Chapter 4

He was lost in her cold abysmal eyes just for a split second. Kyouya could have flinched at the way she glared at him. But there was something so enticing about her. Kiyoko was no stranger to dressing for glamour and she carried herself well as she was properly taught to. She raised her head and meandered around him gracefully, her curves enhanced by the cinched waist and the train of fabric that draped down the stairs. He watched her closely and refused to keep his eyes off her like a predator hunting their prey.

"Good evening, Ootori-san," she greeted quietly with a slight nod to acknowledge the fact that they were still nowhere close to being acquaintances. She stood at the very top of the staircase – leveling their stance. He still towered over her, enough to see the top of her bun that was nothing short of perfect.

Kiyoko rooted herself, her heels digging into the carpet of the floor. She stood up straighter with a relaxed deep breath. She kept her face expressionless as she always practiced. Kiyoko waited for him to speak but her pursed mouth already gave away the fact that she was growing impatient to address what he had heard – or possibly heard. But instead, he flashed her a dark smile – it was just enough to send the message he wanted her to receive. He would wait until the time was right. Even worse, Kiyoko thought to herself.

Acknowledging the errors of her family was admitting defeat. Letting the fact fester and grow into a bigger idea for the Ootori to weaponize was also another outcome that Kiyoko dreaded. Fuck it, she thought to herself. She'll let the Ootori play his game of chess and wait. Kiyoko could not analyze the Ootori's moves until he made a proper one. Right now they just stood in front of each other – both aware of each other's minds playing against the different outcomes.

"My grandmother told me your family was present," Kiyoko broke the silence. She kept her voice even, her tone factual. There was no point in standing around here and wasting more time than needed. All Kiyoko wanted to do was to go home, take a shower, and maybe disappear forever under the embarrassment of her father. She truly hated being part of the family – today more than ever.

"That is correct," Kyouya responded coolly.

"Well," Kiyoko looked towards the doors that led to the hall of the rest of the families that had gathered. "I can't keep them waiting, can I? That would be rude of me," she added light-heartedly. She smiled at him just like how she was taught. Like looking in the mirror, they both smiled in the same odd twisted manner, their eyes were blank but their lips had been conditioned to curl upwards in a way that only made others the slightest bit uncomfortable. They never learned to smile genuinely.

He trailed behind Kiyoko, opening the door for her as a gentleman would. The woman fought against the urge to roll her eyes at the gesture. It was the bare minimum, she thought to herself. Men who thought they deserved the world for treating people with the bare decency of respect deserved none from Kiyoko.

The woman spotted her grandmother quickly in the crowd. The elder immediately narrowed her eyes at the grandchild when she did not come back with the man that she had been looking for but softened her gaze at the boy who trailed behind her. It was a consolation prize, and not a terrible one at that.

"Obaa-san," Kiyoko greeted kindly. It made her sick to her stomach to speak to her grandmother in such a way in front of the masses. The Hibayashi clan would never address each other with terms of endearment, not in a million years unless a gun was to their heads. In this case, the attention of the public came a close second.

"Ootori-san wanted to come say hello," the girl firmly grabbed the arm of the man, refusing to let him escape against the threshold of the glare of her grandmother. Her blood coloured nails dug deep into his firm bicep, squeezing him as a hint to get him to speak before the grandmother lost her patience – she quietly reminded him that they were a family not to be reckoned with. The Hibayashis were known to be terrifying in their own right. She presented him to her grandmother like a sacrificial lamb. If he wanted to play this game, Kiyoko needed to tell him that it would not be an easy one to win.

The Ootori bowed deeply as was expected of him when an elder was present.

"I see," the grandmother nodded. "Where is your father, young man?" she got straight to the point. They were not a family who dilly dallied around small talk. Neither were the Ootoris.

Kyouya glanced around. "My mother is present with my sister. My father had some business to take care of overseas." He met eyes with Fuyumi a few meters away. The older sister then tapped their mother on the shoulder to make their way over to the youngest of the family.

"Hm," the Hibayashi matriarch turned her head to see the remnants of the Ootori family saunter towards them. She glanced at her granddaughter, reminding her to be on her best behaviour. Kiyoko adjusted her posture and let go of the Ootori, readying herself to reciprocate the bow he gave her grandmother to his mother instead.

