Title – Destined Together

Disclaimer – I don't own Cardfight! Vanguard or any of its characters… Only the OC's in this story.

A/N – Tadaima, minna-san! New chapter is up! Thank you all for reading, reviews and comments, favs and follows! I appreciate it very much! They motivate me! ^^

Camilo navas – Don't worry! Everything will be fine between all of them. Thank you!

Jess – Welcome! Oh and I did noticed some mistake after re-reading so I'll just correct them! No worries. Thanks for pointing it out. And everything will be resolved between Kai and Misaki soon. They are fighting too much, aren't? Very passionate people. ^^

Jingle – Well… It's not exactly a moment but… there's something, I assure you! And I hope you'll enjoy reading it! ^^

Jessica Pathak – Thank you, my fellow KaiSaki fan! It's okay to be late than never. ^~

Ria – Thank you! Enjoy this one! ^^

Neon3333 – Thank you for reading and loving this story! So here's an update! Enjoy reading! ^^

Guest – Thank you! And also thanks for liking 'Unexpected turn of Life' too! Of course, I'll continue and finish all my stories (I'm determined too). Just not getting enough time to work on them but I'll definitely complete them. They'll just be on hiatus for a while. And hope you enjoy this one! ^^

Helix – Here's the update! Hope you enjoy reading and have fun! ^^

Guests – Thank you for reviews!

Happy reading! Ah and don't forget to share what you think please! RnR!

'…' - Thoughts

"…" – Speaking

"Italics" – Flash back

Chapter 25

Oracle Corp.

Tokura Misaki's Office

"I think I need to take Shin-san's advice of hiring an assistant…" Misaki mumbled, glancing over the huge stack of files and folders on her desk.

It's been two days, she had arrived to Oracle corp. after leaving Kai's. She got to work as soon as she arrived in her office. Her employees were happy and relieved to see her when she arrived and she hadn't left her office since then; even had lunch and dinner there. She was overwhelmed by their concern for her when they had asked about her wellbeing. Her uncle Shin was surprised to see her since she didn't inform him or anyone that she was arriving so he was a little suspicious, she knew but he didn't bring up anything and she was glad. Apparently, Jinbei Hirato, Chief of Board of directors, had taken care of things in her absence and had informed them that her 'abductors' were behind bars, keeping the information confidential about Shigeo since it would be bad for her company's reputation. She was glad no one brought it up and hoped no one talks about it. She doesn't want to recall the incident again and how she felt by that. It surely was painful… But she'll get over it. She now knows who the traitor is and he is now taken away. Besides, Jinbei had assured her that he'll deal with that matter so she can rest easy. Jinbei had always been like a good uncle to her who she can always rely on, just like her uncle Shin. Now she just had to focus on work.

'I missed this…' she thought and smiled, glancing around her office.

She leaned back on her chair as she stretched her hands over her head. Everything was clean and comfy and she had everything she needed there. She wore her usual office clothes; white shirt, black knee length skirt and a black blazer. Her hair was loosely tied over her left shoulder. She straightened and flipped open the next file as she had planned she'll at least complete half of her load by the night and it was almost 7 in the evening. Besides, it'll also help her mind off of 'things'… She didn't want to think about a certain someone.

'I'm sorry, Kaa-san… I have lost your necklace… I'm really sorry' she thought as she stared at her parent's picture. 'But I'll make sure nothing happens to our company… The one you have built with such hard work and love. I promise!' she smiled, determinedly.

KNOCK-KNOCK

"Come in" Misaki said.

"Misaki-chan, I knew you'd decide to overwork" Jinbei sighed as he came in; a paper bag in one hand and some files on the other, and the door clicked shut behind him.

"I have to catch up on my work, Jinbei-san" Misaki stated in business manner.

"Don't you use that tone on me, young lady" Jinbei scolded. "Take a break and eat this. I brought your favorite snacks" he added, putting the bag on Misaki's desk.

"You didn't have to… Thank you, Jinbei-san" Misaki smiled.

"Oh and after you're done eating, look after these files? Company stats and all you had asked" he told her, keeping the files on her desk.

"Okay. And Jinbei-san… Thank you for taking care of everything when I wasn't here" Misaki smiled in gratefulness.

"That's my job" Jinbei said in dismissal. "Work aside, are you doing fine? I mean, you looked upset when you got back… and you came back without any notice. Did Kai do something to upset you?" he enquired.

"I'm fine, Jinbei-san, now that I'm back" Misaki assured. "Anyway, Shin-san said it would have been nice if our connection with Kagero grows. He said I should be friends with Kai…" she said and sighed.

