Author Note: All the characters in this story are speaking in Japanese so far. In future chapters, I'll note whether the characters are speaking in another language and how you'll be able to tell.
This is the beginning of a pivotal moment in the story.
Obiage, Obi Jime, Obi = [Japanese] different parts of a kimono. It's difficult to describe without seeing a photo so I would suggest searching this website instead.
Types of Japanese Kimonos – Picture Reference. (n.d.). In Kimono Information 12 Retrieved June 28, 2015, from . (Type "wafuku, kimono info 12" into your search engine and it should be the first link. Scroll to the bottom for a diagram of a kimono.)
-han= [Japanese] equivalent to –san but in Kansai-ben dialect
Kansai-ben = [Japanese] dialect spoken in Kansai region of Japan, which includes Kyoto where Shizuru is from according to Mai-HiME.
Ookini = [Japanese] "thank you" in Kansai-ben dialect
Shacho = [Japanese] "company president"
Pop-Quiz: 1 Question
1 - What's the rating of this story?
I don't own Sailor Moon, X, or any songs and have tried to the best of my ability to site my references.
Takeuchi, N. (1991). Sailor Moon. Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan: Kodansha Ltd.
Bareilles, S. (2010). King of Anything [Recorded by Sara Bareilles]. On Kaleidoscope Heart [CD], New York, New York: Epic Records.
Obara, M. (2004). Mai-HiME. Suginami, Tokyo, Japan: Sunrise Inc.
Ikeguchi, K., Iwase, Y., Kadokawa, T., Kokoyama, K., and Maruyama, M. (Producers), & Rintaro (Director). (1996). X [Motion picture]. Japan: Bandai Visual Company.
The 'Okage Foundation, 'Mineralogy', 'Himitsu', and 'Hino Sporting Enterprise' companies that appear in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real businesses, existing or defunct, is purely coincidental.
Chapter 29:
- You've got opinions, man. We're all entitled to 'em. But I never asked. So let me thank you for your time and try to not waste any more of mine. Get out of here fast. I hate to break it to you, babe, but I'm not drowning. There's no one here to save. Who cares if you disagree? You are not me. Who made you king of anything? So you dare tell me who to be? Who died and made you king of anything? -
A bubbly, upbeat song played through the speakers and served as background music for the cocktail reception of the gala. The event hall was elegantly arranged and staged for the gala, evidence that Haruka and Michiru spared no expense in catering to their donors' elite tastes in the hopes that they would part with some of their own economic endowment for the sake of the foundation.
Once inside, Rei and Haruka met up with Michiru and Setsuna and shared greetings. As more patrons continued to trickle into the event, the three older women decided that Setsuna would keep Rei company until Nobuo returned to help buffer her from gala attendees and keep her safe while Haruka and Michiru attended to the event itself.
As Rei and Setsuna were catching up, Rei felt a familiar presence approach and turned her attention towards the sensation,
"Good evening, Rei-sempai," Natsuki said cordially with a respectful bow once she had reached her unofficial mentor. She had arrived on the chartered bus that was hired to bring all the beneficiaries to the event as well as bring them back to the dorms once curfew came around. The young woman wore a navy-blue blazer with a pale, seafoam-green vest over a white button-up with a black crossover tie, and black slacks.
"Good evening, Natsuki-kohai," Rei replied with a nod. She sensed slight Anxiety in her unofficial mentee's ice-blue aura and was about to ask if everything was ok until she noticed the brunette that she had also sponsored standing right behind her. A smirk played across her lips, "And who might this be?"
"O-Oh! U-Ummm…," Natsuki, stuttered as a soft blush painted her cheeks, "T-This is…ummm-"
"Fujino Shizuru," the attractive, young brunette replied with an elegant smile as she stepped forward and bowed politely. The young woman wore a deep-purple kimono with a red obiage and obi jime that accented a navy-blue obi with a four-pointed, yellow pinwheel pattern on the right-side, "I wanted to introduce myself and share my deepest gratitude to you in person for sponsoring me, Hino-han." She looked to the shorter blunette and smiled as she slid a hand underneath her arm to pull her closer, "My adorable date, Natsuki, was kind enough to escort me over here to meet you."
