The Devil's Proposal
by my NeverNever land
"I returned, and saw under the sun,
that the race is not to the swift,
nor the battle to the strong,
neither yet bread to the wise,
nor yet riches to men of understanding,
nor yet favour to men of skill;
but time and chance happeneth to them all."
Ecclesiastes 9:11
The Game
Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise: flowing but weak. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me.
I glanced outside the small window with asymmetrical frame that didn't match the wall either. I looked down from my cereal, which I was pondering rather than eating and stared to it involuntarily.
It's been a while since I lived in my new house. New house… I felt my face crumple. It was so unfair. My behavior had been above reproach for the past four months. After that first week, a memory that still vaguely vivid in my thoughts, I felt like I was transform to a new me.
I reserved myself to my vocation. I was rarely seen outside or on my favorite clubs before. I confined myself inside the house and on the company. It was the only thing that was left from him…
Suddenly, I heard the door behind me opened forcibly. I almost jumped unexpectedly with the loud thud coming from the intruder. I was never expecting a visitor nor remember giving a spare key to that trespasser.
"That's it, Mikan Sakura! I will not tolerate this scene anymore. You're coming with me"
My eyes twitched with the sudden light coming from the open door. The voice was familiar.
"Good Morning to you too. What do you want Hotaru?" If it was before, I will be glad to see her.
"Mikan, you're like a zombie. No. You're a living dead." Hotaru said in a monotone voice.
I felt a pang inside when I heard her words. It was a fact. I'm already dead that day.
"Did I give you a key to my house? I never remember giving you one though." I mumbled, confused.
"Cut the crap. You know me well Mikan, and now I'm taking you with me from this...cave"
Hotaru watched with exasperation as I slowly grasped the meaning of her words.
"This is my house. I'm not going anywhere."
"You didn't go or do anything. That's the problem. You never went out!"
"You want me to get into trouble?" I wondered, my eyebrows pulling together in mystification. I made an effort to pay attention to our conversation. It wasn't easy. I was so used to tuning everything out, my ears felt stopped up.
"Trouble would be better than this…this moping around all the time!"
Again, I felt the pain. I'd been careful to avoid all forms of moroseness, moping included.
"I am not moping around and I'm doing something. I'm managing a company if you forgot to remember."
"Oh, I remember it very well and also the fact that the company is not doing good anymore. You're losing the only thing that your grandfather worked so hard for you. You let the company collapsed like you did to yourself."
This accusation struck home. I sighed and tried to put some animation into my response.
"I know." My voice sounded a little flat, even to me. I'd thought I'd been fooling everyone. Keeping myself as normal as possible but how depressing to think that the effort had been wasted. I'm not really a good actress, never will be.
"That was not the answer I'm expecting."
I sighed. "I will not leave this place Hotaru. This is my house."
"Mikan…" She hesitated, scrutinizing my reaction to her next words. "You're not the first person to go through this kind of thing."
"I know that." My accompanying grimace was limp and unimpressive.
"Listen. You need to get some help for the company if you don't want to totally lose the only thing that supports your life."
"Help?"
She paused. "I think we both know it's not getting better and the company really need an investor to shoulder all the debt."
"You want me to ask someone to help the company?" My voice was a shade of sharper as I realized she was getting at.
"You know that it's the only chance you have."
"Look," I said in flat voice. "Starting tomorrow, I will devote myself to the company. I can bring it back to its stand like before."
"Stop trying so hard Mikan. You can't do it anymore. The production decreases dramatically and you can't do anything to raise it up like before. The only thing you can do is to find an investor… or sell it."
I pretended to be dense, looking down at my feet. "I will not sell it."
"I know you will say that, so the last option you have is to find an investor…and fast. I want you to be happy again—no, not even that much. I just want you not to be miserable."
My eyes flashed up with the first small spark of feeling I'd had in too long to contemplate.
"I give up. I will do it."
"Good. Now, finish your food and get dressed. You will leave this place." She turned around as she headed through the door.
"I'm not leaving." I said.
"Why not?" She stopped in her tracked and turned to face me again.
"As I said earlier Hotaru, this is my house. I don't want to find another house and I'm already accustomed to this place."
"Besides, I'm happy here."
"We both know what's really going on here Mikan, and it's not good for you. You're-not-happy." She took a deep breath. "It's been months. You can't keep yourself lock here inside the house."
I glowered at her. The heat almost, but not quite, reached my face. It had been a long time since I'd blushed with any emotion.
This whole subject was utterly forbidden, as she was well aware.
"I'm not keeping myself lock here. " I said in a low monotone.
"Mikan—," Hotaru began, her voice thick.
"Look, I will find an investor immediately and bring the company back to it old self." I interrupted, standing up and yanking my untouched breakfast from the table. I dumped my bowl in the sink without pausing to wash it out. I couldn't deal with any more conversation.
"That's not necessary." She reacted "I already find someone who will invest to your company."
I stopped. "You already have? Why did you ask me then?"
"I just want you to take the possibility of investing the company. I will set the date for you and him to talk about the investment." Hotaru said with finality. She was out the front door before I could react.
She really got me there. Sometimes I doubt that she was my best friend.
She was beautiful, young and dynamic.
Natsume thought as he scanned meticulously in a full-body shot photo of the company profile. He was reading the papers about the Sakura Company thoroughly.
Her eyes showed intelligence and wit. She looked smart. Her eyes were soulful. It was like she was speaking to me. She also had luscious mouth. And an auburn hair…
Perfect.
He pondered a little while. In a wink of an eye, there was an idea clouded in his mind. He looked down again to the photo of Mikan Sakura.
