It was a tiring week to say the least, but not the kind of tiring work week that Haruka had grown used to and aggravated of for the last three years. It was the kind of work week where they were all just so busy with finishing all the necessary tasks to ready for the upcoming event that the blonde didn't even have any time to breathe let alone think of Michiru.
But as Friday morning's dawn broke and the still quiet streets only began to stir under her, green orbs opened tiredly, resolute on working just a few more hours in order to see the violinist.
Her phone vibrated loudly as the alarm for it broke off. Sitting in quiet contemplation on the side of her bed, she only let out a soft sigh before getting up altogether, grabbing a towel and underwear on the way to the bathroom.
A half an hour later, she emerged from the bathroom, beads of water trailing across her toned body and drops of it dribbling from her wet sandy blonde hair. She could feel the symptoms of withdrawals finally catching up to her as she stared at her semi nude form in the full body mirror.
Raising her hand to her stomach, she rubbed her sculpted abs affectionately, waves of hotness and pleasure settling itself at her core.
She frowned and swallowed hard, shaking her head to dispel the raving emotions overtaking her body.
Just…a few more hours… she thought to herself and turned away from the mirror, grabbing another towel on her bed and drying her hair roughly.
Walking to her closet, she pulled a fresh white shirt from her cabinet and pulled it on, buttoning a white dress shirt afterwards. As she began zipping her tan slacks on, her phone rang loudly from her bedside. Glancing at it, she pulled her belt around her waist before walking to her bed, answering it with an even tone.
"Are you up, dear?" her mother asked on the other line.
Smiling softly, she nodded before answering, "Yeah. I'll be coming in soon to help you finish the rest of the paperwork as well as attend the meet and greet 'til three."
"Alright, I'm already here. See you in a couple minutes."
Haruka hung up her phone and pocketed it. Walking back to her closet, she grabbed the blazer that came with the pants her mother bought for her only a couple days back and grabbed her wallet and keys before making her way out of her condo. Locking the heavy doors behind her, she walked to the elevator and pressed the up button. Several moments later, the door opened and there appeared Tenoh Yoshiko with what seemed to be her "strict" look: her hair up in a tight bun, stretching her face up to appear as if she was frowning when she wasn't.
"Ooohh, someone's serious today," the blonde teased and joined her mother in the elevator.
"Look who's talking," the elder female Tenoh stated with a smile. "You never sleep in the Tower unless you were being serious…" Haruka chuckled, feeling her weight heighten as the elevator rode them higher up Tenoh Corp. "Are you excited to see Michiru-chan?"
The young CEO gave a half hearted shrug, still feeling the warmth settling itself below her stomach.
Yoshiko laughed heartedly. "Liar…you can hardly wait…"
Haruka smirked widely as the elevator door opened and appeared their ever attentive secretary.
"Good morning Tenoh-san, Tenoh-san," she greeted with a bow as the blonde only nodded and her mother gave a proper greeting. "Some of the Board members are already here and are awaiting instructions in Conference Room A."
O--O
Haruka sighed loudly, boredom getting the best of her as yet another company's representatives came up to their table and gave an obviously fake welcome back greeting to her mother who only nodded back. The only consolation prize she could grab from the whole thing was looking at Richie Fields in the other table adjacent from theirs who after finally realizing that the elder female Tenoh was back and for good could only scowl…long and hard. She laughed inwardly again as she met eyes with his glowering blue ones.
Glancing at her watch she groaned outwardly again as the time seemed to pass by incredibly slowly; it was only one thirty. Yoshiko chuckled next to her and patted her in the back.
"Would you like to leave early?" she asked in mirth as she looked at the appearance of pure boredom pass from her daughter's face.
Although this idea seemed like such a great one, the young CEO merely shook her head. "It's not good for our company's face if I just up and leave after an hour and thirty minutes of a meet and greet that's supposedly the biggest deal of the entire year in property developing," she stated halfheartedly.
Yoshiko smiled at words she expected from the tomboy and patted her arm affectionately. "She'll be surprised to see you."
Haruka sighed. "I doubt it'll be much of a pleasant one…"
"Are you starting to doubt yourself about going today?"
The blonde chuckled. "Yeah, right…I'm going today whether or not my doubts get the best of me…"
"How are you getting in without an invitation?"
"I'm someone's date…"
Yoshiko eyed her sternly. "And she'll be alright with seeing someone else latched on your arm?"
"I'm not sure…She doesn't seem the jealous type…although I don't know what she'd be jealous about."
The elder Tenoh laughed loudly. "You really believe that Michiru-chan won't feel a thread of jealousy upon seeing you with another woman? Or better yet, have no reason to feel jealous at all?"
