The Beautiful Downfall - An Aiba Masaki Fanfic (Chapter 10/?) *Matsumoto POV
Pairing: Aiba Masaki x Kusunoki Shion (OC)
Rating: R for whole series, PG for Ch.10
Genre: Romance, Mystery Drama
Word count: 1,758
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 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9
Chapter 10: A Servant's Responsibility (*Matsumoto POV)
"I'm back with what you asked for, Young Master."
"All right. Come up to the 49th floor. Give us five minutes."
I parked the car in one of his reserved spots, then headed up on the elevator. Could it be my imagination, or did he sound irritated that I called? Should I have been considerate and left the two alone? I reflected on what had happened earlier in the evening.
--
"Where's Kusunoki?"
"She was here just moments ago before I stepped out to use the restroom."
The Young Master contorted his face in annoyance.
"I'm sorry I didn't stay with her, sir."
"Bring the car around to the back exit," he said with urgency in his voice.
"As you wish."
"And help me find a man in a gray suit. He has his black hair slicked back and should be wearing a navy blue tie."
I didn't ask why. It was a word I'd deleted from my dictionary after working under him. But, from what I could deduce, finding this man would lead us to Kusunoki-san.
When I finally spotted him, though, someone else had beaten me to it.
"You have some nerve, physically abusing a woman in my hotel."
The look on the Young Master's face was an expression I had never seen from him before. He was never a man to lose his cool, even if he lost his patience. This time was no exception. And yet, there was something in his eyes, something more than simply anger or fear. It looked like realization, but I didn't know about what.
--
When the elevator doors opened, I spotted the Young Master sitting alone at a booth seat.
"Ah, Matsumoto. Sit down." He waved his hand to point to the seat in front of him. I thanked him and sat where he suggested.
"Kusunoki's is using the restroom. How was he?"
"He was quite busy, but when I mentioned that it was for you, he readied it in no time."
"Did you mention Kusunoki?"
"No, but I asked for three, so he may have assumed."
"Then he didn't rush for me," the Young Master chuckled. "He did it for her."
"Sir?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sincerely sorry for earlier this evening. It was my mistake to think I could leave her unattended, if only for a moment."
He looked down at his empty glass and smiled as a sigh escaped his lips. "Must have been the dress. I knew I had good taste."
"...Who was that man?" I asked hesitantly. Meddling is not my business, but I felt somewhat responsible for placing Kusunoki-san in danger.
"Ah," he began as if he were waiting for me to ask, "It doesn't matter."
I surveyed his expression and asked no further questions. But, he kept going.
"Funny thing is, I was ready to pry that information out of her.” He took out a box of cigarettes from his suit pocket and lit one. “But one look at her, and I just couldn’t.”
Mukai-san approached our seat and took my drink order.
“Sparking water, thank you,” I answered.
“Make that two,” the Young Master chimed in as he pointed to the empty seat next to him with his chin. “And another glass of wine for me.”
As Mukai-san bowed and returned to the bar, the Young Master threw at me an unexpected question.
“Have you ever met a woman who makes you second-guess everything you've ever known about life?”
He turned his head to the side and blew a puff of smoke. His eyes followed its journey until it was no more. How unlike him, to show his vulnerable side. I was lost for words as I pondered his question in my head.
"Matsumoto-san.”
But my thoughts were interrupted by an apologetic voice.
"Have a seat, Kusunoki." Before I could respond, the Young Master ushered her to the seat beside him.
"Are you here to give the CEO a ride back to the party?"
I took a quick glance at her and noticed the red rim of her eyelids. It didn’t take rocket science to figure out she had been crying, but discretion is my job. Unfazed, I smiled at her and took out three carry-out trays.
"Actually...I'm here with your dinner."
I noticed her eyes glimmer as her nose picked up on the aroma.
"This is..."
"Nino's hayashi rice," the Young Master finished her sentence.
"But why?"
"You’re hungry, aren’t you?” he asked. “I’m starving.”
By the shift in her expression, I knew she had realized that we had missed the banquet because of her. "I'm terribly sorry for the trouble."
"It worked out, actually. I'm tired of fancy course meals, anyway." He took a tray for himself and a plastic spoon, urging us to do the same.
For a split second, I noticed that her eyes had once again brimmed with tears. She quickly turned away and distracted herself with the food. The Young Master looked at her from the corner of his eye, and, seeing that earlier events hadn’t dampened her appetite, smiled smugly to himself as he enjoyed his own portion.
