(Y/n)'s POV
Iori immediately averted his gaze, clenching his fist as if trying to calm himself down. I pulled the earphones out, and pulled the blanket over tighter, wishing...hoping that this was just a dream.
This was strange...this wasn't my bed, nor was it my room. I peeked over the covers just in time to see Iori let out a chuckle. He noticed me staring before a cough caught in his throat.
"Where am I?"
"Niisan's room," he replied.
"This isn't a dream, right?"
"No, you fainted earlier so we brought you to our dorms."
I bolted upright, swinging my legs off the bed. As I stood up, my head swirled like I had just spun around quite a number of times. Iori took a step forward, unsure of whether to reach out to help or not.
It wasn't until I stumbled did he finally put his hands on my arms to steady me. I quietly thanked him but he just pushed me back down. I looked up, only to see his face a bright red.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, don't worry about me. More importantly, you shouldn't be pushing yourself like that," he scolded.
"But I fainted during work hours. That was such an embarrassment."
"There's nothing wrong with being tired. You need to look after yourself to avoid such embarrassment in the future."
"I look after myself just fine."
"Stop being so stubborn."
"Stop trying to scold me. I'm the same age as you."
"Age doesn't have anything to do with this."
I turned away, suddenly acutely aware of his hands on my skin. He seemed to notice that he still held my arms in his grasp before subtly letting go. The warmth of his hands remained, but I longed for more.
"Let's go outside."
I didn't wait for a reply as I stood up, preparing myself for any dizziness. As soon as I determined that I wasn't going to faint or fall from shaky legs, I headed to the door and opened it only to jump back in surprise.
Quickly stepping out of the way, they piled on top of each other on the floor. They avoided my gaze, seemingly embarrassed about being caught eavesdropping on our conversation.
"Hurry up and explain yourselves."
"Sorry, we were just wondering what was going on between you and Iori," Riku replied.
"There's nothing going on between us. We're just friends."
"Really?" Yamato questioned.
"Of course. What is there to doubt about it?"
"Hey (Y/n), the president's calling and he wants to talk to you," said Tsumugi.
"Okay, sure."
I slipped out of the room and into the living room, taking the phone from Tsumugi's hand. Mr Takanashi's worried voice filtered through to my ear, carving my own. Hiding it beneath a layer of nonchalance, I answered politely.
"Your father called asking me to...fire you..."
"And what was your answer?"
"I refused of course."
"Why? He would've most likely given you numerous reasons as to why firing me would be beneficial for you."
"He did but I don't fire my employees based on rumours. You're a very hard worker and I'm glad to have you here."
"Thank you..."
"Well, I have to go."
"Alright, bye."
I sat down on the couch, staring at the ceiling as I leaned back. Father would go to such lengths to defy me...huh?...hmph, not that I wouldn't do the same to him. He couldn't even be called a father.
Tamaki suddenly towered over me from behind, his face mere centimetres away from my own. I searched his eyes for some kind of indication but all I found was concern, immense concern.
Smiling, I used a finger to move his head over before sitting upright and turning around. The others took the remaining seats on the couch and armchairs. I handed Tsumugi her phone back.
"So do you guys know your schedule for when you go to Okinawa?"
"Ehh, you're already talking about work. How boring," commented Tamaki.
"This isn't the time to be playing."
"Yeah, but still..."
"Right, first thing's first. There will be rules you have to follow."
"I'm hungry."
"We can discuss that later."
"But (Y/n)-chan-"
"No buts. Go get some king pudding from the fridge or something."
"We have none left."
The power went out. I immediately felt a hand grasp mine, remembering that it was Riku who had sat next to me. Giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, I got my phone out and turned the flashlight on.
There was a sudden banging at the front door, making both Riku and I jump. With a deep breath, I stood up and began walking slowly to the door. Riku immediately tugged at my hand but I simply passed his hand over to Sogo before continuing.
Yamato was beside me, nodding once I placed my hand on the doorknob. I opened the door as he raised the baseball bat in his hands only to startle the life out of my brother.
We all heaved a sigh of relief. I quickly pulled him inside and away from the raging storm that had cut the power. Mitsuki had lit some candles, casting a gentle, warm glow over the interior.
"Don't scare us like that. What are you doing here anyway?"
"Trying to get some thugs off my back," he replied briskly.
"How did you know I was here?"
"GPS, phone tracking or whatever."
Only then did I notice the fresh cut on his lower lip and the bruises coating his knuckles. He noticed me staring but I pulled his hands closer before he could get away.
Was it father? Did he want to threaten me with Gaku-nii's life? I looked into his eyes, a grim expression on my face. He simply sat down beside me and leaned against my shoulder, his breathing falling into a rhythmic pattern.
Mitsuki had gone to grab some small ice packs for his bruises, carefully placing them over his closed fists. I quietly thanked him, grateful for his consideration and their willingness to not pry into this.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Nagi asked.
"Yeah, he...he's my brother. Why wouldn't he be?"
Riku held my hand again. I smiled at the red-haired male before leaning my head against Gaku-nii's. My eyelids fluttered closed as I felt my conscience drift into a deep sleep.
YOU ARE READING
Charismatic Lie (Iori x reader)
Fanfiction(L/n) (Y/n) is Trigger's assistant manager, and Gaku's younger sister. She has many clashes with her father due to their incompatible personalities, where their anger leads to the both of them thinking they despise each other. She later becomes IDO...
