-Chapter 67: Shine for Me
"How did it go the other day?" Isamu asks me as he leads me to Aruto's office. "I know he knows you saw him. You don't have to keep that information from me. Did Yua tell him about it?"
I don't know how he can figure out something like that. Then again, he knows how my husband is. No one likes how he is, but they have to deal with it. The guy can get out of trouble easily for whatever reason and no one dares to speak against him. It must be his immense wealth and stupid smirk that keeps them from doing so.
"I don't think she's into telling him about what I do in my free time. He did give me permission to spy on Aruto, which I'm not going to actually do," I answer, sighing a bit as we step up the steps. I'm not going to hide what I'm told to do by Gai.
I asked Isamu to guide me over to Aruto's office since I trust him to keep an eye out for my surroundings. If I'm getting spied on, his trained eye will notice what I don't notice. I can tell when I'm getting spied on, but I am not trained like he is. I only know from experience what I should look for.
"I wonder how he knows what you're up to then. Do you think Abyss might be telling him what you're up to?" He thinks that Abyss would do that to me?
I shake my head as we reach the top of the steps. "No, I don't think that is what is going on, Isamu. Anyways, thank you for bringing me here." I turn to him and he turns to me, staring me in the eyes. "How is she doing by the way? I think about her a lot."
"Kairi or whatever her name is at this moment is doing fine."
"She's fine with going by Kairi. I will see her soon hopefully, but it may take time. Gai isn't keen on HumaGears, so I'm in a difficult spot," I respond. "I wish I could take her in though. I miss her."
He nods. "I am aware of how he is. I bet he is jealous of him." Him means Horobi. I do assume that he's jealous of him in some sort of way. "How one can be jealous of a HumaGear amazes me. He's Human and the HumaGear is not. Besides, HumaGears can't marry Humans."
"Right." I know they can't since they don't have the same rights as Humans do.
"Aruto, you have two visitors," Izu states and I look over at her. "What is it? Did I get something wrong?"
I nod my head. "Isamu will be leaving us all alone. He wanted to walk me over here to discuss something with me." We're trying to figure out what in the world is going on right now, but it is difficult to do so. I wonder if Horobi has been helpful to him.
She smiles softly. "Understood. Aruto, please greet your visitors."
Aruto looks up from his computer and his eyes go straight to me. "Oh, hey!" He grins. "What brings you over here?"
"I'll be leaving now. President of Hiden, it is nice seeing you," Isamu says, being absolutely professional with Aruto, and I look at him as he turns to go down the stairs. He's an interesting guy.
I look back at Aruto. "Is it possible to have some alone time with you to chat about something personal? It isn't anything too major, but it is something I want to talk to you about, Aruto."
He is wearing his typical uniform to work, which is his suit with his red sweatshirt underneath his suit top. His hair is light brown as it normally looks and some of his hair is brushed to the side, but isn't slicked back or anything. It has a fluffy kind of look to it in my opinion. He isn't stylish, but he does dress comfortable enough for himself to be happy. I think what matters is that he is wearing what he likes.
Aruto turns his head and stares at Izu. "Um...can you leave us for a bit, Izu? You can come back in about thirty minutes, alright? You can wait in the lab if you want."
"I will wait away from the office. If I stay in the lab, I might overhear what she doesn't want me to know." Izu looks Aruto in the eyes, hands in her usual place, and smiles. She is really a happy HumaGear and she enjoys working for Aruto.
"Alright, that is fine with me," he replies and she moves away from his desk. "Be sure to come back then!"
"I will, Aruto." She stops in front of me and bows her head. "It is great to see you here, Mari."
I hope that he doesn't think I look bad today. I'm not dressed as flashy as I normally would be in front of him. I don't want the media thinking that I'm trying to sleep with Aruto to help my husband's company. That isn't anything I wish to do.
I nod. "Thanks."
She moves around me and goes down the steps. It sucks that she has to be away, but I don't want to tell her what Gai sent me here to do. She'll bring it up and Gai then will get upset with me and who knows what will happen to me then.
"So, what did you want to discuss with me?" Aruto asks and I look back at him and his desk. He looks so professional right now and it is neat to see.
I smile and move to the seat in front of his desk and sit. I cross my legs and place my purse down next to me. Let's just get this out and over with so I don't have to keep holding it in.
"My husband sent me here to spy on you, but I have no intentions of doing so. It isn't the first time he has sent me to you to keep you busy and all." I look him in the eyes and he leans back in his seat. "Shocker, right?"
He shakes his head, eyes leaving me as he places his lips together. "No, that isn't shocking to me. I'm not surprised that he is using you to get at me. I always wondered if he wanted to do so with you in the first place with how you were over here all the time." Ever since he found out I'm with Gai, I'm sure a ton of things have been going through his mind.
"It isn't like I wanted to do anything to you that is harmful. I never gave him anything useful to use against you."
