Hello dear, dear beloved readers~~~ I need some help! I wanted to know... do you guys want Kaneshiro Yuuichi in this story too? I'm wondering if maybe using the same OC too many times might be weird haha.
You can choose- Should Yahiro be jealous of someone in this story? If so, then should it be...
1) Kaneshiro Yuuichi
2) a new OC (and if you want this, then describe what kind of person... or just say you want another OC and I'll try other types of guys tehehe).
3) nobody (but this last option will make me sad, since I like the idea of a jealous Yahiro hehe).
Leave a comment in the reviews, and I'll decide based on the number of votes!
Anyways, here's a new chapter of this story. Hope you enjoy!
Yahiro laid in bed, staring at the locket as it played the tune he had been listening to repeatedly.
What song is this…?
No matter how many times he heard it, it just didn't sound familiar at all. He let out an exasperated sigh as someone knocked on his bedroom door.
"Yes?"
The door opened and Yahiro nearly fell off the bed.
"Chitose?! Oh… right…"
Chitose shook his head. "Onii-sama… you really don't remember the past six months?"
"…seeing as how I thought you were still at business camp, yes, apparently," Yahiro said wryly. Chitose hesitated.
"So… So you don't remember… you don't remember the grandma?"
Yahiro raised an eyebrow. "Grandma? Our grandmother lives in Hokkaido."
Chitose's jaw dropped.
"…Onii-sama…"
"What?" he said in annoyance. The younger brother paused, and then shook his head.
"Wh- Why don't we throw you a party?"
"What for?" Yahiro asked boredly as he lay back on the bed.
"Well… it… you were in the hospital."
Yahiro suddenly noticed the rather teary sound of Chitose's voice.
"…oi. Are you crying?"
"N- No!" Chitose quickly bit his lip and smiled. "I just… I'm just relieved that Onii-sama's okay."
Yahiro rolled his eyes. "Do as you want."
Chitose left, shoulders slumped, passing a maid who brought a message.
"Yahiro-sama… your parents wish to speak with you."
"Hmm…?" Yahiro sat up in bed and took the phone the maid presented him with. It was probably too much to wish that they had heard of his accident and wanted to check on him.
"Fire that maid as soon as you hang up, she took too long getting the phone to you."
Yes… they were definitely not in a concerned mood.
"What is it, Mother?" Yahiro asked in exasperation as he leaned back on the headboard.
"Yahiro, in five minutes, the family tailor is going to hand-deliver one of his finest Italian suits to you. You must wear it and go to Magique Restaurant tonight."
"Why?" he said rather crankily.
…
Yahiro nearly dropped the phone at his mother's announcement. His parents were definitely not calling to check on him after all.
Yahiro rather grumpily exited the back of his limousine (after the accident, he wasn't really in the mood to drive for a while). He sighed as he straightened his suit, and then entered the fancy French restaurant, his expression melting into a flawless mask of politeness. The minute he entered, he immediately knew who his dinner partner was to be.
"Kurono Shiori-san?"
The woman was exceedingly beautiful, with dark, shimmering hair in a French twist, her blue eyes sharp and the color of well-polished sapphires. She was draped in a long, scarlet dress that emphasized her perfect S-line and almost seemed to be dripping money, a shining string of pearls adorning her slender neck. She was the perfect image of wealth and beauty.
"Saiga Yahiro-san," she nodded in kind.
"I apologize for the wait."
"Not at all," she said graciously. He took his menu and, after ordering the lobster, turned his attention to her.
"So… my parents have told me that you are my potential bride," he said bluntly. She laughed delicately, covering her mouth with a perfectly manicured hand.
"Yes… my parents have told me that as well."
Yahiro released a huff of breath.
"And your thoughts?"
She raised a well-groomed eyebrow.
"Why, Saiga-san… I am certainly open to the prospect of marriage."
"Are you now?"
"The Kurono company would benefit greatly from the Saiga company's help," she smiled. Yahiro nodded, his face a perfect mask.
