A/N: First fanfic in this community. Let's see how this goes.

Her heart fluttered nervously as she stood before the last flight of stairs that led to the school roof. Slow deep breaths calmed her down most of the way. She had to do this in one shot.

Final checks. Uniform? Ironed and straight. Hair? Naturally down except for the little bow hairclip that was on the left side of her head. Makeup? Not too much, hopefully.

Action. She slowly traversed up the steps, appearing as demure and timid as she could. At the top was the roof door. She yanked the rusted metal open, internally wincing as the joints screeched and bent. When she stepped out the light was almost blinding.

And there he was, leaning on the railing, the waist high bars the only thing separating him and the steep drop below. He turned at the sound of the roof door, and looked directly at her.

She stood there and gaped. Her senpai stood not 20 meters away from her now, his full attention on her. She mustered up her courage and walked over, careful not to seem as if she were mad.

"Sekigawa-san? What did you need me for?" He asked her as she neared.

Remember, just like you practised. "U-u-uh-hmm, Shiba-senpai. W-w-w-" just spit it out already. "WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?!" She yelled and bowed deeply. It was such a cliche move, but that was all she had.

She stayed in that position, fists clenched, trembling, waiting for an answer. As he was about to answer they were cut off.

"CUT!" The director held his face with his right palm. The crew that held reflectors and other equipment remained in position, ready for another run. "Yukimura-san. There needs to be more emotion in your delivery, more desperation, more... passion. Sekigawa has been in love with her senpai since well, forever. I don't really feel that when you talk."

Akari Yukimura. A rising star among rising stars. She had started only five years ago, at the young age of 17, and yet she had attained a huge following of fans and admirers. She listened intently to the director. "I'm sorry. I'll perform better next time."

"That next time's going to have to be tomorrow. The light's ruined now." The director stared at the lowering sun. It was only 4:00 PM, but he was known for his precise attention to continuity and detail. If a scene is meant for noon, it must be shot before the sun makes the shadows too long.

Akari grabbed a water bottle from the catering table they had set up on the abandoned school roof. When she saw her co-star walk over she threw him one as well.

"Good work today, Ryuunosuke-san." She said to him.

"Yeah, you too." The soft spoken, six foot model-turned-actor said back. Akari liked working with him. Mellow, down-to-earth, quiet. She made her way down the rusty steps, repainted by the crew to make it look more like a school in use. 20 minutes later she walked out to her car, now dressed in a white blouse and skirt. The ride was uneventful, mostly consisting of her agent dictating her schedule over the next two or three days. Akari had no comment. She took out her phone, parted her hair, and raised her head to take a quick selfie. She haphazardly slapped on a random filter and posted it to Instagram with some random caption. Some parts of fame were tiring to Akari, the constant need to be present on some sort of social media was one of them.

"Ah, yes, Yukimura-san." Her agent cut in again when she was stepping out. "Your parents would like to speak with you tonight over dinner. You should be free then. Should I pencil it in?"

Akari sighed. There wasn't anything that she could do to take a rain check, and it had been a while since she had actually answered a request from them. "I supposed I need to talk with Mummy and Daddy once in awhile." She said before closing the door and entering the apartment building. It was a swanky affair, with the feel of a hotel coming from every floor. She was in a penthouse, with a view over a bunch of Tokyo.

To say that Akari didn't like her parents was an understatement. Her whole family ran a huge business conglomerate called the Yukimura Group, her sister, Aguri, was in line for taking over the entire group. Akari guessed she was lucky. She could go off and pursue a career in acting instead of business school like her sister. That wasn't to say that her parents approved. They wanted to control her life, "look out for her," as they always said. Akari sighed as she unlocked the door to her apartment. At least with a stable job and plenty of offers she could live independently of her parents' money. She could remember how she started out, groveling on the floor in front of producers and directors to give her a job, any job. She was one of the lucky ones. A talent scout noticed her during an audition and took her under their wing.

Her living quarters were not small by any measure. It was a four room open concept space with a spacious outside balcony. Living alone emphasized the sheer amount of space further. It was sparsely decorated, a simple couch and coffee table facing opposite her T.V in the living room, and a small kitchen with an island tucked away in the corner of the dining room, adorned almost exclusively with stainless steel.

