KNIGHTS 01

Knights 01: The Five Knights and Me

In Aza's room, a whirlwind of silk and whispered anxieties swirled. Her three best friends, a chaotic symphony of clashing opinions, debated the crucial matter of her outfit for the impending date with the loathsome Wilton. The previous night had been a restless one for Aza, haunted by unsettling premonitions of the evening ahead—an evening she was dreading with every fiber of her being. The very thought of spending time with a man she despised sent shivers down her spine.

Aza, a romantic at heart, harbored a deep-seated yearning for a fairytale wedding—a vision of herself in a flowing gown, embarking on a lifetime of love and family. But the reality was a cruel mockery of her dreams. She was being forced into a date, a potential precursor to a marriage, with a man she found utterly repulsive, all for the sake of their beloved, but failing, Oz Company. The weight of their shared dream pressed down on her, a heavy cloak of responsibility.

A perfect love story, a narrative she'd always envisioned for herself, now seemed a distant, unattainable fantasy. The path of her love life had taken a sharp, unexpected turn, leading her down a road paved with apprehension and compromise.

"This is perfect for Az, oh! Daring, right? It'll make Wilton fall even harder for her," Mia chirped, her voice brimming with an almost manic enthusiasm. She held up a daring off-the-shoulder black dress, its low neckline revealing a sliver of Aza's midriff. Aza winced subtly, a flicker of discomfort crossing her face. The dress was far too revealing for her comfort.

Aza sat on the bed, a picture of quiet resignation, as her friends, a flurry of motion and excited chatter, paraded a selection of outfits before her. Their energy was infectious, yet Aza felt strangely detached. She knew her friends weren't happy about this, but the looming threat to Oz Company overshadowed all other concerns. Their desperation was palpable.

"That's not right for Aza," Lena declared, her voice sharp and decisive. With a swift movement, she snatched the black dress from Mia's hands, tossing it onto Aza's bed with a dismissive flick of her wrist. She then presented her own alternative—a white strapless dress with a daring thigh-high slit.

"This is perfect for her," Lena announced, her tone brimming with self-assured confidence. Mia's eyes narrowed, her arms crossing defensively across her chest. A silent battle of wills commenced between the two friends.

"Psh! It's like Aza's soul will be sucked out by that dress! What do you think she is, a GRO?" Mia scoffed, her voice laced with a mixture of indignation and playful sarcasm. Lena, unfazed, held up the dress, her expression unwavering.

"Don't you know the word fashion, Mia? This is the trend right now, and Wilton will like it more than what you're recommending," Lena retorted, her tone dripping with a condescending sweetness. C.C, ever the peacemaker, stepped between the two, her hands gently resting on each of their arms.

"Stop arguing, guys, okay? This is perfect for Aza, the one I pick. Look, simple but elegant," C.C intervened, her voice calm and soothing. She held up a simple, yet chic, knee-length dress. Aza's gaze, along with Mia and Lena's, fell upon the dress, their eyebrows arching in surprise.

"What is that, C.C?" Mia questioned, her voice laced with suspicion.

"It's perfect for Aza," C.C insisted, her tone unwavering. Lena, however, was not convinced.

"Perfect? It's like Aza's going to a costume party. She's not a cosplayer, and you're making her wear that? C.C, do you want people to laugh at her?" Lena's voice was sharp, laced with genuine concern for Aza's well-being. C.C, her lips pressed into a thin line, shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"It's better than what you're suggesting. It's like you want Wilton to feast his eyes on Aza's body! My suggestion is much better," C.C defended, her voice rising slightly in exasperation. The argument escalated, each friend vehemently defending their choice.

"This dress I'm holding is better!"

"No! This one is perfect for Aza."

"Mine is better; Aza will like it more than what you're offering."

Aza, overwhelmed by the cacophony of opinions, sighed, her head in her hands. The weight of their argument, coupled with the stress of the impending date, threatened to crush her. She stood abruptly, her voice ringing out to silence the bickering.

"HEPPPPP!" she commanded, her voice sharp and laced with barely contained frustration. The three friends fell silent, their eyes wide with a mixture of guilt and surprise.

"Guys, do you really need to argue about what I wear on this date? It's not like it's some special occasion. You know I don't even want to go," Aza said, her voice laced with a mixture of weariness and exasperation.

"Aza, it's your first date with Wilton, you need to be prepared," Mia insisted, her voice still tinged with a hint of annoyance. Aza's eyes flashed with irritation.

"Mia! You think this date is special to me? I'm only doing it because of Oz, so please stop arguing. I'll choose my own outfit, so chupiii, get out of my room! You're stressing me out even more, so just go!" Aza's voice was edged with desperation, her words tinged with a hint of pleading. She wanted them to understand her exhaustion.

"But Aza—" Lena began, but Aza cut her off, her voice firm.

"Leave. Thank you for the effort, but I can dress myself." C.C, sensing the tension, attempted a peace offering, grabbing her makeup kit.

"But I'll do your makeup."

"I can do it myself, C.C. I have two hands, left and right, so please, just go. Out!" Aza's voice held a sharp edge, her hand gesturing emphatically towards the door. With a collective sigh of resignation, Lena and Mia finally left, leaving Aza alone with her mounting anxieties.

