Chapter 5 Five

Megumi felt like she had been tricked, even if it was irrational. "Are you fucking kidding me! Where- where do you get all that money? You are too young! Who- who the hell are you?" she yelled, finally asking the question she didn't want to ask.

Kaien chuckled bitterly. She really had no idea who he was. And until now she hadn't cared to know. He wanted to tell her but he was waiting for her to ask.

"My name is Kaien Ichigo Takahashi. I'm twenty-three and CEO of Takahashi Corp. Ring any bells?" he regarded her closely, waiting for the spark of recognition to light up her eyes.

Megumi merely blinked. "T-Takahashi Corp.? The business that took over Japanese Airlines five years ago?" her eyes widened.

"Yeah." muttered Kaien, his mouth a straight line, his eyes dull. "Sit down now, I've made breakfast."

Megumi looked at the dining table. There was coffee, eggs, toast and other standard morning foods. Her tummy started to hurt in hunger, but she made no move to approach the table. Kaien scowled and pulled a chair, gesturing for her to sit down.

"Come on, I haven't thrown anything funny in it. Want me to tie you to the chair and force feed you?" he asked.

Megumi sat down, careful not to touch him. Psycho rapists don't cook breakfast to knock you out, right? Kaien sat across from her, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Megumi was intently staring at her eggs.

"I can make you something else if you want..." muttered Kaien, annoyed that she wasn't doing anything.

Megumi looked up surprised. Why was he being so attentive? Oh yeah, psycho rapists want to trick their victims. She wouldn't ask him for anything. Instead, she cut a big chunk with her fork and shoved it in her mouth, avoiding Kaien's piercing gaze and looking around the apartment for the main door.

"Megumi..." Kaien's voice was low and when she turned to him, his eyes were covered by his wild orange bangs. "Do...do you feel any better?"

Egg almost spilled from her open mouth and she tried hard to swallow, lowering her gaze in embarrassment. She started to rub her arm awkwardly.

"What's the point?" she whispered, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to well up.

"What?" asked Kaien.

"What's the point of acting as if you care? If you're gonna rape me again just do it but don't bullshit me!" yelled Megumi, slamming her fist on the table, angry tears running down her cheeks.

Kaien's eyes widened. "Megumi...I...I am sorry. I am not going to force you to have sex with me again..." he whispered, this time it was him to avert his eyes in regret, a scowl in place.

Megumi was stunned. He seemed genuinely hurt. "Then what's the point of keeping me if you don't want to..." she trailed, not wanting to voice it out loud.

Kaien stood silent.

"Would you like to go back to college?"

If she had egg in her mouth this time, it would be on the floor. "I...I..." Out. "Yes." She swallowed hard. He was tricking her, but complying would mean increasing her chances of escaping him. Even if he lied, there was nothing worse he could do to her than what he had done already.

Kaien smiled. "Good, I have already scheduled a meeting with Tokyo U's dean next week. Now eat up. We are going to go shopping and get you some new clothes."

Megumi didn't dare say anything at that point. It couldn't be true, could it? Why would he do that for her?

When she was finished Ichigo stood and picked up the plates, disappearing into the kitchen. Megumi stood like an ice column, until she heard the tap water. Her heart started to race. Out.

"Megumi can you fetch me the glasses?" came Kaien's voice from the kitchen.

She could play nice and run away when they got out of the house. Out. Like a possessed animal, she ran into the last hallway connected to the living room. Out. The foyer. Out. Her body almost slammed against the door with the frenzied force she ran into it. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Don't be locked. Don't be locked. Don't be locked. She turned the knob. Again. And again.

"Megumi?" she heard Kaien call.

She started to shake like a leaf, her blood pressure dropping. She spun around frantically and her engorged eyes fell on the small table next to the door. Keys! She grabbed them like her life depended on it and slammed the longest one into the lock, turning it. Click, click, click. Out.

"Megumi!"

She opened the door and ran down the hall faster than a bullet, not daring to look back. Her eyes were pinned on the 'Emergency Exit'. She dropped all of her body weight on the door, pushing the heavy thing open. Her trembling with adrenaline legs caused her to fall down the first set of stairs, but she got on her feet immediately and started to descend the stairs two by two. Out.

"MEGUMI!" MEGUMI MEGUMI MEGUMI his voice echoed down the 50 story building stairs.

Kaien growled in frustration. He was such an idiot! He should have secured all exits. But when he brought her he believed she wouldn't want to run away in a million years and after their first encounter he was too messed up to think about it. He ran back into the house and grabbed the phone, pressing the button for the building's reception.

"Kaien-sama?"

"Shelia Megumi is running down the emergency stairs. Keep an eye on the exit and tell Rain to start going up." he hissed urgently and started descending the stairs. Megumi wouldn't have a way out.

"Agh!" Megumi winced when she fell down for the upteenth time. She felt like she'd been running for hours. Her legs were literally burning and shaking from exhaustion. How many fucking levels did the damn building have? She supported herself on the railing, trying to catch her breath. Her chest was aching.

"You there you damn bunny?" hissed a sly voice between pants, coming from lower levels.

Her blood froze. She ran up a level when she heard the heavy footsteps from above.

"How can someone so small be so damn fast?" cursed Kaien from above her, who had almost gotten her before he fell a few minutes ago, spraining his ankle.

She started to panic. She ran for the emergency door and got into the red carpeted hallway. She sprinted to the elevators and hit her fist on the the 'down' button frantically. Come on, come on, come on! She could hear the rapid beats of her heart. Ding.

She fell on the elevator floor, reaching her hand up to press the 'close door' button.

"Hey!" growled a sweating red head with tattoos from the emergency door the other side of the hall. Once the doors closed, Megumi banged the 'stop' button. Think Megumi, think.

"Open it Megumi Ishikawa!" a fist landed on the other side of the door.

There was probably someone waiting on ground level. Where could she go? She banged floor '1' and collapsed on the floor as the elevator descended, praying no one would suddenly barge in from another floor. She looked at the buttons on the elevator panel. Damn! 50 floors! And she was on floor 20!

Ding. Megumi thought she might die. The doors opened and she looked around the first floor hallway in panic. At the end of the hall, across the emergency exit, was a window. She ran to it and swung it open. If there was a God, he decided to pity her. It was high, but there was a large dumpster just below. That was it. Without another thought Megumi jumped, hitting the top of the dumpster on her side and slid off it, landing on the sidewalk on all four. She ran away from the building, wind whipping her messed hair, feeling the first sense of happiness and relief in a long time. She couldn't help but smile at the fact that she had ended up actually jumping off a window.