I don't even know what he would want me to tell him anyway. Does he want to know how Aruto reacts to me being around? He's not going to get much of a reaction today since I'm being quite modest today. I don't need to make Aruto think I'm trying to play him since I'm not. I'm afraid that he'll think that of me.
"I know you're not doing that me at all. You wouldn't do that to me." He looks at me. "I trust you."
"Well...about that..." He's going to hate me. "I have betrayed you when Horobi wanted me to. I gave him footage of all of you doing fighting with Magias. I did whatever he wanted me to do and if he would have told me to stab you in the back, I would have probably done so for Kairi's sake."
"Mari, I know he was blackmailing you with Jin. I don't blame you for your actions during that. You did what you could to protect someone you love."
I stand up and shake my head. "You're not understanding me right now! I betrayed you!" What do I expect from someone like Aruto? He's being nice as always and he's not yelling at me for making huge mistakes.
He looks up at me, eyes wide. "Mari..."
I look away, biting my lip as my eyes burn. Why is he being like this? Why do I expect him to get upset with me? Am I just used to someone getting super upset with me over the things I do?
"Mari, I understand all that you did for Kairi and I admire how much you care of her. Do I agree with how you handled the situation? No, I don't, but that doesn't matter. I wasn't in your position and I know you were scared of Allen and felt like you couldn't trust anyone but the HumaGears who threatened you."
I look back at Aruto as I blink. "Aruto..." I think I'm going to cry. Why is he so good to me?
"I am just a bit hurt by the fact you didn't come to me is all. I want to help you and I've always wanted to help you." Aruto stands up and moves around his desk. He stops in front of me and places a hand on my shoulder. "I will always try my best to help you."
"Why?" I shake my head. "I am not understanding why you want to." Yua said that he liked me, but I don't think he truly likes me, right? There is no way that he has those feelings for someone like me who has only caused him pain.
Aruto removes his hand from my shoulder and grabs my hands, holding them gently. "Mari, I know I haven't been able to tell you how I feel on my own yet. Someone else beat me to that job, but I didn't really confirm or deny it. I just said I should be able to say how I feel on my own."
"What?" Is he trying to say that Yua wasn't making that up?
Aruto can't like me because it isn't possible that I'm his kind of woman. He has to want someone who isn't into a HumaGear and who hasn't made terrible decisions when it comes to marrying someone. He needs someone who can be at his side and support him no matter what and that isn't me. It can't be me.
"I know there is no real amazing way for me to say this to you without sounding kind of lame, but I do like you. I like you a lot more than a friend and I have always liked you quite a lot. Especially the moment we met. You kind of just popped in and dominated everything. Of course, there are many sides to you that I don't really know yet and I want to." Is this a confession? Why now? Why to me?
"Aruto, why? How could you?" I shake my head. "I...how?"
I don't get this. I knew he had reactions to my looks, but to like me as a person? What is there to like about me when I've done everything wrong?
He looks down at my hands, squeezing them a bit, and smiles widely. "Because I like all sides to you. I even like the negatives aspects of you because they make you who you are. I think I've only hated one thing about you and that was your wedding day. I hated seeing you in that dress next to Gai's side."
"You..." He likes all sides of me? Why?
"You liked Horobi despite what he did to everyone. So, Mari, I can like you despite what you have done wrong in your life. After all, no one is perfect. We should all try living a proper life that makes people happier, right?"
He isn't wrong that I liked Horobi despite all the bad things that he did. Horobi was just so wonderful to me for some reason. I still don't get why I let myself get pulled to him. He's dangerous and he's not kind. He's everything a woman and man should avoid when it comes to falling in love. He's the typical bad guy character, but instead of being a human he's a robot.
"Aruto..." I really want to cry now. I really, really want to cry right now and I don't get all of what is going on inside of me.
There is nothing absolutely mind blowing about his words right now, but they're beautiful. They're so beautiful to me because they make no sense to me. I should understand it properly, but I can't. It is like I want to have this piece of happiness, but I just don't feel like it is mine to have. I have been told all kinds of beautiful words before, which ended up being false, but his are nearly perfect. It would be perfect if I was single.
"You can have anything you want if you believe it. Of course, nothing horrible."
I nod slowly. "I know."
"And if you're not interested in me, that is absolutely fine with me. I get that you have your heart set on someone who isn't with us still and I can respect that." Oh, right! He thinks Horobi is dead and I have to keep it that way sadly. "I won't force you to accept my feelings or do what I think is best for you like some others in the world."
I don't know how to describe how I feel for Aruto. I didn't come here expecting to hear a confession from him. He has a lot of nerve for confessing to a married woman and that is something that is amazing to me. Almost everything about this man is remarkable and so amazing.
I swallow hard as tears roll down my cheeks. "Isn't it my face you like, right?" I have to be sure. "Is that why you're confessing to me? Is it because I'm beautiful and have a face you like? You know, like why Allen married me?" He only wanted me because of Elise. If I didn't have her face originally, I would be a free woman right now.
