TRUE LOVE, SWEET LIES

PARALLELS – PAST AND PRESENT

Chapter One – The Assignment

Disclaimer

True Love, Sweet Lies and its awesome characters that appear in the otome game Love 365 are the property of Voltage, Inc.

All the wonderful characters for Sekai-Ichi Hatsukoi and Junjou Romantica are owned by their wonderful author Shungiku Nakamura. In the series (whether it be manga, anime, light novel, or drama CD), Ritsu's Dad is unnamed, and little is known about him, and so I gave him a name for the purposes of this fic – Akifumi Onodera.

The original characters Andrew James (AJ) Ishino, Tsuuri Troy, Michael Ishino, and Alexandra Emrys and any other original characters appearing in this fic are properties of PJ Zatken.

Author's Notes

For those who are familiar with otome games, Love 365, and True Love, Sweet Lies, the female main character (MC) is part of the series' original characters. So how do the original characters (OCs) in my story figure out in this universe and fanfic?

The MC is the love interest of one of the playable characters in True Love, Sweet Lies.

My OCs – well, in the Love 365 / Voltage Inc. / otome romance world, they are temporary characters for the fanfic…so in the otome universe they never get the man no matter what the circumstances may be.

I have seen how many folks are avid fans of True Love, Sweet Lies although I do not know as to how many of them are also avid authors and/or readers in .

So for fellow fans who are also True Love, Sweet Lies fans, I open up an invitation to help me with an MC name…which means that if you wish to have your Love 365/True Love, Sweet Lies adventures to be reflected here in this fanfiction then can you indulge me by proposing an MC name that (a) you came up with just for this fanfic of mine, of course YOU will own that MC…or (b) your MC name when you play Love 365 / True Love, Sweet Lies.

Those who do not know Love 365 and wishes to take advantage of this offer are also welcome!

First come, first serve on the offer above. Place it in the reviews section so that everyone knows that you were the first one. I will acknowledge it by posting a review after yours. The first time that the name will appear would be Chapter Two of this fanfic, which would post within two weeks or less after Chapter One posts.

Why do I not want to use my own username for Love 365? My username there is also PJ Zatken, and to tell you frankly the thought of putting my own name – whether it be real or my username – is just not my cup of tea. I write to remove myself from things – call it loving the position as the third party.

Also, for those who are familiar with my work, I tend to do epics. This fic would not be an epic. It would be less than 10 chapters… Maybe five chapters the most...

Background for this Fanfiction

This True Love, Sweet Lies fanfiction serves as a companion piece to my Junjou Romantica / Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi crossover fanfic Are Happy Endings Always THIS Elusive. The goal of this fic is to fill the little holes that would be there because the antagonist(s) and the problems he/she/they bring to our beloved JR / SH characters are complex.

Secondly, the people who are there to help our beloved JR / SH characters through this time have complex lives and equally complex connections.

I figured that the best way to show how intricate these relationships and connections are is through "companion piece" fanfics. First is so the focus for Are Happy Endings Always THIS Elusive would remain mostly with our JR / SH characters. Second, having "companion pieces" would give readers and "inside glimpse" of what was really happening behind the scenes so that there would not be any confusion when a character or characters from True Love, Sweet Lies are mentioned or would make a cameo in Are Happy Endings Always THIS Elusive.

As a result, my Disclaimer and Author's Notes on every chapter for Are Happy Endings Always THIS Elusive and each "companion piece" would properly mention and give credit to the fandoms and characters that appear in it.

These "companion piece" fanfics are experiments. I will do my best to do justice to the fandoms that I do, just as I have always done all these years. Come and enjoy this ride with me, and let me know what you think!

Best regards,

PJ Zatken

Location: Private Jet

Final Destination: Japan

Preliminary Destination: Phuket Island, Thailand

Alexandra Emrys' Point of View (POV)

I watch my laptop screen as my video conference call rings, waiting for the other line to pick up.

Finally, I hear a voice followed by the screen flickering to show a familiar person once the other line picks up – the one who I intend to reach. "Em…?"

