November 22nd, Day 6/30
Knock Knock Knock!
Deciding not to dally this morning, I opened the door within the first set of knocks. This surprised Saeko and Lundi since it usually takes about three.
"You must be excited if you answered this quickly." Saeko smiled, heading to my bathroom to start running water. That was something else I'll never understand about rich people. Why get others to do the most trivial things?
'What's that for?" I pointed to the two large suitcases in Lundi's hands. They were matted black and had hundreds of compartments.
Lundi raised an eyebrow. "...Your things? We have to pack now or we won't have enough time. It's, like, two hours away."
Huh.
"What? What do you mean pack? Where are we going?"
Saeko entered the room, hearing my confusion, and looked at me just as oddly as Lundi was. They both stood before me with equal thoughts: 'He didn't tell her'
"Y/n, " Saeko tilted her head apologetically, " do you know how Receptions work?"
"Well, I thought I did...but apparently not. I thought they were just parties."
"That's just the first day. Receptions are for two days: the first one is, of course, the party. Here, tycoons can make friends, relax, and scout out possible sons to marry their daughters to in order to have biological connections to other powerful families."
Lundi crossed her arms. "And Master Sakusa-kun is going to be the number one target."
I shook my head. "I'm sorry, you said two days? This thing happens for two days? Ugh. And nobody's going to look at him because I'm playing as his girlfriend, remember?"
Saeko sighed. "You can put the lambs behind a fence but that doesn't mean the wolves won't try."
"Y/n, listen, these people aren't like you. They're inhumane. If they see someone they want is taken, they'll try and steal him anyway. And they will do anything they want to get it."
Ok, so what? Let them try. Let them try and steal Sakusa away from me and see what happens.
Because as of today, I am officially Sakusa's girlfriend.
And not just some high school girlfriend.
I stood up and opened a suitcase harsh, beginning to pile clothes in.
" Fine, " I said, " we'll just have to use an electric fence then."
The two were impressed at my determination. They went over to me and started refolding the clothes I had basically mushed in, pushing me toward the bath instead.
Saeko laid out some white-washed boyfriend jeans, a black belt with a silver buckle, a soft black longlseeve, and a beige checkered bucket hat on my bed. She was always really good at picking outfits for me.
I left the bathroom door open so we could still converse.
"What about day two? "
"That's one's easier, I suppose. After all the partying and making friends, it's time for the actual business."
"Huh? What's that mean?" I thought business was happening the entire time.
"Receptions are really important because they're opportunities for busy magnates to get in touch with other families that may be usually out of reach or too busy to make plans with. It's essential for any company since so many attend. Hundreds."
I sunk my body deeper in the water. I need to drown my nerves out.
"Sakusa's not a businessman though, so why does he have to go?"
Lundi entered with a hairbrush and started combing my wet hair. "Because he's a popular bachelor. And when I say popular, I mean popular. He was wanted heavily before, but after he stopped attending Receptions by choice when he was younger, he became irresistible. Then multiply that by his good looks and wealthy ties....you're definitely in for it, Y/n."
I remember hearing somewhere around this house that they were allowed to bring a plus one and it was almost always the oldest sister that attended. I can only assume, unfortunately, that was when and why Sakusa stopped going.
"So then why go back?" I asked."That all sounds like shit."
"As much as I want to say it's because of you, I can't entirely. In March next year, he turns seventeen, which means this is his last reception before then. Those ones are the most special because it means he's still eligible for untitled suitresses, which is a big majority of the daughters there."
She sounded uneasy as she spoke and slightly angry.
"What's an untitled suitress."
"They're people like you." She snarled. "Normal people with no ties to money or business. I hate it.--Oh, not you, the idea."
"No, I get it. "I brought my knees close to my chest. " So, when he turns seventeen, he and I wouldn't be allowed to date? Theoretically...of course."
"It's stupid, right?"
I nodded my head. It was stupid.
"But on the bright side...I feel like Master Sakusa-kun is the type of guy willing to break a few rules for someone he likes."
Heh, reminds me of the Good Student Itenirary thing. He broke a few rules on there, like breaking into a locked teacher's facility.
"He probably is." I answered, not realizing the smile on my face.
---
The time was now 7 am and Sakusa and I were headed into Hoshito's car. Mr and Mrs. sakusa were in their own chauffeured car while some guards, Lady Finn, and all the luggage were in another. According to him, it was rude to be seen getting out of the passenger side, so he made Sakusa sit in the back with me.
