Chapter 25

Hana got the invitation on her desk after a lunch break. It was an invitation to Haruhi and Tamaki's engagement party. Hana was unsure of what to make of it – they were the friends of her brother, and if anything, she was an acquaintance at best. Hana wasn't aware of the fact that the two were engaged, or even dating for that matter.

As for the invitation – it looked like it was a formal invitation to all business partners. The Suohs and the Sawadas weren't exactly business partners, either. So what was the motive? Surely, Hana wasn't just invited because of Hiro. His circle of friends did not extend to her, she figured.

Hana kept the invitation in her bag and continued on with her day. It was nearing the end of her two months of what the President called an experiment – and to be quite frank, the results weren't promising. There was a small margin of profit, but not enough to show actual potential.

Meanwhile, Hana had her team work on another project. In terms of investing, Hana was the one in charge of it. None of her employees had much background in finance and it would have been pointless to have them work on something they did not understand.

Yuuto's algorithm had potential in forensic finance. She had him and the others helping him tweak the code into a final software product, and the rest of the team on marketing. Progress began slowly, during the first week with nearly nothing occurring until Hana reminded that she was in charge of their pay. It was a race between her department and Yuuto's former department to devise a full product.

Yuuto knocked on the door of Hana's office. Hana called for him to come in while she stared at her Bloomberg Terminal.

"It's done," Yuuto cut straight to the point. "Now it's just a matter of making the interface user-friendly."

Hana nodded. "Thanks for the update." She went back to her monitors, expecting him to leave as he usually did. He came in every few days, and the team had a weekly meeting every Monday to delegate tasks and to keep Hana in the loop of things.

Yuuto-san lingered for a bit, watching the woman at work. "Is that a… Bloomberg Terminal?"

His boss glanced at him, surprised that he was still standing. "Yes," she answered curtly. "I know it looks like I'm not working but I assure you, I—"
"What capital do you even have to invest?" Yuuto-san scoffed.

Hana sighed. It was a valid question.

"I have to prove that I'm worthy of the investment in about a month," she admitted, ignoring his question. But he very well knew that the money was coming from the President. Who else would it have been? "I know I haven't been particularly involved in your project but—"
"—How are the margins?" he asked.

Hana was beginning to get irritated by the way he cut her off. But she let it go.

"Not as well as I had hoped," she gritted through her teeth. "It's slim."
"Better than being in the negatives," he pointed out, trying to console her. He wasn't sure how else to say what he wanted to say. Segues weren't his specialty. "Listen, this uh, this project that you gave us. It means a lot."

Hana looked up at him, intrigued.

"It feels good to… get back on track," he explained. "Taking control. I appreciate the vision you had for the whole thing. I wouldn't have thought about it if you didn't."

She nodded. "Don't mention it. I'm glad the team is putting in good effort into the project. Next up is pitching the idea—"
"—Yeah yeah, we all know how it works," Yuuto rolled his eyes. Hana exhaled and shook her head. The guy did not care much for seniority or customs. "Did you need help with that investing project?" he asked.

Hana shook her head. "It's a solo thing," she explained. "I can handle it."
Yuuto-san looked at her skeptically, and to be honest, Hana wasn't even offended. She too, questioned her own abilities. Hana gave him a glare to tell him that it was an appropriate time to take his leave before she grew even more irritated.

"Is it true you're stepping down as the heir?" he turned around before heading out the door. Hana narrowed her eyes at the question and relaxed. There was no point in pitching a fit right now. It gave her no advantage.

"No," she answered without hesitation. She locked eyes with him, daring him to challenge her position at the office. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, your poor profit margins that you just admitted to and… the internet, mostly," he answered.

Hana raised an eyebrow, clearly unamused by his answer.

