Chương 31: Secret meetings
I don't take anything with me; there was no need. I waited outside of my house- I told my mom I was going away for a week, and while she had lots of questions, she agreed to it after I explained. "Suzuki-chan." Daichi says, suddenly appearing beside me and stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Hello, Daichi." I say, staring across the street, waiting for my que. It was chilly and dark out, though it was early in the morning. Daichi stops beside me, glancing in the direction I was looking in. "Aima sent me. Everyone is worried about you." Daichi says, turning his body to face the direction I was facing. "I figured." I say, Daichi slowly scans his eyes around. "Why are you out so early? It's cold out, you're not even wearing a jacket." Daichi says, though he doesn't offer his jacket. "I'm waiting." I say and Daichi finally pulls a little necklace, offering it over to me. "A gift, from all of us." Daichi says and I take one look at the necklace before looking back across the street- I couldn't miss the que. "I'll accept it when I get back." I say and Daichi seems a bit taken off by my words. "But…" he says, falling silent as I let out a slow breath. I run my hand through my hair, glancing at Daichi for a second.
"I'm taking nothing with me on this- nothing. I know that Kenma wanted you to give that to me, that he bought it and told you to guarantee I took it with me. I don't know if you guys know, but I know Kenma. He likes tracking me, I don't mind that, that's why I let him and don't delete the tracking app. However, that necklace has a tracking device in it, and I don't want to be traced to where I'm going." I say, though I hear a loud roar of an engine approaching. I step forward, walking to the wall I had been staring at and reaching on top. "Do me a favor and stay there. I don't want you to get caught up in this and get hurt." I say, touching the mask that was placed on top of the wall. It was black and had silver ram horns, intricate lace decorations and feathers hanging off of elf-like ears. "Hello, old friend." I whisper, taking the mask off the wall and caressing it. "Suzuki-chan?" Daichi asks and I turn back to him, putting on the mask. "Don't worry, I'm just going to a party." I say as the roaring grows closer- I reach out and grab Arthur as he speeds by, swinging myself onto his motorcycle. He lets out a maniacal laugh as I settle down on the back, zooming away as I hold on tight.
"So what, she just grabbed onto someone who happened to be speeding by on a motorcycle and sped off with them?" Aima asks, Daichi rubbing a hand over her face. "Yeah- that's exactly what she did. Of course there was the mask and the 'don't worry, I'm just going to a party'." Daichi says, twining his fingers and leaning back. "She didn't mention anything about a party…" Toru mumbles, sighing as he leans against the far wall. "Okay, so, what was the motorcycle person like?" Kozu says from the phone in the middle of the room. "Uh, they were going fast, really fast- I couldn't see anything, but I heard them laughing. They were laughing like a maniac." Daichi says, leaning onto his elbows and rubbing his hands together slowly. "Uh, I think I saw horns, like he was wearing a mask, similar to hers? Of course, I didn't get a good look at Suzuki's mask, but hers was very expensive and intricate looking. He was about our size, blonde hair..." Daichi says and he hears some tapping on the other side of the phone. "Okay, I think I can figure out where she went. Arthur's having a party- or should I say his family is hosting a week long ball?" Kozu mumbles, everyone looking between themselves.
"That guy over there is hot. God, that suit fits him so well." Arthur chimes, my arm looped through his as I sip the glass of sparkling water- tastes like piss. A waiter passes and I place the glass on, rubbing my tongue over the back of my teeth. "Left hand, Little D. Taken." I say and Arthur clicks his tongue, dragging his eyes over the dance room again. "Like that ever stopped me." He mumbles and I open my fan, using it to cover my mouth. "The fact he's bringing a glass of water to a very pregnant lady should." I say and Arthur's lip twitches, though he seems surprised. "I thought you promised they wouldn't be here." Arthur hisses softly and I follow his gaze- "I told them nothing, and you saw me when I arrived. Only the clothes on my back- though they tried giving me a bugged necklace." I mumble, Arthur sighing as someone tapped a fork against a wine glass. "Too late to hide now, it's time to make your appearance." Arthur mumbles as someone announces the ballroom dancing was starting. He steps away, bowing to me and offering his hand. "Let's just hope they don't blow your cover." Arthur mumbles as I take curtsy and take his hand, letting him guide me to the center of the ballroom.
