Chapter 5. Missing Midgets, Heart Stopping Phone Calls, and Misunderstandings

Author's Note:

Honestly, i can't think of a proper A/N because i finished this on midnight and I'm already sleepy. But so far this is the hardest chapter to write for me. lol (I have no proper outline for this, it took me a whole day to even come up with a proper intro. sksljadlfkjadflkjasll)

(Apologies for the cursing throughout the chapter)

English is not my first Language so please apply tolerance on my grammatical errors.

Enjoy reading~

Chapter start

Same day,

Nero Primark Tower
Marunouchi, Chiyoda Tokyo

Draken is not in a good mood.

He just went back from a financial meeting as a stand in for Pace and they need to leave in 5 hours' time for a meeting at another city. They are currently on a process of finalizing a bid for the Japanese government involving supplies of weaponry and vehicles. If they get the deal, Nero will increase its current value by double.

But of course, as usual, the owner is currently missing in action.

"Get Kazushi. NOW." he shouts at his guards as people around him scramble to avoid his gaze and pretend to work. Riding the private elevator, he immediately pressed for his office floor then immediately leaned his head on the elevator.

Why did I even agree to this job? He mentally despairs. Or should he call it jobs since his current work description is VP/Butler/Bodyguard/Caretaker of a 25-year-old hard headed little Heiress.

Upon reaching his floor, he was welcomed by the view of his office. Well, their office. He shares this with Pace and another person since when he first started this job, she keeps going down to their floor just to bother him and slack off on her actual duties.

Where the fuck is that missing midget?!

A knock on the door breaks him out of his musing and he looks at the person on the door.

"You asked for me Boss #2?"

"Yamagishi, stop with that smarty pants nickname giving and find me Pace."

Wearing a sleek black HUGO BOSS suit (Pace's choice) and still sporting th stupid glasses of his, Takemichy's friend pretended to be shocked as he answers him. "Oh! The Queen's missing again?! Where could she have gone to?!" He hums as pretends to think, putting his hands under his chin, brows narrowed up.

He knows something. An angry tick mark appears on Draken's head.

"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS."

"But I don't know where she went to!"

"And?"

"Nothing…..?" he smiles stupidly at him. "Can I go now? Boss #2?"

Draken slams his hands at his office table out of impatience.

"NOW!"

Panicking at his sudden show of temper, Yamagishi knelt down the floor and bowed. "Please don't kill me!"

Narrowing his eyes more he asked again. " . She?"

Still on the same position, he heard his scared voice answer "ShewentofindBonten."

Draken felt like somebody dumped him a bucket of cold water. "Run that by me again."

Looking at him tearfully from the ground. "She went to find Bonten. Please don't kill me!"

A pause.

"Why would you tell her about Bonten?!" He angrily snaps.

He was shocked to the core when he found out that Pace got into contact with them a few days ago but he didn't get to think about it because he got a lot of urgent matters to face to that time. Paris Fashion Week has always been a hectic occasion for them, with Pace socializing at a lot of events.

It's been years since he last saw Mikey, after Toman disbanded. He knows his friend and former leader wanted them to get the best future possible as Takemichy wished for them to be, but Draken was surprised when he found out that instead of leaving that kind of world, Mikey stayed. He tried looking for him but he wasn't able to so he had no choice but to move on in his life. When he met Pace, he was presented with unlimited resources which helped him find a lead regarding him. But what he found out shook him to the core.

Mikey is the current leader of Bonten, Japan's number 1 crime syndicate and is engaged in a variety of illegal activities, such as gambling, fraud, prostitutions, and murder. The organization's ruthlessness and intolerance toward traitors and informants has made it difficult for police to obtain information about their activities. The few information he got about their group was given by a defector who was later killed by the other members. Lucky for him, they never found out that he talked to that person.

Draken never pursued Mikey's organization after that, not because he gave up on his friend. It's just that he has other people he promised to protect now. Pace is one of the few persons he's willing to give up his life to.

Just like Mikey, Pace has a strong personality and rarely shows signs of weakness. Her frank and bitchy attitude may sound negative but is actually loved by a lot of people, just look at her fans. But while a lot of people are intimidated of her, Pace, just like Mikey before, is still a kid at heart. Her innocence when it comes to a lot of things ordinary people do never fails to make Draken amused or smile. She's a bundle of sunshine when it comes to people that she comes to care about.

Back at the present, Yamagishi looks up to Draken when he notices the far off look his second boss is sporting.

