Chapter Text
The hot tea soothed his throat as a lingering taste of bitterness and liquorice danced on his tongue. Chinese Pu-erh tea was Suo’s preferred beverage, providing him with a spike of caffeine that he found much more tolerable than in coffee. The sweet, honey-like taste, combined with a hint of spice, was the ideal blend that he enjoyed to partake in. It was the perfect company as he stared out of his hotel window, where a city glimmered underneath an endless starry night.
Piles of paperwork and his laptop lay before him, organised neatly and sectioned on the rounded table. He had already annotated most of the work; however, his body stubbornly refused to glance at the last couple of documents. Suo rolled his shoulders, stretching out the slight ache in his back, as he leisurely took another sip of his tea. His reflection in the window showed a man in control - even in the comfort of his private hotel room. He wore loose silk clothing that reflected nothing but wealth and elegance. Yet, there was little light in his good eye and a slight darkness underneath it.
The small break he allowed himself did little to relax him. His only reprieve was that the view from his hotel room gave him a bit more motivation, and he enjoyed people-watching. Although he couldn’t get distracted for too long. He knew if he didn’t get the paperwork finished tonight, then only a bigger mountain would show up tomorrow. This would be a situation he much preferred to avoid. Suo reached down to pick up his pen only to be interrupted by the shrill ring of his phone.
Suo picked it up, his mood dropped slightly as he answered. “Good evening, father.”
“Hayato.” His father acknowledged him without so much as a greeting. “How did your meeting with the legal and finance team go today?”
Straight to business, as usual.
“They went well. Our legal team has reviewed most of the documentation and checked the ownership and authentication of nearly all the artefacts. The finance team is still settling some seller commission details, but otherwise, they have all the necessary documents sorted beforehand as well.”
“Hm,” his father's voice was slightly curt on the other line. “I’d like a detailed report of everything you discussed by tomorrow afternoon, 12 PM, via email.”
“Of course, father. I promise it won’t be a second later.”
Suo’s tongue itched to add in a cheeky remark; however, he knew that wouldn’t go down well. He was always treading a fine line with his father, and to maintain the illusion of peace, it was best not to cross it. His father was a businessman at heart and very much a product of his time. He had never taken too kindly when Suo made jokes about their work.
His father had a lot of pride in their family business, as the owner of the largest artefact auction house in Asia. The products they managed were from a wide range of time periods, and only the most elite were invited to the bidding event. It was for this reason that the head of the Suo household also had high expectations for his four sons, with Hayato Suo, the youngest, appointed as a co-CEO of the business.
It wasn’t just a business they ran - it was their entire reputation.
Failure to deliver was not an option.
“How much longer are you planning to stay in Osaka?”
“A couple more days at most, since I’ve scheduled a visit to the venue we’re using to host the upcoming auction, and I was wanting to”
“Cancel it. You are to attend a private flight early tomorrow morning to Hong Kong with our sponsors. They are holding a charity event this weekend, so it would be useful to have someone attend as a representative. I would have sent one of your brothers to go, but you enjoy this sort of thing, don’t you?”
A lull of silence, only filled by steady breathing down the phone line. The words spoken by his father had been carefully picked, each poised to hit a nerve. It was a little game in which Suo was an unwilling participant. His father valued his authority above all else, and Suo found it difficult to resist the urge to challenge it whenever the opportunity arose. Perhaps if he were like one of his brothers, he would have found it easier to bend to his father's will. But, alas, the one thing he had to inherit was the old man’s stubborn nature.
It was a shame they didn’t share the same values and outlook on life.
“I also enjoy not being interrupted.” His reflection showed a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’ll reschedule, but I would like to fly back to Osaka as soon as possible. Who else is going to pick up the work you don’t want to do?”
An agreement, but not one without a snide, childish remark.
“Very well.” His father’s voice was tight and unenthusiastic. “I’ll get the personal assistant to confirm your flight and book you a hotel for your stay, along with any other provisions. I’ll even compensate for the time you took out to attend the charity event. Does that satisfy you?”
“It does, indeed. How very kind of you. Shouldn’t you also be thanking me for doing you such a big favour?”
“Hayato.”
A warning not to push his luck.
Suo laughed a little as he leaned back on the chair, knowing he had won a point in their game this round, eyes trained on the glittering show through the window. “Is that all you need from me?”
“...I heard your mother had scheduled a meeting tonight with that famous pharmaceutical company’s CEO’s daughter, and you refused to turn up.”