"Hmm. I think otherwise" Jinbei stated. "Granted, Kai's are strong in every aspect but… friendship? In a business world, especially Kai's? I don't think so highly of them after Kai made you work for him… But that's my opinion. Besides, Kai's aren't the only ones out there" he evaluated.

"My point exactly" Misaki deadpanned. 'Although, I know after all that's happened, I highly doubt we'll get acquainted by any means' she thought.

"Anyway, I'll be-…" Jinbei was interrupted by the knock on the door.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Come in" Misaki said, without looking at the door.

"Tokura-sama, someone is here to see you" said Fumi, one of the employees as she stood at the open door with her hand on the doorknob.

"I don't have appointments today, Fumi-san" Misaki said, shaking her head at Jinbei who smiled.

"B-but-…"

"I'm busy"

"I can see that"

At the different but familiar voice, she looked at the door with surprised eyes. Kai Toshiki was standing beside Fumi who looked a little lost at the moment at what to do but she obviously knew the famous brunette since she was admiring his looks. Jinbei looked as surprised as Misaki and frowned.

'What is he doing here? Ren texted me about his date with Kourin-chan…' Misaki thought and dismissed the blushing Fumi.

"You can go, Fumi-san. Thanks" Misaki said but the said woman stayed, staring at Kai. "Fu-mi-san" she gritted out, snapping the fangirl out of her trance.

"A-Ah…! Jinbei-san, I was looking for you! There's some problem… that needs your attention" Fumi said to Jinbei when she finally noticed Jinbei.

"Sure, Fumi-san" Jinbei replied and turned to Misaki. "Don't stay late Misaki-chan" he added and left, narrowing his eyes at Kai who gave him a plain look.

Misaki sighed and nodded at Fumi who left the two and followed Jinbei. Kai made his way inside and the door closed behind him on its own. She frowned as she was reminded of his 'cold and rude' attitude towards her when she saw him. And she didn't want to talk to him right now. She stood up and walked to the cabinet so that she didn't have to face him.

"I'm sorry, Kai. I cannot attend to you right now. Not when you're here without prior notice" she said with a composed face and business tone and Kai frowned as he stopped in front of her desk. "Besides, you're supposed to be somewhere else not here" she added as she opened the cabinet door and searched for something.

"You left without telling me" he said, ignoring her statement.

Misaki's anger flared at that as she suddenly recalled his rudeness prior two days. She shut the cabinet door louder than necessary. She turned to face him and he knew she was angry. She exhaled deeply and went to stand in front of him who was three feet away.

"I left a note for you" she said. "You came all the way here for this?" she asked, crossing her arms in the front.

"I wanted to talk to you" he told her.

"But I think you made it clear with your recent behavior towards me that you don't want me around nor you want to talk" she said and her voice told him she doesn't want to talk to him.

Kai looked away since he could see the hurt in her eyes which she tried to hide by keeping her face impassive. It became suddenly too hard for him to speak. He had just barged in here without thinking since he was angry. He tried to form words that will actually sound like he was apologizing…

"Aa… About that… I shouldn't have acted like that. I can understand you being angry. Listen…" he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and she could see how difficult it was for him. He looked at her, finally.

"I…" and he paused…

Few seconds passed. Misaki waited while he kept still. He kept looking at her face and she was getting impatient. Was he fidgeting? She would have laughed at the question in another situation but this was Kai… the epitome of poker face and reserved personality… On the other hand, Kai felt like something was stuck in his throat as he tried to speak…

"I…"

"Its fine, Kai. You don't have to force yourself to say something you don't want to" she stated, turning her back to him. "You should go or you'll be late for your date. Don't keep Kourin-chan waiting. She's your soon to be fiancée after all" she added and Kai clenched his fists at that.

He didn't like what she just said. Misaki gasped when she was pulled back by her wrist and was forced to turn around to face him, almost crashing into Kai. She was surprised by the sudden action.

"What are you-…" she paused when she looked at his face. He was scowling and she knew he was trying to keep his anger in check.

"Don't bring that up. I don't want to meet Kourin nor I want to get engaged to her and you know it, Tokura" he gritted out, glaring at her. She frowned and snatched her hand back.

"That is your choice, Kai" she said as she stepped away from him. "As for why I left, I had enough of your attitude" she told him, glaring.

"Attitude? You just know how to run away from things!" he shot at her that made her angrier and more hurt than she was.

"Look, I know I owe you a lot more and I tried my best to help you but… that's it! I helped you because I gave you my word" she clenched her fists as she continued, "But you, on the other hand, don't care what others think or feel! You just want to control all the things and when they don't go your way, you just can't accept it. But you know, things can't always happen the way you want! Besides, whatever you do has nothing to do with me!"

She was panting and shaking in anger as she looked straight in his eyes and he realized what she said was true yet he was frowning down at her. It was as if she was telling him she doesn't care one bit, he thought.