"But Draken boss Sir! You don't have to worry! The Queen won't find a thing about them either I assure you!"

Intrigued, Draken sat on his table and raised his brows to ask him. "Oh? And why should I believe you?"

"Because I never said their name was Bonten Sir!" He excitedly stood up and took a seat in front of him. "You see, Boss Ma'am, uh, I mean the Queen asked me a week ago to research for the guys that was with her last week. Turns out she never got their names and just left when you went and get her last week! So, I checked on twitter for the photos and imagine my surprise when I found out a photo of her kissing an angsty looking Invincible Mikey! I mean, how can a Queen like her just kiss someone she doesn't even know of right?! I still can't believe it! But of course, I never mentioned that I knew who Mikey is nor was he related to you."

Draken just stares at Yamagishi as he excitedly narrates what happened a week before. He remembers Takemichy calling his friend "Walking Deliquent Encyclopedia" before and it seems like he lives up to his name as he listened to him blabber things. "I immediately went on our database after that to collect information to give to her because you know how she gets when she's dead set on things." He adds carefully gauging his reactions. Draken waited for him to continue so he added "But like I said, I never said their name was Bonten!" He finishes spreading his arms proudly at him.

"What information did you tell her then?"

"Another name Sir." He smirks. "Ben 10."

An angry tick mark appears again on his forehead at his answer.

"Yamagishi, has it ever occurred to you that their name was so close it would be easy for her to figure that out?!"

"She never would sir! I mean, if she asks people outside, they'll just think she's asking for that cartoon!"

"Did you tell her their location? Did she go there now?"

At this question Yamagishi fell silent.

"Uh, oh, uhm you see the Queen uh," Not finishing his answer, he starts biting his nails and looking down.

"Yamagishi, what did she bribe you?"

"Nothing….?"

"We both know when it comes to Pace it's either you're fired or you're rewarded. And I know you both. She can never fire you since you're her walking gossip / information source to anything that she grows curious about."

After a beat, Yamagishi finally exhales. Looking embarrassed he answers his question.

"I, uh, asked if I could accompany her to the Cannes red carpet."

"Anything else specific?"

"Nothing more? I mean, I just told Boss Ma'am that because can you imagine the exposure it can give me boss?" His eyes started to twinkle, daydreaming. "So many models in the red carpet looking at me while boss is posing. Me at her side. I might finally have that model girlfriend I'm dreaming of!"

Draken wants to pity the guy at the moment as listens at him.

"You do know that since you never said anything specific, Pace might only make you accompany her on the sidelines of the red carpet, right?"

Yamagishi looks like a kicked puppy as he listened to Draken.

"Or…"

"Or…..?"

"Or she'll make you fix the train of her gowns on her photo ops." He smirks. "Now tell me, did you tell her any location of the Bonten?"

Still downtrodden, he shakes his head. "I told her Bonten rules the entirety of Tokyo Boss #2."

"So basically, you're telling me that she can be anywhere in Tokyo right now and we can't find her?!"

Yamagishi immediately went back to kneeling on the floor when he bursted out of anger. "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME BOSS #2!"

Pace's poor intelligence assistant was saved from Draken's angry wrath by the sound of clicking of heels.

Turning their heads on the newcomer, they were greeted by the sight of a man wearing a Miu Miu Trench coat and an A black studded Louboutins that Draken just recently saw on the runway the week before.

"I heard there's a problem?" Inupi smirked strolling inside.

"She's gone again." Draken frowns as his friend settles down to the seat in front of him.

"I expected that." He nods as if not surprised at all. Taking something out of his pocket, he unlocks his phone and scrolls a bit then offers it to Yamagishi who's standing awkwardly in front of them. The poor assistant looks confused as he took it. "Eh?"

Ignoring him Seishu Inui turns back to Draken. "Last week Pace bought a new phone. I managed to put a tracker on that and get her number before she noticed it." Realization dawns on Draken's face.

"I've been trying to call her before our previous meeting started only to find out she left her old phone on her table. I thought it was weird for her to leave it because we all know how she's practically glued by it."

"Uh Cool Boss #3?" Yamagishi awkwardly tried getting Inupi's attention by raising his hand.

Slowly turning his scarred face to him, Inupi boredly looks at the trembling assistant.

"What do I do with this Cool Boss #3 sir?"

