Sorry this took so long and sorry it's short. I'm not very good at writing long chapters, as I tend to lose interest, but working in short bursts allows me to write, revise, and post as fast as I can. Thank you for the lovely reviews, they inspire me to keep going!
Last real chapter: Tamaki made it to the Chairman's office, where he encountered his father, Suoh Yuzuru, and grandmother, Suoh Shizue, who is possibly senile. Shizue introduced Eclair Tonnerre, a rich French girl with a peculiar fondness for opera glasses.
A girl. Tamaki knew how to deal with girls. Flawlessly hiding his confusion and irritation behind a suave smirk, he strode across the room. "Eclair Tonnerre? What a lovely name for a lovely lady. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mademoiselle~" Tamaki bowed at the waist, capturing the girl's one free hand and placing a delicate kiss on her knuckles.
"Well, aren't you quite the charmer," Eclair smirked, and raised her opera glasses back over her eyes. "I've been watching you, you know. You seem to get along well with your club members, you're kind to girls, and, of course, you're well off…"
Tamaki's smile became a little forced. She was… watching him? Well that's not creepy at all.
"Look, Tamaki, I'll cut right to the chase," she rapped Tamaki on the head with the shiny golden binoculars, and Tamaki froze. Gold. Aurum, or Au. Atomic number 79, group 11, period 6, a transition metal. This sample was 14 karats. Not 24 karat, not pure, but 14 karats, so probably a real sample rather than an illegally transmuted product. 14 karats, an alloy of gold, usually with copper, silver, or zinc. From the pink tint, this gold is probably primarily alloyed with copper. From the weight, roughly 60% of it is pure gold, so perhaps a little less than the previously estimated 14 karats. Negligible. The lens was glass, so likely a common quartz compound. Not a metal, not my expertise…
"... and that's my offer." Tamaki blinked.
"Uh…"
"No need to respond now, I'm completely aware of the depth of my offer. Please take some time to think it over. I'm sure you'll make the right choice," awkwardly smooshing her finger to Tamaki's lips, she drew close to him for a moment, just long enough for him to get a whiff of her vanilla shampoo. She spun and exited through the open wall, which closed seamlessly behind her.
The fog that had been building since Eclair's entrance was sucked into the room's air vents, and Tamaki noticed he was alone. His father and Grandmother must have left as Eclair was talking. But then… what had Eclair said?! What was her all-important offer?! With a groan, Tamaki crouched in a corner. Immediately, some small mushrooms sprouted out of the marble floor. Gently nudging them with his handy dandy poking stick, Tamaki sulked.
What had that even been? He had spaced out for Eclair's question, or offer, or whatever, and had instead started listing things he didn't even know he knew about gold! And "illegally transmuted product"?! What the actual FUCK?
Tamaki shook his head, his blond bangs covering his eyes. Gentlemen don't swear. Don't lower themselves to such a level of common crassness and ineloquence. What was wrong with him?