His mother’s hand in their family business was a lot more subtle than his father’s, but no less important. She was a social butterfly - her days spent networking and cohorting with the elite. She put an even bigger emphasis on how the Suo family name should be represented to the public than his father did. It was through her that all his elder brothers had found a partner, cherry-picked by their mother and befitting of their status.
“As I’ve said before, I appreciate my mother's efforts, but I am not looking for a partner.”
Suo had never had much interest in romance - especially one woven by the hands of his mother. His brother's relationships may look picture-perfect in tabloids, but there was no real love behind them. Every appearance was orchestrated to showcase empty, grand gestures. Behind closed doors, their relationship with their partners was maintained by the drive for perfection, the influence of power and nothing less. Suo was approaching the age that his brothers had been when their partners were picked. His mother was determined to have him married off soon to someone who would positively impact their household business. However, it was met with very little success. Suo had blatantly refused to meet up with any woman his mother had tried to set him up with for the last couple of weeks.
It was starting to build up a new contention between him and his family. A new little fracture in the fragile glass of their family bond. One that was serious enough for his father to finally get involved. Suo was sure this was bound to give him another headache. The ‘tsk’ on the other line was the only indication that his father’s patience was wearing thin with him again.
“There was nothing wrong with this one, Hayato. Your mother is in hysterics over this. You cannot avoid this forever. Your brothers were happy to go ahead with their marriages, as was I and my father, and so on. Finding the right partner isn’t an expectation of you, it’s an obligation.”
God, he really hated that word. It left a bitter taste in his mouth and made him feel like he was in an enclosed box with no way out. It was far too late for him to be having this discussion with his old man.
“Can we pick up this conversation another time? I do have a flight to attend early in the morning, remember?”
His father sighed heavily. “For now. I expect you to reach out to your mother and apologise to her for ruining her efforts.”
“Of course.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow, then.”
“Good night, father.”
Click.
Silence filled the room. His tea was cold. It was raining, and the pitter-patter against his window caused the city to blur underneath him, making it almost unrecognisable. Each blink made his eyelids feel heavier, and an uncomfortable sensation welled up in his chest. He had been hoping to stay in Osaka for a couple more days, not just to see the auction venue, but also as a way to slow down the pace of his work. The last couple of weeks had been non-stop, full of travelling, meetings and networking, so he hadn’t had the chance to visit his home in Tokyo or stay in a place for more than one night.
Suo had thought he had finally had the chance to break the cycle, but it was just like his father to bulldoze in and ruin his plans. Suo may have won today's battle, but he was edging on losing the war. Rising to his feet, he began to repack his belongings into his suitcase. His family usually brought their personal assistants on business trips to keep things organised, but Suo had always much preferred to travel alone. As soon as he zipped up his suitcase, he settled back into the chair to get reacquainted with the untouched paperwork. The rain had taken a turn for the worse, as a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a boom.
Suo hoped tomorrow would at least be sunny.
Large puddles covered the concrete ground. Nirei cursed a little as he accidentally stepped into one, the soles of his newly polished shoes soaking up a bit of the dirty water. That was the last thing he needed today of all days! Although he couldn’t really complain. He was just so happy the flight was still going ahead. The rain had been so terrible last night that he couldn’t sleep in fear that the flight he was scheduled to work on would be cancelled.
Nirei truly loved his job as a flight attendant. From meeting new people, organising the cabin, ensuring everyone’s safety was secure, and even serving them with a smile. He enjoyed every minute of it. Even on the most horrible days with the worst people to handle on the flight, it never brought down his mood. Because he knew that at the end of the flight, he was going to visit a new country or city that he had never seen before. Nirei loved it when he was scheduled for long-haul flights, where he could spend his layover exploring the city and taking note of all the nuances of the culture and the people. Though most of his colleagues thought he was insane when he would spend even the shortest of layovers out and about, instead of sleeping and recuperating in the hotel.
However, there was one major flaw with his job. The pay was abysmal. Nirei was renting out a cheap, tiny apartment in the middle of Tokyo, and he could barely afford it. His savings were nonexistent, and he had recently had to take on odd jobs, such as pet sitting, out of his work hours just to scrape by. He knew it would be better financially to look into better-paying jobs, but he couldn’t bear to part with something he loved to do.
However, that was all about to change! This was his big break! A chance to step into the big leagues. He had been assigned his very first private flight after months of taking specific training to qualify. The pay was double what he was used to, and he would also get a nightly per diem. If he did well today, his flight company may allow him to serve more on private flights until he can permanently switch over.
Everything was riding on today, so he couldn’t afford to fail.
A sudden prod to his shoulder nearly made his heart jump from his chest.