"O-Oi, Shizuru!," Natsuki said with slight irritation. She was blushing madly now and seemed to find the floor extremely interesting to look at.
"It's nice to meet you, Fujino-san," Rei replied with a nod as she smirked. She noted the distinct Kansai-ben in the younger woman's voice, the lack of honorific on both their names, and how her unofficial mentee's ice-blue aura radiated with Bashfulness and an excited type of Nervousness. She smirked knowingly, satisfied with the knowledge that she had made the right choice in sponsoring the young brunette to come to the event with Natsuki.
Shizuru turned her attention to Setsuna, "Good evening, Setsuna-sempai," she said as she bowed politely towards the taller woman, "I'm glad to see you here as well."
"Mmn, I'm glad Rei-kun made it possible for you to attend," Setsuna replied warmly with a nod, "I hope you two enjoy yourselves tonight."
"Mmn, ookini. We will," Shizuru replied with a beautiful smile and an adorable giggle as she bowed again. Natsuki, still embarrassed by Shizuru's actions only nodded in acknowledgement as they both went off to enjoy the night.
"Oh, young love," Setsuna sighed as she watched the two young women head off towards where the rest of their friends were congregating. She was wearing a long-sleeved, form-fitting, knee-length, light-purple cocktail dress with an off the shoulder collar and a red bow accenting the center of the collar.
"Mmn," Rei nodded with a smirk as she casually pulled her phone out to check it again. She closed her eyes and sighed subtly in disappointment as she returned it back to her purse.
"Still no call or text from Mina-chan?," Setsuna said empathetically as she turned her attention towards the raven-haired beauty.
"Nope, nothing," Rei replied as her shoulders slumped slightly. Her eyes shot open as she turned to look at the older woman, "Wait, how did you know?"
"You've been checking your phone non-stop since you got here," Setsuna giggled lightly as she explained. She brought a hand up to rest it gently on Rei's shoulder reassuringly, "'A watched pot never boils', Rei-kun. I'm sure she'll call you soon."
"M-Mmn," Rei replied with an obedient nod.
The two women fell into a comfortable silence for a moment before Setsuna spoke up, "I dated a girl once…in high school," she said almost musingly, changing the subject as she looked casually out towards the event hall at nothing in particular.
"Really?," Rei replied with a bit of surprise as she brought her attention to the taller dark-green haired woman.
"Mmn," Setsuna nodded. A soft smile came to her full lips as she reminisced, "She was a year older than me…Gods, I was so head over heels for her."
"What was she like?," Rei asked, intrigued by this new piece of information from the usually quite and private woman.
Setsuna's deep-purple/maroon eyes softened as she became lost in her thoughts, "She was beautiful. Pale-blue eyes, hair so blonde it almost looked white when she was out in the sun, and she was so mature…and so caring. I still remember the cresent moon necklace she used to wear all the time…some sort of family heirloom or something…" She allowed the sentence to trail off as her memories seemed to play before her eyes.
"She sounds wonderful," Rei replied sincerely, seeing the taller woman's maroon aura sway with Longing and Nostalgia, "So…what happened?"
"She graduated and had to return to her home country," Setsuna sighed with slight disappointment, blinking a couple times to bring herself back to the present moment, "She couldn't bring herself to abdicate and let her people down. I respect that. Plus, she was already betrothed to someone else so we wouldn't've worked out anyways."
She turned and smiled at Rei contently, "But it was fun while it lasted and I have no regrets."
Rei looked up at the taller woman with shock as realization hit her, Platinum-blonde, almost white hair…pale-blue eyes…cresent moon neckace!?, "S-Setsuna-kun…A-Are you saying-"
"My apologies, Rei-sama," Nobuo said as he approached the two women, interrupting their conversation, "It took a little longer than I thought it would."
"Good to see you again, Kobayashi-san," Setsuna said kindly as she nodded towards the handsome older man. She turned to Rei, "I'll take my leave now. It's getting late and I have to pick up Hotaru from her friend's house and take her home."
"W-Wait! Hold on, Setsuna-kun," Rei replied as she caught Setsuna's arm gently before she could walk away, "So…a-are you telling me…that in high school…you dated Que-"
"Shhh," Setsuna replied gently as she brought a finger up to her full lips, signaling for Rei not finish her sentence, "I remember she used to tell me, 'A proper woman never kisses and tells'." She winked at Rei and let out a giggle before gracefully leaving her and her bodyguard to themselves.
