HANA YORI DANGO UPDATE!: CHAPTER 14
Winter holidays dawned on. These were the holidays most people looked forward too, especially Etikou’s students who were preparing for their miscellaneous trips to either Paris or at the Alps. Takaki looked around the school’s exciting atmosphere. He stood up on a chair and looked around. “Where did he go?” he muttered to Hikaru who was standing near him. Yabu shrugged. “Ryosuke and Ryutaro both didn’t turn up yesterday and today…..guess we’ll see them after school reopens…..”
Yuto nodded sighing. Chinen was comfortably seated in Yabu’s chair before Yabu pushed him off. “OOI!!” Chinen yelled as Daiki laughed and invited Yuri to sit beside him. Inoo looked up at the window. It was snowing. Keito smiled as he saw the snow and turned to Yuto. Yuto however was in deep thought. He kept thinking about something. Keito patted him on the shoulder. “Daijobu Yuto?”
“HAi…sorry just thinking…” Yuto said smiling. “Akiko’s been missing these past two days as well ne” he said quietly into Keito’s ear. Keito nodded as he realized it as well. “I hope she’s okay…I mean all of them”
Yuto stared at Keito for a while then turned away. Yabu looked at JUMP. And then he stood up. “Daijobu, I talked to Ryosuke yesterday. Says he took Ryutaro for a holiday and Akiko’s whole family’s missing, guess they went somewhere together….”
“Oh…” Inoo said nodding. Takaki stared at Yabu. Yabu was silent. His face was pale and his eyes were flowing with signs of fatigue. Nevertheless, he kept smiling at JUMP. Takaki moved closer...”You’re trying too hard to hide it…don’t…”
Yabu looked up at him in shock. “I’m not hiding anything...I’m just tired…I have a lot to do on this holiday….”
“What?” Hikaru asked.
Yabu looked from one to the other. “Don’t piss me off guys….I’m going. I have to get to work. JA ne. Call me.” And with that Yabu made his way down the stairs as JUMP looked at him confused. “IS he going to leave his house again tonight?” Takaki whispered to Hikaru. “Dunno…but don worry, I’ll watch him…as always” Takaki nodded with a sigh. As Yuto and Keito talked excitedly over their plans for the holiday, the rest of JUMP returned home to enjoy the upcoming winter brake.
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Akiko stepped out of the black car. In front of her stood a magnificent white manor. It was a beautiful replica of one Japan’s antique building design and structure. Even though it was outlined with traditional architecture, its front grounds were fashioned into a slightly more western look. With humongous fountains on every corner of the four storey mansion, each fountain shaped into a mermaid pouring out water with her hands held up high. There were crowns on these mermaids which glowed brightly. They shone so much that Akiko thought they were mirrors reflecting the moonlight. But as she moved closer she realized, “Diamonds?”
She touched the mermaids in awe. They were dressed in real diamonds. But then her eyes spotted something else. At the bottom of the fountain she was near, a lot of broken glass was visible. Liquor bottles. So many of them broken and sunken. It was a graveyard. Akiko took a step back and felt two hands grab her arms. She turned around to see Ryosuke standing there looking at her. “Best not to go near the fountains okay?”
“Hai…” she said silently. Ryosuke had a very serious look on his face when he said that. He stared around Akiko. “Where is your luggage?”
Akiko picked up a small bag. “Right here…”
Ryosuke stared. “That’s it… that’s your bag. Its only a hand carry?”
Akiko’s lips broke into a smile. “I’ll live with it…”
Ryosuke looked at the servants behind him and shrugged “Guess we don’t need you, dismissed.”
They bowed and moved away. Ryosuke beckoned Akiko to follow him. They both went up the stairs and entered the extravagant mansion. As she moved inside, it was as magnificent as outside. The halls were lavish and festooned in the most expensive art. Yet, they were all so gloomy and dark. Akiko was getting excited. She giggled all of a sudden. Ryosuke turned around in surprise. “Nande?”
Akiko smiled and put her arm on his shoulder. “Walking into such a big house, I feel Drunk!”
“EH?” Yamada questioned in shock pushing her away worriedly. Akiko laughed. “Drunk for me means very happy. I’ve never seen such beauty…Its gorgeous!”
Yamada looked around the large halls. “They look pretty dead to me….you have bad taste…”
Akiko looked at him annoyance. “Weirdo…” she said and stomped away. Ryosuke looked at her for a while then smiled. She stopped walking and turned around. ‘Urm..I dunno where I am going…hehe…a little help…”
Ryosuke shrugged and walked forward. He hid his face. In so many years had his face broken into an original smile. Akiko walked on beside him completely ignorant of the fact that Ryosuke was smiling.
