Dinner music flowed from the large symphony that sat on stage. A man in the white suite waved his arms around conducting the music. From Makayla's view it looked as if the man was going too fast for the slow music but she was never into classical music so she was not one to judge. The large ballroom was huge, and grand. There had to be at least five hundred people in the room. Makayla had heard two women gossip about it as she walked by them. She stood in the back corner of the room, Quinton had left to go find his partners and associates. From where Makayla was standing she could see the entire room the décor was beautiful the color skim was her favorite color turquoise and cream. Circle tables filled the room covered with a cream lace table clothe one side hung longer than the other. A black vase stood in the middle of the table turquoise roses with accented gold leafs stood tall and brilliant. On the sides opposite of the stage sat a large ice-sculpted bar serving all of the most fashionable drinks. In the middle of the room, there was a large dance floor. Makayla thought that the best part of the this party was the extreme dessert bar. It took up one side of the wall, any type of dessert you want you could find. There was even a separate station for ice cream.
"Makayla I want you to meet one of the partners," Quinton said. On the side of him stood Jiro.
"Nice to meet you." Jiro said not sure if he should pretend they knew each other or not. He extended his hand for her to shake.
"Jiro, don't you remember me?" Makayla asked her eyebrow raised. Jiro caught the invitation that she gave him. He closed the distance and hugged her. "Makayla I haven't seen you in so long," he said trying to play off the earlier comments. Quinton looked at the two in confusion. "You know him?" he asked Makayla.
"Yea I do, I studied here in Japan when I was younger," she said convincing herself that she wasn't really lying to her fiancé she just wasn't telling the whole story.
"We both studied at Sophia University together," Jiro explained to Quinton. Why did he always have to be in the middle of everything?
"Well he's hopefully going to partner with me," Quinton said to Jiro.
"We will see," Jiro said to him. Like clockwork, his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID it was Hikaru checking up on him. "Excuse me I have to take this call," he said to Quinton and Makayla.
"Moshi-"
"Where are you?" the familiar voice asked him.
"I'm socializing, but I'm on my way," Jiro said. He hung up the phone not wanting to hear anymore from Hikaru he knew that he was getting nervous he had to make a speech in a little while. Hikaru always wanted everything to be perfect.
"Well Makayla it was a pleasure seeing you again," he said in English. "but I have to go, and Quinton I'll be seeing you in a while," he said flashing his boyish smile. Jiro walked off disappearing into the crowd.
"So you never told me you studied in Japan," Quinton stated
"You never asked me," Makayla teased him.
"Good Point." Quinton said grabbing two champaign flutes off a platter carried by a waiter in a suit and tie. He handed one of the flutes to Makayla.
"What do you think about this party?" he asked.
"I think the color scheme is great. She said with a smile. "Maybe a little grandiose." she smirked. Quinton smiled too. "This is why I love you. we think similarly." Makayla chuckled.
"hey, I'm going to the ladies' room," Makayla told Quinton.
"You want me to come with?" Quinton asked.
"No, I can handle myself."
"Ok but don't take too long or ill have to come to find you myself." Quinton smirked.
---
Jiro walked into the office and it was filled with a security team. It's not like they were the prime minister he didn't understand why Hikaru hired all these people. Hikaru was watching the TV Monitor that showed all of the guests in the ballroom.
"What took you so long," Hikaru asked Jiro.
"I didn't know you would be in here with security?" Jiro told Hikaru. He wasn't sure if he should mention that Makayla was here or if he should be quiet. Most importantly he didn't know if he should tell his brother that his prospective business partner is Makayla's Fiancé. He decided to keep this tidbit of information to himself at least for now.
"So what are you doing?" Jiro asked
"I'm just looking at all of the guests to make sure I do not miss talking to the important people," Hikaru explained. Hikaru continued staring at the monitors.
"Jiro make sure you talk with the Hifer brothers, Mr. Lee, and Tanoshi.
"The boy band?" Jiro questioned
"Yes the boy band, they are very popular if they are in our commercial it's a sure win."
"I guess," Jiro stated. He hated talking with the boy bands they were so conceited. "But why can't you do it?"
Hikaru didn't answer he just looked at the monitor. He couldn't believe it. She was here.
"So you ignoring me now," Jiro said to him
Hikaru grabbed his suit jacket and walked out of the room.
"He can't really be my brother." Jiro thought in his head.
----------------------
Makayla walked past the bathroom she just needed some air. Too many people made her feel constrained. She walked to the elevator and pressed the up button. It seemed to take forever to get to her. She wondered how long they would have to stay for this party. She wanted to leave, this party was a real drag. The elevator doors opened Makayla stepped on pressing any button on the elevator the doors closed. She turned around to see that this elevator was clear. She could see the people in the ballroom below. "Balcony" the elevator said. The doors opened revealing a small balcony it wasn't fancy. It was plain, a smooth concrete floor brown railing enclosed the structure. Makayla placed her hands on the railing and leaned over breathing in the cool night air. She was happy.
"Be careful or you'll fall" a familiar Japanese voice spoke to her. Makayla knew that voice anywhere even in her last dying breath she would be able to tell that voice from any other.
