RIVALS INCARNATE

Chapter Thirty-One: Bit of Less, Bit of More

As it turns out, immediate rejection hit rather even more painful than an icy cold indifference.

Kyouhei Kurosaki walked out of the building, shivering as soon as the cold breeze of the night blew past him, and he hugged his coat, put his hands inside the pockets, and immediately turned to where he had parked his car nearby. He must admit, he was undeniably filled with utter disappointment and embarrassment from what had happened. But he was not particularly down because of what he had done after making a total fool out of himself. It was more about how Yuko had reacted to it all afterward. 

It took him some time to eventually come to terms with all of it. He knew that he had pushed too far, yet he had been too blindly driven by his own brazen and defiant nature. He must have been out of his goddamn mind. But despite that total shameless move, which had been unexpectedly rushed and impulsive, he still felt right. He was being honest, and although it had not ended in a way he had wanted it to be, he knew that it had been better to express his emotions unreservedly rather than to keep it all bottled up inside.

Now it all depends on how Yuko would actually consider it. Would she even get to realize his own feelings? 

He no longer really cared if she would think too much of it, positively or negatively. She is a smart person, and she would soon, later on, eventually understand the meaning of his actions. He intended to. And she might even hate him more after that, but he was not going to hide it anymore. Though, of course, it still bothered him how she had easily just tried to brush it off. Too cold and very abrupt, that was how she has always used to be. And he can't really change that. He would rather have her real and brutally honest than become a pretentious person that would only fool him hard. If she did not feel the same, she would tell him directly. And knowing that he had a higher chance of getting rejected in an instant than being accepted slowly, Kyouhei still wanted to risk. It was inevitable, even if he had not said anything more of his real feelings yet.

She would still most likely refuse him without a doubt.

It would hurt, definitely. He expected that. He was already mentally prepared for the worst. But good gods... the way she had felt in his arms, the slight shiver she gave when he touched her on the cheek. The entire length of hers against his, with her warmth and scent consuming him, was so sensational. Kyouhei stopped on his tracks just as he reached the door of the driver's seat of his car, trying to replay back the entire scene in his mind.  Had he been too forward? Did he ultimately cross the line this time? Though she never resisted right away, he knew that she would eventually hold him accountable for his actions soon. But it felt incredibly right to do it that time. It was his moment, and he could not resist.

Would he have done otherwise, if given the chance? He would surely not. There were just a lot of things that he would never regret doing or saying to her. And he would have still hugged her tight, made her feel how much he wanted her to realize his own feelings, and make sure she understands. But Yuko was Yuko, and she would close herself off from it, for sure. That was also why Kyouhei had kept himself not to tell her the rest of it.

How he lov--

For the time being, he just had to rely on what he can do. Yes, that was what he must do. After all, the matters of the heart are far more complicated than what is needed to be done at this point in time. Kyouhei still had another important thing he must fulfill first before he could try and work on his own emotions more. To be the Prime Minister is the very most thing because only by then, can he finally go after his own desires. Once he accomplishes her dreams and her own ambitions, he would immediately accomplish his.

No holds barred. He would make her his once this all come to fruition.

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"You're too distracted."

Osamu Sato looked across the table and watched Yuko Amazawa with assertive eyes, trying to read her mind through those blank obsidian eyes that had been staring down to her plate for a while now as he tried to catch her attention. Ever since they got out of the car, he had already noticed that she was completely out of it. Perhaps, she was still too occupied thinking more of what had happened between her and Kyouhei Kurosaki. And to Osamu, that totally did not seem and felt so right.

For him, such a situation felt more like a strong warning rather than just some sort of simple distraction. What did really happen between them? She never told him anything yet, despite his attempts of seeking further into it with persistent inquiries during their ride to the restaurant until they got here and walked into a VIP room. He had already guessed that the damn Kurosaki must have tried to pursue her. Well, that was not shocking for him... The great Emperor in the body of a beautiful woman was completely charming and attractive, and he must admit, he had been intuitively pulled into her presence as soon as he saw her the first time back at the party. And despite seeing the Emperor in her soul, Osamu can't ever really deny when he sees one temptingly enchanting woman. 

And Yuko Amazawa is certainly one that is off the charts. She is gorgeous. So seeing and knowing that quickly got Osamu into thinking that Kurosaki was one man who would definitely be hit by her charm.

So did Kurosaki try to say or do something to her that had her feeling uncomfortable? Like a manly confession? Pfft. Well, that was the question and that seemed to be the only thing reasonable enough to explain the sudden absentmindedness of Yuko. And as Osamu looked at her, waiting for an answer to a question that she seemed to have really not heard from the near distance, he tried to test it out again.

"What did he do?" Osamu asked directly, and finally, as it seemed to have worked well, he successfully got her out of the trance as she snapped back and looked at him with wide eyes.

"W-what?" she stammered, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Osamu almost laughed, but he tried to keep a straight face when she met his eyes.

"He must have done something terrible... For you to be like this, didn't he?" 

"What are you talking about?" she vaguely retorted, frowning hard. He chuckled, tilting his head on the side as he looked down at the steak on his plate while he sliced a good forkful portion of it.

"The food is getting cold, Amazawa-san," he decided to drop the entire thing off, as he looked up and caught her eyes, "Are you sure you're still in the condition to focus on what we should be discussing tonight?"

"You have my ears now," she told him, her face quickly putting on a serious mood as she raised her glass and took a slow sip of the wine, "Didn't think you would become this hostile and inconsiderably straightforward just because you're more powerful than me now."

"Oh don't fret, your Highness," Osamu nonchalantly smirked as he responded back, "I won't ever betray you as I have already sworn my loyalty to no one but you, didn't I? If there is someone we should be worried about, you fully well know who it is."

"Of course, I do," she snapped, "And your point is?"

"I just want to make sure you're not having second thoughts," Osamu explained, merely sighing, "It's too bad that things weren't as convenient for us as they should be. If he had known who he was from the very start, we would never even have this conversation right now. Much less, your distracted thought, your Highness."

"Excuse me?! Distracted? Me?!" Yuko scoffed, feeling outright furious that he would even think of her that way. And where the hell did he even come to a far much absurd conclusion like that?

"You're wavering," he said, squinting his eyes at her as he leaned back on his seat.

"Wavering?!" she shot back, totally offended.

"Yes," Osamu replied in a steady voice, sounding so sure with a firm nod, not even the slightest bit fazed after Yuko glared at him with so much fury from the other side of the table and continued, "And it's not a bad thing, your Highness. Don't get it wrong. Totally not bad...Yet. There are many even more dangerous people out there that could ruin this for us and that one single guy isn't even as harmful as I would expect him to be. But Kurosaki is the one who needs to be persecuted, your Highness. You know that... And I do hope you still remember what you have planned out from the very beginning."

"Yes," she sharply bit back, gritting her teeth as she stared right back with dagger eyes, "I do know what I have planned. And it won't change."

"Of course, it won't," Osamu agreed right away, smiling back as he set down his fork and knife beside his plate and held her eyes with not much of a flinch, "And I will make sure nothing more will ever change. That, I will see to it, your Highness."

Their revenge will happen...DEFINITELY.

------------------------------------------------------------------------next chapter: Chapter Thirty-Two