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 Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:28 am
{I'll post with mule later, I think. xD Lazy to log out...} The six-star hotel was located somewhere in the city center, beside the business district. Yes, a six-star hotel. These were rare, but they exist in various parts of the world. Not ordinary people would be able to afford them though, for a night's stay in one of the least-cost rooms will cost more than buying an apartment; much too expensive for most people living in Japan.
"What's the special occasion, mother?"
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, Kiyo dear!"
Kiyoshi looked at his father, but he seem to be deep in thought... With an amused grin on his face. This did not worry him that much, but the fact that they were on a sudden family trip was. The previous time they went on a trip was last year, when he had just graduated from school and was going onto the High School sector of Ouran Academy. They had whisked him away to France, and introduced him to several cousins he did not know he had... The worse thing was, they had also tried to leave him in a house with a female cousin, with "respectable background".
Thinking about it still makes him feel tired. He had to spend the whole day locked up in the bedroom he had slept in to avoid that cousin, of all things, flirting with him.
"Welcome," A waiter at the door greeted, bowing as he led the Yamada family into the restaurant of the hotel. It was totally empty, with the exception of some staff along the way. They were led to a table for 6, and Kiyoshi started to eye his parents with suspicion. A table for 6 when there is only three of them? And had his parents booked the whole restaurant just for this trip? They were up to something for sure!
"Aw... Come on, Kiyo dear, don't look at us like that!"
His father let out a laugh, "Kiyoshi, your mother is right. There is no need to be alarmed... We've invited some... Guests to join us for dinner today."
"Oh?" Kiyoshi asked, narrowing his eyes as he sat down.
His father helped his mother sit down, before taking a seat. He winked at Kiyoshi, and nodded, "You'll see, when they arrive."
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:41 am
"Motherrrr!" Minori yelled, after having hauled into the limousine by two maids. "It's Halloween! I promised Mitsuko I would go to the party!" She was already in her outfit and ready to go, and now, she was practically being kidnapped off to somewhere.
Mrs Sagawa shot her daughter a wary glance, eyes assessing the outfit from head to toe. With a sigh, she tossed a coat to the brunette. "Put this on. And take that thing off your hair."
The girl pouted, but she recognized the no nonsense tone her mother was giving her. Sulking, she did as she was told. "Where are we going?" She demanded angrily, folding her arms.
"You'll see."
"So what, you want to have a family dinner?" Minori glanced around the restaurant at the hotel, pulling the coat closer to her with a deep frown. "You can always have it on another night. This is Halloween!" The girl hissed, trying not to draw attention to herself.
"It's not only us." Her father finally spoke, giving her a reassuring glance. "Ah, Mr and Mrs Yamada! How do you do?"
The girl's mouth dropped open. "Kiyoshi?" She managed to stammer out. "What is going on here?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 3:02 am
"I'm fine, thank you, Mr and Mrs Sagawa. Their daughter too... It's been a long time, and you had grown so beautiful," Kiyoshi's father stood up, smiling as she ignored Kiyoshi's looks. He gestured towards the seats, and continued, "Welcome, and a good evening to you. We are glad that you can make it this evening... We had to place it at this inconvenient time slot due to a busy timetable. My apologies for that..."
"Miss Minori?" Kiyoshi frowned a little, before turning quickly to his parents. Is this a joke? Why are Minori's family here? His inner muse replied "A rival showdown", but Kiyoshi dismissed it fairly quickly, knowing that this was something else. Hopefully, it's not what he thought it was... If it is what he's afraid of, he'll... He'll... Well, his parents will pay later at night. He threw his parents a 'killer' glance; if only looks could kill.
"I was invited to Miss Mitsuko's Halloween party, but that trip was... Delayed." He looked at Minori's clothes, and added, "After this, it's best that we hurry there. My clothes are in this bag," He gestured to a bag on the floor next to him. He then proceeded to stand up, pulling the chair for the youngest member of the other family.
