chapter 10: A story waiting to be written

Of course! Here's a refined and polished

Hotaru sat at her desk, staring at the blank page in front of her. The deadline for her scholarship exam was only a week away, and she still had no idea what to write. Her mind felt empty, and the ticking clock only made it worse.

Kai, sitting lazily on the chair opposite her, noticed her frustration. "Still stuck?" he asked.

She sighed. "Yeah… I can't seem to come up with anything."

Kai leaned forward, tapping his fingers on the table. "Since there's no time for a crash course, let's just go to a bookstore and pick up some useful books. Maybe that'll help."

Hotaru considered it for a moment before nodding. "Fine. Let's go."

---

At the book store

The scent of freshly printed pages and old novels filled the air as they stepped into the bookstore. Hotaru ran her fingers along the spines of books, scanning the shelves for something useful. She was about to pick one when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Hotaru?"

She turned, her heart dropping slightly. Standing a few feet away was Ren—her ex-boyfriend. He looked shocked, his gaze lingering on her, but what caught her attention was the way his eyes roamed over her as if he was seeing her for the first time.

She knew why.

After their breakup, she had changed—her hairstyle, her attitude, everything. She had grown into someone far stronger, someone he no longer had any place in.

"Wow... You look different," Ren muttered, stepping closer.

Hotaru ignored him, turning back to the shelf. She had nothing to say to him.

But Ren wasn't one to be ignored. He reached out, trying to grab her arm.

Before his fingers could tighten around her wrist, another hand caught his—Kai's.

In one swift motion, Kai twisted Ren's arm, making him wince. His grip was firm but controlled, his expression unreadable.

"Let go, man," Ren hissed, trying to pull away.

Kai's voice was calm but dangerous. "I don't appreciate people touching what's mine."

Hotaru placed a hand on Kai's wrist, her voice cool. "Kai, let go. He's not worth it. We don't have time to waste."

Kai held Ren's gaze for a moment longer before releasing his arm. Ren rubbed his wrist, glaring. "Is he your boyfriend?" he asked bitterly.

Hotaru smirked. "So what if he is?"

"Don't play word games with me, Hotaru. Answer in yes or no."

She crossed her arms. "Fine. Yes, he is my boyfriend. I had an ex, but he could never match him in seven lifetimes."

Ren's jaw clenched. He turned to Kai, desperate for some kind of confirmation. "Hey, you. Tell me—are you really her boyfriend?"

Kai gave him an amused look. "Why don't you believe my girlfriend?" His tone was laced with mockery. "Also, we don't have time to waste on the likes of you. We wouldn't want our alone time to be disturbed."

With that, Kai took Hotaru's hand, leading her away.

---

After the encounter

As they stepped out of the bookstore, Hotaru let out an exasperated sigh. "That bastard. Why did he have to make a fool out of himself?"

Kai chuckled. "So, he was your ex?"

"I can't believe I was stupid enough to waste my time on him," she muttered.

Kai glanced at her. "So… are we in a romantic relationship now?"

Hotaru paused, looking at him with a raised brow. "What do you think?"

Kai smirked. "Honestly, I wouldn't like to see you with another man, so I guess we are."

She gave him a small, knowing smile. "I guess so."

As they walked side by side, Hotaru's mind was no longer blank.

She knew exactly what to write.

---

End of Chapter 10

WARNING

This is the original version of the webnovel "Hotaru's assassin" by the author "Hanagaki Ryuka". Please don't copyright or upload it in your name

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O1cON4UEjsjFPMZxqNSY425-fdHW19779uAKscbDsy8/edit?usp=drivesdk