[ KBTBB Co-Writing Fic ] Hate At First Sight ❤ At Last Glance Part 4
Fandom: Kissed By The Baddest Bidder
Rated: Drama, mystery, thriller, romance
KBTBB OC: Ryoko Inui / Kyoko Nakama ( @hotcocosharing )
Main Interest: Soryu Oh
Summary: Ryosuke Inui feels conflicted about whether he should tell the truth to his admired Boss or, assist his possible long lost, older sister in her prospect to get back at Soryu and the Ice Dragons.
A/N: Time to get to know Soryu, and how he interacts with others while fighting with his own internal thoughts.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Warnings: RIP Baba’s fedora
Word Count: 1695 words
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Soryu Oh’s POV
“Get a hold of yourself Inui!,” I reasoned, shaking him out of his hypnotic state,
“Her? Who’s her?”
“Was that her? No, it can’t be…”
Apparently, he was so out of it that neither Samejima, nor I, could break any sense into him; he even started talking and questioning himself. Paying absolutely no mind to either of us, Inui seemed to be fighting his own inner demons before quietening suddenly and, standing there in deep contemplation. Maybe he’s calmed down - enough to respond somewhat like a human being:
“Inui, did you recognise the person at all?”
“…No.”
“Did you at least see what they looked like?”
“…No.”
Growing up in the world of dirty tricks and hypocrisy has strengthen my ability to read people and judge one’s character and I’ve known Inui for far too long to be fooled by such a poor attempt to deceive me but, he isn’t a bad person and, I trust him wholeheartedly so, I’ll let this go for now. I’m sure he’ll tell me when he’s ready because right now, he is in no state to be interrogated.
“Soryu, I’ve never seen him like this; as weird as he is, he would never repeatedly say ‘It’s not her’ to the dog…while she’s asleep,” voices Samejima, the feeling of worry very imminent and exposed.
Hmm, to talk to the dog while she’s asleep… he must feel quite shaken by the surprise encounter from last night. What can I do to help him settle? or is this an ‘Inui’ thing that can’t be fixed? Mm, this truly is quite a dilemma. The ticking of the clock, partnered with the swirling of thoughts in my head, is interrupted by the call I was unenthusiastically expecting this early in the morning.
“Hello?”
“Don’t ‘Hello?’ me, Soryu. We need to find the bastard who stole the data containing our highly confidential files immediately! If you don’t get to the penthouse in 5 minutes I WILL destroy that stupid fedora!” screeched, Eisuke’s electronic voice.
You could essentially feel his anger seething through the phone knowing this happened so shortly after the incident with the defective security program; that we reinforced. But, no human can get to the penthouse from here so, it looks like Baba and his fedora will suffer the wrath of King himself. Heh, I’m pretty sure Baba has an infinite supply of the exact same fedora hidden all over the penthouse anyway.
*Ding*
The bell that welcomed me to the 51st floor was followed by the choir of muffled cries of despair, hysterical laughter and a whiff of tobacco, informed me, that the deed has been done. I stand outside the double-doors of the penthouse lounge and offer my thoughts up to fedora #63 that was sacrificed this morning.
Baba throws his crying form at me the moment I step foot into the lounge, while Ota rolls on the floor laughing - with tears in his eyes.
“Why didn’t you come sooner Sor~ Boss scowled at me for 5 minutes and then started attacking my beloved hat!” he whines for a minute before pulling fedora #64 from a secret compartment under the couch, causing Ota to laugh harder, more smoke to fill the air and Eisuke rolling his eyes harder.
“Enough with the nonsense. Tell me you’ve found the guy and he’s been wiped off the face of the Earth, Soryu.”
“They escaped. Whoever this was, knew their way in and out of the security floor and had access to all of the entrances and exits.”
“But the only people with that much access are us, and staff with Class 1 clearance,” inputs the fedora-adorned Baba.
“Or, the person could just be seriously skilled. No alarms or signals were triggered so the dude must have overwritten the system before you got there.”
