My DOJO Princess [ON-GOING]

Chapter 14: It's Not What It Looks Like

= Haruhi's POV =

"Sorry!" Miyuki-chan kneeled and bowed. "I accidentally said where you were."

We were back in my room her at the Hashimoto Household. At 25 years of age and I still got grounded.

"No need to apologize." I said. "After all, she will eventually find out."

My mother might have threatened her. Threatening people is bad- oh, right. I also threatened that idiot a couple of time. Well, I guess I had got it from my mother.

"Also, your mother is harsh." She said as she sit next to me on my bed. "We're not kids anymore to ground you."

Mother was a famous actress and model even before she met my father. She was nominated as Woman of the Year many times but she humbly decline. Don't ask me because I don't know, too. Even now I'm an adult, she still treat me like a kid.

"Hey." Miyuki-chan leaned at me. "Tell me everything from what happened yesterday with him."

Yesterday.

I learned how that idiot really felt all this time. But I also learned what the inner me really felt.

I thought he changed but he didn't.

"Nothing happened." I said.

"Really?" She said. "Then why are you blushing?"

"What?" I said. "It's just hot here."

"Oh hey Kentaro-kun!" Miyuki-chan looked at the door. "Are you gonna confess to Haruhi-chan?!"

"Eek!" I nearly fell from my bed.

"Just kidding." She teased. "You look cute when you blush, you look like a tomatoes."

She pinch both of my cheeks.

"Ouch! Stop that!" I pleaded.

"Just admit it already." She said to me. "He is not just a mere pawn to your plans nor a knight in shining armor."

She stood and raised pointed at me.

"He is your one and only first love!" She said. "The same guy you've been looking for!"

To simply explain for those who are confused why was I at his place  a week ago before we even met, is because he might know where my brother is.

My brother's name is Aki. He was supposed to be the next in line for the inheritance of all of the Hashimoto's business. He should have been introduced a year ago to the public but suddenly ran away. The only thing he left was a letter of apology to my parents, grandfather and his bodyguard Kazu. The letter also contains that he will be passing all responsibility to me, making me, of course, a scapegoat! And what's more annoying is that he never wrote in the letter the reason why he left.

Eleven months later after he left. I was at a restaurant with my mother when I saw a very familiar person. It was non other than Kentaro Oda accompanied by two other guys and seems to be having a dating party with three women. What's his connection with my brother? Well, nine years ago. My brother and I had a habit of slipping in a high school. We were supposed to be home-schooled until we reach college years. Being a felt like prisoners here, we both agreed to slip from time to time in the outside world. One day we decided to blend in with the students of a high school to get a feeling what's like to attend a school. We stole, uh- I meant borrow some uniforms from changing rooms.

We had fun.

Anyway, my brother decided to check out some clubs. There, he was intrigued by the Literary Club. The club had only two members and wouldn't you know, Kentaro-kun was a member there. My brother said, they instantly became friends along with this short-haired girl. I eventually joined them. Of course we didn't tell the members our real names.

At home, my brother and I would each tell stories about Kentaro-kun's antics as a Literary Club member and as a member of the student council. He said Kentaro-kun gave him an advise to fight for your dream not chase it.

That simple advise made him oppose family tradition, making my parents unsatisfied with his new attitude.

Thinking of those, I suspected Kentaro-kun might know where my brother is or even have possible clues. Also, I was rubbing some of the fault to him. I secretly let Kazu follow him, giving me his location. Three weeks later, I tried to confront him myself but had cold feet. A few days later, I ran away from home to clear my mind at the beach where, by chance, I incidentally ran into him. Of course I was surprised seeing him there but eventually my body reacted on it's own and tried to attack him. Maybe because I thought it is his fault for my brother's disappearance and also he made a promise to me in high school which he forgot. He said that after he graduates, he will help me and my brother travel arround the world!

What really bugs me is why has he forgotten about me? Did he lost his memories or is it just he has a habit of forgetting things.

When he said the words "propose to me" out of a whim, it gave me an idea to use him as a ticket out of the family responsibility. But as I know him in these few days with him, my hate to him seems to slowly fade away.

"Are you still there?" Miyuki-chan snapped me back to reality. "So, silence means yes?"

"Eh?" I said.

"Yup. Confirmed!" She grinned. "You like him now don't you?"

"Shut up!" I laid down on my bed. "We just ate curry and walk around Tokyo."

"There's more than that, right?" She teased.

She slowly approach her fingers to my cheeks threatening another pinch attack.

"Okay fine!" I swat her hands away. "He hugged me, we held hands, I slept on top of him and cooked him breakfast!"

"S-slept on top of him?" She turned red.

"No!" I tried to disagree on what she might be imagining. "It's not what it looks like! I probably just sleep-walked and laid with him on the couch but nothing happened!"

"Oh." She said in disappointment. "Well, you let him hug you and held hands with him makes it a declaration of your acceptance of his feeling!"

"M-maybe he's just playing the part." I said. "We had a deal, remember?"

"Yes, I know." She said. "But you can't hide it any longer."

Saying that made me think.

I hate it when she's right. I thought.

"Well even if I admit I like him." I sat up and stare at the floor. "As far as I know, he still likes someone else."

"Eh? What?" She said in surprise.

"She liked this girl from high school." I said. "As I recall, when he heard her played the piano, he fell head over heels for her."

"Come on." She said. "That was in high school. He probably doesn't like her anymore."

"I got a feeling he still does." I said.

"How?" She wrinkled her forehead.

"He uses the pen name, Bakageko-san." I said. "The very same nickname the short-haired girl gave him."

= End of Chapter =