"Why did you quit modelling?"
"May I remind you that I'm your boss and we are to maintain a professional relationship?" she avoided the question.
The employee shrugged. "You could've taken the easy route."
"Who said it was easy?" Hana growled. She wanted to push him out into the industry. Have him sit in a chair for hours getting his face dolled up and then place him in the cold wearing nothing but a dress and heels that would murder his toes after a long shoot. She would put him on a health regimen and surround him with people that would constantly berate his self-image. Hana had to credit her grandfather for keeping her mentally sane over the years. She was fit because of him, and she was born with genes that people would die for. She wouldn't have survived otherwise – there was nothing glamorous about the industry. Hana was not stupid enough to put herself through such torture for the rest of her life.

"You just have to stand there, don't you? And then get paid for it."
"Come back to this office when you have something useful to report," the woman sternly said, ignoring his last comment.

It was a terrifying thing to know. How the public viewed her. How they saw her as some kind of mannequin still, even after all these years. How her former occupation still defined her, and that Hana was silly for not continuing with it. Hana was not one to look down upon modelling – models had difficult jobs and she had nothing but respect for them when she herself, had been through it too. But it was not for her, and not sustainable in the long run.

Hana sat on the floor of the fighting mat after a long day. She was angry at herself, mostly. She wasn't doing anything productive, in fact she couldn't even properly do the job that she had studied so many years for. On top of that, she wasn't an heir. She was just some fake impostor with a pretty face. It bothered her to no end.

She would have thrown one last punch but she was exhausted. She buried her face in her hands, trying to think of solutions.

What would increase profits? Time. She needed time. How would she stop being seen as a useless pawn? She needed to prove herself worthy. But that also required time and who knows, what if it never happens? The fact that she would never really reach success? That she had already plateaued at her potential.

Hana tensed at the sliding of the doors. In poked his spiky hair, and he was still wearing his work clothes. His eyes softened at the look of her, she looked dead beat. It was a little past 8 PM. It wasn't late yet.

"Did he call you?" Hana grumbled. She grew annoyed at how her grandfather always seemed to inform Takashi when he wanted her home. "He needs to stop that. He has my number and I have my cell on me. You're not my babysitter, Takashi."

He stayed silent and let her slowly get up. She reluctantly gathered her things in her gym bag and led him out of the door. She had her hair up in a high ponytail that swung from side to side. She didn't want to talk today. She wanted to be left alone. Takashi could understand that so he quietly followed her home without mentioning a word.

"You can go home, Takashi," she quietly said, knowing fully well that he was still behind her. He didn't budge. Hana turned around and frowned.

"You must've had a long day too," she murmured. "You don't have to do this."

He only shrugged. It only made her feel guiltier. He didn't have to take time to walk home some sulky brat who had a bad day. It wasn't fair to him.

"Do I have to shoo you away?" Hana was losing the energy to even bother yelling at him. It came out of her throat as more of a plea than a threat.

Mori opened his briefcase and quietly pulled out a single daisy. He picked it up on the way home. Takashi had hoped that it would make her feel better, but tears began welling up in her eyes and he wasn't sure what he had done to make her this way.

She sniffed. Hana couldn't help the tears in her eyes. It was an involuntary response to feeling terrible after a long day and then guilty for dragging him along after he came back from work. And now he held out a daisy for her to try to make her feel better when all she could do is cry because she couldn't even prove herself to be a worthy partner, much less an heiress. She felt so small and useless.

"I'm sorry," Takashi blurted out. He didn't know what triggered such a response.

"No," Hana shook her head. "It's not you. It's um," she struggled for an explanation. "Allergies." Hana choked out a small laugh at how she wasn't even fooling herself with that response. "Really… really bad, allergies," she tried explaining.

"Are you allergic to daisies?" His eyes widened. He had no idea.

Hana couldn't hold back a smile even if she tried. He was absolutely adorable. She wiped away the tears and held herself together. She took the daisy out of his hand and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'm not allergic to any flower," Hana mumbled. "It was just a really bad day. I didn't think I was going to cry. I'm the one who is sorry. Sorry for being sweaty and gross, sorry for making you come all the way to the dojo and having to walk me home. I'm sorry for being me," she rambled. "You really don't have to do these things," Hana added.

