Chapter 15: Off to Resort Island!
An announcement regarding the cancellation of the festival matchup between Tenbi Academy and Kamigari spread like wildfire around campus and many of the students were both puzzled and disappointed at the sudden news. After such an embarrassing defeat yesterday, everyone wanted to see Team Tenbi fight back and obtain victory against Otohime and her haughty attitude. Though they felt it was a waste, the announcement was made by Minori herself and one would have to be a fool to question her decisions.
Since it was decided that Nagi and the group would be travelling to the Resort Island for a week to train, Minori handed over the administrative decisions to Tomika, Gen, and Akaya, three of her closest friends that she had gone through thick and thin with. There was no guarantee Kamigari would leave them alone while Yamato Takeru was rejuvenating so just in case, Minori wanted to leave some capable adults here to protect the students while they were gone. Takeshi also requested to stay to give them a hand but it was as clear as day that his true goal was to avoid going to the island so as not to meet Aki's eccentric mother.
As for the members of the Maken Ki, the only ones who would be travelling to the island were Takeru, Haruko, Inaho, Himegami, Azuki, Kurigasa, and Usui. Of course, Nagi, Minori, and Aki were included in going, and while Isabella and Espada weren't members of the Maken Ki, they felt duty bound to follow the group but in actuality, they just wanted to stay closer to Nagi for… personal reasons. The girls of Venus wanted to go as well but they were called back to Yomatsuri to act as bodyguards for the higher ups. They had wanted to observe Nagi more but their loyalty to the organization came first and they had no choice but to let it go for now. As for Hoshii, she had been taken to the infirmary after the meeting to recuperate and Minori had given Akaya fierce instructions to watch her carefully.
About an hour later, several helicopters that had been dispatched by the Nijou Family arrived on top of main building where Nagi and the group were waiting. Each helicopter could carry a maximum of four people so the groups were divided by that number, with Nagi sitting with Aki, Minori and Espada. The helicopters took off and they were now gliding through the air, on route to the Nijou Family Resort with the goal of convincing Leila to give the resort to Aki so that they could use it to train.
"So we're really going…" Minori sighed in defeat as she grimly looked out one of the windows.
"You're really afraid of Aki's mother that bad?" Nagi questioned in a teasing manner.
"Of course I'm not afraid of her… I'm terrified!" Minori's body was trembling as she shook her head to rid herself of the nightmarish thoughts of meeting Leila again. She then directed a curious gaze at Nagi. "Anyway, what about you, Nagi? You turned over a leaf pretty quickly after you were so adamant against it before"
Nagi's ears piqued up when he had heard that and he averted his gaze. "I-Is that so? I don't recall acting any different…"
Minori shot Nagi a narrowed gaze as she didn't believe his attitude for a second and recalled the conversation shortly after Nagi had been decided to play Aki's boyfriend.
"So it's decided! Nagi, you have been awarded the role of playing as Aki's boyfriend! Is that understood?" Minori shouted towards Nagi who scrunched his face in an annoyed manner.
"Hah? Why the hell do I have to do something like that, tomato head?"
"What was that!?" Minori roared, infuriated that Nagi had reverted to calling her that insulting nickname.
Takeshi nudged Nagi with his elbow and grinned. "Well aren't you lucky, to have Aki-chan as your girlfriend even if it is temporary. You don't have to be shy"
"I'm not shy you perverted old man" Nagi retorted towards Takeshi who grumbled.
"Then what's the issue? You're the one who suggested we train and now that we found the perfect place, you don't want to go?" Himegami questioned, a hint of mischief in her tone. Nagi had toyed and teased her relentlessly over the past few days and now it was her turn!
Nagi frowned a bit, unable to refute that claim as he scratched his cheek awkwardly. Truthfully, there weren't any pressing issues for Nagi to decline the proposal of faking his relationship with Aki aside from his pride of already being married. He was devoted to Arika and even though he was separated from her, he had no intentions of going back on the vow he made. More importantly, Nagi feared what she might do to him if she ever found out about it.
As Nagi weighed the pro's and con's against one another, he failed to notice the approaching Aki who had walked in front of him and grabbed both of his hands with a pleading look spread across her face.
"I'm begging you, Nagi-san! There's no one else I can rely on to impress mama, please help me!" Aki had bent down now and was at eye level with Nagi as her low cut top that exposed her humongous cleavage came into full view of Nagi who was tongued tied to refuse.
"W-Well..." He awkwardly said, a small faint blush present on his face as he admired Aki's god sent gifts before he noticed the annoyed glares coming from Himegami and Isabella. Minori was completely okay with Aki using her sex appeal to convince Nagi, even if she wasn't aware of it, as she gave her a thumbs up.
Takeshi grinned in a teasing manner as he noticed Nagi's resilience dropping by the second and thought that he needed one more push to get him to go. "Oh that's right! If I remember correctly, the Nijou Family Resort has some of the best cuisine I've ever tasted. It's a shame that Nagi doesn't want to go and miss out on those rare delicacies…"
"I'll go" Nagi didn't even hesitate as he gripped Aki's hands with a determined expression on his face.
"E-Eh? O…Okay?" Aki was stunned into complete bewilderment along with everyone watching presently.
"…That's all it took to convince him?" They all thought, now aware that one of the easiest ways to convince Nagi to do something would be to bribe him with food.
Nagi continued to feign ignorance but couldn't ignore the drilling eyes of Minori tunneling into his body as he whistled while avoiding her gaze. Damn woman was as sharp as ever.
"A-Anyway, if your mom is as bad as Minori over here claims she is, we're going to have to make this convincing"
Aki nodded. "Mama is very perceptive so if we're not careful, she'll notice immediately that we're pretending to be l-lovers…" Aki felt her face flush a tad shade of red as she still felt embarrassed about claiming to have a lover, despite it just being an act.
"Is there anything I should know about you that your mom would expect me to know?" Nagi questioned.
