"Are you ready?" Iori asked Jun as she finished her coffee mug already making plans to stop on the way and get another one.
"Yeah," Jun said closing his laptop and taking it with him, "Whenever you are," He smiled, no... he smirked
"You seem to be in high spirits today," She commented as they left the suit
"I'm looking forward to seeing the old man's troubled expression again," Jun said, "To think that the day when he feels bad for his actions would come."
"You're having way too much fun with that. Besides, I don't believe that he feels remorseful in any way, perhaps afraid that I would end the contract out of nowhere."
"You're seriously thinking about ending the contract and paying the fine?!" Jun exclaimed looking at her in shock,
"Well, let's say that this time he asked too much of me..."
"Yeah, even I know that, but to give it all up... The sum to pay for that is ridiculous,"
"That's what my lawyer said..." Iori responded
"On the count of three! One! Two! Three!" Jun said and the two of them flipped their notebooks at the same time revealing what they wrote in them to each other.One would wonder how they got to this silly childish method and for that, one needs to go back to a few minutes earlier, when the two of them sat down to decide on a title for the book...As expected from them things couldn't go over smoothly, even if it comes to something like the title of their book, they ended up at an impasse."What's that, could that even be considered a title?" Jun said mockingly,"Well at least it's more creative than "Their Murderous Love,", " Iori retorted eying his notebook with disdain. What do you expect from a frivolous romance writer anyway..."Oh! As in "Misconception in the night" Is a more relevant title?" Jun said"Well, at least it doesn't sound like a cheap romance column in a teenager's literary magazine..." Iori said and Jn raised an
Iori's hysterical laughter drew the customer's attention, but to his credit, Kazuma remained silently neutral as he patiently waited for her to finish. As Iori's laughter died down she still couldn't wipe the smile from her face."Kazuma, you're saying the funniest things. You could pass for a comedy skit any time by that sense of humor of yours." She said her last words hardening and sounding harsh."I do not understand where you're coming from Iori-sama," He said watching her with his unwavering neutral look. If it was any other person, he would've been successful in fooling them. But Iori knew the man too well. She grew up with him..."Kazuma, you were there when I left the main house. And you were there when my father openly cut me out of the family at the time in my life when I needed his support the most. So, It has been an understanding that I have no business with the main house and they don't have any business with me. So why do you think that you or Fa
if someone was to drop a pin in that conference room, Jun doubted that it would reach the floor. The room was flooded with reporters and cameramen to the brim. They were all squirming in their seats waiting for the big event to happen. Jun still wondered what they were waiting for. What could they be expecting? Were they all there to hear him and Iori say, yes we're dating, or no we're not dating? Was all this fuss over whether or not they were in a relationship. The notion of that was so ridiculous because even jun himself wouldn't have been as curious to know as them, even if it was about himself... To this moment he was still wondering how the old man managed to pull it off. It's been a week since their so-called scandal made the news. He would've understood why that caught the media's attention, Although they would never be on the same level as people from showbiz. They could still make a fuss over their affair if there was no other newsworthy scandal that day.
There was one thing that Iori hates about the media, and that's everything!They gather around news like sharks smelling blood from their prey. Then they keep ruthlessly tearing that prey apart until there's nothing left of it except for shreds of uneaten flesh and bones.That's how cruel media can be, and Iori had had a first-hand experience with that years ago. She had already been torn apart with what happened to her and then they came along and ripped apart every shred of dignity and self-respect she had left after the incident leaving her with nothing. That experience had destroyed her faith in the world and in their society and she still had yet to recover that lost faith...Seeing the reporters gather around in the spacious conference room like flies was a repulsing sigh. Some would say that after what had happened to her she would be afraid. Some even might judge that she was traumatized by them because of how she reacted at the restaurant.
