they were there, they were all there surrounding her. she didn't have anywhere to run, there was nothing but the wall behind her and a mass of people surrounding her. No not people, a mass of monsters...
Iori stood there transfixed as they spoke in front of her shoving some sticks at her. Something at the back of her mind she knew that she should know what those things are, she knew but she couldn't remember. Her fear was overtaking all her senses and even though all she could think about was running, her feet stood there rooted to the ground as a cold tremor overtook her body.
She could hear a voice whispering close to her, was there someone who stood this close to her. Iori didn't know, she couldn't look. All she could see was the people running toward her, the monsters who were about to tear her apart again.
A hand wrapped around her chest and she was gently pulled into a warm surface. The faint scent of sandalwood and the ocean waffled her nose and as the
"What if the world is taking them so long?!" Jun exclaimed slamming his hand down on the table. Iori sighed deeply finishing the game of solitaire on her phone. It had been three hours since they were trapped in the room and the restaurant had closed its doors for a good two hours since then. When they kept calling their editors they got excuse after another and when they tried to get one of the staff to give them a lift the manager had insisted that no one had a car. He even couldn't call a taxi for them because of the crowds that seem to be still waiting for them outside. It was eleven o'clock and the two of them were already tired. As they kept waiting they decided to get some work done, but none of them felt like writing with the obvious reality that even the book was one of the president's schemes. To be honest, Iori was very tempted to nullify the contract and say to hell with the consequences. Her phone rang and she peeked at the screen to find
"And we're back to where it all started..." Jun said as he stood there watching the door in front of him, "That would make a great first sentence in a book..." Iori commented standing beside him. They were both eying the office door as if they were waiting for it to magically open itself. None of them was ready to face what was inside. Or rather, WHO was inside. Neither of them had barely gotten any sleep. Jun had a hard time sleeping thanks to all the ups and downs he went through all day long. He was already a light sleeper and with the energy still pumping through him, it was harder than usual to shut down his mind long enough to fall asleep. As he kept twisting and turning in bed, he could hear Iori quietly moving around in her room next door. Although he knew that they were both probably weren't going to get any sleep, they could get some work done, but, something stopped him from knocking on her room's door. Iori had been standoffish and
"Oh, that's rich..." Iori leaned back with a small chuckle, "What do you take us for Satoru-san? Do you think this is funny?" "Not at all, my dear. In fact, I'm as serious as a heart attack..." He responded the smile disappearing from his face, "You know that no one is going to believe you two aren't in a relationship right? The public is too convinced of your compatibility, they're already making you out as the perfect couple, and the book announcement is only going to make them ship you two together even more. You do realize this. even if you deny it, this is going to be what they think of you. In the world's eyes, you two are already dating whether you want it or not..." "And I'm sure you did nothing to solidify that image..." Iori said her ire growing as she listened the president "I've always thought that you two would make a good pair. I see that you're not resisting working together anymore" "Not that you gave us any choice, old m
Six months... Six months of living together with another person. Six dateless months. Jun was never one to mind female company. And it never hurt if that company was a raven-haired beauty who enticed his mind as much as she infuriated him and kept him on his toes. But that's completely useless when the person concerned is so much against it... Jun didn't mind having to live with Iori, he knew that it was going to be hard on too many levels but, strangely, it wasn't an idea that he hated as much as he was probably supposed to. Yet, seeing Iori's reaction made him reconsider his standpoint. Iori was emitting refusal vibes with her whole being. For a moment, he thought that she was going to panic like she did at the restaurant, but she was much more collected even though she was clearly distressed. After she left the room, Jun stole one glance at the old man who sighed watching her close the door. He didn't waste time going after her. The old man
Iori was in a fog when she left the president's office in a rush. All she could think about was his words. She had no choice, he gave her no choice...His strange condition to have one request that she should listen to no matter what hadn't been as strange compared to the weird conditions in the contract.She had been waiting for him to drop his impossible request anytime. Every time he summons her to his office she wonders if the time for payback was there. But it hadn't been back then. His request had to be the one thing that she couldn't do. The most difficult thing that she wasn't capable of...To think that ha had the nerves to make something like this his request and then plead with her to deal with it. How dare he make that face? How dare he look at her as if he wasn't talking about her utmost inner fears? How dare he look at her as if he was asking and not ordering her?!How dare he steal her choices away from her?!Iori slammed her fist in
"I know you're hesitant because it's something that you would never consider under any circumstances. But, If you leave your fears aside for a moment and think about why you're against the idea what would you think?" Haruki said Iori thought about it for a moment, leaving her fear aside, which would normally lead her to think that it was impossible to live with another man just like that. It may be okay to have male roommates in this day and age, but Iori didn't even like the idea of having a roommate, not to mention if that roommate is an incorrigible annoying player who got on her nerves. "Ugh, I don't know... I don't like that guy in the first place, he's annoying and infuriating..." "You said that before, yet, you agreed to work with him because you had to. You're a professional, so your decisions when it comes to the president's demands had always been practical and based on your work ethic. This is why you were able to work with him for so long, and he
Iori was deep in her thoughts when she heard the door open, she looked up in time for Jun to turn the lights on blinding her with the sudden brightness. "Uhh, What are you doing sitting there in the dark?" Jun asked eyeing her with a perplexed gaze, "I was lost in thoughts and forgot to turn the lights on," Iori responded standing up and heading toward the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. Her brother's words swam in her head not leaving her to concentrate on anything else. Jun was different, she knew that, she knew that her focus on him as a writer made her forget her fears of his gender, but she still didn't want to admit it until now. As the two of them were alone in the suite, and she didn't even feel an inkling of fear or the urge to run away. "I didn't ask you this before, but, what do you think of the president's demand?" Iori asked turning toward him. He slowly walked toward the breakfast bar in the small kitchen and sat in fron
"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