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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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Zemblanity - Chapter Eight

Zemblanity is the faculty of making unhappy, unlucky and expected discoveries by design

~Present Day~

For the past three hours, Taki had been staring at the document in his hand. Just earlier that day, Kanemoto Misaki transferred a piece of land to him. It was not what he originally wanted, but it was the second best he could have hoped for. The reason he could not let go of the interaction, however, was not because of the deal but because of Misaki. When he woke up that morning, he was not expecting to see nor make a business deal with someone from the Kanemoto Corporations.

In his short interaction with her, Taki finally understood why the Kanemoto Corporations was so successful. While he never met her father, he had seen interviews of Junichiro. He was charming, humorous, and would intelligently and skillfully dodge questions he did not want to answer. Like father, like daughter. Misaki was charismatic the entire time, when she was speaking with Taki, and when she was speaking with both Shun and Kiyohito. Even the supermodel commented how he could not take his eyes off her. She was clever, and very manipulative. She knew exactly what they wanted, played with it so they would fall right into her hands. Before they even knew it, they were already agreeing to her terms and conditions.

Even more intriguing, however, was how Yosuke came to know her.

"Of all people to know a Kanemoto, it had to be Yosuke," Shun said, as if reading Taki's mind.

"I don't think anyone besides Yosuke could make it possible," Kiyohito added.

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It was almost a week before her father finally called for her.

Misaki was expecting a meeting with him; she was not exactly subtle with what she had been up to. Something as major as transferring a whole piece of land to someone else was bound to show up on his radar. Although, she was not quite sure what kind of reaction she should be expecting from her father. Anger? Nonchalance? Or the very unlikely, pride in her?

She knocked on his door, waiting for his 'come in' before she walked into his home office. Junichiro gestured for her to close the door, and Misaki felt a tad of fear. This seemed a little more serious that she thought it would be. He waited until she was sat on the other side of his desk before he finally looked at her. She could not read his expression, and she did not like it one bit.

Junichiro took his time, going back to his work and occasionally glancing her way. It was as if he was playing psychological games with her, or perhaps he did not know where to begin. Misaki did not play into his hands, however; she was no longer his puppet. She simply waited for as long as he wanted (or needed), all the while looking her father straight in the eyes whenever they made eye contact. She was not backing down this time, not anymore.

"You wrote this proposal, did you not?"

He pulled a folder from the pile to his right, putting it in front of Misaki. She did not need to open it to know that it was the proposal she spent an entire day at Yosuke's apartment writing for Minato. Whenever she gave her brother a hand with the tasks Junichiro gave him, she always tried to write in the style of Minato to conceal the fact that she was involved. This time, she did not. It was not so she could throw Minato under the bus and replace his position in their father's eyes because that was as impossible as a mission to the sun, if not more.

This was Misaki's declaration to her father, a warning not to underestimate her no matter how hard he tried to put her down. It delighted her to see her father so perplexed, so on the fence about his own daughter. It was revenge for all those years of abuse and neglect, and it was just the tip of a massive iceberg.

"How did you get both Randoh Shun and Shirakami Kiyohito on board?"

"I have my connections."

"Connections that, I assume, you would be using to aid Minato?"

One had to be proficient at reading between the lines in a conversation with her father. His way of speaking was frustratingly roundabout, but Misaki grew up used to this way of speech. She could read perfectly between those lines and pick out his hidden meanings. Junichiro did not mean that he wanted Misaki to help Minato. No, he simply wanted her to hand over any useful connections to Minato and wash her hands of anything to do with the business. Even with knowledge of her capabilities, his misogyny was running strong.

Silence fell upon them and tension was rising within the room. Neither of them said anything, but at the same time, saying everything. Something about Misaki was telling him that this would not be the first time she was defying his wishes, and it was far from being the last time. He was intimidated, if he were to be honest. Even as he looked straight into her eyes, he could not read her thoughts; she was not transparent as she used to be. He had no clue as to what she was thinking, what she was planning for the future. Was she plotting to take over the company instead of Minato?

"You did an impressive job with Mr. Dohi, that I would commend you for."

"Do you know what I am good at, father?" Misaki asked, throwing Junichiro off. "The one thing that I learnt from life." She paused, as if waiting for an answer but she knew it was not coming. "I am good at reading people, knowing exactly what is on their mind. And do you know what I can do with that kind of information? Manipulate them. You had the right idea when you brought me to meet Mr. Dohi and his daughter, he is known to be a loving and doting father. However, there was a piece to the puzzle that you missed.

"Mr. Dohi is every bit the misogynist that you are, if not more. His wife only gave birth to the one child, their only daughter. He has no heir, unlike you. He does, however, have a mistress. Twenty years his junior, overseas, and seven months pregnant. A boy. But what can you never do with a mistress? Let your wife know. He cannot let his son live abroad though, not when he is so precious. So here comes the conundrum, he wants his son near him but cannot let his wife know. That is where the apartment comes in."

"And the piece of land to Kozaki Taki?"

"A small price to pay. I have no use for it, he does. He wanted your Hokkaido land, the one under discussion for a theme park. I offered him my land, two miles away from his intended. It is smaller, but it is by the sea. Perfect to build a resort on, especially with a theme park coming soon. Like I said, I'm good at knowing what people desire the most."

All these years, Misaki played the role of a naive pianist when really, she had one of the greatest business minds Junichiro had seen. When he first knew of the apartment and her land, he thought she was acting on impulse and did not think the consequences through. In fact, the truth was quite the opposite. Everything she did was methodically planned, and worked out exactly how she wanted it to. And she did it not because she had to, it was because she could. A bold declaration to him.

A knock on his office door interrupted the father and daughter, and in walked Aoi, her father's loyal secretary. Misaki took this as her cue to leave, and Junichiro did not stop her. As she got to the door, however, she stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"Do you know what else I am good at, besides finding out someone's deepest desire?" Misaki asked, a smile spreading across her face and sending chills down Junichiro's spine. "Finding out their deepest fear."

Misaki felt exhilarating, walking out of her father's office on that note. She closed the door behind her and took in several deep breaths to calm herself down. Her hands were shaking but not from fear, they were shaking from pure excitement. For the first time ever with her father, she was in control. She could see fear flickering in his eyes every so often as he realised that he was losing his grip on her. And she thrived on that fear.

Though, as they said, the higher you climbed, the harder you fell.

And Misaki fell pretty soon.

Just as she was about to walk away, she heard her father's voice on the other side of the room. "Give Ryoichi a call, Aoi. It's time Misaki meet his son." All that control she held was stripped from her by eleven simple words. She was like Icarus and flew too close to the sun, and now she was plummeting to the ground. She went too far, pushing her father over the edge, and now he was getting rid of her. He did not need to say it out loud for Misaki to know his intentions: he was marrying her off.

~.~

Six hours went by since she had that meeting with her father.

And for the last six hours, she was sat in her bed with her knees curled up and her doors locked. The curtains was drawn, not letting a single stream of light through and plunging her room into complete darkness when sunset was only two hours away.

She always knew this day would come, the day when her father would arrange for her to marry someone 'appropriate'. His own marriage was arranged, so was her grandfather's, and all Kanemoto's. Her own uncle went through two divorces and had a third marriage arranged for him before her grandfather passed away. She always knew this day was coming, yet somehow it always felt surreal. Until now.

There was always the option of rejecting the marriage, but there was no doubt that her father would disown her there and then. Not that it mattered to Misaki. With her name out there as a classical pianist, she made enough in world tours and albums to live comfortably the rest of her life. And just the name Kanemoto would be bringing in more than enough revenue from all over. It would work out better, in fact, if her father were to disown her. It was what Misaki had always wanted, to be separated from the family and the business, especially from her father. It was her chance to finally break free.

As much as she wanted to, however, she could not.

If she were to leave this place and this life, she would be leaving Minato behind too. He would be alone in this hellhole, and he would not be able to survive their father. He was barely clinging on now, and Misaki was there to take most of the heat. There was a time she almost lost him, she was not going to let it happen again.

The buzzing of her phone broke her thoughts and depressive episode momentarily. She reached for the phone on the nightstand and turned the screen on to see several messages from Yosuke. What did he want now?

-.-

[Yosuke to Katsumi]: Can we meet? I have something to talk to you about.

[Yosuke to Katsumi]: It won't be long, I promise. No longer than fifteen minutes.

[Yosuke to Katsumi]: We can go to that restaurant you like, my treat.

[Yosuke to Katsumi]: Please?

[Katsumi to Yosuke]: See you in half an hour.

-.-

Meeting with Yosuke was the last thing she had in mind, but perhaps it was the distraction she needed. Things could not get any worse, and if they do, she had Yosuke there to do something regrettable with.

She swung her legs off the bed and walked over to her walk-in closet. She had both hands on the door handle and pulled, opening the door. If there was one place she liked the most, it would be her closet. Cliché, but for different reasons to others. Her closet was the deepest room in the house that belonged to her. She could lock herself in here and be away from everything. There were times when Misaki would find herself sat on the floor while surrounded by designer dresses, doing absolutely nothing. Today was not one of those days, however.

Dress after dress was picked off the rail before they were thrown onto the ottoman in the middle of the room. It was when she reached for the seventh dress when she stopped herself. Why was she being so picky? Why was she putting effort into dressing herself to see Yosuke? Coming to her senses, Misaki picked a strapless jumpsuit and simply brushed her hair before finally leaving.

The restaurant Yosuke spoke of was one they used to frequent in high school on dates. It was not the high end type she was used to, but she thought it was a cute restaurant when she was fifteen. Now that she was visiting the place again, she thought she was stupid to think so.

It was one of those restaurants that was furnished to look extravagant but one could tell from one look that it was built cheap. Despite thirteen years passing, it was exactly the way she remembered it. The carpet that was too sticky, and about ten shades too dark from the original colour. The fact that the only type of seating was the rows of booths. There was a cutout of the back wall, looking into the kitchen where the food came out. It was a fast food restaurant in disguise, made to fool high school students into thinking that they were affording a meal at a steakhouse.

There was something different today, however. The restaurant was quiet and empty. There was only one other person (besides the waiter and kitchen staff at the back), and it was the person who asked her out: Sagara Yosuke.

"You have fifteen minutes, starting now," Misaki said, sliding into the booth on the other side. When the waiter came over, she waved him away. "What do you want?"

"You used to be so sweet with your words, now you bare your fangs at me every time we meet."

"Fifteen minutes is not a lot of time."

"I...would like to apologise," Yosuke said, straightening his body. "For everything that I did."

Her chest tightened at what Yosuke was saying. Thirteen years ago, she fell deeply in love with him and he broke her heart into so many pieces that she never finished picking them up. He destroyed her trust in people too. She never placed her trust in anyone else but herself after Yosuke, not even Minato. Though, the reason why her hatred for Yosuke ran so deep was not because he betrayed her, but because he never thought he betrayed her. How could he betray someone who never mattered in the first place?

"And I would like your help with something."

Yosuke placed a folder on the table and slid it over to her side. The curious cat in her could not resist and she opened the folder. As she flipped through the pages, Misaki realised what he just handed her. There were about twenty pages in the folder, all filled to the brink with secrets. She knew many of the names on there, but she did not know the secrets. There were affairs, embezzlement, and even sketchier things that were most definitely illegal. And they all came with evidences.

She was confused, however, as to why Yosuke was giving this to her. Was this gift to make up for what happened? If so, why would he gift her information that she had no interest in? She could always hand it over to her father to try and gain his favour but Yosuke of all people should know that Misaki would never go down that road.

"I know you're not the type to partake in gossip but have you seen the articles relating to Matsuoka Haruka and Ichinomiya Eisuke?"

"Secretary who slept with her boss? Not the first time something like this has happened."

"Except, it didn't. And the tabloids are making a bigger deal out of it than it appears to be. They are pestering her every day, and literally published her entire life for all to see. Her sisters are being harassed at school. I know the Kanemoto Corporations own a few of the publishers, or they have a hand in them one way or another. It shouldn't be hard for you to pick something from this folder for them to publish to cover-"

"No."

Here Misaki was, thinking Yosuke was a changed man. Every time she thought perhaps he was different to who he was thirteen years ago, she was proven wrong. He went through the efforts of inviting her out, and apologised for something he never believed he did. All so she would forgive him and help cover up some tabloid headlines for another woman. If she felt something for him, she would be heartbroken once again. Fortunately, she did not.

Although his fifteen minutes were not up, Misaki stood and exited the booth. She did not want to spend another second in his presence. Just like her father, Yosuke treated her like nothing more than a tool. A handy Kanemoto to keep in his pocket to bring out whenever it was convenient.

Getting up onto his feet the second she did, Yosuke grabbed Misaki by the wrist. "Misa, wait!"

He was met with a slap instead. He deserved that, Yosuke knew. He deserved a slap, and more. If there was one thing Misaki hated more than her father and her name, it was being used. All her life, she was nothing but a puppet to her father. A chess piece that moved only when he told her to. That was how everyone else around her acted too. The Kanemoto siblings lived their lives where they only mattered when there was some profit and benefit involved.

Misaki deserved much better than her father and Yosuke.

"Please, Misa."

"Did you even mean that apology?" she asked, looking into his eyes for answers. "Do you even know what you did to me, Sagara Yosuke? You broke me. You broke me. And you have the audacity to come and ask me for help? There is no one in the world I hate more than you, Sagara Yosuke."

#pdr ch8 #kings of paradise #kop #yosuke sagara #voltage inc

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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How many more chapters of pandora are there left? Loving this story soo much btw!!!!!

Tbh, I don't know how many more, but plenty more! There's still a lot to write about, even after they do get together. It's painfully long now I know.

Thanks for the support though!

#ask

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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Pandora - Selfless

"Sometimes you have to be selfish to be selfless"

-Edward Albert

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I'd still choose them.

Those were four words that haunted Eisuke, even in his dreams.

Family had always been just a word to Eisuke. A word without meaning. At a very young age, he lost his mother then his father. His sister, with whom he had little to no memory, was taken from him too. Ichinomiya Akira was the man he would put on forms to state as family, but to Eisuke, it was only on paper. They had no blood relations that would make them a true family, just a piece of paper Akira signed years ago that somehow meant Eisuke was his son. Plenty of times before, he wished Akira never signed those papers. All his efforts were overlooked simply because he carried the name 'Ichinomiya'; no one believed the hard work he put in that brought him to where he was today. Family was a burden in that sense.

That statement would not stand with Haruka.

