“Why are you following me?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgvUhBHqq2
Ever since Anna left the studio, Nao followed closely. They weren’t walking side by side, he was a few steps behind, but it still annoyed her. She used to have Takeshi or Kyoya trailing like lost puppies behind her but they were just friends. Nao was a completely different situation.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4kXXCEje8
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aJIhQ9QQg
“Didn’t your friend ask for my help?” He leaned forward, trying to keep the conversation animated. Nao figured it would tick her off even more if he were to prolong the whole ‘helping’ subject and he was having too much fun to let it go so easily. “What do I have to do, huh?” He continued taunting her.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpMaiJ95v7
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyse401VMr8
By now, her left eye started to twitch. Behind, Nao could swear she was going to turn around and slap him. She had the courage to do that yet it seemed as if he would be taken off the hook easily.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwpw4TDqmO
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVK2ZrF5V2
“Leave.” Her mumble was loud enough for him to hear. 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldOgAXns0H
Anna didn’t want to make a scene; otherwise she would have already beaten him up. However, in times like those, brilliant ideas would rise to the surface. She smirked for a fraction of second before she turned to him, smiling mischievously. Nao didn’t know if he should actually follow her request and back off or endure what she had prepared for him. 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8CltaGsXD
“If you’re so keen on helping me, then be it. Come.” Anna started her plot by leading him to his demise. 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaTaAdBbiD
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSXlFDM27M
The writer didn’t try to hide her intentions anymore. She turned around and led the way towards the closest subway. He trailed behind her, unsure and a little scared of what was going to happen next.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hVelJkRFK
“I think you’re kidding me…”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzf2P8TtaL
The metro station was engulfed by people, swirling around even though there was little space. He was planted near the door, his face glued to one of the bars. Not even the height could help Nao. Over different annoying noises and bad perfumes, he could feel a woman touching his butt. He tried to shake it off but it became obvious. He tried to move around so that he could firstly breathe and secondly, he really couldn’t stand that hand.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrf22fbAOX5
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69vHLFnw5G
“Have you seriously never been squished by oh so many strangers, with such fragrances around?” 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqPX2T7taJ
She was lucky because she found a good place near the door even though when there was a sudden change in speed, everyone would crash into her. While watching him scrunching his face in disgust of everything, she was plotting.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30i5Djg0M7
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJF3wPaeQa
“I’m not from Tokyo.” He mumbled while trying hard to stay on his feet. She rolled her eyes at his answer. It didn’t make any sense because they met in Tokyo. “I’m originally from Osaka.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdW7ydjbHm
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTAa4nKdwr
“And? Does Osaka not have subways?” 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDBFBcaW5A
In that very moment, Nao could feel the heat rising to his head. He wasn’t blushing but his ears got red from annoyance. If he didn’t know any better, he would have swore she wanted to take revenge on those 4 years, but she seemed to not care enough for that. He was intrigued. Maybe she just wanted him to suffer for her simple desire to provoke chaos around her.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6595xRL4h
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmpMkGc01G
“You’re a true smart ass aren’t you?” He mumbled. 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfD5yJLiBO
She smiled sarcastically but didn’t respond. Instead, since they had to get off at the next station, she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him towards the door. 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvlEw3FWQN
Unfortunately, the movements of the metro got him crashing on her instead. Her head hit the door and she wasn’t at all happy with the turn up.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0yCZ8D2Q8
“Where are we going?” Nao required information, mostly since he had a bad feeling about that day.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOu1vcolfQf
She ignored him completely from the moment they got back on the sidewalk. They were somewhere in Shinjuku, heaven of every shopping maniac out there. He didn’t like it. 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuBrMHVYse
Patience was a virtue he seriously didn’t possess. Even more surprising was when Anna grabbed his hand and entered confidently one of the biggest and most sparkling Shopping Centers.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQlgcZytR6
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBxQQaFCi2
“Let’s start with fun things.” 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY04txnlAbH
Her eyes got so big and looked so innocent that he got scared. She wasn’t an innocent woman at all. Anna smiled cutely, showing two cute dimples on each side of her cheeks as she grabbed his hand and entered what was to become the most disastrous situation in his life.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpI9fo0t2zf
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCUQx8TOtI
“Wait,” He pulled her roughly back. He couldn’t believe her. “This is a lingerie store. I’m not supposed to enter.” She raised an eyebrow, trying hardly to look as innocent as a young teenage girl.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2afnElC5h
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZj0JCkaRS
“Why not?” 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgPvzMKLaN
She shook his hand off, mostly because he had a tight grip on her arm and it started to hurt, and went right back in, leaving him behind. Sincerely, he looked like a pervert by just standing in front of such a place. 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQX3z9ob8gb
Slowly, he got the courage, and with one hand covering half of his face, walked in. The path to where she was seemed to never end. Firstly, he crashed into a mannequin; that was the first level of his embarrassment;864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSokl8gOjsr
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvl7UEXfTUA
“Oh God.”
