𝚈/𝚗'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"Who is this man you held hands with?" the man before me interrogated as the butlers and maids can only watch.

"It's none of your concern." I barked back, avoiding his intense glare.

"It is my concern. If one word slips out about a L/n holding hands with someone not noble, then the whole L/n Household will be furious." Father retorted.

The air became tense, the atmosphere darkened. Even the butlers and maids couldn't say anything to stop the argument.

They wanted to, but they couldn't. Even if they tried, they wouldn't be able to cut the tense air so swiftly.

It was so thick, I'm sure you wouldn't be able to use a katana to slice through it.

"Why do you suddenly care about this? You've never cared for me since that stupid misunderstanding happened!" I slammed the table, pushing myself to stand up.

"As I said, if someone in the L/n bloodline were to date someone of no noble status, this will damage our reputation as the main family." he argued.

In that wine bottle were a thousand perfect grapes, the gifts of the rich brown earth and a generous sun.

"Also, my company is at risk if the L/n Household's reputation decreases." he added, pouring some wine into his glass.

The rim of the wine glass was a perfect band of black and white as if a fragment of starlit sky raced around it.

"I suggest breaking up with this man. I can request noble suitors to ask you for your hand in marriage." he offered.

Father twirled the wine glass by the stem as if he has wanted a plaything and finally it had arrived.

"I don't need those pathetic suitors that you offer! I'm dating him and you have no say in it." I declined his offer.

"It's always about the L/n Household and your companies! You don't even love any of us as your children!" I yelled.

He flinched since he stopped twirling the stem of the wine glass. He stared at the expensive tablecloth in silence.

Noticing his silence, I chose to keep talking. He wasn't saying anything; might as well use this opportunity to get everything out of my chest.

"If you're gonna pay attention to one's wealth and family name, then don't come to me. People like you disgust me." I scoffed, walking away.

"Bring him on Christmas eve." he demanded. I would usually just walk away and head to my room but this got me interested.

"Elaborate." I demanded as well, turning around to face him. The look on his face was different this time, which surprised me.

His face was filled with regret. He looked hurt by what I said earlier. His eyes were soft and his eyebrows furrowed.

The usual stern expression on his face completely disappeared and he looked like a whole different person from the one who would usually ignore me.

"Bring this man to the Family Reunion. I'll decide if I will allow your relationship." he averted his gaze from me.

Father always averts his gaze when he's sincere and willing to do something he promised.

It was pretty amusing to see this side of him, since this would rarely happen, and if it were to happen, then pigs would be flying by that time.

He would avert his gaze when he's embarrassed. It was interesting and worth giving it a shot.

"Fine. I'll make you see the man I have fallen in love with." I turned around and walked to my room as butlers and maids bowed in my presence.

On Christmas eve, there will be a family reunion. Meaning, the whole L/n household will be together tomorrow.

And the worst part of it all, Father requested me to bring Yu to the reunion as well to 'find out if our relationship is worth considering'.

Forgive me, Yu.

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"I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Yu. My Father found out about it. I'll try to work this out. But if you're uncomfortable of it...it's fine if you want to break u-" I got cut off.

"Nah, I'll show your dad that I deserve to date you. Plus, I l-love you. I will never think of breaking up with you." Yu told me, a bashful look on his face.

"That's a relief." I sighed as I showed him the way to the main room.

Living in a mansion was like finding the exit of a labyrinth, it was all confusing and you'd have to live there your whole life to know your way around the place.

"This should be the banquet hall." I mumbled as I pointed to one of the massive doors.

As I was about to open the doors to unveil my family members, I paused and just stared at the handle.

Even the butlers who were supposed to open the door for us stared at me questionably.

"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Yu asked, looking at me worriedly.

"Are you...really okay with this? You can just leave anytime. I don't want to force you to have to do this." I retracted my hand from the door.

"I'm fine, Y/n. I've already prepared myself when I started liking you. I was prepared for the consequences and I don't plan on backing down." Yu reassured.

"Thanks, Yu. I'm glad you're with me on this." I sighed in relief. The two of us glanced at the door and opened it together.

(A/N: Same design but I added a bit more description.)