“Yohoo! Nirei-chan!”
Kiryu grinned cheekily at his reaction as he adjusted his cap and took a sip of his coffee. He may not look like a traditional pilot with the vibrant pink hair and piercings, but there was no one Nirei trusted more in the driver's seat. Looming behind was a tall man with a deep scowl on his face. Sugishita wasn’t much of a talker, but was always a good pair of second eyes in the cockpit. He was known to be terrifying, on and off the flight, but Nirei thought he was building up a good rapport with him. He even got a slight nod!
“G-Good morning!” Nirei bowed slowly.
“Aww~ So cute. Nirei-chan is as cute as ever today~” Kiryu cooed as he tugged on the man’s freckled cheek. “You don’t have to be so formal. We’re all friends, aren’t we?”
“But, that would be disrespectful. I can’t do that.” Nirei rubbed at his cheek once he was freed. The other had a surprisingly strong grip.
“Not this again.” Kiryu rolled his eyes playfully. “We’re close enough that you don’t have to be so professional. Hehe, I don’t mind you calling me by my first name.”
Nirei flushed a little. “I-I can’t do that either!”
Kiryu laughed lightly. “Maybe not today, but one day for sure, I’ll get you to call me Mitsuki. Anyway, how are you feeling about today’s flight?”
“N-nervous. I don’t want to make any mistakes.”
He owed Kiryu big time. The pink-haired pilot had requested that he work specifically on the private flight. Many other flight attendants were vying to break into the market, and he was thankful that his friend had given him the edge over the rest. But that also added even more pressure. If he didn’t perform well and the higher-ups in the company found out, it would also affect Kiryu’s reputation. He couldn’t repay Kiryu’s kindness by getting him into trouble.
“You won’t. There’s no one else I could think of better suited for today. Plus, didn’t you immediately go into a quiet space this morning as soon as you got the passenger manifest to memorise everything?”
The passenger manifest contained all the details about the clients on the upcoming flight, including names, dietary preferences, special requests and protocols to follow. Nirei really wished they were allowed to view the documents much earlier, instead of during the morning pre-briefing session, but he couldn’t really argue with the rule. He found it much easier to focus on his duties by remembering all the details, instead of having to faff around with the tablet while he worked.
There were four passengers, and all of them were insanely rich and reasonably famous. The first was Yamase, a man in his fifties who owned a large e-commerce business. The second was Nagato, around the same age, who was the CEO of a recruitment company. The third was Fukada, quite young in his late twenties, who created a popular social media app. The last on the roster was Suo - although he wasn’t quite sure which member from the famous family business was coming on board. Apparently, they were a very last-minute addition to the flight, and there hadn’t been any time for the admin team to update the passenger manifest. It unnerved him slightly, especially since arguably the Suo family household would be the most prestigious client out of the group. However, Nirei was sure he could deal with whoever it was.
“That’s true.” Nirei twisted his fingers.
“Then, you haven’t got a thing to worry about!” Kiryu smiled widely. “Sugi-chan also thinks you’ll be amazing. Riiight?” He jabbed the other slightly in the stomach.
The tall man growled slowly, but he shifted his gaze to the blonde, who jumped a little at the cold stare. “You will. Don’t panic.”
Such positive words! Nirei could almost shed a tear.
“Thank you both.”
Kiryu smiled as he glanced at the watch on his wrist. “The clients should be arriving soon. Let’s do our checks and then wait outside to greet them.”
“Okay, I’ve got it!”
Nirei boarded the plane and immediately set to work. He made the bed, in case one of the passengers needed to get some shut-eye, even though the flight wasn’t that long to Hong Kong. He checked the seats and the main aisles to make sure everything looked thoroughly clean. Once done, he headed over to the galley, where he whipped up some quick treats and popped open some alcohol for the clients when they boarded. The parfait looked exceptionally delicious with fresh berries and strawberry syrup. Pleased with himself, Nirei finished his work and joined up with Kiryu and Sugishita to wait for the clients at the bottom of the airstair.
It wasn’t long before a sleek, black car pulled up in front of them. Nirei forced himself to stay still and quelled the rising anxiety threatening to make him go straight into cardiac arrest. How did Kiryu and Sugishita handle the pressure? The former smiled gleefully, and the latter looked unbothered and professional. Why couldn’t he channel the same sort of energy? Damn it!
The car driver stepped out first to open the door for the passengers. Nirei swallowed past his dry throat as he watched them exit. At once, he could tell how different they were from any person he had ever met before. He’d handled well-off passengers before on first-class flights, but somehow, these people were in a different league. Their suits probably cost triple more than what Nirei paid for rent, polished shoes that reflected the sky, and they exuded wealth and authority. However, one in particular caught his hazel eyes more than others.
