Love's Consequence
by: Esa MaRie
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Chapter 2
"I have no time for this bullshit, Sawada and you know it."
Dressed impeccably in a dark gray Armani suit and settled in his leather swivel chair, Natsume Hyuuga was indeed an epitome of a wealthy and influential man; someone who is used in getting his way even through force. His powerful voice made Kisa, his secretary, flinched nervously as she continued to search for the missing documents that one of the secretaries should have placed in here. Serina, Natsume Hyuuga's personal secretary and assistant for the last five years was on maternity leave, so considering how meticulous he was with regards to work, three secretaries were assigned temporarily to him. It was like a dream at first, and many women looked at her with envy when she was chosen to be one of his secretaries. After all, it was a great chance to get closer to the most eligible bachelor in Japan and the possibility of romance was within reach. Only it turned out that their new boss was a devil in work, a perfectionist, and has absolutely zero interest in indulging in any kind of affair with his female employees.
'I shouldn't have given that task to Kairi-san,' she thought miserably. Now, Kairi just called in sick this morning and had left her in this mess, with the documents nowhere to be found. That irresponsible girl had even turned off her phone so there was no way to contact her.
She sneaked a glance at her boss who continued to speak on the phone with that clipped voice of his while reviewing a set of documents in front of him. "I'm not going to give in to their demands. The papers have been signed and the contract is now in full effect. They better do something to get this project going before I sue them for everything they have."
The person on the other line seemed to continue to say a number of apologies and explanations that she could see her boss getting impatient. "Tell them this is their last warning. Make sure everything gets settled before the end of the month," he said in a firm voice before placing back the phone to its cradle and turned his attention to his secretary.
"Have you found it yet?" he asked coldly.
Kisa almost jumped at his voice and turned nervously, while trying to juggle the number of folders she was carrying. "I-i'm sorry, H-hyuuga-sama. I'm sure I told Kairi-san to place the documents on your desk yesterday. I'll try to contact her again and..."
CRASH!
Her eyes widened in horror as she saw broken pieces of glass on the floor. In her nervousness, she didn't notice that a glass object was inside one of the folders and it fell crash down on the floor.
"I-I'm sorry, H-hyuuga-sama," she apologized frantically, bending down to try to pick up the broken pieces. "I didn't mean it. I…"
With an exasperated sigh, Natsume gave her a dismissive look. "That's enough. Call someone to clean this mess."
"Incompetent secretaries," he muttered irritably after Kisa left the room, then glanced at the broken pieces of what looked to be a picture frame. His brows furrowed, a bit confused where that picture frame came from. As far as he can remember, those drawers contained only documents. Besides, he kept only a few frames in his room - one was a family picture and the other one was of his sister Aoi. He couldn't remember having brought another... At that moment, something jolt in him as he realized what it was.
He got up and walked towards the mess and picked up the photo underneath the shards of broken glass. It was a picture of a girl aged in her early teens, her auburn hair tied in two pigtails grinning widely against the camera.
Now, he remembered how it had gotten there and why he had hidden the frame among the files. He had been quite an idiot back then, heartbroken and guilt-ridden, and looking at this picture made him ache all over again that he hid it in this cabinet. His fingers unconsciously moved on its own and traced that familiar yet almost forgotten smiling face. Those beautiful hazel eyes that seemed to sparkle every time she laughed. How long has it been since that happened? He sighed as he walked back to his chair and placed the picture at his desk.
Mika Azumi...
She was still so young in the picture, maybe four years younger than when he met her. He chuckled wryly as he thought of her name. There had been dozens of women that had come into and gone out of his life that he had trouble remembering their names, so it quite ironic that he still remembered hers after so many years had passed. Well, it wasn't really surprising; after all, she was the only one who had left him before he had the chance to break up with her. And over that short period of his life, he had gone crazy over her; up to the point that he thought himself in love with her. Now, after so many years, he had to wonder if he had really fallen in love with her. After all, the time they shared was too limited to really get to know each other. Maybe the reason it was hard to forget about her was because of the guilt he had to carry over Hirashi-san's death. No one really blamed him for his death but deep within, he knew he was the cause.
He stared over her picture once more and moved his hands to crumple it, trying to put a finality to everything which relates to her but at the last moment, he stopped. He looked at the picture again, wondering why it doesn't feel right. Releasing out a heavy sigh, he pulled one of his drawers open and inserted the picture at the very bottom of the files inside. Maybe he can dispose of it much later on.
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Mikan settled her bags on the floor and glanced around the apartment which would be her new home in Tokyo.
"So, you like it?"
She turned around and gave out a bright smile towards the owner of the voice.
