CHAPTER 49 (PART 2)

Was I speechless? Sure. Was my mind wreaking havoc like some kind of tornado—definitely. But nothing could amount to the amount of shock that repeatedly socked in the gut time and time again.

From behind her flowing blonde hair, the girl's creamy skin was finished off with full pink lips. She wore a stylish gown; sleek black from the torso up then fading into a brilliant red that travelled down her slender body until brushing against her tall heels.

Regardless of my shout, Ueda Kiyoko didn't spare a look in my direction. Instead, her warm brown eyes settled upon Wannabe who happened to be the only one not gawping at her appearance, gaze glued to the food in front of him.

Her mouth tilted higher, as if in amusement to his reaction. For the life in me, I couldn't comprehend why.

But I did know one thing: this wasn't the first time the Hayashi family had interacted with her.

I swallowed hard, not even bothering to savour the remaining flavour on my tongue. Did Wannabe know Kiyo this entire time?

"Wait, Mi-chan." Saki latched onto my shoulder, worriedly raking me over. "That old friend from middle school, Kiyo, you told me about was rich? And from the Ueda Enterprise? That group is almost as big as the Hayashi Enterprise!"

It was somewhat difficult to muster my voice amidst my spiralling thoughts. "Kiyo never used to talk about her family," I said. "Besides, we always were too busy fangirling about animes to really care about anything else."

"That girl is actually an otaku?" Yuji demanded with his cheeks full. He only continued to pile more and more food inside of his mouth. Obviously this situation hadn't grazed him and his giant stomach in the slightest.

"She was," I responded. It'd been three years since I last saw her and she'd become so much prettier in that amount of time. Who knew if her immense love for anime faded along with it.

After sharing a couple more pleasantries with Wannabe's father, Kiyo was escorted to her seat and handed a glass of water by the nearby butler. He dished out a serving for her to receive to which she kindly thanked him.

From beside me, Hibiki's hand had shot to the side of his mouth. "Hey, Kiyo!" The girl perked, eyes swimming their way over. I immediately ducked my head, hoping to play it off with an 'I dropped my utensil' excuse. That idiot! "Kiyo!" Hibiki went on, beaming when they finally locked eyes. "Remember me?"

"Hibi...ki?" Kiyo dropped everything, her lips stretching back to ears. "No way, is it really you, Hibiki? It's been so long!"

Hibiki returned a good-natured grin. "Did I get so handsome you couldn't recognize me?"

"Yeah right, you flirt," Kiyo countered with a laugh. "I didn't realize you knew the Hayashi's."

Hibiki shrugged in response. "So what's happening with you?" he asked instead. "What high school do you go to?"

"Scheherazade," she responded. "In the southside."

"Wow, you're super smart then."

"Says you," she snorted. "You were the top scorer all throughout middle school."

"I was in the top three," he corrected. "And that was middle school. High school's way more unforgiving. Let alone the genius academy Scheherazade."

Kiyo laughed. "It's not that bad." Though discreet, everyone was paying all ears to their conversation as she reached for the chopsticks. "If you know Kazuya-san, you go to Seisein, right? How's it like there?"

The amount of nonchalance the two shared sent my stomach knotting. Why were they being so friendly? Sure things had never been so rough between the two of them—and the whole fiasco with Hibiki happened after the two of us called off our friendship—but it was still incredulous. Hibiki knew very well how awkward the two of us were! He was supposed to be my best friend and suffer with me together.

Keeping my head hidden from sight, I jostled his thigh. Hibiki stopped mid-sentence to curiously peek past the tablecloth and under the table where I was. I meet his eyes with harsh scrutiny. But instead of taking the hint, Hibiki's mouth peeled back. I knew that mischievous smile anywhere.

I shook my head at him, mouthing, 'I'll kill you if you try.'

"Kiyo," he sweetly called out anyway. He grabbed me by the sleeve and yanked me upright before I could fight it. "Miyuki's here, too."

Kiyo was hit with a wave of surprise at first. But it took literally no time at all for her face to scrunch up in as much distaste as mine. As I jostled Hibiki away from him, glare in tow. He innocently cocked his head and resisting the urge to smack him, I refocused my glare onto her. Her eyes narrowed into slits.

"I see you're still fine," she spits.

The electrowaves that hovered around us were dyed in hatred.

"Same to you," I said. "Last I heard you got into a car accident."

"It wasn't too serious of one. I only sustained a couple scratches." She paused, raking me over; slowly, coolly. "You dyed your hair. It suits you."

The silence that followed was hard to swallow down, but neither of us bothered to fill it. Instead, we went back to eating—the only sound to be heard in the dining hall the clinks and chinks of our tableware.