Everyone stepped back and created room for us as we took our positions. "Ready to put on a show, DG?" Arthur chimes, smiling at me as I grin right back at him. "Let's dance to our own tune, LD." I chime as the room falls silent- I don't blame them, Arthur and I must've been quite the sight, wearing black horned masks and me wearing a black gown in a room of bright colors. The band starts and I offer Arthur my hands, which he takes- we start moving together around the ballroom, swinging, touching, dipping- we move fast, we move fluid, and we move elegantly. Everyone is watching- until recently, there were many rumors about Arthur; he was the troublesome son, a major playboy, always getting into trouble. These rumors had come from our childhood- of course I was right up there with him, the mystery grandchild of the Suzuki family, the bastard daughter of the disowned son. I had never made my appearance in such events, but Arthur and I had come up with a plan to get his parents off his back. We had long since found ways to not get caught in our acts, so we had both been out of the topic other than old reminiscing and pondering if we had gone too far.
For Arthur to suddenly appear with a lady in black on his arm, dancing like we had been partners for life- we had- was beginning to become murmurs. People wondered if someone had tamed the untamable, who the girl in black was (I had been long forgotten), and why we were wearing such daring masks and colors. Arthur had never been seen with a lady in general, for one to appear from thin air in such a fashion, elegant and daring, would surely be the talk. All that needed to be done now was to guarantee my anonymity and let the rumors spread to his parents, so they would seem Arthur out and he could come up with some bullshit story of a girl having caught his eye- which wasn't going to happen. Arthur was gay, thus his parents suddenly wanting to set him up for an arranged marriage distraught him a great deal. After all, his parents didn't know- how would people react if a scandal broke out because of the lack of- or therefore non-existent- action in his bed with his 'wife'? His parents were homophobic, but Arthur couldn't help his feelings, thus he resorted to me for help. I would gladly help him, I knew Arthur; he may be a troublemaker, but he did love his family.
We finish the dance and bow to each other, offering each other a shy smile. "Parents, 6 o'clock." He whispers and I flick open my fan, turning away. "Pardon me, I need to use the powder room." I purr loud enough for people to hear before I head to the bathroom. The mask and fan was probably overkill, but I was doing my best not to be recognized. It was best to just leave Arthur with the rumors and stay as anonymous as possible. Hopefully, the boys wouldn't- "Suzu-" someone says though I quickly turn and shush them, glancing around. Kuroo, Toru, Ushi, Daichi- I had seen Tendo, Suga, Iwai and Kozu earlier, all of them dressed in fitted black suits. I flick my fan back up, huffing and nodding my head before spinning on my heel. I glance around before ducking into an empty room, everyone following me in. I glance both ways again before closing the door, looking around the room just in case. "Suz-" Kuroo says and I shush him again. "Don't call me by my name. You need to leave, now, you're jeopardizing the plan." I say as I walk over to the mirror in the room, fussing with my hair- I needed to at least make it look like I stopped by the washroom.
"Plan?" Daichi asks and I fix my dress a bit, finally turning back to them. "You never listen, do you? I told you I would be fine, but no, you show up the one time you're not supposed to. You need to gather everyone you came here with and leave, now." I say, storming out the door and heading back to the party. "Hey! Wai-" Toru says, grabbing onto my dress- I hear a loud rip and I tense, slowly turning and looking at the now gaping hole in my dress. I flick my fan open and I smack Toru's hand away, glancing around. I see someone approaching so I use my fan to cover the hole, offering him a sweet smile. "I'm sorry, I seemed to have gotten lost on my way to the washroom! I'll be taking me leave now." I purr before I turn, heading to my temporary room- I'd have to change dresses. Hopefully it wouldn't cause too much of a scene- goodness knows it was going to make things complicated, but I could come up with an excuse. 'I tripped and fell, my dress got caught and ripped in the tumble.' Should work. "Hey, come on, we just want an explanation." Kuroo whispers as he catches up with me, taking the ripped part of my dress and holding it up discreetly so it didn't appear ripped.