To her, family was everything. Between losing her mother and not knowing her father, one would think that she would have lost faith in keeping a family. It only strengthened the meaning of family, however. They were too important to her.

Having someone important in his life was an alien thought. So did being important to someone. Akira could disown him as easily as he signed those papers. He imagined he was 'important' to his business partners and clients but if they were to lose him one day, they would just replace him with another young, up-and-coming entrepreneur. Even Haruka's position as his secretary was not important to Eisuke. He only hired one because Akira he had to, he could do anything and everything a secretary does by himself. Truth be told, he was going through so many of them that Akira was so close to giving up.

Then she came along.

Through Haruka, Eisuke learnt that perhaps there were things that he could not do in place of a secretary. She dealt with paperwork he did not want to, and with people whom he could not tolerate. If it were not for her, he would be severing a lot more connections. There was no one else who could make that perfect cup of coffee every morning. Before he knew it, she became important to him when Eisuke did not believe in relying on just one person. And for the past eight years, he was important to her too. He was always first priority, attended to before anyone else.

It was not until today did he finally learn that he was only second place, behind her sisters. He was never the most important to her, and he was finding it hard to accept.

Why not?

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He was in no condition to see anyone, but it would not be ideal to shut himself off either. With all the thoughts running wild in his mind, perhaps it would be better for him to be distracted.

"Come in."

Soryu walked in, holding a tablet in hand. He shut the door behind him, and that was when Eisuke knew he meant business. He walked up to Eisuke's desk and sat down, putting the tablet down before unlocking to show him several articles. They all had different headlines, but they were essentially the same story. It was a scandal involving him and Haruka. Though it was not the first time they were accused of an underground relationship, this was the first time the story was accompanied with photos.

Unlike news written about Haruka previously, these were incredibly detailed about her life. They dug up her history, from the day she was born to when she graduated high school, and eventually working for Eisuke. All twenty-six years of her life, they reported everything. One publisher even created a relationship map, mapping out any and every connection Haruka had, and how they were connected to her. That was where her sisters came in. Although not as detailed, there was a page dedicated just to her sisters. Everything about their life was now up and out on the internet for all to see. No wonder Haruka got so protective.

"Baba found out that the reporters went to ambush her sisters at their school too," Soryu added, patiently waiting for Eisuke to finish reading. "Fortunately, they were not hurt."

"Why was this not brought to my attention? They didn't come after me."

"They are sick of reporting about you, Eisuke." Eisuke raised an eyebrow at Soryu's statement. Sick of him? "They know everything there is to know about you. There's nothing shocking about a rich guy dating a common girl, that story has been oversold. The audience wants to know about the girl. Every woman in the population wants to know how an ordinary girl manages to get one of the most affluent bachelors in the country to fall in love with her. All this is just to highlight how normal she is, to up the shock value of the story."

"Haruka is no ordinary woman."

"To you. To everyone else, she's a commoner with all the luck in the world."

He did not like Soryu's choice of words: a commoner with all the luck in the world. Haruka was not born with a silver spoon, the life she led before meeting Eisuke was one led by most. But she was not 'common'; there was no one like her.

His attention shifted back to the articles as he toggled between them. There was no story to be told, in Eisuke's opinion. So what if they knew everything about her life? Yumi replaced Haruka as his secretary, but that did not mean that he would be falling for her instead. If anything, it made Eisuke realise just how much he needed Haruka by his side. Imitations could never be the real thing, no matter how good they were.

"Would you like me to take care of the reporters for Haruka?" Soryu asked.

"No," Eisuke shook his head, leaning on his chair. "It would only create more trouble for her if you do. Let me think."

"I know you, Eisuke. I know what you're thinking about. You can't buy every publishing company in the country to try and stop this."

"I said, let me think."

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Eisuke hated that he could not come up with a single idea to stop this train wreck. Every possible solution that he thought of came with consequences that could do more harm to Haruka. It took an embarrassing long amount of time for him to finally realise that in order for all this to go away, he could not be the person who stood up for her. That would only be feeding the scandal. Someone else had to step in instead.

"Every time I come to this hotel of yours, I'm at awe. To think that I'm invited to the penthouse this time. Wow. Just wow. So this is how the top one percent lives, huh?"

There was absolutely nothing to like about the person that was Sagara Yosuke. The way he moved, the way he spoke. Everything was just so...unappealing.

Yosuke could tell from just one look that he was not liked. He understood Eisuke, however. He would feel hostile toward the man with whom the woman he loved seemed so close. When he was the other party, however, it was simply entertaining to watch.

Eisuke was a simple man. He was put together to look complicated but Yosuke could see through all the facade. He was a man of vision, the casino hotel was prove of that. His tenacity, when it came to business, was possibly rivaled only by Taki's. In his line of work, Eisuke was no doubt the top dog. In the world of romance, however, he was lacking.

There was no doubt that Eisuke had plenty of experience in bed, skilled most likely. He was, however, inexperienced with a serious relationship. Like Yosuke, he did not have one healthy relationship growing up, which was now impairing his ability to hold onto the only relationship he wanted all his life. Perhaps the two men had more in common than Haruka, though if Yosuke were to tell Eisuke that, he was sure to receive a punch to the nose.

"You didn't invite me here to tour your hotel though, did you?" Yosuke hummed, tilting his head. "What could the mighty Ichinomiya Eisuke possibly want from me?"

A tablet was pushed toward him and Yosuke picked it up to read the article on the screen. For the past few days, each and every newspaper and magazine had been running different headlines all involving the same person: Matsuoka Haruka. He did not need to read the entire article to know what they were trying to sell. He had to admit, however, when he first saw the articles, he was shocked. Eisuke did not seem like a careless person, how could he have overlooked such a scandal and let it get so out of hand?

"Would you like me to read it out loud for you?"

"I'd like you to stop these headlines," Eisuke stated.

"Thought you'd be romancing me a little before jumping to the finale," Yosuke grinned, putting the tablet on his lap. "And how do you propose I do that, Mr. Ichinomiya? If you haven't noticed, I don't own any of the publishing firms. And I'm not exactly living in a hotel penthouse with my name plastered on a corporation."

"Don't play games with me. We both know that you are more than capable to stop all this."

"Help me out here a little, I'm confused. Since you're the main character, shouldn't you be stopping this instead? You know, save the damsel in distress and carry her off in your white horse, living happily ever after?"

Instincts did not like, especially not Eisuke's. The more he was in Yosuke's presence, the more he could not stand being around him. That dislike he felt was slowly developing into hatred. But he needed Yosuke's help, so he took in a deep breath to calm himself before looking Yosuke's way.

"If I'm to help, it would only worsen the situation for Haruka. And before you suggest it, the same goes for those I'm associated with. That's where you come in. I trust you can do this discretely?"

"What's in it for me?"

"Name your price."

"I want Haruka."

There was no hesitation at all when he said that, not even for a split second. Yosuke had that demand locked and loaded, waiting for the perfect timing to drop the bomb on him. As much as Eisuke needed his help, he had no intentions of giving up Haruka. While he only recently learnt that he indeed loved her, the depth of his love for her was not measured by time. He would do anything and everything for her, except hand her over to someone else. Particularly to someone like Yosuke.

The delayed response was all that Yosuke needed. All his life, he spent it observing others and using his observations against them, just to see how they would react. He did not mean anything by the provocations, just that it was entertaining. Over the years with Taki and the other guys, they had gotten so used to his usual antics that they barely give a response nowadays and he was starting to feel as stale as a biscuit that had been left out a week too long. Then along came Haruka, and her co-actor Ichinomiya Eisuke. It was painfully captivating how obliviously in love they were with each other. He liked to push they further, just to see if there was a limit to their love.

Instead of answering Yosuke, Eisuke leaned forward and pressed a button on his desk phone. "Yumi, please show Mr. Sagara the way out." He did not spare Yosuke another look, not when Yumi came into the room and when he was finally leaving. Eisuke did not know what he was thinking, bringing Yosuke in. He thought perhaps the friendship he had with Haruka would prompt him to help. He was willing to pay any amount of money Yosuke would ask for, give over the company even. But he drew the line when Yosuke asked for Haruka, be it seriously or jokingly.

Without Yosuke's help, he would have to find another way to solve the problem at hand. Eisuke sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back on his chair while pinching the bridge of his nose. His head was starting to hurt, but he could only think about Haruka. She was alone, suffering from the limelight placed on her. She was used to being in the spotlight, she was trained to be. She always had Eisuke with her, however. When things got difficult, he would jump in and take the bullet for her.

He was not by her side now. She was alone, and vulnerable.

A beep came from his desk phone and when Eisuke pressed a button to answer, Kenzaki's voice was heard. "Mr. Ichinomiya, there is a Miss Matsuoka here to see you."

Haruka? What was she doing here? What if the paparazzi followed her? She would only be further harassed and the story would continue to sell, despite his efforts to try and stop them.

Within minutes, Eisuke was in the lobby and searched for Kenzaki. He took big steps toward the manager, eager to see Haruka and to get her out of public's view. However, it was not Haruka standing next to Kenzaki. The girl bore resemblance to Haruka, but her features were too young. She was slightly taller, only about half a head shorter than Kenzaki without the aid of high heels. The most glaring difference, however, was her school uniform. This was Haruka's sister.

"I thought you said Haruka was here to see me?" Eisuke asked, in a soft but harsh voice.

"I said a Miss Matsuoka is here to see you, I didn't say it was Miss Haruka."

The smile on Kenzaki's face was polite, but Eisuke could see the mischief behind it. He knew Eisuke would rush down here at the mention of Haruka's name, Kenzaki was toying with his boss. Before Eisuke could reprimand him, however, he was quick to dismiss himself.

Looking to the younger version of Haruka, Eisuke felt the awkwardness. What was her little sister doing here? And why did she ask to see him? Still, it was not wise to be seen with a Matsuoka, even if she was not Haruka. Tabloids would exploit any and every story, and this was just feeding them the next headline. Quietly, Eisuke brought the girl to the hotel's restaurant and cleared it out so they could speak freely.

"What's your name?" Eisuke asked.

"Haruna, Matsuoka Haruna. But everyone calls me Nana."

He thought back to the background check Baba performed for him: Matsuoka Haruna was the third and last child of Matsuoka Hanae. She was two years younger than the second sister, and exactly ten years younger than Haruka. While she did not have the best grades like her sisters, she was active in school activities and was a member of several committees here and there. That was all Eisuke knew about her.

"Why are you here, Haruna? Does your sister know you are here?"

"Neither of them knows," Haruna said, picking up the cup of coffee. She grimaced from the smell alone, putting the cup down and pushed it away. "I came to talk to you about Haruka-nee. I'm worried about her."

"What about Haruka?"

"She's been really depressed. She tries to hide the fact that she's upset, like she always does, but it's really obvious this time. Since the reporters came to my school that day, she's been extra protective too. She comes and picks us up from school everyday. She won't tell us what's going on but I know. I think she's forgotten that we've got phones, and people talk. Something's different this time. I don't think it's the reporters, or the articles, or the people talking that's upsetting her. I think it's you."

"Haruna, my intentions were never to hurt your sister. I promise you that I am trying my best to make all this go away. I will fix-"

"I know. Haruka-nee talks about you a lot whenever we meet. She tells me how grateful she is to have met you, and how you have given us so much. She doesn't realise it but, she's in love with you. Probably why she's so upset this time, because she thinks she has to give you up to protect us. That's so Haruka-nee, always doing things for others and not herself."

Eisuke listened silently, watching Haruna. She never made eye contact the whole time, keeping her head low and her eyes trained on her hands that were resting on top of her knees. He could tell she was fidgeting too. She was probably nervous, coming here alone to talk to the man who not only employed her sister but owned the hotel they were in right now. She spoke lovingly of Haruka, and he could hear the croak in her voice that indicated she was holding back tears. This was the love that he did not understand, the reason why her sisters were more important to her than he was.

"She loves us a lot, and I love Haruka-nee too but I wish she would be selfish just once. She's been so selfless, sacrificing so much for us. It's time for her to be selfish. Please don't give up on Haruka-nee. She deserves to be loved too. She deserves to be happy, and I think you can give her that."

#pdr ch19 #kbtbb #kissed by the baddest bidder #kop #kings of paradise #eisuke ichinomiya #yosuke sagara #voltage inc

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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Zemblanity - Chapter Seven

Zemblanity is the faculty of making unhappy, unlucky and expected discoveries by design

~Present Day~

The first thing Misaki saw when she opened her eyes, two hours after they were finished with each other and finally went to sleep, was Yosuke's face. There was a time, long ago, when she imagined what it would be like to wake up next to him every morning. How naive of her to think of this as bliss.

She reached one hand out to touch Yosuke's face but she stopped herself inches away. Instead, she pushed herself up and swung her legs over the edge. As she got out of the bed, she bent down and snatched Yosuke's shirt off the floor, putting it on; she was in no mood to put her dress back on. She walked to the door and looked over her shoulder at the still sleeping Yosuke. She wanted a night of regret, and she definitely succeeded.

Yosuke's apartment was much like a typical bachelor's pad, although on the upper end in terms of luxury. Walking barefoot into the living room, Misaki sauntered over to the window looking down on the city that seemed to stretch out endlessly. It took one glance and Misaki knew where they were, which building she was currently standing in. She was still abroad when this apartment complex was built, but she read the news. The self-made real estate tycoon Kozaki Taki was the owner of this land and this building. An apartment this high up, Yosuke had to know the owner.

After spending a couple minutes taking in the view, she was summoned to the kitchen by her empty stomach. She opened the fridge only to be greeted by the pure whiteness inside. The fridge was pristine, no out-of-date milk and no spoilt food, because there was no food. It was only then Misaki remembered that Yosuke did not eat home cooked meals. Still, there was not even a single drop of milk nor coffee for her to make a cup.

"Good morning."

Looking to where the voice came from, Misaki's expression was kept nonchalant as she was greeted by a naked Yosuke. They said that people changed over time, therefore you should not judge them from your first impression of them. Someone who was sweet and kind might be the cruelest person, while a murderer could become the most charitable. Yosuke, however, was the rare exception; he was still the same as before.

Physically, he had changed. His features matured and he grew a few more inches. His body was definitely in better shape than it was in high school (the one thing Misaki would not complain about him). Mentally though, he was still the same childish boy he was back then. He used to tease her, walking around her room naked after they had done the deed just to see her blush in embarrassment. She thought it was funny and cute back then. Now, it was just a bother.

"Goodbye," Misaki said, walking past him and out of the kitchen without so much of a glance his way. Yosuke had to admit, it stung. "Thanks for last night."

