Chapter 35
2420 Words
The third week, at Sakura Modeling Agency the models became quiet. They just follow what their manager and photographer instructed.
"Akatsuki, you and Erika will be partners for the time being, and Hyo and Lixue will be partners." the photographer said.
"Friend, arrange our models, the women will come first." the gay manager called the stylist and make-up artist.
The female models returned to the dressing room. The male models were left behind for their photoshoot.
Inside the dressing room, Lixue approached Erika who was not saying a word behind her. The oldies models are fixed first except for those who are really new to Sakura Modeling Agency.
"Erika." Leatrice/Lixue called as she approached Erika.
"You know, we are separated," Erika said she was looking in the mirror, not looking next to her.
"—Hmm..he told me but I wonder why he did that." when Leatrice/Lixue leans against the wall.
"Didn't you notice anyone with him or is he bringing a woman to their house?" Erika asked Lixue to stop speaking.
"He doesn't bring any women to the house, even though he doesn't see me at home, we are always busy when we see each other, hmm.." Leatrice/Lixue answered, she just breathed.
"Tell me when you see and know that there is a woman—he has changed since he took over their company," Erika said to Lixue.
"I'll tell you if I see it but if not, I'm sorry right away—" Leatrice/Lixue interrupted when Erika slapped her.
Their fellow models were surprised by what they saw.
"When I find out you're his girl—that's not all I'm going to do to you," Erika shouted before storming out of the dressing room.
"Are you okay?" the stylist asked Lixue.
"I'm fine, just fix me, make me thicker, my make-up." Leatrice/Lixue said to the two gays.
"Shuji just left him like that and she still suspects that you are one of the women flirting with Shuji, I don't know why Shuji court her if he knew that her behavior was this bad." the stylist told Lixue hard.
"Just let her understand that she was hurt." Leatrice/Lixue answered the two gays.
"But,—is her suspicion that Shuji has another woman is that true?" the make-up artist asked.
"The only thing I see in him when we meet at home is that he rarely looks tired from work." Leatrice/Lixue said to the two gays.
"Are there two companies that he is handling? Shuji will be really tired, Erika doesn't understand that? How can Shuji spend time with his girlfriend if he is so busy with their business." the stylist said who became quiet suddenly and looked away.
"Am I wrong to just want to know what's going on with him?—and am I also wrong to say hello to him?" Erika replied and approached them.
"There's nothing wrong, Erika because Shuji can't breathe because of how you treat him and he has asked for space in your relationship." the make-up artist said who stopped fixing Lixue's hair.
"Shuji will come back to you, Erika if you're really meant to be then just accept what happened to the two of you it's only temporary but when he finds someone he doesn't have now—learn to accept defeat." Erika's stylist said.
The hairdresser continued to fix Lixue's hair. Erika went back to her place and fixed her as well.
At Liao Firm
Shuji talks to the lawyers of the victims and the lawyers of the suspects. Their clients are outside and Shuji's secretary is with them.
"We will ask permission from the SC that we will look for more evidence in the case of my victims among you. I lack the evidence they showed me and if there is an anomaly from you as well as us I will stop everything." Shuji said seriously, the lawyers were also surprised by what he said.
"What?" a lawyer yelled at Shuji.
A lawyer pulled the one next to him.
"We will create new evidence that proves that there is an anomaly in your case with us and go ahead and find us too if you show it to the court.." Shuji replied, he just grinned at the lawyers in front of him.
"Are you really Raiden Liao's son? Why are you doing this? Do you doubt us and our abilities." the lawyer asked Shuji.
"That's just my alibi, sir, so I can find out something from them I have no doubts about you and we will indeed ask for permission from the SC so that we can find more evidence to strengthen our case and defeat them in court," Shuji said to the lawyers.
"What do you mean anomaly in what we do? We let you know everything that is happening nothing more and nothing less." a lawyer said.
Shuji couldn't answer when a lawyer said that he suspected there was a lawyer, he just couldn't identify which one of them.
"I don't want the client to doubt us so I told the anomaly that they should not doubt their will when they ask for help," Shuji answered and the lawyers fell silent.
"You're right, son, but we know and it's inevitable that in the world we live in, there's an anomaly going on." one of the lawyers answered.