Aki took a minute to think the question over before she shook her head. "Aside from the obvious stuff like my birthday and my hobbies, we shouldn't have to worry about the minor details. Mama only thinks we've been dating for a few months so it's not as if she expects our relationship to be that close"
Nagi sighed in relief. "That's a load off my back; I'm not good at remembering stuff like that"
"Ain't that the truth" Minori deadpanned, playfully sticking her tongue out at Nagi who had sent her an annoyed glare.
"Excuse me but…" Espada's voice alerted everyone's attention as she had raised her hand. "May I ask a question?"
"Of course you can, what's your mind?" Minori asked.
"It's nothing too important but…" Suddenly, a surge of perverted excitement could be seen hiding behind Espada's elated eyes that made Minori and Aki shudder. "If you two are going to pretend to be a couple, shouldn't you both act more romantically towards one another?"
Dead silence filled the helicopter with its passengers not uttering a single word after Espada's proclamation. The silence was mostly caused by Nagi giving Espada a strange look while Minori and Aki looked stunned by what Espada had just said.
"R-Romantically you say? C-Could you elaborate more on that?" Aki repeated, a bit flustered by the idea.
Espada cocked her head. "Isn't it obvious? A man and a woman being in a relationship for a few months should surely have an intimate relationship in that time. As such, you two should stick close to each other and be aggressive in showing your love" Espada declared with a straight face hidden with anxiety. To her, seeing just how far Nagi and Aki would take the act was too attractive of an ordeal to pass up seeing.
"I-I don't believe we have to go that far…" Aki reluctantly admitted as she tried to shut down the idea. With how little experience she had with men, Espada' suggestion was simply far too much for her heart to take.
"Don't you think it's a good idea, master?" Espada turned to Nagi who hadn't voiced his opinion on the matter yet.
"Hmm…" Nagi pondered for a minute as he brought his hand to his chin. What Espada said did make sense and if the two of the really were going to play the role of lovers, acting as such would only help them convince Aki's mother even more. With no objections to the idea, Nagi readily nodded as he gave his approval. "If that's what it'll take to convince her mom then I don't see a problem with it. Good job thinking of it Espa"
Espada smiled beautifully as she received sincere praise from Nagi, inwardly pumping her nonexistent fist into the air in celebration. "Please, think nothing of it"
"H-Hold on a minute!" Aki complained, still not on the same page as Nagi and Espada. "I-It's really not necessary for us to have to act like lovers…"
"Aren't you the one who said that your mother wouldn't be fooled with half assed attempts?" Espada questioned with an obviously fake innocent look. One way or another, this was going to happen.
"B-But…" Aki was beginning to shrink under the pressure as she couldn't come up with a good enough excuse to foil Espada's plans as she quietly stole a glance from the passive Nagi who was now looking out the window of the helicopter. The image of Nagi and herself flirting with one another somehow popped up into her head and she madly blushed at the thought, shaking her head and taking a deep breath to cool herself off. As she thought, it was too much for her!
Minori's eyebrows flashed with playful trickery as she watched Aki get flustered around Nagi and decided to play along with Espada's idea. "I think you two should do it. Leila definitely won't get suspicious if you two act like lovers, so I say go for it"
"M-Minori!" Aki was hoping Minori would back her up on this but that dream was lost as Minori began cackling, obviously intent on paying Aki back for all of the times she had tried to tease her when Nagi was involved.
With no escape to the situation, Aki clenched her mini skirt and boasted a serious expression. "F-Fine I'll do it! Happy now!?"
Espada couldn't have been happier as the first stage of her goal had been completed, getting Aki and Nagi to take the role of playing lovers more seriously. Of course, she would have loved it if she could switch places with Aki and become Nagi's lover but there no need to push her boundaries. With a little more preparation and luck, her erotic image of Nagi and Aki together devouring one another lovingly would be finalized and her body shuddered at the thought. It was almost too stimulating to contain!
"O-Oi… are you okay?" Minori asked the elated Espada, who had come to realize her blunder of showing her true emotions.
"Ahem… I-I'm fine, no need to worry" Espada spat out awkwardly, averting her eyes from the group as the trip towards the island became even more uncomfortable for the passengers.
The several helicopters flying through the sky had finally reached their destination as a large and isolated island came into viewing over the horizon. Everyone seemed incredibly anxious to finally step foot on the legendary Nijou Family Resort as their eyes were glued to the several attractions running all over the island and the countless amount of ships docking on the harbor.
Because the group had been officially recognized as VIP guests, the helicopters passed right over the harbor and headed straight for the family estate where the Nijou Family resided as Leila had specifically asked for Aki and her friends to sleep in the mansion. Such an honor was not normally granted to those outside of the family but certain exceptions had to be made for this group as Leila's plans for them were heavily dependent on them being as close to her as possible.
The helicopters landed right in front of them mansion where unexpectedly, several rows of serving maids and butlers were lined up and awaiting the arrival of one of their masters. After the helicopters had landed, the pilots got out of their seat's and rushed to open the passenger doors as the Tenbi group all left the helicopters one by one.
"Wow, this place is huge!" Takeru shouted enthusiastically as he finally got a good view of the surrounding area. The others around him also leaked out sighs of amazement as they took in the spacious and glamorous resort.
Azuki whistled in admiration as she placed both of her hands on her hips. "No kidding… is there really where Aki-sensei family lives?"
"Get it together you damn brats, we didn't come here for a vacation!" Minori reprimanded as she watched her students start scattering all over the place. Seriously, just what did they think they came here for? It didn't take long after that for Minori to get them all back at the entrance of the mansion where they were approached by a tall butler with silver hair.
"It's a pleasure to receive such esteemed guests and friends of Aki-sama. My name is Edgar; I will be attending to all you lovely ladies and gentleman for your stay here. Please, if there is anything you require then do not hesitate to ask me" Edgar's elegance and charm were noteworthy as he earned squeals from nearby ladies who were curious about the helicopters landing on the island. On the resort, Edgar was one of the more popular residents and many ladies fantasized about having the chance to be served by him.