Next, while being perplexed, he hit a shelf of bras, ending with a few on his head; that was the second level. The climax of all of it was the moment he actually reached the place she was standing at. Anna grabbed a bra which had leopard print on it. She raised it to his eyes and tilted her head to one side.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOjaco6nkd
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKXFhbRdY5
“What?” He was already pride less so why not give up? She smiled and moved the bra in front of him.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVtVBZacJ4
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswSq2UxEHN
“What do you say? Would it look good on me?” His eyes widened and mouth opened a little. He couldn’t believe she asked him that. Not even his wife did! He considered himself a stranger to anything feminine, like sexy lingerie. He didn’t care since he slept with Ai just three times; she tried to get him entranced into such a mood but it didn’t work at all and often she would end up all annoyed and frustrated.
Nonetheless, he knew it was all part of a well thought plan she came up with in just a few minutes. He couldn’t lose to her. He couldn’t lose to himself either.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUuMUfLIDc
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoomxCB04IT
“I don’t think it suits you.” The relaxed tone, the features which also seemed to be controlled and ignorant surprised both of them. She had a wicked mind and it started to slowly rub on him too. He was insane, he was in a creepy situation and everything he was thinking of was nothing. Nothing at all.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jk4xGYMG3
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnZINksAKj
“Actually,” He crossed his arms and leaned on the shelf on his right. “You don’t like it either do you?” She got caught off guard and the achievement of seeing her without a smart reply brought a smirk on his lips.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lw60YntC4
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei9qiVfX39
“What’s simple is beautiful.” She shrugged and grabbed another bra. The piece was different. It was a dark blue color and it didn’t have any print on it. “I guess I like this more.” She started to play around again. Encouraged by a fierce desire to embarrass him, she put the bra in front of her chest and started to move from side to side, like a child.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAmra80rG4
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH68Ssnbx1V
Somehow, the bright smile she had while playing in a lingerie store got Nao to loosen up a lot. He wasn’t ashamed of being there because she was there too. It all seemed to gravitate around her and he had no power. When she looked up to him, there was no evil glint anymore; instead, there was amusement. Next, she grabbed another imprinted bra. It looked slutty, in Anna’s point of view at least, but it seemed to give her a new idea. She placed it on Nao’s chest.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8y5K0xkO4
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIG0SbNxSnt
“I think this suits you.” She said jokingly. 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8ZbFDShq3
The bra was black and had two stars on each side. Nao remained perplexed a little until she started to laugh. Her laughter was genuine and seemed to be nasal, like her voice. He never heard her laugh so brightly before. It made him laugh too and they looked like two troublemakers.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpXF5dOsdf
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0a6tmo32R
“Let’s get out of here.” She chuckled when she saw how his eyes started to sparkle and how enthusiastic he became suddenly. However, that didn’t change the fact that Anna bought the blue bra.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBepAxWFrN
“I hope you’re not going to take me to some other place like that.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgIpgXDXFx
She stopped middle step. Her head titled again, it seemed she was doing that every time she was thinking about something. She had been struck by an idea and blinked864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPduRk6Sh3
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFA3U1G3CNg
“Let’s go buy condoms,” She started excitedly. Nao’s eyes got as big as two plates. It was so funny that Anna couldn’t control herself anymore. She started to laugh loudly. “I’m joking.” She said while trying to calm her breathing. He glared at her and snarled. It sounded funny and it amused Anna even more. His face was priceless and the effect she had on him was growing at an alarming pace.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlP00XtbWFu
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGBwx5lAqS
“Why don’t we take a break?” He signed with his head towards the fast food. Anna bit her lip, having an inside battle. She could continue her evil plan or she could relax and actually enjoy.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZD9qh9PRI
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2iG2DowidP
“But where would be the fun then?” She whispered. Nao didn’t hear it because he was already walking towards the food court. In the end, how bad could she embarrass him in such a place?864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFcNLl3OHW
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8WocKb9Fl
He thought again. She could find many ways to get the people around them glue their eyes to them. In the first place, some teenagers recognized Anna from the attention her book got. Secondly, she grabbed two french fries and started to use them as fangs.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYVT0m84zg
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mWmFXEhvr
