Taking a deep breath, I started on my presentation.
Why Hana Kimi?
Before you ask that question, let me share you a couple of things first. Slam Dunk, Boys over Flowers, and Coffee Prince are just a few Asian TV series that were imported to Europe and became such huge blockbusters with their niche markets. Fans loved the sport angle in Slam Dunk, the harem of beautiful-looking guys found in Boys Over Flowers, and the idea of a girl pretending to be a guy in Coffee Prince.
Hana Kimi has all of those so maybe the question should be, why not Hana Kimi? It was already adapted for a TV series in Taiwan and was an instant hit. With the right formula, I have no doubt that its success could be duplicated for a Western audience.
The series is about a girl who so idolizes a high jumper she once saw performing that she decided to transfer to the same school he’s in – even if it means hiding her true gender to enroll in an all-boys’ school.
In her new school, Mizuki – the heroine in the series – meets an entire cast of good-looking guys, all of them with potential to have their own storylines. As for the requisite twist, Mizuki actually becomes the roommate of her idol and crush Sano. You can just imagine the ba-dump ba-dump moments that it could create!
Another great thing about this series is that it has 23 volumes in total, and with English translation already provided by Viz Media. TV networks can then choose whether they want a short series and focus on their favorite scenes – or they can go long and maximize on the series’ potential. It’s all up to the client, but either way – it’s a win-win situation for Kastein, Inc.
And then it was over.
It was the longest 15 minutes of my life, and my knees were still quaking underneath me. Someone flipped the light switch and suddenly, I heard people getting to their feet and clapping, with Charli even
beaming
at me. She was so sophisticated I never even thought she knew how to grin, much less beam!
Still a little dizzy at the realization that my presentation was indeed over and that I had survived, I quickly stepped down from the podium and relinquished my space to Charli.
Fanning myself with my presentation script, I let my gaze roam the room absently and froze when I encountered a pair of lazy gray eyes studying me with such intensity I found myself catching my breath.
Constantijin was here.
His unsmiling face made me nervous, but even so I couldn’t help feeling gloriously alive just for seeing him. It was exactly like that
ba-dump
moment I was talking about earlier.
Unnerved by his impassive expression, I forced myself to listen to Charli, who was just thanking us three for the presentation and saying that all our recommendations were worth considering.
“Arian, your presentation was lovely, but next time I hope you add more statistical data – such as what Yanna shared about Hana Kimi’s performance in Japan and Europe.”
Ha! Take that, Arian!
“George, your presentation was also lovely but for now – please stay away from extremely graphic
yaoi
series. I don’t think American mainstream audience is ready for it yet.”
I gave George a thumbs-up, who was doing his best
not
to look disappointed.
“And Yanna, you did a great job. I can see how much passion went into your project, but next time, I do hope you have a better video to share with us.”
Arian, you selfish girl, you!
Charli beamed again. “Since this went so very well, I’m delighted to tell you that you will be presenting the same recommendations to the executive managers next.”
Her announcement, made out of the blue, had me gulping and I could see that even Arian was feeling queasy at the thought.
But Charli didn’t seem to notice our silent panic. She thanked our audience, making a special note of Constantijin’s presence. Apparently, he didn’t have to be here at all.
Afterwards, the two other executives talked to us one by one. There was Martha, the finance department head and Lawrence, who led the production department.
At the end of the line was Constantijin. He took his time talking to George and Arian, never once glancing my way. It hurt and angered me, but I knew I couldn’t flounce off like I wanted to.
When he turned his back on Arian, forcing the other woman to close her mouth and retreat, I gave him my best polite, I’m-not-bothered-smile. “Sir.”
He didn’t smile in return.
“I have a few questions about your recommendation.” The curtness of his tone made me straighten. Oh God, was that
why
he seemed to be in a bad mood? Did he hate my presentation?
Constantijin was already leaving and I had to half-run so I could walk next to him but making sure I was lagging a few inches behind at the same time as a way of showing respect for his position.
“What questions do you have?” I asked nervously.
“Later,” he answered in a still-brusque tone, which only made me tense even more.
He pulled me into his office, which actually had its own reception area. My eyes widened when I saw a familiar gray-haired woman sitting behind the table next to the door of Constantijin’s private office.
She smiled when she saw me, utterly unruffled. “Hello, Ms. Everleigh.”
