Response to reviewers:
Lying thruth & creamy creation: After rereading the story, both of you are right. My style right now is too staccato and my Tsukushi is too stiff and robotic. I will try to relax it out and hopefully in this chapter, Tsukushi is not too robotic.
Illuminating Darkness: thanks for the review. I did have fun on vacation, and wrote this on my 3-day rest before I jet set to another location.
Thanks to http: / top100golf dot blogspot dot com / 2008 / 11 / tokyo – golf – club dot html for the information on Tokyo Golf Club.
By the way, expect Rui to be out of character, after all, he has to pacify a very sulky Tsukushi who also holds grudges.
Chapter 10
"I forgot to tell you, Tsukushi, you will be hitching a ride with Hanazawa Rui," said Mr. Makino nonchalantly, sipping his coffee while dropping the bomb to an aghast Tsukushi.
"What?" yelled Tsukushi.
"Otoosan wants you to hitch a ride with Hanazawa Rui," supplied Susumu, as he shoveled his pancakes into his mouth.
"I'd rather go to the place myself," muttered Tsukushi, as she finished her pancakes. "Where is this golf club?"
"I want you to go there with Hanazawa Rui," answered Mr. Makino sternly.
"I don't want to go there with Hanazawa Rui," replied Tsukushi stubbornly. "Now tell me the name of the golf club before I ditch the 'date' altogether,"
"No, I won't tell you the name of the golf club, because I want you and Hanazawa Rui to get to know each other," reasoned Mr. Makino.
"Suit yourself, have fun golfing with the Hanazawa men," replied Tsukushi. "I am going somewhere else,"
With that final statement, Tsukushi walked out of the dining room with her head held high.
Only when she reached her apartments that Tsukushi realized that she didn't have any of her keys with her.
"Tsubame, where are my keys?" asked Tsukushi, as she searched her bag frantically for her keys.
"Gomen nasai, Tsukushi-sama, Makino-sama has asked me to take all your car keys," replied her personal maid, Tsubame, with a shaky voice, after all, this is the first time she saw Tsukushi get angry.
"Tsubame! You are my personal maid!" cried Tsukushi.
"That's true, but Makino-sama pays my wages," replied Tsubame, still with a shaky voice.
"All right, I don't have any keys, but I still have my feet, I'm walking out," said Tsukushi haughtily.
Tsukushi walked out from her apartments with just her sling bag, in a nondescript outfit designed for a day of golf. Tsukushi was surprised to see the front foyer empty, as she walked down the long sweeping staircase. She smiled, but her happiness was short lived, as Haruomi immediately went to his spot at the door.
"Are you going to bar me from going out, Haruomi?" asked Tsukushi.
"I'm sorry, Tsukushi – sama, but it is the master's order," answered Haruomi.
Tsukushi sighed, looks like she has to find another escape route, and replied, "Fine, tell my father and Hanazawa Rui that I will be in the garden,"
The Makino Garden is actually an exquisite garden with flowers beautifully arranged in a neat manner, but Tsukushi did not have time to properly enjoy the flowers, as she needs an escape route to get out of the mansion compound.
"Trying to escape from going out with me?" asked a voice which, to Tsukushi's ears, seem to be very close to her in terms of distance.
"When did you ask my father to court my hand in marriage?" asked Tsukushi instead.
If Rui is a man who shows his facial expression, he would have winced when he heard that question uttered in an irritated fashion. Alas, Rui is a man who does not show his facial expression, thus, Tsukushi was greeted with an expressionless face when she asked that question.
"I didn't. As the best friend's son, I do not need your father's permission to date you, unlike the other men," replied Rui with a smirk. "Look, I am here to pick you up for a day of golf, you can go willingly with me, or I will be forced to bring you there the barbaric way,"
"What's the barbaric way?" asked Tsukushi.
No sooner has she said that, Tsukushi screamed as Rui scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
"Now this is the barbaric way," replied Rui, as Tsukushi pounded on his back. "We will be going to Sayama City, and since I had to have my PA reschedule my appointments this morning, you need to join me for the day out,"
Despite the constant pounding on his back, Rui continued to carry Tsukushi that way until they reached his car, which was parked outside the front door.
He tossed and buckled Tsukushi into the passenger seat of his BMW roadster before taking the wheel.
"Darn, your car is a stick shift!" muttered Tsukushi, when she saw the manual shift.
"Can't you drive a stick shift?" asked Rui, as he maneuvered the car out of the Makino mansion compound.
"No, I can only drive the automatic shift," replied Tsukushi. "I guess I relied too much on the very efficient public transport system in London,"
'Not to mention that I like to use the town car to go back and forth to the BBC studio,' thought Tsukushi.
"I guess we didn't start on the right foot," began Rui, after a bout of tense silence.
"Actually, we did, until you refuse to meet me," rebutted Tsukushi. "We had a very good conversation in the plane,"
"That was because I didn't know who you were," replied Rui. "I thought you were a commoner who got a seat upgrade via the frequent flyer program,"
Rui sighed and felt that his head is pounding with Tsukushi being disagreeable. He had to admit though, that despite being disagreeable, Tsukushi still looked good in the Burberry golf outfit.
"Why are you glancing at me like that?" asked Tsukushi.
"You are cute when you don't open your mouth," answered Rui. "Look, don't get angry at that, let's start anew,"
"I hold grudges," muttered Tsukushi.