"Please, take a seat."
Mrs Yamada nodded with a smile, "A pleasant evening to you... My husband is right; your daughter is beautiful."
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 3:15 am
Oh god. If they weren't in a six-star hotel, she would scream. Why in the world were they eating dinner with the Yamadas? Weren't they her family's rivals? Still, she reminded herself, family relations. Perhaps that was it. They had to improve their family relations. Then why drag them along? It was Halloween, for goodness sake.
"It is no problem at all." Mr Sagawa nodded with a grin, pulling out a chair for his wife. She nodded slightly and sat down. Minori glared at her father. No problem for them maybe, but her? Definitely.
"Uhh...thank you." The girl's cheeks turned slightly pink at the compliment while her father beamed. Minori made a little face. "So was mine. Thank you." She added, as she sat down on the chair.
"Your son is handsome too." Mrs Sagawa spoke with a slight smile. "Well then, they seem to be in a hurry; so would you do the honors or us?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 3:43 am
"You're welcome," Kiyoshi replied to Minori before stepping back and looking at her mother. He offered her a smile, and bowed slightly, "Thank you for the compliment, Mrs Sagawa."
The male then took his seat, wondering what parents from both sides of the family were up to... He don't like that look on his father's face at all. He took a glance at Minori, and going by their earlier exchange, he presumed that she do not know anything either... But one thing is for sure; if they don;t hurry, they're going to be terribly late for the party, and he hates being late for anything.
Mrs Yamada said a 'thank you', and nodded at her husband. It was time to tell the children their plans.
"I'll announce it then," Mr Yamada smiled, and looked at his own son before looking at Minori. He paused, musing over how he should phrase his words. Well, he should just go straight to the point, seeing how flustered the teenagers seem to be about being late for the Halloween party... He cleared his throat, his eyes looked into the eyes of the two youngsters.
"Both the Sagawa family and the Yamada family had decided that since we had been rivals for quite a while now, it would be best to unite the family businesses... Therefore, we had made the decision to engage both our children together. After the both of you graduate from High School, you two will be wed."
There was silence.
"Father... That's..."
"Wonderful, right?" His mother cut in with a happy tone, "You have such a pretty finance!"
Kiyoshi wanted to say 'impossible', but didn't have the energy to say so. Engaged? Why wasn't he told beforehand? The male would have glared at his father if it wasn't for the guests.
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 3:56 am
Minori returned his glance with a small shrug. She had absolutely no idea what was going on between their parents at all. She clasped her hands together nervously. She didn't like this.
"Uhh..." It took her a few seconds to process this information. Then it hit her. "Wait, what? An engagement?" Then a pause. "When did you guys do this? Why weren't we informed? And why," She demanded, restraining herself from knocking her head on the table out of anger, "Aren't we the one agreeing to this? I mean, an arranged marriage is so....twenty years ago!"
Mrs Sagawa shot her daugther a glare, silencing the babble. But Minori still couldn't understand. Why? Why? Kiyoshi was a nice guy, but she liked Takumi. And married after high school? What was this all about?
"This," She forced a smile on her face. "Is a Halloween joke, right?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 7:45 am
"It's no joke," Mr Yamada nodded, confirming the teenagers' fears. He paused, frowning a little. This was not the reaction he had wanted to see... At this rate, his son will probably rage a cold war against the whole family. The adult offered a smile before he added, "We had planned it for a while. However, we did not have the chance to tell any of you... Everything will work out fine; love often comes with time. After High School, the both of you would be inseparable! This arrangement is final... Mrs and Mr Sagawa had agreed to this as well, and both families think that it would be best if-"
"Father, Miss Minori has a point," Kiyoshi cut in, his voice icier than usual. He narrowed his eyes a little, "This is really an... Outdated practice. I do agree with your words, that 'love will come with time', but this is not the point. This is not the reason why we are protesting against the engagement..."
"Then what is?"