I was glad the party didn't start until noon because I would not be comfortable being in that dress for that many hours.
"Where is it being held?" I hadn't even realized I forgot to ask.
"A friend of our family's." He stated before going back to the window. He seemed uninterested in conversation, which was understandable. In the meantime of this drive, I attempted to find chances to implement possible tasks.
I only have a little over three weeks left and we've only gotten through, like, two or three. I am way behind.
If I remember correctly, I think task three was called Sleepover, pretty self-explanatory. He has to let someone sleep in his room.
I know he technically let me sleep in there that time we were doing task one, but he got Saeko and Lundi to take me out as soon as he realized so it doesn't count. It needs to be at least a full night.
The longer we drove, the less civilization there was and the more private properties there were deep in the forest. The properties were, trust me, at least a mile long of land. We would pass the beginning of someone's property line and wouldn't reach the end until ten minutes later.
The houses were larger than most corporate buildings in japan and the pastures upon pastures of lush grass were fit for cows. In fact, some of them actually had horses roaming around the property.
I saw a three-year-old riding a pony around his yard and he was feeding him golden hay.
Like, seriously, I do not understand rich people.
We finally passed forested Japan and entered the seaside ports. Our car was high above the water on a skinny road connected to the mountain on our right side, the only thing guarding us on the left was a small metal railing.
I had never been to the ocean before, so the sudden waft of seawater infiltrated my lungs like poison. I gagged and looked away, covering my mouth.
"What's the matter, Miss Y/n?" hoshito gleamed. "Never been to the ocean before?"
Sakusa looked at me, hoping I wasn't about to vomit everywhere.
"No, " I answered. " Why does it smell like that?"
"Well, the millions of organisms swimming around down there are responsible for that. Have you really never been?"
I plugged my nostrils and looked out the window once more. From hundreds of feet off the ground, the stone blue ocean was really quite beautiful. "No, I didn't want to bother my mom with booking vacations since she was always working."
"That's very kind of you. Perhaps, " He looked at Sakusa through the review, "Master Sakusa-kun could bring you there sometime soon. The address for your room at the reception is a few minutes walk away, and you'll have about two hours before the Reception starts."
I scoffed. "As you said, there are millions of organisms in there. Which means, for Sakusa, millions of germs."
"Nonsense! Master Sakusa-kun used to love the ocean when he was younger. Every single time I'd take him to his friend's house here at the seaside, all he'd talk about was how he'd go swimming and catching starfish."
Sakusa's brows furrowed at Hoshito's exposure, and I grinned, turning to him.
"You liked to catch starfish?"
"I wouldn't actually catch them." He defended. Catching starfish did sound bad. "I would sit on the rocks with them."
"And talk to them!" Hoshito interrupted.
"You would talk to them?!"
"....No."
---
"Sakusa, I don't know if I can do this..." I said as we walked up the mountainous steps. I glanced back at our car once more. Hoshito was packing a few items he'd brought; both of them told me it wasn't proper etiquette to help, which sounds so stupid.
I was also told that, as his plus one, I was supposed to stand on his right side the whole time. I was fully aware and prepared that the world of business was sexist, but all of these rules are making me want to break them more and more.
"You already agreed."
"Yeah, before I knew I'd have to keep up the facade for two days instead of two hours. I mean, what if I mess up?"
We were still climbing steps. There was an adequate amount, unlike someone's foyer, but the pool out front was threatening, to be honest. If there were a fight to break out between me and someone else, they could literally just throw me inside from over the balcony.
"The only way you could mess up is if you set the house on fire or kill one of the family members," he stared blankly.
I sighed and hung my head. "Trust me, I could probably manage that with my luck."
He turned his head distressed at me. "It's only two rules. Don't commit arson. Don't commit murder." Suddenly, he frowned deeply. "No matter how much these two make you want to."
The moment our feet stepped onto the stone platform, the huge, glass double doors swung open outwards. The two people in front of us tugged the corners of Sakusa's lips even further. Only now did I notice he was standing much straighter than he usually does, and he also wasn't wearing his usual white gloves.
He outstretched his naked hand and attempted to force a...less angry...look.
The man took it with a smile. "Hello, Kiyoomi."
He grumbled. "Hello...Atsumu."
30.