"It's good to see you again Edgar-san, how have you been?" Aki answered sincerely with a beautiful smile, causing Edgar to dramatically point to himself and arch his back.
"You mustn't worry about me, my lady! There will never be a day where I will show myself to you as anything other than perfect and healthy! I swear this on my life!"
Everyone around him looked disbelievingly at Edgar's antics and wondered if he was somehow related to Akaya.
"I-Is that so…" Aki awkwardly smiled as she never could get used to Edgar's… personality and waited to be led inside by him and the other servers to her mother.
"Please follow me; the mistress is waiting for you along with Lady Alexis and her fiancée. Oh, I almost forgot! I had heard from the mistress that Aki-sama has brought home a potential suitor…." In an instant, a dark and sinister feeling began to radiate from Edgar as his eyes sharpened. "May I ask where he is?"
Minori and Aki both swallowed their spit internally as they saw the blood lust coming from Edgar's eyes. No doubt, this was one of the many tests set by Aki's mother to have Edgar examine and report whether the boyfriend Aki brought home was someone she was really dating or someone who she randomly picked. Edgar was as sharp as they came and no half-assed attempt at replicating a relationship would fool someone who was utterly devoted to such an important matter.
"Yo, you were looking for me?"
The tense atmosphere was then washed away almost instantly as Edgar swiftly turned around to find Nagi standing behind him with a blank expression. He was momentarily stunned as he observed the man in front of him with a suspicious gaze, studying him from every angle. Ignoring the fact that this man was able to sneak up behind him, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by the other butlers and maids present, Edgar was having difficulty in trying to probe any noteworthy info on his mysterious stranger.
As an uncomfortable amount of time passed between them, Nagi's eyebrows twitched in annoyance as he directed a frown towards Edgar. "The hell are you staring at?"
"Oi, that's way too rude!" Minori and the others who were watching thought worriedly as Nagi was derailing the plan they had set up.
"A-Ah, pardon me for my rudeness" Edgar quickly regained his bearings and offered a bow. "I was just wasn't expecting Aki-sama's lover to be such a stunning young man. We have yet to be introduced; my name is Edgar Nijou, head butler of the Nijou Family and the one who has looked after the young mistress since she could barely walk. May I have the pleasure of knowing what her lover's name is?"
"There he goes; Edgar's trying to see how Nagi reacts…" Minori thought to herself as she watched the exchange between the two with a nervous gaze. She was more concerned on how Nagi was going to respond as this exchange required delicacy, something that Nagi was absolutely alien too.
Nagi nodded bluntly without saying much. "I'm Nagi Springfield"
"Nagi-sama is it? Haha, what a unique name. You look like a very reliable and confident young man, those are excellent qualities to have for a man. It is quite easy to see how our young miss fell for a man of your caliber, right?" He directed a warm gaze towards Aki who slightly blushed.
"C-Come on now Edgar-san, you're embarrassing me" Aki admitted with an embarrassed expression, her along with Edgar's expressions having become confused when they noticed a chuckle escape from Nagi's mouth.
"You've got it backwards" Nagi stated as he walked right past Edgar and stood next to Aki, grabbing her by the waist as he pulled her into his chest, ignoring the stunned and beat red face of the woman he was holding. "Aki is the exceptional one. She means the world to me" His voice and tone were resolute, as if he truly believed what he was saying without question.
"...!" Aki could practically feel her heart beat pounding out of her chest as she listened to Nagi's bold proclamation and remained in his embrace, unable to ear herself away from his strong arms. She thought she was losing her mind as she couldn't think straight and if it wasn't for the fact that she couldn't afford to make Edgar suspicious, she would have probably fainted awhile ago.
There were mixed reactions coming from the observing crowd, some finding the scene too be absolutely adorable and romantic as squeals could be heard while others, such as Himegami and Isabella, were not pleased at seeing their close proximity. Espada nodded her head in approval at Nagi's actions and threw him a thumbs up when she noticed his gaze meet hers, with his eyes practically asking "Like this?".
"..."
Edgar remained quiet, eyes sharpened at Nagi's unexpected behavior as he tried to gauge the reaction of the "couple" standing before him. His mistress had been very clear about searching for any signs of Aki and her supposed lover faking a relationship and as of this moment, Edgar couldn't find anything that would indicate that they were pretending. Looking at lady Aki's face, she was definitely embarrassed about being hugged in public but clearly did not show any signs of resilience from Nagi's embrace, an indication that they were close. Edgar knew Aki very well and so he decided to believe that Aki had brought home a suitable lover as a warm smile enveloped his face.
"Haha, it is good to see that you two are very close. Please" Edgar bowed politely in front of both Nagi and Aki. "Take good care of the young mistress, she is like a daughter to me"
Nagi glanced over towards Aki who nodded at his gaze as her way of saying he should follow up. Shrugging, Nagi bowed as well and spoke in a comfortable tone. "Leave it to me"
"Thank you very much" Edgar was all smiles as he was too overjoyed at the fact that one of his master's had brought home a great man.
"A-Anyway" Aki began as she slowly distanced herself from Nagi, her face still flushed red. "S-Shouldn't we be moving along? We shouldn't keep mama waiting after all" Aki requested, hoping to change the flow of the current conversation.
Minori picked up on what Aki was trying to do and stepped forward from the group. "Y-Yes that's right! You know how Leila can get haha, we definitely don't want her to wait too long"
"But of course, please follow me" Edgar saw no problems with speeding up the investigation, leading the group into the mansion as they passed through the large doors. As they walked inside, Aki made her way over towards Nagi's side and nudged on his black shirt, altering the man's attention.
"What's up?"
Aki leaned in and whispered into his ear. "You have to be more careful, Nagi-san. Edgar is very perceptive and if we're going to fool him and mama, you have to make sure not to speak too bluntly"
"What for? Four eyes over there didn't seem to mind…" Nagi stated, earning a face palm from Aki.
"That's what I'm talking about! You can't just call him 'four eyes'! That rude way of speaking to others is what will ruin the plan!"
