Clandestine Volume 1: Loyalty

Chapter 9: Shall We Dance

The Next Day:
'What the hell was that?' Kai thought to himself, even today he couldn't get over it. 'I've never seen her like that, I've heard darkness in her voice but nothing like that....' Kai sighed as he rummaged through his closet looking through his clothes. He knew he had to focus on their objective tonight but, he was worried. Not only because she seemed off her game but, in that moment it didn't even seem like she wanted to be anywhere near him. Even when she came back out and tossed that Hikuma to him. It fit him perfectly and that seemed to annoy her even more. But, it didn't help that he opened up his big mouth either. He sighed balling his fists.... 'What's going on here?'

                  He wasn't really angry, he knew she was upset about her brother but still, it was a feeling he didn't like. Finally, his hands relaxed and he settled on a white long sleeved shirt and black suit jacket and dark red tie. The only problem, his pants. He sighed again walking over to the closet and pulled out an ironing board plugging in the iron and waited. Over and over again he thought about calling to check on her. He bit his lip holding his fingers on his phone connected to his belt. 'Damn it.' The iron made a small noise indicating that it was ready to use. He walked back over to the ironing board laying the pants across it and started ironing. When he was done he picked up that pants and slid them up his waist before putting on the shirt and going to the bathroom as he slid the shirt over his body and fiddled with the tie trying to get it straight. He would see her soon enough, in fact, he was about to go pick her up, better not to rock the boat.... right?

               The truth was, he had no idea but he stuck to his guns and just decided to let it go, he just hoped Himari had come up with something by now. Spraying on some cologne before he walked out of the bathroom to his bed and slipped on his shoes then walked out to the living room grabbing his keys before heading to the front door.

                  He arrived at her house a lot faster this time, probably because he knew what he was looking for. He walked up the cobblestone path and knocked gently on the door. "Haruka-san?!" This time when the door slid open a woman appeared who he knew to be Kokona's mother. "Konichi-wa." He said bowing to the woman.

              Unlike her father, Kokona's mother had a soft smile on her face. 'Kokona really is a spitting image of her.' Kai thought "Konbanwa Kai-Kun." Her greeting took him aback a little shaking him out of his thoughts, normally an adult would have addressed him as "Kohai" or "junior."

He bowed as was tradition and nodded, "Konbanwa, Haruka-San." He straightened up before noticing the look on her face, she looked, unsettled. "Are you alright?"

The woman nodded as she smiled "Yes, I hope you don't mind in informality, Kokona-Chan told us how you defended her yesterday in class, and, given how cold she was to you last night I thought maybe we could try to have a new understanding."

Kai nodded, "I appreciate that but, you can't blame Kokona-San for her response, I said something I should not have."

The woman nodded, "even so, it means a lot to us that you have her back."

He nodded, "like Akio's partner?"

               The woman stayed silent for a moment then nodded, "so that's what bothered her.... It's not your fault, it's just that, Akio and Kokona were as close as could be and when he chose to go to America with his partner it hurt her really bad. She blames Cassandra but, it was Akio's choice." Kai tried to understand but the truth was, he couldn't even imagine how kokona must have been feeling, the closest he had to a family was the Hinata's and they never left him. "Anyway; Mrs. Haruka said snapping Kai out of his thoughts; "Kokona should be out any second, would you like some tea?"