I cannot help but chuckle. "Yes, it's me, Non-tan."

Non-tan… Full name Fuse Nozomu… Formerly from the National Police Agency and eventually Interpol, he is now the chief of Fuse Investigations.

"Hi, Em…."

I recognize that other voice, and so I greet, "Hi, Naomasa! Are you keeping Non-tan in line?"

"Teach him how to organize his paperwork and meet his deadlines once you get here," is Naomasa's deadpanned reply. "He has to be in constant surveillance all the time."

Nozomu glances sideways, pouting while Naomasa appears beside him via video phone. "You two are mean…"

Ah, that pout of his… At least let me relish these few and precious moment where I am not the subject of said teasing.

Figuring that it is a lost battle, Nozomu sheepishly clears his throat.

Naomasa takes the opportunity and asks, "We're still working on your case, as we speak, Em."

I look at both of them with a smile, the index finger of my right hand casually and rhythmically taps on my arm rest as I talk, "Oh, I know that. I called for a different reason. It's good that you're both on this call. Saves me time and breath..."

For normal people, Naomasa is a hard person to read because he knows how to keep his emotional cards close to his chest. I am, however, not a person to be called normal…and so I notice that behind the veneer of calm indifference that he customarily exhibits, he really wants to know the answer to the question he dares not ask me. He is also not a person who minces his words. He does know me well enough so that he deems it best to ask away, "Dad said that you arranged to meet with him. Everything all right…?"

"I've asked for a meeting with him for informal and formal reasons. I'm coming by myself. I'd like for you to be there, too, Naomasa. It concerns about your Family."

I purposefully pause after what I have just said, and watch the two on the other line especially Naomasa.

"I see…" says Naomasa, pushing his glasses securely to the bridge of his nose. "All right, I'll escort you there."

"Thanks…."

"So it sounds like Troy and you are passing by our way?"

I smirk. Classic comment coming from Fuse Nozomu… "You make it sound as if the other side of the globe is just around the corner."

Nozomu nonchalantly replies, "Well, you made it so. Who's the one who travels regularly by private jet?"

Geez… What is this about men and their love in busting my chops? This one traveling beside me teases me all the time about having a nanny in my service to this very day. This one across the globe gives me a hard time about traveling by private jet. And there will definitely be more teasing as I visit and talk to the many because of what has been going on regarding the overseas merger between Marukawa Shoten and Onodera Shuppan in North America and Europe.

And so I teasingly counter, "Spoken by the man who treats Lyon, France as his round-the-corner local baker and café, and England as a stomping ground across the street…" I pause for a minute, and then tell Nozomu, "By the way, I was in Lyon just recently. I had a nice cup of coffee and a long chat with Commissioner Namioka. He was visiting headquarters and his people there."

Nozomu's mood lights up a bit more. I can tell that there is respect and fondness in his mind as he reminisces times with our old chief. "Oh, you did? Anything interesting come up?"

"He still wants you back, you know – whether it be in Japan, or in Lyon."

"Yeah, he does. I still help every now and then, though." Nozomu pauses for a minute, and then dare asks, "Did he manage to lure you back in?"

I shake my head in amusement, shrugging my shoulders a bit. "Just like you, I freelance for them in both agencies. I've always been a freelancer from the beginning. It'll always stay that way. I'm surprised that they still want me back in. But their reasons for wanting me back are different from why they want you back."

"Because the powers-that-be allowed everyone to lie about your age? Nah… You're a totally different breed. Age doesn't even come into play when it comes to National Police Agency or Interpol wanting you back in any way, shape, or form. Well, it's true that you remained hidden until you were 16. That brain of yours and how you carried yourself was the perfect disguise, though. They offset how young you really are. You had the rest of us fooled for a very long time thinking that you're just an adult with an eternal baby face. If you hadn't told me back then how old you really were, you and Commissioner Namioka would've continued to fool me along with everyone else. Besides, who would…at any age…want, withstand, handle, or solve those "weird" cases for any of the agencies?"

