Seven years

Dizzy. That was the first sensation she felt when she woke up for the first time after daring to attend alone the wedding invitation of her ex-lover, who was marrying her own best friend. Don't ask how she felt being there, witnessing with her eyes the man who had been the most important person in her life for six years, now standing happily beside another girl at the altar. 

Something they had once imagined together, even planning a small family with two children—a boy and a girl. But now, it was all just a bitter and painful memory to look back on. 

Taking a slow breath, her eyes rolled around, taking in the room dominated by ivory white, with a sky-patterned wallpaper decorating the ceiling. A landscape painting hung neatly in the centre of the room, and to the side, there was a walk-in closet. Everything her eyes captured made it clear that this was not her room. 

"Where am I?" she muttered in confusion, scratching her head though it didn't itch. She tried to recall what had happened last night—how she ended up here and who had brought her. 

Lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed her astonishing appearance until her hand brushed against the front of her body, which was only covered by a pastel-coloured blanket. Peeking under the blanket, her eyes widened in shock, almost popping out, as she found herself completely naked, not a single thread on her body. 

Trying to stay calm and not panic—let alone scream, which would cause a commotion—her mind and heart were anything but at ease. Something felt wrong. What had happened to her? 

Panic and confusion overwhelmed her heart, especially since she couldn't remember anything from last night. Her last memory was of a handsome young man approaching her, offering help, and then... nothing. She ended up here. 

"Ngh~" 

A man's groan sounded clearly in her ear, beside her, making her heart leap out of her chest. Beads of sweat formed on her temples, her face turned pale, and she trembled violently, afraid to look at the man next to her as if he were a ghost rather than a human. 

Turning her head to the side, her eyes widened again, staring in horror at the man beside her—a sight scarier than Sadako. Though, objectively, the man was incredibly handsome: fair-skinned, with a sharp nose, and don't forget the jet-black hair as dark as night. 

"Oh, God!!!" she screamed inwardly. 

She had no idea what had happened, why they had ended up here, or who this handsome man was. Did they know each other? 

Countless questions and speculation flooded her mind, but in the end, she left quietly, slipping away without a trace, leaving the man alone in the room. Only a bloodstain on the sheets bore silent witness to what had happened between them. It served as clear evidence that her virginity had been taken. 

Hurrying out of the 20-story luxurious building, her appearance slightly dishevelled as if she'd been caught in a storm, but she didn't care. All she could think about was getting home as quickly as possible. 

She hoped they would never have to meet again. Let's pretend last night never happened, even though she was the one who had been wronged. But things like this were common, a norm for some people living in the city, where one-night stands were nothing unusual.

Hailing a taxi on the side of the road, she quickly gave the driver her destination address, and the car sped off. Feeling safe and secure, the girl leaned back in the passenger seat, her face filled with relief. 

She cursed herself for being so foolish, unable to tell the difference between Tequila and orange juice. Because of that drink, she ended up in a stranger's bed—someone whose name she didn't even know. From that moment on, she vowed never to touch any alcoholic drink again. 

.

.

. 

Cosplay-themed restaurants, or Kosupure-kei Inshokuten, are eateries, cafes, or Izakayas that embrace Japanese subcultures like Anime, Manga, and video games, particularly Otaku culture. Staff dressed in costumes resembling characters from Anime and Manga often serve customers at these places. 

These cafes offer a unique atmosphere, different from regular cafes. Here, customers are treated like lords and ladies in their own homes. 

Asahi Cafe is one such establishment that adopts this theme. However, this concept is widely used and has become increasingly popular across Japan, especially in Tokyo. 

Everyone had been busy working since earlier—preparing ingredients into mouthwatering dishes in the kitchen, delivering finished orders to customers' tables, greeting arriving guests, cleaning dirty utensils and cookware, and taking out the trash. Everyone was genuinely occupied with their respective responsibilities. 

But she remained standing, lost in thought, which caught the attention of a purple-haired man in a chef's uniform who had been watching her for several minutes. 

"Order up!" shouted the purple-haired man, his hair slicked back as he glanced toward the girl. 

"Hey, Aira!" he called out loudly, his voice echoing throughout the kitchen. 

Everyone paused momentarily, staring in shock and fear at the purple-haired man, Fujin, one of the chefs here and a trusted figure by the cafe owner. However, the girl named Aira remained silent, not even acknowledging him, which annoyed Fujin. 

The girl, dressed in a maid uniform, had been standing near the pantry entrance for ten minutes, clutching a wooden tray to her chest with a sombre expression. 

Lost in her thoughts, she had forgotten her duties as a waitress—a job she was paid to do, serving customers, not idly standing around in the kitchen. 

"Aira!" Fujin called again. 

