AN: In this story, as you may have already noticed, there are changes with the characters' personalities especially with Tamahome.
Tamahome is the kind of guy with this bad boy image. I wanted to make a different kind of twist that's why I ended up making Tamahome have this rude and ruthless personality. It suits his looks after all, don't you think?
Chapter Two: Miss me, Miaka?
TEN years later.
"Miaka!" Nuriko screamed after entering the small office of their restaurant. They named it as "Bon Appétit", based from their specialty which is French cuisine.
The three of them belongs to a family of businessmen the reason why they want to prove they also have the so called "Midas' Touch" with no help and influence of their families. They established it right after they graduated from College, and since then, it had been one of the most reputable restaurants in Japan.
"You won't believe this, sweetie!" Nuriko was now a certified gay and proud of it. He looks feminine but still handsome. If only he decided to choose the manly path of life. "Guess who's coming back from the US of A after almost a lifetime?" he asked with exaggeration then sat on the chaise longue of the office.
"Uhmmm… Your ex-boyfriend?" Miaka joked.
"No! Be serious, Mi-chan." Nuriko looked at Yui sitting at her own desk while reading some important papers. "Give her a clue, Yui."
"Alright. The love of your life finally found his way back home. And as far as I know, he'll be already here by tomorrow."
"I don't have any idea with what you're talking about." Miaka said, acting as if she didn't get it.
Nuriko stood up from the couch and faced her. "Duhhh… Tamahome's coming home!" he said, grinning widely. "Remember, Tamahome? Yui's stepbrother? The guy you're obsessed with? The--"
"Stop that nonsense, Nuriko! The right words are "have been obsessed", not "you're obsessed". Past tense!" Then she turned her laptop on and tried to concentrate with the pile of paper works on her desk.
"Come on, Mi-chan. We all know how much you like Tamahome. We'll surely understand if you'll feel some kind of excitement anyway," Nuriko continued as if testing her.
Miaka just looked at the papers on her desk and pretended as if hearing nothing. Minutes passed and then wondered why Nuriko stopped. Nuriko has this great talent of continuous talking oblivious of his surroundings. She looked up and saw Nuriko and Yui staring at her. "What?" she asked defensively.
Yui set aside the papers she's holding and asked her a stunning question. "Do you still love him?'
"Oh, c'mon! Here we go again, guys." She almost yelled, already frustrated. "The guy dumped me, humiliated, and insulted me. And now the two of you are like expecting me to hop around after knowing his coming back? And the most pathetic thing here is you even asked me if I still love him!"
Yui smiled more because of her reaction. "My dear, you're so defensive. If that's really the case then, why didn't you have any boyfriend after that "barely out of your diapers"?"
"How many times will I explain that I still haven't found the guy that I really want? Final!"
"Or because you haven't seen the chap you want for ten years because he went to the US of A!" Nuriko teased again.
"Stop it, both of you! I don't care if Tamahome is coming back! Close discussion! Okay?"
"The end!" Yui and Nuriko replied as a duet, laughing at the way she looks.
More frustrated than ever, she went back to her desk and continued what she's doing earlier. Miaka tried very hard to get Tamahome out of her mind.
How can I ever get him out of my system? And after ten long years, he's coming back!
Her thoughts were interrupted as she realized she's thinking of the guy her mind refuses to think of.
Remember how much you hate him, Miaka!
She felt a twinge of the hurt she tried so hard to forget through the years. Flashback of memories started to play in her mind, remembering every detail, every single word Tamahome said on his birthday, the last day she saw him, and everything she did and went through just to make him pay attention to her.
God! How can I be so stupid?
"Hey, Miaka! What are you mumbling there? I didn't know you can turn into a bee whenever you want to." Yui said then walked to her desk and placed some papers. "This is the copy of the consumption versus actual plan for last month's supplies. You need this since last week, right?"
"Huh? Y-yeah. I need this to verify if we should increase our budget," she quickly answered trying to suppress her deep thoughts, avoiding Yui's eyes looking at her.
"Your mind is drifting off somewhere, sweetie," Yui said after some time. "Are you thinking of Tamahome?"
"N-no," she sternly said. She looked at Nuriko, hundred percent sure that he's going to react. "And don't you dare open that big mouth of yours, Nuriko."
Yui just laughed at Nuriko's face, looking very much afraid of Miaka, then went back to her desk. "By the way, the welcome back party will be on Saturday. Of course, the two of you are invited."