"Yamagishi, are you still not done with that nickname-giving habit of yours?" Shaking his head Inupi runs a hand through his hair and tells him what to do. "Call that number. That's Pace. If it stops call her again and again till she answers. I've saved that phone's number under Draken's name on her new phone so she'll panic if she sees that because she thought she was sneaky enough for him to notice it."

Immediately nodding at that, Yamagishi calls the number as Draken turns back his attention to his friend.

"I thought you're supposed to get back earlier. What's with the delay dude?"

"Pace asked me to buy all the clothes that she liked from the runways last week. Do you know how many runway shows were there? 37. I have to scoop all the designers and have the clothes fitted to her size before I get back. You know how bitchy she gets when it comes to her clothes."

Draken laughed at that. "Oh yeah, remember the event where she almost refused to meet the Prime Minister and other cabinet members when she found out his wife was wearing a dress that was sold out before she got hold of it from the Italian Fashion Week?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. That next day was hellish for me because she wouldn't stop saying that the photo on the newspaper would've been perfect if she's the one wearing those clothes. I mean, how can I compete with the stylist of prime minister's wife anyway? Besides, I'm not a fucking stylist. I'm a motorshop owner. I don't even know how I ended up on this position."

They both chuckled at reminiscing those memory. Pace can be unforgiving at times.

Well, a lot of times actually. Draken thought. She hates losing and being outdone by others although at times when it can't be helped, she'll give up but be mopey about things for a week. Or worse a whole month. But when it comes to determination and pursue of being the best, she motivates a lot of people to excel along with her. That's why she's admired by a lot of her own people.

"I actually arrived yesterday." Inupi admitted after a pause. "And I got to watch that blasted interview with Erina on live."

"Hah! That interview. HAHAHAHHAHAAH." Draken laughed remembering what happened that night. "It was you, wasn't it?" He asks him.

"Was it convincing?" he smirks.

"How'd you even prepare for that? Did you know that Erina bitch will ask about it?"

"I did not."

"Could've fooled me." Draken rolls his eyes. "Hello Baby." He imitates. "Dude! I almost puked when I heard your voice on the studio instead of Mikey!"

"I swear I did not." He exhales. "I gave Yamagishi that number to shut Pace up when she keeps moping about forgetting the number of a certain Hottie guy she met at Ropponggi. When I found out it was Bonten that she met that night, I know we had to be careful. And Yamagishi searching for their records or anything related to them will be risky. It was the best course of action."

"Uh huh." Draken thinks there's another reason. "Spill it."

Inupi exasperatedly looks at Draken. "Sometimes I hate how you can be so perceptive."

He laughs at that.

"While you were sleeping during our flight, Pace keeps talking my ears off about how she's got a boyfriend now and how he's hot and stuff, you know how she is when she's interested into something. She told me she can't wait to call him soon. But she was bitching about Yamagishi not being fast enough to find his number so I immediately gave the one from our spare phone at the shop before he started snooping about Bonten."

"And she never called or texted it?"

"I told her about the three-day rule."

"How'd you got her to extend until 7 days then?"

"I did not. She decided that herself. She said something along the lines of "I'll make him miss for me more." Or something. It made me wanna gag."

"HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA." Draken's almost shitting his pants laughing. Inupi, being Pace's advisor when it comes to love life is funny enough. But hearing him speak about this stuff with a straight face is another. He is usually a stoic and quiet individual. However, he isn't afraid to voice his thoughts and opinions. That's why Pace likes him.

"Oh, did you know? She immediately figured out it was me when I answered the call. Instead of saying sweet things she only mentioned a bunch of numbers then turned off the call. After the show I received this message from her." He then shows a photo of Pace with her middle finger and a serious look on her face.

He reads the follow up message after that.

"You are not allowed to even breath ten meters near my tower Inu-fucking-ui. I'm putting a pause for this friendship and revoking your rights of access to my shoe collection for the next 5 months fucker."

"Oh wow. She's raging mad."

"Exactly."

"You're dead when she sees you."

"Uhuh."

"You just wore her Louboutins. Fresh from the runway. Oh Inui, I am so praying for your spirit." Draken the proceeds to pat his back sympathetically as he tries to stop himself from laughing a little more.

"Nah, I saved her ass back there though."

True that. Draken muses.

"Excuse me Boss! The call connected!" Yamagishi immediately runs back to the room and lays the phone to the table in loud speaker for them to hear.

Draken exhales as they waited for her to speak.

