Chapter 164 - Girlfriend

Eh? What happened?

Suzuki Ara was dying to know. She had always wondered why Aki would suddenly look so depressed when someone mentioned his girlfriend. She was curious.

She continued to watch as her brother slowly recovered from his sudden gloominess until he was able to look at her again. At first, he looked like he didn't want to say anything, but it seemed he thought it would be unfair for Ara not to know anything when he knew everything about her relationship with Kou.

"Ara, I told you last time that like you, I was also arranged to marry someone since young, right?" he asked, and Ara nodded, remembering their conversation from the night before she went to Hakone.

"Actually, it's only somewhat true," Aki said which made her all the more confused.

What was "somewhat" true?

"When we were young, our dad had just gotten Suzuki Raiden Group off the ground," he began.

Ara, on the other hand, knew about this story thanks to the kaleidoscope of memories. The Suzuki Raiden Group hadn't always been the big business it was now. It just started to get better when Ara was born. However, as soon as it took off, their relatives, led by Suzuki Daizo, their dad's older brother started to bother them either about work or connections. 

"So, that idiot brother of our dad came up with an idea about a betrothal: mine and the daughter of that idiot's friend, the owner of the Axis Corporation where that idiot works right now."

Ara almost laughed hearing her brother say the word idiot over and over again in referral to their uncle. It seemed Aki still hadn't forgiven the older man over the custody battle years ago.

"Our parents didn't really want to at first, but the idiot was very insistent so they told him they'd think about the idea. But the idiot took that as an automatic yes, and informed the other party immediately so they came to our house." By this time, Aki's face was crumpled in distaste, his nose flaring in annoyance. "Our parents, of course, were shocked and wanted to decline politely but they realized the idiot already sent an engagement gift for the yuino, and the other party did the same although our parents never heard nor seen the gift."

"The Idiot stole it?"Ara suggested with a laugh but when her brother didn't even smile, she was shocked.

The idiot indeed stole it!

"Around that time, the idiot's working at Suzuki Raiden group as a Vice President. Guess what? He's been stealing a lot there too."

Ara's eyes widened.

Oh my…

A thief!

No wonder Aki hated him so much. She hadn't realized the abhorred uncle had more qualities to legitimately hate other than being an all-time authoritative jerk.

Wait a minute…

Ara had a memory of their mother and father having financial trouble the year before they died. It was when they had asked her to transfer to a semi-private school for high school rather than continue her studies at her old school which had an escalator system.

She had thought they had forced her to do so to tone down the expenses. But she realized she was wrong when suddenly their company became really well again. In fact, it even soared higher than before.

"They wanted to take him to court for embezzlement, but they thought about grandpa's health so they didn't. They just fired the idiot and cut all ties to everything connected to him, the forced engagement included."

Oh. So that's why…

"So you are not engaged to be married anymore?"

"For the other party, it seems we are still engaged, but for us, it's a no. We never sent the yuino. It was that idiot who did it. Our parents didn't sign anything. We are under no obligation to fulfill whatever contract that idiot did on his own. Even if he sues, he will lose. In the first place, the contracts for yuino don't really hold legal weight unless there was some type of business transaction involved. But the laws for business will apply in that case. On that we are clear. The only thing ever affected by broken engagements is business. But for that, we don't care. As if anyone would dare intimidate us now."

Aki's voice sounded proud and Ara couldn't help but smile teasingly at him. But her brother had the right to be proud anyway. Wherever Suzuki Raiden Group was now, it was because of her father's foundation and Aki's drive to succeed. Even without Homura International's deal, it had already reached its pinnacle.

"I bet our parents are so proud of you now too big bro," she told him softly, making him turn to her and smile, only for it to fade with her next words. "You just need to fulfill their dreams of having grandchildren now to make them very happy."

"Ya!"Aki gave her another head-chop. "Our parents wouldn't care, okay? And before having kids, I need to make my girlfriend say yes first."

Ooooh…

"So you really have a girlfriend," Ara stared quizzically at him, her eyes boring into his as he looked like someone who just put his foot in his mouth.

"N –"Aki wanted to lie but in the end, he said yes.

"I knew it!"Ara looked totally delighted, like a dog finding a bone and wouldn't let go. "Spill! Who is she?"

When Aki didn't want to talk, Ara attacked him with tickles until her brother surrendered pitifully. "It's Chiaki."

Eh?

"But big bro, I just talked to Chiaki and she said she had no idea who your girlfriend is." Ara was now confused.

So, it was a secret relationship after all? Was it because of work? She heard that office romance was taboo most of the time so people mostly wanted to keep it secret.

"She's an idiot – after confessing to me first she totally forgot about it," Aki muttered unhappily, almost only to himself, but Ara's demigod ears were sharp.

"What? Chiaki-san was the one who confessed to you?"Ara's eyes were like huge glittery silver pools. She knew she totally looked like Rin on her fangirling mode, but Ara didn't care. "When? When?"

Aki hesitated before answering, and Ara realized why.

"Back in pre-school," he answered and Ara's face froze, her eyes narrowed.

"Big bro, you want to get beaten up?"