To thank Shigure, Yuki and Kyo for letting her stay, Amai woke up extra early to make breakfast for everyone. She wasn't the best cook but she could throw something together.
It wasn't long before all three boys came down following the scent of the food. They hadn't smelled homemade dishes for a very, very long time. They stood at the kitchen door and watched as she plated up the food.
"Wow, Amai!" Shigure gasped in delight.
She smiled brightly. "Good morning. I hope you're all hungry."
Yuki entered and examined the food. "It looks wonderful, Miss Amai."
"Thank you!"
Kyo grinned. "I can't wait to eat!"
She was eased by their responses. "I hope it tastes good. It's been a while since I've cooked." She looked at Shigure. "I hope you don't mind. I used your kitchen."
He smiled. "Think of it as your own, Amai. A home cooked meal is truly welcomed. Come on, boys. Take everything to the dining room."
They both took two plates each and set them on the table. Shigure waited for Amai as she took off the apron and hung it up before they both went to the dining room to eat.
"Please let me know how it is," she said.
They all took a bite. She watched them nervously but it wasn't long before their eyes lit up. Then they began scoffing it down.
Shigure sighed in pleasure. "This is the best food I've ever tasted."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"
"It's heavenly," he said before continuing to eat.
She looked at Yuki and Kyo, both of them eating their food as if they've never tasted food before. She giggled happily before eating as well.
Once they were done, Shigure placed his hands flat against each other and smiled.
"Thank you for that delicious meal."
"I'm so glad you all enjoyed it," she grinned. "I'm going to go to the library and check out some books."
He nodded. "Once you're back, I'll help you with your assignment."
"Great!"
She got up and went to take everyone's dishes. However, Shigure stopped her.
"We'll take care of this. You go ahead to the library."
She smiled. "Okay. Thank you."
As she left, Shigure stared after her as he rested his cheek in his hand. Yuki and Kyo glanced at each other. It was so obvious that he was smitten by her.
***
After she returned from the library, she sat in Shigure's office and used his computer to do her assignment. Like he promised, he helped her start it off and helped her with the research. Her aim was to write a thousand words a day so she could finish it quickly and then go back to it later to check through it with a fresh mind. Shigure sat beside her, reading out pieces of texts from books so she could write them down. She found his being there gave her the boost that she needed and they worked so well together.
"Ah, there you go," he said. "See? You've done over two thousand words already."
She breathed out deeply. "Wow, I never thought I'd make it that far today." She looked at him. "I seriously couldn't have done this without your help. I don't know how to repay you."
He smiled, shaking his head. "I'm glad to help. I guess for repayment, I'll take that date."
She blushed as she smiled brightly. "I've been looking forward to it."
"As have I."
"But you need to tell me where we're going," she said. "I need to know what to wear."
He chuckled. "I'm taking you to The Amethyst Garden."
"Wow." She raised a brow with a soft smirk. "Going all out for our first date."
"Yes, well, I truly wish to treat you, Amai."
"You're too sweet," she giggled as she stood up. "I'm gonna go and get ready."
Before Shigure could reply, she leaned down and kissed his cheek before running off. His eyes widened in surprise by her cute kiss. He lifted his hand and tenderly touched his blushing cheek with his fingers. Sighing dreamily, he got up and made his way to get ready as well.
Amai had seen The Amethyst Garden before. It was an extremely fancy restaurant and she wanted to look good for Shigure. She wore one her favourites - a red dress with a boat neckline and lace sleeves. The dress went down to her knees, the top half fitted with the skirt half being nice and flowy. It was flirty and cute but it didn't show much skin at all. It was something she wore to a party once and she had never worn it since. A date with Shigure was the perfect opportunity. She accessorised it with a pair of simple earrings before grabbing her shoes.
Once she was ready, she made her way down to find Yuki and Kyo were watching TV in the dining room. She noticed Shigure wasn't there yet. Thinking that he was still getting ready, she decided to sit with the boys and watch TV. After about ten minutes, there was still no sign of him. She was about to go and check on him before there was a knock at the front door. Since the boys were actually occupied on the TV and not on fighting, she decided against disturbing them and went to answer the door.
To her surprise, Shigure was standing there wearing a really smart, tailored suit. His hair was slightly brushed to the side and he looked incredibly handsome. And in his hands, he was holding a bouquet of tulips. He was stunned by her outfit and he couldn't get over how beautiful she looked. He put in the extra effort for her simply to see the surprised smile on her face in that moment.
"Shigure!"
He smiled charmingly. "I'm here to pick up my date."
She giggled. "You're such a gentleman. I wasn't expecting this."
"This is how one should begin their date." He handed her the flowers. "These are for you."
She smiled brightly as she took them from him. "They're beautiful! Thank you."
"You are most welcome." He held his hand out to her. "Shall we?"