Oh.
Wow.
He’d seen the youngest Suo family member in magazines before. Hayato Suo had recently appeared in the top ten most handsome CEO’s worldwide list, and the picture hadn’t done him justice at all. His hair was a stunning shade of red, but paled in comparison to the jewel of his eye. He was tall, slightly broad, and looked impeccable. He stood out amongst the rich, with a slightly more Chinese traditional suit. He did read once that he was of mixed nationality - his mother was Chinese and his father was Japanese. Tasselled earrings brushed just the tip of his shoulder, which wasn’t something CEO’s wore at all, but they looked expensive. He wore an eyepatch shrouded in mystery; not even the most nosy journalists could uncover what secrets he held behind it.
Nirei couldn’t help but lower his gaze as they approached.
“Good morning.” Kiryu took the initiative with a pleasant greeting as he bowed in respect. Sugishita followed him seamlessly, and the blonde flight attendant rushed to join them.
“My name is Mitsuki Kiryu. I’m your pilot for today. This is Kyotaro Sugishita, who is my co-pilot and on my other side is Akihiko Nirei, who will be your personal attendant for today.”
His heart spiked a little at the sound of his name. They all straightened their posture, and he peeked underneath his lashes at the clients to gauge their reaction. He winced internally when he noticed a slight disapproving look from the older men at Kiryu’s appearance. This happened quite frequently, and if Kiryu wasn’t so talented and knowledgeable about what he did, the airline company most likely would have terminated him for his looks alone. Fukada didn’t seem so bothered by it, rather looking more inspired since he was from a younger generation and as for Suo-
Hayato Suo was staring at him.
What? Was there something wrong? Was his shirt not tucked in properly? Had his hair become unkept because of the wind? Or did he have a smudge on his face that he missed, whilst spending hours perfecting his image? It was a little uncomfortable being gazed at so intently, and it made his mind race with the worst-case scenarios. Had he already done something to offend the young Suo heir? God, had he already failed before even boarding the plane? Nirei forced himself to swallow and prayed that the ground would just eat him up and put him out of his misery.
“Good morning, as well,” Yamase spoke, and Nirei tore his gaze away from Suo as the old man extended his hand out.
“It’s a pleasure.” Kiryu smiled as he shook his hand. “Your safety is our top priority, and I’ll be glad to escort you on your journey today. If you need anything at all during your flight, please let us know.”
The old man seemed impressed by Kiryu’s professional demeanour, and Nirei wondered how he so effortlessly managed to charm others. He settled into the sidelines as he watched Kiryu and Sugishita exchange handshakes with the guests. It was a customary greeting nowadays, and one only carried out with the pilots, as it wasn’t a standard part of the service for flight attendants, nor was he at a status deserving of one. Once each passenger shook hands, they boarded the plane.
Suo was the last in the line, shaking hands firmly with Kiryu and Sugishita with a pleasant smile on his face. Suddenly, his single caught the eye of his. Nirei’s heart pounded like an offbeat drum as Suo closed the distance between them; each step echoed in his ear. His hand extended outwards, slender fingers looked refined and well-kept.
Huh?
The protocol dictated that he could only shake hands with clients if they initiated it. Nirei just didn’t think any of the clients would. It wasn’t very common at all, and he had heard from private flight attendants how annoying it was to be left out to the side whilst the pilots took the limelight. Ah, no, he shouldn’t be thinking about that now and keep Suo waiting! That would be rude.
Nirei slipped his hand into the surprisingly warm and gentle grip. His hand looked tiny compared to the young heir’s. His heartbeat was in his ears at this point, and everything around him was hazy.
“Nice to meet you.”
They made eye contact.
Ah, this close, he could see the different streaks of red in his good eye. He thought the CEO may have been wearing contact lenses, but this close, he could easily tell they were real. He’d never met anyone with red eyes before.
“N-Nice to meet you, too.”
Suo smiled at him, his hand lingered a little too long against his own, before he dropped it to his side and took a step back. At once, Nirei felt all the air rush back into his chest, and his hand tingled. Did he do that right? Was he acting weird? He definitely felt weird. He glanced at his colleagues - Kiryu’s eyes bounced between him and Suo with a curious gaze, while Sugishita seemed distracted by a bird flying high in the sky.
Nirei watched as Suo boarded the plane. He hadn’t realised how focused he was on the other until a slight touch to his shoulder startled him out of his trance.