Silence ensues and I hate to admit it but, the lazy cop makes a good point. The incident with Inui has been eating away at my brain for the past 7 hours so I decided to throw the information into the midst of our discussion.
“We can’t rule out the possibility of the culprit being a woman,” you could practically hear 4 jaws drop, “ Inui said something about ‘it’s her’ after his confrontation with the suspect but has become completely delusional recently.”
This new intel seems to spark an idea within that blond head of Ota’s, “I know a woman who doesn’t have Class 1 clearance but, is good with security tech,” he continues with a smirk, “Our little Koro~”
“We don’t have enough evidence to start accusing people blindly,” I can’t believe I’m defending this woman, “Like I said, Inui wasn’t in any state to provide any hard evidence and, it’s not like she’s the only woman on the security team.”
As the cogs and wheels in Eisuke’s head pieces everything together in his mind, the devious grin that stretches across his face assures a fate that welcomes empathy from those around the victim.
“Soryu, go fetch our little toy and put her on a leash - we’ll prepare her for her visit with the doctor.”
Yep, I actually feel sorry for her,
“Alright…”
With Luke out of the country, her appointment was delayed and so in the mean time, she is to be under surveillance by either the Ice Dragons, or myself, at ALL times. Her long fingers fidget and twiddle as I accompany her to the Ice Dragon’s HQ, where she’ll be staying from now on. Last night she was supposed to be responsible for alerting me to any suspicious activity or tampering with the servers but, I received nothing from her. Was she distracted from her post or was she really a part of the heist itself?
“Come, you should get used to this place because you’ll be here a lot. I’m going to make you my assistant until we find out who did all of this so don’t disappoint me.”
Behind the spectacles that frame her alluring eyes, surprise is written all over her face as she opens her mouth to object but seeing as she had no choice, she quickly reconsiders her previous action. As useful as I thought she was, she caused an awful lot of trouble for me and, I will not drag everyone around me down due to my incompetence.
“I have to get stronger in order to overthrow that vile dictator.”
Dammit. I let my thoughts leak out again. It happens more frequently now, that my mind is over-filled with thoughts of the Auction, Bidders, the hotel, the Ice Dragons, the mafia, Ryuun, My Grandfather… and her. I honestly don’t think that she’s behind all of this catastrophe - she seems too innocent, too sweet; too graceful.
I’ll clear her of her bad name quickly, that way, the Bidders will stop suspecting her and then she can return to her dream job. Pathetic. I even dragged her into this whole mess, all because I wasn’t able to capture the intruder last night. Don’t worry, I’ll impress you with my skills as you did me, before.
“Inui, I’m going to give you a chance to redeem yourself; take this woman to her apartment and search every nook and cranny for the stolen data files and any questionable materials, if any there are any.”
“R-r-really? THANK YOU, BOSS, I won’t let you down!” Inui shouts over-enthusiastically, shifting his eyes between the woman and myself. She doesn’t seem to be making eye contact with him, probably because she feels uncomfortable around him. I don’t blame her though, Inui’s earnest personality can be overbearing, even for Samejima and I. Here’s to hoping he’s in top shape to do this mission alone.
It’s past 11 pm and I find myself checking the clock as it ticks away teasingly - each second feeling longer than the last. The anxious tapping of my fingers against the oak desk plays a rhythm that, won’t make their return any quicker but, temporarily eases my restlessness. Not knowing how I made my way to the entrance way, I’m the first to greet the returning pair as they both have a melancholic air about them.
“Anything to report Inui?”
“No.. Nothing.” Hesitation, sadness, and uneasiness are laced through the words that fall from his lips. Is it naive of me to assume that it’s probably part of the slump he found himself in recently? He seems so distant, it’s concerning me, I’ll ask Samejima tomorrow morning about how we could help him get over this oppressive obstacle.
At least that proves that she’s got nothing to hide, so that should ease the suspicion that surrounds her until Luke comes back to examine her.