"So let's do the right thing, let's remove the anomaly from the system because other people's lives are at stake and our family's lives are at stake," Shuji replied to all the lawyers.
All the lawyers were silent and looked at each other.
"All of us will talk to the SC so that they understand the permit we are asking for. Big people are our enemy. I don't want to damage the company's name and our dignity." Shuji answered seriously as he immediately stood up and walked out of the conference meeting.
"He speaks arrogantly but the words he utters are true, he and his father are different." a lawyer said Shuji even heard it and called the secretary.
They went to the restaurant and Shuji talked to his father's secretary. At the other table sat Drick who returned a few days later.
"Do you know any agents who can find and obtain evidence to prove our case?" Shuji asked his father's secretary.
"—Sir, I will meet your father, I know he knows someone, but I can't remember the name, and if sir agrees." Shakira shook her head and looked at Drick.
"Do you tell my father everything that happens in the company?" Shuji asked the secretary who just nodded.
Shuji just nodded at what the secretary said. They ordered food and they ate lunch.
"What to do next?" Shuji asked after swallowing what he was chewing.
"Sir, we are going to talk to the new client, Ms. Haya Hagiwara, one of the daughter of your father's business partner, she is at a restaurant in Makati," Shakira said and continued eating.
"Which restaurant are we going to meet?" Shuji asked the secretary.
"Katsu Sora, sir," Shakira said.
After eating they went to Makati.
At Sakura Modeling Agency
After the photoshoot, Akatsuki approached Lixue.
"I'll ask you to go out again, that's okay?" Akatsuki approach to Lixue.
"Alright, where are we going?" Leatrice/Lixue asked as she turned around.
"Katsu Sora in Makati," Akatsuki said to Lixue.
"Okay, let's say goodbye to them and we're done." Leatrice/Lixue said they approached the gay manager and he agreed.
"I will go with you!" Hyo said.
"Me too! Let's double date." Erika laughed at her friend's face.
"Yes—well, I guess we're busy with them, cousin," Hyo said.
"Don't you have your own date?" Akatsuki asked the two cousins.
"Nothing!" Erika and Hyo answered Akatsuki at the same time it just looked bad at the two who interfered with their date.
"You're not bothering, come on?" Leatrice/Lixue replied to Akatsuki who just shook his head.
Akatsuki glared at the two cousins and the two just laughed at him.
"Ms. Haya Hagiwara?" the secretary pointed it out to Shuji as soon as they entered.
"Watashi wa hayadesu, soshite anata wa ryao shujidesu ka?" Ms. Haya Hagiwara said.
(I am Haya, and are you Shuji Liao?)
"Hi, watashi," Shuji said as the two of them sat in his secretary's chair.
(Yes, me too,)
"Do you speak Nihongo / Japanese language?" Ms. Haya Hagiwara
said in surprise.
"Hai, eigo o nozoite Tagarogu-go to dōyōdesu," Shuji said jokingly to the Japanese girl at laughing.
(Yes, as well as Tagalog except English,)
"Same, I'm stuttering and I'm not good at speaking English." Ms. Haya Hagiwara said with a smile.
"Can we talk about our topic and that's why we met?" Shuji said to the Japanese girl.
"Mazuwa tabemashou." Ms. Haya Hagiwara said with a smile.
(Let's eat first.)
Shuji ordered dessert for his client, Ms. Haya Hagiwara ordered something to eat. Shuji is unaware that Erika, Akatsuki, Hyo, and Lixue will meet at the same restaurant.
"Let's order," Hyo said with a smile as they sat in the empty seat.
Akatsuki called the waiter, When Lixue turned around the restaurant she saw Drick and Shakira with a girl and Shuji.
'Damn! You have a meeting, but I hope your ex-girlfriend doesn't cause a scandal here.' Lixue said in her mind that she had a conversation with her three companions.
"What did Shuji tell you and he broke up with you? I know he loves you!" Akatsuki said as he simply walked over to Lixue.
"He says he's getting choked up by my treatment of him and he's busy and doesn't give me time," Erika said to her friend.
"I've also noticed that you're treating me too much, my friend can't breathe with you and you're right, he's busy right now," Akatsuki replied to his friend.
Some time passed after they ate, and they ordered dessert for the four of them.
"This is the contract my father is handing over to you two from your father." Ms. Haya Hagiwara said with a smile.
