The Beautiful Downfall - An Aiba Masaki Fanfic (Chapter 7/?)
Pairing: Aiba Masaki x Kusunoki Shion (OC)
Rating: R for whole series, PG for Ch.7
Genre: Romance, Mystery Drama
Word count: 1,559
Plot: Aiba Masaki (29) is the CEO of Yamakaze Hotels, Japan's top hotel chain. What began as a search for a secretary turns into a life-changing matter when he meets candidate Kusunoki Shion (26). As Shion challenges Aiba to question the only world he's ever known, she keeps to herself a dark secret that must remain undisclosed.
Author's Notes: Thanks for stopping by to read my fanfic! :D I have two ongoing series: this one, and Eyes Like Honey (Sakurai Sho fanfic). I beganThe Beautiful Downfall with a clear concept: I wanted to write a dark, DoS Masaki. ;) From there, I jotted down a rough storyline which became The Beautiful Downfall. Each chapter is relatively and deliberately short (under 2,000 words), so they are quicker reads than my other fanfics. Although I'm not sure how many chapters will be in this series, I hope you'll stick around to the end! ❤
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6
Chapter 7: A CEO's Orders
The next day.
"Sir, your morning coffee."
She was back to her usual self.
"Hey, Kusunoki."
Except... when I called her name, her eyes flickered for a split second, as if she were afraid that I might bring up what had happened yesterday.
"Yes, sir?"
She's hiding it well, but that momentary hesitation in her eyes gave her away.
What I saw yesterday was not so easily forgettable. Dozens of questions swam through my head as she laid there on my couch. But, I didn't want to wake her. She looked so peaceful sleeping. I took my suit jacket off and covered her body before returning to my desk. Every now and then, I'd check up on her, glancing over the computer to see if she had woken up. When she finally did, she seemed confused and unaware of her surroundings for a few minutes. But, upon seeing me at my desk, she made sense of the situation and instinctively pulled down on her sleeves.
Is that the reason why you've always worn long-sleeved shirts? It was clear she didn't want to talk about it, so I pretended not to see. But I'd like to think that I'm a half-decent man. Knowing what I know now, I wasn't going to pretend nothing had happened. Even if I couldn't see the whole picture, I saw enough.
"Take this Thursday off."
"...Excuse me?"
"I'll allow it."
She flipped through the pages of her planner and looked back at me. "But sir, that night is the conference--"
"That's an order," I stopped her mid-sentence.
She looked down again at her planner and sighed. "I'm okay. A good night's rest did the trick."
"That reminds me," I continued, not listening to her excuse. "Clear my schedule for that day as well."
"What?"
"I want that day off."
There was a brief pause. "I can't."
I propped my elbow on the armrest and leaned my head onto my fingers. "And why not?"
"You have a follow-up meeting with Hasebe-sama from DreamScene Holdings.”
"I've already rescheduled that for Friday evening."
"What?"
I could sense the surprise in her voice. Don't think you're in charge around here.
"I spoke with him earlier this morning. He actually prefers to meet then."
"...I see. But it's highly recommended that you attend the conference."
"But not mandated," I rephrased.
She stood there and stared at me with cold, judgmental eyes.
"Besides, I go to that conference each year, and every year, I regret it. It's a waste of my time."
She slapped her planner shut. "Sir--"
"Kusunoki."
She looked at me with utmost disapproval.
"9:00AM, Friday. You are to meet me here at my office. That's an order."
Though she didn't change her expression, I took her lack of rebuttal as silent consent.
--
"Sir?"
"Uh-huh."
"Why are we here?"
After a 45-minute drive, we exited the car and made our way to the entrance. Hung on her crossed arms was a medium-sized purse big enough to carry work papers. Unlike her work clothes, she was wearing skinny jeans and sneakers with an oversized, knitted sweater over a light blue blouse. She shot me a wary look as we headed for the entrance.
"Kusunoki."
"Yes, sir?"
"You've got a bad habit of suspecting the worst from me."
She pursed her lips. "If I may be forward, my suspicions aren't unwarranted. You don't have the best track record."
I stuck a hand into my damaged jeans and stood in front of her. You see, several months ago, that kind of rude comeback would have rubbed me the wrong way. But today, I had other plans. And she doesn't know a thing about them.
"You might want to save your voice for that." I pointed to a swirling, metal structure inside the gates.