Kyouya's mother gave Kiyoko a once over when she stood upright after her bow and nodded. It was certainly no look of approval but it clearly wasn't a glare of disapproval either. Kiyoko kept her expression blank, knowing that a smile would look pathetic. They had already tried playing the card of happy families and Kiyoko was fooling no one.

"I see you have met," the eldest Ootori raised an eyebrow. She turned to Kyouya before darting her eyes back to the girl. Of course, Kiyoko would be under more judgement than the boy. Was she pretty enough? Yes. Would she be able to fit the role of a socialite? Perhaps. Was she of the right lineage? Not at all.

Kiyoko nodded and informed the crowd of the news. "Kyouya was generous enough to purchase a piece from my gallery a few weeks ago."
"Oh," Fuyumi was surprised. The sister glanced at her younger brother, clearly amused by the news. "I was not aware that you two were… in business," the sister hesitated.

"It is the hope that our families are in business," Kiyoko's grandmother reminded.
"Of course," Kyouya's mother agreed. "Kyouya here is… quite sought after," she continued as she eyed the girl from head to toe. The young woman felt like she was being dissected by the eyes of the Ootoris. "Kiyoko would have to prove herself worthy to marry into the Ootori family."

Kiyoko clenched her jaw. "I understand." Everyone knew that the girl was not exactly from the most respectable family. It was the business that everyone wanted. She was just a pawn in the grand scheme of things. Useful until she was not needed. This was just how the upper class worked. Either you accept it, or you fight against the system that would never change. Kiyoko had heard it enough times that it did not hurt to be degraded to nothing but a possibility for marriage. There was a time where it would come for her to be useful and it seemed this was it. She was groomed for it, just like Kyouya was.

"Well," Fuyumi smiled. "Kiyoko, you look lovely tonight. Is that Elie Saab?" the sister tried to diffuse the tension.
Kiyoko nodded. "Yes, it is. Thank you," she answered politely. She had to play nice tonight. Fit the role of the woman they would believe to be of a good match to the Ootori. It was a near impossible task, really. Her family name was tainted enough that it was already an uphill battle.

"We should leave the kids, no?" Fuyumi offered. "Let them get to know each other."
Kyouya's mother raised an eyebrow to Kiyoko, as if warning her that the Ootoris had much better things to do than to mingle with her. There were other candidates for him, she said with only her eyes. While she was a great business transaction, she held little respect among the rest of the families. You win some, you lose some. And in this case, you won the business empire but you take a hit to your reputation as an Ootori to associate with the Hibayashi clan.

The young woman stifled a sigh and smiled to the crowd who had been watching her beneath a microscope. "I'm sure all of you are busy. I won't impede on your plans," she took the hint and stood by her grandmother. There were more families to pretend to forge relations with for the rest of the night, Kiyoko figured.

"Nonsense," Kyouya interjected. "It's always a pleasure to speak business with you." He offered a handshake. Kiyoko took it firmly. She was a businesswoman too. A firm handshake was always a sign of assertion. His hands were larger than hers and did not hold back on a strong grip to which Kiyoko returned with equal force in her hands.

The elders left the kids on their own, diverging into different families to network with. Kiyoko crossed her arms and exhaled, her eyes averting down to the floor to just take a quick second to rest. Kyouya scanned the room instead pretending to have already gotten his fix of staring at the woman for the night.

"Oh," the Ootori smirked in amusement when he noticed something interesting. Kiyoko could already hear the glee in his voice. "Your father finally showed." The Hibayashi CEO had found his way beside the matriarch, happily chatting away with some associates.

Kiyoko slowly looked around to spot the man and rolled her eyes at the sight of the disgraceful bastard she carried the genes of. "Well, I'm sure he is of more interest to you," she muttered, expecting the man to leave her be. At least this way she could leave the premises and go home after this terrible night.

"Would you be able to introduce me?" Kyouya casually asked, trying to gauge her reaction. "After all, you said to speak to your father for business inquiries," he pressed on.

Kiyoko watched her father from afar for a few seconds, evaluating the situation before agreeing to anything more. Where the hell was that little twat he was with? The woman wore red. Her hair was half-up. Her wrist adorned with a Cartier bangle – probably bought by her father. She quietly shuttered at the thought.