"Yes." She placed the flowers on the table before taking his hand. "Will the boys be alright?"
He led her out towards his car. "Yes, they'll be fine. I just pray they don't break down my house."
At the car, he opened her door for her. Once she got in, he closed the door before going around and getting into the driver's side. As he set off, Amai looked at him.
"Can I tell you something?"
He smiled. "You can."
"This is my first date."
His brows raised in surprise. "What? Are you serious?"
She laughed softly. "Yes, I'm serious."
"But how is that possible? I mean...you're gorgeous."
"Thank you," she blushed. "But it was my choice."
"Either way, I hope to make this a perfect date for you."
It didn't take long to get there. Shigure parked up on the side of the road just outside the restaurant. There was valet parking. The man outside, who was dressed in uniform, opened the door for Amai and helped her out of the car. Shigure came around and passed the key onto the man before Amai took his hand again as he led her inside.
She gasped in delight upon entering. The decor was so beautiful and everyone was dressed so nicely. With it being The Amethyst Garden, there were a lot of purple tones and hues throughout. Each table had an amethyst centrepiece inside a glass dome and synthetic willow trees came up from the pillars and dangled from the ceiling.
"I have a booking under Shigure Sohma," he told the maître de.
"Right this way, sir."
They were shown to their table and Amai's seat was held out for her. As she sat down, the maître de tucked it in for her before they were left to browse the menu.
"This is so fancy," she said, still looking around in wonder. "It's beautiful."
He smiled happily. "I'm glad you like it. I've been here once before and I knew it was the perfect place to bring you."
"I love it."
After deciding what they wanted from the menu, the waiter took their orders. They were served wine, which Amai really wasn't old enough to drink but she passed off as older than she was.
"It's not the first time I've had alcohol," she told Shigure.
He was amused. "I should be the responsible adult here but I know you're mature enough."
She smiled. "I am. Besides, I don't like getting drunk. I have done once before at a party and I did not enjoy the hangover."
"Agreed," he chuckled. "I've been curious, Amai. Why did you choose to never date anyone. I'm certain the boys were lining up for you."
She blushed, shaking her head. "I don't know... I guess I've only ever wanted to find "the one", you know? My life's always been so uncertain and this is the one thing I've wanted to be definite." She laughed wryly as she awkwardly played with the napkin on the table. "I'm sorry. It sounds so lame..."
"It's not lame at all." He reached out and held onto her hand. "It's very mature. I guess I should consider myself lucky that you agreed to go on a date with me."
She smiled at him. "Honestly, you're the only man I've ever really liked. All the others who have asked me out, they only wanted one thing. I've had a lot of bad luck with guys."
"I'm so sorry that's happened to you."
"It's okay. You're different, Shigure. I suppose it helps that you're older and more mature but I can tell there's something special about you."
Shigure couldn't help but feel guilty for not being able to tell her the truth. There was no doubt that he had fallen for her and he wished he could tell her his secret but he was afraid that she would run away from him.
"I'm sorry..." she said quietly, thinking she had upset him.
He gently squeezed her hand. "No, don't apologise. It's just...no one's ever said that to me. I guess I usually tend to avoid getting close to people but you're the first person I've ever been drawn to." He smiled softly. "I really do like you, Amai."
She felt her cheeks become hot. "I really like you, too, Shigure," she spoke timidly.
Just then, their food was served and they parted their hands. Amai was so excited by the food and Shigure couldn't help but find her reaction incredibly amusing. Anything she did made him admire her even more and some of the time, he couldn't even look away from her.
Considering he was five years older than her, he still made her laugh throughout their date. There wasn't a single awkward moment. They spoke about everything. Amai told him about her life and he felt so sorry that she had suffered by the hands of her own parents. Shigure told her of his family but he made sure to steer clear of the curse. They shared their meals and then even got dessert. After paying for their meal, they left the restaurant. Once their car was returned, Shigure again let her in before getting in behind the wheel.
"Thank you so much for a wonderful date, Shigure," she smiled happily as he set off.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"I honestly don't feel like going home..."
"Well, the night is still young."
She shook her head. "No, no. Yuki and Kyo are alone."
He quickly glanced at the clock on the dashboard. "It's only 9:30. I know the perfect place to go," he told her as he drove. "It will be quiet and calm. We can enjoy it for a few minutes before heading back. What do you say?"
She smiled. "Okay, let's go. Where is it?"
"Can't tell you. It's a surprise."
"Shigure!" she giggled.
He laughed and continued to drive towards the place he had in mind. Amai looked at all of the city lights against the backdrop of the night sky. It was pretty but because of them, she couldn't see the stars.