"I like… doing them," he sheepishly replied, keeping her in his arms. "I don't mind."
"You're too much," Hana shook her head. "I honestly don't deserve you."
"You deserve the sun and the stars," Takashi reminded. "I think you deserve it all."

She could only sigh and nod.

Maybe one day.

Hiro called his sister the day before the engagement party.

"You got the invite, right?"

Hana was on her way home from work, still on the tails of tracking the European market. She wasn't planning on attending the engagement party for Tamaki and Haruhi, mostly because it wasn't in her place to. Besides, she had stocks to track over the night.

"Mori's gonna be there," Hiro grinned. "So you gotta come."

Hana made a noise of uncertainty. "Um, I don't… I don't think it's appropriate for me. I'm not even sure how I got the invite, I'm not even close to your friends."
"You're close to Mori," Hiro dragged out the name to tease her. "And Tamaki is very inclusive. The more the merrier."

Hana sighed. "I'm busy with work and—"
"Kyouya will be there too! You can steal kisses with Mori and talk business with the Ootori. It's basically a win-win," her brother tried his best to convince his sister to come.

"Yeah but," the younger sister was still not convinced. "It's going to be weird, you know? They don't know me."
"Oh, they know you! They ask about you, sometimes," Hiro assured. "Tamaki just called me a few minutes ago to ask if you had gotten their invite. They're nice, Hana. They won't bite. I'm sure it'll be a great time."

Hana honestly didn't want to go. It wasn't that she had anything against Hiro's friends, it was more that she wanted to spend her weekend quietly as she usually did. It gave her a little bit of peace before she went back to hell.

"You can come with Mori, okay?" Hiro pleaded.
"I don't think Takashi knows about me being invited," Hana sighed.
"Please, Hana? Do it for your big brother," he begged. "I don't have much time here before I head back to New York." He played the card that he knew would make her come around. The sister reluctantly agreed and texted Takashi to see if he was going.

Hana found herself walking through the park over to his place the next afternoon, in her mauve chiffon dress. It perfectly accentuated her back in a deep V, while cascading down to the ground with slits for her legs to move. Hana hadn't dressed up like this in quite some time. Her makeup was done heavily to produce smoky brown eyes, with neutral lips. Her hair was braided to the side with a delicate floral headpiece that attached to the crown of her head. It was a perfect summertime outfit for a formal event.

Takashi had always imagined her like this in the forest, like a nymph that spoke to small forest creatures while attracting all the beautiful butterflies that followed her around. She was so incredibly breathtaking to him; he couldn't believe it when she walked down the paved pathway towards his home in her strappy heels.

"Hello Takashi," she greeted him when she reached his doorstep. They waited for their ride. Tamaki was sending over a car for the two.
"Hi," was all he could make out.

He was dressed in his regular get up for formal events. Skinny tie, blazer, and dress pants paired with oxfords. His hair was swept up, instead of letting his hair fall flat like he usually did. Hana noticed a slight crook in his tie and wordlessly fixed it. He couldn't help but to have his breath hitch for a second, she was so close. The fact that he smelled like jasmine flowers didn't help his case.

She patted down his blazer and smiled up at him.

"You look nice," Hana complimented. She wouldn't have minded seeing him like this more often.
"You," Takashi cleared his throat. "You as well."

She kissed his cheek in thanks. He wasn't sure why he stood in place, frozen in this position. He was just absolutely smitten. It wasn't like he hadn't kissed her before. He couldn't even reach out to her. When she saw him looking at her like an idiot, she chuckled and cautiously took his hand – as if asking if it would be okay for her to do so.

Of course it was.

"You alright, Takashi?" she asked in concern. He seemed a little stiff.
"Yeah," he gulped. "You're just… you're beautiful."

It wasn't like she hadn't heard that phrase before. Hell, she grew up hearing things like that. But it was enough to make her blush, anyway. Maybe it was just him. She tried to play it cool but the grin on her face was permanently stuck to her face.

