Chapter 10

Asa glanced at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but wonder at whom she was seeing. Since when had her mother taken both Kurumi and Narumi to the store in order to get appropriate evening attire and had picked out something for her as well? Had she not been paying attention to the going-on around her own house?

She frowned at herself upon reaching this conclusion before heaving a sigh. A glance at her bedside clock yielded that it was already six in the afternoon. They would be leaving soon for her mother's company party. Well, I guess there really is no way out of it, is there? A wry smile found its way to her lips as she took one last look at her reflection before leaving her room.

"Are we all ready?" Her mother looked absolutely stunning in her dress of dark blue, with matching sapphire earrings present on the lobes of her ears. Her father had settled with the more casual look, but it fitted his frame as well. In her mind, Kurumi looked adorable in maroon colored dress. Narumi had one that was similar in style, but a light blue in color.

"I guess," Asa answered almost nervously, while the twins seemed quite happy to be going.

Her mother smiled at her. "I'm sure you'll like it. A friend of yours will also be attending." At this comment, she didn't know whether or not she should be glad or secretly mortified. "Oh… and the vice president will be present as well. He has a son and a daughter your age. I'm sure--?" She never got to finish as Asa had a look on her face that said, very clearly, 'I'll decide when I get there.' A light chuckle came from the woman. "Ah, of course. I forget you like to experience things for yourself." Now a puzzled look crossed Asa's face as her mother brushed past her, wrapping herself up in her coat and then ushering the whole family out to the car.

Since when was that conclusion made? she asked herself as she sat in the back of the car, leaning her cheek against the window. It was freezing, a sharp contrast to her face which was made warm by the blood rushing in the veins just under the surface. Presently, a hand shook her shoulder and she lifted herself off of the door before it opened, saving her the misery of falling out of the car. Literally.

Kurumi looked up briefly at the large building they were to be entering before falling back to chat with Narumi. Asa just stared. "Sugoi…" she breathed. These large buildings she had seen on many occasions, but this was the first time she could actually go in one without feeling that she didn't really belong there.

"It's impressive, isn't it?" A hand fell on her shoulder as her mother stopped to look as well. She grinned suddenly, saying, "Especially the elevators. Tonight you must ride the elevators."

"Even if I don't need to go to any of the upper floors?"

"Even if. Those elevators are amazing. It would be a pity to just miss them when they're so close at hand!" Asa sighed to herself, wondering if it was normal for someone who held such a high position to rant on an on about elevators. An image of her mother suddenly riding the elevators constantly, up and down and up and down, popped unbidden into her mind and she turned partially away, masking a giggle in a strangled cough. "Are you feeling well, Asa?" was the resulting worried question.

She straightened herself immediately. "Yes, I'm feeling quite well," she responded quickly.

"Very well. Let's go then. There's no use in standing around in the parking lot."

***

The lobby was packed with people. A lot of people must work in this company… Almost instinctively, Asa began moving toward the wall, seeing a corner which had a large, leafy, potted plant nearby that could effectively shield her if she didn't want to be seen. And in truth, she didn't, not yet, at least.

She had made it halfway to her corner when a boy her age stepped up to her. Brown eyes regarded her from behind round glasses. A seemingly self-confident smirk was on his face. Dark bangs covered his forehead, moving down to cover his neck in a shaggy mess. He seemed to be able to sum up her actions in a glance. "That corner is already taken," he said, pointing to said corner. She blinked once, then twice, before glancing again at the corner in question. Ah… it is occupied already…

Out loud, she said, "My mistake. Thank you very much," while offering the boy a polite boy. He gave a vague wave of his hand, almost as if waving away her apology. She didn't know whether to be irked or relieved.

"Oi, Miho. You can't stay there forever." The boy was now addressing whoever had taken the corner, and Asa followed his gaze to see a girl step out. Is that Miho? Asa wondered as her head tipped to the side. The boy redirected his attention to her. "Forgive my rudeness," he said formally. Now it was his turn to give a slight bow. "My name is Oshitari Yuushi, and this is my sister Oshitari Miho. We are pleased to meet you." He straightened up, and then Miho piped up.

"We haven't seen you before, have we, nii-san? Are you perhaps the daughter of one of the new employees?" Miho was taller than her, so Asa had to tip her head slightly upwards in order to fully see her face (the same went to her brother, Yuushi). She had the same brown eyes as he did, although with a certain tint of mischief that reminded her so very much of Eiji. Identical dark hair was pulled into a short ponytail that bounced cheerfully whenever she moved her head.

Asa was stunned for a few moments before she gathered her composure. Oshitari? She didn't know anyone from that family personally but she had heard the name juggled around the dinner table at times, and the extent of her knowledge was that the Oshitari family was rich, and worked with the company her mother did. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Oshitari-kun and Oshitari-chan," she said politely. "I am Ijuuin Asa."

