Erika was feeling anxious.
She had already realized her feelings, obviously, but she still couldn't be so honest and easily invite Zayden for a date.
When she did it the first time, she had to gather a lot of courage, even though it was done through a message on LINE. Now, standing in front of him, she felt nervous and restless.
But then she thought about her favorite romance movie.
The movie begins while the girl was still young; she was excluded for having freckles and didn't know how to dress up. However, a friend taught her how to do makeup, etc.
Her transformation was like the story of the ugly duckling turning into a swan. Since then, those who mocked her started trying to get her attention, even asking her out. But she only had eyes for one boy, the one who never mocked her and always treated her with kindness.
Anyway, the point is… After that, she boldly went after her crush and they had a happy ending.
She loved the boldness of the girl who transformed from an ugly duckling into a swan. She also adopted some changes in her appearance, like the color of her hair, because of the girl in the movie. She wanted to be brave and bold like her.
After standing briefly in silence in front of Zayden, from the bottom of her heart, she thanked him for his patience, as well as his kindness in not leaving even though she was nervously fidgeting without saying a single word.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she simply looked up into his red eyes that seemed like flames consuming her into an endless abyss, and with all the courage she had, she pulled him by his tie, making him lean toward her, and caught him by surprise when she pressed her lips against his, even with some students in the hallway watching the scene.
The kiss was quick, a simple meeting of lips, but to Erika, it felt like it lasted hours, and when her lips parted from his, she stammered a bit as she said loudly: "I-I'll send you a message on LINE. Let's have a date today, okay!?"
Her hands were sweating, and even beads of sweat began to form on her forehead.
After saying that, she didn't wait for his response and, with her bag slung over her shoulder, she turned and started walking quickly, shyly.
When she slipped on the smooth floor and almost fell, she screamed, but then she felt a strong hand grab her waist, and when she looked to the side and saw Zayden's face so close to hers, her legs went weak.
'God, he must think I'm such a klutz… How embarrassing!' She wanted to hide in a hole. Her eyes welled up with tears.
But the words he said next calmed her down.
"Go easy, and… I can't wait for our date~"
His voice came as a whisper in her ear. It was low and sexy.
The hairs on Erika's body stood on end, and looking at his lips, she almost kissed him again.
But the awareness of the people around her made her shyness win over her boldness.
Still, she somehow managed to pull herself together, hiding half her face in the sleeves of her sweater, saying a simple: "Y-Yes."
When she turned and started walking more slowly, she heard Zayden's chuckle.
Some students tried to tease her along the way, but her mind was elsewhere, and she practically didn't hear them, ignoring the taunts.
When she reached the shoe locker, she quickly changed her shoes, and when she thought about opening her umbrella, she received a message on LINE.
When she opened it, she felt as if she had butterflies in her stomach.
[I assume you want to meet me when you're ready. Outside, my driver is waiting to take you home. Don't be shy and accept. Send me a message when it's time for me to pick you up later]
With her heart full of sweetness, she replied: [I'll listen to you~]
She also sent a sticker of a seductive kitten waving its paw.
...
Outside, a black car was waiting for Zayden. It was a car sent by the hotel.
"Young Master, please." The driver opened the door for him.
Yamagi, who was by his side, also got in.
In the car, Yamagi, who usually didn't ask many questions, ended up asking one as the car started moving.
"Boss, why didn't you go with her?"
Of course, Zayden understood who he was referring to. Laughing a little, Zayden replied: "My friend, Yamagi. Although it's not a bad idea to go with her, at that moment she needed some time to calm down. If I had gone with her, it would only make her more nervous. Besides, isn't it more interesting to meet up later for our date?"
"Yes." Yamagi agreed.
Now, whether he truly understood or not was uncertain.
**
**
After arriving home, Zayden took a shower and dressed in something casual, but not sloppy.
It was a plain gray t-shirt, a thin blue jacket over it, black jeans, and black bouncing sneakers with white soles and laces.
He didn't like watches or accessories, although he had some worth thousands of yen that his mother had given him. Honestly, he preferred not to wear them.
'I guess I should at least wear a watch…' He pondered for a moment.
He went to his room and picked up a box with a watch.