"Eh~" the maid-clad girl jumped in surprise. "Y-yes, Fujin-san," she replied timidly, hurrying with quick steps. 

"Where's the order that needs to be delivered?" she asked nervously, glancing at the menu slip hanging on the board. 

"Table eighteen," Fujin answered with a stern expression. 

"Okay," Aira placed the food and drinks on the tray while Fujin continued to watch her. 

"Aira, you're paid to work, not daydream," Fujin scolded, folding his arms across his chest. 

"Y-yes," Aira replied. 

Carrying a plate of Omurice and a cup of Ocha on the wooden tray, Aira walked confidently. A wide smile was plastered on her pretty, lightly made-up face. She took a deep breath before stepping out of the pantry. 

Working here required Aira to always appear cheerful, smiling broadly, and being friendly, polite, and kind to every customer who walked in, no matter who they were. 

She worked as a cafe waitress for over 8 years, starting as a part-time worker during high school and now as a full-time employee for over 5 years.

"Aira," called a sweet-looking girl named Saki with yellow hair tied in a ponytail. 

"What is it, Saki-chan?" Aira asked, leaning against the wall to relax her body and legs, which were sore after standing for two hours straight serving what seemed like an endless stream of customers. While the cafe was usually busy, it was typically only during lunch. 

But for some reason, the cafe was packed today, with some customers lining up outside. Had the owner advertised in the newspaper or on TV? That seemed unlikely, considering how expensive advertising costs were. 

"Are you having some kind of problem?" Saki suddenly asked. Aira quickly shook her head. 

"I know you're hiding something from me," Saki said, eyeing her suspiciously. 

"There's nothing I'm hiding," Aira replied confidently. 

Saki gave her a meaningful look. "You're lying. You're thinking about your ex, aren't you?" she accused, which was partly true. 

"Not really," Aira answered, her gaze drifting into the distance. 

Honestly, much of her mind was still occupied by thoughts of that blond-haired man she had been with for six years. It wasn't easy for her to forget all the beautiful memories they had shared. However, another part of her mind was preoccupied with something that had recently filled her with immense fear so that she couldn't sleep soundly. 

Saki gently patted Aira's shoulder. "Forget that jerk. How about after work, we go to karaoke?" she suggested, trying to cheer up her sad friend. 

"Alright, but let's invite the others too." 

"Okay," Saki gave a thumbs-up in agreement before leaving to continue cleaning the tables. 

The cafe closed exactly at 9 PM, though it stayed open until 11 PM on weekends. After tidying up the cafe, Aira, Saki, and their friends headed to karaoke together to have fun and relieve the stress from work and life's burdens. 

Saki was enthusiastic about singing a duet with Issei, her boyfriend, while the others cheered them on like an audience at a concert. 

Meanwhile, Aira sat quietly in the corner, watching and occasionally clapping as she enjoyed her friends' performance. 

"Don't you want to sing?" asked a young man sitting next to Aira, who had orange hair and piercings on his face and ears. 

"My voice isn't good. What about you, Arashi-san? Why aren't you singing? Your voice is amazing," she said, knowing that Arashi was a former band vocalist. 

"Too lazy," he replied quickly, putting out his cigarette. He took a deep drag from the cigarette in his hand and promptly blew the smoke upward, forming a zero. 

Aira coughed as she inhaled the smoke, even covering her nose. "You love inhaling poison." 

"If this were poison, I'd have died a long time ago, Aira." 

"But the nicotine in cigarettes is slowly poisoning your lungs and can..." 

Aira suddenly felt nauseous and like she was about to vomit. Not wanting to cause a scene by throwing up in front of Arashi, she quickly left the karaoke room without a word. Arashi stared in confusion, feeling strange and puzzled. Still, he didn't chase after her, choosing to stay put and continue smoking. 

Aira's footsteps were quick, and she did not care about anyone around her, including a high school boy in uniform whom she accidentally bumped into. Aira bowed slightly as an apology before hurrying off. 

The raven-haired high school boy stood frozen, staring intently at Aira as she disappeared into the women's restroom. 

"It's her," the raven-haired boy muttered. 

The sound of running water from the sink echoed loudly in the restroom, breaking the silence. Aira was the only one there. She rinsed her mouth, afraid that the unpleasant smell of vomit might linger.

Her stomach felt nauseous—perhaps her acid reflux was acting up, given her history of stomach issues. But for the past week, she had been vomiting every morning, even though her stomach was empty. It seemed like she needed to see a doctor soon to check her condition. 

After washing her face with water and drying it with a tissue, Aira stared at her reflection. The dark circles under her eyes were visible, making her look like a panda due to lack of sleep. She woke up in the middle of the night, haunted by memories of what happened a month ago. Lately, the face of that stranger kept appearing in her dreams. 

