It was Thursday evening and Kai was over-pleased with himself. He had finally gotten his way with Mr Dickenson. He had bought the flat for him and in a gesture of goodwill, made him the beneficiary. He hadn't asked for it, for he trusted Mr Dickenson, and most importantly, he didn't care for the money. It wasn't his. Even if Mr Dickenson decides to cheat him, it would only be a blow to Voltaire.

At present, he stood in front of one of the most reputed interior designing and event management studios Tokyo could offer. It wasn't one of those well off brands that were present everywhere in the world, but an indigenous company which rose to prominence with their quality of work. 

He removed his school tie and blazer and put on the hoodie he had brought with him. Slinging his backpack behind him, he headed in. One look at the lobby, and Kai knew he had made the right choice. The lobby was highly furnished, yet it wasn't cluttered. It looked classy, yet not showing off. He wasn't alone though. Two families and a group of officials were already present there. The toddlers were playing around noisily while their parents gushed over the catalogues. The men in suits talked seriously into their mobiles. 

He was immediately greeted by a boy who looked slightly older than him. "How may I help you sir?" he asked, clasping his hands together. "I've gotten myself a new apartment." "Congratulations, sir. We would be very pleased if you choose us to be your interior designers." Kai was already getting annoyed with the guy's sing-along tone. "Whose your best designer?" He asked instead. The boy blinked back in surprise. "Do you already have an idea of what you want. It would be really better if you would go through the catalogues first, before you meet-" "Which way?" Kai interrupted him again. 

Completely put off with his rudeness, the boy said, "I'm warning you though, she's costly. Most people would prefer Ms Katz for something as simple as home decor. She's skilled and reasonable." "I don't like repeating myself" Kai blankly stated in response. He raised his hands in surrender, "All right, all right, you're going to be charged highly just for the consultation. She isn't even available till Sunday!" he cried out in exasperation, before leading him up the stairs.

Kai was hyper aware of his surroundings. The floor was sparsely populated, with two rooms and a longue. He could hear distant voices coming from both the rooms. The longue was mirrored on one wall while the wall adjacent to it was plane glass, showing him the vast city facing the ocean. "Please sit here sir, I'll check if ma'am is free." The boy said with strained politeness, pointing at the lounge.

 He returned back soon, with a booklet in his hand. "I'm extremely sorry sir but ma'am is on a video conference which would end in about ten to fifteen minutes. You could fill the booklet by then. She would ask you to do it after the consultation anyway." He said, placing the booklet in front of him. Kai absent-mindedly nodded him away, for his focus was on the mirrored wall now. One look at it, and he knew it was a one-way mirror, the kind of which were used in police stations. 

Kai blankly stared at the booklet, fighting hard with his instinct to flee. The mirror gave his the creeps, for there was a high possibility that he was being spied on. He didn't like the feeling. Finally deciding not to read too much into the matter, he picked up the booklet, and started filling it up. The questions were random, from asking him for his colour preference to a kind of personality test, asking him to pick a few words or photo. Kai's answers were spontaneous, as though his mind already knew what it wanted.

He was done with it a few minutes before he was called in. The room he was led into was pleasant with cream walls painted with lavenders caught in a breeze. A huge  television was hung on the wall behind the desk. Hanging pots and normal pots were placed in every place it suited. The woman behind the desk looked up at him. "Evening Mr Hiwatari. Please sit. How may I help you?" Kai silently handed her the booklet. "Wonderful," she smiled, taking it from him and going through it. 

He carefully studied her. Why did her features look so familiar? The woman seemed to be in her thirties, with dense black hair tied neatly into a low bun. She had soft baby brown eyes and a round face hidden behind a pair of glasses. Her face momentarily morphed into a slight frown, but she didn't question him about anything. 

"When can I move in?" He asked, sounding impatient. " You have quite a peculiar taste. Decor for your themes... I'm currently handling a high profile marriage and am busy with it until Sunday. So, your flat could be ready by... Tuesday," She checked her mobile calender before confirming. "Yep, you could come for the inspection on Tuesday evening, five to be precise. If you ask for any changes during the inspection, they would be fulfilled by the next two days." 

Kai was surprised by the swiftness of their service. "You sure? I don't like fake promises." He asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure. So, if you could hand over the keys to me..." Kai dug into his pockets brought out the keys, dropping them casually into her hands. "If you have something else to say.." she started, but Kai shook his head, getting up. "I hope you live up to my expectations. I wouldn't hesitate to cancel our deal even at the last moment." He warned and left, without even bothering to shake hands with the woman in front of him.

******

 Tyson was completely entranced during his first photography class. Their mentor was a senior citizen teaching them in his free time. Their first class had been for introducing them to the art and power of photography. One pic had been of a close up of a butterfly's wing, which looked ugly from near and beautiful from far. The other had been of a beautiful design turning out to be a dirty feather of a pegion. With these two pics, he explained  them how beauty could lie in a part of an ugly photo, and how ugliness could reside in a beautiful photo. How powerful one picture could be, and how it could make lies truth and truth lies.

At the end of the seminar, he assigned them to find a camera for themselves, specifying it didn't have to be professional. He firmly believed that the quality of the photo depended on the takers skill. This month's theme was of the type of pictures he showed them, zoom in/out contrasts.

