CHAPTER 23: THE WITCH’S REAL LIFE

“Congratulation!!!!”

Toda Erika cheered happily as she congratulated to Yamapi who stood alone at the corner of room. The hunky man startled at first before smiled to the long hair woman. Even Nishikido Ryo lifted his wineglass to him, showing the same expression to him.

“Thank you….”Yamapi smiled toward them showing how much he appreciated their wishes. The long hair woman grinned widely, showing her white pearly teeth.

“Tch!!! Erika!! You do not congratulate me on my promotion.” Ryo shook his glass a little while mumbling softly. His mouth pouted a little as a frown plastered on his face.

The long hair woman glared at him, as she jabbed at the man’s ribcage. The owner of husky voice groaned deeply as he gritted his teeth, showing how much painful he felt due to her action. Holding to his stomach, Ryo glared at the woman.

“I don’t want to congratulate you because you are promoted to a position which is higher than me!!! Even your salary is bigger and you get to work as Yamaa Tomohisa’s assistance!!! How could a player like you can get that big promotion within a short time!!!” Erika complained to him as she glared at the man. Yamapi was only able to look at the two persons in front of him. Despite of the room filled with noises, Toda Erika’s loud voice could still be heard clearly.

“Well, maybe because Aoki Hiroshi just realized my capability as the best worker here…” Ryo smiled smugly as he talked back toward the woman. However, Erika clicked her tongue and slashed back.

“Best worker, my foot!!! You are the best player, YOYO!!!” Erika barked back making Ryo started to quarrel with the woman.

 Seeing the scene made Yamapi smiled amusingly. Those two persons made him nearly forgot what happened earlier in the meeting.  Suddenly a man came, calling Erika’s name, grabbing the woman’s attention from quarrelling with Ryo.

“Toda san, do you know where Mari chan is?” Tegoshi Yuya asked her pinning his brown gaze to the long hair woman. Erika exchanged look with Ryo before lifted her shoulder.

“I thought Horikita san is with you?” Erika told him making Tegoshi Yuya shaking his head.

“No. She’s not with me.” Tegoshi Yuya said making Erika rubbed her chin, thinking where her boss could be.

“Maybe she went back to her office.” Ryo suggested toward the man. However, Tegoshi Yuya shook his head, denied the fact.

“Search her there already....but the office is empty.” Upon hearing this made question filled Yamapi’s mind. Where is she….? His eyes darted around the place too but he could not see her glimpse after all. The previous event started to play within his mind.

                When his grandfather announced Horikita Maki as his future wife to be, Yamapi swore that he was shock. Frankly, he did not know that she is the one who is going to marry with him. Really!! He did not have any clue at all because what his grandfather described on second term was different.

“Marry?” Aoki Hiroshi nodded softly while locking his gaze with him. Yamapi froze and unable to say anything.

“Yes, my second term is I want you to marry.” Yamapi grunted as he looked at somewhere else.

“Marry who? I just being dumped and being played by a woman. You think I have mood to marry now? Plus, who want to marry with me?” Yamapi said sarcastically.

“About the woman, don’t worry about that. I already have someone in my mind for you to marry.” Yamapi looked at Aoki Hiroshi.

“Aoki san!!! That is not the thing I mean!! How could you force me to marry with someone I don’t know when right now, I was being dumped by someone else? At this moment, I could not accept any woman in my life, not when they are the main cause of my suffering!!!”Yamapi barked angrily.

“Tomohisa, it takes another woman to cure the wound that made by some other women. Believe me.” His grandfather told him, as he patted his shoulder. Yamapi gritted his teeth, as he looked somewhere else.

“Plus, Tomohisa. This will be an arranged marriage that involves two companies. The woman that you will marry is an inheritor from Hara Property Corporation.” Yamapi turned his head to his grandfather. Hara Property Corporation? The oldest property company in Japan?

“With you marrying her, our business shall be expanded to property area too. Do you understand it, Tomohisa? Why I ask you to agree to this arranged marriage?”

                Yes, that was the main reason why he was shock when his father announced his future bride at the meeting room. Well, he’s not the only one who seemed to be shock but everyone too. Yamapi froze as he was told by the news. When he averted his gaze to Horikita Maki, the woman did not say anything neither looked at him. Did….did she know that he was the one she’s going to get married. All of a sudden, the noises of the room were broke with Kengo’s mocking laughter.

“Gosh!! What is this? Yamaa Tomohisa became a scapegoat and married with the witch? Gosh~so funny!!! As if the witch is going to cook him in a big pot and serve to the crows…” Kengo laughed loudly as he smirked irritatingly. Yamapi glared with the pale man while clenching his fist.

“Stop your mocking words, Kengo. This is Annual Board Meeting, not a place for you to joke around and tease people,” Aoki Kengo snapped angrly. The way Kengo acted in the meeting made some people in the room looked at Horikita Maki in different way. Still, the woman never gave any response to his grandson’s mocking words.

“Fine….”With his short word, Kengo sat back while a smile tugged at his lips.

Yamapi raked his hair as migraine started to form inside his head. What his grandfather told him was different than what happened to him right now. The woman that he supposed to be married is someone from Hara’s family, not the witch. Glancing back toward the witch, the woman still does not have any expressions on her face neither looked at him. She kept looking calm and composed, act as if it was not a big deal for her. How could she?

“This is strange, Aoki san. Why Horikita Maki?” One of the workers asked him immediately. Yamapi too shifted his gaze toward his grandfather and waited for his answer. That was the same thing he wanted to ask the old man.

“Because by marrying these two, it will tighten the bonds between us and another two top companies in Japan.” Aoki Hiroshi answered the question calmly. However, Aoki Hiroshi’s answer made people became more confused. Even to Yamapi. Suddenly, the door of the room was knocked, making they directed their attention toward the door. Hajima, Aoki Hiroshi’s secretary appeared between the two doors.

“Sir, the persons arrive.”With the woman’s words, Aoki Hiroshi stood up making everyone too, standing up. Who? Yamapi whispered inside his mind.

A few minutes later, two men came in and Yamapi widened his eyes in shock. The meeting room filled back with whispers as they looked at them. They recognized immediately that one of the men is Tegoshi Natsuhito, the owner of Tegoshi Oil and Gas Corporation, the biggest oil company in Japan. Along with him was his son, Tegoshi Yuya, the CEO of the company. Seeing the two of them presence there made Aoki Hiroshi came forward and extended his hand toward them.

“I’m very happy that you can make to our Annual Board Meeting, Natsuhito.” Aoki Hiroshi said to the man as he gripped his handshake with the man. Yamapi just stood behind his grandfather, looking at them.

“Me too.”The man who wore spectacles smiled widely. Then, Tegoshi Natsuhito noticed Yamapi immediately making the man eyed him carefully as a smile tugged at his lips.

“This must be Yamaa Tomohisa, the man who will marry Marina, right Hiroshi?” Tegoshi Natsuhito asked Aoki Hiroshi making he turned toward Yamapi who stood behind him. His grandfather just nodded making Yamapi confused than ever. Marina..?

“Papa….” All of them turned their head and found out that Tegoshi Yuya