Natsuki thought that she would never love again. That was what she thought until she met Shizuru. Love blossomed when you least expected it.
A helicopter landed at a heliport situated on top of one of the tallest building in the business district. As soon as the helicopter landed, a pale foot cladded in a 6-inch black LV designer high heels stepped out of the helicopter. The foot was attached to a slim and long leg clad in a black tailored designer pants.
A 5"3 blue hair lady straightened up and stepped out of the helicopter.
Immediately, a blond lady who was waiting by the side of the heliport strode towards the blue hair woman and bowed before her.
"What is the situation now Sear-san?" The blue hair lady asked.
Alyssa straightened up and replied. "My apologies Kuga-sama. Fujino Corporation won the bid for that plot of land in the CBD area."
Kuga Natsuki paused in the mid-step, a frown marred her perfect features. "Inform everyone that there would be a meeting in two hours time. And, I would want a full report of this failure by then!"
Alone in her office, Natsuki sighed and leaned back against the chair with her eyes closed. She has been eyeing that plot of land for a while. And just when she thought the land is up for sale, Fujino Corporation snatched it right beneath her nose.
Damn! Natsuki thought.
That plot of land was essential for the future growth of Kuga Corporation and having it will definitely give Kuga Corporation an edge over their two closest competitors in the property market - Kanzaki Corporation and Fujino Corporation.
Losing this bid to Fujino Corporation was definitely a huge blow to Natsuki's plan to monopolize the property market.
Natsuki doubted Fujino Takeda, the heir apparent to Fujino Corporation had the ability to snatch away the land under Alyssa's watchful eyes. Someone must have intervened to help Fujino Takeda while Natsuki was away for a business trip, leaving Alyssa to helm the Fuka project.
Natsuki sighed once again and tried to rub her forehead to ease the throbbing. Alyssa was the one in charged of this bid and therefore she definitely had to be held responsible for this failure. It was unavoidable that she had to deal out a punishment to Alyssa. Natsuki frowned as she took a sip of her black coffee. But Natsuki's thought was interrupted by a knock.
"Enter."
Alyssa entered the room and closed the door gently behind her.
"You are drinking too much coffee again, Natsuki. It is not good for your health." Alyssa commented, dropping the used of formal language as she saw Natsuki taking a big gulp of the black coffee. "And you are too pale"
Natsuki is working too hard. Alyssa thought as she observed the woman whom she had followed for the past 6 years. She joined Kuga Corporation when she graduated from Harvard University with an MBA in business and had taken 6 years to climb up the corporate ladder to become Natsuki's Executive Assistant. It had been a long six years where she stood by Natsuki. And in the process, she has come to care for Natsuki - a feeling that perhaps went beyond friendship.
"Need caffeine." Natsuki mumbled into the mug. However, she paused in her action of drinking coffee and frowned. Her right hand instinctively moved to press on her right temple.
"What's wrong? Is your head hurting again?" Alyssa asked, concern clearly showing on her face. She immediately moved to stand behind Natsuki, placing her hands on Natsuki's head and massaged her temple.
Alyssa was the only one who knew about Natsuki's severe but unpredictable headache. Or to be more accurate, she discovered it quite coincidentally in her second year of working in Kuga Corporation. Back then she was alone, working overtime in the office and she heard a loud crash coming from Natsuki's office. However when Natsuki did not respond to her knock and questions from the outside, she took the matter into her own hand and entered Natsuki's office.
And she saw Natsuki all curled up on the floor, her head clutched between her hands, moaning in pain. Despite being in excruciating pain, Natsuki managed to grasp Alyssa's hand tightly preventing her from calling for help, insisting that she was not to call for ambulance. Though reluctant, Alyssa had eventually relented, choosing to stay with Natsuki, helping to massage her head in an attempt to ease her pain. And through this incident, Alyssa slowly came learned more about Natsuki and her acute headache. This had subsequently prompted Alyssa to search high and low for a cure for Natsuki's headache.
Though Alyssa had not been able to find a solution for Natsuki's headache, she took up lessons on acupuncture to help Natsuki eased the pain.
Natsuki could feel Alyssa's fingers, soft and warm, pressing against her temple, putting the right pressure at all the appropriate areas.
"You should take better care of yourself, Natsuki."
Natsuki moaned as the throbbing on her temple eased."Gosh I wonder what would I do without you."
"Just let me stay by your Natsuki." Alyssa whispered softly.
But not soft enough for Natsuki who was positioned so close to Alyssa.
"...thanks Alyssa. I feel much better." Natsuki said as she gently eased her head out of Alyssa's hands and shuffled forward in her chair to put some distance between Alyssa and her.
