An Old Friend's Visit

Jackie sighed gloomily for the

hundredth time that day as he recalled today's events. He looked at the dark, cloudy sky through the glass windows of his presidential suite and sighed again. How he wished to be with his precious Sarah right now. Should I have been with my baby girl now if not for this stupid weather, he thought bitterly. All the available flights to Georgia including the one he had booked had been cancelled due to the stormy weather so he had no choice but to stay here in London for the time being.

"I don't get it, why do they have to make such a fuss about a sprinkle of rain?", he grumbled. Wasn't the sky clear about five minutes ago?

"Don't worry Jackie", he comforted himself. "This puny rain can't stop you from being with your beloved daughter. I'm sure it will all go away by any minute now. That's right! It'll go away and you'll be able to see the clear blue sky again."He then laughed.

It was if Mother Nature had heard him that it thundered loudly and the winds began to blow fiercely as heavy rain poured down from the sky.

Looks like he was really stuck here...

"Saraahh!!!", he sobbed loudly. "My poor bahy girl! Forgive me, Daddy can't make it home today!!"

Dave was standing near the door of the room where Jackie was having one of his waterworks fiesta in. He sweatdropped, his boss was too emotional when it came to his daughter. If he were to compare to him in a meeting to now in this state of his, he would've thought that they were two completely different people had it not been for working beside him for years. The last time he even heard that his boss made the new interns wet their pants when he called them in the office. This side of him contrasts too much with his 'professional' self. Oh well... Boss is a strange person. Least he pays me well.

*click clack, click clack*

The sound of stiletto heels hitting the floor could be heard from down the hallway. Agnes... wonder what's the matter?, thought Dave.

"Hey Dave, is boss in there?", asked Agnes while approaching him.

"Uhh.. can't u hear him?", Dave pointed to the room where loud wails could be heard.

"Another one of his waterworks fiesta huh?"

"Yep,so why're u here? I clearly remember that you were going to meet your son and husband this afternoon. Something came up?", he questioned throwing her a worried glance.

Agnes shook her head. "No, I'll be meeting up with them soon enough after I've told him CEO Ren came to pay him a visit."

"Oh I see, CEO Ren... he's a bigshot there in Japan. To think that he'll personally come to visit boss. Do you think that he's in the mood with socializing people right now though? He seems pretty down at the moment."

"I can see that but it won't hurt to inform him about it either", she replied. "I'm gonna go now."

"Alright, do you need scuba diving gear you know just in case its real flooded in there?", he asked in a serious yet playful tone.

"Knock it off", she snorted releasing a short giggle thereafter.

Agnes walked into the room. "Sir, there's someone here to meet you-", she paused as she saw her boss's miserable state. My, he really is in a bad state... "I'm sorry for disturbing you sir but CEO Ren Nakamura came here to meet you. Should I tell him to come again another time?"

Hmph! Stupid weather! I don't want to meet anyone today! Not even Ren! Wait...

"Ren's here to visit me?! Where?", he asked rather excitedly, forgetting all about his sorry state.

"At the door—", she wasn't even done with her sentence when he rushed out of the room at lightning speed and went to find Ren.

"Strange boss..", she murmured rather confused.

"You think?", Dave raised his eyebrows, his head popping out of the door. "Well least he pays me well not to forget the bonus we're gonna get in a few days~." He giggled creepily.

"Money loving, greedy pig", remarked Agnes.

"Thanks for the compliment", he smirked.

"Wasn't one."

"I know."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Ren!", Jackie called out to the grey haired 50 year old man standing near the door while walking briskly towards him.

"Jack my old friend!", Ren exclaimed as they both warmly embraced each other. It went on for a few minutes until—

"You've gotten quite fat over the years, haven't you Jack? You can't hide those rolls even beneath the suit you're wearing you know"

"Okay, you just spoiled it", Jack stated flatly, obviously pissed, parting away from the once warm hug. "Hmph! You're one to talk old man, you've some nasty wrinkles yourself! And I'm just healthy Sarah said so!"

Ren laughed, "Though it's been years since we last met, you're still the same college boy I knew from way back then Jack! Honest and easy to annoy."

Jackie chuckled, "You haven't changed much as well Ren. You're still the quite sharp tongued as ever. What are you doing standing here? Come inside and have a seat on the comfy sofa", he said, ushering him into the living room. " So... why the sudden visit?"

"Do I have to have a reason for paying a visit to my dear old friend?", Ren huffed, a lil offended. "And here I thought we were old buddies."

"Well I guess you don't then",Jackie laughed.

After two hours later

"Haha did you see the look on Coach Ane's face that day? It was hilarious!", Ren roared with laughter as tears came out from his eyes to which Jackie just hummed in response and got lost in his thoughts again.

Ren noticed this. "Jack you alright? You seem to be spacing out every now and then", he asked, concern being evident in his voice.

"Hmmm its just that...", he sighed while rubbing his forehead with his index finger and thumb, " I've been thinking of my daughter."

Ren was puzzled by his statement. "Your daughter Sarah? Whatever's the matter with her? Didn't you say that her health condition became normal now?"

"Yes it has and I am beyond overjoyed about it but... here's the thing. My precious Sarah, haven't been never out of the house before, she's really missed out on a lot of life experiences and I want to experience those things now that she's well, like the time when you got punished with your friends but actually enjoyed it or to hang out with friends and miss them when they're not there and the time when you finally achieved something you've worked hard for. I do want to pamper her and spoil her but as a responsible parent, I can't afford to do that. At the same time, I can't bear to see her hurt either. She's had it easy living in mansion, as her father, I want her to learn how to stand on her own two feet in this harsh world not just depend on somebody. Of course I'll be there when she needs me however I can't always be there for her to shield her away from her troubles. She won't know what hardwork is unless she tastes it for herself and as for her friends, I'm afraid that some may try to take advantage of her rich background. I just want what's best for her ,Ren, but at this point I really don't know what to do. Her health condition finally became better, what if she worsens? She means too much for me to lose...", he trailed off with a depressing tone as he buried his face in his hands. He felt completely useless. I can't even make the right choices for my daughter.