"Thanks," she replied, still trying to keep herself together. He kissed her on the temple, after working up the courage to do so and pulled her closer to him. She welcomed it, nuzzling her nose in his neck and laughing to herself. They must've been awful to watch from afar.

"We're going to have to tone this down," Hana chuckled. "Might be toosickening for your friends to watch."

He held her a little tighter in response. Takashi would relish in the moment for a little while longer before they had to come apart before the teasing from his friends. Mostly just the Twins, and maybe some exuberant comments from Tamaki. Takashi had to agree with Hana that it would be something they both would prefer to avoid.

But until then, he was allowed to have her kiss him along the jaw until she found his lips. And he was allowed to pull her towards him and not let go.

Hana was expecting a large party with a ton of socialites but to her surprise, it was a rather intimate setting with just the Host Club. Word seemed to have got out that Hana and Mori were together, but no one made much of a big deal about it. It was definitely Hiro's big mouth that got her invited to the event.

Tamaki of course, was just as excessive as she had remembered him to be. Haruhi on the other hand, had changed quite a bit. While she still sported the short hair, mostly out of convenience, she was in Law School now. The two were an unlikely pair from what Hana had seen, but they complimented each other wonderfully.

From the shadows had Kyouya checking his tablet and Hana couldn't help but to smirk.

"Never off work, are we now?" Hana called out to him. The Ootori did not look up from the screen but instead, answered with another question.
"How's that investment board coming along?" Kyouya smirked. He wasn't expecting any great news, if any at all. He knew that Hana was not making much progress. It was only logical.

But Hana only shrugged. "That stock you were tracking," she avoided his question. She had been tracking the same one and she could see it from behind him. "It's going to tank in a bit."

The Ootori raised an eyebrow before turning to her. "And what evidence do you have to prove your evaluation?"

Hana smiled. "Do you not trust me?" Of course he didn't.
"No, I trust the evidence," the Ootori pointed out.
"Fair enough. I'd tell you but – you don't trust me," Hana smirked. "It's fine. I'm not offended. We both have reasons to be weary of one another. Consider that tip to be free of charge."

The Ootori nodded.

"The Suoh has been looking into your company to provide a new hardware upgrade in the Ouran school system," Kyouya mentioned. "Nothing is free of charge, Hana." An eye for an eye. The Ootori was a fair man when it came to business.

Hana bowed out of respect. He was of the same age as her, technically. But if anything, she knew when to show her appreciation when it was appropriate. The Ootori nodded in acknowledgement. It was interesting to see how the tables had turned, when years ago he had been giving her the financial advice. And now, she was the one who, he was reluctant to admit, was better at what he did.

The Ootori was quick to sell a good portion of his shares, but kept a bit just in the off chance that she was incorrect. Better to be safe than to risk it all.

Hana made her way over to Tamaki. He was truly a conversationalist and it was certainly easy to segue into what he really needed from her. The true reason why her presence was required.

Hana wasn't one to beat around the bush.

"I heard from Kyouya that you needed to upgrade Ouran's system," Hana was careful to keep her tone light. It was not a business meeting. She was not at the negotiation table. It was a casual offer.
"Argh, Kyouya's always the one to ruin my tactics," Tamaki whined. "I was hoping that I didn't have to ask so crudely."

She shook her head. "I would be happy to look into it for you. I'm sure Hiro already gave you my number."

They shook hands to tentatively close the deal. Hana would be the one to make sure that this sale would go smoothly. Mori could only watch as she worked her way across the room. First with Kyouya as they discussed business, which promptly ended with what looked like a devilish smirk from the Shadow King. Hana made her way over to Tamaki who was all smiles. She was incredible at her job and even though Takashi understood none of it, he couldn't help but to lean back and to appreciate her in her element.

"She's very charming," Haruhi noted. She had been standing by the quiet giant for some time, watching him watch her. He was fixated on her, and nothing else. It was rather sweet, like how Tamaki would look at her sometimes.