Alyssa allowed Natsuki to widened the distance between the two of them and lowered her hands to her side. She could still feel Natsuki's warm at the tip of her fingers. "You shouldn't be flying around so often. Research has shown that flying too often and too much tends to add unhealthy pressure to your brain. Our brains are not accustomed to the high pressure up in the atmosphere. And most importantly you are putting too much stress on yourself."
Natsuki turned around and looked at Alyssa with a faint smile on her face. "Have anyone told you that you sound like a typical mother?"
"You know I am worried about you right, Natsuki." Alyssa staring intently into Natsuki's eyes.
The eye contact last for awhile before Natsuki broke the contact by looking elsewhere.
"Of course. Because you are my friend and that is why you care." Natsuki replied softly while looking away from Alyssa.
Alyssa opened her mouth, wanting to say more but Natsuki interrupted. "Alyssa, what happen to the Fuka Project?"
Alyssa closed her eyes, taking a deep breathe to contain her emotion. This is not the time yet. You have waited 6 years, one more minute, one more hour won't make a different.
"According to my insider news, the bid is won by a lady by the name of Fujino Shizuru. She represents the Fujino Corporation." Alyssa replied formally. "It is currently…."
"Fujino Shizuru? A Fujino? How is she related to Fujino Takeda? "
"She is the younger sister of Fujino Takeda. Unfortunately, Fujino Shizuru is much shrouded in mystery. We knew little about her except that she has just returned to Japan from overseas and she majored in Oriental Studies in Oxford University. That is all the information we have about her. Would you like me to further the investigation?"
"Forget it for now." Natsuki waved off Alyssa's question. "I would want to refocus our attention on the future plans of our company. You should go back and prepare for the meeting later on."
"Hai. Kuga-sama" Alyssa bowed and left Natsuki's office.
"Fujino Takeda's sister huh?" Natsuki sighed at the thought Takeda. Fujino Takeda was the heir apparent of Fujino Corporation and unfortunately for Natsuki, he was smitten with her. They met two years ago at a charity ball and ever since then Takeda had been wooing her but to no avail.
As the 3 hour long meeting drew to a close, Natsuki stood up from her chair to conclude the whole meeting.
"I have heard your reports. Alyssa Sear-san, as the main incharge, you have failed to take into consideration the relevant information in your decision making. As such, you hold the greatest responsibility for the failure. You are now suspended from work for 1 months and your year end bonus will be confisticated. As for the rest of the team, your year end bonus will be reduced to halve. With that, the meeting adjourned." Natsuki concluded, glancing around the room.
There was a mixture of response from the floor. Some reacted in glee when the harsh punishment was dealt out to Alyssa while others looked at Alyssa in pity. Natsuki took in their reaction and left the room.
Thirty minutes later, a knock sounded and Alyssa entered the room.
"Kuga-sama, I have made all the necessary arrangement. During the period of my absence, Miya-san will be handling all the details in my absent." Alyssa paused before continuing. "I will be taking my leave as of now. Please take good care of yourself, Kuga-sama." With that said, Alyssa turned towards the door.
"Alyssa, are you angry with me?"
Natsuki's question stopped Alyssa in her track. It took awhile before Alyssa replied, "No Kuga-sama."
"Alyssa, I...I need to show my impartiality. You know they have been talking behind your back right?" Natsuki explained. Natsuki seldom bothered to explain her behaviour. But Alyssa is important to her. She is her closest friend.
At least Alyssa is not stepping out of the office. Its a sign that she is listening.
Relieved, Natsuki continued. "They are saying you sleep your way up to this position."
It wasn't something new. Alyssa knew that this rumor has been going on ever since she was promoted to Executive Assistant as the tender age of 24. Natsuki had been furious when she first heard about this. She even dismissed a female co worker over this rumor.
"There is no need to prove my innocence Kuga-sama. I am not worried about my reputation in the company."
"But I care about your reputation!"
"Why would you care?"
"I...well..." Natsuki stuttered. "Because you are my important friend!"
"I see. Thank you Kuga-sama for your concern. I will take my leave now." Alyssa turned and left the room, leaving Natsuki standing there resigned with the situation. Natsuki sighed and returned to her seat. For now, she has a company to manage. Alyssa may have to wait.
It was dark when Natsuki packed up her bag and stepped out of her own office. Natsuki was momentarily confused when she saw the dark hallway. Where is Alyssa? Alyssa would always stay until she finishes her work and both of them would leave the office together.
