She smiled- quite a genuine one if she'd say so herself. It was different from the fraud ones she'd give to her bosses and the annoying interns god cursed her. The announcement of her engagement to Daiki led to a grand celebration meant for their wedding day. The reason being two powerful heirs have fallen in love, saving both families from the trouble of convincing them into an arranged marriage.
"Daiki!" She squealed followed by giggles when he wrapped his arms around her torso to lift her up. Her pleas for him to stop in between her laughs slowly caught her families attention. Had a boy from a 'lower class' did the same regardless of her being in love with him or not, her bodyguards would've beaten him black and blue before throwing him out of their estate. Straight to Tokyo Bay is where he would've landed.
Her mother surrounded by her circle of friends adorned with the fanciest looking crystals they could get their hands on the latest bags from designers they can't even pronounce turned back to their conversation. "I see that your [Y/n] has been groomed to perfection. "
"I have no regrets of forcing to throw away that acceptance letter from that music school."
Her dad then followed. "She'd be living in a dump had she become a musician."
The hands above Daiki's went limp. Those new form of insults, hiding behind a mask called 'concern' never failed to disappoint her. She didn't throw that acceptance letter away, her mom did. Into the fire pit. "Daiki, I wanna sleep now."
Being as lustful as ever he thought that she was suggesting something else rather than just sleeping. Just as he was about to bite her neck, she removed his arms from her torso and walked inside.
She walked past her grandfather's grand piano. Just like everyone else in the mansion. It's been nearly a decade since she's last played. A long time ago since she's turned her back on her dreams of playing in theaters.
She stood in front of the piano, not looking at it but contemplating whether she'd let the best of her desire and walk over to it and play a piece she loved dearly. Then her shoulders slumped and she turned back. Heels clicking against the marble floors.
It was enough that her grandfather was the last one to sit on the stool and play merrily with her grandmother singing beside him. There was no point in playing for tone-deaf people. She made her decision and walked straight ahead, reassuring herself that Aomine came into her life to replace the sadness music caused her with happiness.
A lie so perfect and believable that it made her believe that she reached the epitome of life's happiness.
---
"Daiki let's go on a vacation on our wedding!" She exclaimed, allowing herself in his office. For an office facing the year-end's deadline, she was awfully happy despite the heavy burden of paperwork her fiance threw at her to translate.
However, being the vice-president never had its perks. "I'm busy. Get out,[Y/N]!"
"Is it wrong to visit my fiance amidst of all terrible things? Lighten up will ya, it'll all be gone even before you can imagine it." She placed all of the finished documents on his desk with a loud 'thud!' to bring him out of the hole he succumbed to. He looked up at her with his life-threatening glares.
"I've translated everything that you needed, talked to the investors outside Japan. Then I managed to score potential shareholders from Europe! Daiki, isn't that cool?"
"You're only the Head of the Foreign Affairs Department. Unlike us, all you have to do is sit around and translate."
Those words were enough to wipe off the smile of her face and make her shoulders slump down in disappointment. Tadashi, his assistant, didn't fail to notice the change in emotions despite the hell of scheduling meetings his boss gave him. Just as she was about to leave him with something equally painful as his words an employee standing coyly by the open door knocked.
"Am I disturbing something?" The tone she used irked [Y/n].
She turned to walk out when the girl entered. "Would you like to join me for something to eat, Tadashi-san?" She stopped by his desk, pitying him once she saw the dark circles under his eyes.
"I don't think the boss would appreciate me going with his fiancee."
Her bitter word broke through the facade she's put up since the day her mother burnt the acceptance letter. "He doesn't seem to appreciate me now. I doubt that he'll do so later on." His face fell. No one would ever expect someone as happy as [Y/n] to say something so . . . straightforward. She patted his shoulder.
"I believe in you, Tadashi-san."
She never said goodbye to her colleges. It was always some sort of encouragement and uplifting words.
Said in a lighter tone unlike now.
---
Taking her time lost in her own world and walking aimlessly around, she herself was surprised to find herself in Shinjuku when it was three stations away from their building. She finally took her earphones and felt hunger. Looking around the restaurants she failed to notice the group rowdy music performers with their encased instruments coming her way.