Seeing him like this, Ren couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Who knows how hard it was for him all throughout the years. He patted his shoulder hoping to comfort him a little. If only he could help him. Just then, something clicked inside his head.

"Jack I've got it!!", he shouted startling the said man himself.

"Got what?"

"The solution to your problem", he grinned. "Its quite simple."

Jackie was stunned when he heard this but recovered quickly. "Well, what are you for? Go on", he urged him. "Tell me the solution."

"As I said", Ren coughed, "My idea's really simple. Send Sarah to live with my family in Japan. Now before you say anything,hear me out. You know that I have two sons right? Well they happen to be of the same age as her. She can go to the same school as them and learn about 'things" girls and boys do or talk about in their age. They might even protect her if she gets bullied and ,not only them, but I have two other boys who currently are staying at my place. One's my brother's and the other one's my brother's sister in law's son. Both of them are quite well-mannered so you need not to worry. In addition to what I just have said, Sarah will be taken care by Nanny Su who looks after the boys for us. She'll make sure to not let Sarah feel out of place nor gets treated rudely by the boys which I'm sure won't happen. Regarding people befriending her for her rich background, she could just say that she's the daughter of their uncle, afterall you are like a brother to me, without having to mention your name. This way Sarah may be able to spend to spend her youth days like a normal girl. So, how's it? Nice right?"

Jackie could only gape wide open until his jaw hit the floor and eyes bulging out of his head as if they were going to pop out of their places. He just couldn't wrap his head around Ren's ideas. What in tarnation is he even thinking?!! Send my precious darling to Japan away from me to live in a den full of wolves with raging testosterones??! Outrageous!

"Ren, I think that this idea is absolutely preposterous!", Jackie bellowed while sitting cross legged on the sofa, folding his arms against his chest. "As if I'd send my one and only Moonbeam into a house filled with wolves with raging teenage hormones whose minds are filled with evil intentions to hurt her."

Wolves with raging teenage hormones? Minds with evil intentions to hurt her?, Ren thought quizzically. How can they be filled with evil intentions to hurt her when they haven't even met her yet? Tiger Rolls here has obviously lost his buttons. If this goes on then I'm afraid Sarah's gonna end up alone in the near future. Luckily I have my ways. If not for Jackie then for dear Sarah. Sheesh! She desperately needs to take a break from this overly affectionate and protective father of hers.

He flexed his arms a bit before going on full lawyer mode. I'm gonna win this for sure.

"Fine then, suit yourself", he shrugged nonchalantly and leaned back, " But I wonder what would happen if Sarah learns that you passed up an offer like this? I heard that she loves Japan and I bet that she's never been there due to her past health condition. However she's already fine now, isn't she? Wouldn't it break her heart to pieces if she learns that her daddy whom she loves and trusts blindly gave up her golden opportunity to go to Japan."

"How would it break her heart? I can take her there myself now that she's fine", Jackie countered.

"True but when? Besides, being a business man myself, won't the next four months be the busiest for us? Even if you do make time to take her to Japan amidst your busy schedule, you'll only have roughly about three days which isn't much. What about sending Sarah to school? You don't want her to miss out on experiences so you'll send her to school right instead of homeschooling her? I don't know how she looks like now because it's been years since I last saw her but if she looks anything like her mother then wow is she going to be super popular with the boys who will undoubtedly try to get her attention at all costs."

"I-I'll hire bodyguards."

"No doubt you can but won't it create other problems for her? She'll have trouble making friends, people will be afraid of her and even if she does make them, she'll have less privacy. Oh and, not to forget, since she's never been outside before and has clearly no idea on how to interact with people her age, she will feel intimidated and may make a fool of herself in front of everyone. This, in turn, will make her the brunt of joke in the entire school which wi result in people bullying her or maybe she'll hang out with bad company who'll have a bad effect on her making her a rebellious teenager and perhaps come to a point where she will run off to join some mafia gang." That should do the trick.

My daughter will get bullied and run off to join some mafia gang... The world came crashing down upon Jackie when he heard those words. He looked as if he had his soul taken away by the Grim Reaper.

Meanwhile, Ren was trying his best to contain his laughter. This man is as gullible as ever, he thought and looked at his watch. Anytime now~

"Ren I think she'll be better off in Japan!", Jackie panicked, grabbing his shoulders and shook him violently. "I don't want my daughter to be a part of some mafia gang!!"

"Alright, alright! Stop shaking me!", he yelled as he brushed off his hands.

"Thank you Ren! Thank you! You're a lifesaver!", Jackie cried, hugging him. "I owe you big time."

"No, I just did what a friend should do for a friend in need", he smiled while patting his back. Idiotic man. Still so easy to manipulate.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Sarah! My beloved daughter! I'm back!!", Jackie called as he entered Sarah's room.

"Papa!", Sarah cried joyfully when she saw him. She quickly ran towards him and hugged him lovingly. "I really missed you these past three months."

"Me too dear, me too", he smiled warmly at her and hugged her back. "I have something to discuss with you Sarah."

She looked up at her father curiously and asked, "Hmm? What is it papa?"

Jackie looked into her eyes, contemplating whether to say it or not. He took a deep breath.

"You're moving to Japan."

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