Huh…, Rei thought to herself with slight amusement as she smirked and watched the wedding planner cross the room to say her goodbyes to Haruka and Michiru before leaving.
"I have some information on the…person of interest, Rei-sama," Nobuo said quietly to his young charge, bringing her attention back to him, her violet eyes reflecting eagerness with a hint of concern, "I believe you'll be hearing from her very soon."
Rei raised an eyebrow at her bodyguard as he nodded encouragingly.
Beep Beep!
Almost as if on cue, a text message was received on Rei's phone. She quickly pulled her phone out of her purse and flipped it open:
AINO MINAKO:I'm SO sorry, baby! I lost my phone earlier today and it died so I didn't get your text or call until just now! I'm sad we couldn't hang out before you left, but I hope you're having fun. Tell Haru-chan and Michi-chan I say 'hi'. Text me when you're on your way home? I'd like to see you later tonight if you're up for it?
A gentle smile of adoration graced Rei's alluring lips as relief washed over her, taking away the tension and worry that had been plaguing her all day. She began to type a few keys:
HINO REI:I'm glad you found your phone, I was starting to worry when I didn't hear from you. I'd really like to see you, too. Should be done at about 8:00pm or so. Your place or mine?
Rei pressed a button and the sound of a sent text came from her phone. A moment passed before...
Beep Beep!
She pressed a button to open the newly received text message:
AINO MINAKO:I'll be at your place at 8:30pm then. I love your bed and your place is closer to my work ;) Thinking of you, *muah!
Rei smiled as she shut her phone and looked at the time: 7:30pm. She placed her phone in her purse and could hardly contain her elation. She was going to see her princess again. Not only that, the gorgeous blonde was going to spend the night!
"Everything's ok, I presume?," Nobuo said with a hint of teasing in his soothing voice, bringing Rei back to the present moment. She turned to her bodyguard and eyed him skeptically,
"How did you know she was going to text me?," Rei asked suspiciously.
"I didn't," Nobuo replied matter-of-factly, "It was just…an educated guess."
"Nobuo-saaaan," Rei replied in a light-hearted warning tone. She knew her bodyguard never left anything up to chance if he could help it. He was more meticulous than that, which is what made him so good at his job, "What did you do to come to this 'educated guess' of yours?"
A sly smirk pulled at Nobuo's lips. He had a feeling his young charge wouldn't let him get off with such a simple explanation that easily, "I used our systems to scan the city for her cellphone's radio-wave signal using her phone number. It appears to have only been used four times today: all incoming, no outgoing activity. From there, I triangulated the location of her phone to an address where it seems to have been since about 8:00am this morning. I looked up the address and it was a local Laundromat so I assumed she must have lost it there for a good portion of the day. The cell signal died at about 7:03pm according to the information I found. I checked the last two incoming calls she got and they were right after one another from a cellphone that seemed to be within the same location. I assumed she must have enlisted a friend to help her find her phone and just estimated from there how long it would take her to charge it so she would get your text and respond."
"Kami-sama, Nobuo-san!," Rei sighed in astonishment as she subtly face-palmed, "What did I say about not doing anything stalker-ish!?"
"I thought perhaps just using found-data and making an educated guess rather than actually hacking into the Laundromat's security camera system to see if she indeed found her phone after it died qualified as not being 'stalker-ish'," Nobuo replied cheekly as he winked.
Rei rolled her eyes and groaned in exasperation as her bodyguard chuckled in response. A thought suddenly came to her and she glared her intense lavenders at her bodyguard, "Wait…how did you get Mina's phone number!?" she hissed quietly, trying not to raise her voice and attract attention from the other gala patrons.
Nobuo looked away as he shrugged casually. Rei's eyes widened and her jaw dropped as realization dawned on her. She smacked Nobuo's upper-arm incredulously, "Kami-sama! You did a full background check on her, didn't you!?"
"It's my job to protect you, Rei-sama," Nobuo chuckled as he raised his hands in innocent defensiveness, "I was just being thorough, that's all."
"When!?," Rei demanded in a hushed voice.
