Get down with the victim
We both know you need them
You're stuck in the middle
Of all irrelevance
And your heart is beating
'Cause you know that you gotta
Get out of the middle
And rise to the top now

-Friction; by Imagine Dragons

The Morinozukas and the Lorenzanas weren't always fighting. In the beginning, the two families were once very close. Their relationship went back very far, far beyond when the Morinozukas and the Haninozukas were bound by marriage.

Back in those days, the Lorenzanas went by a different name. They didn't obtain their current surname until the arrival of a certain Spanish man decades later. But, when the family's last name was different, they were very close friends with the Morinozukas. The two families confided in each other, trusting one another with important, confidential information. It wasn't until one day, everything changed between the families.

The Lorenzanas were known throughout Japan for their success in motor vehicles. The family's name was practically everywhere. But they weren't satisfied with how things were going. The family's patriarch wanted more; his greed was starting to overshadow his judgment. So, before the Morinozukas had time to react, the Lorenzanas did the unthinkable. The two families had collaborated on certain ideas to better their fortunes, ideas they planned on doing together so they could grow together. The Lorenzana's patriarch stole all the ideas the Morinozukas came up with and used them to benefit his companies. The latter received no credit, and after that, the two families began a decades-long fight. For each descendant between the two lineages, they'd be taught to hate the other.

It was. . .disdainful.

But how else were the families supposed to react? Their mutual dislike for each other seemed to be permanently rooted into their genes.

And it all started over a few stolen ideas.

-O-O-O-O-

Agustin Lorenzana was a businessman from Spain. He came from a large, successful family; one of five boys, and one sister, to his parents, Maria and Antony. The Lorenzana family was known throughout Spain, particularly in Barcelona, for their dabbling in telecommunications, solar energy, and engineering. The family's companies started out small, with the idea of a single man. Over time, the hard work of the employees, on top of the charisma of that single man, brought the companies up and gave them the recognition they deserved.

That single man who started it all had been Agustin's grandfather.

From that moment on, the family learned to keep everything about their businesses in the family. Agustin himself, being the more financially stable brother, had inherited all responsibility to the family's fortune. That pretty much gave him power over the businesses. When he married his first wife, Florencia, Agustin put his trust into her ability to help the family out. His siblings and parents adored her, and that put her in a very good standing when it came to the family businesses. That was the one time the Lorenzanas were wrong. Florencia had claimed she was helping Agustin out; but she was embezzling money from the family. After five years and two children, the couple underwent a nasty divorce.

Florencia and Agustin agreed for joint custody.

The Lorenzanas didn't like that one bit.

Florencia's family were less than pleased, as well.

But things were looking better. The Lorenzanas' businesses were spreading, and when news hit of a Japanese telecommunications branch wanting to merge, Agustin traveled down there for a meeting. He met Himari on that trip.

Himari Watanabe came from a family running a successful motor vehicle company.

-O-O-O-O-

Agustin's and Himari's relationship was seen as non-traditional. Initially, the Spanish businessman had gone to Japan in hopes of carrying out an agreement on expanding the family business. And then Himari came into the picture. Their first encounter had been completely by chance, almost accidental. Agustin was impressed by how professional she'd been with him, but he hadn't shown any signs of attraction yet.

It would take another week before Agustin and Himari would see each other again.

For Agustin, it was near the end of his business trip when he ran into Himari. For him, he barely remembered their first encounter, but she hadn't. They talked briefly before Agustin invited Himari for a quick bite to eat. His plane to Spain didn't leave for a couple hours, and he was more than willing to talk to her more. Himari's knowledge on vehicles fascinated him; her elegance and confidence drew him in. It was rather satisfying, their discussion and his overall eagerness to just listen.

It had been that second encounter that really drew Agustin in. He took the opportunity to really pay attention to Himari's features, to see how her eyes sparkled when she spoke and how easily the words came out of her mouth. Since Himari didn't know any Spanish, and Agustin's Japanese was rather limited, they both settled on using English to communicate. And if the young businessman were being completely honest with himself, he found her use of the English language to be rather attractive. Himari had a rather sophisticated way of talking, one that Agustin hadn't heard before. At least not back in Spain.

