Chapter 36. Girls’ Talk Gone Wrong

"Hmmm... Interesting..." Daiki murmured, his sharp eyes scanning through Ayaka's draft with a thoughtful expression.

He tapped his fingers rhythmically against the desk before glancing up at her. "I bet you're down to just a few chapters now, Ms. Yamamoto?" 

Ayaka let out a small sigh, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes, Mr. Takahashi, but I've already outlined the key events and important scenes. Still, I think I'm hitting a bit of a brain block..." 

Daiki leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "That happens. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is step away for a bit. You still have two months to wrap things up, and you're already so close to the finish line. Go take a break—head to the beach, the mountains, anywhere that lets you clear your mind. Just don't overwork yourself, alright?" 

Ayaka straightened at his words, caught off guard by the sudden concern in his voice. "Y-yes, sir!" she stammered. 

Daiki nodded, satisfied. "Good. You're dismissed." 

With that, Ayaka gathered her things and left his office, her mind still tangled with the unresolved parts of her story. 

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As she sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen, a heavy sigh escaped her lips. The realization was sinking in—once the book was finished, so was the contract with Akihiko. 

"I can't stretch this story out any longer, no matter how hard I try... This genre really isn't my strength..." she muttered, rubbing her temples. 

A sudden knock on her door jolted her from her thoughts. 

"Knock, knock!" A bright, familiar voice rang out before the door even swung open. 

Ayaka blinked in surprise. "Keiko?!" 

"Ta-da!" Keiko beamed, waving enthusiastically. "Miss me?" 

Ayaka couldn't help but laugh at her friend's boundless energy. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she got up and walked over. 

Keiko grinned, looping an arm around Ayaka's. "Dropped off my niece—she's interning here. But I also came to visit you!" 

Ayaka smiled, appreciating the gesture. "Well, the staff here are nice, so she's in good hands." 

"That's good to hear! Anyway, I've been cooking up a little plan, and I haven't even told Yuki yet…" Keiko said, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "How about a trip? Just a short one—three days and two nights." 

"A trip? What's the occasion?" Ayaka asked, tilting her head. 

"Haruto's birthday is coming up, and he wants to celebrate at the beach. His family has a vacation house there! A bunch of his friends are coming, and he said I could invite you and Yuki—plus your plus-ones!" Keiko wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "If enough people join, he's even renting a bus!" 

Ayaka perked up at the idea. "That sounds great! But… I don't have a plus-one..." she admitted. "Yuki will probably bring her boyfriend, though." 

Keiko's smirk deepened. "Oh, but you do have someone you could ask." 

Ayaka's face immediately heated up. She knew exactly who Keiko meant. 

"N-no way! He'd never accept an invitation like that!" she protested, her heart pounding at the mere thought of inviting Akihiko on a trip. 

"You won't know unless you try!" Keiko sang teasingly before scanning the room. "Anyway, where's Kazumi? Haruto and he were high school friends, so I need to invite him too. I'll make a group chat and send the details—so, bye!" 

Before Ayaka could even stop her, Keiko had already dashed off. 

"W-wait, Keiko—!" Ayaka called after her, but it was no use. 

Now, she was stuck with the impossible task of figuring out how to invite Akihiko.

Just the thought of her imagination spiraling—walking along the beach with him under a starry sky, feeling the cool waves wash over their feet as the ocean breeze tangled in their hair… 

She snapped back to reality, shaking her head furiously. "No, no, no! He'd never say yes… but…" Her voice softened into a whisper. "I wish he would..." 

------

Ayaka scrolled through the group chat Keiko had made, her fingers moving swiftly over the screen, when suddenly, a spoonful of curry-laden meat was pressed against her lips.

"Eat first before doing anything else, silly." Akihiko said with a satisfied smirk, watching as she blinked in surprise.

Her lips parted instinctively, and she chewed with an exaggerated pout, staring at him with wide eyes.

The warmth of the food spread through her mouth, but it did little to calm the sudden fluttering in her chest.

"What's got you so busy anyway?" Akihiko asked, leaning in, his breath warm against her cheek as he tried to sneak a glance at her phone.

'Ahh! He's so close! My heart's going to explode!' Ayaka thought, gripping her spoon like it was a lifeline. She swallowed quickly, trying to ignore how flustered she felt.

"Oh! Keiko's boyfriend is hosting a beach party." she explained, her voice slightly higher than normal. "It's a three-day, two-night trip. Everyone in the group chat is so excited. It'll be this Friday."

Akihiko hummed, pulling back as he casually resumed eating. "Ah, the beach, huh..." His voice was unreadable, his expression neutral.

Ayaka hesitated, Keiko's words ringing in her head. She hadn't even asked Akihiko if he wanted to go—she just assumed he'd refuse. But now... should she?

Her fingers curled into small fists on her lap. "Uhm... Akihiko...?"

He glanced at her, his usual cool smile playing on his lips. "Hmmm?"

