A/N: Hello and welcome to another of my Tora Igarashi stories, all Tora Igarashi, all the time. (Well, sort of. There are other characters in it too, though he doesn't seem to think so. *sigh* He's quite the attention hog, isn't he?)

Disclaimer: I do not own Kaichou wa Maid-sama!

Description: Unless he's the one making them, rules never apply to Tora Igarashi. He does whatever he likes, whenever he wants, in any way he sees fit. And being engaged isn't going to change any of that. In fact, it just might make it worse.

This is an AR (Alternate Reality) fanfiction, meaning that the world is the same, but some basic canon facts are different, e.g. Chiyo is not in this fic and my OC takes her place in the storyline, the timeline from the manga is a bit tweaked, with certain events being skipped over or altered to fit the purposes of my story better... All in all it's different, but also the same in a lot of ways too.

I hope you enjoy the read!

CK:*

Chapter One

Something to Not Look Forward To

...

"You are not getting out of this arrangement, Tora."

"Of course not." Yellow-gold eyes moved to meet a matching pair of the same shade. "But did you really think I wouldn't protest to some degree?"

"Well, try to be reasonable about this much, at least." His mother cut in, and Tora spared her a glance. "We are asking that you formally meet her, so that you might see for yourself why we've chosen her. Can't you do that? It's a simple dinner―"

"No," He grit out tersely. "It isn't. This 'simple dinner' is the gateway to an arranged marriage that I want no part in. Do not urge me," His voice tightened. "to start something that I have no intention to see through to its end."

Aya Igarashi pursed her lips and angrily shook her head, her grey eyes narrowed and a scowl falling over her beautiful features. Her blonde hair was starting to come loose from its chignon due to the past twenty minutes of arguing back and forth, shaking her head more and more vigorously as time stretched on and her frustration grew; still, though, the messy hairdo didn't stop the woman from looking like elegance incarnate. The sour look on her face, however, did not become her.

Not that she could very much help it when she was around her troublesome son. No matter how she tried to persuade him, her words slid off of him and left no effect whatsoever ― he was oil, she was water.

Stormy eyes snapped onto the tall, broad-shouldered man to the woman's left, imploring him with a sharp glare to do something about the situation. If Tora would listen to either of his parents, after all, it would be his father over her.

"Son," Tomio Igarashi had the type of deep, commanding voice that made it feel like the very ground was shaking beneath your feet. His dark gold eyes were merciless, even as they were wrapped in a state of calm. His face; an angular, sharp type of handsome, was like a painting in the way that you could clearly look, but not ever dare to touch it ― and it had almost no creases or ripples over its smooth surface, even when he spoke. It only took one look at him to tell that he was the type of man who could not only control himself, but everything around him, with perfect ease. "Stop acting childish, it's time now that we settled this matter."

"I have better things to do other than tie myself down to some woman for the rest of my life, in order to please the two of you." Tora's voice was not nearly as deep, but he held himself up with the same manner of calm, crisp control. "Forgive me, father, for disagreeing on this matter."

A muscle in the older man's jaw twitched, and Tora checked a smirk.

"Don't you want to settle down some day?" Aya, sensing the upsurge of tension in her husband, pressed forward again with her persuasions. "Find someone suitable to keep by your side, so that you won't be lonely in the years ahead?"

"You know mother," Pearly teeth flashed at her in a way that was all sparkly, sugar-coated spite. "Those words would be so much sweeter if they were actually sincere."

His mother looked affronted. "Tora, really, what a thing to say! Acting as if we don't care about you―"

"Is that what you call this?" He gestured between the three of them, voice bland with distaste, eyes narrow in disbelief. "Caring?"

She lifted one eyebrow in a smooth arch, folding her arms over her chest. "Isn't it? We are only doing this with your best interests in mind. Obviously." Her voice was a snap on that last word, her head jerking to the side as she let out a melodramatic sigh. Another strand of blonde fell out of her stylish up-do.

"If you were truly acting in my favor," Tora leaned back against the wall in a way that was utter laziness, yet retained a gracefulness to the movement that was clearly inherited from the woman he was speaking to. People liked to comment on that sort of thing all the time; how his poise was a flawless mimicry of his mother's. His hair matched hers as well, blond and straight, with the texture of spun silk. "You would consult me first, and respect whatever my decision may be. I have told you before, I do not wish to enter into a marriage with anyone. I thought that much was clear."

They didn't always listen to him, but they did allow him to make his own decisions, for the most part. His independence was a given thing, since his parents were far too preoccupied with other things to look after him properly. The unspoken rule was, so long as he didn't blacken the family name, then he could pretty much do as he wished. The only times his parents actually wanted to get involved with his life is when it was convenient to do so.

Like now. They wanted something from him, but this time, he was refusing to oblige.