“Rawr, rawr,” She was definitely having fun in her own way. 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwdEpe7cJ0
On the other side, Nao didn’t know what to do first: laugh at her childish antics or be worried of her bipolarity. He chose none. Seeing how he wasn’t reacting anymore, she threw a french fry at him and scoffed.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5O1CaxRKjV
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglZ2d4rVPc
“You’re no fun at all. Got old already?” She smirked, knowing that he will get offended by her words, which actually happened.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiL8NxuPZ0m
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOHUFS7fMc
“Oi! I’m just 30 years old!” His narrowed eyes didn’t affect Anna in absolutely any way. “Did you write a scene like that in your book too?” 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1dmpkyjq7
With just one sentence, which didn’t have any connection to their current situation, Anna frowned. She started to stare intently at her drink. Nao got taken back by the change and felt bad even if he knew he shouldn’t because he definitely didn’t offend her in any way.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YL8DL64s1
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LvNxavNRy
“Naoki-san,” He was actually waiting for a verbal blow. He knew she had the perfect mood for something like that. “Do you think my book lacks romance?” Alright, it wasn’t exactly what he expected.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1DpLMLqHI
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39Y62SWLFe
“I-” She thought he might have not read the whole novel to begin with so she put the problem differently.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5DBDVLlD9
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUfIwIWBvl
“Do you think I lack romance?” His response was sincere and maybe it came too fast.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqa2wqQOO0
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4JpjjX2xd
“Yes.” She looked somewhere between annoyed and surprised. Her eyes got smaller and her mouth was set in a straight line. There was a neutral expression, over all. “Is this the problem Nakamura-san asked me to help you with?” She nodded slowly. He chuckled and got more comfortable on his chair. “Who told you that?” The atmosphere transited from childish to a little more serious between them.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfgI36VsQm
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7c4LGP9zpv
“Your father.” That surprised Nao even more and he started to laugh again, but not loud enough to make her sulk. “He said I don’t know what love is. That I don’t have any more the feelings from the moment I wrote that book. You are his son. What does he want me to do?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5WWUqeg9X
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvnnwS1bFx
“Hmm,” He placed his hands on the table and leaned on them, thinking. “You wrote it four years after we met, right?” Her eye started to twitch again. He sounded too proud.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Av0dZjot4
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWvmj9OlzQ
“Actually, I started it one year after we met. It just happened I forgot about it. My other books didn’t seem to be appreciated so one day I just remembered about it” 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxj6PpMC8t4
Even though she spoke with ignorance, as it was just another topic, it affected him more than he would have imagined. Nao started to wonder if he was more caught up with her than she was with him. It started as an ideal type and in a matter of a few months it became more like an obsession.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MW6vQYUxg
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3TSnNLN0D
“Then I guess you changed a lot. The book talks about fate and love. About two people who would do absolutely anything to meet. From what I read, the girl was the one believing they will have a happily ever after but you don’t seem to do.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPxvdGT7zU
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJGoTJwBGH
“That’s because I don’t.” Anna recognized. Something hurt in his chest. “I didn’t back then either. I knew it was just one day, one moment, one man. Why should I get all worked up for someone I will never meet again? I should just enjoy it to the fullest and when it’s over, get over it.” 864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqL42Od9mn
Nao flinched. Suddenly he realized that if he wouldn’t have left in that morning Lovers in Tokyo wouldn’t have been written but they would have probably ended up together. It hurt. It was his fault.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFue4JDSlPr
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5Ok36tMAb
Anna watched his body react to her words. She knew she touched something inside him, that something in his head clicked. She hurt him but that was nothing compared to the moment she woke up that morning, all alone. On that day, there were moments when she hoped her reasoning was wrong and he won’t become just an acquaintance in her memory. Anna knew the ending for their small escapade from the world, from themselves and from the truth but that didn’t mean she never hoped for something more. Instead, she learned a new lesson in life and moved on.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOjgptVQQR
864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qZXEHNEZv
“I think we should leave. There’s no reason to be here anymore.” She grabbed her purse and the two plates. While walking to the trash can she didn’t dare glance behind. Anna hurt him or at least his pride but she didn’t feel any amount of remorse for that. “He deserved it,” She mumbled to herself.