For Himari, she was vaguely interested in Agustin. He was poised, charismatic, and knew how to properly present himself. He listened to Himari and asked only the most appropriate questions. It almost felt like a business trip. But, deep down, Himari knew that it wasn't. There was something about the encounter that made the two young entrepreneurs feel almost giddish. Almost.

-O-O-O-O-

When Agustin's relationship with Himari reached his family, it went over poorly. The Lorenzana family had been furious at the thought of him marrying a Japanese woman. In his family's eyes, they imagined he'd at least try and marry a nice wealthy European woman, but he wasn't having any of it. One of the most dominant traits in the Lorenzana family, as it would seem, is stubbornness.

Agustin's parents couldn't talk him out of the relationship; neither could his siblings or his children. Even after the business deal had gone through, it was overshadowed by the displeasure of Himari and her attraction to Agustin.

It was roughly a month and a half later when Himari was given an opportunity to meet Agustin's family. It had been a hesitant encounter, one met with a lot of hostility, as well. The Lorenzana family didn't think she deserved to be with Agustin, they saw her as a bad influence. It took a lot of time for the Lorenzana family to finally accept her. By that point in time, the young couple had already wed. Agustin refused contact with his family, wanting to focus on his new bride and his family's business that was growing in Japan. He still held responsibility over the finances, and he intended to keep it that way. Communicate only if necessary, and only for business related matters.

-O-O-O-O-

"Anneliese?" Himari's brows furrowed at that. She looked at her husband curiously, tilting her head just a little to the side. It had been just a couple hours after the birth of their first child, a daughter. Agustin insisted on naming the newborn Anneliese, a supposed "family name". "Why would we name her that?" Himari asked.

"Like I said, it's a family name," Agustin replied. "My great-aunt was named Anneliese. She lived to be over a hundred years old."*

With a scoff, Himari rolled her eyes before glancing at the bundle in her arms. She'd been holding her daughter for the past half hour, despite her exhaustion. She just couldn't bring herself to part from the newborn. After all, it was Himari's first child. She wanted to look at the baby for as long as she possibly could.

"I don't know how I feel about that name," she said firmly. "We could give her a Japanese name. After all, she is half-Japanese."

"But she's also half-Spanish," Agustin retorted. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his brown hair. "How about this — you pick one name, I'll pick the other. It'll be even between the two of us."

Smiling softly, Himari looked over at her husband. He was eyeing his daughter, his hands twitching anxiously. Agustin wanted to hold her. "Are you sure you want that?" Himari asked.

"Of course."

"Fine. I'll choose the name Fumiko."

"And I'll pick the name Anneliese."

The couple looked at each other for a long time, their eyes twinkling with both humor and adoration. They finally had the family they always wanted; the one they thought they'd never get. Now, the family felt as if they were finally going in a new direction.

-O-O-O-O-

The Watanabe family was rather indifferent to Agustin's marriage to Himari. He was a successful businessman after all, and while he wasn't Japanese, his use of finances and influence over his family's business could benefit the Watanabe family greatly. It seemed Agustin's involvement in the family was only for his financial security and use of possibly expanding their own companies. Himari thought the way they treated him was dishonorable. She'd talked on more than one occasion on how embarrassed she'd feel on how they treated him. The Watanabe family saw no wrong in their actions.

"If Agustin wants to be a member of our family," Eiji, Himari's father, had said, "then he'll have to do his fair share. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Himari had been furious. She saw Eiji as a heartless individual, one driven by his own greed and arrogance. Himari would've given anything to not have her father in her life, but she knew that couldn't happen. She was part of a wealthy family. Not only that, but being Eiji's firstborn meant she was bound to inherit everything one day. The amount of pressure that was put on Himari was unfathomable, and nothing she did ever seemed to please Eiji. Not even her marriage to Agustin did anything to her father. Her mother, Hana, was the only one in the family who seemed even remotely interested in anything. But that was another story.

(A/N):

First off, I'd like to apologize for the wait. I know it's ridiculous I didn't have this chapter up right away, but I've been overwhelmed with school and work, so I had to put this off until I had a moment of free time. But if you guys can leave constructive criticism, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Nothing in the OHSHC belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the bed I sleep on. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? I'd love to see the kinds of ideas you guys come up with.

Also, be sure to leave any random facts in the review section. It can be on something you've learned recently or something you've known for a while. I'd like to think I'm a curious person and I like to learn new things.

See ya around, my friends.

Kollene Macintosh