"Asahi-san, I really don't know how to thank you for everything."
Akito chuckled as he walked towards her. "And you worry about everything," he teased. "Since I was the one who requested your transfer, I feel it as my responsibility to help you settle comfortably here in Tokyo."
"But isn't this apartment a little big for Kenji and me? I don't think I can afford it," Mikan said worriedly as she continued to survey the place. Their previous apartment in Oita was just half the size of this one. The location was perfect, just near the bus station and a few blocks away from train station. Not to mention, the apartment complex looked pretty modern and high-end that thinking of how expensive it might be made her a bit nervous.
"Hmm... though this is more spacious than an ordinary one bedroom apartment, I still think this is quite small for the two of you," Akito commented, then as if realizing her concern, gave her an assuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry about the rent. This apartment complex is owned by the Hyuuga Group, so I managed to get a lower rate for employees. The advance and deposits were already paid from the relocation allowance given to you. The remaining amount is already deposited in your payroll account."
"Thank you so much, Asahi-san," Mikan told him sincerely. She already owed him too much and she didn't know what she would have done without his help.
As he watched Mikan enter the bedroom to check it out, he caught a glance of Mikan's son pulling his luggage inside the apartment. He quickly approached him.
"Hey Kenji-kun, I'll help you with that."
But the boy just glared at him and muttered. "I don't need your help."
Akito sighed tiredly as his eyes followed Kenji. "He really doesn't like me, huh?"
"Don't feel so bad." Mikan heard him so she felt like she need to comfort him. Her dimples showed as she gave him a sheepish grin. "He doesn't like any guy near me so his attitude is not exclusive to you."
"I wonder if I should be happy about that," Akito smiled as he reached for her hand and gave it a soft squeeze, which earned him a light blush from Mikan and she immediately looked away. He felt his heart soar with happiness at her reaction. Mikan had told him that she wasn't ready yet for a romantic relationship with him but he knew she was beginning to open her heart to him. He was taking it slow; he had been courting her for a year already so waiting for a little more wouldn't be much of a problem especially that she's already just within his reach now.
He knew exactly when he fell in love with Mikan Sakura. Before he was assigned to the Oita branch, he had already heard that among the branches, it was one of the easiest to handle. The person setting up the meetings with the different contact persons for the processes was quite efficient and organized; as a result, the documents and reports they needed to complete their work were ready upon their arrival.
He had to admit the first time he saw her, he immediately dismissed her as an unattractive old maid, yet acknowledged her capability as an efficient secretary.
He chuckled as he remembered how it all started...
They had already finished the walkthrough procedures and he had to coordinate again with Yoshida-san's secretary to prepare the documents they would need for their testing. His brows furrowed a bit when he noticed that Sakura-san was not at her area. He was about to ask the other girl opposite her when he heard a bump followed by a hushed groan.
He then noted a head of auburn coming out from under the table. Mikan Sakura's immaculate bun had come off letting waves of auburn silk cascade over her back and shoulders. She was muttering a bit as she sat back on her chair and tried to fix the lens on her glasses which seemed to have come off.
"Sakura-san?"
She immediately turned towards him. "Yes?"
Bright hazel eyes framed that small face and Akito was caught in a spell as he gaped at the transformed beauty of the normally plain secretary. She blinked and a welcoming smile adorned her face as she greeted him. "Ah, Asahi-san. Is that the list that you were supposed to give me?"
He nodded dumbly as she reached for the folder. She gave an embarrassed laugh as she held the frame of her glasses with the detached lens and scanned through the papers. "Sorry, I dropped my glasses a while ago and it just fell apart." After she finished, she turned back her attention to him and said, "I'll coordinate with the parties later and I'll inform you immediately if we have the files ready."
When she didn't receive any response from him, she looked up and caught him staring at her.
"Asahi-san?"
That brought him back to his senses and he was sure his face had turned tomato red. "I... ah, y-yeah, thanks," he murmured before he turned around and left, but not before seeing the amused expression on the girl next to Sakura-san.
That had been the start of his growing attraction to her. He couldn't help but watch her, curiosity filled him on this strange beautiful woman hidden behind those ugly glasses and loose fitting clothes. She was easy to talk to and he found himself tagging after her for afternoon snacks and chat. By the time he learned that Mikan was a single mother, it was too late. He had already fallen in love with her.
