Kotori was ambushed.
That weekend her parents told her that they were all going to meet and have tea with an old family friend, and Kotori wanted to stay behind and watch her tv shows, but the look in her mother's eyes said that she didn't have a choice.
So she put on the dress that her mother had approved for her beforehand, and grumbled the whole drive there.
They eventually exited the car and stepped into an old, traditional looking house. Kotori was a bit surprised by this, as she and her family lived in a modern house, and she was under the impression most rich people running in their circles also preferred modern houses.
While she was admiring the house, they were lead into a big room, and the moment she turned only to see Hiroki and his parents standing there, she knew there was something strange about the meeting.
She remembered belatedly that in the original game plot there were discussions of Kimiko and Hiroki getting engaged. She'd completely forgotten, and her parents had never mentioned a word of it to her.
But now her parents and his parents were leaving to 'discuss business' and she and Hiroki were left alone with a table full of snacks and tea between them.
Hiroki was smiling at her, as polite as ever, while Kotori resisted the urge to run out the door.
"Tea?" He asked.
Kotori said yes, and slowly sipped at her tea after he poured some for her, thinking that she would really like to be anywhere else but here.
"Did your parents tell you anything about this meeting...?" Kotori asked eventually, when the silence became stifling.
"They didn't. I assume it was the same for you?"
Kotori sighed. "Yes."
"Would it really be that awful to be engaged to me?"
Kotori was taken aback by the question. Hiroki had asked it so casually, looking like he wasn't bothered by it, even though his tone suggested he felt a bit aggrieved.
"You want the honest answer?"
Hiroki nodded.
"Yes."
Hiroki's expression shifted a bit, like he was surprised, but not all too upset by it. "And why is that?"
"It's not that I have any problems with you in particular, it's just the idea of getting an arranged engagement at all. I always believed in marrying for love, so this situation is kind of... well... it's not ideal."
"So you would not go through with this engagement? Not even for the sake of your family?"
"My family will be fine whether I get engaged to you or not. I know there are things to be gained from this union, but we aren't losing anything by not agreeing to it either, so no, I wouldn't compromise my feelings or my future for this."
Hiroki hummed, his face a perfect mask. Kotori could not tell at all what he was thinking.
"You said Your Highness, before."
"...Huh?"
"That time in the gardens. You referred to me as Your Highness."
Kotori blinked. Had she done that? She couldn't remember. She remembered the moment of course, and how she got blinded by his beauty for a long moment. She did remember thinking he was very prince like, so perhaps it had slipped out accidentally?
"Well... you do have a certain princely air about you."
Hiroki frowned. "Is that a good thing?"
Kotori observed him quietly for a moment before answering. "Sometimes. You've got the polite distance of a prince, which can feel a bit... cold, at times? And you're very... what's the word... appropriate? But you've got the face of a prince too, which means you're unfairly handsome, and, well... you're nice?"
For a long time it looked like Hiroki had no idea how to react to what she said, before he eventually smiled. It was a strange smile, but it looked like a sincere one all the same.
"That's an accurate observation. I'm not sure that I can change those aspects about myself, however."
Kotori sipped at her tea again. "I wasn't asking you to. If you like the way you are who am I to ask you to change? Those were just my opinions anyway, I'm sure there are tons of other people who love all those parts of you that I don't like as much."
That seemed to surprise him even more than what she said before. Kotori could only blink cluelessly at him. Why was he looking at her like that? It wasn't like what she said was that strange, was it?
"Those are some oddly mature words from a teenager." He remarked, smiling still.
Kotori winced slightly. "My parents have always said I was a smart for my age..."
He laughed. "I suppose that explains it then."
"As if you're any better! You don't speak like a seventeen year old at all!"
"Yes, but that's all part of my princely aura, no?"
Kotori huffed.
It was at that moment that their parents walked back into the room. They took one look at Kotori's defiant expression, Hiroki's bright smile, and gave each other secret winks.
After that, Kotori left with her family. On the drive home her mother made sure to ask very pointed questions about what happened with Hiroki when they were gone. Kotori was honest and simply said they had a nice conversation. There was nothing special about it.
Her mother seemed somewhat disappointed, but also slightly mollified at the same time.
"Are you... am I going to be engaged to him?" Kotori asked quietly.
Her father smiled gently at her. "Not if you don't want to be. We just wanted to set up a meeting first, to see how you two get on. Of course we would be happy if you liked him and wanted to marry him, but we won't force you."
"Then why the meeting?"
"We don't mind what you choose, but the elders... well... they've been talking about uniting the families for a long time."
"So the meeting was just to please the old heads of the families?"
"Pretty much, yes. As long as it looks like we're making an effort, they won't bother us so much about it."
"But I won't have to talk to him all the time at school or anything, will I?"
"No, no, nothing like that. You might have to meet him for tea or dinner every once in a while, though."
Kotori supposed it could be worse. At least Hiroki wasn't terrible company.