The first thing I did was laugh. Long and loud.
"Yeah, right. You can't do that." I said, a little giddy. I'd laughed more in this lunch than I'd had that entire week. "Only our fathers can."
Our waiter arrived then, giving me my petit gateau and Kyoya's coffee. I swooped up some ice cream. God, that is tasty!
"You're mistaken, Kotoku-chan, the one who arranged us together was, in fact, myself. My father had no say in this." Kyoya said, sipping his coffee.
That would've made me laugh more if my brain hadn't finally caught up with his tone. I could feel my eyebrows frowning in confusion, "What d'you mean you arranged us together?"
"Precisely that. I asked my father to speak to yours so that we could be wed. But due to some recent discoveries, there won't be any more need of that." He made a signal to our waiter to bring the check.
His words hit me with a blow that took my breath away.
I sat there with my mouth hanging open and my eyes wide, while every curse word I knew zoomed around my head hoping to get chosen to offend the man sitting in front of me.
"Are you an idiot?" was what, in fact, came out of my mouth. I looked at Kyoya, that sly, sneaking, pompous, moron, jackass—my mind got carried away again.
He looked back innocently, only a glint of evil showing in his eyes.
"I don't see what you mean, Kotoku-san."
"You're an idiot!" the waiter arrived just then with an envelope, "Give us a minute, will you?" I told the waiter, who dutifully mumbled that he would check the numbers again.
"Have you any idea what a deal with Kotoku Inc. would mean for the Ootori group?" I was seething, I could feel my anger brewing over my skin, "You Ootori have been so high and mighty for so long you can't even see that no one wants to make deals with you anymore, your stock value is stagnant,"—I'd checked that morning, "And you're innovation department is gathering dust ever since your indoor tropical paradise came out." I paused for air, "Not only is my company the best choice for yours to align with, considering since it was also family founded, but has great contacts with the newer companies, we could not only fuel your industries with cheaper, best quality petrol, since it's the only thing your daddy seems to think we're good for, you Ootori are so single-minded, but we can open a branch for medical technology and increase your production in the pharmaceutical department, for instance."
Finally I stopped myself, I found my eyes were stinging, I was panting.
Kyoya leaned over, his eyes locked on mine like a jaguar.
"And, how, exactly, Kotoku-san," he said, his voice sounding much smoother in my ears after my speech, "do you know that?"
Oops.
Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted. Our, what? Week long engagement? Yeah. Dreamy.
I laid back on my chair. My cheeks were burning. I could not have made a worse mess of things, not only had I managed to get the engagement terminated, I'd called him and idiot and basically said that, yes, I intend to take over the Kotoku business, I know the stock market isn't a place and I have a project stowed away just waiting for the day I gather up enough courage to show my dad and get it out in the world.
Yup, I'd insulted Kyoya, his company, and ruined my dad's credibility.
Way to go, Risa!
"I'm sorry for my callousness, Ootori-san," I said through the big lump I felt in my throat, barely making the effort of sounding honest, it felt like the more I'd try the worst it became. "Let us part amicably and perhaps our companies might find some use to each other in the future."
I couldn't look at him, I took a big bite from my dessert and felt its sweetness try to fight the bitter taste that now hung in my mouth.
A silence followed.
"Kotoku." He called softly.
Finally I forced my eyes to meet his.
I hated him so much.
"Let's make an agreement to stop lying to each other, shall we?"
"I haven't been lying, Ootori-kun." I said truthfully, though my voice was dripping with sarcasm at "-kun".
He sighed tiredly, "Lying, pretending, whichever. How about we drop our acts, hm?"
I stared at him through slit eyes. No wonder he'd brought me to the most highly respectable place Japan could dream of. He must've know I'd want to slash his face to shreds.
"If I ever make a deal with you, Ootori, I'd like to see it written down, signed and dated." I called the waiter, I was done with this, I needed to go home and hide the ice cream sandwiches and all the other snacks from my dad, I couldn't have him gaining a hundred pounds over a business deal.
Especially since it was my fault.
"Fine, then." Kyoya said.
The waiter came, a tentative smile on his face, offered the envelope to Kyoya again.
"Give me a piece of paper." Kyoya told him, I looked at him sharply.
"Sorry?" said the waiter.
"Give me some paper, anything." He already sounded impatient.
The waiter fumbled a little then gave Kyoya the little notebook in which he took orders. Kyoya flipped to a clean page, took a fancy black pen from his vest, and started writing.
Curiosity was overpowering my rage and I tried to peek at what he was writing, unsuccessfully.
Finally he ripped out the square piece of paper and handed it to me.
I took it, trying to be non-chalant, and read: I, Kyoya Ootori, swear on this day, July 28th, that I will not lie to Risa Kotoku , he signed underneath.
I stared at the words and reread them.
Then I read them again.
Until our waiter excused himself one more time and I shook my head, hoping to make sense of it all.
"If…" I started, then took a deep breath, "If our engagement is terminated, what exactly do you hope to gain with this?" I asked, holding the paper up between two fingers.
Kyoya smiled a wolfish smile.
"Your trust." He said, "You see, I hope that you will be honest with me, too, Kotoku."
I blinked. The nerve!
"Again," I said, trying to be patient, "I don't see how it matters anymore."
Kyoya leaned forward, resting his chin on the back of his hand, "Well, it matters quite a bit. I think if we agree we could still salvage something of a deal."
I felt a little light bulb turn on in my head.
"You… you haven't told my father." It wasn't really a question, since the lack of ringing from my cellphone's part made me quite sure of the answer.
"No, toroi, I haven't just yet." he said softly.
I looked the paper in my hands again. I will not lie to Risa Kotoku.
"Alright, boke, I'm all ears."
A/N: I had no idea cliff-hangers were so frowned upon in the fanfic universe. I'll be sure to keep making them. =]
I did say I was sorry for making short chapters.
BTW, toroi means: "Slow to catch on, doesn't get it" and boke means: "Clueless, dumb, stupid, unaware."
Um… at least according to this website I found.