Now, I really don't have many friends. I have three, and I intend to keep them until I die. It's not that I'm anti-social, or whatever, but in high school I realized that nearly all the people who called themselves my friend, actually weren't.
It's a tough thing to find out right after your grandpa dies.
Haruhi Fujioka was a girl that lived in the same apartment building as Grams'. We hardly knew each other really, but I had a good instinct about her, she seemed very sure of who she was, and that's something you can tell even in five minute conversations. Plus, she had nothing to gain being nice to me, she didn't even know that I was the Kotoku of Kotoku industries.
She'd asked me once. And I'd lied.
No, I'm not proud. I don't like to lie. But I hate how people's attitude towards me change once they know who I am. And it wasn't like Haruhi was anyone of importance that I needed to impress.
"Hi, Risa." She said, after I almost bumped into her, "I haven't seen you in a long time."
"Yeah, just finished my third semester in college." I told her. I realized that I preferred having this small talk with Haruhi, whom I could see through like glass, than with Kyoya, who kept that sweet, innocent sheep look on his face and annoyed the crap out of me.
"Really? I just finished my first." She glanced curiously at the kitten.
"Cool. Law, right?" I was just about to ask her what she thought about it so far, when a tall blond guy suddenly rushed down the stairs.
"Haruhiiiii!" he shouted, "I found my cellphone! It was wedged between the cushions. Are you ready for our romantic day out?" he suddenly spotted me, then he saw my cat, "AAH! Is that a kitty? It's so CUTE!" he leaned down to get a better look.
"Um…" I looked at Haruhi and mentally sent the message: Do you know this crazed person?
"Tamaki-sempai this is Risa, she's an acquaintance of mine."
He gave me a pearly white smile, "Nice to meet you. I'm Haruhi's boyfriend."
My mouth fell slightly open. I was pretty sure Haruhi was a cross-dressing boy. I mean, when I first met her she was dressed as a boy with the Ouran High school uniform. But then again, apart from the times I saw her, the only things I knew about Haruhi came from what my grandma heard from gossiping neighbors, and she was always traveling so she wasn't really up to date.
"Nice to meet you too."
"I love meeting Haruhi's friends! Is that kitten yours?" he asked, once again giving all his attention to the slightly frightened cat in my arms. "Can I pet him?" he reached out a hand…
Slash!
The adorable looking kitty slapped Tamaki's hand away. I didn't really see any blood, but in a second Tamaki's eyes were brimming over with tears and he and curled up in the corner under the stairs.
"I'm sorry. I think you frightened him." I told Tamaki. I think I heard him mumble: "I'm so scary… scaring little kitties…"
Haruhi let out an exasperated sigh and asked, completely ignoring her boyfriend, "What's his name?"
"We-ell…" I thought about it, "I'm thinking… Santa Claus." I figured I could hide him in my room, it was pretty big, and Father never went in there.
"Santa Claus?" asked Haruhi, cocking her head.
"Yeah, 'cause of his white whiskers."
"That's a silly name." Tamaki said from under the stairs. Then he jumped up and said gleefully, "I know! Call him Pepé Noel! It's Santa Claus in French, it's much better than calling him Santa Claus."
I looked at Tamaki. Is this guy an idiot?
Haruhi stepped in and took his hand, "I'm glad you're better Tamaki-sempai, but you can't tell Risa what to name her cat. Now come on, or we'll be late. Bye, Risa, it was nice seeing you again."
"Bye, Haruhi. Say hi to your dad for me, okay?" I smiled, her dad was really fun to talk to, but I saw him even more rarely than Haruhi.
As I walked up the stairs I heard Tamaki's phone ring.
"Hello?... No, I lost my phone, that's why I wasn't answering…"
I turned right and stopped at the last apartment, the one that belonged to Grams.
"What?... Stop telling lies, you two! He'd never do something like that without telling us!"
I took my spare key and opened the door.
"Haruhi, the twins are saying the most ridiculous thing!"
"Tamaki, stop shouting in the middle of the street."
"But they say-"
I closed the door behind me.
Just my luck Grams hadn't returned from Cancun (don't ask me how my father mixed that up with Turkey), but thankfully she'd taken her dog with her so Santa Claus (or maybe Pepé Noel…?) was allowed to walk freely around the apartment while I cut up a few pieces of fish for him.
