6

Upon returning to the hotel, Ryan paused at the front desk. "A hangover tea, please. Room 520."

With that, he guided Chloe—still cheerfully chanting "Bottoms up!"—back to her room and deposited her onto the bed.

"Ryan, let's have another round!" Chloe swayed upright, staggering toward him.

Ding-dong—

The doorbell rang. A staff member delivered the tea.

Ryan took the tray and handed her a steaming cup. "Here. Drink this."

"A toast to the moon!" Chloe declared, tilting her head back to chug it. The taste registered belatedly—Wait, alcohol burns, not... bitter? Her nose wrinkled. "This wine's weird."

"Moon toasted, time for bed." Amused, Ryan plucked the empty cup from her hands.

"Mm. Bedtime." Docile now, she flopped backward—

—directly onto the floor.

"Planning to sleep there?" Ryan set the cup down and turned to find her sprawled on the carpet.

"Heh... Forgot." She blinked at the ceiling before wobbling upright, arms outstretched toward the bed.

Chloe tried dodging furniture, but the nightstand seemed determined to block her path no matter which way she veered.

"Easy." Ryan caught her elbow just before she face-planted into an armchair. "Call if you need me."

Once he'd tucked her properly into bed, Ryan turned to leave—

—only to freeze when her voice piped up behind him.

He spun around instinctively—just in time to see Chloe facedown on the floor.

"Ow... that hurt..."

"Where does it hurt? Let me check." Ryan rushed over and scooped her back onto the bed.

"Here." Chloe pointed mournfully at her flat chest. Great. Now I'll be flatter than the Great Plains.

Ryan followed her gesture—then froze. How exactly am I supposed to examine that?He suppressed a grimace.

"Can you hold me while I sleep? So I don't fall again." She tugged his sleeve with drunken persistence.

Ryan stared at her, dumbfounded.

Did she genuinely not understand, or did she just not see him as a man at all?

"I'm male," he stated very deliberately to the clueless girl on the bed.

"Duh." Seriously—who didn't know Ryan Carter was a man? Why the dramatic announcement?

Annoyed, Chloe rolled over—

—only to crash onto the floor with another thud.

"Ack—!"

Stupid Ryan! Who puts someone on the edge of the bed anyway?!

Kneeling beside her, Ryan reached out—then paused. Tears welled in her eyes, shimmering but unshed.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Ryan asked, his voice laced with concern.

Chloe blinked back tears and shook her head.

The sight of her—delicate as a rain-drenched blossom—shattered his resolve. With a resigned sigh, he gathered her into his arms and laid her on the bed before climbing in beside her.

For the sake of my sanity, he thought grimly, I'll give in to her request. But one thing was certain: tonight would be torture.

Expecting him to remain composed while holding the girl he loved? That's downright cruel.

"Yay! You said yes!" Chloe cheered, wrapping herself around him like an octopus before drifting off with a contented sigh.

Night wasn't as unbearable as Ryan Carter had imagined.

Watching Chloe Johnson's peaceful sleeping face, Ryan let out a sigh of relief, his heart swelling with contentment.

God sure has a sense of humor, he thought. After twenty-eight years of living without desire or love, he'd been given a girl who was utterly clueless about emotions! Still, he was grateful to have met her—because of her, he'd discovered that he, too, had a passionate heart, capable of loving and longing to be loved.

"Ryan… cherry blossoms…" Chloe murmured in her sleep.

Ryan heard her call his name and was about to respond when she shifted slightly and drifted back into slumber.

Was she dreaming of him? The thought had barely crossed his mind when her leg swung over him, landing squarely on his most sensitive area.

God, I spoke too soon about thanking You!

Ryan groaned inwardly, carefully lifting her leg away—only for Chloe to grumble in protest and roll on top of him instead.

Now, he could feel every curve of her body pressed against him, her soft skin, her breath warm against his neck as she nestled into the crook of his shoulder.

Gently shifting her back onto the bed, Ryan got up to cool the fire raging inside him.

She always knew how to ignite him without even trying.

Just as he stepped back into the room, a loud thud echoed—history was repeating itself.

"Ouch… that hurts…"

"Chloe!" Ryan Carter's heart lurched as he rushed to her side.

Seeing her already sound asleep on the floor, she was probably fine—right? His racing pulse steadied slightly.

Damn it. Why hadn't he stopped her from drinking? Now she was the one sprawled on the ground, but the ache was all his.

Gently, he gathered her into his arms and carried her back to bed.

Holding her close felt inexplicably right—a warmth, a sense of peace he'd never known before.

His gaze lingered on her now-"well-behaved" form, unwilling to look away.

Eventually, exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted into sleep. Yet even unconscious, his arms stayed wrapped tightly around her, shielding her from harm.

Her head was pounding—that was Chloe Johnson's first thought upon waking. Her second thought was how comfortable the bed felt… Wait, no. Something wasn't right. She realized the surface beneath her cheek wasn't a pillow—it was moving.

"Eep!"

It took her sleep-addled brain a moment to register: She wasn't lying on a bed at all. She was resting against Ryan Carter's chest. The realization made her relax instantly. For some reason, she always felt safe with him.

"Good morning," Ryan murmured, roused by her startled noise.

His eyes squinted against the light, his hair tousled, his voice husky from sleep—and damn, he looked unfairly attractive.

Books always said that when a man and a woman were alone in a room with a bed, things were supposed to get… heated. So why was she still fully clothed, even if her outfit was now wrinkled beyond recognition? That was the only thought running through Chloe's mind.

Wait— She was a respectable girl! She shouldn't be thinking like this!

Then again, with her less-than-voluptuous figure, there was no way Ryan would lose control over her. Chloe's shoulders slumped as she stared down at her flat chest in defeat.

