King's Prize (Kissed By The Baddest Bidder)

Chapter 2: The Breakfast

Xindy Lee turned her head at the sound of her name. Honey was bearing down on her, and whispers erupted from the hotel maids who were then standing at the corridor, awaiting for Mr. Kenzaki's orders. It had been six months since Honey resigned and went to Hongkong with the notorious mobster, and apparently her misgivings were misplaced-- Honey was looking more radiant than the last time she'd seen her, if she will discount the darkness under her eyes.

Honey visibly ignored the pointed whispers and instead hugged her fleetingly, pulling her away from the others. Once out of earshot, Honey hugged her again and Xindy laughed, embarrassed.

"I'm so happy to see you!"

"You look happy, I can see that." Xindy pulled away. "Are you back for good? You didn't tell me you're arriving today."

"I really wanted to surprise you," Honey linked her arm with hers and winked, and it took a while before Xindy realized she was being taken to the direction of the penthouse elevator.

"I have missed this place," Honey sighed. "I have asked Mr. Kenzaki to spare you today."

"Why? Where are you taking me?"

"I have prepared a big breakfast for all of us," Honey said excitedly.

Xindy looked down at her watch. "It's only seven, Honey. How did you manage that?"

Honey rolled her eyes. "I have been in touch with the chef downstairs since yesterday."

"You have become quite a force, huh," Xindy said laughing. "What's the idea?"

"It's..." Honey exhaled. "It's Eisuke's birthday."

Xindy frowned. "Are you still worried over him?"

"No." Honey's eyes skirted away from hers. "I mean, not anymore. He did get well, thanks to you."

Xindy smiled and patted her hand. "Do you want me to tell you how fine he is?"

"No, I don't want to know." Honey laughed and tugged at her arm.

***

Honey clasped her hands together, and Soryu wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hoping he could be privy to her thoughts. She had been agitated since coming back, she hadn't slept for more than an hour since they arrived last night and she was still wide awake since.

"What time does he intend to wake up?" she whispered to him as he bent his head to catch her words.

"You're whispering," he teased. She only does that when she was truly nervous.

"I know," she whispered in a hiss.

He chuckled.

"Mamo, not yet!" She squealed in alarm just as Baba was about to knife through the cake.

"What the---! I'm hungry!" Mamoru grumbled as Honey pushed him away from the table.

And what a table it was. Honey went all out preparing the surprise birthday breakfast for Eisuke, and they wouldn't have known it was his birthday if Honey hadn't told them about it. She said she wanted to be the first to greet him, having heard from Mr. Kenzaki that a surprise dinner party was being prepared for Eisuke in the evening which unfortunately Eisuke had learnt about and had declined.

Well, nothing happens in his hotel without his knowledge, she mused.

It was this reason that Honey wanted so much to be back in Tokyo at this time.

"Can't I have anything else, instead?" Mamoru shot back when Honey slapped his hand again just when he was about to reach for the sushi roll.

"In a while, in a while," she said placating him. "He'll be awake soon, then you can have all the food you want."

"Why not now?! What's the difference?" Mamoro threw his body on the couch and lighted a cigarette.

"He has to see everything first." Honey smoothed an imaginary crease on the table cloth.

Ota and Baba shook their heads and Soryu merely shrugged.

"Am I late?" A cool voice from the door made them turn their heads towards it.

Xindy was looking simply refreshing in a beige suit and slacks, her dark brown hair in a ponytail at her back, as she sauntered over to them with a birthday present.

Baba whistled and Ota said, appraisingly, "Not bad."

"What did you get him?" Honey asked, meeting the girl halfway and ignoring the guys. "Don't mind them, they're just hungry."

"Not for food now," Baba interjected and winked, which Xindy merely acknowledged by a slight nod, to Honey's amusement.

"Took me a while, you know." Xindy looked at the box on her hands and frowned a little. "Can't figure out what Mr. Ichinomiya would like, since he already has everything."

"So what is it?"

"Why are you whispering?" Xindy asked, one brow arched.

"Don't worry Miss Lee, she does that when she's nervous," Soryu replied in a whisper, and when the guys laughed he cleared his throat and chuckled. "Honey's a bad influence."

Xindy looked at Honey amused, who was now red in the face, and said, "The orphanage he sponsors is holding a concert in a week, I thought he might like to attend."

Honey's jaws dropped. The guys' expression ranged from amused to disbelief, too.

"You're wasting your effort, my pet, you will never get him to attend such a thing," Ota remarked.

"Those... are tickets?" Honey asked in a hushed voice.

Xindy nodded calmly.

"I didn't know Eisuke sponsors an orphanage," Honey whispered, deep in thought.

"He sponsors a number of them, sweetie," Baba added, then turned to Xindy. "How did you know?"

"It was part of my job to visit from time to time, to check on the kids," Xindy explained. "Good thing I saw the administrator earlier and gave me these tickets, or I would've gone mad wondering what time the boutiques would open up."

"I don't have a present," Honey's face fell.

"Isn't this your gift to him?" Xindy nodded pointedly at the lavishly prepared breakfast table, just in time to see Mamoru popping a roll in his mouth at Honey's back.

The guys snickered when Honey looked back, puzzled.

"I think he's awake," Ota said, eyes at the top of the stairs.

Both girls looked up.

Eisuke was already dressed in his favorite suit, and stopped short when he spotted Honey at the foot of the stairs. It had been six months but seemed like only yesterday when he last saw her, the sight of her was enough to make his heart pound and his head ache for no reason. But Honey's wide eyes were not fixed on him but past him, and Eisuke groaned involuntarily and turned his head sharply, glaring at the teen-aged girl who was following close behind.