April 9, 20xx (6 months before the wedding)
Contrary to public opinion, Zoisite was not a dumb man.
He was the premiere gossip reporter of the nation who had unveiled its stars' biggest scandals like the bubbly idol Nanokura Mimori's forbidden relationship with male rock star Fuwa Sho and the secret wedding of famous actresses Kusunoki Kana and Kotonami Kanae. It was not dumb luck that had gotten him this far.
There were far bigger tabloids with more resources at their disposal than he had but he had not avoided being tied down to them for this long for no reason.
He alone was a free agent and he had no intention of ever tying himself down to a large corporation. Of course, this meant that he had to work even harder, coming up with articles daily so as not to lose to his competition. Despite his two big scandals, he had ten times more busts, articles holding only the slightest slivers of truth, articles that had quickly been proven false by his competitors and their subjects.
Admittedly, there was more than a little sensationalism in his writing. He wasn't above using clickbait titles or making articles over the smallest of details. Credibility was something for journalists and their like.
The people reading his blog certainly weren't concerned with hard facts. They read for the escapism, to escape into the lives of the elite who had secrets and scandals proportionate to their outlandish amount of fame and wealth. Zoisite was more than happy to deliver on all that his readers wanted.
But then his article speculating on Michiru's supposed pregnancy hadn't just been to scandalise his delighted readers. It had served as a red herring for his competitors; let them focus on trying to catch a pregnancy that didn't exist all while Zoisite sat and amassed information on the true scandal that was brewing between the Chiba and Kaioh empires.
Of course, since he didn't much care for holding a steadfast reputation for credibility, this meant that whatever he published would be doubted and scrutinised heavily by the public and other tabloids. And unless he built a rock-solid case, the Chiba and Kaioh corporations were sure to belittle and demean his evidence as baseless and taken out of context.
Chiba Mamoru and Kaioh Michiru were just too clean; they weren't actors or singers who constantly interacted with the public. They were established in their respective careers in business and the arts, and they possessed a more elusive fame that could only come from people with their illustrious lineages.
Which was why he had a plan.
He'd asked to be given exclusive rights to all of the pre wedding coverage in exchange for not publishing the incriminating photos of the two. This would cause him to amass an even greater following as the only source of all Chiba and Kaioh wedding news and then, on the morning of the wedding, he would release everything: every photo and every piece of information he'd gathered on their illicit affairs.
Even just thinking about it, Zoisite knew that that would cause all of Japan to implode. This was going to be the biggest scoop of his life, his own "Watergate," his magnum opus. Even if he went down in flames (as he undoubtedly would with the airtight NDA he'd been forced to sign), Zoisite would become a household name in all of Japan, remembered for singlehandedly uncovering the scandal of the century.
"Zoisite-kun."
Zoisite startled at the sound of the voice, looking up just as Hayami elegantly sat down on the white armchair and crossed her legs beneath her.
Quickly remembering that he had been called to the Kaioh residence and regaining his composure, Zoisite beamed at her, "Hello Kaioh-san. How is the wedding planning going? Have you decided on who's doing the floral arrangements?"
"Let's dispense with the pleasantries. You and I are not of equal footing," Hayami said smoothly.
"I'm hurt. Truly. Where's the infamous Kaioh hospitality?" Zoisite asked with faux distress before his eyebrows furrowed in thoughtful consideration, "Well I guess I can't blame you considering the story I have on you. What was it again?
Hayami stared at him expressionlessly although the tight set to her jaw betrayed her ire.
"Oh yes. The fact that the talented Kaioh Michiru is actually a lesbian, cheating on Chiba Mamoru with a female racecar driver, all while the upright Chiba Mamoru was also cheating on her with a college student," Zoisite gloated.
"Yes exactly," Hayami replied. Zoisite was momentarily taken off guard at her acquiescence and Hayami took advantage of this, taking control.
"You see, Zoisite-kun, when you blackmail a corporation as large as the Kaioh Group, you inevitably draw a large amount of attention to yourself. The Kaioh Group has a distinguished lineage going back centuries and we have faced more than our fair share of enemies, people determined to bring our family down. But none have been successful and we have maintained our positions as pillars of Japanese society and business," Hayami said firmly and when Zoisite rolled his eyes, a faint hint of a smirk appeared on her face.
