A/N: Um, hello. :-) Thank you for reviewing! I'm really glad that it looks semi-interesting. I hope I don't disappoint. Enjoy!

Satoshi

Satoshi Hikari was not stupid. He knew very well just how empty his house was, especially on a night like tonight. He had told his butlers and maids to take a long weekend so he could have some time to himself before he suited up for yet another party. Really, he lived in a mansion. How much emptier could it get? Even when the butlers and maids were bustling about, doing chores, Satoshi still felt completely alone.

As he straightened and tightened the bow tie around his neck, he inspected himself in the mirror. The hair looked good, the glasses were centered on his nose, his posture upright, the dinner jacket fitting perfectly. He cleared his throat and nodded to himself, but involuntarily shivered at the echo that his minuscule grunt had created.

"Good evening, Master Hikari," his chauffeur greeted him as he walked out of his large and doubled front doors.

Satoshi nodded as a salutation. As always, the door was held open for him, and he climbed into the back of his stretch limo.

"Another party at the Minegawa residence?" the man asked as he settled into the driver's seat. He looked in the rear-view mirror to see his master nod again. "Well, that should be fun."

At this, Satoshi turned to look at his driver's reflection, incredulous. "You tell me that every time, Moto-san."

Moto smiled and shrugged. "Well, you never know, Master Hikari. Tonight could be the night."

As he began to drive down the road, Satoshi sighed and rested his head back against his seat. "You tell me that every time as well."

There were chandeliers. There was a small orchestra. There was an ice sculpture above the punch bowl, a throng of waiters and waitresses attending the guests, a chocolate fountain. There were hundreds of tables, gourmet meals, even a dance floor. He never much cared for balls... or meetings... or any sort of get-together, but he had to admit it: his company had done a hell of a job setting up.

It was a formal, multi-company meeting party, his boss had told him. It was a clever disguise to what the night was really about. Through the champagne glasses, and the toasts, and the congenial small talk, he could see what was really on people's minds. Man A wanted Man B's company, Man D wanted to get rid of his company due to bankruptcy, Man F wanted to practically take over the world with his company. And Man Z, which was him, was pretty much selling himself.

Another, bigger, higher-up company had realized his potential and his talents, and they were looking for him to switch positions. Of course his boss didn't mind, because he wanted money, and with him being the employee in mind, there was a lot to gain.

"Ah! Hikari-san, there you are!"

Satoshi grimaced when he heard his boss' voice. Soon enough, a big, clumsy hand had been clapped over his shoulder, and he was being steered violently towards a specific group of males.

"I was looking for you, my boy. These men right here have been waiting to meet you."

Being a detective and head of police force, Satoshi could tell right away who the alpha-male was. The tall man with dark hair that slightly fell over his blue eyes. He was intimidating, but Satoshi Hikari was never intimidated. He gave a small bow and extended his hand.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Hikari Satoshi," the man said to him, impressed. He shook his hand with a firm grip. Then the man smiled, and Satoshi could see why he was the boss. He was strong with work, but also very much a people person. He had a charm about him, something that made people flock all around. He seemed a very agreeable man.

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied with no voice inflection.

"Tell us, Hikari-san," a fat man beside him said. "What are your strengths as a businessman?"

"I get the job done," he stated. At this, the men laughed, but Satoshi didn't even crack a smile. He never understood why people found that humorous. All he was doing was being honest. Noticing his lack of pleasantness, the men around him quieted.

Minegawa-san didn't, but merely patted his shoulder. "Ah, Hikari-san here is very successful at what he does, you know? He's never late, always early. He never takes no for an answer, always managing to secure some sort of deal that never fails to benefit us. Right, Hikari?"

This was nauseating. He felt like he was being sold like a car, which was not in the least enjoyable. He was about to excuse himself from the conversation, but the head of the group, who's name he had learned was Kimoto, spoke up.

"How is the wife, Hikari-san?" he asked conversationally.

Satoshi stiffened. "Excuse me?"

"Your wife? How is she?" Kimoto asked again, his questions with good intention.

"... I don't have a wife." He flinched a bit as his current boss elbowed his side. Satoshi cast a glare in his direction. Of course his boss would be behind this. Creating lies to secure his chance at his money.

"Eh, what Hikari means is that he doesn't have a wife yet," Minegawa explained for him, as if he was a mere puppet. "Hasn't popped the question yet, see?" The men around laughed and joked and made comments about his "love life."

"You should do that soon," Kimoto said earnestly. "From what Minegawa-san says, you two are very fond of each other."

Satoshi saw his boss squirm under his gaze. "... I suppose we like each other a good deal."

Minegawa, happy for a subject change, spotted a waiter nearby and waved for him to come over. "Well, who's in the mood for some of this food?"

