Ouran High School Host Club Fan Fiction ❯ The Illegitimate ❯ DNA ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

By: kanega

It all started when I was eight years old.

I remember taking a candy from my Father's candy bowl that he would always keep stocked with the greatest sweets. But of course, for that very reason my brother and I were forbidden from taking any, so it was of course only natural for me to panic when I heard footsteps just outside of Father's study. And of course being as thin and small as I had been, it had been only natural for me to dive into one of the cabinets, like me and brother would always do when faced with the possibility of being discovered with a mouthful of chocolate and a sticky face of caramel.

It was past our bed time, too, if it mattered, which it didn't.

Leaving the cabinet door open a crack just as the old oak door opened and my perfect Father walked in with his thin yet powerful frame, warm honey brown eyes and brilliant full head of blond hair unlike those other fathers at daycare that were going bald. I never quite understood why my mother had demanded a divorce—but hey, I was only in the third grade and thinking about it made me even more confused and hungry for spaghetti, simply because it was my favorite dish and I had a bottomless pit for a stomach.

Father strode in the room and eyed the nearly empty porcelain candy bowl with all those wrappers strewn across the table and even tumbling down onto the floor.

I mentally smacked myself, but soon forgot about my annoying inability to destroy evidence when I heard more footsteps and quickly saw my French grandmother that had always been so incredibly kind to me for as long as I could remember, gracefully stride in from behind her son and frown at the bowl.

“Honestly, Haru!” she exclaimed disapprovingly in her beautiful accent I had always wished I had. “Having such temptations for those little Indians, isn't healthy and it's no wonder Sam has all those cavities!”

I muffled a laugh thinking abut Brother's silver fillings. Father made such a face that I immediately felt terrible and promised to brush my teeth as soon as I got out of there so he wouldn't have to worry about cavities if they made him that upset. But instead Father turned and looked down on Grandmother with that awful look he only gave when he was really mad.

“Oka-san, I don't believe you would travel half-way around the globe to lecture me on Sam's teeth. What is it?”

It took me seconds to realize that I wasn't supposed to be there, but at the same time I was intrigued that I could listen in on an adult's conversation, especially when Father was getting mad at Grandmother. But Grandmother remained calm and closed the door behind her and drifted around Father and made her way to the window only a foot from my cabinet, causing me to move back unconsciously.

The smell of jasmine wafted through the air but I forgot all about that when Grandmother turned around and looked Father straight in the eye. “How much longer do you plan on taking care of that child?” Grandmother's face was grave and almost threatening, which only added to my confusion, but Father's face seemed at peace so I thought it surely couldn't be bad.

“She is my daugh-,” he began but Grandmother cut him off by slamming a giant manila envelope onto his desk.

“Silence, Haru! You know better than anyone that she is not! I did not raise my son to become such an incompetent fool! And if you have any doubts, this should settle them,” Grandmother motioned to the giant envelope I would have been more than happy to tear to shreds for Father, but had to remind myself of the circumstance.

“What is this?” Father's tone wasn't calm anymore, and it scared me to think what could possibly anger him in such a fashion.

Now grandmother seemed a bit shaky and unsure, but never looked way from her son's eyes. “I took the liberty of running a DNA comparison. It's not a match.”

Father's eyes averted and he looked down at the envelope. Picking it up slowly, it took less than a second for his skilled hands to open it.

“I spent my days in Japan looking for a match and I found it two days ago. You are not Mina's father. Her real father's name is-,” but this time it was Father's turn to cut her off.

“Shut up!”

Sweeping everything off the table in one clean motion, Father sent the candy bowl hurdling to the wall, where it shattered in a blink of an eye. “Leave!” Father bellowed. Grandmother took her bag and scurried out the door without more than a regretful glance at Father's back.

Hiding deep in the corner, I closed the door so that all I saw was pitch-black. Sitting there for hours, I listened to yelling and smashing so much that I began to sob quietly.

When Father had finally left I stepped out of the cabinet, but my aching joints didn't allow me to get far. Slipping and falling on the remains of the candy bowl, they cut into my palm and bare knees.

By the time I got to the bathroom I shared with brother, I turned on the lights and threw up all that delicious candy.

Oh, how I remember that ache in my stomach and knot in my throat. I haven't been able to bear eating another piece of candy since.