When she went back to the room, Jun was watching the feed from the conference room transfixed. He turned around to see her walk-in then went back to his meditation-like state.Iori took a deep breath trying to calm the anger swirling in her, and went to sit beside him on the couch.Her conversation with her father was still playing in her mind. He was giving her that order as if he was confident that she would listen to it. As if the most obvious thing was to obey whenever he opened his mouth to give an order. That's what happened when someone had too much power and entitlement for too long...luckily, the president was here and he could deal with her father's messenger in case they came. Some would have taken her father's words as an empty threat and that would be a mistake. He was perfectly capable of forcing her to go back to the main house and getting away with it. That's why they had to stop his men before they got anywhere near her.The president ha
"Thank you very much. The two of you were fantastic. We'll be able to milk this for a long time before we run out of free publicity," Said the representative who happened to be a member of the marketing team responsible for their book's publicity. The young man bowed to them once again before he excused himself, Jun's editor following him to see him off. The president had disappeared as soon as they wrapped up the conference. They couldn't find him anywhere and they gave up looking for him right away knowing how volatile the man can be. "Shall we head back up?" Jun asked, "we could change and go out to eat something and celebrate," "Celebrate what?" "Hmm, good question... It cou
"You're never letting that one go, aren't you?" Iori told Jun with an exasperated sigh, "Nope," He responded grinning from ear to ear, " And forego all the fun? No way!" He was having way too much fun teasing her, who knew Iori would be capable of doing something like that in a moment of panic. That was hilarious. And the moment when she realized what she had done... Lord, her reactions gave him a kick better than any comedy skit he ever watched. "I was an Idiot. This is what I get for asking for your help..." Iori muttered into her cup averting her gaze from his. "How rude! After all the trouble I went through to get you away from those guys. I even broke the law," "Oh, so you know. Good to know that you realize what you did," Iori grumbled picking up her cup of water and sipping from it again as if it was some finely brewed tea or a glass of wine. But, it was still water. A poor substitute and not very convincing when som
Iori opened the door to their new apartment and stepped aside to let Jun come in beside her. The two of them stood at the threshold side by side watching the wide space in the darkness. It was a spacious place with floor-to-ceiling windows, the living room and the kitchen were open spaces with a breakfast bar separating them, a huge dining table in the middle, and a sofa with its entertainment center on the other side. The view was a stunning typical night light view that any apartment in the middle of the city in a building high enough to make the cars look like little toys passing the streets beneath them. Closing the door behind them, Jun turned the lights on to reveal that the walls were painted in an understated light grey with white highlights here and there. There were three doors, all of which were well-equipped bedrooms. Two of them had the same view as the living room which clearly belonged to the two of them. "It seems like this one i
“How…” She whispered,“I picked him up on my way from the airport. He made his way up the mountain on his own and waited for me to come and pick him up so that he could come in.” Her father explained and Jun smiled.“You went through all this trouble…”“Sorry I couldn’t contact you, there was no cell reception on the way and I couldn’t reach you or your brother,” Jun said coming into the room as her father made way for him and went outside,“I’ve missed you,” He said, “God you look so beautiful,” He added and Iori laughed throwing her arms around him.He was there, he came for her… Iori felt on top pf the world.“How have you been?” He asked her“Fine! How have YOU been! I was worried about you, how did things go?!”“I settled everything,” He said‘What did you exa
Iori leaned against the wooden walls of her room in the mountain estate her eyes on the scenery in front of her, the beautiful cascades of the mountain forest views as they peeked through the misty presence that always seemed to cover the mountain early in the morning left Iori breathless whenever she looked at it.Usually, this view was enough to make her feel so fulfilled and empowered that she could take on anything that may come her way. But these days she couldn’t help but note the loneliness that was taking root in her heart.Her mind kept wandering to Jun and wondering how he was doing, how his meeting with Tohru’s father went. Since he had contacted her to ask if she arrived well there had been no signal from him. It’s been three days since then. Iori’s phone had been taken away two days ago. Her aunt claimed that she needed to disconnect from the city and reconnect with the mountain spirits.In any other circumstances, Iori would
Iori stood beside Jun as he spoke on the phone her hand on his tense shoulders silently reassuring him."So everything is settled? How about Kokuro are they going to plead guilty?" Jun asked and waited for the answer,"If they want to settle things with money drag them on for a bit longer and make sure that they will be under our hands next time. Tabloids can be valuable in the trade for the long term, I don't want to destroy them. Just make sure that they take a big hit... a public one..."Iori sighed, Jun was out for blood, after both the tabloid and Tohru fell for his trap, he was playing with them like a cat playing with his meal until he falls hungry and devours them. Who knew Jun could be so ruthless in business, he surely seems to be his father's son.But, Iori was worried that this was more than that. She was worried that Jun was exercising his revenge in the most rightful way he could find, not even daring to admit to himself that he was taking h