"The moment you sent your photographs to us, you made yourself vulnerable and there is not a single thing in your life that we don't know."
Zoisite clapped dramatically, drawling, "How terrifying. But I'm an open book. I have no secrets because I flaunt them."
"Oshiro Kunzite is an impressive man. I've had many dealings with his press company and himself. But I have to admit I had no idea he would be in a relationship with someone as… flamboyant as you." Hayami continued as if she hadn't heard him, her mouth subtly curling with distaste. Pale and speechless, Zoisite stared at her.
"As much as you think you might be safe, being the third rate gossip rag writer that you are, it's not quite the same for Oshiro Kunzite now, is it. The bigger the tree, the harder they fall, they say. And while you may be but a sapling of a tree, Oshiro Kunzite is a large pine in the press industry," Hayami turned the full force of her stare to the frozen blond, "I know men like him very well and you will not be his choice when he is forced to choose between his career and you. In fact, he'll destroy you himself."
As Zoisite visibly struggled within himself, wanting desperately to refute the truth in Hayami's words, angry splotches of red appearing on his cheeks, Hayami languidly ran a hand down her neck.
"People like you are always so desperate to do something great, to rise above your mediocrity by feeding off of your superiors," she said with contempt before leaning back into her chair and staring imperiously at Zoisite.
"Now, I'm sure we can reach an actual arrangement that will leave us both happy. In the matter that there is an unexpected change in events, you will release all of the photos you have of Mamoru. You'll report solely on his indiscretions with no mention of my daughter except to paint her in a sympathetic light.
Do you understand?"
Friday, November 13, 20xx (4 days before the wedding)
Michiru sat with her legs entwined and her figure leaning forward as the brisk autumn wind tousled her hair. Tapping her left fingers on the railing to a melody that usually calmed her down, Michiru watched the unfolding race below her with a tense anxiety.
Although her trench coat was discarded in the suite, she barely noticed the cold, her attention solely on the track teeming with brightly coloured cars, specifically one scarlet car holding one Tenoh Haruka.
The cars disappeared from view as they whizzed by onto the other half of the circuit and Michiru marvelled at how she could have ever thought that watching an F1 race was boring. The cars raced at unbelievable speeds and knowing that her lover was in one of them made her stomach clench with anxiety.
The cars reappeared, having finished a lap and Michiru let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Haruka was still in first with only a couple more laps to go, and the stands were raucous with cheers and yells that somehow managed to compete with the loud roars of the F1 engines.
Even though today's race wasn't the actual Grand Prix and just the qualifying round for the qualifying round for the Grand Prix, there was an impressive amount of fans in the stands. Michiru tried to lose herself in the sounds of the crowd, trying to let go of the unease that had been hanging over her all day, and she was almost successful until the announcer let out a very contained exclamation.
"Oh, and there's been a crash. Looking at it, it's difficult to tell who it is. Upside down, that car's left wheels both front and rear are off…"
Dread overcame her and Michiru sprang to her feet, leaning precariously forward as she strained to see what had happened. The crash had happened at the corner of the track, the carnage just visible from the suite.
Completely overturned and wrecked after having crashed into the wall, the car was nearly unidentifiable. Smoke rose ominously from it, broken off pieces of the car still rolling on the grass and track.
A team of marshals appeared on the scene, followed by several cars, and Michiru watched with abject horror as medical professionals swarmed the scene. A man began to wave a scarlet flag, forcing the other cars to halt, and the announcer was continuing to say things but Michiru was still fixated on the crash.
The marshals began to carefully flip the car back over and Michiru felt her heart stop even as she turned and sprinted out of her suite.
No.
It couldn't be.
The car had been an undeniable, bright, Ferrari red.
Haruka collapsed onto the floor, her back against the cement wall.
Her face fell into her hands and Haruka tried to calm down, tried to remember how to breathe.
He was going to be okay. He was going to be okay. This was different than what had happened those years ago.