“AKIKO!” a voice called out. Akiko turned around to see Ryutaro standing there. He looked much better than he did the last time she saw him. IN fact he looked a lot happier. Akiko smiled as he ran towards her. ‘Isn’t this great, Okahsan and I are living on the second floor, we’re gonna be together with you for Christmas! “
Akiko laughed at Ryutaro’s excited face. Ryutaro smiled as his face turned pink. “Sorry, just so grateful to Yamachan…”
Yamada nodded.”It’s nothing big Ryu, ignore it…go and get ready. I”ll bring Akiko down for dinner. Make sure Okahsan’s ready too.”
Ryutaro nodded and let go of Akiko’s hands. He ran down the hall way and out of sight. As Ryosuke opened a bedroom for Akiko she moved in. And her jaw dropped. “This is the most beautiful bedroom I’ve seen in my life….are these pearls?” she asked silently as she touched the pearly white engraved frame of the dressing mirror. It was indeed huge. “Its big…” she looked around uncomfortably. Ryosuke yawned.”What you scared of a big bedroom…?” he asked raising one eyebrow.
Akiko looked at him with her face burning red. ‘What do you mean by that..?”
“Nothing…nothing…just change for dinner, hayaku I’m starving…”
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Yabu covered himself completely in his black coat. The snow was killing him. But he would rather face the snow, than going home. He sat quietly on a stone wall. Passers by never saw him. He just sat on the high wall, like a midnight bat. He felt better knowing no one could see him. That’s what he thought. A little further away, Hikaru hid under the bushes of a tree. He sat down and breathed in his muffler muttering to himself. “Couldn’t Yabu hide in a place less chilly…? I have no company here. My only company is snoring…..Takaki…GET UP!”
Takaki hit him on the head. “ITAI! What was that for?” Hikaru asked angrily massaging his head. Takaki yawned…”Sorry, I guess I had to hit something. Just woke up…was dreaming about this punch bag…so beautiful….”
Hikaru stared. Takaki blinked. “Are you sleep talking?” Hikaru asked as Takaki gave a goofy smile and slumped back into the snow. “Baka…” Hikaru muttered and returned his gaze onto the slouched Yabu on top of the wall near Tokyo’ Train Central. A group of weird men came out. Their bodies were engrossed in tattoos. The signature sign of criminals. The puffed smoke and talked loudly disrupting the peace of the night and Takaki’ sleep. Takaki awoke with a start. “Who dares disturb my precious sleep…I mean…never mind…” Takaki muttered as Hikaru sniggered. The men rowdily made their way down the street. Unfortunately one of them spotted Yabu on the wall. He moved closer and roared.. .’Look At HIM! WEIRDO ? IDIOT SLEEPING ON A WALL!!” The men roared into laughter. Yabu’s eyes opened. Hikaru and Takaki exchanged nervous glances. “Not good…”
Yabu jumped of the wall. “You want a piece of me?”
The men stopped laughing. The one nearest to Yabu threw a cigarette at him. “Eat that punk…” The men continued laughing. Takaki moved out but Hikaru grabbed him back in. “Matte…”
Yabu looked at the cigarette butt on the snow. It created a black circle around it. “My father smoked. That’s why I hate smoking. It killed him. Then I got a step dad. I hate him…So I guess I hate you…” Yabu said facing that man in front of him. HE moved closer. All the other men stared at each other. “Get that PUNK!’ One of them yelled. Yabu was lunged into a wall. HE yelled as blows came and hit him in the stomach. Bleeding profusely, Yabu managed to get back onto his feet and with all his might attacked the men. Takaki could no longer control himself. He ran towards one of the men and jumped at him from behind. The gangster roared as Takaki’s blows came from behind. Yabu’s leg whipped a man onto the floor. Takaki pushed himself up the wall and landed on another man with his elbow towards the man’s back. Yabu was a fighting machine. He flew, he kicked he lunged and he hurt. His face was teary; all he wanted to do was…kill. Hikaru ran out from his hiding place and held him back. ‘YABU! YABU!!!!...” he yelled holding Yabu back. Takaki realized what was happening and stopped choking one of the gangsters. He ran towards Yabu who was uncontrollable. The men were all down on fours. They were bruised and painfully hurt. Hikaru, with a strange surge of strength managed to grab Yabu and drag him away with Takaki’s help. The night echoed with the roaring of Hikaru’s engine As Takaki pushed Yabu into the car. Yabu got in but hid his face. He did not want to look up. Hikaru held Yabu tightly and looked up at his driver, “Go…”
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