"He seems busy," Kiyoko observed from afar. Kyouya saw it as well. "But nonetheless, by request from the Ootori – I'd be happy to oblige," she flashed him a smile that he knew all too well by now. She did not crack under the obvious discomfort of the whole situation. The Ootori was half-impressed. They waited for an opening before approaching the Hibayashi in charge of the company.

"Father," she greeted lowly. Kiyoko had to remind herself that she was in public. Soften your gaze. Speak more relaxedly. Remember, we're playing happy families, she reminded herself. A role that she was tired of reprising over and over again. Kyouya made himself apparent by bowing to the elder, clearly more engaged by this interaction than anything else.

Meanwhile, Kiyoko looked around for her grandmother who was only a few meters away. She slipped out of the circle of businessmen, quietly latching onto the Hibayashi matriarch's side. The crowds had grown over the past hour or so with the noisiness of conversations murmuring in the background. Live classical music was on the other end of the ballroom.

"Did you send me to find him so I'd catch him defiling someone in public?" Kiyoko seethed, keeping her voice low. The grandmother shot her a look. Kiyoko couldn't tell if she had known about it the whole time but either way, this was not a topic to be breeched upon at a time like this.

"I can't even find the woman now," the granddaughter glanced around the room again. "Your son is a fucking whore," Kiyoko did not mince her words, no matter how quiet she was.
"That's your father," the grandmother reminded. "Unfortunately," she added sternly. "What did she look like?"

"Like she was my age. Red dress. Black suede heels. High slit. Hair half-up. Gold cartier bangle," the granddaughter listed all the details she remembered in the dark. "She apologized for having to meet this way," Kiyoko quoted with a scoff. The Hibayashis stood aside, pretending to have a hearty conversation behind their forced smiles.

The grandmother scanned the room as well, smiling at a few acquaintances. Both Hibayashis had mastered the art of pretending all was well while a fire had been burning down their home. They had lived in the fire for many decades now. "Well, I don't see her. I'll have someone take care of it," the grandmother murmured lowly.

"No," Kiyoko refused. "Take care of your goddamn irresponsible son."
"Son-in-law," she corrected. "And neither of you make my job easy," the grandmother shot back. "Shouldn't you be with the Ootori?"

"The Ootori is with your beloved son," Kiyoko reported with an eye roll. "As you wished, they are discussing business. Or whatever they do," she brushed off. Kiyoko did not stay for long with the men when she had bad news to report to her grandmother.
The grandmother narrowed her eyes at the girl. "Why would you leave the Ootori with your father?"

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Kiyoko answered, exasperated by the waffling of the elder. What did her grandmother want? Nothing seemed to satisfy her.
"You marrying the Ootori would dethrone your father, you idiot," the grandmother scolded.

Kiyoko was confused. "Isn't he aware of the Ootori's interest in our company?" Her father clearly spent more time fraternizing with women that were far too young for him. It was time he stepped down. The daughter assumed he had willingly come to this conclusion.
"I'm clearly the only person in this wretched family that cares about the family business. You took after your father for being useless," her grandmother lectured. "Go fix this," she ordered.

"I mean, if the cat's out of the bag," Kiyoko shrugged. She really did not want to approach the pair if she did not have to. "Maybe he'd try harder to keep the hospitals together."
"Kiyoko, you imbecile," the elder spat. She forged a smile on her face as per usual. "How could you think he is capable of keeping anything together if he can't keep it in his pants? That's how you were born."

Kiyoko blinked. "What?"

"Oh, so sorry you had to find out this way," the elder sarcastically apologized while glancing past the girl's shoulder to watch the sight unfold. "We have an event to partake in, sweet child. And I think the Ootori is just about done. You take the Ootori, and I'll take my bastard idiot of a son-in-law." Divide and conquer. No time to possibly dwell on the bombshell of the truth that had fallen onto Kiyoko's shoulders.

Kiyoko crept behind the Ootori, grabbing two glasses of wine before presenting herself to his line of sight. He reached for one of the glasses instinctively, a clear assumption that she had come with an offering for him. It was about time that she bowed down with respect for him.

