Masterpiece [Chapter 7]
Title: Masterpiece
Author: dephi
Pairing: RyoDa, KameDa somehow, more to come
Genre: Angst, Romance
Rating: PG - 13 for now
Disclaimer : Humm.. I own the plot for sure, and maybe Toshi? Hihihi... :)
Summary: It took place in Japan, where the rich and the poor had their own societies. There were parties everywhere for the rich. Nishikido Ryo was one of the rich people, an honorable person, the heir of a big corporation, yet he had his own family secret, an unthinkable one. Here came Ueda Tatsuya who stepped into his life, an innocent guy who did not know that his decision would bring him to a totally different world that he never imagined before.
Notes: The oh-long-not-so-awaited update. Beta-ed by annatanhe, thanks so much dear ♥
The lecture had started for almost 2 hours already, yet it didn't seem like it was nearing its end anytime soon. The middle aged female lecturer was talking really fast in front of the class in a low unclear voice. Great. Murmurs could be heard from back seats, middle seats, and even front seats. But then, the female lecturer herself was too occupied with the LCD monitor. She didn’t even bother to look at any of her students even once, not even when the crowd was getting louder. It was as if she was living in her own world with that LCD monitor, while the students were living in a whole different world from her. This class was such a real mess.
The clock showed that it was a little before 11 a.m. Unlike usual, Tatsuya was sitting at the back row of the class, because of the unexpected meeting with his old friend earlier. And everything was getting even stranger as Tatsuya kept looking at the clock while waiting for the class to end. He was not the only one though, as the entire class seemed to be on his side. This class needed to be finished soon or the messy class would become a disaster.
Sighs of relief were heard as the monitor was suddenly turned off, which indicated that the female professor would stop her lecture here. As expected, she really did. Without even any clear announcement, the professor just went away and vanished into thin air. Well, maybe saying that she disappeared to the air was a bit exaggerating, but for the entire class, it felt as though heaven finally came. Listening to the long uninteresting speech was hell, even for Tatsuya.
The first thing Tatsuya did when the lecturer was nowhere in sight was rushing outside the class. Toma was waiting at the library. If it was not because Tatsuya had this supposedly-important-but-so-damn-uninteresting class, Tatsuya could have spent more of his time with his childhood friend.
Toma is...normal. Compared to Tatsuya's other friends, he should be considered normal, normal in background wise. At least that was what both Toma and Tatsuya knew during their childhood days. His father was just a normal employee while his mother was just a housewife. Toma's economical background might be nothing compared to that of Tatsuya's, but that didn't really matter for Tatsuya. They were best friends, or whatever others might want to say.
They were together in almost everything. They went to school together, took the same extra classes, and played together. But then, it was only until their 17th birthday that a new discovery was found. It turned out that Toma's mother was actually not just an ordinary woman. Toma's grandfather actually owned a big mining business which was centered in New York. But Toma's father was just a commoner. His grandfather disapproved his only daughter's marriage with a commoner, thus Toma's parents decided to flee from America and led a whole new life in Tokyo.
His parents thought that their life was new, was far from Toma's grandfather's reach, but the fact was otherwise. No matter how far they ran, how Toma's grandfather decided to disown his only daughter, they were still family. The heart attack which caused Toma's grandfather's dying proved everything. Toma's grandfather only had Toma's mother as his child, which also meant that Toma was the only heir of the family. Family tie was tighter than anything. Even Toma knew that the only option he had was going to New York beside his dying grandfather to learn everything as the only heir. Thus, that was how the two childhood friends were parted.
"Toma!"
"Tat - chan."
The first meeting after years parting was rather epic, at least for Tatsuya it was that way. After all, they were best friends. So it shouldn't be that strange if the amount of happiness he felt was way more than usual.
"Waited long?" Tatsuya asked with a smile before taking a seat in front of where Toma sat. He could see some thick books scattering around Toma. Well, not really scattering, but they were all around Toma. Another book, or rather the thickest one, was right in front of Toma. Judging from the situation, Toma must have been reading that book before this. "Whoa... You read a lot, eh?"
Toma showed his flashy grin upon Tatsuya's question. "Well, if two hours is considered long, then yes." he giggled. "I don't really read that much, just taking a short peek on each of these. To kill time."
"I don't really think that even taking a short peek would be easy for these books." Tatsuya remarked, his right hand opening one of the books. "What the hell is this? I don't understand a thing about it at all."
Toma let out an obvious laugh as he heard Tatsuya's comment. "Of course you won't. Because it is using business terms. I guess I won't even be able to read your literatures too, not even the thinnest one."
"You have not changed at all eh, Toma."
"Really?" Toma asked. "I thought there should be lots of differences as compared to before. I mean, hello, I am not just some mere high schooler now." he added with a laugh. "While you, you changed a lot, eh?"
For a moment, Toma's last remark left Tatsuya frowning. Have he really changed that much? Supposedly that was not anything strange, especially since they hadn't met for about 7 years. But another thing was bothering him now. It was about...Ryo. He hadn't told Toma a thing about Ryo, moreover about what kind of thing he was dragged into now.
Toma would be mad for sure if he knew the truth, how Ryo was somehow using him. For some indefinite reasons, Tatsuya had a feeling that things won't go well between Ryo and Toma. Now Tatsuya finally realized that he was not in a good position at all.
"I can't believe you can finish your medical study, moreover taking a specialization? I mean, that lazy Tat - chan I knew, where is he now?" Toma laughed.
Unconsciously, a sigh of relief came out from Tatsuya's mouth. So that was what Toma meant with his earlier sentence. Tatsuya had thought too much without even trying to rationalize the real meaning beneath it. His worries were for nothing.
Somehow, he suddenly realized something else. "Wait. I was not that lazy! That was just a false accusation." Tatsuya pouted.
"False? Are you kidding me? Is ignoring homework and playing instead considered not lazy enough? You skipped lots of classes before. I still remember that clearly. Tell me, who copied my papers during school , eh?" Toma eyed Tatsuya. "Not to mention, the amount of sleep you need. Sleeping beauty."
"Alright alright. Stop it. I wonder what's wrong with your brain. Was that all you can remember about?" Tatsuya pouted again. "And hey, sleeping beauty is a girl. I am not a girl."
"Well, due to the amount of sleep, or rather hibernation you need, and how you act, I should question your real gender." Toma giggled. He simply rested his chin on his right palm while his left hand closed the thick book.
"YOU!" Tatsuya couldn't hold the urge to smack Toma's head anymore. This old friend of his did not change at all.
Laughter was heard around the entire room, although not that loudly as they were inside the library. Who knew what the bespectacled librarian would do if they didn't hold their voice. Toma was even joking about her, seeing how the librarian had already sent a few glares in their direction; probably waiting for the moment to kick them out from the room soon.
Things looked so peaceful, so full of happiness. That was what Tatsuya thought. But then, he forgot the presence of a certain guy who loved to appear randomly whenever he liked, to bring Tatsuya along. Right now, that slipped off from his memory.
"You've finished your class?"
Tatsuya's laughter died as he heard the certain familiar voice. Ryo was completely out of Tatsuya's mind until he heard his husky voice again. And what made things worse was the fact that Tatsuya hadn't told Toma even a thing about Ryo. His current position was definitely the worst situation he would like to go through. Too bad, he was not as lucky as he thought he was.
"Someone you know, Tat - chan?" Toma questioned, looking at Ryo and turning back to Tatsuya with a puzzled face.
"Ready to go?" Ryo said with his husky voice, ignoring Toma completely.
