Ouran High School Host Club Fan Fiction ❯ Almost Home, Country Roads ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

[Ouran] Almost Home, Country Roads Ch 3
Title: Almost Home, Country Roads
Author: scottishfae
Rating: T
Genre: AU/AR
Pairings or Characters: Haruhi, Kyouya, Mori, Honey, Kaoru, Hikaru, Tamaki, Satoshi, Chika, OCs
Warnings: AU/AR, OOC?
Summary: As a newly graduated lawyer at the top of her class, Haruhi Fujioka has the world available for her. Then why does she choose to become a district attorney in the small, country district of Toohaku? New faces, and old, Haruhi is faced with new issues, new friends, and a new lifestyle as she settles into her new, country abode. Can she last in a district where all four, small towns are interconnected in the business of the other and where a handful of “eligible bachelors” have decided to vie for the newcomer's attention?

A/N: I apologize for the length of this chapter. I decided to split the material I had and the next chapter is already half written. I hope to have it out within the next week or two.

Chapter Three


Looking around the giant, traditional gates with awe, she searched for a door bell or something to indicate that she was here to the people living within the stone walls. To the left of the door there was a dragon's head with mouth opened wide. A sign below it instructed her what to do. In a rough kanji it read: "Stick you hand inside to be granted passage, only the brave shall enter."

Haruhi's brow rose at the rather...odd sign, but she stuck her hand in without any hesitation. The air inside the mouth was much cooler and a simple button was located at the top of the dragon's mouth. She pressed it. A orchestra of bells rung throughout the large property followed by yells, grunts, and general noises of pandemonium. Haruhi retracted her hand and took a place in front of the wooden doors again.

The giant doors slowly opened with a creak until they banged against the stone walls. Haruhi stepped forward, keeping her briefcase close to her body.

"WELCOME," the group of gathered men shouted. "TO THE KASANODA-GUMI."

The DA looked about, mesmerized for a moment at the sheer magnitude of the gathered group. They lined up in10 columns on each side of the walkway, all bowing to her as she walked down the path. Standing at the entrance was the current head of the Kasanoda family and his son, the head of the third generation, Ritsu. Kasanoda-oyabun* looked strong and proud as he overlooked his group. He stared down at Haruhi. "Haruhi Fujioka," he called out in a deep, bear-like voice. "What brings the new DA to my humble abode?"

There was some chatter from the men around her but that didn't stop Haruhi from walking through the courtyard. "I apologize for coming over unannounced, but there are some things I'd like to discuss with you." She smiled politely at him. Next to the oyabun, Ritsu shifted uneasily. He was only a few years older than her, she had read, but he looked much older than that. It took him a while to make eye contact with her but she made sure to bestow the same courtesy on him that she had on his father. Ritsu's eyes widened at the kind smile. His face was overtaken in a red layer. He slumped his shoulders tried to use his bright, red hair to cover his face. His father noticed this and laughed.

"Please, please," he bellowed. "Haruhi Fujioka you are welcome here. Come, we shall have some tea."

A small group of men scurried into side doors, while Kasanoda-oyabun beckoned Haruhi to follow him. She finished walking forward, up a small set of stairs, and around the porch. There was an open set of shouji doors that opened up to a giant meeting room. Three formal sets for tea were set out already. Ritsu was close behind her. The elder Kasanoda sat at the end of the room where floor seating (with a back) was ready for him. Ritsu sat to his side and Haruhi sat in front of him. She assumed a formal position, something slightly difficult to do with her dress suit on.

"Kasanoda-san, Kasanoda-kun," she began. "I appreciate your welcome today. I hope I'm not imposing."

"Baa, baa," the elder replied. "We here are always glad to welcome someone from the DA."

"Well...thank you," she said, slowly. "Kasanoda-san, I came to visit you after reviewing the notes of my predecessors."

