𝙱.𝙱.𝙿 ⁽ᴳᵉⁿˢʰⁱⁿ ᴵᵐᵖᵃᶜᵗ⁾ [Under Review]

𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚢

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Time 1:00 am
Day 12/8

" I am beaten! " my helpless cries were happily welcomed with the rattle of keys as Janet pushed the door to the cozy penthouse that I had recently gotten used to calling home.

        The days had gone by fast and gotten busier with no breaks, no rest, and stress riding on my back due to only being able to hire part-timers to help in the kitchen since the other chef kaeya had previously contacted still had not arrived. Part of me was still concerned if it was just a scammed application that was sent.

      Kaeya. . . I could not focus when looking at him let alone talking to him.  Whatever the cost I would avoid looking at his face and act focused (which was ineffective). If he started swooning his way into my heart I'd be fucked mentally, distracted more than I already was. Thankful though he somehow managed to act naturally, as natural as his charm could keep him and his bad habit of drinking in the locker room at the end of the day. What happened at Teyvat High was never discussed again, Thoma's name was never mentioned anymore in the cafe, and no news from Ayato had arrived over the months. However, the media still kept buzzing over old news. As I stated before, I did not interfere in any of the tea the media wanted, despite Janet's pleas. Everything seemed to be getting better. . . at least for me.

" Right, I told you that painting bachelor was useless," Janet's six inch heels clicked ahead of me as she walked  into the apartment, thin black pants swaying with every step. " You know you're lucky your parents even agreed to help you with your cafe, but at least the whole downtown is talking about us nonstop now thanks to that rich ass hole, and hey it helps with getting our place on every blog and news article these days!"

My throat became thick suffocation for a moment as I took a step in and closed the thick, cedar, door behind me. " I guess. . . But it did work out for a while, my art pieces, no?" My awkwardness was stomped on the second Janet eyed me from the grey kitchen counter with an eyebrow raised.

" Sweetie, you sold only two paintings," she sighed, before turning her back to me and pulling two cans of soda from the black fridge  of her modernized kitchen, while I remained at the door, uneasiness dwelling in my gut. " And let's not forget the hell that got raised when you're painting only got sold for two thousand mora in Liyue's Grand Auctions. . . And the profit on your end was disappointing, to say the least. "

" And how my sponsors dropped me right that day, I know," with a click of her tongue and an uneasing eye roll, Janet took a long sip of the canned goodness, before letting out a heavenly gasp.

" But your good old Janet scooped you up like a pretty little princess~" she proudly added. " I was correct, to say the least."

She shrugged with a knowing smile. "It's best you leave it as a hobby."

Her honey-brown eyes caught mine and chills pulsed through my chest and down to my gut. " We talked about this before, it's good to see you're achieving something better now, plus I'm making cash out of this too," she did a little dance as she twirled with both soda cans in her hand, grinning wide as she scooted to me with lashes fluttering. " To money~".

She was not completely wrong, the only reason I was even able to gain those sponsors was because Janet had recommended me to them back before I even had thought of opening restaurants. To say the least, my non-existent reputation did not bring in many profits. . . But even with all that things did not feel right. Something felt amiss.

" Like I was saying ~" Janet cut my thoughts, handing me the sealed can, before kicking off her heels and pulling me over to the living room. " Ayato has given us a big buzz with the bullshit he pulled off, but we need to get the word out there about B.B.P! So, I was thinking . . . "

" I don't like it when you start thinking, " I sank into the beanie bag laid next to the black sofa ornamented with round, white, and fuzzy pillows that often reminded me of cat fur.

" This time you'll listen," she cast me a glare, before pulling me up from the beanie bag and to the sofa. " We're gonna make an official Bubbly account. . . Create weekly events , specials, holiday themes. . . "

"Okay that doesn't sound so bad," the tension in my muscles eased as I opened the canned soda and took a sip. " Grape flavor? Honestly, raspberries still hit better . . ."

"  . . . And publicly apologize to Ayato," I choked on my drink at her proposal.

I was certain the soda was threatening to spill out of my nose. She took the canned soda and placed it down on a coffee table. " That dick?!" I yelled between coughs while strangling her. " You're joking, right? That mother fucker ruined me! He's the reason I'm here! I wouldn't be like this!"

"Correction your bad taste ruined you, and you did hand over Boar Canyon to him on a silver platter," she interrupted me pushing me back down, before I committed murder, and adjusted the V-neck strap of her top. "He had me fooled too so can't blame you for that. "

Calling me flat-out stupid. I mentally cursed myself and spaced out completely. Janet began to go on and on about flyers and posts to gain the public attention more, and of course the apology video. Why would I apologize for? He dumped me like I was nothing. Robbed me. Made me a joke. Gave me false hope. Heck, he even hooked me up with his boy toy only to break me, and that bitch hurt. Bad. To the point I even thought of moving away, but that seemed like an even worse idea . It's sickening. Sickening to be pulled apart in the most vulnerable of one's parts.  " I won't do it, " the words cut Janet off from whatever utter business bullshit she was planning. " I'm not apologizing to that dick head!"

She pulled back a little from me, but her jaw tightened, and her hands instantly found their way to my arms, squeezing. " If he decides to do something else, do you think you'll handle it? You're barely making a living right now! Just do what I say, and everything will be fine!"

That's what she thinks. "He won't leave me alone," I forced the words out even though my mouth had gotten dry and sticky. " He likes this ! I'm amusing to him, and Thoma . . ."

" Are you seriously still hooked up on that? He's a guy! Fuck boys are easy to buy," I shrank under her gaze. " The world isn't nice, so pull yourself together and do what you must. Thoma did what he needed to do. You. Will. Apologize!"

Her grip was making me question if she was even human and if she planned to break one of my bones to make me agree. " Okie, " the words got squeaked out of me like a little plush toy.

She stormed off after that, and I was left there alone. . . My hands shook and my chest tightened up to the point I could not breathe. I needed someone, something anything to make me feel sane, even when everything around me was going up in flames. I was fine. As fine as crying on an expensive couch while sipping soda could get. Maybe everything was a mistake. Standing alone felt impossible.  The world felt like the shit I was. What was I even doing? The guy was a political figure, isf he did not find me amusing I would have perhaps ha dealt with something more dreadful.

       Setting the canned beverage aside I stood up and made for the door. Sitting in a house that was not even mine did not feel right. Everything was constantly out of reach for me. I was not enough for anything.

" You're fast," I jumped at the familiar voice tickling the frame of my ear. "Did you expect me?"

        Ayato stood in the middle of the hallway right before my very eyes in a navy suit with a crane embroidered onto his neatly folded tie, glamorous just as I always remembered him." Why . . . Are you here?" The words were thick and heavy on my tongue. " I have nothing for you."

          Those pale blue eyes darted from me to down the corridor, checking if anyone was around,  and then back at me, before settling their sights down. . . On my lips.

" But you do," he grinned.