Chapter Text
Yūta had only recently returned from abroad after years of living away, and Satoru had already involved him in matters he didn't want to deal with, such as his current situation.
Satoru was over forty years old, and one would think his family would have given up trying to marry him off and thus benefit themselves and the group, but they were only trying in vain. In fact, Satoru had already announced on more than one occasion that he would never marry, much less have children. That declaration had even landed his grandfather in the hospital. But his determination only made the attempts to persuade, convince, or force him even more hopeless. Of course, none of that seemed to bother Satoru at all.
«Yūta-kun~, you must come back. You're the only rational one in this family.»
Moved (or perhaps blackmailed) by his cousin's request, Yūta returned to Japan as asked, much to the displeasure of his mother, who hadn't been able to get him to do so for years, and Satoru, with a simple phone call, had made it happen.
But Yūta hadn't even been there two days, and he already regretted it.
"Wipe that look off your face, it's just a casual little meeting. It's important to establish contacts and close relationships with prominent people," Satoru said with a smug smile and a know-it-all tone.
"And why should I be the one to do it? As far as I know, you're the one the family wants to establish a close relationship with through marriage to her—or whoever is convenient, right?"
Yūta didn't know the young woman his cousin was supposed to meet, but he was well aware of her family's influence.
"Why not? You're perfect for it. You see, she's too young for my liking. I assure you we don't have much in common, and there won't be anything to talk about."
Although the young woman was closer in age to Yūta than to Satoru, Yūta doubted that it would prevent his cousin from meeting her, as he had said at least as a mere formality.
"I understand you're not interested. If you prefer, I can change the meeting, and instead of her... how about her brother? He's older than her, but he's a jerk. Still, if that's your preference, then..."
"You know that's not what I meant!" he retorted urgently, embarrassed by the implication. It frustrated him that Satoru was having fun at his expense. His face felt hot.
Satoru's excuse was that Yūta needed to network. Still, a trendy café (a typical date spot) and his meeting with the girl were obvious: he intended to use him as a replacement in his family's desperate game of forging a marriage alliance.
"Did you ask me to return to Japan just to use me as a replacement?"
"Not at all."
"Satoru..."
"Could you do me this favor? It's just a formality. I can't refuse the meeting. And she's pretty, but too young, and you know I prefer older women." Satoru smiled mischievously, giving him a wink that seemed to bounce off a sparkle. Yūta didn't play along. "Of course, I'm interested in bringing that young woman's family into my new business, but not through marriage."
"Yes, but the family—"
"I promise you, little cousin, I've never had any interest in playing the family game or giving in to their demands," the man offered him a bright smile. Yūta looked at him doubtfully, even with a touch of distrust. He seemed sincere, but Satoru was a man far too shrewd. "Our Group is one of the most important; our family, and more than anyone, me. How could I permanently tie myself to something that only benefited me a little? Marriage simply isn't worth it."
Yūta understood what his cousin was saying. He knew him, and Satoru wasn't someone he considered marriage material. Satoru did what he wanted, when he wanted, and he wouldn't trade his freedom and unattached life for short-term gain. Satoru was powerful enough to live as he pleased.
Yūta, on the other hand, had neither the position nor the means to do the same as his cousin if his family demanded it. That's why it unnerved him that Satoru seemed to be pushing him under the bus.
His unspoken worries must have been noticeable to the man, because Satoru only snorted with a hint of amusement as he ruffled Yūta's hair—an act that, when he was a child, had cheered him up, but now their heights weren't so different, and Yūta wasn't so gullible anymore.
"Trust me," Satoru said, but Yūta looked at him with clear distrust. He spoke calmly. "How about we do this: you just go, introduce yourself, and exchange greetings; you know, ask about her life, and if she makes a good impression, you can stay a while longer. But if, on the contrary, she doesn't interest you or you find her unpleasant, then you compliment her, and after half an hour, you get up, pay the bill, and say goodbye. After that, you're free to return to Australia, America, or wherever you were, okay?"
It sounded coherent and straightforward, which made it all the more suspicious. Nothing was ever that easy with his cousin. Satoru must be Yūta's favorite person in his family after his sister, but that was no reason to omit the truth about his cousin. Satoru was incredibly good at manipulating and deceiving others. Yūta eyed him cautiously, hoping he wasn't wearing sunglasses so he could discern his true intentions through his gaze and decipher what he was really planning.
After a few moments, Yūta nodded slowly in agreement. Trying to follow and understand Satoru's intentions always left him exhausted.
"Fine..."
"Perfect!"
"But I'll only be there for a little while. I'll also explain that I'm not interested and that I'm only there out of courtesy."
"Of course! If you don't like her, you can go your separate ways. No consequences. No regrets."
"You owe me one."
"Ah, cousin, I think it'll be the opposite."
Satoru's smile remained, but a slight unease enveloped Yūta. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something more in his cousin's words and gestures: like a secret and the anticipation that came with it.
Suddenly, Yūta had a feeling that he wouldn't get away with it as easily as Satoru promised.