Interrogation

As we walked down the stairs towards the main entrance, the entirety of the staff and personnel of the estate began to line up near the wooden doors.

And then, heavy, ominous steps marched on the cobblestone. The air grew thick as a tall figure stepped through the arched doorway.

Reina’s father, Shuji Kujo, had arrived.

I've done my own research on the Kujo family back when Mrs Yukari had "interviewed" me. 

I know that the Kujo family had deep business roots spanning generations in multiple industries, and so they were already well off before. But they weren’t at the level to be considered the pinnacle of elites.

That was until Reina's father took over as the CEO of the conglomerate; he was the one who single-handedly brought the Kujo family to new heights.

Just like Reina. He was a prodigy who absolutely dominated the entirety of the student body in every school he attended. But as the president of the company is where he truly shone; his peers describe him as a stern, yet calm, leader who completely outsmarted the competition around him.

It's essentially a guaranteed death sentence if you choose to go against him, and here I stand in front of him with his daughter right by my side, hand in hand...

I've seen multiple pictures of him plastered on business articles, newspapers and even on television, but seeing him in person honestly gave me goosebumps.

He is an intimidating man in his mid-fourties dressed in an impeccably tailored charcoal suit. But it was his eyes... The exact same icy, dark colour as Reina's really messed with my head.

Mrs Yukari approached him with a bright smile on her face. "Welcome back, Shuji. How was your flight?"

"Exhausting. But there are more important matters to attend to," he replied. I felt his piercing gaze sweep past his wife, linger briefly on his daughter, and lock directly onto me. "We will discuss this over dinner."

At the dining table, Reina sat to my right while Mrs Yukari took the chair across from us. A few minutes went by silently while the staff brought out the first course of our meal and a bottle of wine for the adults. The food served to us was incredible, but I was too nervous to appreciate the tastes, probably because Mr Shuji has been eyeing me up every chance he gets.

Just when I thought things were settling down—

"Yukari... Would you explain why I received a call from one of the security personnel that you snuck our daughter out in the middle of the night?” Mr Shuji asked, his voice carrying across the dining table with unnerving amounts of calmness.

"It was for Reina's well-being," Mrs Yukari replied, transferring her gaze to Reina, who was trying her absolute hardest to keep her composure.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that part of the city is?” he countered, setting his utensils down. "You went there with no security, and you even left Reina at this boy's residence?"

“I know exactly who he is, Shinji. I did a background check on the boy; he isn’t a threat to this family.”

"A background check?" Lord Kujo’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing into deadly slits. "And you still snuck her out?”

He slowly turned his head away from his wife, dragging his piercing gaze across the long table until it locked squarely onto me. "Kaito Akizuki, son of an ordinary working-class family and top scorer at the national examinations, which granted entrance to Seiryu Academy with the Star Crest Scholarship."

"Despite being a scholar, he spends his time after classes working the graveyard shift at a konbini to help pay for living expenses," Mr Shinji continued, resting his hands flat against the table. “What is your relationship with my daughter? And why did she need to sneak out of this estate just to stay at your studio apartment?”

Silence stretched across the table; the atmosphere around us suddenly got thicker. I shot a glance at Reina, who was visibly shaking from nervousness. I reached out from under the table, gently placing my hand over hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

I looked back up, clearing my throat before answering, “I am Reina’s classmate, sir," I said, meeting Mr Shinji’s gaze head-on. “And... I am her boyfriend.”

Mr Shuji didn’t say anything; he let the word hang in the silence for a few seconds. “My daughter is a Kujo. She’s expected to inherit the conglomerate and all its assets. Tell me Akizuki... What do you bring to the table other than being a distraction?”

Beside me, Reina’s grip on my hand beneath the tablecloth tightened so hard my fingers went numb. I could feel her whole body trembling, but her chin remained held high.

“I serve as her inspiration to do even better at her responsibilities. She’s already the top of our grade, yes. But when I threatened to take the top spot, it gave her the encouragement to study harder," I answered, keeping my voice grounded. “And if the rivalry gets too much, I become the person to help de-stress.”

Mr Shuji raised an eyebrow. “How long has this... relationship been going on?”

“About three months, sir.”

