The hostess led Kazuki to the table. She informed him that the other party had already arrived. The owner's of M.P. Enterprise had asked if he and his daughter were interested in a business arrangement. They wanted to sponsor her in future tournaments and have him be a representative in Japan. Kazuki disliked a good many in the upper class world. Arrogant asses that always seemed to have an undeserved confidence. They had turned down many offers in the past to avoid dealing with such pricks. The only reason they gave this group a chance was that they had such a sterling reputation. They did not backstab and avoided a good many of the shady dealings others seemed fine with. He looked around at the restaurant. A fairly high class establishment. They arrived at the table and Kazuki felt a fluttering moment of disappointment. When they spoke on the phone, he had been under the impression that the owners themselves would be attending the meeting. But the only ones at the table were two men and a woman. All looked no older than mid thirties. The woman sat in the middle. She had long blond hair hanging loosely over her shoulders. On her left, the man had long silver hair tied back in a loose ponytail. The one on her right had short black hair, with some covering his right eye. At first he thought they were assistants, but a closer glance displaced that notion. The woman had a blue silk cocktail dress with a silver necklace with a diamond pendant and dangling diamond earrings. The way they sparkled he knew they were real. Both men had expensive tailored suits. Maybe upper middle management types. All three stood up when he arrived.
"Pleased to meet you Rajjin-sama. Please have a seat." The one with silver hair said with a bow. The other two offered a bow as well. Kazuki returned it, and pulled a chair out. They all sat. "You look surprised, is there something wrong?"
"Sorry, I was under the impression your boss would be here." Kazuki answered, trying not to appear rude. The three looked at each other. A look of confusion passed across their faces.
"Rajjin-sama, I am Phelim Max. These are my wife Sophie and my younger brother Itsuki. We are the owners of M.P. Enterprise." Max responded. Kazuki's eyes went wide.
"I…I'm so sorry. You're just so young." He stuttered, trying to apologize. The three smiled.
"Don't worry. I understand we are rather young to be running a company this big." Sophie interjected. "I don't mean to be rude, but isn't your daughter supposed to be joining us?" The older man looked at them, his mind trying to catch up. He processed the question after a moment.
"Oh yes. She had a class this evening that ran a little late. She is on her way." He explained.
"Shall we wait for her to discuss business then?" She asked. Kazuki agreed. They placed orders. Kazuki picked something he knew Sumay would like. That way her food would be out the same time as the rest. They sat there for a few minutes, idly chatting. Sophie did not let them sink into any business talk. Kazuki admired how deftly she changed topics if they tried.
A waitress walked by, tray ladled with drinks for multiple tables. She set down a good many of them on the table next door. Picking up the tray, she turned to resume her path. Unfortunately a patron chose that moment to push their chair back. Her foot caught on the leg and the drinks went flying. The entire restaurant turned to the sound of shattering glass. Itsuki was drenched. A cup of red wine had spilled down his chest and what was left of several mixed drinks dripped down his chin and hair. The girl's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped. After a moment, she dropped her hands and tried to stutter an apology. A man in an expensive burgundy suit rushed up.
"Izumi you idiot." He hissed as he approached. Turning to the table, his tone softened. "Apologies sir. I am Jiro, the manager at this establishment. I am terribly sorry for this incompetent fool. Please bill us for the dry cleaning and I will be more than happy to deal with this clumsy employee on your behalf."
"Don't worry about it." Itsuki said softly. The manager and waitress looked at him. He gave a gentle laugh and smiled. "Really it's my fault for wearing a white shirt."
"Are you sure sir? It would really be no problem to punish her. This isn't her first offense. " He said surprised. Sophie noticed the air of unease Itsuki had. They could tell the man was a bully.
"How could I blame someone for getting tripped?" Itsuki asked. Seeing how the situation was going, Sophie stood up. She moved next to the manager.
"Jiro-san right?" she asked softly. He nodded. "My younger brother is trying to make it clear he is fine. He doesn't blame the poor girl and I think it might be more stressful for him if she were to be punished for something that was clearly not her fault. Do you understand?" She asked sweetly. The slightly hard edge to her tone and eyes made her intent clear. Jiro gulped at the frightening blond. He nodded and she gave a smile in return. Kazuki bit back a smile. This was the first time he had seen an upper class person use their influence to keep a worker from getting into trouble. He was right to want to work with them.
