Jun was starting to miss his apartment. Not the apartment he had when he was still living alone, the one he and Iori shared for around two months now.
Since Iori had been admitted to the hospital, he hadn’t been back to the apartment except for a few hours at a time. Somehow, the place looked too empty without her. He couldn’t bring himself to stay there while she wasn’t there.
He found that he would rather sleep with her at the hospital or back at his old apartment rather than anywhere else. Now, Jun sat at the garden adjacent to the hospital and watched as Iori and Rina took a stroll around talking and laughing.
She looked so beautiful with her hair in that long braid that slid over her shoulders. Her bright smile that seemed to shine brighter than ever and the gentle and relaxed look in her eyes as she watched Rina say something, probably recounting a funny story about Haruki. A favorite pastime for both women.
Despite the displeasure
“Welcome home,” Jun said as he typed the code into their apartment and opened the door.Iori smiled at him, when did this place start to feel like home? Since when did she start to feel more at ease with Jun than with anyone else.Jun picked her up and she circled her arms around his neck reflexively, It had become a habit for them. After Jun had insisted for the first times and she relented, she had grown used to him carrying her around.Now that she was discharged of the hospital she was okay enough to walk on her own, but, she didn’t find it in her to tell him that. Not that she disliked being held in his arms,Jun carried her to the couch setting her down there and went in search of a blanket for her. He was going to make her into a spoiled plump at this rate.She had refused going back with either one of her brothers or her father to the main house for this very reason. They were all overprotective and she knew that they were
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you there?” Jun asked and she gave him one last glare before picking up her hand bad.Seriously, he was heading toward the danger zone.Before she could swing it over her shoulder Jun grabbed it and opened the door for her.“You’re not supposed to carry anything for a while. You heard the doctor,” He said“Jun. it’s a handbag, not weight lifting tools…”“Still, I will take you downstairs.” He said and Iori followed him with a sigh.He was probably thinking about carrying her all the way downstairs but knew that if he suggested it she would lash out at him. The man was being way too overprotective and it was driving her crazy…“You could have accepted when your father offered to come to the apartment to have a talk. I would have left for a while to let you have your privacy,” Jun said as the elevator door
“She’s the real deal…” Shou said with a wry smile as he spun his mug from the other side of the bar,“She had always been different…” Jun said, “Special even…” Jun said thoughtfully…The café was empty because this was the day that Shun closed it. He had been hounding him to come for a talk since he had heard about Iori’s accident.Since Iori went to talk with her father, Jun decided to take that rare free time and meet with his friend.Jun had been too anxious to leave Iori alone. He knew that he was probably being too paranoid but the thought of her being out of his sight for too long while she was still not recovered didn’t sit well with him at all.Even now, he couldn’t help but fidget. If he didn’t know how Important Iori’s talk with her father was, he would be texting her by now…“Man, she took a bullet for you&hellip
Jun drove through the huge wooden gate into the Satou clan’s main house feeling as if he stepped into a time capsule. His car drove in surrounded by a ridiculously huge traditional garden that looked like one of the picturesque paintings he’d seen in history classes.A huge house was nestled in the middle of it standing tall and majestuous. Jun wondered just how many people did they need to keep this place maintained.Reaching the entrance, he was greeted by an older man in a dark grey working kimono. He opened his car door for him and got into his place as soon as Jun left the seat taking the car away to park it.Amused at the silent exchange, Jun turned toward the house’s entrance to find two women waiting for him there. The older one who seemed to be as old as the house itself bowed to him with a smile on her face before saying.“Welcome, Jun-sama. The master and the young lady are waiting for you inside. I am Nanami I’ve
Iori stood in the middle of the garden as the cool breeze blew around her waffling her hair around. She still felt the trace of the fleeting warmth left after Jun’s lips touched the corner of her mouth in the most tender of touches.She blinked once, then twice her daze fading leaving room for doubts in her mind. Did Jun just confess to her? Did he just ask her to be his lover? Real lovers…If it wasn’t for the feel of his lips on her face and the heat of his arms surrounding her she would have believed it to be a figment of her imagination. A reminder of one of those fleeting thoughts that she keeps having these days.But no, it was real. Jun was just here, and he wanted her…A rush of excitement filled Iori’s whole being. Feelings she hadn’t realized were there dashed out proudly yelling and dancing at the surface. Or should she say that they were always there and she just kept hiding them away and ignoring them unt
When Jun was invited to have dinner with the Satou family, he had expected it to be something like when he had to do some research on tea ceremonies. Or a banquet with individual trays of high-class food served by servants in expensive kimonos.Now as he sat in front of the table, he wanted to laugh at his own expectations. Not that there wasn’t clearly expensive food or well-dressed servant. There was plenty of that, but, it was as far from his imagination as possible.The dinner table was a huge European-style rectangle filled with family members of all kinds and ages. They were sitting there and talking amongst each other creating a rhythmic humm around the table. Jun had been introduced to most of the people around the table and he knew that they were all Iori’s aunt, uncles, or cousins.Some of them greeted Iori with tearful hugs while others were more teasing and joyful. But either way, their love, and respect for her were clear in everyone&rsq
“Everyone, thank you for coming,” Iori’s father said as he stood at the head of the table facing the family members in attendance.“It had been such a long time since we had such a gathering at the main house and I am glad to see us all together again in good health. And I am more overjoyed that the occasion that put us all together here is the return of my one and only daughter among us after years or estrangement.”He said throwing an affectionate gaze on Iori’s way and she returned her father’s look with a warm smile.“The reason why I wanted you all here today is to discuss what happened over the last few days.I’m sure that most of you must be confused after hearing bits and pieces of information and not the whole story. Especially since the arrest of Kazuma. So I took it upon myself to inform the members of the main house myself to avoid any other misunderstanding…”After that
The sound of bare footsteps as they ran through the damp slippery floor reached her ears through her heavy breathing and the pounding of her heart. She could hear those sounds echoing through the empty space like an illusion slipping through the darkness taunting her. Mocking her…She kept running none the less her breaths coming out as half-muffled sobs as desperation began to grow within her as her muscles grew more and more tired. Still, she ran as far and as hard as she could not looking back until she stepped into a small puddle and slipped into the ground her body slamming against the hard concrete floor.Before she could regain the breath that whooshed out of her she was slipped by hard hands and soon they were all over her, touching, caressing, and grating against her skin. Like cactuses rubbing against her skin, she felt the pain spread through her being at every intrusion and transgression.She wasn’t crying anymore, she wasn’t sobbi
“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