Nagi frowned, not buying completely all of what Aki was lecturing him about. Wasn't she making a big deal out of nothing? Still, he did promise to help her and the mouthwatering food that awaited him in the resort was enough to override Nagi's pride as he sighed in defeat.
"Fine, I'll keep it under control"
Aki smiled in relief, believing that Nagi would keep his attitude under control. "Thank you, Nagi-san" She then looked down at the ground for a bit as her face became red again at the memory of what Nagi had done to her earlier. "...A-Also, you have to warn me when your... going to do things like that... I need time to prepare... my heart can't handle... stuff like that... you know..." Aki was practically mumbling to herself as she twiddled her fingers in a cutesy manner.
"Hm?" Nagi raised his eyebrow at Aki's mumbling. "Did you say something?"
"Agh, just forget it!" Aki huffed as she turned her face away, pouting that her message hadn't gotten across. He really was clueless when it came to a woman's heart!
Nagi merely shrugged in response. "Whatever" He then cupped his chin as he thought about something that was bothering and he turned back to look at Aki. "Hey, don't you think you're also ruining our chances as well?" Nagi pointed out, surprising the puzzled woman.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Well, if we're supposed to be playing the role of lovers, shouldn't you stop addressing me with a honorific? Just call me Nagi, just like how I call you Aki"
"E-Eh?" B-But that's…" Aki was feeling a bit embarrassed about doing such a thing as she avoided his gaze. The more time she spent with Nagi, the more she felt her common sense leaving her as customs and traditions she was taught when she was was a kid were being completely thrown out the window by the red haired magician. It was already embarrassing enough to play the role as his lover and be embraced by him, now she had to address him without an honorific? Was he trying to kill her?
As Nagi watched Aki struggle internally with the decision, he smiled softly and gave the woman a strong pat on the back.
"H-Huh? N-Nagi-san?" Aki asked innocently, not sure on why he had done such a thing.
"Seems calling me without an honorific is too much for you right now, right? You don't have to force yourself. Until you're ready to do it, you can just call me darling or something, you can handle at least that much right?"
"Hey!" Aki pouted, puffing out her cheeks as she frowned at Nagi. "I'm not a child you know; even I can handle something like that"
Nagi grinned in a mischievous manner. "Oh? Then prove it"
Fed up with his arrogant attitude, Aki latched herself onto Nagi's free arm, as her body was now directly in contact with his and she walked side by side with him. "Then I will, Nagi!"
The sensation of having Aki's exquisite breasts pressed against his arms was a pleasant experience for the snickering Nagi who couldn't believe that she had fallen for such an obvious bait. Even though he felt a bit guilty for being so close to another woman other besides Arika, it was part of the act so he didn't have a choice… or so he believed.
Minori, who had been walking a few steps behind Nagi and Aki, frowned slightly as she watched the two of them lock arms like that. When she teased Aki about going through with the "fake couple" plan, she didn't think it would annoy her this much. It couldn't have been jealously, right?
Himegami wasn't much better as she crossed her arms and huffed in the opposite direction, earning a depressed reaction out of Usui.
Espada was the only one among the group who was enjoying the spectacle and hoped that Aki would become much more daring in her act.
After a few minutes of walking through the main house with Edgar leading the way, the group had finally made it to what seemed to be an enormous lobby where hundreds of strangers were seen standing in, idly chatting with one another without a care in the world.
Edgar turned around and bowed. "We've arrived in the main foyer. If you could be so kind as to remain here, the mistress of the house will be arriving shortly "
Following that, Edgar left the group and disappeared within the crowd, leaving the Tenbi group not sure on what to do as they stood in the corner of the lobby.
"Who are all these people?" Nagi asked.
"They're tourists who are also VIP guests, just the same as us. Only those who have special permission from mama can be here" Aki replied, her eyes wandering from side to side in the hopes of spotting anyone she deemed suspicious. Her mother may have planted spies among the people here so she had to stay alert and ascertain if this was another test.
Aki instinctively held onto Nagi's arm tighter as she felt a bit nervous in front of such a crowd, an act that didn't go unnoticed by Nagi himself who didn't mind the sensation.
Having enough of it, Minori cut in between the two of them as she broke their contact and nudged Nagi on his elbow. "Hey, I don't think you two have to take it far, especially since their not watching us right now"
Nagi raised his eyebrow at Minori's odd timing but shrugged nonetheless as he walked over to one of the walls and lay back with his arms crossed. "Whatever, call me when we're ready to start"
"N-Nagi-sa… I mean, Nagi!" Aki proclaimed, now turning her attention to Minori with a frustrated glare. "Why did you do that Minori? What if mama is monitoring us right now?"
"U-Uhm no reason in particular…" Minori awkwardly admitted as she scratched her cheek and avoided eye contact. There was no way in hell she was going to admit that she couldn't stand seeing the two of them lock arms together like that and prayed Aki wasn't aware of it.
Aki wasn't buying Minori's excuse as she narrowed her eyes at the nervous principal before heavily sighing, placing both her hands on her hips. "Fine but next time, speak with me first when you do something like that"
"You got it" Minori agreed, pumping her fist at being able to fool Aki.
Himegami stepped forward from the group as she looked displeased about something. "How long do we have to wait around here? Didn't that butler guy mention that your mother was waiting for us?"
Azuki was of the same opinion as she stretched her back. "Yea he did mention that. What's up with having us wait here? Doesn't this house belong to your family? Surely we should get better treatment than this…"
They were all making excellent points Aki thought as she glanced around the room with a nervous expression."I don't understand it myself but there must be a reason why he made us wait here…"
Not a moment later, the large pair of doors at the front of the lobby swung wide open and from them, a group of individuals stepped into the room with the grace and elegance befitting a royal family of the highest order.