Haruka scratched the back of her head. "I'm going with someone she knows I've bedded before…"
Emerald orbs widened at her as her words dribbled out rather easily. "Oh Haruka-chan…you really are a player…"
The blonde laughed loudly, slapping away her mother's chastising hands. "'Kaa-san, you're not supposed to say things like that about your daughter…"
Yoshiko laughed and pinched her daughter's lap, the latter giving her a playful bad look after. Their lighthearted banter stopped suddenly as another random company representatives walked to their table.
O--O
At about 3:25 in the afternoon, the blonde stood up, kissed her mother's cheeks, and nodded in farewell to the other Board members. It had been a boring meet…the most exciting part of it being the hellishly busy week that had just ended. Getting to her parked Ferrari in the basement parking garage of the convention center, she looked at herself briefly in the rearview mirror before exiting the building.
She felt jittery…excited.
After driving around town to her penthouse in the Royal, she entered her bedroom and looked tastefully at the already pressed and hanging black suit she had tried for her mother back at their shopping expedition. Going back to the bathroom to take her second shower that day, she grabbed another towel from her closet and headed in to get started.
She discarded everything in the bathroom, throwing all the soiled clothes in a bin before turning the shower on. As steam engulfed her surroundings, she stepped into the warm water and stood there, letting the water drizzle over her tall figure.
Squinting her eyes to avoid the little splashes of water from stinging her emerald orbs, she looked down critically at her body for the second time that day and grabbed a pouf sponge. Of course she didn't do anything so strenuous today to merit another shower, but she felt like it and she liked smelling as good as she could. Nevertheless she squirted some of the body wash on the pouf and began cleaning herself, the little accidental or purposeful touches she made making her more aroused than they should've. Her brain managed to picture Michiru there with her, a picture she was more than able to concoct due to the fact that they hadshared a shower before. Her eyes automatically closed tightly as waves of pleasure formulated at the bottom of her belly and her hand began snaking its way down, almost as if having a mind of its own.
Touching herself lithely, she gave an audible moan of pleasure as near bliss erupted in her entire system—near bliss only because she was the one doing the hard work and not the violinist that she was thinking about. After a while her legs started to feel weak and all she could do to keep herself up was lean on the end of the marble wall of the shower for support, hot water drizzling on her heavy breathing, hunched over form. As green eyes widened suddenly at a deepened self-ministration, she moaned loudly and bit her bottom lip, ecstasy flooding her entire being.
Swallowing hard, her fingers made their way out, her body shuddering into the floor. She knelt there for a while, letting the water wash over her, a satisfied frown etched on her features. And she was not surprised at all when the flitting memory of the violinist's beautiful, naked form titillated the same frustrating feeling below her stomach. She stared at her right hand for a minute, noting the deep contours of lines on her index and middle finger and sighed loudly, the dissipating feeling coming back with a vengeance.
She grabbed the hot water handle for the shower and forcibly turned it off, the shower head making a slight change in decibel before sheets of ice cold water penetrated over her entire body. She willed herself to stay under it, a resilient look upon her toned features until she started shaking involuntarily, her jaw clenching to add to her already freezing figure.
Thinking of the violinist, she closed her eyes and forgot about the coldness that had successfully invaded her system momentarily, causing her to smile.
If she only knew how much power she has over me…
She opened her sparkling green eyes again and turned the water off, stopping the assault altogether. She stayed there for a second, feeling the goose pimples poke up from her creamy skin and finally pulled the glass door aside, walking out into the foggy bathroom.
Her "shower" had taken about forty five minutes. She stared begrudgingly at the clock that stated 4:20 and began dressing herself up into the black, waiting suit. She looked at her cell phone and noted the three missed calls all coming from what she remembered as Hikaru's personal line; she hadn't bothered saving her number. Dropping the phone disinterestedly on her bed, she shrugged her blazer on and looked at herself in the full length mirror. Taking her hands and brushing them over her still wet blonde hair, she gave one last smile to herself before picking the phone back up, pocketing it, and taking her wallet and keys from their nearby storage as well.
She closed the lights on her penthouse and walked into the always waiting and present elevator. As she waited for it to take her down to the basement garage, she redialed the missed phone call and waited for Hikaru to pick up on the other line.
"Hey sweetie!" the small woman greeted causing one of her thin eyebrows to go up skeptically.
"Are you ready?" she asked in what she hoped was an exasperated tone.
"Yep…I'm at my condo. You remember where that is right?"
She had good memory…of course she remembered where it was, seeing as that place was where they had their one night stand. Nevertheless, she answered nonchalantly, "Not really. Was it the Harada?"
"No…" The blonde smirked outwardly at the annoyed expression coming from the other line.
"Oh, right," she stated easily. "That was someone else's…where are you at?" She laughed inwardly, a mischievous grin on her face giving the only indication that she was lying.
"Shiro…"
"Oh! Right…what floor?"
"Penthouse Suite A…what else?"
"Alright, I'll be dropping by in ten minutes…be ready."