"Hello! This is the most beautiful awesome Pace. Please leave your message after the- "

Inupi and Yamagishi immediately snorts upon hearing her answer but stops themselves.

Typical Pace. Whenever she disappears and Draken finds a way to contact her, that's always her opening line. He cut her off before she even finished her statement.

"WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU L/N F/N!?" he exclaims at her.

"Sheesh I think my eardrums just exploded with that." Draken can definitely imagine her rolling her eyes on the other line.

"ANSWER ME PACE!"

"OK. Okay sheesh Drake! No need to shout!"

"Then tell me where are you since we have a flight to catch up the next hour and we need to go ASAP."

"My fucking gosh Drake. I just had my first ever make out session, which, I'm telling you is awesome as fuck, but you won't even let me enjoy it because we got a flight to go?! Argh!"

It took a moment for Draken to process what he heard. On his peripheral he could see Inupi and Yamagishi both had their mouth open, shocked at the revelation they heard.

SHE FINALLY LOST HER FIRST KISS?!

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" Draken asked coldly but deep inside he's ranging mad. Protective instincts kicking in. Pace is still young! She can't have her first kiss yet! He doesn't give a fuck if it's Mikey or any other guy.

In Draken's eyes, no one deserves her and she's not allowed to have a boyfriend till her height reaches 5 ft. But of course, Pace doesn't know that.

"Silly Drakey, since when did you have a hearing impairment? I told you, I just had my first ever make out session!"

.SESSION?!

Draken could feel his knees buckle and reached out to the chair behind him for support. He still can't believe what she was saying. He puts his hands to his head as he stared blankly at the phone in front of him.

Pace. Sweet, Innocent, Bitchy Pace just had her first makeout session and is sharing it to him like it's a normal thing to do. Raising his head to look at Inupi and Yamagishi, he finds them both looking dazed with Inupi's back leaning at his seat, eyes staring into nothing.

He hears a faint crashing sound at the other line but ignores it in favor of trying to regulate his breathing, to control his anger.

But of course, fate has other plans as he hears Pace speak again.

"Relax Drake, nothing bad happened. Hottie took care of me." A pause. "Well, I also had my boobs sucked and it was fucking mind blowing. After that I fell asleep. Nothing else don't worry."

Draken felt like somebody just dropped him a bomb there and then.

He hears someone gagging on the room only to see Inupi barely breathing.

Yamagishi is already on the floor. Facedown. It seems like his brain shutted down at the revelations he heard from the mouth of his boss over the phone.

Draken's anger finally exploded making both men with him cringe.

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

"He sucked my boobs Drake, gosh please keep up. I feel like, you should have your ear check the next time you go to your doctor."

He ignored her simple jab at his hearing as she spoke again.

"Hey, have I told you it's mind blowing and overwhelmingly good?"

At that moment, Draken finally decided then and there. Fuck keeping safe and everything.

It's time for him to face his old friend.

For Pace's sake.

"Mikey…" He called him with a tone of familiarity. "I think it's time for us to talk."

Bonten Base

Somewhere in Tokyo

All the men in the room waited in baited breath for Mikey to answer.

Instead of answering, Mikey looked into Pace's eyes. She was still seated on his lap.

"Baby.. What's Drake's real name?"

Pace, looks confused at the question.

"Ken.. Ryuguji Ken."

At the revelation of his best friend being associated with his current girlfriend, Mikey closes his eyes as his form seems to deflate.

Sill confused at the situation Pace tries to stand up but Mikey holds her into place. Instead of talking to him she talks to the person on the phone.

"Drake… do you know Hottie?"

"Yes."

She looks so confused at the situation it made some Bonten Executives wince. It's quite obvious she's trying so hard to understand what's the context of the sudden serious turn of their conversation.

Of course, of course it was Rindou who got impatient at the situation.

"Oh, for fucks sakes. Psycho chibitch, that Drakey poo you're calling of is someone important from boss' past."

Upon hearing that, Pace's covers her mouth in shock as she shakily stood up from her position on their leader's lap.

Don't tell me…

Mikey who was quietly observing her stayed still as he looks dazed at the revelation. A lot of questions suddenly ran through his mind.

Did we really meet accidentally or was it one of Draken's plans? Is she planning something with him? Was she aware that they knew each other before and planned this?

Glancing at her, he paused when he saw the look on her face.

Pace looks really sad as her eyes turns glossy. Mikey panics at that and immediately reaches out to her but she steps back. She's looking around to find her bag and when she spots it, she tries to step away from him but he caught her hand.