Aza sank back onto her bed, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. A wave of exhaustion washed over her, leaving her feeling drained and utterly overwhelmed.

"Aza, I'm sorry. If Oz wasn't struggling, you wouldn't be in this situation," C.C said softly, her voice filled with genuine remorse. Aza turned to her friend, offering a small, sad smile.

"We have no choice, but I still won't agree to that marriage. I'll date Wilton until I can find a way to make marrying him not an option," Aza declared, her voice firm, her resolve unwavering. C.C sat beside her, placing the makeup kit gently on the bed.

"I'm really sorry; you're the one under so much pressure because of Oz."

"What are you talking about? This date is for Oz. I won't let our hard work go to waste if we don't do anything. We'll think of another way, okay? Besides, I'm sorry for yelling at you guys earlier," Aza said, a genuine smile finally gracing her lips. C.C shook her head, her eyes filled with understanding.

"It's okay, we understand how you feel. I'm sure Lena gets it too; we messed up on our part."

"I hope I can think of a way to save Oz," Aza whispered, her voice heavy with worry. C.C's gaze softened, her expression filled with concern.

"There's only one way to avoid marrying Wilton," C.C said, her voice low, her words hanging heavy in the air. Aza's eyebrows shot up in surprise. A flicker of hope, however faint, ignited within her.

"I thought there was no way?" Aza asked, her voice a mixture of hope and apprehension. C.C sighed, taking Aza's hands in hers.

"There is, Aza, we just haven't said it because it's so difficult. There's a zero percent chance of it working," C.C admitted, her voice laced with a hint of desperation.

"What is it? Tell me, maybe I can do it?" Aza pleaded, her eyes shining with a desperate hope. C.C took a deep breath, steeling herself for the revelation.

"You know about the famous Knight's Advertising Company, right?" C.C began, her voice barely above a whisper. Aza's brow furrowed, a knot of confusion tightening in her stomach.

"Knight's Advertising Company? They're our competition, right? The company we can't beat, the one that all the investors we want for Oz want to invest in instead," Aza said, her voice laced with a mixture of frustration and resignation. C.C nodded solemnly.

"That's right. The difficult way we thought of to save Oz is to seduce one of the owners and make them a business partner with Oz, so we can get investors too," C.C revealed, her words hanging heavy in the air. Aza's eyes widened, her jaw dropping in astonishment. The audacity of the plan was almost breathtaking.

"S-seduce? Explain what you mean," Aza stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

"Aza, you need to marry one of the Knight's owners to save Oz. If that doesn't happen, we have no choice but to go with Wilton. We need to save Oz, and the Knight's owners are the only way, but it's not easy," C.C explained, her voice laced with a mixture of desperation and a sliver of hope. Aza stared at her friend, her mind reeling from the sheer audacity of the proposal.

"W-what?" Aza breathed, her voice barely audible.

"It's hard, right?" C.C said, standing up and offering a weak smile.

"Don't think about what I said, just go on your date with Wilton. We'll wait and see if you can think of another way, other than the impossible one we came up with. Get ready, Wilton might be here soon!" C.C said, releasing Aza's hands and walking towards the door, leaving Aza alone with the earth-shattering revelation.

Aza sat there, her mind racing, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. "Knight's owners? I have to marry one of them to save Oz? I know about their advertising, but I don't know the owners themselves. I have no idea what they look like, but I hear they're all bachelors and a lot of people admire them, so they must be handsome," she muttered to herself, a flicker of something akin to excitement—or perhaps desperation—sparking in her eyes.

"It's better than ending up with Wilton, right?" she whispered, a hint of grim determination in her voice. She slumped back onto the bed, the weight of her decision pressing down on her.

"But how will I meet one of them? Think, Aza, how will I meet one of them?" Aza murmured, closing her eyes, her mind already racing, searching for a solution, a way to save her company, her friendship, and perhaps, even her heart. She knew seducing someone, especially for such a reason, was morally questionable, but the desperation of her situation outweighed her reservations. She had a dream, a company, and a friendship to protect. And she would do whatever it took.

Suddenly, Aza's eyes snapped open. A spark of determination ignited within her.

"Internet!" she exclaimed, leaping from the bed and rushing towards her laptop. An idea, audacious and risky, had taken root in her mind. She would use every tool at her disposal to save Oz, even if it meant venturing into the unknown.

A wide smile spread across Aza's face as she found what she was looking for. She began to read, her heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

"Knight's advertising Company consists of five owners with an undeniable hot and handsom----"

"Aza!"

A startled gasp escaped Aza's lips. She turned to see Mia standing in the doorway, her expression a mixture of concern and impatience.

"Why?"

"You're not ready yet? Wilton is downstairs," Mia informed her, her voice laced with urgency. Aza's eyes widened in alarm.

"What? Oh, sh*t!" she cried, slamming her laptop shut and frantically searching for an outfit. The date with Wilton was unavoidable, but the possibility of a different future, a future involving five enigmatic and undeniably attractive men, suddenly seemed within reach.

"They'll have to wait, I'll just endure this date with that guy for today!" Aza muttered to herself, a determined glint in her eyes as she rushed to get ready. The game, it seemed, had just begun.