Author's Note:
Happy Saturday!
Enjoy…
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xXx
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Date Posted: April 27, 2024
Trigger Warnings: Language
The Painful Truth - Chapter 36: Settled
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Monday, November 14:
Early Breakfast, Private Dining Room, Shiraishi Compound:
"Is everything ready?"
"Yes, Shinobu-sama," I nodded at the syndicate head. "The cook made their favorites."
"Thank you."
I followed her towards the dining room, surprised to see her this nervous. She's been jumpy since her father called last night and invited himself and her father-in-law to breakfast.
I heard her question Igaya-san, her security head, "All set?"
"Yes, Himura-sama."
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Twenty minutes later, I had no idea why I was nervous. Yes, they're the heads of other syndicates, but they're also Dad and Ritsu's Pops. It's not like they came here for a hostile takeover. Turns out they wanted to tell us about the security inspections of their compounds. The Shiraishi Compound isn't up for a while yet. They're letting me and my new security team get our footing first.
"And we finally found the fucking thing near the dining hall," Ryuu-san was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. "Fujii shot it." Ritsu snorted.
"I can't believe I didn't think to run a scan after they left." Dad's over there kicking himself. As soon as Ryuu-san mentioned the first camera, he called back and ordered a scan. Now he's just shaking his head and playing with his phone, waiting for the results.
"Don't trust anyone," Ryuu-san chuckled. "They really got us good."
"You sure it was just the one drone, Pops?"
"Nope," he popped his 'P'. "That's why I'm having that tech make that comparison analysis a permanent thing. He's working up the protocol."
I guess it couldn't hurt to ask. "The Shiraishi Syndicate would be interested in that protocol if you'd like to share."
That's an odd look. "Of course. Was going to offer it to the group when it was done. Minus any proprietary stuff, anyway. Any place you and my son spend time needs to be as safe as possible."
Oh. Hadn't thought about it like that. "Thanks, Ryuu-san."
"I think you can drop the san in family settings, Shinobu."
"Thanks, Ryuu."
That's when my Dad's phone chimed. "Shit."
"Where?"
"You're old bedroom."
That got Ryuu laughing again. "Damn. Now that's a lesson."
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We were about halfway back to the compound when we all heard a huge bang from the trunk.
My security staff followed protocol. All three cars pulled over and Junto-sama was pulled from the middle one and hustled around the corner of the nearest building. Fortunately, we're in our territory, so we didn't draw much attention.
The remaining guards drew their weapons and approached the trunk of Junto-sama's limo. Once they were ready, I signaled to pop it.
"Fuck."
Several of them jerked their weapons away, others lowered theirs. I just shook my head. "Close it up. Check the others." Then gave Junto-sama's detail head the 'all clear' signal.
"What was it?" he asked as they got closer.
I just smiled. "Looks like your daughter got tired of you having a spy on her compound and returned Takahima."
"Alive?"
"Yeah. Figured he could suffer in the trunk for being caught."
We climbed into the limo, just Junto-sama and me in the back, and continued home. "Only Takahima?" he asked.
"Yes. The other cars were clear."
"Good. That leaves us with one still there."
And leaves me to discipline my guards when we get back. Not only did they leave the cars, but didn't check them before the head got in. I don't care if it was his daughter's compound, that's fucking unacceptable.
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Fujii and I couldn't keep from chuckling every time we heard a 'thunk' come from the trunk on our way back from the compound.
As soon as breakfast was over and I made it back to the car, he pulled me aside and told me one of our spies had been returned in the trunk while the guards were away from the car. Of course, they'd inspected it as soon as they got back and decided to leave him in there.
"She's going to make one hell of a head."
Fujii nodded, then we both burst out laughing again when the car hit a bump and we heard a moan.
"She only returned one. Do you think that means she only knew about him?"
I shook my head, "I'm not sure." I hope she knows about the others. Figuring out I put a spy in there is one thing, but I worry about her instincts if she stopped looking after she found him.
Fujii pointed to our main gate as we pulled up, "Guess that answers my question."
The other two spies were sitting there on the curb, ziptied and blindfolded. The car that dropped them off just pulling away.
I couldn't stop my roar of laughter.
She's going to keep Ritsu and the entire Tokyo yakuza population on their toes. My son couldn't have found himself a better partner.
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xXx
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Mid-Morning, Security Conference Call:
Ogata (Consultant): I checked the attendee list. All my consultants, the detail heads, the family heads, and various guards. Good. Everyone's on time.
"Looks like we're all here, so let's get started. This is the after-action breakdown from the ski trip. We'll do the bets last." Never worked with a security group that didn't bet on their primaries, but this group…they even built a damn app.
"First up, security issues.
"Everyone remembered to use the code and response when encountering a guard they didn't recognize. Even the couple we brought in that no one knew were confirmed correctly. Well done."
It was a good test. We had almost two hundred different security personnel spread out among the four locations.
"No threats or other dangers occurred. One Suoh guard was injured (torn knee tendon)." And with so many of them skiing, that's a minor miracle.
"Photoshoot report, Thompson-san?"
Thompson (Haruhi's Detail Head): "The shoot and its location were leaked on social media sooner than expected, but we were ready anyway. The resort worked with us to set up barricades, and local police were only needed for arrests and detainments. Two fans were arrested. One female who just wouldn't stop being hysterical. One male who managed to sneak onto the sets. We found him hiding near Fujioka-sama's dressing room. He was removed without incident." And I didn't tell her about him. I hope that doesn't end up biting me in the ass.
"Fujioka-sama and her marketing manager decided to have her take selfies with the fans. She brought over some of the dogs and asked the fans to tag the rescues in their posts. It went a long way to keeping them quiet during the shoots."
Ogata (Consultant): "And her injury?"
Thompson (Haruhi's Detail Head): "Simple twisted knee. She saw medical on site and a follow up with a Morinozuka specialist. Frankly, I'm surprised she wasn't more injured with the way those dogs kept knocking her down."
Ogata (Consultant): I went through the different subheads I had stationed at the different resorts asking for their reports. Bland. Just like everyone in security wants it.
"Resort C, Fujii-san?"
Fujii (Kasanoda Head): I wasn't there, but I already debriefed my guard, so I asked to do the reporting here.
"No issues. Our security tests and rotating vacations went well. Thanks for the leeway in letting us set it up the way we wanted."
I waited a beat, then smirked, "Hope your spy kept you well informed."
Ogata (Consultant): Well, I knew he'd figure it out.
"He did. Thank you."
I checked that section off on my agenda and moved on to, "Night club. Harada-san?" I'd assigned him to take point since I figured the twins would cause the most trouble.
Harada (Hitachiin Head): "Aside from the yakuza couple being kicked out," which I'm sure they planned, "there were no major issues. Hikaru-sama did take a girl into a photobooth and some inappropriate pictures were taken. We confiscated the prints and deleted the digitals from his email. We talked to the booth owner and their copies of the digitals have been deleted as well."
Those twins are going to be the death of me. And they're talking about going to Italy for college. I've got to find a security firm there to work with. "I realize this isn't about the skiing, but the twins are considering going to Italy for university. If anyone has suggestions for a firm to work with there, please contact me directly. Thanks."
I checked my list and finished up, "Everything else at the club went as expected. Lots of paparazzi and social media exposure, but nothing rising to a security risk."
