76.
chapter seventy-six:
I kissed her—
and began my
Izumi Miyamura arc
of acting a
rude boyfriend.

I felt myself fluster with every passing heartbeat. The girl was looking at me with an incredulous quirk of her lips. And boy, was it adorable!

"What's the plan? I hope you have some solid ones, Owl, because I've declined a four-star breakfast made with love!"

I gave her a sheepish grin. "Well, for one, let's go out."

"Now?" Seeing as she didn't move an inch, I took matters into my own hands and grabbed her wrist. "Huh?"

"C'mon!" Once she locked her home, I started searching for nearby restaurants. There was one that caught my eye for an extravagant breakfast in Vaniville, La Galaxite. "Do you prefer to walk or ride?" I asked, maneuvering my other hand so that I could hold hers. 

Serena looked thoughtful. She scratched her reddening cheek. "Walk? Or I'll drive. I don't want you to strain yourself. There's the road trip, and last time, you wore yourself out. Besides, you've got to catch a flight to Kanto in two days, and—" 

"Girl!" I exclaimed, interjecting. Seeing her rant made me breathless. "I am an athlete and can bear strain—" 

"No, no! You must not! Especially not for me!" 

I had had enough. Midway, I craned my neck and brushed my lips against the side of her cherry mouth. "Just shut up and walk." 

It did the trick. Serena remained silent (and scarlet) for the rest of the walk. She only opened her mouth when we arrived outside La Galaxite. "La Galaxite?! It's the only five-star restaurant here, and it's too expensive!" 

I sent her a glare. "Do you want me to do what I did before to shut your talkative mouth?" 

If it were humanly possible, the girl cumulatively blanched and turned bright pink within seconds. She opened and closed her mouth a few times. I made to take another step forward, but she looped her arm around mine and pulled me back. "Ash! We aren't even dressed the part!" 

Rolling my eyes teasingly, I gave her a smile that might as well make her heart skip a beat. She looked away, grumbling something beneath her breath, and finally let me lead her inside. A man dressed primly waited on us and led us to a table for two. 

As we walked to our parlor, I felt several pairs of eyes on us. During the short trot, Serena pressed herself to my back, her gait considerably feeble, as if in fear. All I could do was feel heavy and hold her hand tighter. Social anxiety. 

Once within the safe confines of the parlor, Serena heaved a sigh and slumped down into the sofa against me. I heard her mumble, so I decided to ask what she said. "What was that?" 

The girl pouted at me. As much as I found it pleasing, I had a stoic demeanor to uphold. "Why are you acting so cold toward me?" 

I wanted to laugh my head off. "Because you deserve it. I should use more words to be so damn rude to you." 

Her lips trembled, and she looked away. "So much for caring." 

I smirked, and when the waiter showed up to take our orders, I didn't give her a chance to order. "Two breakfast bentos, please. And an espresso for her. I'd like a caramel latte, thank you." 

"Ash! A breakfast bento costs a fortune! None of us have tried it even though we live here! Not even Calem! I don't want to impose—" 

All I did to cut her short was lean closer, across the table, so that our noses touched. Panic flashed in her eyes, and I whispered calmly, "There's always a first time, and your first time will be with me, and me alone." 

The guy intruded on our privacy again with two glasses of water. I leaned back and crossed my legs, watching the honey blonde with an observant stare. She kept glancing between the table and her lap but didn't speak. There was the familiar pink tint speckled across her cheeks. 

A part of me felt bad for being so expressive toward her. 

But then, I had to make her smile, right?

"Say, Serena. Anywhere else you wanna stop by?" She jerked at the mention of her name and looked into my eyes for a split second. Tearing her gaze away to look back at the table, she slowly shook her head. An exasperated sigh escaped my lips. "My fault for asking you." 

Serena shifted uncomfortably. Was I just too harsh on her? When she spoke, her voice lowered in pitch with each word. "Let the topic go. I don't want to go anywhere but home. If you'd let me, I'd run home this instant." 

Before I could take her hand, our breakfast arrived. A bowl of corn soup, a plate of sandwiches, French fries and a burger, and finally a bowl of fresh fruit. That was all?

We dug in, the girl eating rather hesitantly until I gave her a reassuring smile. Our beverages arrived as soon as we were done with the food. They were definitely much more delicious than the breakfast itself, and Serena heartily agreed. 

The bill was indeed expensive, but I felt no regret in paying the chunk of the amount. Of course, I discarded the bill before Serena could catch a glimpse of it. No matter how much I narrowed my eyes at her sternly, she didn't stop pestering me about the numbers. Not that I gave in, either. 

While on our way back to the exit, I heard whispers. "Isn't that Yvonne's daughter?" 

My jaw clenched in irritation, almost involuntarily. 

"The one who's been abroad for half a decade or something?" 

I tightened my grip on Serena's hand, so much so that she let out a tiny squeak. 

"Seems like he's earning some amount to have her dine for casual breakfast." 

The color drained from my face. 

"Negative. I suppose she's using that guy's money—" 

I stopped mid-stride. A scowl escaped my lips, and I made to turn on them, but Serena grabbed my arm and shook her head, mouthing, please. I allowed her to lead me out, anger increasing in bounds with each step. I didn't bother to fall into a relaxed position even after crossing several feet away from the said hotel. 

Just who do they think she is?

Serena was my best friend, the light of my life. One day, the entire world would realize her shine. 

Until then, the only person who was supposed to know her worth was herself.