Thankfully the conversation never really turned quite to her after Rui explained that Tsukushi was practically his own personal lawyer and Tsukasa raised his eyebrows even further but he didn't say anything else. He did pull up a chair from the table behind her and sit right beside her though. He quickly explained that Tsukushi was the lawyer who was making his life so difficult in acquiring her company.

Hanazawa Rui just smiled on kindly and Tsukushi felt her heart lighten after the heavy way her chest had felt when Tsukasa's voice had interrupted her dinner with Hanazawa-san.

The conversation took regular turns for them then and she may as well have not been there but it was interesting to see their dynamic that was for sure. Tsukasa complained, and Rui complacent tried to turn his attention to a silver lining…and she wondered if they were always like this. "The old lady's punishing me." He finally called out. "It's not even that she's setting me up but she's setting me up with absolute bimbos who are obviously only in it for the money."

"Well maybe she's afraid after the last time, maybe she wants to keep you distant."

"She's doing a good job, there's no way I'll let those idiots even get close enough to the family." He said it in a relaxed tone of voice but Tsukushi's eyes had sidled to his lap where one of his hands was tense so tightly in a fist that the tips of his knuckles were stark white. "What are you looking at?" He asked so gruffly she practically yelped but she managed to keep her composure and roll her eyes.

"Nothing…" She confirmed but was minutely aware of how Tsukasa casually threw an arm over the back of her chair as he leaned forward to keep his conversation with Rui up.

She ate her food in silence and smiled where appropriate laughing where it made sense. Then thankfully the whole ordeal seemed to be on its way to wrapping up when the check came and Tsukasa could sip on the last dregs of the whiskey in his glass. "Let's go find the losers. I'm sure Soujiro's rotting somewhere waiting for us to show up-"

"Ah you can go ahead Tsukasa, I'll drop Tsukushi-san home and come after."

"Ah, no it's okay really I can take the bus!" A snort came from beside her that made her squint beside him. "And what are you snorting at?"

"Nothing!" He smiled brilliantly, his white teeth glimmering with unsaid words that made her want to grit her smile in place and punch his canines right out of his mouth. "How are your feet anyways? Should I take another look?"

"No…thank you." She managed to bite out, painfully aware that Rui was flickering his eyes between the pair of them. "Thank you for the offer."

"Suit yourself." Tsukasa shrugged. "Ready to go?"

"Tsukushi-san, I'm sorry again. It was inconsiderate of me to invite Tsukasa without asking you- we'll do something else privately sometime." He looked so truly apologetic and kind that she couldn't help the blush that rose on her lips as she imagined what she could be doing with him privately and just managed to shake her head about though in approval or in rejection even she couldn't tell you.

"And I'll see you tomorrow." If you listened just a little bit closer to Tsukasa's tone you could make out that he was more than healthily irritated that Rui had bothered to reiterate that she was worth spending time with. She couldn't help but glower at him but he didn't seem to care because in a moment he'd reached for his jacket and started walking out of the door.

Rui looked after him shaking his head but all he could manage to do was bow as well and then run to catch up to his friend. The truth was, she thought as she let out a sigh, being alone felt kind of nice after the stuffy experience of being between the two men. There was no reason for her to feel suffocated but they were both tall, intimidating and for all intents and purposes both had a considerably better standing in the world around them than she did.

She wasn't that far from home, she'd probably get home in 45 minutes or so if she walked so she decided to trudge along the foot path enjoying the fresh air filtering in her lungs.

She couldn't help but recall how she'd had to deal with the uncomfortable tenseness in Domyouji Tsukasa the entire meal. With Rui, there'd been such an ease in the way he'd continued to talk but Tsukasa looked like someone had forgotten how to move his joints, every movement felt structured and every word placed.

She didn't have time to mull over her thoughts much longer though because a honk resounded loudly in the quiet road. She turned her head fearfully to see the window of the Tesla X slowly droop downwards and Tsukasa Domyouji poked his head down so she could see him through the gap. "Get in the car."

