"Forty minutes to go," Glenn explained, glancing at the phone clock. As time passed, more and more people arrived.
Inside the huge establishment, the staff was still getting ready to serve. The banquet must come out perfect because it would involve not only Japanese rich people, but also many foreign visitors.
"Do you speak English well?" asked Glenn as they approached the entrance. "I reckon we could use it tonight."
Ryou nodded positively.
As they got closer to the building, the gentlemen were met by a woman on the steps near the entrance. She stood quietly with her personal guards, waiting patiently for the keepers to arrive.
"There's the orderer," Glenn winked in a low voice, and moved close to the woman standing on the last steps.
Finally, the woman's gaze reached the dark-eyed fellow. She measured Glenn's gaze and soon crossed over to Ryou, who stood slightly behind. The red dress, whose neckline exposed the thin woman's right leg, matched her slender body perfectly, as if the master himself had chosen her outfit. Red lips painted with lipstick and a pair of rejuvenating makeup gave grace to her seemingly tough personality.
And also two tall guards in black, silently carrying out every order of their overlord, stood slenderly beside her presence, showing the seriousness of this woman.
"Is that you Daisuke cavaliers?" she spoke importantly at last, and with her peaceful but stern tone of voice roused Ryou. The guy couldn't have known how different her simple intonation and approach to her choice of speech was from the usual, street-smart one.
"Right," Glenn replied with a frozen smile, and the woman mused.
"You're too young for this kind of work. But may you look noteworthy and clean-cut, as befits a gentleman."
"We are grateful. Deign to introduce yourself, my name is Glenn Zaliman."
"Ryou Hayashi," he bowed his head following Glenn.
"Hmm, Hayashi? Or... is Ryou a last name? Ah, nevermind..." the woman perplexedly animated, and carefully ran her gaze over him. Finally, uncertainty formed on her face, and she soon dismissed unnecessary ideas. "Anyway, okay. I am Sakura Ichijo. This evening you will serve as our heart and shield. My younger sister has also arrived with me."
"But where is she?"
"You know..." stammered Sakura, staring excitedly at the dark car that was in the parking lot. "Here's the thing."
The security guard, opening the passenger door of this car, waited impersonally while a thin foot in long shoes awkwardly climbed out of the interior, and then a girl whose look was similar to Sakura's, but whose face seemed much younger. She unaggressively told the guard not to touch her, and looked like an untouchable to him.
"Himeno can't stand tall and broad men," Sakura agreed. "That's her fear, born from infancy. All because of her short stature."
Dressed in an emerald-colored sequined dress, the girl gave off a very different vibe from her sister: a slightly shy face, but slender steps rallied her sense of courage, offset by a youthful, girlish look confused the boys.
Indeed, the sisters revealed similarities, but only visual ones. Their eyes, uniforms, and affectionate gaze converged and accompanied their decency, but Himeño lacked calm and firmness. The younger, 22-year-old sister seemed like a girl influenced by her family's status at the sight of her older sister. From the manner of Sakura's speech, the 29-year-old established woman without a second thought, the boys thought she was only interpreting important things and took the tone of her life in stride.
"Are you the keepers?" asked an incoming Himeno, hesitating. The girl was hesitant, but she didn't give up hope for the best. Eventually both young men nodded closedly, and the girl's face brightened with joy. "What luck, and you're my age... I didn't sign the form for nothing, then!" she finished, sighing with weariness.
The banquet began. The inside of the building met all the guys' expectations: luxurious decorations and architecture in the style of the Italian Renaissance and curtains, combined red and beige, covered the walls with their grandeur. The far edge of the great hall contained a fountain with statues of three children near a tree, one of whom was a girl, and near this statue rose a snow-white staircase leading to the next floor, where there were tables.
Himeno held onto Glenn's elbow with childlike contentment, while Sakura held onto Ryou's. Ryou could somehow manage the gazes of the people who were randomly pointing back and forth, but it was Sakura's presence that put even more pressure on him. It was as if there was a nobility around her without frills, something Ryou had never encountered before. He wondered to himself why she paired him if there were guards and only Himeno insisted on personal gentlemen.
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The two pairs approached the center of the banquet in the main hall in undivided synchronicity, yet they remembered to keep some distance between them so as not to look typical in the eyes of the upper class. This idea had originally appeared in Sakura's mind, and it was her duty to appear worthy of her status. Ryou, who was squinting at those present, noticed that the Japanese people were not the only ones in the room. He thought to himself that those present were from all branches of the business world. Glenn and Ryou looked more than respectable, giving the women the same reliable support. The banquet was businesslike, covered with the noise of people talking among themselves from every seat.
