Chương 62: Chapter 62
-Hinata's POV-
"If you're not ready, we can push this back another couple of weeks. Please don't hesitate to tell me," Kakashi assured me.
It's the second weekend of April. The past five weeks have been quite boring, if I'm being honest. The CEO, Tenten, and my bandmates wouldn't allow me to do much of anything while I recovered from my car wreck. By the end of week two, I was ready to pull my hair out. That being said, the reason Kakashi's asking this isn't because of my physical health, but my mental.
The event that Prestige is supposed to attend this evening is a formal dinner party hosted by our agency's rival: Reject Entertainment. Normally this type of thing isn't all that stressful, but Reject's owned by Obito Uchiha, Sasuke's cousin, meaning his father is almost surely going to be in attendance.
Since Fugaku Uchiha will be there, my father might somehow nosey his way in as well. Ever since Christmas, those two have been joined at the hip. Any time one was seen in public, the other was also present. The merger rumors have been getting more and more believable, at least from an outsider's point of view.
"No, I can do this."
On top of being extremely tired of lazing around the house, I'm sort of hoping my father's there so I can show him that his not being there for me hasn't ruined me. I'm still strong and capable on my own, even after an attempt on my life.
So, the four of us prepared for the event. I chose to wear a simple lavender cocktail dress that's so pastel it's almost blue rather than the soft tone of purple. After getting home from the salon with Sakura, I went upstairs to grab a clutch, nearly jumping out of my skin when Sasuke spoke in an amused tone, "Papa Hyuuga's gonna lose it when he sees you in that dress."
A hand to my chest, I swirled round to give him a pout for frightening me, but he was too busy undressing me with his eyes. Face beginning to warm, I went into the bathroom to put in the earrings Gaara got me for Christmas and the beautiful locket from the Uchiha man.
"You look very handsome, S-Sasuke." And he does. He and Gaara both are wearing fairly basic tuxedos, but he really knows how to work that type of outfit.
He came to stand behind me in the mirror, hands dancing near my hips as he kissed the back of my neck. For once, my hair's up rather than its usual loose style. "Stay near me tonight." My boyfriend's tone was uncomfortable and I know why. His family's very similar to mine, almost identical in their ideals, meaning he wants to act as a buffer for any who may approach.
I turned to give him a small smile, "Let's just try to have a good time, okay?"
Dark eyes searched mine before he wordlessly leaned in to kiss me.
After a short speech given by one of Reject's higher-ups, servers began bringing dinner plates to the many tables. To my surprise, this entire event is being held in Sasuke's father's mansion.
I've been here before. The most recent time was for the Christmas party two years ago, the last one I was forced to attend. I'd spent the length of the party standing silently beside Neji and my father and feeling positively sick to my stomach with anxiety.
To my disdain, the moment we arrived, Sasuke and I were separated from Sakura and Gaara. Itachi bowed politely, "I apologize because I know both of you don't want this, but Father and Mr. Hyuuga have requested your presence at our table tonight."
I met Sakura's eye and she frowned, but nodded, "It's alright, Hina. We'll be okay. Come find us if you can slip away, okay?" I nodded, hugging both her and Gaara before following the elder Uchiha brother. Sasuke simply gave them a look of understanding.
Once we were far enough away, Itachi spoke softly so none of the other attendees would hear, "You look absolutely beautiful, Hinata. I'm happy to see you've fully recovered."
Blushing, I squeezed my clutch more tightly in my hand, "T-Thank you, Itachi. That's very nice of you to say. How have you been?"
He offered me a polite grin, a mischievous glint in his eye when he noticed Sasuke's glare, "I've been well. Thank you for asking. May I offer some advice for the night?" My brow furrowed in confusion, but I nodded anyway.
"Avoid the white-haired gentleman at our table."
He firmly met Sasuke's eye for a moment and I glanced between the two of them, even more lost, but neither offered any further explanation before we arrived at the head table of the massive room.