Ogata (Consultant): "Thank you, Harada-san." We've made it to the end of the agenda. "Written reports are due by close of business Wednesday. I'll turn it over to you, Morimoto, for the bets. Anyone not interested can log off." Several did.
Morimoto (BOS Head): "As you know, one of my techs, on his own time, created the betting app. There's a feedback function within the app if anyone has any update suggestions.
"I'll go through the bets now…
"First, Karou-sama was the first and only person to step in dogshit. Himura-sama's maid did an excellent job of making sure Kasa didn't leave messes everywhere but missed one in the pool area."
Kono (Shinobu Detail Head): "The couple wanted private time in the pool area, so the maid didn't come along then." I held back my laughter. "Kaoru-sama stepped in it the next morning when he wanted to swim a few laps as a warmup for skiing."
Morimoto (BOS Head): "Winner was Seiichi-san."
Seiichi (Kaoru Detail Head): "And I heard him squealing all through the cabin. Stepped in it with bare feet."
Morimoto (BOS Head): "Next, Suoh-sama fell a total of 28 times during his first lesson. Kurio had the closest number at 29."
The app summarizes the winners and who owes who what once the results are entered, but we all thought it'd be fun to go through the big ones.
Akatsuka-san won with 62 cakes. There's no way to prove if he fed his primary that many to make sure his number was right, or if he just knows how many he eats that well.
About half the team leads won with betting Haruhi-sama and Takashi-sama would spend the night together at least once. No one bet that Mitsukuni-sama and Cho-sama would spend at least one night in the same room, so that one went unclaimed to the surprise of us all.
I went through a dozen more quickly. First guard to get hurt. Who would lose their phone on the slope – of course it was Tamaki-sama. Good thing it had a tracker. They had to dig it out of a snowbank.
Fastest time down a black slope. Surprised it was Ootori-sama. Hotta took that one.
"And last, but not least, the newlyweds managed to have 'private time' somewhere other than their room a total of seven times, including the hot tub, the limo, the dressing room at the ice rink, behind some trees at the half-pipe, the restroom on the plane, the library, and somehow in the security camera room. Yamada-san [Cho's detail head] took that one."
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xXx
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Afternoon, Lawyer's Conference Room, Seoul:
After one final argument with my clients in the cab over here, we're finally sitting around a conference table with the owner of Petto Chinmi ready to sign a document accepting responsibility and handing over an amount of money they said they'd never agree to.
Until they saw that first guilty verdict and how not only the judge and jury went after the factory manager, but how he was eviscerated in the press. Some people may still eat dogs in this country, but a huge number of vocal pet owners that treat them as family managed to get my clients to see what they'd gotten themselves into.
I'll give her this, Fujioka Haruhi's got class. Sitting across the table in a black suit with dark red trim and matching blouse, she's every bit the professional as everyone else in the room despite being at least ten years younger than the next youngest, our paralegal.
My partner's going through the financial piece of the settlement now. Her accounting team was quite thorough. A detailed package of expenses was presented to us including receipts for everything, and I mean everything including office supplies, working lunches, and travel expenses that Petto Chinmi and her local lawyers spent on this lawsuit. Because my clients want this over and done with, they're doubling that expense report for any future costs. She's also getting a hefty amount for estimated economic losses including profits that took a hit when it all came out. Then there is the punitive. Ten times all of the above added together. My clients had to sell not only the factory that made the bad food, but two others. Fortunately, her new manufacturing company bought them. She wanted cash, not the factories. Don't blame her there. Her company's too small to own factories in another country and have to worry about all the regulations here.
"The money will be wire transferred within an hour of the settlement being signed, Fujioka-sama."
"That's acceptable," she nodded, and I watched my client's hands fisting under the table. Why he thought he could get away with this, I'm not sure, but what he's ranted the most about is her age. I'm sure that was a huge factor in his decision to perpetrate the fraud.
"If you'll sign here, please."
Because of her age, her Assistant Executive Director, Tanaki-sama signed the settlement along with her company and local lawyers as witnesses. She'd asked about signing in addition but was told that having a minor's signature on the contract could invalidate it. It must be frustrating to own the company and not be able to execute documents.
As soon as the last signature was finalized, she quickly stood followed by the rest of us. She stared over the table at my clients and said the one petty thing I ever heard from her or any of her staff, "I'll see you at your sentencing." Then she picked up her copies of the settlement, turned on her heel, and left the room followed by her staff, leaving us with her local lawyers to wrap up.
I can't even be offended by her comment.
My idiot clients deserved it.
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"It's over!" I practically collapsed into the limo and resisted kicking off my shoes. I did ask Karou for a power suit for this meeting. I should have known it would include a skirt and heels.
Tanaki-san and Sato-san climbed in after me along with Thompson-san. Sooner or later I'll stop trying to open the door myself. Didn't realize how ingrained it had become.
"I hope you don't mind, Fujioka-sama, but I arranged a small celebration on the plane." I raised a brow, but Takaki-san just smiled, "Nothing fancy. Just some Korean food you like and a small bottle of champagne. We've all earned it."
Of course, that's when my stomach decided to grumble, so I only nodded, "Sounds delicious. We should arrange some sort of company-wide celebration too. This was a huge win for us."
"I'll add that to tomorrow's agenda."
Thompson-san tilted his head, and I waited for the report coming through his earpiece. "Plane's ready. We'll have you back in time for your appointment."
"Thanks."
I leaned back in the seat and watched the city go by.
I meant it. I'll be back for their sentencing.
But I hope I don't have to be back here again after that.
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xXx
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After Classes, Gurinraifu Offices:
"How are community gardens doing?"
"Excellent, Kasanoda-sama. The overseers report crops are growing quicker with the addition of the composting beds. Over a hundred neighborhoods have applied for gardens. I had to hire a new position of Community Garden Coordinator to review them."
"Good." That happened quicker than I thought. Guess dealing with the community elders was worth it. "And the plans for incorporating bees?"
"Designs are being drawn up but will be held until the proof of concept on the Shiraishi Compound works."
"Where are we on the Compound redesign?"
"We're involved in all current remodels and are leading the planning for all future remodels."
"Timeline?"
Okazoe-san, my CEO, brought up an annotated timeline and went through all project phases. Bu's going to love the new compound. Especially that small indoor pool and hot tub I'm installing just off our bedroom.
Shit. I slowly recrossed my legs and thought about old, naked men.
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I finished going over the Compound plan and moved on to the two new projects.
"Next, the hotel remodel." Sliding a thick folder over to my boss, I hit the highlights, "This company toured Ouran and asked for a bid. It just needs your signoff."
He leafed through it, nodding at some things, asking questions at others. When he got to the end, he slid it back, "Looks good. Interesting idea."
It was. A retrofit of an existing hotel specifically to show different 'greening' techniques in each suite. It's practically an advertisement for us.
"Last is the school." I handed him another folder.
"Ouran?"
"No. It's a private high school, but nowhere near Ouran's level. They came and toured as well. Want us to update their sports complex like Ouran."
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When the meeting was over, I had Okazoe-san walk me back to my SUV. "You're doing great. You didn't need my approval for the hotel or school."
"I know, but I wanted it. We're still new. Hell," she ran her hand through her hair and shrugged, "Ouran's only been done a couple of months."
