Ferocious Flames

my position

Next day I talked to every member of board personally obviously except natsume, my cousin and I planned to talk to Gray right now.
"gray..would you like to be president? " I tried to keep my tone as casual as ever and he took it way too casually.
"are you asking me out? Because ema listen..I genuinely, seriously, naturally... --"
"shut your mouth before all the words in your dictionary gets out. Idiot!  Why do even say so??"
"well me being the president can only happen if either you, natsume and your cousins suicide at the same time or you get married to me. I thought the former wouldn't ever happen because I have faith in my bad luck. So I thought it's the latter. "
"jeez..you think a lot, don't you?! And what do you mean by bad luck, huh?!"
"well, well.. Let's gets back to normal life..nothings gonna change. Well, my fantasy was quite something, wasn't it?!"
"forget it,  gray. I wonder why did I come here!" it can't be gray. Though when I talked to board members, natsume and gray had almost equal chances of getting my position if I die. Only one vote will decide the fate and that would be my cousin's vote. He was usually away so it was nearly impossible to talk to him. Well, natsume isn't the type of guy who would vote for himself unlike gray. But then my cousin would surely vote for natsume I think or maybe he'll vote for himself. Maybe Ivo was right. It's not for financial purpose. But I don't even have much information. Ah...it sucks!! I distracted my self with work that day and the next day and the next day. Two months have passed and nothing life threatening  happened. Maybe I was over- thinking. Within next month I forgot about that incident completely. I had already enough to worry about. I was busy and completely occupied with work. Well, about natsume,  we just worked again as we used to ; like strangers. But we didn't talk much. I was happy that there were finally things in my brain that excluded him. I actually didn't have much time to think about all the useless people that just created nuisances in my life.
It was the seventh month on which I'd made the cover of a business magazine dedicated to powerful women across the world. And I was the second youngest over there. And the best thing was that there was no mention of "inheritance" in my whole interview. It was all about how I deserved it and all my successful strategies that inspired other businessmen.

After two months of working hard I came across another meeting where I finally saw my cousin. It was his first meeting that he attended since I've become the new president.  employees surely talked about my leniency towards my family but that was not the reason. I haven't talked to him because of his usual absence and so how am I supposed to comment about his lack of presence. Today I had decided that I'll speak to him after delivering  impressive speech with a good strategy so he wouldn't have any reason to look down upon me.
"well, I was playing that game that was created two years ago and I found out that it was actually good. But it didn't get much fame and profit as it deserved. Any reasons?"
"it Was not that good?" Mr shinohara said.
"that was the best game that I'd ever created. Show some respect old man!"
"Mr scarlet calm down. Well, Mr shinohara that isn't the reason. It was too long for people to play."
"long?" I could see through that dumb expression on everyone's face.
"it's like..ah..let's say an anime, naruto. It's a good anime, isn't it. Quite popular and with the best story ever. It has some 1000 episodes or so but it's really good. Will you watch it? "
"no." it was a chorus no.
"why?"
"I don't have that much time." Mr marude said and mr shinohara said the same same reason just in an elaborate manner.
"well that's the case with our well deserving game. It's too long. It has 30 levels."
"but all the levels are equally good. If you don't play the last one then there's no point! And you can't play the last ones directly. You need to unlock the first levels."gray protested.
"I'm not reducing the levels or something. I'll just  delete them from their original cd."
"but the originals are already out in the market." Mr marude said.
"we'll just have to withdraw them."
"that'll be very expensive, you know. And if people would have already bought it. We can't withdraw from everywhere." need not to say it was Mr shinohara who said it.
"yeah..it'll be a bit expensive but I belive that the profit would be really pleasing. It's like an investment.  All we to do is create enough excitement so our customers can wait for the next level in another month."
"I must say it's a good strategy." Mr yagami smiled pleasingly. After dismissing the meeting I decided to call out for my cousin. I was not even sure about his name so I thought to keep it formal.
"Mr suzuki,  can I have a word with you." so now there was only my cousin and me. I suddenly found myself dumbstruck.  What's next?
"ah..kaname-san.. You usually aren't here, are you?!" I used his first name to get a family- type tone but just as i used it, I got nervous.
"my work isn't here." he was still formal. God!!  Someone tell him I'm his sister. He can talk casually with me.
"I know..but I think attending occasional meetings is important."
"well that's for me to decide." he said and then he went away. okay, he's equally arrogant with me as well. Do I seriously belong to such an arrogant family?! I'd rather be usui then! I stormed in gray's cabin. We usually worked together. When I say work it's more like talking. We do anything but work together. We'll play games, tease each other and if we start working then we're stuck at one thing for hours.
"how was your conversation with your cousin? You know what..I've first time seen you talking to him." gray commented. It was unusual as he is a HIIP.
"well he's what everyone say, a jerk."
"I thought he's one of those secret-loving brothers. "
"and that's why I secretly tried having a conversation with him but he just blew it off. I wonder if he's aware that I'm his sister."
"you're funny!" he grinned.

The next day I went to his cabin to talk to him. Though I had decided that I would talk to him yesterday itself but he comes early and leaves early. He's an early bird. Any nick name can be better than what gray calls him as. Gray calls him a secret-loving brother. He isn't, I know.
"kaname -San can I talk to you for a while?" I stood just at the doorway.
He sighed and walked towards me. He didn't want me to enter his room? I had a feeling that time that even this conversation wouldn't go well!
"what is it you want?" he.was.RUDE.
"I'm not here for any official reason or so..just.." I passsed a casual and a friendly smile and continued, "you just don't come that often. So I just thought I should at least meet you now."
"is it so?" he turned away and walked in. So I can enter his room? Good progress!! And now we sat like I was his client. Just facing each other across a table.
"what do you want to say?"
"I just wanted to be in good  terms with ah. You know family people. " I know it was weird and a strange thing to say but believe me there was no other better choice.
"family people?" he laughed. Actually laughed.
" will you just handle your work and then concern yourself with these stuffs. " RUDE again.
"am I not handling everything alright?"
"you're making all your decisions based upon 'animes'  and you treat this company like a high school. Yes, you aren't working upto family's reputation."
"huh?" I've never in my life been offended to such a degree.
"oh yes, I had forgotten that you are not any high schooler anymore but just have got out of it. My bad. I'm sorry. Shouldn't have missed that."
"you are seriously a jerk!" I went away from there. Oh..I never knew he had such offending and negative notions about me.forget about early bird! He's not a bird but an early CROW!!  And gray called him secret-loving?!  He until now was a secret-hater.