Here's chapter 26...
"Hey pretty lady!" Says Baba walking up to me with Ota, who actually seems friendly today.
"Hi," I say slightly creeped out. Does he call everyone that? He says it to Spencer and Haley all the time, maybe he's desperate or something.
Spencer goes off with Ota, and Baba takes Haley to Soryu, so I'm alone, drinking a cocktail at the bar. I'm so damn bored, but it's better than being sold off at an auction like Haley and Spencer were, I guess. I'm cradling the cup in my fingers rocking it back and forth, and sigh as I place and elbow on the table to hold up my head and take a sip. I take out my phone and text my friends back at home, or America you could say, I've been living there for three years so it feels like home now. Suddenly Eisuke walk up to the bar and a bunch of young women follow crowding in such a small space. He sits a seat away from me and suddenly three women start fighting for the seat in between us. I gulp down the rest of my drink and go outside to the boardwalk.
The fresh breeze enlightens my mood, I stand next to the artificial lake and suddenly the fountains come on, they're so pretty. I watch the short spectacle and sit right on the edge with my heels next to me. Few people walk by, some couples and few families. Then I see Luke, or at least I think I do, so I walk to him to get a better look, and my hunch is correct. He's sitting on a bench playing on his phone. I decide to sit down beside him he glances at me before looking down again.
"What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside, enjoying the party?" I ask.
"It was stuffy in there and these women were being so clingy, so I left." He replies not once looking away from his game.
"It's rude not to look at someone when you talking to them." I say teasingly. "Hey, are you listening?"
"Hmm..."
"Why aren't you at the auction?" I ask, wondering if he'll notice.
"Because... Wait, how do you know?" His eyes widen in surprise. Well at least he was listening.
"Let's just say, you guys didn't do a very good job of hiding it and don't tell the others. I swear I won't tell anyone, I've kept it in for a day now, without anyone getting the slightest bit suspicious. So..." I shrug, awaiting his answer. He nods as if he agrees and finally puts his phone away. "I just have one question and I'd prefer if you'd answer honestly, why do you do them?"
He sighs and opens his mouth to speak. "Honestly, it's for the money." He says bluntly, I mean seriously.
"Why were Spencer and Haley put up for sale?"
"I don't know they were already here before I came to Japan."
"I don't get it, why do you guys want more money? But I'm not really bothered, so yeah... Personally I was happy with our life before aswell!"
"I heard you go to Harvard right? You probably wouldn't have been able to afford it, if Haley hadn't been sold and then gotten attracted to Soryu. She never would have met him."
"You're right, I was really upset when Mom fell ill and she stopped earning. Wait, do they use the auction money on my fees?"
"I don't know, why, at least you're going and the money's real. So how does it matter where it was acquired?"
"You're right I guess it doesn't really, but...I don't know... It's nothing." I say shaking off the matter.
"So what are course are you taking?" He asks.
"Me, I'm doing a designing course and an economics one, so I really have no idea what I'm gonna be. Initially I wanted to be a doctor, but then I watched a heart operation and I was fine with it, but then I watched neck dissection and..*shivers* .. I fainted and since then it is officially illegal for under 18s to watch surgerys in that hospital, so yey me!"
"But a heart operation is much more extreme, compared to a neck dissection." He says puzzled.
"Strange, that's exactly what the doctor said to me in my check up."
"Hmm..."
"So why aren't you at the auction?" You never answered my question."
"My interests lie elsewhere. I'm mainly involved in the-"
"Transplants, I saw in a file."
"Yeah and you have real guts to sneak into Eisuke's office and raid through its files."
"Not to forget I came out unnoticed, so you gotta admit I got skills." I say flashing him a smile. "But it's not something I'm proud off and I don't do it regularly. I used to do it a lot in school though, me and my friends but we had our own personal reasons for that."
"I can't but help feel intrigued if you put it like that."
"Well, it's kind of complicated. I'll give you a sum up. A close friend of mine was murdered. But the police closed up the investigation with a suicide. But we knew she didn't and this person kept threatening to reveal our secrets if we didn't do as he said. Eventually it turned out to be this girl, who's was related to the friend that was murdered, so yeah she has a really messed up family. For her it was all just a game, and we were her dolls. But it was deadly and I can't believe she managed to avoid going to jail."
"What kind of secrets would you hide, so much that you would do her bidding."
"I..." I fall silent, and suddenly memories of those times come to me.
"You don't need to continue if it pains you to talk about it." He says placing his hand on mine.
"They were some dark times... But now I'm happy and free!" I reply changing the topic. "What time is it?" He pulls his hand away and checks his phone.
"11:47"
"We should head back, it's been like two hours. It seems funny how time flew by." I say getting up and dragging him behind me.
"The auction's probably over." He says sounding slightly relieved in his voice.
"Great! They've probably gone back to the penthouse then?"
"Maybe,"
"I hope so, cause Haley won't let me leave until she does and I'm not spending another second in that crowd." I say.
"Why,"
"To keep an eye on me she knows I would probably ransack the penthouse to find out what they're hiding. But they don't know that I already know and funny thing is I did it right in front of you."
"Why do you trust me to keep it a secret? I mean you hardly know me, how do you know I won't tell them."
"Cuz... You're different and I just have a feeling you won't break my trust. And it was eating me alive to not be able to tell anyone, so it's better I tell you even though you know, rather than someone else. So this afternoon, they were playing cards and discussing stuff in the lounge and when I entered it was silent. I know that they definitely aren't the type to just sit in silence, I mean really even Baba, that's to fake. So I went to my suite changed my shoes and went to Eisuke's suite. At first I got nothing but then I tried to open a file drawer and it was locked after ages I found the key blah blah blah, but he came up and I was almost caught but then he went for a shower and I left!"
"You seem rather happy about it."
"Well, not really, I was freaking out in my room thinking what to do and whether I should tell anyone, but I stopped caring after a while."
"What's your age?"
"21, but even though it seems young I'm only a year younger than Spencer."
"I'm pretty sure she's 23."
"But I'm gonna be 22 in three months so remember my birthday." I decide to tie my hair into a high ponytail because I'm feeling so hot and stuffy.
"Oh..." His eyes widen as he stares at my neck. "Those collarbones..."
"Huh!" He comes closer, closing the gap between us.
"Your so beautiful, I can't bare it." I try to slip past him but he grabs my wrist and he reaches out for my shoulders. "Its all right. Don't run away I promise I won't hurt you."
"That's not the point..." I say struggling to get out of his grip. He releases me and apologises, I run out of the elevator and return to my suite dodging Haley and Spencer's questions...