Hinata paused as Fugaku set what looked like a jewelry case on the table. "What is it?"
"It was your mother's. I got it for her when she accompanied me to a gala." Fugaku opened it. "Hiashi found out it was a gift from me and made her give it back. Before our falling out. He didn't like gifts from the rich. He thought they had strings attached."
Hinata looked inside, a silver chain with a teardrop pendant that had several small diamonds. Simple, elegant. "I couldn't."
"Hinata, it's been collecting dust all these years." Fugaku slid it toward her. "It's sat in the case. No one's worn it since your mother." Hinata lightly touched the pendant. "You're the ghost of my best friend. Please let me honor her memory."
"You don't have to try so hard. I've forgiven you already," Hinata told him.
"This isn't just that. I am doing what I should have done all along. Treating you like family." Fugaku explained. "You should have the same chances my boys have. You deserve the world your mother would have given you if she was alive." Hinata shook her head. Fugaku cut her off before she could protest more. "You need to stop acting so much like your mother, or I am going to think I am in university again. I don't think you want to tutor me in Biology."
There was no winning with him.
"Have you been able to get a hold of your sister?" Fugaku sipped his wine.
"No, my father must threaten something awful. She's usually so rebellious." Hinata sighed. "I was expecting her to call me on a friend's phone or log in to social media at school or…"
Fugaku nodded solemnly. "Sounds like I would like her."
Hinata smiled wearily. "I am sure father isn't punishing her harshly. He always babied Hanabi-chan, but always looked for a reason to pit us against each other. Have her see me as he sees me. A disappointment. She's always been better at everything."
"I weigh everything equally. I think you both lucked out." Fugaku countered. "Your mother's calm voice was a powerful thing. Ended a lot of fights before they started."
"I wished it worked on my father." Hinata sighed.
"It used to. I'm sure it's painful to hear now." Fugaku looked into his wine glass. "He's an ass, but he loved her and never processed loss well."
Hinata nodded.
"Let's get you cake." Fugaku waved for a waiter.
Hinata cracked a smile.
Itachi covered her eyes, slowly walking her down the hall. "I designed it all myself."
Of course, he did, but this fancy apartment building was the director's idea. For some reason, they were mysteriously only asking for the same rent she was paying at her tiny apartment.
Hinata held on to his wrist to keep her balance. Walking with someone taller than her was awkward for both of them. "I'm sure I will love it."
"Ta-da." Itachi pulled his hands away from her eyes to reveal her apartment.
Itachi had decorated with elegant but simple features and cool colors. She was worried about a moment that he would fill it with gaudy, expensive-looking furniture, but he knew her better.
"Kitchen ready for a cook." Itachi waved toward the open kitchen. He pulled open cabinets to show that they were already stocked, then shuffled her towards some doors. "This is the guest room, for you know, guests. This is your office." He already filled the office with books and plants. "And this is your bedroom." A large bedroom with a massive bed with the same simple, elegant theme. A few of her personal items were displayed, but she noticed the distinct lack of her furniture.
"Well, once again, you have done too much." Hinata peaked her head around. "What did you do with my furniture?"
Itachi grinned proudly. "I thought you would be upset I tossed it, so it's in storage."
Was that from experience? "I'm pretty sure that this place is bigger than my childhood home."
"Get used to it. If dad is keen on adopting you, you are going to have to learn to be a high-class woman, even if you don't live with us," Itachi patted her shoulder. "Means a lot more gowns." He opened a wardrobe. Inside was not only more high-end office wear, but a range of gowns and dresses for different occasions. "They won't stay in here. We keep formal wear in proper storage, but I thought it should be in my big reveal." Hinata whined. "Wait until you see the handbags and shoes."
Hinata groaned. "I have enough shoes."
"A lady never has enough shoes." Itachi chastised.
"Simple shoes match everything." Hinata pressed.
"But a lady needs a simple shoe in every color." Itachi checked as her face dropped. "Come on now, think of it as a job perk."
"Itachi-sama, I don't know about all this. The director is overcompensating." Hinata sat on the end of the bed.
"Dad's always been a pain in your ass," Itachi flopped down on the bed beside her. "It's just a different kind."
"You aren't worried about this?" Hinata asked.
Itachi shook his head. "When I found out about your father, I went back into some old photo albums looking for him. I didn't find a lot of him, but I did find some of you" He held out a picture on his phone, of a picture. A young image of her mother lounging back on her hand on a rock with a smile on her face. He flicked the screen to show another in a similar location, but her mother leaned forward with her nose scrunched up, laughing.
"That's my mother." Hinata leaned over to look at the picture better. "Looks like she would have still been in college. She cut her hair after she had me." Hinata hummed at her mother's long hair.
"You're not a long-lost sister or something, are you?" Itachi asked.
Hinata shook her head. "I think they were just friends. The director never mentioned anything more, and he was quite drunk when he told me about her. They haven't seen each other since before you were born."
Itachi flipped through a few more pictures. "I'm surprised we didn't grow up together."
Hinata laid back, folding her hands over her stomach. "I don't know if we would have even if my mother was alive."
Itachi set the phone down. "You don't think?"