Aira tossed the used tissue into the trash bin near the sink and casually walked out of the restroom. Just a few steps out, someone grabbed Aira's hand, pulling her forcefully away from the karaoke place without giving her a chance to protest. 

Who was this high school boy in uniform? 

Why was he pulling her hand? 

But Aira felt a strange familiarity as if they had met before. Where did they meet? 

Aira could remember that none of her male friends were still in high school; they had all graduated. Some might be in college. 

"Let me go!" Aira finally struggled, trying to free herself from the boy's tight grip, which only tightened further. 

"No. Not until we talk." 

"Talk about what? Do we even know each other?" 

The boy suddenly stopped walking. His dark, night-like eyes stared deeply into hers, leaving Aira momentarily stunned as if hypnotized by his charm. 

The melody of a famous singer from the Land of the Morning Calm played softly throughout the cafe, creating a relaxing atmosphere for the visitors—but not for Aira. 

Sitting tensely across from the raven-haired boy who, fifteen minutes ago, had met her in front of the restroom, grabbed her hand, and brought her here. 

A cup of hot chocolate and a slice of fruit-topped cake were placed on the table—ordered by the mysterious boy. Aira was completely confused and didn't recognize this boy at all. 

Was he playing some truth or dare game? Was he trying to flirt with her as part of a dare? 

"If this is just a joke or some punishment for a dare to flirt with me, I'm sorry, but I'm busy and don't have time for this," Aira said, standing up to leave. But her hand was quickly grabbed again. 

"Don't you dare go anywhere," the boy said coldly. 

Aira's body shivered in fear for a moment, and she sat back down. "Then what do you want to talk to me about?" 

"We haven't introduced ourselves yet, Miss," he said, extending his hand, which Aira quickly shook. 

"Aira Hoshino, 25 years old," she introduced herself. 

"Renji Ishikawa, third year at Empire Gakuen, 18 years old." Aira forced a stiff smile, showing no interest in Renji. 

Smirking, Renji leaned forward, propping his chin on his right hand. "Have you forgotten me, Miss?" Renji grinned. 

Aira frowned in confusion, as this was the first time she had met and introduced herself to him. "What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled. 

Renji sighed softly, his expression turning sad. "How cruel of you to forget me, especially after we spent a hot night together in my apartment, Miss Aira Hoshino," Renji said with a meaningful smile. 

Aira's body stiffened, her eyes widening in shock. But Aira didn't want to believe it entirely. However, upon closer inspection, Renji's face did resemble that of the young man from that night. 

As if understanding Aira's hesitation, Renji said, "If you don't believe me, I have proof, and you can't deny it anymore." Renji reached into his pocket, pulled out his smartphone, and handed it to Aira. 

On Renji's phone was a picture of Aira, sound asleep, wrapped only in a blanket. Aira's face turned pale, and she nearly had a heart attack. That meant Aira had slept with a minor and with a seven-year age gap between them. 

Of course, Aira was beyond shocked—she felt like hanging herself right then and there. 

If Renji's parents found out about what happened that night, it wasn't impossible that she would be charged with sexual harassment of a high school student. Honestly, she hadn't been in her right mind that night under the influence of alcohol. 

Aira clenched her fists tightly on her thighs. "Let's just forget what happened that night. Pretend it never happened. Besides, for young people like you, isn't it normal to do that with anyone?" Aira tried to act casual, as if what happened wasn't a big deal, even though her heart screamed in pain. 

Renji stared at her defiantly. "I'm not that person who would do that with just anyone. Besides, that night was my first time—just like it was yours," he said coldly, his words piercing Aira's heart. 

Aira swallowed hard, trying to calm her racing heart. Who would have thought that night was also Renji's first time? 

"Then what do you want?" Aira asked, almost challenging him. 

"I don't want that night to end just like that." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I fell in love with you at first sight, and—" 

SLAM!

Aira slammed the table as she stood up, her eyes sharp and piercing. "I'm not interested in a kid like you. There are plenty of girls your age out there who are pretty and sweet, so don't bother or try to flirt with me again. Goodnight, little brother Renji," Aira said firmly, emphasizing the word "little brother" at the end. 

Aira quickly ran out of the cafe, leaving Renji shocked by her rejection. No one had ever rejected Renji before. 

The people in the cafe quietly watched Renji with sad and pitying looks, making him an unintentional spectacle, like a scene from a drama—except this wasn't airing on any TV channel. 

The black-haired girl had no idea who Renji Ishikawa was. Outside, countless girls were competing to get close to him and become his girlfriend, but this girl was different. Her rejection only made Renji want Aira even more, despite their seven-year age gap. To him, age was just a number—it didn't matter. For an Ishikawa, if they wanted something, they would get it, even if they had to take it from someone else.

…