I was so angry I could feel my eyes tearing up. I grit my teeth and smiled politely.

"You're not following you're father's footsteps, I hope?" Lady Hitachiin asked suddenly.

The question took me completely off guard, "What?"

It felt like her eyes were piercing through my skin. I don't think I could ever try to fool this woman. "It just feels," she said, suddenly reaching out and taking my hair. I froze, "that you would do better making your own path, than trying to fit in someone else's."

I grinned. Man, I don't think there's a better feeling of self-pride than when your personal hero tells you that you've got potential. "Oh, I know." I told her. Because I'd been working on that path for a long time and I could not wait for the world to see me take it.

For the first moment in that whole morning, I felt happy, and even a bit hopeful. Then I noticed Kyoya staring at me and that moment was gone.

Lady Hitachiin adjusted her hair and said. "I'm only here because I lost a bet with a friend and he asked me to come." She sighed heavily, like she was bored already. "Well, Kyoya, if you see those two tell them I want them."

"Of course, Lady Hitachiin." He said.

I looked at her walk away. She was so sure-footed, she walked like she could do anything. She was so free. God, that woman was awesome.

"I didn't take you for an Ikebana fan.", Kyoya said suddenly. Guiding me closer to the Big Zit, oh, I mean, the center table. He put his glass of champagne (first and only) down on it.

I looked at him surprised. Of course I was also a fan of Kazuha Hitachiin's art of flower arrangement, I was a fan of her on the whole. He pushed his glasses back. Was I actually drunk, or was that a pretty sexy move? Good looking bastard.

"Um, I, well, I'm not." I said, still too excited to remember I was engaged to a stranger, "Lady Hitachiin is my exception. We all make exceptions, don't we?"

He stared at me.

"I mean, for everything. Even when we don't like something, there's always something that stands out that you just can't miss out on." I blushed, this was the first actual conversation we had, I hadn't meant to be so honest about my thoughts.

"That's a very intriguing notion, in its own way." Was his response.

I blinked. Was that a compliment or an insult?

"Would you mind terribly excusing me for a few moments?" He asked, giving me an apologetic smile.

I shook my head and he walked calmly away. I was just considering having some of the shrimp on display when my father showed up next to me, he was the picture of calm, like any good businessman. But, I, his daughter, could tell he was almost choking with desperation inside.

"Dad, what's wrong?" I asked, a little worried.

"He keeps teasing me. Won't get off the fence." He started piling shrimps on a plate. Father's a nervous eater. "I've tried everything... played nice, played rough, he just dodges everything I throw at him."

"Dad, maybe you shouldn't eat so much." I said tentatively. He worked so hard to stay in shape, I always felt bad when he started gorging. Of course, now that we were in such a high class party/auction -it had already started in another room, by the way, it's where Kyoya's dad was and were I could not care to be- Dad kept his calm, self assured exterior, merely nibbling at those shrimps for the sake of being a polite guest.

But…

"Risa you're our only hope." He said, his eyes shining, his words came out in a rush, "You need to make that boy fall in love with you, if you two don't get married I don't know if this deal will ever get made. And our company isn't the only one that works with oil and technology out there, the only reason he's actually talking to us is because were cheaper than the more renowned companies-"

"Hey." I said sharply, although I hated how my father only said "our" company when he felt trouble, I couldn't let him get so shaken up to diminish what the Kotoku family built. I already had enough of that for one day. "Kotoku Inc. is a legitimate and wonderful company, that in thirty years is strong enough to become an elite organization that can stretch its arms any way it wants. It may not have been fast but it moves forward with determination and strength, like a mighty mountain!" I finished a little breathless.

Dad stared at me, then tapped my nose. "Mountains don't move, silly." He chuckled, "You're terrible with metaphors."

I sighed. Well, at least he forgot about those shrimps.

"You look very pretty, Risa." He said suddenly. "Sakugawa did a good job."

Sakugawa is my personal stylist, basically she hates the world and everyone in it, which is why she works alone apart from an assistant that is basically there to hand her her things and for her to curse at. She basically takes care of me when it comes to my appearance, and I consider myself very lucky to like the style Sakugawa dresses me in, if she thought I was the flowery girly type, like my father is forcing me to be? Well, I'd pretty much be living the hell I'm living today, everyday. Uncomfortable shoes, a delicate dress, hair extensions and flashy accessories.

But she doesn't see me as the flowery type, and she doesn't ask for suggestions. Which is why she said she would rip my father's vocal chords with her bare hands if he ever ordered her about again. Considering her very long well-manicured nails, I worried for my father.

"Thanks, Dad." I answered him.

"Ah, here comes the groom." He said, throwing a bucket of ice in the nice moment we were having. Really! "Remember Risa, our only hope." Then he left me, to establish a future I did not want with a man I already hated.

Dad could be a really insensitive guy.

A/N: Sorry I took so long to update. Again, thank you for reading! I wonder if you guys could give me suggestions for a cover image (I'm not talented at all at drawing). Ah, I've been forgetting: I don't own OHSHC, its characters or the world in which it is placed.