"Kyoto," Nobuo replied with a shrug as if it were an obvious answer.
"Mataku! Is that what you were doing on your tablet computer!?," Rei said with a mix of disbelief and irritation as she shook her head, "I can't believe you, sometimes! I swear, you're such a-"
"Hino-san! So good to see you here!," a voice with a distinct Irish accent called to Rei as she felt a presence approach. She quickly collected herself and turned towards the person who was approaching. Nobuo changed to his professonal demeanor and did his duty by stepping subtly between her and the older man who was heading towards them.
"Good evening, Crystal-sama," Rei replied in a reserved and formal manner as she bowed politely. The older, portly man, who appeared to be in his early fifties, was only half a head taller than her and had short, dirty-blonde hair and a thick moustache. He was wearing a formal black and white tux with a large, ornate crystal brooch pinned to the lapel of his jacket.
"And who's this?," the older man asked as he eyed Nobuo. His voice held a hint of annoyance towards the taller, handsome man who was just in his way enough to prevent him from greeting the archer properly, "You're boyfriend?"
"My bodyguard," Rei replied matter-of-factly with a cold edge.
"Ah," the older man said as he nodded and waved his hand dismissively, as if trying to wave Nobuo from his presence.
"Nobuo-san," Rei said as she turned to her bodyguard. Nobuo turned to look at his young charge and saw her intense amethysts darken slightly to a shade of indigo. He could tell she was beginning to become defensive of how the older man was treating him and was redirecting her attention to him to curb her irritation, "You remember Crystal Thomas, yes? The owner of Mineralogy?"
"Mmn," Nobuo nodded as he turned back towards the older gentleman and bowed respectfully, "We've met a few times before."
"Have we? Well, no matter," Thomas replied with disinterest. He directed his attention eagerly to Rei as if Nobuo didn't exist, "I wanted to see if you were enjoying the custom piece we made for you recently?" He eyed Rei and his face turned to disappointment as he noticed she wasn't wearing the necklace she ordered, "Oh, was it not to your liking?"
"It was," Rei replied curtly, "It's at home."
Who I'm going to see once I fulfill my social obligation here!, Rei thought to herself cheekily as she thought of a certain gorgeous blonde who she knew was wearing the necklace she had commissioned right at this very moment.
"Ah, I see," Thomas said with a hint of relief, "I understand. Wouldn't want to ruin a work of art, right?" He let out an obnoxiously loud laugh at his own comment as he turned and enthusiastically motioned for a young man from across the room to come over. Rei let out a subtle sigh of annoyance.
"I wanted to introduce you to the genius who designed that piece," Thomas said eagerly as a younger, clean-shaven, baby-faced, more athletic version of Thomas approached. He was perhaps the same age as Rei and was about the same height, if not slightly shorter.
"This is my son, Jay," Thomas said proudly as he gestured towards the young blonde, "He just became the regional Creative Director of our Japanese branches and moved here only six months ago from Ireland."
"It's nice to finally meet you, Hino-san," Jay said, his voice carrying a hint of an Irish accent, as he bowed politely to the archer. Rei nodded curtly at the young man before her attention was drawn to a taller man with a bronze-colored aura that followed closely behind the young man. The taller man had an angular face with a serious expression. His wavy, brown hair came past his shoulders and he was wearing a sharp, black suit.
"And this is my bodyguard while I'm in Japan, Shintennou Nephrite," Jay said as he looked to the taller man behind him as he gestured towards him.
Rei noticed a flash of something appear in the denim-blue aura of the young man as he mentioned Nephrite's name. Her lavender eyes narrowed ever so slightly, analytically, as she tried to read his aura.
"We were just talking about how Hino-san liked the piece you made for her," Thomas announced boastfully, breaking Rei's concentration. She noticed his voice had gotten a touch louder, as if trying to attract the attention of the other gala patrons to their conversation.
"Mmn, Crystal-sama mentioned you made the necklace I requested," Rei said evenly, using everything in her to try and rein in the annoyance that wanted to appear in her voice. She bowed politely, "Thank you, it was beautiful."