Just minutes later, Shigure slowed to a stop. Amai knew where they were. It was the park just at the edge of the city's centre. It was huge and had large fields of grass and a beautiful lake with a bridge going over it. It had a metal fence barrier going around the entire perimeter with gates located at the north, east, south and west sides of the park. Even though it was night, there were still lampposts lit up along the pathways. They both got out of the car and Shigure made his way to her.
"Have you ever been here before?" he asked her.
She nodded. "But only during the day. I never knew it was open at night."
He smiled. "You're going to love this then."
He took her hand before they made their way in through the gate. With the lampposts on, it gave the park such an ethereal and serene atmosphere and Amai was in awe. Shigure couldn't help but smile as her eyes sparkled. However, he noticed her shiver as the air became a little chilly.
Letting go of her hand, he took off his blazer and placed it around her shoulders. She smiled at the warmth and held it tighter around her.
"Thank you."
"No problem, Amai."
They took each others hands again as they walked slowly down the path. It was a moment that they didn't have to talk. Simply being in each others presence was enough. It was gorgeous.
Shigure led her towards a certain area in the middle of the park knowing that she would love it. Just a few minutes later, they came to a bridge that went over the lake. As they came to a stop in the middle of the bridge, Amai looked around in completely awestruck. The reflection of the lampposts made the water seem as though it was glittering and they could hear the sounds of crickets in the distance.
"This is so beautiful!" she gasped as she looked out onto the lake.
Shigure smiled and stood beside her. "Yeah, this is my favourite place."
"I can see why." She smiled, feeling relaxed as she placed her hands on top of the stone railing. "It's so peaceful here."
"It's even better if you look up."
Wondering what he meant, she looked up and her jaw almost dropped. The night sky was filled with twinkling stars and the crescent moon sat in the middle. Amai's entire face lit up as she took in the amazing sight. There was still some light pollution but it was the most stars she had ever seen in one night. Shigure smiled. He loved her reaction and she looked so angelic. She could see the constellations and she saw a star with a slight reddish tint.
"Oh! That's a planet! It must be Mars!" she gasped with excitement. "Can you believe how beautiful it is?"
"I can."
She looked away from the sky to look at him and saw that his gaze was already on her. She blushed deeply and quickly looked away again out of shyness.
"Amai, you truly are beautiful," he said leaning his side slightly closer to her. "Inside and out."
She turned her head to face him. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself," she teased with a smirk as she tilted her head a little to the side.
He chuckled softly in amusement. Their eyes were locked onto each other and the tension was strong. They were drawing closer together and Shigure couldn't help himself. Leaning down, he lightly pressed his lips onto hers. She closed her eyes and kissed him deeper. It was her first kiss and it was everything she dreamed it would be. They both felt that instant connection and it was perfect.
Shigure was consciously aware not to hold her. It would have ruined such a perfect moment. After a few seconds, they parted. He could see the light pink tint on her cheeks and smiled before standing straight and taking her hand. She opened her eyes and smiled sweetly.
"So, what does this make us?" she asked him.
"I hoped it would make us official." Now he blushed as he nervously rubbed the back of his head. "I-if you want..."
She giggled. "Yes."
He breathed a sigh of relief and kissed her hand. "Perfect. May I be your boyfriend?"
"Yes," she smiled brightly.
He smiled brightly as well. "Shall we return?"
She nodded. Hand-in-hand, they walked back down the same route and back to the car. The drive home was quiet but Amai's heart was still fluttering like crazy. Shigure's was as well so he reached out and held her hand, still keeping his eyes on the road.
Once they returned home, they went in to find that the boys had gone to bed. Shigure locked up before they headed upstairs to Amai's room. She opened the door and turned to him.
"I really loved today, Shigure."
He smiled. "I did, too."
"Oh, wait." She took off his blazer and gave it back to him.
He took it from her and draped it over his arm. "Get some rest now. You have that paper to work on in the morning."
She groaned. "Don't remind me."
He chuckled. "I'll be there to help, okay?"
"Okay," she nodded. "Goodnight."
She was going to give him a hug but instead he held her shoulder and squeezed it gently. He smiled softly, holding her back.
"Goodnight, Amai."
She quickly smiled before going into her room and closing the door. As she got ready for bed, she reminisced her date with Shigure. Now thinking about it, she realised that he never once put his arm around her. Even as they held hands, it seemed as though he was keeping her distance. And when they kissed, he never held her. It all seemed so insignificant at the time but with the thoughts now in her mind, she couldn't look past them. She got into bed and wondered why he did that. But then again, it was her first date so she imagined that he didn't want to frighten her.
She smiled, closing her eyes. It was a perfect date and she couldn't wait to see him again in the morning.
Shigure lay back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. He scolded himself for letting their relationship get so far and so quickly. But he couldn't keep away from her. She was so special and he didn't want to let her go. He only wondered how long he would be able to hide his secret from her.