Chapter 8: Confusion
"Do not judge by appearance; a rich heart may be under a poor coat" – Irish proverb
It was after dinner time that Aoi finished her shopping with the brothers and came home. She was full with posh French food and was now sitting on the pool of clothes they bought for her. Aoi slowly counted the pieces of clothes feasting her eyes...
A classic Chanel lace little black dress
An asymmetrical pleated trench dress from Burberry
A beige-and-orange double knot dress from Gucci
A black-and white Lanvin with open-back and knotted neck
An electric blue Alexander McQueen dress
A fluid Valentino petal pink dress
About 30000 Jenny worth of Manolo Blahnik Hangisi Floral Lace Crystal-Toe Pump in silver, D&G booties and a Silver glittery Prada Pump.
A Greek inspired brooch from Zuhair Murad ,a matching necklace and olive-leaf patterned headsets for either sides, a delicate gold bracelet, anklet and small diamond earring to go with.
A Coco Chanel Eau de Perfume.
And last but not the least, a Vintage corset from Victoria's Secret to wear with the Valentino Gown at the wedding.
And they said some other gifts will be arriving soon.
Aoi never received such huge amount of presents, from anyone. The things she got within a few hours, it was worth of her 15 years of Christmas, Birthday, Thanksgiving and New Year presents accommodated. She already had a Hunter father so wealth was something she was never alien of, but the Matsuhashis' lavishness was throwing her off the hook.
The kissing, the presents, the weird friendliness...
In the past few weeks it never came in Aoi's mind.
Maybe they are trying to get rid of her by displaying how powerful and rich they are. Maybe they are trying to tell that Aoi doesn't belong here.
They are all elites in their own worlds...
The Moules à la crème Normande seemed to creep upwards through her guts. She rushed in her bathroom, and threw up in her toilet. Raising her head to the mirror she faced herself and saw a pink-faced, baffled, tousled haired girl who had no idea what was going on in her life. She never felt so lost before. A sense of insecurity, lack or self-identification seized her by throat. She started to cry silently, and came out, locking the doors she grabbed her phone and firmly bolting the bathroom door, she dialled the only number she could think of.
Chi-chan... are you busy... She realised her voice was hoarse...
'No... dad just came today, and we just ate... sweetie, you sound bad- what happened?'
Aoi told Menchi every incident that happened after she came into the house, without leaving any details, and she concluded on to the crying incident after vomiting the French Cream-Garlic Mussels.
'Well...I know you grew up in a large family and you have your male cousins living near you... did you ever faced something like that-
'Oh lord! Never... Aoi, that's incest... that's Incest Aoi... even if they are your stepbrothers...girl, the next thing could be getting into your coochy...I can't believe Mr. Mastsuhashi too- '
A soft knock followed on her front door, and Aoi's heart leaped out of her ribcage.
'Chi-chan... there's someone out the door... I think they heard me...' Aoi panicked and managed to mumble 'coming...'
'Girl... you better not hang up this quick... stay on line, even if you talk with one of the assholes... ' Menchi warned her, and keeping her firmly clutched in her palm, she opened the door.
'Pokkle-san?' Aoi was least expecting him; she was almost hoping for Hisoka or Feitan or Leorio, for Feitan lives just above her and has ears of a hound, Hisoka... well, he's thorough night person, and nothing escapes his eyes or ears, and Leorio lives next door.
'Hi, imoto-chan!' Pokkle jovially greeted her, 'if you don't mind, may I come in?'
'Sure... why would I deny you?' Aoi stepped aside to let him in.
Pokkle came inside, with his usual satisfactory smile plastered on his lips. He freely came into the room, but he completely ignored Aoi's messy bed, scattered with designer clothes. Aoi carefully placed her phone on the nightstand, and sat right beside it, while Pokkle stood over the window, enjoying the view of the garden.
'It's been really a long time... I missed that view of the Mock Orange's white blossoms.' Pokkle turned to her, and smiled 'this used to be my room you know...'