"Baby face…? Takes one to know one…." I say with a smirk, unable to hide my amusement from him because it brings back so many memories as to how he was teased at the agency for not looking and "acting" his age – a constant source of amusement and jokes at work which were done for endearment's sake.

"Weird cases" refers to caseloads that have a…or a series of…varied twists to them that can use my expertise and knowledge in archaeology, the occult, the paranormal, and anything that lies in between those areas. Anything that did not have a category and they felt was in my alley got referred to me.

Nozomu still has that teasing fascination reflected in his eyes when he continues to ask, "Really, Em… Tell Big Brother Non-tan the truth… Did they manage to lure you back in?"

The word "Big Brother" stings a bit for me whenever it comes out of Nozomu's lips. However, I keep all those feelings behind a genial smile. "There was a lure, all right… and it's not the National Police Agency or Interpol."

There is a suggestive smile that escapes from Nozomu's lips. His tone is cheerful when he inquires, "Oh really? So, who's the lucky guy? Are you and AJ back together? Or have you and Troy decided to finally hook up?"

I instantly get annoyed for reasons known and unknown with Nozomu's line of questioning. I also know that he means well, but I feel hurt from being reminded of two particular moments. The first moment was when he rejected my feelings on the year that he quit Interpol. The second incident was a year ago when I saw him with another woman who was just a few years older than me. I know deep down that I am being childish right now and these feelings need to be resolved, but I guess that I have my own moments of weakness.

I also cannot blame Nozomu for thinking that either AJ or Troy will be my "lucky guy." After all, every single loved one of mine keeps bugging me about the same question. At times, I fling my hands up to the heavens because I just figuratively "have it up to here" with all the peanut gallery comments…some days worse than others.

And today is one of those worse days. Nozomu picks the worse possible time, and at a context where I really want to slap him hard across the head for being bloody insensitive and clueless. God, Nozomu – how cruel and dense can you possibly be?

There is absolutely nothing wrong in getting back together with AJ. In fact, I will welcome it if AJ and I can iron out our differences, accept each other for who we are, and then get back together again. I still deeply love him. One would think that four years is more than enough to move on after a break-up, but it really is not. Unlike me, he has already moved on and I have been far too calloused since we parted ways. Aside from that, too much hurt has been dished out on both ends which serve as another whole matter in itself.

As to Troy, he is also be a great catch but fate somehow places any chance of a relationship between him and me at an impasse…and so we linger in this limbo where we are everything to each other except on anything bordering the romantic. If there is anything between Troy and me, the best word to describe it is platonic and nothing more.

The discourse in my head makes me even more bloody pissed and petty….

And so for petty revenge, I have serious look on my face as I provocatively ask Nozomu in French, "What makes you think that the lure that hooked me in is a guy?" I then raise an eyebrow, giving him a gaze and leaving everything to the imagination.

Oh, I know it – that makes Nozomu really embarrassed! If we are face to face, I will not be surprised if he is blushing beet red by now.

Finally, I drop the serious façade and laugh out loud, I say as I switch back from French to Japanese, "God, Non-tan… I miss that priceless look on your face!"

I can tell that Nozomu is flustered to say the least as he mumbles, "That was not funny, Em…."

"Oh, I beg to disagree…" I say with a chuckle. "That was very funny…."

Nozomu shakes his head, lets out a sigh, and then complains, "Sometimes I forget how much of a wise-ass you really are. Didn't anyone teach you to be nice to your elders?"

With a devious smirk and a chuckle, I tell Nozomu, "Please…. I'm the last person who'd consider age as a factor or a deal-breaker for anything. Before you easily send your mind to the gutter again, I'll give you your answers when we see each other. Fair enough…?"

Nozomu relaxes and places a hand at the back of his neck. He smiles as he shakes his head. "Fair enough…."

I break the comfortable pause between Nozomu and me when I tell him, "And Non-tan…?"

A still-amused Nozomu stirs from his pensive mood and directly gazes at me.