"Mhm," Mori agreed. And intelligent. Hardworking. Ambitious. Kind-hearted. He could go on.
"How long have you two been together?" Haruhi asked.

To be honest, Takashi couldn't quite place a finger on it. They were together long before they realized they were truly meant to be together. It was an oddly complex question.

"A while," was all he could answer with.
"Ah," Haruhi nodded. "She brings… a warmth to the room." Hana networked her way across the place, and while she was only doing her job as a businesswoman, there was something uninhibited about her. Her smile was genuine and her intentions were pure. She was cautious and weary of the potential outcomes, but nonetheless, she was a breath of fresh air. Hana set out to be a genuine person who had no ulterior motives. She made sure to make others feel content, and was willing to play along with the games of the Twins while still having the patience to deal with Tamaki's extravagance.

"Are you happy?" his friend asked.
He could only nod. "Yeah." Really happy. So happy. He was just happy watching her.

"I'm glad," she smiled. "I'm happy you're happy. Tamaki was very curious to see her again. You two fit."
Mori nodded in thanks. Haruhi patted him on the arm and told him that she'd see him around.

Hiro came up from behind him, trying to scare the big giant. But it wasn't happening. Mori only nodded at him to say hello. Hiro grumbled to himself about how he was too short to be intimidating to the man. They both stood on the sidelines for a minute, watching Hana joke with the Twins about something about the fashion industry.

"She's been struggling, you know?" Hiro's voice was stern. He watched her laugh with the Twins. "I don't know how I can help as a big brother. I can't tell her to quit her job, and I'm not in Japan for most of the year. So that job is yours, alright? Take care of my little sister."

Mori nodded in understanding. Hiro was asking him as her older brother. He trusted him. It was an honour, really.

"Do you love her?" Hiro was not playing around. Not his usual self. Hiro would never let his sister get hurt, especially if he could help it. Hana had a difficult time as it was with the family, and Hiro refused to have her heart be toyed with.

Takashi glanced down to the older brother. They locked eyes, and Mori nodded his head. He was not the one for words and Hiro had to respect that.

"You should tell her that," Hiro quietly reminded. "She should know."

Mori wasn't aware of this. Was she feeling insecure about them? It made him feel uncomfortable. It was difficult, piecing the words together to explain how she made him feel. How he cherished every moment he spent with her. How he didn't want to ever lose her. He never felt like she didn't feel the same about him. He thought it was a mutual understanding. Perhaps it wasn't, even after all this.

Meanwhile, Hana was across the room talking to the Twins.

"That dress was part of Versace's summer collection, wasn't it?" Hikaru eyed the woman from head to toe. It was a dress that she modelled for years ago. Part of her payment was monetary and but at other times, she was also paid through clothing in a sort of sponsorship. Although Hana left most of her designer clothes at the mansion, she held onto this one because she felt like it suited her figure best. It was an old dress now, from many seasons ago.

"It looks stunning on you still, Hana," Kaoru approved. "Of course, you are the one who makes the dress gorgeous."

Hana smiled and thanked the two.

"So what is this we hear about you returning back to our side of the pond?" the Twins smiled devilishly. They were both excited to hear rumours of Hana returning back to the modelling industry.

"Hm?" Hana was unsure of what they had meant. What pond? What side?
"We haven't received any calls from your agency yet on any shoots to book?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow.

The woman kept a straight face and tried to be pleasant about the rumour still floating along.

"I'm officially retired from the modelling industry," Hana explained. "You won't be receiving any call for me to model in any shoot."

The Twins pouted in disappointment but shrugged it off. Hana didn't seem to be particularly eager about their talk on the fashion industry anyway. It wasn't surprising to have her politely turn down their offer.