“Everything okay?”
Kiryu frowned, a slightly worried expression on his face. His face burned knowing the other had noticed he was acting more unusually than normal.
“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” Nirei beamed and pushed a smile onto his face. “I’m ready. Let’s go!”
The pink-haired pilot didn’t quite look like he believed him, but decided not to push things further. The three of them boarded the plane, with Nirei being the one to shut the door firmly behind him.
“We’ll give you a couple of minutes for the safety briefing. If you need us for anything before takeoff, just let us know; otherwise, you know the drill.”
“Uhum, I’ve got it.”
When he heard the click of the cockpit door shutting, it hit him that he was truly on his own now. He couldn’t disturb Kiryu or Sugishita unless it was urgent, which meant the only one he could rely on was himself. Taking a deep breath, Nirei made his way to the cabin, instantly quieting the soft chatter happening amongst the clients.
“Hello, all. Welcome aboard.” Nirei bowed slightly. “I’ll be your host for today. If you need anything from me, please press the call button on the side of your seats. Breakfast will be provided shortly, but in the meantime, I have prepared some snacks and alcohol if you wish to partake in which I will distribute in a bit. Before we take off, I will give a small safety briefing should an emergency occur on the flight.”
This part came to him like second nature, having done the safety demonstration hundreds of times prior. It was slightly unnerving in front of a small number of guests, where all attention was clearly on him. He felt their eyes on him, trailing down his body, and it was a bit uncomfortable and stuffy. He tried to maintain eye contact with all of them during the demonstration and faltered a little whenever he glanced into a bright, reddish one. Once he was finished, he bowed again before he settled down into the jump seat after a couple of checks. He relaxed a little and patted his shoulder at not stuttering once!
Nirei held his breath once the plane took off, a little rocky at first before they gained altitude and flew above the clouds. The seatbelt sign switched off, and the blonde flight attendant immediately set to work. He placed his parfaits on a long tray and headed back to the cabin area with a peppy smile on his face.
“I hope you didn’t find it too bumpy at the start of today’s flight. Here are some complimentary parfaits, and if you have any particular requests for drinks, please let me know.”
“You’re quite diligent, aren’t you?” Nagato commented as he leaned forwards slightly.
The comment startled him, and a nervous laughter escaped his lips. “I guess so. This is just standard service carried out by flight attendants.”
Nagato whistled lowly and flicked his eyes briefly to Yamato. “But you seem especially enthusiastic. How long have you been working as a flight attendant?”
“About three years.”
“You must have quite a bit of experience then. I already feel much safer in your hands.”
“Thank you for the praise.” Nirei laughed. “But in all honesty, this is my first time servicing on a private flight. I’ve only done commercial ones, previously.”
“Is that so?” Nagato glanced at Yamato for a second before smiling at Nirei. “Then, we won’t cause you too much trouble today.”
That was odd. There was a tone in the old man’s voice that he couldn’t quite recognise. Nagato and Yamato exchanged glances again, Fukada was busy on his phone, and Suo was observing the scene with his mouth settled into a tight line. He looked irritated.
“Oh. Thank you, Nagato-san, I-”
“San?”
“Huh? Is something wrong?”
“Shouldn’t we be addressed as ‘sama’?”
For a second, his mind went blank, and he spurted out the first thought that came to his head,
“It’s customary and professional for us to address our clients with the ‘san’ honorific and-”
“That may be so, but this is a private flight, and we are of a more prestigious status. The correct way to address us is the ‘sama’ honorific.”
“I agree with that!” Fukada suddenly jumped into the conversation, finally off his phone and seemed incredibly amused. “We deserve an honorific befitting of our status.”
“I understand that, but our policy-”
“I don’t think your seniors will take kindly if we were to bring this up with them after this flight. It would be a shame since you’re such a diligent worker,” Yamato smoothly cut in.
Nirei swiftly clamped his mouth shut. The threat tightened around his neck. He had heard horror stories from other private flight attendants about how arrogant and demanding the more wealthy clientele was. Most of them have advised him to just go with it, since the seniors were more likely to believe the client’s account than his own. He only had to deal with the behaviour for a limited amount of time till the flight reached its destination. Kiryu had told him that if he ran into any problems such as this, he could notify him, but he didn’t want to bother him with such a trivial matter.
“Of course. I apologise for my blunder, Nagato-sama.”
The honorific tasted bitter on his tongue. Suo was the only client who didn’t contribute to the conversation, but it looked like his mood had worsened somehow. His red eye seemed to darken, latching onto his peers in a look he couldn’t recognise. That wasn’t good. Had he upset him so much by using the wrong honorific that he couldn’t even speak?!