"You used to ask for a continuation in the morning," Yosuke teased.

"I wanted a night of regret, I got it. Maybe next time I want to do something stupid, I'd come to you."

She headed back to his bedroom, and Yosuke followed suit. She did not bother closing the door, nor did she care when he sat on the bed and watched as she undressed. Unbuttoning the shirt and throwing it at Yosuke, Misaki picked up her underwear and put them on first before scooping up her dress with her foot. Once she got the dress on, she turned her back to Yosuke and waited for him to zip her up. As he did, her stomach growled.

"If you have nowhere to be, stay for breakfast."

"I'd like to, but your fridge is cleaner than the ones at showrooms."

"You don't have to cook breakfast yourself here," Yosuke grinned, tapping her nose with his index finger.

Once Yosuke got dressed, he brought Misaki up to the rooftop, to Pandora. While riding the elevator up, he thought it was ironic that of all places he was taking her, he brought her to Pandora. In Greek mythology, when Pandora's box was opened, chaos was unleashed onto the world. Although not quite to that extent, that was how his relationship with Misaki could be described. He opened something he should not have, and now they were suffering the consequences of that action.

He poked his head out of the elevator first, surveying the rooftop before stepping out with Misaki. Though he was not quite sure why, Yosuke did not want the other men meeting Misaki. They were sure to ask a bunch of questions and he did not want to, nor did he know how to, answer them; the Kanemoto name was more recognisable than most celebrities, making Misaki a very familiar face. Fortunately, it seemed that no one was home.

Breakfast was served by a housekeeper, a woman whom Yosuke claimed was Taki's ex-girlfriend though Misaki could not be less interested. She picked up her chopsticks and pierced into the fish, separating the meat from the bone before taking a bite. Her eyes widened a little and nodded her head in approval. They employed a Michelin star chef at home, but his food was miles apart from what the woman served. The meal was simple, so was the ingredients used. Yet, she could taste the freshness of the ingredients, and how they complimented each other while maintaining a balance of taste.

"You're up early, Yosuke."

A voice interrupted their quiet breakfast. Closing his eyes and letting out a sigh, Yosuke silently cursed. Was this God's way of punishing him?

With her chopsticks in her mouth, Misaki looked up from her bowl of rice to see one of the best looking men she had ever seen. And she had seen him before, on magazines, on television. Standing in front of her in swim shorts and an opened button-up shirt was Shirakami Kiyohito, the supermodel. A smirk spread across her face, and an eyebrow was raised. This was a great sight to see early in the morning.

"Yosuke's up? That is new."

"A more logical explanation would be that he did not go to sleep at all."

"You've got a guest."

All eyes were now on Misaki, as two other men joined them by the pool. Sweeping her hair over her shoulder, Misaki placed her chopsticks neatly on her bowl and stood up with her hand extended. "Nice to meet you, I'm-"

"Kanemoto Misaki."

As expected, they knew exactly who she was.

No one moved, and Misaki was left hanging on the handshake. This was a reaction she was used to, though it was usually with her fans. Retracting her hand, Misaki sat down and resumed eating her breakfast. The three men moved slowly and kept their eyes on her as if she was a predator, joining them at the table. When they finally stop staring, they had instead shifted their attention to Yosuke for an explanation.

"Since you already know who she is, then perhaps I should introduce you," Yosuke said, sitting up straight. "Misa, they are-"

"Randoh Shun," Misaki said, pointing at Shun before moving her finger in Taki's direction. "Kozaki Taki." Finally, she turned her body to face Kiyohito and leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm on top of her knee. "Shirakami Kiyohito."

"May I ask why you are here, Miss Kanemoto?" Taki asked.

"Please, call me Misaki."

She never liked the name Kanemoto, and she hated whenever people would refer to her as 'Miss Kanemoto'. It reminded her of what family she was born into, who her father was, and what a terrible life she led because of her name. Yosuke was the only one who would call her by her name, others would still use 'Miss Kanemoto' despite her repeated request not to. Now that she thought about it, perhaps that was one of the reasons why she was so attracted to him.

"It does not matter why I came here, what matters now is that I get to meet you," Misaki smiled.

"Meet who?"

"You. All three of you. It could not be more perfect."

There was a glint in her eyes, one that Yosuke never saw before. It hurt a little, if he was to be honest, to see Misaki so exhilarated to see the others. She used to look at him the same way she was eyeing Kiyohito now. Frowns and eye rolls were all that he got now whenever they met.

~.~

"So what was it that Misa wants from you?" Yosuke asked.

Shun was the first person Misaki pulled aside for a private conversation. They talked for almost half an hour, and although it seemed like a serious conversation, there were quite a lot of flirting and touching. Misaki kept sweeping her hair from one side to the other too, a move she used when she was trying to seduce.

Yosuke did not know what it was he was feeling. Jealousy? But jealousy was only an emotion one would feel when they were in a relationship. Or so he thought. Jealousy was not an emotion that Yosuke was familiar with because he had no reason to be jealous. Back in high school, Yosuke knew that Misaki only had eyes for him. She never even thought about another man, let alone cheat on him with another. Later on in life, all the women he 'dated' were nothing more than flings. They definitely were not worth getting jealous for. Seeing the way Misaki acted with Shun, however, he could not help but wonder if what he felt was truly jealousy.

"Misa? You're quite close with her, huh?" Shun picked up his cup and took a sip, watching Yosuke for his expression the entire time. "So tell me, how is it that you are acquainted with a Kanemoto?"

Every person present right now in Pandora was no ordinary person. A real estate tycoon, a supermodel, and a director. They all had their own special connections, though none quite as special as knowing a Kanemoto. However, out of the four men, if one were to know a Kanemoto, it would be Yosuke no doubt. His network was incredible and admirable. Shun would not be surprised if Yosuke was one day invited to have tea with the Emperor.

"What if I told you we dated?"

"I would call you crazy, and believe you."

Looking back to Misaki who was now speaking to Kiyohito, Shun could not picture her with Yosuke. A Kanemoto came with a certain aura, a certain elegance, that did not match with Yosuke. Albeit, there were plenty of stories of rich girls seeking thrills in the men they dated. Perhaps Yosuke was just a different experience in her very extravagant life?

"She asked for me to direct an advert for Kanemoto Corporations' new shopping centre. Actually, she asked for two different adverts and a short movie. Maybe even a short series."

"That's all?" Yosuke frowned.

"What else did you want her to ask from me?"

Business was never a part of Misaki. Kanemoto Junichiro was a traditional man, to put it nicely. In other (not so nice) words, he was sexist and misogynistic. He never let Misaki partake in any business related work, not unless it worked in his favour. She was never allowed at the office, unless events and parties called for her. No matter how smart Misaki proved herself to be, he was only satisfied when she chose a major and a career that was far from what their family business dealt with. He did not want to give reasons to the board to take the company away from Minato.

And she complied.

Before meeting her again, Yosuke clung onto that image of Misaki all those years ago. He always imagined if he ever did meet her again, she would be the same girl as the first day they met. That innocent and pure girl who believed almost every word he told her. He knew everything about her then, and she would continually tell him everything. The Misaki now, however, he knew as much about her as he did about quantum physics: nothing.

Her conversation with Kiyohito breezed through and Taki was the last man to speak to. She was served a cup of tea by the housekeeper and she decided to take a small break. Taki did not look like he minded either. She raised the cup and caught a whiff of the scent: Earl Grey. It was Misaki's favourite tea. The surprise came, however, when she took a sip of the tea. It was served with honey and lemon, exactly the way she liked it.

"Did Yosuke give you an extensive background check on me?" she asked, taking another sip. "She made this exactly how I like it."

"She's good like that," Taki answered. "You've asked Shun to direct, and Kiyohito to be the face of the new shopping centre. I don't see what else I could be helping you with, seeing as the shopping centre has already been built."

"I need you for something different." Putting the cup down gently, Misaki leaned back on the chair and closed her eyes. "This is a great location. You have eyes for real estate, no wonder the farts are panicking."

"If I recall, real estate is not an area of expertise for the Kanemoto Corporations. Unless...you're looking into it?"

"Could not care less, actually," Misaki stated plainly. "Do not understand it, do not care enough to try and understand."

"Perhaps you should polish up your skills first, Miss Kanemoto, before you talk to me."

"Misaki," she corrected him. "I know nothing about real estate, but I do know that you have been eyeing a piece of land that belongs to us. A land in Hokkaido, I believe is where you are from."

Misaki never received training in negotiating business deals, her father never bothered to teach her nor did he want her to learn. Her skills in negotiation was atrocious, she would admit. If all businesses were dealt purely based on her skills, she would fail so miserably. There was one thing Misaki knew, however, and that was people. Each and every person had something they deeply desired, and she was good at digging that out. Taki, who was unimpressed with her just half a minute ago, was suddenly intrigued by what she had to offer him.

"But I can't offer you that."

"Then why bring it up?"

"Because I'm going to offer you something better. Another piece of land, much smaller and much lower in value." The expression on Taki's face was amusing as Misaki watched him change between unimpressed to interested, to what seemed like repulsion.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come in."

Not looking up from the documents on his desk, Junichiro called out to whoever knocked on his door. Since he lost the deal with Dohi, he had been busy trying to find an alternative before the board got on his back. He could not concentrate, however. The more he tried to fix the problem, the more he was reminded of why there was a problem in the first place.

Misaki had always been an obedient child. In the twenty-eight years of life she lived, she had only rebelled once. Twice, including this Dohi incident. Lately, however, it seemed as if Misaki had changed. She was still keeping herself in line though she was extremely close to crossing it, and Junichiro did not need that trouble that would follow. She was playing with fire that she could not control, he had to extinguish it before she could go about burning everyone else.

"Mr. Kanemoto, Mr. Dohi's secretary sent this over."

Aoi placed a folder on his desk and opened it to reveal a signed contract. Junichiro frowned, looking up at his secretary for an explanation. Just yesterday, Dohi was screaming down the phone at him for his daughter's humiliation and made it very clear that he would never do business with Kanemoto Corporations in any way, even if it meant his company failing. Less than twelve hours later, he signed the contract.

"Mr. Dohi would also like to thank you for the apartment."

"What apartment?"

"I've checked, it seems that Kozaki Taki has gifted an apartment to Mr. Dohi under your name, sir. And I think you'd like to know this too, the land in Hokkaido under Miss Kanemoto's name has been transferred to Kozaki Taki this morning."

Junichiro's frown only deepened. It did not take a genius to realise what happened; Misaki gave the land to Kozaki Taki so he would gift the apartment to Dohi, who in turn agreed to sign the contract. He was not quite sure what to feel. Angry? How could he be when his daughter saved a busted deal? Impressed? In a way, Junichiro was impressed with Misaki. He never thought of all people, it would be her coming to his rescue. More so, however, he felt fear.

What he had been afraid of all these years was happening. All his efforts at keeping Misaki away from business seemed futile when she proved herself to be more than competent. Especially when Junichiro himself could not figure out a way to solve the problem.

~.~

It was late into the night when she finally made it home.

Unexpectedly, she spent the whole day at Yosuke's place though it was not to have regrettable sex with him. No, she was up in Pandora half the time, working out the details of partnership with both Shun and Kiyohito. By late afternoon, she had a contract drafted for both of them. She then spent the rest of the day calling up her lawyer to transfer some estate to Taki, and writing up a proposal with twenty different ideas of promotions.

She went straight for Minato's room, glad to see that he was still up with the light on behind the door. She knocked gently and opened the door, seeing Minato at his desk and his head in his hands. It was a tough challenge that her father dropped on Minato. He was never interested in the family business, but he was never allowed to pursue his own dreams. It broke Misaki's heart to see him so trapped.

Walking up to his desk, Misaki reached out to shut the laptop. "Misaki!" Minato yelled, about to stand up when his sister placed a hand on his shoulder. "Misaki, I didn't save! I've been working on that all day. Father's about to be back, and when he does, I'll have nothing to show him."

"Yes, you do."

A thick folder was placed on his lap, and Minato flipped through quickly. Inside was a proposal detailing each and every twenty ideas of promotion, and filled with research and numbers to back them up. Minato looked up at his sister, speechless.

It was no secret that Misaki was better than he was when it came to business. She was always the one who helped him whenever Junichiro would give him a task as 'training'. All these years, Minato was still treading water when Misaki had already mastered all techniques. She held no interest, however, in business. She was only doing this to help Minato and he felt awful. Not because he did not improve all these years, but because he knew Misaki would help him so there was no need for improvement.

"Misaki..."

"Go through the proposal so you know what you're talking about when you present it to father. Also, if they approve, I have both Randoh Shun and Shirakami Kiyohito ready to a sign a contract with us."

"Thank you, Misaki."

"There's no need for thanks. You're my baby brother, I'll always help you."

She planted a kiss on the top of his head and ruffled his hair before leaving. She was exhausted, running on just two hours of sleep. Perhaps she could sleep better tonight without Yosuke beside her?

#zem ch7 #kings of paradise #kop #yosuke sagara #voltage inc

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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Pandora - Alone

"I don't want to be alone, I want to be left alone"

-Audrey Hepburn

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Stood in her kitchen in front of her kettle, Haruka's mind was elsewhere. Just five minutes ago, she was on the streets with Eisuke, kissing so passionately that it might as well be a featured scene in a romantic drama. All this time, she was telling herself not to give into her feelings yet she did not resist him. She loved her mother, but at the same time loathed her for falling in love with the wrong person. She vowed to never follow in her mother's footsteps, though she was starting to make sense of the phrase 'like mother, like daughter'.

Eisuke, on the other hand, seemed relaxed as he took a look around her apartment.

The few times he did set foot in her apartment, he never had the time nor chance to take a proper look. He remembered it being small, very neat, and very tidy. This time, he took his time. Her apartment was very minimalist styled; apart from a few essential furniture, she did not have much. Walking over to her desk, Eisuke picked up a photo frame. The frame itself was free of dust, meaning Haruka regularly wiped it down and hinting its importance to her. Seeing the photo inside, Eisuke understood perfectly. There were only two girls in the photo, neither of them Haruka though they bore resemblance to her: her sisters. He carefully placed the photo frame back where he found it and continued with his exploration.

In the corner was a shrine, something Eisuke did not expect in this modern apartment. The woman in the picture looked just like Haruka, though he could still tell the difference between them. It was someone he had seen before too, albeit not in person. When he was researching into Chihiro's restaurant, there was a name that came up and helped Eisuke understand what that restaurant meant to Haruka. And when he wanted to know more about her, he had Baba do a background check on her mother. Matsuoka Hanae was Haruka's mother, the most important person in her life. It got Eisuke wondering what it was like, to be the one person she cared for the most.

