The Boss Queen (Izana Kurokawa) COMPLETED 👑

EIGHTEEN

Akari dropped a sweat. These guys didn't even bother to knock first. Feel at home?

"What are you guys doing?" Makoto asked them. He turned his attention to the game console and then to the large GAME OVER phrase displayed on the TV screen. His mouth went into an 'O' shape, eyes sparkling. "Whoa, dude! Isn't that the newly released fighting game we saw in the gaming store just the other day?!?"

"Uhm, yeah," Takemichi answered shortly. "I bought the game with my own allowance since mom won't buy me one."

"Nice one, Takemichi! So, how's the game?"

"It's pretty good. The characters are great. Though, Akari here beat me up to it. She's a better player than I am."

"What? No way!" Yamagishi laughed. He looked at Akari who was still sitting on the floor beside Takemichi. "How about we play together, Akari-chan? Me against you. I'm a much more experienced player than Takemichi."

"Hey, not fair, Yamagishi! I'm the one who saw the game first. I should be the one to play with Akari-chan!" Makoto argued.

Takemichi rolled his eyeballs on the two who were now on each other's collars. "Ugh. And there they go again," he grunted, shaking his head. "Knock it off, you two!"

Akari only giggled at the boys' petty quarrel. Her cousin was right about them. They were an interesting bunch. Takemichi was lucky to have them as his friends.

"Leave those idiots alone, Takemichi," their leader, Atsushi, intervened who was sitting comfortably on the edge of his bed while Takuya was seated on the chair.

"Right. What are you guys doing here anyway?"

"Nothing. We just wanna hang out in your place," Takuya was the one who answered him. "How's it going with Tachibana by the way? Have you asked her out already for the festival later?"

That was then Yamagishi and Makoto stopped squabbling upon hearing Takuya's question and both glanced at Takemichi.

The blonde teen was quiet for a moment before he narrowed his eyes to his friends. He sighed in defeat. "I knew you guys won't leave me alone for this."

All of his friends only had the same gloating smile on their faces.

Akari muffled a laugh and watched the four boys waiting patiently for her cousin to answer. Like them, she was also curious whether Tachibana agreed to be his date at the summer festival or not. Either way, she'll still support her cousin no matter what.

Takemichi was about to open his mouth when her phone suddenly let out a very loud tune, ruining the moment.

"Whose freaking phone is that?" Makoto growled, annoyed.

"Oops. Sorry. That's mine," the ravenette told them, raising her hand. She jumped to her feet and grabbed the gadget from her cousin's study table. A familiar name flashed on the phone's screen as she flipped it open. "You guys continue your talk. I'll just answer this call."

"Who called you, Akari?" Takemichi inquired her.

Akari licked her lips. "A friend from Yokohama," she answered vaguely. She waved at them and unhurriedly walked out of his room then headed straight to her bedroom which was only a few feet away from her cousin's. She cautiously closed the door behind her when she saw no one was following her and made sure the doorknob was locked. Her phone continued to ring loudly in her hand until she finally pressed the call button. She was immediately greeted by Izana's angry voice on the other end of the line.

[What took you so long?!]

"Sorry. I was in my cousin's room earlier," she replied shortly. He didn't even bother to say hello. So very typical of him. "I can't answer your call when he's around. He has a habit to eavesdrop."