idea that the four of you, and your foster parents, should rotate from place to place so that you’d get a better taste of world culture.” There was another long silence. “You’re all turning seventeen this year. In another year you’ll be graduating from high school, and you’ll be ready to make your own paths in life. If we can try to get to like each other before then, I’ll be satisfied. If not, as adults, you’ll be free to go wherever you choose. I’m not even saying any of you need to be my successor, though that may be open to any of you who are willing and capable.”
“…This is crazy.” Yukihiro stated flatly. The other three boys murmured their agreement.
“What Doi-sama is trying to say, is that he’d like you four to live here with him until you graduate.” Suzuki-san stepped forward to address the boys. “After that, you’re welcome to leave, but until then please…” He bowed deeply. “Please, give this arrangement a chance.”
The boys all stared at the butler’s bent form for a moment, before Tetsu stood up. “I’m… willing to do it.”
Hyde looked up at him in surprise, but his eyebrows rose even further when Yukihiro rose to his feet a moment later.
“Yeah. I’m fine with staying here, I guess.” He crossed his arms, adopting an ‘I-actually-couldn’t-care-less’ pose.
Hyde glanced at Ken, who glanced back before turning to consider the two standing boys. “Well…” Ken grinned, standing abruptly. “I think I’m up for an adventure!” He clapped his hands on the shoulders of the boys standing on either side of him. Tetsu staggered slightly under the friendly gesture and Yukihiro shrugged him off.
“And what about you, Hideto-sama? Are you willing to stay with us?” Suzuki-san spoke, looking hopefully at the only seated boy.
Hyde chewed his lip, trying to think this over. All this new information was throwing his mind upside down and making it difficult to think straight or rationally. His gaze lifted to the faces of the two men across from him. Both were waiting expectantly for his answer and their anxious, hopeful expressions made him give in.
“…Alright.” He said, rising slowly to his feet. “I don’t really have anywhere else to go anyhow, since my…uh, dad is out of town…”
“Wonderful!” Doi-san beamed, practically bouncing with happiness as he rose to his feet. “That’s absolutely wonderful! I-- We have so much to do-- Umm, I don’t even know what we should start with…”
“What about dinner, sir?” The butler suggested politely. “It’s nearing seven now, and I’m sure the young masters must be starving.”
“Oh! Yes! Brilliant idea, Suzuki-san! Please notify the kitchen staff immediately!”
“Right away, sir. Is there anything in particular that you want them to serve?”
“Uh, boys, what would you like?” Doi looked at them expectantly.
“Eh…” Tetsu looked startled, not knowing what to say.
“Anything’s fine.” Hyde smiled politely.
“It doesn’t matter to me, I’ll eat anything!” Ken chuckled.
Yukihiro shrugged.
Doi turned back to his head butler. “Tell them to make whatever they feel like making! Something delicious, and fresh.”
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem, Doi-sama.” Suzuki-san smiled and bowed, before striding off and through the kitchen doors.
Only a moment later several maids came through the unlabeled door. They were pushing two carts loaded full of neatly stacked dishes, silver and glassware, and folded linens. One of them was carrying a large folded cloth in her arms and she and another maid stretched it out over the table. It was gold-colored with a delicately intricate design weaving through it in white thread.
“Setting for five, Doi-sama?” Asked one of the girls with the carts.
“That’s right, thank you.” Doi Hachiro replied before turning to the four boys as the maids began laying out five place settings. “So, how was your first day at school? Oh! I forgot to mention that you’re all attending the same school now… So I don’t know if you’ve met before this afternoon, but it’s a possibility.”
“Cool! I don’t know about those two, but Tetsu’s in my gym class.” Ken grinned.
“Tetsu? You mean Tetsuya?” Doi frowned.
“It’s my new nickname…” Tetsu supplied, smiling almost bashfully.
“Ah, I see! Very nice!” He clapped his hands together. “So, the rest of you haven’t met? That’s no matter! Since we’ll be living together from now on, I’m sure there’ll be lots of time for bonding, right?” He grinned.
Before any of them could work out an awkward reply, the multi-billionaire was distracted by the maids who were now bowing at him from some feet to his right.
“Please excuse us sir, your table is ready.” Said the oldest woman, who appeared to be in charge of the others.
“Oh, good! Thank you!” He put a hand on both Yukihiro’s and Ken’s shoulders. “Come along then, I’m sure the food will be ready soon.” He paused, turning to frown at the blonde-haired boy. “Oh?” He gave his shoulder a little pat. “Your shirt’s rather damp, isn’t it?”
Yukihiro looked away awkwardly. “Oh. Yeah. There was an… incident, with the showers in the gym earlier. It’s fine though, it’s not bothering me.”
“Eh?” Ken leaned over. “You’re taking Phys. Ed. too? Ahh, it’s too bad you didn’t end up in our class, ne Tetsu-kun?”
“Uh, no. I’m not… I was just helping someone with something. It’s really no big deal.”
Doi smiled, gesturing at the table for them all to take their seats. “Whatever the case, it’s nice to hear that you’re all making friends, and just think! It’s only your first day too!” He sighed almost nostalgically as he sunk into his chair at the table’s head. The boys all followed his example, sitting two on either side of him. “I remember my high school days… Well, I wouldn’t call them the best years of my life, but I sure do have a lot of memories.” He beamed at the teenagers sitting before him. “You guys will too, you know. So it’d be wonderful if you can make them all good ones.”
There was a bit of an awkward silence after this.
“Uh… sure. We’ll try our best.” Hyde offered uncomfortably, not really sure what sort of response was expected. Tetsu and Ken readily nodded their agreement, but Yukihiro, again, remained largely stoic.
“Good, good! Now, tell me. What classes are you all taking?” Doi Hachiro, looking more than pleased with their response, began talking animatedly again. He questioned them thoroughly and excitedly about anything and everything he could think of, usually related to their first day of school, but frequently jumping off onto other largely unrelated topics as well.
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to be continued...
READ CHAPTER 4B HERE