The Lazy Type

to change myself

Mirai however tensed, feeling that his kidnappers had let him go. Instead of trying to escape, Mirai simply rubbed his hands together. He wasn't in danger. They wouldn't hurt him, would they?

"Our boss likes making an impression sometimes."

Mirai rolled his eyes, not that his kidnappers could see.

Finally, after what felt like a century, the vehicle stopped and he was escorted inside a building. He let the kidnappers lead him through the building before they forced him to sit on a couch and removed the sack from his head.

Mirai closed his eyes at the sudden brightness.

"I said to bring him here, not kidnap him," a feminine voice chided in amusement.

Mirai slowly opened his eyes and saw who he recognized as Yuzuha Hitachiin and mentally thanked Kyoya for drilling the woman's appearance in his head.

"...you have got to be kidding me," Mirai deadpanned.

Yuzuha smiled at him, "You look just like Ri-chan."

"Ri-chan?" Mirai repeated, confused.

"Your mother."

Mirai froze.

For a moment, he didn't know what to say. Millions of questions ran through his head. Millions of reasons as to why Yuzuha knew her mother as closely as Yuzuha's nickname was implying.

"Really? Most would say I look like my father," Mirai recovered quickly, not saying anything as a maid placed a tray of cookies on the table between him and Yuzuha.

"Let me rephrase my earlier statement then," Yuzuha chuckled, "You remind me of your mother."

Mirai frowned, "If you wanted to talk to me about my mother, you would have contacted me years ago. What do you really want?"

Yuzuha smirked, "Straightforward, just like your mother. You're right. I didn't come here to talk about Ri-chan."

"You mean you didn't force me here, against my will," Mirai couldn't help but grumble.

"Exactly. I didn't force you here to talk about Ri-chan. I forced you here to talk about your little stunt two days ago."

Mirai raised an eyebrow, "My stunt?"

"You failed to show up at our appointment."

"..."

"I am the best at what I do, no one would ever think about missing the chance to work with me."

"So, you're pissed because I didn't care to show up?"

Yuzuha's smile thinned, "I'm just curious as to what makes you cheeky enough to think you don't need my influence."

"...I'm not," Mirai admitted, "In fact, you'd probably be able to double my job opportunities. But, I'm not a model anymore."

"...what?" Yuzuha blinked, clearly taken off guard, "You stopped modelling? Why?"

Mirai clenched his fists, "I've been modeling for years, but...I lack something. I don't know what."

"What makes you say that?" Yuzuha curiously asked.

Mirai breathed out slowly, his hand reaching towards his schoolbag, where he always kept a picture. A picture that for some reason, he couldn't keep his eyes off of when he admired it.

He quietly handed the picture over to Yuzuha.

Yuzuha looked down at the photo.

In the photo, there was a woman covering her front with a red towel, while exposing her bare back to the camera. On the woman's back, just where the spine was located, was a tattoo that etched vertically up and down. The tattoo was to put it simply, of flower buds becoming a beautiful flower in the middle. But, what captured any viewer's attention wasn't the tattoo, it was the woman herself.