I even forgot to brush my teeth.

“Matsumoto-sama, we have arrived,” the driver's voice snapped me out of my daze. The door to the extravagant limo was open and the sun poured in and stung my eyes.

The windows were tinted so that no one could see inside the vehicle, but the second I had entered after being pickep-up from the airport, I drew the black, silk curtains so that I wouldn't have to bear seeing what was outside and help me clear my head and take all of this in. Shuffling around and making my way over to the door, I took the gloved and outstretched hand of the driver. I hopped out and found myself on the greenest lawn I had ever set my eyes on. Ignoring it I turned and looked at my driver who looked incredibly sleep-deprived.

“What's your name?” I questioned him in my flawless Japanese. He looked at me, stunned and dropped down into a deep bow. “My name is not worthy to be known by Matsumoto-sama!” he cried in a shaken voice.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance, “I'm not reporting you, I just want to know my driver's name.” I noted his hesitation, but the in the end he answered without raising himself.

“Forgive me, Matsumoto-sama. I am Seiji-,” but I didn't give him a chance to finish before I began walking away.

“Well then, thank you for your effort, Seiji-san. I hope we can get along,” I spoke in a neutral tone as I fell into the shadow of my new home.

Giant didn't even begin to cover it, but it would have to do. A pang of worry erupted through me, and I glared at the massive structure that would be my home for the next three years, whether I liked it or not (which I didn't, but like I said, it didn't matter).

Frankly, I was anything but thrilled about this place or my new living conditions, but like I said, my opinion didn't mattered. But now that I though about it, what were my living conditions going to be like?

I snorted and cut a shortcut through the lawn, completely ignoring the path that lead to the front.

“How stupid…”

“How ignorant,” Misaki Kenji spoke with a disgusted look plastered on her beautiful face. Waves and waves of black hair tumbled down and swayed as she turned to stare at her husband with cold amused, gray eyes.

“So this is your precious little love child?” Misaki narrowed her eyes down at the girl who walked with an expressionless face. “Oh, the terrible shame you have brought this family! Whatever would you're father say?”

A dry smile formed on her lips as the woman massaged her forehead in false stress.

“Father will come eventually and so will the media, for I know of your calls to them, Misaki,” Ken Kenji spoke calmly without looking up to see his daughter staring up at the mansion. Misaki laughed a humorless laugh.

“Oh, my, Ken! If only I knew your every move as you knew mine, could I have maybe prevented just that one night…” Misaki lowered her voice and let out a long, exhausted sigh. “But I suppose this is your punishment for doing such a thing to me.”

Ken clenched his fists under the desk. “I was wasted,” he spike in a tense voice.

Misaki merely snorted and rolled her eyes in complete disbelief. “Right!” she slammed her fist onto his desk. “You just keep practicing that and the press, your father, and maybe even your children might believe you!”

Her breathing grew heavy, but still Ken did not bother to look up at his wife.

“You could send her back, you know? It's simple to see that the girl hates you,” Misaki's composure returned but she still glared down at the window as it seemed the girl was arguing with the maids down at the front.

Ken let a sigh escape his lips and leaned back in his chair.

“I can't do that."

Misaki rolled her eyes and headed for the door.

“How noble of you, Ken. To throw everything away for this one insignificant child who is probably thinking about slitting your throat in your sleep. Don't forget it's your fault her mother is dead.”

Ken closed his eyes and nodded, “Of course…”

"Damn maids..." I muttered to myself as I tried my best to ignore that terrible sensation that started to tell my gut to make a run for it. No way in hell was I going to come all the way to Japan, from America, just to chicken out.

Not only that, but I had no place to go after I left this place.

I wasn'tthat rash.

But still, I was uneasy. Biting my lip, I held back tears that stung my eyes in the worst way possible. No way was I going to cry. Not here. Not now. Not ever again. I owed Mother that much. I shook my head and tried to feel privileged to be able to live here, but the more I looked the more I hated it's incredible beauty.

I'm not even sure how I had managed to keep my mouth shut of that one night, even though I was reminded of it every time I looked at the many small scars I had gotten on my hands, but I never breathed a word of what happened in Father's study.

Strange that I would think of something like this.

"Onii-chan?" I had called Brother from his doorway a few days later. "It's time for dinner..."