"I get it, I do, but you really need to get the fuck out, now. You're already ruining everything just by being here- this is why we didn't say anything, because you would show up and interfere." I hiss under my breath, making him stop in his tracks as I stormed away. I changed into my other black ball gown- it sucked that they were different, but hopefully people wouldn't notice. Okay, who was I kidding, of course they were going to notice. I quickly make my way back to the party and find Arthur and he offers me his arm. "Dress?" He mumbles and I offer him a smile as I take his arm. "I took an unfortunate tumble, the dress was ripped." I say softly and he nods, turning back to the person he had been talking to. He didn't introduce me- I was really the eye candy here, just someone to ward off people in case they think of sending their daughters to the infamous Arthur Pendragon. 'look at this elegant, beautiful woman on my arm- do you even compare? She's wearing an extremely extravagant gown and mask, can you even afford it? Do you really think you have a chance?' I flick my fan closed and smile and nod to the topic they were discussing, something about their trade of tea cups-
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I thought it would be rude of me if I didn't come and announce myself to my friend. Arthur, a wonderful party we're having! Had I known about it, I would've let you know ahead of time that we would be attending." Suga says, offering us a sweet smile as I feel Arthur tense under his arm. "You'll have to pardon my friend here Mr.Johnson, I believe he feels spiteful due to the fact he didn't receive a formal invitation to the party. If you'll please excuse us…" Arthur says and while Mr.Johnson seems a bit miffed about being cut off, he bows his head and takes his leave. "P 9." I say, seeing Arthur's parents approaching once again, though Arthur clears his throat. "I'm feeling a tad parched. Darling, would you mind getting me a glass of bubble?" Arthur says and I slide my arm from his, curtsying before I walk off to find a waiter and bide my time. I make my way over to the snack table and idly nibble on some cheese- wow, this was actually really good. What was this? "Suzu-" Kozu says and I shush him, catching the attention of some people nearby. I flick open my fan and cover my mouth, turning to look at Kozu and looking over him.
"Pardon me, I need to bring a glass back to my partner. I don't want to keep him waiting." I purr before I grab a glass of bubbly, heading back to Arthur- Suga and his parents had disappeared, though he looked irritated. I offer the bubbly and he takes it, offering me his arm again. "I take it that something went wrong?" I ask and Arthur takes a sip of the bubbly, rolling it around on his tongue- he hated it just as much as I did. "Wrong and right- they're taken by you, but they were also taken by Suga. They offered him to stay the week, and also extended the offer to you." Arthur mumbles and I hum, dragging my eyes over the party. "I guess that means things are officially complicated. Shall we abort?" I ask and Arthur grins at me, flagging down a waiter and putting the glass on his tray. "Let's get out of here, sweetcakes." He says, beginning to guide me out of the party. "Paradise! You look absolutely ravaging! I've been looking all over for you." Tendo chimes as he slides over to us and I flick open my fan, covering my mouth. "Pardon me, but I'm not feeling quite well right now. Perhaps we can speak at a later time?" I say, bowing my head to Tendo as Arthur tries to guide me away.
"Suzuki-san, if we could please have a moment of your time." Iwai says and the crowd suddenly bursts into murmurs, everyone's attention now on us. "Consider my cover blown." I grumble as I flick my fan closed, offering Iwai a smile. "If it's alright, can we take this conversation elsewhere? I'm a tad tired, I'd appreciate it if we could talk in the comfort of the study room." I chime and Iwai nods, Tendo and him following us as Arthur guides us to the study. Along the way everyone groups up with us and the whole crowd is buzzing with the news of the 'troublesome Arthur Pendragon and the Illusive illegitimate daughter of the abandoned Suzuki Son.' we arrive at the study and I collapse onto one of the chairs, dropping my fan on the side table. "Suzu-" Toru starts but I shush him, looking over at Arthur as he checks the hallway before closing the door, nodding to me. "What part of fuck off was not clear? Perhaps 'leave now,' did not process in your brains?" I say, twining my fingers in my lap, smiling at them- it was fake, of course. "Lose the attitude, Princess, we-" Daichi says though I drop the fake smile, pinning him with a glare. "No." I snarl, sliding up from my chair and grabbing my fan.
"You fucked everything up. You ruined the plan, you blew my cover, tore my dress, and made a big scene. I tried to be nice, I told you, don't worry, I'll be fine- but here you fucking are. Why couldn't you just shut the fuck up and leave like I asked you too, or better yet, not have shown up in the first place!" I say coldly, everyone falling silent as I huff, grabbing my fan. "Congratu-fucking-lations, now everyone in this party knows exactly who I am. I had come to be anonymous, arm candy, yet you blew it, and now I get to face the Pendragons and tell them 'hello, long time no see, I'm the person your son sees as a potential suitor." I say, pointing my fan at them and pinning them each with a glare. "I'd appreciate it if you left without a fuss, seeing as I'm officially the star of the show, you should be able to slip out with no troubles. Just do me a favor? Do it with your fucking mouths shut. You've already fucked this up enough as is." I grumble, all of them quiet and shifting uncomfortably, looking amongst themselves. "Pardon me, I'll be taking my leave now. Have a good day." I grumble, storm to the door as Arthur opens it- I immediately curtsy, offering a wide smile to Arthur's parents.