"My pleasure, Hino-san," Jay said courteously as he bowed in return, "I would venture to say it was my best work." He straightened as a small, inviting smile came to his lips, "But, of course, nothing made by man could compare to the enchanting image of the Flame Sniper. The rumors of your beauty do not do you justice."
Rei's face turned a slight shade of red at Jay's comment. Not because she was flattered by it, but because she was having a difficult time containing the hostile irritation that was brewing just below the surface. She was already irritated by having to interact with these two men, but once she saw the noticeable degree of Deceit flickering in Jay's aura, she was close to walking away entirely out of annoyance. If there was anything Rei detested most in the world, it was dishonesty, especially if it was at her expense and it frustrated her to no end not knowing what Jay was trying to achieve with his comment.
"Come, Hino-san, there's no need for modesty here," Thomas said as he let out one of those obnoxious laughs again, misinterpreting the change in her color for coy bashfulness, "Why don't I leave you two to get to know each other and-"
"Excuse me, Crystal-sama, Crystal-san, Shintennou-san," a low, husky voice cut in. Rei let out a subtle sigh of relief as Haruka and Michiru came just at the right time. She immediately felt herself relax with their familiar auras close by, "I'm terribly sorry, but do you mind if I steal Hino-san for a moment? I have some business I need to discuss with her. "
"…O-Oh! Oh, yes! Yes, of course!," Thomas replied with an almost nervous chuckle, obviously not doing a good job of covering up his disappointment at Haruka and Michiru's timing.
"Why don't I escort you three to the silent auction table?," Michiru asked sweetly, "We're very excited about the prizes we were able to acquire for it. Please, this way."
"M-Mmn," Thomas nodded as Michiru began subtly guiding him towards the far side of the room where the silent auction was taking place, "W-We'll be over there if you'd like to join us later, Hino-san," he called to Rei over his shoulder, "Come along, Jay."
"I hope to see more of you while I'm in Japan, Hino-san," Jay said with a hint of suggestiveness in his voice as he flashed Rei a charming smile. He bowed politely and winked at her before following his father towards the other side of the room, with his bodyguard close behind.
"Thank fucking Kami-sama," Rei groaned once the three were out of earshot as she let out an aggravated breath, "Just because his jewelry is the best in the world doesn't mean he has to be such an arrogant, self-important, conceited, suck-up!" She turned to Nobuo and brought a hand up to rest on Nobuo's back comfortingly, "And I hate how he treats you."
"He doesn't bother me, Rei-sama. I could care less about him," Nobuo said as he turned to face Rei, his countenance shaded with vexation, "But I didn't like how that little weasel of a kid was talking to you," he said lowly through gritted teeth.
"The son's harmless, Nobuo-san. Forget about him," Rei said comfortingly as she looked intently into his chocolate-colored eyes, trying to calm him down. He sighed and nodded to his young charge, his aura calming slightly.
Rei turned to Haruka and smiled gratefully, "That was perfect timing, Haruka. Thanks for saving-"
"Rei, you should leave. Now," Haruka said quickly in a hushed voice. Rei could see a wary look in her usually confident eyes, her royal-blue aura flickering with heavy strands of Protectiveness, Worry, and Anxiety. She immediately became concerned,
"Haruka, what's going on? Is everything-," She paused when she reached out and rested her hand on Haruka's upper-arm. She felt Haruka's aura seep into her and was able to read it more carefully. Her intense, violet eyes immediately turned a deadly shade of indigo. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she stood up straighter, becoming more rigid.
"He's fucking here, isn't he," Rei said coldly through gritted teeth, more as a statement than a question. She could feel her other hand beginning to curl into a fist.
"I'm so sorry, Rei," Haruka whispered apologetically, "I swear to the Gods, we didn't know. We just found out and came over as soon as we heard to warn-"
"I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight, Hino-san," a low, commanding voice interrupted, getting the attention of Haruka, Rei, and Nobuo. They turned to find a tall, darkly handsome older man in a formal, black suit standing nearby and Rei's intense, indigo eyes narrowed as she looked at him. The man had piercing, steel-grey eyes, elegant streaks of white that ran through his jet-black, short hair and…no aura.
"Papa," Rei said evenly in a low tone as she bowed respectfully to her father. Being a business-man, he always addressed her professionally with appropriate honorific. Rei preferred it that way, wanting to keep her distance from him.