"That's my mother," Haruka said, coming out from her kitchen with a cup of coffee.

"You look like her."

He stepped away from the shrine and sat on the sofa, taking the cup from her and took a sip. He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. The coffee she used was not branded, it was not from the special blend of beans she got him either. It was just cheap instant coffee that one could get at any corner store, yet it was still the best coffee he had ever tasted. He was starting to learn that perhaps it was not the coffee but rather, the person making it that mattered.

"Everyone says that," she smiled, sitting down next to him. "She would have loved you, did I tell you that?"

"Once." He took another sip of the coffee before speaking again. "You never talk about her."

"I didn't think it was relevant at work."

She was right, it was not. Eisuke had always been clear about barriers at work, and he never liked to mix pleasure and work though Baba was always pushing his buttons at that. It never crossed his mind once to ask Haruka about her family when she knew everything about his. She regularly had lunch with Akira, spent time after work looking for his sister, and knew his entire history back to front. Eisuke did not even know the names of her sisters whom she loved so dearly.

"We're not at work now."

Haruka was hesitant, Eisuke could tell. So many things were running through her mind at the same time, and she could not keep eye contact with him. She never told anyone the story of her mother before. Part of why she never spoke of her mother, was because she did not want to. She loved her mother, admired her for what she had done for her children, but there were parts of her mother that Haruka disapproved of. Parts of Hanae that she was starting to see in herself.

There would come a day, however, when Haruka would have to come to terms. Come to terms with the fact that her mother had passed away, and that she was not a perfect person because nobody was. Not her mother, not Haruka, not the man she loved. And it was not fair on Eisuke, to keep him in the dark of why she was so afraid to accept her own feelings and his, so afraid to begin a relationship that started eight years ago.

"My mother was a very hardworking woman," she said, looking down at her hands. "She came from poverty but that never stopped her, she always kept a positive outlook on life. My grandparents both passed away when she was very young, so she started working when she was only fourteen. She never even graduated from middle school so there was not much she could do. She did a lot of odd jobs: dishwasher, waitress, promoter, cleaner.

"That's how she met my father. She was recommended for a job as a maid, and my father was her employer. He had a wife, but my mother didn't know any better. It was the first time someone took notice of her, took care of her. The first time someone was whispering sweet words in her ears. So she fell in love thinking that he loved her too." Her voice trailed, and Eisuke could tell how difficult it was for her to talk about it. He wanted to know but he did not have to if it was uncomfortable for her. He slipped his hand in hers and squeezed lightly as she squeezed back. "He was just looking for someone to toy with.

"What he didn't expect was for my mother to become pregnant, with me. He sent her away, gave her a small apartment, and thought his problems were solved. But she was in love with him. She believed that he still loved her, that he just needed time and space to work things out. She kept going back to him no matter how much it hurt. Even when he would hit her. Hit me. Then Haruko and Haruna were born, and we never heard from him. A man as prominent as he was, he couldn't let people know we existed. My mother died still believing that he loved her, that he would come back and be the husband and father she wanted him to be."

He understood.

Eisuke understood why Haruka was so resistant, so hesitant. When his mother passed away, Eisuke felt alone although he had his father and sister. Then, his father abandoned them and disappeared. He was separated from his sister and adopted by Akira. It was then that Eisuke realised relationships meant nothing. They said blood was thicker than water, but it was just as easy to break a family apart as breaking an egg. His relationship with Akira was not real either, just a piece of paper that stated they were family. He too, was resistant and hesitant when it came to forming connections with others.

"You think I would be like your father?"

"I know you're not him. I know you wouldn't be like him. My parents were different people from different worlds, we are different people from different worlds. And I know that in your world, every relationship and connection matters. I don't think I can live up to it, and I don't think I can handle it. I know I shouldn't care about what other people think of me as long as I know who I am and what I'm doing, but I can't help it. I can't take the idea that I might lose you because we are too different. I'm not strong like everyone thinks I am. I just want a simple life."

"Do you trust me?"

Cupping her face, Eisuke looked into her eyes as Haruka nodded her head. He did not say anything else, not that he needed to. She knew what he wanted to say: that he would never let her worst nightmare happen. He would protect her and stay with her. He would never leave her because of their differences, nor would he let other people get between them. He pulled her close, putting an arm around her and one hand on her head while planting a kiss on her forehead.

Ichinomiya Eisuke was a man of his words, and she trusted him with all her heart.

"See you tomorrow!"

Giving a little wave, Haruko watched as her classmates filed out of the classroom. She packed up the rest of her things and wiped down the blackboard before leaving. She jogged a little, realising that she was running a little behind and Haruna was still waiting for her at the gate. She was practically running out of the building when she noticed the huge crowd by the gate. Students were being stopped by reporters and cameras were flashing here and there. Did something happen?

"There she is!"

"Are you Matsuoka Haruko?"

"Tell us about Matsuoka Haruka!"

"Is she dating Ichinomiya Eisuke?"

"Rumour has it that she slept with him for her job, is that true?"

Within seconds, Haruko was surrounded by the reporters. Recording devices were shoved in her face and cameras were flashing in her eyes. She was disoriented and barely knew what was happening. Among the confusion, however, she did pick up on something. Haruka. Why did everything have to be about Haruka? Even as they distanced themselves from her, it seemed that they were not getting away from the troubles she brought on.

Not too far away from them was another crowd. Haruko had a bad feeling in her guts and tried pushing her way through. The crowd moved along with her and merged with the other. In the centre of the other crowd was Haruna, and that triggered the protective instinct in Haruko. She started pushing the reporters away from her sister, holding Haruna behind her.

"We don't know any Matsuoka Haruka, now leave us alone!"

Nothing she said could disperse the crowd. Haruna was in tears, but that did not stop the reporters from preying on them. In the end, it was the school staff that got rid of them by threatening to call the police for harassment. The sisters were brought back into the school just in case they were still waiting outside, and until they could figure out a way to get them home safely.

Haruko looked to Haruna whose hands were shaking. She grabbed them tightly in hers and moved closer together, partly to reassure her little sister but also to calm herself down; her own hands were shaking like leaves on a tree on a windy day too.

"Nana! Haruko!"

Rushing into the administrative office was Haruka, wearing a worried expression on her face. As soon as Haruna saw their older sister, she let go of Haruko's hands and rushed into Haruka's arms instead. Haruko was suddenly overwhelmed with anger. Why Haruka? Those reporters harassed them because of her, yet Haruna still ran into her arms for comfort. She was the one who protected her, not Haruka. She was the one who had been caring for her all these years, not Haruka.

All those years of hatred and jealousy was suddenly flooding her now.

She could be leading a better life than this now. She could be at a private school and apply for an oversea university. She could be pampering herself every weekend, with people waiting to serve her. She could have everything and anything she wanted. But she did not. Instead, she was studying at a public high school and became the student council president only to still be compared to Haruka. She had to watch others live a happiness she could never possess, yet still told how lucky she was to have such a dedicated sister taking care of them. She was the one with all the prospects, all the accomplishments, who was Haruka to receive all those praises?

Walking up to Haruka, Haruko raised a hand and slapped her hard on the cheek. She wished she could do more to hurt her, if only there were not consequences.

"This is all your fault," she said, through gritted teeth. "Date that boss of yours all you like, sleep with whatever man. I don't care, and I don't want to care. Just stay away from us."

~.~

PAUPER TO A PRINCESS, THE STORY OF MATSUOKA HARUKA (AND HOW SHE NABBED ICHINOMIYA EISUKE)

That headline, along with two photographs (one of her and Eisuke kissing, the other of him leaving her apartment), was all over the media, though she found out too late. She stared at the article on her phone, but her mind was elsewhere. Haruko's words kept repeating in her mind, this was all her fault. If she held herself back, if she kept her distance with Eisuke, they would never have been photographed. That article would never be published with that headline, and the paparazzi would never have did a background check on her and found her sisters. They would never be harassed, and Haruko would never be infuriated.

This was exactly what she was afraid of.

It was only one night, but the differences between their worlds were already coming between them. Eisuke made a promise that he would protect her and never let this exact scenario happen, and she trusted him. Now that her sisters were involved, however, she was having second thoughts.

"Sorry for taking you out of your free time, Haruka-san."

"It's alright. I forgot I had these files in my drawers at home."

Yumi's voice broke Haruka out of her thoughts. She came back to the hotel with some files she had forgotten at home. They were not urgent, just some previous drafts and a list of useful contacts that Yumi might find handy. Haruka was not particularly keen on coming back to the hotel, especially after the headlines that morning, but there was no way Yumi could meet her outside with her busy schedule. Having been in her position, she understood well.

Patting the seat next to hers, Haruka pulled out the files from her bag and went through them with Yumi right there in the lobby. While she had no qualms about it, Yumi was pretty sure there was a better location to do this than the hotel lobby. For example, the lounge in the penthouse.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to do this upstairs?" Yumi asked, taking the files from Haruka. "You get to see the guys. Although, as I said that, it doesn't sound very appealing."

"I'm sure," Haruka said, forcing a smile. "Tell the guys I say hi."

"Mr. Ichinomiya."

As Yumi called out to her boss coming back from outside, both she and Haruka stood up. This was what Haruka dreaded, the reason why she did not want to come to the hotel in the first place; the very high and very possible chance of running into Eisuke. Wanting to escape, she quickly gathered her things.

She did not know how to face him. Just last night, she had come to terms with her own feelings and was rather clear on accepting a relationship with Eisuke. Less than twenty-four hours later, she was having doubts and was very close to coming to a decision that she was one hundred percent sure that Eisuke would not like. As much as she loved the man, she could not be selfish. She had her sisters to think about, to protect. All this time she was worried about herself, and how a relationship with him could affect her. The possibility of her sisters getting involved never even crossed her mind, not until now.

"Haruka?"

Despite Yumi being the one to call out to him, Eisuke only had eyes for his former secretary. Almost instantly, he could sense something was not quite right. Her eyes were darting around the place, purposely avoiding his. Her body language was practically screaming that she wanted to leave. He had been in a great mood all day but he had a feeling that it was about to be fouled.

When he took a step closer, she would take another back to keep the distance between them like she was afraid to be too close. They did not officially declare the start of their relationship but Eisuke was under the impression that they both had an understanding. Was she just too shy to publicly show affection? Though, something was not right with the way she was acting. This was much worse than simple shyness.

He reached out to grab her by the elbow; perhaps if they were alone, she would be more comfortable to talk. Then, to his surprise, Haruka pulled her arm away.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ichinomiya," she said, her voice soft but so filled with sadness. "I'm sorry, I can't do this."

"Can't do what?"

"This."

This meaning them, meaning the relationship between them. Why was she suddenly so against it when just last night, she had come to accept it? No matter what the reason, however, Haruka should know that he was not about to let her go so simply.

"Haruka-"

"No, please. It's hard enough as it is but I can't be selfish, not this time." When she looked him in the eyes, Eisuke could tell that this was hurting her just as much as it was hurting him. So why was so she adamant? "I have to protect my sisters, and if it means giving up on you...I'd still choose them."

"What are you talking about?"

"Thank you...for letting me love you. Thank you for loving me. If you love me, you'd leave me alone."

#pdr ch18 #kissed by the baddest bidder #kbtbb #kings of paradise #kop #eisuke ichinomiya #yosuke sagara #voltage inc #back with this after a million years #and we are back to the angst

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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Um...so apparently I am not showing up on the voltage inc tag for some reason. But if anyone can see this, new chapter of Zemblanity is up!

#voltage inc #kop #kings of paradise #yosuke sagara

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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Zemblanity - Chapter Six (NSFW)

Zemblanity is the faculty of making unhappy, unlucky and expected discoveries by design

~Present Day~

Sipping a cup of Early Grey, Misaki stared at the dress on the counter with a small smirk. There were not a lot of joy in her life, there was little that she found pleasure in. The piano was just a career, and she had been trained out of having a hobby by her father; if she were to do something, she had to be the best or not bother at all. The only joy in life she found was toying with others, people who thought they had a chance against a Kanemoto. While it never lasted long, Misaki always tried to relish in her victory as long as she could.

Today, however, it only lasted for an hour.

Heavy footsteps could be heard coming toward the kitchen and as Misaki looked over her shoulder to see who it was, a hand collided with her cheek and she was suddenly on the floor. A sharp pain was radiating through the left side of her face, and she felt a little dizzy. She did not even react when her cup of tea was smashed on the floor, shattering the Wedgwood teacup. Having heard the commotion from his room, Minato came running into the kitchen.

"Do not help her!" Junichiro ordered, freezing Minato on the spot. "You know exactly what that was for."

"No, I do not."

She was lying. She knew exactly what the slap was punishment for, but this time, Misaki was not letting go. Growing up in the Kanemoto household, both she and Minato were nothing more than tools to Junichiro. Tools to promote a positive image for him, tools to sell off for his company, tools that could be discarded at any moment he thought they no longer pose a purpose. Misaki was sick and tired of this life. She was done being at the bottom of her father's list.

"I lost a valuable client because of you. Because you humiliated Mr. Dohi's daughter in public."

"She lost a bet, I was just claiming my prize."

"Then claim it under the table! What justifies you asking her to take her dress off in public?"

Misaki let out a soft chuckle, getting onto her feet. Her cheek still stung and she swayed a little, the dizziness still prevailing. It was always ironic how her father cared more for his client's children than he did his own. There was a point in life when Misaki suspected they were not his biological children. It was the only explanation as to why he cared so little for them.

"Does it hurt you to know that she was humiliated?" Misaki asked. "But let's switch the scenario, shall we? What if I were the one asked to take my dress off in public? Would you be this angry? Of course you would, but not for the same reason. You would be furious because I lost as a Kanemoto."

"Watch your words, Misaki. Do not make me punish you again."

"Go ahead, hit me." Misaki stepped right up to her father, looking him straight in the eyes. "Hit me. Hit me like you did mother. Drive me to suicide, just like you did to her."

Anger burned in Junichiro's eyes. Misaki crossed the line, she knew perfectly well. There were many things the Kanemoto children were restricted from doing. They were not allowed to cause trouble anywhere. They were not allowed to be photographed and associated with commoners, not unless they were doing charity work. They were not allowed to change their appearances drastically, like dying their hair or getting cosmetic surgery, even if they were to receive criticism on their looks. The one thing they were most definitely not allowed as a Kanemoto, however, the one thing that stood above all the other no-nos:

Talk about their mother.