"These are both for me," Kiyoko was quick to snatch away the glasses from his attempt. "Are you about done here?" she cut the polite tone and spoke as she usually did – no frills, no sweet smiles to add upon the question. It always took him off guard in the way that she was able to switch so frequently into her true self. Her deep voice had little patience for anything more than a quick nod from the Ootori. He took her cue to follow her into the hallway, a secluded corner with only the moonlight that lit the area through a glass window. It was her dress that illuminated the entire corner, reflecting off the moonlight that hit the right angles of the fabric.

She gulped down one glass in a hurry, leaving a stain of lipstick on the glass. She held onto the second glass and reluctantly offered it to the man before her, taking care to only hold the wine by the glass stem. Her nails were perfectly manicured, matching with the colour of the wine underneath the moonlight. The alcohol was still perfectly chilled and it wasn't half-bad, Kiyoko thought to herself.

"I thought these were both for you," Kyouya raised an eyebrow.

Kiyoko shrugged. "I changed my mind. I can share," she offered. "Go on, I didn't poison it," she added with a smirk. "I didn't get a chance to."

The Ootori grabbed the glass from her in retaliation, unwavering at the comment of potentially murdering him without blinking an eye. He wasn't afraid of her and he would prove it. He too, downed the glass. He was surprised by how smooth it was, deeming the wine not too bad for a place that usually served subpar products.

"I miscalculated," Kiyoko admitted without hesitation. She did not beat around the bush and came in strong without fear. "You were not supposed to speak with my father apparently."
"Oh?" The Ootori was amused at how the woman had laid down her cards so easily. It didn't take too much to break her, he figured. "We didn't speak about much – just the direction the industry was moving towards in palliative care."

Kiyoko never cared for the family business – it was always assumed that she was not going to inherit it. It was never spoken about as a possibility in the family. "I know you're after our hospitals. But my father does not," she explained.
"I figured," Kyouya answered swiftly. "He did not seem to be enthused at the idea of a joint venture in palliative care." He was however, more enthused by the prospect of a weekend golf game at the country club with some other people in the circle that he spoke with. A classic activity that Kyouya's father would have probably enjoyed as well. It was another form of networking, but Kyouya's tolerance for boredom did not extend to gold tournaments.

The woman sighed quietly. Even she, a businesswoman with the bare minimum of knowledge of hospice care, knew that one did not turn down the Ootori when it came to such an offer. The right move was to politely entertain the idea and move on. Her father was a prideful man, inheriting a business that he did not build but felt entitled to anyway. The man had held it together with the help of her grandmother who clearly called the shots behind the scenes.

"Alright," Kiyoko needed to confirm that her father had not gotten wind of what her grandmother had planned and it seemed like the task was done. It was fixed, at least for now. She picked up her used wine glass from the window ledge and walked past the Ootori. "Good night, Ootori-san," she bid her farewell.

"Wait," Kyouya called her back. "That's it?" He was expecting something more than just a quick rundown of what he spoke about with the Hibayashi CEO.

Kiyoko turned around and looked at him with equal confusion. "Were there any other things on the agenda to discuss?" she responded coolly, obviously ignoring the irritation of the Shadow King that slowly seeped through his eyes. She had left him in the dark without a second thought, refusing to even acknowledge the issue at hand.

"I thought we were here to work out a business proposition," Kyouya gritted after being baited by the woman.

"The business proposition is clear, is it not? It's marriage," Kiyoko rolled her eyes, genuinely shocked by she had to spell it out for him. What was the point of her showing her face to his family? Once again, this had proved that men were stupid. Kiyoko would have preferred to have this conversation with more alcohol – the headache had already begun to form at the base of her neck.

"And y-you're agreeing to it?" the Ootori wasn't expecting to stutter. He stood straighter with his arms crossed, maintaining eye contact with the woman. Her lashes fluttered in confusion at him when she squinted.

Kiyoko turned to face the man who only towered a few inches over her. Her legs picked up the pace to step closer to Kyouya. She narrowed her eyes at him, her eyebrows furrowing. "What's wrong?" she spoke to him as if he were a child. Her deep mauve lipstick had faded into a pinker shade on her soft lips. She always smelled sweeter than she looked. Like a field of peonies and freesia. He wondered if it was her hair. Her skin? He resisted peering closer to find out. How could someone who smelled this good be so terrifying?