"What is the contract you gave about?" Shuji said seriously and gave it to the secretary.
"Kinzoku sangyo to sore iko no shueki to ichiba keikaku no zoka ni tomonai." Ms. Haya Hagiwara answered.
(With increasing revenue and market plans in the metal industry and beyond.)
Ms. Haya Hagiwara smiled handed over a flash drive and they held their hands together. Erika saw this and happened to call a waiter.
"Shuji at the other table with a girl?" Erika said to her companions.
"Yes!" Hyo replied.
"That's Shakira and the man—Shuji and I saw in your room, Leatrice," Akatsuki said at the same time that he recognized the two from his memory.
"Who's Shakira?" Hyo asked.
"The one next to Shuji, Hyo secretary—hey!" Akatsuki scolded his friend Erika.
"I will attack them!" Erika said annoyed.
"Didn't you hear what Akatsuki said? The secretary with him means the woman in front of him is the important person in his business." Leatrice/Lixue replied as she calmed Erika down.
"Even! She held Shuji's hand and flirted with him!" Erika said.
Erika rushed to Shuji's place, Shuji was surprised to see his ex-girlfriend scolding the person he was talking to, Shuji weaned his ex-girlfriend. He looked behind because he was even more surprised to see his friend, Erika's cousin, and Lixue.
"Erika!" Shuji shouted as he grabbed her.
"You're a flirt with my boyfriend!" Erika yelled at the Japanese girl.
The restaurant manager called a security guard when he saw the commotion.
"Excuse me? Who are you? You are interrupting our conversation." Ms. Come on Hagiwara approached and she stood in front of them.
"Conversation—your face!" Erika said annoyed and she tweaked the Japanese girl more.
Akatsuki and Hyo separated Erika. Lixue just shook her head behind her companions.
"Watashi wa keiyaku o kyanseru suru tsumoridearu koto o chichi ni tsutaeyou to shite imashita." Ms. Haya Hagiwara said to Shuji, Hyo, and Akatsuki were surprised to find their friend so far away.
(I was going to tell my dad I was going to cancel the contract.)
"Ie, kanojo ga anata ni shita koto o moshiwakearimasen, Yoi bijinesupatonashippu o onegaishimasu," Shuji said to his interlocutor.
(No, I'm sorry for what she did to you, I beg for a good business partnership,)
Erika, Akatsuki, Hyo, and Lixue were surprised by what they heard. Especially Erika, Akatsuki, and Hyo can understand nihonggo or Japanese words.
"S—" Erika called her ex-boyfriend.
"Leave! You ruined our conversation with your jealousy, you don't know the reason, I did the right thing in our relationship, we'll talk when you're calm." Shuji said seriously to his ex-girlfriend.
Erika was ashamed of what she had done. They were taken outside of the restaurant by the manager and the security guard, Lixue paid the bill.
"You're embarrassing! We'll be banned from their restaurant because of what you did with Shuji, I don't know, if he'll get back to you he was talking to an important person in the company, and then what did you do? Shuji just damn, if their deal can't be closed because of you,—come on, Leatrice, let's leave the two cousins and I'll take you to Shuji's house." Akatsuki said annoyed to his friend and pulled Lixue's hand.
When Akatsuki escorted Lixue to the mansion. Akatsuki said goodbye right away and just as Shuji arrived looking bad.
"Shuji—" Lixue called when she saw him.
"Because of what happened, I think our deal with Mr. Hikaru Hagiwara and his daughter will be ruined because of Erika's scandal," Shuji said with a sigh as he straightened his hair after sitting on the sofa.
"We didn't know you were there and Erika saw that the woman held your hand," Lixue answered as she grabbed Shuji's hand.
"If you were in his situation?" Shuji asked.
"I'll ask you or your secretary first and the person you're talking to I won't do what she did when I saw the godfather's secretary I got it right away and Akatsuki already knows," Lixue said.
"You went out, I know we don't have a relationship yet, but I hope you just avoid him," Shuji said.
"We're not here yet so it's okay that he's still hanging around me," Lixue said.
Shuji was quiet and just sighed. They rested in their room. After their conversation, Lixue's gaze followed the exhausted Shuji.
'If only I could help you, I can't.' Lixue said in her mind.
- Writer
