For the past few weeks, Haruki chose to stay in the family’s house. It is usually a long journey from the house to his office but being in the house was a constant reminder of who he was, the number of people he had who depended on him making the right decisions, and the power he wielded.
He invited his aunt over for dinner. She appeared very enthusiastic when she walked into the dining room just in ti. She smiled broadly and sat down like a kid invited to a birthday party.
"So, do you like her?" she asked him with eyes sparkling.
He leaned back holding back a smile at the childish cuteness her enthusiasm gave her and asked, "What do you think?"
"I think you like her. Why else will you invite over?" She paused and t his gaze thoughtfully with the corner of her lips turning downwards. "You want to find a new lady for you?"
"No, I think she is good enough but she says she has soone on her mind," he replied. "What do you suggest?"
"I think you should pursue. I will tell you the truth about this all, I think I have a talent for matchmaking and I can see that you two look so good together and she is not very docile so I expected you to like her."
"Oh," Haruki nodded her words although he knew he had no feelings for the lady as his aunt thought. He found Miyoko to be very interesting but that was it. She was in love with the doctor so he wanted her.
There was no logical aning behind that. The more he thought about it, the more he found the lady to be the best candidate to be his fiancée.
Before they could continue with their conversation, their al was served and they began eating quietly together in a comfortable silence.
When they were done, his aunt was more than ready to continue the conversation so she asked, "Do you want pointers?"
"No, thanks. I will take care of it. Just arrange another eting and let her know that I was pleased with the blind date," he responded calmly.
"Sure!" his aunt answered excitedly it was evident on her face that she was already imagining their wedding.
***
Hiroshi was heading towards the staff cafeteria in the hospital building when he got stopped by Miyoko. It had to be the second ti in a week and they were only three days into the new week. She smiled elegantly as she approached him.
Hiroshi returned her smile and continued in the direction of the cafeteria as she followed behind him. He reduced his pace and when she caught up, he glanced at her and asked, "Are you okay?"
She smiled sadly and looked down before shaking her head. They had been friends for more than a month and Hiroshi seed to understand her mood more than her mother. She could not believe that her mother thought she was happy.
"What happened?" Hiroshi asked her when she remained silent.
"I have to go on a date today and I don’t want to but it has been arranged," she responded without hesitation this ti.
"You should have refused." Hiroshi knew she was a willful and confident person and he could not understand how she could get forced to go on a date with that level of determination.
"It’s easier said than done. My mother thinks I am only playing hard to get," she replied. "What if we eat out?" she suddenly asked when they approached the entrance to the cafeteria.
"I enjoy the food they serve and the atmosphere," he replied. He was even more worried about her.
She would have to leave her workplace almost every day to eat lunch or dinner with him and although they were friends, there was no way he would feel completely numb to her efforts however, he preferred to eat in the hospital’s staff cafeteria when he was working.
"Okay," she nodded and followed him in. They sat down to eat together after they got their food.
"How do you intend to escape the date?" he asked her. He found it hard still believe she was forced into an arranged marriage.
"I can’t just refuse him," she replied with a sigh. "He is scary." She rembered how hard she tried to act calm and despiteful of Haruki when they t and she thought that was enough to end it all but little did she know that the man might find her to be his type.
Hiroshi wondered if there was anyone Miyoko could be scared of. From the weeks they were friends, he learned a lot about her, and the fact that she was even more fearless than she appeared, was one of them, hearing her categorize soone as scary, she wondered how scary that person had to be.
"Then make your stand clear to him today," he suggested.
Miyoko sighed and continued eating.
"I wish I knew more on how to help you out but I am not very knowledgeable on such matters," he told her sincerely.
She smiled appreciating his concern towards her situation. She was so close to saying she wished Haruki was Hiroshi instead. She once thought she liked cold n who would bring out her more feminine self around them but the more ti she spent with Hiroshi, the more she found him amiable.
***
Haruki waited for more than half an hour for the arrival of his date. He did not bother to glance at his wristwatch as he knew he wanted to wait for Miyoko. He was pursuing soone for the first ti in his life.
Before his aunt left after dinner, she told him that Miyoko’s mum said Miyoko had a crush on him, why then would she choose to be with one of his lovers? He had no idea who he was winning against in this ga.
His assistant Kiyoshi quietly moved to his side and asked, "Sir, it’s been forty minutes, do we still wait?"
Haruki gradually raised his head and t Kiyoshi’s cautious gaze. "Do you think she will co?" Haruki’s voice ca calm which was different from his cold gaze.
"Should I call her?" Kiyoshi asked even more cautious feeling he might have crossed the line when he spoke first.
"No, why would you?" Haruki asked his gaze further chilling.
Kiyoshi bowed deeply and apologized before moving back. With every minute that passed, the hatred he felt towards the woman who dared to make his boss wait only intensified.
Haruki raised his head from his work tablet to Kiyoshi and in the man’s gaze, he could almost guess his thoughts, he could almost see Kiyoshi manifesting those thoughts without hesitation.
When Kiyoshi glanced towards him, he held his gaze calmly and he noticed the slight tremor of Kiyoshi’s hands as though his deepest secrets had been brought to the open. He watched Kiyoshi bow deeply with a hint of apology and could not et his gaze again.
Haruki knew he was surrounded by cold bloodthirsty n each more dangerous than the next but they all knew that although he might be a gentleman, there was a very dangerous part of him they shouldn’t try to pry.
The light footsteps on the marble floor that broke the tense silence in the restaurant caused Haruki to raise his head from his work tablet once again. When he saw his date approaching him, he stretched the tablet and his assistant took it from him imdiately before he stood up.
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