"I – I" The words stammer out of my mouth.
"You know that if I kiss you, you're signing a verbal contract. You will be mine and no one else's." I just swallow, knowing fully well that I am about to be engaged to someone else. But not by my choice. Kyoya brings his first two fingers along my jaw, traveling to my chin, and tipping my head up in the process. "Do you want me to kiss you?" He asks, bringing his lips close to mine.
"Y-yes, Kyoya-senpai." The millisecond I finish the word 'senpai,' Kyoya's lips crash down like fire onto mine. His arms slip around my back, so he can pull me closer. All too soon, his lips leave mine, and I open my eyes to see him smirking down at me.
"I will see you tomorrow." He says, kissing my hand in the typical host style. I giggle and watch him go, my stomach sinking as I realize I'll have to wait up for my father. If I don't, he'll wake me up when he comes in anyway.
It takes hours for my father to come home, and when he does, he comes drunk with a busty, drunk blonde on his arm. She's wearing a skimpy, red outfit. She is quite probably from a bar. My father turns to me.
"Good, you're home." He mumbles. I nod, say goodnight, and rush up to my room, hoping the sounds that will soon come from my father's room won't keep me up.
The next morning I wake up after having little sleep, due to the amount of noise last night, and I change into my school uniform. I rush downstairs only to find the blonde there, cooking in lingerie. I have no interest in breakfast today. I just hop into my limo without eating head to school.
Later, I find myself in the host club again, but my thoughts keep drifting.
"Ryoko?" Kyoya's voice snaps me out of my thoughts, and he takes my hand.
"Yes, Kyoya-senpai?"
"Are you okay? You seem a little out of sorts." He sounds worried. I smile to myself. Kyoya is worried about me.
"It is nothing, I just have to deal with some unpleasant business partners this afternoon." I smile. It's not a lie; I do have to meet Katashi today after school.
"You'll have to start telling me the whole truth sometime." Kyoya says, and I look up, surprised. So he has noticed. His eyes narrow. "I won't push you though, Ryoko." I smile gratefully. Time passes, as it always does, either too quickly or too slowly, and today it was too quickly. I don't want to meet Katashi.
I come home and change begrudgingly into the blue dress I wore last night. I feel so much less beautiful in it knowing I'm wearing it to meet Katashi, rather than to see Kyoya. My father comes into the room while I'm attempting to zip my dress.
"Let me do that for you." He says sweetly, zipping it up then kissing my cheek. Some might think he was just being a nice father, but I know his intentions, and it makes me shudder internally. Stay composed, Ryoko. I tell myself.
"I'm ready to meet Katashi." I say, turning to my father with a broad, but fake, smile. We drive over to an exclusive greenhouse nearby. I know why my father picked this spot. This particular greenhouse is a huge space, filled with more exotic plants and flowers than I can count. Many couples come here for a bit of a romantic getaway.
I slide out of the car and walk into the greenhouse, recognizing Mr. and Mrs. Ishida instantly. The man with them, whom I assume is Katashi, has black hair and black eyes, like mine, and looks to be about twenty to twenty-two years old. My father couldn't pick anyone closer to my age?
"Ryoko, how wonderful to see you!" Mrs. Ishida says.
"It is very nice to meet you again." I smile politely, bowing my head a little.
"Ryoko, this is Katashi." My father motions to him standing by his parents. "We'll give you both a moment to introduce yourselves." My father and Katashi's parents walk away to a different part of the greenhouse, probably to discuss wedding plans.
"You are a very beautiful girl, Ryoko." Katashi says sweetly.
"That is what I am told." I reply, waving the compliment off a little coldly.
"Are you always so on-guard?" Katashi laughs.
"I am when I am surprised with a fiancé less than three days ago." I answer.
"Nobody told you?" He asks, traces of surprise in his dark eyes.
"Not exactly." I sigh. He seems nice enough, but I don't buy it. I'm a good judge of character, and there's something in his eyes that doesn't match the nice tone of his words.
"Well I guess that's all the same to me." He grins, a little darkly. He looks around for other people, and that's when I realize there's no one else in the vicinity of us. Katashi grabs my chin with one hand and pulls my hands behind my back with the other. He forces his mouth on mine, slipping his tongue into my mouth, and then retracting to bite my lower lip. He lets go of my hands and pulls away quickly.
"I think we could have a lot of fun together." He smiles, his tone so pure and sweet, as if he would never even dream of forcing a girl to kiss him. This is my future husband. Good choice, Father.