And before the other woman could answer, she already hung up. She smiled at her wittiness and pocketed her phone right as the elevator opened to the first floor garage. She reached into her pocket at the random set of Ferrari car keys she grabbed earlier and turned the alarm system off. Her head swiveled to the direction of a golden yellow 550 Barchetta and casually walked to it, opening the door and turning the car on momentarily.
It took her less than ten minutes to get to Shiro, a condominium building under the care of her company's rival group. She parked the car in the spot she remembered to belong to the Shou family and got up all the way to Penthouse Suite A by elevator. Walking to the set of double doors, she knocked a couple times before a maid opened it and greeted her quietly.
"Ojou-sama is almost ready, sir," she stated causing the blonde to smirk. "She asked that you wait for her in the living room."
Haruka nodded easily and let herself be led to the spacious living room. She sat at the edge of a white leather sectional sofa, twirling her car keys with her index finger in boredom as she waited.
"Would you like anything to drink, sir?" her maid asked before she left.
"I'm fine," she answered and leaned her elbows onto her legs, hunching her tall figure as she did so.
She was sure Hikaru was done prepping herself up for the event…and that the wait was just to annoy her. Nevertheless, she came out to the living room to a young CEO who was looking at her wristwatch for the nth time that evening in the time span of a fifteen minute wait and once she made her presence be known, the tomboy immediately got up and started making her way to the exit, not greeting her at all.
"You could at least say I look pretty," the smaller woman huffed beside her as they entered the elevator.
Haruka looked at her company who sported a revealing little red dress shirt that complimented her cleavage to the point that the blonde knew it was all the little boys up in that gallery show would stare at.
"There was nothing classier in that closet of yours?" she asked mockingly making Hikaru look up at her with angry eyes.
"You're making me wonder whether or not I should've taken that offer of yours and take someone else," the small woman stated dangerously.
The young CEO only smirked. "You can still do so if that's what you wish."
They shared a rough silence, the tomboy's smirk not sliding off.
"Just…behave…when we get to Michiru-chan's gallery. She and I were friends back in Tokyo U and I would appreciate it if you didn't give the same condescending tone I've spoiled you into thinking is okay."
Haruka laughed boisterously. "Don't attempt sounding like my mother after a mere one night stand," she stated lowly. "Every time you do it makes me cringe even more at the prospect that you think I might be interested in a permanent relationship." The door slid open as she finished such an insensitive statement. Not waiting for the smaller woman, she trekked to her sports car and opened the passenger door. "Be aware of your boundaries and I'll act like the perfect gentleman…"
She smiled confidently at her scowling company who only challenged her for a few seconds in a staring contest before going into the car and letting the blonde shut the door roughly after her.
The car ride was quiet and tense save for the one conversation they had: the directions to Michiru's gallery event. When they finally got there, the tomboy looked at her company for a second who had her eyes tightly shut.
"We're here…" she announced impatiently and blinked in annoyance as the girl next to her continued her silent mantra.
She sighed loudly in frustration after a few seconds which finally caused Hikaru to open her eyes and look at her, that unnerving smile back in her face. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go," she said too cheerily, which made Haruka all the more roll her eyes.
She left the car on as the valet opened the passenger's side for the smaller woman to get out, another man in a white suit bowing to her before going into her car. She took a ticket from the other valet who bowed to her as well and finally, both of them walked up the stairs, Hikaru latching her arm on hers as they went up together.
The blonde casually brushed her hair back in what she hoped didn't look like a nervous gesture and pocketed her hands. The one story building with tall imposing glass walls seemed already highly populated—she couldn't see the violinist anywhere amidst the well suited men and women. A guard opened the door for them as classical music wafted quietly overhead, Haruka hearing the familiar notes and smiling softly as Into the Shore played.
A quiet and dull murmur encompassed the entire room as she let herself be led by her company, nodding at other guests who acknowledged her presence as well. It took a good five minutes for both of them to locate the host.
"Oh, there she is!" Hikaru exclaimed excitedly, several seconds after the blonde had already found her.
She looked beautiful. Haruka smiled in appreciation at the elegant evening dress she sported: a vibrantly blackish hued garb with a halter neckline and bow knot back. It surrounded her curvaceous hips adequately, showing wonderful curves that Haruka wanted to reacquaint herself with and flowed into the floor in a chic mermaid style. She wore what seemed to be a highly expensive choker around her neck, her hair cascading in soft waves down her back.
The tomboy licked her all too sudden dry lips automatically. Coming here tonight was definitely a good idea. Even if she had to crawl to Hikaru like a dog…it was worth it.
As they began walking to the violinist who was obviously busy talking about a certain piece of artwork with a couple, a man suddenly walked and stood right next to her, a glass wine for her in his hand. Michiru, with her back to them, graciously accepted the glass and gave him a soft smile, his hand flitting to the small of her back familiarly.