It was a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300/401G-001 White Gold Black.
He didn't know exactly how much it cost, after all, it was a birthday gift from his mother, not something he bought himself.
He had to admit that his mother had good taste. It was robust, with a refined black dial and intricate details that gleamed under the light, exuding sophistication and quiet power.
After putting it on, he thought: 'Honestly, I don't feel very comfortable wearing it.'
...
In the underground garage, Zayden went to his black Mercedes-Maybach Exelero.
It was the only car he brought with him.
Since it was a car that drew a lot of attention, he refrained from driving it to school.
But since it was a date, he decided to drive.
Luckily, at 15, he was able to get a driver's license.
Of course, getting one was even more difficult. But for Zayden, it was a simple matter.
Anyway, after getting into the car, he started driving out of the underground garage.
The car went from 0 to 30 km/h in 1 second with just a gentle touch of his foot.
Leaving the underground garage, Zayden entered the main road.
The rain had let up a bit, but there was no sign it would stop anytime soon.
...
There's a lot to discuss when it comes to clothing, especially when it's a woman who's dressing.
In a way, it's similar to the saying: Tell me who you walk with, and I'll tell you who you are.
Some say that clothes don't define a person, but a person who wears something vulgar says a lot about themselves.
That said, even though in practice Erika is a gyaru, and in society's view, due to her flashy manners and short clothes, gyaru girls aren't well-regarded.
Erika was actually a girl with a very pure heart.
In the end, she just liked to dress up, and because of that, she adopted the gyaru style.
But she didn't have a particular taste for clothes that showed too much of her body. Although she didn't dress like a nun, her choices were colorful but discreet.
At the moment she appeared, she was wearing tight light-blue jeans, high heels, and a loose, long-sleeved green wool t-shirt.
Her hair was styled in the same way Zayden had done for her that morning.
Around her neck, she wore the butterfly pendant necklace she had received as a gift from him.
"Thank you." With a shy smile, she got into the car when Zayden opened the door for her.
Entering through the driver's door, Zayden leaned over and fastened her seatbelt for her.
He could smell her sweet perfume.
The scent was intoxicating.
Before pulling back, he kissed her cheek and said: "You look beautiful."
Blushing with happiness, she said, looking at him: "T-Thank you. Y-You look really cool too~"
Compared to when she was at school, she had visibly calmed down, though still a little nervous.
Zayden smiled and asked: "Shall we?"
She nodded, and when the car started moving, she said: "This car is really cool."
"You like it? It's my favorite~" Zayden hummed cheerfully.
"I can see why." She said: "It's so comfortable just sitting here. I've never been in such a cool car before. The coolest car I've ever been in was your other car."
"Oh, that one? It's not exactly mine." Zayden corrected her, saying: "It's practically Wilson's."
"I see…" She didn't quite understand, but she got it.
It must be something like the car belonging to the Valtrex family, but the driver Wilson could use it as he pleased when he wasn't driving for them.
Watching Zayden drive, Erika experienced a new thrill. An uncontrollable desire to see him driving. He looked so cool that the little girl inside her was practically screaming about how cool he seemed.
His focused gaze, yet at the same time, a relaxed posture as if he had everything under control, was far too attractive.
...
───────────
[A person of the opposite sex has reached an Affection Index above 80!]
[Reward: [Bronze Box of a Mysterious Gift]
───────────
A little surprised, he glanced at Erika, seeing how she was looking at him, he brought his hand to his face and scratched it a bit.
'Am I really that charming?' He thought with a touch of narcissism.
But it was inevitable to think that way, after all, the only thing he was doing differently was driving, and from an affection index of 78, Erika's affection for him had jumped straight to 82.
Putting that aside for now, he was more curious about what would come in the 'Bronze Box of a Mysterious Gift,' but he couldn't open it at that moment and spoke to Erika as he stopped at a red light.
"I see you liked the hairstyle I did for you." Zayden said: "At school, you seemed really happy when they complimented your hairstyle."
"Yes, I loved it~" She said cheerfully with a smile that showed two rows of pearly white teeth.
She liked it so much that during her shower, she used a cap to protect her hair and not ruin the braid.
When the light turned green, he resumed driving.
