Hohoemu no Kawaii Akuma
Troubles of Taking a Cold Villain to a Dinner Date pt 2
Fine had to blink her eyes several times. She grabbed the sides of the mirror, pulled it closer and inspected her face.
A ravishing, young lady stared back at her, equally amazed.
Is this me?
Fine was awestruck at her image. She admits her instincts gave her caution signals when Rein volunteered herself to help her prep up. The blue haired lady tends to overdo things after all.
But, Rein was certain she can make her best features stand out. And what she did is beyond imagination.
From now on, Rein shall never be underestimated no matter how hopelessly romantic she is.
"You're the cutest, Fine!" Rein exclaimed, applying some finishing touches on Fine's hair.
Fine stood and gazed at the full-length mirror. She's clad in a white, tuxedo blouse tucked in a peach, pleated skirt. Her hair tumbled in big waves.
She blushed, taking a loose strand between her fingers. Would this suffice to surprise him?
Rein grinned and nudged her playfully. "Mou, what are you thinking? He'll definitely gape at you!" She beamed.
Fine jaw dropped at her sister's remark. "Rein! Do you have telepathy or something?!" she gasped.
Rein stifled a giggle. "So, who is the lucky guy, young lady?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Y-Yasuhiro…" Fine mumbled bashfully, evading her sister's speculating eyes.
The older Kazehaya heaved out a sigh. "It's about time you experience these romantic dates…"she sniffed, her eyes had an extra sparkle as she clasped her hands and faked sobs.
Fine laughed at her sister's antics. "It seems like you're okay with it," she comments, slipping her small feet on a pair of pastel, flat form heels.
"Ah, let's stop talking. It's bad to be late on your first date," Rein winked and gently pushed her sister towards the front door.
"W-wait! I still don't know what to do!" Fine frantically replied.
"Geez. You're cute enough! Just calm down and go get him!" Rein squealed and hailed for a cab.
Fine breathed in and out and pulled on a smile. But the thought of the grinning devil brings back the roiling feeling in her gut.
"Call me if anything happens," Rein gives her an assuring smile.
She watched as Fine climbed the cab's backseat, her waving hand still protruding out of the window as the cab drove off.
When the cab is completely out of sight, Rein scurried inside the house.
"Okay, onto my plan…" She breathily spoke and sprinted towards her room.
Shade grunted for the umpteenth time. He glared at his image on the dressing mirror, a string of curses passed his lips.
Of all places, why did Bright choose Vermaugh?!
He grumpily pulled the ends of his neck tie, choking himself in the process. He coughed and doubled over as his hands made quick work on removing the mess hanging off his collar. He tossed and turned, his movements wrinkling his shirt.
He hissed, slumping back on his bed, eyes staring off through the window. Damn…
"I asked Fine out," Bright smugly informed.
"So?" Shade lifted an eyebrow, confident that Fine wouldn't fall in this jerk's tricks.
Bright's grin went wide. "She said yes," He answered with a dismissive shrug, as if it were nothing at all.
Shade clenched his fists, his irises constricting. "Dare try something funny and I'll arrange you a funeral," he threatened but Bright was not bothered. In fact, he was amused, causing him to chuckle and keep his smug grin.
"Rein will go too," That caught his attention.
"It's either you sulk here or win her back," Bright adds, sauntering off with his hands shoved in his pants' pocket.
Shade closed his eyes shut and heaved out a sigh. He grabbed the neck tie and started tying it again, muttering the instructions sent by Auler.
He smirked at his image and patted the creases on his shirt, "Good." He remarked in satisfaction.
"I better go," he muttered under his breath, grabbing his blazer and strode off.
"No one's looking, no one's looking, no one's freaking looking at me…" Rein murmured to herself as she pulled down her skirt.
She's wearing a short-sleeved, mid-length casual dress. After exiting the subway station, she realized that a couple of guys are trailing her. She cringed when she saw their eyes leering at her legs, looking not even ashamed of doing it.
She hissed as they started making comments.
"Look at those curves," a guy whistled, sending shivers on her skin.
"No, look at that chest," another guy remarked, making her stop on her tracks and glare at them.
"Back off!" She roared, trying to sound threatening in her soft voice. They blinked but soon smirked.
"She's even cuter when she's mad," a nasty smile plastered on their faces, their eyes wandering on her body.
Rein took a step back and started running. They were about to run after her when Shade appeared before them.
"Hey, can't you see we're busy here?" one of the guys barked, pointing the direction where Rein ran.
Shade laughed darkly and casually rests his elbow on the guy's shoulder. "Is that your—" he was cut off by Shade's dark laugh.