Tyson had been searching the attic for hours now. He was sure that his father's camera, the one he used during his archeological expeditions was in here somewhere. He just couldn't find it. He wanted to start up with his photography assignment as soon as possible.

"Tyson, son, get down here!" Ryu Granger shouted for him for the sixth time. Tyson just shouted back a "Coming soon Gramps!" from the attic in return. 

Grandpa Granger sighed before going back to the dining table. Kai was politely waiting for him at the dinner table, engrossed in a book in his hand. He put it away when he sat down. Grandpa knew that if not for his persuasions, Kai wouldn't even bother to come down and have dinner with them. Not wanting to tick this kid off because of the other kid, he decided to have dinner without Tyson for the day.

******

With the weekend approaching, Natasha had been extremely busy. She was just ready to finish up with the wedding and enjoy a quiet weekend. So, the last thing on her mind was to come face to face with her only nephew. She literally did a double take when she saw him take a seat in their lobby. It had been years since she last saw him in person, yet she recognised him instantly. 

He was his father's carbon copy, and not just in the looks. His mannerism, his confidence to own a room as soon as he walked into it, his cool bordering on arrogance... Natasha was too familiar with it all. She quickly pulled herself together and put up a professional act, and she was glad that Kai was stuck up enough to not bother shaking hands with her. She later realised they had been trembling.

After that, she had gotten Richy, her assistant, to work on the interior immediately. He wasn't happy with the assignment. She realised it was way easier to get an interior done if you had the complete plan in mind. And she did. The specifications were so precise that Natasha was sure that Kai wanted to replicate his parents' villa in Moscow, at a smaller scale of course. Whether it was consciously or subconsciously, she wasn't sure, but she planned on doing it well. By Sunday evening, the falls ceilings and wall painting was done for. 

It was Monday morning when she got the first glimpse of her re-creation in process. She had ordered a few items that gave a Russian exotic feel like a medium sized chandelier, a few antiques and a vase. The carpenters were already in and we're fitting the beds, bookshelf, wardrobes, etc. The electricians were yet to fit in the air conditioner and television. She stacked the kitchen with a few essentials. 

Mind it, she had been the one to design her sister's home the first time, so she knew what came where as good as the back of her hand. That didn't mean she didn't update it to fit the year and Kai's requirements. There was also a matter of not giving away her identity. Amar was adamant that it wasn't time to reveal themselves, and even if she didn't agree with him, she didn't want to cross him. Because whatever the case, Hillary's safety was his top priority, and she could agree with that. She was confident that all the work would be done by late afternoon, giving her a bit of time to do the final touches.

******

Kai met the woman, his interior designer, just as he walked to the street. Her eyes spoke of amusement when she took in his appearance. Once again, he had not bothered to change, in fact, he had gotten there straight from school. His shirt was wrinkled, his tie was half done and his blazer hung on one of his shoulders. But honestly, what right did she have to have fun at his expense, any why couldn't he just shake the feeling that he had seen her before?

She cleared her throat to gain his attention. "Glad you could make it on time. Hurry in. I'm sure you're gonna love it." She excitedly started. Kai had to resist hard to not roll his eyes. But she was no longer focusing on him, but was already near the entrance. She was quiet until she led him to his newly furnished home. 

He must admit, the the entrance looked nothing less than posh with the chandelier fixed in the centre. The windows and the sliding door to the balcony from the dining hall were open, lighting the entire house with orange and purple hues of the evening. 

His interior designer, he should have bothered to get to know her name by now  atleast he thought, gave inputs every now and then, such as the brands of the air conditioner and television, locking system of the wardrobes and what not. 

Kai yawned, picking up a gem paperweight that was on the stand. "How much did you spend on these fancy garbage? I'm not paying for them if it's too much." he declared. The woman just smiled at him. "I promise it isn't too much." 

Kai looked at the chandelier another time. Why did it give him such creeps now? Kai shook his head and followed the woman. But the uneasy feeling in his chest didn't leave him at all. Everything in the house rubbed him the wrong way with every step he took inside. The house was truly a masterpiece, there was no denying it. He couldn't have planned it better himself. Yet, all he wanted to do was get the tour over with.

 She led him to the kitchen and then past the two bookshelves lining the door to the study. The woman went in, still very much immersed in her explanation. Yet, when he gripped the doorknob, something in him refused to move in. The study wasn't something he wanted to see, yet he had no explanation why. He tried ignoring it, but his legs seemed to have tripled in weight and frozen in place. Even after entering, he still found it extremely difficult to even place one feet in front of the other. The woman turned around and beckoned him in, and that was the last thing he remembered.

Natasha didn't know when it happened, or even why or how it happened. One moment she was jovially showing around Kai's house to him and Kai was threatening her to not pay for the useless decorations, next moment she was beckoning him to come in and that's when she noticed how pale he had gotten, how breathless he seemed, and how he was grasping the table so hard that his knuckles had turned white. Then, Kai collapsed on one of the recliners.

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A/N: How's the chap? I know you guys are getting anxious for the kaihil moments but keep patience, all great things take time..;)))))) There will be one or two updates per month for those who don't know. Keep me updated with your thoughts too! I like to know what my readers think will happen next!