The place he planned to take her was 30 kilometers away.
Unpausing the car's sound system, a classical song started playing.
It was soft and pleasant.
"I like this music~" Erika bobbed her head to the rhythm of the song.
Zayden briefly closed his eyes: "It's good music."
The sound was gentle, even the drumbeat had its elegance with the instrumental combination of flute, shamisen, etc.
"Can I ask you something?" Erika turned to him.
"Of course."
"What… What do you think of the transfer student, Catherine-san?"
Even if only for a moment, Zayden could see the insecurity and jealousy.
"If I had to define it in one word, it would be: Beautiful. As for her personality, I don't know much, but from what I do know, I liked her." Zayden answered slowly: "As for how to define my relationship with her… Well, I haven't been able to put a label on it yet. Maybe something more than just friends?"
"You realized that she likes you?" Erika asked.
"With her being so obvious, only a fool wouldn't notice." Zayden replied with a laugh.
"Well… Emilia-san was pretty obvious today with Subaru-san, right? Even so, he…" She didn't finish, but Zayden understood where she was going.
"If I had to say, he's an idiot." Zayden was blunt: "He's obviously pretending not to notice. In other words, he's a coward."
"I see… If it were me, I would've sent him packing with a kick!" She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
Just imagining mustering up the courage and dropping several hints for Zayden, only for him to pretend not to understand, was heartbreaking.
"That's why they say the one who falls in love first loses." Zayden said: "Unfortunately, she fell for someone who doesn't feel the same but also doesn't want to lose her affection and pretends not to notice her advances. Consciously or subconsciously, he likes having her adore him so much, at least that's my opinion."
"I can imagine her standing naked in front of him, and he'd still find some lame excuse to pretend he didn't notice her feelings." Erika commented sharply.
"Well, I'm not the best person to talk about this, after all, I don't plan to lead a polygamous life." Zayden stopped at another red light and asked: "Even knowing this, will you stay with me?"
"Of course!" She didn't even hesitate: "I kind of already expected something like this. And it became even more evident with the bento incident, and there's also the poster photo of you with that rich girl. I knew what kind of mess I was getting into when I wanted to start a relationship with you."
Erika's charming and surprisingly cute face as she looked at Zayden made him think of a saint.
'She really is a good girl.' Zayden smiled and said: "I understand. While I can't promise you exclusivity, I can still promise you many other things. You'll never have to worry about money, and you'll always have a special place in my heart. Of course, one day we might get married too."
"Mm." She hummed softly.
She didn't doubt his words.
Although she wasn't materialistic, that didn't mean she didn't want a luxurious life. It might seem contradictory, but it was something like: She wouldn't sell herself for money, but if the person she loves has a lot and wants to spend it on her, she wouldn't refuse, after all, that's part of him too.
In the same way she would need to accept if the person she likes came from humble origins, she also accepted Zayden, who came from a billionaire background.
She didn't have much, but at the very least, she could promise him her eternal love and be his alone until the end of her life.
That was the kind of resolve she had. As long as he didn't abandon her, she would remain faithful to him.
...
In front of the Sakura Manga Kissa (Cybercafé), Zayden parked the car in the underground parking lot.
"Is this really a Manga Kissa?" Erika asked.
From the outside, it looked more like a luxury store than anything else.
"Yes." Zayden said: "Actually, this place belongs to my mother. She loves anime and manga culture and wanted to create a luxury Manga Kissa."
"That's crazy! But, judging by the number of luxury cars… I assume it's popular." Erika sighed, impressed.
"Well, yes." Zayden said: "Besides offering a peaceful environment, this place ensures your privacy, with all rooms being soundproof and serving good food."
Zayden added: "By the way, Mom, worried about rich young guys bringing innocent girls and taking advantage of the soundproofing to do wrong things… She had warning devices installed in every room that will trigger an alarm if touched, and at the reception, they call the responsible authorities."
"Your mom is, like, a Goddess!" Erika exclaimed, and Zayden laughed a little.
For women, Izabella, who thought of this and didn't care if it might offend others, was indeed a good person. After all, second-generation rich kids tend to be spoiled, lazy, and resentful, to say the least.