"I can read what's on you're mind, Mi-chan. I'm telling you, you can't miss the party. Auntie Yurika will feel bad if you're not going to be there." Nuriko reminded her.
Yurika Sou is Yui's mother, second wife of Tamahome's father, Amakuza Sou. Even without Nuriko saying it, she's well aware that their Auntie Yurika will really feel bad if she gets on with her sudden plan of not attending the party. The whole Sou family treats her and Nuriko as one of them. Except Tamahome!
She surprised them both by answering "I'll be there."
Yui and Nuriko just looked at each other with a teasing glint in their eyes.
She pretended as if everything was perfectly normal, but it seems that everything is an abstract of angry, nervousness, and somewhat happiness she can't admit openly even to her self.
MIAKA was standing in front of a full length mirror, making sure of her appearance for tonight's party. Her evening gown is a color of dark red contrasting her pearl white skin. With its Venus-cut, her left shoulder was left bare. Her back was bare, too, and the slit was high enough for men to drool. She looked sexy yet elegant.
"Wow! You look stunning, dear!" Nuriko exclaimed when he arrived at her condo.
"Thank you," she answered. Her confidence and self-esteem intensified even higher. She really exerted effort to make herself really beautiful for that night; a way, she thinks, that can make Tamahome realize she's not the little girl who used to follow him, the girl whom he insulted. She's now a grown-up woman that can have any man she wants.
"I'm sure Tamahome will be head over heels with you, Mi-chan. If you have just seen him last Friday! He's gorgeous! I almost dropped my, you know, when I saw him yesterday," Nuriko said, looking like a high school girl that saw its crush, after taking their seat on his wheels.
"Stop exaggerating. Behave and drive, Nuriko, or we might bump into an accident because of you."
"Just wait till you see him. I'm sure your salivary glands will have an overdrive! Even a shy and timid girl will learn how to flirt."
She just laughed at Nuriko's remark. She doesn't care on how Tamahome looks like after ten years.
I'll be much happier if he didn't come back!
The party has already started when they arrived. She looked around the extravagant setting of the welcoming back party for the heir of the Sou Banking Empire. The whole garden is decorated with different lightings. An orchestra band is on the other side of the pool, playing mellow classical music. Most of those who are invited are from the elite society, businessmen, socialites, famous personalities and many more.
"You're late. I thought you're going to prove you're a coward after all," Yui said.
"Of course not," she answered indignantly.
"Where is the handsome devil?" Nuriko asked.
"Well, he's making another set of his collection of women!" Yui laughed. "Every woman here, with the exception of me and my mom, wants to have a good look of him. Believe me, Mi-chan; he's like a million worth prize. See for yourself."
An hour already passed and still she hadn't seen Tamahome. Miaka entertained herself with a tête-à-tête with some of the socialites, holding a glass of champagne, while her eyes are searching for Tamahome.
"Hello, beautiful!" a voice called her attention. She looked back and saw Saihitei Hotohori Seishuku, owner of one of the biggest real estate companies in Japan.
She gave him a dazzling smile. "Hello yourself, stranger."
Hotohori is a handsome man in his twenty-six year old built and manly appearance, one of the most eligible bachelors in the country. He was one of her suitors from the past years, but then decided to be a friend of her after hinting that there's no hope for his courtship. She was a man-hater by reputation, her you-can-look-but-you-can't-have attitude scared Hotohori away.
"Where have you been lately?" she asked.
"Nagoya. The company purchased a land which is a potential for a mall or maybe a hotel," he explained while smiling at her. "Business and business, you know."
They shared different sums of stories as minutes slowly passed when Hotohori asked her for a dance. They were enjoying their second dance when a painfully familiar deep voice spoke behind her.
"Can I take this dance, Mr. Seishuku?"
She turned around, trying to make herself ready, fully expecting to see the same old handsome Tamahome. Only a gasp came out of her.
Yui and Nuriko were not exaggerating when they described Tamahome. "Handsome" was an understatement. He was breathtaking, mouthwatering, and knee-shakingly handsome!
She didn't almost hear Hotohori's answer while giving her hand to Tamahome.
No man should look this good! This is unfair!
Tamahome held her close, making her follow the flow of his movements. Seconds ticked and then he finally whispered in her ear.
"Miss me, Miaka?"
AN: Chapter Re-edited: May 19, 2010
I got the name of the trio's restaurant from "My Name is Kim Sam Soon."