Continuing to give Nozomu a warm smile, I add, "You'd never look as old as your real age. Stop calling yourself old, will you?"

Nozomu chuckles, waving a hand with teasing dismissal as he says, "Fine, fine…." He then lets out a sigh, taking on a slightly serious mood as he proposes, "Why don't I give you a status report on your case?"

"Sure," I reply, leaning against my chair. I take a drink from my brandy glass and then tell Nozomu, "Whenever you're ready…."

"Well, you've asked my office to do surveillance and security for Aikawa Eiri, the Takahashi family, Hatori Yoshiyuki, Kisa Shouta, and Yokozawa Takafumi. I'll send the encrypted full report to you. Out of all our assignments, it was Yokozawa and company that nearly got assaulted. His friend, Kirishima Zen, was able to fend off the bad guys while Yokozawa and a young girl ran to get police."

I blink for a minute. "Did you say Kirishima Zen?"

Nozomu and I take a pause, with him giving me time to think. The name sounds familiar to me, and I rack my brain as to where did I first hear that name.

Finally, I remember as to who Kirishima Zen is. Isaka Ryuichiro mentioned him to me before. "Ah, he's the editor-in-chief for the shonen manga division of Marukawa Shoten. So he was able to protect himself and the others? Thank God…."

Having that baffled look on his face, Nozomu asks, "So what trouble are you delving into now?"

My chest feels heavy. I want to tell Nozomu right then and there, but I opt not to say it until I see him and Naomasa respectively in person. "Wait until we see each other. You'll get answers once I get to Japan. After my appointments once the plane lands, I'll contact you. Let's meet up."

"When…?"

"Japan? In a few hours... Meet up personally with you? Once I get into my pad after my first appointment. To meet up with Naomasa and his Dad…? Late tonight…most probably lasting up to the wee hours of the morning... Meet up to fully discuss this case I'm about to give you and have the contract drawn up? That's tonight while Naomasa, you, and I are together at his Dad's home. May I request your team to gather as much information as they can between now and then? My team will do the same. Sounds good?"

"All right…"

With a relieved smile, I say, "Thanks. I know that I can always count on you and your team."

Nozomu gives me this knowing look, just as he did in the old days whenever he wondered as to what I was truly up to. "Sounds like you've packed your schedule, as usual. Where in the world are you going to disappear to this time?"

"I'll be flying all over as always for various reasons, but I'll be mainly in Japan for a good handful of months. I've got something to send you and the guys. Add it to the data I've sent you over the past weeks. And one more thing – can you do me a favor?"

"Ask away…."

"I called Kento and told him that you'll take care of the finer details for me. My schedule's really crammed, and I still have calls to make and business to wrap up – all of them due before this plane lands. Please book half of Lily on my behalf for a handful of evenings starting from two nights from tonight. I'll send you the schedule. You're all invited as my guests, of course. For every night that I book it, Kento will be paid what he rakes in for revenue at the bar on a good night. He'll also be reimbursed for expenses as well receive an additional 20 percent for the use of space and his trouble. I need use of his grand piano and work with the sound system for the instruments. Make the private reservation as inconspicuous as possible to avoid suspicion. Please tell him that I'll pay him tonight when I see him."

I can see that Nozomu's interest was piqued. "Private party…?"

My lips are sealed until I see them in person, and so all I say is, "You could say that. It'll be a small, intimate party…as harmless and inconspicuous-looking as possible." I then let out a sigh, finally admitting that the fatigue is finally getting to me. "By the way, I have another job for you guys. Investigation on a handful of matters and security detail…."

"Who's the client?"

"I'm your point of contact. Everything will go through me. This case…everything…must be kept confidential as always."

"And who'll need security?"

"For a handful of people, including me…"

Nozomu laughs, his eyes narrowing in amusement. "Are you kidding? Since when have you needed security?"