Now it was their turn to be momentarily stunned, an expression, she discovered with glee (perhaps she was hanging around Fuji too much these days… to take pleasure in such things) that bordered sadism, that did not seem to have the honor of gracing Oshitari Yuushi's face often. Miho recovered first, although there was a tiny hint of wariness in her voice when she addressed her again. "Ijuuin?" she asked. "Does that make you Kurumi-chan and Narumi-chan's older sister?" To accentuate her point, she turned slightly to point to the two elementary school girls, who were currently helping themselves to the vast variety of food available and chatting cheerfully as they did so.

"Yes, that would make me their older sister."

"How come we don't see you at Hyotei, then?" Oshitari asked the question this time, one eyebrow raised in speculation.

"I've enrolled in Seigaku," Asa replied, with a slight hint of pride embedded in her voice. Seigaku was a nice school, with really nice people like Eiji (but only because that was the first name that popped into her head). "Am I to assume that both of you attend Hyotei Academy?" she asked, because it was polite and her mother was currently sending her glances that conveyed a thought along the lines of: 'Be social tonight since you came all the way here.'

Miho shook her head. "Iie. Nii-san attends Hyotei. I attend Seigaku, Class 3-2."

"Isn't that Oishi's class?" Asa jumped at a new voice that was speaking very close to her ears. Out of the corner of her eye she saw wisps of brown, and with a slight turn of her head, she saw the person they belonged to. "It's a surprise to see you here instead of at a tournament, Oshitari-kun."

Fuji Syusuke. A frown unintentionally crossed over her face as the current bane of her existence stood just behind her left shoulder, eternal smile plastered on his face. Miho, on the other hand, was thrilled at the sight of him. "Fuji-sama!" she said brightly, clapping her hands together. "I didn't know one of your parents worked here!"

"My mother recently got a job as a secretary to the CEO of this company," Fuji replied.

The information clicked in Asa's mind as she gave a snap of her fingers. "Oh! Okaa-san's new secretary is your mother, Fuji-kun?"

His smile faltered for just a split second. Okaa-san… had she just said okaa-san? "Hai. She just started working here a couple months ago. Is your mother…?"

Oshitari pushed up his glasses with the index finger of his right hand, and there was a glint in them. "This company is run jointly by the Oshitari and Ijuuin families," he proceeded to announce. "It has been said that the Oshitari family provides the assets to the company, while the Ijuuins provide the brains, although my family is just as capable as hers in that regard." His gaze slid over to Asa, and he had faint satisfaction in seeing her frown deepen ever so slightly.

"In short, my mother is the CEO while Oshitari-kun's father is the vice president," Asa said. "See? That's my mother over there." Fuji followed her finger to where it was pointing to the middle-aged woman as she talked with his own mother. Almost as if she felt that she was being stared at, she turned and smiled at them, saying something to Fuji's mother before they proceeded to drift towards one of the tables with food.

"I see," Fuji murmured finally. He wondered why he didn't feel unsettled from hearing that Asa was his mother's boss's daughter. Or maybe he just had a gut feeling about it long ago. He couldn't quite place his finger on it.

At this time, Yuuta sauntered up with a plate laden with food (mostly the sweets). He held it out, a subtle way to ask his brother if he wanted any. Fuji smiled brightly and took one of the small cakes that were piled in no particularly neat order on it. "Thanks, Yuuta." Yuuta shrugged, and then offered some to the others. Miho and Asa took one each, thanking him as they did so. Oshitari declined politely with a shake of his head and a word of mouth.

"I've eaten already," Oshitari explained.

Miho chuckled, swallowing her bite of cake. "Nii-san ate a late lunch. He must still be full." Oshitari frowned at his smiling sister, who simply grinned back, popping the rest of the sticky treat into her mouth. "You can't say no to the truth!" she said brightly, licking her sticky fingers with an expression bordering bliss. "Mmm… these are really good!" she said. "I think I'll go get some more! Asa-chan, you can come, too!" And then she dragged her along to the refreshment table, leaving Fuji, Yuuta, and Yuushi standing along in the corner.

"The next tournament," Yuushi said slowly, pushing his glasses to a steadier position on the bridge of his nose again. "Should we be facing each other in the next available tournament, my Higuma Otoshi will defeat yours."

Fuji raised an eyebrow. "I thought your Higuma Otoshi threat was directed mainly at Momo?" he asked.

"There is no law that states that." Oshitari fixed Fuji with a hard stare. "The next tournament… Hyotei will definitely defeat Seigaku!"

Fuji chuckled, giving a tilt of his head. "I look forward to it," he said brightly.

***

Miho tugged at her brother's arm as she watched the other people at the party. "I never heard of this," she said in amazement. Her brother frowned as she continued to tug.

"That's because you never really stay for this part," Oshitari said sourly. He readjusted his glasses as he observed the rest of the people. "This is another thing we do every year," he explained to Fuji. "A dance."

"A dance?" the Fujis and Asa repeated.

Oshitari nodded. "Exactly. This one right now is a waltz. You do know how to do it, do you?"

"I remember nee-san once took classes in ballroom dancing when she was little…" Fuji murmured, resulting in a shocked look from Yuuta. "Remember, Yuuta? Nee-san taught us a little, too." A sharp shake of his head confirmed that Yuuta no longer remembered.

