Chapter 9
It was finally Friday, the day of the surprise. Seiya had come back late last night, well past midnight, and had the day off today. I leaned over to him and gave him a gentle kiss. Even without opening his eyes, a wide, contented grin spread across his face. "Can't you stay in bed?" he mumbled.
"Unfortunately not. I have appointments at work, but I'll try to come back early. Can you at least give me a little hint about the surprise?" I asked him curiously.
"Forget it, darling. You can endure a few more hours," he replied with a grin.
Oh man, he was being mean. He wouldn't even give me a tiny clue. I dragged myself to the bathroom and got ready. Once I was out of the house, I glanced at my phone. Three missed calls from Diamond and a message from an unknown number. Huh? Who could that be? Open.
My dearest Bunny, this is my new number. I hope you had a restful night. Soon, we'll make it, and I can finally hold you in my arms again. I love you, M.
Mamoru. Mister Perfect. It would shatter him if he found out what I was up to here. His face flashed before me, his eyes so loyal. How could he just leave for 18 months and leave me behind? No, stop. It's not his fault. Both Seiya and Diamond were my choices.
Yes, I hope you did too. Can't wait. I love you too.
He mustn't suspect anything until I'm clear about what I really want. Moving on, time to call Diamond.
"Finally. Do you know how many times I've called?!" he whispered irritably into the receiver.
"I have a personal life too. What's so urgent?"
"Avoid anything that could be dangerous. I think I've figured out what Saphir is planning."
"Diamond, stop speaking in riddles. Just tell me what's going on. I'm tired of being kept in the dark."
"I'll tell you everything tomorrow in Osaka. Should I arrange the jet for you?"
"I haven't even agreed yet! Honestly, all this bossing around of yours is really getting on my nerves!"
I heard Diamond sharply inhale. "Usagi, it's important that I tell you the truth. In a safe place. Please come to Osaka tomorrow so I can tell you everything."
Did he just say "please"? Those were quite new tones. Now I just had to come up with something for Seiya because he probably wanted to accompany me to Osaka.
"I'll try to make it, but then no more secrets," I said. Barely had he received confirmation that I was doing what he wanted, he hung up. Typical.
At least work remained quiet today. No disturbances from the Prince family, no disasters. It was almost too good to be true. The sun was already shining at me as I left the office. Seiya, as usual, stood on the corner, grinning at me. "Well, sweetheart, how was your day?" he asked, taking my hand. It felt unusual for him to show public displays of affection. But a pleasant tingling sensation washed over me. I interlocked my fingers with his and hoped that no one recognized him.
"So far, it's been relaxed. Will you tell me where we're going now?" He sneaked a glance at his watch.
"Not yet. Let's go home first. We'll leave in two hours." "Has anyone ever told you how mean you are? You could at least give me a tiny, tiny hint," I pouted, to which he pulled me into his arms. "Okay, a tiny, tiny hint," he began, leaning his head toward my ear. Finally!
"Oh, no. It's much more fun to keep you guessing," he whispered. Man, that was mean. Slightly annoyed, I nudged him in the ribs. "Jerk." When we arrived home, I couldn't believe my eyes. There was a dark blue dress hanging on the bathroom door. It was knee-length and adorned with beautiful lace. The skirt was made of soft, flowing chiffon. It looked stunning. Seiya's taste was miles better than those skimpy outfits Diamond sent me. Next to the dress were a matching pair of shoes and a handbag. In disbelief, I turned to Seiya.
"What's this? Didn't you say we were going for casual clothes?" Seiya gave me a lopsided smile. "If you don't like it, you can keep wearing what you have on now. I wanted to apologize for the other night. The cooking was supposed to go differently. You should relax and not have to clean up after me." He scratched his head in embarrassment. I beamed from ear to ear. This dress was amazing. "If I always get such fancy dresses when you mess up, our closet will soon be too small for both of us," I teased him playfully before wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. He wrapped his hands around my waist, and I felt like I was in heaven. Slowly, I pulled him with me toward the bedroom, but then he suddenly stopped.
"Darling, you have one more hour, then we have to leave. Well, it doesn't matter how you look. I'll take you even in pajamas. But if you want to wear the new clothes, I think you'll need the time." I sighed in frustration. He was right, somehow, but a quickie wouldn't have hurt. Diamond... no, wait, I need to stop comparing the men. I took off the dress, tucked the shoes under my arm, and locked myself in the bathroom. I would show Seiya what he had missed out on. I set a timer for one hour and started styling myself, with music blasting at full volume. Even if Seiya said something, it wouldn't have reached me. He should realize that I was annoyed. When my timer went off, I quickly touched up my lipstick, turned off the music, put my phone on silent, and took one last look in the mirror. Perfect. With a wide grin, I opened the door. But I was also left speechless. Seiya stood before me in a stylish black suit, a white shirt, and a tie that matched my dress. But it seemed my outfit had its effect as well. Seiya stared at me with his mouth agape and said nothing.
"Will you take me like this?" I asked, twirling around.
"Wow, darling. You look stunning," he stammered.
"Thank you. So, where are we going now?" I tried once again to extract answers from him.
"I need your car keys. We're driving a bit," he said, extending his hand.
"Um... Seiya... are you sure you want to drive my car?" I asked, biting my lip to hold back my laughter.
