A/N: We finally have a chapter from Akagi's POV! Enjoy!
The cover image of this story is created by the awesome Mac Artur on pixiv (or Geryonnyx on tumblr) and used with permission. Do check out their pixiv if you want to see a bigger version of the art!
Chapter 4
To achieve this top position, I believed I possessed a certain set of communication skills.
Pleasant, charming, professional; those are the three principles that I always hold true.
It became increasingly clear that I was made to become a leader.
I worked tirelessly, appealed to so many people, poured so much of my time and life to my projects...
There was not a single person who could resist me, or have any sort of real influence over me.
I quickly fit in with the most powerful people in this business, gathering admiration from both my peers and superiors.
I did almost everything perfectly, following every social cue to the tiniest detail. I knew just the right time to stay long enough as to not leave any events and meetings in indecent haste, but not too long that I started to be seen as an insistent pest.
It came naturally for me, and I was satisfied with that.
Obviously I also received accusations that I was unrightfully ingratiating myself with the members of certain social circles, but people gave more love to me than I did for them.
It was what was supposed to happen.
I was supposed to eternally be put on a pedestal.
Until she came along...and my whole world came tumbling down.
Choosing her that night was the biggest mistake I had made in my life.
After that night, she was always there, looming at the back of my head, making me question so many things that I used to know about my own self.
But every time it happened, I stopped myself.
My pride refused to believe that a woman like her could control me in this way.
It was like I was going through a long period of terrible uncertainty and indecision.
And I hated both of those things.
I was known for my confidence, my resolution in business...and here I was, being reduced to a small child when dealing with my own secretary.
She would be a stain in my reputation someday. I wish I could just send her to a department where we could...work independently of each other all the time, and yet I didn't have it in me to send her away.
Like Kirishima said, she was far from an inept worker, everything she did was perfect, and it trumped all of my jumbled mess of a feeling I had to boot her out of office.
And believe me, it was an extremely jumbled mess.
Kaga had this indefinable warmth that made me comfortable around her, but at the same time...I didn't want to be comfortable around her.
My instincts warned me that she was slowly, surely, luring me into a trap she had set.
I trusted my instincts, but with Kaga, my mind simply became numb. I easily admitted things that I had never told anyone before to her. And that was a weakness, a huge crack in the perfection that I had worked all my life to maintain.
As long as she kept working here indefinitely, her presence would continue to haunt me even in my business meetings.
She even made me do the unthinkable: locating her house and making love to her in her room.
Making love?
Could what we did even be called making love...?
I never dreamed of marrying anyone when I was younger.
I never dreamed of having a secretary that could drive me mad with pleasure, either.
This whole bodily desire was so confusing, that I couldn't help but wanting to seek refuge for awhile.
That was why I gladly accepted an overseas business trip to a tropical island, in spite of the massive influx of tourists there at this time of the year.
"Sounds nice," Kaga remarked, sarcasm dripping from her words.
"Just admit that you don't like how you have more work when I'm gone," I snapped.
"It's true that this kind of infrequent trip increases my workload, but it does sound nice, you know. I think you need to take a break once in a while. I heard it's a beautiful place, and some exotic rare species of animals inhabit that area."
My face flushed. Every time she suggested me to rest, it had a double meaning that she was willing to have sex with me to help me relax. That was why I began to avoid her whenever possible.
"...Is there something on my face? You've been staring for a while now."
I sighed in defeat and left. I hoped that this trip could finally provide some closure for my perturbed mind.
The flight and car ride to the four star hotel went smoothly. I just needed to plaster my usual business-quality smile on my face and greet a lot of boring, important people. This routine stuff was much simpler than dealing with emotions.
I had always enjoyed it, but it lacked...something.
Something that only existed inside Kaga's frankness, taunts and whispers.
Something that made me put down my guard, breaking down the outer shell that I had always shown to the world.
But now is not the time to be preoccupied with her.
Now is the time to cleanse my mind of her...!
This was a magnificent place that attracted tourists from around the world, with its dazzling indented coastline, pink-hued sand and perfectly clear water.
I shall enjoy myself for the entirety of this trip, far from seeing Kaga's face across my office every single day.
I even promised myself I wouldn't miss her!
That wasn't an easy feat, you know.
If this went well, I wouldn't hear from Kaga for another few days, and that was the way I liked it.
After several intense meetings and in-depth discussion, without changing out of my suit, I finally threw myself onto the comfy bed in my room.
A single-person first-class room in a five-star hotel, a great view from the window, and a quiet atmosphere.
A fitting trip for a CEO like I am.
