"You ready?" The pink-haired man asked the raven-haired girl as he put his left hand on the steering wheel and then glanced at her. The man is wearing formal attire which is quite unusual for him to be seen.
"I was born ready." The woman jokingly said as she tried to lighten the mood. Well, it's not like the mood is inadequate, but it's hard to believe that just a few hours ago they were bickering like children now they are inside a Jaguar F-Type, a stylish two-seat sports car that was allegedly bought by this pink-haired man the second the woman beside him agreed to come with him.
The man then chuckles at the woman's response. "You can still walk out of this car if you just felt pressure to come with me."
"What?" She then looked at him, confused about what she just heard. "Pressured? On what?"
"You know..." The man said trailing his response behind. "I know that you're just coming with me because the boss has no time for you and that friend of yours insisted on your behalf," Sanzu said nonchalantly as if it did not bother him a bit.
'What the hell?' The woman thought. 'I did not know that this guy is so conscious of himself. Why so petty?'
Den then just laugh at him.
"Haru," She called but Sanzu just looked straight ahead, both hands on the steering wheel while fidgeting. Den signed as she chuckled a bit at how childish the man was. "Haru-chan," She called him again as she placed her hand on his arm. Her gesture made the man look at her. "I did not come with you because I was rejected by my husband to have dinner tonight with the thought that you are just the second option if things did go south." She sincerely said. "Please, don't look down on me and your worth as a friend and a person."
"... I knew that." Sanzu mumbled as he sighs.
'Friend huh?'
He then leaned down on the steering wheel and closed his eyes.
'Mikey's gonna kill me for real this time.'
He then remembers what happened a few days ago. The time when they finally had breakfast somehow together. How the woman asked her husband out this Sunday enthusiastically but then got her heart broken afterwards.
-----
"Great! I hope you'll be free this Sunday night, hubby!" Den said as she looked happily at her breakfast. She then heard Mikey's utensils drop on the floor and it made quite a loud sound making everyone look at him.
"Are you alright?" Den asked as she tried to fetch the utensils from the floor but Mikey beat her to it.
"This Sunday?" Mikey asked, emphasizing the word 'This'. He then stands up and grabs a clean set of utensils.
"Yeah?" The woman answered as if there was no problem at all which is quite the opposite of what was written on Mikey's and a few other people's faces at the dining table.
"Hmmm... I think it will be hard.... wife." He answered as he looked at Kokonoi discreetly as he sat down.
"Oh... why?" Den asked as she looked at her husband, her bright aura was slowly diminishing.
"Things just came up." He said, his tone clearly not wanting to further talk about it. "Maybe next Sunday?" Mikey then uttered, changing the topic.
"No, this Sunday should be it." Den insisted smiling at her husband.
'What's up with him? Before when I asked him out he was super into it and asked Koko to clear his schedule a day even the exact date.'
"Wife, I just can't move my schedule suddenly," Mikey stated putting his utensils down the table. Mikey then sighs. "Reschedule your plan, please."
The others just look at them silently. No one wants to say something or interfere as they fear that things might escalate more if they spew out unintended thoughts.
"E-emma-chan, would you like to play with Auntie?" Guini said making the child who was motionlessly looking at her mom and dad. "H-hey Rin, come on get the child." She added as she jabbed the man on the side.
"O-on it." Rin immediately stands up and walks toward the child followed by Guini but even before he grabs the child, the thing they fear the second happened.
"Are mommy and daddy fighting?" The child innocently asked but you could see her frowning.
"N-no!" Guini answered her question as fast as she could and then laughed awkwardly. She then looks at her friend and Mikey who are both silent. "They are not, deary. How about we go out in the garden and play?"
Emma ignored her aunt and just continued staring at her parents. The child then sighs then shakes her head as if she's not happy making the adults look at her.
'The princess is frowning!'
'Oh my, it's been a while since she frowns like that!'
"Mommy, Daddy..." Emma started. "Mommy, you said to Emma that fighting is bad." She said as she looked at Den sadly. "And Daddy, why are you making my mommy sad?" She then looks at Mikey accusingly.
"Sweetie, we are not fighting."
"Your dad is right, Emma-chan," Den quickly added then patted the child's head gently.
"Just because you are not shouting or throwing things doesn't mean you two are not fighting." The child said making her look at her parents in disappointment more. "Being an adult is hard." She added making the adults around her look at her in bewilderment.
She then tugged on Rin's pants then asked his uncle to carry her.
"Emma wants to play outside."
-----
"Who even told our Princess those things..." Sanzu mumbled as he remembered what the child said that morning.
"I know right?" Den uttered while chuckling. "But Guini told me that Emma-chan might have picked it up when she was watching movies with Ran before."
"Ran? No wonder at all."
"Yeah, I know right? If Manjiro heard about this, Ran's in danger again." Den then laughs as she remembers how overprotective Mikey is to his daughter. She remembers how pissed he is way back when Emma picks up things that a child should do around Ran and how he punished him every time.
Sanzu on the other hand, head still on the steering wheel looks at the laughing woman beside him. She stared at her joyful face. He could not fathom thinking that just a few hours ago this woman was mopping around the mansion because he had nothing to do.
"Should we go now? Didn't you say that the reservation is 8:00 pm?" Den said as she looked at her phone. "It's 7:37 now." She added as she waved her phone to the man.
"Alright." Sanzu then started the engine. "One last time, you sure about this?"
Den then just look at him weirdly.
"Yeah? What's wrong with having a woman who plans to have a nice date with her husband on their 100th day together but then gets dumped because of work and a man who also happens to get dumped by his date last minute to go on a dinner together?" The woman said as if there was nothing wrong with it.
'Yep, great excuse on my part.'
"Wow, I don't know but that sounds pathetic all of a sudden."
"I know right? We are just a couple of friends who got rejected because we put too much effort into life." The woman said as she sat more comfortably in her seat. "Besides I heard that the restaurant that we are going is one of the best! It's once in a lifetime moment in my life." She added excitedly.
'At least you are happy.'
"I'm glad you got dumped!" Den remarked clearly did not intend to mock the pink-haired man. "I- I mean, I'm glad you a-asked me to accompany y-you out???? Haha."
Sanzu just rolled his eyes out at the woman as he moved closer to her.
'Is he gonna hit me!?' Den thought. 'Well, I deserve that if ever.' She then closed her eyes and braised herself.
"Your seatbelt," Sanzu said as he put the woman's seatbelt on. "Baka*." He added as he flicked her forehead. (Stupid*)
"Itai!*" (Ouch!*)
He then put his own afterwards and started to drive to their destination with one thing in his mind.
'Emma-chan is right, being an adult is hard.'
He thought as he looked at the woman one last time before starting to drive on the way to their destination.
-----
Author's Note:
Hello guys, it's been a while! I hope all of you are doing well. I'm back for a while, can't tell when will be the next update but please bear with me. The new semester started 2 weeks ago and I'm already tired.
Btw, I've been reading some of your comments and it seems that some of you don't understand some of the story's context. So I was wondering if my hints are not good enough but oh well. HAHAHA. If you have questions about the story please ask away, I'll do my best to answer it.
Anyways, thank you for 100 followers!
08/28/23