“It’s no problem.” Nagato casually waved his hand and leaned on a fist, a satisfied smirk stretched across his face. “I’m happy we could come to this agreement.”
Nirei took a deep breath and forced a smile of his own, “Of course. Please enjoy your parfaits.”
Nirei handed the delicacy over to each of the wealthy men and noted down what they would like to eat for breakfast and any drinks they desired. All of them immediately requested the finest of alcohol - Nagato ordered Hibiki, Yamato ordered Yamazaki, and Fukada ordered sake. He took extra care to remember them, hoping not to tread on any more toes. As he reached Suo, the young heir held up a hand and smiled gently.
“Thank you for the complimentary dessert, but I will have to pass.”
The blonde man frowned slightly at the refusal. That was until he remembered reading somewhere that Suo was always on a strict diet. And, here he was offering a tempting sugar-loaded treat! Idiot!
“Oh, I’m sorry!” The apology spewed out of his mouth quickly. “I forgot you’re on a diet, aren’t you? I didn’t mean to offend you, Suo-sama.”
If only the other had been added to the passenger manifesto, he wouldn’t have made such a blatant mistake. Suo's eyes widened slightly at his words, and his hand gripped the armrests a little too tightly; his knuckles turned white.
“It’s fine.” The words were spoken slowly. “I didn’t expect you to know about my diet beforehand. Please enjoy the parfait in my stead.”
“Can I get you something else instead?”
“Do you have any tea on board?’
“We do. We have some Sencha, Gyokuro, or Hojicha available.”
“Hojicha would be perfect. Thank you.”
“Great. I’ll brew some up for you.”
Suo smiled appreciatively at him. The moment only lasted for a second before Fukada cut in. “You won’t be joining us for a drink?”
“Ah, Fukada-san, this is your first time meeting Suo-san, isn’t it?” Yamato asked, and the young CEO nodded his head before he continued. “In that case, the youngest Suo heir does not drink alcohol.”
“Like ever? Not even a little?”
“On special occasions, perhaps,” Suo mused as he leaned back on his chair. “But, I’m much more partial to tea.”
“It’s such a shame,” Nagato complained. “A drink is necessary when we have such fine entertainment on today's flight.”
The old man slowly and carefully trailed his eyes over the blonde man as he spoke.
Something unpleasant crawled up Nirei’s spine.
His mouth went dry. Should he say something? But words refused to leave his mouth, and his mind refused to come up with a response.
“Oh? Is that so? I was under the assumption that we were to spend our time on this flight discussing the upcoming charity event,” Suo cut in, his voice sounded innocent as he tilted his head. “I hope you weren’t planning to waste our time by drinking yourself into a stupor.”
The smile dropped from Nagato’s face quickly. Fukada snickered under his breath, and Yamato looked less than pleased by the obvious jab at his peer's character.
“Of course not, Suo-san.”
“Don’t you think we’ve dilly-dallied enough? Shouldn’t we get started then?”
The three other CEO’s looked less than enthusiastic but had no rebuttal to the redhead’s suggestion.
“I’ll take my leave, then.” Nirei bowed his head quickly, figuring this was his best time to escape and give them privacy with little opposition.
Once in the galley, he prepared the alcohol and tea, trying not to get distracted. This proved impossible when his mind kept replaying the earlier conversations. Something felt off. He was used to clients being rude to him, demanding more than he was capable of giving or verbally assaulting him. However, what had happened before didn’t fit into any of those categories.
“It’s such a shame,” Nagato complained. “A drink is necessary when we have such fine entertainment on today’s flight.”
What did he mean by that?
The blonde shook his head firmly. No. He couldn’t afford to entertain all these unnecessary thoughts. He had already made two mistakes and couldn’t risk adding another. His priority was to make sure his clients were happy and satisfied. That was what mattered. If he made a good enough impression, one of them could potentially reach out to his seniors and give outstanding feedback on his service. That was the leg he needed for his career and what he should strive for.
The next two hours of the flight went by without many issues. He served beverages to his guests throughout the time, but something wasn’t right. Every exchange of drinks brought a casual brush of fingers against his own that was unneeded. He couldn’t shake off the lingering stares as he worked, following his every move. Praises were spoken by lithe tongues that held a second meaning he couldn’t quite grasp. It felt like he was on display, and the glass to his enclosure was fractured.
The only exception was Suo, who was nothing but polite and professional.