"Your face is a plus. I want to know both Juli and Mari more, but only if you want me to." He squeezes my hands again. "Mari, I want to know everything I can about you. But you have to decide if you want that or not, alright? I won't force you to do so."
"I am married you know." I know he won't force me to do anything I don't want to do unless it has to be done. Like if I need to put Horobi down, he will have me do so.
"We both know it isn't an actual marriage. That man only married you for his own good." Aruto knows Gai pretty dang well despite only knowing about him for a bit now. "And please don't cry. You have no reason to cry at all when you've done nothing to deserve that marriage to him."
"But I do. I don't know how to answer you other than just...I don't know..." I need to do something and I need to do it now.
I remove his hands from mine, pulling them out of his hands, and I lift them to his face. I cup his cheeks and lean in, placing my lips against his gently. I hope that my lips aren't dry or too wet right now. I don't want to make him disgusted. That is the last thing I want to do to him.
Aruto's eyes go wide and I close my eyes, keeping my lips on his warm ones. I'm pretty sure he's not going to reject a kiss right now. He is into me and he wants to get to know my past as much as the current me, Mari. That is if I'm still as confident as the Mari that came here and still have her story truly.
Aruto presses his lips against mine slowly and places his arms around me, holding me closer to him. He is just so warm and fluffy personality wise. I like how he is compared to everyone else I have met. Not that I hate how Horobi is, but it would be nice if that man would be warmer to everyone instead of a total jerk. He doesn't have to believe in everything the Ark tells him. Now, is the Ark male or female is the true question I have.
I open my eyes and pull back, staring him in the eyes. "So...?" What do we say or do now?
That was a pretty decent kiss. It could have been more passionate, but I respect that we both started it slow. If he would have put passion into it, we might have ended up doing something we both regret. Well, somewhat regret.
"Here we are, in my office, kissing," he says, laughing a bit. "By the way, is that a yes to my confession or is it just because you couldn't come up with an actual answer for me? I am fine with being rejected. It builds character." I'm sure his comedy career was a huge rejection for him since he got fired from his job before becoming a CEO for Hiden Intelligence. I find his jokes amusing and not so bad.
"Yeah, here we are," I reply, nodding slowly. "And it is kind of a mix of both. So, is this...an...?" I am feeling a bit hot right now. My face is going to burn off!
"Affair?"
I nod. "Y-yes." Why am I stumbling over my words now? This ain't the time to stutter!
"I guess so," Aruto replies, smiling softly as his cheeks flush a little bit. He has such a nice smile that is so innocent and pure. "Yes, that is what we're doing right now."
"I am married you know." Not like he has forgotten that I am suddenly. Gosh, I'm being so stupid because of how I feel!
I don't know what got into me to make a move on him like that. Cheating on Gai doesn't feel wrong though. Feels nice to betray that stupid rich idiot who holds an umbrella over his head all the time when he's outside. There is no reason for me to have a perfect marriage with him when it is all just an illusion. It is only meant to trick those who think nothing bad about him.
Aruto chuckles. "I am glad I didn't get rejected exactly and I know that you're married. I just...I just had to take my chance with saying how I feel before it is too late. I feel like I've been holding back for way too long now and that I'll never get my chance if I don't take it." So, this is him taking a chance on me? Interesting time to do so.
"I know I'm a pretty traditional woman, which means that I don't like breaking my vows and doing things that are against my marriage, but I really don't think anything is traditional about my marriage to Gai. So, Aruto, I don't mind being with you on the side of my marriage. I just want you to know that doing so will put you in danger and it may make Gai want to destroy you for good."
"I'm already in a lot of danger right now." True that.
So, here we are...having an affair, I guess. I never thought that I would be the kind of woman who has one. It isn't like I have much of a problem with it. I mean, I do have a slight problem with it and that is Aruto is like a side chick. He deserves better honestly.
A/n: And here is the extra chapter that I promised you all! This isn't originally how I wanted this to happen (I'm not going to say what the original would have been. It would also have been three chapters from now just so you know), but this is how it ended up.
Lots of drama will be starting up soon with Aruto/Gai/Mari, which is going to be fun for me to write for you all (I have some chapters written up and so far I'm loving it), and Horobi is going to be a pain in the butt for certain people (once they know he is alive).
I am not going to give any spoilers about what goes on the in the future because you can all guess for yourselves (and I won't confirm anything). I enjoy writing these kinds of things despite being a potato doing so. :D
We'll see if our buddies, Aruto and Mari, can ever have a happy ending ever. Also, thanks for reading! I hope that you're happy to see what happened today and that you're dying on the inside from joy :D
3/2/2020: Would you all like to see my Kamen Rider Drive fanfic? I have done only like three chapters, but I want to know if you all would be interested in the story ever being posted. Thanks :D