"Yeah, but it was your baby."
"Thanks, Kasanoda-sama."
"Wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it. But Shinobu and I are the clients for the Compound remodels, so keep us updated."
"Definitely."
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xXx
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After Classes, Hitachiin Fashions:
"You're sure, Hitachiin-sama?"
I studied Omigawa-san, my managing director for Every Woman, and nodded, "It's long overdue. You're the line director, not me. I'm falling behind on the design because I'm still trying to do everyone else's jobs, especially yours." And I'm lucky she hasn't quit because of it. "You run the meeting, give everyone their marching orders, including me, and some of the strain and overruns will smooth out."
Nothing in fashion ever runs perfectly, but it's high time I fully handed over day to day business to my director. Technically, I already have, but as Mom pointed out, I'm still sticking my nose in where it shouldn't be. I'm the designer. That's what I'm good at. Not the administration. All that shit with Haruhi showed me that.
"Alright." She collected her laptop and papers and we both stood, "Let's head for the meeting."
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Full staff meeting. Dialogue tags used to identify speaker and POV. Kaoru and Waki (jewelry designer) only men in the room:
Omigawa (EW Managing Director): Finally. I know he created the line from scratch, but the last couple of months have been torture with his second guessing and planning things he shouldn't. And all that mess with Fujioka-sama. Her getting that agent was the best kick in the pants Hitachiin-sama could get.
Plugging in my laptop, I pulled the agenda up on the big screen. "Alright everyone, settle in. This doesn't have to be a long meeting."
The staff quickly grabbed tea or coffee and took their seats, Hitachiin-sama and me at the front with both of our assistants, the rest spread out in two horseshoes, directors in the front, managers and other staff in the back. I would prefer a round or even a rectangle table, but there are just too many of us.
"First up, a quick summary of where we are on the winter line. Takehisa-san?"
Takehisa (EW Head of Sales): Omigawa-san displayed my charts, and I took a deep breath, "Orders are still coming in. We've contracted with an additional factory to handle just the sweaters. Deliveries are on schedule for the official debut on December 3.
"All estimates have been exceeded. Quantities ordered, number of stores carrying, everything."
Omigawa (EW Managing Director): "Excellent. Suwa-san, where are we on the December 3rd event?"
Suwa (EW Head Marketing/Ads): "We'll be holding a small fashion show in the same mall as we did for the summer line. Format will be the same with several models doing two changes each and Fujioka-sama walking last with Hitachiin-sama. Immediately following the show, the stores in the mall carrying the line will start selling. While sales start, Fujioka-sama will pose for selfies with those fans selected like we did in the last fashion show and sign autographs."
Kaoru: "Has anyone spoken to her agent about that? Will her hand be able to sign autographs?"
See, I can remember to include that dickhead.
Suwa (EW Head Marketing/Ads): "We have. She's been practicing her signature on headshots for both us and Petto Chinmi as part of her physical therapy. During the event, she'll sign what she can and then switch to that stockpile. If she runs out, we'll take names and contact information. As she signs more, we'll fulfill those requests."
Kaoru: "Do you know how many she's been signing?" It can't be that many.
Suwa (EW Head Marketing/Ads): "Twenty to thirty a day, but remember, she's also signing Petto Chinmi materials too."
I pulled up the numbers from the last event. "We're expecting it to be even more popular than before, so we're ready to take requests."
Akabane (EW PR Head): "Maybe we could include an incentive to request an autograph rather than wait in line for it that day. It could take the pressure off her."
Omigawa (EW Managing Director): "Like what?"
Takashima (EW Market Researcher): "Perhaps those requesting could go into a raffle for a free suit or gift certificate."
Suwa (EW Head Marketing/Ads): "Excellent idea. Those entering the raffle get an autographed headshot and a chance to win a suit of their choice."
I turned around and spoke with my assistant quickly, making sure she got the details so we could start making the signage.
Omigawa (EW Managing Director): "Anything else on the winter line?"
Everyone was quiet, so I moved on. "Next, Spring. Hitachiin-sama, could you give us a breakdown on where you are with the designs, please?"
Kaoru: For the next half an hour or so, we went through the designs I had so far, my thoughts on the ads and charity tie ins, and various other ideas I was working on.
Once I saw it all together like that, I realized just how much was left to do.
"Most designs have fabric ideas attached." I turned to Tanii-san and nearly cringed at her glare. "I know we should have gone on a fabric hunt this last weekend. I apologize for cancelling. When are you available?"
Tanii (EW Fabric Buyer): He's trying to kill me. I know he is. Good thing I brought it up to Omigawa-san. Looks like she discussed it with him.
"I can be available whenever you are, Hitachiin-sama. We need to go to Hong Kong first."
Kaoru: Pulling up my calendar with Mao, we both groaned. Nothing but projects, quizzes, and tests as the winter holidays get closer.
"With classwork and other commitments, the soonest I can go would be November 25-27, Friday through Sunday. We can even leave the night of the 24th so we can have the first meeting over breakfast on Friday."
Tanii (EW Fabric Buyer): Nuts. That's almost two weeks away.
"Alright. But if we don't want the cost overruns and the rush jobs we had with the winter line, you need to meet with the entire design team several times prior to the trip to detail out the design plans and get all the prep work done."
Waki (EW Jewelry Designer): "I'd like to go with, if possible. The basic hummingbird and other spring designs are done, but I need to know the weight of the fabric before I can decide on the weight of the jewelry."
Omigawa (EW Managing Director): I let them go on discussing the trip and the meetings needed beforehand for another thirty minutes. Tanii-san was adamant when she spoke with me about needing Hitachiin-sama on this trip and to finalize the fabric well in advance. Her financial breakdown of the cost overruns was enough for me to convince him to take her more seriously.
When they'd finally settled on a plan and schedule, I moved on. "Next is the debut of our new models. Akabane-san?"
Akabane (EW PR Head): "We've hired two new models to supplement Fujioka-sama as the face of the line. She will still be the primary, but the two new models, one in her thirties representing mothers and the other in her fifties representing higher management, will be fully integrated into the new advertising campaigns.
"Since they won't be starting until the spring line, we don't want their debut to be too soon and overshadow the winter line."
Takashima (EW Market Researcher): "Is there a reason they aren't starting until the Spring line?" Suwa-san started to speak but I jumped in, "I realize most of the ads are shot for the winter line, but couldn't they be included in the mall fashion show? You wouldn't have to introduce them as something special, but they could 'cut their teeth' as it were on that stage since it's my understanding neither has modeled before."
Suwa (EW Head Marketing/Ads): "Actually, that's an excellent idea. They can get used to the process and still be relatively anonymous during that show, then have their official debut in the late winter with the Spring line ads.
"We'll do a press conference and some interviews in different fashion magazines for the three of them as soon as the first Spring ads come out."
Kaoru: As soon as Omigawa-san ended the meeting, Mao and I headed to my office to work on my schedule.
Good thing the University of Milan doesn't care about my grades at Ouran, just my Hitachiin name.
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xXx
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Just before Dinner, Chika's Room, Haninozuka Estate:
Knock. Knock.
I opened my bedroom door and found Haruhi standing there, a huge smile stretching from ear to ear.