"Excuse me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, just get in the car. I'll drop you home." She edged backwards from the car but seeing the indignation on his face she couldn't help but smile. "Come on, seriously I'm not going to bite."

She contemplated her two options, one would be to walk away from him and irritate him before the meeting tomorrow where she'd ask him to rework the agreements third sub section yet again because she still wasn't happy with it. The other would be to placate him and get the difficult conversation out of the way…and you know spend time with him.

She felt her eyes widen as the thought passed through her head. "Are you getting in or not?"

She gulped and nodded gingerly. "Thanks, yeah."

"Good," He agreed and she sat down buckling her seat belt taking in the luxurious interior of the car. She couldn't help but let her fingers graze the seat warming button as she turned it on and felt the warmth spread through her body. After the long day she'd had the heat was positively wonderful on her muscles. "Long day?"

"The longest…I had a lot to cover off with Hanazawa-san."

"Yeah the entire way to the parking lot that's all I heard. 'Be nicer to Tsukushi!' or 'She has a lot on her plate!' or 'She's not like us Tsukasa, she's not totally fucked up by her parents!'." At that she had to laugh catching Domyouji's eyes as his gaze strayed away from the road for just a second. "Am I taking a left or right turn here?"

"Nope just keep going straight." She offered up helpfully feeling whatever preconceptions she'd had to keep herself guarded in this car fly straight out of the sunroof as the heat worked its magic on her mind. "I don't think that's true…when I first got into Eitoku all my parents saw was the opportunity to get me married off to someone like you."

"How Cinderella. You know gold-digging is illegal in sixteen countries..."

He felt his heart jump in his throat when she winked at him. "Only if you get caught killing the husband." The silence echoed for a second as Tsukushi wondered whether she'd said something too strange and Domyouji wondered what on earth was wrong with him. "Keep going straight. Speaking of money, I wanted to ask you, what would your thoughts be on my father getting a subset portion of the ongoing revenue stream from Hotel Daisho?"

"I'd say it's a reach. Your company has no directional right on Hotel Daisho." The light in front of them was red and he turned to look at her, half hoping she'd do something incredibly out of character like wink at him again, maybe stick her tongue out. "What are you so scared of anyways? Your father is a grown man. We'll give you more than enough to compensate him. He can work in whatever he wants just not as a hotelier and not at our company."

She sighed. He was, but he was bad with money, and Makino knew it better than anyone else because she'd eaten just rice for months and there were days when she had to rely on just the food she could snake away from her part time job. She was also permanently sick of ramen, but continued to eat it every day simply because of convenience. "I'd just like for the income stream to be split out vs lump-sumed."

As easy as it was for him to feel like he hadn't had a sip of water all day in this car with her, he still wasn't going to concede to anything else. He already felt like he'd given her a better deal than her or her company deserved. "That can be handled as well but why did you want Hotel Daisho?"

"No matter how I look at it, it isn't fair." She pouted and turned her hand right. The wheel followed and thankfully, they turned into her street.

"Makino Tsukushi you really must be a naïve lawyer if you think anything about what we do for a living is fair. Let me know when I need to stop." He iterated as they drove past the buildings. They were still a bit away but she was hoping the rest of their conversation would flow in silence but it was not to be. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and felt an odd sensation blanket his heart when he saw her frown. "How's this… you give me till tomorrow afternoon and I'll see if I can pull something fairer out of the old lady. Now, since you asked me a question…I can ask you a question right?"

The yes was barely out of her mouth when he spoke up anyways. Obviously uncaring on whether she wanted to be asked the question or not. "So…Rui's your type?" Whatever ease she'd felt in the short conversation she'd had since getting in the car disappeared as she felt a knot tie up where her belly used to be.

"Excuse me? He's a client, I'm more professional than that. It was just a business dinner." Even as she said it, she knew it was a bald-faced lie. Still, on Rui's end it must have been the truth.

"Right…your boss blushes that hard around me too! That's how everyone from your firm acts with their clients right? I should warn him because I'm totally getting the wrong message."