"Well, even if she was alive, our fathers are no longer friends. My mother was a traditional woman. She did what my father told her to. I doubt she would have convinced him to let us see each other, let alone have a play date." Hinata explained. "On top of that, we are from different social classes. There aren't a lot of public events my mother, being a housewife, would have attended."
"I thought you said she wanted to be a doctor." Itachi thought back.
"Well, yes, but she wasn't expecting to get pregnant so early on in her marriage, and then her health started to fail, so instead of going back to school, she had Hanabi-chan. She thought she could spend the rest of her days with her kids and be happy, but she only lived another half a year after she had my sister."
Itachi sighed. "I guess I should be grateful I made it to adulthood with two parents."
"You should be grateful both of your parents love you unconditionally," Hinata could feel him look at her, but she just stared at the ceiling.
Hinata adjusted the new blouse while wondering what had happened to the old ones. How often were these mandatory salon trips going to be in the future? She just got used to wearing nail polish. Now she was being forced to wear little gems on select fingers. She stepped into the director's office, and he gave her a partial smile before his status.
Her days were still packed, but Hinata noticed a change in what the director ordered to be delegated to other departments. It didn't give her a lot of extra time, but she felt she could be more thorough with what was on her plate without spending the whole night on it.
Itachi came to visit her less during the day now that he would see her in the evening and no longer needed to cause trouble. Sometimes he asked her to lunch, but she spent many lunches with the director chatting about work items while they ate. Fugaku accepted meals openly made by her as long as she uses the grocery service as he requested.
Hinata yawned, eating her lunch.
Fugaku wiped his mouth. "Don't schedule anything after 4 today."
Hinata looked up for clarification, but when nothing came, she took the message not to pry.
"How's Sasuke's project coming?" Fugaku asked, leaning back.
"I would say it is going rather well. However, a member of his team emailed me with a list of complaints that the head of Marketing is making a lot of changes without Sasuke-sama's permission. They were concerned enough to make an itemized list of dates and events." Hinata sat forward to explain. "Sasuke-sama hasn't reported anything, but I looked into our policy on the matter, and the head of the department does have an overruling say on all projects. However, I've never heard this complaint from this department before…" Hinata paused, hoping he got the idea, and she didn't have to say what she was thinking.
The head of the department was giving him a hard time on purpose.
Fugaku nodded. "Hand-deliver a warning." He wanted her to go that far? "Understand?" Fugaku raised an eyebrow.
Hinata nodded.
"My boy will be the head of the department sooner or later. He knew it was coming when I hired him. He needs a reminder," Fugaku commented sternly.
Hinata held her head high as she strode through the Marketing department. Sasuke's team member bolted out of his chair to make eye contact with her. Hinata lifted her hand to signal him to sit down. He did slowly. Sasuke looked up from another cubicle he was chatting at. His eyes followed her as she passed, but didn't seem to think anything of it as he looked back down.
Hinata knocked on the head office door. The manager looked up and back down, ignoring her. She came in any way. He paused his work, eyeing her. "I'm busy at the moment."
"This is important," Hinata told him.
"I am sure it's not." He huffed.
Hinata started diplomatically. "How do you think Sasuke-sama's project is coming?"
He leaned back. "He's a cocky brat that doesn't know his place."
Alright, no diplomacy, straight for the throat. "Do you know yours?"
The man's face became cold. "I am the head of this department."
"Yes, however, when you are inevitably succeeded by Sasuke-sama, your actions now will determine whether your removal will be a lateral move or a demotion." Hinata returned his cold stare. Her face itched with adrenaline. She didn't know where it came from, but there was something that just fueled the shift in tone. She was glad. The director would be upset is found out she delivered his message with a bow. "Are we clear?"
"Yes, ma'am." He said through his teeth.
Hinata bowed her head in a polite, deliberate move before turning to see Sasuke looking up from his spot. He wasn't happy. Their eyes met, and he started moving as she exited the office, heading down the hall. She didn't stop for him. She knew this adrenaline was going to wear off soon.
"Hey," Sasuke called her. "Hey!" He caught up with her just as she turned the corner, putting himself between her and the elevator.
Hinata puffed up her chest to look him in the eye.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Sasuke growled at her.
"I'm making corrections to management." Hinata snapped back.
Sasuke towered over her, hush-yelling. "You're making it look like I get special treatment!"
"You're an heir to this company. You do get special treatment!" Hinata reminded him. "Fresh out of university, new hires do not get their own teams and season releases."
"I don't need my dad fixing shit I didn't ask him to!" Sasuke growled.
"I am just doing my job." Poor wording. Maybe he would think she was doing this of her own volition.
"And what exactly is that!?" He growled. "Meddling?"
"Fixing things before they become his problem." How long he would hate her for her poor wording? She didn't mind his upset with her. Hopefully, it kept the tension between father and son down. Fugaku wanted a better relationship with his son, and Hinata needed to keep his actions from sabatoshing it. "Next time, either step up and fix it yourself, or at least be the one to message me before it almost gets back to the director."
Sasuke's face twitched angrily, inches from hers, before turning back toward his office.
Hinata let out a shaky breath. She wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be able to keep tension like that without tearing up. She took a few deep breaths and took a moment to get a fresh coffee before reporting to the director. He looked up, and she nodded. He nodded back and went back to his work.
This job always had new challenges.