"It's done!" she practically sang and handed me a piece of paper. "Paid in full!"
Confirmation of the bank transfer that completely paid my loan to Petto Chinmi back. I, of course, already got an electronic notification the second the money was transferred, but I guess that didn't occur to her.
I grinned back, "Thanks. This has to feel good." I stepped back and invited her in.
We'd talked about the settlement terms over the weekend, and she was so excited and relieved it was finally coming to an end.
"All that's left are the criminal trials. The pet stores that carried the bad food have all already settled." She wandered around my rooms for a bit before standing in front of the windows. "Now I can finally get back to my five-year plan. We're redoing the website. We're going to expand into new prefectures." She turned and gave me a cute frown, "We're going to increase our advertising with me as the model." She heaved a big sigh, "I can get back to being a business owner and stop being a lawyer."
I waited for her to realize what she just said.
3…2…1…
"Oh," her hand flew to her mouth, covering it like she couldn't believe the words that just came out.
"It's alright to have second thoughts about your career. You are only seventeen."
Huge eyes stared at me. Did she break herself?
"But I still want to be a lawyer." Then she shook her head like a dog, "Why did I say that?"
"Hey," I pulled her into a hug, "you spent a lot of time learning how to be the owner and executive director of Petto Chinmi. It's not wrong to want to get back to that. You don't have any legal training yet. You'll want to be a lawyer once you're ready for law school."
I held her while she chewed on that.
Finally, she gave a small sniff, and I heard a mumbled, "I guess that makes sense."
"Sure it does."
That's when the maid knocked on my door and announced dinner.
"Nuts," she pulled out of my arms and grabbed the bag she'd dropped just inside the door.
"Do you want to eat here?"
"Can't but thanks. Takashi has something planned back at the Morinozuka estate."
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xXx
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Dinner, Family Dining Room, Shido Estate:
"And they want to use my photos to help get their dogs adopted," Yuki-chan finished completely out of breath. My beautiful fiancée is radiant. I love what confidence does to her. She took a deep breath and smiled, "Haruhi says I need an agent."
"And a lawyer," Kyoya mumbled while picking at his fish. I didn't get to spend any time with him on Saturday. I wonder what's wrong.
"A lawyer?"
"Well," I stepped in when it looked like Kyoya wasn't going to say anything, "you can always use one of the family lawyers like I do. You need someone to look over your contracts."
"Contract? I thought I'd just give them the pictures."
"It's always best to have a contract. The pictures are your creative property and should be protected. With a contract, they'd only be able to use them for what you agreed they could."
"Oh." Then she tilted her adorable face, and I felt my stomach flip. Her birthday trip can't come soon enough. "Would the Ootori family lawyers be able to do contracts for pictures? I mean, aren't they used to medical stuff?"
That finally brough Kyoya back into the conversation, "They'd contract out to an appropriate law firm. You'd get the best representation. That firm could probably recommend an agent."
I reached out and took her hand, "If you'd like, I can make an appointment for you with them for tomorrow. That way they could get started right away."
Her smile blew me away. "Thanks. That's perfect. I know the Petto Chinmi photographers want to look at my shots as soon as possible."
"They should be able to get you a contract for that stage at the meeting. Something that protects your photos while they review them. After they know what they want, then both lawyers can get together and decide on terms."
"It's all so complicated," she sighed and took a sip of tea.
"Welcome to the business world," Kyoya smirked then went back to picking at his food.
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As the maids cleared dessert, Sota-kun managed to catch me with huge, hopeful eyes, "Will you come play Lego with me Uncle Kyoya?"
How can I tell him no?
Then I felt an arm go around my shoulder, "Tell you what, Kiddo," Akito said. "Why don't you and Yuki-chan go on up and get started. I need to talk to Kyoya for a few minutes then we'll both come up and play."
"Akito…"
He squeezed my shoulder then stared at me, "Right, Kyoya?"
Guess I'm not getting out of this. "Sure."
Next thing I know, he's guided me into a small lounge. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
"Sit," he pushed me down on the sofa and sat across from me, "and spill it. What happened?"
What happened?
I made a fool out of myself in front of Tachibana, Haruhi, Mori-senpai, Kasanoda, and now I don't know what to do.
"Well?"
Maybe I should talk about it. He knows almost everything I did to Haruhi and the group. He's training to be a psychiatrist. He might be the closest I ever get to being able to talk to a professional.
It's not like the President and CEO of the Ootori Conglomeration can seek therapy like any normal person.
So, I took a deep breath and told him. Told him about how I thought I might have come back too soon. How Haruhi and Tamaki insisted I come on the trip. How raw my feelings are. About Keiko and the marriage contract. About skiing down that hill and finally feeling free and experiencing quiet. How Tachibana yelled at me and the feeling evaporated.
Then I sucked it up and told him about getting drunk and throwing my glass. How Kasanoda called Haruhi and she came. What she said about Yoshio and how I'm not him. And how she and Mori-senpai invited me back to Wednesdays.
"I asked her the next day if they were sure. If they'd changed their minds, but they hadn't. She says I'm wanted there."
He listened to everything, took it all in, then scrubbed his hands through his hair, "Well, shit, Kyoya."
"I know."
He thought for a few more moments then started counting things off on his fingers. "First, she's right. You aren't Yoshio. You never were. I'll admit I hated you for a time a year ago, but after his funeral, after you set Yuuichi and me free, I got over it. It was like you took off a Yoshio person suit he forced you to wear. Yes, you'd gotten comfortable in it, but you took it off when you realized how ugly it made you. And once you started making the decisions you wanted to, not the ones you thought he'd make, you shed that skin and found yourself.
"Second, you most definitely are not the same person you were when you screwed her over. It sounds like at least half of the group sees that and agrees.
"Third, everyone can tell you until they're blue in the face, but until you realize deep down that you aren't responsible for Keiko's death, you won't move past it. We all know who killed her, and it wasn't you. I'm really sorry she's gone, and the two of you didn't get to explore what could have been. And the timing of that marriage contract fucking sucks. But you aren't responsible for any of it."
His forehead puckered like he was trying to force that statement into my head.
"I miss her."
"Of course, you do. I'd be worried if you didn't. She was an amazing girl."
Yes, she was.
"But I'm not done." He lifted his pinky, "Fourth, I'm sure Tachibana was scared and lashed out. He's not used to you doing stuff like that." The corner of his mouth quirked up, "You know he thinks of you as a son or at least a close nephew, right?"
My disbelief must have shown on my face because he continued, "Well, he does, and if you think long and hard about your interactions, especially since Yoshio died, you'd realize it."
A son?
"And fifth, I may not know Mori as well as I know Haruhi, but I know them both well enough to be sure they wouldn't say something they didn't mean. If they want you there on Wednesday, you better show up."
"Haruhi gave me her turn in the rotation. Made it so I'd have to pick the restaurant."
"You realize we typically pick commoner's places that cater or street food that can handle a huge order."
"I want Michelin stars. Maybe Kobe beef?"
"Just as long as you show up. Just let security know the place and the housekeeper will take care of the order."
That's when we heard Sota-kun's voice calling down the stairs, "Uncle Kyoya! Uncle Akito!"
"Guess we better go play Lego."
As we stood and headed for the door, I reached out and caught his arm, "Thanks."