"Kyaaa! It's Mistress Leila and Lady Alexis!" a group of tourist men and woman screamed as they watched the figures of the beautiful mother and daughter combo walk inside the lobby being escorted by two handsome men, one of them being Edgar and the other being Alexis' husband and fiancée, Damian. Leila was wearing an extravagant pure white silk dress that showed off her enormous cleavage while Damian went more casual and wore a plain purple sweater with brown jeans. He had flowing brown hair that was slicked back and wore a pair of black shades that gave him the appeal of a famous movie star.
"M-Mama… Sis…" Aki nervously whispered as she watched her mother and sister elegantly walk through the large gathering of people and stand in the center of the lobby.
"Holy crap, that's Aki's mom!? She's my erotic fantasy!" Usui voiced out all of the collective thoughts of the men gathered in the Tenbi group as his eyes twinkled with perverted lust, eyeing Leila's rather humongous cleavage as she spotted an even bigger bust than Aki and Minori.
Admist the loud chatter and gossip, a suspicious gaze was cast over towards Leila and her group from Nagi who observed them with a mildly surprised, but not impressed expression.
"So that's Aki mom and sis? How old is her mother? She's far too young looking to be the mother of a woman of Aki's age..."
Over on Leila's side, she smiled sweetly towards all of the tourists paying her compliments and words of praise while hiding her true motive of observing her daughter's group of friends. Naturally, that included the boyfriend she was bringing who she was absolutely dying to meet after Edgar had notified her of his arrival. Unfortunately, Edgar had not mentioned what he had looked like or anything much about the mysterious boyfriend so Leila was left having to wait until she met with her daughter and asked who he was up front. She sighed, why did her subordinates have to tease her so?
Edgar was quick to pick up on his mistresses' plight and quietly whispered in her ear. "My lady, I believe your meeting with Aki and her lover should become easier once you deal with the crowd"
"Oh! Of course! Yes, let's do that!" Leila nodded in agreement; thanking the stars she had such a competent servant beside her.
Clearing her throat, Leila took a few steps forward and addressed the large group of people gathered around her. "Ladies and Gentleman, I sincerely thank all of your for visiting the Nijou Resort and hope that the services we provide will satisfy your every desire. Please do not be afraid to request anything of the maids and butlers as they will spare no expense to serve all of you to the best of their abilities. As VIP guests, you are all free to roam around the island and visit our many attractions, including the newly built amusement park that I have no doubt many of you will enjoy. The butlers and maids will show you too your rooms to allow you all to get accommodated"
Leila proceeded to snap her fingers and at the drop of a hat, numerous butlers and maids began pouring in from a nearby staircase. It was hard not to be impressed by the spread of attractive individuals that had just appeared by someone simply snapping their fingers, a testament to Leila's tastes and fetishes regarding what company she hired. The maids and butlers then led the numerous tourists that were scattered in the lobby to the upper levels as they made their way back up the stair case, leaving only Leila's group and Aki's group left.
"H-Hello, Mama…" Aki stuttered with a nervous expression as she walked in front of her peers towards Leila, who had noticed Aki's approach and jumped excitedly towards her beloved daughter.
"Aki! Mama has missed you so much!" Leila didn't even bother to restrain her happiness as she bear hugged the frightened Aki and squeezed her about as tightly as could be.
"Y-You're crushing me… Mama…" Aki was having trouble breathing as she tried to get her mother to let go of her. Some things would never change.
"Ah that's right" Leila had finally let the lifeless Aki go as she coughed and bowed towards the colleagues standing behind her. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I am Leila Nijou, Aki and Alexis' mother and the proud owner of this lovely resort that you will all be staying in. I do hope that you find your stay here satisfactory"
In the face of such elegance and beauty, the men all stuttered to return her greetings while the girls were memorized by her clearly superior appearance to their own.
Minori was only one of the few that wasn't in a trance as she tried to step back and erase her presence but it was a futile attempt as Leila spotted her immediately and ran up to her.
"Minori-chan! It's been so long since I've seen you! Look at how big you've grown!" Leila had grabbed a hold of Minori's waist and squeezed her from behind, a disturbing sensation now plaguing the scared Minori who couldn't handle dealing with Leila.
"H-Hello… Leila-san…" She tried to escape but it was no use; the woman was some sort of herculean monster.
"Oh come now Minori-chan, you already know you don't have to be so formal with me" Leila expressed a smile that could slay any man but there was a subtle maliciousness within it that Minori caught. "But I do wonder why you haven't answered my calls…?"
Minori gulped. "W-Well.. I-I've been pretty busy… ya know?"
Leila wasn't buying any of it but decided to ignore it for now as she smiled at Minori again and let go of her aching body. "Mkay, I'll forgive you since you are one of my favorites. I'll have you accompany me later so we can get reacquainted again, alright?"
"…Yes ma'am…" Minori resigned herself to her dreadful fate as she inwardly cursed the snickering students in the back that had found the entire exchange laughable.
"Hmph, I don't even know why you bothered to come at all. Mama has already decided to give me the resort" A crude and unwelcoming voice in the back spoke as Aki turned her eyes towards her sister, Alexis who looked unpleased by being in the same room as her.
"Sis…" Aki worded with anxiety, aware of the fact that her sister still held a personal grudge against her that didn't seem to be going away anytime soon. However, that didn't mean she was going to back down against her older sister as she took a deep breath and puffed out her chest. "That hasn't been decided yet. We're going to compete fairly for the resort"
"Why you…" Alexis sneered as she couldn't stomach Aki speaking back to her with such a tone. Since when did her incompetent and shy sister have enough back bone to mess with her?
"Honey, calm down" A hand was placed on Alexis' shoulder as Damian's voice came into the conversation. "You shouldn't be this rude towards your own sister"
"B-But dear…" Alexis frowned in displeasure at her fiancée's supposed defense of Aki, but that soon changed as Damian whispered his next choice of words into her ear.
"We'll ruin whatever reputation we have with your mother if we don't show your useful sister the proper respect. Be patient, we'll use her to gain the advantage"
"…Alright, fine" Alexis reluctantly accepted her fiancée's words and showcased an awkward smile towards her sister. "Y-You look…. well?" She clearly wasn't used to giving out compliments.