Tatsuya simply looked down. He felt his face getting hotter and at some point, he knew he had to say something. "T-This is Nishikido Ryo, m-my friend. And this is Ikuta Toma, my childhood friend. I-I'm sorry, Toma. I-I'll have to go now." Tatsuya said in a nervous tone, while his eyes were set on the opened book in front of him. Another mistake was made by that as Tatsuya failed to notice how both Toma and Ryo were staring at each other intensely. His nightmare came true, eh?
"Oh, Ikuta. Nice to meet you then." Ryo said in a flat tone. "I'll be on my car." he whispered before going away. At last Tatsuya was able to breathe again, although it didn't really mean that he was finally free.
"I-I'll tell you more about it next time, Toma. You know how to contact me, so yeah..." Tatsuya forced his laugh.
A caring smile was shown on Toma's face. "It's totally ok. I can quite...imagine how you are connected to him, Tat - chan. But..." Toma paused, raising one of his eyebrows. "...why him? I don't like him, Tat - chan. I am sure that he's not worth it. There's something about him. Just... think it over again, Tat - chan."
Tatsuya forced another laugh upon Toma's warning. Toma knew nothing, and it might be better just to leave him clueless like this. There were some secrets Tatsuya would like to keep even from his best friend, Toma. But no matter what, Tatsuya knew well that things were worse than ever, while there was nothing he could do, at all.
Toma kept watching as Tatsuya slowly started to disappear from his sight. He definitely felt something fishy although he couldn't tell what about. A sigh came out from his mouth as he returned the books he took earlier to the librarian. You had better be careful of him, Tat - chan.
####
Pi stopped his car in front of the gate and waited until the gate was opened. It didn't take long for him to park the car and step inside the big house.
He couldn't help but feel rather mesmerized of how comfortable this house is. Pi had never been here before. It was always Ryo alone, or Jin as a company sometimes, or Jin alone. But mostly, Kame went to Ryo's place, so Pi hadn't gotten any chance to come here, until now.
What brought him here? He didn't really understand. It hadn't been that long since the kidnapping incident, while Pi was wondering about a few things. Most of all, he was worried about Kame.
The failure they experienced, or rather Kame's failure, must have been a great shock for his pride. At least Pi would be shocked by it if he was in Kame’s place. He was just acting as a helper in that previous case, not as the main rescuer, so he did not feel much. But what about Kame? His pride was one of the things put on stake at that time. While Pi’s best friend, the great Nishikido Ryo, did just a simple thing which might crush Kame’s pride in an instant.
The maid led the way for Pi through the corridors. As expected, despite how grand the house was, the feeling inside it was totally calm. The house was decorated nicely, not much paintings, not even many antiques. There were just a few of them but they were all perfectly placed.
Pi had never known how it felt to live in a house. All of these times, it was always apartments for him. Wide ones, yet it was still just an apartment. Living in a house was definitely different compared to an apartment, no matter how luxurious or modernized the apartment is. There was this nice, comfortable, warm feeling which could be felt inside every house.
…Alright, not every house. Ryo’s place was an exception. But Pi knew the reason why, so he didn’t really care that much.
The walk continued while Pi’s mind kept flying somewhere else. They finally stopped when they reached a door, which Pi assumed to be where Kame currently is. Without forgetting to give one lady-killer smile before the maid left, Pi knocked a few times and opened the door.
“Ah, Pi - chan.”
Just when Pi thought that he would be able to have the conversation with Kame privately, Kusano simply appeared. Right, Pi had forgotten his existence, how Kusano rarely left Kame’s side, if it was not for something real important. Now what about his reason for visiting, could it be considered important enough? …most probably, not. So it was too bad for Pi.
“Kusano… How are you today?” Pi asked with a smile. It should be his luck that Kusano didn’t hate him as much as his hatred towards Jin. At least Pi wouldn’t have to feel worried, or even fly into a panic,. Pi chuckled as he remembered how Jin always complained over how mean Kusano is to him.
"I'm fine, Pi - chan. And hey, what's with that laugh? Don't say that you've been infiltrated by that bakanishi's virus. Oh my god, you should see the doctor before it spreads all around your body!" Kusano said quickly in one breath.
Comparing Jin with Kusano was hilarious to Pi as he found out that they were alike in a strange way. Thinking about that only made Pi start chuckling again.
"Hironori, stop disturbing our guest. It's rude." Kame's command only proved Pi's assumption even more as silence immediately took over Kusano's talkative self. Just exactly like how Ryo and Jin interacted. Jin wouldn't be able to say any words anymore when Ryo had said his wish. The differences were that Jin is way sillier than Kusano and that Kame is much nicer than the cold Ryo. Another chuckle was heard from Pi's mouth again.
"Did you find that amusing, Yamashita? I didn't know that your humor is... rather strange." Kame remarked. Now Pi had to take his words back. Kame was as scary as Ryo, definitely. The piercing stare and straightforward comment were terrifying.
"Pretty much, yes." Pi let out a chuckle again.
"Well, our Hironori here is rather unique. Although I guess Akanishi is way more unique than him. In case you were comparing Hironori with Akanishi." Kame remarked with a smirk.
Pi didn't dare to let another chuckle out upon hearing that. What the hell? How was Kame able to guess his mind perfectly? A psychic? Nah, even though Pi wasn't as smart as Ryo, he knew well that it had nothing to do with some psychological thing. Then again, his acts were probably too obvious that Kame could read it perfectly?
"Alright, you got me there." he admitted deliberately, shaking his head a bit.
"Wait, why must I be compared to that bakanishi?" Kusano pouted. "I am way better than him!"
It didn't take even more than a second for the room to be filled with laughter. Things were too...amusing. Pi didn't really know that he would be entertained this much the moment he stepped inside this house.
"So, what kind of business do you have with me, Yamashita?" Pi stopped his laugh upon hearing that.
Laughing so much made Pi forget his real intention of coming here. Come to think of it, his reason was only based upon his own worries. Was it even a reason?
"Just...wondering how well you are..." Pi said, and without him realizing it there was a hint of red which could be seen clearly in his face due to embarrassment.
Kame simply smiled as he heard Pi's question. "If you were referring to what happened the last time, then I am ok. Don't worry, I am not that weak, either physically or mentally." he remarked, taking a short sip from his cup.
"Oh..." Pi didn't know whether he had to feel relieved or not but what he knew was that his worries were eased a bit. "You have a thing on..." Pi suddenly stopped and shook his head. "...never mind it. I guess, I'll just take my leave."
"Think whatever you like. I won't clarify anything." Kame said. "And... I'll get Nishikido's new order ready soon, before he would advance with his mission, of course. Just like usual."
"Professional, eh? Nice knowing that, then." Pi chuckled, not because he underestimated Kame though, before he stepped away and reached the door, ready to open it.
"I am not giving up just yet." Kame stated. "...not yet. Even if there's Nishikido Ryo."
"Ah, I see..." Pi smiled as he opened the door and left the place.
Sipping the remains of his drink, Kame stood up and looked outside through a big window. "Today is nice eh, Hironori?" Kame suddenly mumbled.
"Kind of, yes. Nii - chan is happy that someone came over because he was worried, right?" Kusano guessed in a teasing voice.
"Am I? I don't know about that." Kame replied with a smile. "Now, shall we get back to work?"
"As you wish, Kazuya nii - chan."
####
The sky was getting dark as the sun started to go into its hiding. Just the perfect time for relaxing, but not every place were like that.
Knock... Knock...
"Come in..."
