Caught in the Act

"Araki... what the heck?!"

Kei snapped at the one who suddenly and quite un-expectantly interrupted them, and revealed their hidden position.

"Sorry... I really didn't mean to intrude."

The small teen stepped back from the opened locker, but continued to take in their tight proximity.

"You were about to kiss... or do more in there... correct?"

Kei looked down and realised she did appear to be straddling Subaru tightly, while he did nothing at all, she blurted out.

"No! It... wasn't like that!"

"So you did not lure Sekiya-sama into that spot to take advantage?"

Kei stumbled out in a rush, while Inori backed further out of her way.

"No - of course not!"

Inori watched her carefully, possibly not believing her, as she looked about the empty nurses room.

"Most would have gone for the bed, which is free right now if you want... to continue... If so... do you mind if I watch?"

"I don't know what you're imagining, but it's not happening!"

Inori looked slightly dejected.

"Why'd you come here anyway?"

Kei blustered with some anger, while Subaru negotiated his own way clear of the metal locker too.

"You left without your bags, so I brought them for you."

Inori pointed to the two items by the hallways door.

"How'd you even know where...?"

Inori tilted her head and replied back to Kei with honesty.

"I followed Tetsuko's chase, then I could hear your voices after she had left."

Mentioning the other teenager put their situation back into focus, as Kei and Subaru looked about for their previous hunter.

"Where did Minami go?"

Kei asked Inori, with added urgency.

"I believe she decided to go home... she looked rather disappointed..."

Kei looked back to Subaru with some relief, but Subaru still had concerns.

"We didn't find out what it was she planned to tell us both..."

"Probably nothing good..."

Kei huffed as she patted the crinkles from her shirt out.

"And we've only delayed it... since I guess she'll come right out and say it to us tomorrow..."

Kei's alarm returned, obviously forgetting they would have another run in with the overly confident student at school again.

But at that moment Kei's phone pinged with a new message.

"Mm... this is worse..."

She re-read the message while the other two watched on quietly.

"It looks like she's gotten her father to have a meeting with my old man... and wants us there too... Subaru."

Great...

"At least it's not till tomorrow afternoon..."

That's worse - it just drags out the worries...

Kei pondered for a little, while Inori retrieved their bags and handed them over.

"Thanks."

"You are most welcome Princess."

"Would you like to walk to the station with us today?"

Subaru offered the little helper.

"Yes please."

The smallest smile appeared on her face.

"Subaru..."

Kei had finished thinking about whatever.

"...I think we'll be okay... just leave everything with me."

Kei had a small grin as well, while Subaru had plenty of trepidation, so only nodded.

"Cut that out, you'll make me nervous too!"

Kei griped about Subaru's continued squirming and fidgeting in the back seat of the vehicle, which was once more taking the pair to her father's more remote, but grander estate.

"Sorry..."

Subaru forced himself to sit still, but that only made his nerves feel worse, while Kei fiddled with her shirt sleeves as she watched the outsides whizz by.

"You didn't happen to hear anything more, did you?"

Subaru couldn't take the forced silence anymore.

"I think it may be about our whole... dating situation..."

Kei pondered aloud, knowing about Minami's clear intentions she'd made in regards to Kei's future, which had also been relayed to Subaru by the bold darkly tanned girl.

"My dad's been totally fine with it, but he still believes you are a girl... so had no worries at all there."

Subaru gulped.

I bet that'd be different if he knew I was really a guy...

"So how did your parents take the news?"

Kei kept the conversation rolling.

"Uh, well... I..."

She finally looked his way again.

"You haven't told them then?"

"Nope..."

Subaru was deliberately keeping details brief about his recent day-to-day life, whenever he was in contact with them.

"They didn't ask... so I didn't say..."

She just looked back out the window.

"I would have thought you were close with your family... but it seems you're just as nervy about things as me."

"You don't appear all that nervous though..."

Kei kept quiet.

"Do you think we should call off our 'relationship'? If it's going to cause problems... especially with Tetsuko?"

Subaru suggested, after another silent minute of car travel.

"No... And besides; my dad rather likes the idea of us 'hanging out'."

Kei said rather surely.