Neji, Fugaku, my father, Obito, and two men that I don't know sat there. One of them was older, around our fathers' age, with pale blonde hair while the other seemed to be maybe twenty to twenty-five years old with white hair. Both have sapphire-blue colored eyes, which makes me think they're related, maybe father and son.
"Good evening, you two. Please, be seated," Fugaku spoke in his usual, gruff voice.
Sasuke and I glanced at one another before wordlessly obeying. A tightening coiled in my chest at the tense edge on his movements and demeanor. It's clear to me, and likely the others at the table, that he doesn't want to be here. A bit of courage rose within me as my protective nature activated. I'll do my best to keep the attention off of him. It's the least I can do since he spent the last six weeks selflessly catering to my every need.
Before anyone could say anything else, the older of the two strangers spoke, his voice a bit higher pitched than I expected, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tenmu Otsutsuki and this is my youngest son, Toneri." I smiled at the two of them, hoping it looks more natural than it feels.
Fugaku spoke informatively, "Tenmu has recently been elected into Konoha's board of judicial elders and his son has taken an interest in our families' business." While it's nice that they're being so thorough introducing themselves and explaining why they're here, I still don't know why I'm sitting here in the first place.
Hiashi finally spoke, making my skin crawl with discomfort, "Let us all enjoy this dinner peacefully." That's a threat to be on my best behavior, I just know it. If his harsh tone didn't make it obvious, the narrowing of his eyes on me sure did.
The meal was then served and the table was awkward and silent for a bit while everyone ate. My palms are sweaty and my heart's beating so fast in my chest. I can feel my father's eyes burning onto me and he isn't even trying to hide the fact that he's staring. It feels like more than his gaze is on me, though. I'm just too nervous to look at the others to see who it is. Despite all this, I kept my posture strong with my shoulders back and made sure not to let my face give away my anxiety.
"So, Sasuke, have you reconsidered my offer to buy your contract with Evolution?" Surprised, my eyes widened as I looked over at Obito, who was smiling calmly.
"I'm not interested, Cousin, but thank you."
What? Sasuke's received offers to doublecross us? I mean, I'm beyond relieved that he doesn't seem to be even considering accepting, but I thought he'd have at least mentioned it before.
"That's a shame, but I must respect an artist's wishes. How about you, Miss Hyuuga? Reject Entertainment is willing to offer fifteen percent more earnings from your work and we'd be happy to receive someone so talented."
The blood in my face drained and I'm sure I looked just as dumbstruck as I feel, "U-Um, no thank you, Sir. I'm quite happy where I am."
Obito surprised me by trying to bargain, "Even with millions of dollars to be gained?"
My face warmed slightly, but in truth I'm getting a bit irritated by his blatant disregard for the fact that I said no, "Money isn't a concern of mine."
"Well, what is it you're looking for? I'll give you anything and everything you want."
His underhanded way of trying to swoop his rival's idols finally struck a nerve and I met his gaze more firmly, "With all due respect, I said no and will continue to do so regardless of what you offer."
All casual chatter at the table ceased and I grit my teeth, ready for any of these people to chastise me for losing my temper, but was surprised by Toneri suddenly laughing. My eyes turned onto him, where he sat on Itachi's other side, and he got ahold of himself to smile, "Your temperament is quite different from what I've heard, Hinata."
The heat in my face warmed further and I gingerly bowed my head from where I sat, a silent apology for speaking out to those at the table. Then the meal resumed with much less chatter. Sasuke and I met gazes for a brief moment and a small glint of pride touched his dark eyes, making my heart flutter, but I had to look away before anyone noticed us.
Once the meal and dessert were complete, the room became more casual, everyone standing to mingle and chat with one another in the room while sipping champagne and various cocktails.