"That girl? Yeah, she's mine, you know…" he calmly informed, giving the guy a pat on his shoulder. The gesture alone drained all the blood in his face.
"W-we didn't mean too—" he wanted to reason out but Shade twisted his arm violently, sending him straight to the ground. The guy screams in pain as he clasped his arm.
Shade collared another guy and braced him on the nearby wall. "How about we gouge those eyes out too?" He says, completely deadpan, as if it were nothing at all.
The guy slides to the ground, unable to hide how shocked he was.
The air has gone completely still. Nobody moves or says a word.
"Follow her and I'll kill you. Talk to her and I'll kill you. Look at her and I'll kill you. Say something about her and I'll kill you, get it?" The venom in his voice froze them in place. His voice drops, causing them to shiver.
In turn, they stammered out an apology, got on their feet and scampered away. Rein rushed to hide on a narrow pavement when she saw the guys approaching her direction. She scowled fiercely as the stupid bastards passed by her. Her eyes narrowed when they shrieked upon seeing her, a hand firmly clamped on their mouth.
Despite her confusion, she picked up her pace and proceeded to Vermaugh.
Fine smoothed down her dress before entering the lavish restaurant. She inhaled sharply, grabbing the door handle and stumbled inside when the waiter politely opened the door for her.
"Ahh!" She yelped as her foot tripped over the waiter's shoe. Her body flew on someone's arms and she exhaled in relief.
Bright grabbed her arms and leaned to her ear. "What the hell are you doing, Kazehaya?" He gruffly spoke.
K-Kazehaya?! Fine gasped as her eyes met Bright's furious ones.
"H-hi…" She forces out. Bright hissed, causing her to shudder.
"Your date, sir?" The waiter politely asked.
Bright stared down at her and flippantly shrugged his shoulders. "Unfortunately," he trails off, earning a glare from Fine.
"Let me lead you to your table. This way please," The waiter bows and shows them their table.
He took her hand and pulled her down the aisle. As they pass by the women swooning over Bright, Fine heard several of them sigh. Surely, her date really does stand out. His blonde waves messier than usual, eyebrows knitted to a scowl, blood-red eyes a –fire with dignity. His devil-may-care outlook was reflected on his entire outfit, consisting of a black shirt topped with a gray blazer.
"So handsome,"
"They look good together,"
Overhearing their comments, heat burns through her all the way up to her ears.
"Hey, stop tripping over yourself and walk straight…" Bright grumbled, lightly tapping her forehead with his other hand. The anger in his voice made her walk a little straighter.
"Why are you blushing?" he suddenly asked. Fine gasped and felt her cheeks burn as he looked at her incredulously.
"Oh, this? No, I just…um…" she stammered, avoiding his speculating eyes.
"I-I think I've applied too much tint on my cheeks!" She gushed, forcing out a laugh.
"Stop that. I hate those stupid high-pitched voices…" He looks completely calm, even as his lips speak such cruel words.
Before Fine could retaliate, he freed her hand, dropping it as fast as he had taken it in the first place.
He slumped on a chair and lifted his hand to call the waiter. Fine bored her eyes down at her hand, feeling strangely disappointed.
"Hey, just how long are you planning to stare at your hand? It's not going to stare back at you," he muttered as he skimmed the cuisines on the menu.
Fine gritted her teeth and kicked his shin with her heel. She smirked in satisfaction when he groaned in pain.
"This woman—!" Bright lashed out.
"Is there something wrong, sir?" The waiter asked, interrupting him.
Bright cleared his throat and re-applied his nonchalant expression. "Nothing. We'll get the special for tonight," he instructs and tosses the menu back on the table.
"Right away, sir." The waiter bows and leaves.
A waitress headed over their table and poured water on their glasses. Unlike the other waitresses, she still bothered to arrange the eating utensils in their table though there's no need to. She even dared to brush her palm on Bright's hand.
Fine looked at the waitress distastefully while Bright removed his hand on top of the table, equally annoyed.
"Look at me," Bright commands as he reaches out with his fingers. Fine felt her heart throb painfully when he gave her cheek a delicate touch.
"H-huh?" She stuttered, making him pout (cutely, for that matter) at her dry response. His hands ended cupping her face because she kept on looking away.
"Hurry up. I want to get a good look," He pleads, sweetly. Fine had no choice but to comply.
"Are we not beautiful today, hm?" He breathlessly spoke, tucking a strand behind her ear. Fine glanced at the waitress who bowed apologetically and strode away.
"Oh, the main characters are here," Bright announces, eyes trailing Rein who marched gracefully inside the restaurant.
Fine sighed, her palm unconsciously caressed her cheek. So, he was just acting.