The door was slowly opened as a girl stepped inside the room. A confident smirk was shown eventually as she was finally inside the room, given to the one sitting behind the wood table. Without even waiting for the owner of the room to say a thing, she immediately claimed the black couch right in the middle of the room. She put her bag on the couch as if it was her place, trying to make herself as comfortable as possible.
"So, what do you want with me, Sawajiri - san?" Ryo asked as he stood up from his desk.
Erika set her gaze on Nishikido Ryo and smirked. "The last time I recall, you are calling me Erika, Nishikido - sama?" the confidence was clearly seen in her face and through those small laughs she threw.
"Oh, I thought you didn't like me acting all friendly with you, Erika." Ryo's mouth curving into a small smirk as he approached Erika and took the seat beside her. "Drink?" he offered, but without Erika’s reply, Ryo poured the champagne into the crystal glasses, one for him as he handed the second one to the female guest.
Erika took the glass and sipped a bit of it before she put it on the table. "That is not what I meant last time. But you're back on the track again. That's better. I hate formality and others." she let out a small laugh.
The situation seemed so peaceful, but in fact it wasn't. Both Erika and Ryo were talking as if they were on good terms but then the air said differently. Their talk seemed to be so light, yet that was just for formality purposes. The main course hadn't been started yet until the appetizer was finished completely. And as the main thing came, something unexpected might happen.
"So, care to tell me your arrival reason? Why am I blessed with ojou - sama's arrival? There should be some reason, right?" Ryo smirked, taking a long sip from his glass.
Erika let out another laugh when she heard Ryo's question. So straightforward. True, Erika came for something, but then she didn't really like to go through the main reason immediately, as she knew that she wouldn't be able to stay any longer after that. Erika's hand reached for her glass and took another sip of her champagne.
"Are you intending to drive me out from your house as soon as possible?" Erika giggled, sipping her drink again.
"Not really. Too many formalities are proven not that interesting, right? I think... You have just said that earlier."
"Hmm..." Erika giggled again. Taking her last sip of champagne, Erika placed the crystal glass back to the table and smirked. "Hey, I heard an interesting story last time..."
"Oh? About what?"
"I heard this from someone..." Erika giggled again while staring at Ryo. "The great prideful Nishikido Ryo bent his knees for someone else. Oh my, that is such a hilarious joke, right?" the giggles turned into sinister laughs.
Ryo's facial expression was unreadable. It was uncertain whether he was angry or happy or whatever. The same cold expression was clearly seen in his face.
That was not the kind of reaction Erika wished to receive. But then, she also found this interesting for some reason. That was the face Erika had taken interest in a long time ago. Too many things had happened after that, which make Erika decide to let her wish go for her lovely cousin. She thought that was for the best. But then too many other incidents made things get worse. And when Erika realized, she had already plotted some wicked plans. Her initial reason was for her cousin's happiness. Supposedly, that was the only real reason.
Seeing that she was getting no reaction from Ryo, Erika stopped her laugh eventually, and a smirk replaced it instead. "That is the truth, huh?" Erika's right palmed reached Ryo's cheek and she touched it with the tip of her finger.
"Hmm... I thought you said that you won't let me off if I do any harm to your cousin." a smirk was finally seen in Ryo's face as he held Erika's right hand and shrugged it away.
"I won't. That is for sure." Erika stated in a cold tone, both eyes glaring at Ryo.
"But, you were using him yourself. You were the one who set that all up. Interesting, ojou - sama." Ryo said. He then stood up.
Anger and annoyance overwhelmed Erika as she sat still on the black couch. A teeny bit of guilt approached her heart as she remembered what she did previously. True, she set it all up. But it was needed. That was one of the tests she made for Ryo. Sacrifice was needed, but the smaller the better. It was a bad thing of course, that it might harm her loveliest cousin. But as what she had thought, sacrifice was needed.
She remembered how she had warned Sakamoto many times. After all, she cared about Tatsuya so much. It would be so sad if something had happened to him, and it would only make Erika get haunted by her own guilt for the rest of her life.
"I've made sure that no harm would happen to him. That is just one of my tests, Nishikido." she forced a smirk on her face.
The most unexpected thing amongst all was Ryo's reaction. That was not what Erika had assumed he would do. It would have been the best if only Ryo simply ignored it, not putting his pride at stake, and that was Erika could finish the matter with Ryo leaving Tatsuya's side forever. Erika had to force her laugh when Sakamoto told her the story, the one she would least expect. That Nishikido Ryo, just for her cousin...
"For your cousin, eh..." Ryo silently laughed. "So, did I pass it?"
Biting her lower lip, Erika forced another smile in her mouth before standing up. "Your action was quite... unexpected. But I am not satisfied yet."
"Unexpected, eh? You are just doing it for your own sake. Not for your cousin's." Ryo finished his drink in one slurp, before pouring it again to her glass.
"You! That was a false assumption!" Erika lost her calmness at last. This Nishikido Ryo, simply meddled with her thoughts. That was unforgivable.
"Oh really, Erika?" an even wider smirk was shown as Ryo faced Erika. "I thought you had a thing for me. Oh, so that was an old story? Another drink for you?"
"No, thank you. I'm giving you another warning, Nishikido Ryo. Don't underestimate me, even for just a bit!" she said before taking her bag immediately and closing the door harshly.
"Oops... Take care, ojou - sama." Ryo finished another glass and stared to the ceiling.
Just as amusing as usual...
####
Days passed quickly. When everyone realized, it was already the season of parties. It was one of the nights when parties were held as usual in big cities, and that also applied to Tokyo.
Parties were only meant for the rich. There was a truth behind that sentence. Who could afford those expensive suits and gowns, luxurious cars, and flashy jewelries other than the high class people? Every guest tried to dress as flashy as they could, to show their real status. Just like some mannequin dolls, only for display.
Another mission had been requested to Ryo, and of course, he was not rejecting it. After all, it had been a while since he put in some action.
'So, what should I retrieve now?' Ryo asked after making sure that nobody would be able to hear their conversation.
'A pink diamond sir.' Toshi replied in his usual tone.
Ryo looked upon the mirror and did her hair again. 'Ange, you mean?'
No real answer was heard which also meant that it was a yes for Ryo's earlier question. Still fixing his hair, Ryo put a real thought about it for a while. 'Any idea, Toshi?'
Toshi gave a small bow and took a small notebook from his shirt pocket. 'The risk is higher than usual as it is kept in Yamamoto's underground room, which exact position is still unknown. The guard is supposedly to be so tight, even from the entrance. Cameras are put everywhere in camouflage. Some might be shown as a statue, while some others are hidden around the bushes. Locating one by one would be hard to do.'
'Hard, but not impossible, right?'
'We can send a few people inside the house to do the job, but it will also mean that more people will know. The fastest way should be taking control of the operating room directly.'
'Hmm...' Ryo murmured, now sitting at his usual desk. 'Interesting, I'll take the job. And the payment?'
‘Double our usual fees, sir.'
'Make it three times, or the deal is off.'
'Yes, sir.'
The place was quite crowded already. It was not a strange thing as it was already late from the listed time. Not being bothered by it, two men stepped inside together, not even worried about what the host would say. Chatters were heard as they passed the other guests, the news of Sawajiri Erika's refusal to come to this party, while everyone knew how the host had a certain interest over the prideful lady could be heard all around. It was quite good news for the ladies, hoping that any of them could attract the host's attention instead.
Who wouldn't want to have any form of good relationship with the young heir of Yamamoto? Clever and rich. His study background was nothing to be underestimated either too. Charming, yet too bad he fell head over heels with Erika, which was the infamous secret. But today was a different case as Sawajiri Erika was not present.