“H-hi,” I stammered, wondering if I could die right this very moment now. Oh God! How the hell had I managed to forget what happened between Constantijin and me and…and
her
?
“Yanna,” Constantijin barked from his inner office.
Giving the older woman another embarrassed smile, I hurriedly went inside. God, what the hell was eating him anyway? Surely my presentation wasn’t that bad?
“Close the door,” he barked.
This time my temper was near to bursting. “You don’t have to shout at me, you know,” I muttered as I closed the door. When I turned around to face him, I didn’t have any time to react.
Constantijin was on me in an instant, his lips taking mine in an open-mouthed kiss that sent my senses reeling. As he sucked on my tongue, I was barely aware of him twisting us around so that I had to walk back as he moved forward and forward. When I hit something from behind, Constantijin lifted me up and brought me down on his desk.
Releasing my lips, Constantijin pushed me down, leaving my legs to dangle from the table.
“What---” I tried to protest but his brooding look shut me up. There was something in it, something more than anger or frustration.
Then I felt him rolling my underwear past my legs and I yelped again, “What are you doing?”
“
I saw you
.” He threw my panties away.
I tried crawling away from him, but it was too late. He leaned over me, his weight pressing down on my body and imprisoning me in place.
“You were
flirting
with that boy.”
It took me a while to understand what he was talking about.
I gasped. “Are you talking about Dra---”
“Don’t you dare say his fucking name in my presence!” he growled and bit my lip as if in punishment.
I groaned, not out of hurt but because I was even more aroused, his movement causing his rock-hard cock to rub just the right way against my naked core.
“Why were you flirting with him?”
This time, I understood what I had seen in his eyes earlier – what I now heard from his voice. He was jealous. Constantijin Kastein was jealous – because of me. It was stupid of me, I knew that, but somehow the realization made me happy.
I knew that him being jealous could mean nothing. It could just mean that he was extremely possessive, that he thought I belonged to him. But right now, I didn’t care. Right now, all I could think was that he
had
to care for me – even just a bit – for him to feel so jealous and affected over an entirely casual conversation in front of a vendo.
“I wasn’t flirting with him,” I said gently. Inside my mind, I could hear Alyx making a
tsk tsk
sound, warning me against being too soft. Constantijin revealed a moment of jealousy and here I was thinking he cared for me. It was my hopelessly romantic side winning over my common sense, Alyx would tell me, but right now – I didn’t care.
Constantijin’s brooding look didn’t go away, but his tone was less hard when he spoke. “Then what were you doing?”
“Just talking." I moved restlessly against his body, his cock a pulsing temptation between my legs.
He bit my lip once more, but this time it felt more playful than punishing. “I don’t like seeing you talking to another man but me, Yanna.”
“Talking is different from flirting.” I did my very best not to arch against him, but it was hard. He was unconsciously – or consciously – rubbing himself against me now, and it drove me insane – like his touch always did.
His hands clamped around my waist, keeping me still. “Promise me you won’t talk to him again.”
“I would
never
flirt with him,” I said instead.
Constantijin glared.
It was totally unexpected, and he looked so beautiful and sexy, glaring at me with such obvious jealousy that I couldn’t help it. I twirled my arms around his neck and kissed him.
He gasped against my lips as my tongue slipped inside his mouth, tentatively tasting him the way he did with me.
A chuckle vibrated against my body. “Are you seducing me, Yanna?”
“I think so,” I whispered, nipping his lip as I did.
He groaned. “It’s working.”
I could hear a ‘but’ and forcing myself to pull my lips away from his, I asked, “But what?”
In answer, he suddenly pulled away. Ignoring my protest, he pushed my skirt up and buried his lips in between my legs.
I screamed.
“Yanna, ssssh…”
“I…I…” I screamed again when he licked me long and slow, and then harder and faster.
His tongue was a relentless force. I tried to keep quiet but it was impossible. I couldn’t help moaning, twisting on the table as he kept licking me into an orgasm that I knew would cause my body to splinter into pieces.
“You taste so fucking good,” he murmured between licks, which alternated between delicate and rough.
“Constantijin.” It was all I could think of saying.
“Look at me eat your cunt, Yanna,” he said in a roughly-voiced order.
I lifted myself up, resting on my elbows, my whole body shuddering at the blatant look of desire in Constantijin’s eyes while he licked me.
“I want to see you come as I take you with my mouth.”