STRANGERS AGAIN [k. kazuha]

008

kazuha is not the jealous type.

he's encountered your seemingly endless sea of suitors during the pursuit of your relationship, and has somehow managed to effortlessly brush them all off. he's patient, assuring you many times that he didnt care for the men and women alike who have tried to sweep you off your feet. why even be insecure in the first place? if winning you and your heart were a game, he had already won.

but as you glance at him, wordlessly asking if picking up the phone for your literal fiancé would be a good idea, he can only bite back his jealousy and look away from you right after nodding for you to pick up the phone.

"..hello?"

"where are you?" gorou's impatient voice rings through the device, making you frown as you recall the events that occurred the last time you met with gorou, him shooting hurtful words at you and all.

"at home, is there anywhere i need to be right now?" you snarkily ask, the blatant lie slipping through your lips with no guilt towards him whatsoever.

"sayu's birthday party." he shoots back, and you're at a loss for words as you suck up your pride to send him a response. "right, tell ayato i'll be there in a bit."

"don't be late." gorou hisses, "your mother wants us to show up togethe-" beep

before he can finish his sentence, you've already ended the phone call, sighing solemnly and voicing your thoughts. "i forgot about that birthday party."

"so did i." kazuha replies, blinking tiredly but not forgetting to run a hand through your hair to save you the trouble of detangling it yourself. "on the bright side, kokomi and i will be there." he tries, but to no avail as you're still frowning more than ever.

"my mother will be there too."

"if you ever need a way out of there, just send me a wave and i will try my absolute best to get you out."

but just you shake your head at his words, slipping out of his bed (much to kazuha's dismay) and looking into his vanity mirror to compose yourself as much as possible. "sayu is my only niece, it would only be right if i was there for the entirety of her birthday party."

"when will we get to talk about this?" your lover asks in the most gentle way possible, afraid he would hurt you in any way by pointing to your complicated situation that has somehow lead to your seperation for the sole purpose of you being with someone else.

"after the party, i promise."

as you expected, your big brother would settle for nothing less than the grandest soirée for his one and only daughter.

ayato has always had expensive tastes, and it's evident through the way the chandeliers on the intricate ceiling shone, or the way the guests are dressed, everyone adorned in ivory and the finest silk to be able to fit the theme of the party. any outsider wouldn't be able to tell that this was a children's party at all.

you gracefully make your way through the sea of snobby guests, the ends of your slim-fitting calf-length dress swishing with your movements as your eyes wandered to every corner of the venue to find your brother.

when your eyes finally land on your brother, standing alone with his sleeping daughter in his arms, he catches sight of you as well and waves at you to come over with his free hand.

"y/n." he acknowledges you kindly, handing his daughter sayu over to a nanny to be taken up to a hotel room. "how have you been?"

"alright." you reply curtly, the long ivory lace gloves the same color of your sleeveless dress beginning to irritate you. "this is a fine venue you've chosen."

you hand a nicely wrapped gift for his daughter to him, and he sets it aside.

ayato lets his eyes flicker towards your bethrothed, the said man purposely standing far far away from you for the sole reason being that he despised you. ayato makes a face of distaste at the younger male and leans down to whisper in your ear. "i've heard about your situation."

'i need a drink.' you think tiredly, eyeing the glasses of champagne that were being handed out upon sayu's departure from the soirée.

"it's rather unfortunate." you respond, staying aloof and leading your big brother to frown.

"okay, and what did mom say to you to get you to comply this time?" he continues to whisper, making you purse your lips and decide to answer him truthfully.

"that i wasn't of any help to the family."

ayato's eyes widen, but he wouldn't put it past his mother to say that to you so blatantly. "we aren't close, you and me. but.." he hesitates for a moment, "i'll do whatever it takes for you to get out of that dumb engagement of yours."

"you.. you'd really do that?" you raise your head to look at him, and he smiles at you.

"you're my sister, you're family."

your face warms up greatly at his words, eyes subconsciously floating over to where kazuha stood at the other side of the hotel venue, adorning an ivory vest on top of a blouse a little too loose for him and a silk tie that matched the color of his eyes brilliantly while he held a drink in his hand. you admired the way he put himself together so gracefully.

"i'm surprised you invited him."

"sayu is fond of him." ayato shrugs his shoulders, hands in the pockets of his suit jacket. "and it seems he brought a plus one." he adds, gesturing towards kokomi with his head.

"she's just a friend." you huff, rolling your eyes at your big brother's gossiping nature. "by the way, did you tell ayaka about this?"

he understands you're pointing towards the topic of your engagement immediately, and shakes his head as a no. "do you want me to tell her?"

"dont, she'd die." you exaggerate, grabbing a drink from a waiter. "i don't want to worry her."

'just one drink won't hurt.'