Itsuki returned from the restroom and sat back down. His hair and shirt were damp from the attempted cleaning. He was about to speak, when he noticed the new addition to the table. She was beautiful. Long blue hair hung loose around her shoulders, draping over an emerald green corset with black detailing. In an instant it felt like his mouth was sewn shut.
"This is my daughter Sumay. Sumay this is the younger brother Itsuki." Kazuki introduced the pair. Sumay nodded as she sipped some water. The young man tried to force himself to talk. It was a miserable failure. She was gorgeous. More beautiful than he thought anyone could be. Sweat dripped down his face when her blue-green eyes met his. Noticing his shirt, she wondered a bit angrily which of the poor wait staff had gotten fired for that accident.
The phone rang. With every ring, a new pit of ice formed in his stomach. After an eternity he finally heard the click.
"Hello?" the soft voice asked. Itsuki felt himself freeze. Sophie sat on the chair across from him, silently cheering him on. He gulped.
"This is Itsuki. We met the other night at dinner."
"Yes?"
"I..uh…was wondering…would you like to go out some time?" He managed to stutter. He sat their in silence for a few moments.
"I don't go out with men unless they ask in person." A click followed the words. Itsuki sat in silence, mouth agape.
"Itsuki?" Sophie asked. He stared at the phone.
"She…She…hung up." He stuttered.
"Oh, honey I'm so sorry." Sophie replied. She felt terrible. Dangling such a jewel in front of him without thinking. Poor thing couldn't take another rejection. She moved to hug him. Surprise filled her when he jumped up off the couch.
"I can't give up that easily." He said before taking off down the hall. "Max, where's the number to the Rajjin Dojo!"
"Where did my pessimistic shy little brother go?" Sophie laughed softly to herself.
Sumay sighed as she hung up the phone. Such irritation. He doesn't say a word all night. Just sat there staring. And the way that waitress Izumi fawned on him all evening, definitely a player. She felt a little bad being so cruel, but it was a bit of an ingrained habit. Her world was full of entitled pricks. Monied playboys that couldn't keep their hands to themselves and fellow competitors that liked to treat all women as groupies. There were a handful of rules that she made. It was how she protected herself. Rule number one was that she only accepted dates if she was asked in person. A few times some coupled up guy tried to get in her pants while their significant other was in the other room. She found they were more hesitant to make attempts if people could witness the flirting. It wasn't much, but it offered some protection. She was not willing, even inadvertently, to become someone's mistress.
"Itsuki-san, what brings you down here?" Kazuki asked. The meeting had gone well, but the boy barely said a word all evening. It was quite the surprise when the young man turned up at the dojo.
"This is a little embarrassing but." Itsuki laughed nervously. "Well, I would like to ask your daughter out." The older man looked at him.
"I appreciate the thought, but I don't really require men to ask for my permission. It's up to my daughter."
"Oh, no. You misunderstood. I didn't come to ask for permission. I came to ask for help."
"Oh?" Kazuki asked, interest piqued. This was a tactic he had never seen before.
"I just wanted some information. Like her favorite flower, color, where she likes to go for fun. Things like that." He replied. Kazuki smiled. He liked the kid. Smile growing bigger, he ushered the boy inside.
"Rajjin-san over here!" a female voice shouted. Sumay turned and allowed herself to be photographed. She had just won entry into nationals and the papers were excited. They were abuzz with the possibility of a fourth national title. She posed a bit more, then proceeded to the locker room. After a quick shower and a change of clothes she emerged back into the arena. A few handfuls of photographers, competitors, and fans were scattered around.
"Congratulations." The voice said next to her. Sumay jumped at the sound. "I'm sorry!" She turned, expecting to see one of her competitors. Instead it was the black haired guy from before. Itsuki. He seemed frozen to the spot, watching her reaction.
"Can I help you?" She asked trying to calm herself. Seeing the tension drain, he approached. He held up a bouquet, offering it. She accepted them politely.
"Thank you for the.." Her words stopped as her brain processed the bouquet. They were not the typical roses. "White magnolias?"
"They are your favorite. Right?" He asked uncertainly. She nodded slowly.
"Yes they are. How did you know?"
"Go out with me and I'll tell you." The words slipped out before he could stop them. A look of surprise hit her face, and he forced a similar look to not show on his.
"Well. I guess I have no choice but to accept." She answered. Surprise finally forced its way onto his face. She had no idea why she accepted. Under normal circumstances she would have walked off. But this was different. This wasn't some information picked up from an article. She had never admitted her favorite flower in public. For once, a guy had actually made her curious. The shock faded from his face.
