A/N: (First off, to readers of The Summer Club, Chapter One should be posted within a week.(2/6/13: Actually, I'm putting it on hiatus to focus on this story first.)) There's no way I can even begin to explain the frutition of this next story...(Well, honestly I believe the concept of this started when I asked myself how the Hiranos could have afforded a traditional home smack-dab in the middle of Tokyo. But that is another story for another time.) While an apparent romance-genre reader and writer, I've never delved into writing serious, straight-on, intentional chick-lit fiction, until this. It's always looked like a fun sport of sorts, so please bear with me, offer all the advice you can, and here goes nothing...
Disgusting. Ghastly. Atrocious. Repulsive.
These were the thoughts running through twenty-four year old Ginger Hirano's mind as she gave her now ex-husband one last sardonic glance. "I hope you're happy now."
He laughed hollowly from his seat behind the counter, "No, not yet," he nonchalantly flipped through pages of the book in his hand, acting as if her leaving were about as exciting as the forgotten bread on his plate, "once you take your last bag and get off my property, I think I will be just fine."
She snapped, "I'm going. I'm going. Alright? I'll be miles away by tomorrow morning so don't get your knickers in a twist."
He gave her a cool glance and answered her dryly.
"Good."
"Good."
"Good."
"Good."
"Good."
Slam.
"I'm sorry."
The Woman Who Wants to Marry
Chapter 1
Koji Hirano was a patient man. He was a determined man. He could even be kind-hearted on occasion. But most importantly, he lived for the world of business, coming out on top was his goal. He nearly monopolized the international shipping business and his life's story was a fascinating one: left broke following World War II, his parents had left behind the "promised land" of America for a gamble on the mysterious country of Uruguay. There his parents had not done much better, but in their poor tenement in Montevideo they educated him in all they knew; so that when he joined school, he was leagues ahead of his peers. From there, the path had been fairly smooth: through hard-work and a touch of ingenuity he was able to get money to attend an American university. From there, he built his dreams to dominate the world of shipping, exporting and importing goods. From there, well, it led to right where he was today.
As the CEO and Founder of Hinam Shipping, Mr. Hirano had had high hopes many years ago that his exceedingly intelligent eldest daughter would follow the path he had spread out. Sadly, his child, Stacy, had shown no interest in taking over the company, instead choosing law and international relations. But all was not lost. In her wake, Stacey presented her father with a just as acceptable successor: a studious and ready-to-learn younger daughter.
While a very solemn and shrewd man in the boardroom, Koji Hirano loved his daughters very much, trying to convey to them all the wisdom it had taken him decades to accumulate in the hopes that they would follow a similar path, and he became extremely proud when his younger child showed an interest in the company and exhibited the aptitude needed to lead it. Not only that, but his other child was remarkably ambitious when it came to starting her political career (and it was nice to ask his golf buddies how many of them had a child leading a country). It would not be an exaggeration if he called his girls the very force of nature because indeed they were, each a highly innovative leader in the role she filled and always ready to take on challenges.
Unfortunately, the corporate executive officer realized that he had spent so long focusing his daughter on business and corporate strategy that she had seem to come to completely disregard a few important things. Such as family. And marriage.
The elderly father sighed as he stepped into the office of his twenty-nine year old daughter who sat at her desk, deeply absorbed in her reading of a large stack of papers. Over the past several years the Hirano patriarch had yet to see a man who could hold his daughter down. He knew she dated or at least she had brought different boys here and there to the corporate events, but that did not make the chances of her settling down any greater. Rather, her chances of getting married seemed to be getting slimmer with each new kid who tried to woo her.
Mr. Hirano could see his dream of a powerful Hirano lineage and wide-eyed innocent grandchildren to spoil dwindling away before his very eyes and decided that it was time to take action. Better now than never.
"Ahem."
Ginger looked up, lifting herself from her seat and bowing. "Executive director."
The director walked to her desk and observed the bundle of papers. He threw them in the trash.
"Sir! That was a proposal from the Nam Chairman. I was on the final page!"
"And you're on my last page!"
Ginger stopped and dropped all proper pretenses. "Huh?"
Director Hirano sighed and rubbed his temples. He indicated for his daughter to sit with him in the lounge chairs near the office windows.
"Ginger. You are the heir to Hinam."
She regarded him oddly. "I've…been aware."
"And as much as I love being CEO, I am becoming old and I wish to be with your mother in America."
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "I know. I believe that's why we decided to have me take over your position in October, on my thirtieth birthday."
"That was the previous plan."
"The previous plan?" She searched her father's face for an explanation.
Mr. Hirano nodded solemnly. "I have come to a decision. You must be married before your thirtieth birthday otherwise you will not be permitted to inherit the company."
Ginger stared. Hard. "Otōsan, did you take the red pills this morning? You know it is supposed to be the blue ones."
Her father's foot slammed against the ground, eliciting a jump of surprise from her.
"I am not in a state of delirium Ginger! Listen you obstinate daughter of mine!" Her father's grip on the armrest tightened. "I never pushed you to remarry after you got divorced but it has been more than five years! And no stable boyfriend! What do you propose will happen to the future of this company? I need assurance that our line will be carried on. Stacy has already claimed no interest in the business whatsoever. I could offer it to one of my nephews or nieces but they haven't sweat and bled for this company. Look at you! All your friends are getting married or settled down but I have to even hope that one day, perhaps you'll bring a man to the family dinners!"
She frowned. "That is not true. I brought Yukio Kang."
Mr. Hirano scowled, "You brought him so that I would listen to his proposal. And that was thirteen months ago. You're missing the point."
Ginger sighed and crossed her arms. "I understand, I get it. You want me to find a husband and produce a grandchild for you."
"It is not a death sentence darling."
"I have no interest in marriage, Otōsan. You might as well kick the bucket that held any dreams of a descendant of yours continuing your work."
"You really want to give up your inheritance like that? After all these years you spent studying, working, and getting to where you are now?" Ginger unconsciously sunk back into her seat, detesting her father for making sense. "Gone because you simply are unable to comprehend the simple idea of marriage and family like normal people?"
She did not make a sound, only staring mindlessly at her hands.
"My dear daughter, you will see that I'm just doing this for your own good. I want to see you happy with someone and know that you'll be taken care of when your mother and I leave this world. After all, ever since Ba—"
Ginger quickly stood up and her heels hammered into the polished wooden floor panels. "I said I understood Otōsan. Married by October or I lose the job. Alright."
Her father did not even flinch, only giving his daughter a wistful smile, "And Ginger? It needs to be someone you plan to spend the rest of your life with. Not someone to marry for the sake of gaining power and then divorce. Look to love someone who will love you back."
"Sure."
"Do not forget that I am doing this because I love you and who knows how much longer I will be around."
"Well you sure know how to fill the prerequisites for 'tough love.'"
Her father guffawed into his sleeve as properly as he could. "I try."
CEO and father, Koji Hirano watched as Ginger blustered out her office then let out a weary sigh. He realized that telling Ginger this was the easy part. His daughter, while sometimes strong-willed and stubborn, had never been disobedient. In fact, his daughter was everything a father would want in a child, and he knew that she would do anything for him.
Even if it meant she had to find a man to marry. In reality it was not just so that his bloodline could continue. Koji Hirano wanted his daughter to find real happiness and true love. But judging from her lack of enthusiasm, she was going to have a hard time in fulfilling this task.
Someone, Director Hirano pleaded, please help my child.