"I'm very sorry about that." Came a man's voice when she almost fell back from the impact of someone's shoulder hitting hers. Dazed she only nodded it was too late to ask him for his name. She stared at his back.
Her spirits were and still was in no mood to talk with people. The judgemental and pitiful glances people from tables threw at her only upset her more. Somehow when her order arrived, she brought up her coffee up to her nose. Inhaling its scent relaxed her. Still lost in her own world she didn't expect to see a stoic gaze staring right at her. She brought her coffee mug down, embarrassed.
"Your ring slipped out of your finger when my band bumped into you." He dropped the ring onto her table from his closed fist.
'So he was the one who apologized earlier.' He took her silence as a sign that she didn't understand his sorry excuse of Japanese.
"Your ring . . . no steal from you." He explained again, emphasizing each word.
Giggling, [Y/n] waved her hand. "I can speak English." She wore her ring around her finger. "Thank you very much."
She took in his appearance. Black tuxedo, bowtie, and hair slicked back. She noticed his baton. "You're a musician. Are you here in Japan for a show?"
"I'm a classical and jazz musician."
"I see."
"I'm Levi."He pushed forward a ticket to his show. "This is the only one left."
"Why would you . . . ?"
"You seem to be a woman letting the days pass by. Take a break for a while."
"Jazz isn't my forte, I refuse to accept this." Lying again, she pushed his ticket back.
Levi stood up, pulling on his trench coat. "If you change your mind, you'll have a ticket with you. À bientôt"
"Au revoir Monsieur Levi.Ah! Je m'appelle [Y/n]. Je parle Francaise . . . well kinda."
"I see." He smiled. "Well, it's goodbye for now Mademoiselle."
---
"Daiki seems to have taken a liking to her, hasn't he, Tadashi-san?" [Y/n] crossed her legs, watching them exchange compliments with bitterness in her eyes. Her parents laughed, dismissing the poor secretary with a wave of their hand.
"You've been throwing silent tantrums these days." Her mother reached out for her hand, but [Y/n] only moved away, crossing her arms.
"My dear fiance hasn't noticed my mood these days and all that he's been doing is spending time on work. Having that woman around him is getting me frustrated."
"Jealousy can ruin a relationship, dear."
"Every couple goes through a rough patch every now and then." Her father trying sound genuine only made her grip her pen tighter. He's talking as if she hadn't caught him bringing in women into their house when her mother was away. And her mother was talking as if their marriage was all but horrible when he did was degrade and take advantage of her. A faithful and happy marriage, that's what they hid behind too scared to face their own toxicity.
"We still sleep in separate rooms." She sighed, pushing her chair back. "Cheating on your significant other, now that happens often. Right, Dad?" Her demonic glare made her mother hold her chest.
"[Y/N]!" She exclaimed. She didn't listen to her mother's lectures and walked out to tell Daiki that she was heading home.
"Why?" He asked concerned, worried that her parents might've said something to upset her.
"I'm only an interpreter, right? Besides, she's here maybe she can help you." He sensed jealousy behind her words and felt guilt. "I swear, she's been being a bitch these days. I'm sorry you had to see that."
Tadashi was disappointed. One day he won't tolerate it anymore and defend [Y/n]. Maybe expose his own boss.
----
Maybe she was overdressed for an exclusive jazz performance after all. Heads turned at every table she passed by. She was surprised again. Not because someone like Levi would be playing in an exclusive bar although he did seem to look like a very professional musician. She surprised that she'd be coming back here.
"[Y/n]!" She turned to the bartender who was around her late grandfather's age. He looked at her through his thick glasses. "It really is you, huh?" He went around to the corner of the bar, calling for the other people who knew her as 'The kid who skipped school just to listen to Jazz all day.'
Suddenly she wished she was wearing her school uniform and had her backpack with her instead of the Versace dress and Louis Vuitton clutch. She thought she'd go unnoticed if she dressed like the image her parents wanted to be- polished and rich. She forgot that this was the only place where she could be happy.
"My oh my, look how much you've grown." Said the old woman from behind, the one who taught the ways of Jazz.
Levi emerged from backstage with his band. "That fella on stage have bars fighting over him."