"Samantha, Carson, it's wonderful to see you! I'm sorry for not announcing myself earlier, it's been an overwhelming return for me." I chime as Sam runs over, scooping me into a tight hug. "Nonsense, Kimiko! I can't imagine how stressful it was to return to the scene after so many years, goodness knows you'll be the talk of the week and then some!" Sam says and I hug her back, though she quickly pulls back and smiles at me. "You're as beautiful as ever I see! And you dance as fine as ever! Your father would be so proud of you, taking everyone's breath the way you did!" She says and I offer her a sweet smile, pulling away from here. "Thank you for your kind words, Sam." I say softly as Carson walks over and wraps his arm around her waist. "It's good to see you, Kimiko. How long has it been?" He says and I do a small curtsy to him, bowing my head. "On the edge of 6 years, I do believe." I say and he hums, nodding his head. "Six years since we last saw you, but you're all we can hear out of the boy! My son must be quite smitten by you, having pestered us to move out here after the news of you had come." Carson says, offering me a sweet smile as I feel my cheeks burn.
"Father, please. Kimiko has been our family friend since I was a babe, how could I possibly let her go in her times of need?" Arthur says, coming over and wrapping his arm around my waist. "Of course, how could I forget! We could never tear the two of you apart." Carson chuckles, smiling widely at me as Arthur smiles. "Let me introduce you to our friends! You've already met Sugawara. This is Daichi Sawamura, also from Karasuno, Wakatoshi Ushijima and Satori Tendo, from my school, Shiratorizawa, Hajime Iwaizumi and Toru Oikawa, from Aoba Johsai, and lastly Tetsuro Kuroo and Kenma Kozume, from Nekoma. Our friends and fellow volleyball players- you'll find that Sawamura, Sugawara, Kuroo and Kozume will be moving on to the next rounds." Arthur says as everyone steps forward one by one, shaking Carson's hand and bowing to Sam, who curtsies in return. "Kimiko, honey, I would've never expected you in something so fluffy. Usually your tastes are much more… elegant." Samantha says to me, offering me a kind smile. "Arthur insisted that I wear a ball gown- I assumed anything less wouldn't be appropriate." I admit and she lets out a hearty laugh.
"Nonsense, darling, anything for your comfort! I know how much you hate big skirts and tulle! You used to always end up tearing every ball gown up the minute you stepped into it!" Sam says and I laugh along with her, offering her a smile. "Ah, yes, a habit of mine I'm afraid stuck around. I took a tumble earlier and tore my dress from earlier! If it's alright, I'd like to go change into an evening gown. I can't bring myself to sit in this dress without feeling like a toddler sitting on a seat of tulle." I say and she lets out a hearty laugh, patting my shoulder. "Of course sweetie, I'd hate for you to be uncomfortable! Whenever you're done feel free to join us here, I'll have the maid bring tea." She says and I nod, curtsying to the two before I head back to my room, changing into my black evening gown. I take a deep breath and let my hair down, pulling it over my shoulder and fixing it to look nice. I put on my mask again, just in case anyone else comes- I'd rather not show my face at such a party. I only came because of our plan to distract Arthur's parents from setting up an arranged marriage, and while we had hoped to do it by bringing in an 'anonymous girl', me, my identity had been revealed, sabotaging that plan.
I step into the room, hearing Kuroo talking passionately about something relating to chemistry though he falls silent when his eyes find me. He leans forward and covers his face, which was suddenly a bright red color. "Estrogen? That's a female hormone right? Mosquitoes are attracted to it and that's why we get bit more?" I chime and Kuroo slowly peeks out of his hands. "Yeah." He says, clearing his throat as I hum and walk over. "Doesn't estrogen help develop and maintain both the reproductive system and female characteristics, such as breasts and pubic hair?" I ask as I take a seat in my original chair, smiling at Sam and Carson. "In females, yes. Estrogen contributes to cognitive health, bone health, the function of the cardiovascular system, and other essential bodily processes." Kuroo says, dropping his hands slightly as I form my lips in an 'o'. "I'm guessing that testosterone is the male equivalent of it then?" I ask and he nods, dropping his hands fully and twining his fingers. "Yes, though a particular form of estrogen, estradiol is especially crucial to the male sexuality." Kuroo says and I hum, tilting my head as I cross my legs and put my hands in my lap.