The two men continued their walk inside where the main event took place and greeted the host of the party, who didn't look as happy as expected. Murmurs were getting even louder when everyone saw how the three men were talking together.
Most probably, Nishikido Ryo was the only person could compete with the host for the party tonight. Another juicy gossip was being spread even faster than wind. Everyone knew how Erika had Nishikido Ryo as her companion at her party. Thus the meeting between the man she had a thing for and the man who had a crush on her was certainly an amusing sight. Moreover, none of them were taken, yet.
The murmurs didn't even stop as the formal talk between the guest and the host was ended. Typically rich ladies, the richer their husband was, the better. Status was also put into consideration. Feelings were not the top condition anymore.
"Look, Ryo - chan. Don't you feel proud that girls are talking about you all along." Jin whined, but a seductive smile was plastered upon his mouth. "Because of your request and mission, I couldn't bring any partner to this boring party."
"Not really. They look like a bunch of idiots in my eyes." Ryo snorted.
Jin turned his gaze immediately when he heard his cousin's sharp reply. "You just can’t appreciate beauty, Ryo - chan." he murmured. "Perhaps, because you have gotten a beautiful person, although not a girl, beside you. Oh wait, he's just a tool."
"Tool, eh?" Ryo murmured, his hand reached for the nearest glass filled with cocktail and sipped it.
"Huhu... His cousin is such a beauty too. Perfect as a companion." Jin suddenly stared at Ryo. "I wonder what they see from you, Ryo - chan. I mean, you're cold-blooded. Even mammals are hot-blooded." Jin kept murmuring things randomly.
"Jin..."
"Yes?" Jin replied, still looking all silly.
"I am not an animal." Ryo stated in a cold tone.
Jin looked puzzled before he let out a laugh (not burst into laughter for God's sake, as he had this image to keep). "Of course you are not, Ryo - chan. I am not that stupid to the extent that I can’t differentiate human and animals."
"... Then I think you should know that all human are hot-blooded."
Jin had to hold the urge from pouting for his image's sake upon Ryo's statement.
The winning smirk appeared on Ryo's face. It was not like he wanted to win this silly argument, especially with his infamous silly cousin Jin, it was just simply Jin's fault for disturbing his pride by comparing him to some inhuman creatures.
"A-Anyway, isn't it the time yet?" Jin remarked, trying to change the subject.
Ryo took a little peek on his watch. "Well yes. But we need to wait until the speech has started or someone might see us." Just as Ryo finished his sentence, the lighting was turned off, only leaving one single lamp lighting up the host's place. "We don't need to wait anymore, I guess."
And with the last smirk, both Ryo and Jin managed to slip away from the main hall without anyone noticing around this darkness.
####
It was quite a wonder why Yamashita Tomohisa was coming to the party without Nishikido Ryo and Akanishi Jin. Moreover, he came with another guy, who people knew as Sawajiri Erika's cousin. A big surprise, indeed.
Pi laughed as he remembered that. How girls were looking all around him with a hope to find either Ryo or Jin who hadn't arrived there yet. Just a formal greeting was given to the main host, before he disappeared from the others’ sight without them realizing it as Nishikido Ryo finally arrived with his cousin. He didn't even have to put in much effort to hide himself together with Tatsuya as people would simply put their utmost attention upon Ryo's arrival. Funny.
He couldn't help but feel amazed of how Ryo was able to send a small number of people inside the house while managing to gather so much information. As expected from a professional.
They, Pi and Tatsuya, went directly to the operating room, where one of Nishikido's men had been waiting. Everything had been organized nicely. That was how Ryo always works, so it didn't bring even the least surprise to Pi when he was facilitated with these easy things.
And now, he was left together with Tatsuya, waiting for Ryo's call to do their job. Being left together only with Tatsuya was proven quite awkward for Pi, especially after the previous incident. But then, there was no other way. It would be a real mess if Jin replaced his place, as Jin didn't have that much of a responsibility, or even replaced Tatsuya's place, given that Jin's strength was needed.
What the hell should he start the conversation with? Hello, how do you do? -- that would be too cliché, too unoriginal. Without Pi realizing it, he had been staring at Tatsuya all along.
"Umm... Yamashita - san?"
"Ah, anything you need me to do, Ueda?"
With an uncertain look, Tatsuya stared ad Pi. "Is there something wrong with me? I-I mean, since you have been staring at me, so I was wondering..."
Pi immediately realized his mistake and let out a cough to hide his embarrassment. "No, No, nothing. I was just... daydreaming, yes daydreaming." Pi forced out a silent laugh.
"Hey, Ueda - kun, you know, what do you actually feel of..." the phone's ringing tone was suddenly heard. "...previous incident..." the last thing was mumbled.
Tatsuya immediately picked the phone and talked for a while before closing it. "It is time." he said in a rather cheerful tone before turning to the big machine and put in some codes, followed by Pi. It didn't take long before they finished manipulating the main computer.
"Done~" Tatsuya said in a sing-song tone. There was definitely something beneath that over cheerful facade, although Pi had no idea why. "Ah, anyway, Yamashita - san. What did you want to ask me earlier? Sorry, I couldn't hear it."
Since when did the shy Ueda become so reliable? Since when did he manage to overcome his fear? Since when was he being dragged completely into this matter?
Pi smiled as he noticed how ironically, he didn't realize even a thing. "Nevermind. It's nothing important." he shrugged.
"Hmm~" Tatsuya mumbled. "Are you sure? Ah well~"
Another call was heard again as Tatsuya received it again.
"It's been retrieved. Our job is done... Let's go, Yamashita - san? We should mix with the people for a while before leaving this place."
It was not the time to be surprised over Tatsuya's cheeriness anymore, and Pi knew that. This guy had slightly changed, although Pi didn't know whether it would be a good or bad thing.
"Sure..."
####
Toma kept walking around the place. He was attending a party, which was a great wonder. Although Toma looked like this, he didn't really enjoy parties, where rich snobbish people came and their talk was too... uninteresting.
If it wasn't because the host was his friend in America, Toma wouldn't take all the trouble just to come to this boring party. The guests were, as expected, too formal. What’s with the company talk, property talk? Such bullshit. It was as if he was around a bunch of kids talking about small matters.
What annoyed him most was how some girls seemed to have lost their pride and approached Toma while giggling. They said it was embarrassing, yet they didn't look so when they talked with Toma. So annoying.
Toma really wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Indeed, the party was big and so crowded, but he didn't even find it the least interesting. But then, he accidentally caught the sight of his childhood friend. Was he... dreaming? He couldn't really ensure it as he only saw it in a flash. But if it was really Tatsuya, he didn't really mind spending a longer time in this party even though he admitted how boring the party was. Having a familiar companion would be fun.
With that in mind, Toma started his search for his childhood friend all around the place. But no matter how hard he tried, Tatsuya seemed to have vanished into the thin air. The party was too crowded which made the searching even harder.
When Toma was finally able to break free from the crowd, he immediately looked through any possible place, still in vain. He was in the back garden and there weren't much people, if not none, when he heard a low noise from somewhere. And when he turned around, he saw a familiar figure, although he couldn't recall where he saw that. No, actually there were two guys, the familiar figure was holding a small box. But Toma was uncertain as there was quite a distance between them and it was dark. Not long after that, the two figures were disappeared, not actually disappeared as a car picked them up, leaving Toma puzzled.
"W-What is that? Could it be..."
