The story is now on its second chapter! Hurrah!

Official Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D'Oro or any of its characters. The story that you're about to read is in no way connected to the original plot, which I also DO NOT OWN.

*AU setting just to bring things out of high school for a bit ;)*

Title: Red Lace

Chapter 2: The Fateful Night

[O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O]

Manami headed for her closet and dug in. After rejecting a few cocktail dresses and retrying old skirts, she settled for the never-been-used strapless navy evening gown she had on her racks. The dress had a sweetheart neckline that showed off her bare shoulders and the pleated bodice accentuated her topmost curves. The empire waist design and sparkling beaded accents complimented her height as the skirt draped beautifully to the floor with a loose fit. With a couple dangling earrings and a diamond-encrusted bracelet, Manami knew she was ready to go.

She slipped her soft feet into a chic pair of strapped heels and started buckling them down when her phone vibrated beside her. Hopes of Aoi's mind finally clearing up to see just how much of a doll she was filled her mind. But alas, it was the enemy. Dare she have the nerve?

Manami, I'm sorry for everything that happened this week. I feel terrible.

Now that you're through rattling up the drawers in his office the whole week, you finally feel remorse? Manami remarked just before she received another message.

Is there any way I could make it up to you? Please answer back.

No, won't. Honestly, why was she even trying so hard to make it seem like she cared? She was a week delayed with her apology.

I didn't mean to do it. It was his fault. Please just talk to me. Ring me back, okay?

Manami threw her phone back inside her purse and finished up buckling her heels. With the way that she was pleading, Manami started to think that she could've been a better boyfriend. No matter how many times her phone rang and vibrated alternatively, she really didn't have a care left. Her "friend" can apologize all she wants but she's not getting an answer. Not now, not ever.

She reached for the television controller and turned her fifty-five inch plasma screen on, just in time for the 6 o'clock news. That ought to blur out the sounds her phone was making against the velvet interior of her purse. She listened with half an ear on as she worked on her face. The news went through the feature stories first and eventually worked its way out towards the business news.

Manami was in the middle of trying to perfect that clean foxy look with her eyeliner when the latest news broke out, making her smudge the line she just made under her right eye. She turned and paid more attention to what the news anchor was saying.

Aoi Kaji, head of the Kaji-Clip Corporate Group, faces his biggest crisis yet as HC Corporations rises from its former spot as seventh at the stock market. The game play shown by HC Corp for the past couple of months has earned the conglomerate itself a position as the second most successful and progressive corporation in Japan today.

Manami felt a twist of happiness bubble up inside of her. Karma knew its way around but it specifically made a detour and quickly hit Aoi good. She turned around with pride and grinned at her cosmetics before looking up at the mirror. Maybe a simple shadow inwards would be better than that dirty fox look. She quickly removed her eye makeup and restarted with a big smile plastered on her pink lips. Aoi Kaji was going to be sorry he didn't beg on his knees a week ago.

[O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O]

Right on time, Ryoutaro Tsuchiura emerged handsomely from the double doors, suit lying crisp on his well-built frame. It would've been better to arrive fashionably late but he couldn't bear leaving a deep mark on his home's hardwood floor any longer. Since a couple of hours ago, he'd begun pacing back and forth, replaying his plan through his head and thought of the necessary precautions to his made-up obstacles. It finally hit him that he had to be there before Len if he wanted to catch Kahoko's attention first.

The place looked like it was taken right out of some royalty's castle. The ballroom provided a classically elegant Georgian style atmosphere for anyone who entered it. Big crystal chandeliers, gorgeous Corinthian columns, cornice embellishments with intricate moldings... and a terrace room right above! Tsuchiura smiled and played out his game as he gazed around the interiors. This place was perfect for when he'd retell their love story to their grandchildren.

Ryoutaro was just about to call on a waiter for a glass of champagne when he heard a familiar voice call him from behind. "Tsuchiura-san!" He knew this voice too well. "Ryou!"

Lo and behold, the great Len Tsukimori proved himself as an intrusion to his deep thoughts about the future. Ryou thought about heading for the men's room but Len walked quickly towards him and took his hand for a hard handshake. "How are you?" Ryou asked as he hoped desperately that Len wouldn't try to keep the conversation going. He really needed to be as far away from him as possible just in case Kahoko shows up anytime soon.

"I'm great!" Len replied enthusiastically, grimacing at the sight of his friend. Ryou wondered what he could possibly want. "I was hoping to run into you. Congratulations on the successful market hike!" Ryou smiled politely at his friend's praise and bowed his head in humility. Len did say it like he meant it so there's no harm in taking the praise in.