"Syusuke! Yuuta!" The sister in question suddenly walked towards them, a bright smile on her face. "Would one of you like to dance with me?" Yuuta was closest to her, so she attached herself onto the arm of her youngest brother. "How about it, Yuuta? I'll teach you all the steps!" Yuuta's weak protests were cut off as he was hauled off to learn how to do the waltz by Yumiko.

At the same time, Oshitari turned to Asa with a gentleman-like air about him. "May I?" he asked. Miho grinned, and before Asa could respond, she had piped out an "of course!" Oshitari frowned again at his sister, while Asa simply heaved a sigh. Fuji, too, had a tiny frown on his face that was gone almost as soon as it came, replaced by a sinister smile.

"You'll need to take off your coat, Aa-chan," he chided, and Asa looked down to notice that she did still have the coat around her, although it was no longer zippered shut. Now she clutched it as if it were a lifeline, uttering a firm protest, in which she regretted almost instantaneously. Miho gave a tug at her wrists and Fuji, probably thoroughly enjoying her discomfort, pulled off the heavy outerwear with an expert yank. Oshitari just watched with a puzzled expression on his face. Honestly, must they go through such measures?

"Give it back, Fuji-kun," she said quietly, turning her back on Yumiko and Yuuta, who had paused in their trip to the center of the lobby to glance curiously back behind them. Fuji chuckled, shaking his head, and instead asked for the direction of the closet, in which he then trotted off to deposit the coat. Asa had no choice but to be led off by a steady hand on her arm.

"Do you know how to do a waltz?" Oshitari asked when they found a spot. Fuji, having returned from putting the coat away, had agreed to Miho's request and the two of them had situated themselves nearby.

She shook her head. "No…" Never in her life had she imagined herself doing anything like this.

"I see… it's easy, though. You'll get the hang of it pretty soon." He started counting under his breath and moving, and she had no choice but to follow him and try not to step on his feet. I should have tried harder to not come, she thought miserably. Her one consolation was that she was actually beginning to understand the step sequence. A small smile that bordered a smirk was on his face, while the ground under their feet was suddenly very appealing to the girl. Presently, they stopped, while he gave a mock bow to her and thanked her. She responded likewise, and then leaned against the wall to observe the rest of the things that were happening.

She watched silently as Fuji disengaged himself from Kurumi after her sister had gotten him to dance once with her. There was no surprise there, Kurumi did like the boy and she didn't think much about it, of course, that was taking out the fact that Fuji was older than her by three years and regarded her as a younger sister. Kurumi's chances with him were slim, but she still believed in them. She thought it was interesting.

"Aa-chan, how long have we known each other?" Fuji asked when he came up besides her to lean against the wall.

His question surprised her, and she took her time in answering. "About two and a half to three months?" she offered. The exact number she could not place her finger on. But who would normally keep track of these things? "Why do you ask?" she inquired innocently.

He turned to her, a very serious expression on his face. "I was thinking… the other night when we went stargazing." At the very mention of it her cheeks suddenly got warmer.

"Oh… that…"

Fuji rushed on, and she noted with a raised eyebrow that he seemed kind of… nervous? Anxious? Hopeful? It was probably a combination of the three, although the first two were rather similar in definition. "Anyways, I was thinking, and I really need to ask you something," he said in a hurry. She gave a faint nod, waiting for him to continue.

"Do you--?"

She never got to hear the rest of his sentence. Oshitari came up with his parents, and she had to turn away from Fuji to speak to the other head, slightly less in power but still no less a head, of the company who was hosting the party. She never noticed Fuji's near dejected facial expression. She never noticed the way his hands clenched into fists at his sides, or the way his smile was forced (with practiced ease, of course) when the Oshitari parents glanced at him.

She didn't wonder again about what he was going to say until she got back home. And even then, she didn't pay it too much mind as she fell asleep, exhausted by the day's ordeals. The first part of Fuji's sentence buried itself into the back of her mind as she curled up with her cat under the comforter, every once in a while a faint purr resonating from beneath the sheets as the cat moved herself to a more comfortable position.

'Do you--?'

Do I what, Fuji-kun?

Slowly, she forgot about it as the night wore on, her mind's database shuffling it to somewhere underneath all of the other things in there. And Fuji? He didn't know whether or not to be angry at Oshitari for interrupting him or extremely thankful, although he had a good feeling it was definitely not the latter of the two, due to his pride. His blankets rustled as he shifted to his side, staring at his wall.

"Do you have a special person, Asa…?"

A/N: Wahh! I'm sorry, Teresa... Miho doesn't seem too much like you at this point but I promise it will get better! Slightly...! I think I made her a bit too much like Eiji...

To anyone else who reads this and opposes to multiple OC characters in a fic (I don't think I should even be typing this part, it's rather redunent, I think), but Oshitari Miho will be the only other main OC. And I read somewhere that Oshitari has an older sister... so we'll just pretend she's at college, 'cause they have the money to send her off. ^^