The room was quiet, lit by the calming orange bed lamps, while the hotel gardens outside showed no single soul in sight. I guessed I had drunk a bit too much just now, but...
"Aah...this is paradise," I whispered to myself.
Paradise that Kaga could not touch and disturb.
Paradise that could provide peace for the mind.
However...despite how much I tried to convince myself, there was still this undescribable feeling that was left inside of me.
Like something unfinished...something unfulfilled.
It was the strangest thi-
"Ring...!"
The loud noise that came from my handbag nearly caused me to jump.
Still feeling a bit tipsy from the alcohol, I threw a glance at the clock at the wall. It was almost 12 am.
Just when I thought it was a prank call, I saw Kaga's name on the screen.
My thumb stopped over the "Accept" button.
It sounded like an urgent phone call if she was calling me this late, didn't it...?
"Ring...!"
Oh well, I'll just answer and think about it later.
I sat on the bed and pressed the phone to my ear. "Hello?"
"It took you awhile to answer," came the soft-spoken reply, "I assume it's because you were wasting your time thinking if you should talk to me or not."
Sometimes I hated how she seemed to be able to read me so well...but I refused to admit that to her.
"I have no idea what you are saying, Kaga-san," I spat.
"From the way you treated me before you left, anyone could figure out that you are taking this chance of an inessential, oh-so-inexpensive trip to escape from me," she went on, "Guess what, you can just be honest and tell me, you know."
I tried to keep my cool. "Like hell I would."
"I'm serious. We can separate for a while, I can just go out and...do other things."
"Like hooking up with other women," the words slipped my mouth.
There was a moment of silence from Kaga's side.
"Ouch, the jealousy in your voice is hurting my ear. Are you drunk? I don't recall us being close enough for you to accuse me of...infidelity."
Her cheerful tone actually made me angrier.
"Listen, I don't care if you go out and sleep with all the women in the world because that is what you do...!"
I realized that I might speak too much.
When I heard Kaga's voice again, she didn't sound too happy.
"...If I say since I started working for you I never hook up with any other women, would you believe me...?"
It sounded too good to be true.
But I couldn't help but feel glad and relieved somehow.
"Well, why don't you?"
"Because Akagi-san and I have an indestructible bond."
"Quit teasing me."
"What do you expect? You are sexually needy. Dealing with you is a lot of work for me."
Enough.
"Why do you call me on this...ungodly hour?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from cracking, "What kind of urgent business do you want to talk about...?"
There was no response for a few long seconds. I grew impatient with her.
"Kaga-sa-"
"A tall blond woman of indeterminant age came to the office today," she said abruptly, "I'm guessing you haven't told her that you're away on a business trip."
That silenced me in an instant.
"...what does she want?"
"She left an invitation for you," I heard a vague sound of a card being unfolded, "You are invited to her marriage that will be held at the end of this year."
The end of this year...
"Akagi-san...?"
This marriage didn't concern me and it never would anyway.
"...thank you for telling me that, Kaga-san," I replied in a formal tone, "I will end the call if there is nothing else that you need to say."
"Are you going to come?"
Why did this woman always stick her nose in places where she didn't belong?
"It is none of your business."
"Oh, it very well is," she intoned, "I have to know your schedule for sure, because this marriage will be held in Berlin."
"Isn't that obvious? I would come."
There was several quiet seconds that I assumed was her confusion as she tried to process that.
When she spoke again, it was full of cold, mocking disbelief.
"Really. May I ask why?"
I gritted my teeth. "That doesn't concern you, does it?"
"So you're not going to tell me?"
"Why are you inquiring that? In case you're wondering, there is little inducement for you to know everything there is about your boss."
"I don't need inducement."
I could feel my ears slowly burning hot with that confident tone.
"...I just feel that...Akagi-san...if you don't want to go, then you don't have to go," she said in a much softer tone, "...I mean...we can stay at home, eat industrial quantities of food, and watch TV or something..."
"...I'm sorry, 'we'?" I repeated with a snort, "Since when do we hang out together?"
Her voice grew disgruntled. "I was thinking that you want company, you know? Since I am probably the only one knows about...the truth between you and her, although you probably prefer to be away from me."
It was true.
I myself didn't expect that I could ever admit it to anybody.
But I was overly comfortable admitting my secrets to Kaga, before I even knew that she would become such a proficient secretary of mine.
I felt like I was dancing on her palm, and it was horrible. Even now I was so happy being able to talk with her, even though she was the reason I ran away in the first place.
What does Kaga-san...really think about me?
It was easier for me to understand anyone else...but Kaga? It was just the same as that woman.
However, I couldn't help but notice something strange in her voice this time.