"That is very true," was all he said simply before the waiter returned with his lobster and Shiori's foie gras.
The two ate in silence and Yahiro had to secretly stab himself in the thigh under the table with his fork lest he fall asleep.
What a boring dinner partner… ah, well. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad marrying her. Lots of boring dinners, but at least the companies will benefit.
With that thought, they finished their meals, before exiting the restaurant.
"May I walk you to your car?" he offered, ever the gentleman (as if, he just needed to check to make sure her limousine wasn't longer than his own).
"No, thank you," she declined graciously (it wasn't).
"Well, good night," he bowed, and made his way to his own limo.
…I guess marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be, he thought rather wryly as he slid into his expensive vehicle. Then again, Mother and Father's marriage isn't exactly all that joyous.
He sighed as he rolled down the window.
Well… at least it'll leave Akira alone.
\?/
"What's it look like?" Chitose asked, face red as he glared in embarrassment. "It's an invitation to Onii-sama's 'Welcome Back from the Hospital' party."
\...Chitose-kun…/
"I… I still think Onii-sama could do better," Chitose stuck his nose in the air. "You have no idea how many women have been trying to catch him."
\Yes, I do./ Megumi smiled, a tad bitterly.
"Saiga-kuuuuun!"
"Ehhh, who's this? Your little sister?"
"How cuuuute! Who's this little girl here?"
"Awww... does this little girl have a crush on you, Saiga-kun? Don't go breaking her heart now!"
Chitose immediately regretted his sentence and coughed.
"But… But out of all of them… I guess if it's you, 'baa-chan…" he mumbled, face hidden in order for her to not see his reddening face (which she caught sight of anyways). She smiled at him.
\Chitose-kun really cares about Yahiro, ne?/
"I mean… it's just… Onii-sama… Onii-sama used to smile at me," he muttered, trying not to look too upset.
\?/
"When he was going out with you!" he snapped in frustration. "Geez… are you really going to make me say it in detail? It's just… Onii-sama… Onii-sama was human when you were with him. Now… he's gone back to plotting weird ways to get Akira to talk to him."
Megumi lowered her head, and Chitose hastily waved his hands in the air.
"Geez, there is seriously no right way to say this! Anyways, make sure you come! And… And make sure to look nice."
Megumi nodded happily, looking ecstatic. At least she had Chitose on her side too.
But this sort of thing was going to take some planning.
\Um… Sakura-chan…/
"Hmm?"
\Why is there mud on my face…?/
Sakura waved a hand in the air, her own face plastered in green muck. "Trust me, Megumi-chan, this stuff makes your skin glow. And make sure you don't move, Reika-san can't do your nails perfectly otherwise."
Megumi sighed as she kept her hand still for the manicurist.
The hairstylist behind her was nodding and muttering to himself as he used a brush to untangle her long hair while splitting it at certain parts.
"Now… what kind of dress were you wearing that made Yahiro stop dead in his tracks when he saw you?" Sakura asked eagerly as she stuck her foot out for the pedicure.
\...Yahiro never stopped dead./
"…" Sakura inhaled sharply. "Never?"
\Well… there was one time… but then he laughed and said I wasn't meant for such a mature dress./ Megumi's mood lowered just thinking about it. She expected Sakura to be as disappointed, but to her surprise, the pink-haired Ushikubo simply nodded in satisfaction.
"Got it."
By the end of the night, Megumi's heart was pounding as she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror.
"If this doesn't stop Yahiro in his tracks," Sakura said in satisfaction. "Nothing else will."
Megumi shyly turned to her.
"Sakura-chan… thank you!"
"Now, now, don't use your voice," she scolded. "Yahiro would have my head if he knew."
Megumi simply smiled.
\I'm glad Sakura-chan is on my side./
"I'm on both of your sides," Sakura corrected. "The Yahiro I know would be furious if he knew that I wasn't trying to help him set him up with his girlfriend."