Aoi was quite offended with Pokkle's ostentations; she quitely looked at him and said 'I like Hydrangeas and Jasmine more... And if you want to sleep here I could kip in the living room.'
To this Pokkle laughed out loudly, and to this Aoi startled.
'Oh God... you're so funny!' Pokkle sat down on the Window Chintz, and looked at her face with full attention and then smiled again, 'Aoi, I am so extremely sorry...' and with an abashed smile he lowered his head.
'For what?' Aoi asked.
'Earlier this morning,' Pokkle said 'as you may remember, I called you names.' Pokkle's expression grimed 'for which I didn't apologise...' he stood up and sat beside her, but in a casual moderate way, that made Aoi's heart relaxed, 'and once I once I commit a mistake and I realised it doing, it's my nature that... I cannot sleep on with it.' Pokkle looked at Aoi's face 'so... I came to say sorry... Nothing more, nothing less.'
Both had a pause in the semi-dark room, as a gentle breeze swept Aoi's hair on her face, Pokkle looked at her with an admired expression.
'I know Aoi... these past days were hard on you.' He said 'You grew up alone, had small and squishy private space, and suddenly everything expands in such a big size...'
Aoi felt like a déjà vu on his words and decided to interrupt 'look... this is getting very clichéd and everyone's saying this every time I am alone and trying to think something... I am not really new here, it's been two weeks, tomorrow's the rehearsal dinner and like it or not my dad's marrying your mom and that's the reality-'
'That's not I wanted to say!' Pokkle sounded hurt.
'Then what did you wanted to say?'
'We thirteen, are very different persons from each other' Pokkle said 'from the beginning, I loathed the sense of luxury and glamour... Because I felt a certain distance between me and my friends. People will want to be friends with you because you're rich; people will like to hang out with you because they'll assume that you'll take them to somewhere posh, somewhere glam... But dear sister, always remember... stick to those who loves you without all that... And that's why I ran away from home when I was about your age.'
Aoi looked with shocked expression at Pokkle, but he continued.
'My 'successful' brothers were furious, Mom too... Sorry, don't call her 'maman' it's not natural to me... I went to my coach, lived there with him for five years, trained to be an archer, the only brothers who supported me throughout were Feitan, Sharlnark, Leorio-san and Milluki-san' Pokkle said and sarcastically laughed 'Do you know why they invited me here after all this time? Because I am successful, but when I was struggling, only those four made me get through and through...'
Aoi felt a surge of shame, admiration and compassion towards him, and her opinion of Feitan also changed a bit. She looked at him again, there was no sign of falsehood or pretention in him; he was what he was, no mystery, just pureness of character, he felt like a dependable person.
'Let me say this to you again... Even if your family has changed, even if they tell you what to do, and what not... don't let this bug you... do what you gotta do...' Pokkle came to her, and patted her head 'cuz you don't seem a fake one to me, Aoi-chan.'
...
The next day the rehearsal dinner was on the full swing. All morning was spent in the decoration of the ballroom and it was turned into a fantastic white-and-gold version of Hogwarts Great hall with two long tables and crystal clear chairs around it. Chrollo was conducting the whole arrangement; Hisoka was confirming the catering orders and was leading his selected company employees to the dessert and beverage preparation. Kite, Omokage, Kurapika was looking after the decors and Milluki was directing at the light arrangements.
'Remember guys, the focus should be on the main podium and on the table... Light yellow on the table, white on the podium, golden and pink at the rear windows... oh hi Aoi!... ah, I mean Aoi-chan!' Milluki shyly recovered himself and adjusted his hipster glasses.
Aoi compassionately smiled, 'its okay Milluki-san! I came downstairs to look at the arrangements... looks like the minster is coming for dinner!'
'Actually...' Milluki cornered Aoi from other brothers, 'having the minister would be lot easier than handling what's gonna be tonight!'
'What do you mean... Will there be Celebrities?'