Sakura was greeted by a middle-aged man with blond hair and a European appearance. Being of medium height, a woman of about the same age as Sakura walked beside him. Ryou guessed from their friendliness that they knew each other. After greeting Sakura in English, the man measured Ryou standing beside her with blue eyes.
"Who's the guy next to you?" came from his lips in a low and unstringent voice that made Sakura shudder imperceptibly.
"That's my young man," Sakura replied in an English accent, and Ryou shook hands with the man in a gentlemanly manner.
"Ryou Hayashi."
Tracing the manner of Ryou's hand movements and entire body, they noticed 20th century Western etiquette in them, which was rare even in current Europe. Gentlemanliness as an honorable image of a man had long been forgotten. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.
"Elliot Breeze," the man replied admiringly to the prim and unflappable young man. "I shall confess, Sakura, this is the first time I have ever seen such a thing. Alas, Hayashi-kun, deign to ask, how old are you?"
"Eighteen years old," Ryou added, and they were literally stunned. It seemed to them that the young man could have been in his twenties by his adult appearance, but by no means eighteen. Ryou's gaze did not appropriate childish manners.
"After all, Sakura, I'm surprised at your discernment. For the sake of the banquet, you've cooked up a real phenomenon! You never cease to baffle me."
"It's nothing..." caught Sakura's breath, covering her mouth in confusion. To herself, though, she wondered about the young man's age. A kind of doubt crept into her, and she still couldn't figure out who Ryou really was. Giving up her foolish thoughts, the woman accepted the present and reluctantly admired his etiquette.
With further humble conversation between Elliot and Ryou, she became convinced that the guy had all the appropriate manners for a true gentleman, and completely relieved the pressure, once again showing herself to be a graceful rose at the sight of the others.
"Well done, Hayashi-kun," Elliot added with a hearty chuckle. "I suggest we stop being serious and switch to Japanese."
"I suggest you get off the guy with your questions, too," sounded a tease from Sakura, and Elliot opened up even more.
"I understand. After all, I haven't seen you in over a year, Sakura," he shrugged, and soon glanced over with impassive eyes at Himeno, who was glistening with a smile, talking to other people nearby. "Himeno still looks innocent. I remember she shined brightest as a baby too, dazzling everyone around her."
"At the moment, she has finally taken her first step into the family business. Even fools like her can eventually start thinking with their heads."
"I'm glad she's doing well. I feel like a father in front of her."
Ryou remembered Sakura's words about Himeno, that in a business organization her communication didn't seem so important and firm. Now the young man realized-Himeno had not previously set foot in the family business, wanting to advance on her own, with her own personal goals. He preferred to think of Himeño as a girl similar to him in some respects.
"But she knows the value of conversation, and despite her familiarity, she will be able to stand up for herself in conversations with important people."
"Really?" relieved Elliot at Sakura's words, and giggled childishly, covering his mouth. "I'm going to go greet her," he motioned to Hymeno when Sakura politely agreed. The woman beside him walked off after him.
After a brief silence, which Ryou and Sakura devoted to watching Elliot and Himeno joyfully embrace in what from the outside seemed like a long-awaited father-daughter reunion, Sakura sighed, slumping her firm shoulders.
"Elliot is the head of an important business organization in the United States. He has known my and Himino's father for a long time, and so there is a closeness and affection between us. We'll meet lots of people like that, but they won't be so friendly anymore. So please don't slow down your pace."
"Okay."
Sakura thought within herself that it was striking to have such qualities of communication at his age, for Ryou's mannerisms were appealing in their firmness and bulkiness.
Meanwhile, an hour had passed since the banquet began, and Glenn and Ryou were at the counter, and Ryou was pouring grape juice into his glass glass. Stuck to the edge of the counter, Glenn silently held the half-poured glass and looked up with lifted eyes at the bulky chandelier hanging firmly on the top floor.
"These girls are adorable; they're obviously more tired than we are, but they don't show it," Glenn declared, twisting the wrist of the hand with which he held the glass."There are people gathered here from all over the world. It must be hard for them to find common ground with the giants of their business."
Ryou, without removing his frown from the full glass in his hand, said:
"Hime-no-chan is like a fawn among wolves and lynxes. But despite her naivety and cuteness, she is still a person in their family organization. Here's what I think, Glenn-kun: we're needed here to give her more confidence around these bobcats and wolves, and to accompany her on her journey to join the big leagues. That's why Sakura-chan trusted us in the beginning, because she only wishes her little sister happiness."
"I hope you're right."
"But you knew, or at least guessed. Didn't you?"
"No, I had no idea," Glenn blurted out in a satisfied smile. "But I'm happy for you, Ryou-kun, you did great."
"That's enough," embarrassed Ryou clutched his mouth open and crossed his arms. "We have two more hours."