Haruka's brow stitched automatically as the small woman stated in glee next to her, "Oohh and there's Jiro!"
Added to her frowning features, her hands had also folded in fists.
"Who is he?" she managed to ask in a low and dangerous manner.
"He is the son of the CFO of Michiru-chan's parent's company," she said simply, not noticing her change in tone. "Don't they look cute together?"
No… Haruka's thought process stated dangerously as she gave a closer look at this…Jiro.
He definitely had the playboy look down, with dyed, reddish colored hair that flowed in short waves to his neckline…the purported "Japanese boy band" look. He stood a few inches higher than the violinist…more or less the same height as the blonde herself and wore an all white suit void of a tie, his two top buttons unbuttoned for a small view of his tan, creamy, and obviously fit complexion. Haruka could already see the air of confidence around him, added to the fact that he seemed so fitfully snuggle next to Michiru.
"Jiro…" she said, testing the name in her mouth. "Meaning second son?"
Hikaru laughed and nodded. "He's the first though. His dad named him Jiro because he felt his first child was Miroku which was the name of the tea company that was in rivalry with the Kaioh's before they joined in partnership."
Haruka's jaw clenched involuntary as they finally got to hearing distance of the two couples that were still talking about the painting hung on the wall beside them.
"Well I will definitely talk with you again about this," the old man replied good naturedly, nodding with his wife smiling next to him.
"Thank you, Matsu-san," Michiru's soft, lilting voice said in reply as she gave a small bow to go with it.
"Michiru! Jiro!" Hikaru called boisterously, causing all the members of the small group to look at them with question and surprise.
Sapphire eyes widened slightly as emerald ones locked eyes with hers, catching her with an unguarded look. Then they flittered to the small girl next to the blonde and the barely noticeable, smallest of frowns creased her beautiful face.
Next to her, Jiro smiled widely in greeting. "Hikaru-san! Welcome back!"
They met in the middle for a hug, both leaving their partners to stare at one another until the small blonde woman, turned back to Haruka and said with the most proud voice, "This is my date…Tenoh Haruka," and just as quickly, the tomboy fell back into her confident, well worn out mask and locked eyes with onyx ones.
"Evening," she addressed and surprised both of them by taking out her right hand for a shake in a more westernized greeting. "Tenoh Haruka."
A mirror of her confident smirk reflected back to her as the man took her hand. "Sugiura Jiro."
Their hands met in a rough, almost painful, almost disrespecting shake, neither one's smile or locked eyes sliding off. The competitive nature of it almost made Haruka smirk outwardly.
I get her to come at least once every night she spends with me…and I bet your dick has yet to find the entrance.
Her smile widened, doubling the strength of her hand shake. She noticed the painful expression grace the man's face and finally let off, letting him have one last press before he backed off as well.
"Tenoh-san," Michiru greeted from beside him, clearly noticing what just occurred between the two "gentlemen". "It's funny how we keep on running into each other."
Her eyes held the look of confusion…as well as a tad bit of anger.
"Kaioh-san," Haruka greeted with a bow. "I must say it's entirely my fault this time. Hikaru asked me to come with her to this event and I haven't seen her for a while, so it was the perfect reason to get together." And she slung her arms across her company's shoulder just for good measure, a confident smile atop her face.
Hikaru gave her a strange look before stepping up to the evenly faced violinist and gathered her in a hug. "Michiru! I missed you!"
"Hikaru-san, welcome back," the small woman greeted and returned the hug, her eyes still trained on the smirking tomboy's.
"Now that you're here, we can have some dinner," Jiro said easily and turned to Haruka. "You will join us, won't you Tenoh-san?"
They locked eyes again, the man before her smiling easily as she just gave a flat look back. "Of course."
The gallery was connected to a restaurant and winery, both buildings belonging to the same owner who one had to pay a tremendous amount of money to for a single night's rental which included the valet, chefs, and waiters and waitresses that answered to everyone's beck and call.
All four of them were seated in the very middle of the small, but handsome restaurant, Haruka and her date in one side, and Michiru and her date in the other, both "friends" sitting in front of one another.
After they all had ordered their dinner, it was surprisingly Jiro who had the most to say. He turned to the young CEO, leaning into the violinist much closer than Haruka wanted him to be. "So Tenoh-san…I heard you were the one to sell Shinji Oji-san a penthouse."
How he called Michiru's father so familiarly irked her, but she showed no outward signs of distress. Instead she just nodded and replied, "Kaioh-san stated that his estate had become too cramped—
His rough laughter made her stop herself as he slapped his hand to his knee. "Yeah, he also told me how he had to explain to you why," he said in between his mirth. "I mean, I heard you were socially dense…but I didn't realize it was such a bad case until after he told me that!"
"Jiro…" Michiru called quietly, her voice with an obvious tone of warning.