Nirei cursed himself on why he was putting so much thought into this. It was just his nerves getting the better of him. He shouldn’t be overanalysing everything. He busied himself by preparing a Japanese-style breakfast selection of grilled fish, miso soup, vegetables and other assortment of side dishes. He brought them out one by one to the clients, carefully placing them down on the table to avoid any spillage.
Not a single one of them said thank you.
Suo had gently refused breakfast and asked him to brew some Sencha tea instead. Nirei carried the teapot and cup cautiously out on a tray.
As he bent down to place the beverage on the table, he suddenly felt a hand grope his ass and squeeze tightly.
“Ahh!"
A shout tore from his throat, and his balance tilted. He stumbled forward, his hip awkwardly hitting the table as the tray slipped from his grasp. Everything slowed down in his sight - the sound reaching his ears, the tray falling from his hands, and the slight widening of a single ruby eye. Suo’s hands shot out and swiftly caught the tea midair, causing only mild spillage on the tray and the table. Nirei’s breath was heavy, eyes wide and full of alarm. He spun around on instinct, catching the culprit redheaded.
Nagato smirked widely, Yamato shook his head, but an amused expression crossed his features, and Fukada was giggling hysterically, clutching his stomach and bent over.
Nirei’s face bloomed red in humiliation.
“Ah, my apologies.” Natago started, his voice anything but repentant. “But, you put yourself on such a full display, it was hard to resist a little touch. You don’t mind, do you?”
His tongue felt heavy like lead in his mouth. He’d never felt so disgusted in his whole life. Every nerve in his body was on edge, and his skin felt like it was on fire. He wanted to argue, to scream his lungs out on the rich asshole, but his voice refused to obey.
Nirei knew any sort of rebuttal would lead to a complaint from one of these men. He could get demoted, or even worse, fired. For the sake of his job, he had to persevere. He needed the extra money, and he doubted all private flights would have such cruel clients. He tried to stay positive even though all he wanted to do was to cry.
Nirei lowered his gaze in his submission as he began to speak, “I-”
His words cut off as Suo suddenly walked stiffly past him.
Nirei’s eyes widened as the redhead stopped right in front of Nagato, inches away from the old man. His face was blank, a cold look reflected in his single eye.
The old man scrunched up his face, annoyed to have his personal space breached. “Is something the matter, Suo-san?”
“Apologise.”
The single word echoed throughout the cabin.
“Me? Whatever for?” Nagato played innocently as he relaxed back on the chair. “I’ve done nothing.”
The young heir didn’t reply, which agitated Nagato more. His grey eyes flared with a challenge, but before he could continue his barking, Suo grabbed a hold of his wrist. He easily dragged the old man off the chair, holding his weight in just one hand, until the other was only a couple of inches away from his face.
Fukada’s eyes ballooned, sitting up straight, while Yamato’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“S-Suo-san!” Yamato’s voice was dire, but ended up being completely ignored by the young heir.
“Did your parents fail to teach you basic manners as a child?” Suo asked, voice heavy and mocking. “You of all people must know you shouldn’t touch people without their permission.” His eyes turned even colder as he continued. “I suppose not. I guess it’s up to me to teach you a lesson on the subject today.”
His red hair cast a dark shadow over his handsome features. Nirei had never witnessed something so cold before. A shiver ran up his spine, making his heart thump loudly in his chest as he watched.
Nagato’s previous smugness had all but evaporated as he winced as Suo tightened his grip. “It was a joke! A bit of fun between us! You shouldn’t take it so seriously.”
“I didn’t find it particularly amusing, and I doubt the flight attendant did either. But, by all means, please explain the ‘joke’. I’d like to find out what was so funny about it.”
Nagato’s face was starting to turn a mixture of red and blue as he tried to tug his hand out to no avail.
“Nagato-san. I’m waiting.”
“Fuck you!” the old man spat, the expletive full of viciousness that made Nirei flinch, but Suo simply tilted his head at it. “Wait until I tell your father about this-”
“Oh, I’m sure my father would love to hear all about this in the next tabloid. He’d particularly enjoy the part where he finds out that you’re a perverted old man who likes to grope people as a ‘joke’. I’m sure that will go down very well with my father.”
Nagato finally shut up, his face turned a pale colour as the threat settled in.
“Suo-san.” Yamato nervously licked his lips as he interrupted. “Must we go that far? This was all a big misunderstanding. I’m sure we can look past this since our companies work closely together. ”
Fukada rapidly nodded his head as he waved his hands. “A-Also, I had nothing to do with this! It was all these two old farts' ideas to grope him.” Yamato glared at him, but the younger CEO merely childishly stuck his tongue out at him.