His easy smile had me feeling better than I had in a while. "Sure. Race you…," and he took off running.
.
xXx
.
Dinner, Veranda, Morinozuka Estate:
"Delicious," she hummed, leaning back and slowly chewing her scallop. I'd tried something different for this dinner, hunting down the most modern take on sushi my assistant could find. Turns out it was a small, six-seat food booth on Oyama Happy Road.
"Eto-san found it. The son just took over the restaurant and focuses on sushi with a modern twist."
She picked up a bite of rice, avocado, and salmon that had been built on a slice of cucumber, and I watched the creamy orange sauce drip down her chin as it didn't quite make it to her mouth. Swallowing hard, I reached for my tea and tried not to watch her soft tongue slip out and catch the drop.
"It's quite different. Maybe we should go there sometime."
"Maybe," but I knew I wouldn't. That area I too congested, too public. Not worth the risk. The limo couldn't take us there, we'd have to walk too far.
Bringing it here was the best I could do.
"Seoul went well. The settlement is official, and I've paid Chika back. Looks like Petto Chinmi can put that behind us for now."
"It must be quite a relief."
"Definitely." She focused on the platter in front of her, and I wondered which piece she'd try next. Eto-san chose a sampler with basically two of everything. "Now we can get back to business. New website. Expansion." She plucked up a fancy tuna cube resting on a rice cracker covered in caviar. "Feels good for the focus to be back on what it should be."
It was quick, gone so fast I wasn't completely sure I'd seen it, but a shadow crossed her face. "Something wrong?"
.
Dammit.
I tried. I really did.
I tried to tuck away what I said over at Chika's, but he's just so good at reading me.
Slowly I finished chewing that tuna and caviar, giving myself time to think. Too bad Oyama Happy Road isn't anywhere near any place I go. I wonder if they'd cater on a Wednesday.
I took a deep breath and blew it out. Chika's right. I spent a lot of time learning how to be the head of Petto Chinmi. It isn't wrong to want to get back to that. I've got years before law school to figure out the rest.
"Just something I said to Chika." I waived my arm in dismissal and picked up another piece, this time a vegetable roll wrapped in a paper-thin slice of wagyu. It melted in my mouth.
These guys do know how to feed me.
.
xXx
.
Late Evening, Round 1 Stadium Entertainment Center:
One of the Morinozuka assistants called ahead and arranged three attendants, one for each of us, to shadow us and help with the girls. We'd done this before in other arcades, so there shouldn't be a problem.
We were in a karaoke room we'd reserved until closing. As soon as we got all the instructions clear, we'd let the girls in. Catering was already setting up the snack and drink bar. They don't serve alcohol here, one less thing to worry about.
Kaoru had a bunch of Every Woman snowmen bracelet samples and was explaining how the evening would work to our attendants. "So, we'll hand out a bracelet to each of the girls in our group. If one of them wants anything to eat or drink, just charge it to our bill."
"Yes, Hitachiin-sama." The twins had introduced themselves, but since they decided to dress alike, I'm sure they've already forgotten which was which. Only way I can tell for sure is their shoes are slightly different. I'm sure Haruhi could tell by their smiles. I'm not that good yet.
"As for games," Hikaru held up his wrist showing the chipped bracelet the place issued when we came in, "we'll cover those with the scanners."
"What about merchandise?"
I shook my head, "It's not covered. If we end up deciding to buy something for the girls, we'll do it ourselves." I'm sure we'll let them all go nuts in the gift shop at the end, but I don't want them carrying it around all night.
"Alright, if that's everything, let's open it up."
"Be careful," Kaoru called right before one of our attendants opened the door and over a dozen screaming girls tumbled in.
.
xXx
.
Late Evening, Various Locations:
Main lounge, Honey/Mori Apartment:
"So far, three chefs have confirmed to have lessons auctioned off for the On Okuri event in March."
"Only three?" We're cuddled up on the sofa, each with our own laptop open to different to do lists for the event. I looked over Cho-chan's shoulder to see hers. "The staff sent out over twenty invitations."
"It's only been a few days, but it does seem strange. After the success of the opening ball, you'd think they'd be jumping on it."
"Maybe they're waiting to see who else accepts?"
"How would they know?"
We puzzled over it for a while longer then decided to ask the staff member that sent it out to do a follow-up mentioning those that had already committed. Maybe that will move them along.
When her head rested on my shoulder, I looked down and studied her face. With her eyes closed like that, the stress lines around them and her mouth are gone. I pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. She snuggled deeper into my side.
With her relaxed like this, I really don't want to ask how the appointment with the grief counselor went today. I guess if it was horrible, she wouldn't be this calm. I don't want to bring it up and upset her…
When she spoke up, I almost jumped. "Today wasn't what I was expecting." I made an encouraging noise but didn't want to speak and mess up her thoughts. "It felt…good to talk about Keiko with someone who didn't know about the whole mess."
So, either the counselor didn't read the news or pretended they didn't.
She opened her eyes and turned her head to face me, "I felt lighter after. Like just telling someone how angry and hurt I was made it a little better."
"I'm so glad, Cho-chan."
She leaned forward and quickly kissed my lips. "Thank you for all you've been doing for me since it happened. I'd be an absolute wreck without you in my life."
"I love you, Cho-chan. I'll always be here for you."
Snuggling back into my side, she pulled out her phone, "I just realized I forgot to turn my notifications back on after the appointment."
Dozens popped up, and she pulled up Twitter.
"Looks like the twins and Satoshi are out with a bunch of girls at an arcade."
I burst out laughing at the clip of Hika-chan and Kao-chan singing Bon Jovi's 'Livin' on a Prayer'. Those two are such hams.
.
Studio Apartment somewhere in Tokyo:
What an idiot.
But it looks like he's having a blast.
Am I supposed to not know which one is him if they're dressed alike? I've never even met his brother, but I'm almost positive the one on the left is Hikaru-san. There's something about the playfulness.
They got to the chorus and then he stared right at the camera and smirked. Yup, that's him. That's the look he gets when he comes up with some crazy-ass idea for the video games. Like the freaking zombie rabbits jumping down from the trees.
I finished my beer and clicked on the next tagged video. Now he's singing Madonna with a bunch of girls.
Maybe I should have gone.
He sent me an invite, but I'm almost four years older, so I figured I'd hate it. But this's different than that dance club that looked like my worst nightmares from high school. There are older girls there…women.
Hisa's account [waitress from the diner]: having a blast with #MorinozukaSatoshi and the #HitachiinTwins I've challenged Satoshi to a game of pool – we'll see. [attached selfie of her with Satoshi choosing pool cues]
She's definitely my age. Or maybe a year or two older.
I checked my watch…7:36.
My first class isn't until 10:30 tomorrow, and I'm done with my homework.
And DiverCity Shopping Mall is only half an hour away on the subway.
Fuck it. I'm going.
.
Chika's Room, Haninozuka Estate:
"Done," and I hit enter.
While it wasn't much in the overall, I needed to get Haruhi's payment reinvested so it wasn't just sitting there. Ended up finding a tech firm that had been losing value lately, but I connected a few articles and social media posts and decided they were getting close to debuting their new app. Figured it was worth a shot. AI is the future.
Ding
Now what's my cousin up to?
