2026-01-03: The Wrong Answers
- Cutscene: The Wrong Answers
- Cast: Yua Ijuuin and her new husband, Kimitake Ijuuin
- Where: Ijuuin Residence, Konan Ward
- OOC Date: 2026-01-03
- IC Date: Tue, Sep 04 2012
- Summary: Yua and Kimitake retreat home after their wedding. Yua learns some new things about Kimitake... and learns some new details of their arrangement, too.
- Content warning: Coercive control, emotional abuse, references to sexual abuse
After the newlyweds see their guests off, and they've changed from their centuries-old ceremonial outfits into something better-suited to get into a car, Kimitake drives Yua home -- and Yua asks, as she buckles in, "You don't have a driver...?"
"Not as such," Kimitake says. It's a nice car which he starts up, to be sure -- but there is no chauffeur. "Don't misunderstand the glamour of today's spectacle... I'm a man of the branch family. There's less I can demand of the family wealth than a woman like Miho-san. Of course... everyone knows Miho-san is my uncle's favourite, so he pulled out all the stops for your wedding."
"Oh," Yua says, looking down at her hands. "Sorry... I didn't mean to offend you. I don't really understand how the family's organised, or anything like that..."
"It's quite all right," he assures her, softening his stern voice. "You don't come from this world, and my cousin's largely shielded you from it... you have no way to know these things. Suffice to say, uncle's children are the ones primarily tasked with continuing the bloodline... and maintaining its legacy. Those of us more distant from them... are expected to offer them our full support."
Yua frowns, and looks up, her garnet eye finding Kimitake in the dark of the car. "Um... are you jealous of Mimi?" She asks, a touch hesitantly.
"Perhaps a little," Kimitake admits, with a touch of sheepishness. "My father is the Head's brother... if circumstances were just a little different, I'd be the one in place to steer our legacy. Ah... that's not something I can speak of in public, you understand," he adds, with an apologetic tone. "They're feelings everyone expects, but it's rude to speak of them."
"It's okay," Yua says, her brow creasing with concern, "I won't tell anyone. Um... but... then, can I ask..." She trails, for a moment, until his affirmative hum spurs her on. "... did Father ask you if you wanted to get married, then? Or -- or did he tell you what was going to happen, too?"
"Mm... in the end, I had little more choice than you," Kimitake supposes, thoughtfully. "As soon as I spoke up, the Head realised we were two problems seeking the same solution." That he spoke up specifically to volunteer himself is beside the point.
"... are you unhappy?" She asks.
"No," Kimitake says. "Are you?"
"No," Yua lies.
The drive back to Konan Ward falls into silence, until they pull up to Kimitake's home -- and it is a house, a plain, normal house. Not a shabby house, mind you -- it even has a nice little yard out front, even though they're in the city -- but just a house. Yua, who has only ever visited Takashi's mansion and Ritsuko's multi-floor house, and who has only ever lived in Miho's penthouse, is surprised once again to see how... normal it is.
This time, she's wise enough not to comment. There is a maid which greets them, bowing as Kimitake steps inside and announces, "I'm home."
"Welcome home, Master!" She chimes, brightly. "And this is the new Madame...?"
"O--I mean, Ijuuin-san is fine, r-really --" Yua tries to start, before Kimitake cuts in --
"That's right. Could you show her where everything is while I get settled in?" He pauses, and turns to Yua, assuring her: "Sharing a futon for the first night is traditional, but it's traditional for the wife to have her own bedroom, too. I've gone ahead and placed some things in there you might need... let me know if you need anything else."
"T-thank you," Yua says, still a little intimidated by the -- maidishness of his maid, who proceeds to give her the full tour of the house. (She's relieved to see the bathroom is spotless.) When they get to her room, Yua asks: "Um, by the way... can I ask what your name is?"
"Funahata, Ma'am!" The maid chirps in reply.
"Funahata...?" Yua tilts her head. "Wait... is that your first name, or your last name...?"
She giggles, a hand to her lips. "It's my last name, silly! Why would you need my first name? I work for you, now, too!"
"Oh..." Yua thinks of Eiko, and casts her gaze down. "Um... it's pretty late. Do you sleep on-site, or did you have to wait for him to get back...?"
"We have a room we use for night shifts!" Funahata assures her, pointing down the hall a little ways. "Second door on the right, remember? I said it was the maid's room! During the day shift, it's just a break room... but if you ever need me and I'm not right there, that's where you'll find me!"
"Shifts?" Yua blinks. "Um... how many of there are you...?"
"Oh, it's not like that!" Funahata shakes her head. "We work through an agency! So if there's anything you need, you can be sure we'll be professional!"
"T...thank you," Yua says, as she steps into her room. "I'm... going to have a bath and get changed," and try not to feel overwhelmed by how impersonal this arrangement seems to be.
She won't really feel clean until she's in Miho's arms again, but she is at least restored to something like her natural state when she emerges, dressed in the bedclothes Kimitake left for her. He's showered, himself -- he has an ensuite, apparently, for when he'd rather not walk all the way to the bathroom -- and he meets her in the hall. "Come in," he invites her, into his private room...
... which is quite neat, tidy, and brutalist in design, all sharp blocks and spartan decorations. "It reminds me of how Mimi's house was when I first got there..." She reflects, as she steps inside.
She sees there is a double futon; she wishes it wouldn't.
"We Ijuuins can be quite alike," Kimitake admits. "Though... there's something I wanted to speak with you about, before we retire."
"Um..." Yua turns, to look up to him, hands curled together at her chest. "What's that?"