"…Uh… thanks?" Aki worded with uncertainty as she looked at her sister's false and insincere attempts at praising her. Her eyes then trailed over to Damian, who noticed her gaze and flashed a charming smile.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Aki-san" Damian expressed in a friendly manner, completely opposite to the tone of voice he had used just a second ago when speaking with his fiancée. He reached his hand out for a handshake as that smile never left his face. "You're becoming more beautiful each time I see you"
Aki inwardly frowned at Damian's rather obviously fake attitude but smiled nonetheless as she accepted the handshake. "You haven't changed at all I see. Still a flatterer as always"
Damian chuckled. "Come now, there's nothing wrong with stating the truth. Oh, I had almost forgotten…" Damian's eyes then twinkled with subtle ferocity as he scanned over Aki's peers behind her. "I was informed that you brought your boyfriend here with you? Where is he?"
Alexis quickly followed her fiancé's lead as she brushed past Aki and narrowed her eyes towards the Tenbi boys. "Oh yes, we heard all about it from mama. Please, do show us the man that was able to win the affections of my dear sister. I'm just dying to meet him"
Aki swallowed her spit as she crossed eyes with Alexis, who was flashing an arrogant expression, as if the idea that Aki had brought home a man that was better than Damian was laughable.
"Yes! Yes! Where is he?" Leila had also heard the conversation and looked over at the group of Tenbi students. She obviously ignored the young girls and examined each of the guys that were present.
"Hmm, which one is he?" She first looked at Kai. "It can't possibly be that big one over there, can it? He's got an excellent build but his face is far too rough looking for me to consider him handsome." Her eyes then moved onto Usui. "This one is a bit better looking but he lacks any confidence in himself… and how long is he going to stare at my cleavage? A healthy libido is critical for Aki's lover but this one seems like the wrong kind of pervert" Finally, she laid eyes upon Takeru. "This one is a bit better than those other two as he's not that bad looking nor is he a colossal horn dog based on his expression but… he just seems really average? Is this really the best that Aki could bring me?" Leila couldn't even begin to describe how disappointed she was in Aki's selection for boyfriend in terms of looks, build, and confidence. Hell, weren't these kids her students? Obviously, age was a factor but that was something she was more than willing to ignore if the man had met her expectations, which none of these "boys" did.
Damian and Alexis were sharing Leila's thoughts as they both inwardly mocked Aki for trying to fake having a boyfriend by having one of these pubescent school boys, who all reeked of being virgins, act as her lover. It was just beyond pathetic as they had to hold down the irresistible urge to laugh.
Aki could feel their mockery but didn't care one lick about it; she knew that they were going to be singing a different tune once they got a good look at Nagi. "Yes, I've brought my boyfriend here. Sorry, he's not any of those boys over there, they are all just simply my students that I had accompany me for some training with Minori"
"Oh?" Leila voiced with hope as her dreams of meeting another suitable son in law could actually come true. "So where is this man? You've teased mama long enough"
Damian and Alexis had stopped their inward laughing and focused back onto Aki with a nervous expression. Did she actually bring someone?
Having gained everyone's attention, Aki was ready to unveil Nagi's dashing appearance but was approached by a worried Minori.
"Hey uh Aki, we kinda have a problem…"
"Not now Minori, I'm about to show up mama and Alexis by presenting Nagi"
"No, you see that's just the thing… Nagi's not…" Minori tried her best to explain the dilemma they were in but Aki shot her an annoyed glare.
"Save it for later! We have to make this work now otherwise they'll start to get suspicious" Aki then ignored Minori, who was face palming, and addressed Leila, Damian, and Alexis. "I'm sorry for that rude interruption. Now then, I hope you'll be kind to my b-boyfriend" She then pointed to the wall that Nagi had been leaning against earlier with a smile. "I'd like you to meet Nagi Springfield"
Their eyes followed Aki's and just as she was about to smirk in an arrogant manner, the words that came out of her sister's mouth felt like someone threw hot water all over her.
"So where is he?"
"….Eh?"
Aki blinked, head slowly turning towards the wall as she was expecting to see the figure of Nagi leaning against it but was met with a more cruel reality as no one was standing there at all. She looked all around the lobby for Nagi and couldn't find him at all. What was going on here?
"That's what I was trying to tell you…" Minori sighed as she scratched the back of her head. She had noticed Nagi's disappearance when all of the other guests inside the lobby were being escorted to their rooms. She had wanted to slip out of the place herself but Leila was quick to spot her before she could get away with it.
"Uhm…" A voice spoke in the back as Aki and the others turned to Espada, her hand being raised in the air to gather the attention of everyone. "If you're looking for Mast-I mean Nagi, he said he was going to get some fresh air because it was too stuffy in here"
"….That idiot..." Aki, Minori, and Himegami thought collectively as they couldn't believe Nagi's mindset.
"…So my possible son in law wanted to get some fresh air… before meeting me? How… How…" Leila looked ready to burst as everyone around her backed away, fearful that Nagi's action may have offended the dangerous woman but luckily for them, it was the complete opposite.
"How gallant of him! Wanting to meet his future family when there were no other people around, I must say I'm quite impressed with his foresight" Leila expressed happily, unaware of the confused and baffled looks being tossed around the room. Even Damian and Alexis couldn't believe what her reaction was towards the situation.
"Very well, I shall allow the introduction of your boyfriend to be postponed, dear daughter of mine" Leila then snapped her fingers, alerting Edgar and the other servants in the room. "Edgar, please show my daughter and her friends where they will be staying at"
"Of course" Edgar responded, walking in front of Aki and the Tenbi group as he led them away from the lobby to take them to their living quarters. The only ones left in the lobby were Leila, Alexis, and Damian.
"Mama… are you serious right now?" Leila asked with a displeased expression, prompting her mother to look at her with an obviously fake look.
"Now, whatever could you possibly mean dear Lexy?"
"Do you actually believe that man is Aki's boyfriend? It's obviously a lie! What kind of boyfriend would just leave the room like that without even telling his beloved?"
