Chapter 17 : shopping day

The sun was bright, the streets busy with weekend shoppers.Kana adjusted her bag on her shoulder, glancing at the storefronts with an eager expression.“I’m glad we could do this Ayase”, she said, spinning slightly. The “Eclipse” project is keeping us so busy, it’s nice to just… breathe.Ayase smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.“Yeah, it’s nice to step away from the office for a bit”.“ Plus, you deserve it” Kana adds “managing Ren and the whole campaign isn’t easy”Ayase nodded vividly like Souta.They start their shopping trip together until Ayase loses Kana in the crowd.“Kana !” screamed Ayase.She sighed then sent her a text message.A young man walking by caught her attention, smiling a little too openly.“ Excuse me”, she said, politely, and tried to move past him.But he persisted.“Hey, uhm... are you alone? You’re stunning. I haven’t seen anyone like you…”Ayase felt a flutter in her chest, an uncomfortable mix of irritation and surprise. She opened her mouth to respond but… then, suddenly, a flash hit her.Then a group of girls start screaming .“Ren !”“Ren Fujimoto ”“I love you Ren”Ayase meets Ren's glance, the latter's eyes grew bigger as he noticed the unknown guy who was still by Ayase's side protecting her from the agitated fans.Ren left the mall hall followed by fans trying to grab him despite his bodyguards blocking their wayOnce everything became kiet again or as noisy as a mall hall should be, Kana appeared.“Ayase ! Thank God you are alright, I... Huh... Ayase you're dating someone!” she screamed offended.“ wait ! what ? I don't even know him !” She bowed respectfully in front of the guy “thank you for protecting me and I’m sorry, ”she said firmly, stepping aside. “ I’m not interested”The young man blinked, surprised, and left with a shrug.Kana gave her a small, understanding smile.~The rest of the afternoon passed quietly. They bought a few items, shared laughs, and took the train back.When Ayase unlocked the door to her apartment, the familiar scent of home welcomed her—the faint aroma of cooked rice, laundry, and the comforting hum of life.Her brothers were there. Souta immediately ran over.“Ayase! You’re back! Did you buy anything fun?”Haru peeked from the kitchen, Ayase waved a small shopping bag.“You got me this! ” Haru screamed holding the novels Ayase bought for him.Ayase laughed, ruffling haru's hair.Souta was already coloring his new animal booksShe finally sank onto the sofa, letting herself relax completely.
The phone buzzed in her pocket. She picked it up, surprised.It was Ren.—Ayase… are you okay? His voice was calm, yet filled with concern.She smiled, a mixture of relief and warmth spreading through her.— Yeah, Ren… I’m okay. Thanks for checking.— I saw how my fans behaved, I'm really sorry.— I'm still in one piece, it's okay, she laughed.They talked for a while, Haru and souta were just looking at her. Once she hung up they started teasing her again.
End of chapter 17