"Funny you should say," Haruka began, eyeing the smirking man to her side and seeing the violinist look at her from her peripherals. "You said you've heard of me, but I can't say I've ever heard of you."
And that small statement was all she needed to say to make the tall man's confident smirk slide off into a scowl.
"Haruka…" Hikaru called next to her, but she barely paid her any attention, choosing to lock eyes with Jiro instead.
She could feel it already bubbling in her…the unadulterated hate she felt for a man she didn't even know. But the way he stood next to the violinist…the way he touched her, and spoke to her, had definitely rubbed her the wrong way…because he was doing everything she wanted to do with Michiru in the face of other people.
The bad vibe simmered off the table momentarily as everyone took a sip of their wine, but it was obvious the storm hadn't passed yet because the tomboy could see the only man in the table beginning to open his mouth yet again.
"Isn't there an important matter you're supposed to be attending right now Tenoh-san?" he asked, his wine glass still in his hand.
Haruka sighed inwardly at his little questions, but nodded nonetheless. "A company meet and greet with all the other property developing companies all over Japan," she stated easily, causing some surprised looks from the other girls in the table.
The red haired man smirked, a confused look gracing his handsome face. "So…what're you doing here then? I mean, don't get me wrong, but if you wanted to have a date with Hikaru-san, all you had to do was schedule it for the weekend. You didn't have to come with her here on such an important night for your company."
The young CEO nodded and took another sip of her wine, locking eyes with sapphire orbs momentarily before she put the glass down and looked back at her challenger. "Nh," she nodded. "Yeah, it is an important night for my company…but just as a lot of people there were, I can't say, pleasantly …surprised…you would be also to know that my mother's back as top CEO of my company…for good."
This earned her surprised looks from everyone in the table.
"So what does that make you now?" Jiro asked, leaning into the table toward her, only seconds later. "Unemployed?"
Haruka smirked at the chastising look Michiru wore on her face as she glanced up at him. Without looking at the well dressed man that was still eyeing her and still looking straight at the violinist who had by now noticed her even stare, the tomboy smiled wider and took another sip of wine. With the wine glass near her lips, she effectively locked eyes with the smaller woman and stated, loudly and evenly, "Even then, I guess having the title of former CEO is better than the current job title of only a CFO's son…"
"Okay!" Hikaru exclaimed loudly, her eyes flittering away from the red composure already firing up Michiru's company's face and looked around uneasily. "Where's our food…I'm so hungry…What about you Michiru?"
The aqua haired woman released an audible sigh as she reached up and touched Jiro's shoulder in the hopes of calming him down…and that little bit of action was what caused Haruka to continue. "And you also asked, 'Why not go out with Hikaru on the weekend?'" Sapphire eyes widened at her words as she stared at the depths of her wine glass, splashing it round and round in circles. She looked up quickly to notice Michiru swallowing hard as her eyes made its way back to her wine glass. "It's simple…I reserve the weekend strictly for my f-ck buddy."
The victorious smile and feeling had finally gone out of her system as she slid the rest of the wine down her throat, swallowing it in one fell swoop. She didn't look at any of their surprised faces, glancing instead at the waitress who had finally returned with all their food.
She felt sick inside. Sick of her situation, of her feelings, of the man called Jiro. But most importantly, she felt sick of herself…for calling her and Michiru's weekend rendezvous something she would never have called given the right state of mind. She stared passively at the plate of food in front of her, not picking up her utensils to start her dinner and join the others who had already started to ease the uncomfortable silence that had engulfed the entire table.
"Haruka, you should eat," her company stated beside her and even picked up some of her food to her face.
The blonde answered with a dangerous look on her face, one that Hikaru didn't even try to trifle with and just decidedly backed out.
"Tell us about New York Hikaru-san," Jiro stated quietly before placing some food into his mouth, his onyx eyes trained on the quiet CEO.
"It was fun!" Hikaru said almost too enthusiastically. "You and Michiru should go there…maybe for your honeymoon."
An explosion of pain surrounded Haruka's entire being…a pain that started in her heart and crashed in a fiery burn in the pit of her stomach. She looked up with shocked emerald orbs at Michiru's familiar face who couldn't look back at her properly, then at Jiro's handsome features who only smiled easily at Hikaru and nodded, adding a, "We'll definitely put it in the list."
She didn't know how to feel about the unexpected news that had suddenly invaded her entire thought process. Both of her hands balled into tight fists, but she didn't feel angry…not at all. Her heart pounded though…loud, and fast…painfully fast. She looked up at familiar deep blue eyes again, but the other woman wouldn't even give her a glance back. And it hurt… It hurt her to think that Michiru knowing she knew this meant so little to her that she won't even give her a simple look back. She bit her bottom lip roughly and finally looked away, her pained expression never leaving.
At that exact moment, all Haruka wanted to do was cry… Every beat of her heart felt like it was being crushed by some random God's powerful hand and the smile atop Sugiura Jiro's face served as that random God. She had never felt so helpless…so depressed…so defeated.