Her eyes softened as she tried to read his mind. Kiyoko had the kind of eyes that locked you in, or maybe it was just him that fell for such tricks. He couldn't stop looking at how dark those orbs were. He too, was trying to read her in the same way she did to him. She didn't even have to touch him to hold him frozen in place.

"You're afraid," she declared triumphantly.

"It's you who should be afraid," Kyouya sneered back.

Kiyoko shook her head. "Why should I be afraid?" she laughed quietly to herself. She was meant for this. She was made to get married; it was a constant reminder in high society. Whatever feminist values there were did not grow upon their parents' generation. It was all she was good for, no matter how accomplished she was. Kiyoko didn't fight it – her whole family fought against social norms and none succeeded. If she was going to survive in this society, she had to utilize the cards that were dealt to her.

"Marrying into the Ootori family would be an honour," she mocked the words of what her grandmother would have said. "But you…" She glanced up at him, watching how his eyes laid upon her. She basked in the attention he gave her – she ravished in how vulnerable he looked. Her nail dug into his heart: a warning of what was to come.

"You will fall from grace into the cesspool of my family of horrors," her voice turned raspier as she slowed to emphasize every word. She dragged her fingernail down his chest, making sure that the sharp tip had dug into his skin through his shirt. "Your loss of your pristine reputation…" She could picture how the agonizing it would have been for him to think of. "How unfortunate to have to steep so low to achieve your dreams," Kiyoko chuckled to herself at the irony of it all.

Kiyoko took a step back to give the man some space, letting the truth settle.

"I was groomed for this, Ootori-san. Weren't you?" she asked softly, her deep sultry voice repeated in his mind. Before he knew it, she was already walking away from him. Kiyoko always earned the last word between the two of them.

"Haru," she called out to him on the couch. Kiyoko had held onto the pillow for the past hour in the afternoon. She leaned against the comfortable leather sofa, her legs crossed as she sat watching her brother sketch the stars with only the sound of the pencil scraping against the surface of the paper. She hadn't visited in a few weeks – things had gotten busier with the exhibition and the disaster of that charity gala only made her want to hide away from the world. Haru had been pleasantly distracted over those days, according to the caretaker. He hardly asked about his sister while she was gone.

"Can we just watch TV?" she pleaded softly to her adult brother.
"What are we watching?" he asked without looking up from his easel.
"Anything," Kiyoko offered. "Anything you want."

"No," the man refused outright, too focused on his drawing. "No no no," he repeated as he shook his head. "Not today. Maybe next time. Next time," he promised. "Yeah, next time," he said to himself.

Kiyoko huffed. "Please," she tried again.

"I said no!" Haru raised his voice at her. Kiyoko did not flinch at the noise. But the sharp pain in her heart felt like she had been electrocuted. How could feelings hurt in such a way that made you feel like you had been in such literal pain? She just wanted to spend time with the one person in the world that accepted her as family but there were times where that was made difficult. She couldn't even stay mad at her brother knowing that he didn't mean it. Instead, the pool of melancholy grew deeper into an abyss of depression at the pit of her stomach.

The caretaker winced as they watched the interaction.

"He's just very focused today," they whispered to the sister. "It's not personal."
"It's always personal because he's my brother," Kiyoko shot back, refusing to take the excuse from the healthcare worker. She huffed and began putting on her jacket. "Call me if anything comes up."

Kiyoko grabbed her wool coat and settled into her car before driving down the mountains and back into the city. She had hoped that the gnawing feeling at the back of her mind would dissipate but her body had other plans of instinctively bringing back to the place she avoided the most. She parked the car and strode through the front doors with her boots against the tiled floors. The sound of her footsteps echoed into the mansion.

Her legs took her into the study: the place she avoided the most as a child. It was always a place that was unsettling with memories of glass being smashed against the wall or screaming matches between adults. It was not a place for children, the nanny would tell her and then whisk her away immediately. As a teenager, she would catch snippets of conversations: over the rights of shares between her aunt and her father, conversations of what lengths they needed to take to conceal the existence of her brother, the impending scandals that the press had somehow gotten wind of with her father's philandering ways.

She wondered why she had been so stupid – to have assumed that she was not the product of a mistake after all these years. She barged into the study without a word, unabashedly declaring that she needed to know the truth.

"The truth over what? Misaki?" her father raised an eyebrow.
"I don't care about the women you're fucking with," the daughter snapped and dismissed the topic immediately. She hated knowing what her name was now. "How many illegitimate children do you have?"

