Forced Marriage, True Love

6. Good or Bad?

I knocked the door and waited. "You can go in." I turned and saw Hodaka standing behind me. I nodded before I slowly opened the door and walked inside. The office looked nothing like it used to when Itsuki-san was the CEO. Except for the tiles which were still pearl white, everything else like the desk, bookshelf, chairs were coal black. On either side of the bookshelf were two black marble pots with two plants protruding from it.

Taki Tachibana was standing next to the glass wall, staring down at the bustling city. I nervously gulped before stopping near the desk. "Mitsuha Miyamizu, am I right?" He asked in a cold and sharp voice, like an ice shard. I shivered and wiped the sweat off my palms before I responded to him. "Yes sir." I spoke up.

"Looks like I made a mistake." Taki Tachibana said before he turned to me. "But you, instead of correcting it, used it for your own convenience." His voice came like an insult, making me feel offended. "You sure are selfish, arrogant and inconsiderate, am I right Miyamizu-san?"

I balled my fists and tried my best to calm myself down. "Tachibana-san, may I say a few words before you fire me?" I said to which he looked at me before he nodded. "You, God damn! Bastard!" I shouted, making the corners of his mouth twitch up into a smile.

"You self-centered piece of shit! How dare you accuse me of being inconsiderate?!" I shouted before I strode forward and jabbed my finger into his chest. "You! Of all people!" Without getting irked by my words, Taki Tachibana's smile just widened, making my blood boil. 

"You fire people for a simple sneeze! If anyone is selfish, arrogant and inconsiderate, it's you!" I shouted, however, Taki Tachibana continued staring at me, his smile never leaving his face. Since I managed to shout out all my frustration on this bastard, I calmed down and turned around in anger.

"Just so you know, before you called me, I was half-way through writing my resignation letter. So, I'm not selfish, arrogant or inconsiderate! Now if you'll excuse me, I shall continue writing it and hand it over in one hour. Thank you for the opportunity!" I spat out those words and strode over to the door. I was just about to exit, when Taki Tachibana spoke up.

"I'm not done, Miyamizu-san." Taki Tachibana said, making me clench the door handle in anger. "What do you want now?!" I said angrily. "Oh, I want a lot of things, Miyamizu-san. But right now, I want you to stay." He said, making me turn around in shock.

"What?" I asked, feeling confused. Taki Tachibana simply pushed his hands in his pockets and walked over to me. "I'm not firing you. You can keep your job." "Why?" I asked, making him arch an eyebrow. "Are you questioning me instead of being grateful?" I inhaled deeply and mentally counted to ten to calm myself down before I continued talking. "I mean, why are you making an exception?" I asked.

Taki Tachibana pursed his lips, thinking hard. "Well, I don't want to make an exception just because you're beautiful. But I have to, for different reasons." Did he just call me beautiful? I quickly brushed it off and continued. "I'm feeling very suspicious now." I spoke. "Oh, you should." He said before he leaned forward to me. "But I haven't forgotten what you did. You defied me. You deceived me." He leaned forward, our noses almost touching. "And there will be consequences." He then backed away, wearing that annoying smirk on his face. "You're dismissed."

***

It has been two days since my talk with the CEO. And so far, he didn't do any of the consequences, much to my luck. However, I knew it was only a matter of time before those consequences come true. "I'm so glad you're not fired." Saya-chan said, making me smile. "Hm." I said happily.

"Natori-san," We suddenly heard a voice behind us, making all three of us turn around and see Hodaka Morishima standing behind us with a cold expression on his face. "Did you threaten one of our staff to give you the CEO's schedule?" He asked, making Saya-chan's jaw drop to the floor. "Threaten? Is that what he told you?" Hodaka Morishima just stood still, his hands folded over his chest as he gave her an incredulous look. "Okay. I admit I asked, but I didn't threaten."

"So you did?" Hodaka raised an eyebrow. "You asked for something you shouldn't?" "We asked it for survival!" Saya-chan said, making Hodaka's nostrils flare. "Give it back." Saya-chan scoffed before she handed over her notebook to Hodaka.

"Miyamizu-san," Hodaka said as he was reading the part 'avoid every event Taki Tachibana attends.' "You must attend every event where your attendance is required." "And If I don't?" I asked in a challenging tone. "If you don't," He said while closing the book and looking at me, "there will be consequences."

Tch. Like boss, like secretary. No wonder he wasn't fired. Taki Tachibana and Hodaka Morishima are two peas in a pod. "You must attend every event where your attendance is required. And the company anniversary is an event where everyone's attendance is a must." He said before he narrowed his eyes. "Including you." he paused before speaking in an even more demanding tone. "Especially you." Then, he turned around and walked away.

"Especially me?" I asked incredulously, "Why? Does Taki Tachibana want to show off his fiancée and rub it on my face and prove that even he can be human once in a while?" "I don't know," Saya-chan said. "But I have a feeling something bad will happen."