"I'll pick you up from your house tomorrow at 9 am. Dress comfortably." He said before turning to go.
"Wait." She said. He turned back. "So how did you know?"
"I think I will hold that information until tomorrow. Insurance to keep you from standing me up." He laughed before turning to walk out. He had no idea where this sudden bravery came from. He was just happy to have it.
Sumay pulled the door open after the fourth knock. Itsuki's smiling face greeted her at the door.
"Good morning Sumay." He said happily. She raised her eyebrow at his familiarity. "Sorry. May I call you Sumay?"
"You might as well, you already started." She said with a slight teasing tone. He smiled at her playfulness.
"You look beautiful." He remarked. A smirk and roll of the eyes was all he got in response. She was wearing old jeans and an even older t-shirt. No makeup, no jewelry. Last time she did that the guy had acted as offended as if she hadn't bathed in weeks. Itsuki laughed. She locked the door, then followed him to the car. They both slid into the back seat. She tensed a bit. Last time she was in this situation, she had to slap the guy so he would keep his hands to himself.
Her worries proved unsubstantiated. The entire ride, he made no attempts to touch her. They just chatted about random things. Itsuki was so unlike anyone she had ever met before. He wasn't smooth in the least. He would jump from topic to topic and often fumbled with words. The car pulled up and he ushered her out. They walked up to the gate and Sumay looked at him confused.
"The zoo?" She asked. He nodded, the smile slipping and beginning to look a bit unsure. "Sorry. I'm just used to dates taking me to plays and fancy restaurants."
"Do you want to go to a fancy restaurant? I can take you to a fancy restaurant." He spoke fast, obviously still nervous. A smile touched her lips. It was kind of cute.
"Its fine. I like the zoo." She said shaking her head. The look of terror disappeared and was replaced by a relieved smile. He bought the tickets and the pair walked through the gate. They spent the day walking from exhibit to exhibit. She loved how he turned out to be such a dork. He spilled ketchup on his shirt during lunch. The cap busted as he tried to pour, dousing him with almost half the bottle. Afterwards they walked through a bird house. One took an instant dislike to him. She couldn't stop laughing as it chased him all over the place. He screamed as it kept diving at him, until Sumay threw it a handful of popcorn. All his quirks were put up on display and he made no judgments when she showed hers. They had accidentally walked into a nocturnal exhibit building. It revealed her one terrifying fear, bats. Seeing the roasts sleeping in their habitats, she froze. Without a word, he pulled her from the building. She tried to make up an excuse, but he just smiled. Admitted in the third grade his class had a mean hamster as a pet. While trying to clean its cage it bit him and ever since then he had a fear of hamsters. They came across the red panda's and she felt a tear slip down her cheek. She admitted they were her mother's favorite. He wrapped his arm around her and told her how he had lost his parents too.
"Of course, they thought white rhinos were way better." He teased, forcing a smile out of her.
Sumay sat in the car, a feeling of contentment settling over her. It had actually been the only fun date she had ever had. She had to be tough around competitors, lest they think her begin a girl made her weak. It was the first time she ever felt like she could be herself. As they sat in silence, a thought that had been in the back of her mind finally popped back to the front.
"Itsuki, you never told me how you knew my favorite flower." She said, breaking the silence. A look of embarrassment crossed his face.
"I just asked your dad." He laughed nervously. She couldn't help but laugh with him. No one had ever thought to ask her dad. The nervousness faded into genuine laughter. The car rolled up to her house and she accepted his offer to walk her to the door.
"I had a wonderful time with you today Sumay." He said softly. She nodded.
"You were nice company." She answered. They stood in a comfortable silence for a few moments, just enjoying each other's company. Sumay stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. A feint blush spread across both their faces. "Just let me know when you want to go out again." With that she slipped into her house, leaving him alone on the porch. He held his cheek wistfully for a moment, before walking back to the car smiling.
"How was your day?" Kazuki asked his daughter as she walked into the room.
"Fun." She answered. He looked up from the paper he was reading. She had never given that answer before. He glanced at her curiously. A faint blush swept across her cheeks and she giggled before rushing off to her room. Cocking an eyebrow, he shook his head. She had never acted like that before. He definitely liked that Itsuki kid.
"I can't wait to see you again. Love you." Itsuki said into the phone. He waited for the answer before hanging up.
"Talking to your lady again?" Max laughed. The laughter increased as the younger man blushed.