He didn't look up from his computer and I walked slowly into his room and sat on the old mattress, watching him.

"I'm coming, so go ahead," he spoke, but didn't move and so neither did I. Just staring at him in the heavy silence I hesitated a moment, but swallowed all my fear and spoke as clearly as I could.

"Onii-chan, what does it mean for a child to be born from a woman and a man that's not her husband?" the words came from my mouth so fluently, I wasn't even sure if I was only in the third grad for a moment and was even shocked to see brother stop tying with that inhuman speed. He turned and looked me straight in the eyes. "Where is this coming from?"

I remember trying so hard not to let the knot in my throat grow. Instead, I shrugged and got off the bed. "Never mind, it's not important."

Brother had closed his eyes and looked back at his lap top, with a look of stress on his face. "Then that means that the mother had an affair with another man and that child is illegitimate..." he spoke softly. "But it's nothing to be ashamed of," he added quickly and snuck a look at me.

My body tensed, as I repeated the words, "Illegitimate, huh? Well, whatever, hurry up before Father gets angry with you."

That was a stupid thing to say. Father would never be angered so easily, but he didn't seem to notice my slip-up.

I moved unnaturally quickly, trying to get out of the room as fast as possible. Shutting the door so I wouldn't give him a chance to speak I stood in the dark hallway and leaned against the door, still holding the knob so hard, my knuckles turned white. "He knows..." I whispered to myself and struggled to stand up.

Then I saw the bathroom.

Walking into the dark room, I pulled back the curtains to the bathtub and closed it, hiding there. It took a while before I heard Brother come out of his room and close the door. The old stairs creaked, but I waited an extra moment after he left, to climb out of the tub.

Sneaking into his room I saw what I was looking for.

Running over to his computer I opened an Internet and typed in the dictionary website Father always made us go on if we didn't know a word (the only annoying thing about him). "Illegitimate", I typed in the box while sounding it out and pushed enter. It took only a few seconds for it to load, but to me it felt like an eternity and I was jumpy, worried that someone might walk in.

Finally, I scrolled down to see the results and read them out loud. "Born out of wedlock; a-,"

"Bastard," a woman's voice finished and I was instantly snapped back into reality.

(AN: for those of y'all who ain't familiar with family issues, a bastard is a kid born out of an affair, and a wedlock is just an over complicated way of saying affair)

My body swung around to see one of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen coming down the grand main staircase. So much wavy black hair spilled down her shoulder's in a fashion you would only see in runway models and a pare of sharp gray eyes bore into me like knives. She wore something that I would bet my life on was designer brand and was worth more than my old house; a long silk red dress that showed you how perfectly shaped her body was and swished at her knees.

A dry smile appeared on her face, that made the hair on my neck stand up. It was clear that she did not like me, but what had I done?

"We finaly meet, my husband's little bastard."

Oh. That. Well, then we were clearly not going to get along.

Keeping my face as natural and neutral as possible in the presence of such a stunning woman, instead of letting my jaw drop, was more difficult than I thought. Oh, how the door called for me to walk out of this place, but how my feet were planted to the floor and wouldn't budge.

She looked me up and down and put a hand over her mouth covering her smile with little effort, and doing nothing but making it more noticeable. "Pfft, I can only imagine what your dirty little mother must have looked like. Ken just might have been wasted..."

At the mention of my mother my body unconciously stiffined and my heart raced as I watched her descend from the last step and begin to circle me. Right now I wanted more than anything to bash in her skull with my bare hands, but I clenched them in tight fists to keep them from moving on their own. She noticed almost before it happened, and gave a smile that looked like the Grinch when he came up with the idea to sabotage Christmas (AN: it's a trully awful smile he has working, for those of y'all who haven't seen it).

"I'm Kenji Misaki, I suppose I am your step-mother of some sort..."

I tried to think of something smart to say, since I had always been a hell of a smart ass, but I couldn't say anything. I tried to move my lips to form the words I needed to wipe that smirk off Miss Prissy's little face, but...they wouldn't. Instead, they formed words that left us both (yes including me) in a state of shock.

"I'm sorry..."

Misaki's eyes widened and looked down at me in a form that I could only describe as pure hatred. Her arm lifted and swung back, "How dare you!"