The ceiling must be twenty feet high. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling as forced laughter filled the room.

Laughter that was so fake filled the entire room, it was as if they mimicked the laughter of a human, trying their best to fit in.

Designs of fruits and flowers are carved into the molding and small, fat children with wings look down at us from every angle.

Vases of blossoms give off a cloying scent that makes my eyes itch as one of my siblings approached us.

"Hello, Y/n! Long time no see. You're looking as great as ever." my sister exclaimed, running over to us as her expensive purse swayed.

Her auburn hair glowed brightly under the light that emitted from the complicated, but elegant-looking chandelier.

Her dress gripped tightly around my sister's curves and her green eyes shone brightly.

"Good evening. It's so lovely to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you. You're Y/n's boyfriend, right? Thank you for taking care of my adorable sister!" Rei exclaimed, grabbing Yu's hand and smiling.

Rei was always friendly. She's chatty as well, so if you want someone to talk to for literally the whole day without a break, she's the person you should call.

She tends to make more physical contact than what was customary, which usually surprises others when they first meet her.

"I-It's no problem. Thank you for having me at your family reunion, uhm..." Ishigami carefully took his hand back, not knowing how to address her.

"My name's L/n Rei! Call me Rei!" she told Yu.

"Y/n, It's been so long and you've grown so much. We should catch up some time." Rei suggested as she turned to me.

"I'm glad you found such a good man, Y/n. I'm so proud of you! I missed you so much 'cause like I got a lot of work back in Italy." she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me as if her life depended on it.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that I'm going to be featured in that interview with that famous YouTuber? You know, that YouTuber that's trending right now." she began to ramble on.

"Ah, I see. That's lovely news! I can't wait to watch it. You must be super duper excited!" I switched to my other persona.

"Awww, I am! I would totes love to talk more, but I have to go check up on the rest. Ciao!" she waved before leaving to go talk to the rest of our relatives.

"That was Rei. She's my older sister. She's a famous vlogger." I introduced her to Yu.

"She seems nice." Yu sighed in relief. I could tell he was nervous because a sweat trickled down his forehead.

That usually happens when he's nervous or can't properly function when communicating with others.

"You must be Ishigami Yu, the second son of a well-known toy company owner. A pleasure to meet you." an older man offered a hand for Yu to shake.

He has a tall, slim figure and is wearing a black suit. He wears a white shirt underneath and a dark blue necktie.

He has sharp features with blue eyes and brown hair parted on the right. He wears rectangular, black-framed glasses.

The most noticeable feature of his is his bright, piercing, blue eyes with a gaze that could cut through you if it were a sword.

Yu gladly took it and shook his hand as the man gave me a kind smile. A smile so friendly, yet so fake.

His smile would look so kind and approachable to others, but if you were a person from the L/n Household, you could sense the arrogance in it.

I could tell that the arrogance hidden inside of him is begging to free itself from its chain.

I knew he was only putting on a friendly and welcoming persona for the sake of this Family reunion.

But a L/n would be able to tell from a far distance that he was only faking it and trying his best in front of the members of this family.

"It's been a few months since I've seen you, Y/n. You have astonishingly matured." he complimented.

He forgot to put on one of his personas, that's cute. At least, I know he meant what he said.

Despite my family having a horrible and toxic culture, my siblings aren't that bad. They only show their true selves when no one's watching.

"Hey, Issey! Mother is calling you to greet our cousins, you know how she gets when you don't..." my other sister paused.

She glanced at my figure before turning to the taller man beside me. She masked that mischievous smirk of hers with a warm smile.

"Oh! You must be Y/n's new boyfriend. I'm glad to see you taking care of someone like her. It makes me relieved as her older sister." my other sister stated.

Her h/c hair cascaded down her shoulders as she held a warm and playful smile.

Her e/c eyes, which were a different shade from mine, glowed brightly as she stared at me.

Himari wore a greenish-blue gown made of soft, satiny fabric, long and loose, but elegant and fancy.

A high-priced fur coat wrapped around her body, boasting to everyone that she can afford such things.

