In the waiting room of Hiro Corporation, Mimi set her elbow on the arm of the chair beside the glass walls. With her chin against the back of her hand, she gazed out the view.
It was time to meet her father.
She sighed softly when suddenly a piece of celery flashed in front of her face. Surprised, she turned to the attractive man sitting beside her.
"Eat. You skipped breakfast." Tobias held the celery up to her lips.
Mimi blinked before crunching down on it with bright eyes. A smile made its way on her lips.
"Do you have anything else in there?" Mimi asked, her eyes glancing over at the bag by his side.
"I made a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich on a bagel." Tobias lifted the wrapped sandwich in his hand.
"Onion bagel?" Mimi's eyebrows raised.
"With an onion bagel." Tobias chuckled with amusement.
Mimi smiled and leaned in to kiss his lips softly. Their lips gently sucked on one another without care for where they were.
"You're sweet," She pulled back to whisper against his lips.
Chuckling, Tobias gave her a quick, gentle kiss on the lips. "So are you."
Giggling, she smacked him playfully on the chest. The two lovebirds were lost in their own world while the receptionist across from them watched with a flushed face. The woman visibly swallowed while she stared.
While the two were waiting for Henry Hirogori to finish his meeting, they boldly teased and whispered to one another. The intimate, flirtatious atmosphere between the two could not be hidden. It was even more surprising for the receptionist as she recognized the man seated. It was Tobias Itou, a legend and icon among the industries. And yet, he here was openly flirting with an unknown girl in Hiro Corporation's waiting room.
She never thought he was dating anyone.
Silently, the receptionist was smart to remain silent while the two ate and whispered to one another.
"What are you doing?"
The sharp voice made Mimi and Tobias look up. Chewing on her sandwich, Mimi tilted her head forward to see her father staring at her. Of course, she did not miss the confused expressions of the businessmen behind him.
"Eating breakfast," Mimi playfully waved the sandwich in her hand with am innocent expression.
Seeing her father's hidden displeasure at her nonchalant attitude, Mimi smirked inside. After all, she never came to "please" her so-called father of hers.
"In the waiting room? Do you have no manners?" Her father reprimanded her.
"Hey, he's eating here too." Mimi pointed to the handsome man seated beside her, who was currently eating an egg sandwich with an indifferent expression.
Mimi could see her father's expression darkening with irritability when he noticed Tobias. As usual, he kept firm control of his emotions while silently looking at her.
"Did you all not hear me say you were dismissed earlier?" Henry Hirogori shot a cold look to the men behind him who stiffened, lowered their heads, and walked away as quickly as possible from them.
"Throw out that sandwich and come in." Henry Hirogori ordered while looking at her and Tobias.
Mimi gave out a small huff. As if she'd waste Tobias's food!
Just before she shoved the entire sandwich down her throat, a large hand took it from her grasp. She watched as Tobias wrapped her sandwich before placing it in a white paper bag.
"Don't eat it all at once, you'll choke," Tobias said softly while using his thumb to brush the crumbs off her lips. "You can eat the rest when we leave."
Mimi sighed softly with some remorse but nodded her head. Standing up from her seat, she walked up to her father with a small pout.
"This better be quick. I have a very important sandwich to eat after this."
Henry Hirogori's eyes dimmed a little as he watched the girl enter the meeting room and plop herself comfortably on a chair. When he saw Tobias approach, his gaze turned even more chilling.
"May I ask what you're doing here?"
Tobias just shot him a cold look. His eyes held no warmth or friendliness as he regarded the girl's father. "Support."
"Hmph," Henry Hirogori shut the door and walked over to his large seat at the end of the long table.
"Now, let's get straight to the point," He looked at Mimi from across the table with a sharp expression. His eyes followed Tobias as he sat right beside her.
"I heard you turned eighteen a few weeks ago. Congratulations on the milestone."
Despite the seemingly earnest words, his tone was anything but affectionate. It was as cold as his expression.
"Thank you," Was all Mimi said before she just sat and smiled silently.
Narrowing his bleak, firm eyes, her father folded his hands in front of him.