I closed my eyes tightly, preparing for impact, but it never came. First opening one eye I noticed that someone had grabbed her arm in midair just inches from it's destination (my face).

Clenching Misaki's wrist tightly, was themost beautiful woman I had ever set my eyes on. The silkiest, blackest, most lush whisps of hair overflowed down her back and stopped a few inches past her waist and almost seemed to levitate in the air. Foggy and misty looking gray eyes glared down at Misaki with such an intense glare I felt like I would melt if she looked in my direction. Her pale skin was almost glowing against her blue, sun dress that matched her eyes so perfectly it was almost scary. She seemed to be in her late teens or early twenties but the stern look on her face made it almost impossible to tell, mixed in with all that beauty.

"Misaki," her voice growled in the most fluent and melodic voice I'd ever heard in my entire life.

Almost instantly, Misaki ripped her hand out of her grasp and threw her the most heart-stopping glare. Were gorgeous women always so dangerous?

"It would be best if you left this place," Misaki spoke to me, before turning away in such a swift movement that her curls swished and fell in the exact same, elegant position.

"Oh, believe me, I would if I could," I thought, but bit my bottom lip even tighter to keep it from spilling out.

The woman sighed, and made my head fly around to look at her and my eyes widened to take in her jaw-dropping beauty once again. I was shocked that I could have possibly forgotten her incredible existence.

"Why on earth did you just stand there?" her voice bellowed and eyes glared down at me with irritation.

Suddenly, I wanted Misaki to come back.

I shrugged and looked down at my feet, trying not to make eye contact for fear of losing my ability to speak, once again. "It would have made her feel better," I replied lamely in almost a whisper. The woman instantly let me know that I had said the wrong thing.

"Stupid! You've done nothing wrong! If Nee-chan wants to be a bitch and hate the entire world, fine then! But don't ever let her push you around just to make her feel better!" At this point I think I could only withstand twenty more seconds of being yelled at by this woman before I would break down into tears, but then a little thingy in my brain clicked.

"Nee-chan?" I repeated.

Her faced eased up and she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Ah, gomen. Misaki isn't really my sister."

"Oh," was all I could muster. It would have made more sence for them to be sisters, but for two people to look so dangerously beautiful and have such terrible tempers to be related to me would damage the small amount of self-confidence I had left.

"She's my sister-in-law."

There went my self-confidence.

She paused a moment, tapped her chin, and pushed out her bottom lip in the most little girl fashion to think. "Hmmm..." she looked down at me and then smiled the most blinding smile. "I'm guessing that you're Mina-chan, nee?" All I could do was nod with my mouth open like a total moron. Her smile grew bigger and I had to look away to keep myself standing. "I guess that makes me your aunt! Cool, nee?"

"Nee?" I thought to myself. How on earth did she turn into one of the world's most scariest and stunning women, to one of the perkiest beautiful women who was still child-like? Another one of the world's many wonders.

Wait. Aunt?

"My...aunt?" I repeated looking back up at her, which was a huge mistake. To see that smile melt into a sad frown and tears threaten to overflow nearly killed me.

"Wh-What? You're not happy to be my niece?" the woman's voice squeaked.

"N-No! It's not that, it's just--please don't cry!" I sounded panicked as I waved my hands up and down and shook my head to signal her "no" so hard and so much I was sure my head was going to fly off my shoulders any second now. "I'm just surprised, that's all!"

Immediately (and thank God for that) she stopped and smiled down at me. "Oh! That's right! Mina-chan hasn't met her family yet!" She giggled and bent down to smile at me. "I'm Kenji Ami, your Papa's little sister! But don't call me "aunt", it makes me feel so old..." she sighed and touched her flawless face. "Instead, call me Nee-chan, nee? Is that okay?"

My head jerked so hard, it hurt. Anything to keep this woman stable.

"Okay, let's go meet your Papa, nee?" Grabbing my hand, Ami jerked me toward the stairs as a prisoner going to be executed with no hope left.

Slowing down I (once again) thought over what Ami had said. Papa... Why did that sound so wrong? And as shocking as it sounded, I had just now really realized that I was going to live in the same house as my real father and family I didn't even know. Eat the same food as my real father and that family. Meet my real father and all those other people I was related to.

No. I wasn't ready for that.