Kiyoshi almost winced at his father tone of voice. His father is a nice man, often cracking jokes and treating everyone as equals, even at work. However, this time, judging from his voice, he meant business and is not about to accept any reasons Kiyoshi might be giving... Still, it was worth a try, for both his and Minori's sake.
"Father, with all due respect, I wish to let nature take its course... An engagement is nothing short of forcing two people together, against their will. Miss Minori and I have the right to choose our own path, to find our own partner. Even if there is prior arrangements, such as this, fate will still allow us to meet someone else... This, I'm sure, is also the reason for Miss Minori's outburst. We simply wish to find our other half using our own feelings, and not because we need to improve our business."
"Kiyoshi Yamada, objection overruled."
"Father!"
"It is true that in the modern world, parents no longer have the absolute right to their child's wedding plans. However, in this circumstances, you and Minori will have to abide by our arrangements... Also, it is not all about business. True, it would be advantages for two of the world's most prestigious fashion design companies to merge, but it is also about previous promises... Since we had offered our children's hand in marriage, we cannot take it back," Mr Yamada replied, his voice was firm as he looked at Mr and Mrs Sagawa. He nodded at them, "Isn't that right?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 11:10 pm
Never in her wildest dreams had Minori ever thought that her parents would do this to her. Betray her trust. It just simply...ugh. Wasn't fair! She may be stubborn, but she knew how strong-willed her parents could get, especially her mother. Usually, she would prefer going along with her mother's plans, as usual, but not now.
Oh no.
Never.
She took a few breaths in and exhaled them in one breath. Calm down, Minori. She told herself. "I agree with Kiyoshi. " The girl admitted. That was the reason why she had reacted so violently. Ahhh, yes. So her parents were doing this to improve their business? It was rather logical.
The brunette shot a glare at her father. Hideyoshi Sagawa doted on his daughter, calling her his little princess, and usually gave in to her. But this time, it didn't seem that he would relent.
Life wasn't fair.
Takumi had just asked her out, and now this happened. She didn't even know how to face him later at the Halloween party. Head bowed, the girl listened sullenly to the rest of the conversation. She didn't feel like talking anymore.
Mrs Sagawa nodded. "Of course." She replied briskly. Her daughter couldn't object.
And Minori knew it. Tears were already prickling at the back of her eyes. Forcing them back, the girl stood up. "Well, since you've already told us, it's time for us to leave for the party." She gave a slight bow to the adults. "Have a good day, Mr and Mrs Yamada. I'll be going now."
Without waiting for Kiyoshi, the girl walked out, controlling her tears. It wouldn't do to cry in front of everyone.
It wouldn't do at all.
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 11:35 pm
"I'll be leaving as well... Have a good evening, father, mother. You too, Mr and Mrs Sagawa. Happy Halloween."
Kiyoshi quickly stood up, giving a slight bow before he left after Minori. His face was stern as he grabbed his bag and quickly went after the female, taking long strides as he attempted to catch up. He pulled the scarf around his neck out, and pulled off his jacket as well on the way. Placing these in another compartment in the bag, Kiyoshi finally reached Minori when she was leaving the hotal and grabbed her arm, being careful not to hurt her.
"Miss Minori!" He tugged at her arm, hoping to stop her. His eyes saw the tears earlier at the table, and he felt horrible. He could never stand a girl crying, especially not in front of him. He held out a packet of tissue paper, something he had found very useful these few days, with the days getting colder.
"Please, wipe your tears. I won't want Miss Mitsuko to see you like this, nor anyone else for that matter." He pulled out a piece of tissue paper, and pressed it gently on Minori's eyes. Frowning, the male continued, "The most we can ever get to becoming, are friends. This is ridiculous... I won't let my parents have their way. This is something too personal, something we have to do ourselves."
He paused, his features softening as he lowered his voice, "If we work together, I'm sure our parents will have to break this engagement. I refuse to go ahead with this... Now, please do stop crying. You look a lot better when you're smiling. Now, shall we go to the party after I change? I told the chauffeur to pick us up in 20 minutes."
