Chapter 38

Misaki stared at the darkened sky as they pulled up in front of her parents' house.

Sora got out and opened her door for her. "We have arrived at your destination safely." He smiled and bowed to her.

"Thank you, Sora. Do you want to come in for a cup of tea or anything?" Misaki offered.

"Thank you for the offer, but no. I should be heading back now."

"Oh, right, how much for the gas?" Misaki pulled out her wallet.

He placed his hand over hers, stopping her. "Don't worry about it this time. I wouldn't want to charge a lady in distress. Maybe you can take me out for coffee sometime in the future instead."

She froze. Coffee?

"Don't overthink it." He chuckled. "I doubt I hold a candle to Ren Hayase, but I can at least give you an ear if you need it."

She sighed, her shoulders relaxing. "Maybe in the future, but please be careful about being too nice to people, or they'll walk all over you."

"I'm only this nice to specific people." He winked at her and grabbed her bags from the trunk. "Just think of me as an adoring fan who wants to help and would love to talk to you more." She hadn't talked much during the ride, and he felt no need to push it, but couldn't help but keep hoping.

"Adoring fan?"

"Who hopes you have your own album again soon. Want me to..." He held up her bags.

"No, I'll take them." It's not like there's much in there.

"I hope you feel better soon." Sora hopped back into his car and gave her a wave before driving off.

Misaki waved back and turned to gaze up at her parents' cream-coloured two-storey house in the suburbs with dark trimmings and a brown-tiled roof. I'm home.

The front door opened. "Misa-nee!" Emi flew down the front steps and tackled her with a hug. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe you finally came home! How many stories do you have now? You haven't kept me up to date enough."

Misaki hugged her back.

"How are the boys? Wait..." Emi pulled away from her. "Why are you here?"

"Honey, how about you let your sister come in before interrogating her?" An older woman with greying hair and the same blue eyes as Misaki and Emi stared down at them from the entrance.

"Hi, Mom."

"Welcome home, dear." She stepped aside.

Emi hooked her arm around Misaki's as they headed inside, kicking their shoes off at the door. "I see you have bags with you. Are you sticking around?"

"So long as I'm allowed to."

"Of course you are," her mom said. "We'd never turn you away. Your old room is still as you left it, no matter how many times your father asks to turn it into a game room."

Misaki laughed. "Thanks, Mom." She headed upstairs to her room, dropped her bags, and flopped back onto her bed.

"So, do I have to wait until tomorrow, or can I ask what's wrong?" Emi asked, clinging to the doorframe as she peeked around it.

"I can't come home for a while without something being wrong?"

"Last time you stayed more than a day was when he was stalking you... and last I knew, you were staying with Hayase to work on their next album while staying safe. It's not the stalker again, is it?"

"He's... been dealt with already." Haven't even checked what they're doing with him, though.

"Well, that's good." Emi sighed, her hand over her chest as she inched into Misaki's room. "But that also just makes me more curious. What's going on?" Emi jumped onto Misaki's bed beside her. "Is it because Ren kissed you after that hot dance with the three of you?"

Misaki's eyes widened. "What? How do you know about that? Has it been posted already?"

Emi puffed her cheeks out. "I knew it! You totally forgot you were on a video chat with me when it happened!"

Did I prop up my phone to show her? I don't remember. I don't even remember picking up my phone after. "I'm sorry, Emi..."

"It's okay. I fainted after it happened, anyway. Not sure why, considering I've been expecting it to happen, eventually."

Misaki raised an eyebrow. "That so?"

"Duh! You can deny it all you want, but that man has it bad for you. Like head over heels—"

"Okay, stop, please." Misaki held up a hand, her cheeks warming. I already know how he feels; he's made it abundantly clear.

"Any idea how to get Shun to look at me like that? My future husband." She sighed, melting back onto Misaki's bed.

"Nope, no idea. I don't even know why Ren looks at me that way..."

Emi sat up, frowning. "Geez, I didn't know it was this bad. Don't you know how amazing you are? There's a reason I look up to you so much."

"Even now? After everything that's happened? After I went into hiding? After I ran away again?"

"Yes, even now, but I wish you could see yourself the way others see you. You're talented, caring, beautiful, and you have such a big heart. I could go on, but you're cringing. Stop thinking like that." Emi shook Misaki. "Think of it this way: if someone as amazing as Ren Hayase is in love with you, it's because you have so many good qualities that he can see. Simple, right?"

I wish it were that easy to change how my mind processes everything. "Can we not talk about it anymore right now? I want to rest."

"I guess, but that means you will talk to me about it, right?"

Misaki groaned and covered her face with her hands. "I guess," her muffled voice came out.

Emi took her hand, pulling it away from her face. "Let's go grab some grub then. Nothing more distracting than food."

"I'm not hungry."

"Then go talk to Mom and Dad; you know they miss you."

"I don't feel like talking."

Emi puffed her cheeks out. "I'm trying to help here!"

"I know, Emi. I'm sorry."

"I know you said you didn't want to talk, and you wanted to think things over about Ren, but how does being here help?"

"Space away from him, so he can't influence my decision."

Emi tilted her head to the side. "That makes no sense. It's about him, so isn't he the main influence on your decision?"

Misaki patted Emi's head. "Space away to think clearly about what I want. Do I want to try dating him? He's great and all, but he's in the spotlight."

"Is that really the only reason you don't want to? I mean, I get that you don't like the spotlight anymore, despite how much you thrived in it, but you still love music, and based on the dance, you still love performing, too. I wish you knew how amazing you are, and maybe let yourself believe in people again." She sighed, her shoulders slouching.

"Emi?"

"Yes."

"Can we just watch a movie in silence or something?"

"Okay..." Emi pouted. "Can I bring a plush or two with me?"

"Sure, why not? Since when do you ask?"

Emi smiled and rushed into her own room, returning a few seconds later with her Ren and Shun plushies. "Even if it's these two?" She squished the plush together in her arms.

"That's mean, Emi."

"No, it's not! They're here for support, like always."

"Fine, whatever." Misaki sighed and stretched her neck out.

"Great. Here, you can hold him. Shun's mine." Emi set the Ren plush in her lap and turned on Misaki's TV. "Now, what should we watch?" She snatched the remote before Misaki could and scrolled through the long list on the streaming service.

Misaki glanced down at the Ren plush in her lap and played with his hair.

I can't imagine he's happy with me right now, but I hope he understands. I didn't screw everything up, did I?

She hugged the Ren plush tighter.

What should I do?