She turned her attention to her briefcase and opened it. She reached in as a collective woosh came tumbling through the room. Around the edges of the room stood the Kasanoda gumi men, all looking menacingly down at her. She stared at the ones nearest her, to her right, but paid no heed. Pulling out the papers, she sat them down in front of her. Kasanoda-oyabun was laughing jovially, motioning for his men to sit.

"You are a very unique, young woman, Haruhi Fujioka," he laughed.

"Um, thank you." She paused to reach into her case again and pull out a leather notebook that had been her graduation gift from her father's coworkers. In the corner 'to our favorite daughter' was stitched into the black leather in a simple, gold kanji. She set that down in front of her too, opening it and pulling out the pen held inside.

"I was noticing something very odd about the records we have for you."

The men around her began to snicker. "What is odd about it?"

"Well, I know that the Kasanoda-gumi prides themselves in being...well the 'underbelly' of this area..." she paused as laughter echoed through the halls of the old building.

"Why dear, this is a yakuza establishment, what do you expect? We are the strongest in the area and have been for generations."

"Well that's just it," Haruhi interrupted. "Of all the notes and research I've been able to do, I can't see that you're doing anything particularly illegal."

The laughter stopped abruptly and they all looked at her with threatening looks. Haruhi continued on, oblivious to the stares. "I mean, I'm not saying that doesn't make you yakuza, but...well, you're more like some of the higher class entrepreneurs of the region. In fact, I can see that your chief source of income is rental fees for land, and then you have some business dealings with various other companies across Japan. But all of the investigation done on your group shows--"

"Ms. Fujioka," Kasanoda-oyabun interrupted. "You obviously know little about yakuza."

"Well, not personally, no."

"Then I suppose our business with each other is settled."

Haruhi looked around to see the men and for the first time noticing the looks they were giving her. She pressed her lips together and nodded her head. Perhaps they deserve some more investigation. She gathered her stuff and packed them back in her case. "Well then, perhaps I should be going then. Thank you for your time Kasanoda-oyabun."

"Yes, and please feel free to visit us again. Perhaps next time without work in mind. There is a matsuri* coming up soon and my Ritsu would love to escort you."

Ritsu's eyes went wide and his face turned red enough to match his hair. "T-t-tousan!"

The elder Kasanoda spared him but a glance before focusing on the petite DA. "What do you say?"

"Ah, thank you for the offer, Kasanoda-oyabun. Isn't the matsuri a couple months away? I really can't say if I'll be able to spare the time to attend. My work isn't--"

"Nonsense," he replied. "Do you have a kimono?"

"No, I don't."

"That's a shame. I'll send someone around to get you fitted for one. It will be suited for the date of a yakuza heir."

"That isn't necessary. I can't really afford one--"

"It will be my gift to you."

"I really can't accept--"

"Nonsense," Kasanoda-oyabun said, standing. "No DA has refused a gift from the Kasanoda-gumi. Don't be the first."

Haruhi sighed. "I really don't know if I'll be able to go."

He looked down at her. "You'll go."

Haruhi was taken aback by his bluntness. She was about object when he barked an order to his men. "Tetsuya, show Ms. Fujioka out."

A man, probably in his late twenties, came forward. He had long, sandy brown hair that was kept in a ponytail. His smile was kind and seemingly out of place with the rough looking crowd. "Hai," he said, in a quiet voice. "Please follow me, Ms. Fujioka."

"Ah, yes. Thank you again."

She bowed to the men in front of her then stood and followed Tetsuya out. He waited for her right outside the meeting room and then took her a place walking next to her. He spoke to her softly. "You're suspicions are correct."

She looked at him with a wary eye; knowing what he was doing for her was dangerous. "What is that?"

"That they aren't a corrupt, crime organization. Kasanoda-oyabun is a good man, and Ritsu-san is as well. It was why I decided to join them."

"So it's yakuza in name only?"

"Yes...and no."

He smiled at her as they reached the gate. The large doors were opened and the street appeared again. She looked at it, then back at Tetsuya. "Thank you."