Misaki's last memory of her mother was at six years old. She was stood at the edge of the roof, holding Misaki in her arms, and ready to jump. She remembered crying and asking her mother to let her go. She did not understand what was going on, she only knew her mother was holding her so tight it hurt. It was not until she was much older did she finally realise that her mother was planning on committing suicide with her. She resented her mother for a long time, for leaving her and Minato behind. That resentment eventually transferred onto her father. He was the cause of all their pain.

Junichiro raised his hand but Misaki did not even blink. This was her first time blatantly and openly acting in defiance, and Junichiro was thrown off the rails. His children had always been obedient; they would never stand if they were told to sit. What threw him off further was when Minato came up and grabbed Junichiro by the wrist in the next second. They were both rebelling.

"Father, please."

"I do not want to see you for the rest of the day," Junichiro stated, snatching his wrist from Minato's grasp. "And you, Minato, bring me a proposal for the development of our new shopping centre by the end of tomorrow. I want at least ten different ideas of how to promote."

"Yes, father."

As Junichiro left the room, Minato let out a huge sigh of relief, putting his hand on the island counter to support himself. He looked to Misaki who was oddly calm, despite her little rebellion. This was not the Misaki he grew up with. She had always been the advocate of obeying their father lest they be punished. She was Junichiro's model child, even if she hated it with every fibre of her being. This was the first time since their mother's death did Misaki mention her. She never spoke about their mother, not even privately to Minato.

"Misaki-"

"Don't worry." Misaki placed a hand on his shoulder and pressed her lips to his cheeks.

"Where are you going? Misaki?"

~.~

The nightclub was never her scene.

Even when she studied abroad, Misaki never liked clubbing. She was dragged to one or two in celebration of her friends' birthdays, but they were as awful as she thought them to be. She chose the nightclub tonight, however, hoping that it would distract her from all the happenings. The music was not drowning her thoughts so she drowned herself in the alcohol instead. Her mind was numb, but her feelings were not.

"Thank you for the information," Yosuke smiled, shaking a man's hand as they came out from the VIP room.

"It's always a pleasure doing business with you, Yosuke."

With one last goodbye, they parted ways.

As he turned to leave, someone by the bar caught his eyes. Her aura had always been different, being a Kanemoto, but he had always been able to pick her out easily in a crowd. She stood out in the nightclub, however, sitting with her legs crossed ever so elegantly in a red strapless dress. Slipping the USB into his pocket, Yosuke made his way over to the bar, taking the seat next to her. Misaki simply glanced over before looking away and took a shot. Something was not quite right, Yosuke could feel it.

Neither of them spoke a word to the other, only sharing a space while drinking. It reminded Yosuke of the times they spent together back in high school. The idea of soulmates was laughable to him. How desperate must one be to believe that there was another person in the world made to complete them? Although, 'soulmate' was the only word he could think of to describe to her.

The way she understood how he felt with just one look into his eyes. How she opened her heart to him when she had been building a wall to fend off everyone else. Her smile that brightened his day for no particular reason. Just one touch of hers was enough to dispel any and all negativity. What else would she be, if not his soulmate?

"Well hello there, cutie pie."

Looking to his right, a woman in a short black dress slided into the seat next to him. She rested her elbow on the edge of the bar, leaning her head on it as she gazed at him with an attempted sensual look. If he was at all honest, she was not his type. Albeit, he was never a picky man. Any other day, Yosuke would have went with the flow and perhaps bed her for the night before moving on.

From the corner of his eyes, Yosuke caught Misaki rolling her eyes. Now, he was intrigued. As sorry as he was to the woman (not at all, to be honest), all she was going to be tonight unfortunately was a part of his little experiment.

"Bit of a shame that you're here alone. Unless...you're with her?" the woman asked, leaning further to the side to get a better look at Misaki. "Although, it looks like she's not interested in you anyway. Why don't we head off somewhere else? Just you...and me."

Just as the woman was about to put her hand on Yosuke's thigh, Misaki stepped in. She slapped the woman's hand away, pressing her chest against Yosuke's back and buried her face into his neck. Her warm lips were on his skin and Misaki was nibbling on him; gentle enough for it to feel arousing, yet hard enough to leave a mark, Yosuke was sure. When she was done planting the hickey on his neck, she tilted his head with a finger on his chin and crashed her lips onto his. It did not take long before the kiss intensified. Yosuke was hoping to get a reaction out of Misaki, though he did not plan on such a reaction; something was definitely wrong with her.

Feeling a little embarrassed and humiliated, the other woman wanted to leave though Misaki grabbed her by the elbow. Pulling away from the kiss, she continued planting kisses down Yosuke's jaw but stared at the woman instead. This was a clear declaration, woman to woman: Don't even think about having this man.

"Sorry, seems like I've made a mistake."

The woman managed to wiggle her arm free from Misaki's grasp and hurried away, disappearing into the crowd. Misaki followed her with her eyes and a satisfied grin before looking back to Yosuke. She had fallen for his trap, she knew the instant she locked eyes with him. For the first time, however, she did not mind. It distracted her from her own problems. Perhaps Yosuke was what she needed tonight.

"Take me back to your place now."

Misaki had her lips right by his ear, and Yosuke could feel her warm breath sending chills down his spine. Something was definitely not quite right with her, though he saw no reason in rejecting her. She was, after all, the only person for whom he felt what others would call love.

Her entire life, things had been out of her control. She had no choice in the schools she attended, the friends she made, nor the clothes she wore. She never had a choice either, in who she could date. The relationship she had with Yosuke was very much firmly under a lid, and swept under the rug as if nothing happened when it ended. The only choice she made was her career as a pianist, though it was only because she was not allowed in the family business as a girl. Tonight, she was making a choice of her own. A choice that she would come to regret but it was exactly what she wanted.

How they managed to get to his apartment was a mystery to them both.

The moment Misaki asked to be taken away, Yosuke was on his feet in a heartbeat. Next thing he knew, they were inside his apartment by the door. This place was one of Yosuke's deepest secrets; a place where many of his deepest secrets were kept. No one had ever set foot in this apartment, not even Kozaki Taki the owner of the building. No one except Haruka under special circumstances. Misaki was the second.

Slipping her hands under his suit jacket, Misaki swept them over his shoulders, effectively taking it off. Her fingers moved on to the buttons on his shirt and skilfully popped them open to reveal his naked torso underneath. She traced her finger along his chest, awakening the memories buried deep inside her. She could still remember every inch of his body, and where to touch to get a reaction out of him. She was succeeding, as evident by his heavy breathing.

Yosuke had his fair share of women, though none of them quite knew his body like Misaki did. Albeit, they were mostly one night stands and had no chance of getting to know what got him going. With those women, he was always the one in charge; he led the way and pleasured them. The woman in front of him right now, however, she did not need guidance. She knew how to arouse him, yet still holding back so he was yearning more. She had him wrapped around her finger, not the other way round like with other women.

All she did so far was touching him ever so softly with one finger yet his body was already burning up. Unable to stand it for another second more, he grabbed her by the hand, about to lead the way to his bedroom when she tugged back, walking toward the sofa instead.

She sat him down, climbing on top and straddled him. They were only just starting but she could feel his growing bulge through his trousers. Lifting his chin with one hand, Misaki leaned forward and pressed her lips softly on his over and over again. Like any other man, Yosuke liked it rough. They had many wild nights before, where she would feel the consequences on her own hips the next day. She had learnt, however, to be in control by never giving what they wanted. She was going to make him beg for it.

With her other hand, she undid his belt and unzipped his trousers, slipping her hand inside. That action alone was enough to solicit a moan from Yosuke. Misaki's breathing was getting heavier by the second, and she could feel herself getting wetter between her legs. She spent the next few minutes stroking her hand, getting Yosuke erected. The first time she slept with him, Misaki was shy and nervous. Everything was new to her but Yosuke guided her through every step. And just like that, he took her innocence, literally and figuratively.

Pushing his trousers and underwear off, she pushed herself up onto her knees and reached underneath her dress. She took her own underwear off, tossing it one side before lowering herself onto him. She could not help the moan, and how her fingernails were digging into his shoulders, feeling his shaft pushing inside her. Perhaps it was because it had been a while, or maybe because it was simply Yosuke, but her hips felt weak just from the insertion.

Misaki rested her head on Yosuke's shoulder, taking in deep breaths. Memories of their passionate nights back in their younger days were flooding back. She was scared her first time but Yosuke taught her how to feel good. Thirteen years later, it felt as good as her first time with him.

Yosuke's hands could not stop themselves as they caressed her exposed thighs. The way she was holding onto him unmoving, it reminded him of the first time she took charge. Just like they were now, Misaki was straddling him. She did not move for a good five minutes and when Yosuke asked if something was wrong, she looked him in the eyes so innocently and told him she simply wanted to savour the moment, the feeling of being connected to him. He laughed at her innocence back then, but he was starting to understand the feeling she talked about.

Eventually, Misaki started moving her hips against his. She pushed herself up and held Yosuke's face in her hands. This was the man she thought who would protect her, who would love her forever. Then everything changed and she hated him as much as she hated her father,but now she was asking for his attention and begging for pleasure. She kept telling herself that she would never fall back into the trap that was Sagara Yosuke, yet here she was, having sex that she knew she would regret.

The more she thought of the love she had for him, the hatred she had been feeling all these years, the more she moved her hips. When she pressed down onto him, Yosuke's hands would press down on her hips too, adding that one bit of pleasure he knew she loved. Something was stirring inside her and Misaki knew what was to come, clenching her muscles and holding her breath. There were several other men with whom she slept over the years, but none of them quite satisfied her like Yosuke did. When she entwined her fingers with his, Yosuke knew what was happening too. He bucked his hips, loving the expression on her face as she was trying to hold on for as long as possible before giving in to the orgasm.

A few more strokes and Misaki could no longer hold it in. She gripped his hands tightly, her forehead pressed against his while her body shook from the pure pleasure. They were far from done, however. She only had a few seconds to recover herself before Yosuke started taking over. Holding her on his hips, he put her on her back on the sofa, and her legs were automatically wrapped around his waist.

"Where did you learn to be so good?" Yosuke asked, pushing her dress up to hold her by the waist. Every inch of her body was alluring, though not as seducing as the look on her face.

"You taught me everything I know," Misaki moaned, her nails digging into his forearms. As much as she loved being in control, sex never felt as good unless Yosuke was in charge.

"Do you put on that face for other men too?"

"No one makes me feel as good as you do, senpai."

That was his trigger, and Misaki knew it all too well. His thrusts became rougher and faster, but she did not mind. When she asked to come to his place, this was what she expected. When he finished inside her, Misaki could not care less either. This was a night of sex and regret, after all. And it was just beginning.

#zem ch6 #kings of paradise #kop #yosuke sagara #voltage inc #i have no written smut in a looooooong time #so please forgive my shitty smut this chapter #but here you go

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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I don’t want to sound rude... but when is the next chapter of Zemblanity coming out??

You're not rude! I know I'm really bad at updating but I am in the midst of writing new chapters for both Pandora and Zemblanity so hopefully they will be posted soon.

Sorry for the delay guys, I had a 10,000 word dissertation and had the lockdown to deal with

#ask

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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Zemblanity - Chapter Five

Zemblanity is the faculty of making unhappy, unlucky and expected discoveries by design

~Present Day~

It had only been one night, but Misaki was back to normal by breakfast. She still had on her cast, but there was no sign of her breakdown from yesterday. Her eyes were not swollen or red, she greeted everyone as she always did on her way down to the dining room, and gave Minato a kiss on his head as she walked past him at the table. Under any other circumstances, that would not have been a call for concern; it was how Misaki behaved every morning.

Minato was no stranger to breakdowns himself, having gone through a few. They were never easy to get over, with the fastest being a couple of days. He had gone through breakdowns that took weeks to recover from, yet Misaki bounced back after just one night's sleep.

Reading her brother's mind, Misaki flashed him a smile to reassure him. This was the training coming through from her childhood. Her father always taught her how to fake a smile, lie through her teeth that she was alright even if she were to have a metal pipe sticking out her chest. A Kanemoto could never been seen as weak, not even to their own.

"I would like for you to join me at work today, Misaki," Junichiro said, finishing the last bite of his breakfast.

"Pardon?"

As a girl, she was never expected to take over the family business; that was Minato's fate. Junichiro never taught her anything either, never brought her to work or allowed her to take an internship. For him to ask her now meant that there was business he could only complete with her presence.

"You have ten minutes."

"Yes, father."

The journey to the company was much like their journey anywhere else: silent. Music was never allowed, so the radio was never on. Misaki and Minato were never permitted to have their earphones in either. Even his secretary had to have her phone on complete silence, vibrate was absolutely not allowed. The silence worked out well for her, however. If she were to speak with her father, she could never find a conversation. He was not interested in her life, neither was she in his. They did not share a single interest, hobby, not even a favourite food.

Arriving at the company, Misaki followed a few steps behind her father. As soon as the employees laid eyes on them, they bowed and stepped aside. This was a scene she grew up with; out of respect, her father's employees would bow whenever they see him. According to her experience, however, as soon as Junichiro walked past they would be whispering to each other. Turning her head slightly, Misaki could see them gathering and whispering though they dispersed as soon as they saw her watching them.

She did not need to listen in to know what they were whispering about. This was Misaki's first time making an appearance at the company. Junichiro's children were no secret, however. There were plenty of articles and interviews, and a plethora of pictures online. Anyone could go on the Internet, type her name in, and find out everything about her. They probably knew more about her than she did. But to see her in person, however, was most likely stirring a storm in the company.

"Mr. Kanemoto, Mr. Dohi will be arriving in ten minutes," Aoi said, putting her phone away after reading the message. "I've also booked Serendipity for Dohi Kaori and Miss Kanemoto."

"When Mr. Dohi arrives, I'd like you to take his daughter to Serendipity. Make friends with her, and make sure you please her in every way."

"Yes, father."

It was always ironic to Misaki that her father would go out of his way to accommodate the daughters of his clients'. He would send gifts, not to his clients but to their daughters, even researching into what they would like. Happy daughters, after all, meant happy fathers which in turn meant a smooth deal for Junichiro. That effort he put into someone else's daughter, however, was never directed to his own. He could not care less about Misaki's favourite colour, nor her favourite place to shop. Yet he wanted her to do her part in pleasing someone else's daughter for the sake of his business. Though, Misaki finally understood why her father was so willing to make an exception and bring her to work today.