"You should let the media know about that," Kaoru suggested. "Set the story straight once and for all."
"You think so?" Hana was curious about the idea. She didn't like the spotlight, but if it would make this mess stop, then she would consider it.
"Yeah," Hikaru shrugged. They've dealt with the media and had plenty of meetings with their PR team. They were aware of all the tips and tricks. "Better to stay ahead of the rumour mill by crushing them all in one go."

"I'm not interesting though," Hana admitted. "I'm an ex-model with a really boring job now," she half-joked.
"Not if you… you know," Kaoru hinted. "Get married," Hikaru finished with a grin. "That'll be definitely news worth reporting."

Hana shook her head at that. "Not happening any time soon."
"Oh? Not even to Kyouya?" the Twins smirked. "Or… Mori, perhaps?"

The woman smiled. "I'm sure you all know the answer to that one. But the point is, I have nothing to show for. The only thing the media is interested in is my former occupation and my pretty face."
"All the better to do an interview with a magazine," Hikaru pointed out. "I'm sure we know a magazine that is looking to find powerful businesswomen to headline an issue sometime by the end of the year."

The Twins looked at each other and smiled. "We could put in a word for you."
Hana shook her head and was embarrassed to have them do such a thing for her. "That's not necessary. If I'm featured, it would have to be by my own means."

The two laughed. "We aren't guaranteeing you an interview, Hana. But we know a couple people." They winked at her and left her to be. The Twins were a hassle to deal with at times, with their teasing and lewd jokes – but if they liked you, you were certainly going to reap the benefits of being friends with them.

Hana quietly made her way back to Mori's side, contemplating whether she could hold onto his hand. It was a little odd, having so many people around them and yet they were unsure of where they stood. Takashi took her hand instead and held onto it. His own little declaration that he was hers in front of his friends, and Hana couldn't help but to smile. She didn't ask for it, and she wasn't expecting it. But boy, did she feel great about it.

It was her first board meeting. She had a place beside the President, sitting alongside the long table of executives who gathered to discuss the state of the company over the past quarter. Hana sat through a long string of presentations, jotting down her own notes and trying to learn every last bit of the company.

She garnered a few looks from the men who sat on the board, mostly out of confusion to see that the heir was truly a young woman and not Hiro as they had thought. She could see it in their eyes that they were disappointed and unamused by the choice of heir. But nonetheless, Hana made sure to work up the courage to speak to the CFO. She found him at the elevator after the meeting, and bowed deeply to him to show her respect.

"I know this is long overdue, Tanako-san," she began. "But if are willing to take me under your wing, it would be an honour to learn from you."
"Nonsense, silly girl," the man laughed. "You should be working under your father. It is not in my place." To be quite honest, there was nothing much to expect from her anyway. In a few years time, she would take over when she had enough experience and they would all be retired by then. She was not a problem that he would have to deal with in his lifetime.

Hana shook her head and pulled out her portfolio with the progress she had made with the President's investment. It was a hefty report, but it highlighted her work to the fullest degree.

"I went to school for Finance, not Business Administration," Hana answered. "This is my work over the past three months. Please do take a look at it."

She bowed again as she watched him get onto the elevator. Hana hoped that what she had done was enough. The plan was to have Yuuto-san take over the side project and have herself begin working under the CFO. As much as Yuuto-san irritated her, he was the best person to lead the team. She was nothing more than a figurehead, and Hana didn't see herself in Research and Development at the end of the day.

Hana was called up to the President's Office after a week. She had an inkling about what the meeting was about, though to be honest, it was never a pleasant time being in the same room with the President. The only thing she could surely expect was annoyance at the very least.

"Why did I get a call from Tanako-san about your portfolio?" the President cut to the chase. The girl took a deep breath and answered his question calmly.

"Because I gave it to him." Simple as that.

"And what do you think he was going to do with it? Offer you a job?"
"That was the intention," Hana admitted.

"Why can't you sit still and just stay quiet? Why do you keep stirring things up?" he raised his voice, obviously annoyed by what Hana had done. He was never prepared for what the girl threw at him. Every time he had thought that she would sit and be quiet, she would rise and bark to no end.