"No!" Yanking back my hand I stumbled back onto level ground as Ami remained on the stairs and shook my head over and over again. "No...I can't..." My voice came down into a pitiful whisper as I just continued to shake my head.

I was surprised (once again) to find myself in Ami's arms as she hugged me.

"Gomen, Mina-chan..." she said softly as she brushed my head. "A good Nee-chan needs to think better. Mina-chan isn't ready, Nee-chan understands... How about we go to your room then? Is that okay?"

Nodding, my heart lifted as I saw Ami's reassuring, almost motherly smile. Taking me by the hand, Ami led me up the winding staircases with such elegance, I found myself suppressing a smile.

Nee-chan, huh?

Rika and Ringo Kenji both sat on the banister and watched as their aunt took the strange girl by the hand and walked her up the stairs. Identical twins with the exact same faces studied the girl closely with their almost angelic faces. Almost.

Rika's short chestnut brown hair brushed over her shoulders while Ringo's long matching hair that was just above her waist was silky, as was Rika's. Dark (almost black) brown eyes watched with a certain dislike at the commoner girl who walked down a hallway of their home that lead to the unoccupied side of the mansion. Frowns of disgust showed on their faces as they watched her disappear.

"Rika-chan," Ringo's voice called quietly, breaking the heavy air. "That's the girl that Mother spoke of..."

Her twin nodded and watched as the front door was opened and servants walked in, carrying a bunch of commoner luggage. "Yes, Ringo-chan. I don't think Shiro-nee-chan is going to be happy."

Ringo nodded in agreement. "Shiro-nee-chan was mad when she heard that Love Child-san was coming. Mother was really mad, too."

They both nodded as they stood up. "But Rika-chan and Ringo-chan aren't happy either," the two 8-year-olds spoke in unision. Turning around they walked down the halls in their dark dresses and held on to the banister as they descended the stairs. "Love Child-san is filthy..." Rika whispered to Ringo. "And now Rika-chan, Ringo-chan, Shiro-nee-chan, Mother, Father, Ami-chan, Emin-san, and Grandfather are dirty."

"Hai..." Ringo agreed.

Shiro Kenji stomped down the halls and headed straight for her father's study that was being guarded by two servants.

"Ah, Shiro-sama, Kenji-sama is busy and-," but Shiro pushed them aside. "Get out of my way!"

Bursting through the large double doors, Shiro spotted her father sitting at his desk with his usual calm face that had pissed her off her entire life, but never as much as it did now. "Father! How dare you bring that commoner in here! It's bad enough that she exists, but to bring her here, of all places! How am I to show my face at school when everyone will know of this...this...scandal!"

His face remained unchanged as he watched his beautiful daughter heave angrily. The servants he had sent to block the door rushed in behind her, looking mortified that she had entered so easily, but he had only anticipated this from Misaki's daughter.

"I apologize, Kenji-sama! We-," they began but he waved them away.

"Close the door..."

They leaped up from their bows of apology and did just as he said with no hesitation, but he knew far better to expect anything from his infuriated daughter.

The exact double of Misaki was blowing steam out of her ears as she glared down at her father, her long black hair, rustled and her cold gray eyes throwing daggers at him her fair face looked almost demonic as she took another step closer to his desk and slammed her hands on the desk. "Answer me!"

"I apologize for my daughter, Ootori-san, Suoh-san, she is usually much more charming," Ken Kenji spoke in his neutral tone.

Shiro swung around to see Yioshi Ootori (Kyouya's father) and Yuzuru Suoh (Tamaki's father) standing by the giant portrait of the Kenji family.

"Ootori-san?! Suoh-san?!" Shiro dropped down into a deep bow. "I apologize! I had no idea you were here!"

"Nothing to worry about, Kenji-san. Anyone would be angered under these...circumstances..." He chose his words carefully as he smiled and gave Shiro a small bow. Turning to Ken, he gave his childhood friend a look that showed his concern. "And what circumstances they are, indeed. An illegitimate child? I would have never thought you were capable of any sort of thing, Kenji-san, but to bring her to your home..."

"See!" Shiro cried. "Even Ootori-san agrees!"

"Hush, Shiro," Ken ushered. "I have no interest in being lectured by a mere girl of seventeen."