Mr. Dohi was a well-known loving father, much like Junichiro was. The only difference, Mr. Dohi was not faking it for the sake of his public image. It was once reported that he took an entire year off when his daughter was born, stayed away from his business by handing over operations to his partner. Even as his daughter grew older, he did not grow distant. When he went back to work, Mr. Dohi would take his daughter in with him. So much so that she even had her own room on the same floor at three.

Ten minutes later, Mr. Dohi and his daughter stepped out of the elevator. The two men were quick to greet each other with a big smile and a firm handshake. Junichiro introduced Misaki to his client, and Mr. Dohi did the same with Kaori. One look from her father and Misaki nodded, inviting Kaori with her to enjoy a meal at the rooftop restaurant in the building just across the street.

If there was something Misaki hated more than sharing a space with her father, it would be sharing a space with a complete stranger.

Years of living as a Kanemoto had taught her how to read people. From observation alone, Misaki could accurately tell what kind of personality one possessed. Kaori walked with her chin held high, her chest puffed out. There was a hint of smirk in her smile too, and a glint in her eye that practically yelled that she was much better than everyone else. She was an arrogant, spoiled brat. The type of people Misaki hated the most. They always acted as if they owned the world, entitled to anything and everything, therefore allowing them to treat others as trash.

"Kanemoto Misaki. Daddy's a fan of yours, always praising you for your rendition of Liszt's La Campanella. I always thought you were a very impressive person but now that I'm seeing you in person, you don't feel as intimidating."

"Please do thank your father for me, for his support. And I feel so ashamed, you seem to know me and my work quite well but I don't know a thing about you. Do forgive me. When you are travelling as much as I am, you just cannot find the time to look people up."

There was no hiding the tension between the two young women, and while it seemed as if they were disguising their insults, neither of them was committed to hiding it well. Misaki was right in her initial impression of Kaori, but they did have something in common; both of them could not stand the presence of each other. While her father doted on her, Mr. Dohi most likely asked Kaori to be nice to Misaki as she was instructed by her father to be nice to Kaori. Outsiders had no idea the relationship Misaki had with her father, they only knew to impress one of the most powerful men in the country by making her happy so to keep the 'loving' father happy.

Without their fathers there to witness their interaction, there was no need for either of them to hide their dislike for each other. Both of them took a sip of their wine at the same time when the waiter came over with their order.

"Look, we both know that we don't like each other, nor do we like being here but we don't have a choice. So why don't we have a little fun?" Kaori suggested. "Would you like to make a bet with me?"

"Pray tell."

"We'll each pick someone in this restaurant right now for the other who will attempt to pick them up. You get points for getting their number, non-rejected physical touches, and so on."

"Sounds interesting," Misaki nodded, leaning forward a little. "But you didn't suggest this game without a prize in mind, did you? What do you have your eyes on?"

Kaori grinned and pointed at the watch on Misaki's wrist. Looking down at her watch, Misaki let out a soft chuckle. To Misaki, the watch was nothing special; she was never attached to materials. It was a few years old with a simple design meant for everyday use. Anyone with any interest in watches, however, would love to get their hands on the one Misaki was wearing.

Handmade in Switzerland by a world renowned watchmaker, there were only ten of these made in the entire world. The Kanemoto family had been a long time customer of this particular watchmaker, ordering a new watch made for every new generation head of the family. Her father personally only wore watches from him, no one else. The limited edition watch Misaki owned was made as a 200 years anniversary gift for their best customers. As the watch was too simple in design for Junichiro, he gave it to Misaki instead.

"Fine."

"And if you win? What do you want?"

There was nothing of Kaori's that Misaki wanted. Not her earrings, nor her necklace, and definitely not her watch. Everything that Kaori had on her body, Misaki had something worth at least twice the price at home. But sometimes, participating in a bet did not mean interest in materialistic prizes. Sometimes, humiliation was a much better reward.

"Your dress."

"Deal. I'll go first. Pick someone," Kaori grinned.

"The waiter who brought our food," Misaki said, without hesitation.

Turning her head to see where the waiter was, Kaori beamed with confidence as she stood up and walked over to the man. Misaki leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table and placed her chin in her palm as she watched. As a Kanemoto, she did not go into this bet with a shred of possibility of losing; they always played to win. A smirk spread across her face as she watched Kaori approaching the waiter. He had on a smile, though anyone could tell it was just a service smile.

Kaori was very proactive, putting her hand on his arm. Although slightly alerted, the waiter did not reject her. Taking that as a hint, Kaori pushed further. She stepped closer to him and pressed her body against the side of his as she spoke. This time, however, he took a step back. She tried once more, but he stepped away once again. A little frustrated, Kaori pulled her phone out, passing it over to the waiter as she spoke. Instead of taking the phone, he pushed it back and gave Kaori a slight bow with an apologetic look before leaving to escape from the awkward situation. Embarrassed and feeling defeated, Kaori returned to their table.

"Let me guess, he has a wife," Misaki smiled. "Oh, that's right, I think I saw a ring on his finger just now when he brought over our food."

"You-"

"Choose someone for me, can't be the same person however. Don't think you can pull one on me."

Misaki could see in Kaori's eyes that she went from dislike to pure hatred for her in just mere seconds. Not that Misaki cared, to be honest. Anyone and everyone they came across in life would only ever have three opinions of you: like, dislike, and neutral. Her life would not be affected by one person hating on her; they were the one spending time and energy on it, not her.

"That guy," Kaori said, pointing over to the bar. "A guy that good looking has to be taken."

Looking over, Misaki froze for a second. Of all the people in the world, it had to be him. What was he doing here anyway? She did not have time to care about such details, however. There was no way she was backing out of this bet because of him. She could not care less about losing the watch, she just did not want to lose to Kaori. Not after she had humiliated her.

Making her way over, Misaki took a seat at the bar next to the man Kaori chose. Her heart was thumping, not from affection however. The last time she saw him, she got so overwhelmed with emotions that she entered a breakdown. From the corner of her eyes, Misaki could see Kaori watching her intently. Taking in a deep breath, Misaki turned in the chair and faced the man.

Last time, she did not get a good look of his face. She was trying to avoid looking at him and when she did, she was blinded by anger instead. Now, sitting just a few inches away from each other, she could see his face clearly. His features remained the same, having only matured over the years. There was still that mischievous glint in his eyes, and a hint of smirk in his smile. His hair was styled a little differently, but it was still the same hair she used to run her fingers through. Although she would never admit it out loud, he was a lot more handsome than he was all those years ago.

"Fancy seeing you here, Misa."

"You of all people know perfectly well that my family's building is just across the street."

"Yes, but you never come here."

Sagara Yosuke, the only man she ever loved. The one person who hurt her more than her own father did. He was also the one person, besides Minato, who knew everything about her because she so naively told him everything when she thought their love was real.

"I'd like to apologise," she said, flipping her hair behind her shoulder and tilted her head slightly to one side. His eyes were fixated on her, as she wanted. If Yosuke knew everything about her, she knew everything about him too. Especially how to seduce him. "For how I behaved last time we saw each other. I was not having a good night and I took it out on you."

"Are you going to make it up to me?" Yosuke grinned.

"Not today. If you give me your phone number however, I can make it up to you another day."

Misaki slid her phone over to him and leaned forward, flashing a smile his way. Yosuke knew from the moment she sat down next to him that something was going on. He had not seen Misaki in years, but last time he saw her, Yosuke felt that she had changed drastically. She used to walk around with the biggest and sweetest smile, but now she had an apathetic look plastered on her face. The Misaki he knew was weak, always scared to stand up for herself even when reason sided with her. She was not devious, she did not know how to set someone up like she did Junko.

As much as Yosuke would love the idea of Misaki forgiving him and moving on from their past, he had a feeling deep in his guts that this was all an act. Glancing behind Misaki, he understood when he saw Kaori's piercing glare. What did she have on stake that Misaki was willing to come and talk to him for the sake of a game?

Seeing the hesitation in Yosuke, Misaki took action. She was in too deep now to lose out on the bet. If she were to win, she had to make sure it was a complete win. She placed her hand on his thigh, inching ever so slowly upward. Yosuke raised an eyebrow, a look of amusement appearing on his face. She pressed her hand down, supporting her weight as she leaned forward further so their faces were only inches away.

"I've missed you, senpai."

Up until now, Yosuke could play along with whatever game Misaki was playing. It was entertaining watching her act in front of him, how she still used the same moves she did all those years ago on him. When she called him 'senpai', however, that was when he lost control of himself.

His lips crashed onto hers, but Misaki did not resist; she was kissing him back. She did not feel anxiety like she did when she saw him last time. She was overwhelmed with emotions but different ones this time. The affection she felt for Yosuke all those years ago, it was flooding her. Perhaps it was the bet, or perhaps because she had been trying so hard to seduce him that it brought out something in her. Holding Yosuke's face with one hand, Misaki pressed her lips harder against his and their first kiss came to mind.

It was just as passionate as it was now, though there was a hint of shyness back then. It was the first time a guy had shown interest in her for her, the first time someone wanted to kiss her. He was so gentle with her, only deepening the kiss when she did. Then there was their second kiss, third, tenth, umpteenth. Yosuke was the one who taught her how to bite on his bottom lip. He was the one who taught her how to use her tongue. He taught her how to make someone wanting more with just one kiss.

Snapping back to reality, Misaki pulled away from the kiss but could not seem to pull away from Yosuke. This was a man she hated. He was the one who ruined her life, broke her trust in anyone and everyone. She could not be falling right back into his trap. Misaki swiped her phone back, got off the chair and turned to leave when Yosuke grabbed her by the elbow. He took her phone from her, entering his number before handing it back to her. Without a word, Misaki turned on her heels and walked back to her table.

"Damn it..." Kaori muttered, knowing full well that she utterly lost.

"I got his number, touched him too, and we kissed. If I'm not wrong, I think I won this bet," Misaki smiled, waving her phone in Kaori's face. "And I believe, you owe me something."

"I'll have someone send the dress over."

"No, no. I want it now."

#zem ch5 #kings of paradise #kop #yosuke sagara #voltage inc #be prepared for the next chapter #i got something good

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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hi! i’m so glad i have you on here;) i found your story, kbtbb: rewritten on AO3 and i was instantly drawn in by your style and art. i love this story, and i seen your comment on the last published chapter and was wondering if you’re ever going to pick back up on it? ❤️❤️ hope your having a wonderful day! xoxo

Hello! You’ve made me a very happy author! I can’t believe you followed me from AO3 to here. Unfortunately, I’m not sure when I would continue with Rewritten, I kinda let that sit on hiatus for a little too long. I do still have it on draft, however. I don’t wanna get your hopes up by saying I’d continue it and then not. However! I do have another KBTBB fanfic going on right now (Pandora) if you’d like to read?

#ask

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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Pandora - Understand

"Any fool can know. The point is to understand"

-Albert Einstein

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Waiting for Yosuke to speak, Haruka was almost falling asleep. The combination of late night and alcohol was slowly draining her energy, and she was getting tired of waiting for him. On the other hand, Yosuke seemed to be nervous; a feat that would never be associated with him. In the time she had known him for, he had always been the most confident person. He never hesitated, at least not when it came to annoying her. Though now, he was downing his fifth drink in a row and still had not uttered a single word.

As he poured himself yet another drink, Haruka stopped him. He knew he would not be able to escape forever, though he had been hoping that she would have knocked out before he had to talk. His plan fell through, obviously.

Yosuke let out a sigh, knowing he was unable to escape any longer. Knocking back one last shot, he was finally prepared to speak. "When I was in high school, I met someone. They were a freshman, and I was a junior. They were having a hard time making friends, so I became their friend. She's from a prestigious family, she'd be a great connection to have. And at that time, I was already developing the idea for my matchmaking business and she was the perfect test candidate. Everything was going well, and the data I collected was really useful.

"Life improved for her too. She comes from a difficult family but during the time we spent together, she became happier. Honestly, my life changed too. It really felt like we were a couple...actually, I think at some point, it became real for me too. But you know how the dramas flow, tragedy strikes when you're at your happiest. She found out my intentions and got mad, rightfully so. She transferred overseas and I've never seen her again."

"Until recently," Haruka stated. "So that's the story between you and the pianist?"

"What pianist? I didn't say a name."

"But you said 'she'," she pointed out. "The only woman you act weird around is that pianist so it has to be her."

Even when intoxicated, Haruka was sharp. Seeing her again stirred up a lot of feelings inside Yosuke. He thought he would be okay, treating her like anyone else he would in his life. If he was being honest, he would not be upset at all if Haruka was to cut all ties with him. He would be bored, sure, but only for a little while before he found another toy. To have all these emotions in him was a new experience for Yosuke. All his life, he tried so hard compartmentalising everything that sometimes, those around him wondered if he truly had emotions.

Although their stories were completely different, Haruka understood how Yosuke felt.

She only wanted the best life for her sisters, and she did everything she could to make sure she did. When their mother passed away, Haruka was only sixteen. She knew her mother's wish was for the three sisters to stay together so to avoid being separated, Haruka took up the maternal role. She started a part time job at a maid café; flexible hours around her classes with a high pay, it was more than she could ask for. But Haruko was displeased. She became vile in the eyes of her sister's, a teenage girl who was willing to sell her body to please weird men for money.

When the opportunity for a better job arose, Haruka grabbed it and landed a job as Eisuke's secretary. She thought it would improve her relationship with Haruko but it only worsened. She was called a gold digger who abandoned her family. No matter what Haruka did, her sister would find fault in it. Still, she felt as if she owed it to Haruko. The life they lived had not been easy, and Haruka understood that there was always something better that her sisters longer for out there.

"Do you still love her?" Haruka asked. "You said it became real for you too. Did you ever tell her?"

"No, I did not," Yosuke said, taking yet another drink. "And I wouldn't call what I feel for her love. Just...that I care for her more than others."

"Do you think about her all the time?" Haruka asked. "Like...you had a sandwich and you wish she was there to share with you? Or you heard a piano playing and you thought it might be her?" Yosuke nodded. "Okay, does it hurt when you see her hurting? Do you smile when she's happy? Do you look her in the eyes and know immediately that she's lying about how she's feeling at the moment?" Again, Yosuke nodded. "That's love, you fool."