"No, thank you." He smiled at her. "I do hope that you'll go with Ritsu-san to the matsuri."

"I really don't know if I'll be able to."

"Well try. He likes you."

Haruhi sputtered, her cheeks turning pink. "I don't know what you're talking about. We didn't even speak."

"Speaking isn't required to fall for someone, Ms. Fujioka. But I can tell he likes you. He's never acted like that before him."

"I just can't figure out what is going on with this place. It's so crazy," she muttered to herself.

"Like I said, Ristu-san is a good man. Don't let his gruff exterior fool you. Just get to know him," he paused, looking back as he heard his name called. He nodded to the man who had called him. "That is, unless the rumors are true..."

Haruhi's face went cloudy as she looked at the man in front of her. He just laughed. "Ah, I see. Well that's good to know. I'll be seeing you soon, Ms. Fujioka. Have a nice day."

He turned from her, and went back towards the main building. The gate closed after Haruhi and she walked quickly down the street, her irritation clearing showing.

"I think I understand why no one else wanted this job now."

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"So I hear things are calming down for you?"

Haruhi looked up to see Hatori standing in the doorway of her office. She was packing up for the day, frustrated as hell. "Yeah, just peachy," she mumbled. "I've got a date with a yakuza for the matsuri."

For a second Hatori's face was wiped clean. "Yakuza? Someone in the Kasaonda-Gumi? Who? I thought you were interested in..."

The young DA threw her notebook down on her desk. It skidded, knocking the picture frame of her father off the desk. The glass cracked on impact with the ground. She flinched, her momentary anger fleeing her small frame. She was tired.

"It wasn't anything I had a choice in," she sighed.

Walking around her desk, she picked up the picture frame and stared down at it. Her father's face looked back at her, splintered. She sat down in one of the chair's in front of her desk. "You know, before I came here, no one really ever paid attention to me. What happened?"

The older man smiled. He walked into the room, leaving the door open. He chose to sit on the corner of her desk. "I bet plenty of people paid attention to you, you just didn't notice."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "I think I would notice," she mumbled. Standing back up, she walked over to the trash bin and tilted the frame over. Some of the loose glass fell automatically. Carefully, she undid the metal clasps that kept the backing of the frame on. More glass fell into the bin as she removed the cardboard back. She threw it into the trash as well. One of the ends of the picture had been torn off long before, and Haruhi reached and grabbed that corner to pull the picture from the broken frame.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, pulling her hand back, with picture gripped loosely between now bleeding fingers.

Hatori walked to her immediately. "Let me see," he said, taking the picture and frame, and placing it on the nearest flat surface. "You should be more careful," he chidded.

He carefully took her hand in his; gently feeling around the open wounds for shards of glass. "I can't find any glass," he commented, more to himself than to his new patient. "We'll need to disinfect it and then put a bandage on."

"I can to do that on my own."

Hatori looked up at her. "I'm sure you can," he began. "But, since I'm here, you don't have to."

He smiled sweetly to her, and ushered her to sit in her chair. He asked and was pointed to where the small first aid kit was stored. Haruhi pouted that she was being fussed over.

"The downside of being independent for so long," Hatori commented, coming out of the bathroom with a wet paper towel. "Is that you forget how to actually rely on people when you need to."

"I told you that I could do this myself, I don't need--"

"I know you can," he said, shifting down to one knee so he could see her hand better and still be able to reach the first aid kit. "But sometimes, you should let people take care of you. It lets us know that you like us." He winked at her, smiling. "Now, your hand m'dear."

He took it with a flourish and kissed it gently. His silliness helped relax Haruhi and diminish the sour mood that seemed to have been following her around for the better part of the day. "Isn't this a tradition in America?"

Hatori look up 'hm'ed as he continue to clean the wound, first with the wet paper towel, then with an antiseptic wipe from the kit.

"You know, they do it in the movies all the time, when the guy is going to propose to the woman, he gets down on one knee and takes her hand..."

"Ah, yes."

