A/N: Published - 3.22.23


Friday… 4:00 P.M.

I could feel the sweat on my palms as I fiddled with my phone. Sitting on my bed, I stared at the phone number. I wondered what that man would say once I called him. It was nearly midnight in California, and surely, he was waiting on the other side of the line.

I groaned as I watched the clock click to 4:00. "Come on, Asuka. You can do this." I said under my breath, and without another thought, I clicked the button.

The phone rang and not a second later, a rough-tired voice answered the call in English, "Hello, Asuka?"

I cleared my throat as I answered in English, "Father"

"Asuka. How have you been? Are the Chie's taking good care of you?" His voice was warm just like it always was.

"I've been well. Chie-san has done a lot for me." I fidgeted with my feet.

"That's good."

The conversation was awkward as it always was. Father was never one to be good with communicating which made it hard for me to talk with him over the phone, but when I met him in person he was a warm, sun-like person.

There was a moment of silence as I waited for him to speak up, yet he didn't. "You wanted to talk, Father?" I gulped the built-up saliva in my mouth thickly as I nervously waited for his response.

"…Asuka. We need to talk about your future plans."


I was an emotional wreck.

Today I am going to hang out with Chinatsu-san. Outside of school. We had planned this ahead of time on Friday and now it was Sunday.

Our plan was to meet up in front of the train station and head towards the cafe I'm a regular at. The train station was near the cafe. A perfect spot to meet up. I wanted to convince myself everything was going to be fine. I wanted to. But the more I thought about it, the more I saw what could go wrong.

Hanging out with friends on the weekend. It was as simple as that. A very normal thing to do between friends.

I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my clothes to perfection. Jean pants and jacket, white shirt. My clothes felt plain. I didn't like it. "Maybe…maybe I should dress better…" I mumbled to myself.

"Nee-chan!" Eiyu, my little brother, exclaimed from the living room. He was the mirror image of our mother, who had curly brown hair and brown eyes, although he has our father's black hair.

"You're going to be late if you stay any longer!" I heard the giggles of the twins in the background as he added, "I can take care of Mei and Momo."

Settling on my current outfit, I added a small hairpin to keep my longer bangs out of my face. "Thank you, Ei-kun." I peeked into the living room seeing my siblings.

Mei and Momo are two years younger than Eiyu and six years younger than me. They, unlike Eiyu, take after our Father just like me with the slight difference between the two of their eye colors (Mei with black and Momo with brown).

"I left some food in the fridge for you three, so make sure to eat it. Just heat it in the microwave for about a minute and a half, okay Ei-kun?"

"Alright, Nee-chan. Take care." He smiled gently and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at how well he has grown. To think he was in junior high now.

The twins echoed their brother, "Take care, Nee-chan!"

"Mei, Momo don't give your brother a hard time." I narrowed my eyes at them.

"Momo does not cause trouble!" Momo exclaimed with puffed cheeks. "Momo is a good girl!"

"Momo…is loud…" The quiet elder twin rebutted.

The younger twin looked at Mei puzzled, "How is Momo being loud, causing trouble?"

"Momo… is annoying."

I stammered, unsure of how to intervene, "M-mei…"

The younger twin exclaimed angrily, "Well, Mei is mean!"

"You two, stop it!" Eiyu intervened. "Be nice to each other." Mei huffed while Momo glared at her elder sister. He sighed helplessly.

Our eyes connected and I mouthed, "Sorry, Ei-kun." He simply smiled in response.

"I'll be going now!" I shouted into the house before hastily making my way to the train station.

By the time I had reached the train station, Chinatsu-san was already there. At this sight of her, I couldn't help but panicked and double checked if I was late. It was a couple minutes before one o' clock which was the time we were supposed to meet up.

I ran up to her, "Ch-chinatsu-san, did y-you wait long?"

The tall girl wore black jeans with a black striped buttoned white button collar. Her hair was tied in a simple ponytail, and her bangs curtained her green jade-like eyes.

"Tanaka-san," She smiled, "I just got here a few moments ago." I couldn't help but sigh in relief.

I smiled, "T-then, shall we g-get going?"

"Alright." Chinatsu-san nodded, and I led the way.

The cafe was only a two minute walk from the station. So it didn't take us long until we finally arrived at the doorstep of the cafe. Our short walk was filled with silence along the way.

As I opened the door the bells chimed and a familiar voice greeted, "Welcome!" I turned my head in the direction to meet a pair of brown eyes, "Oh, Tsumugi-san!"

"Miya-san." A smile spread on my face.

Miya was a college student that was working for the elderly owner of this cafe along with a few others. She was the whole reason I chose to come to this cafe. As a regular here, I had gotten acquainted with Miya and the owner.

She was youthful with brown hair and matching orbs. Surprisingly, even though she was older than Chinatsu, Miya was still shorter by a few inches.

"Is this your friend?"

I stammered, embarrassed, "Y-yeah." To be able to have a friend like Chinatsu, I was surely blessed by lady luck.

Chinatsu nodded her head towards Miya with a smile, "Chinatsu Asuka. It's nice to meet you."

Miya's eyes practically shone with happiness. Knowing her, she surely didn't think I was capable of gaining friends. At least by myself.

"It's nice to meet you Chinatsu-san. I am Miya." She said, "Please have a seat." The woman directed us towards a nearby booth.

As we sat, Miya commented, "Tsumugi-san is a regular here. It's nice to see that she has a friend to spend the weekend with." She placed the menus in front of us.