E/N: I'm asking for an apologize for the super super super long update. But well... This chapter is way longer than the usual one, twice as much, I guess? So I hope this could replace my long update... :P
Author: dephi
Pairing: RyoDa, KameDa somehow, more to come
Genre: Angst, Romance
Rating: PG - 13 for now
Disclaimer : Humm.. I own the plot for sure, and maybe Toshi? Hihihi... :)
Summary: It took place in Japan, where the rich and the poor had their own societies. There were parties everywhere for the rich. Nishikido Ryo was one of the rich people, an honorable person, the heir of a big corporation, yet he had his own family secret, an unthinkable one. Here came Ueda Tatsuya who stepped into his life, an innocent guy who did not know that his decision would bring him to a totally different world that he never imagined before.
Notes: The oh-long-not-so-awaited update. Beta-ed by annatanhe, thanks so much dear ♥
The lecture had started for almost 2 hours already, yet it didn't seem like it was nearing its end anytime soon. The middle aged female lecturer was talking really fast in front of the class in a low unclear voice. Great. Murmurs could be heard from back seats, middle seats, and even front seats. But then, the female lecturer herself was too occupied with the LCD monitor. She didn’t even bother to look at any of her students even once, not even when the crowd was getting louder. It was as if she was living in her own world with that LCD monitor, while the students were living in a whole different world from her. This class was such a real mess.
The clock showed that it was a little before 11 a.m. Unlike usual, Tatsuya was sitting at the back row of the class, because of the unexpected meeting with his old friend earlier. And everything was getting even stranger as Tatsuya kept looking at the clock while waiting for the class to end. He was not the only one though, as the entire class seemed to be on his side. This class needed to be finished soon or the messy class would become a disaster.
Sighs of relief were heard as the monitor was suddenly turned off, which indicated that the female professor would stop her lecture here. As expected, she really did. Without even any clear announcement, the professor just went away and vanished into thin air. Well, maybe saying that she disappeared to the air was a bit exaggerating, but for the entire class, it felt as though heaven finally came. Listening to the long uninteresting speech was hell, even for Tatsuya.
The first thing Tatsuya did when the lecturer was nowhere in sight was rushing outside the class. Toma was waiting at the library. If it was not because Tatsuya had this supposedly-important-but-so-damn-uninteresting class, Tatsuya could have spent more of his time with his childhood friend.
Toma is...normal. Compared to Tatsuya's other friends, he should be considered normal, normal in background wise. At least that was what both Toma and Tatsuya knew during their childhood days. His father was just a normal employee while his mother was just a housewife. Toma's economical background might be nothing compared to that of Tatsuya's, but that didn't really matter for Tatsuya. They were best friends, or whatever others might want to say.
They were together in almost everything. They went to school together, took the same extra classes, and played together. But then, it was only until their 17th birthday that a new discovery was found. It turned out that Toma's mother was actually not just an ordinary woman. Toma's grandfather actually owned a big mining business which was centered in New York. But Toma's father was just a commoner. His grandfather disapproved his only daughter's marriage with a commoner, thus Toma's parents decided to flee from America and led a whole new life in Tokyo.
His parents thought that their life was new, was far from Toma's grandfather's reach, but the fact was otherwise. No matter how far they ran, how Toma's grandfather decided to disown his only daughter, they were still family. The heart attack which caused Toma's grandfather's dying proved everything. Toma's grandfather only had Toma's mother as his child, which also meant that Toma was the only heir of the family. Family tie was tighter than anything. Even Toma knew that the only option he had was going to New York beside his dying grandfather to learn everything as the only heir. Thus, that was how the two childhood friends were parted.
"Toma!"
"Tat - chan."
The first meeting after years parting was rather epic, at least for Tatsuya it was that way. After all, they were best friends. So it shouldn't be that strange if the amount of happiness he felt was way more than usual.
"Waited long?" Tatsuya asked with a smile before taking a seat in front of where Toma sat. He could see some thick books scattering around Toma. Well, not really scattering, but they were all around Toma. Another book, or rather the thickest one, was right in front of Toma. Judging from the situation, Toma must have been reading that book before this. "Whoa... You read a lot, eh?"
Toma showed his flashy grin upon Tatsuya's question. "Well, if two hours is considered long, then yes." he giggled. "I don't really read that much, just taking a short peek on each of these. To kill time."
"I don't really think that even taking a short peek would be easy for these books." Tatsuya remarked, his right hand opening one of the books. "What the hell is this? I don't understand a thing about it at all."
Toma let out an obvious laugh as he heard Tatsuya's comment. "Of course you won't. Because it is using business terms. I guess I won't even be able to read your literatures too, not even the thinnest one."
"You have not changed at all eh, Toma."
"Really?" Toma asked. "I thought there should be lots of differences as compared to before. I mean, hello, I am not just some mere high schooler now." he added with a laugh. "While you, you changed a lot, eh?"
For a moment, Toma's last remark left Tatsuya frowning. Have he really changed that much? Supposedly that was not anything strange, especially since they hadn't met for about 7 years. But another thing was bothering him now. It was about...Ryo. He hadn't told Toma a thing about Ryo, moreover about what kind of thing he was dragged into now.
Toma would be mad for sure if he knew the truth, how Ryo was somehow using him. For some indefinite reasons, Tatsuya had a feeling that things won't go well between Ryo and Toma. Now Tatsuya finally realized that he was not in a good position at all.
"I can't believe you can finish your medical study, moreover taking a specialization? I mean, that lazy Tat - chan I knew, where is he now?" Toma laughed.
Unconsciously, a sigh of relief came out from Tatsuya's mouth. So that was what Toma meant with his earlier sentence. Tatsuya had thought too much without even trying to rationalize the real meaning beneath it. His worries were for nothing.
Somehow, he suddenly realized something else. "Wait. I was not that lazy! That was just a false accusation." Tatsuya pouted.
"False? Are you kidding me? Is ignoring homework and playing instead considered not lazy enough? You skipped lots of classes before. I still remember that clearly. Tell me, who copied my papers during school , eh?" Toma eyed Tatsuya. "Not to mention, the amount of sleep you need. Sleeping beauty."
"Alright alright. Stop it. I wonder what's wrong with your brain. Was that all you can remember about?" Tatsuya pouted again. "And hey, sleeping beauty is a girl. I am not a girl."
"Well, due to the amount of sleep, or rather hibernation you need, and how you act, I should question your real gender." Toma giggled. He simply rested his chin on his right palm while his left hand closed the thick book.
"YOU!" Tatsuya couldn't hold the urge to smack Toma's head anymore. This old friend of his did not change at all.
Laughter was heard around the entire room, although not that loudly as they were inside the library. Who knew what the bespectacled librarian would do if they didn't hold their voice. Toma was even joking about her, seeing how the librarian had already sent a few glares in their direction; probably waiting for the moment to kick them out from the room soon.
Things looked so peaceful, so full of happiness. That was what Tatsuya thought. But then, he forgot the presence of a certain guy who loved to appear randomly whenever he liked, to bring Tatsuya along. Right now, that slipped off from his memory.
"You've finished your class?"
Tatsuya's laughter died as he heard the certain familiar voice. Ryo was completely out of Tatsuya's mind until he heard his husky voice again. And what made things worse was the fact that Tatsuya hadn't told Toma even a thing about Ryo. His current position was definitely the worst situation he would like to go through. Too bad, he was not as lucky as he thought he was.
"Someone you know, Tat - chan?" Toma questioned, looking at Ryo and turning back to Tatsuya with a puzzled face.
"Ready to go?" Ryo said with his husky voice, ignoring Toma completely.