"You sure do know a lot, Kuroo." I say, offering him a sweet smile as he grins back at me. "Actually, I specialize in science and chemistry." Kuroo says and I laugh softly. "That's my worst subject! If I need help, is it alright if I call and ask you for your help?" I ask and Kuroo nods, offering me his own smile. "Of course, I'd always offer you my help if you needed it." Kuroo says though Sam reaches over and pats my shoulder. "Speaking of estrogen, it's worked wonders on you! You look absolutely gorgeous in that dress, Kimiko! I can remember when you were just a little girl, you were so cute with your twin ponytails!" Sam says, smiling widely at me. "Arthur, ever so troublesome, would always come over and yank them around. You'd lay him a solid one across the cheek for it, and then before we knew it you were tussling like no tomorrow!" Carson chuckles as Sam gets up, walking over to one of the bookshelves. "But you'd always make up in the silliest of ways! You'd make each other a crown of flowers and proclaim yourselves the king and queen of kick ass! Your father wouldn't stop laughing, in fact he thought it was adorable." Carson says and I smile at the fond memories.
"You know, we always assumed you two would end up together sooner or later- of course we didn't want to pressure you since you were still growing. But you two were just so close to each other that it just became a thing to your parents and ours. Then you suddenly moved six years ago, and we hadn't seen you since." Sam says, picking a book off the shelf and coming over, beginning to flip through. Arthur shifts and we meet each other's gaze as Sam sets down the book, pointing at a picture of Arthur and I as kids, 5-6 years old, him in a suit and me in a dress, holding a tulip. I had a bow in my hair and my eyes were closed, kissing Arthur's cheek. "Arthur talks about you of course, you're all he ever talks about- he'll suddenly disappear and the next thing you know he comes back talking about you. Some things really do never change." Carson chuckles and I twine my fingers in my lap, fiddling with my thumbs. "I suppose you still believe so to this day then, since you're bringing it up now." I say simply though they don't say anything, as if it was an obvious fact. Everyone in the room shifts, looking between themselves- they were proposing Arthur and I were likely to marry.
"Of course, with my son in the picture, I assume it complicates things for us- as well as my social standing as the bastard daughter of the abandoned Suzuki son." I say, offering them a sweet smile as they seem stunned. "You have a son? Who is the father?" Carson asks, leaning forward on his elbows. "My old dance instructor- 6 years ago." I say and Carson's jaw ticks to the side, his gaze dropping. "I should've known. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you…" Carson says, Sam reaching out and squeezing my hand. "It's quite alright, actually. Since then I've met Kanori and Kioshi; they're the current foster family of my son, Nen, taking care of him until I'm in a suitable position to accommodate him." I say and Sam nods, smiling sweetly at me. "And your grandparents?" Carson asks though I drop my gaze, grimacing. "I… still haven't met them. At all, actually. They never reach out." I admit and Sam sighs softly, shaking her head. "It was a ridiculous question; we both know how the head of the Suzuki family can be, giving the fact that the head of the Pendragon family can be the exact same way." Carson says, offering me a smile which I return.
A knock sounded on the door and everyone fell silent, looking over as an older woman with gray hair wearing a pink kimono came in. Carson and Sam stood so Arthur and I followed suit, each of us bowing/curtsying. "Speak of the devil, we were just talking about you, Mrs.Suzuki." Carson says as he takes her offered hand, kissing it. "Just the people I was looking for, I was hearing whispers of the daughter of my late son, Katsuki, made an appearance. I came to see if they were true; I heard you were still in contact with the family, at least that your son was." The older lady says, though Arthur steps over and offers me his arm. I take it and we both step forward together, though I curtsy. "I believe this is the daughter you spoke of. Please, meet Kimiko Suzuki, daughter of Sayuri Suzuki and the late Katsuki Suzuki." Arthur says, gesturing to me as I hold a hand out to her. "I've heard a lot about you; Akemi Suzuki, if my assumption is correct?" I ask, standing tall, keeping my back straight and my head held high. I dare not look down my nose at her though- she was a well respected person and I had no ill intent with her. She may be my grandmother, but there was no connection.