"Since you've reached the age of an adult, I'm offering you a chance to consolidate with the Hirogori business. I understand we started on bad terms, but now, I want to train and help you succeed in establishing any company you desire. That is if we both let past offenses aside."
Leaning back in her seat, Mimi didn't even bother to hide her amusement.
We? What offense had she ever caused him? Besides possibly appearing in front of him as a child, she couldn't think of anything else.
However, instead of responding to that, Mimi was more amused at her father's sudden interest in her. It was obvious what he was trying to do.
"My, my, what a wonderful offer. But I sadly, I'll have to decline." Mimi answered the question with a casual smile.
"Why?" Henry Hirogori frowned coldly.
"I've never been interested in the family business. It's what killed my sister after all." Mimi's expression and smiles were unreadable. They only turned sweet when looking at the handsome man sitting casually beside her. "Besides, I already have all the support I need."
Tobias chuckled softly while taking in the girl's lovely, sweet smiles. A dark glint seemed to flicker in Henry Hirogori's eyes. He stared at her silently while tapping his finger on the table.
"Your sister...We didn't kill her. She killed herself because she was weak."
Even though it was challenging to sense the girl's emotions, Henry Hirogori could clearly see the beautiful violet color in her eyes darken. Mimi didn't care about the provoking words her father spewed, but she could see the anger building in Tobias's eyes.
Underneath the table, Mimi brushed her fingers softly against his hand before interlocking their fingers. She felt him squeeze.
Mimi voiced each word calmly, her eyes locked intensely on her father's. "You're right she did. But my sister didn't kill herself because she was weak. And surely not because death seemed suddenly appealing. She was in pain. You could say she found someone to give her love and strength only for him to die. After that, she just couldn't live for very long without a heart."
"Yes, I expected that," Her father scoffed. "I always told her to drop that good for nothing, but you women don't want to listen."
Mimi saw Tobias's jaw clenched ever so slightly, the hand holding hers tightening even further. Sighing softly, she looked at her father.
"I have no interest in your offers. Even if you gave me the whole company itself, I wouldn't want it. I only came here to receive my sister's belongings." Mimi made clear with unemotional eyes.
Sure enough, her father's expression looked displeased, but she didn't care. She couldn't stand being in a room with such evil scum for another moment. Not to mention, she was certain Tobias would explode at any moment.
The room had been silent for a while before Henry Hirogori clicked his tongue and leaned back in his seat.
"The receptionist will hand you the box on your way out." He waved his hand in dismissal, a dark expression on his face.
Instead of answering, Mimi smiles softly and stands up from her seat with Tobias's hand in hers. Without turning back, she left the room, sensing her father's piercing eyes on her back. When they left the company with a box of her sister's belongings, Mimi gazed out the car window.
"Are you okay?"
At the sound of the deep voice laced heavily with concern, Mimi turned her head and smiled.
"Mm," She nodded gently and glanced down at the box in her hands. "I just wish...I could have been her strength when she needed it most."
Tobias's hands holding the steering wheel tightened. When the car suddenly stopped with a sudden jolt, Mimi turned to look at the man beside her with confusion. Before she had the chance to speak, a pair of hands squeezed her cheeks.
"You have nothing to feel sorry for. Nothing. No person can predict the future, nor can they know all the reasons for another person's actions." Tobias's voice was dangerously calm, and yet his eyes intensely fixed on hers with such emotion she felt her soul stir.
Mimi blinked. Then, she blinked again. Soon, happiness could be seen through her soft smiles. Taking the hands on her cheeks into her own, she wrapped them around her waist before resting her face on Tobias's chest.
What did she do to ever deserve such a kind man like him?
The hands around her waist tightened, and she felt Tobias rest his chin on top of her head.
"I...I know the pain won't go away, but no matter what I'm here for you." He said softly, his arms around her squeezing.
Lifting her head from his chest, Mimi gazed up at the handsome man with a warm smile. Her fingers softly stroked his cheek.
"Tobias Itou...I love you."
Tobias's soft smiles continued as he touched the hand on his cheek and gently knocked his head against hers.
"I love you too, Mimi Hirogori."