CHAPTER FOUR:

Ken stared at the blank check for a long time before finally giving out a sigh of defeat. "That is not what I came here, Fujimiya-san." He said his voice that of trying to make Ran understand but have given up on it. "I just thought… I believed that—never mind…" Ken trailed off and shook his head. "Look, I'm very sorry for the inconvenience I have caused you. This was a mistake in the first place, so—I'll be going!" Ken flashed the older male with a tiny smile and again walked towards the door, this time quite sure that the red haired man wouldn't stop him.

"You need my help, and I'm giving it to you but you wouldn't even take it. And you thought what?" Ran's cool voice filled the air.

Ken let himself look back at the male now leaning on his desk, arms crossed over his chest. This would probably be the last time he would see Ran and he doubt that a man of his stature would even give a second glance to him when they crossed each other on the streets so he thought, why not? Why not tell him the real reason he was here? It would be worth all the mean things Ran said about him just to see the man squirm uncomfortably. Ken's eyes gleamed in mischief.

Ran observed the boy quietly. He had seen many changes in the man's face and it amazes him that a person can have all this conflicting emotion inside. Finally, the face settled in one expression. And the lecherous gleam of it has set him on cautious mode.

"Do you really wanna know?" Ken asked tiltling his head to the side.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't, baka." Ran answered back, though he looked calm and collected, inside he fellt something stir. (sethdrix: it's not his groin, hentai!)

Ken let the insult pass, he would get Ran in just awhile anyway. To make himself comfortable, he plopped back at the leather couch, arms stretched over the couch's length.

"I really believed my father when he said that you would not push me away if I came to you, but obviously, he was mistaken." Ken locked his gaze with Ran's amethyst eyes, daring him to question him.

And as if in a trance, Ran did what those teal gaze commanded. "Why?"

Ken tilted his head to his side sure that he had captured the man's attention. It is time to play the game.

With a grace Ran didn't associate the boy to have, his mind clearly followed every move the male made. And before he knew it, Ken was barely inches from him.

Ran felt a tip of Ken's finger run over his chest, playing with his oxford shirt's buttons. "He said you would never turn me down."

"And why is that?" Ran asked for the nth time exasperatedly.

"Remember the time when you made a promise to a certain rancher eighteen summers ago? He saved your life and in return he asked you to marry his child…"

Ran's brows met as he tried to remember that fateful day. Yes! He promised a certain Homura that he would marry his child after the man has saved him! But then…

"You're Homura's child that I should marry? But you're a boy, Hidaka-san?"

"A keen eye you've got there Fujimiya-san!" Ken scathingly said. "Anyway my father never said that if I would be a girl. He just made you promise to marry his child, meaning ME. And Fujimiya-san, I turned eighteen two months ago."

Ran's mind was in a roll. A boy? Hn.

Ken was grinning inside, this is what he was waiting for—to see the guy squirm in disgust. He waited, waited, waited but it never came instead…

"And so you came here thinking that I would just marry you?"

"Well my father said that a Fujimiya never breaks a promise, so—yeah."

"Hn. How much do I have to pay you to back-out from this agreement?"

"We've already passed that money part Fujimiya-san."

"How much? The whole ranch? A lifetime luxury check? What?"

Ken was really offended now, looking at himself, does he really looked that poor to be treated this way? He'd had enough of Mr. Egoistical here, it's time to just buzz off.

"I can have that and more after you've married me—"

Nothing could set Ran off than a low-time gold digger. He was about to give Ken a piece of his mind when—

"But I won't," Ken said in frustration. His body spoke annoyance, both hands on his hips and head bowed low. He counted one to ten to cool his head. "Look I'm sorry to have barged in like this, it wasn't my intention to remind you about your promise the first time we've met but you gave me no choice. Gosh, this is not how I envisioned our first encounter would be. And I should have been more considerate and thought that you would be so revolted by the idea of marrying a boy. A country boy. Anyway, I'm sorry to have wasted your time I should be going, bye."

"Why would you want to marry me?"

" Why wouldn't I want to marry you?"

"You're young, I'm sure you will find someone, a girl maybe, that's suitable to you. Are the women in your province so hideously looking that you don't like them, or anyone just find you not attractive enough?" Ran guessed but he doubted the latter. Though Ken has no special features there's a certain aura in him that would catch anyone's attention.

"Actually, there were quite a few offers but ever since I was a child my father engraved in my mind that there is only one person who can have my heart, you can guess who that is and so, I turned them all down and reserved myself to you." Ken smiled, he knew exactly what that means.

Ran can't help insinuate the meaning behind those words. An eighteen years old boy virgin inside his office, claiming to be his long lost fiancé?

"How can you tie yourself to me? We don't even know each other?" This is turning out to be one of the most ridiculous thing that has ever happened to him by far.

Ken shrugged. "How else do you get to sleep with countless of women before, Fujimiya-san? We can deal with getting-to-know each other stage once we've established our relationship. That's if you wont back down on your promise…" Ken was grinning inwardly.

"How can you marry someone you don't even love?"

"Good question. I do." At his last revelation Ken was looking anywhere but Ran.

"And I suppose I would learn to like you sooner or later, right?" Ran said sarcastically with gritted teeth. He hates being controlled and cornered.

"I'm sure you would, definitely." He replied, this time looking at Ran challengingly.

Ran didn't like that answer one bit, but he found himself trying hard to suppress the grin that's fighting to break free from his stoic lips, instead he turned his back and grabbed the phone.

"You sure are confident."

In answer, Ken grinned. The room became quiet then, only the dialing of numbers kept the room from being frozen.

"Moshi moshi, okaasan. No, I'm not in the restaurant with the guys. Yes, if you can call him that." —at those words he glanced back at Ken who was frowning at him /He looks cute./ he shook his head at that thought—, "I'm sending him over. He'll be staying with us, I don't know how long. Later 'kaasan, bye."

"Is that Mistress Kanna, you're talking to?"

"Aunt Kanna, ojousan anything but mistress, ma'am or madam. She doesn't like being addressed as such. Let's go." Ran said, fishing his keys out and leading Ken out of the office.

"Where are we going?"

"I have a meeting to attend. You're going to my house, okaasan will be waiting for you there."

Ken remained silent, inside his head was churning, he wasn't expecting this sudden turn of events…

TBC……………