--
After we had finished our dinner, the Young Master looked at his watch and gave me a nod. I knew what this meant. I bowed politely back at him.
“Kusunoki, Matsumoto will take you home.”
“What about you, sir? You must get back to the banquet.”
“I can take a cab.”
“No,” she shook her head. “I can’t have my boss do that.”
“Kusunoki.” His voice was calm but left no room for disagreement. “I’d feel much more comfortable having someone I can trust to take you home. This is an order.”
With an apologetic look on her face, she gave him a bow. Meanwhile, the Young Master took his suit jacket off and placed it over her bare shoulders. I watched their interaction intently, noticing the gentleness in his eyes and the bewilderment in hers.
“Sir, you need this, I can’t-”
“Matsumoto,” he cut her off.
“Understood, Young Master.” I took out my phone and made a call. When I hung up, Kusunoki-san tilted her head in confusion.
“Sir?”
“You should know by now that I have more than one suit jacket. Mochida is on his way to meet me at the banquet hall with a replacement.”
“Shall we, Kusunoki-san?”
She looked my way hesitantly so I smiled to reassure her that it was no trouble.
“Good night.” There was a smile on the Young Master’s face, but it wasn’t the smile I was used to seeing him give to other women. Unlike the bright, flashy smile he gives away for cheap admiration, this one was subdued and understated. It was raw and vulnerable, naïve in a way, too.
On the way to the elevator, he pulled me aside and lowered his voice.
“Take care of her for me.”
He had given me a second chance, an opportunity to redeem my earlier error. I bowed with the weight of responsibility on my shoulders.
“As you wish, Young Master.”
He gave a small nod and stepped onto the elevator, leaving Kusunoki-san and me behind.
--
"To the nearest train station is fine."
After getting into the car, I asked Kusunoki-san for directions back to her house. I got a vague response instead. It reminded me of the other times she refused a ride home, like after that dinner with the Young Master.
"My Master has asked me to take you home. I must see to that."
I could feel her staring at my reflection in the rear view mirror. When I glanced at her, she pursed her lips before responding.
"I'm feel very uncomfortable having a man take me home." Her voice was quiet, almost feeble. I wasn't used to it. Although I was torn, it was clear enough that she didn’t leave me any room to change her mind.
"...All right. Direct me to the train station closest to your home."
"Thank you, Matsumoto-san," she bowed her head. "If Aiba-san finds out, I'll take the blame."
We drove for about 30 minutes to our destination. During the rest of the car ride, she didn't say much. I noticed that she was texting someone, but other than that, she kept her gaze outside the window. Every now and then, she would fix the jacket over her shoulders and hold onto the collars as if to keep warm. The Young Master wouldn't admit it, but I know him well enough. He's a charming man. Buttering up female clients comes easily to him. Using flattery to get his way is what he does. But to lend personal belongings to a woman, when his previous secretaries weren't even allowed to touch his clothes? He was changing, adapting to someone else's needs. If Kusunoki-san weren't the reason for his small yet significant transformation, I couldn't tell you who was.
"Here you are." I put my hazards on and parked the car in the loading zone just outside the train station.
"Thank you, Matsumoto-san." She began taking off his jacket, so I stopped her.
"You still have to get home and the night wind can get chilly. He won't need that tomorrow. Hold onto it until you see him next."
I noticed her fingers curl tightly onto the jacket. "Please thank him again for me."
"I will."
She exited the car, bowed, and made her way toward the station. I put the car in drive and inched forward, but there was a nagging feeling I just couldn't shake off. My Master told me to take her home, I reminded myself. I must see to that. I turned the corner and found a fairly lit alleyway. After parking the car, I headed in her direction. I didn't want to appear or feel like a stalker, but I also felt responsible and wanted to make sure she got home safely.
I caught up to her rather quickly, but kept my distance. All I could make out was that she was on her phone. After making a few turns, my pace slowed. I looked around and found myself in a familiar location. In fact, I was just here several hours ago.
She made a right and stopped in front of a building. As if the occupant knew she had arrived, he opened the door to let her in. Right before she stepped inside, I could make out an apologetic smile on her face. As he closed the door, thoughts raced through my mind.
What...?
Why here?
Why was she going home to Ninomiya-san?