"How could you possibly argue this to such an extent?" Mr. Igarashi firmly broke through the argument again. "I know you like to have your fair share of fun with women, but there is a time where you should know when to stop and consider something more serious, something that will actually last."

Something akin to a rumble of bitter laughter curled up from deep within Tora's chest. "That is rich, coming from you," He sneered.

"We just want you to be happy with someone, at some point." Mrs. Igarashi cut in swiftly. "The sooner the better. We're worried about your future, dear, don't you care about your future?" Her forehead creased with concern, her tone sounding innocent enough.

Tora's eyes flickered, his sneer fading into stony composure. "Don't pretend," His voice went soft. "That this is about me. You only want me to get married for the same reason the two of you did, the same reason the two of you had a child,"

"Tora." His father's voice ― deep and dark and speaking his name as if it were some deviant thing ― was a warning.

One that the youth didn't bother to heed. He had stopped caring about his parent's expectations, a long time ago. "I am the only heir to the Igarashi name." He pressed on in a different tone, more detached than the one from a moment ago; as if he had no personal involvement in the matter. "Which means, of course, that if I do not follow in your footsteps, then all of your hard work with the company will be meaningless and cease to exist. And I'd much prefer that over getting married off quickly to some random woman, who would then bear me a son or daughter of my own to start using as a business pawn―"

"We are parents." Tomio glared, amber gaze blazing beneath his cool exterior. "And we are businessmen. We care for your well-being, as well as the company's."

Tora merely shrugged, knowing full well that it was never as easy as that when it came to people like them. You had to choose one or the other, there was no in between. You either attended your son's judo tournaments, or flew overseas to lock down a deal with a client. You either signed birthday cards or contracts. Wealthy entrepreneurs were not the nurturing, homebody types.

"Ah yes, regarding my well-being... Do you really think I would enjoy being tied down to just one woman?" His brow quirked upward, his yellow eyes glittering, daring the other man ― one of the most powerful men in the country, lesser known as his own father ― to deny his next words. "If I am anything like you, then that is the last thing I would find agreeable."

An abrupt quiet fell over the room like the crackle in the air before thunder, and a muscle in Tomio's jaw twitched for the second time.

With an embarrassed flush rising to the surface of her skin, Aya did her best to save face. "You don't know anything―"

"I know plenty." Tora interrupted, seemingly immune to the prickling tension. "And unlike the both of you, I refuse to pretend otherwise."

"Young man!" When Aya was upset about something, she wasn't as in control of it as her husband was. Rather the opposite, actually; she preferred to express her displeasure. Loudly. Theatrically. Making unnecessary hand gestures, with her eyes wide and her voice ringing in everyone's ears to the point where you knew you had somehow bought yourself a ticket to the 'Aya Igarashi Show'.

The woman was glowering at her son, despite her blush, producing a glare that seemed especially reserved for turning people into stone. "What on earth has gotten into you? You are never supposed to talk to your parents in such a way! I can't believe you would resort to such inappropriate behavior―" Her voice was ice itself.

...Melting ice, wavering into water. Not nearly as solid and freezing as Tora could make his sound, when he tried.

The young blond stared back at her with an eyebrow raised, unimpressed.

He decided to try now, cutting her off again mid-rant. "And you, being parents, are not supposed to play chess with your son's life." He straightened, the action of pulling away from the wall slow and deliberate, as if that alone told them that he was done with this conversation. "It seems to be a habit in this family for us to do the things we are not supposed to."

His plan was to exit the room then, and leave it at that. He was just passing under the arch of the doorway when his father's voice stopped him short. "Will you not go through with our plans, then?"

With his back facing the other man, Tora glared something vicious out into the hall ahead. "I should think," He stated crisply. "I've made my answer to that painfully clear by now."

"Tora," This time, there was no deep, rumbling boom to his father's voice. It was soft. And it was low. And that was the worst thing it could possibly be. "I will not ask you again."

There was a long pause where the younger man turned his head slightly, just enough to look back over his shoulder.

His father was both taller and larger than himself. Not overweight, by any means, but built with long, sculpted limbs and broad shoulders, compared to his son's slighter, more athletic frame. And currently, he was showcasing a great amount of what Tora referred to as a maddening type of paternal despotism: the way he brought his hands into fists and folded one arm neatly over the other, the upward tilt of his chin, the fierce look in his eyes utilized to intimidate others. The way he stood, back straight, feet firmly planted, legs spread the slightest bit in a power stance. He was a force to be reckoned with, standing there showing just how much you didn't want to cross him, as if he were one of the most powerful men in the country, lesser known as Tora's father, and how could this man possibly be a father?

This was the man who had brought Tora into existence, but by no means raised him... And yet he had made his son into who he is today, and Tora didn't know how to be any other way.

