Chapter 16: Press Conference

After 3 days, the BIG DAY came.

"The press conference will begin in two hours, what do you want to do Zenah?" Dad ask me.

Last night, Aika told to me that if I have time before going to the press conference, I should go to the shrine and ask for guidance.

"Can we go to the shrine?"

"Shrine?"

I nod my head.

"Sure." Dad said.

When we arrived, almost no one was at the shrine.

"Looks like nobody is around, but I can't go out with you, people might recognize me. Is it fine if you go alone?" Da d ask me, I can feel that he's worried.

"It's okay dad, don't worry I'll be fine." I said.

"Take care, darling." Mom said.

"I will mom. Ittekimasu."

*(Ittekimasu= I'll be back)*

"Itterasshai." Mom and dad replied back.

*(Itterasshai=Go and come back/ take care)*

Shrines are located up in the hills, you need to take the stairs to get there.

Taking the stairs is very tiring.

After I went up, I prayed.

After praying I went back to the car, I can't stay long mom and dad will worry about me.

"You came back earlier than we expected." Dad said.

"I can't let you worry, dad."

"Such a good girl."

"We need to pick up Niko on our way, he will be watching the press conference."

"Wakatta."

*(Wakatta=Okay. Wakatta is a formal word)*

After minutes of driving, we reach a big gate with big house.

Is this sensei's house?

A maid walks up to dad.

"Master said he will be her in a minute, please wait for him."

"Sure, thank you."

The maid gave a bow to dad.

It's her way of showing respect to dad before she left.

When the maid went inside the house, sensei appeared.

"There's the old man." Dad whispered.

Dad always tease sensei.

"Hi Zenah, are you feeling nervous?" That's what he said when he enters the car.

"A little."

"Well, it's normal to be nervous. Even me, I'm nervous."

I chuckled.

"You won't say hi to us?" Dad ask sarcastically.

Sensei didn't answer he just rolled his eyes.

"What's with that attitude?"

Sensei look away.

"Old man! Woah, you're really ignoring me."

"Stop it, are you trying to pick a fight with an old man?" Mom said.

"I'm flattered that you defended me but at the same time I'm upset that you called me old man."

"Why? Aren't you an old man?" Mom sarcastically ask.

Sensei shouts out of frustration. "I don't know what to with this coupe, you're giving me headache."

Dad clicks his tongue. "Forget about it."

Then he drives away.

While we are on the road, sensei told me how dad cries, drank many liquor and lost his mind when he and mom broke up for the first time.

"— then wile crying he's also screaming, like a crazy guy—"

"I admit that I cried but I never screamed, and what do you mean lost his mind, I didn't lost my mind, I was doing fine back then

I even attended a meeting that time." Dad cuts off sensei and he's defending himself.

"Damare." Sensei said.

"Ókay, sure, I'll shut up." Dad said while he's nodding his head.

Then sensei continued telling me stories until we get to the venue.

"Okay old man, that's enough." Dad said.

"Let's continue later—"

"No you won't, stop telling lies to my daughter." Dad replied.

"Okay let's go. Niko, can you please accompany Zenah to the waiting room?"

"Sure."

"Zenah, darling, you go with sensei okay then when we call you, come out together with sensei, okay?"

I nod my head.

"Okay, we'll go now." Mom said then they enter the hall. Sensei and I went to the back and wait for them to calls us.

I'm starting to get nervous.

When we get to the room there's a monitor where we can watch mom and that.

"Mr. and Mrs. Iekami, what do you want to announce? Is this about your new project?"

"No. It's more important than that project." Dad answered.

"As you all know, I had a miscarriage before, and the doctor said that I won't be able to bear a child. We lost hope, but one of our friends suggested that we should just adapt a child, so we did. And now we want the world to know about our daughter."

Mom said.

"Everyone, I present to you, the future lady of Iekami Mansion, the future CEO of Iekami Corporation and our inheritor, Zenah Iekami."

"Let's go." Sensei said.

When we walk to the hall, cameras are flashing in our faces.

I heard people gasping and murmuring about me.

I sat between mom and dad, sensei at the back of the hall.

His lips curved as he watches us.

"May we ask questions to Ms. Iekami?" One reporter said.

Dad gave her a nod.

"Ms. Iekami how do you feel about being a daughter of multimillionaire?"

Sensei taught me how to answer this type of questions.

"I'm feeling happy, grateful and thankful to them, not because they're multimillionaire but because they gave me a chance to live like this."

Another reporter raised a hand.

"Miss Iekami, I'm sure you're aware of your parent's fortune, and one day you will inherit those fortunes, how do you feel about being the heir?"

"Honestly, I haven't thought of that, I don't care about my parent's money."

Another reporter raised a hand.

"Mr. and Mrs. Iekami, is there a possibility that Miss Iekami will be engaged to other son multimillionaire businesswoman or mans?"

"None, we don't want our only daughter to marry a man she doesn't love."

As time goes by, more questions are being asked.

"What did miss Iekami's biological parents said when you said to them that you are adapting their daughter?"

"They were shocked, but they know to their selves how poor they were and her biological parents know that they couldn't give Zenah the life that we can give to her, so they agreed." It was mom who answered the question.

"By any chance, did you exploited their poorness?"

What kind of question is that.

"No." Mom answered fast. "As a parent, I know how hard it is to be apart from your daughter, but for Zenah's biological parents they just want Zenah to have a great life."

I love mom.