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Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 3:57 am
Well, she didn't get very far when a hand caught her arm. Blinking slightly in surprise, the girl turned and gave him a sheepish grin. She had forgotten about Kiyoshi in that moment of fury.
"Ahhh..." The girl turned pink. True, she wouldn't want Mitsuko to see her crying; it would probably worry the girl to death. Neither did she want Takumi to see her red eyes, nor Satu. Or anyone for that matter. "Thank you." She gave him a weak smile as she took the tissue paper.
"They don't seem like relenting though." The girl's shoulders slumped. For once, her father seemed adamant about the choice he made. Pulling her scarf and coat closer to her as she shivered in the cold, she forced a grin on her face. "Alright, you go change then."
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:12 am
"You're welcome, and try to relax for the time being," Kiyoshi smiled slightly, nodding before he turned away to face the hotel. Now, the washroom was near the entrance, if he remembered correctly... He walked through the double glass doors of the hotel again, heading towards the male's washroom located in the lobby. It was good to have signs around the hotel leading the way; getting lost would be far too embarrassing, especially for someone with a pride like his.
It was about 7 minutes later when he had returned, dressed as a... It was difficult to say what he was dressed up as, and from the look on his face, he wasn't about to spill the beans. Maybe he wasn't dressed up as anybody, but randomly... In any case, Kiyoshi had taken less time than normal to change; he didn't like to keep others, especially females, waiting.
"Now... I hope the car arrives soon."
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 3:23 am
The brunette responded with a tentative grin and waited as he departed to the washroom. Putting a hand into her pocket to check that the flower crown was still there, Minori sighed. She would "change" into her costume in the car. Which meant taking off the coat, down with her hair, and on with the crown.
"Mmm? What are you dressed up as?" Brown eyes twinkled as he returned, examining his outfit.
"I hope so too." She mumbled. At least she could have some fun and forget this stupid engagement.
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 7:50 am
"Well," Kiyoshi frowned slightly, looking at his own outfit as he looked down. It did look like he had just randomly took several items and placed them together... Well, its too late to get a new outfit, and besides, it was a little original. For someone of the Yamada family, he had not really placed much thought into his Halloween costume this year. Maybe something was distracting him...
"Truth be told, I have no idea what I'm dressed up as, Miss Minori," He looked at the female, and paused before he continued, "Maybe a hunter of sorts... Besides, a Halloween party's main purpose is for fun and joy, and not really for the costume."
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Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 4:43 am
A grin spread on her face as she took in his outfit. Well, he would have to see hers when she got ready. "Uh...a vampire hunter?" She joked. It was Halloween after all.
"Ah, but dressing up is part of the fun." She countered, "Mitsuko and I discussed it."
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Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:29 am
He laughed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully at the joke. He gave a nod, adjusting his hat so that the brim casted a shadow over his eyes, almost hiding them in the shade, "That's a good idea, Miss Minori. At least I won't end up tongue tied when someone asks me about my costume later at the party... A vampire hunter; how interesting, in a way, yet rather common. Hm... And what might you be dressed as?"
"Yes, I have to agree," Kiyoshi replied, a soft smile on his lips. Then, he paused suddenly, frowning a little before he continued with a sigh, "However, I seem to be distracted these few days... Even the prospect of dressing up for a party didn't catch my full attention. Normally, I would be more than delighted at that thought... Maybe it's due to the newly reopened Host Club. I had been wondering how to go about it."
A glossy black limousine pulled up in front of the two youngsters, and a head peeked out from the driver's seat's window. The chauffeur gave a cheeky smile, and winked, "Sorry to disturb your little chat, but it's time to go, Young Master Kiyoshi. I'm sure you won't want to end up missing most of the party."
Kiyoshi nodded, opening the door and holding it for the female, "Miss Minori, please."
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