"He's that good?"
Her question was answered when he played the opening notes to Chet Baker's 'Not for me'.
It flew by too quickly. She and her old friends [Literally old friends] didn't catch up with their lives instead they let her sit back and watch, listening to the music she thought she'd never listened to again. When the bar closed at 12, old musicians, smoking cigars and reminiscing about the past were left. She walked to the stage, her fingers hovering above the piano keys she once played.
"You lied." Levi confronted, he stood on the other side of the grand piano with his arms crossed.
"Excuse me?" She was taken aback with his straightforward statement.
"You said that Jazz wasn't to your liking at all. You came and don't even dare think that I didn't see you happily singing along to every song I performed."
This was his way of starting a brawl.
"I bet you can play."
"And if I can?"
"Why should I trust a liar?"
She smirked, slamming her clutch bag above the piano before sitting down.
"I have not played at a cafe in my life, but you're in my territory." She said through gritted teeth. With a beating heart, she played a few notes before plunging right into her 'death'.
Levi went backstage to retrieve Hanji's drumsticks-snatched from her. The bartender slyly turned the spotlights above the stage on. She smiled and looked at everyone.
"Moanin', Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers."
As their instruments battled against who could play louder and better, it only merged into one performance. The grin taking over her face was inevitable no matter how much she wanted to hide it. She swayed along the music, feeling happiness course through her veins. And as the song reached its end the old musicians applauded for the kid who once watched them.
She turned to Levi, eyes shining with tears of joy. "More please." She begged.
She played the opening chords to 'My favorite things'.
---
2:00 a.m.
Locking the door quietly, she had her heels in her hands as she ascended up the stairs. Disappointed over Levi leaving Japan in a few hours she hated herself for not lowering her mask and realized that she should've arrived earlier. Playing with him did, however, help her release the anger she' been holding back since ever. With her head cooled down and more relaxed, she wanted to spend the night with her fiance and pepper his face with kisses.
"Daiki!" She slammed the door open.
Taking in what was right in front of her, her face fell. Her primary instinct was to grab hold of the empty wine bottle laying on the floor. Hurling it at the headboard, the impact of the bottle breaking was enough to wake the woman who's warmed her spot on his bed.
The water running from the shower came to a halt.
Another empty bottle came flying towards him, almost scratching him if he hadn't moved away.
"Daiki." The girl whimpered, running up to him. He hid her behind her back when he saw [Y/n] swinging a baseball bat.
"I have no words to say to you anymore." She said, realizing that he wasn't in the right state of mind to deal with. "Both of you are drunk to even recognize me."
She dropped the bat. "Was it for a promotion or a salary raise?"
--
7:30 a.m.
Tadashi walked into the building with eyes red from sleep deprivation. Being a new parent was a bigger challenge than his boss.
"Tadashi-san you really need to take a week off." He felt his other boss's hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to look at her properly and say no, but stopped when he saw her dressed . . . casually. The luggage behind her made his eyebrows furrow together in confusion.
"Ma'am?"
"Can you do me a favor, Tadashi-san?"
---
8:00am
Tadashi's wife walked in the living room to see him glued down on the floor, repeatedly apologizing to her. "I knew about sir having an affair with her." Her eyes widened and she ran next to her husband to bow down. "He threatened to terminate our contracts if we ever said a word to you, ma'am. We're very sorry."
[Y/n] showed them both bags. Fat with money. "There's nothing more than this that I can do, I can never thank you both enough for helping me run my work smoothly. I've created an account for you at a public band, make sure you deposit it at monthly intervals to avoid suspicion. And Tadashi-san could you please do me one last favor?"
"What is it, ma'am?"
"Always do your best." She stood up and hugged both of them. "It may be a long time before I see you two again. And it's quite sad I won't see your little angel grow up."
---
10:00 a.m.
He needed to forget about her. She's engaged and he didn't stand a chance at all. He's a common man and she's used to riches. It's as simple as that.
The train's doors closed, the journey to her new life and an honest one will begin once it stops to the furthest destination she picked. Her finger rubbed over the place where the ring was supposed to be. No matter how much she wanted to hold her emotions in, her lips still quivered and was reduced to tears.