Mrs. Kazui was doing some cleaning at the front yard that morning. She had cook lunch but she had no appetite. Even though her son-in-law had bought her a bunch of groceries for a month, she was still not feeling great. She felt like she had put such burden on Tezuka. Moreover, Maimi lied to him before about their background but thank goodness, Tezuka agreed to keep the secret to help Maimi since he did not like at what he saw.
A sudden cleared throat sound came. Mrs. Kazui looked up to see her most irritating, swanky neighbor ever, Mrs. Jujou. She was standing at the crooked gate that could fall off at anytime. “Cleaning the yard, Mrs. Kazui?”
Mrs. Kazui smiled. “I am. Can’t you see?”
Mrs. Jujou rolled her eyes. She took a sneak at the old lady. “Seems like you have a son-in-law.”
“Nothing much,” Mrs. Kaaui answered. She continued to sweep the dead leaves while waiting anxiously at what that snobby old lady going to ask next.
“Where did you find him?”
Mrs. Kazui stopped. “Mai-chan went for a blind date and she was picked. That’s all.”
Mrs. Jujou was shocked. She could not believe that a blind date could lead into finding a handsome, tough, tall and perfect background guy in a flash! “It’s impossible! He’s the great heritage of the most popular share company in Japan.”
“I know. He’s the one organizing that blind date.”
That answer surprised Mrs. Jujou. She cleared her throat again and pretended to search for a flower bud beside the gate. “How come I didn’t know about that?”
“We knew it in the last minute too. By the way,” Mrs. Kazui said. “….you don’t need to know ‘cause your daughter is married and has a child. Right?”
Mrs. Jujou sneered. She walked away quickly without saying goodbye. Mrs. Kazui chuckled.
“Oh, my God! This game is definitely fun!” Maimi shouted in her office room. She was playing a car racing game using her new cellphone. She had been playing that for the past two hours of non-stop. Her works were not settled yet. There were a pile of files on her desk waiting to be corrected and edited before an upcoming meeting. But she was too obsessed with the gadget.
Just then, a ring sound came knocking her cellphone. She stopped the game and went to the menu to see the inbox. Tezuka had taught her how to use it before in the car. Maimi pressed a button and the message was opened.
“I want that files to be on my desk at three o’clock. Stop playing games, old miss.”
It was sent by Tezuka. Maimi pasted her lips. She glanced at the files and sighed. “What am I gonna do? I hate doing works.”
“Then stop playing that stupid game!” a harsh voice sounded as the door was opened abruptly. Maimi’s heart jumped. She got up and hesitated. “I-I-I-am going to…-“
Tezuka came in and closed the door. He shoved his sight at the untouched files on the old miss’s desk. He looked back at her. “You work under me. You are responsible to finish editing and checking the files, not playing games!”
Maimi closed her flip phone and put it on the desk. She pouted. “Sorry. I’ll do it now.”
Tezuka sighed and started to walk away.
“But can I do it with you?!” Maimi asked. Tezuka stopped his steps and glared at her dumbness.
“I want to do it with Nezumi-chan….my lovely, cute, handsome hubby!” Maimi pleaded. She pasted her palms and widened her eyes before she blinked those.
Tezuka’s heart began to melt. He cleared his throat.
“Please, please!”
Tezuka closed his eyes hard and let out a deep breath. He was thinking it would be a great way to get themselves close to each other. Seem like the cellphone trick had just began but could be used at certain time only. He remembered the promise. Yes, he needed to grant it for his beloved grandfather.
“I count to five. One,” he said, walking out. Maimi quickly packed her things and the files and rushed towards Tezuka’s office room. She threw the files on the coffee table as Tezuka counted to four.
Ayaka and the other workers were beginning to suspect the same thing going on before. But Ayaka stood in front of the area and said, “Do your work. Please respect Tezuka-senpai.”
The workers nodded. Ayaka sighed. She knew she was jealous but she respected her boss. It was just she needed to back off for a while. Just for a while.
Maimi scribbled something on the paperwork. She was checking the totals as usual. But she was starting to feel bored doing that for months. She looked at Tezuka who was doing his work at his desk.
Maimi did her work at the coffee table in the middle of the room. The atmosphere was quiet. Only the sound of the air-conditioner could be heard roaring. Maimi took out her cellphone and opened it. She found a camera button and discovered something.
She smiled slyly while pressing the button. She took a secret position and held the phone in front of her eyes. She captured a picture of her husband. But the click sound produced by the camera shocked Tezuka.
His eyes met hers. He stopped typing and put a hand on the table with the other one on his hip. “What’re you doing?”
Uh-oh! He was mad again!
Maimi covered her mouth. She closed the phone. “Uh….I-I-I-.”
Tezuka got up. Maimi’s heart felt like running away. That guy came towards her and looked at her work.
“Are you done?” he asked.