He kept his feelings hidden for a while before he finally mustered enough courage to confess to her. She was of course surprised with his confession and had turned him down graciously, saying that she wanted to give her full attention to her son so she didn't want to commit herself in a relationship with another man. He knew that if he wanted to have Mikan, he also have accept her son Kenji. At first he thought it would be easy. He would just have a befriend that kid, give him gifts and stuffs, but it turned to be more difficult that he anticipated because the boy was ridiculously possessive of his mother. Kenji didn't like the idea of sharing his mother with anyone, particularly a man, and he would not hesitate to show it. The boy had the looks of an angel but also had the temperament of the devil.
Eventually, he had given up trying to win Kenji's favor; rather, he continued to pursue Mikan. It was rather hard at first since he lived far away in Tokyo and would only stay in Oita for a few days, but he managed to maintain communication with Mikan through phone. And now that Mikan will work with him, there would be no stopping him from winning her love, not even her brat of a son.
A smirk crossed his face as he met Kenji's glare when he and Mikan went inside the kitchen hand in hand. The boy's eyes had turned almost crimson and burning with rage that he swore he could feel the temperature in the room rise. But he dismissed it and thought it was just his imagination playing a trick on him. Mikan must have felt her son's anger that she let go of his hand and went towards the boy. Kenji immediately threw his arms around her thighs, then stuck out his tongue at Akito.
Akito watched as Mikan cooed at her son and leaned down to kiss his forehead. Kenji had a smug look on his face as he turned a snide look at his mother's suitor as if telling him that no matter what happens, he will be the winner. Akito raised his brow at the challenge on the boy's face and let out a sly grin of his own. 'We'll see, boy, we'll see...'
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It had been two months since Mikan started to work in the main office of the Higarashi International Bank and everything seemed to working well for her. The pay was much better than her previous job, and she was getting along well with her new officemates. When she got her new uniform, she was quite pleased that it fitted her well, though the skirt was shorter compared to the one she wore in Oita. Now, that she was getting more settled in Tokyo, she was thinking of getting a new pair glasses or perhaps contact lenses. It had been long since she had pampered herself. Besides, she sometimes feel conscious at the unbecoming stares she got every time she and Akito went out on their 'friendly dates.'
Her glasses were old and quite unfashionable but she had been so tight on her budget before. Besides, it used to be helpful in keeping the men out of her life while she was busy with taking care of her baby. But now that she's considering to accept Akito in her life, maybe she should also start making herself presentable for him.
She was carrying a bunch of folders while in deep thought about surprising Akito that she didn't notice the approaching person. She gasped in surprise as she bumped into him and fell down on her bottom, the papers she was carrying flew around her. She immediately composed herself and apologized, keeping her head bent down, while trying to gather the papers that were scattered on the floor.
"If you're going to apologize, make sure you're looking at the person in the eye."
She stiffened at those words, already thinking that with that authoritative voice, he must be someone of importance in the company. She rose to her feet and glanced up, prepared to speak the words of apology to the person in front of her, only to have the words stuck on her throat as she stared in shock at the familiar pair of crimson eyes staring at her.
The man just stood there waiting for her apology, but nothing came out from her mouth. Mistaking her stunned expression as that of another fangirl, he threw her a disgusted look, then walked ahead, not even bothering to help her out.
Mikan remained there, frozen, with her mouth agape. She only managed to regain her consciousness when she heard his footsteps walking away. She felt her knees weaken that she held on to a desk to prevent her from falling. 'Natsu...' Her heart began to beat wildly and heat rose to her cheeks as long-kept memories started to replay on her mind. She bit her lip as she realized that he hadn't even recognized her. Well, it had been so long. 'It was impossible for him to remember someone like me,' she thought bitterly. After all, she must have been just one among dozens or even hundreds of women he had met and had involved with. But for her, even though several years had already passed, it was impossible for her to forget that face. He seemed to have matured, but that had not diminished his gorgeous looks; in fact, it had even made him more appealing and desirable. 'Why is he here? What is he doing here? I couldn't have just imagined him, could I? I...'
"Are you okay?"
She looked up and saw someone reaching out his hand to her. Panic filled her as she recognized him and the realization that she had not imagined what she had seen just a while ago. 'He was a friend of Natsu before!' Regaining her composure, she politely refused his hand, yet gave him a weak smile. "I'm okay. Sorry, I just got careless there," she said before kneeling down to gather her papers.
The man kept on looking at her that it made her uncomfortable. "Are you new here? I don't think I've met you before?" He also bent down and started to help her gather the papers that were scattered.
"Uhm.. yes," she answered awkwardly. She knew that he wasn't one of her officemates because she had not seen him here before, so his question was quite off. "I started two months ago and I work with Asahi-san."
"Oh, is that so?" He then grinned and offered his hand. "I'm Kokoro Yome, by the way."