"......"
After a short chuckle, I turned around and led the way. "Come on."
.
.
.
"......"
I glanced over at Kusunoki as the roller coaster took us up toward the sky. With each click of the chain, I could feel gravity pushing me down against the back of my seat. She didn't say a word as we stepped onto the ride, but judging from the white knuckles holding onto the bar in front of her, I could tell she was nervous.
"This is a test."
"What?" Her first word on the ride was a question.
"To see who can scream louder."
"...That's childish."
"What's wrong with that?"
"......"
"I feel sorry for adults who've forgotten how to have fun."
"......"
As the roller coaster began to tip forward, I gave one, last challenging statement.
"I bet I'll win."
With that, I screamed at the top of my lungs. The wind whizzed through my bangs as I squinted my eyes to keep them from drying out. At the first loop, I felt the blood rush to my head. As the ride took us on another large drop, gravity gave way as I felt my body float in the air for a few moments. Next to me, I heard nothing. The harness over our heads blocked my view of her face. I screamed even louder to provoke her.
Then, all of a sudden, as we approached our second loop...
"...KYAAAAAAAA!!!"
Like an explosion, her high-pitched scream filled the circular space. Then, I heard laughter mixed between screams. I smirked as my ears heard her music.
When the ride came to a halt, her hands were no longer hanging on for dear life but up in the air, waving excitedly. I helped her remove the harness. She turned to face me.
"I think I won the bet," she laughed before stepping off.
I combed my hair back and smirked again to myself. "I don't know about that," I said at her back.
"All right, then. See that? I'll bet you I can scream louder than you can." She pointed to a drop ride just several feet away from the roller coaster.
"You're on."
"You're going to regret it," she giggled playfully.
"No, I won't," I said quietly to myself.
Little does she know that this has nothing to do with winning.
.
.
.
"Not bad for amusement park food." I picked up my burger and took another bite. In the seat in front of me, Kusunoki was already finished with half of hers. The server gave us a surprised look when we ordered four burgers, but now, I'm glad we did.
After finishing all four (of which I had one), we found a place by the restaurant where we could see the night show. Actually, the best view is inside the amusement park hotel. I know that because my company owns it. I could have easily used my name to get the VIP room to avoid the crowds and see the parade sitting on a comfy, leather sofa. But I knew that abusing my power would not impress her; in fact, it would have probably offended her. So, here we were, between a family with two, loud kids and a couple who clearly did need a room, waiting for the show to begin.
"Hey Kusunoki."
"Yes, sir?"
"Did you have fun today?"
"What?"
The park lights dimmed as excited gasps filled the air.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Get ready for an exciting light, water, and fireworks show!" A pre-recorded announcement resounded in our ears.
"I'm not that desperate for a secretary. If you need to take a day off, I'd rather you do that than pass out in my office."
"...I apologize for the trouble, sir."
"I don't want an apology. I want a healthy, happy secretary."
"Happy..." she mumbled.
With a bright flash of colorful lights came a rhythmic fountain display. The kids beside us shouted enthusiastically to get their parent’s attention.
"You wouldn't take time to take care of yourself otherwise, would you?"
"What?"
"If I didn't order you to take today off."
"......"
The show had reached its climax, with fireworks lighting the night sky in time with fanfare music. We both tilted our heads to take in the view. With a loud bang, the show came to an end. As the crowd dispersed, I turned back toward her.
"So?"
"...Excuse me, sir?"
"Did you have fun? You know I don't like repeating myself."
She fixed the purse hanging on her left arm and looked down at her feet. "I haven't been to an amusement park since I was a child."
"Me, neither."
"It's the most fun I've had in a very long time."
I chuckled, satisfied. "Mission complete."
"...Hm?"
"You may have won the screaming contest, but I won the mission."
"The mission?"
"I pride myself in giving women a good time," I laughed.
"......"
Maybe it was the dim lighting of the moon casting a spell over me, or the soft expression on her face. Whatever it was, my hand responded. Out of its resting place in my pocket, it reached out and perched itself on the top of her head. After a few, gentle pats, I scrunched her hair before retracting my hand back to my side.
"I expect you back in the office again tomorrow, ready to work."
She nodded silently, looking back down toward the ground. Perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me, but it was no rosy lighting that added color to her cheeks.