Akari left the majority of her makeup on for dinner later that night. No point re-applying it later. She crossed the living room to the balcony door, checking the lock on the door in case someone had broken in. It had happened before, and Akari proactively took self-defense classes afterwards in case something like that happened again. She smirked and recalled how much she ached after holding katas for hours and being thrown around like a stuffed toy by her peers. But it was worth it, not only to show off but for many other things like keeping in shape and meditation as well.

Satisfied with the state of the lock Akari returned to the couch and looked for a show she had been binge-watching over the last few weeks. There were about two hours to kill before she had to show up back home.

"I honestly do think we should reconsider her offer, Karen." Tobio Yukimura said to his wife. They sustained a conversation in between collaborating to make a meal together. It had been almost a year since they had seen Akari, and they had committed to making a family meal themselves, without help from the staff.

"I don't think we can, dear. Most of the other clans think of Aki-chan to be a blemish on our name. Disrespecting our wishes and whatnot. Even if we don't think much of it, others do. There's not exactly a lot of people lining up to court her." Karen paused to drizzle a bit more rice wine onto the frying steaks, flipping them over once more, "Who knows if we'll get another chance at this."

"Why not let her choose for herself?" Tobio replied, "God knows how much she hates us for hovering over her all those years. At least with this, she should choose someone she loves."

"Since when did we ever marry for love?" Karen grinned at her husband. They could barely stand each other on the day of their engagement. Of course, they grew closer to each other over the years. Her face returned to a serious state soon after. "We're members of a massive business conglomerate that has to expand and connect to survive. 'Those who give their lives to gain and maintain power do not have the luxury to love'."

"You're quoting her already?" Tobio chuckled dryly.

"It's not like we're going to be throwing her into this blind. We know that the boy seems decent enough. Besides, we're going to have to make some concessions anyways. I think we can talk her into at least a date."

"You're going to have to explain that to Mrs. Shiota then, Karen." He moved the carrots he had been chopping into a bowl. Several new band-aids now adorned his fingers from the prep work he had been put up to.

"That means it's going to be on you," Karen coyly pointed at him with a finger, uncumbered by bandages as his was, "to break this to her."

Tobio sighed dramatically. He would be the one facing his daughter's anger.

Akari stared into her foggy bathroom mirror. A hot shower smelling of roses and sandalwood left her skin with a faint flush and a light scent of flowers. She mulled over what her parents could have called her back for. Birthdays? No, Onee-san's was last month, and there isn't anyone I know with a birthday within the week. Were they calling her back? Unlikely. Ever since I left home Mum and Dad had been unnaturally forgiving with my living arrangements. Had someone died? No, there's not many people who were really close to me that my parents knew about, and anyone that would require my presence could be discussed about over the phone. So why? It wasn't a holiday, no special events, and she definitely wasn't called back because they were worried.

"Akari Yukimura, what on earth are you doing?" Her mother stood in the doorway, legs akimbo, arms crossed, and face in questioning anger at the suitcase opened up on the bed. "Saiga-sensei has been waiting downstairs for over an hour."

"I'm not going, Mother." Akari threw another sundress into the suitcase, one of a pair of twins. The other was filled to the brim with toiletries, money, contacts, and valuables, and leaned against a pillar of the huge four-poster bed. "I'm leaving home."

"What are you talking about, Aki-chan? Leaving? Leaving for where? Come on darling, after your violin lessons we'll be going to a gala ball. We'll have to get a dress ready for y-"

"No, Mom. I'm leaving home. I'm done with this, I don't want all, all THIS." Akari waved her arms at the opulence of her room, and of her life in general. "I don't want you hovering over me, controlling me like a puppet for the rest of my life! I'm twenty now, Mom. I'm old enough to vote, to get a job, and move out."

"Are you sure you can stay out there? Without us, would you have any money, any food, a house? Besides, we only do this because we care about you." Karen switched to a softer tone.

"Do you? Do you really? Do you ever, EVER, ask me about what I want? About what I want to do? Or are you just trying to choose for me, to make into your own little doll to manipulate?" Akari fell from her anger as quickly as it came over her. "The agency offered me a job and a contract. I'll be fine for money and shelter for a few years."

Akari could see her mother mulling it over. She mumbled something under her breath and sighed. The face that Akari saw next surprised her.