“Your relations are with my father, not me.” Suo simply smiled, although there was no warmth to it. “Although I suppose that won’t be the case for long either. Of course, it won’t be a loss to us. Many other and better companies would jump to work with us in your stead.“
Yamato looked like he was going to vomit, Fukada was on the verge of a panic attack, and Nagato swallowed audibly. His struggle against Suo’s unforgiving grip worsened to no avail, his breath quickened, and the tension felt thick in the air. The air in the cabin felt frigid, goosebumps raised on the blonde’s freckled skin. What should he do? The situation was out of his control. He felt…helpless. A part of him was happy that Suo had stuck up for him when there had been no obligation to, but another part was scared by the redhead’s wrath.
“U-um, Suo-sama!” The words that blurted out of his mouth instantly gained Suo’s attention. “I-It’s okay. I-I’m sure Nagato-sama didn’t mean any harm… Please, it’s fine.”
It wasn’t. But, he couldn’t allow for an all-out fight to break mid-flight. Nirei had no idea how he’d be able to break it apart, nor how much trouble he’d get from the seniors.
“Hmmm, okay!” Suo’s voice was cheerful as he looked down at Nagato. “I guess that’s all for today’s lesson. I’m thinking that if you apologise, I might be able to look past this.”
This time, Nagato relented. His eyes slid from Suo and landed on Nirei. The look in his eyes was of wild desperation, like this was something he didn’t want to do, but he had no option otherwise.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have touched you. Please forgive me for my error.”
Nirei’s voice was quick as he replied. “I-It’s okay. You’re forgiven.”
“Well done.” Suo smiled brightly as he finally let go of Nagato’s wrist. A dark hand-shaped bruise had already flared up on his skin, and he clasped his hands together. “What have we learnt today? That we shouldn’t bother the flight attendant when he’s working hard at his job. Don’t you all agree with me?”
He waited until he got three firm yesses. Everyone fell silent; the only sound was the gentle hum of the plane’s engine. All gazed on the young heir, anticipating his next move after his rash retribution. Suo turned around, catching Nirei’s attention. The flight attendant straightened his back and wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers.
Suo took a slight step forward, not quite closing the distance between them, but a bit closer, more private. “Are you alright?”
The question was meant to soothe him after a horrific ordeal, but only served to make his stomach twist tightly in knots.
“Y-Yes, I’m fine.” Nirei’s gaze flickered at the other passengers, uncomfortable at being thrust into the limelight, but knowing he had to maintain a professional manner “I’ll head back into the galley. If you need anything, just press the call button.”
Suo smiled at him, gentle and warm. A lump formed in his throat. It felt as if every nerve in his body had been lit on fire, a sensation his body had never experienced. His legs felt weak, and he hoped he returned the smile. He wanted to thank the other, however knew that might escalate the situation again, so he bit his tongue.
Once he was back in the gallery, the blonde man collapsed against the wall. A hand shot up to clutch his unsteady heartbeat. What was that? A flash of Suo’s smile crossed his mind, highlighted in a bright hue. Somehow, his heart raced faster. Was he having a heart attack? Is that possible?
His painful reprieve was short-lived. The door to the cabin opened, and Kiryu’s head popped out. His eyes ran over Nirei, a flicker of worry flashed through them, before a cheerful smile spread on his face,
“Nirei-chan? Everything okay?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure!”
Kiryu tilted his head, “Are you sure? I heard a bit of commotion, so I wanted to check everything was okay.” His tone wasn’t accusatory, but full of concern instead.
“N-No,” Nirei frantically shook his hands, “Everything is truly fine. Thank you for looking out for me. The passengers have just gotten their breakfast, so I’ll check up on them again in a bit. I’ll actually prepare yours and Sugishita-san too.”
He couldn’t let them find out. Kiryu had always been overprotective with his flight attendants, women and men, and Sugishita despised anyone who hurt others. Both were forces to be reckoned with and would want to enact their own sense of justice. Except that would cause problems with their seniors, their reputation, the airline company, with everything. And, he would be the cause of it.
“Okay…” Kiryu definitely didn’t believe him but relented with a grin, “Can you make me pancakes? I’ve been craving them for days. I’m sure we got the ingredients for them.”
“Sure! I can do that.”
“Aww, thank you, Nirei-chan! You’re the best!”
Nirei laughed a little at the compliment, cheeks flushing. He felt a little bit better, and the turmoil in his mind eased. Only a little. Once Kiryu left, Nirei quickly glanced at his watch.
He couldn’t wait until they landed in Hong Kong.