He simultaneously owed Tomio Igarashi everything and nothing, and that truth was inescapable. By no means did he respect that man, knowing of the things he did in order to get his way and become as powerful as he is today... But at the same time, he felt he should appreciate the efforts his father put in to taking care of Tora and his mother, even if underhanded methods were used, and he didn't show any tenderness toward the two of them. It was no more than out of sheer obligation that Tomio did anything at all for his family ― he was a selfish man, with selfish needs. But, he had always been a good provider for the family, and they wanted for nothing.

Tora often struggled with feeling indebted to the man.

Which was precisely why the younger blond found himself stopped in the doorway, his body language indicating he wanted to be in a very separate space from the two people in the room; he was ready to leave at any moment, but hesitating. His eyes were darker than usual, brooding, and his stance was rigid and tense.

"Who is this woman, remind me again." Despite all of these feelings stirring inside of him, his question was inimitably calm.

"You can't even remember so much as her name?" For once, his mother's nagging was a welcome distraction, giving Tora something easier to be frustrated with other than everything about his father.

"Can't say I cared much to remember." He drawled back, reveling in her exasperated huff.

"You knew her better when you were younger, her family would come visit us every now and then."

Tora wasn't surprised by this. Rich families often kept tabs on one another, planning visits here and there in order to stay on good terms and keep both their professional and personal relationships fresh and alive. He'd made 'friends' with his fair share of people, both his age and older, who wanted desperately to stay on the good side of the Igarashi Group.

"Her name?" He prodded further; because there were far too many girls from rich families he'd met for him to possibly keep track of them all.

"Renei Nakajima, daughter of Ikuro Nakajima and Miyuki Sekine. Last we heard, Ikuro-san is still living in the countryside with two of his children, but we haven't really stayed in touch with him. Miyuki-san, however, has kept in touch. Some time ago she moved back to the city and started up Echo Entertainment, which has taken the music industry by storm. Her eldest lives here as well, working for her at the company..."

Tora, by no means interested in hearing every detail of the girl's family, stopped listening at some point to the onslaught of information. However, that name rang a bell, Renei... And he felt around for an image, a face to put to the name. It was strangely familiar, as if he had remembered her all along and merely pushed her to the back of his mind.

And then it hit him. The image of a young, pretty, gangly little thing with long hair and a smile brighter than the sun swam up to overwhelm the forefront of his memory. Yes, he recalled that girl, specifically, much more easily than he might have recalled any of the others ― if only for how utterly different she was from the rest.

Nakajima was that idiotic nuisance who thought 'no' meant 'yes' and 'go away' meant 'continue-to-bother-me-non-stop-until-I-wish-I-were-deaf-and-blind'. She was endlessly optimistic, and playful in every sense of the word that Tora wasn't. There was no such thing as alone time when she visited with her family. She and her siblings, but mostly herself alone, would try to drag him all over creation, even if he didn't have the time for it. And back then, in the midst of his middle school exams and judo training and school plays and whatever else he was always busy with, he really didn't have the time to spare for her fun and games. Not her version of fun and games, at least. Not that he could ever manage to have some fun of his own by messing with her, because she was far too naïve to understand when he was messing with her, and if she did understand, then she acted oblivious to it. He really didn't think she was smart enough to act like anything, though. She was just... Undeniably, irritably, herself.

He couldn't scare her off, and she wouldn't let him ignore her. Mostly, her family visited in the summer, so at least he got a break from her for the majority of the year... But when the weather started to warm up, that incessant bother of a girl would inevitably come with it. And it was all sunshine and misery from thereon out.

No wonder he had blocked it out.

"That annoying little girl?" Tora turned around completely, eyes sharp and searching his parents to see if this was, hopefully, a sick and twisted joke of some sort. "You want me engaged to her, of all people?"

"Make no mistake, she is a young woman now, Tora." His mother flashed him a smile, the kind that didn't quite reach the eyes. All of his arguing was obviously taking a toll on her, making her already thin amount of patience wear even thinner. She looked tired, for once in her life, and he felt a vicious sort of satisfaction that it was because of him. "And we were careful to pick out the best for you, of course. She's beautiful, talented, charming, intelligent―"

"Everything an Igarashi should be." Tomio added on pleasantly. Pleasantly. His father was never one to sound pleasant about anything, unless it was related to success in business.

Well, Tora supposed this was related to success in business. It had to do precisely with keeping the family business prosperous and everlasting. After all, carrying on the family legacy fell to him as their only child, and he was young, handsome, and charming ― easy to use for luring in more prey for his father to take advantage of, all for the sake of keeping their family on top of the corporate food chain.

"We believe she is the ideal match for you, Tora." Aya's smile grew in sincerity as she talked more of her would-be daughter-in-law. "Oh, she's absolutely marvelous. The two of you will suit each other all too well."