"If it has four wheels and an engine, I can drive it." - typical male response. He knew I owned a car, which was parked in the underground garage, but since we lived in a big city, I rarely used it. He had never seen it before. Arriving in the underground garage, he turned around in a circle, trying to figure out which one was mine. Of course, I had parked in the far corner. I confidently headed toward my little Smart car in squealing pink. Seiya's expression was priceless as he realized that this car belonged to me.
"Darling? What is this?" he asked.
"This is my car. I asked you about it specifically. It has four wheels and an engine," I giggled in response to him.
Seiya ran his hand over his face. "Well, there's no other choice. We'll take this giant roller skate today, and next time, I'll rent us a proper car."
"Hey, don't bash my car. It has always gotten me safely to wherever I wanted to go."
Once we were out of the underground parking lot, he placed his hand on my thigh and gave me a loving smile. We drove for about half an hour and arrived at a restaurant in the middle of the forest. Considering its hidden location, it was surprisingly crowded. The small parking lot was full.
"We're going to eat?" I asked him, slightly surprised. But before he could answer, his phone rang.
"Yes... yes, we're here... just parked... see you soon."
There was another male voice on the other end. Usually, we always did things together. What was he planning? I had told him no public appearances. He opened the car door for me and extended his hand. Hesitantly, I took it and stepped out. With each step we took towards the door, I became increasingly uneasy. A young woman immediately approached us at the entrance.
"Do you have a reservation?" she cheerfully chirped. Meanwhile, I noticed that my palms were becoming sweaty with excitement. My left hand was tightly gripped by Seiya. Please, no press.
"Yes, Kou for five people," Seiya replied to the woman.
What? Did I hear that correctly? Five people? Panic started to spread within me. My legs wanted to run back to the car. Instead, I stood stiffly next to him, waiting to see what would happen.
The woman flipped through a small book, crossed something out, and then raised her head. "Very well, please follow me."
With heavy steps, I followed Seiya up the stairs and then to the left. The woman stopped in front of a large round table at the end of the room. Since Seiya was standing directly in front of me, I couldn't directly see who was waiting for us.
"You're later than usual. I'm almost starving," greeted a male voice. Seiya chuckled briefly.
"If I had a proper car, we would have been on time." Then he slowly pulled me forward by the hand.
"But I'm glad that I can finally introduce you to my sweetheart, Usagi." It was unusual for him to use my first name. Two men sat in front of us at the table, one with white-blond hair and the other with brown hair, both long-haired like Seiya. I recognized them from the pictures Seiya had sent me. They were his brothers. Next to the brown-haired man sat a blue-haired girl. Now Seiya turned to me. "Sweetheart, these are Yaten and Taiki, my brothers, and this is Amy, Taiki's girlfriend," he introduced us. So, it was a family dinner. He really meant it when he said we should break out of our bubble. My heart was still racing. We sat down on the two available chairs. I noticed that his brothers were scrutinizing me intently.
"So, you're the girl who finally managed to tame this Casanova," Yaten grinned at me.
"Yaten, what does that mean? She might get the wrong impression of me."
I couldn't help but giggle. "Why? Is there something I should know?"
Seiya blushed slightly.
"Well, let's just say it wasn't always easy with him until he met you," Taiki joined the conversation.
I couldn't help but smile. "Yes, I can imagine. During our first meeting, we argued non-stop for almost 9 hours."
"You even invented a boyfriend just to get me to leave you alone," Seiya grumbled somewhat discontentedly.
Oh, if you only knew. Mamoru wasn't invented. He's real and he'll be back here in five weeks. Damn it. Stay calm, Usagi. This evening belongs to Seiya. Push your worries aside. Remember to smile and breathe.
"So, how long have you two been together?" I turned to the girl, diverting the topic.
Amy thought for a moment. "It'll be two years next month."
Taiki placed his hand on hers. "It's truly incredible how quickly time flies when you're happy."
Yaten rolled his eyes annoyed. From his reaction, I deduced that he was probably the only true single one. Slowly, it seemed like the ice was breaking. It turned into a relaxed and cozy evening. Taiki and Amy both seemed very calm and composed. Yaten and Seiya, on the other hand, were like cat and dog. They teased each other like little children, but if you looked closely, you could see their deep bond. They were not just brothers, but also best friends. Although Amy was very shy, she started talking about herself and Taiki, of course, often interrupted by the men. I used to be afraid of the thought of meeting his brothers, but now I was glad we had taken this step. Seiya also seemed relieved that we got along well. After a truly delicious multi-course meal, honestly, I lost count of what we were served, we said our goodbyes.
It was already pitch dark outside. On the way back, I suddenly realized that tomorrow was already Saturday. The exhibition in Osaka and Diamond.
"Um, Seiya, I told you about this exhibition in Osaka, right? I think I would like to go after all."
"When was that again?"
"Tomorrow," I whispered meekly. Osaka was only an hour away by plane, but it would take much longer by train or car.
"And you're telling me now?" he grumbled somewhat impatiently.
"I can fly alone if it's too stressful for you. It's just one night."
Seiya thought for a moment, and I grew nervous. Of course, it would work in my favor if I flew alone.
"You know what, sweetheart? Tomorrow morning, I'll rent a proper car, and then we'll drive there together. It'll be fun," he suggested, and I swallowed hard. Damn it, there was no getting out of this.
"Do you mean 'fun' like the nine-hour flight from Tokyo to Seattle?" I retorted sarcastically, holding back a laugh. Seiya's lips twitched slightly upward. The only glimmer of hope was that Seiya wasn't allowed to attend the exhibition. So I would be able to talk to Diamond in peace.