\...he doesn't know./
"One more time?" Sakura said brightly, expression unchanging.
\...I didn't tell Yahiro I was his girlfriend./
…
…
…
…
…
"…why not?!" Sakura's shocked scream rang through the Ushikubo mansion. Megumi cringed and hurriedly scrawled down her answer.
\Because Yahiro is still in love with Akira!/
"…that's… that's-!"
\I don't want to hurt Yahiro when he's like this. I just want…/
Megumi paused in her writing, and then slowly continued.
\I just want to be close to him and make him fall in love with me naturally. All over again./
Sakura sighed. "Are you sure? I could get my bodyguards to grab him and force him to go out with you."
Megumi laughed nervously, remembering Sakura's… methods of getting Jun to fall for her.
\That's okay. I will do my best to make Yahiro's feelings for me genuine!/
"Do the Special A members know?"
Megumi nodded. Sakura sighed in resignation.
"Well… it's your choice. Good luck."
Megumi carefully hugged her friend, smiling happily, although on the inside, she was beginning to feel a little worried.
"Come on in," Chitose greeted the group as soon as they had parked their vehicles. He indicated towards the front doors, where the inside was clearly gleaming. "There's only about fifty people… I was trying to keep it a small gathering."
"Small gathering?!" Hikari's eyes widened. She doubted fifty people could fit into her house, much less come over for a party.
Chitose caught sight of Megumi, and then nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. You took my advice."
Megumi smiled at him. She was wearing a long, pure white gown of silk, the sleeves smoothly flowing down to her elbows. Two glittering diamond hairpins kept her hair tightened near the nape of her neck, then expanded into her flowing, wavy hair, rolling down her back like a shining river of honey.
Sakura had kept her make-up light, only a little blush and lip gloss. If Yahiro didn't like her mature look… then innocence would be her image. Megumi took a deep breath, then looked up at the grand residence.
Yahiro… please…
Special A and Sakura entered together, trailing behind Chitose. From his balcony, Yahiro gazed at them in boredom, his glance sweeping over them, then passing around the other guests.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
His eyes widened in surprise as he grabbed his chest.
What… What is this?
For a brief second, he actually panicked, wondering if this was some sort of side effect of the accident, but after realizing he heart had simply quickened and he wasn't in pain, he calmed down.
Because I looked at the Special A group…?
His eyes returned… and he caught sight of Akira. She was holding hands with Tadashi, and he simply stared.
He felt… exasperation. Anger. Nostalgia.
But the Toudou heiress was clearly not the reason his heart had sped up.
His eyes trailed from Kei… to Hikari… to Ryuu… to Megumi… to Ju-
His eyes widened. There was no doubt about it.
His heart was speeding up for Yamamoto Megumi. She admittedly looked wonderful tonight, refreshing in an angelic way, her outfit pure and innocent. He suddenly realized he had been holding his breath, and he quickly released it. As he continued to stare at her, he realized, with some trepidation, that his heart was starting to hurt after all.
What is going on? I'm not attracted to Yamamoto Megumi.
Still… the pain in his chest wouldn't go away until he finally looked elsewhere. He made a mental note to find out his relationship with her, before he walked downstairs and began to greet guests.
\I'm going to get something to drink./
"Okay… I'll come with you," Ryuu said. She nodded and the two headed over to the refreshments table.
\Look, Ryuu-nii! They have strawberry punch!/ Megumi smiled happily as she picked up a cup. Ryuu chuckled.
"Of course… Megumi loves strawberry-flavored things, huh?"
Not as much as Yahiro does, she silently giggled, before taking a sip of the sweet red drink. Without warning, some sloshed down her front.
"Oh!"
The man who had accidentally bumped into her from behind immediately backed away, eyes wide.
"I- I'm so sorry!" he apologized immediately, bowing. Ryuu glared at him.
