"Please come by often, Ai-chan."
"Yes! Then, I'll be going. Good night."
Ai politely bowed to my family. Once it was over, I had to drive her back home.
"You have a great family,"she said, her voice carrying a hint of melancholy.
"Yeah, thank you. Honestly, I was surprised you even came. Are you alright?"
"Of course not!~ I hate the president for dragging me in when I was supposed to enjoy the holiday."
Ai pouted and crossed her arms. "That sucked. I wish I had more time to get to know your family. Anyway, I think your friend seems to have a grudge against me. Do you know why?"
"My friend?"
"Yeah, the short blonde. Even though she smiles at me, I can tell she hates me."
"That blonde must be Mami. I'm not sure if we're really friends, but she's definitely my ex."
As I drove, I could feel a strange gaze from her.
"No wonder. Wait, who invites their ex to a family dinner?"
"I know, I know. If it weren't for Grandma, she wouldn't have been there."
"Ow... though, that girl Ruka has potential if she ever wants to become an idol. Also, it was surprising to see Ichinose Chizuru. People around me keep saying she'll be a great actress. That being said, why not just date her? I felt like your Grandma really likes her."
"She… rejected me."
Technically, that was the real Kazuya. Also, because of lazy writing, I suddenly transmigrated after he got rejected.
"Ooof… my bad. Now that I think about it, you guys were super awkward earlier. But hahaha! I might believe you if you told me you were a harem comedy protagonist."
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the sarcasm."
"Hey, I'm being serious!"
I chuckled. I think it's worth spending time with her. Speaking of which, Ai still showed up, despite her work. I like girls who stand up for themselves like her. And she's someone with focus, commitment, and sheer will.
After a while.
I pulled into a luxurious apartment complex. Again, I wondered just how much money she had.
"Look at that, it's almost midnight," Ai said with a yawn. "What a long day. I guess it's time for Cinderella's magic to wear off. But instead of Mr. Goose driving the pumpkin carriage, my boyfriend sent me home safely."
I chuckled. "That's funny. And you're wrong—Cinderella wouldn't sleep in a fancy apartment or buy expensive things for her boyfriend. I think fairy godmother suits you better."
Ai looked at me, eyes wide. "Wait—wait a minute. Cinderella was... broke this whole time?"
I hummed aloud. "Are we watching the same movie here?"
Holding her chin, she hummed. "I should rewatch it with Ruby. Anyway, thanks for the lift, hehe. Since you know where I live, make sure to visit us next time."
Next time—that meant I was going to meet the famous twins. Come to think of it, since I changed the plot, I had no idea if that was good or not.
"Ai…"
"Um, what—hiek!"
I pulled her head toward me so I could check her temperature with my forehead.
"W-what is this about?! Hey!"
"Hm, just checking."
"What was that even about? Do couples do that kind of thing these days? Alright, stop, stop. We're still far from that!"
I let go of her head and saw her crimson face before she hurriedly opened the car door. Then she looked back.
"Make sure to drive safely. Good night."
"Good night."
I wondered, how far would we go?
---
(Chizuru POV)
After dinner, I didn't go home right away. Instead, I went to a bar.
Lately, I've been wondering why the feeling in my chest hasn't gone away since I saw Kazuya again.
Even now, I don't have a good excuse to talk to him like I used to. Back then, I just had to knock on his door—no matter how late it was.
Luckily, his grandma invited me to their Thanksgiving dinner. Although I was confused about why Mami was there, I came mainly to figure out what this feeling in my chest really was. Is it guilt? Or love? I have no idea. I couldn't even bring myself to say anything to him, even when I knew that might've been my only chance.
I took a sip of liquor. The feeling kept squeezing my chest—again and again. Now, I'm scared I might end up hurting Umi-kun too.
"Hah… Why is it so hard to stay friends with men?"
I mumbled, as the alcohol started to hit my brain.
"Oh my, you seem to be having a rough time, Miss Ichinose."
I turned to the side and saw the man who had helped launch my path as a real actress.
"Ah, fancy seeing you here, sir."
He chuckled.
"Please, drop the formality. Why not share your stories with me?"
"Um..."
I didn't really want to talk about my problems with anyone. But ever since Grandma passed away, I haven't had a friend or relative I could confide in. How foolish… I even rejected the one guy who always supported me.
And now I'm jealous that he already has a new girlfriend—someone who, deep down, I know is far better than me.
How could I, a newcomer in showbiz, possibly compete with Ai, who's dominated Japan's entertainment world since her teens?
It hurt even more seeing them look so good together. Goddamn! give me strength, Oh, alcohol, do your thing!
"Haha, it's pathetic, right? I'm just an ungrateful fool—and I hate it."
"I see… But you're not wrong either. Sometimes we just want to know if we're truly worthy of the one we love, right?"
"Ah… hm… I guess?"
To think someone would understand me, even just a little.
He chuckled, "To be fair, I've gone through something similar. We fought because of a misunderstanding I caused. But I think Ichinose-san still has a big chance to make up with him."
I wanted to say I already had a boyfriend. But if I did, he might see me as nothing more than a woman playing with men's hearts.
And yet… strangely, I felt a lot better after sharing all my problems with him.
"Thank you for listening to my problems…"
I glanced at him. He smiled warmly in return.
"Haha! Anything for a friend from work. Though, I do hope we can be more than just co-workers, Ichinose-san."
I smiled. "Yes. Let's be good friends, Kamiki-san."
He flashed a devilish smile, a smile that could probably charm any girl he wanted.
"Like I said, you can drop the honorific. Just call me Hikaru. Anyway, let's have another drink, shall we?"
---
(MC POV)
It's been two days.
On Friday morning, I cleaned my apartment and decided it was the perfect time to assemble my new computer! Hell yea—
Vrrrr!
—sigh.
Just as I was getting into it, my phone buzzed, hold up, it was Ai calling.
"Yes?"
But instead of her voice, I heard another woman on the line.
[Excuse me, is this Kinoshita-san speaking?]
"Yes, I am. Who's this?"
I could hear her sigh through the speaker.
[I'm her coworker, Saito Miyako. My apologies, but Ai isn't feeling well now—she's come down with a fever and might need some help. I'm afraid I can't take care of her at the moment.]
"That's not good. Alright, thank you for letting me know, ma'am. I'm heading over now."
[Thank you.]
As soon as the call ended, I left everything behind—including my precious baby. (PC)
My girlfriend's sick—just how much work does she do? I remember she even took a night off for my sake. And strangely, I already had a feeling this might happen ever since our foreheads touched.
Anyway, let's roll.
(End of Volume 1)
---
A/N: Thank you so much for reading my story so far! I had doubts about whether I was doing the right thing with the story hm. Anyway, don't forget to leave a review, comment, and drop all your Power Stones to keep me motivated