Charismatic Lie (Iori x reader)

Chapter 53

(Y/n)'s POV

"(Y/n), where the hell are you going?" Gaku-nik asked as he reached out to grab my arm.
"*smirks* Do you really not know?"
"You're not going to talk to him now-"
"Why not?"
"Listen, he could do anything to you! I can't- don't go. I don't want to argue with you!"
"...Gaku-nii, you care a lot about your mother, don't you?"

Everyone stared at us as a thick cloud of tension spread around the room. The members of IDOLiSH7 and Re:vale had shock laced in between their expressions as the reality of my relationship with my father dawned on them.

Gaku-nii met my determined gaze, his eyes silently pleading with me. I drew my mouth into a thin line before a stoic smirk graced my face. The male frowned as I clasped his hand.

"I'll see you back at home, okay? And I'll make sure to bring Tsumugi along."
"Forget it. I'm going with you. You guys go on without us," Gaku-nii exclaimed.
"(Y-(Y/n)?" Riku asked cautiously.
"Yes?"
"We um-"
"We'll be waiting for you, (Y/n)-chan...I'll always be waiting, okay?"
"*smiles* Thank you, Tamaki..."

I held onto Gaku-nii's hand and headed outside. He rolled his eyes once I flashed a cheeky grin before hopping into the driver's seat. I quickly jumped into the passenger's seat before he took off.

Tenn's POV

The mood had not gotten any better. None of us could blame (Y/n) nor Gaku. It wasn't their fault that their father was who he was. I jumped ever so slightly as someone tugged at my sleeve.

Riku looked at me with concerned eyes, his mouth opening before shutting as if he wanted to ask a question. I let out a small sigh and sat down on the couch. Yuki and Ryuu began cleaning up the dishes as everyone gathered around.

"...this is (Y/n)'s life. I can't tell you everything but...what would you like to know?"
"Why is her relationship with her dad so...?" Yamato started.
"Bad? Ill-fated? Because (Y/n) was the product of an arranged marriage that eventually resulted in divorce. Because she was her mother's daughter and continuously fought with her father..."
"Arranged marriage? I've never heard about this," commented Iori.
"It was covered up...wasn't it?" Sogo asked.
"You know about it?"
"Not in detail but yeah, the general idea."

I clasped my own hands together, making my knuckles turn white. The others looked at me with worry yet I hid the pain beneath a tired smile. If Gaku was here, he'd definitely chew me out for behaving like this...

"Hey Tenn, I know you've probably known (Y/n) for quite a while but how do you know so much about her?..." Mitsuki asked quietly.
"We're...just really good friends."
"Is there more...that we don't know about her?" asked Iori.
"There is, but you know what? She cares a lot about you all. She's fighting with her father all the time. Sometimes I don't understand why she doesn't just leave him..."
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ryuu exclaimed as he came over.
"What is?" Tamaki asked.
"...he's family, no matter how difficult or horrible he may be...he raised her when he could've just left her in an orphanage."
"Even so-"
"We should get going. What do you guys want for dinner?"

No one's POV

(Y/n) stalked through into her father's office, her eyes fiercely ablaze. Anesagi let out a sigh as she rudely barged into their meeting yet polite mannerisms were the least of her worries right now.

"(Y/n), I expected you to come," said Mr Yaotome.
"Cancel your deal with thar gang. Mother has nothing to do with this," she gritted angrily.
"Then I take it you will come back?"
"...father, why are you defying me so much? I'm just trying to live, and you're making it hard for me! Is it just because I'm my mother's flesh and bone?! Don't- stop using me as something to take out your anger on!"
"You're such a hard person to control. Don't tempt my anger, (Y/n)."
"Tch, if you find her attitude annoying then you never should've threatened her in the first place," muttered Gaku.

The infuriated man narrowed his eyes as he gazed at his troublesome son. Gaku immediately pulled his sister back as their father's hand barely scraped the girl's face. His grip on her hand tightened yet she did not flinch.

Anesagi frowned upon seeing the disagreements within the family but there was nothing she could say that would calm them down, for they all carried the same stubbornness within their blood.

"Leave, I have important business to attend to," Mr Yaotome announced.
"But-"
"I said leave."

Gaku tugged at the girl's arm and dragged her out of the office. Mr Yaotome waited a while before dialling a number into his phone. He waited a total of three rings before the receiver picked up.

"I'm cancelling the deal," he stated.
"What? But-"
"Keep the money if that's all you dogs care about. It's off."
"Wait-"

Meanwhile, (Y/n) and Gaku had gone to the latter's car and were now headed to Takanashi Productions. The girl had called Tsumugi on the way there and so, she was waiting near the entrance by the time they arrived.

(Y/n) greeted her with a nonchalant smile, and Tsumugi suspected nothing. It was nice having a famous actress as one's mother, (Y/n) would sometimes think.

Gaku stayed silent. His sister frowned before offering the front seat to Tsumugi, who simply shook her head yet she somehow found herself sitting next to the male anyway.

Gaku's cheeks were tinged a light pink as Tsumugi happily greeted him. (Y/n) smiled at her brother as he caught her gaze. He pulled his eyes away, the worry that was there replaced by something similar to neutrality.

'Gaku-nii needs someone else to put his mind at ease. I can't keep bringing him down. Tsumugi would make him happy. I had complete faith in that,' (Y/n) thought as a melancholic wisp of a smile graced her face, a single tear running down her cheek.