"Care to share what's on your mind?" Ryan asked softly, watching her pout.

"Nothing," she mumbled.

"We'll go to the hot springs later," he offered, determined to lift her mood. Her unhappiness had a way of making him unhappy too.

"Really? Yay!" Instantly, Chloe's worries evaporated.

Why stress over things she couldn't change? Might as well go with the flow.

Ryan chuckled as he watched her face light up with excitement.

.....

"I'm home!" Chloe Johnson announced loudly the moment she stepped through the door, making sure her family wouldn't miss her arrival.

"Welcome back! What Japanese souvenirs did you bring?" Mrs. Johnson appeared wielding a spatula; Dad Johnson held his newspaper; Ethan Johnson clutched a keyboard—all crowding around her in unison.

"Bro, I know you missed me, but what's with the keyboard? Since when is 'holding computer peripherals' part of any country's welcome-home etiquette?" Chloe eyed Ethan's keyboard with confusion.

"Indeed, son. Do enlighten us about this fascinating cultural tradition," Mrs. Johnson teased.

"I, uh—" Ethan scratched his head. He'd been typing his thesis when he heard his sister and, in his haste, accidentally brought the keyboard along. "I... was fixing it." A flimsy excuse, but it would have to do.

"Really now?" Mrs. Johnson arched a skeptical brow.

"Enough small talk—show us the gifts!" Ethan boomed, desperate to divert attention from his mother's scrutiny.

"Ta-da! Behold..." Chloe proudly presented a thermos filled with cherry blossoms. "Authentic, freshly picked Japanese sakura!"

"Ugh. Not everyone shares your weird cherry blossom obsession," the family groaned, already dispersing.

Was her gift really that bad? Chloe stared at the clearly unappreciated flowers. No way! These were the perfect souvenir!

And hello—she was a student! Since when could she afford fancy presents?

Jeez.

Ryan Carter had been in Japan for a week, and the stack of unsigned documents on his desk now threatened to touch the ceiling. Yet despite his workload, he still made it a habit to wake up early and drive Chloe Johnson to school.

Just as his car pulled up to the Johnsons' front gate, Chloe stepped outside—right on schedule, as always. His timing was impeccable.

"Morning," Ryan said as Chloe slid into the passenger seat.

"Morning. You okay?" Chloe frowned, noticing his unusually lethargic demeanor.

What's wrong? He was usually so full of energy.

"I'm fine." Ryan leaned over to buckle her seatbelt—something her scatterbrained self never remembered to do.

"If you're too busy, you don't have to drive me. I used to take the bus just fine," she offered, a pang of guilt tightening her chest at how exhausted he looked.

"How's school?" Ryan ignored her suggestion and changed the subject.

"Should be okay. Don't worry—Ethan's got my back." Chloe bit her lip. He spent money and time taking me on that trip, and now he's stressing over my grades too?

"Let's grab breakfast." Ryan parked near a diner beside the campus. Inside, Chloe ordered beef noodles while he settled for black coffee.

"Just coffee? That's terrible for you," she chided.

"Not hungry," Ryan muttered after a sip.

"Is this about work... or something else?" Chloe ventured cautiously.

When a man says he's lost his appetite, it's either work troubles or love problems—plain and simple. Women, on the other hand? They might claim no appetite to diet, or to play delicate... Honestly, the excuses were endless! Chloe Johnson couldn't fathom why anyone would wage war against good food.

Ryan Carter just shot her a look, silent as ever.

"Books say men only stress about those two things anyway—or am I wrong?" Was her logic flawed?

When Ryan still didn't bite, she gave up and focused on her beef noodles.

"Seriously, try some. This place is famous for these," she blurted, unable to stand the quiet any longer.

"No joke—here, just one bite." Determined to break his silence, Chloe held a piece of beef right under his nose, waiting for him to cave.

Ryan obliged—more out of politeness than hunger.

"Told you it was good, right?" She beamed, eyes demanding confirmation.

With a quiet chuckle, Ryan nodded. That was answer enough.

"Uncle Min, another bowl of beef noodles, please!" Chloe Johnson called out loudly to the diner owner.

Her voice carried—not just to the kitchen, but to her classmates who had just walked in. All eyes turned toward their table.

Whoa! Who's the hottie?! Since when did Chloe land someone like him?

"Chloe!" Four girls swarmed their table in seconds.

"Oh hey! Sit down—he's treating today," Chloe said casually, jerking her thumb toward Ryan Carter across the table.

"Aren't you gonna introduce us?" one classmate pressed. Breakfast could wait, but a guy this good-looking? No way they'd miss that chance.

"Ryan Carter," Chloe offered bluntly. "Now sell yourselves." With that, she dove back into her noodles.

As the girls launched into enthusiastic self-introductions, Lin Chu nudged Chloe and whispered, "So… is he your boyfriend?"

"Of course not! We're just friends. He's ten years older, and why would he ever be into me?" Even as she said it, an odd flutter stirred in her chest.

"So… free game then?" Lin pressed, baffled that Chloe wouldn't stake a claim on someone so ridiculously handsome.

Ryan exchanged polite nods with the girls, his responses automatic. Truth was, he hadn't processed a single name or detail—his attention never left Chloe.

Deep down, Ryan had always known he was just a friend in Chloe's eyes—but hearing her say it out loud still sent his heart plummeting. As soon as the girls finished their introductions, he rose with practiced politeness.

"Apologies, but I'm running late. Enjoy your meal." Settling the bill, he strode out, leaving the four girls to bombard Chloe with questions.

"I'm out too." Chloe gulped the last of her broth and made a swift escape.

No way she could survive that interrogation squad.