It was while he ate that I figured maybe Noel was, in fact, a better name for him.
After my shower and long deserved nap, I called my grandmother.
"So you got a kitty? That's nice, Risa, you never did get along with Urusai."
"That's because Urusai honors his name and is the most annoying thing alive." I told her. "But, Grams, you're missing the point. The guy Dad wants me to marry is really boring."
She sighed, "Oh, Risa, what happened to you? You didn't use to judge people so much on their looks. Did you even talk with the Ootori boy?"
"Of course I did! I had to be all polite and interested in what he was studying… Ugh! I tell you Grams, I half wish I was with you in Cancun."
"So basically you did networking with him."
I thought about it. "Well, what was I supposed to do?"
"Talk to him, Risa! You don't know what he's like. He seems to want to impress you, maybe he's been secretly admiring you for years." She said, barely hiding that she was fishing for any explanation, "Personally, when you told me about the cherry blossom I almost swooned."
I rolled my eyes and let out a laugh, "It sounded like he was quoting someone, Grams."
"Well, what was your first impression?"
I had to stop and think. I'd already seen many pictures of him, once my Dad came home three days ago saying "Risa, I've got the greatest news!". So I hadn't exactly been surprised by his good looks, I'd been, however, impressed of how much the pictures missed out.
He was taller for one thing, very smooth in his movements, and, every time he'd caught me glancing at him that day, now that I thought about it, he'd had a small secretive smile on his lips. He was kind with his words and attentive.
That and that he was proud, a faker and kept asking dumb questions as means to keep up conversation. Also, he would never admit to be wrong (as seen when he didn't apologize for knocking me down) and was manipulative (like when he said the deal was on hold and said we were happily engaged. Our fathers may have arranged the whole "engaged" deal, but there was nothing "happily" in it at all).
I realized I was frowning. So far my impression of Kyoya was pretty controversial. Maybe I was judging him too much too soon…
"Risa?" Grams cut in my thoughts.
"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking. Um, what did you ask me?"
"I asked, what was your first impression?"she repeated.
"I—I don't know." I said, then I surprised myself with tears blurring my sight, "I just don't want to marry a guy I don't love." I actually didn't realize I wanted that until it was being taken from me. I never dreamed about my wedding day or anything like that, but I did always expect to be happy that day.
I couldn't help sniffing, so my grandmother caught on that I was crying and comforted me. "There, there, dear. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, if it comes to it, I'll personally remind my son that if he had the choice to choose love, so should you."
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and tried to pull myself together. "Thanks, Grams." I told her, "But, I think it'll be good to marry him. If the Kotoku name becomes associated with the Ootori, our business is going to rocket."
"You know, Risa, it frightens me how much you are like your grandfather." She said sternly, "When he sold our house, our home – the one we'd slaved all our lives to buy—for all that money, I really almost killed him, then he tells me: 'Honey, we've been blessed, we'll live in a small apartment for now and invest the rest in the stock actions.', the only thing he knew about stock actions, mind you, was what he learned in a night course he was doing, books and the newspaper! Honestly, if it hadn't worked out all right in the end, I would have killed him."
I smiled, it was about the thousandth time I heard the same story.
"You're smart just like he was, Risa. You've got an eye for greatness and the strength to go after it, just like your Gramps." I smiled as the tears rolled down, I missed my grandfather a lot, "Of course I helped him too. He may have mastered the secrets of investing, but I knew about people! I was the one you landed his first business partners… That silly old goat, one time he wanted to invite the head of a major power industry for a barbecue at our mansion. Ha!"
I laughed, "Thanks, Grams, thanks for listening."
"Of course, darling. But-" she sighed, "But please think about this more…open-mindedly. You can choose love, Risa. There are thousands of ways to get a business deal done, and I don't want you to be forced down this one just because it's the easiest. If you don't want to marry Ootori. Don't."
"Yes, ma'am." I was slightly regretting having shared what I was feeling to her. I didn't want her and my dad fighting over this.
I heard yapping from the other end.
"Oh, they brought Urusai back from his bath. I've got to go, darling. I'll probably be back in a few weeks." She said.
"'kay Grams. See you soon. Love you."
"I love you, too. Remember: if you need me, call me."
"Okay." I hung up.