O--O
This was not the way Michiru wanted Haruka to find out about her situation. In the back of her mind, maybe she didn't want the blonde to know at all. She found that she couldn't bear to look at her in the eyes…she was afraid of what she'd find there. A leer? A look of disgust? Anger?
Her psyche forced her to look up momentarily…to find an expression she hadn't seen in two and a half months…ever since that night that she had come to her and they had cried on each other's shoulders. To her relief, the blonde woman wasn't looking at her because if she was, her resolve would've broken a long time ago. Her heart wanted her to reach up to the tall blonde and gather her attention by stroking her cheeks. She wanted to stand up and go to her regardless of the weird looks she'd be given and just simply…hug her…whisper sweet nothings in her ear…tell her it's alright…tell her it's a lie. It's all a lie.
But she already knew it had to end somehow…their relationship. With the way they were getting, Michiru already knew that to keep going would've been damaging. They were hurting a lot of people…people that didn't deserve this kind of hidden cruelty.
Maybe it was better this way.
"So when's the date?"
She looked up at Hikaru who asked and then at Jiro who replied, "Probably sometime next year…we're still kind of debating the date. After all, it's only been recently decided that we'll go ahead with it." He stopped momentarily as she noticed him look at Haruka's morose figure. "Tenoh-san, your food's getting cold."
She glanced at the tomboy's uneaten food before forcing herself to look up to sad, defeated emerald eyes. A heartbreaking smile flitted on the young CEO's face as she retorted, "Guess I wasn't as hungry as I thought…"
Haruka smirked, and Michiru's heart wrenched in agony as she viewed the tomboy's worn and overused mask begin to crack.
Wiping her mouth with her napkin, Michiru resolutely stood up and stated, "Come, Tenoh-san. Let's go to the bathroom." As Hikaru made to stand up, she only glanced at her momentarily before saying, "It's okay Hikaru-san. I'll be sure to take care of her."
Her voice held no room for dispute which made Hikaru falter for a second before finally giving only a small nod, Haruka already standing up and following Michiru to the bathroom slowly.
They didn't go to the bathroom. Michiru lead the taller woman to a spacious, empty storage room instead. Closing the door behind them, she looked up at the hunched over figure of the blonde, her emerald eyes staring dully at the floor.
Neither of them said anything for a moment until the blonde broke it.
"Congratulations," Haruka said softly, still not meeting her eyes. She placed her hands in her pockets and leaned back into the wall, still staring at the dirty floor as she did so.
The violinist didn't know what to say…how to react at such a defeated figure she wasn't expecting. She realized it was a big deal…that it was a big discovery…but the blonde shouldn't have been this affected.
"Haruka, I'm sorry for not telling you," she said softly and stared sadly at the taller girl.
It shouldn't have mattered this much to her.
They shared a bit of silence for a second before Haruka closed her eyes tightly and stood her ground, jaws clenched, body stiff. Michiru was afraid for a second that maybe something had somehow snapped inside the blonde and stepped to her, until emerald eyes reopened and stared resolutely back at her. The look she gave her was unfamiliar, a heavy frown creased on her handsome features.
"No commitments. When you want to talk we can talk. When you want to act as if you don't know me, I don't know you either. Just as it started so casually, we can end it casually. Just say you're done and we're done. No gray areas…just black and white." Sapphire eyes widened as Haruka repeated, word for word, the sentences she uttered the morning they decided of their relationship. Sparkless green eyes bore deep into hers as the tall girl repeated, as if saying it in a mantra, "Just say you're done…and we're done."
Michiru swallowed audibly at the robotic way Haruka was talking to her which all the more added to her confusion and guilt. It wasn't supposed to be this hard. It wasn't supposed to hurt this much.
She broke their eye contact and looked away, unable to suppress the overwhelming emotions dammed inside her. She wasn't done…not by a long shot. Maybe she wanted to keep this relationship as it was forever… But then again, that was a too selfish wish for even Haruka to grant.
From the get go, it had been her wish…this entire relationship. She wanted it. She was the one who needed it. It had been both their ideas, but it had been her who needed it more than the other. She never thought of it ending… But she had to make a decision…one that she had to make now.
Never one to think insensibly, she thought of the many pros to it…as well as the many cons, the biggest of which was that she was going to lose Haruka…and none of the pros in her little list could vouch for that loss.
She wondered briefly as to whether or not it hurt this much for the blonde…and why she was looking at her with such a pained expression before coming to the saddening conclusion that they both had fallen for one another inadvertently in a relationship that would never work out in the end.
Michiru looked up again at stormy emerald eyes, seeing the familiar look of content and love brewing behind the overwhelming emotions. If it was a different lifetime…if they were faced with just slightly skewed situations…she would have confessed everything to Haruka right there and then without a single care to the people outside waiting for them.