She felt a bubble of anger boil to the surface as the car stopped and she unbuckled her seatbelt with more force than required. "Well you're just his type! You're both perfect assholes. How can you even ask me that?"

"Because I want to?"

"God just when I was starting to think of normally?"

"Normally?"

"You know…bearable, like decent company. Like someone who isn't the spawn of the devil herself." She unlocked the door but wasn't all that surprised to find that it locked when Domyouji pushed the lock button faster than she could say Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. "You know keeping me in this car against my will could constitute as kidnapping..."

"Just for that threat, I won't keep you longer than 30 seconds."

"Assault then."

"I haven't touched a pretty hair on your head but if you'd like me to, I'm more than happy to take this conversation to the back seat." Her eyes flew open as she looked at him shocked that he'd been so brazen with his language. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up straighter. She blinked quickly and tried to calm her fingers because they were getting that uncontrollable urge to wring themselves together itself. "Besides I don't think I said anything that abusive. I could have pushed you a little harder, asked you what I really wanted to ask you." His voice was a drawl now, thick like honey that washed over her ears.

This was getting more and more salacious. She was aware where this could head, and there was that part of her mind that was telling her to stop and get the hell out of the car because Tsukasa was fake. He would do anything to get what he wanted and it appeared that he passively wanted her…but whether it was her head or heart on a platter so he could manipulate either she wasn't quite sure. Tsukasa was an animal, his reputation preceded him so she had to be careful.

Yet there was that other part of her- she was curious. She wanted to prop open the box that was Tsukasa's mind just for a second and take a peek inside. The more rational part of her reminded her that whatever twisted inside of his brain was likely to be worse than his mothers and would make her want to run away. What sort of future could she really have with a Domyouji anyways? Even trying to entertain the thought she found her brain had a hard time coming up with the fantasy. It was just too unrealistic.

In the end, the small little devil that loved to tease her boundaries inside her personality won and she let her own eyes droop lazily as she let the slightest hint of a tease out of her lips. "And what would that be?"

"Are you sleeping with him?"

To Tsukasa, that silence was an admittance, to Tsukushi it was an appalling question for him to even consider asking her. She'd expected something less jarring, something a little more seductive – just as quick as she'd fallen into a daze around him she snapped out of it. "What?" Her incredulity left no room for interpretation.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't make myself clear? Are you fucking my best friend?" He replied with no hesitation whatsoever in his voice. None of the honey was present either, apparently he wasn't pleased that she hadn't come right out and pleaded for her honor.

"How can you even think you can ask me that?"

"Because I've never seen Rui with a girl that wasn't Toda Shizuka and I've tried. Trust me, we've all tried. Girls just aren't Rui's thing but apparently you are because he couldn't keep his eyes off you tonight. You should know, Rui's in love-" Despite herself, everything Tsukasa was saying about his best friend was giving her a balloon of hope in her mind. "And it's not with you." Wait a second…what?

She just blinked back dumbly. Now she was even more confused. "Where is this conversation going…?"

"I just wanted to tell you…give it up. It's not going to work out well and you're not his type. He'll fuck you, he'll wipe you off and he'll keep walking." She looked at him incredulously as he laughed. "You know…you haven't once told me I'm wrong. At the very least you have one of those irritatingly middle school crushes on the guy."

"Are you usually this nosy?" She muttered feeling the heat crawl up her neck and flush on her face.

Tsukasa leaned closer to her and she hated how her breath hitched in her throat. "Yes…and you still haven't answered my question."

"I'm not okay! We're really not like that at all. We're just- what we are now." She practically shrilled and saw his eyes close as a satisfactory smile floated on his face.

"Good and don't even bother. It's not worth you getting hurt. Trust me, I'm doing you a favour."

"By mortifying me?" She shrilled back.

"Of course. I need to keep working with you, and if you and Rui become a weird thing I can't do that. It's too strange." He grinned throwing an arm over her casually. "Glad we had this conversation!"

"That makes one of us!"

"Ja ne!" He grinned brightly waving his hand and she felt her eyes move from side to side. What had just happened? "You can go now."

