95. Challenge

613 Words

Satsuki mulled over everything for a few more days. Morikawa's words of wisdom kept replaying in her head, the same as her previous encounters with Narita Ken.

Deep down, she knew it was was already too late. She had started to warm up to the actor a while ago. Yet the thought of letting these feelings blossom felt daunting to her. It frightened her to even think to lower walls that had been protecting her for so long, to expose herself to another person.

Her insecurities were eating her; haunting just like the old memory from her middle school days, one she had tried her best to forget.

She had a crush on a guy in her class. The first time she had ever felt the butterflies, fluttering frantically in the pit of her stomach. Eventually, she had gathered her courage and confessed her feelings – with rather disastrous results. She had been rejected with derision and then made a public laughingstock

And now here she was again, teetering on that very brink.

She wondered if she had the courage this time, to face another potential catastrophe and the world of hurt that came from having her feelings discarded and trampled upon.

She was not even sure yet if she liked Narita enough to take the gamble of baring her heart. Yet, there was a part of her that wanted to just go for it, if only so that she could finally conquer her fears and defeat the ghosts of her past. The part that was tired of the insecurities and urged her to move on, to become the person she wanted to be.

But after all this internal struggle, the question still remained.

Did she trust Narita Ken?

If she laid her heart onto the palm of his hand, would he treasure it, or crush it completely?

The only way to find out was to try.

After spending hours and hours pondering this problem, of wanting to both move on and stay safe in her comfort zone, she decided that she should do a compromise. She would allow Ken to court her, a sort of a trial period that did not yet require much commitment on her part; she could keep herself safe for a little while longer, while determining if Ken was really worth the risk of putting her heart on the line.

So, four days after her conversation with Morikawa, Satsuki arrived to the set at the studio and marched right up to Narita Ken, who was sitting to a side, reading that day's script. Standing in front of him, Satsuki shifted a little and then addressed him.

"You say you're interested in me?"

"Yes, I believe I have been telling you that on several occasions," he replied smoothly.

"You're not just after a quick romp in the sack?"

"Well of course having a 'romp' as you put it would be very desirable an outcome. But I promise you I would take my sweet time to – "

"Shut up!" Satsuki interrupted quickly, having blushed furiously.

Ken laughed softly and then shook his head.

"You are alluringly innocent, Yukino-san," he then said. "If I said I did not want to sleep with you, I'd be lying. But taking you to my bed is not my sole objective, if that is what you're asking."

Satsuki grudgingly accepted the answer - at least the infuriating man had been honest. She took a deep breath and then issued her challenge.

"If you truly are serious about me, prove it!"

Ken must have caught quickly the deeper meaning under her words, for his dark eyes grew suddenly alight, and a crooked grin appeared on his lips.