The blue-haired man placed his hands in his pockets and looked around, nodding his head at a couple of businessmen that walked past them. Silence prevailed. Ryou basked in the awkwardness of the situation. Len knew he was interested in Kahoko and he knew just how to snag her away. They were friends, true, but whenever the topic concerned the redhead, friendly competition never fails to make its way up the surface.

"So hey," Len managed to kick them both back into conversation, "have you seen Hino-san anywhere?" he asked. A waiter offered a tray of scotch, a drink Ryou wouldn't pass on for anything at a time like this. "No, I haven't," he answered back and grabbed a glass for him and Len, the latter politely rejecting the drink. He meant to place it back on the tray when the waiter had already found his way across the room.

"You're still friends, right?" Len threw him another question while he wondered where to place the extra glass he took. He looked silly holding two glasses of scotch. He nodded in response to his friend's question and looked around for another waiter to give it to.

Len smiled and looked around once more. "Good. That's what she told me, too. You're practically what she liked to call her 'Big Brother'." Ryou snapped his head back to face his friend. He could sense that he meant to imply that Kahoko and he were nothing more than friends now. That was a sharp move. The bastard casually had his eyes circulate the room even as he stood before him. He knew what Len was looking for. He better find it before he does.

"So as practically her big brother, you wouldn't mind if I take her out on a date, right?" The blue-haired man asked with his pearly white teeth blinding him. The bastard was burning him up inside, knowing that he wouldn't dare make a scene here. He played out well.

Manning up, Ryou took a step forward and played with his scotch a bit, grinning at the ground before looking up to face his friend. "I wouldn't mind if you take her out," he replied, "but don't be upset if she puts you off. She's very serious about her work. Seeing as the business just reached the platform, I reckon she won't have much time for flings."

The way Len's brows escalated told him that he'd step on his pride but he still kept his smile on. "Well, I've got to try. She's one hell of a woman and I don't think I'll have the chance to meet someone like that again in this lifetime." And with that, Len walked off past him, approaching a redheaded angel awaiting his arrival. She was truly a vision in her blue off-shoulder dress. Kahoko waved a hand at him as Len claimed his place by her side. Ryou couldn't do much but smile back and raise a scotch glass before heading for the bar. They looked perfect.

"Tonight, I drink," he muttered to himself with false enthusiasm as he sat on a bar stool and ordered his first tall glass of Long Island Iced Tea.

[O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O]

In between all the music and merriment, Manami spun around and halted as she faced Kahoko, cheeks flushed as she smiled.

"Are you sure this isn't your party? You look absolutely stunning!" Kahoko complimented her; something she didn't always do in special occasions. She kind of always expected Manami to look good but on nights that she looked spectacular, she couldn't just let giving her a compliment slide.

It felt flattering to be complimented by the host of the party but Manami was hoping to get compliments from someone else other than her friend. She hasn't fully admitted it to herself yet but the real reason why she was present in the event was because she was hoping to find somebody to fill in Kaji's position. Someone young, someone rich, and someone with as much integrity as her father.

Manami Mori may have blended into the corporate crowd for the last five years but that certainly did nothing to erase her glamorous background. Anyone who was anyone knew who she was and where she came from. Her blonde hair and brilliant teal eyes distinguished her as the daughter of Daisuke Mori, head of the Mori Financial Group. Manami had always been pampered ever since she was small. She was given nothing less than perfect and it reflected off of her. Being the youngest and only daughter of Daisuke and Hikaru Mori, she was most protected and blessed.

Her fortune ended five years ago when she met Aoi during graduation. He was a business major and she graduated with a degree in Fine Arts. They were introduced by Kahoko during their graduation party and things kind of took off between them since that night. Poor Manami didn't know then that he belonged to his father's least favorite colleague. She fell in love before she even had the chance to think about it and fought for their love, no matter how young and fresh it was at that time. As a result, her father cut her off the inheritance.

She had seven older brothers, none of which could help her get back into her father's good graces. Daisuke Mori made it firm and clear that he wasn't going to recognize her as his daughter until she lets go of her silly affair with Aoi Kaji. Standing her ground, Manami swore that she wasn't going to come back under his care even if things between she and Aoi ended.

And now here she was regretting everything she said that night.

Manami looked around her as Kahoko was greeted by one of her friends from work. Groups of sophisticated (but doubtingly "young") expensively clad woman congregated around the fully-stocked bar beside the city view while richly suited men kept their drinks filled. The room was filled with what only Manami could distinguish as something from Beethoven's merry book of symphonies, played by a world-class orchestra situated at the flat ground in between the grand staircase. The drinks were sublime and good talk was circling around; she rated this party a 9/10.