She looks at my hand before taking a good long look over me, scrutinizing everything from my dress to the way my hair hung elegantly over my shoulder. Her gaze finally met mine, but I didn't back down- I stared right back at her. "You have your fathers eyes, but that whore's body." She says simply, and while I feel a twitch of anger, I don't show it. She was trying to get a rise out of me, to get a feeling of my temperament and my education. "I'm afraid I don't know whom you're referring to- people often tell me my body is in a similar form to my mother's, but she is not promiscuous, nor is she immoral." I say simply, dropping my hand and twining my fingers, offering her a dignified smile. "Of course a whore mother would know how to hide her ill activities from their child. It's to be expected- considering I found you in a room full of gentlemen all of your age, I'd say you take after her more than you let on." Akemi says, looking over at the boys as I see them stiffen. "Just as a mother with no heart could so easily abandon her son when he asked for permission to marry the one he truly loved, regardless of her social standing." I say simply, Akemi's eyes finding me again, taken off guard.
"I loved my son, I wouldn't let him marry a whore." She says, clenching her fist- I had found her weak spot. "I can't imagine completely turning my back on my son when he asked to spend the rest of his life with a woman who loved him just as dearly; especially when she was so happily bearing his child, willing to completely devote her entire life to him. Especially if I had loved him, as you say you do." I say simply and she clicks her tongue. "Your mother was a disgrace, I would never let my son marry her." Akemi says, a bit of her temper seeping into her voice. "Well, if I hear correctly, my father eloped anyway. He then brought her to America, where he lived the last 8 years of his life living in happiness with his wife and two children." I say simply, offering her a smile as she huffs. "Well, what do you suppose you would do if your son decided to marry a whore pregnant with an illegitimate child?" Akemi spits- perhaps she held some kind of grudge against me? "I would never abandon my son- I'd reach out to this 'whore', and see if she was truly willing to devote herself fully to my son. I'd see if I made the wrong assumption of her." I say as I uncross my arms and walk to the door.
"She was pregnant with your grandchild. How could you dismiss that? Trust me, we have no intention of coming back into your life. You made it very clear that my father and our family has no part of your life, and I am happy to oblige." I say simply, opening the door before I stop, turning to Akemi and seeing her face bright red. "If you had bothered to know, you would know that despite my father's death, my mother spent 9 years devoted to his memory, raising their children to the best of her capabilities- alone. She spent 9 years working endlessly as a wonderful mother when her son's health deteriorated so much he was bedridden in a hospital and her daughter was raped and impregnated. She will always be more of a mother than you will ever be, I have absolutely no intention of letting you drag her name through the mud simply because you baselessly assume she was not worthy of your son, whom she spent 9 beautiful years with and stood by on his deathbed, when she wouldn't even consider looking at another man for 9 years after he was gone. She was a fantastic wife for your son, and we're perfectly fine without you." I say simply, walking out without another word.
Everyone stood quietly after Kimiko had left, not knowing what to say- it was obvious there was tension. Akemi suddenly started laughing, a small grin forming on her face as she turned to the door Kimiko had left through. "There it is- she has my son's attitude. I didn't realize how much I could miss it until it bore it's fangs at me again." Akemi says, her hand finding her necklace and fiddling with it. "She must be 17… 18 years since I had seen my son, 9 years since I lost him. Sayuri… it's been 4 years since that letter, and she just now started moving on. Maybe… just maybe… We did assume wrong about her." Akemi says, staring at the door as she hums softly. "Perhaps I'll reach out to Kioshi and ask for his knowledge on the family…" Akemi says before she wonders out of the door as well, not bothering to say goodbye, leaving everyone dumbfounded. They had expected the woman to blow up, to scoff it off- but she had laughed. However, Akemi couldn't help but feel happy, thrilled by the fact that Kimiko hadn't blinked an eye at her words, taking them in stride and with dignity, defending her pride and family. Kimiko had caught Akemi's attention, that was for sure.
The boys slipped out not long after, having many questions but knowing their appearance had really caused Kimiko trouble. They all felt guilty- she had been genuinely mad at them for blowing her cover after all, and they were also upset with themselves for putting her in that position. When Arthur's parents suggested they would end up married, they all felt sick. If they hadn't revealed who she was, Arthur and Kimiko wouldn't have to deal with being put in such a position. They couldn't imagine how difficult it would be to play that off for the remaining week of the party. As they were leaving they heard plenty of rumors of Kimiko, apparently she was a famous topic from long, long ago- a bastard daughter of he disowned Suzuki son, the granddaughter of the great Mitsubishi and Akemi Suzuki, a billionaire company with great social standing. Having never made her official appearance, only to suddenly show up on the arm of Arthur Pendragon, the famous untamed troublesome bachelor. So many rumors tore through the crowd, everyone wanting to get the biggest scoop- and to meet the mystery girl. But most of all, people wondered- was Kimiko currently with Arthur?
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