Tatsuya simply looked down. He felt his face getting hotter and at some point, he knew he had to say something. "T-This is Nishikido Ryo, m-my friend. And this is Ikuta Toma, my childhood friend. I-I'm sorry, Toma. I-I'll have to go now." Tatsuya said in a nervous tone, while his eyes were set on the opened book in front of him. Another mistake was made by that as Tatsuya failed to notice how both Toma and Ryo were staring at each other intensely. His nightmare came true, eh?
"Oh, Ikuta. Nice to meet you then." Ryo said in a flat tone. "I'll be on my car." he whispered before going away. At last Tatsuya was able to breathe again, although it didn't really mean that he was finally free.
"I-I'll tell you more about it next time, Toma. You know how to contact me, so yeah..." Tatsuya forced his laugh.
A caring smile was shown on Toma's face. "It's totally ok. I can quite...imagine how you are connected to him, Tat - chan. But..." Toma paused, raising one of his eyebrows. "...why him? I don't like him, Tat - chan. I am sure that he's not worth it. There's something about him. Just... think it over again, Tat - chan."
Tatsuya forced another laugh upon Toma's warning. Toma knew nothing, and it might be better just to leave him clueless like this. There were some secrets Tatsuya would like to keep even from his best friend, Toma. But no matter what, Tatsuya knew well that things were worse than ever, while there was nothing he could do, at all.
Toma kept watching as Tatsuya slowly started to disappear from his sight. He definitely felt something fishy although he couldn't tell what about. A sigh came out from his mouth as he returned the books he took earlier to the librarian. You had better be careful of him, Tat - chan.
####
Pi stopped his car in front of the gate and waited until the gate was opened. It didn't take long for him to park the car and step inside the big house.
He couldn't help but feel rather mesmerized of how comfortable this house is. Pi had never been here before. It was always Ryo alone, or Jin as a company sometimes, or Jin alone. But mostly, Kame went to Ryo's place, so Pi hadn't gotten any chance to come here, until now.
What brought him here? He didn't really understand. It hadn't been that long since the kidnapping incident, while Pi was wondering about a few things. Most of all, he was worried about Kame.
The failure they experienced, or rather Kame's failure, must have been a great shock for his pride. At least Pi would be shocked by it if he was in Kame’s place. He was just acting as a helper in that previous case, not as the main rescuer, so he did not feel much. But what about Kame? His pride was one of the things put on stake at that time. While Pi’s best friend, the great Nishikido Ryo, did just a simple thing which might crush Kame’s pride in an instant.
The maid led the way for Pi through the corridors. As expected, despite how grand the house was, the feeling inside it was totally calm. The house was decorated nicely, not much paintings, not even many antiques. There were just a few of them but they were all perfectly placed.
Pi had never known how it felt to live in a house. All of these times, it was always apartments for him. Wide ones, yet it was still just an apartment. Living in a house was definitely different compared to an apartment, no matter how luxurious or modernized the apartment is. There was this nice, comfortable, warm feeling which could be felt inside every house.
…Alright, not every house. Ryo’s place was an exception. But Pi knew the reason why, so he didn’t really care that much.
The walk continued while Pi’s mind kept flying somewhere else. They finally stopped when they reached a door, which Pi assumed to be where Kame currently is. Without forgetting to give one lady-killer smile before the maid left, Pi knocked a few times and opened the door.
“Ah, Pi - chan.”
Just when Pi thought that he would be able to have the conversation with Kame privately, Kusano simply appeared. Right, Pi had forgotten his existence, how Kusano rarely left Kame’s side, if it was not for something real important. Now what about his reason for visiting, could it be considered important enough? …most probably, not. So it was too bad for Pi.
“Kusano… How are you today?” Pi asked with a smile. It should be his luck that Kusano didn’t hate him as much as his hatred towards Jin. At least Pi wouldn’t have to feel worried, or even fly into a panic,. Pi chuckled as he remembered how Jin always complained over how mean Kusano is to him.
"I'm fine, Pi - chan. And hey, what's with that laugh? Don't say that you've been infiltrated by that bakanishi's virus. Oh my god, you should see the doctor before it spreads all around your body!" Kusano said quickly in one breath.
Comparing Jin with Kusano was hilarious to Pi as he found out that they were alike in a strange way. Thinking about that only made Pi start chuckling again.
"Hironori, stop disturbing our guest. It's rude." Kame's command only proved Pi's assumption even more as silence immediately took over Kusano's talkative self. Just exactly like how Ryo and Jin interacted. Jin wouldn't be able to say any words anymore when Ryo had said his wish. The differences were that Jin is way sillier than Kusano and that Kame is much nicer than the cold Ryo. Another chuckle was heard from Pi's mouth again.
"Did you find that amusing, Yamashita? I didn't know that your humor is... rather strange." Kame remarked. Now Pi had to take his words back. Kame was as scary as Ryo, definitely. The piercing stare and straightforward comment were terrifying.
"Pretty much, yes." Pi let out a chuckle again.
"Well, our Hironori here is rather unique. Although I guess Akanishi is way more unique than him. In case you were comparing Hironori with Akanishi." Kame remarked with a smirk.
Pi didn't dare to let another chuckle out upon hearing that. What the hell? How was Kame able to guess his mind perfectly? A psychic? Nah, even though Pi wasn't as smart as Ryo, he knew well that it had nothing to do with some psychological thing. Then again, his acts were probably too obvious that Kame could read it perfectly?
"Alright, you got me there." he admitted deliberately, shaking his head a bit.
"Wait, why must I be compared to that bakanishi?" Kusano pouted. "I am way better than him!"
It didn't take even more than a second for the room to be filled with laughter. Things were too...amusing. Pi didn't really know that he would be entertained this much the moment he stepped inside this house.
"So, what kind of business do you have with me, Yamashita?" Pi stopped his laugh upon hearing that.
Laughing so much made Pi forget his real intention of coming here. Come to think of it, his reason was only based upon his own worries. Was it even a reason?
"Just...wondering how well you are..." Pi said, and without him realizing it there was a hint of red which could be seen clearly in his face due to embarrassment.
Kame simply smiled as he heard Pi's question. "If you were referring to what happened the last time, then I am ok. Don't worry, I am not that weak, either physically or mentally." he remarked, taking a short sip from his cup.
"Oh..." Pi didn't know whether he had to feel relieved or not but what he knew was that his worries were eased a bit. "You have a thing on..." Pi suddenly stopped and shook his head. "...never mind it. I guess, I'll just take my leave."
"Think whatever you like. I won't clarify anything." Kame said. "And... I'll get Nishikido's new order ready soon, before he would advance with his mission, of course. Just like usual."
"Professional, eh? Nice knowing that, then." Pi chuckled, not because he underestimated Kame though, before he stepped away and reached the door, ready to open it.
"I am not giving up just yet." Kame stated. "...not yet. Even if there's Nishikido Ryo."
"Ah, I see..." Pi smiled as he opened the door and left the place.
Sipping the remains of his drink, Kame stood up and looked outside through a big window. "Today is nice eh, Hironori?" Kame suddenly mumbled.
"Kind of, yes. Nii - chan is happy that someone came over because he was worried, right?" Kusano guessed in a teasing voice.
"Am I? I don't know about that." Kame replied with a smile. "Now, shall we get back to work?"
"As you wish, Kazuya nii - chan."
####
The sky was getting dark as the sun started to go into its hiding. Just the perfect time for relaxing, but not every place were like that.
Knock... Knock...
"Come in..."
