My "Ikemen" Butler

Chapter 12: My Mistress' Secret

Kaoru can’t help but feel nervous. He had noticed that Hiromi had been jumpy for days already but it wasn’t a Tristan case. He can tell because he noticed that every time Tristan is bothering Hiromi, she just get’s angry and keep quiet to herself but now, Hiromi looks as if she’s kind of excited and happy and doing her best to have a conversation although she ends up stuttering and even embarrassing herself anyways. There’s definitely something up, but what.

            “So—so see when you flip it like this, it—it will start dancing like that and it’s so funny. Ha-ha-ha look at that adorable face,” Hiromi said all giggly as she was showing Kaoru and Tetsu the flip book that she made last night of a boy dancing the Gangnam Style dance craze. Kaoru and Tetsuya clapped their hands laughing awkwardly along. It’s not like it wasn’t funny. The flipbook was really cute. It was just Hiromi doesn’t feel at ease as she was showing it at all, like she’s hiding something or whatever.

            “Kawaii, kawaii,” Tetsuya exclaimed. “Honto? I have a great chance as a mangaka ne?” Hiromi exclaimed as she began explaining her artwork again which she already did earlier.

            “Ne, what happened to my cousin?” Tetsuya can’t help but ask whispering in Kaoru’s ear. Kaoru just shrugged his shoulder and said in a low voice, “Wakaranai. I actually thought you have an idea.” But Tetsuya just shook his head as a response.

            Kaoru can’t stand not knowing anymore. He can’t stand the awkwardness of it all so he finally took a deep breath and started off by saying, “Hiromi-sama daijobo?”

            Hiromi’s laughter died down then and she just stared down saying, “I heard several girls talking while I was on the way here for dinner last night. They were talking about a powerful man that’s gon’na visit the school today. They said he’s going to donate a music room for our school.”

            “So, why would you feel agitated about that?” Tetsuya can’t help but ask frankly. His cousin’s anxiety must be getting to him already as well.

            “They mentioned a name, Kotaro Kukobo,” Hiromi said in all seriousness as she mentioned the name.

            “Jii-san!” Tetsuya can’t help but exclaim.

            “Hai! So I spoke up with Hiro-san. He told me that grandpa really is coming and that we should watch out for him today because he has something to give us. If I know grandpa, it’s probably something fancy,” Hiromi answered.

            “I bet! That old bat always gives us something to lessen the gold in his pockets,” Tetsuya said excitedly.

            “So what are you so…” Tetsuya was about to ask again until he finally figured out the answer to his own question before he even finished it.

            “Ohh, I get it. Since he’s grandpa’s butler, you must be worried about what will happen if you’ll meet huh?” Tetsuya said gradually.

            “No! Of course not. I’m not worried at all. Why would I be? Who is he anyways? Is he that important for me to worry about? That is definitely not true,” Hiromi said so hastily that neither Kaoru nor Tetsuya even understood what she had been blabbering.

            “Let’s go to class,” she just said when things got awkward again as she grabbed her book and hastily walked towards their classroom. She didn’t even bother to wait for the two of them anymore.

            “That’s why she’d been so uneasy, ‘cause the grandmaster is coming?” Kaoru asked confusingly.

            “No, that is not the case my man. It’s not grandpa she’s worried about,” Tetsuya answered with a grin on his face.

            “Then what is? If you know something Tetsu, please tell me. I hate seeing my mistress act that way. I don’t understand,” Kaoru said desperately as he followed Hiromi with his gaze.

            “I don’t know if I should tell you this but well, I guess I should. You’re her butler after all and also a good friend. This secret will be safe in your hand right?” Tetsuya asked seriously.

            “Of course,” Tetsuya answered without a trace of doubt in him.

            Tetsuya sighed and began saying, “You see my cousin fell in love once but it was a love story that had been written as a disaster before it even started. She was young and carefree but she loved him and to be honest, he also loved her back. They kept their relationship a secret because they know that when they get caught, it will all end abruptly but no secret remains a secret forever. One way or another, it will all be revealed. So one day when Mr. Kokubo found out about their relationship, they tore them apart easily. Hiromi stayed in Japan and the guy was sent here to offer his strength to the grandmaster. He was once Hiromi’s butler, now he’s the grandmaster’s arms and legs,” Tetsuya explained it genuinely.

            “Hiromi-sama fell in love with a butler?” Kaoru can’t help but ask shockingly and Tetsu just nod his head. Then he remembered something that had been on his mind for quite some time already.

            “Could it be one of the butler’s with the grandmaster on mistress’ party, the one pushing the wheel chair?” Kaoru asked again.

            “Exactly! That’s him. That’s Hiromi’s first love, Takeshi,” Tetsu answered and with that, Kaoru’s legs started giving in. It was as if all his energy was sucked out of him.

            The way that Hiromi looked at him that day, it was full of love. She still loves him. He thought to himself as he tried to put the puzzles together with what he just found out. 

            This is going to be a long day.