In the country, there are 8 Sakura Manga Kissa locations. And the number of times an actual problem occurred was in the double digits, but the number of times a girl was actually harmed in the establishment was zero.
After parking the car, Zayden opened the door for her and extended his hand.
Erika took his hand, and they walked to the elevator next to the stairs.
When the elevator came down and opened, Erika and Zayden stepped inside.
Clicking on the number 3, the elevator began to ascend.
In the background, a soft anime opening song was playing.
On the sides, there were large mirrors, and Erika looked at the one on the left, fussing with her hair.
"Everything okay?" Zayden asked.
"All good." She replied: "Just an annoying strand that won't stay in place~"
"Let me see." Zayden asked, and when she turned, he reached out and touched her hair.
It was a small strand that had come loose from the braid.
Brushing her hand aside for a moment, he quickly fixed it.
"All done." He leaned in, kissed her lips, and smiled.
"Eeey!" Erika suddenly hugged Zayden. She gently rested her head on his chest and settled into his arms.
In response, Zayden hugged her gently.
The triumphant expression on Erika's face when he hugged her back was so funny that Zayden naturally started laughing.
"Don't laugh! Mou!" She pouted, which made her even cuter.
The sound of the elevator reaching its destination chimed, and the doors began to open.
Stepping out of the elevator, they found themselves in a corridor connected to the stairs and a glass wall through which they could see the rainy night outside.
On the right, there was a glass door with sensors; as they approached, it opened, and the interior of the Sakura Manga Kissa became visible.
It was like a grand library.
Several rows of manga and chic illustrations.
It was a mix of everything with a very good sense of style.
Moreover, there was an area in the back with tables where well-dressed people were eating.
Not far away was the reception. There were two women and one man attending.
Additionally, on either side of the door, there were two security guards dressed in black suits.
"Is this really a Manga Kissa?" Erika murmured softly.
"Yes." Zayden replied.
"Hard to believe. Seriously!" She said.
"Haha, let's not stand here. I already have a room reserved for us." Zayden pulled her hand toward the reception.
When they arrived, he said: "Good evening. I'm Zayden Valtrex. I made a reservation."
Upon hearing this, the woman in front of him, wearing a blue suit with her black hair tied up in a high bun, green eyes, smiled broadly with her bright eyes. She looked about 20 years old.
"So it's Zayden-sama! We were expecting you, sir." She looked at Erika: "This must be your partner, Erika-sama, right? Pleasure to meet you both, I'm Shirayuki Kyoko. I'll take you to your room."
Shirayuki was a woman who paid attention to details.
The moment she saw this couple approaching, she kept an eye on them.
Although there wasn't much about them that caught her attention beyond their good looks, she noticed, at a glance, the watch on the boy's wrist.
Automatically, she, who was always looking at luxury items and researching to avoid silly mistakes, managed to identify the watch.
When he got closer, she, who saw luxury items practically every day, knew it was genuine and worth much more than three years of her salary!
Her heart raced, and when she heard who he was, she easily accepted it. She also found it understandable.
Looking at him more closely, she noticed he resembled Izabella-sama a bit.
So, she responded in the best way she could think of at the moment.
After walking with them for a bit, she kept glancing in Zayden's direction.
'He's so handsome…' She thought to herself.
She only felt it was a bit unfortunate that he had such an adorable girl by his side.
However, she seemed to be a gyaru and didn't appear to come from a wealthy family. Although she understood very well that some rich young people liked to wear simple, inexpensive clothes—some even on purpose to make a statement—she felt that wasn't the case with the girl next to Zayden.
'No, no… What am I thinking? He's my boss's son. I can't have twisted thoughts about him…'
While she was lost in her daydreams and inner conflicts, they arrived at the private room.
Pretending to cough, Shirayuki Kyoko gestured toward the door of a room with the number 8 on it: "Make yourselves at home, and if you need anything, just ask."
Even though it was Zayden Valtrex, she felt obliged to mention the help request device. This warning was usually given to the girl.
"Thank you, everything's fine." Erika replied.
For her, even if Zayden wanted to do something, she was willing to accept it.
"Then, with your permission." Saying this, Shirayuki walked away.
Opening the door, Zayden and Erika entered.
----
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