"Are you dismissing me?"

"Would you like to curtsey?"

The only response he got was the slam of a door in his face.

As soon as she left the car, he felt the smile go slack on his face and he looked after her.

He glanced at his phone. Where are you? We've been waiting for you for 30 minutes.

Be there in 5. He responded quickly, rubbing his face as he let out an aggravated sigh.

Why the hell had he said those things to her? She was nothing. She was worse than nothing, she was nothing and poor. Two things he prided himself on not looking at.

Makino Tsukushi was making him do crazy things.

"To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind…there's no comfort in the truth…pain is-"

"Can we get another Dom Peri here?" Soujiro's fingers played on the bare skin of the girl beside him and she hummed softly, he could practically feel her vibrate from within as she leaned into him nodding.

"Of course Nishikado-sama, just a second." The fake tanned, brunette raised her hand to one of the passing waiters who stopped by and took their order.

Tsukasa hated coming to places like this, he hated hostess clubs in general but Soujiro reveled in it. He wasn't sure what it was for him but Tsukasa had never fancied himself the type of guy to pay for anything related to him enjoying the company of a beautiful woman.

Distasteful as his own personality could be, he'd never pay someone to tolerate it, though he probably should have considered it. He hadn't had a good fuck in ages, his own doing of course, but times like this when he didn't have someone to pet like Jolin by his side and someone like Makino Tsukushi to tempt him he felt it more. He leaned back against the couch, feeling the crown of his head land on the plush top of the couch. "Perk up Tsukasa," Akira spoke as he grabbed the old fashioned he'd ordered before and sipped it.

"I've been looking over paperwork for the past week and a half and I can't find it." He growled as the water approached again, this time with a girl in tow. "And this club is playing the most incessantly catchy 80s pop hits. Why is that?" He hunched over his knees this time covering his yawn.

"Ah, that's our specialty on Tuesdays!" Tsukasa looked up to see a bright little thing smiling at them. Short curly hair framing her small face with an articulate nose, she looked like the definition of adorable. Definitely not one of the girls who fit any of their styles but Soujiro had especially hailed her down from the pimp woman who ran this club. Then he'd proceeded to ignore her completely so she sat sandwiched between an almost asleep Rui and a happily buzzed Akira. "Don't you like this one? I have to be sure, when I walk out the door- oh how I want to be free- how I want to break free." He had to admit, her voice wasn't half bad.

"Isn't it ironic then that you're singing about being free and we're paying for your time." Akira responded with ease as he nodded to her when she dropped the recently ordered Dom Peri on their table. "Thank you, for this though."

"You're totally welcome okyaku-san!" She grinned brightly. The girl beside Soujiro seemed to be getting antsy the longer she was here so Tsukasa saw her throw a careful look at her, as if asking her permission to stick around. Soujiro's girl huffed and she took that as a clear sign that she was no longer welcome. Right, she'd have to split the tips with her if she stayed too long. "Ah well, so I'll leave now."

"Yes, you will- bye-" The other hostess started but Akira quickly dashed in not quite ready to let her leave yet.

"No I'd like you to stay. Pour us a drink! We're drastically outnumbered anyways and Soujiro always outnumbers the female company. You can keep Tsukasa and I company as Rui's asleep." A well timed snore emitted from his nose confirming Akira's assessment. The girl giggled, also adorably, how wonderful. "Though I don't know how exciting we'd be compared to him."

"I resent that." Tsukasa volunteered at which Akira only rolled his eyes. "I'm plenty exciting, I just spend all my days keeping it to myself."