“Time for bed.” I dismiss, grabbing onto Kyoko’s thin, pale wrist and dragging her off to her room. She throws me a look of doubt as I stand there waiting for her to fall asleep before leaving her and retiring for the day, myself.
“I’ll leave as soon as you’re out. Don’t worry, I have no intention of taking advantage of defenceless women, in fact; I despise such disgusting behaviour so go to sleep already.”
After a good 30 minutes of wearisome tossing and turning, and the occasional glance of awkwardness that she threw in my direction, she was lulled into the land of dreams as her even breathing settled and her feathery eyelashes flutter closed. Of course, she was so occupied with trying to ignore my presence, she forgot to take off her glasses so, I make my way to her side with light and careful steps, gently grasping each side of the frame and pulling it away from her enchanting face.
A bit of her soft hair cascades down, onto her cheek and my hand impulsively catches the strands and tuck them snugly behind her small ears. I’ve never really taken the time and effort to get to know a woman because I thought they were all lecherous creatures made up of lies and were defined by their ability to seduce a man for the sole purpose of materialistic gain. Maybe not. Maybe she’s different. Maybe she’s like ‘her’.
A soft smile plays on my lips and I turn around to leave,
[ KBTBB Co-Writing Fic ] Hate At First Sight ❤ At Last Glance Part 2
Fandom: Kissed By The Baddest Bidder
Rated: Drama, mystery, thriller, romance
KBTBB OC: Ryoko Inui / Kyoko Nakama
Main Interest: Soryu Oh
Summary: A mysterious woman with impressive skills is hired under Soryu’s care, but is she all that she seems?
A/N: Leave Ryosuke alone! He’s just a puppy. Also I’m so glad @hotcocosharing was willing to write another fic with me~ always a honour and pleasure. You can find PART 1 <-- here :)
Warnings: Soryu is cute
Word Count: 1354 words
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Soryu Oh’s POV
"That's impossible."
Eisuke's going off about how the security system in the hotel casino has malfunctioned but I find it hard to believe that the impregnable program, we've carefully installed, just 'malfunctioned'.
"Fine, I'll be there in 10 minutes," I guess I can indulge in his little burst of frustration once in a while.
It's not everyday you see Eisuke getting worked up like this so I wont be missing this. Heh, seeing 'The Great Eisuke Ichinomiya' lose his composure is entertainment enough for me.
"Make it 5!" He spits with irritation. Impatient as ever.
I arrive 10 minutes later, to the command room in the security ward of the casino, to find a young woman typing away at the main computer naturally. Her slender fingers fly across the keyboard at incredible speed and accuracy before restoring the corrupted server with little, to no, effort at all. Impressive. I would never have predicted an ordinary woman like her to be so useful. All signals regain a secure status and seemed to have increased in strength.
"Not bad," Eisuke says with a smirk.
I can tell he didn't expect to be so impressed by a spontaneous offer from a complete stranger, so much so, he decided to appoint her to the hotel security team, under my supervision.
Tch, now I have to take care of this woman? Probably Eisuke's ways of getting back at me for not coming within 5 minutes. Impatient prick...
At least she's not annoyingly trying to vie for my attention by baking a cake on her face and bathing in perfume. I cant stand that. She seems reliable enough that Eisuke would offer her a job on the spot however, I cant help but find her presence unsettling.
The most secure program in the world that contains several walls of protection for our security system is broken down, and she just happens to be there to restore it back in just seconds? The progression of that was so perfect, almost as if it was planned and staged. Was this all just a coincidence or is she more than what she appears to be? I know better than to jump to conclusions without any evidence to back my theories up, so for now, I will just have to keep my eye on her.
The days go on by and she continuously surprises me, in unpredictably positive ways. Her skills are no joke when it comes to her job and, her hard work and diligence, is admirable. Reminds me of another girl I used to know.