“Only one left,” Maimi said, pointing out a finger. Tezuka glared at her again. She could not count of how many times he had been glaring at her all this while. “When do you need it?”
“A day after tomorrow,” Tezuka told her, taking steps to his desk back. Maimi shot a relief sigh. She opened back her phone and tried to find back the previous picture. As she found it, she smiled dreamily.
Then, she pressed a button to open the ‘Reminder’ menu. She had nothing to do much so she decided to put a reminder of her own birthday. It was a week left to her birthday. She set the alarm. She cheered, waving her cellphone side to side. Tezuka kept rolling his eyes. With some thoughts, he was regretted that he bought that damn gadget for the old miss to use.
The door was opened later and Ayaka stepped inside. She bowed reluctantly at Maimi and went to her boss. She was panting.
“Sir, there was a call just now from a client,” she began. Tezuka frowned. “So what?”
Ayaka gripped her hands tightly. “The client comes from Shibuya. He wants to meet Maimi.”
Tezuka was startled. Maimi was shocked too. “Me?”
“Her?”
Ayaka nodded. “He says he wants Maimi to consult him in investing into this company. He wants her to meet him tonight.”
Tezuka was surprised. He looked at dummy Maimi who was searching for clues about the sudden meeting. Tezuka quickly asked Ayaka to call the client. When she did that, she passed the phone to him.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Tezuka-san,” a deep voice emerged from the receiver. “What can I do for you?”
“Mr. Takuya, right? Here, about meeting my wife, she’s still a beginner in this field so I recommend you to meet me instead,” Tezuka said.
Mr. Takuya laughed. “No can do, son. I want Maimi by tonight.”
“But-,”
“No buts. I’m ordering as a client. You have to do what a client wants it to be, right?” Mrs. Takuya said sarcastically. “It’s important. I want her alone.”
Tezuka sighed. He looked at Maimi and at Ayaka.
“Ask her to meet me at Kenichi Restaurant, two blocks from your building around eight tonight. And I want no backups. It’s an urgent discussion between me and your wife. Besides, she’ll learn more.”
Tezuka breathed out. “Fine. She’ll be there.”
He hung up and sighed. It was a sudden single meeting. And the client’s request was impossible even though Maimi was there. It was just that Maimi was too new in that field and Tezuka feared that she would cause trouble. Mr. Takuya was one important client. And Tezuka needed that money.
“I don’t like these high heels,” Maimi moaned as she stepped on the pavements in front of the Kenichi Restaurant. Tezuka dropped her off.
“Just let it go, you fool. Remember, don’t do something else when he’s discussing with you about work,” Tezuka reminded her. Maimi nodded. She was wearing a light blue printed dress with a pair of killing high heels. Her hair was likewise, tied into many ponytails.
She was holding a clutch. She pointed at her clutch. “I’ll call you, okay?”
“You don’t need to do that, old miss. If it’s not important, just leave it. Don’t waste your credit, dummy,” Tezuka said in the car with the window half opened. “Now go inside. It’s already eight.”
Maimi was kind of nervous. “Can’t we just cancel this meeting? I’m not feeling very well. Let’s go home-“
“Go-in-side!” Tezuka said with clenched teeth. Maimi gasped and rushed into the restaurant. Tezuka sighed. He looked in front. His other side of his heart was telling him not to send her off to meet the client but he cared for the investment. He was hoping Maimi could do well.
A waitress showed Maimi to a table. There was a man aged around 40 was sitting. He got up and bowed. Maimi did the same in hesitant. Mr. Takuya reached for her right hand and leaved a peck on her upper skin. Maimi wrinkled her eyebrows, feeling disgust.
“How are you, Mrs. Fujimoto?” he greeted with a seductive smile. Maimi gulped and nodded slightly. Mr. Takuya took out a chair and asked her to sit there. She did as followed.
Then, the man settled down. “What would you like to eat, beautiful lady?”
“Um…anything?” Maimi said. Mr. Takuya grinned and picked his fingers. A waiter came later. “I want a double set of Australian beef with black pepper sauce. Make it quick.”
The waiter nodded and left. Mr. Takuya smiled at Maimi. He studied her body from her waist to her face making Maimi felt uncomfortable. She gripped her clutch tighter.
“You are so pretty. Tezuka must be very lucky to have you as his wife,” the man began. “If time can be rewind, I’ll precisely pick you. And we live together forever.”
Maimi began to sweat. She did not like that conversation. She grabbed a glass of plain water and took a flash gulp. Mr. Takuya giggled. Maimi put back the glass and swallowed. She gave him a tentative smile.
“Thank you. But I belong to Tezuka. Forever?” she said. Mr. Takuya stumbled a bit. He cleared his throat. “Oh, well. Lucky him. Poor me, isn’t it?”
Yeah! Who cares about you slutty old man!
“So, you were saying?” Maimi asked about the work.