Her mother looked at her wistfully, eyes suddenly sad and lonely. "At least, at least leave tomorrow morning. I'll go tell your father." And with that the matriarch of the Yukimura Group shuffled away.

What?! Akari thought to herself. Her mother wasn't going to punish her. She wasn't being thrown out. No. For the first time since… well, as long as she could remember, she could leave her parents and go out on her own. What in the world is going on?

Akari took public transportation to her childhood home. Even with her paycheck owning a car and caring for it was too much of a burden for the twenty-two year old actor. Maybe when I become really famous. She shook that thought out of her head. She was under no illusion about the nature of the acting business. She would most likely get small roles for years, maybe for the rest of her career, before it might pan out into larger, more well known roles. Right now she was doing side characters, the Friend A that gets a little bit of screen time, the cop who never really gets their backstory fleshed out. Her role as Sekigawa Shino was possibly her biggest yet.

And I'm failing at it miserably. Sekigawa was supposed to be this lovestruck girl trying to ask out her childhood friend. She had idolized and adored her Senpai since they were young. As cliche as the plot was Akari could see the amount of raw emotion and depth that had been written into the character. She cried, she loved, and she learned from mistakes. Over the course of two seasons she had changed from a fangirl-like admirer to someone that her senpai loved back.

Akari, on the other hand, had never felt love in the flesh. There were the occasional temporary, flavour of the month crushes, and the occasional fling, but she never really felt the level of commitment or desire that everyone else seemed to feel for their lovers. Feeling that strongly about someone had never really occurred to Akari.

The bus stopped off at a small stop in the countryside. From there there was a long trek for about twenty minutes before she finally reached the front gates. She took the shorter scenic trails through the forest rather than follow the winding main road. She thought back to the hikes that she went on as a teen, exploring the unusually dense forest. It was her form of stress relief, to walk amongst nature, to feel it around her.

While still in the Tokyo area, there were many places in the western towns that held large communities and buildings. The home of the co-heads of the Yukimura group was one of these. A japanese style villa nestled in the hills of rural Nishitama, it took up a large amount of land, with a total of two main buildings and a third guest house. Built on the land which was once an outer military fortress from medieval times, the layout for the buildings was kept the same, although amenities like pools, sand gardens, archery ranges, and stables had been added in over the years. It had a very, very traditional vibe to it, and almost everybody that came in was expected to wear traditional clothing. Even though she came over with a simple T-shirt and pants, her backpack held a simple yukata.

She first heard the soft gurgling of the ponds long before she could make out the front gates. Akari jogged the last stretch, coming out on the side of the main road. She could feel her apprehension build as she neared the buzzer.

"State your business." She heard moments after the buzzer rang. A gruff, gravelly voice answered her call.

"The Master and Mistress are expecting me." Although Akari wasn't a resident of the house anymore, she could have easily have gotten access by dropping her name. No, it was more like she didn't WANT to use it anymore. "I have a dinner meeting at 9:00 pm." She checked her watch. 8:45. Bless the power of bullet trains.

"Hmm, I don't see a dinner appointment here, what's your name?"

Akari hesitated for a moment. Should she tell him? No, there was a better way to deal with this.

"If I were you, I wouldn't keep a guest of the Yukimura group waiting at the door, minutes before a prescribed meeting." If there was one thing that Akari took from her life as a business socialite, it was how to act haughty and important. "You can buzz them and ask directly."

"And I shall." He snipped back at her over the intercom. Was the security always this rude to people?

"Yes madam, sorry to interrupt, but there's someone at the main door, a young woman. Black hair, T-shirt and jeans, looks like she just hiked through the woods. Saying something about a dinner appointment. Should I send them away? … No? ... Prepare for you to go to the gate?"

Akari smirked as she almost heard the guard blanch over the phone conversation. She reveled in the rushed apology the man gave her.

About five minutes later Akari heard the hard pit-pat of geta sandals coming from beyond the main gate. She got up from the side of the wall she had been leaning on. The Mongolian Oak door creaked as it opened, even though it was aided by electric winches on the sides. Akari suddenly faced her own visage, although more aged and wise in her years.

"Mother." She curtly addressed the bearer of her life with clipped professionalism.

Karen's gaze softened at her daughter's cold display. "Don't be like that, honey. We're family, aren't we?"

"Why did you call me?" She just wanted to get to the point. Akari worried for a moment as her mother looked apprehensive.