'Aoi-Chan... you're here!' a booming voice from the background that made both Milluki and Aoi jump. It was Omokage, with his hair tied in a man-bun and he was wearing a semi transparent white t-shirt and blue jeans, and Aoi blushed at how his pink nipples were showing through the shirt.
'Yes... I was just talking telling Milluki-san how pretty things are looking...' she said cleverly.
'Oh... By the by, it's ten now... you have a stylist-appointment at four' Omokage said, playing with his i-phone.
'But... I don't recall making any-'
'Don't worry; I took the liberty of making one for you... You have to look pretty and gorgeous in the party tonight...' he reached for her neck and patted it, with his thumb tracing at the base of her neck 'you gonna look lovely tonight', then imperviously he turned to Milluki 'and Bubble, why don't you get a decent suit for yourself... for the dinner, I mean other that those jeans and t-shirts'
'Momo-nii... I... you... I don't think' Milluki stuttered in such a way that Aoi felt bad for him.
'Oh forget it! I already bought one for you... it is in your room, pray wear it tonight!' and then without any word, he smiled at Aoi and turned away to dress the room. Aoi tried to call Milluki but he quietly left her side without any other word, that moment Aoi understood one thing...
The brothers, half of them to the other half are complete opposites of each other in a very painful and humiliating way.
...
Aoi was sitting in her room after the salon appointment, which turned out to be a home appointment because Omokage had already appointed the stylist come in the home. Aoi was shocked to hear that she had styled some high end celebrities. But to her amazement, she only did her hair, an elegant half-updo and rose bun, but not makeup. She was pondering over which dress to choose and what to wear with it, Kite gracefully swooped in.
'Imoto-chan... good afternoon... wow, you're looking exceptionally pretty today.' He swept by her, in his silver-gray suit, sequined at the shoulder and a diamond spiky necklace instead of tie, which looked surprisingly angelic and manly, with his hair tied in a low ponytail in 18th century fashion, and finished off with a black man ribbon.
'Kite-san...Gomen,' Aoi said 'but my makeup isn't done yet...'
'Oh but, that's why I am here!' Kite exclaimed 'I know, sounds odd, cause I am a painter but I trained in beauty school for quite some time' he said while opening the makeup kit 'actually, when I paint models, I don't trust anyone with the makeup but on myself... ' he poured out the primer in his hand and started to rub on it 'although fantasy and special effects are more my thing, but I won't be that bad... now tell me, would you like to have Ulzzang style or strobing?'
Aoi said nothing but sat back for neat half an hour to get this over and done with, and after that, when she opened her eyes, she wasn't as pale as vampire anymore... She was glowing at all right places on her face; she had a peachy blush, too natural to be called a makeup and boy! The eyes never came out this way before like it did border with those light smoky shadows.
'Like it?' Kite asked Aoi, lightly grabbing her shoulder.
'I love it... I can't take my eyes off the mirror...' Aoi said.
'Me too sis...' Kite whispered in her ears and kissed her forehead and she turned at him, to which he smiled and said 'I feel like my first time when I showcased my painting... You're that special...' he got up and his feet and bowed to her... 'Now, fair lady... Would you allow me the privilege of walking you to the dining hall?'
Aoi smiled relaxingly as he didn't do anything unexpected and allowed her hand over his 'You certainly may...'
This Ep's info...
Pokkle became Archer with his own might and he was not supported by his family, despite saying he likes Mock Orange, but his favourite flower is Saffron Crocus.
Menchi's dad is a naval officer and she lives alone at York Shin for studying, with her neighbours being his father's colleague's family who look for her from time to time. Back at her real home with her mom and rest of the family, she has her own and two of her paternal uncle's family living in a big house, where she grew up with her multiple bunch of Male cousins.
Milluki secretly likes the colour Pink, and He was the one to pick Aoi's backless pink dress, the dress she actually wore... well, next chapter!
Ulzzang is a makeup style which makes people look more cute and young, it's Korean street-style.
Strobing is actually highlighting technique in makeup that gives the skin a dewy angelic glow.