"That's okay, I don't think I can handle that much excitement anyways." She giggled again, it was even cuter this time. Tsukasa found himself squinting at her. What the hell was she doing here? Weren't girls like her supposed to be at maid cafes? "I'm a mellow type of girl, more so than I think Nishikado-san is used to." Soujiro looked up from where he'd been bent into his female companion to narrow her eyes at her. "Ah, I don't mean anything by that. Gomen nasaii." She added quickly taking in his features. "But it is nice to meet your friends." Soujiro just huffed and looked away. "You're Mimasaka Akira right?" She volunteered on Akira's behalf who looked healthily impressed. "You're Tsukasa Domyouji, and that just leaves Hanazawa Rui sleeping right here!" She casually ran a hand through his hair. Tsukasa got irritated as he saw a blush on her face again, what was it with Rui and women? Was it how much he couldn't seem to care about anything that got them?

Tsukasa raised a suspicious eyebrow. "And why don't you just list off our zodiac signs and place of birth and the name of our parents too?" The stranger in front of them tensed, until Akira spoke up and her shoulders relaxed.

"Relax Tsukasa," Akira laughed at his friend much to Tsukasa's displeasure. "This isn't a deposition."

"To be honest, I wasn't that big of a fan but who wouldn't know about you guys? You were practically featured in PopTeen with your paparazzi photos all the time when you were in school." Her laugh this time was nervous as Soujiro appeared to lean forward to listen to her. "I mean I was- so sitting with THE flower four is kind of awesome."

"Ah Soujiro-sama you had a band?" The hostess perked up at her chance to participate in the conversation.

At that Tsukasa was astounded. "We had fans?"

"OF COURSE! And I was almost club president at my school once too! But then I failed when I forgot your zodiac sign Domyouji-san, to be honest you were never quite my style. You still kind of aren't." With her brash admission, his friends burst out laughing and Tsukasa felt the vein in his forehead start to throb as he let out a barely audible growl. The past week had been all about testing his patience and this evening had already done little for his nerves.

"I didn't pay to get insulted-"

"BUT WE LOVE IT when we pay to get him insulted!" Akira snickered as he threw a casual arm around shoulder and it was made entirely clear, to everyone within the club. Whoever this little thing was, she was claimed now. The hostess mama threw him a nod, to which Akira nodded understandingly. He'd pay for this lady's company. "Well thank you for reminding us of a time we'd much rather forget! It's only fair you share your name with us now isn't it?"

"Ah I'm such a ditz, I can't believe I forgot to say my name." Akira may have thrown his arm around her but Yuki still turned between Tsukasa and him equally determined on engaging them both equally. Tsukasa should have told her not to bother but at the point he could use the distraction, even if he wasn't quite 'her style'. "Matsuoka Yuki-desu, yoroshiku onegaishimasu!" She bowed her head lightly. "So what can I help you with tonight? Forgetting an ex-love? Partying for the sake of a wild night? Mothers driving you up walls? Consider me free therapy!"

"My my, don't you come with a lot of perks?" Soujiro spoke up sarcastically. "Hana, all we do is spend all night together. I should be getting a discount." Hana flushed as Yuki frowned at his careless words but decided to keep her mouth shut.

"I'm studying to be a psychiatrist, but the fees are too much for my family and the bank considered me a credit risk so- BUT this isn't about me." Yuki broke off nervously, almost grateful for the protection of Akira's arm beside her. Soujiro was looking at her so venomously Tsukasa saw the way she fearfully gulped and leaned back into Akira's frame.

"Well, I don't have any of the above problems, my sex life, my love life and my career are all going well- matching my horoscope to a T of course." Akira rolled his eyes sarcastically as Yuki smirked trying to hold back a giggle.

Tsukasa snorted, she wanted a problem. She'd get one. "Here's a problem for you Yuki-" She turned her head attentively. "Let's say it's the first round, I've been put into a corner, angled by a person who I must destroy and this person has all but bowed their head and graciously asked for mercy? What do I do?"

"You attract more flies with honey than you do with vinegar Domyouji-sama," Yuki grinned almost too knowingly. "And the way you've phrased it, looks like you want to offer her mercy."

"I never said it was a girl."

For a second she looked a little caught off guard but she played it off well. Still Tsukasa had seen that little falter in her eyes. "Ah, but they always are."

Soujiro burst out laughing. "You know, she's not entirely wrong and this, my friends, is why I've never been to a therapist."