Chapter 2 Unraveling Threads

The following morning, Emily arrived early at Oba-chan Yumi's tea house, her mind racing from the encounter with Kaito the day before. His words—his cold, dismissive critique—kept replaying in her head. It's missing something. She had been so focused on technical perfection that she hadn't even thought about what he had said. Was she really just following a recipe? Was there no passion in her work?

"Emily, my dear, are you awake?" Oba-chan Yumi's voice echoed through the small tea house as she bustled around the kitchen, preparing the morning's tea.

Emily gave a quiet sigh. "Yeah, just thinking about… something." She set the ingredients down on the counter, her hands moving without much thought. Focus, Emily, she reminded herself. This was her craft, her passion. No stranger, no matter how well-dressed, could make her doubt that.

Oba-chan Yumi glanced at her, noticing her distant gaze. "Still brooding over that man, I see?"

Emily's lips pressed into a tight line. "It's not that." She paused, gathering the courage to speak. "But he—he didn't even try to understand my work. He just—he judged it like it was nothing."

The older woman smiled knowingly. "Ah, Kaito Nakamura. He's always been a bit of a challenge." She set down a steaming cup of matcha on the counter, its rich green hue filling the room with a calming aroma. "But he's more complicated than you think, Emily. People like him don't see the beauty in things until they're made to feel it. Trust me."

Emily frowned, sipping the matcha and letting its earthy warmth soothe her. "I don't know about that. He just seems so... cold. Like he doesn't care about anything beyond what's in front of him."

Oba-chan Yumi chuckled. "Oh, he cares alright. Just not in the way you might expect." She winked, her voice lowering as if to share a secret. "Kaito's father is a businessman. A very successful one. I don't think Kaito knows what it means to do something with his heart—not when everything has been handed to him on a silver platter."

Emily blinked, surprised by this new revelation. "You mean, he's… rich?"

"Very rich," Yumi confirmed with a knowing nod. "His father, Hiroshi Nakamura, is one of the biggest tycoons in the country. Kaito's been groomed to take over the family business for years."

Emily absorbed this information quietly. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together. No wonder he thought he could judge my work like that. But there was still something nagging at her. If Kaito had everything handed to him, why had he come here in the first place?

Just as Emily was about to ask another question, the door to the tea house swung open, and a familiar figure stepped inside. It was Kaito again. His sharp gaze immediately swept across the room, landing on Emily. She straightened up, not wanting to look like she'd been caught off guard.

"Good morning," he said, his voice smooth but lacking warmth. "I'd like to try another one of your wagashi today. The ones from yesterday were... fine, but I believe you can do better."

Emily bit her tongue, her patience wearing thin. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice cooler than she intended.

Kaito tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes meeting hers with an unreadable expression. "I meant what I said. I think your wagashi could use a little more… personality. A little more of you in it."

His words struck something deep within her. She forced herself to maintain her composure. "I'm not here to satisfy your expectations, Nakamura-san. I make wagashi the way it's meant to be made, not for approval."

For a moment, they stared at each other, the tension thick in the air. Oba-chan Yumi, ever the peacekeeper, stepped in with a soft chuckle. "Why don't you sit down, Kaito-kun? I'll bring you some tea while Emily works her magic."

Kaito nodded, his posture still rigid as he moved to a nearby table. His cold demeanor never wavered, but Emily couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to him than he was letting on. Why was he so fixated on her wagashi? Why was he here again?

She turned back to the counter, her fingers brushing against the ingredients as her thoughts raced. Do I give him what he wants, or do I stand my ground? She decided to stick to her principles—no shortcuts, no compromises.

"I'll show him what I can do," she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to anyone else.

---

As the day wore on, Emily worked with even more focus than usual, her hands moving deftly as she prepared a batch of delicate wagashi. She poured herself into the art, determined to prove to herself—if no one else—that her creations weren't just food. They were pieces of her soul.

Oba-chan Yumi watched her work silently, a knowing smile on her lips.

When Emily finally placed the finished pieces in front of Kaito, they were unlike anything he had tasted before. They were colorful, intricate, and full of character. Each wagashi told a story, a reflection of Emily's thoughts and emotions.

Kaito picked one up, eyeing it carefully before taking a bite.

His eyes narrowed, and for the first time, Emily saw a flicker of something in his gaze—something almost like… surprise.

"Well?" she asked, her voice steadier than she felt.

Kaito chewed thoughtfully before setting the piece down. "This..." He trailed off, clearly trying to find the right words. "This is different. It's…" He paused, his eyes shifting back to her. "It's real."

Emily didn't know whether to feel relieved or frustrated. "So, what, it's good now?" she asked, crossing her arms.

He looked at her for a long moment, as if considering something. "It's more than good. It's… honest. I can tell you put yourself into it. And that's something rare."

Emily's heart skipped a beat, though she didn't want to admit it. "Thanks," she muttered, not meeting his eyes.

But deep down, something had shifted. Kaito's critique had forced her to see her own work differently, and for the first time, she was beginning to understand what he had meant.

---

As Kaito left the tea house later that afternoon, his words lingered in Emily's mind. It's honest. He had finally seen it—the part of her she had been hiding behind the polished surface of her work.

But there was more to Kaito than she could yet understand. His cold exterior was beginning to crack, and Emily couldn't help but wonder what lay beneath the businessman façade.

And just like that, the threads of their lives became a little more tangled.