𝐛𝐨𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐲 // 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬

───── ❝ 𝟒𝟓 ❞ ─────

-

You walked hand in hand to the Casino. You really had no idea of what the circumstances around this thing were. Normally that wouldn't bother you, but right now it was bothering you. It was a rather long walk, which gave you time to rethink your decision.

You looked over and snuck a glance at Noriaki. He looked great, like really great. His white button down shirt was tucked cleanly into his green uniform pants, tie hanging loosely from his neck.

As you approached the venue, there was a line down the street. You weren't into that, so you walked to the front of it, pulling Noriaki with you. Before you could even open your mouth, the waist-high velvet rope was moved, allowing you entry in. You were immediately greeted by two waiters, who guided you into the ballroom.

It was gorgeous, two stories with a massive chandelier in the middle. A live orchestra played, you were sat down at a dimly lit table against the railing of the balcony. It had privacy curtains on either side, with a sheer curtain on the side that faced the other balcony tables. Promptly there after champagne was poured and the waitstaff disappeared.

It had maybe been a minute since you'd arrived, and you were not able to even say a word. The ballroom was filling up quickly, yet the orchestra never became drowned out. It was on the opposite side of the large room, but you could hear it clear as day.  Noriaki and you shared a glance, your faces saying the same thing.

"Someone's expecting us," you pointed out the obvious.

He looked around, as did you. Rarely anyone else's treatment seemed so urgent and important. You pointed out political figures, Egyptian musicians, and local celebrities being treated the same was you. You did end up spotting the mayor's daughter, just as Asina had said. But could she really afford to throw all this big of a party, and why would she want to anyway?

"I don't like this, Noriaki. It seems suspicious."

He rested his hand on yours, "It's definitely suspicious, but just try to relax. I want to enjoy this night with you."

You saw yourself in the reflection of his sunglasses. You looked around, understanding how severely underdressed you both were. Everyone was clad in their best suits and ties, ladies in their best dresses. You reached across the table and fixed Noriaki's tie, tightening it to his neck, then did the same to yours.

"I'll order us another bottle of champagne, making sure it's unopened. We'll be cautious. I just don't know if we'll ever be able to do this again."

"Shh, don't think that way... We probably will be able too, once this is all settled. You know what, I'll promise to you that we will," you put your hand on his. "Don't leave my sight tonight, okay? I have no idea what to expect here, and I don't want us getting separated."

"I wouldn't dream of leaving your side anyway."

You couldn't help the small amount of blush that crept onto your face.

"Right," you coughed out. You looked around the room, being very careful to observe your surroundings down to a tee. The song changed, and Noriaki chuckled.

"I've played this one before," he says, pausing when he sees your confused expression. "Oh! I must not have told you, I can play the violin. I have since I was little."