Damian also interjected. "I agree with Alexis. Leila-san, Aki and her friends are obviously tricking you just to get the resort"
Leila had heard there nagging for the umpteenth time as she sighed and brushed a strand of her beautiful sapphire hair out of her eyes, directing a cold look at them. "Oh? So you can say the two of you haven't done the same thing? Don't think for a second that I am not aware of you little scheme"
In one swift moment, the lobby went completely silent as Damian and Alexis were unable to respond to Leila's piercing words. How could they? She was completely right on the money and they knew it.
That cold expression on Leila's face soon changed back to her friendly smile as she clapped her hands again. "Now now, let's not ruin the reunion of my beautiful family with all this negative talk. I'm so excited to meet Aki's boyfriend, Edgar is such a tease and didn't even tell me what he looked like" A glint of excitement then appeared in her eyes as she walked up the stairs. "Fufu, this week should be really fun! I'm going to see if I can find him before anyone else!"
She soon left the scene as the giant door behind her shut close, leaving the sinister pair of lovers inside the spacious lobby with many things to think about.
"…Damn that bitch, I thought she was just some stupid rich bimbo but it seems that not all of her brains were absorbed by those breasts…" Damian thought as he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. His plans were unraveling in front of him and all because Alexis' worthless sister had to butt in and bring with her some random guy she probably didn't even know that well. There was no way in hell he was going to lose his shot at seizing the resort for himself, not after all of the work he had put in.
Alexis herself was also having difficulty finding a counter move to her sisters as she bit her nail. Calling Aki out on her bluff was clearly not going to work anymore so she needed to think of a new strategy.
A sarcastic laugh escaped from Damian's mouth as he grabbed Alexis by her shoulder, surprising the younger woman who looked at him with a confused gaze. "Honey?"
"Don't worry babe, we're not out of this yet. Just you watch, we'll have this place for ourselves in no time"
Alexis nodded as she fell into his arms and smirked. "Your damn right"
"...Just what kind of place is this?"
Standing on the top of the large estate while checking out the view was an excited Nagi who whistled in admiration as he gazed across the island's several attractions. Theme parks, outdoor sports, and a gorgeous view of the clear ocean; there seemed to be everything a person could ever hope for on the resort island. If it wasn't already obvious by the ridiculously large and fancy looking house that Aki's family lived in that they were loaded with cash, the sight that Nagi was currently seeing was definitely the clearest indicator.
It was breathtaking. Nagi hadn't had much time for leisurely activities when he was growing up, what with trying to stop a damn war and saving the world from an overpowered nutcase and everything. He can't even remember the last time he had even went on a roller coaster! A sense of jealously swelled up inside him as he pouted a bit.
"Man, that just isn't fair..." He was quick to get over his jealously as his eyes gleamed with anxiety at getting the chance to try out all of the rides, siting down on the edge with his hand cupping his chin deep in thought. "I wonder what I should try first? They all look like a good fit for me"
"I've got the perfect fit for you right here!" A voice shouted in the back as Nagi easily dodged what seemed to be a kick to the back of his head and spun around to see an annoyed Himegami glaring at him.
"What's up, shrimp?" He asked nonchalantly.
"You..." Himegami was practically seething as she drew her leg back and crossed her arms. "Just what the hell is wrong with you!? You almost ruined the entire plan back there by disappearing!"
"Ah..." Nagi remembered as he stood up from his seated position and turned to face the angered girl, shrugging with a apathetic expression. "I was bored. Seemed like you guys were going to take forever. What's the big deal?"
An angry vein appeared to surface on Himegami's forehead as she heaved a heavy sigh at the big idiot in front of her. Even after going over the plan several times on the way there, he still didn't seem to grasp such a basic objective. It was actually mind boggling to her how someone so ridiculously powerful could also be so thick headed.
"Look, just don't do anything that would arouse suspicion in front of Aki's mother or her sister and fiance. We were lucky to get off easy because Aki's mother misunderstood your absence but you shouldn't let your guar-"
"Holy crap, did you see that move!?"
"Listen to me damn it!" Himegami shouted with exasperation as she noticed Nagi's attention drawn towards the sight of a surfer pulling off some crazy move in the ocean.
Nagi frowned at Himegami's meddling as he stood up and ruffled her hair while scoffing. "Don't worry, I got it already shrimp. We just gotta make sure that she believes me and Aki are a couple right? Piece of cake. You saw what I did earlier right? No sweat"
"...If you say so" Himegami was hard pressed to counter Nagi's confident boast as she didn't mind the sensation of him ruffling her hair and pouted a bit with a cute expression. If there was one thing she hated about Nagi, it was that he was always able to get her to shut up with nothing but a few words. His confidence was otherworldly, as if everything danced in the palm of his hand. There were so many things about him that she wanted to know, not just because he was from another world, but also because he reminded her alot of her brother, minus the perverted part.
"But you should know that Minori and Aki are going to kill you the next time you see them" Himegami mentioned with a pitiful expression, remembering the dangerous looks that Minori and Aki had given off when they were settling into their rooms.
"Hahaha..." Nagi laughed, taking his hand off of Himegami as he threw both his arms behind his back. "Yea that doesn't surprise me... I'd probably do the same thing" He was definitely in for an earful but Nagi was long prepared for it as he simply accepted his fate.
Himegami watched his carefree expression even when he knew he was in trouble and smiled a bit, eyes now being drawn towards Nagi's soft lips as she recalled what Nagi had told her back at Tenbi regarding the mysterious pactio contract. She didn't know why but finding out that Espada and Nagi had kissed each other just seemed to bug her, even if it was so save Espada's life. She didn't believe she was jealous... at least that's what she kept telling herself. Call it curiosity or something else but she just wanted to know if she too could also receive a magical power like the one Espada had gotten by kissing him.
"Earth to shrimp, you feeling okay?"
