Comes up Roses

Chapter 22: I Know the End

It was a warm Thursday afternoon, and Masae was coming home in a good mood.

The Host Club had done a tribute to the beaches of France, and while they were cleaning up afterward, Tamaki became inspired to play the piano for them. He played one of Gershwin's sonatas, knowing Masae favored the American composers. When she closed her eyes, Masae could still picture his face in profile, head tilted back while his fingers glided across the keys.

Their display for the annual Ouran Fair was planned and ready; it would start Friday after school and last through the weekend. They were prepared.

Masae felt content as she caught sight of her home. Its endless windows seemed to glow in the afternoon light.

"That's an awful lot of cars," Masae remarked to the driver, noticing the circle driveway was filled with dark cars. She chuckled to herself, not thinking much of it. "Must be a party."

The car came to a stop and Masae got out, bag hiked over her shoulder. She and her driver made their silent way up to the house. They stopped outside the front door, which was open.

Masae peered inside. "What are these doors doing open?" She asked no one in particular– the driver certainly didn't know. Masae shrugged, entering anyway. "Nobody told me it was Malaria night at the Aoki manor."

"Goodnight, miss," her driver said. He never came in with her.

Masae turned. "Yes, goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled and they parted ways.

As Masae entered further into the house, she quickly realized that things were not what they seemed. Everything was... moved, somehow, as if invisible hands had touched all the furniture while she was at school. And it was much too quiet. Certainly not a party, though Masae had yet to rule out Malaria, as several windows were open.

At last she happened upon someone. He was a tall man in a nice suit who looked a lot like her father. He carried a severe pad of paper and strode around looking at things. Masae had to follow him for a long time before he noticed her.

"You're the daughter?" He asked in a clear, simple voice.

Masae balked. "I'm a daughter. Who are you?"

"Aoki Masae?" The man confirmed, looking at the pad of paper he held.

Standing on her toes to try and get a look at what was written on the paper, Masae demanded, "Who are you?"

"Miss Aoki." Masae spun around, coming face-to-face with a butler. He jerked his head, urging her to step away from the severe man and speak more privately. She followed the butler reluctantly, shooting one last look at the man before he left in the other direction.

Masae was practically fuming. "Who is that man?"

"A creditor from the bank," said the butler. Simply, ripping the bandaid off. "The house is full of them."

"Excuse me?" Masae wanted to laugh. "What are we, bankrupt?"

The butler didn't laugh. "You would have to take that up with the master of the house."

Masae lifted her head high, trying to seem taller than the butler, though she was much shorter than him. For once, she felt it. "And where is my father?"

"I couldn't say."

"What do you mean you couldn't say?" Masae was struck with the urge to throttle the man, though that would hardly get them anywhere. She very nearly stamped her foot. "You can't say or you won't?"

"Your father and stepmother left this morning before the creditors arrived. They took a number of their possessions with them. If I had to wager, I would say that they were quite aware of the financial situation they were in and chose to leave, though I couldn't say for sure. The real question is were you aware, Miss Aoki?"

The butler's tone was harsh against Masae's skin, which was starting to burn.

She really should have gotten used to parental abandonment, but Masae felt like she could hear the blood pounding in her ears as she said, "No, I had no idea." She'd never been allowed in that damn study.