“Oh, haha!” Mr. Takuya responded. He put a finger on his chin. “About that, how are you going to convince me to invest into your husband’s company?”
Maimi gulped. She looked around slowly. Then, she looked back at that man. “Uh….you won’t regret it even if I don’t consult you to do so. It happens a lot and the other clients before you invested into our company immediately after taking a few checks on the paperwork. I ain’t do nothing.”
Mr. Takuya sniggered. He leaned forward. “But I want YOU to show me how it’s gonna work.”
Maimi felt her legs were numb. She kept waggling her foot fingers.
Tezuka was walking in front of his car beside the river bank. It was man made river in the middle of the city. That spot was his favourite and he would go there whenever he feels like. Couples were mostly seen there walking hand in hand along the pavements built around the river. The moon light shone and formed a beautiful reflection on the water.
It was almost past eleven and there no sign of Maimi coming home. He was beginning to feel bad as the meeting seemed longer than he expected. He was worried that Maimi had caused trouble. Mr. Takuya was a strict client ever and he did not want miss him.
The river was only 15 minutes away from the restaurant. He refused to go home so he waited there. For about three hours. He sighed.
“How’s it?” Mr. Takuya asked Maimi with a seductive smile again. Maimi licked her lips. “Uh…great?”
“Just great? Well, I bet the beef won’t fit you,” he said.
Maimi let out a short, fake smile. She was in the man’s car at the backseat. A driver was taking them for a ride after the dinner. Maimi was so nervous being next to that slut since the last three hours and now she was in his car. She marked that man as a pervert when he kept winking at her and the conversation about work lasted only for five minutes.
“I know what you can do for me, dear,” Mr. Takuya told her.
Maimi looked at him. “Do what?”
Mr. Takuya laughed. “Just wait. If you do it, I’ll invest.”
Maimi gulped. She wiped her sweat off her forehead and watched the scenery by the window. Just then, the car was stopped in front of an abandoned building and it was dark. There was no passerby or cars. The place was left like that for years.
Maimi gasped. “What’re we doing here?”
Mr. Takuya laughed while giving the driver some money and the driver left the car. Maimi’s eyes began to form tears. She never knew this thing was going to happen.
The slut man untied his bowtie and took off his coat. Maimi gasped with the tears immediately flew down her cheeks.
“What’re you doing, sir?!” she screamed as Mr. Takuya shifted his seat towards her. He pulled her chin.
“Just shut up and do as I say, dear. This is what I want you to show me the goodness in investing into your company,” he said with wild attitude. Maimi cried.
The man grabbed her hands and started to unzip her dress. Maimi screamed as loud as she could. That old man was too strong and wild. She kicked him many times but failed to let his gut down.
Maimi’s clutch fell down off the seat. She tried to take her cellphone but the beast kept licking her neck and other places of her body. She cried even harder and knew no one could help her that time. Tezuka was the only person that popped into her mind. She was hoping a miracle to emerge.
Tezuka took out his cellphone and dialed Maimi’s number. He waited while grunting. He gave up waiting and decided to ask her what was going on. Unfortunately, she did not pick up.
Tezuka sighed and dialed again. “Come on, you fool, old miss!”
Maimi dragged her hand to reach for her clutch. She grabbed her phone out of the clutch and pressed a button. She was relieved as she heard Tezuka’s mad voice. “Nezumi~”
“Hey, old miss! What takes you so long?” Tezuka scolded.
“Nezumi! Help me!”
Tezuka froze. “What!”
“Help me! I’m in front of an abandoned buil-“
“Give me that!” a man’s voice was heard at the background. Maimi’s scream shocked Tezuka. He was sure there was something wrong going on. He lost contact with her.
His heart began to beat faster. He rushed into his car. Remembering back at Maimi’s clue about the location, he knew the place. It would take for about 20 minutes to reach there but Tezuka tended to drive fast.
“Hold on,” he whispered to himself. “Please, hold on.”
He drove like crazy just like in racing. The cars around him kept sounding their horns whenever he passed a road. He even drove pass the red light. He finally made it to the place. He parked his car behind a stumbling Jaguar.
Tezuka spotted a girl and a man in the car. He gripped his fist and rushed towards the car. Without thinking any further, he hit the car window. Both Mr. Takuya and Maimi were shocked. The door was opened and Tezuka pulled the man out.
“What did you do?! You slut man!!!” he shouted and beat the man’s face. He fell down on the pavements.
Maimi was sobbing in the backseat, holding the pain. Tezuka kept kicking and beating that man without any blessing. Mr. Takuya lied down, bleeding.
Tezuka gasped madly. He turned to the car and got inside. He was surprised to see Maimi’s condition. With her hair in a mess, with her dress being ripped and her neck was badly injured. Tezuka felt bad. He pulled her up and hugged her tightly. Maimi cried harder.
“It’s okay, now. It’s okay,” he mumbled. He held her body like there was no tomorrow. He was feeling guilty.