CHAPTER 22: THE SUDDEN ANNOUNCEMENT

                Irritate!! He felt extremely irritate!! Kengo shifted his gaze from his pen toward the empty chairs. Somehow, the view irritated him because this time, there were two empty chairs. One of it is going to be Aoki Hiroshi’s. How about the other one? The thought disturbed him in a great way making Kengo clasped his hand tightly. Somehow, he got bad feeling about this. Immediately, he shifted his dark gaze to the other side of the room. Horikita Maki was looking calm as usual. Over there too, he noticed a few empty spaces next to her making curiosity gnawed within him.

Is he missing something here?

Everything seems to be strange.

The atmosphere….

The people………..

This never happens before……………

                Kengo clicked his tongue and looked on the table.  Rumors regarding new director in the company spread like a fire yesterday making insecurity filled within him instantly. Even, he got the news in the middle of the night, when one of his men called and told him about it.

It seems Aoki Hiroshi has something up in his sleeve regarding tomorrow Annual Board Meeting. It is conformed already that a new board director will be joining too.

                New board director? Who? Kengo mumbled softly but nothing came inside his mind. Damn that old man!!! What he do this time??!!! Feeling tensed than ever, Kengo stood up and strolled out of the room. Definitely he needed something to reduce the tenses that he felt upon his shoulders.

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“Ne…Masami chan, I heard that there will be new board director going to join us. Is that true?” Aoi asked her while walking down the hallway toward the meeting room. Masami tilted her head and raised her eyebrow.

“New board director?” Aoi nodded fast and continued her words.

“Yes!! This morning people have been talking about it. Finally, they found the replacement for Aoki Tezuka’s place and he would be joining us today in the meeting. Don’t you know about it?” Listening to it made Masami widened her eyes in surprise. Someone is going to take Kengo’s father place? Not Kengo?

                Suddenly, something caught her eyes making her heart skipped a beat.Unknowingly, her files that she held within her arms slipped and fall down on the floor. A name flew out from as her gaze fixed on the opened elevator.

Pi…..?

                Immediately, Masami moved faster toward the elevator direction. Impossible!! It is not Pi, right? Once she reached at the elevator area, she turned around and found the area was already empty. Her breath became short and erratic due to her run and her eyes started to fill with tears. Hallucination…?

“Masami chan!!! What happen?” Aoi came running after her while carrying some of her files. Worries could be seen from her face. Masami closed her eyes and inhaled a deeper breath. Shaking her head, she just mumbled softly.

“Oh…it…is nothing, Aoi…nothing….”Masami said softly. Looking back at the place she saw Yamapi just now made her heart turned into a tight squeeze. Oh god….did she miss him too much that she started to hallucinate him being here?

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                The meeting room was filled with whispers and Erika tilted her head in strange manner. The rumors about new board director sure spread so fast making it became the hit news within an hour. Then, she saw Aoki Kengo, who had an irritating look on his face. At the sight made Toda Erika smiled widely. It must be the rumors that made the frown all over his face. For her, that was good because she sure that Kengo must be feeling irritating knowing that his father’s place has been replaced with someone else and definitely it is not him.

“Toda san, make sure you write everything on the meeting today.” Maki’s instruction made Erika shifted her gaze toward the woman who sat next to her.

“Yes, Horikita san.” Erika smiled widely to her. Suddenly, someone caught her eyes.

                It was Nishikido Ryo, her best friend, entering the meeting room, while looking around the place. At the sudden sight made Erika widened her eyes in surprise. Gasping softly, she blinked her eyes for a few times as if she did not believe it. However, the more she blinked, the clearer the view it was. Then, she found the man was looking at her and a smile tugged along at his lips. Strolling toward them, Ryo waved his hand to Erika excitedly.

“What are you doing here!!!??? This is Annual Board Meeting, Yoyo!!!!” Erika hissed toward Nishikido Ryo who slumped on the chair next to her. Her eyes became rounder as she stressed on the last sentence.

“Yes, I know.” The man nodded fast making Erika raised her eyebrow in surprised.

“I ask him to come, Toda san.” Horikita Maki’s sudden words made the long hair woman turned her head instantly. Ryo smiled while sitting comfortably on his chair.