"If I fell I wouldn't expect you to save me," she said to him in Japanese still looking over the balcony.
"Your right you wouldn't expect me to save you," he whispered in her ear. "but I would save you, always," he stood behind her placing his hands on each side of her trapping her to stay in that spot.
"What do you want." she spat at him
"That's no way to speak to your former fiancé," he said to her. " Where did you go?" he asked her curiously. Where had she been all this time?
" If you wanted to find me you would have looked for me," she told him. All of those times she had wished he would have just come and stopped her from leaving.
"I did look for you, you hide very well," he told her. He was so close to her he could smell her perfume. She always smelled great it was something about her smell that made his blood pulse. She was like an aphrodisiac, he wanted her so bad, but he would never admit that to himself. She looked beautiful it was like they were meeting all over again. She wore a Royal blue long Qi Pao Dress, her hair was pulled up into a bun. Two black hair sticks decorated her hair. He pulled one of the sticks from her head.
"Hikaru what are you doing?" she said turning around to face him.
"Nothing," Hikaru said his face displaying a smile. That was another thing about her she always brought out his good side.
"Give it back," she said filling like they were in third grade again.
"No," he said while holding the little stick in his hand. He played with it
"Why?" she asked even though she knew the answer
"Because I can?" he said with a smile
"You can't just do stuff because you-" she tried to say but was stopped when he kissed her. He grabbed her by her waist leaning her against the railing. The kiss was long and passionate it turned into a make-out session like two teens all hot and bothered. He grabbed her leg placing it on his which he supported with his thigh. He moved his attention to her neck. His hands roamed her body, She turned her head to see herself in Hikaru's arms, it was their reflection through the glass of the building.
"Let me go" she pushed him off of her. "We can't be doing this?"
"Your right" was all he said.
" I have a new life, it doesn't include you, "Hikaru said his word like daggers.
-------------
"Introducing the two hosts of this Party the Ayumoto brothers," the speaker Announced. Jiro and Hikaru walked out onto the stage the spotlight on them the band had stopped playing. People stopped talking they had all turned their attention to them.
"Good Evening, We are so happy you all came," Hikaru said
"But before this party is over, we wanted to show you our newest member of the Ayumoto family," Jiro said.
"The Play platform 5," they both said in unison. The band played theme music and the game system floated up from the floor. It was displayed on a red velvet table. Everyone in the ballroom clapped their hands and marveled at the system.
"That's them" Quinton whispered to Makayla.
"That's who," she questioned"
"The guys who I'm trying to partner with" he explained.
Why was the world so small? It was like Hikaru was controlling everything.
"oh he seems nice" was all Makayla could manage to say, remembering what had just occurred five minutes ago on the balcony.
"So do you have what it takes to be the master gamer" Hikaru spoke to the audience
"If you think you can beat the Ayumoto brothers at destiny then try. Jiro smiled at the audience.
"There are 300 demo play platform 5's ready in the belle court ballroom"
"Show us what you got," Jiro said with his trait mark smile. The two brothers bowed and left the stage. The crowd clapped as they exited.
" I'm not feeling well" Makayla lied "I'm going back to the hotel. Quinton was disappointed he had wanted her to meet the Ayumoto Brothers.
"But I wanted you to meet them" he whined
"There will be other times, right," she questioned.
"Your right let's go" Quinton was about to walk out of the ballroom but Makayla stopped him "don't leave because of me. I can handle myself, you go have fun mingle" she encouraged him. Quinton kissed her on the cheek "be safe"
"Makayla left the ballroom she couldn't face him once more, especially now.
--
"So did I do to your liking?" Jiro asked his brother backstage.
"Yes, you did good," he told Jiro.
"Well you have lipstick on your cheek," Jiro said
"What?" Hikaru yelled he couldn't believe this. "You let me go on with lipstick on my face"
"I'm just playing," Jiro said laughing hysterically.
Hikaru gave him the signature death glare.
"I saw you two on the monitor, next time stay out of sight you know you're engaged to Maiko," he said seriously to his brother.
"I know" Hikaru explained "but I couldn't resist...
--
On the way back to the hotel Makayla thought of Hikaru. She couldn't get him out of her head. Why was she even thinking about him she couldn't understand herself. That man had broken her heart and didn't even apologize. But when she looked into his eye she could see something, a glimmer of the past. The way he use to look at her before he told her he didn't love her anymore. Makayla didn't want to think about what could have been.
"MOM" Toshiro yelled as his mother entered the hotel room.
"Where's Quinton?" Toshiro wondered seeing that he wasn't with his mom.
"Oh he wanted to stay longer" she explained taking off her shoes. Toshiro took the shoes from his mother's hand and placed them in the closet.
"So the party was bad," Toshiro commented.
Well, there were some exciting points but I was really tired".
"Akika called while you were at the party," Toshiro told his mom.
"Oh," Makayla said surprised. "What did she say?"
"She wanted me to come over to meet her daughters, Fumiko and Chieko"
"Tomorrow?" she questioned
"Yea."
"Well I guess we will have a little adventure for tomorrow