She reluctantly accepted his hand and forced a smile. "I'm Mikan Sakura."
After helping her with the papers, Koko said his farewell and walked away, leaving Mikan with troubled thoughts.
"Sakura-san, are you okay?" some of her officemates approached her as soon the man was gone. "Sorry, we really wanted to help you a while ago but well... they're still there."
Mikan gave her a bewildered look. "Why? Do you know them?"
Her officemate looked at her strangely, but then she remembered that Mikan was new. "I forgot you were only here for two months. I actually thought that you recognized him, that's why you looked so shocked. I guess you were stunned by his gorgeous looks, weren't you?" she teased knowingly. "You already know that our company is under the Hyuuga Group, right?"
Mikan looked at her with a confused expression. "Yeah...?"
"Well, the guy you had bumped with. That's Natsume Hyuuga, the President of the Hyuuga Group. And the other guy was his right-hand man, also the Vice President for Operations."
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"You certainly had taken your time. Did you even know you had us waiting for fifteen fucking minutes?" Natsume asked irritably as soon as he and Koko were alone. The meeting had adjourned and they had settled in the vacant office that was usually reserved for his use every time he visits the building.
"Well, you had been quite the ungentleman there," Koko answered back, taking a bite of the pastry that was left after the meeting. "You didn't even help that poor girl."
Natsume just gave him a blank look. He couldn't even remember what the girl looked like, but from that small glimpse he had of her, he only knew she was ugly as hell. He hadn't meant to look but he certainly remembered looking down and saw some red polkadots...
Koko suddenly guffawed in laughter, holding his stomach while smacking the table loudly. "This is hilarious. You can't even remember her face but you remembered her underwear."
"Shut up, Koko," Natsume growled as he scanned through some of the documents that needed his signature.
"I kind of feel sorry for her. She was just new here yet you already let her experience that temper of yours," Koko continued while munching the pastry. "She was interesting though."
Natsume literally stopped from reading the documents and turned towards Koko, raising his brow at that statement. For all the years he had been friends with Koko, it was highly unlikely for him to take interest on someone, especially an ordinary person like that girl. With his ability, he could easily figure out a person's true thoughts and personality that nothing remains a mystery when it comes to him.
"And why is that?" he couldn't help but ask.
"I can't read her mind," Koko answered absently as he leaned back on his chair, deep in thought. Indeed, it was interesting. He couldn't believe it at first, that was why he reached out his hand to her. But even with the contact, the woman's mind remained blank and no matter how he tried to concentrate to read her mind, he couldn't get anything at all. It was the first time he had experienced something like this.
No... it was not the first. Koko's brows furrowed a bit as memories from the past flashed back into his mind. 'Definitely not the first.' There had been another person to whom he also had trouble using his alice...
Mika Azumi.
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Sorry for the late update. I find it really hard to write fics lately. I think I find myself using my spare time more in reading fics and mangas rather than writing so it had taken me rather this long to finish this chapter. sigh.
Yeah, I said I would prioritize A Prince for Mikan, but that fic is getting so hard to write. But I'm almost done with it so hopefully I can post chapter 25 later or tomorrow, or the next few days.
Hmm... you might wonder why I'm updating my fics now... well, today is a special day... hehehe. So this is my present for everyone. :D Hope you all like it. Please read and review!
Thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter! :D
have a style, peps-chan, xXCool Blue SkyXx, 1993, CrimsonxHazel, AraChi35
anonymous, Yukari Kizakura, Your Fan, Spookyfox, MakesMeZingy, heart-teen
foureyesfreak27, HelloThia, loyal reader123, reindrops, NatsukakonemeYuubasa
Dorawc, Yuuto Tamano, sweet miracle 'michu 17', BlackDawn629, YunnahVanilla
BlueRaven35, The Lonely Serenade, ereose, Youichiix33, D airi, Melyss, Tearing Rain
ChiKazex, Paaaaau, Akahane-Scarlet Feather, crystal93
nylanalily: sigh... I have totally neglected my Hikaru no Go fics. Well, thing is, I have a draft of chapter 12 of The Go Within but the most updated one, the one in my office computer got deleted (I actually thought I had saved it in my usb). After that, I never really got around to finish it. I'll try to work on it, hopefully I can finish it by next month. But no promises, okay? :D
callisandra: not years, months only... hehehe
DarkyrawrXD: I'm glad your classmates like them. :D
sootyxsnowpetal: I absolutely agree. There were times wherein I'm not really in the mood to write, so I kept on delaying it, and before I knew it, several weeks and months had already passed. Now, it's almost five years since I started in FFnet... wahhh! I'm getting really old!