"Is he offering me the job or not?" Hana did not care for anything else.
"He called asking if it would be alright to have you work under him," the President gritted his teeth. He had nothing against the CFO, in fact they had been business partners for decades. He just did not expect him to take an interest in someone as worthless as this child who had nothing to show for.

"It's quite alright with me," Hana answered.
"It's not in your place to decide," he refused. "Who are you to go off to work for someone other than—"
"It's technically a good idea to allow the heir to diversify their skills around the company," she pointed out. "It builds better relations with the rest of the employers and the board."

The President could not argue with that. But the sight of her made his blood broil with anger. How she did not deserve a cent of his company and yet she was beginning to ascend to higher ranks without him even being able to control the woman.

"An executive sees potential in me, and yet you can't see it in your own daughter?" Hana threw a dagger at him. She hit him at the weakest point each time. How he could not bear to see the success of someone that was not truly his own. What was she to him? The ultimate symbol of betrayal?

"Because you aren't!" he hollered. He froze in his place and watched as Hana's eyes widened. It felt like a jolt to her stomach. This was a scenario she hadn't planned for. It was a stand-off between the pair, neither of the two willing to back down.

Hana was the calmer one. She had known this fact for years. But it was still a strange feeling to hear it being said out loud.

"Well then," Hana tried to keep herself together. "What do you want me to do about it? I won't back down. You know I won't."
"This corporation was never yours," the man seethed. "You aren't allowed to have it."
"Then why did you put me in this position?!" Hana raised her own voice. "You are never satisfied. No matter what I do in this company. Of course I don't deserve it. I never wanted it. But I still come to work every day. I still put in every ounce of effort to appear worthy to be an heir, at no expense of your own reputation or the company's. Why do I even bother?"

"That's right," the President scowled. "Why do you bother?"
"Because I was raised to uphold honour… by a man who had no obligation to treat me like his own," Hana shook her head. "I am not an ungrateful little brat who knows nothing of the things you have provided for me. You could have disowned me long ago. You could have divorced her. You could have done it all. I lose sleep every night trying to figure out why you didn't. I just didn't understand why you would put yourself through the pain and regret. The anger and the bitterness. So tell me: why do you bother?"

The President breathed heavily, trying to lower his blood pressure as he began feeling light headed. He was furious at her words, and all he could see was the anger in her eyes. She stood silently, with the narrowed eyes and icy glare that did not cease for a single second.

"Honour," he spat. "I did it for honour." For the sake of the family, for their reputation, for their business. He could have thrown it all away if he had acted on his own reckless decisions. But everything became a calculated series of steps for the greatest profit and highest respect from his business partners. He strived for greater things in life than petty familial relationships.

"Then I guess we both are on the same page," Hana whispered. "Let's not pretend what we are not. We are mere business partners. Work until you die if you're so willing to keep the company – but do not dare threaten me. Do not think you can control me like a pawn. I will play the game and I will beat you at it."

"Is that a threat?" he growled.
"Only if you think it is. Consider it a warning at the very least," Hana answered. "I'm not here to stir things up in this company. Whether you believe my intentions or not – I don't care. Let me do my job. Let me uphold the honour that you cherish so deeply. But in return, you let me live the way I choose to."

"I want results," the President demanded. She wanted to be treated like a business partner, then so be it.
"You will get results," the young woman assured. "Ask Tanako-san for updates. I don't care. I know what I am capable of. My current team has a new product that they are looking to launch. They are well to do on their own without me when I transfer over to a new department. Everything has been settled, sir." She added.

The President exhaled and had his eyes narrowed still. He took a long hard look at what others believed to be his daughter. She truly was a woman that he could not underestimate. She was raised with such ferocity in her eyes that there was no doubt it was his own father's doing.

This had been the only productive meeting with her thus far. It was a reluctant partnership that he did not enjoy, but she meant business and so did he. They could be on the same page when it came to business.