"Oh, so you're disappointed," he bluntly comments, wagging his finger on his flustered date.
"Who said that?" She frowned, refusing to back down.
"Your face," he winked.
Fine grabbed her phone and inspected her face. "No, it's not," she furiously denied.
"Yes, it is," he teased. Her pouting face made it so hard to suppress a laugh.
After a few minutes, Shade arrived, occupying a table just a few rows away from them.
"So, shall we get started?" Bright beamed. Fine nods in reply and started digging on her food as soon as it landed on their table.
Bright blinked, unable to hide how shocked he was by this side of his date. "Wah, you really eat a lot," he blandly comments, grabbing a fork and just stared down at his meal.
Fine choked. "I'm eating the standard meal size most girls eat!"
Bright's impassive expression broke into a sneer. "You're not a girl then," he teased further.
"Don't you dare repeat what you said or I'll break your neck," She hissed under her breath, stabbing the table with the steak knife.
Bright heaved out a sigh and dropped his fork. "If you still want more you can have mine," he grumbles.
Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. "You're not going to eat?" She asked.
"No, watching you eat made me lose appetite," He smirked as she flushed in anger.
"Starve to death then. Like I care," Fine bickered, shoving a spoonful of hot soup on her mouth.
She coughed. Bright rolled his eyes, as if he were saying This is ridiculous…
"Ah, I'm sure Rein is not too cruel to hoard food. How come you act like you were not fed for days?" He muses. Fine hits back with a glare.
"Uh, this is barbaric," he mutters in disgust. He lifted her chin and wiped her mouth. Normally, she would argue back and shove him away. But the urge of letting him help wins.
He smiles and pinches her cheeks playfully. "Finish up and let's take things to next level," He says and unceremoniously took her hand in his.
"H-hey… just what are you doing?" Fine complained. Completely ignoring her, Bright proceeded to the chamber orchestra, leaving her standing awkwardly in the small stage.
She clutched a fistful of her skirt for support and looked down at her feet. She glanced over the hall and regretted doing so after noticing that the other customers are looking at her.
She felt her breath turn shallow in every intake.
"I think it is the part where I ask you to dance," Bright bows gracefully like a prince, but the way he grabbed her hand (without her consent, of course) was a bit rough.
"I don't know how to dance!" Fine exclaims, grabbing the front of his shirt. Bright gritted his teeth and grasped her hands firmly despite her protests.
"I'll lead you, okay?!" He finally broke down and yelled at her, causing Fine including the spectators to quiver in fear.
Bright forces a smile and leads her hands to wrap around his neck. He leans down to her and casually wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her body closer to his. Fine felt light-headed at their closeness, his face just a breath away from hers.
"Don't worry. I have insured my feet," he whispered in her ear, chuckling. But all she heard was the throbbing of her heart.
"W-what are you? A soccer player?" She murmurs. He felt her cold fingers brush on his neck, making him sense her discomfort. He placed a hand at the back of her head, letting her press her forehead on his shoulder. He sighed when he found her shoulders relaxing.
"Step on me," He says, apathetically, as if it were nothing at all.
Fine shots her head up in surprise, almost hitting his chin. He lets out a disgruntled groan and looks down on her. "No, I can't. I'm heavy," she bashfully admits.
"Admitting it already, huh?" He snickered.
"Your mouth can't speak nice words, huh?" Fine glared.
"Step on me already. We're under suspicious eyes," Bright asks her, his voice deep and commanding. Fine kicks her heels to the side and reluctantly placed her feet on top of his.
"Oh, you gained another kilogram?"
"Why do you always get on my nerves?"
"Because it's fun,"
"This jerk…"
The chamber orchestra began playing, interrupting their little banter. The soft tune of the violins smoothly flowed in the lavish restaurant, creating a very romantic atmosphere. Soon, some other couples joined them in the stage.
Bright slowly moved their feet and pressed his chin on top of her head. Fine just buried her face on his shirt, feeling her eyelids droop. His arms are so comforting it lulls her to sleep.
"You look b…ful," His tone suddenly changes, like an affectionate whisper.
"Hm?" Fine hummed against his chest.
"I'll just leave it to your imagination," He apathetically replied.
"Are you insulting me again?" Fine huffed, eyeing him skeptically.
"No." He quickly answered, his hand slips on her hair, pressing her face back to his chest.
"Then what was it?" She muttered midst wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Uh, this is stupid." He grunted. "I said, you look beautiful…" he repeated, dropping the last three words to a grumble.
"I think I didn't get that," She looks up at him confusedly but he just frowned at her.
"I said, you look beautiful! Dammit," He snarled, his scathing tone contrasting the compliment. But the blush dusting his cheeks and ears spoke on his behalf.
