"Let go," Ken said, tugging at her wrist.
"I'm sorry, my dear mademoiselle. I merely wish to speak with you." Shuu tugged her gently to the same spot as last night so they could talk. Then he released her wrist and gestured for her to sit.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"Just the pleasure of your company. And some answers. But please stop trying to find your friend. It's distracting, and you aren't paying attention to me."
Ken looked up in surprise. "What do you want then? And don't start talking in French because we both know I don't understand a word of it."
Now it was Shuu's turn to look surprised, but he quickly molded his face back into its usual confident expression. "To be honest, most people don't listen to what I'm saying no matter what language I speak in."
"Can't imagine why," Ken said. "When you go around abducting girls from parties." She was too angry at having been dragged away by force that she didn't even realize that she no longer felt so uncomfortable around Shuu, like she had to get away. Instead, she found herself actually paying attention and meeting his eyes. He had nice eyes.
"I do not-" He sighed. "I just wanted to talk to you. With you."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "I don't have a concrete reason, other than that I've never seen you before, with the exception of last week. I want to know who you are. And why you were scared of me."
Ken frowned. "I wasn't scared of you."
"Yes, you were trembling, avoiding eye contact, and waiting for your friend to save you, which he did, not that there was anything to save you from."
Ken ignored him and looked around instead. She hadn't felt comfortable last week, but now that she was, she wanted to get a better view. "This is your house?"
"Yes, this is the Tsukiyama estate, home to-"
"You. Got it." She looked up, following the architecture of the manor. "It's pretty."
Shuu nodded, pleased. "It has housed the Tsukiyama family for generations." He paused, not wanting the conversation to seem one-sided. "And you? Do you live around here? You don't go to my school."
Ken tilted her head. "I don't go there, but I live about twenty minutes away by foot."
"You walked?" Shuu seemed surprised.
Ken nodded. "With Hide. So don't give me any of that "It's dangerous" crap. Okay?"
Shuu smiled but held up his hands defensively. "Fine, fine. What's your house like though?"
Ken grew quiet. "I'm staying with my aunt, her husband, and their son."
"Oh? Like on a vacation?"
"...Yeah. Kind of like that."
"It sounds fun," Shuu said, struggling to keep their conversation going because he didn't want her to leave when he hadn't even learned her name.
"Not really." Ken looked up. "What's your family like?"
Shuu smiled, another empty one that everybody loved but felt like sculpted wax on his lips. "I live with my mother and father. He's trying to groom me into the future heir to his company."
"Sounds fun."
"Not really."
They looked at each other then, both dropping whatever fake fronts they'd put up to seem okay.
Shuu saw something he recognized in Ken's eyes, but he couldn't quite name it. Pain? Lack of belonging? A side that nobody knew?
And Ken saw something in Shuu's eyes that she couldn't quite name. Agony? Not being understood? A side that nobody knew?
Shuu opened his mouth to try to put a name on it, but Hide showed up out of nowhere, grinning and slapping a hand on Shuu's shoulder.
"I know she's cute, but you're not her type, so how about you back off, yeah?" Then he turned to Ken. "Ready to go?"
Ken nodded, turning so she didn't have to face Shuu or see whatever it was she saw in his eyes. Then Hide lead Ken away.
Damn, Shuu thought. I forgot to get her name.