"Well," Kimitake sighs, "you know that we're both... associated with the Order. I'm afraid they may have... certain expectations of our relationship which I was never able to figure out how to ameliorate." He pauses, for a moment, and then presses on: "It might be necessary for me to call you here even when I'm not entertaining houseguests, sometimes -- for appearances."
"But -- but that's not what you said!" Yua cries, her body tightening. "I want to live with Mimi! With Mimi--!!"
"Yua-san, please," Kimitake says, resting a steadying hand on her shoulder. "They know about your real relationship... so they'll know this is a farce. They'll just expect us to honour appearances. I won't ask for too much of your time... I'm just concerned with what they might do if they feel we're making a mockery of tradition."
Yua's eye focuses on his hand... but she doesn't feel steady enough to pull away, either. "I'm sorry," she says, her gaze down. "I know it's not your fault... it's just..."
"You're disappointed, right?" Kimitake asks, sympathetically, and Yua nods. "It's all right. It's... burdensome to satiate them, sometimes." And that much is even true. "It's very stressful... mm, there's something I'm worried about, there."
"What's that...?" Yua asks, looking up to to him again.
"You know that my cousin can be... sensitive," he says, and it is his turn to avert his gaze, now; delicately, and deliberately. "This isn't something I'm supposed to know... but I saw her taking medication, in a room off of a family gathering, once. I was younger, then, so I stole inside to see what it was after she rejoined the party... they call it an 'antipsychotic'."
Yua doesn't meet his eyes; hers grows shadowed, beneath her loose hair, pooling over her shoulders. "..."
Her silence is all the answer he needs; he goes on. "I'm worried about what could happen to her if we point out the way we're being watched... I'm sure she knows, but is it healthy for her to know that's why you're attending my property? I think... it's better if we let her think me more of a socialite than I am. In a way, it isn't even a lie... we're entertaining the Order's expectations, after all."
"It is a lie," Yua scowls, her expression stormy.
Kimitake sighs. "You're a very honest person, Yua-san," he says, with a rueful smile. "But delicate machinations aren't really your style, are they?"
"Mm..." Yua hums, her hands lacing together in front of her. "I don't want to do machinations to Mimi..."
"You know best how to care for her," Kimitake allows, gently. "I just think... a little less detail will help to make sure her mind doesn't run away with the possibilities. Even you're worrying that they might insist we be more serious about this, even though you don't have problems like that, right?"
Well -- her eye widening, and her shoulder shrugging under his hand -- she is now. "I don't want that!" She barks, sharply.
"Me neither," Kimitake releases her, taking a step back. "No offence to you, of course... I see why Miho favours you so highly. But being pressed to affections with a woman is something of a nightmare, for me... as it is for you, I imagine." ... did he mean with a man? Being pushed into it with a woman just makes her think of -- oh, she feels even worse, now.
"Y-you -- know how to keep them happy?" She asks, her voice wound tight.
"I believe so," he nods. "And of course, I'll consult Miho-san if I hear anything concerning... I don't mean to say we shouldn't tell her anything. She is the most direct protection you have in the ranks of the Order... my role, as ever, is to offer her my support." Because he's part of that 'branch family'... oh, he must be feeling bad, too, Yua realises.
And so, she nods, though her eyes are a little teary. "Okay."
Kimitake pauses, for a moment, before he turns to the futon. "All right," he says, quietly. "I'm going to bed... you're welcome to do as you wish, but I do prefer things to be quiet when I'm trying to sleep. It can be difficult for me," he explains, with a thread of vulnerability.
"Mm... then I'll sleep, too," Yua says, gingerly pulling back the sheets on one corner of the futon. The blankets she leaves all balled up, as a barrier between the two of them; she's always overheating under those things, especially in summer.
She pulls out her phone, in the darkness, but...
... if Kimitake has trouble sleeping, it would be rude for her to call Miho, wouldn't it?
Yua feels bad, but... she types out a few texts, anyway, huddled under the sheet to try and obscure the light of her phone screen.
> We got home safe! Kimi-san gave me my own room, so I don't need to worry about sleeping in his after tonight... it bothers me, but I guess it's tradition. > He's already going to sleep, so I guess I had better sleep soon too... > I miss you so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much! > I'm sorry I couldn't be with you tonight. I really wanted to. This is so awkward and bad... but it's not his fault, or anything. He's been very nice to me. > Try not to work too late tomorrow? I'll make it up to you!
For half an hour she waits, staring at her silenced screen, waking it up each time the screen goes black. Her lips scrunch together; she wants to hum to soothe herself, but she'll bother Kimitake, so her thumb just worries at the edge of her phone's case frantically. Is Miho mad at her? Or -- or did she have nice date and forget about her? Or is she so upset, she can't even write anything right now...? What if she's having an episode? What if she needs her, and she's just lying here in another man's bed?! What if, what if, what if, the thoughts storm through her mind, and she is sick with them.
> I love you.
"Oh," Yua's voice cracks through her throat, the relief flooding her as a cracked dam floods the valley.
> I'll do my best to be home on time. Don't worry about that.
"Mm," Yua hums, hugging her phone to her chest, and it is only in the long minutes which follow that she'll start worrying about whether there's something she ought to worry about. She will not message her again, though... she knows Miho has to be up early for work. The frustration of the day mixes with her fear, with her despair; quietly, under the sheets, she weeps, soothed only by those words on the screen, that reassurance that she loves her.
... and at the other end of the futon, turned away on his side, Kimitake smiles.
He isn't unhappy with the power he's claimed at all.