She hadn't seen the crash herself but when the red flag had been raised, she'd jumped out of her own car with a singleminded determination. And by the time the medics had wheeled in the battered body of her racing partner, Mike, she had already been there, immediately grabbing onto the sides of the gurney and helping to push it into the nearest, open room.
As the medics began a systematic series of tests and actions, Haruka finally laid eyes on Mike. His eyes were closed and his face was covered in blood from a cut he'd sustained on the top of his forehead and being in that same, white room, in the same track, just days after the date of that crash, it was as if she was back in the past.
Hot sticky blood coating the white of her uniform as smoke fogged her vision, a dull ringing in her ears, the utter pain that radiated from all over… She was responsible for this carnage. It was all her fault...
Haruka snapped out of her trance and clutched at the arm of a leaving medic, urgently asking, "How is he? Will he be alright?"
"We don't know anything for certain yet but his vitals are promising. Right now, it seems like he'll only suffer a few bruises and a concussion," he responded and Haruka sagged in relief.
At this moment, Haruka heard the sound of a gasp and she rushed over to Mike's side as he awoke with a start.
"You're alright," Haruka said, projecting more strength and conviction than she had, "You're alright, Mike. You had a crash but you're going to be alright."
Disoriented, Mike frantically looked around before locking onto Haruka's eyes, focusing on her voice as it calmed him down. As the medics became busier with their actions, Haruka left the room, walking around listlessly until she'd found an empty, spare garage where she'd finally collapsed onto the ground.
A burning tear squeezed its way out of the corner of Haruka's eyes and she struggled to regain herself, forcing herself to slowly take in deep breaths and exhale. There was no sense of how much time had passed in that dim, drab garage but suddenly, a warm weight enfolded her.
Opening her eyes, Haruka found herself in the embrace of the violinist, who'd dropped onto her knees and draped her arms around Haruka's neck. Somehow Michiru's arms were comfortingly solid instead of suffocating, and Haruka leaned into the embrace, closing her eyes as she breathed in Michiru's scent.
When finally their heartbeats had synchronised to a steady beat, Haruka quietly admitted, I don't think I can do this anymore."
Michiru's embrace grew just bit a tighter before she leaned back, keeping her arms around Haruka's neck. Haruka lowered her gaze to the ground, avoiding Michiru's eyes.
"Did you know," Michiru softly asked, " I went to all of your races this season?"
Haruka glanced up in surprise before losing her nerve and turning her gaze to the side.
"Did you forget who I am?" Michiru teased lightly.
"A Kaioh," Haruka uttered half-heartedly, the joke falling flat and sounding much more bitter than she had intended.
Michiru laid a hand on Haruka's cheek, gently guiding her face to look at hers as she said,
"A woman who loves you."
There was no judgment in Michiru's face like Haruka had baselessly feared, only a look of steadfast devotion that made Haruka's heart flutter. And there was no need for Michiru to say anything more because her body said the rest as her hand slipped down to rest over the smooth skin of Haruka's scarred heart.
"No matter what," her eyes declared, "I will be there."
"No matter what," her touch promised, "I will love you."
A/N: Well it's been a hot minute since my last update. I have been writing but not for this story specifically. I swear though, I will finish this story. I don't know how long it'll take, but I will finish this story. I've written too much, put too much thought and research into it to abandon it. Thank you for all of your reviews; they were all very motivating and uplifting to read and I can only hope that the next chapter won't take as long.
Story-Related: F1 teams are composed of 2 racers and Mike (briefly in Chapter 2) is Haruka's partner. This is on the same track of Haruka's own crash (when Souichi died) and this is days after the anniversary of the crash so Haruka's in a very emotional place.
You didn't really think Zoisite would just give up his photos of Mamoru and Michiru, did you? I planned for Zoisite to have this ulterior motive/plan for a while but as I thought about it more, I just couldn't see Michiru's mom being deceived by him. She's a scary and powerful woman and there's no way she wouldn't have a contingency plan. And while the Kaiohs and Chibas have a mutually beneficial partnership right now, Hayami is more than willing to throw the Chibas under the bus in order to maintain her family's reputation.
The next chapter will wrap up the final race of the season and with it, the Michiru/Haruka storyline (I believe). The following chapter will be all about Mamoru and Usagi, and I already have parts of that written.