"What's wrong Baby?"

"Please don't talk to me. I need to go now." Still avoiding him, she refuses to look in his eyes as some tears suddenly slipped down her cheeks. "I need time to process this."

Everyone in the room was very confused. Why is she crying?

Mikey who doesn't know what to do looks helplessly at the members behind him asking for help.

Sanzu sighs at the look on his leader's eyes and double thinks if he should do this. But then he remembers his wrath on him yesterday for ordering dorayaki online and he knows he need to go back on his boss's good graces so he whispers "fuck it." and suddenly calls out the person beside him.

"Mochi…"

"Huh?" Mochizuki looks at him distractedly and Sanzu signs for Mikey to look at him as he goes to Mochi's back and gives him a back hug.

"The fuck?!" Mochi yelps for and immediately removes elbows his gut as the twins bursts out laughing at the random action he did. This also created a perfect distraction for Pace who whips her head in their direction to look for the cause of commotion but before she gets a chance to ask them Mikey hugs her from behind.

"Baby, tell me what's the problem please?"

Voice a bit shaky from her crying Pace looks down at the floor as she speaks. "You're Drake's ex, aren't you?"

Everyone seemed to paused at her question you can hear a pin drop when suddenly Draken's voice rang on the other line accompanied by another person's laughter on the background.

"Pace.. What the hell?!"

The twins finally lost it as Rindou immediately ran to the couch and laughed so hard he was sprawled all over. Ran turned his back at all of them and repeatedly slapped the wall in front of him trying to laugh without sound to avoid incurring his boss's wrath.

Kokonoi, Sanzu and Mochizuki's mouth drops as they finally get what she was implying.

Mikey, who was still hugging her from behind tries to hide his laughter by burying his face on her neck.

"Why the heck are you all laughing?! This isn't funny?!" She pinches his hand around her waist. "IM FUCKING JELOUS HERE HOTTIE!"

"Baby.." Mikey turns her around to face him. "Draken was my best friend when I was in middle school."

She blinks, then finally realization finally dawns her face, turning red from embarrassment as she hears another round of laughter coming from Rindou who was still laughing at the couch.

"This is all your fault Ugly!"

Rindou immediately sat straight upon hearing that.

"HAH?! I did nothing chibi bitch!"

"YOU SAID SOMEONE IMPORTANT YOU DOOFUS!"

"EXACTLY PSYCHO BITCH! I NEVER SAID EX LOVER! WHAT THE HELL?!"

Before anybody can stop them though, another voice in the phone was heard.

"Enough of this. You can both talk later. Pace, we need you back here on the HQ ASAP. Your flight is in 2 hours, remember. This will be the bid of your life."

Kokonoi's ears perks up upon hearing that familiar voice.

There's an immediate change on the girl's expression but her face is still red in anger as she almost shouts.

"Inu-fucking-ui. What the hell are you doing there right fucking now?! I told you not to fucking show up, right?! Which part of it don't you understand huh?!"

"The duration part baby girl. You never mentioned on your message if I'm banned until today so I assumed I'm not."

Mikey seemed to frown at the endearment. Inui knows her too? And she lets him call her "baby girl?" the hell? He's the boyfriend here!

"YOU STILL ARE!"

"Really? Oh. I apologize for that. Yamagishi, please tell the staffs to bring back all the bags that I brough back to the truck and get it back to our shop. Guess there's no fitting in happening today."

She seemed to pause at that.

"Is that red dress from Fendi collection I pointed to you included in there?"

"Of course, Pacey girl. And that tweed boots from the Dior Runway? Kim Jones asked me to give you the last pair. There's only 5 of those in existence."

Silently debating for a minute, she finally exhales as decided. "Sit the fuck down there Inupi and make sure that fucking truck of yours is still there when I get back. Hottie will bring drive me back to HQ now. And oh, next time? Don't fucking blackmail me. I bought those things bitch."

An amused laughter was heard before the line went dead.

"Come on hottie. You need to bring me back to my fucking tower. I do hope you got a limo because I need you to fucking make out with me again after that emotionally draining phone call before I leave for Osaka tonight."

Sanzu can only sigh as he follows them.

He remembers the groans he heard when he knocked on his Boss's door earlier today and blush forms behind his ears.

Oh god… Not again.

End Notes:

HELP I NEED A PROPER SHIP NAME FOR PACE AND MIKEY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER. ANY SUGGESTIONS?