However, being raised by her grandfather to be a respectful young woman, she reluctantly addressed him as his daughter. Her pride wouldn't allow her to be less than perfect whenever she had to be in his presence. She made it a point to be, wanted him to see, wanted there to be no question, that she was raised to be a strong and dignified woman, no thanks to him. She was a woman of integrity, moral character, who loved her family, or at least those she considered her family. She was her mother's daugher, her grandfather's granddaughter. She was everything he wasn't. She was good, he was evil. She was righteous, he was immoral. Other than their hair color and similarly attractive looks, she was nothinglike him. And, though she was under his control contractually, nothing, not even a fucking contract, could take that away from her.
"Tenoh-san, Kobayashi-san," Hino Takashi nodded towards the racecar driver and bodyguard.
"Shacho-sama," Nobuo greeted as he bowed respectfully.
"Hino-sama," Haruka greeted as she bowed respectfully, "We weren't expecting to see you here tonight."
"I was unsure whether I would be attending," Takashi replied matter-of-factly, "But due to the company's most recent involvement with the foundation, it seemed appropriate to make an appearance."
"And we greatly appreciate Hino Sporting Enterprise's continued support," Haruka replied respectfully as she bowed again, "And I know our students appreciate it as well."
"Mmn," Takashi nodded absently as he turned his attention to Rei, "I'm sure you have your work cut out for you for tonight's event," he said, still addressing Haruka, "Could you leave us so I can speak to my daughter alone?"
Haruka turned to subtly look at Rei anxiously, but Rei's attention was all on her father, staring him down confidently with a hint of defiance in her darkened, indigo eyes. Haruka glanced at Nobuo briefly, who returned a subtle, comforting nod, "Of course, Hino-sama," she said as she turned back to Takashi and nodded, "Please enjoy yourself tonight and let me know if you need anything at all." She walked away, reluctantly leaving her best friend at the mercy of her horrid father.
"Isn't this considered a breach of your contract?," Takashi asked skeptically with a subtle mocking tone as he raised an eyebrow, "Didn't you specifically ask for time off from company business?"
"The addendum doesn't specify what I can and cannot do with my time off. What I do during this time is my business," Rei replied coldly, trying hard not to lose her temper.
Really!? The man wanted to lecture her about her contract!? She could recite that fucking thing in her sleep! She took a breath and spoke more professionally, "I'm here for personal reasons, not as a representative of the company."
Takashi nodded, silently conceding to Rei's point, "Well, since you're here, I can tell you about the company's most recent charitable contribution-"
"You mean the expansion of the Okage Foundation's east-wing dorms?," Rei responded coldly. She flicked her long raven-colored hair behind her shoulder indifferently, "I find it fascinating how the cost of that expansion just barely met the minimum tax write-off to qualify for the lower bracket and escrow for the project closed just in time for this year's tax-filing deadline," she said evenly with a sarcastic edge.
Since having to sign her contract so many years ago, Rei took the phrase 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer' very seriously. Though she detested her father and his company, she made it her business to know the company inside and out so she could use it to her advantage if she needed to or if she needed something. The only thing she wasn't able to do with that knowledge was get out of her fuckingcontract.
Takashi narrowed his eyes slightly at his daughter's insolence, who returned with her own cold glare. They stayed that way for a few moments, as if battling each other through their equally intense gazes. After a while, a small, amused smirk appeared on Takashi's face, which didn't touch his eyes, "So you have been paying attention."
"What is it you wanted to speak to me about, Papa?," Rei asked, a cold edge tinting her words. She could tell he was toying with her now, trying to make conversation when there was nothing she wanted more than to be as far away from him as possible. She wanted him to get to the point.
Takashi's smirk faded, "Kobayashi-san, would you be so kind as to get us both some refreshments?," he said to Nobuo without taking his attention off his daughter. Though it came out as a question, Rei and Nobuo knew the underlying tone was more of a command.
"Whatever you have to say can be said in front of Nobuo-san," Rei said firmly, "After all, you hired him to keep an eye on me, did you not? I have no secrets from him."
"Very well, Hino-san," Takashi stated in his commanding tone, "I wanted to discuss the F.S. account with you."