"It's got nothing to do with you…?" he repeated for confirmation.

"Yes, it doesn't" she looked away.

"I see… From now on, we owe each other nothing" he stated with a hard voice and walked off, leaving a surprised and confused Misaki. His voice felt so cold and harsh.

"It's for the better…" she muttered to herself when her office door snapped shut so loudly that its hinges creaked with the impact. She winced at the sound.

'What was he here for anyway…?' she scoffed at his attitude.

Kai was in a bad mood as he walked off, ignoring the curious looks of the Oracle employees. How could she talk to him like that! Him, the Kai Toshiki, went out of his way and came all the way to Oracle corp. to talk to her. People, especially women, would literally give anything to earn a few minutes of his time! How could she-… Well, only she would, he knew…

He took the elevator and noticed he was with Jinbei. He didn't want to talk to the older man but he needed to enquire something.

"Jinbei-san, do you find any lead on the shooter that tried to kill Tokura?" Kai asked, looking at Jinbei.

"Not yet" Jinbei replied and paused, looking at Kai. "I don't think it's any of your business now, Kai-san. You shouldn't involve yourself. We'll handle it" he told Kai who frowned.

"So you're saying I wasn't the target, Jinbei-san?" Kai stated and Jinbei frowned.

"You were. Shigeo had personal grudge against you but he's gone now so you shouldn't concern yourself. You must have other things to handle, I'm sure" Jinbei pointed out. "We're here for Misaki-chan" he said.

"You were here before too but that didn't help her. She had to trust a complete stranger like me" Kai pointed out which irked Jinbei but he kept it in check. He didn't need to argue but he did anyway…

"I understand your concern for her but-…"

"I'm not concerned"

"That ends it then. You have no further business here" Jinbei's statement worsened Kai's mood. "And Kai-san, I would appreciate it if you don't barge in here like this. It's highly unprofessional" he said which got Kai more annoyed than he was.

"I was here for personal reasons, Jinbei-san… And she did attend me" Kai stated and smirked when Jinbei glared at him. "Good day" he bid with a pat on Jinbei's shoulder and left.

'This man is… trouble' Jinbei glared at Kai's back until the lift doors closed.

Meanwhile…

Kourin glared at her cellphone; the time displayed on the screen was 20:46. She had tried calling Kai for seven times now but he wasn't answering. She contemplated if she should call his office or just leave the place. She was sitting in that fancy hotel alone for forty minutes now and she could feel people's gaze on her every now and then. Annoyed, she typed a message and sent it to Kai that she's leaving. She stood up from her seat, grabbed her purse and exited the hotel. She exhaled as the cool breeze of evening hit her. The evening was nice but the situation wasn't. She glanced around the bustling street and decided to walk around since she wasn't in the mood to go home. Her mind began to wander and instead of thinking why Kai couldn't make it, she thought about Aichi.

'What could he be doing right now…?' she thought and sighed. Even though they saw each other that day, they couldn't even greet properly. And now even if they talk, she'll be talking to him as his boss's soon to be fiancée. She grimaced at the thought. She shook her head and smiled as she thought that he's probably still the same kindhearted person who cares deeply for his friends.

Kourin turned around the corner only to crash into someone.

"Hey!" she exclaimed when the person held her shoulder.

"Excuse-… Kourin-san…?" It was Aichi…

"Aichi…?" Kourin blinked in surprise, looking at the blunette while Aichi smiled at her.

"Sorry… Are you alright?" asked Aichi, letting go of her shoulder.

"I'm fine" Kourin smiled.

"Wait… You-… What are doing out here? Kai-kun and you were supposed to meet for dinner, right?" asked Aichi, knitting his eyebrows. Kourin sighed.

"Yes… He didn't make it" she stated.

'But why? His uncle will be so furious! What is Kai-kun thinking?!' thought Aichi and sighed. He glanced at Kourin who was looking away somewhere and he scratched the back of his head.

"Were you going home?" he asked.

"Not yet. I thought of walking around some more. You?"

"I was out for grocery shopping. Emi forgot some things so she asked me to bring them" replied Aichi then glanced around. "If you're just walking around, why don't you accompany me, Kourin-san?" he suggested.

"Sure" Kourin smiled, happily. 'He's still the same… Only taller than before' she thought as they walked beside each other.

"Those croquettes were delicious… Thank you" Kourin thanked Aichi who smiled. She then put the waste in the bin before sitting beside him on the bench.

"That's good to hear! You didn't like them in university though…" Aichi said, glancing around the park.

"Yes. Well, that was long ago" Kourin waved off. "We used to have so much fun back then…" she said, smiling up at the sky. Aichi chuckled.