"Huh?" Himegami blinked as she was snapped out of her daze and noticed an eyebrow raised Nagi staring at her. She didn't even realize she had been focusing on his lips for an uncomfortable amount of time as her face reddened in embarrassment. "I-I'm fine, forget about it..."
"...If you say so" Nagi shrugged as he turned his back to her, unaware of the conflicted feelings of the small girl standing behind him.
Just as Himegami was about to speak out once more on the topic of what Nagi called a pactio, a harmonic and tender voice could be heard coming from behind them.
"Ara, how lucky for me. I was wondering who was standing up here but it turned out to be my lovely daughter's boyfriend. You're Nagi-kun, right? Oh, and I see you're also here with one of Minori-chan's students"
Both Nagi and Himegmai snapped their heads backwards in order to get a look at the unexpected woman standing a few feet away from them, a pleasant and charming smile plastered on her face. It was none other than Leila Nijou, who had spotted Nagi and Himegami standing on top of the estate and found it appropriate to introduce herself now before the true festivities could begin.
"..." Nagi didn't say anything as he observed the older woman step forward a bit, eyes scanning over Leila's outrageously voluptuous body that made him question if almost every adult woman in this world was built like a super model. Seriously, was there some sort of trick too it?
The smile on Leila's face didn't falter for even a second as her attention was focused entirely on Nagi's idle figure, her mind practically freaking out over the perfect specimen that stood before her.
"Sweet mother of jesus, he's gorgeous! U-Unbelievable! That beautiful crimson hair... that robust and toned figure... those deep and intimidating eyes... he's exactly my type! He's even better looking than Damian-kun! To think that my clumsy and hopeless daughter that hadn't been able to get a decent man in her entire life would bring back such a magnificent catch! It seems that I have underestimated her, she's far more like myself than I gave her credit for..." It was a good thing no one could hear Leila's inner thoughts as they were becoming rather inappropriate regarding her assessment of Nagi. If it wasn't for the fact that she had mastered the art of the poker face, she probably would have been drooling at this very second.
A shiver went down Nagi's spine for some reason as he looked around the area but couldn't find anything, completely oblivious to the perverted thoughts of the older woman standing in front of him.
Coughing to clear the air, Leila gripped her white dress and bowed respectively, showing off a rather sizable amount of cleavage in her open cut dress. "Pardon me for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Leila Nijou, as I'm sure you've been told already. I am Aki's and Alexis' mother, it is a pleasure to meet you Nagi-kun"
Nagi glanced over towards Himegami who noticed his gaze and nodded her head, indicating that he should introduce himself as well.
"The pleasure is mine, Leila...san?" Nagi adding a honorific to the woman's name as he noticed the glare coming from the crossed armed Himegami, who made sure Nagi wouldn't act inappropriately in front of her. "I'm Nagi Springfield, Aki's boyfriend. Thanks for inviting us to your home, it's a really incredible island"
"...Good, it appears he has adequate manners as well. That's definitely a plus..." Leila off handily thought as she flashed a wider smile at Nagi. "It was no trouble at all, Nagi-kun. How could I miss the opportunity to meet my daughter's charming lover? I'm very interested to know more about how exactly you two were able to meet each other and where Aki had been hiding you the entire time" She immediately thought of several different scenario's that could lead to her getting him alone in her room where she could interrogate him personally, such as spiking his drink or having one of her maids knock him out when his guard was down. Just thinking about being alone with such a man made her body shiver but she restrained herself and kept her composure. Fun time would come later.
Unlike Nagi who seemed unaware of Leila's hidden agenda, Himegami was very suspicious of Leila as she had heard from Minori and Aki herself that the smile she wore on her face was simply a mask to cover her true emotions. Right now, she was probably assessing a million different ways to confirm whether or not Nagi was truly Aki's boyfriend or not. She had to be on her toes.
Surprisingly, an amused snort came from Nagi at Leila's direct compliment as he flashed that signature charming smile of his at her, with Leila faintly blushing at the sight. "Since your Aki's mother, I'm sure speaking with you will be just as pleasant as when I speak to her. I look forward to it"
Himegami and Leila both look stunned at what Nagi had said as they had been captivated by his sincere and sly words regarding his clearly favorable opinion of Leila. Even though Himegami knew it was all a ruse, when he said it with such a convincing and charming face, how could anyone not believe it? Though, that feeling of admiration quickly faded when Nagi sent Himegami a wink that practically said "How was that?".
Leila's surprised outlook soon returned back to her usual smile as she giggled. "My my, to not only hear such praise for both my daughter and myself, you're quite the cunning one Nagi-kun" She may have looked composed but the whirlwind that Leila's mind was going through was almost enough to break her facade.
"I want him, I want him, I want him, I want him! There's no way in hell I'm going to allow my daughter snatch such a perfect man from me, absolutely no way! Mama needs love too! Still... Aki would probably never forgive me for taking her man... darn, why must I be such a caring mother?" Leila thought, clearly stressed about the dilemma she was in. Before she could get a chance to resolve that problem however, the issie of testing Nagi's true character was still a matter she planned on investigating.
"Let us save the discussion between mother and future son-in law for later. For now, we should be going, I've already gathered everyone in the main foyer and we are just waiting on you two"
Nagi and Himegami seemed a bit confused by her words as the short blonde misunderstood her true aim. "Is the training taking place already?"
Leila burst out into a cutesy laughter, further confusing the duo as she turned back to them with a mischievous smile. "Of course not, Himegami-chan. What, you weren't aware? It's time to begin the competition between Nagi-kun and Damian-kun to see which of them is fit to be the successor of the resort"
Himegami and Nagi both blinked, turned to each other, and then looked back at Leila "...Huh?"
Apparently, the training was going to have to wait as Leila had a different agenda in mind for the Tenbi group.
A/N: Sorry I've taken so long with the chapters guys, I've been really busy as of late. I'll get to posting more of them soon.
Looks like the training is going to have be put on hold as Nagi is going to have to face some trials in order to become Leila's successor. What's in store for him and Damian as they try to impress Leila's mother.