The rest of them soon followed; Yuji being the only one unaffected by this all was still eating to fill the void in his stomach. Kouichi and Hinata were chattering away as well.

"Psst. Mi-chan." I traced the voice back to Saki who gestured me closer. She was tense. Once her fingers were over my ears, she whispered, "Why'd you two start fighting?"

"Why?" I bit the inside of my lip. "Just a stupid argument."

Saki fluttered her eyelashes. "An argument about what?"

"So you think the Diabolik Lovers is stupid now do you?"

Kiyo's interjection made me pop a nerve. I met her fierce scowl with an identical one.

"I simply told you I didn't enjoy Sakamaki Ayato that much," I seethed. "Yuusuke and Subaru in Brothers Conflict were much cuter."

"Cute in what sense?" Kiyo returned. "The reason they like Ema is so full of cliches. Fuuto is the cutest in that anime!"

"You're defending Fuuto?" I demanded. "He's so rude to her all the time! Besides, Yuusuke liked her way before the anime started! And Subaru is so pure about his feelings, too."

"Why am I not surprised you like the least noticeable ones? You also loved Cecil and Natsuki in Uta no Prince Sama."

"Because they deserve so much more recognition! I hate how much the fandom disregards those amazing boys!"

Kiyo rose to her feet, palms flat on the table. "How about HEAVENS?" She pressed. "Those 'amazing boys' deserve the world, too!"

"The way Toma in Amnesia does?" I lurched to my toes as well. "He locked the heroine in a goddamn cage, Kiyo! Kent was much more sweet about his feelings. Even Ikki—and you know how much I dislike the flirtatious ones!"

"Wait, wait..."

The entire hall—and everyone gathered, including Taisuke-san—were gawking.

"Don't tell me the reason you two have been fighting all this time ..."

"Ugh!" we both simultaneously groaned. "Why didn't I bother asking you for your favourite characters before we established our friendship? You and I will never get along!"

"It's because you two disagreed on your favourite anime characters?!" everyone cried.

Huffing, we fell into our seats. Through the sour tension above, we didn't speak out again. Hibiki produced a whistle, snapping everyone from their thoughts.

"Well," Taisuke-san said, clearing his throat. "This banquet has gone on far better than I imagined. So how do you three know each other?"

I popped a nerve, similarly as did Kiyo. Hibiki spoke for us though.

"They've been friends in middle school."

"Friends?" Kiyo scoffed.

"Us?" I demanded.

Hibiki paused then turned back to Taisuke-san. "Like I said, friends. And I've known Miyuki since we were little so that's how I fit into the picture."

I resisted the urge to growl at Hibiki for his audacity. Whether I considered it fortunate or not, Kiyo took that role from me.

"Is that so?" Taisuke-san said regardless. He laughed. "That's splendid then! Who would've guessed Kazuya's fiancée would be familiar with you all already."

As if this were an anime, each panel of our distraught expressions appear one after another to display our immense shock. We all lurched to our feet.

"F-fiancée?" Hiro shouted.

"Y-you're engaged?" Yuji said next, crumbles apparent at the corners of his mouth.

"To that Wannabe?" I went on, jerking my finger out towards him across the table.

Wannabe's attention wasn't even on us. Slamming down his hands, he gaped. "Father! I already told you—"

"It's already been finalized, son," Taisuke-san stated, holding his chin high as he exposed a pearly smile. "For the future of the Hayashi Enterprise."

"Wow...!" Saki gawped.

Kiyo emitted a sigh, rising as well. Butlers and maids swarmed the area, coming to clear the empty plates, but Kiyo was the least bit effected.

"Kazuya-san, we've already discussed this." Wannabe flinched, jerking his head in her direction. Polished nails at her hips, Kiyo's countenance was blank. "Besides," she continued, "we're talking about your future fiancée. It isn't official yet, but our families have already spoken."

She halted for a moment, curiously looking in my direction. Her head cocked, blond locks flowing after her.

"And... 'Wannabe?'"

"Hoshino-san nicknamed him 'Tamaki-wannabe' since he resembles that character so much," Kouichi explained.

"Suoh Tamaki," Hinata clarified.

          Hibiki was vehemently shaking his head, hand at his forehead. "Damn, what are the odds? You're practically a married woman, Kiyo."

          "Don't marry me off just yet," she said. "And it's business, so it's to be expected."

Her mature response was honestly not one I was expecting. She really had changed a lot from back then—from complaining about her family restrictions and duties from time to time.

"But I must say, Miyuki," Kiyo said, her brown eyes gaining a twinkle. Her hands slapped together, vast excitement fluttering around her. "I think that's one of the best decisions you've made in your entire life! I was trying to place the character this entire time but you've got it perfectly!"

My mouth tilted up high. "He reminded me of him immediately. It seems your Ouran knowledge has dulled."