Tora chose that moment to remember a time when the girl had spilled tea across the entire front of her clothes, and proceeded to try wiping it off with the tablecloth, of all things. He stared at his mother blankly, lifting an eyebrow at her words. "Are you sure we're talking about the same person?"

The blonde woman merely waved him off with a flick of her manicured hand. "You wouldn't understand. You haven't had the chance to study her, to keep tabs on her like we have been." Then she turned to her husband, wondering something aloud. "By the way darling, how long has it been since their last official visit with us?"

"Five years."

"Ah yes," Tora droned, quirking the other eyebrow now as well. "I remember the sudden cessation of their visits being nothing short of a blessing. And what was the cause of such a miracle?"

"Their family split apart," Tomio explained slowly. "Due to... divorce."

"Oh?" Tora didn't even bother pretending to sound interested, at this point.

"At least try acting sympathetic about it when you meet her again, if it's brought up." His mother chided, sending him a hawkish glare. "I don't want you scaring her off."

"No," His voice was all silk as he murmured back, "We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"Tora..." She started to warn him, looking about ready to snap in her current state. Tomio rested a placating hand on the small of her back, and the couple's eyes met in a brief flash of grey-on-gold.

"Let me do the talking." It was an order, not a request, and Aya let out another huff of air before offering up the slightest nod of her head, and batting her husband's hand away.

Then two pairs of golden eyes were locked onto one another, clashing as they always did. Tomio's voice was deep and even once again as he explained, "As I stated before, Renei's eldest brother lives here in the city. She will be moving here to live with him. Once she's settled in, we'll be having her over for dinner so that the two of you may get reacquainted."

Tora spared a moment to wonder why she wouldn't move in with her mother, instead of her brother, but the thought was lost in the next words he heard.

"Not long after that, the two of you will be attending school together―"

"You mean to tell me that she actually got accepted into Miyabigaoka?" Tora's eyes narrowed incredulously at the impossible notion. Even if his father was able to pull those strings, all too easily... Nakajima couldn't possibly hope to fit in at such a place.

"Did I not tell you she was intelligent, as well as gifted in many other ways?" Aya proudly replied, smirking at her son's bemusement.

"The two of you," Tomio repeated, gratingly. The man had an antipathy for being interrupted, reminding Tora that he really should interrupt more often, just for the fun of it. "Will attend school together, upon her personal request. Hers, and her family's, that is. They've decided it would be best for the two of you to spend some time together, get to know one another better after all these years spent apart, and we agree with the notion. Renei herself claims to want to try having a close personal relationship with you, even going so far as to leave her home in the countryside and switch schools. She is actually making an effort, hoping you will both grow accustomed to each other in the years to come."

"Isn't that nice?" His mother goaded.

"Quite." Tora's voice was thick with sarcasm. "And I suppose I have no say in the matter?"

The look his father gave him was all the answer he needed. Still, the man responded with a curt, "It has already been decided."

"Of course." Of course, he knew, all of that arguing had been pointless in the end. He didn't even know why he bothered with it anymore, probably just to give them a hard time before he had to inevitably go along with whatever it was they asked of him. It was more fun when they had to work for it.

"Are you not the least bit curious?" Aya regarded her son carefully with a trained eye, scouring his features for hints of what he might be feeling. Like his father, he was excellent at concealing his emotions, and she was never fully sure of how to read either of them. "Knowing you, you've got to be at least somewhat interested in the matter, since we've talked her up so much."

"The only thing I'm interested in," Tora's lips peeled back in a sharp smile, his voice drifting forward in a breath of fresh insolence. "Is whether or not you and father are actually telling the truth, for once." He took pleasure in the look on both of their faces before shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his slacks and turning around with all the air of someone who had just gotten the last word in, and was happily rubbing it in everyone else's face. "Although that is... rather difficult to believe."

He was around the corner and several paces up the hall in the blink of an eye, vanishing from the room as if he had never even been there to begin with. There were no words from his parents calling after him, but he knew Aya would have something to say about that later.

It was not until Tora was sure he was out of earshot, that he allowed a sigh to pass through his lips and a scowl to adorn his features. Unpleasant thoughts were swirling around his head like termites chipping away at his tolerance, and he wanted nothing more than to punch something. Hard.

"In what world," He complained as he walked. "Could they possibly be serious about this? It's nothing but pointless in the end, anyway. There are no women out there who will satisfy me."

None but one, that is. And as luck would have it, she was already taken.

Tora shook his head at the thought of her, and brought forth a different image instead. The young Renei Nakajima, with a dazzling smile, tugging on his arm insistently. Jabbering about this and that, all sorts of things he didn't care about. He winced at the memory.

It would seem he had very little to look forward to.