It was back in boarding school when I first met her - she was always striving to be the best in every field, competing for the number one spot in every field- academics, physical education and even art. The way her eyes narrowed in concentration and her aim to always best herself, sparked a new feeling in my chest. How was it, that she was so different from the rest, so accomplished... So perfect.
But soon before we were meant to graduate, she dropped out of our school. The teachers said it had something to do with her family but obviously wouldn’t go into detail. I just saw her the day before and now I wasn’t going to see her ever again? I didn’t even have a chance to talk to her. To say goodbye. To tell her how i felt about her.
"Sir. Sir. Sir!" A voice yaps at me with persistence and returns me from my trip down memory lane.
"What is it Inui?" I respond as I see the woman tense up at the sound of his voice.
Strange. I guess she doesnt take too well to strangers or is easily frightened by sudden noises.
"Looks like the Black Heart gang is trying to breach our contract. What should we do?"
"I'll deal with them," I say before I get up and turn to leave. The woman seems to have stopped in her tracks and that doesn't escape me.
It doesn't take long before I return from dealing with the annoying scumbags who dared to even think they could sever the alliance in such a disgusting manner. I make sure to stop by the security ward before I head up to the penthouse to make sure everything is in order and everyone is doing their jobs accordingly, especially the new recruit. Unexpectedly, I come back to see her overseeing everyone and directing them with perfect coordination, improving efficiency all throughout the sector.
She never seems to disappoint. Perhaps its just in my nature to doubt everyone I meet but maybe, just maybe, I can rely on a woman like her for once. The slight smile that plays on my lips disappears the moment she looks at me. Her big clear eyes, so kind-looking but impossible to read, locks onto mine. I quickly look away to throw off any suspicions of me analysing her and leave to meet with the other auction managers.
"So how are you liking the new pretty lady the boss placed under your care, Sor?"
"She's surprisingly not bad -- she can hold her own and she doesn’t reek of gold digger and hooker." I reply naturally and look up to see the astounded looks on the other bidder's faces.
"Are you saying that the little Koro doesn’t make you want to kill yourself even though she's a woman?? Boooorring, I wanted a better reaction~~"
"She must have sexy collarbones."
"I heard that she was just a kid..."
"Maybe I should see what's so good about her myself."
I ignore the teasing from the peanut gallery but, Eisuke's knowing smirk pisses me off to no bounds. He knows. Is it because we've known each other for so long, or is it because he's THAT perceptive? I'll never know. The bidders panic and scramble when I pull out my gun, but to be honest, I don't actually mind.
It's late and I'm making my last rounds, with Inui and Samejima, before I go back to the Ice Dragon's Headquarters to rest. Today was a real pain in the ass, having to deal with the dirty mafia world but I'm doing the best I can to change that. I wont rest until I can use this influence on the world, for good. I won’t follow in my Grandfather’s cruel footsteps.
The three of us separate on our patrol to cover more ground in less time and by the time I’ve finished with my section, I go to look for the other two. I hear a slight thud coming from the server room, where Inui was in charge of checking, and I cautiously crack open the door.
Through the pitch-black room, decorated with thin rays of light, emitting from the LED lights of the cells, two shadows can be made out with a bit of squinting. As my pupils enlarge to allow more light to register in my brain, I tighten my clench on my trusty gun. It would seem as though the smaller figure has pinned the slightly larger one against the wall.
I can barely make out Inui's rambunctious voice which queue's my entrance. The smaller body jumps at my sudden entry and bolts out of the second exit that very few people know about. By the time I pass by the shocked-frozen Inui to pursue the mysterious shadow, it had disappeared through one of four possible escapes. Damn. I was so close.
I return to Inui and his crumpling body, whimpering like a lost puppy with abandonment issues.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Why didn't you fight back and chase after him?" I question him in frustration.
I know he is capable when he puts his mind to the task, but his mind is fickle. At that moment, Samejima bursts into the room and is utterly confused at the sight. The both of us throw puzzled glances at each other, not expecting him to look so broken. He was less of his over-exaggerated character, and had more of a tame and seriously forlorn expression.