“Barely three months," Mr Shinji countered dryly, “and you’ve already dragged her reputation through the dirt.”

Without another word, he reached into his inner suit pocket, pulled out a sleek silver smartphone, and tapped the screen a couple of times before turning the phone towards us.

Displayed on the screen was that photo that caused the rumours in the academy. The “Sweetsnap” photo.

"Your little romance isn't just an innocent high school relationship, Akizuki. It is a liability," Mr Kujo stated flatly. "Just by being together tarnishes her name. How do you justify bringing this level of trouble to my daughter's life?"

“I take full responsibility for the rumour, sir," I admitted, bowing my head so low that my face almost hit the plate on the table. “We already handled the rumour, and the gossip has already been phased out of the student body’s stories.”

I raised my head, locking eyes with Lord Kujo once more. “My family and I may not have the monetary value or the connections that would benefit the Kujo family...” I squeezed Reina’s hand, taking in a deep breath before continuing. "But I'm with Reina because I care about her, sir. Not her title, not her name. And if you think I'm taking advantage of her, then you don't know your daughter as well as you think."

A tense silence stretched across the table. I saw Mr Shuji’s expression change to something more ominous than before; he took a sip from his glass before he stood up.

"Can I have a word with you in private?"

Reina instantly stiffened, her eyes flashing. "Father, don’t—"

"It's fine, Reina," I said softly, giving her hand one last reassuring squeeze under the table before letting go. "I'll be fine."

She hesitated, locking eyes with me for a long moment, before I reluctantly stood up. Mrs Yukari offered a brief, subtle nod of encouragement as I walked out the room with Mr Shuji.

I followed him into the dimly lit room, which smelled of old paper, leather, and expensive cigars. He walked over to his grand mahogany desk, poured himself two fingers of scotch, and didn't offer me a seat.

“Let me get straight to the point, Akizuki," he said, picking up a blank cheque from the drawer of his desk and sliding it over towards me. "Name your price. Five million yen? Ten million? Enough for your family to live comfortably and start a business. Just stay away from my daughter."

I stayed quiet, just staring at the empty check on the mahogany table.

“You’re a smart kid, with a bright future.” He stood up, picked up a fountain pen and signed the blank cheque right in front of me. "So, take it, Akizuki. It's the most practical offer you will ever receive in your life."

I looked down at the slip of paper resting on the dark mahogany, then back up at the man holding the pen.

My mind began to imagine how my life would change if I decided to take the offer... I wouldn’t have to work the late-night shift at the konbini anymore; my parents also wouldn’t have to exhaust themselves just to place food on the table. It was the freedom from the gruelling routine that I’ve been stuck in for the past few months.

But at what cost?

That would mean breaking up with Reina... completely disregarding all the time we’ve spent together, throwing away the relationship that we fought tooth and nail just because I decided to choose the numbers on the piece of paper. It would break her heart, and honestly, mine too...

For a split second the memory of Reina flashed in my mind. She was sitting on the floor in front of my apartment door in the cold night... then the look on her face as tears ran down the side of her cheeks...

I made my choice. I was never going to be the reason she cried like that again.

"I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t want your money," I said, keeping my tone as respectful as I could.

Lord Kujo’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you out of your mind? Think about what you’re about to turn down!"

“With all due respect, Mr Kujo. I am not an opportunistic parasite, you assumed.” I stepped forward and gently slid the blank cheque back across the desk towards him, leaving it right by his glass of scotch. “I love your daughter. I’m not here for your money nor to take advantage of the Kujo name, and for as long as Reina wants me to be right by her side, there’s no amount of money in the world to buy me out of her life.”

Silence stretched across the study. The heavy scent of leather and cigar smoke seemed to hang motionless in the air.

Mr Shuji stayed composed; he simply picked up the cheque, ripped it in half, and let the pieces fall on the linoleum. "An arrogant stance for someone with an empty account," Lord Kujo said softly, swirling the glass of scotch in his hands. "Pride doesn't pay rent, Akizuki-kun."

"But hard work does," I replied, setting my hands neatly into my suit pockets. "Which is why I'm going to keep working my shifts, keep studying, and keep staying at the top of Seiryu Academy right alongside your daughter."