The firstborn, Issey, at the age of only 22, is a man who happens to be a famous actor in the world. He has starred in several movies that got plenty of awards.

The second-born, Rei, is my older sister. At the age of 20, she's a well-known vlogger for her make-up tutorials and food reviews.

The third born, Himari, is also my older sister. Despite us being only one year apart, she despises me for my 'disgraceful actions'.

She's the nastiest among all of us. She lies, deceives, and will do anything to have her way.

They all say kind words but behind their masks, they whisper about you and think of ways to manipulate you.

This is why I hate family reunions. You never know what everyone has up their sleeve.

You never know if they're planning on using you for something or if they're planning to toy with you.

After a little chat, we all headed towards the table reserved for us. We sat down and the butlers began marching their way over to us.

Other relatives, who decided it would be best to sit down and have chat, sat down at their respective tables and continued their gossip.

Yu and I took a seat and food was served to all of us. My siblings sat at the same table as us.

My cellphone suddenly buzzed which caught my attention immediately. I turned to Yu to see that he was on the phone.

I glanced back to my phone and turned it on to see a message from him. I eyed him suspiciously but he only told me to take a look at the message.

"Your family seems nice so far. What's bothering you? :("

"Don't be deceived by their kind actions. They're putting on multiple personas to make you think that."

"Wdym?"

"Just be careful and don't fall right into their schemes. Don't say anything that might reveal a lot about you."

"Ne, ne! Aren't you the son of that CEO of that toy company or whatevs?" Rei questioned, making Yu nod.

"I-I am. But I'm only the s-second son." Yu stuttered, trying his best to seem confident but it obviously failed.

"That's so cool! What's Y/n like? Did you kiss yet? What was your first date like? Was it fun? What did you do?" she began bombarding us with questions.

"Calm down, Rei. We're going to be having a meal together, so if you may, please take a seat and calm down." Issey smiled.

I could see the nuisance in his face as he quietly scoffed. You could tell he was annoyed, but he didn't dare to show it.

"I just wanted to ask some questions! Are you just trying to ignore Ishigami and not try to get to know him?" Rei provoked.

She was trying to let out his anger to make him have an outburst in the middle of this family reunion.

Those two always competed with each other and anything they do, the other would get annoyed of it since they were both opposites.

"I believe I haven't formally introduced myself. I am L/n Issey. It is up to you if you'd want to call me by my given name. I work as an actor." he slightly bowed, ignoring Rei.

"O-Oh, uhm...I'm Ishigami Yu. I'm the second son of a toy company owner and I attend the same school as Y/n." Yu glanced at me.

"Same school, huh? Oh, by the way, I'm L/n Himari. I work as an idol!" Himari did her signature pose.

"Hey! Don't ignore me! What was your first date like? Did you two kiss yet?" Rei stood up and accidentally hit Issey in the face.

Issey's glasses weren't properly positioned and his hair was a bit messy from the impact. His forehead was slightly red as well.

"Please be careful, Rei." Issey warned, pushing his glasses up to his bridges to rearrange them.

The butlers arrived with our food and placed it down. We all began to dig in after the morning ceremony finished.

"Listen to this, listen to this." Himari spoke up, grabbing all of our attention as she messed around with her food.

"Are you aware of what your girlfriend did in the past? Be careful or else she might do that to you, too." Himari smirked at me.

"Himari..." Rei mumbled, staring at her in disbelief.

"What? I'm just warning him. There's nothing wrong with that." she chuckled. Her laugh was filled with nothing but mischief.

"She beat someone up so good. It honestly ruined our reputation as the L/n Family." she rolled her eyes.

"She just had to beat up the prime minister's daughter. Good thing Papa was able to handle that situation." she scoffed.

"Himari. Enough." Issey sternly called out. Himari only rolled her eyes and ignored the orders of our older brother.

"Honestly, it must be so hard to date someone like her. She's so clingy and annoying." Himari turned to Yu.

"In my opinion, you shouldn't date her. She'll ruin your life and reputation. You're better off without her." she advised.

I could only stay quiet. I really am horrible.

I've destroyed our noble name because I stuck my head out for once.

Say something!

I want to, but how can I?

That's just the way I am.

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