But it had to end.
Her heart lurched out painfully, throbbing with every beat it made as she gave one, small nod that answered the question the blonde had asked only a while ago.
The taller woman gave a momentary look of sadness before she bowed to her and stated, "It was nice doing business with you Kaioh-san." She gave a small smile amidst her nonchalant expression, opened the door, and left the room.
The violinist could only stare at the spot the blonde once stood and felt a piece of her die as she walked away. Closing her eyes, she placed her hand over her heart and wondered why it was hurting so much. Why did it matter to her this much…when it was supposed to be just the ending of a casual relationship.
She remembered the cute face Haruka sported the night they watched the scary movie…how she had latched on to her the entire night. How she woke up that morning with the blonde still holding her tightly…and how badly she wanted to stay and hug her for the remainder of the day instead of leave before dawn as they had both grown accustomed to. And the fact that she would never see that again…that she would never be able to hold Haruka like that again…or be held like that again…
A teardrop fell slowly from one of her eyes, gripping through her make up easily, and curving to her chin, dropping on to her black dress in its final descent.
Why did she have to give up the only thing that finally felt right to her?
O--O
When she came back to the table, she was surprised to see such an easy going smile on Haruka's features.
"Michiru, welcome back," Hikaru stated as she sat down next to Jiro, eyeing Haruka's smiling face as she did so. "Haruka was just telling us how she and her mom dropped in on the Board of Directors talking crap about her."
"So yeah," the tall girl said easily, and scooped some of the food in her mouth. Chewing it thoroughly and swallowing it after, she continued, "So there we were at the door leading to conference room B and everyone of the board is shouting in there going, 'We need to fire her!' 'We have to somehow get rid of her!' 'We hate her!' And in the middle of it all, I come in and completely surprise them…and tell them my two cents about their work ethics…and then after a few minutes, my mother came in as well…and I think some of their hearts actually skipped a beat from seeing her…" Laughter exploded from Hikaru and Jiro as Haruka stopped purposefully on her storytelling. "And then she was like if any of you ever talk ill to my daughter again, I'm going to fire you without batting an eyelash."
Laughter roared in the table as the tomboy gave an outward smirk, passing a glance at Michiru who only looked at her neutrally, a small, but unmissed worried guise gracing her eyes.
"Well I think we're about done with dinner," Hikaru said and sipped her wine. "Give us a tour of your paintings and see if I can steal one from you Michiru."
Unlocking eyes with the blonde, Michiru glanced at her friend before nodding, feeling her appetite ebb as Haruka's fake smile lingered in her mind.
O--O
It was nearing the end of the night and she was tired…of acting…Her face felt as if it would crack in two if she had to smile forcibly one more time when her insides literally felt as if Michiru herself was busily grounding them to the floorboards. In some twisted and sick way, the smaller woman did do that.
Disgusted with herself for putting on such an easy show, she casually put her arm around Hikaru's shoulder as the smaller blonde woman replied, "Yeah, we're going to go…Haruka and I have some…catching up to do."
The tomboy smiled outwardly, but inwardly vomited at the thought of spending more time with the other woman. She and Michiru locked eyes one more time for the night as she gave one last encore and stated, "A lot…of catching up."
A cloudy look came upon the violinist's eyes, one that the taller woman thought to be some form of jealousy before shoving the thought painfully aside.
She has nothing to be jealous about… All that she wants is standing right beside her.
Jiro laughed loudly. "So would it be alright to call up Hikaru-san for…lunch tomorrow?'
Haruka laughed as well, hearing it ring so hollowly in her ears. "Maybe dinner…but I doubt she'll be awake much for lunch."
The red haired man laughed some more. "Alright, we should let you go then…"
Haruka smirked and nodded as Hikaru waved, leading her out with her arm still around the smaller woman's shoulders. Walking into the coldness of the dark, moonless night she let her arm drop from Hikaru's shoulders and walked to the valet. The people there recognized her rather quickly and the two of them waited in silence for her Ferrari. Finally after what seemed like forever, but only took a few minutes, the tomboy drove out of the vicinity, Hikaru sitting quietly next to her, the confident smirk gone.
The drive back to the smaller woman's condominium was quick and in a manner of ten or so minutes, Haruka's Ferrari was parked near the elevators, both of them still inside the running car.
It was also here, that Hikaru didn't waste any more time. She released herself from the seatbelt and gave a sultry look at the blonde who only looked straight ahead of her. Turning her body around, she straddled the tomboy effectively, sitting on her lap, her breasts deposited in front the taller woman's face, as if she were giving a gift to the gods.