"Oh," the man waved the question off nonchalantly. That was an easier question than he expected. The daughter had barged in here as if she was about to blow up the entire house – the Hibayashis were no longer fazed by outbursts and loud voices. It was just a regular occurrence in the family. "Just you," he responded easily.
"And no one thought to tell me?" Kiyoko raised her voice.

"What's the point? You should be grateful that you were even able to live and carry my name," he pointed out. After all, the girl could have been kicked out of this mansion and been forced to live the vagrant life. Now she was dressed head to toe in designer clothing and had the life that most people envied in the world. Somehow, she had the audacity to come storming into his home and yell at him for providing her with the life she never deserved.

"How could you not have any more illegitimate children when you're out there fucking anything that moves under the age of 30?" the daughter paced around the study, obviously unnerved by the thought of it all. It didn't make sense considering the habits of her father. Did she have other half-siblings?

"Your grandmother had me get a vasectomy after you were born," the CEO explained. "It was either get a vasectomy or have your maniac aunt own the majority of the shares of the company."

Kiyoko widened her eyes at the fact. As if her family could be any more twisted.

"Who is she?" she asked sternly.
"Misaki?" her father raised an eyebrow. "We met—"
"—My mother," Kiyoko spoke over the idiot.

The man shrugged. "Does it matter?" It wouldn't have made a difference to know now.

"You robbed me of the chance to have a real parent," Kiyoko screamed. "I carry your name in shame. I carry the burdens of this family on my shoulders alone. I can't even blink my eyes in front of the world because everyone is waiting with bated breath to watch me crumble into shambles!"

"I'm not here to listen to your whining, Kiyoko," her father shook his head and dismissed her outburst. "You're ungrateful and spoiled. You think I didn't lose anything when you were born?" he scoffed.
"What the fuck could you have possibly lost? You literally gained an empire," Kiyoko pointed out with fury.

"Because my back was to the wall! I was trapped – you would never understand," her father raised from his seat and threw his pen at the child. She dodged it easily, already seeing that move from miles away. It was a classic move that she had seen over and over again in her childhood.

"I would never understand?" Kiyoko screeched. "I'm the one who has to be used as a pawn by marriage when the time is right. I don't fucking get a choice here!"

She became the monster that she always imagined as a child. The kind that screamed at the top of their lungs while haunting the walls as they threw glass against the hardwood without hesitation. Kiyoko promised herself to never stoop so low: to become one with the family by using aggression to make a point and to intimidate their opponent when they were out of words to say. There was nothing that could express her rage. The more she stared at the face of her father, the more she wanted to inflict the same kind of pain and betrayal she had felt coursing through her veins on a daily basis.

"I fucking hate this family," she muttered to herself before storming out of the mansion.

Why would she agree? He wondered to himself. It had been weeks and he had still not solved the motive behind it all.

Kyouya shook his head. No, there was no way that the woman would easily accept such a position. To agree to a marriage did not seem like something the woman could settle with. His gut had told him that she would never settle. Not in the way she carried herself – every fibre of her being screamed against the social norm.

Even worse, he was made to look stupid in front of her.

"Oi," Tamaki waved his hand in front of his best friend's face. "Earth to Kyouya – what are you thinking about?" The club was having brunch at their usual restaurant. Brunch was the only acceptable meal for the Ootori to get up at a reasonable hour.

The Twins snickered. "Bet you he's thinking about crazy Kiyoko," they sang. "Your betrothed," they dragged out the vowel to annoy the man even further. "Kyouya likes the crazy type, apparently."

"No," Kyouya denied. "I'm tired, that is all," he gritted through his teeth.
"Did you see her new exhibition?" the Twins asked casually.
"You were invited?" Kyouya scoffed. Well, that was Kiyoko's mistake. How could she possibly think the Twins were considered elite enough to enter her gallery?

"Yes, we purchased a piece for our mother," Kaoru nodded. "The exhibit was truly well done," Hikaru added. "And mother loved the art. She had it hung in the dining room."

Tamaki's curiosity was piqued. "How does one get an invitation? It would be a fun date idea."
"Nah, you have to be one of the elite like us," the Twins smirked. "Peasants like you will never attain access… maybe you can ask her fiancé," they suggested with grin.