The door was slowly opened as a girl stepped inside the room. A confident smirk was shown eventually as she was finally inside the room, given to the one sitting behind the wood table. Without even waiting for the owner of the room to say a thing, she immediately claimed the black couch right in the middle of the room. She put her bag on the couch as if it was her place, trying to make herself as comfortable as possible.
"So, what do you want with me, Sawajiri - san?" Ryo asked as he stood up from his desk.
Erika set her gaze on Nishikido Ryo and smirked. "The last time I recall, you are calling me Erika, Nishikido - sama?" the confidence was clearly seen in her face and through those small laughs she threw.
"Oh, I thought you didn't like me acting all friendly with you, Erika." Ryo's mouth curving into a small smirk as he approached Erika and took the seat beside her. "Drink?" he offered, but without Erika’s reply, Ryo poured the champagne into the crystal glasses, one for him as he handed the second one to the female guest.
Erika took the glass and sipped a bit of it before she put it on the table. "That is not what I meant last time. But you're back on the track again. That's better. I hate formality and others." she let out a small laugh.
The situation seemed so peaceful, but in fact it wasn't. Both Erika and Ryo were talking as if they were on good terms but then the air said differently. Their talk seemed to be so light, yet that was just for formality purposes. The main course hadn't been started yet until the appetizer was finished completely. And as the main thing came, something unexpected might happen.
"So, care to tell me your arrival reason? Why am I blessed with ojou - sama's arrival? There should be some reason, right?" Ryo smirked, taking a long sip from his glass.
Erika let out another laugh when she heard Ryo's question. So straightforward. True, Erika came for something, but then she didn't really like to go through the main reason immediately, as she knew that she wouldn't be able to stay any longer after that. Erika's hand reached for her glass and took another sip of her champagne.
"Are you intending to drive me out from your house as soon as possible?" Erika giggled, sipping her drink again.
"Not really. Too many formalities are proven not that interesting, right? I think... You have just said that earlier."
"Hmm..." Erika giggled again. Taking her last sip of champagne, Erika placed the crystal glass back to the table and smirked. "Hey, I heard an interesting story last time..."
"Oh? About what?"
"I heard this from someone..." Erika giggled again while staring at Ryo. "The great prideful Nishikido Ryo bent his knees for someone else. Oh my, that is such a hilarious joke, right?" the giggles turned into sinister laughs.
Ryo's facial expression was unreadable. It was uncertain whether he was angry or happy or whatever. The same cold expression was clearly seen in his face.
That was not the kind of reaction Erika wished to receive. But then, she also found this interesting for some reason. That was the face Erika had taken interest in a long time ago. Too many things had happened after that, which make Erika decide to let her wish go for her lovely cousin. She thought that was for the best. But then too many other incidents made things get worse. And when Erika realized, she had already plotted some wicked plans. Her initial reason was for her cousin's happiness. Supposedly, that was the only real reason.
Seeing that she was getting no reaction from Ryo, Erika stopped her laugh eventually, and a smirk replaced it instead. "That is the truth, huh?" Erika's right palmed reached Ryo's cheek and she touched it with the tip of her finger.
"Hmm... I thought you said that you won't let me off if I do any harm to your cousin." a smirk was finally seen in Ryo's face as he held Erika's right hand and shrugged it away.
"I won't. That is for sure." Erika stated in a cold tone, both eyes glaring at Ryo.
"But, you were using him yourself. You were the one who set that all up. Interesting, ojou - sama." Ryo said. He then stood up.
Anger and annoyance overwhelmed Erika as she sat still on the black couch. A teeny bit of guilt approached her heart as she remembered what she did previously. True, she set it all up. But it was needed. That was one of the tests she made for Ryo. Sacrifice was needed, but the smaller the better. It was a bad thing of course, that it might harm her loveliest cousin. But as what she had thought, sacrifice was needed.
She remembered how she had warned Sakamoto many times. After all, she cared about Tatsuya so much. It would be so sad if something had happened to him, and it would only make Erika get haunted by her own guilt for the rest of her life.
"I've made sure that no harm would happen to him. That is just one of my tests, Nishikido." she forced a smirk on her face.
The most unexpected thing amongst all was Ryo's reaction. That was not what Erika had assumed he would do. It would have been the best if only Ryo simply ignored it, not putting his pride at stake, and that was Erika could finish the matter with Ryo leaving Tatsuya's side forever. Erika had to force her laugh when Sakamoto told her the story, the one she would least expect. That Nishikido Ryo, just for her cousin...
"For your cousin, eh..." Ryo silently laughed. "So, did I pass it?"
Biting her lower lip, Erika forced another smile in her mouth before standing up. "Your action was quite... unexpected. But I am not satisfied yet."
"Unexpected, eh? You are just doing it for your own sake. Not for your cousin's." Ryo finished his drink in one slurp, before pouring it again to her glass.
"You! That was a false assumption!" Erika lost her calmness at last. This Nishikido Ryo, simply meddled with her thoughts. That was unforgivable.
"Oh really, Erika?" an even wider smirk was shown as Ryo faced Erika. "I thought you had a thing for me. Oh, so that was an old story? Another drink for you?"
"No, thank you. I'm giving you another warning, Nishikido Ryo. Don't underestimate me, even for just a bit!" she said before taking her bag immediately and closing the door harshly.
"Oops... Take care, ojou - sama." Ryo finished another glass and stared to the ceiling.
Just as amusing as usual...
####
Days passed quickly. When everyone realized, it was already the season of parties. It was one of the nights when parties were held as usual in big cities, and that also applied to Tokyo.
Parties were only meant for the rich. There was a truth behind that sentence. Who could afford those expensive suits and gowns, luxurious cars, and flashy jewelries other than the high class people? Every guest tried to dress as flashy as they could, to show their real status. Just like some mannequin dolls, only for display.
Another mission had been requested to Ryo, and of course, he was not rejecting it. After all, it had been a while since he put in some action.
'So, what should I retrieve now?' Ryo asked after making sure that nobody would be able to hear their conversation.
'A pink diamond sir.' Toshi replied in his usual tone.
Ryo looked upon the mirror and did her hair again. 'Ange, you mean?'
No real answer was heard which also meant that it was a yes for Ryo's earlier question. Still fixing his hair, Ryo put a real thought about it for a while. 'Any idea, Toshi?'
Toshi gave a small bow and took a small notebook from his shirt pocket. 'The risk is higher than usual as it is kept in Yamamoto's underground room, which exact position is still unknown. The guard is supposedly to be so tight, even from the entrance. Cameras are put everywhere in camouflage. Some might be shown as a statue, while some others are hidden around the bushes. Locating one by one would be hard to do.'
'Hard, but not impossible, right?'
'We can send a few people inside the house to do the job, but it will also mean that more people will know. The fastest way should be taking control of the operating room directly.'
'Hmm...' Ryo murmured, now sitting at his usual desk. 'Interesting, I'll take the job. And the payment?'
‘Double our usual fees, sir.'
'Make it three times, or the deal is off.'
'Yes, sir.'
The place was quite crowded already. It was not a strange thing as it was already late from the listed time. Not being bothered by it, two men stepped inside together, not even worried about what the host would say. Chatters were heard as they passed the other guests, the news of Sawajiri Erika's refusal to come to this party, while everyone knew how the host had a certain interest over the prideful lady could be heard all around. It was quite good news for the ladies, hoping that any of them could attract the host's attention instead.
Who wouldn't want to have any form of good relationship with the young heir of Yamamoto? Clever and rich. His study background was nothing to be underestimated either too. Charming, yet too bad he fell head over heels with Erika, which was the infamous secret. But today was a different case as Sawajiri Erika was not present.