"Let's talk over dinner." Her mother turned on her heel and beckoned for her to follow.

Little had changed over the two years that Akari had left home. The flower arrangements had definitely changed, and so had a few of the screen panels, but most of the lighting and furniture remained in their original positions, as if waiting, frozen in time for her return. They entered one of the side rooms, not their usual dining room. In there sat Akari's father and a short table with quite a bit of food. She herself had changed into the floral print yukata, the soft cotton fitting over her like a second skin even after two years. All three of them knelt down before the table by a table setting.

"Itadakimasu," they said in unison before quietly starting their meals.

"How's work?" Akari's father tried to start up conversation in between bites.

Akari shrugged. "Fine."

"Are you okay on money? Food? Medicine? We can help y-"

"I'm fine, Dad." Akari let slip a tone of annoyance into her voice. There was no way she was going to be indebted to her parents again. "I don't need your help." Or your suffocating care.

"Good, good. That's good." Her dad mumbled. He was hiding something. He always mumbled non-committedly whenever he had a secret to keep.

"Have you found anyone nice yet?" Her mother chirped in, obviously trying to divert attention.

"No, not really. With my schedule there's almost no time for me to go out." A lie, completely boldfaced. She had plenty of time some weeks due to her shooting schedule usually being crammed on Tuesday through Thursday, but her parents asked the same thing every time they saw her. "Have you settled down yet?" "Are you dating someone?" "Is there someone you like?". It was always on the top of their things to ask, and Akari had no idea why. But this time was suspicious. They looked as if they were treading on eggshells, talking to her. She was halfway through her steak when she decided to nip this in the bud.

"What did you really call me here for?" A family dinner was nice, but it definitely wasn't the reason. Nee-san wasn't here and her parents looked like they had guns to their heads.

"Alright then." Her father looked sullen as he placed down his bowl and chopsticks. Almost as if he enjoyed them playing family. When he looked back up his gaze was direct and businesslike.

"We've recently received an offer from a second business conglomerate, one that rivals our own."

"What does your business have to do with me?" Akari questioned. Internally her heart fell to her stomach. At this point, there was only one reason she would be involved with her parents' business.

"They have asked for your hand in marriage to one of their own."

"What?!" She got up, shaking the table and utensils. "You did what now?!"

"We didn't do anything." Her mother said, trying to calm her daughter down.

"Oh god, ohhh god, please don't tell me you guys accepted. I'm not going to let you make my decisions for me." She started pacing around the room. It was rude, but she had other priorities other than her demeanour.

"NO! No, no. We didn't accept it yet. We wanted to to tell you first."

"Tell me FIRST?! Then you were trying to accept! I can't believe you two! I'm not interested in your games of power. I'm not going just stand by while you sell me off like a piece of fucking meat! My answer is no. You can go tell whoever it is to go stuff it. I'm not interested in marrying some random person." Akari made for the door. How dare they? How DARE they do that to her?

"We, we can't do that, dear." Her father called out to her. What did they want now? What could they say that could make up for this?

"The Shiota group owns many companies in the fields of entertainment and marketing. They also own the agency that has hired you."

Akari turned around in shock.

"They said that if this offer doesn't go through they would terminate your contract, and make it nigh impossible for any other company to hire you." Her father returned to his somber state of speech.

"That-that's illegal, isn't it?" Akari stuttered, frozen in thought. I could lose everything. "Y-you can sue them, can't you?"

"It wouldn't help. They can just drag out the case with their legal team for years. By the time the case can even have a conclusion in sight your contract would be long over. I'm sorry honey." He got up as well and embraced his daughter. Akari simply let it happen. Her father had years dealing with business transactions and lawsuits, both on behalf of himself and the conglomerate. If he said that it was impossible to back out without Akari losing her job, then that was that. Acting was the only thing that Akari had that was her own. There was no way that she was going to let anyone take that away from her, even if it meant this agreement.

"So… did you?" She trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air for them to respond.

"No, we didn't." Her mother licked her lips momentarily, "We agreed to a trial relationship before the engagement is made formal. It's more of a pretense or delaying the inevitable rather than testing anything, but it'll at least get you comfortable with him."

"Have you at least met him?" Akari was distant, acting on autopilot at this point. She had never even felt love for someone, and yet here she was, getting married to a man she never knew.