Hatori chuckled. He put the wipe on the table, next to the paper towel. "He takes her hand and then proclaims...'I love you, will you marry me' and the woman swoons--"

A smash interrupted the conversation. Both doctor and patient jumped. Hatori quickly stood and turned to face the door. Haruhi's eyes went wide.

Mori stood there, a vase lay smashed at his feet; water and flowers littering the floor.

"Mori, what are you doing here?" Haruhi exclaimed, trying to stand up.

She put her hand down on the desk, to help her rise, but forgot about the broken frame. The remaining glass shards cut into her skin. She recoiled her hand fast, clutching it to her chest as she fell back to her chair. She must have whimpered in pain because Hatori spun around to check on her. "Oh, Haruhi I'm sorry--I should have thrown that--"

He was cut off by a punch thrown at his jaw. He fell backwards, hitting the desk and spilling papers, office supplies, and the first aid kit off onto the floor. The frame fell next to Haruhi's feet and she kicked it under the desk as she stood. "Hatori!"

Mori spun around, facing the woman whose primary concern was for the main writhing in pain on her desk. "You can't!" he yelled.

Haruhi looked at Mori, never hearing him speak loudly before. "Can't what?"

"Marry him, you can't!"

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "Did you seriously just punch Hatori over that?! What gives you the right?! He could have been seriously inju--"

Again, Haruhi found herself surprised and lip locked with the tall, stoic man. Like the first kiss, it was sloppy but he put his all in it, trying to coax her mouth open--or at least to respond. The young DA pushed back against his chest. When they broke apart, Mori didn't let go. "Please don't marry him," he said, firmly, again. "Please. I love you--you can't..."

Haruhi's eyes widened. "Don't be so silly, you barely know me."

Mori shook his head. His arms moved to encircle her and bring her to his chest. "Doesn't matter. Since I saw you--always." He buried his face in her hair and breathed deeply. His entire body shook. Haruhi brought up her hands and patted him slightly. She winced at the pain from the wounds she had just given herself.

"As touching as this is," Hatori moaned from behind them. "I'm in need of some aspirin and cold compress, and Haruhi needs to get her hand checked out--possibly get stitches."

Mori pulled back and swung Haruhi around to look at her hand. It was still bleeding bad.

"Is your cousin at home?" Hatori asked.

Mori nodded, understanding. He looked at the other man, his brows knit.

"Uh-uh, don't worry about me. You pack quite a punch, but nothing that I can't sleep off. Take care of Haruhi, 'cause we know she won't take care of herself."

"But--"

Hatori patted the other man on the back. "Trust me, you'll get an ear full as she explains your mistake."

The doctor began chuckling to himself, before it caused pain to undulate down his long frame. He brought a hand to his head, another to his lower back, and slowly walked out of the office.

"I'm so confused right now," Haruhi mumbled.

"You're not really going to marry him, are you?" Mori leaned down to peer into her eyes.

"What? No. Definitely not."

Mori sighed a breath of relief. Using his slouched position to his advantage, he once again reached forward and claimed her lips. "Please, stay with me."

Haruhi mumbled something under her breath. Her hand had gone from stinging to throbbing. Taking her lack of response as a positive, Mori reached down and grabbed Haruhi behind her knees. He lifted her up deftly until he was standing full height, carrying Haruhi like a groom would a bride. "What are you doing now? Please put me down."

He shook his head. "No, it'll be faster this way."

"What will be faster?"

"Getting you to my house," he replied, as he stepped out of the building. He pulled the door shut with his foot before taking off down the stairs.

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*oyabun - is the title for the head of a yakuza group. I can't find any indication that it would traditionally be used as a suffix, as I'm using it (like -sama, -san, -chan, etc) but as some words are often made into make-shift suffixes anyway (Naruto-nii), I chose to use it like this--mostly for clarification's sake.

*matsuri - traditional summer festivals in Japan. Women especially tend to wear yukata (light, summer kimono) during this festival, but it's not required.