"Oh leave him alone already. They haven't seen each other in months." Sophie scolded her husband. He pouted as the other two exchanged smiles. Itsuki and Sumay had been going out for almost two years. M.P. Enterprise still had much work to do so the three had to return to America. A strong foot hold was even generated in a few countries. Sophie and Max headed up a branch in France while Itsuki had been chosen as the liaison for Japan. Half the year was spent in America, the other in the selected country. So for six months of the year, Itsuki and Sumay were in a long distance relationship.
Itsuki walked through the door. The bags fell from his arms as the girl jumped him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she crushed her lips onto his. He had given her a key when he first got the place a year ago. As their couple status was not really known, it was a great place for her to hide from the world. She had taken her fourth national title, but wanted to take a bit of a break from the competition. It was the perfect place to settle her thoughts. They moved apart and she helped him move the bags into the living room. The table was already set, with steam rising from some of the dishes.
"How do you always have things ready at the exact time I show up?"
"I'm a Jedi." She smirked. The pair laughed. She had taken a liking to American cinema, and they had such fun quoting movies to each other. He honestly never thought someone like her would turn out to be such a geek. They spent the rest of the day putting his stuff up and watching movies. Before they knew it the clock read 11:00.
"I think we both have an early day tomorrow." Sumay said with a yawn. Getting up from the couch, she gave a little stretch. The pair moved to the only bedroom and both changed into their sleeping attire. He just wore a pair of boxers; she wore an old t-shit. A blush spread across his face as he tried to hide his budding erection. Two years of being together and they had yet to consummate their relationship. They hadn't even gone past second base. Itsuki wasn't a virgin, but the idea of approaching sex made him nervous as hell, especially with someone as amazing as Sumay. He practically jumped into bed, and slipped the comforter over him. She crawled in lazily and snuggled up next to him. Nuzzling into his chest, her hand traced patterns across his surprisingly muscular frame. She liked exploring his body.
Idly moving around, he hissed as her hand dipped lower. Surprised by the reaction, she looked at him. His face was beet red. Curiosity got the better of her, and she continued exploring. Her fingers touched the hard length he had been trying to conceal. Wrapping her hand around it, she gave a gentle stroke. His hips rose to meet her. Shocked but intrigued, she kept playing. She had never touched anyone like this before. Pushing aside the fabric, he sprang out of the slit in his boxers. Her hand went back, surprised by how warm and solid it was. Itsuki let her play, thrusting his hips up into her hand. But he wanted more. Sexual frustration won out over shyness and he flipped over, pinning her down. Pulling the shirt up, he kissed her unrestrained chest and stomach. She squealed at his playful antics. His fingers caressed her over the cloth, and it was her turn to buck her hips into his hand. After a few minutes of teasing, he slipped the tips of his fingers into her waistband. She lifted her hips to allow the interfering article to be pulled down. They were moving fast, but neither wanted to stop. Six long months of no physical contact had left hem starved. Tossing the fabric to the side, he settled between her knees. He kissed her lips, then trailed down to her jaw and neck. When she whimpered, he thrust in. Her tight flesh opened as he forced himself inside. She bit back a scream as her maidenhead was broken. He pulled his head up and looked at her. Shock all over his features.
"You were a virgin?" He forced the words out. She nodded grimacing as her body tried to adjust to him. A look of panic hit his eyes before he lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry. So Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. So-"
"Itsuki." The demanding word cut into his rambling apology and his eyes met hers. She smiled softly. "Will you shut up and make love to me already?"
"We are going to miss you!" The class shouted in unison. Sumay smiled at her students.
"Don't worry. It's not like I am leaving forever." She forced herself to laugh. It was going to be tough to leave everything. Her dojo…Her father…Her homeland. Kazuki forced himself to make small talk as he drove. She idly played with the necklace Itsuki bought her as an engagement gift. He had proposed several months before. They arranged a wedding quickly. The wedding planner Sophie and Max used was amazing. On short notice she was able to book practically everything they wanted. They married just before he had to leave. Sumay had toyed with the idea of just keeping their relationship like it was. Together six months, apart the other six. Kazuki laughed, saying it would be better for her to stay with her husband. He was in Japan for half the year anyway, so she could still instruct in the dojo and visit everyone. She tried to protest. A smile hit his lips as he asked; would she rather spend the entire year with her father, or her husband? Her answer was why in 30 minutes she would be boarding a plane for America.