"Yeah. You remember Morikawa-kun?" Aichi laughed when Kourin groaned but nodded. "He'll be so happy to know you're here!" he added.

"Please don't tell him, Aichi. I mean it" Kourin shot him a glare and Aichi sweatdropped.

"I was just kidding!" he defended and she sighed in relief.

A few seconds passed in comfortable silence…

"Kourin-san… uh… Don't get mad at Kai-kun… He just… he's going through a lot. He must have a reason not to show up" he said.

"That's fine, Aichi… I'm not surprised that much. I know he's against the whole engagement thing but I have no choice" she told him and Aichi looked at her in surprise and confusion.

"Huh? What… do you mean? You're forced too?" he questioned.

"No… I mean, who would force me? I… uh… like Kai" she nervously laughed.

"Kourin-san… You don't have to lie about liking him. I can see you aren't happy… nor is Kai-kun. You can tell me the truth" he looked serious.

"I… I'm sorry…" Kourin sighed out. "But it's the only choice I have… It doesn't matter who I like" she told him.

'Does that mean she likes someone else…?' he thought, confused and upset at the same time. Why was he upset anyway? He wondered but then he saw she was in a turmoil and sighed.

"Look, Kourin-san… Both you and Kai-kun are my friends… I'm worried for you both. I don't understand why you accepted the proposal" he was asking her for reason so she gave in.

"It's for my brother and my corporation… Takuto's very sick. Suiko-nee had always been a great leader but after Nome-nii's death… She's-… We need someone as strong as Kai's…" she explained and sighed. "I didn't mean to drag Kai-san in this situation intentionally…" she added, staring at the ground.

"Oh… I'm sorry… I didn't know about Takuto-san" Aichi muttered, looking at the ground. "You should tell this to Kai-kun… Does he know your reason?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter if he knows or not. And either way… it doesn't matter if it is Kai or anyone else I marry as long as he's great leader…" Kourin's reply made Aichi look at her in surprise.

Aichi frowned. "But it's a matter of your life! Both Kai-kun and yours! Besides, there must be another way… To be honest, I don't like the fact that Kai-kun is being forced in what he doesn't want. If you think this is wrong then it is wrong. Besides, mistakes can be corrected…" he said as he stared at the dark sky while she stared at him, unblinking.

"And you should follow what your heart wants, Kourin-san" he said, locking her gaze.

"You're right…" Kourin smiled softly as she put her hand over his hand for a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Aichi…" she said and Aichi looked away, slightly blushing as she retracted her hand.

"Y-you are welcome!" he said then smiled at her. "I guess… we should leave now" he added, looking at his watch.

Once they left the small park, they hired a cab for Kourin. Aichi waved a "Bye" to her when she sat in the cab. Now he was more worried for his friend as he saw her leaving.

"Thanks a lot, Aichi. See ya" said Kourin and the smile never left her face… all the way to her home.

That Night…

Tokura Residence

'I can't believe that man! He came to my office just to argue with me…? Over a note?'

Misaki stared at the file in front of her then snapped it shut. She had arrived at her house an hour ago and her uncle Shin was glad she was home early. They ate dinner and her uncle just told her to rest but she decided to complete some work before it. She had been in a good mood before Kai barged in her office and argued with her no less. And all he did was complain after visiting her office just because she left a note! She hoped he didn't ditch Kourin and had an urge to call her but decided otherwise. He won't refuse since his uncle asked him even though he didn't want to go but that didn't ease her worry for her friend. He was angry when he left… But then again, she said it wasn't her problem and it had nothing to do her. They don't need her interfering in their life, right? Right now, she felt a little perturbed, recalling his face…

"From now on, we owe each other nothing"

The way he said it… It kept nagging her. She could not fathom why it affected her so much. Was he that upset with… everything? Granted, she was a part of that farce but she wasn't at fault that it came to this. It was his attitude and he should know it. Besides, it was him who asked for it after making her angry so she had told him all those things…

'Then why do I feel bad now…?'

"…we owe each other nothing"

'Yet it feels like I owe him much more… Of course! After all, he saved my life which is not a small thing' she thought and frowned when she recalled his upset face yet again. 'Great. Now he's messing with my mind and he's not even here!' she shook her head and sighed as she prepared to sleep.

'No need to overthink. I'll just repay him when I feel it's the right time' she decided.

To be continued….

A/N - Ah~! Such a cute reunion! A cute AiKou moment! Well, KaiSaki aren't on good terms… yet so their cute moments will have to wait a little. Kai tried apologizing (I imagined Kai would have problem to say sorry and that turned out to be cute and funny moment too added with a little drama and argument). I'm hoping you liked this chapter so do comment and review! I love to know your thoughts on this, you know (wink). Thank you! Have a good day! ^^

Peace!