The two men continued their walk inside where the main event took place and greeted the host of the party, who didn't look as happy as expected. Murmurs were getting even louder when everyone saw how the three men were talking together.
Most probably, Nishikido Ryo was the only person could compete with the host for the party tonight. Another juicy gossip was being spread even faster than wind. Everyone knew how Erika had Nishikido Ryo as her companion at her party. Thus the meeting between the man she had a thing for and the man who had a crush on her was certainly an amusing sight. Moreover, none of them were taken, yet.
The murmurs didn't even stop as the formal talk between the guest and the host was ended. Typically rich ladies, the richer their husband was, the better. Status was also put into consideration. Feelings were not the top condition anymore.
"Look, Ryo - chan. Don't you feel proud that girls are talking about you all along." Jin whined, but a seductive smile was plastered upon his mouth. "Because of your request and mission, I couldn't bring any partner to this boring party."
"Not really. They look like a bunch of idiots in my eyes." Ryo snorted.
Jin turned his gaze immediately when he heard his cousin's sharp reply. "You just can’t appreciate beauty, Ryo - chan." he murmured. "Perhaps, because you have gotten a beautiful person, although not a girl, beside you. Oh wait, he's just a tool."
"Tool, eh?" Ryo murmured, his hand reached for the nearest glass filled with cocktail and sipped it.
"Huhu... His cousin is such a beauty too. Perfect as a companion." Jin suddenly stared at Ryo. "I wonder what they see from you, Ryo - chan. I mean, you're cold-blooded. Even mammals are hot-blooded." Jin kept murmuring things randomly.
"Jin..."
"Yes?" Jin replied, still looking all silly.
"I am not an animal." Ryo stated in a cold tone.
Jin looked puzzled before he let out a laugh (not burst into laughter for God's sake, as he had this image to keep). "Of course you are not, Ryo - chan. I am not that stupid to the extent that I can’t differentiate human and animals."
"... Then I think you should know that all human are hot-blooded."
Jin had to hold the urge from pouting for his image's sake upon Ryo's statement.
The winning smirk appeared on Ryo's face. It was not like he wanted to win this silly argument, especially with his infamous silly cousin Jin, it was just simply Jin's fault for disturbing his pride by comparing him to some inhuman creatures.
"A-Anyway, isn't it the time yet?" Jin remarked, trying to change the subject.
Ryo took a little peek on his watch. "Well yes. But we need to wait until the speech has started or someone might see us." Just as Ryo finished his sentence, the lighting was turned off, only leaving one single lamp lighting up the host's place. "We don't need to wait anymore, I guess."
And with the last smirk, both Ryo and Jin managed to slip away from the main hall without anyone noticing around this darkness.
####
It was quite a wonder why Yamashita Tomohisa was coming to the party without Nishikido Ryo and Akanishi Jin. Moreover, he came with another guy, who people knew as Sawajiri Erika's cousin. A big surprise, indeed.
Pi laughed as he remembered that. How girls were looking all around him with a hope to find either Ryo or Jin who hadn't arrived there yet. Just a formal greeting was given to the main host, before he disappeared from the others’ sight without them realizing it as Nishikido Ryo finally arrived with his cousin. He didn't even have to put in much effort to hide himself together with Tatsuya as people would simply put their utmost attention upon Ryo's arrival. Funny.
He couldn't help but feel amazed of how Ryo was able to send a small number of people inside the house while managing to gather so much information. As expected from a professional.
They, Pi and Tatsuya, went directly to the operating room, where one of Nishikido's men had been waiting. Everything had been organized nicely. That was how Ryo always works, so it didn't bring even the least surprise to Pi when he was facilitated with these easy things.
And now, he was left together with Tatsuya, waiting for Ryo's call to do their job. Being left together only with Tatsuya was proven quite awkward for Pi, especially after the previous incident. But then, there was no other way. It would be a real mess if Jin replaced his place, as Jin didn't have that much of a responsibility, or even replaced Tatsuya's place, given that Jin's strength was needed.
What the hell should he start the conversation with? Hello, how do you do? -- that would be too cliché, too unoriginal. Without Pi realizing it, he had been staring at Tatsuya all along.
"Umm... Yamashita - san?"
"Ah, anything you need me to do, Ueda?"
With an uncertain look, Tatsuya stared ad Pi. "Is there something wrong with me? I-I mean, since you have been staring at me, so I was wondering..."
Pi immediately realized his mistake and let out a cough to hide his embarrassment. "No, No, nothing. I was just... daydreaming, yes daydreaming." Pi forced out a silent laugh.
"Hey, Ueda - kun, you know, what do you actually feel of..." the phone's ringing tone was suddenly heard. "...previous incident..." the last thing was mumbled.
Tatsuya immediately picked the phone and talked for a while before closing it. "It is time." he said in a rather cheerful tone before turning to the big machine and put in some codes, followed by Pi. It didn't take long before they finished manipulating the main computer.
"Done~" Tatsuya said in a sing-song tone. There was definitely something beneath that over cheerful facade, although Pi had no idea why. "Ah, anyway, Yamashita - san. What did you want to ask me earlier? Sorry, I couldn't hear it."
Since when did the shy Ueda become so reliable? Since when did he manage to overcome his fear? Since when was he being dragged completely into this matter?
Pi smiled as he noticed how ironically, he didn't realize even a thing. "Nevermind. It's nothing important." he shrugged.
"Hmm~" Tatsuya mumbled. "Are you sure? Ah well~"
Another call was heard again as Tatsuya received it again.
"It's been retrieved. Our job is done... Let's go, Yamashita - san? We should mix with the people for a while before leaving this place."
It was not the time to be surprised over Tatsuya's cheeriness anymore, and Pi knew that. This guy had slightly changed, although Pi didn't know whether it would be a good or bad thing.
"Sure..."
####
Toma kept walking around the place. He was attending a party, which was a great wonder. Although Toma looked like this, he didn't really enjoy parties, where rich snobbish people came and their talk was too... uninteresting.
If it wasn't because the host was his friend in America, Toma wouldn't take all the trouble just to come to this boring party. The guests were, as expected, too formal. What’s with the company talk, property talk? Such bullshit. It was as if he was around a bunch of kids talking about small matters.
What annoyed him most was how some girls seemed to have lost their pride and approached Toma while giggling. They said it was embarrassing, yet they didn't look so when they talked with Toma. So annoying.
Toma really wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Indeed, the party was big and so crowded, but he didn't even find it the least interesting. But then, he accidentally caught the sight of his childhood friend. Was he... dreaming? He couldn't really ensure it as he only saw it in a flash. But if it was really Tatsuya, he didn't really mind spending a longer time in this party even though he admitted how boring the party was. Having a familiar companion would be fun.
With that in mind, Toma started his search for his childhood friend all around the place. But no matter how hard he tried, Tatsuya seemed to have vanished into the thin air. The party was too crowded which made the searching even harder.
When Toma was finally able to break free from the crowd, he immediately looked through any possible place, still in vain. He was in the back garden and there weren't much people, if not none, when he heard a low noise from somewhere. And when he turned around, he saw a familiar figure, although he couldn't recall where he saw that. No, actually there were two guys, the familiar figure was holding a small box. But Toma was uncertain as there was quite a distance between them and it was dark. Not long after that, the two figures were disappeared, not actually disappeared as a car picked them up, leaving Toma puzzled.
"W-What is that? Could it be..."
E/N: I'm asking for an apologize for the super super super long update. But well... This chapter is way longer than the usual one, twice as much, I guess? So I hope this could replace my long update... :P