Satoshi's Twitter Account: Just lost a pool game to a good friend. Guess I need to practice. [pic of him and Hisa with him handing her a 1,000 yen [~$10] bill.]
Bet he lost on purpose to give her the money. I think we all got close to her while we were regulars at the diner. She managed to keep all our orders and checks straight and be fun at the same time.
Last time we were there, she was trying to save up for a car. I think we managed to pay for it with the tips we gave her.
I miss their burgers. Never thought I'd say that.
.
Ritsu and Bu's Rooms, Shiraishi Compound:
"I've fucking had it!" and he slammed his fist on the table. "What the fuck is the difference between DNA and RNA?"
I didn't even look up. He's been in a pissy mood since he opened his biology text. "DNA is the template to build RNA. RNA is the template to build protein."
"How the fuck do you know that?"
I pointed to the diagram his book was open to:
DNA == RNA == Protein
"Says so right there."
"Yeah, so what does it mean?"
I looked up and shrugged, "No fucking clue."
"SHIT!" Then he leaned back and pushed the book away, "Bu, you've got to show me how you cheated on that last test."
"Sure, Asshole. No problem."
Woof
"Thought you said no phones while we did our homework."
"I meant yours. I'm a syndicate head. I need to keep mine on."
I gave it a quick check then rolled my eyes.
"What?"
"Satoshi and the twins are at some arcade. The twins just lost a bowling game."
"Suckers." Then he slammed his biology book shut. "I'm so fucking done with this. Wanna join them?"
"No." I leaned back and looked him up and down, a seductive smile spreading across my face, "But I'll play you a game of strip poker, Mr. Himura."
"You are so on, Mrs. Kasanoda."
.
Private Office, Hitachiin Estate:
Heading for my wife's office, I heard another chime and looked down at my phone.
Hitachiin Yuzuha Twitter Account [response to a selfie posted by a girl standing with the twins and a bunch of her friends]: So glad all you lovely ladies are having so much fun with my boys. And don't you all look ravishing in your outfits!
When I turned the corner into her office, I heard her laughing.
"You shouldn't encourage them."
"Oh please," she waived me over to the sofa and pulled me down, "what young girl out there doesn't want to be told by Hitachiin Yuzuha that she looks good." She climbed up and straddled my lap. Looking down at me she gave me a saucy smile, "Just think of the free publicity for all our lines."
Then she kissed me, and I decided I didn't care about Twitter anymore.
.
Veranda, Morinozuka Estate:
"So, Cho and Honey are in your Portfolio Management class?"
"Hn."
"Is that the only one you have with someone in the group?"
"Kyoya's in my Japanese Politics class."
"I didn't realize that. It's on Mondays and Wednesdays, right?"
"Yes. One o'clock."
"Well, at least he'll have someone to study with now that he's coming on Wednesday nights." I glanced over at Takashi, his face pale in the moonlight. "Thanks for inviting him."
"It was hard to deny it was time after what I heard."
"I assume you've let Honey know."
"Yes. He took it surprisingly well. I think he was expecting it before the new year." He squeezed my hand, "Have you told the twins?"
I pulled in a deep breath and sighed remembering Hikaru's response. "Yes. It went about as well as you'd expect."
"Hikaru will learn to adapt. He did well during the ski trip."
"He tolerates his presence at best or just outright ignores him. It's the best we can hope for."
"Forever?"
"I hope not, but we really only need to worry until graduation. I think this was the news the twins needed to push them over the edge to deciding to go to university in Italy."
"Some distance will probably be good for them."
Things got quiet as we both let our minds wander. After what happened to Keiko, I'm not that sure about university in America anymore. But I haven't ruled out Oxford. In fact, it's sounding more and more attractive.
But how do I tell Takashi? Our relationship is so new.
Ding
"Now what?" he asked, looking over my shoulder to see if there was a picture or video this time.
Kaoru's Twitter Account: Won at the batting cages! [pic showing Satoshi and Kaoru handing over cash]
"Idiots," I snorted and tucked my phone away.
"What?"
"They switched places. Kaoru was handing Hikaru money. Those two will never grow up."
.
University Cafeteria, Rome, Italy (Noon there):
"Do you think anyone else notices?"
"Maybe that short girl, Haruhi. They said she was their best friend."
"Should we comment and let them know we know?"
"Great idea."
Daniele Betto's Twitter account [replying to above Tweet in Italian]: Congratulations Hikaru.
"I can't wait for those two to visit over Christmas."
.
Sota's Playroom, Shido Estate:
"No, this one goes here, that one goes there," I pointed to the top of the sport shop. "The siren goes on top of the ski patrol building."
"Fine," Kyoya huffed and snapped it into place. "There. Are we done yet?"
"We still have the helicopter."
"Hey, look," Akito whispered, and we both looked over where he was pointing.
"Are you kidding me?" Kyoya mumbled.
Sota had fallen asleep, and we hadn't even noticed. We'd just kept building the Lego ski resort set.
Kyoya stood and shook the wrinkles out of his slacks, "I'm done."
"Yeah, we should call it a night."
"I'll let his nanny know," I whispered as the three of us snuck out of his room. "Guess I can turn on my notifications again." Sota had made us turn them off when we kept checking our phones instead of playing with the Lego.
Lots of beeps and dings filled the hallway as we all headed downstairs.
"Looks like Satoshi and the twins are having fun." I held up my phone to show them a karaoke video. Kyoya just shook his head. Guess he's having flashbacks from when Tamaki made him sing 'Piano Man' with him at the campfire.
"They have batting cages, bowling, and lots of other games." Akito smiled, "Maybe we should go there for our Friday date night."
"Sounds like fun."
.
Main Lounge, Suoh Mansion #1:
"My final dress design is almost finished. I can't wait for you to see it, Anne-Sophie."
"I can't wait to see it, my darling Renge."
I gave him a quick kiss and gently slapped his upper arm, "You'll just have to wait until April, my prince."
"It can't come soon enough."
"I didn't realize Haruhi'd settled her lawsuit," Yuzuru mumbled from across the room. He was reading his tablet rather than listening to wedding updates.
"She flew over to Seoul today to sign the papers. I didn't realize they did a press release."
"Not Petto Chinmi, but the factory company. It's a simple statement of guilt and confirmation of payment of damages."
"She was holding out for them to take responsibility. Once that trial ended last week, I guess they realized there wasn't much they could do."
I took the chance to quickly check my phone. "Looks like the twins and Satoshi are having fun at an arcade."
"Look, Renge-chan," he'd pulled up the arcade on his phone and was looking at the pictures. "They have darts and photo booths and air hockey and batting cages and gachapon machines and…"
"How about we go this weekend?"
"I trip to a commoner arcade!? Wonderful!"
.
Umeko's Office, Morinozuka Estate:
"He's at it again."
I jerked slightly in surprise as Akira came in holding up his phone.
"Who's at what again?"
"Our youngest. He's out at some entertainment place with the twins and a bunch of girls. It's all over Twitter."
I've been watching the tags all evening but didn't want to admit it. "I'm sure it's fine, Dear."
"It's a school night. His test scores have been dropping, and he isn't practicing like he used to."
I tried not to sigh. "Of course he isn't. The Olympics just ended a couple months ago. He's taking a well-deserved break."
"That doesn't excuse his grades dropping."