As if...she actually didn't want me to go.
I was probably just imagining it, right...? It was just the alcohol, right?
"...so instead of crying alone in the night, maybe you can go out with me or..."
"If you're trying to flirt with me, it's ineffective," I giggled, "Try harder than that."
I only meant to tease her, but when she spoke again, her tone was much more serious than before.
"What do you want me to say, Akagi-san...?"
I didn't expect that kind of response.
"Um...uh..."
"I want to know."
For some reason, the coolness in her voice made me flustered all of a sudden.
My instinct, one of the worst habits I could never get rid of to this day, was to back off and run away.
"...this...this is an absolutely inefficient use of my time and energy! I have to wake up early tomorrow, we shall end this call right no-"
"Do you want me to pleasure you...?"
Her voice had suddenly lowered to the point that it resembled a hiss...and it sent a strange sensation directly to my core.
"Kaga..."
My head was getting dizzy.
"Akagi-san...I don't want to be a bother to you..." she whispered, "I want to be useful to you...always..."
I swallowed.
Useful to me...what I feared the most in our relationship was the possibility of my feelings growing and desiring for...something more.
I know you are not serious about me, I know you are just playing. And you know what you are inflicting on me day after day.
I can infer that from the cues I pick up from you.
And yet...
I am afraid.
I am afraid of becoming inferior to you in spite of our positions.
I am afraid of becoming infatuated with you.
I am afraid I can no longer push you away.
"Kaga-san...the things that you are making me feel, you are aware of them, aren't you?"
I supposed my body had finally given in to the alcohol. It started to lose control of my mouth.
"Akagi-san..."
"It's like I can't even separate from you. Even here, now, when you're so faraway, I want you to be here on my bed, Kaga-san!"
Inhibition.
Where did it go when you needed it...?
"I'm scared, Kaga-san," I told her, "Why are you always in my head? What do you really think about me? Why...does everything..."
"Ssh, calm down..." Her whisper lightly tickled my ear, "...does it matter, Akagi-san...?"
"I just...want you out of my head!"
"There is an easy way, you know? Do you want me to tell you...?"
I despised that cheeky tone, but she was being so tempting.
Unbelievably tempting and I had been missing her voice all day.
I bit the bait.
"What is it...?"
"It might be what we call: 'sexual frustration', Akagi-san. Not that you know anything about that," she explained, "Because you have spent so much...special time with me, either during or after work hours, your body begins to grow addicted to me..."
"I...that's nonsense...!"
"I'm just informing you. You already know what to do to get rid of that insistent feeling."
"...no."
"Stop being so stubborn."
"I'm...not..."
"Touch yourself, Akagi-san."
I held my breath.
It was too late now.
She had planted that idea.
That dirty, dirty idea.
And now this raging inferno inside of me was impossible to put out, burning my chest and making it hard to breathe.
"You want me on your bed, you want my touch, but I cannot be there. And yet I still want to satisfy you."
"How can you..."
"Just listen very closely to me..." she said softly, "You tremendously enjoy having sex with me, don't you, Akagi-san...?"
Alcohol was supposed to make you forgetful, but I remembered everything, down to the feeling of the fingertips sliding against my skin.
The last thing I wanted in this trip is thoughts about Kaga infesting my mind.
But...
"Kissing you and hugging you... touching your sensitive spots..."
Kaga-san is...
"...until you moan out in pleasure..."
...making my body feel warm...
"I want to hear it, Akagi-san..."
..and my mind, in its infinite wisdom...
"You moaning out my name."
...decides to give in...
"Kaga-san...I..." I gasped, realizing how damp it already was between my thighs, "I'm getting..."
"Oh, no...not yet..." she said, "Are you lying on bed...?"
"No..."
"Then do it."
As if hypnotized, I followed her order with the phone still pressed against my ear.
Since when did she exert such a strong influence on me...? Could it just be a passing infatuation?
Would it always be like this...?
Her forever trapping me in a sense of inferiority.
"Now...take off your clothes."
"Wha..."
"Imagine me there doing that to you."
The thought made me shiver. With shaking hands, I unbuttoned my shirt with one hand as she waited quietly. She reminded me of a tiger waiting to pounce on her victim.
"Are you still wearing a bra, Akagi-san...?"
"I...I am..."
"My...I wish I could be there, enjoying the sight..."
She understood full well that her eyes had the power to make me feel like she was stripping me bare.
"You always look so turned on when I stare at you like that..."
"Stop it..."
"Get rid of the bra. And your panties too."
Little did she know that my lower regions were already aching for her touch just from being ordered around like that.