Two hours had passed and Satoshi felt like he was a prostitute. With every new person he met, his boss accompanied him. With every conversation, Minegawa made him sound like a "valuable asset that any company was lucky to have." It was sickening. At the last minute, while Minegawa had to make a small toast to all those who had attended his party, Satoshi managed to slip away.

He walked briskly out of the large estate, looking around for his chauffeur. It was getting late, the party was nearing its end, and Satoshi wanted to get the hell out. He would hound his boss on another day. Right then, he just wanted to sleep, or work, or read. Damn it, anything to occupy his mind.

"Hikari-san, congrats on the wife!" A colleague of his said, coming up behind him and patting his shoulder. Satoshi was jolted forward, but he composed himself and readjusted his glasses while the man spoke. "It's a good thing you found yourself a girl, too. I heard Kimoto really likes sociable men." He chuckled and nudged Satoshi, as if they were bonding. "We were beginning to think the worst."

Satoshi wasn't sure if he was supposed to be offended or not. "Yes, well... I suppose it is time I found myself a young woman to spend time with." He sighed, feeling pathetic. "It was going to happen eventually."

"Oh, of course, Hikari-san, of course," his co-worker said patting his back roughly once more. "We all knew that a bright girl would fall for you soon enough. We were just worried about you."

"Me?"

"Yes! We thought that-" The man's laughter died down and he trailed off. Satoshi watched him from the corner of his eye. "Eh... well, it's getting late."

Before he walked away, Satoshi reached out and grabbed him. The man looked a bit startled. "You thought what?"

The man gulped. "Nothing, my boy! Nothing! I just-"

"What was everyone thinking?" he pressed, anger bubbling in his stomach.

The man looked reluctant and annoyed as he pushed Satoshi's hand off of his arm. "Don't be so sore, Hikari. The ladies of the office just tend to chatter about this and that. They were... absurdly joking about how you must have been... how you must be swaying... that way..."

Satoshi felt his hand ball into fists. "They thought I was a homosexual?!"

"Well, it's not their fault, Hikari," the man said. "They're women. And it's not as if your behavior didn't fuel the fire, if you know what I mean."

"I'm afraid I don't," Satoshi replied coolly. It was then that he finally recognized his driver and bid his co-worker farewell.

"Did you have a good night, Master Hikari?" Moto asked as he opened the car door for him.

"No." He said calmly despite the fact that he was infuriated. He stopped, though, pausing in thought. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a couple 10,000 yen bills from his wallet. He took Moto's hand in his and curled his fingers around the bill. "Moto-san, take the weekend off."

Moto was shocked. "B-but, Master Hikari-"

"It's alright. Just take the car back to the house and go home. Spend time with your family."

"Oh, I-I don't have much of a family, Master Hikari," Moto said, taking the money and folding it carefully. "Just a girl is all..."

"Then spend some time with her," Satoshi said, patting his driver on the shoulder. "I'll see you on Monday."

Moto nodded dumbly, closing the back door to the limo and clutching the bills of money. He paused before clambering into the driver's seat, looking back at his boss. "Uh... Master Hikari... how are you getting home?"

A following two hours later, Satoshi arrived at his house. Though it was only a few miles from his boss' house, it was quite a-ways to walk. He was sweating, actually, which was a slight annoyance. As he entered his house and hung up his bow tie and black jacket on the banister to the stairs, he made a mental note to ask a maid to dry-clean his dinner suit for him on Monday.

Though he had gone over just how he would settle this matter with his boss, Satoshi was still angry.

But he'd be damned if he didn't turn this situation around.

He walked into the kitchen area (which is different from the dining area, remember that), and picked up the phone. He dialed the number without hesitation, not even thinking that he might regret it later. Of course there was an operator to ask which one would take the long-distant call charges, and Satoshi, as always, took responsibility of that. As the phone on the other line rang, he was surprised that he had actually remembered the number.

"Hello?"

"I need to speak with Harada Risa, please." He waited a moment, but was startled when the operator came back on.

"The other member has disconnected the phone call," she said. "It hasn't been long enough to charge, though. Would you like me to connect you again?"

"Yes... yes, please. Thank you." Why had she just hung up on him? Did she know it was him? Was she really that angry with him? Did she-?

"Hello?"

"I... need to speak with Harada Risa, please." Her reaction was unexpected.

"Sorry, but if you're trying to sell something, you're wasting your time and mine."

"No... no, I'm not a telemarketer." He almost thought it humorous that her first impression of him after such a long time was that he was a telemarketer. "This is Hikari Satoshi. Harada-san and I are old friends. May I speak with her please?"

And, as if they had just spoken yesterday, little Miss Risa Harada perked up. It was amazing how he still got chills when she called him: "Satoshi-kun?"

A/N: How am I doing?