She brushed Haruka's hair back and locked eyes with her, the blonde's green orbs staring coldly back. She licked her lips and leaned forward, closing her eyes as her tongue inserted itself in the blonde's mouth. She received no action back, but smiled in spite of it, so sure that Haruka was just being a tease. She kissed her deeply, probing the deepest corners of the young CEO's mouth and biting her lips sensually. After a minute passed where she didn't get a single reciprocation, she finally stopped when deep and sarcastic laughter poured out of the blonde's mouth.
They locked eyes as Haruka stared coldly and calculatingly up at her. After a while, the tomboy sighed and brushed her hair back coolly, a handsome smile on her face. "For a second there I closed my eyes and tried to think you were her…but everything was just so different…"
Hikaru frowned angrily at her words, sitting back farther on her lap.
"You taste different, you smell different, you kiss different…but above all that…" Haruka's smile slid off as her green, irritated eyes locked with hazel ones. "You make me feel different. I've been so horny just thinking about her all day and you're so different from her that even now that you're sitting on my lap and giving yourself up to me…I can't feel a single thread of desire…because you're not her…"
Hazel eyes widened in fury as the small girl stared back at her, her mouth dropping to a silent "o" shape.
"Get out of my car."
This seemed to wake the smaller girl from her shocked reverie as her hand rose through the air and slapped Haruka's cheek roughly, the noise the collision made echoing through the parking garage and only being drowned by the purring noise of her car's engine.
"Go to hell," she muttered, opened the door, and left not looking back at an evenly faced, but very red cheeked blonde.
O--O
She sighed loudly, not catching onyx eyes on her. Looking towards the retreating figure of Haruka and Hikaru only deepened the frown already appearing on her otherwise perfect features.
Jiro gave a deep laugh next to her, being the catalyst to finally remind her of his presence. "You know, when Tenoh-san relaxed a little, she was a little better company."
"You didn't make it any easier," she stated with no hint of laughter in her voice.
The red haired man gave a small look of surprise at her as she turned away towards one of the last few couples still in the gallery.
It took another thirty minutes before the gallery was fully empty, save for the hostess herself, her company, and the employees. Jiro stood at the exit, Michiru coming towards him with a tired look upon her face.
"Want me to take you home?" he asked good naturedly as she merely shook her head.
"Satoshi-san's picking me up," the aqua haired woman stated while shrugging her coat on.
Jiro gave an outward frown. "I know you do these little public appearances with me for show Michiru, but can we make it just a little bit more…real?"
The violinist looked at him with eyes widened slightly before opting for a nonchalant look. "What are you talking about?"
"You and I spend about…two nights a month, once every two weeks…doing something that's great for the public eye, but we have yet to go beyond furtive…kisses." Jiro gave a sickened kind of look as he said this. "Sometimes, it's not even in the mouth—
"Jiro—
"We'll be married in a matter of a year," he stated with wry laughter accompanying it. "We've known each other since we were eight…yet I can't say I really know you only because you keep pushing me away. I mean, I know we've only finalized it all recently, but we've had this 'public relationship' forever."
"What do you want me to say to you?" Sapphire eyes looked at him seriously, a kind of defiant look he's never seen from her face showing itself.
Looking at her in exasperation, he stated, "Tell me it's not in vain…"
"Our relationship is not in vain—
"Alright, now say it, with feelings this time."
Michiru smirked at his words and looked away.
"We're going to get married regardless of your feelings," Jiro said simply, trying to lock eyes with hers. "I'm only trying to make it easier by telling you that I genuinely like you…and it'd make everything simpler if you'd only try liking me back."
"Once we marry you'll carry the weight of CFO in Kaioh-Miroku," the violinist stated simply, locking eyes with him now. "How much simpler do you want it to be—
"I want us to at least talk!" Jiro exclaimed loudly in exasperation. "I know you're busy with what you do. As well as I'm busy trying to become the best for our parents' company, but you really want to marry with us in this state?"
"Jiro, if it was up to me, we wouldn't marry." Sapphire eyes looked up at onyx ones without blinking, the bluntness of her words stunning the older man. "This is a business venture…it's always been. My parents know I won't be following their footsteps regarding the tea company and your father had stepped in a long time ago saying you were more than capable of doing it. They weren't pleased enough with that kind of statement so we agreed on an arranged marriage. You are to be CFO when we marry and then CEO when they retire. I will bear you one child that will be the predecessor to continue this long line of a depressing, albeit very rich and very old money generation family and the only part that I really care about is the fact that I may be the only thing that can change my parents' marriage now. If you wanted me to say it with feelings this time…that's exactly my feelings on the matter."
The tall man gave her an even look she stared boldly back.
"I've tried liking you, I really have," the small woman continued, looking away as did so. "But it's kind of hard when I'm taking the place of something my older sister should've done."
Jiro frowned, his eyes in a tired and depressed frown.
Looking outside, Michiru noticed Satoshi's familiar stretch limo and bowed to him before going out, not saying another word. Her driver greeted her with the same familiar smile on his wizened face as she only entered the limo.