"I noticed," replied Rui.
"I don't think I want to be engaged to you,"
"I don't want to get engaged to you either, for now,"
"I don't think I even want to have you as a friend,"
"I want to be your friend, and then I want to be your fiance, and after that I want to be your husband,"
"You seem confident that I will choose you, from that plan of yours,"
"I am confident that you will choose me,"
"I heard you were engaged to Todou Shizuka,"
"Where did you hear that?"
"Walls have ears, I am very good at eavesdropping,"
"Eavesdropping is not considered as a good behavior,"
Tsukushi shrugged and replied, "Well, are you really engaged to her?"
"I was. She broke off the engagement six months ago and married one of her colleagues in France,"
"Do you love her?"
"It was a puppy love, I realize it now. Yes, I loved her,"
"You are also the type to hold grudges. You were angry that she broke off the engagement,"
"I didn't say I was angry,"
"You were angry enough to prejudge that I will do the same thing,"
"If I am blinded by my prejudice, you are blinded by your pride,"
"I am a girl. I have my pride,"
"Let's throw both of them away and start anew. Hi, my name is Hanazawa Rui, I am an interim CEO for Hanazawa Group,"
"Okay, if you want it that way. Hi, my name is Makino Tsukushi, I am an heiress for the Makino Group,"
"I was born and raised in Japan,"
"I was born and raised in London,"
"I am 26 years old. I have been the interim CEO for Hanazawa Group for a year,"
"I am 21 years old. I graduated first class honours from University of Kent at Canterbury last year, and now am taking my MBA part time at Toudai,"
"I am an only child. My parents are Hanazawa Reiji and Hanazawa Kotoko,"
"I have a little brother who is seven years old. His name is Makino Susumu. My parents are Makino Atsuya and Makino Akiko,"
"My father, Hanazawa Reiji is the chairman of the company,"
"My father, Makino Atsuya is the chairman of the company,"
"My father pays my wages,"
"My father pays my allowance,"
"We should kick their asses later during the foursome play,"
"I second that, but there's only one problem,"
"What is it/?"
"I am terrible at golf,"
Rui grinned like a Cheshire cat who have just gotten his cream, and replied, "Don't worry, I'll teach you, next thing you know it, you will be playing golf like a pro,"
"I do not have any golf clubs,"
"You can use mine,"
Tokyo Golf Club
When they reached the Tokyo Golf Club at Sayama City, the weather was perfect for golf.
Their fathers have arrived earlier, and were having a morning tea together at the club's restaurant when Rui and Tsukushi arrived.
"Good, you've arrived!" exclaimed Mr. Hanazawa. "C'mon Rui, let's beat the Makinos,"
"Pardon me, Hanazawa-san, but your son is in my team," replied Tsukushi cheekily. "He has agreed to teach me golf and beat the both of you,"
"When I agree to have you court my daughter, young Hanazawa, I didn't agree to let you grope her in front of me," reprimanded Mr. Makino.
"I am not going to grope her, I am going to teach her golf," replied Rui with a straight face.
"Never mind that, Atsuya, you are one overprotective dad," said Mr. Hanazawa.
"Easy for you to say, you don't have a daughter," muttered Mr. Makino.
"Enough," said Tsukushi, putting her foot down. "The three of you dragged me to play golf today, so I am going to play golf today, even though I don't really like it. Let's go to the first hole then,"
Despite Tsukushi being terrible at golf, Rui's guidance had helped them win the match against their fathers. Tsukushi didn't protest when Rui held her body when guiding her to swing the golf club, she did still have a crush on Rui, despite her being angry at him for not wanting to meet her.
"Well, both of you won, though you cheated, Kushi," said Mr. Makino.
"No, I didn't cheat," replied Tsukushi. "Rui's just being such a helpful partner,"
Mr. Makino let out a snort and replied, "Well, Reiji and I are going for a round of drinks, and since you don't drink, I suggest you and Rui go somewhere else,"
"Somewhere else?" asked Tsukushi.
"Yes, except home," answered Mr. Makino. "He's your chauffeur for the day,"
Just like Rui earlier that morning, Tsukushi had a Cheshire cat grin on her face that afternoon.
"So, I can ask him to bring me to Shinjuku?" asked Tsukushi.
"Yes, you can," replied Mr. Makino.
"And he can't refuse?"
"He can't refuse,"
"Rui! Let's go to Shinjuku!" shouted Tsukushi.
"Eh, since when am I your chauffeur?" asked Rui.
"Since I said so," answered Mr. Makino, before winking at his daughter. Mr. Makino gave Rui a smile that says, 'Go ahead son, charm the socks off my daughter,', and Rui was not sure whether he should feel disturbed by it or otherwise.
One thing for sure, Rui felt that he is now stepping up to the competition against his own best friend, Nishikado Soujiro.
End of chapter 10 – please read and review.
A/n: This was written the night before my second flight to my second vacation destination, so pardon the rush if the story feels rushed. I was inspired and couldn't stop writing.
As for Tsukushi's golf outfit, refer to this outfit worn by this model in this photo: http: / models dot com slash work slash burberry-burberry-golf-fw-10. I was researching on male models (for Shizuka's husband) when I came across that photo. I'm not one to use photos for my characters, but I can't help but imagine that the male model is Rui,