Moving closer to Yosuke, Haruka placed her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh. Her answers to her own questions would be all yes, if asked about Eisuke. She had been trying to deny her feelings but now that she was confronting Yosuke, it was as if she was confronting herself too. She wanted to see Eisuke again. She wanted to be so close that she could smell his cologne that had become comforting over the years. She wanted to be held in his arms and told that he loved her like she did him. However, reality was often disappointing as she was nowhere near Eisuke. She was simply drinking with Yosuke, depressed about a different issue from when she began.

Taking in a deep breath, Haruka frowned a little. She turned her head and buried her nose in Yosuke's suit, taking in another deep breath. Since when did he start using the same cologne as Eisuke? She looked up to meet his eyes and for a good minute, they were just staring at each other when they both started to move in instinctively.

"Eisuke..."

Their lips were inches away from touching when Haruka blurted out her boss' name. It hit Yosuke and woke him up instantly. He pulled away and covered Haruka's lips with his hand. They both had way too much to drink, and if they were to continue, Haruka would be doing something she would seriously regret. The Yosuke before meeting Haruka would not have cared whether she would regret, as long as they were both consenting. After all, he never said no to a night of good fun. Knowing how deep her feelings for Eisuke were now, however, Yosuke could never bring himself to do anything to her. Not when he had feelings he never knew about for someone else too.

"It was a mistake bringing you into my life," Yosuke sighed, pushing her hair out of her face. "I was supposed to be doing the meddling, not the other way round."

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"What the hell is this garbage?!"

Yumi flinched as Eisuke threw the file she handed him across the room. All eyes in the lounge were on them, though this was not the first occurrence. Just this morning alone, Eisuke had lost his temper with her more times than she could count. He disliked her coffee, complained that her shoes were too loud, and her clothes were too colourful. The document he threw across the room apparently was riddled with mistakes; mistakes that she was ordered to correct to by Eisuke himself.

"That was what you told me to type up."

"A dog could do your job better than you. At least the dog can be trained."

"I understand why Haruka-san quit."

"What did you just say?"

She stepped over the line with her last comment, Yumi knew. She had enough, however, of taking his temper. She would never understand how Haruka managed to stand this for eight long years. No matter how much you loved someone, if they were to yell at you over the smallest things every day, that love would be shaved down to nothing eventually. Perhaps that was exactly why Haruka left, because her love for him no longer existed. If she wanted to lose her job and hurt Eisuke, Yumi would have said that thought out loud.

Right now, however, she was fearing for her own life.

The look in Eisuke's eyes was one that she had never seen before. She had seen him angry, frustrated, irritated, though his only reaction during those times would be to scowl at her and move on. He was furious this time. Despite fearing for her career and life, Yumi somehow found the courage to open her mouth again.

"I said-"

"Okay! Let's stop right there," Baba said, stepping into the conversation. "Whatever you were going to say, please don't," he whispered, pulling Yumi away from Eisuke and kept her behind his back. "I think Yumi-chan needs a day off. Right, Boss?" Without giving an answer, Eisuke headed up the stairs to his suite. Baba let out a soft sigh before looking to Yumi. "Are you out of your mind?"

"He was being unreasonable."

"Go home," Baba smiled, giving her a gentle pat on her shoulder. "I'll fix this for you."

Looking up the stairs, Baba could not help but let out another heavier sigh, closing his eyes. There were days when he wished Soryu was not around; today was not one of those days. With heavy steps, Baba headed up the stairs to Eisuke's suite. As he stood outside his office, Baba was really praying for Soryu's return although he knew it was impossible, not unless the mobster learnt how to teleport from Hong Kong. He raised his hand to knock on the door but stopped himself the last second, hesitating. This was not what he wanted to be doing on a weekend.

"Either you come in or leave. Don't loiter around outside my office."

"I wasn't loitering," Baba smiled, opening the door. "I was just...surveying."

"If you are here on behalf of Yumi, save your breath. She is clearly not competent enough for the job, lacking in both IQ and EQ."

"To be honest, no one will ever have enough EQ to work for you," Baba pointed out.

Eisuke shot him a glare from across the desk, though Baba still took a seat. Although he only met Eisuke a few years ago, he had heard rumours about how many secretaries he went through in his short term as an executive before the existence of Tres Spades. Everyone in the company was surprised when Haruka survived past her first month. Baba was surprised too, when he met them for the first time. Sometimes, Eisuke could be a little too much to handle for the gang but Haruka never complained.

"What are you trying to say?" Eisuke asked, with a deep frown.

"I'm just saying what you're thinking out loud. Besides Haruka, no one will ever be good enough to work for you." Eisuke's frown deepened, if possible, at Baba's statement. Even if that was the truth, he would never admit it out loud. "I know you're frustrated that Haruka left. We all miss her too. And if I'm being honest, I'm not used to not having her around either. I miss the coffee she makes."

"Get to the point."

"The point is, don't take your frustration out on Yumi. Nobody can be Haruka, and you can't force someone to be her either. If you miss her, go and see her. I don't know much about Haruka but she's a very simple person. She wants a simple life, someone she can rely on. Someone who will love her unconditionally forever."

Eisuke's expression relaxed a little, though he kept quiet while thinking about what Baba said. Yumi was not a bad secretary. She was young and inexperienced, but she was willing to learn. When Haruka was still around, Yumi always took the initiative to draft documents, ask her questions, and all other operations of the hotel. She knew Haruka's way worked with him and did her best to imitate. Yet, Eisuke kept finding flaws in her and magnified them.

With Haruka, Eisuke had been equally unfair to her. He never thought of the reasons why she wanted time away from work, nor did he try to understand the reason behind her resignation. He was angry at her, for abandoning her job and him after years of cooperation. How could she be so selfish when he still needed her? Baba made him understand, however, that Haruka needed him by her side too.

~.~

If there was anything Eisuke would praise Baba on, that would be his efficiency. It was not a word most people would associate with Baba but there was no denying how fast he could produce information Eisuke needed, and the quality. With just a morning's notice, Baba was able to produce a full report on Haruka's family by the afternoon. Holding the file in his hand, Eisuke was contemplating whether or not he should read it. He never asked Haruka about her family, nor did she tell him much. With this file in hand, it felt like he was violating her privacy.

In the end, he gave in.

Her mother was Matsuoka Hanae, a woman born into poverty. She never went to high school but instead, started working at a young age. Every single job she had worked was listed but there was a period of four years completely blanked out with no information: no job, no address, no medical records. Then Haruka was born, but no father was named. Instead, they moved to an apartment just outside of Tokyo and her mother resumed working several jobs to support her. Eight years later, her sister Haruko was born, and two years after that, Haruna.

There was nothing of interest from her file; while they lived a difficult life, it was simple. Her mother worked hard to support the family but passed away at a young age. Haruka took over and became the pillar of her family. There were two things that stood out, however: her anonymous father, and the fact that her sisters live at a different address to her.

After reading, Eisuke felt closer to Haruka. He was starting to understand her better, and missing her even more.

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Eisuke was very much a man of action. Whenever he had a plan in mind, he was quick to put it into action. Much like his hotel. As soon as the thought of seeing Haruka entered his mind, he was already on his way. By the time he realised what he was doing, he was parked on the road opposite her apartment. It was already late afternoon, and peering into her window from his car was a bit of hard work though he could not see any movement inside indicating her presence. Was she napping? Was she out? If so, how long before she came home?

The answer did not matter to Eisuke; he was not leaving until he saw her.

He got out of his car, locking the doors and leaned on the hood. He wanted to be able to see Haruka as she was coming home, and for her to see him as soon as she came into sight. What would her reaction be when she saw him? Surprised? Disappointed? Irritated? Eisuke was trying hard not to let negative thoughts affect him but just today he realised that he did not know Haruka very well; he could be wrong about her feelings this whole time.

It did not take long before the person he had been longing to see finally appeared. She rounded the corner on the right, dressed in just a jumper with sweatpants, holding a bag of groceries in one hand. Eisuke straightened himself as soon as he saw her, holding his breath as he waited to notice her. A couple of metres away, she finally did.

"Mr. Ichinomiya..."

Her voice was soft but it was still the same warm, kind, and sweet voice he was so used to. All his frustrations, all his troubles, they melted away at just her uttering his name. This was a dangerous power she had over him.

"Haruka-"

"Don't," she interrupted. "Don't come near me. And whatever you were going to say, don't say it."

Since that night with Yosuke, Haruka could not stop thinking about Eisuke. There was no denying what she felt for him was love, but her struggles were whether or not she should go through with it like everyone around her was telling her to. Every woman dreamt of a man like Eisuke: handsome, wealthy, and in power. What she wanted was much simpler, a man who loved her. She had no confidence in herself to know that Eisuke would keep loving her as he did today. She did not want to find out five, ten years down the road that he no longer needed her in his life.

"I...Being away from you made me realise how much I love you," Haruka said. "I wake up thinking about you, go to sleep thinking you. Everything is about you. And it hurts. It hurts so much knowing that I love you but we can never be. I'd rather hurt now than hurt for ten years later on, wondering if you still love me. I don't ask you for much, Mr. Ichinomiya, but I'll ask this of you. Please, just let me go. Turn around, go home, and forget me. Let me go."

Despite her initial plea for him to keep away, Eisuke moved closer as she spoke. He could not help himself, especially when tears were starting to roll down her cheeks. He would never understand why she was so afraid of a relationship, especially one with him. She did not understand, either, that never had Eisuke ever wanted anything so badly. Or the fact that he would never love anyone as much as he did her.

He reached out with one hand to wipe her tears, expecting her to move away but to his surprise, she leaned her cheek into his hand. Eisuke held her face in both hands, leaning in closer to her. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips on hers. Just a moment ago, she was telling Eisuke to let her go yet, Haruka did not resist and kissed back just as passionately as he did. No words were needed as they both knew what the other was thinking. It was a cliché to say but it felt like they were the only ones in the world. The only ones who mattered to each other.

Pulling away from the kiss, they were both breathing heavily as they stared into each other's eyes. Eisuke caressed her cheek gently and wrapped his arms around her tightly, putting one hand on her head. He was not a person to make promises lightly, nor did he take them lightly, but he was going to make a promise to Haruka. He promised to love her now and forever.

"I'm sorry, I cannot do as you asked," he whispered. "Because I can never let you go."

#pdr ch17 #kissed by the baddest bidder #kbtbb #kings of paradise #kop #eisuke ichinomiya #yosuke sagara #voltage inc #after 5 million years I have updated #i kept changing this chapter but i feel like it's time #finally getting some fluff y'all

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

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Zemblanity - Chapter Four

Zemblanity is the faculty of making unhappy, unlucky and expected discoveries by design

- - -

~Present Day~

When she finally got to see the doctor, she was told she had nothing to worry about. She was given a cast, mostly for show, and was sent home. In the car, Misaki was oddly quiet. Usually, she would ask about the driver, how his wife and children were doing. Or, she would request for some music. Tonight, however, she was sat in the backseat, staring at the cast on her hand and looked as if she was lost in life. The chauffeur kept quiet, however, knowing that it was not his place to say anything. Even when Misaki was the one to make conversation every time, it did not mean he had permission to meddle in her life.

Arriving at home, Misaki was still in the same state as before. Her eyes were not focused on anything and her mind was elsewhere. Rushing to greet Misaki at the door, Minato was ignored as his sister walked right past him without even an acknowledgement. She went straight for the kitchen, putting on her apron and started taking ingredients out until the island counter top was covered.

She chopped, she minced, she boiled, and she fried.

In about one and a half, almost two hours, she made enough food to feed an entire army. The whole time, Minato stood by the side watching her. It was the way she brushed him off that concerned him. It would not be the first time Misaki came home in a mood and started cooking, but it was the first time she looked so tense after. Then, the next bizarre thing happened.

Misaki never ate the food she cooked. Never. She never had the appetite to, or so she told him. Yet, there she was, sat in her seat at the table with a fork in hand and digging into every dish, stuffing her mouth. She went from dish to dish, polishing off every plate. Before she finished chewing, she was already shoving another bite into her mouth. Minato sat down next to her, a frown plastered on his face as he watched her. He knew better than to stop Misaki. Not that he knew how to, he had never seen her like this.

"Misaki? Misaki, stop. Are you listening to me? Misaki, stop it!"

Clutching her fork tightly in her fist, Misaki was still not looking at Minato. Tears started rolling down her cheeks and Minato wiped them away. Their lives were not easy as their father's children, but Misaki was always tough. She had days when she too would be beaten down but she held herself together always for him. If it were not for her, Minato would not be here. This was the first time he was seeing her so vulnerable, so fragile.

Misaki still had the blank look in her eyes, tears pouring non-stop no matter how much he wiped. All of a sudden, she dropped the fork and grabbed Minato's hand, looking him in the eyes for the first time since she came home. She pressed his hand to her cheek and closed her eyes, breaking down completely.

"I can't do this anymore, Minato...I can't."

~Thirteen years ago~

The opening ceremony for the new school year was a nightmare.

It did not take long for news to travel around the campus and before long, almost everyone knew a Kanemoto enrolled by the ceremony. It did not take long for them to realise that it was her. Stood in the middle of her schoolmates, Misaki had to endure the stares and whispers. They would never dare to say anything to face though she had quite a good idea of what they could be whispering behind her back. It was part of human nature to find flaws in others so one would feel better about themselves. If you were not a Kanemoto, well at least you were thinner than Misaki. Her nose looked too artificial, she did not carry that atmosphere of blue blood, she could study overseas but instead, came here because she must have bad grades. It became a game for Misaki to figure out what they were saying.

Dismissed after the ceremony, the students were heading to their classrooms. All around her, friends were already made as some giggled together while others made promises to meet at lunch. Misaki walked alone. She was avoided like a plague; no smiles, no eye contact, and no one dared to even come within a metre of her. Walking into the classroom, the entire room hushed at her presence and their eyes followed her as she walked up to an empty desk.

"Hi!" The first person to talk to her was her neighbour, a girl with bangs and ponytail, and the brightest smile Misaki had ever seen. It was so infectious that Misaki smiled too, for the first time in a while. Was this her chance at making a friend? "Looks like we're neighbours," the girl smiled. "I'm Sato Nako, nice to meet you."

"Kanemoto Misaki."

At the mention of her name, Nako recoiled her hand as Misaki reached out for a shake. In a split second, reality hit her hard. She was only nice because she had no idea who Misaki was. Just like everyone else, the name Kanemoto put her off and Misaki was willing to bet her entire fortune that Nako was regretting having spoken to her. She would be offended if Misaki had not been used to interactions like this. Her entire life was just interactions like so.