"Yes, what of it?," Rei asked evenly. The F.S. account Takashi was referring to stood for 'Flame Sniper' and was set up specifically by Hino Sporting Enterprise for Rei's financial purposes. It was also the account the company used to pay for shrine expenses per her contract.
"As I was reviewing the company statements with the Financial team, I noticed some…abnormal transactions from that account this past week," Takashi replied, his voice carrying a suspicious tone, "I had a mind to shut down the account in case it had been compromised. But since you're here, perhaps you would care to explain? "
Rei could feel her temper rising. The thinly veiled threat on her home nearly made her explode on him. She knew he was provoking her, trying to make her lose her cool, make her look like a petulant child and he the mature adult. This dance they performed, this exhaustive power-struggle and battle of wills between her and her equally stubborn father was more than tangible.
She subtly took slow, meditative breaths through her nose. Her father, who built the company from scratch, wasn't the president for nothing. He had his own ways of getting what he wanted and using information to his advantage.
"Which transactions are you referring to?," Rei asked casually, though she already had a pretty good idea.
"A few in particular," Takashi replied evenly, "A trip to Kyoto, dinner at Himitsu, and jewelry from Mineralogy. All within this week."
"Article 25, Section 3C," Rei stated professionally, "'The Athlete shall be provided an account with the Company to use as she desires and to sustain the Hikawa Shrine given the activities on the account are within the legal parameters of the law and do not reflect poorly on the Company.' Since when has eating and buying jewelry been illegal in Japan? Plus, Mineralogy is a company partner."
"Flying to Kyoto for dinner?," Takashi challenged with a raised eyebrow.
"Supporting local business," Rei replied matter-of-factly, "But, again, what I do while Addendum A is in effect is my business. I'm able to do as I please with my time and my account so long as it meets the guidelines outlined in the contract."
"If you're bored and looking for things to do during this time off of yours," Takashi replied in a patronizing tone, "I have plenty for you to do at the company to prepare you for your role as Shacho."
"Nobuo-san," Rei said as she pulled her phone out to check the time, ignoring her father's comment, "I believe it's time for us to go."
"Yes, Rei-sama," Nobuo replied obediently with a nod to his young charge. He bowed respectfully towards Takashi, "Shacho-sama."
"Goodbye, Papa," Rei stated dryly as she bowed respectfully towards Takashi, "It's been a pleasure as usual. I hope you enjoy the company while I continue to enjoy what's left of my contractual free will."
"I look forward to seeing you upon your return to the company, Hino-san," Takashi replied in a professional tone as he nodded to his daughter.
As Rei and Nobuo went to bid farewells to her childhood friends, Takashi reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. He flipped it open and pressed a button before bringing it to his ear.
Brrrrrrrp…Brrrrrrrp…Click!
"Good evening, Shacho-sama," a female voice answered professionally on the other line, "How may I help you?"
"Good evening, Yatōji-san," Takashi greeted his Director of Information Technology and Transactions as he kept his eyes trained on his daughter across the event hall, "Do a full investigation on the F.S. account and use our systems to cross-reference all activity that has occurred in the last two weeks."
"Yes, Shacho-sama," Yatōji Satsuki replied obediently on the other line. Takashi could hear the distinct rhythmic sound of computer keys typing in the background, "Would you like surveillance as part of the cross-referencing?"
"Yes, that would be most helpful," Takashi replied. As he stared analytically at his daugher and her bodyguard from across the room, a thought came to him, "Yatōji-san?"
"Yes, Shacho-sama?," Satsuki replied, the computer keys pausing in the background.
"Do a full investigation on Kobayashi-san's search history and access to our systems in the last two weeks as well," Takashi said as a small smirk slowly formed on his lips, "I have a feeling it might help to make your job easier while you're cross-reference the F.S. account."
"Will do, Shacho-sama," Satsuki replied as the computer keys began rattling in the background again, "I can have all this information to you by the end of the week."
"Excellent, thank you," Takashi replied. He shut his phone and returned it to his coat pocket as he watched his daughter and her bodyguard leave the event hall.
Author Note:Sorry for the cliffhanger! The next chapter is already written in my head, will try to push it out as quickly as possible!
Constructive feedback/reviews would be greatly appreciated.
(updated 06/2015)