I met Sakura's eye across the room and she offered a big reassuring grin. I tried to return it before being pulled back to attention by Itachi speaking to his brother, "I've been collecting the fan mail sent to this address for you, baby brother. Would you please follow me?" Sasuke gave me a short look, a silent warning to be careful in his absence, and I nodded.
It didn't feel quite so taboo now, so I politely excused myself from the important people at the table, making sure not to falter when meeting my father's unwavering glare, before attempting to join the other members of Prestige. I couldn't make it halfway across the room before someone grabbed my hand.
I turned to see Toneri and frowned uncomfortably, softly pulling away, "Can I help you with something, Sir?" Itachi all but directly told me this man isn't to be trusted so I'm not eager to be alone with him.
He smiled casually, "Sorry if I scared you. I wanted to speak alone." I gave him an unsure smile, not wanting to be rude, and he continued, "May I take you on a date? I find you visually acceptable and it would be beneficial to both our families if we end up getting married."
Wild disbelief made my legs feel weak all of a sudden and I took a step away from him, face so hot I was suddenly almost sweating, "Date? M-Marriage? I-I-I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in those types of things at present. Please excuse me!"
And then I cowardly tried to flee, but he stopped me with a slight tug in his voice, "Please wait!" Frowning, I turned back to face him with a look of distrust.
He grinned sheepishly, running a stressful hand through his white hair, "Sorry, but can you pretend to be interested for a couple minutes? Our parents and Mr. Uchiha are watching…"
My brows rose in surprise. He didn't need to explain the situation further for me to understand what's going on. Toneri wants to look good for Sasuke's father so he has a chance to get his foot in the door within Uchiha corp and both of our parents likely hope to make a match by introducing us.
No wonder my father hasn't said anything degrading to me yet. He wants to use me as a pawn to further the family business. Even if anger began flowing through me, I nodded defeatedly in response to Toneri's request. Maybe he is a bad person, I don't know, but I do know what it's like to be terrified of disappointing an overbearing parent. If our positions were reversed, I'd desperately want someone to empathize with me, too.
"Thank you. I really appreciate it."
A nervous smile forced onto my lips as I did my best to act casual so the three older men across the room stand a chance at being convinced, "So…You're interested in technology then?"
Sapphire eyes widened slightly in surprise before he chuckled, reaching over to grab two glasses of champagne off the tray of one of the passing waiters and handing me one, "Not particularly, no, but I am interested in learning from two of the biggest business moguls in the world. It just so happens that my father recently befriended Fugaku Uchiha so I'm trying to make the most out of this opportunity."
I gingerly accepted the drink, feeling a bit relieved when I tasted it and it wasn't alcoholic. His brutal honesty makes me a bit curious, "If money's all you're looking for, why not learn from your father and study law?"
"Because I want recognition as well and my two older brothers have already begun making names for themselves in the field."
"Ah, I see."
I thought things would get awkward since I inadvertently brought up such a personal topic, but the man seemed unbothered, "Surely you understand, right? I mean, you've also taken the road less traveled for a Hyuuga heiress."
I responded without really thinking, "Not necessarily. I've been very passionate about music all my life. This career is a dream come true for me."
As soon as I realized how insulting that might've been to his character, I frantically tried to fix it, "N-Not that there's anything wrong with pursuing wealth! If that's what makes you happy-"
"It's alright, Hina, I'm not offended." Heat rose to my face at his suddenly friendly way of shortening my name, but he didn't pause to acknowledge it, "I must admit to being quite jealous of people like you who've found their true calling. Perhaps I'll find mine someday, too."
Unsure of how to verbally respond, I bashfully offered my glass for him to clink his own against it in a wordless toast to his hopes becoming fruitful. I'm no fool and I know members of families like ours are often professionals at lying, but Toneri doesn't seem all that bad so far. Maybe Itachi knows something that I don't yet.
-Sasuke's POV-
"What do you really want, Itachi?"