"They've dropped in chemistry and computer science. Two subjects he's not really interested in. And they haven't dropped that much. He can certainly recover. Let him have his fun, Akira."
"I'm still going to talk to him when he gets home," he grumbled as he walked out.
Satoshi's not as studious as Takashi is. It's not a failure, just a personality difference. Teenagers need time to have fun. Akira had to take on the family responsibilities too soon and didn't get that chance.
I'll talk to Satoshi as well and make sure he realizes that we're not angry, and he's doing just fine.
.
xXx
.
Tuesday, November 15:
Lunch, Dining Hall, Ouran:
So, this is the mysterious Ouran High School. Pink, linen tablecloths, floor to ceiling windows…hell, the floor is marble. I knew these kids were crazy rich, but this is something else.
"I'm glad you could make it today, Imamura-san."
I'd been standing in the doorway and jumped slightly when Haninozuka-sama spoke. I didn't see him come up to me, I was so busy being dumbfounded by the room. I really shouldn't be though. I was the PR representative for a Diet member before this job after all.
"Thank you for the invitation, Haninozuka-sama." I'd seen these kids be casual with their first names, but none of the On Okuri staff were ever offered the privilege. Not that I'm upset by that. It's a good way to deflect from their ages.
"As On Okuri's Spokesperson, it's important for you to know everything we do, and the Tuesday lunch charity donation is where we started."
He led me over to the group's table and reintroduced us. I'd met everyone before, but some only once at a board meeting. The four older members aren't here, just the ones still in high school.
And a kid in the elementary school uniform.
"And this is Shido Sota-kun," Ito-sama gestured to the kid next to her. His parents are my guardians, and he comes here for lunch on Tuesdays and brings his own donation."
"And I have seven from other kids in my class," he grinned, holding out a handful of envelopes.
"I'll take those, Sota-kun," Haninozuka-sama reached out and the kid put them in his hand. "Thank you very much, and please thank your friends."
"Who are we helping today, Chika-san?"
"The Maruki Gallery and their exhibition of the Hiroshima Panels."
"Oh," Fujioka-sama spoke up, "they are on our art history syllabus. The Maruki's, Iri and Toshi, produced the series of 15 paintings and opened the gallery to make sure the tragedy was never forgotten."
"Why do they need money, Chika? I would have thought that gallery would be…well," Houshakuji-sama paused then continued, "popular isn't the right word. Significant?"
"When the museum opened in 1967, they didn't have the archival technology we do now. The paintings have sustained damage over the years from storage issues, humidity, temperature fluctuations, insects, and dust. They're raising money to build an entirely new building with the correct protections and to also restore the paintings. They also want to create replicas for traveling exhibitions."
By this time, the kid had mumbled something about history being boring and turned back to his bento, but a couple of the students standing around listening reached for their wallets and added more cash to their envelopes before handing them to Haninozuka-sama. I'll have to check with accounting to find out just how much the average donation is. I was told it was the cost of a lunch.
.
xXx
.
After Classes, Main Conference Room, Petto Chinmi:
I reviewed the agenda, looked up and smiled at my gathered employees. This is what I've been waiting for. Finally, a meeting that doesn't involve that stupid lawsuit. There's no mention of it on the agenda. None.
"Well," I got everyone's attention and started the meeting, "now that we have our settlement and the lawsuit is behind us, we can figure out the best way to go forward and spend that money." I turned to my marketing director, "Gorou-san, I'm quite curious about your website proposal. Please walk us all through it."
She ran her hand through her hair and took a slow, measured breath. Not sure why she's nervous. We all know we need a new approach to the website. Tanaki-san told me they came up with this on the plane back from Seoul after they dropped me off in Nagano.
"As you all know, Petto Chinmi's web store is small and almost exclusively sells our food. Having a bigger presence online will increase our brand recognition which will lead to new store expansions. The challenge is from the several large online pet supply stores where customers can get almost everything they need (except our food). We're not in a position to compete with Amazon and others, therefore our website needs to be something theirs is not."
I nodded along, agreeing with everything so far. The question is, what did they come up with?
"In figuring out what to do, we went back to Petto Chinmi's roots. At its heart, what is Petto Chinmi?" She paused, but it was clearly a rhetorical question. "It's a high-end chain of boutique pet stores. We carry what the pet owner needs, but we also carry one-of-a-kind items and high-end ways to spoil your pets. So, the idea is to carry this identity over to the website with a marketplace for one-of-a-kind and personalized pet products which are handcrafted here in Japan."
"Handcrafted?"
"Yes, Fujioka-sama. Our website would become a store where artisans can sell their handcrafted items. Each seller will go through an approval process where we confirm their items are up to our quality, and then they'll sign a contract with us regarding their business practices. Once that's all done, they run their online store on our website and handle the contact with the customers and all the shipping. We'll take a percentage for processing the payment and hosting the site."
That's when it hit me. "The matching snow suits from the photoshoot?"
"Exactly. Right now, that seller has a small website and has to take orders through email. This would give them a bigger platform and the technical support they need. They could concentrate on production rather than the advertising and technology."
We spent the next hour kicking around ideas with all the different departments. Legal hadn't been pulled in yet, so Sato-san needed some time for research and possibly contracting out to a firm with the right background. We discussed hiring an entirely new webmaster and team because our current one just isn't qualified. Or maybe contracting out the website in its entirety.
"Alright, so Gorou-san will head the newly formed website team and flesh out the details and get answers to our concerns. We'll meet on Tuesday afternoons for progress reports and decisions. Any questions?"
There were none, so I moved on.
.
As the meeting wore on, I tried hard to stretch my back without being obvious. It's been too long since we had a full staff meeting that wasn't centered on the lawsuits.
Unfortunately, I couldn't help my back popping, and Fujioka-sama gave me a sympathetic smile. "There's only one more item, Tanaki-san. I'd like to host a holiday celebration for all the staff and their families. Suggestions?"
She let them go on for a bit, but I could tell by her smile, she already had an idea.
"All excellent ideas, and we'll for sure wait until school is on winter break, but I was thinking of renting out the Tropical Aqua Garden for a day. We'd do some kind of buffet for lunch then families could play in the pool and lazy river for the day and then do a cookout for dinner with fireworks after."
"That's owned by the Ootori Conglomeration, correct?" She nodded. "I'm not sure we can afford that."
"It will be fine," she said with a strange grin, "Kyoya owes me."
.
xXx
.
Late Afternoon, Kokyo Gaien National Garden, Tokyo:
"Oh," she gasped as she raised the camera up to her face, "it feels like a giant bonsai field."
Studying the hundreds of Japanese black pine trees, I guess Yuki-sama has a point, but I'm not here to enjoy the view. I'm here as her detail head.
"I thought you'd appreciate it."
And part of that is to keep my eyes on Jigoku-san and how he interacts with my primary.
"But the pines are green all year round," he lectured in a snooty voice, "so remember to focus on the autumn colors on the other trees." He put his arm around her shoulders and gently turned her towards the line of bright yellow trees slowly shedding their leaves.
I still don't like him.
Some of his mannerisms remind me of Yuuichi-sama. And he was a disgusting pervert.
They strolled over the expansive lawns, Yuki-sama stopping every meter or two to snap some pictures. He had his camera with him but wasn't shooting much. Too basic?