Fine swallowed, eyes lingering on his face. It was enough to make her forget all the harsh cruelty of his words a few minutes ago.
"No. I'm not complimenting you… A-anyway, I'm not sure if it's the fault of the lights or you… you seem to shine…" He adds, clearing his throat afterwards.
"Can you say it properly next time?" Fine asked, puffing her cheeks out. She pressed her forehead on his shoulder, one hand clamped on her mouth to muffle a giggle.
"I didn't say I'll repeat it. Heh, as if," He scoffed.
Fine lightly slapped his arm and glanced over the restaurant. Her eyes grew wide when she saw a tall brunette beaming at her sister.
"Oh, OHH! Someone approached Rein's table!" Fine spluttered, arms thrown in the air in panic. Bright pressed his palm on her eyes.
"Shh, pretend you didn't see them." He instructs.
Fine removed his hand and yelled. "Gah! He looks like he's hitting on her!"
Bright grunts and covers her mouth with his palm. "Quiet. Shade knows what to do," What a drag. He inwardly adds.
They pulled away from each other to check what's happening between Rein and the brunette who suddenly approached her table, acting all friendly and stuff.
Rein just returned a wry smile at the guy, not exactly giving him her attention.
"Here goes Shade," Bright observes, his lips quirked up to a grin.
Fine literally felt the temperature drop down courtesy of Shade's icy glare. He angrily headed over the table, eyes narrowed at the brunette, and he looked like he'll kill someone tonight. No one messes with the brooding guy, especially when he just experienced heartbreak.
"See? I told you so," Bright smirked, casually draping an arm over Fine's shoulder. "Shade knows what to do. I told him Rein will arrive so I assume he's prepared for this," He concludes, nodding emphatically.
Their eyes followed Shade who slammed his hands on the table, catching everybody's attention. Rein gasped in shock.
"But, wow. What a cliché way to get their attention," Bright snorts softly.
"D-did you tell… him to d-do that t-too?!" Fine stumbled over her words, her face was contorted with anxiety.
The pair watched as Shade grabbed the edges of table and flipped it upside down. Rein grabbed his arm, begging him to stop and go outside to talk with her. The entire restaurant had gone quiet.
"Man, what the hell are you doing? You'll regret paying for damages later, idiot," Bright muttered in irritation.
"What are they talking about?" asked Fine as she tugged on his arm.
"How do you expect me to know?" Bright scowled. Their eyes grew wide once again when the brunette started bantering at Shade.
"Woah, looks like the bastard was not thrilled by Shade's violence," Bright comments, giving the brunette a disgusted look.
"Don't you think we should stop them?" Fine suggests, frightened at what would happen next.
Bright ruffles her hair before answering. "Come on, Fine. You don't have to interrupt them. You'll just destroy the momentum,"
Fine scowled fiercely at him. "Don't tell me you're enjoying this,"
Bright laughed. "What? It's exciting this way. It's like free viewing an action movie."
Before Fine could argue back, Shade punched the brunette squarely on his jaw, sending him sprawled and unconscious on the floor. Rein's scream blended with those of the other customers.
"Hey! We should really do something!" Fine squeaked out.
"Ha! Yeah… that's how you throw a straight uppercut," Bright cheered.
"Rein looks really shocked,"
"And now she's yelling at him. Wow, they look pretty angry,"
They watched as Rein practically yelled at Shade. She thrashed her arms at him but he caught her wrists and pulled her to a tight hug.
"Now, what is Shade doing? Looks like he's had enough…" Bright mutters under his breath, taking a closer look at the couple.
"Oh my, what the—" Fine gasped.
"I-I was not ready for that…" Bright sweat dropped.
Shade used the moment to lean forward and kiss her, slowly then deeply. The crowd exploded to cheers, the brunette who just regained his consciousness was long forgotten.
Shade kissed the words out of her mouth, and he looked very, very satisfied with himself.
"OHH! Good job on that, kid!" Some of the customers cheered from their seats.
"Oh no, my seventeen years of innocence…" Fine mumbled, a bashful blush seared through her cheeks.
"I think that's one way to make someone shut up. I'll keep that in mind," Bright smirked, a hand on his chin as he made a mental note.
"Um, after that, uh… scene, don't you think we should leave?" Fine suggests, scratching her cheek.
"Yeah, we should before things get more awkward than it already is," Bright replied whilst grabbing her hand and coat then hightailed out of there.
"So, it's mission accomplished?" Fine asked.
"Well, I guess Shade got what he wanted in the end," Bright answered with a shrug.
A/N: The last scene was inspired from another fic. See you next chap!