"Jeez, I forgot. Alyssa is on suspension." Natsuki muttered as she combed her fingers through her hair.
Habit is a scary thing. Natsuki thought and sighed, making her way to the underground car park.
It took her about 45 minutes before she parked her BMW into the garage and stepped into the living room.
"How is my precious daughter doing?"
Before Natsuki could respond, she was engulfed in a bear hug.
"Ompf, Dad!" Natsuki protested as she struggled out of the bear hug.
"Hahaha...Natsuki, you are late. How's the company so far? Is everything alright?" Kuga Ichiro asked.
"Flooding our daughter with questions about the company as usual. Give her a break dear. She just got back from a business trip." Kuga Saeko reprimanded as she glided down the spiral staircase. ""Natsuki, ignore your dad. Go and wash up please. I know you are tired. I will ask the maid to send some food up."
"Thanks Mom." Natsuki returned Ichiro's hug and kissed Saeko's on her cheek before returning to her room.
It didn't take long for Natsuki to clean herself up and prepared for bed.
But just as she was about to turn in, her handphone rang. She didn't have the habit of turning off her phone before bed. Kuga Corporation is a big corporation and anything could happen anytime. She needs to be ready should that happened.
Natsuki took her phone, squirting her eyes a bit from the glare of bright light from the screen. It was from an unknown number.
"Hello, who is..."
Natsuki immediately regretted picking up the call. Loud music was blasting out from her phone's speakers, nearly damaging her eardrum.
"Onee-chan! Arika here! I..."
"Geez...Arika, please don't shout into the phone. I can hear you just fine here. And where are you? Its so noisy at your side."
"Ooh..sorry nee-chan. I have just returned back to Tokyo and this is my new handphone number. How are you? You sound tired. Do you want to join me and my friends? We are out in a club. So I guess that's why it is so noisy on my side."
Sometimes Natsuki felts exhausted just by talking to Arika. Arika's conversation could jump from one topic to another and Natsuki has difficulty trying to catch up with Arika's trend of thought.
"Which question would you like me to answer first Arika?"
"Ahahaha...whatever Onee-chan wants." Arika chuckled.
"Yes I am tired. I just got back from an overseas business trip so I don't think I will be joining you. But I would not have been so tired if my kawaii imouto Arika-chan could come and work for me. And..."
"Onee-chaaaan, you know I don't like being an OL. And I promised my mom that I will never step into Kuga Corporation. And your mom would definitely not be happy with me working there."
There was a momentary silence.
Natsuki sighed. Arika and her shared the same father but different mother. It was an age old story. Their father Kuga Ichiro met and fell in love with Arika's mother while on an overseas business trip. But this was more than just an affair. Kuga Ichiro had planned to divorce Natsuki's mother and marry Akiyama Aiko when he realized that Aiko Obaa-sama was pregnant with Arika. But things happened in between and her father had stayed married to her mother while Aiko Obaa-sama raised Arika up as a single parent. Both women knew about each others' existence.
"How is Aiko Oba-chan? It has been a while since I last saw her?"
"Mum is good. She has been asking for Onee-chan recently."
"Help me tell Aiko Oba-chan that I will visit her next weekend."
"Sure! Mom will be happy to see you! I...hold on a minute Onee-chan, I need to talk to..."
"Hey guys, made way for the beauty!" Arika shouted. Natsuki rolled her eyes as she could hear Arika's voice loud and clear through the phone. "Our beauty, Fujino Shizuru is here! You sure have made us wait, Shizuru!"
Natsuki straightened up at the mentioned of the name. Shizuru? Fujino Shizuru? Fujino Takeda's younger sister?
"Ne, Onee-chan, sorry for the wait. Where were we just now?" Arika asked over the phone.
"Arika, I changed my mind. Where are you and your friends? I think I will join you."
"Yay~! Awesome Onee-chan! We are at the 419 Otome Club. Come join us. We will wait for you."
Natsuki's brows furrowed in disapproval as she slowly walked down a spiral staircase leading into 419 Otome Club. The metal music was too loud and whole place stank of all kinds of perfume. And surprisingly, the place was quite crowded for a Monday night.
As Natsuki maneuvered herself around the crowd, she saw Arika waving at her from a corner.
And just when she was nearing the seats occupied by Arika and her friends, a bouncer stopped her. "Sorry this is the VIP area. Unless you are a VIP member, or you are with a VIP member, you are not allowed to go beyond this area."
"Ara...would you be Arika's Onee-sama?" Natsuki heard a voice from her right and she turned and ….
To be continued…
A/N:
Alright...me and my itchy hands. Yes, I started another story….sigh...