He already knew the terms and conditions she and her attorney required about the problem of Sakura Company. They wanted a merger. But he asked his own attorney about a counter proposal. He wanted a full takeover. But after seeing the beautiful face in the photo, he was considering of making a new offer.
He quickly reached for the receiver and dialed the head of legal department.
"Attorney Walter, when is the date again for the meeting to Ms. Mikan Sakura?" He asked instantly.
"The day after tomorrow."
"All right, I have a change of plan. I might give in to their request." He smirked unknowingly.
"Pardon. I thought you said that you will not consider there proposal if we will not have a full take-over?"
"I have my personal agenda, Attorney. And I will be the one who will tell that to her."
"If that's want you want Mr. Hyuuga. I will have the agreement revised." He placed back again the receiver after the call.
He sighed. He tapped his ballpen on the table. He never thought he will be attracted to the beautiful owner of the Sakura Company.
Why not? She was a goddess in its meaning of the word. If I had to make sure that I will be even with the family who had caused me so much pain and agony, this woman will be my last card.
He remembered the conversation between him and Mr. Narumi about having an own family.
Why will I sentenced my whole life of having a family if I can have a child to be my successor.
With a grinned face, he left his office.
The rest of the day passed quickly, my thoughts focused on planning for tonight. I knew that once I can get Mr. Hyuuga to accept my offer, I would be able to get away from the place. Only minimal reaction would be required.
The thick haze that blurred my days now was somewhat confusing. I was surprised when I found myself in my room, not clearly remembering the drive home from the factory or even opening the front door. But that didn't matter. Losing track of time was the most I asked from life.
I didn't fight the haze as I turned to my closet. The numbness was more essential in some places than in others. I barely registered what I was looking at as I slid the door aside to reveal the pile of rubbish on the left side of my closet, under the clothes I never wore.
I yanked the old purse I rarely used off the nail it hung from, and shoved the door shut.
Just then I looked up to the clock. I swiftly get my purse and went off down the stairs. I was in a hurry, as if rushing would somehow make the night pass more quickly.
I glanced at myself in the hall mirror before I opened the door, arranging my features carefully into a smile and trying to hold them there.
While I drove, I worried a little bit about how will be the reaction of Mr. Hyuuga to my proposal. I just wished that this night will end early. Please invest on my business. I pleaded silently. I was spent.
The restaurant Mr. Hyuuga was vaguely familiar, a small wooden place with wide windows. The dull white paint making it resemble of an ancestral house but in a modern style.
"Miss Mikan Sakura?" the waiter of the restaurant asked me.
"Yes." I almost stammered.
He led the way inside the restaurant into a private room. "You're reservation is here, Ma'am. Mr. Hyuuga just called up. He will be late for a couple of minutes because of sudden traffic." The waiter said with a smiled.
I nodded head, hoping that he didn't noticed my inattentiveness of what he said.
I found myself sitting on the chair and exploring the room. I pondered why Mr. Hyuuga picked a room that was private. But I shrugged the thought away.
I took my time at watching the clock and organizing my thoughts about the proposal I will offer later.
Twelve minutes passed. I heard a small footstep outside the door. I glanced on the leaf of the door downward. I heard the knob turned and a man entered the room… I instantly felt a strange hammering of my heart when I saw Mr. Natsume Hyuuga approaching the table where I was seated. My eyes locked to his face then to his body as if I was hypnotize by some magical spell.
He was every inch of a good-looking guy. An epitome of a god...
The thing that struck me the most was his eyes—red, like a blood.
I was uneasy staring straight into his eyes. I was feeling a bit intimidated by his looks.
"Mikan Sakura?" said a quiet, baritone voice.
"Y-yes." I stammered. "Mr. Natsume Hyuuga." Unknowingly, I whispered the words.
"Drop the formalities, please. Call me 'Natsume'. My pleasure to meet you."
He reached forward his hands and I hesitantly accept it. When his big warm palm enveloped mine, I felt something uncurl deep within me. I was unconscious by the feeling I felt. I instantly withdraw my hands on him.
"The…pleasure is mine."
He looked merely curious toward me.
"I am sorry if I made you wait."
"It's... its okay." I mentally slapped myself of stammering in front of him. Maybe he thought I'm some weird woman.
He called the waiter.
"Serve the dinner, please."
And in an instant, the foods were placed in front of us. We quietly ate our dinner. I tried to concentrate my food but I was distracted by his presence. We were almost finished with our meals when he started to discuss about the business. I almost forgot the real purpose of this meeting.
"You have a nice proposal Mikan." He broke the silence. He looked into my eyes like he was penetrating into my soul.
I instantly felt a slight hint of hope.
"But I am not interested in partly owning a very small company."
I was dumbfounded by his words. "S-so… what's this meeting all about?" Does this mean all my effort coming all the way here will be wasted? Does Mr. Hyuuga really want to help my business?
"I have a better deal."
"W-what deal?"
He stared deeply into my eyes. "You will have your business… you will keep it. I will shoulder all your debt."
"I don't understand what you really want, Mr. Hyuuga."
He sighed, and looked at me with inexplicable look of frustration in his eyes. "I will grant everything you needed and even more… in one condition"
He paused for a while.
"What is the condition, Mr. Hyuuga?" I was trying to dislodge his true intentions but I'm not getting anywhere.
"You will marry me and give me a child." He said finally...
"W-what the hell are you saying?"
My mouth dropped, literally. Is this a dream? I wish it was, so I can get out of this nightmare.
7/24/10