His daughter struggled to remain silent, but did as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"But I do think of you as important enough to understand that it would be better for us all this way," Ken continued. "For the public to have found out any later would have made the situation worse. To take the girl in after her mother's suicide would make it so that everyone will think better of us. Kind, perhaps."

Shiro rolled her eyes. "Please, Father! It was your fault that girl's mother committed suicide and, in fact, that she even exists!"

Ken looked up at her, keeping his annoyance with her only known by himself and Yioshi, who eyed him, waiting for an answer himself. "Stupid girl, I did not force the woman to hang herself, I merely made a simple phone call that shall be overlooked as a father's effort to get in contact with his daughter that he has been trying to communicate with for years."

Her mouth dropped. "You've practiced what you're going to say to the press and Grandfather, haven't you?"

"But of course," Ken leaned back in his chair.

Shiro gave a small gasp as though she had been expecting him to deny it. "I wouldn't me surprised if the girl killed you in your sleep," she yelled and turned to the door, slamming it on her way out.

Yioshi chuckled as he watched Ken sigh and massage his temples. "She becomes more and more like her mother every day, Ken. How on earth are you going to have her married off before those pretty looks wear off?"

Ken shook his head and looked back up at Yioshi. "That is the farthest thing from my mind now. My main priority is the girl right now."

Yioshi lifted his eyebrows and let the glare from the light shinning through the window block out his eyes from behind his glasses, but Yuzuru shook his head at the him as he looked down at the photograph of Ken's illegitimate daughter. "How cold you are, Ken. Not even acknowledging the girl as your daughter... I truly pity her and would take her in if I could."

Ken rolled his eyes up at the ridiculous Suoh. "Having you as a father-figure for the child is the last thing I need from you. She has a clean record and is an excellent student, I'll give her that much."

Yuzuru walked up to Ken's desk and took the picture off the table as well as the girl's background check and smiled back at Ken. "She has your eyes, Ken-kun," he held the picture up to Ken's face and examined it closely. "But she doesn't even smile in this picture or any others... Look at this one, Yioshi-kun!" Yuzuru pulled out a picture and showed it to him. "She's on a field trip at the commoner's zoo and isn't even smiling! She's more like Ken than I thought was possible..."

Getting out of his seat, Ken snatched the photos and papers out of his hands and threw them on his desk.

"If this is all you've come for, then I will advise you to leave," he spoke in a dangerous tone. Yuzuru frowned and looked at his friend with large brown eyes. "I promise to behave if you admit the real reason you took the girl in. The Ken-kun I know could care less what anyone would think of him..." A warm smile came over his face as he watched Ken turn and snort.

"Don't make me laugh, Yuzuru. You're more dillusional than I thought."

Yioshi pushed up his glasses and examined the picture closely. "This girl...Matsumoto, is it? I did not come to discuss the reasons you took in your illegitimate children. Honestly, to have both of you to raise such children, there's a 70 chance they will not become anything of use."

Yuzuru leaned against the window with a sigh. "Said the man who raised corrupt children."

"Corrupt children that will make the family business grow much farther than all of you who started off with Japan's biggest companies, and children who actually respect me and do as I say."

A frown came over Yuzuru's face as he smelled the rose in his jacket pocket. "Yioshi-kun, the only reason they do that is so they can be the one to inherit and to gain your approval. Kids these days know nothing of honor, so I don't see why you have to-."

"Enough," Yioshi turned to Ken with an irritated look. "You bring me here to this house to discuss which one of us has raised our children the best, but I am not interested in that sort of thing. What kind of so-called idea do you have for that impudent child?"

Ken looked back at Yioshi, and sighed as he looked away from the picture. "You're sons...they run the Host Club that is so popular, am I correct?"

Yuzuru backed up and looked narrowly at Ken. "You want to have my son marry your daughter?"

"Certainly not! Ken barked. "I need Yioshi's son for...a little...set-up..."

Yioshi's eyes perked up and looked interested as he watched Ken closely. "What kind of set-up?"

Ken pulled out a paper from the background check and passed it down the desk so that both Yioshi and Yuzuru could see it. "I hear that your son is fond of roses, is that right, Yuzuru?" Yuzuru sighed as he stared down at the single sheet of paper that made his entire plan so simple and brilliant at the same time.

"Allergies? No wonder she didn't smile at the zoo..."

...and that's what started all this crap...