"I know!" Kiyo said, agreeing with me for once. "Agh, Ouran was one of my very first animes, too!"

We both paused to meet eyes and for a split moment, I could feel my heart swell a bit with hope.

"You used to tell me how many times you rewatched it, too," Kiyo said, smiling as if she felt the same way. "Eight times, was it?"

"More like a good twenty by now." I grinned. "Trust me, Wannabe suits him so well."

"Hey!" Wannabe interrupted. "I am not a 'Wannabe!' I'm your upperclassman, you know!"

"Oh gosh, it is perfect!" Kiyo giggled. "I've seen the way how obnoxious he gets when he flirts with girls. I heard he hadn't even bothered to start up a host club! It would've been perfect!"

"Right? Right?"

"Wait, they're getting along?" Hinata demanded.

"This is extremely rare," Hibiki admitted, just as wide-eyed.

Kiyo couldn't stop her fit of laughter, regardless of the startled gazes being shot our way (Wannabe with a dismayed pout).

"He even looks exactly like him! This is hilarious!"

"His behaviour is exactly identical too!" I agreed, laughing all the same. "Don't you just love Tamaki—"

"—Kyoya?"

When our voices overlapped, our laughing fit halted at once. In only a second, our features fell and we shared a glare.

Saki cowered behind Yuji. "Oh no..."

"Huh?" I huffed, cocking a brow. "Don't  tell me you like Kaoru over Hikaru too?"

"Have you read the manga?" she retorted, gritting her teeth. "Kaoru sacrificed his feelings for—"

"Suwa sacrificed his feelings also!" I shot, recalling a past convo. "And then you had the audacity to tell me didn't see him as a hero at the end of Orange!"

"Because Kakeru deserves so much more love!" she growled. "And says you! Your favourite character in AssClass is Karma like everyone else! You barely appreciate Nagisa!"

"I appreciate him but Karma just left a bigger imprint on me!"

"Ugh!"

"Agh!"

We inhaled and exhaled heavily, teeth clenched with enough force to shatter. It was wrong of me to have believed we'd finally get along! Every character I loved she hated and vice versa. I had enough of her belittling my favourite characters!

"Miyuki, Kiyo. You might want to calm down."

Hibiki had played a hand on each of our shoulders, uprooting our gazes towards him. With just one look around, and immediate bashfulness coursed through me. Crap, we were in public right now. A dinner. At Wannabe's house.

I spared a subconscious glance in Hiro's direction. He held my gaze, evidently surprised, and I immediately returned it to my toes. The nerves had brought a fresh set of goosebumps grazing up my arm. Hiro heard me too... Just great.

"Is there any character they both agree on?" Kouichi mumbled.

"Doesn't seem like it." Yuji cracked a lopsided smile. "Wow, I haven't seen Miyuki get this worked up about anime, ever."

"Me neither," Saki agreed, cautiously poking her head out from behind him. "Especially since they both seem to like the same ones."

"I can see why they used to be friends," Hinata agreed.

Both Kiyo and I unanimously frowned at them. Saki went to hide again while both Hinata and Kouichi flinched, blanching for having spoken out of line.

Taisuke-san, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying this quite a lot. He produced a boisterous chuckle. "Now, now, this aside, why don't I show you guys around? I just so happened to have purchased some speciality pieces recently that I'm sure you'll find interesting."

He promptly beckoned a butler towards him. After muttering something in his ear, the butler led the way, ushering for everyone to follow. Kiyo and the rest of them went on ahead. Taisuke-san remained in place, scooping up some last-minute candies the maids had left adjacent to the large doors. Hiro stopped by the exit, catching my eyes as if confused why I wasn't leaving.

But my eyes had instead found themselves pinned to the blond who'd remained sitting at the table. It wasn't long before Taisuke-san also caught my staring. He swivelled around so that it could properly settle in for him also.

"Kazuya?" he called.

But Wannabe didn't even flinch. An unbearable quiet sifted above us while the most bitter countenance I'd ever seen, etched onto Wannabe's features.

I steeled myself beside Hiro. It was just us four. Even upon his father's nonchalant gaze, Wannabe's frown didn't dissipate. As I swallowed hard, I could feel my nerves freeze up like ice. Why didn't I go on ahead? There was no way I could slip away now, not when a really awkward showdown was about to take place.

I glanced up at Hiro. Like me, it was evident he also knew we couldn't just slip away—not with the chance to gesture his father away from the door and worsen the chilling mood.

I resisted the urge to latch on Hiro's arm and slink off regardless. But seeming to know my intentions and the risk of obstructing this already intense situation, he took the opportunity to grip me by the wrist.

Whatever was going to happen between Wannabe and his dad definitely wasn't going to be any good.