“What!!! Why???” Erika raised her tones little, grabbing attention from some people. The woman who wore black outfit just answered simply.

“Because Aoki Hiroshi wants it.” Erika stunned hearing the statement. The man, who sat next to her, chuckled deeply.

“Do you hear it? Do you hear it? Aoki Hiroshi wants me to be here.” Ryo said excitedly, making Erika looked at him annoyingly.

“Impossible!!!! Why he needs a player like you here?” Erika slashed the sharp words to him. Ryo widened his eyes hearing the woman’s mocking words on him.

“What!! Damn…I’m….”Ryo wanted to talk back, but something made him stopped at once.

The room meeting room which filled with whispers just now turned to a silence one. Erika and Ryo shifted their gaze towards the main door and found out that Aoki Hiroshi entered the meeting room. However, later the room once again filled with whispers and gasps when they found out the man who walked next to Aoki Hiroshi.

Nagasawa Masami and Aoki Kengo froze seeing Yamapi walked side by side with Aoki Hiroshi. Pi…? Both of her hands flew to , closing it as she was still in the state of shock. Then, her eyes shifted toward Kengo who stood next to her. The pale man was just like her. However, his shock was only a while as his face started to fill with anger look. Immediately, Masami looked at the front back, and found Yamapi was standing next to Aoki Hiroshi. Gosh…wha…what happened? Aren’t Pi has been banished from the company because of the accusations? Then….what he is doing here? With Aoki Hiroshi? Various question played within her mind.

On the other hand, Horikita Maki was just silence seeing Yamaa Tomohisa’s presence along with Aoki Hiroshi. Shifting her brown gaze back to the document on the table, Maki ignored the sudden turn out events. She knew that more shocking news will happen later. Thinking about it already made her hands clasped tightly. Erika’s soft voice broke her thoughts making she lifted her gaze toward her.

“It’s Yamaa Tomohisa.” Erika gasped softly closing with both of her hands. Even Ryo too, was surprised and nothing came out from his mouth. Then, she looked back to the front. A faint memory came along with it. Why him….Aoki san? Why? Maki mumbled alone within her heart. The thought disturbed her in great way.

                Aoki Hiroshi stood up at his place and flashed a wide smile to everyone. Whereas Yamaa Tomohisa was standing next to him and looked stylish with a complete suit and new look. There was no expression on his face as he looked to everyone. Then, his eyes stopped at someone who had dark look on his face. Rather than looking surprise that other people had on their face, Aoki Kengo had angry look plastered on his face. Suddenly, his heart started to beat hard as he could feel the soft gaze on her. Travelling his gaze, he found out that Masami was looking at him. At her sight, made his stupid heart skipped a beat. Clenching his teeth, immediately he shifted his gaze to somewhere else. He knew that it was not going to be easy for him to forget the woman.

“Good morning everyone!! Our Annual Board Meeting will start right now.” Takahashi, the speaker of the meeting announced through the microphone making everyone sat immediately at their place.

At that moment, silence filled back the meeting room as they focused their attention. With Yamapi’s sudden attendance there, made curiosity lingered in everyone’s heart. The sudden turn out event was something that they never expected. Finally, after the presentation of company’s revenue for that year as well as their new project, it was time for Aoki Hiroshi to talk making whispers filled back the meeting room. Standing at his place, he wore a pair of spectacles while looking at everyone.

“Today, I have a few announcements to make.” Aoki Hiroshi spoke after being silence for a while. All eyes were looking at him and waited for him to continue. Smiling widely, he glanced at Yamapi, who sat next to him.

“Today, we have a new Managing Director join with us in the company, replacing my late son, Aoki Tezuka.” With the words, everyone gasps and whispers spread through the meeting room.

“You don’t mean to appoint that traitor to become the new Managing Director, do you, Aoki san?” Kengo’s sharp words rang loudly inside the meeting room, opposing his grandfather. This made Yamapi lifted his gaze and pinned a dark look to the pale man. He knew himself who Kengo referred the traitor word to. However, Aoki Hiroshi’s deep chuckle made Yamapi averted back his gaze toward his grandfather.

“If yes, what are you going to do, Kengo?” Everyone widened their eyes in surprise, making people never stop talking.

“What are you talking about Aoki san!!! Are you nuts pointing someone like him in our company!!!!