"You…"
\It's okay, Ryuu-nii!/
She smiled reassuringly at the man, trying to hide her dismay as he ran to the end of the table to grab napkins. She set down the cup, no longer in the mood for the delicious punch.
This was such an expensive dress too… and it's so white… I don't know if the stain's going to come out.
"Wait here," Ryuu instructed. "I'm going to the bathroom to get you some wet paper towels."
She nodded, inwardly sighing as Ryuu left. After a few seconds, the man who had bumped into her returned, holding a fistful of napkins. He inhaled sharply as he saw the pink stain spreading on Megumi's front. He took a napkin and reached out for the stain.
"I really am sorry, miss. Are you o-?"
Megumi suddenly felt someone grab her arm, and she practically flew as something blurred in front of her.
What… What…?
The room fell quiet as everyone turned their attention to what had just happened. Yahiro's eyes widened.
What am I doing…? Why…?
Ryuu emerged from the bathroom with wet paper towels, gazing around in confusion.
He blinked in surprise as he saw the scenario everyone was focusing on. Yahiro was protectively standing in front of Megumi, shielding her as he glared at the shocked man, whose hand was still outstretched with a napkin. Even Yahiro, however, looked very disturbed about what we had just done.
"What is Saiga-kun doing…?"
"Whoa… what just happened?"
"I've never seen anyone move so fast!"
Sakura and Chitose secretly exchanged low-fives as they watched the scene unfold.
Megumi couldn't help the warm feeling in her chest as she saw the back of her protector.
Yahiro…
The warm feeling vanished rather quickly as Yahiro swiftly released her arm, his brain rapidly trying to come up with some excuse.
"If you're going to be doing something inappropriate with a stranger," he sneered at her. "Take it outside, would you, Yamamoto?"
Megumi took a step back, and for some strange reason, Yahiro felt his chest clench uncomfortably when he saw the hurt expression in her eyes.
"Excuse me," the man said quickly. "It was never anything like that… I accidentally spilled some juice on this woman, and simply wanted to wipe it off. I apologize for doing something rude in your house, Saiga-kun."
"Well, if it's just that," Yahiro said offhandedly. "I suppose I overreacted. My mistake."
The guests eventually turned their attention back to their gossip and mingling as Yahiro strode away, trying to hide the spinning in his head.
What the hell just happened? he raged to himself loudly. You could have seriously offended a potential business partner!
What was it about Yamamoto Megumi that made him so… so…
Yahiro wasn't sure what it was, but when he had seen the man reaching for Megumi's body, something hot and furious had surged through him, and his legs had run before his brain had.
He wasn't sure what this feeling was, but he didn't like it. It was making him look like a fool. He needed a distraction… and he had just the thing.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention."
The room quieted as they turned to look at the Saiga heir. Megumi had attempted to clean the stain with the wet paper towel Ryuu had brought her. It hadn't done much, but it was noticeably lighter, which was a relief.
Yahiro's eyes swept over the crowd, before he raised his voice once again.
"I have an important announcement to make," he said clearly as Chitose gazed at his older brother in confusion.
"Onii-sama…?" he muttered quietly. Yahiro hadn't mentioned anything about this before the party. Yahiro walked through the crowd and Megumi felt her heart beat faster as he walked towards her.
Yahiro…?
He walked even closer… then passed her without bothering to give her a second glance. Megumi blinked, then turned to watch him walk up to an elegantly dressed woman in deep mauve. He bent to kiss her hand as she gave the audience a rather satisfied smile.
"My parents have recently informed me that a new company is in the process of being made, one of potential greatness and success. However, for this company's stability, I met with someone who would not only be great partner for business, but for lifelong reasons as well."
The room erupted in murmurs as Yahiro clasped the gorgeous woman's hand.
"May I introduce Kurono Shiori…"
Megumi's eyes widened, a sick feeling coming into her stomach. Somehow, she didn't think she was going to like the second part of Yahiro's sentence.
"…my future bride."