Oh, Nozomu, if you only know that I am not bloody joking. And so my reply is, "I'll give you more details. I'd love to not have security, as you know, but I need to keep appearances. Only my Dad, Jii-san, Troy know that I don't need a bodyguard. Everybody else thinks that I'm this dainty, defenseless woman…so I say 'let them.' That'll only help in all the things that I need to do."

"You're back to your cryptic, vague self again, Em…"

I give Nozomu a serious look as I see Naomasa busy with his work but close enough to hear what I have to say. "Have Naomasa check the agency's account. Then you can ask me as to how much I'm kidding around."

I see Naomasa typing away at a computer behind Nozomu. I then hear him say with a tinge of urgency in his voice, "Chief…."

Nozomu excuses himself, stands up, and joins Naomasa. Seeing their reactions, the two look as if they cannot believe what they are seeing on the screen.

Nozomu then walks back to his desk and faces the screen once more. I can tell that he is internally shaking off a level of shock from what has just seen along with Naomasa. He is tight-lipped, asking, "Fifty thousand pounds? Are you serious?"

"It's an advance for the case that I'm about to give you."

Still in disbelief, Nozomu quietly states, "But you've already paid the agency to watch over the people from your list. That was before the time we've watched them."

I explain to Nozomu, "The money paid two weeks ago was for services rendered from then up to the time that I get to Japan. The time for our new arrangement starts once my plane lands in Japan. What you now see is a deposit of good faith to retain your agency's services…one-twentieth of what I think should be your full fee. That fee does not include expenses you'll be incurring as you work."

"This is a lot of money, Em…."

"And there's so much at stake as well as demanded, ergo the money you now both see in the account. I guess-timated the full amount for your services as a starting point for negotiation talks between us.… You and I will talk about everything, including the risks that might be involved which would justify my estimates. The contract amount is negotiable. If negotiations between us don't pull through, consider the money as a non-refundable fee for consulting services. I've formally outlined what services I'd need. I'll hand it to you once we see each other. Let me know if your agency can do it. We can negotiate once Naomasa joins us tonight...before he and I leave to visit his Dad."

"Of course we can do it. Since when has our agency refused work from you?"

"I appreciate the enthusiasm. I have no doubt of your agency's capabilities. Just hear out what I have to say first, and then decide. You'll see that I have my reasons."

I can tell from Nozomu's expression that he is mulling over the meaning behind my words. "All right... So where should we meet up – your place, or mine?"

"My pad first… Let's talk old business first, so come alone. After our talk, we can all meet up with the rest at Lily for drinks."

"I'm sure everyone will be excited to see you two."

When I hear the word "everyone" escape from Nozomu's lips, I know that he is referring to the guys from Fuse Investigations. The same word…everyone…bears a different meaning for me. My thoughts drift towards memories of the woman that Nozomu was with a few years ago…the one he kissed at the park. "You've added staff since we've last seen each other, am I right?"

Nozomu is definitely caught off-guard. That confirms to me that the woman is someone he holds dear to his heart…someone equal or even greater than Rika…someone who has been bequeathed the privilege that I wish to have for so long but is never meant to have. And so he responds, "She's not a staff member. She's a photographer and a journalist. She helps us out on cases here and there. She's also…"

There was a brief yet uncomfortable pause between Nozomu and me.

"Masa…can you give me a moment, here?" I hear Nozomu ask Naomasa, and see Naomasa walk out of the room to grant privacy.

And then Nozomu finishes his explanation, "Em… She's not a new staff member. She's my girlfriend…."

I fall quiet for a while. It hurts a lot. How can I be as authentic as possible while my feelings are a bloody mess? Conceptually, I know that the right thing to do is to accept and be thankful that I still have a long-standing, nearly-familial friendship with Nozomu. I would love to know how to accept everything because at this exact moment in time, I do not know how.

So all that I can muster to say is, "I see…."

Judging by the empathetic tone of Nozomu's voice and the wounded look on his face, he can tell the general direction of where my thoughts and feelings are at the moment. "Em…."

"She's only a few years older than me," I say to Nozomu, thinking aloud and expressing what has been on my mind for the past couple of years. "So age is really not an issue for you. It's more than that…."

