"At that moment that he realized, he had fallen head over heels for a fox that he could never have".
Kimiko Udai was intelligent, beautiful, and talented; practically the perfect formula for the target of others' envy and hatred. After spending most...
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Kimiko stood in front of the mirror, her fingers pushing the corners of her mouth into a forced smile despite the pain that radiated from her right cheek.
Everything was fine, she just needed to smile.
Her concealer was able to completely cover the faded red imprint that stubbornly held on despite the numerous amounts of ice packs she had put over it.
In all honestly, meeting father hadn't gone as bad as she had envisioned. A slap, a sprained wrist, and a few bruises, nothing that wouldn't heal before the championships came around. As long as she could still play, it didn't matter to her. The last thing she wanted was to negatively affect her team due to her selfishness.
For now though, the biggest issue was the solemn expression that desperately clung onto her face. It really was pathetic, just like her. Slapping her cheeks with both her hands, she willed herself to push out yesterday's events and move on, the lessons that her mother drilled into her echoing through her mind like a broken record.
Smile, no one wants a depressed bitch.
Your face is the only thing you have.
Always look presentable, don't make your father disappointed in me.
She let out a sigh, picking up the monochromatic blazer that the maid had picked out and draped it over her shoulders. It was by sheer luck that her father needed her for a business meeting today - more like a meeting with an old friend by the sound of it- otherwise she wouldn't be off so clean. She supposed she should be thankful.
Walking to her father's room, she stood outside the open door, knocking on it gently.
Taking it as a sign she was finished, he pushed himself off his cushioned chair, sparing her a single, disappointed glance.
"Don't embarrass us again. Remember, I can pull you out of the volleyball industry before you can even talk back", he said gruffly, walking past Kimiko as she bowed her head down as a sign of inferiority. The sharp edge in his tone sent fear coursing down her entire body, as it always did. She was able to put on a tough persona behind the phone, but seeing him in person willowed away any courage she had.
"I won't, father", she said submissively.
To others, Kimiko Udai and Akuma Takahashi seemed like the perfect daughter-father pair. Even in his mid 40s, Akuma was still looked young and handsome, no one could guess he was past his 30s. He was a successful, world renowned businessman but a shitty father.