Having years of practice, Misaki was quite familiar with what to do during lunch time. Her father was clear on wanting her to make connections but how could she when everyone was avoiding her? She bought a bun from the school's store and went on a hunt for a quiet place, somewhere she could take break from all the stares and whispers that were not going to stop any time soon.

She climbed the stairs up to the roof, trying her luck with the door. Students were never allowed up on the roof but Misaki was never bothered; there were some perks to her family name after all. Fortunately, the door was unlocked and Misaki stepped onto the empty roof. She found a shaded corner and sat herself down to eat lunch. If her father would to see her now, he would be disappointed. He would be furious. There were only so little time she had away from him however, and she would like to do something for herself every so often. She could make friends another day, Misaki just wanted to get through the day peacefully.

"You're not allowed up here. I'm afraid I have to report you."

A voice startled her and Misaki scrambled onto her feet, bowing in the direction of where the voice came from, thinking it was a teacher. A figure came into view but they were wearing a uniform too. The tie, however, indicated they were from an older year. She was greeted with a mischievous smile belonging to a tall and handsome guy as he approached her.

"I am sorry, I will leave now."

"You took me seriously?" he asked, catching her by the elbow. "No one's allowed up here, but I won't tell if you won't."

Misaki pulled away from him, her brows knitted into a frown. Was he just playing with her? She tried looking in his eyes for a clear indication of his intentions but she could not see anything in them. They said the eyes were the windows to one's soul, but she could not see into his mind at all. He had a smile on his face though there was something not quite right about it.

"Have you fallen in love with me already? That was quick."

"Excuse me?"

"Wow, you are easy to tease," he chuckled. "Finally, someone interesting in this place. What's your name?"

"Misaki."

"Misaki...who?"

She was hesitant, he could tell straight away. After years of observing people, he became good at catching the minute expressions they tried to hide. She was not good, however, at hiding her expressions; she wore everything on her sleeves. She was a rare type, one that he always thought would be fun to experiment with. Who knew he would meet one here in school?

"Kanemoto. Kanemoto Misaki."

It came as a little surprise, hearing her family name. It was a household name in Japan, one that even newborn babies would know about. He had been hearing the news of a Kanemoto in school all day and wanted to meet them. A connection like a Kanemoto was almost like having the key to the universe, and that was exactly what he needed. Never did he think he would meet her on the roof so randomly. Was this serendipity? Was that a word?

"Well, Kanemoto Misaki, nice to meet you. I'm Sagara Yosuke."

Her reaction was priceless. With a name like Kanemoto, most would have made a fuss and all day long, that was what everyone did. His classmates were excited to see what a Kanemoto looked like while others were already spreading rumours about someone they had yet to meet. Some guys bragged about how they would date the Kanemoto girl while the girls gossiped about what plastic surgery she supposedly had done. He could only imagine the type of day she had been through. So for Yosuke to just casually look over that fact must have came as a shock to her.

And shock it was for Misaki.

For the first time in her life, she was seen as a separate entity to her family. He did not seem to care about her family, simply asking just to know her name. It was the first time someone did not recoil in fear, the first time someone treated her like they would anyone else.

"Tough day, huh?" Yosuke asked, sitting down in Misaki's corner and petted the spot next to him for her to sit. Misaki was silent as she sat down, keeping a small distance between them. She was still not quite used to social interactions. No one taught her how to make friends. "First days are always tough," Yosuke said. "I remember my first day of high school, I was terrified."

"You were?"

"Of course I was! I was afraid they would find out about my grades and kick me out."

Misaki let out a giggle though she stopped herself the next second with a hand over her mouth. Was that a laugh? She was not sure herself because she did not laugh much. There were times when she laugh with Minato but never with anyone else. This was all so new and strange to her. Like she was learning how to be human. "I was scared. I still am. I'm not good at making friends and everyone is too afraid to approach me. You're the first person to really talk to me."

"I know how you feel. I mean, Sagara is not as big a name as Kanemoto and I have to deal with fakers here and there. I can't imagine what it's like for you."

No one ever understood how Misaki felt. Her brother did, but they lived the same life. It was often reported how jealous people were of her life, how she was fortunate to be born with a silver spoon and never had to worry about life. If they knew the truth, would they still be jealous? Or would they be thankful? Even those living in her world would not understand what Misaki went through. They took freedom for granted, freedom that Misaki would never have. They were the ones everyone should be

Meeting Yosuke here was like meeting an angel, like her prayers had been heard and she was sent a friend to pull her out of the dark corners. Finally, she had someone in her life who treated her like a human, who understood her. Was this what it was like to have a friend?

"Can we...meet for lunch tomorrow?" Misaki asked. "I'll bring lunch. If you'd like. It's okay if you don't. We don't have to."

"You don't need to bring lunch," Yosuke said. The disappointment on Misaki's face brought a smile to his; it was entertainment at its best. "But we can still meet for lunch," he continued. Instantly, she brightened up and he laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

~Present Day~

Laying in bed, Misaki had her eyes closed but she could not sleep. She was tucked into bed by Minato after her breakdown. Once she was alone, however, she could not stop thinking about the day she met Yosuke. There were so many times throughout the years when she thought how different her life would be if she never met Yosuke. How different it would be if she continued the relationship.

Thinking of their first meeting was also reminding Misaki of Mai. She sat up in her bed and turned the bedside lamp on, picking up a framed photo on her nightstand. Before she graduated from high school, Mai passed away. When Misaki came home happy that day, Mai was so overwhelmed that she started crying. She made a feast that night to celebrate her successful first day, and making her first friend. Mai was the closest the Kanemoto siblings had to a mother, but they lost her when they needed her the most.

Holding the photo to her chest, Misaki closed her eyes once again. She never got to see Mai before she passed, because her father refused to let her return to Japan. Misaki knew, however, exactly what Mai would tell her if she saw her now. Mai would lay in bed with her, comforting her in her arms. She would tell Misaki that everything would be alright, that she would have nothing to worry about. She would then force Misaki out of bed because staying in bed miserable for the rest of her life was not an option. Things were not going right now, but it was not the end of the world. Things would never be right until she made them right herself.

It was time Misaki got back onto her feet and stood up for herself.

#zem ch4 #kings of paradise #kop #yosuke sagara #voltage inc

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thedevillord-writes · 4 years

Text

Pandora - Filler (Christmas)

"I'm always wondering about the what-ifs, about the road not taken"

-Jenny Han

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Christmas, among many other holidays, was one of the days Eisuke hated the most.

The fuss about the decorations, the festivities a month before the actual date, it was too much hassle for him to handle. Before Haruka's arrival, he was constantly bombarded with questions like what theme he would like, simple or extravagant decorations, would there be an office party, and many more. It gave Eisuke a headache just thinking about them. When he hired Haruka, he was skeptical about her first Christmas. A company as big as the Ichinomiya Group, all eyes would be on them when such a big holiday was coming up. It was a great opportunity to see if Eisuke made the right decision in hiring her too.

Two whole months before Christmas, she was already researching into it. Haruka went into the archives herself and dug up anything she could find for the last ten years on decorations alone. She went with a Winter Wonderland theme, having a tree with fake snow set up in the lobby of the building. She even had fake presents wrapped and placed under the tree. Decorations were simple, yet elegant, and many clients and employees reported that it was the best Christmas decorations they had seen in a long time. What won Eisuke over, however, was the extra mile she went into for the presents.

She studied and researched every client Eisuke dealt with, big and small. She chose presents for each of them personally, keeping it at a reasonable price range yet still suiting of a present from an executive. The money left over in the budget, she ordered a few dozens of fountain pens to gift to those in managerial and above positions within the company itself. That year, Eisuke became the most popular executive not because he was Akira's son but because he had Haruka.

Every year since then, she had been in charge of Christmas and all other holidays. Not once did she miss the mark.

The arrival of Tres Spades and the other men of the penthouse meant that festivities increased. There were more events to set up, and parties to attend. And much to Eisuke's (and everyone's) annoyance, Baba always wanted to host a party. Though irritating that he was forced to participate, Eisuke somehow found them enjoyable.

"Good morning, Mr. Ichinomiya," Yumi smiled. "And Merry Christmas."

Placing a perfectly wrapped gift on the table, Yumi turned on her heels and returned to her desk. Eisuke picked up the present to take a look before putting it to a side. Years of gift receiving told him that Yumi most likely bought something at the department store and had them wrap it for her. He did not bother opening the gift, like all other gifts he received from clients, partners, and boot-licking employees. They never get him anything he liked anyway. Not even the rest of the gang got him anything he liked. The only person who knew him well enough to get the right present, was Haruka.

Opening a drawer to his right, Eisuke took out few of many boxes inside. These were a mixture of Christmas and birthday gifts, all from Haruka. He picked up one specific box, opening it to reveal a neatly rolled up tie. This was the first Christmas gift he received from Haruka, despite knowing perfectly well by then that he hated wearing a tie. A note was stuck to the inside of the lid, a note that Eisuke kept all these years:

Dear Mr. Ichinomiya,

I will put all my efforts into learning how to do the perfect tie knot.

From, Haruka

In the other boxes were two watches that he would only wear on special occasions, an engraved fountain pen that he used to sign important contracts only, a personal blend of coffee that he had been unwilling to open, wireless earphones that he used when he wanted to ignore Baba discreetly, a joke mug that although he complained about still used from time to time, and a pair of cuff links.

Eisuke picked up the box containing the cuff links, touching gently with his finger. He could still remember when Haruka gifted these to him. It was the first Christmas they celebrated together as a gang of six. Baba insisted on having a party with a proper Christmas dinner and gifts exchange at the end of the night. Eisuke did not want to participate, thinking he would just make an appearance and disappear off to work. Oddly enough, Haruka liked the idea of a dinner. It was her first Christmas dinner and that was more than enough to make Eisuke go all out on it. He flew a chef over from England to prepare the meal, and had Kenzaki bring in the maids to decorate the penthouse. He had an actual tree for the lounge, all the presents underneath it, and stockings with all their names on it hung on the mantle beneath the TV. It had the exact Christmas feel of when he was studying in England.

When the time came to giving the presents, everyone seemed eager to receive a present from Haruka. Even Eisuke was strangely excited. As she gave out the presents, they were all starting to notice that all her presents were of the same size and shape. And when they opened the presents, they found out that Haruka bought 'I Love Tokyo' keychains for everyone. Apparently, because the Tres Spades was still relatively new, she had a lot of work and was too busy to shop for presents. She only had time to buy these keychains from the gift shop in the hotel.

Disappointed was an understatement.

Some would say that Eisuke had been pampered by Haruka all these years. Every Christmas and every birthday, she would personally pick out a present for him. While the item itself may not have cost a fortune, nor would they be the best quality or brand out there, but thoughts went into them and they were always suiting to Eisuke. To know that she had gotten the same thing for him for everyone else, it got Eisuke questioning his importance to Haruka.

Excusing himself, Eisuke left the party and his present behind, disappearing into his office for the night. Seeing the still wrapped present on the coffee table, Haruka had a guess as to what Eisuke was thinking. She too excused herself, and picked up Eisuke's present, going after her boss.

She knocked gently on his office door and opened it, walking in before he told her to. She sat down in front of his desk and placed the present right in front of him, looking and waiting for him to open it. Eisuke frowned at the present, pushing it away. What was the point of opening it when he knew exactly what was in it? The same disappointing keychain she got everyone. Still sat in the chair and not moving, Haruka pushed the present toward Eisuke once more. He looked to her in annoyance though his expression quickly changed when he saw how determined and confident she was. Perhaps he was wrong?

Finally giving in, Eisuke started tearing off the wrapping paper to reveal the same box everyone else got. He raised an eyebrow, frowning once again, but when he opened that box, the frown went.

Inside the box laid a pair of cuff links. The brand printed on the inside of the box was the one he liked. These were the cuff links he had his eyes on for a while now but they were out of stock and had no intentions of restocking any time soon. How did Haruka get her hands on these?

"These were out of stock for a very long time. How did you get them?" Eisuke asked.

"I have my ways," Haruka smiled. "Do you like them?"

"You wouldn't have bought them if I didn't like them."

"Did you think I got you the same keychain as the others?" Haruka asked in a teasing tone, a hum in her voice. She was mocking him, and Eisuke hated that she could see right through him. "It's true that I did not have time to shop for presents, but your present was ordered four months ago."

Eisuke felt ridiculous. He felt ridiculous for assuming and being disappointed. He felt ridiculous that somehow, a present from his secretary was validation. Validation for what, however, he had no idea. Opening his drawer to the right, Eisuke dropped the box inside before looking to Haruka. "Go and enjoy the party," he said, turning his attention back to his computer. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Haruka smiled, getting up. She was headed for the door when she stopped herself and walked over to him. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "And thank you for the necklace, I love it. Don't work too hard, Mr. Ichinomiya. It's Christmas, you should give yourself a break."

That was five years ago.

Thinking back, perhaps there was more to the fact that he was disappointed when he thought Haruka did not get him a special gift. Maybe because even back then, Eisuke felt as if he should be more than just her employer. Putting all the boxes back into the drawer, Eisuke tried to focus on his work. Christmas was just another day, whether or not Haruka was there; he would spend it like every other day. If he could survive a Monday without receiving gifts from Haruka, he could survive Christmas without her this year. Still, his mind could not focus. Every time he tried to get back to work, he found himself thinking of her again. Eventually, he gave up entirely and picked up the phone, calling Kenzaki.

"Yes, Mr. Ichinomiya?"

"Come up, I need you to deliver a package for me."

"I believe this is what others would call a coincidence, sir. A package just arrived for you."

Five minutes after the call, Kenzaki was knocking at his door. He walked in with a nicely wrapped present and handed it over to Eisuke, who then handed him another present. "Have that delivered to Haruka," Eisuke said. As Kenzaki took the present from him, the man smiled with a little too much reason behind it. "Is there something you want to say?" Eisuke asked.

"No sir, just that you and Miss Matsuoka seem to be quite in sync. She dropped that present off this morning," Kenzaki said, nodding to the present in Eisuke's hand.

"Just go."

Eisuke waited until Kenzaki left and he was alone. He tore the wrapping off and opened the present. A jar of coffee beans laid inside the box with a card slipped in the side. He took the card out, and written inside with Haruka's neat handwriting was a simple sentence:

It's time to open the old jar.

#pdr filler #kissed by the baddest bidder #kbtbb #kings of paradise #kop #eisuke ichinomiya #yosuke sagara #voltage inc #merry christmas y'all

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