"You know how I feel about you…." Nozomu looks at me with a soft smile that feels as if it is strangling the life out of me.

"I know… It…" I take in a deep breath, mustering what I can to have this conversation with Nozomu. "You said that you love me as a baby sister…nothing more. You said so when I told you how I feel about you. At the time, you were grieving for more than a year over Rika, and AJ had already broken up with me a while back. We were both hurting. That time, you said that I was too young for you. But seeing her… Seeing you with her… The kiss between the two of you…."

"You saw us?" Nozomu asks, still gazing at me with such kindness. I can tell from his face that he is hurting for me as well. It is his nature not to hurt anyone he cares about. "When was this?"

"Fountain Park… There was an illumination event during that time." I smile bitterly, but I make sure that my tone did not bear any hint of blame. Feelings or not, I do not blame Nozomu or the one who occupies his heart and romantic affections. I continue explaining, "I was in Japan for business. I saw you at a café across the street from where I stood. I was excited to see you…wanting to catch up on old times. I called out for you. Since you didn't hear me, I ran after you. And then I saw you two…. You two were gazing at lights…holding hands…kissing…"

"I'm sorry, Em." Nozomu looks sad as he gazes back at me. "You know I've never meant to hurt you. You're family to me."

Unable to help myself from getting teary-eyed, I reply, "I know that. That very fact makes me the happiest and saddest at the same time."

I can feel Nozomu's eyes focused on me…

I lower my gaze for a while, and then muster whatever little courage I have within me to face Nozomu again. "When I saw you that day, I wanted to have this conversation with you. I wanted to move on. I was stunned and then retreated when I saw you being so happy and intimate with her. And so here we are right now. I still want to say what needs to be said."

I pause for a minute, choosing my words carefully and then telling Nozomu, "I want to keep the ties that we have, Non-tan. You're a great big brother to me and a trusted colleague and friend. Those bonds between us are precious to me. As sad as I am for me these past years, I've been happy for the two of you. I don't want to be sad about you and me anymore. I want to have closure and acceptance over what you and I are really meant to be. Now that you have someone special in your life, I want to honor and support the feelings that you two have for each other. That's what family…a sister…should do for her big brother. But it's been hard…."

I know that conversations of such nature are best handled in person. I cannot afford to lose my focus on what is important, and that is to protect who and what are most important to me. Once my feet touch Japanese soil, I have to be ready for what is in store for all of us. And if it takes breaking, nursing, and healing my broken heart during a plane trip heading to Japan so that I can get over a one-sided love that I have been carrying all these years, then so be it.

"You know, Em…. If it weren't for the tip you've given me on how deep the corruption is in the National Police Agency and the Interpol, I'd still be in Lyon. I found myself again after I left Interpol. That was the beginning of all the good things that have been coming in my life. From there, I met and fell in love with her. I never said this to you, but in my heart, I've always thanked you for all of this. And I am so sorry that instead, I ended up hurting you. I'm sorry that all I could be is a brother, a friend, and a colleague for you. I'd do anything for you, but I do that as your big brother and friend. If I force things towards what you wished for back then, I'd be lying to and hurting both of us if I do that. Again, I'm so sorry…."

"Non-tan, I know…. That's why I'm saying this now… You and I both know that what you said is true."

There is still so much more to say, but at least the heaviest part is now out there in the open. I do my best to hold it together, but I cannot think of anything to say.

Nozomu breaks the silence between us. He combs his fingers through his hair and then gives me a kind smile. That smile of his should warm the heart, but it breaks mine at this time. "Let's continue our talk when we see each other, please? We owe it to each other to have this talk in person."

I let out a quiet sigh and nod to Nozomu. "All right… See you very soon, Non-tan."

"Take care and stay safe, Em…. See you very soon…."

I did not move and wait until Nozomu ends the call first. I stay in my seat, mulling over what has just been said between us. At least it is out in the open now, and all I need is to push myself to move on.

But why does it have to hurt this much…?

End of Chapter One