"You know; he actually suggested it in the first place, us pretending to go out and all, so I figure we'll be fine."

Huh... he suggested that we go out...?

Subaru's contemplations where interrupted, when the car pulled to a stop, and the door opened up before him again.

Subaru ducked out, still wearing his school uniform, as the two had been picked up after classes and then froze when he caught a nearby figure watching their arrival.

Already waiting, Minami Tetsuko stood near the huge buildings main door, hands on her slim waist, and that same confident smile on her face, giving Subaru another little shiver.

Oddly enough, Minami hadn't spoken a word to either of them at all, over the whole day, though she had many opportunities, she instead only gave a knowingly and somewhat menacing grin their direction, whenever she noticed their gazes upon her during the day.

But as Minami, apparently her father, Kei and her own, with Subaru tagging along too, something was up for discussion, and it was about to go down very soon.

After Kei got out, they neared the big wood doors, bringing them close to Minami, who had already changed into a fairly modest white dress, with a bit of her dark, pronounced cleavage showing, and already started on them as they got closer.

"I almost expected you two weren't going to show up... not that it matters."

The latest arrivals didn't bother to respond to that, while Tetsuko continued.

"I was going to give you an opportunity to break-up, and not force my hand here... but then you ran away yesterday..."

A touch of annoyance flickered on her expression, but quickly changed to reassured satisfaction.

"You both know what I want, and if you still continue to persist... I'll throw in the big secret I've found out... and that'll really blow your fake relationship up."

Minami focused on Subaru on her last words, which didn't make him feel god at all.

It's almost like she... knows...? But how could she have found out...?

"Did my opinion not figure into this little spat at all, because I decided on this, after you made your declaration the other week... and then we started going out."

Kei's rebuke stung a little, but Minami didn't linger on Kei's words, instead she pressed up towards 'him' and volleyed back with a certain reply.

"When it's my happiness on the line... everything else is made secondary."

Another car appeared and stopped by the front entranceway, and when a older man with greying hair appeared from the car's rear door, Minami's overtly proud demeanor became much more curtailed, as she stepped away to give space and a more respectful stance to this man as he approached the small gathering.

This tall and skinny man, with a thin neat beard, and a strong presence about him, sure and confident too, stepped up to them and acknowledged only one of the three before him with a nod.

"Akashi."

"Mr Tetsuko."

Kei gave a little nod back and stood her ground as he came to and then almost loomed over them.

"It's been a while, so shall we get this over already."

He flicked his eyes at the other two, almost totally ignoring his own daughter, who stood obediently off to his side, before asking Kei about the new face on his left.

"So this is Sekiya then?"

Tetsuko gave Subaru a quick look over again, which gave him an uncomfortable shiver from his cold eyes, and instantly dismissed 'her' with an unimpressed sigh.

"We'll see what Akashi has to say about this..."

He strode off, past Kei, and made his way into the building, while Minami quickly tottered a few steps behind him, but was apparently ignored - like her presence wasn't at all important.

I already have a feeling that I don't like Minami's father...

Minami seemed to give her dad a fairly wide berth, as they all entered the impressive estate, as Kei followed the taller Tetsuko along, with Minami and Subaru slipping along behind. Another two suited 'goons' brought up the rear, and trailed them, before entering the slightly familiar large room too, where another three men already waited, with Kei's father wearing a opened, blue tinted suit, flanked by another two plain, black wearing 'henchmen'.

"Akashi."

"Takahito..."

The two men of importance moved in on the other, giving a surprise handshake between them and pat on the others shoulder with a friendly smile, before the thinner one stepped back, while Kei hovered near her father's side, Minami and Subaru waited back behind the tallest man, quiet and watchful, as the 'guards' took their places, a couple of steps back around them all.

"So nice to see you in person again, after all that's gone on recently."

"Yes, I feel the same my old friend..."

Subaru could see that Mr Akashi still smiled at the other, but seemed to be just as perplexed as to what was going on, as he asked.

"... So what's new... what brings you and your daughter here today?"

Something had made the newly met man's mood improve greatly, as he gave a small chuckle.

"Oh believe me, it'll be a real shake up around here..."