I unclipped my bra and stood up. I reached behind me and unzipped my skirt, letting it drop to the floor. When I took off my panties I noticed there was a long clear string connecting my crotch and the wetness in the center of the fabric.
I gulped, secretly grateful that she could not see me.
I lied down on the bed, completely naked, imagining Kaga on top of me, ready to take me in.
Although she was just a voice from the phone, it was enough to solidify her presence in my mind.
"Suck on your fingers, Akagi-san..." she muttered, "Think of them as mine and suck them."
I put my fingers in my mouth. Covering them in my saliva, the image of Kaga offering them to me made me twitch and whimper.
"...now close your eyes...and touch the parts of your body that I have licked...just like how I did it..."
"Kaga-san..."
Just like how she did it...
My fingers ghosted on my left breast and my mind wandered.
She would...twirl her tongue around my nipple...
...give it a few flicks and then when it became erect...
She would...
"Nnnh...!"
I couldn't stop the moans when I rubbed and pinched it with my wet fingers.
"I guess your nipple's already hard..."
"Haa...Kaga-san..."
She was making licking noises with her tongue, causing me to shudder.
Her voice...was making me...
"Now move your hand down..." she went on, "...slowly... as if I were licking you with my tongue..."
I had no power to refuse.
My fingers slid down my body, leaving a trail of wetness that burned my senses alight.
My body was getting unusually hot, and the sweat that covered my skin came from how aroused her sweet voice was making me.
My clit...was begging for her touch...
I couldn't...hold back anymore.
I put my phone on loudspeaker and kept pleasuring my nipple while my other hand went lower...and my mind fantasized that it was Kaga's tongue that...
"Aah...! Nnnh...! Kaga-san...!"
The gasps and moans that burbled out of my throat was unmistakable. They were gradually getting louder as my fingertips brushed across my already sensitive clit. If someone was to walk outside of my door right now, they would definitely hear me.
Were the walls here even soundproof?
"Are you already touching your clit...? Such a dirty girl. I haven't told you to do it, you know."
Her chuckle only made me more excited.
Lying naked on the bed, I stroked my nipple and clit at the same time, imagining Kaga's head between my legs...
"You like it when I press my tongue against your clit, don't you, Akagi-san? You know how I would do it right now if I were there. I wouldn't take my time, I wouldn't make you wait. I would take your pussy into my mouth, slide my tongue along your slit and circle your clit...lapping up your juices with every sweep. You want that...don't you?"
I squirmed and gave out a faint groan, rubbing myself even faster. "Yes..."
"But that's not all you want, is it? You want to feel me slide my fingers into you. I like to feel your pussy stretching around my fingers as you take them all in..."
My nipples and clit were getting so hard, and stimulating them was no longer enough. I slipped two fingers inside of me, curling them against my most sensitive spot while remembering the electrifying sensations that Kaga had made me feel inside.
There was a long moment of silence on the other end of the line, then she whispered among my ragged gasps, "You're touching yourself for me, aren't you?"
"Yes..."
It was hard to think properly, I was completely enslaved by the pleasure from Kaga's soft voice.
More...I need more...
"Good. I want you to do that some more. I want you to rub your clit but don't let yourself come. I want you to slip your fingers inside and tease around in there, but don't you dare come. Do you understand?"
Getting to the edge without coming was sweet and delicious torture. I played with my stiff clit while pumping my fingers in and out of my vagina, picking up the pace and intensity until I was throbbing all over and begging for release, so much that I was unconsciously humping the air. I moaned out her name helplessly as I heard her heavy breathing, and I knew she was touching herself too, ready to take her own pleasure while I got mine.
This was all too much.
After a few moments of feeling myself leaking, I had to stop myself...I was so near the edge that one finger stroke would cause me to come wildly.
"Kaga-san...I'm close...I'm so close..."
"Wait..."
"I can't...please...please let me come...I can't..."
"Okay..." she panted, "Come for me then, Akagi-san. Come right now."
I didn't have to be told twice. I strummed and pressed on my clit while shoving my fingers deep inside, then the intense orgasm washed over me. I squeaked and lifted my hips to ride the sensation, while Kaga cried out loud guttural noises in my ear.
She could even make me...come in this way.
I didn't expect myself to sink this low.
Dripping all over the bed...because of another woman's voice.
Why...?
Even now I still want her to touch me...
"...See you in two days, Akagi-san," she muttered after a while, then hung up the phone.
I threw my head back and let out a long sigh.
I couldn't deny this possibility anymore...could I...?
That Akagi, the perfect, unbeatable CEO, no longer existed.
Only Akagi...a lusty woman in love.