By now they'd made it to a huge tree full of orange and red leaves. "Walk around the tree. Look at it from every angle. Let your senses tell you the best picture."
She surprised me the other day, asking when my birthday was. I'm not used to my primary thinking of me as a person. None of the Ootori's ever did, that's for sure.
I watched as she leaned against the trunk and pointed her camera straight up. Weird, but what do I know?
.
"Just one more." I focused on the scattering of orange and red leaves among the exposed roots and took five more.
Jerking slightly in surprise when I felt a hand on my lower back, I turned to Jigoku-sensei, "We need to head towards the moat and footbridge if we want to catch it in the best light."
"Alright." I lowered my camera – not going to make that mistake again and walk into sometime while looking through my lens – and fell into step beside him.
It looked like a ten-minute walk, so now's the perfect time. "You'll never believe what happened at Haruhi's Petto Chinmi photo shoot…" I told him about how I apparently had the perfect picture and how they wanted to buy it for their campaign. And I couldn't stop gushing about how the rescue wanted my pictures to help adopt their pets. "I met with one of the Ootori lawyers at lunch today about contracts. He already forwarded me a basic one that covers the ad agency looking at my pictures, and he's finding me a lawyer that can work with me permanently for when they decide which they'd like to buy."
"That's excellent news, Ito-san. I'll forward you one of my standard usage contracts for your lawyer to review. I don't necessarily recommend using it as is, but it will help them formulate one that works for you."
"Thank you, Jigoku-sensei. I appreciate it."
"And when they decide which pictures they'd like to purchase and what for, don't sell yourself short. As an independent photographer, rather than one on their staff, you should be paid for the photo, then paid for each time they use it. I'll send you my rate sheet as well. You won't be able to command my rates, but it will give you an idea."
"Thank you again. I had no idea selling photographs was so involved. I didn't pick up a camera with the intention of becoming a professional."
"Maybe not, but it looks like you're on your way."
.
xXx
.
Dinner, Random Pizza Place, Tokyo:
"Hey, Hikaru-san, I was watching your hashtag last night at that arcade. Do you and Natsumi-san have something going?"
Shocked the shit out of me when she showed up. I'm not even sure why I mentioned to her I was going. Guess I was riding high on finally getting that bug out of the rendering program for the zombie sharks.
Gotta give Shinobu a beta copy of the game when they come out. She'll get a kick out of us keeping them in.
"No. I just mentioned I was going, and she showed up."
"Looked like a lot of fun. Too bad you didn't invite any guys."
"Duh," I gave them my trademark smirk, "what's the point of inviting my competition."
"Where is she tonight?"
"Homework." I tried to get her to come along, but with winter break coming up in a few weeks, she's buried. "It's her last semester before graduation."
"Oh."
I wonder if I should invite Natsumi-san on Wednesdays. She'd get a chance to study and get a great meal.
Nah – no one's taking her classes, so she'd probably feel left out. That and she's a commoner and not comfortable around just my money.
Still, there's got to be something I can do to help her get through this semester. I wonder when her birthday is. Or I could get her something for the winter holidays. Something to treat herself. Guess I could ask Haruhi.
Got it! Spa day! And when she's out of her apartment getting the royal treatment, I'll send in the maids to clean and restock her kitchen. Perfect. Who says I can't think about other people.
That's when the pizzas arrived, and we all fell on them like we hadn't eaten in days. Maybe I'm getting ready for another growth spurt, I've been eating like a pig lately.
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xXx
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After Dark, Jigoku's Studio:
"Thank you for dinner. I'm starving." I watched her unpack the food and spread it out on my worktable. We'd picked up takeout on our way back from the shoot. Didn't want to stop and eat while we still had decent light.
"It's no problem." It's just ramen. I can easily afford it for what I'm charging her, including for the time we'll be eating. "I eat there all the time, it's so convenient." The stand is on the ground floor of my building. I've got the entire fourth floor, half for my studio and half for living.
We settled in and started eating. "Once we're done, we can upload your shots from today and go through them. I saw a couple that were really well composed."
"Really?" She's so insecure.
"Really." Too bad she's engaged to an Ootori. If she were a little nobody, I could have a fun little protégé. Too bad I have to settle for my imagination.
"You've sold a photograph at the Noguchi Gallery and have two still there waiting for the right buyer to see them. And now you've got an ad agency interested in your photos and a dog rescue. Perhaps it's time to think about your niche."
"My niche?"
"Of course. Every photographer specializes in something. You've been taking a lot of nature photographs but are also gravitating towards animals. Once you decide something to specialize in, you'll be able to fine tune your techniques that much better."
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Author's Note:
Fun and fluff in this one.
Dealt with the spies, or at least all buy one of Junto's. She's going to leave him in place, figuring it will keep her father from worrying about her and he can also play around with giving him false information. Putting them in the trunks was Dad's idea. Hope it played well. He laughed when I read it.
And Haruhi's lawsuit is over. All the civil stuff is finished with this settlement, but the criminal trials will go on. I'm not expecting her to travel to any more except to see the big guys sentenced. But that probably won't be until next calendar year. What you read today will be the extent I talk about the amounts and what it covered. It's time to put it to bed and let her move forward.
Her talking about getting back to business and not being a lawyer came out as I was typing. Not sure if I'm going to have her rethink her career choice. Would she step down from running Petto Chinmi if she became a lawyer? Good thing I don't have to answer that now.
You've heard as much detail about Petto Chinmi's new website as I think I'll go into. Think of it as Esty, but in a much more boutique setting and juried first rather than anyone just getting to sign up. I'll mention the progress as we move forward, but not much detail. Just wanted to let you know what was decided and put it to bed.
Quick checkin with Ritsu's and Kaoru's offices just to let you know what's up with them. Kaoru's fabric buyer really isn't happy with him. Yes, I know in the real world designs and fabric are decided earlier than what Kaoru's doing, but I'm the author and it wouldn't be as interesting to talk about if I was discussing things that weren't coming out for over a year.
When I put a camera in her hands for Yellowstone, I really wasn't expecting it to go where it went, but it looks like we might have a professional photographer coming up. Will she give up on writing? I'm kinda thinking maybe she'll take the pics for her books. Again – good thing I don't have to answer that question right away. For now, Yuki's photography is serving as her confidence booster. But the issue with her instructor will be coming to a head in the next week of the timeline.
Didn't want to write the arcade, so I did a roundup with everyone following the hashtags. It's becoming one of my favorite ways to deal with something repetitive like the arcades or Neon. Let me sneak in some funny stuff and made Dad laugh when I read it to him. He especially liked my favorite part – those three building Lego while the kid fell asleep. I chuckle thinking about it.
I didn't get to some of the things I promised last week in this chapter. It was kind of a filler, but setting up some things and tying up others.
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Next Chapter:
Kyoya gets a friend…Cho helps bake a cake…the entire group is back together for Wednesday…Another photo lesson, but this one gets creepy…Date night…Haruhi's schedule gets filled up…and the whole group goes to a strip club?
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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Ouran High School Host Club. I also do not own, nor am I making any money from, the following: Olympics, Lego, any real restaurant, business, artist, food product, movie, game, location, or really anything else that exists. I do, however, own any original characters and the plot of this story.