A few days later Iori walked out of the elevator with her brother walking beside her. Haruki nodded at the slightly surprised secretary and they went straight for the office. Then they went inside without knocking.Inside, the president sat alongside Jun as they talked. Iori and Jun’s eyes met for a brief moment but Iori quickly averted her gaze from his. She wasn’t there to exchange gazes with him, she was there for a reason and she couldn’t afford to let her feelings for Jun be in the way of what she needed to do.“Iori, I know we had an appointment but I didn’t know that you were bringing a guest,” Satoru said with a welcoming smile his poker face ever-present.“Since I came to the conclusion that you can’t be trusted, our meetings can’t go on unwitnessed anymore so I brought my lawyer with me to ensure that everything is legal here,”“Don’t you think that’s
Jun guided Iori toward the side of the terrace and they descended down the stairs that led to the Japanese style garden.“No one will bother us here,” He said and Iori smiled up at him.Jun led her toward a bench where he leaned and spread his arms for her to lean on him and she obliged relishing in the comfort of his arms around her.“Are you cold?” He asked as she snuggled into him.“No,” Iori answered her eyes closed as she breathed in the scent of his perfume. A scent that became so familiar to that she would sometimes miss it at night whenever she’s alone.“Back then all I could think about was how if I hadn’t wanted to become a writer none of this would have happened” She finally said and Jun squeezed her tighter and she felt his protest before she heard it.“There’s no way that any of tat is your fault,”“I know now… But back then it was
“Where are you taking me?” Iori asked Jun as they walked toward the center of the room.Jun grinned at her and she looked up at him in confusion. A small smile broke on her beautiful rosy lips making Jun want to wipe the make-up off them with one fell swoop of his mouth.He had been trying to hold back since the evening started, but he was reaching his limits. He wanted her more than anything, so at least he could have her all to himself for a few short moments like this before she had to return to her duties.“May I have this dance?” Jun asked her extending his hand to hers.Without hesitation, Iori put her hand on his which made him inwardly smile. Iori never hesitated to take his hand anymore, no matter the reason, Jun was always sure that she would reach out back to him if he extended his hand.It may seem like a small gesture, but to Jun it meant much more than that. Iori’s honest and instinctive reactions to him
“I would like to announce approaching retirement from my position as the second clan leader,” Akagi-sama said and a wave of gasps filled the room.Iori felt calmness fill her, she knew this was coming and she couldn’t describe how nervous she had felt when Akagi-sama had told her about her plan when she arrived the previous day.She had agonized over whether she was ready or if she was going to be enough, but, when she felt the moment come, all f her doubts disappeared and she felt herself being surrounded by a calmness that felt ethereal.This is her duty, the role she had been ready for for a long time. There was nothing to be scared about, there was nothing to fear because she was born to be the mountain clan’s leader. More importantly, she was born to be the priestess of the mountains.“I had been the leader of the mountain clan for such a long time that I feel that it’s long overdue for me to leave my place to some
Silence reigned over the room as soon as Akagi-sama stood there in front of them her presence reassuring and welcoming, yet at the same time overwhelming and imposing.It’s been a long time since Iori felt as if her aunt’s presence was imposing to her. Her training and frequent contact with the older woman had assured that Iori doesn’t view her aunt like the others do.Rather than saying that Iori got used to her presence, it was rather that Iori began to look at her aunt like an equal and sometimes a rival. And without the respect that had been ingrained in her back when her mother was still alive, she would have overstepped the bounds with her aunt long ago.That’s because that’s how things were supposed to be in their case. They may be mentor and disciple, but they were also a leader and her successor. And a few clashes between them were inevitable.Iori knew that her aunt liked her, she even considered her like the daught
“I hear your talk with akagi-sama went well?” Haruki said as he made his way toward them with Rina by his side.They both looked like a couple out of a spy movie, both tall and elegantly dressed. Her brother and his fiancée may have a peculiar relationship, a relationship where it was hard to decide whether they were together because it was decided for them or because they were the only compatible people who could put up with each other. But there was one sure thing, they both suited each other to the point of it being even perfect to look at.“Gee, thanks for the support,” Iori mumbled under her breath and Rina laughed,“Oh come on Iori! We all know that no one is willing to confront Akagi-sama other than you. I face cold blooded criminals on a daily basis and I can’t stand to have a talk with that woman for longer than necessary. She sends chills down my spine every time she looks at me with that piercing gaze o