"We shall see," he said, raising up his glass and taking a slow sip. "The door is behind you. Don't keep my daughter waiting."

"Thank you for dinner, Mr Kujo," I said with a brief, respectful bow. I turned and walked out of the study, pulling the heavy mahogany door shut behind me.

As soon as the latch clicked, I felt a huge wave of relief wash over me, and all the stress of preparing and answering questions finally started to slowly fade away...

A few yards down the hallway, Reina was pacing anxiously with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The moment she heard the door, she whipped around, her eyes wide with frantic concern.

"Kaito!" she shouted, rushing over to me, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She got up close and started to hug me as tightly as she could. After a while of silence she pulled back and held my face as if she were searching for damage. "What happened? What did he say to you?"

A small, genuine smile finally broke across my face. "He offered me ten million yen to leave you," I whispered.

Reina froze, her grip tightening on my sleeves, her face going pale. "He... he what?"

"Don't worry," I chuckled softly, reaching up to gently lace my fingers through hers. "I told him he was going to have to try a lot harder than that."

"Ten million yen..." she repeated, her voice cracking slightly before transforming into a low, murderous murmur. "That arrogant, manipulative, bureaucratic old man..."

"Reina—"

"I am going to throw his vintage scotch in the sink," she hissed, turning on her heel towards the study door with full intent to wage total war.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on!" I caught her by the arm, gently pulling her back before she could launch an assault on her father's office.

"He had no right, Kaito," she whispered; the sheer frustration and embarrassment were evident in her voice. "To treat you like some sort of parasite..."

"Hey," I said softly, tilting my head down until she had no choice but to look me in the eye. "Look at me. I'm still here. There's nothing in this world that could tear us apart."

A tiny, choked laugh escaped her lips, breaking the storm brewing in her expression. She rested her forehead against my chest for a long, quiet moment, letting out a heavy, shuddering exhale.

"You're an idiot," she mumbled against my suit jacket, though her arms wrapped around my waist, holding me with an almost desperate strength. "You could have been a millionaire tonight."

"And miss out on competing with you for first place on the midterms?" I smirked, resting my chin lightly atop her hair. "Not a chance. Money can buy a lot of things, Reina, but it can't buy the satisfaction of beating you."

"In your dreams, Akizuki,"

A soft cough echoed from down the hall. We both turned to see Mrs Kujo standing near the top of the grand staircase, her lips curved into a warm smile.

“I’m glad to see that you two are lively again," Mrs Kujo said smoothly. "I’m sure you two are tired. So I instructed the staff to ready up one of the guest rooms.”

"Wait... I'm staying here?"

"It's nearly midnight, and it would be bad manners if we sent you home in the middle of the night," Mrs Kujo replied, her eyes twinkling with quiet pride. "Besides, you survived my husband's interrogation. Consider it a small reward."

Reina’s face lit up with relief, a soft flush rising on her cheeks as she looked over at me. "Mother... thank you."

Ten minutes later, I found myself standing in a guest room larger than my entire apartment. I sat on the edge of the king-sized bed admiring the scenery when a soft knock sounded at the door before it clicked open.

Reina slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind her. She had finally changed out of the dress into a comfortable pair of lounge pants and a soft top.

"My mother left some spare clothes on the chair for you," she said, sitting down on the bed right next to me. "They're new... bought for guests, so they should fit."

"Thanks... Honestly, I still can’t believe we survived tonight."

"I was actually pretty confident you’d handle my father," she murmured.

“Said the person who was shaking so much during dinner that the silverware was rattling.”

“S-shut up, Kaito. I was nervous!” She stood up and started walking towards the door. “Anyway, enough teasing; you should get some rest. We still have class tomorrow.”

Just as her hand reached the brass doorknob, I leant back on my elbows.

"So... no goodnight kiss?"

Reina paused. A small smile touched her lips as she turned back, walking deliberately to the side of the bed. She leant down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against my cheek.

"Is that acceptable?" she whispered, her breath warm against my skin.

I silently nodded, not expecting her to actually kiss me.

"Goodnight, Kaito," she said, swatting my arm playfully before stepping back towards the door, her eyes lingering on mine for one last quiet second before slipping back out into the hall.