A waiter lowered his tray of éclairs in front of her, asking if she wanted one. The pastries looked delicious but she had to decline this time. The amount of rich chocolate that bathed the crunchy biscuit made it look appetizing enough but the dessert itself reeked of alcohol. She wasn't sure if it were the fresh cherries or the toxic chocolate but something was really off with the tray.

Or him, Manami rethought her judgment as she spotted a tall lad with green hair walking funny just a few feet away. He could barely open his eyes and his tie was undone. The night was young and he obviously got drunk too early. He needed serious help in getting sober if he wanted to survive the rest of the party. Grabbing an éclair from the tray and quickly thanking the waiter, Manami dashed towards the group of old men he just passed (tripped) by but the green-haired lad was gone the moment she surfaced in the middle of the ballroom.

Manami tried to unearth the smell of alcohol over the mixed scents the young ladies nearby were wearing. The scent of Paris Hilton's new perfume and the stench of alcohol only had very little difference. It got harder to follow the lad's trail the moment she got out of the crowd and near the large doorway. Poor thing must've taken a cab home already to clear his head out.

Manami sighed and stared at the éclair on her hand. At least she still had food to comfort her. She meant to give it to him but whatever. She softly bit through the biscuit and finished it within seconds. It was terrific. The chocolate biscuit danced with her senses that it convinced her that eating it was the one best thing that happened to her in her entire life. She just had to have more of that. Quickly scanning the crowd for Kahoko, Manami spotted the redhead near the ice sculptures and instantly made her way towards her.

Kahoko looked worriedly at Tsuchiura as he downed yet another drink; his seventh one for the past half hour. Something was troubling him and she really wanted to sit down to listen but she was busy hosting the party. Len was already entertaining the few people she couldn't handle and it would be too much if she asked him to walk over Ryou to ask if he was okay. She needed another hand to help her with him.

"Kaho-chan," Manami sprung up behind her just when she was considering having one of the waiters check on Ryou. "Do you think I could snoop over to the plaza's kitchen and bag home some of those chocolate biscuits they're floating around? I think I've fallen in love with them," she said with a sheepish smile on her face.

Kahoko excused herself from her guests and grabbed Manami by the arm as they approached the bar. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interfere!" Manami apologized, thinking that Kahoko was pulling her outside for a little talk about respect. Kahoko rolled her eyes and laughed, stopping beside a wall at the side of the bar that hid them from the drunkards and plastic social dolls. "I'm not mad at you, silly," she said, waving her hand dismissively in the air as if waving her laughter off. Manami looked confused.

The redhead peeked at the bar and pulled her close. Nothing much to see here, Manami thought. Kahoko, spotting her target, pointed at him discreetly. "I need your help in keeping that man over there seated until I finish up the night. His name is Ryoutaro Tsuchiura, head of HC Corporations," she explained before pushing them both back in hiding.

"HC Corporations?" Manami asked as she peeked again. The drunken man she saw earlier was the man who would soon bring Aoi down on his knees. "We all know he's a bit too young to be playing with the big boys but yes, he is the head of HC Corporations," Kahoko elaborated with a tone that made her sound like she's been explaining that to everyone she met that night. The blonde blinked and observed his condition. He was drunk and his hair was tousled. The black tie hanging around his neck was undone and his dress shirt was unbuttoned at the top.

He had no ring on his finger, so he couldn't be drinking because of marriage complications. He wasn't smiling either; he wasn't drinking just for the sake of it and that was good. His whole look shouted trouble… the kind that attracted most of the plastic socialites around him. They were about a foot away from him on both sides, pretending to talk to one another when they all gave him skeptical but flirtatious looks every five seconds. "He's blinded drunk."

"I know, I know. He's always like that. It's a habit of his," Kahoko clarified the man's image more to her blonde friend. "He's also the guy that keeps on calling me and asking me out to dinner dates," she resigned. She didn't want to say it but it might help catch Manami's attention. True enough, she retorted and gasped. "He's a dreamboat! You should go have that dinner with him!" Manami encouraged her friend, believing that she was pulled all the way there just to be told this secret.

"He's also like my big brother so…" Kahoko hopped lightly on her feet and pleaded quietly. She was obviously hurrying to get back to her colleagues at the other end of the room. "I can handle it, don't worry. Go on back to your marketing world and kick ass," Manami rolled her eyes and pushed Kahoko towards the ice sculptures. The redhead turned around with a grateful smile on her face, mouthed a thank you, and walked towards her colleagues across the room.

That's that, Manami dusted her hands and twirled around. Now to have a talk with Mr. HC Corporations…

I was contemplating on whether to write the whole night in one chapter or divide it into two and I figured it'll be easier to read if I diced them up :D

Let me know what you think so far and hit me up with reviews! :D