Kyouya glared at the Twins. "She is not my fiancé," he corrected.
"She could be," they sang. "Aren't your families talking?"

Haruhi tiled her head in curiosity. "How does that work? Your families talk. You draw up a pre-nup. You get married?"

"Yep," Hikaru nodded. "Pretty much it," Kaoru agreed. "Oh, and the wedding will be grand! An Ootori wedding," they chortled. "And then boom! CEO Kyouya Ootori. The main goal has finally been attained. Kyouya can finally live in peace so long as Kiyoko provides him mini-Ootoris."
"But what about Kiyoko?" Haruhi asked. Everyone always focused on the male counterpart but always seemed to brush off the role of the woman. It didn't seem fair.

The Twins shrugged. "She'll do what she always does – maybe retire from being a gallerist so she can bear tiny little Ootoris to take over when Kyouya becomes a frumpy old grouch."
"Shut up," the Shadow King huffed as he aggressively cut his omelette before shoving it into his mouth to avoid talking back.

"She's not that bad!" Hikaru laughed. "At least she's hot," Kaoru noted. "She dresses very elegantly. You'll make cute babies at least. And maybe they won't turn out so crazy," the Twins added.

Haruhi eyed the Shadow King carefully and diverted the topic slightly. "Why would she want to marry you?" They seemed like two people that did not want to settle. They hardly even knew one another.
"Why not?" Kyouya shot back, narrowing his eyes. He did not come to this brunch to get attacked from left and right. He was incredibly close to leaving the table and heading back to the office to do some real work instead of sitting around.

The lawyer shrugged. "Well, you two hardly know each other… it seems rather irresponsible to marry you based purely on business merit."
"On the contrary, it is quite responsible of both of us to look out for our family's best interests," Kyouya argued.

"But that doesn't make a marriage last," Haruhi pressed. "Unless… neither of you were planning to make a marriage that lasts. In which case, that's rather disappointing."
"It's just life," the Ootori shrugged. He had planned for that outcome anyway. It was all intended.

"But you'll need an heir someday…" Tamaki pointed out. "Parenting is better with a partner of whom you trust and love. Is Kiyoko someone you think—"
"Oh god no," Kyouya scoffed, clearly disgusted by even those words. He grumbled at the thought. Who cared about such things like trust or love… or whatever frivolous concept that the French man spewed on a daily basis. Kyouya had greater priorities in life.

"But would it be true?" Honey chimed in with a mouthful of berries and syrup. "If you marry her, you would become CEO?"
"The possibility would increase," Kyouya answered factually. "It would bring more business than any of my brothers have and it would strengthen our monopoly in the market."

"But what does she get?" Haruhi wondered out loud.
"The Ootori name, of course," the Shadow King rolled his eyes. Wasn't that obvious? The Hibayashi name was a title that she would have gladly stripped from. She said it herself – even if she was sarcastic about it, at least she acknowledged the fact.

"Seems like a bad deal to me," Haruhi grumbled. "I hope she knows what she's doing."
"She does," Kyouya gritted. "She knows all too well." And it bothered him.

Kiyoko was equally skilled in the same game that he played. Every time he thought she had shown her cards, she comes out with a new deck that he had to play against. Why was he so confused by her motive?

You're afraid, she declared. Her voice played over and over again. He was not confused. He was afraid. No, he thought to himself. That can't be true. He had nothing to be afraid of. She was nothing compared to him.

You will fall from grace into the cesspool of my family of horrors.

Exactly, he reminded himself. She was from a family of the mentally insane. There was no reason for her not to want to marry him.

How unfortunate to have to steep so low to achieve your dreams.

No, he was not steeping. He was not settling. He was above this. Above her family. Above her little mind games. Above her sultry voice that reminded him of the things that made him question it all.

Everything made sense. It was like going from Point A to Point B. From director to CEO. A simple fix. An easy solution. Why did he keep mulling over the thought?

I was groomed for this, weren't you?

He was. Of course he was, Kyouya repeated inwardly to himself. He was groomed to be the CEO. They both understood how high society worked, how family businesses operated, how they were made to be nothing more than a chess piece in the game of carrying on their respective business dynasties.

Isn't it obvious? You saw what she saw.

They were one in the same. They were both afraid.