"You start in two weeks," he decided. "Take care of any loose ends."
"Yes, sir," Hana bowed and left.

Hana had no appetite these days. Today especially, when Sawada-san noticed that his granddaughter had barely made a dent in her rice. She was staring off into space. What was wrong with the child?

"Oi," he tried to catch her attention by snapping at her. "Eat something, won't you? I didn't cook for nothing."

She nodded and took a small bite of the minced vegetables.

"What the hell is wrong?" the elder grumbled.

Hana looked up at her grandfather. He had aged immensely. Wrinkles began to grow deeper into his skin, his limp was getting more apparent but his voice was still sharp as ever when he barked at her. His hair grew to be snow white nowadays and his dexterity was certainly not as accurate as it had been years ago. He was much too old to be doing anything strenuous but he still insisted on walking the damn dog twice a day.

"He… knows," Hana murmured. "I mean, he'd always known that I wasn't his daughter. But… he said it aloud today. I just, sometimes I wonder… why? Why keep me? Why… not cut me off once I turned eighteen? Why is he doing this to me? It brings neither of us joy. I don't think he is enacting on some kind of revenge plot just to see me unhappy."

The elder relented and put down his chopsticks.

"And you too," Hana whispered. "Why do you let me stay? I'm… just a mistake that no one really wanted in the first place. A big secret that no one wanted to let out… and I've gotten this far."

"How dare you talk about yourself like that, Hana?!" her grandfather scolded.
"But it's true!" the granddaughter sighed. No matter what she thought, she couldn't put the pieces together. "Why did you raise me when you fully knew that I wasn't his?"

The grandfather stayed silent for a moment.

The young woman sighed. "It's not that I'm not grateful for you, Ojii-san. Sometimes I just want answers."

The elder sighed.

"You were my second chance at parenting," he admitted. "The first time around was… difficult. I had to work to keep the family fed and to send him to school, and then his mother died when he was in university. When I finally settled down, he was beginning to take off in his company. It was a whirlwind of events."

"But why not… Hiro?" Hana murmured. Her brother was every bit of his grandchild than she would ever be.

"Hana, you were born a female," Sawada-san shook his head. "You had a disadvantage straight from the start. Hiro did not. With your big brown eyes looking up at me at the hospital… how could one not think to protect you at all costs?"

Hana shrugged. "Don't you feel that way with any other baby? I'm no exception."
"No," Sawada-san shook his head. "From the minute I held you, the second you locked eyes with me, I knew it was impossible. Hiro had the backing of the family as the first born heir. You had nothing. When you were five and the paternity results came out… I knew you had absolutely nothing against the world."

Hana closed her eyes and looked away. "So you pitied me after all, hey?"
"I loved you from the moment you were born, Hana. Do not confuse that with pity," Sawada-san warned. "You are my grandchild."

"So if he had known since I was five, why didn't he do something about it? Divorce my mother? Take me off of the family registry? Throw me away?!" Hana felt like being abandoned would have been a better option than to be trapped like this for the rest of her life.

The grandfather looked down.

"Because he knew how much I loved you."

Honour. I did it for honour. Hana could hear the words ringing in her ears. To paint the man a villain would have been wrong. To begin understanding his perspective and reasoning was a difficult journey that Hana inadvertently embarked upon. It would have been easy to call him selfish and greedy for money, for keeping the company in his own hands at the expense of his own family.

But he wasn't like that.

How Hana wished that the world was black and white, but instead she was faced with a bleak colour of grey wherever she looked.

A/N: It's a long hard journey for Hana and I hope you don't find it too be tedious to read. I believe that insecurity is always an underlying feeling that never quite goes away in your young adult years. As for Hana's "father", he was certainly quite one-dimensional in previous chapters - hoping to change that now. I'd like to believe that growing up and maturing goes hand in hand with developing empathy. As always, your thoughts are always appreciated. I'm trying to make up for the lack of updates throughout the year by trying to churn out as much as I can in between prepping for school again and balancing a social life.