The moment we were upstairs and far enough away from the party that no one could hear or see us, I didn't hesitate to call my brother on his lie. I haven't had any mail forwarded here in almost four years, since my eighteenth birthday when I became legally able to have an apartment of my own.
To my surprise, he didn't offer his usual fake smile and glared down the hall as he watched for any sign that someone was coming, "I don't know what Father and Hiashi are up to, but they're definitely planning something that involves both you and Hinata."
My eyes narrowed and I lowered my voice slightly, "Why should I believe you?"
The last time I put my trust in him, he stabbed me in the back. Right out of highschool, I began attending university, per my father's demands. What he didn't know was what classes I'd signed up for. Rather than business and technology, I studied music theory and other arts related subjects.
While drunk, I mistakenly shared that information with my older brother and he turned around and told Fugaku. With one phone call, I was suspended until I agreed to take the classes he chose. That's the first time after he stood complacent when our father threatened to ruin our mother's life that I chose to put my trust in him and it's also the last.
"Whatever it is, they're keeping me out of the loop, but I've heard both of your names brought up when Father's assistants are unaware I'm nearby."
I grit my teeth, "What's your goal here?"
Finally, his eyes met mine and a rare, authentic look of irritation met his features, "Look, you can choose to not believe me, but Hinata's involved this time and I don't want to see her hurt just as much as you."
A pang of lightning hot jealousy ran irrational anger into my chest, "Stay away from her, Itachi. I'm not playing around."
He crossed his arms, "Neither am I. Now's not the time to be petty. Just keep an eye on her and yourself, Sasuke." Then he turned and headed back downstairs with his jaw flexed angrily.
I watched him with a frown, following in a more collected and slow manner. There's no other choice but to heed his warning and keep an eye out for trouble. If it turns out nothing's actually going on, the only thing I stand to lose is my patience with him. It'll just be some wasted effort, but making sure nothing bad happens is worth risking something so irrelevant.
When I returned to the party, I quickly found Hinata and had to stop myself from approaching more hastily than what would appear normal because she's standing there with that white-haired prick from the Christmas party. I can tell that smile on her face is fake as hell so at least there's that.
-Hinata's POV-
When I noticed Sasuke approaching in the corner of my eye, I could've sighed with relief. Sure, Toneri's being civil, but I still don't particularly like being alone with him when I know he's definitely easily swayed by our parents' opinions.
When he finally came to my side, the Otsutsuki man offered him a smile, "I haven't seen you since Christmas, man. How's it going?"
Oh, Sasuke doesn't like him. Not at all. That means he left a bad impression on both Uchiha brothers.
My boyfriend shook his hand and put on his fake, public personality since there are too many people around to be completely genuine, "I'm well. You?"
Dark eyes glanced at me and then to the drink in my hand. As casually as possible, I handed the glass to him and snagged another from a passing waiter. After what happened at Masquerade with Hidan, all four members of Prestige are hesitant about drinking anything, alcohol or not, in public.
Toneri followed the exchange with clear intrigue, but didn't say anything about it, "Likewise. I was just speaking with Hinata here about passion. Care to offer some input?" I gave the white-haired man a startled look because the way he worded it made it seem like something it's not.
Sasuke's grin was tense, "And what would you know about that?" His tone clearly didn't match the spite behind his words.
"S-Sasuke!" I hissed under my breath, glancing around to make sure no one heard him being rude. So much for trying to appear well-behaved. His facade didn't even last five minutes!
"It's alright, Hina." Sasuke's eyes narrowed, smirk falling into a frown. "Truthfully, not much. I was simply telling your colleague that I hope to learn something from her." Not only did Toneri just blatantly lie, but he did so in a way that makes it seem like we've been flirting when we haven't, yet again.
The fact that I went out of my way to be nice to him and now he's acting like this just doesn't sit well with me so I glared at him, "It's probably safe to return to your father now. Have a good evening."
Sasuke turned to walk beside me as I headed toward where I last saw our two friends and I whispered, "I think your brother was right about him."
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