She swallowed hard. Her heart was thudding in her chest. "I-I was just going to say… good job at work today!" she blurted out, forcing a bright smile.

Akihiko arched a brow before responding with a simple, "Oh. Thanks." His tone was indifferent, and before she could say another word, he stood, picking up the plates. "I'll do the dishes."

Ayaka exhaled loudly, slumping forward as she clutched at her chest. 'That was nerve-racking!'

Her mind spun with indecision. "Should I ask him? Should I not? Should I ask him...?" she muttered to herself like a broken record, too lost in thought to notice the silent figure approaching behind her.

"Ask me what?"

A deep voice whispered against her ear. Warm breath ghosted over her skin.

"Ahhh!!!" Ayaka yelped, jerking in her chair so violently that she nearly toppled over.

Akihiko caught her effortlessly, his arms steady around her waist. "Careful." he murmured.

"I-I'm fine! Let me go!" she stammered, wriggling in his grasp, but Akihiko simply shifted, blocking her escape with a teasing glint in his eyes.

"What were you going to ask me?" His tone was low, playful, but his gaze was intense.

Ayaka inhaled sharply, cheeks burning. There was no escaping this.

She squeezed her eyes shut for a second before finally blurting, "T-the beach party… do you want to go with me?"

The words tumbled out all at once, and when she dared to look up at him, she instantly regretted it.

His blue eyes locked onto hers—sharp, captivating, and just a little too amused.

For a moment, he didn't answer. Instead, he leaned in, his face mere inches from hers, his breath fanning over her lips.

"Alright. I'll go." he finally said, his voice smooth as silk.

Ayaka barely had time to react before he pulled away, strolling over to the sofa as if nothing had happened, opening a book as casually as ever.

"G-geez!" she sputtered, her entire face burning. "W-why did you have to move so close just to say that?!"

Akihiko chuckled, glancing at her from over the pages. "Because you're too easy to tease. I can't resist."

Ayaka groaned, covering her face with her hands. 'This guy is unbelievable!'

But despite her frustration, she couldn't hide the giddy excitement bubbling up inside her. Akihiko was actually coming.

Her fingers flew over the screen as she quickly added him to the group chat. Within seconds, Keiko and Yuki were calling her.

"DR. NAKAMURA IS COMING?!" Keiko shrieked through the speaker.

"AYAKA DID IT! YOU'RE SO BRAVE NOW!" Yuki chimed in.

"C-can you two lower your voices?! Akihiko is right here!" Ayaka hissed, rubbing her temples in embarrassment.

"We should go shopping for our bathing suits! How about tomorrow? What do you think, Ayaka?!"

Keiko's voice rang through the phone, loud enough to make Ayaka freeze in horror. She knew exactly what her friend was doing—intentionally raising her voice just so Akihiko could hear every single word.

Ayaka's face burned instantly. "C-can you lower your voice, Keiko?!" she hissed, glancing nervously at Akihiko, who was still seated on the sofa, his book open.

"What?! Bathing suit?!" Yuki's voice suddenly joined in with a teasing edge. "Ooooh~ sure, let's go shopping tomorrow! Ayaka you should totally buy that cute one we saw! It really suits you!"

Ayaka's breath caught in her throat. 'Oh no. Oh no. No, no, no, no, NO!'

Her heart was hammering so hard it felt like it was trying to escape her ribcage.

Her fingers fumbled as she hurriedly tapped the call to an end before the conversation could get any worse.

She practically threw her phone onto the table as if it were a ticking bomb.

Slowly, she turned her head toward Akihiko, her face as red as the curry they had eaten earlier.

"S-sorry if we were so loud!" she blurted out, waving her hands frantically. "They're just joking around! Haha! Just, you know, girls talk—totally nothing important!"

Akihiko didn't respond right away. He casually flipped a page of his book, his expression unreadable.

The silence between them stretched, making Ayaka squirm.

Then, without looking up, he finally spoke.

"I'll go take a shower." His tone was cool, indifferent. He shut his book with a soft thud and stood up, stretching slightly before reaching for his keys.

Ayaka could only watch as he quietly grabbed them and walked toward the door.

The moment it clicked shut behind him, she collapsed onto the table, her forehead pressing against the cool surface.

"That was so embarrassing...!" she groaned into her arms.

Her hands clenched into fists as she lifted her head, her eyes narrowing in frustration. "D-damn those two!" she grumbled, cheeks still burning.

But even as she fumed, a small thought crept into her mind—'did Akihiko actually hear them? He didn't react much… but he did leave right after.'

'Wait.'

'Wait, wait, wait.'

'Was it possible that he—?'

'No. No way.'

Ayaka shook her head violently, trying to erase the idea before it could make her heart race any more than it already was.

"Ughhh! I swear Keiko and Yuki will pay for this!" she muttered under her breath.

Little did she know, Akihiko, standing just outside the door, had paused for a brief moment.

A ghost of a smirk flickered across his lips before he finally walked away.