The blood rushed to my face. Why did she have to go about spouting embarrassing stuff?

Chinatsu giggled, which only added oil to the fire on my cheeks, "I'm glad to have Tanaka-san as my friend," A tender smile reached her face. I felt the edges of my lips tug into a smile in response.

I could hear Miya snigger behind her hand, and I glared at her to which she covered up quickly by clearing her throat.

She smiled playfully, "Alright. I'll get back to you once you guys have had a moment to look over the menu." And with that she merely walked away.

Miya was quite the opposite from me. Sometimes it overwhelmed me with how energetic she was. Although, in a way her energy was something that I was grateful for.

"So, Tanaka-san comes here often."

"Ah…y-yes," I stammered, taken by surprise at the sudden exchange of words, "with my siblings usually."

Her eyes suddenly sparkled in curiosity, "You have siblings?"

"Y-yes, I have t-three younger siblings."

Chinatsu leaned over the table, engaged in our conversation, "Hmm, is that so?" There was a short pause in between her speech, "What's it like?"

I found myself contemplating my words, "T-the house is always rowdy. Especially, w-with my twin sisters causing a stir." Worried I was boring her, I couldn't help but glance at her. Although I unexpectedly found her completely immersed by the topic. "A-although it's mostly Momo dragging Mei into things. T-they're the youngest."

I continued, "Eiyu is the second oldest. H-he's always taking care of the twins. I-I can barely handle them both…" A bit embarrassed by the reveal, I laughed awkwardly. I, the older sister, was unable to take care of my younger sisters due to my introverted nature.

"Sounds nice."

Chinatsu suddenly went quiet. Her gaze wandered outside as she leaned on the palm of her hand. A solemn look was on her face.

Unsure of what I should say, I blurted out, "D-does Chinatsu-san have any siblings?"

She glanced at me, a small smile on her face as she hummed, "Hmm, I don't. But I know a kid who acts like my little sister." Chinatsu groaned as she stretched her back, "Mhm, Tanaka-san is lucky to have so many siblings."

Once again she rested on her palm, a distant look in her eyes as she sighed aloud, "I wish I had some. Maybe my house wouldn't be so gloomy then."

I couldn't help, but feel as if something was wrong with Chinatsu-san. Like something was bothering her. She had a distant look in her eyes. As if her thoughts were disturbed by something. And I would gladly help carry that worry in her eyes that burdened her.

My lips moved in their own accord, blurting out, "Is something bothering you, Chinatsu-san?"

Her shoulders stiffened ever so slightly. Her lips hung in what seemed like shock. A smile spread across her face, and she chuckled.


Today was Sunday. A few days after I talked with my father, and today, Tanaka and I decided to hang out together. Our destination was Tanaka's favorite cafe.

We met up at the front of the train station. It wasn't far from there, so it had only taken us a couple of minutes to get there.

I was dressed casually with black jeans and a white, black striped buttoned collar sweater. My hair was tied in a simple ponytail to finish off the look.

While Tanaka was dressed in jeans, a plain white shirt, and a jean jacket; meanwhile, her hair was let loose to its natural state.

The sound of bells chimed as Tanaka opened the door.

"Welcome! Oh, Tsumugi-san!" A young woman exclaimed, cheerfully. She had long brown hair tied back in a bun and was dressed in a brown apron and white cuffed dress shirt.

"Miya-san." Tanaka greeted her with a surprisingly calm smile on her face that contrasted her usual persona.

"Is this your friend?"

"Y-yeah." Tanaka smiled sheepishly.

I smiled at the older woman, " Chinatsu Asuka. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, Chinatsu-san." She grinned. "I am Miya. Please have a seat." Miya directed us to a booth.

"Tsumugi-san is a regular here. It's nice to see that she has a friend to spend her weekend with." Miya said as she placed the menus in front of us.

A blush bloomed on Tanaka's face, and I couldn't help but giggle at the girl, "I'm glad to have Tanaka-san as a friend."

Miya sniggered at the girl's blooming cheeks. She cleared her throat, quickly returning to professionalism, "Alright. I'll get back to you once you guys have had a moment to look over the menu." The brown haired lady trotted away.

"So, Tanaka-san comes here often."

"Ah, y-yes," Tanaka stammered in surprise, "with my siblings usually."

My ears perked at the word "siblings" and I blurted out, "You have siblings?"

"Y-yes, I have t-three younger siblings." Stiffly, she nodded in response.

"Hmm, is that so?" I leaned over the table, intrigued, "What's it like?"

Tanaka pondered, "T-the house is always rowdy. Especially, w-with my twin sisters causing a stir." She cautiously glanced at me, seemingly gauging my reaction, "A-although it's mostly Momo dragging Mei into things. T-they're the youngest."

"Eiyu is the second oldest. H-he's always taking care of the twins. I-I can barely handle them both…" She laughed awkwardly, a tint of red on her cheeks.

"Sounds nice." I couldn't help but smile. Tanaka's family sounded lively unlike how it was for my family. I leaned on my palm as my gaze wandered outside.

"D-does Chinatsu-san have any siblings?"

I glanced at the nervous girl and hummed, "Hmm, I don't. But I know a kid who acts like my little sister."

Stretching my tired back, I groaned, "Mhm, Tanaka-san is lucky to have so many siblings." I sighed, "I wish I had some. Maybe my house wouldn't be so gloomy then." chuckles rose from my throat.

"Is something bothering you, Chinatsu-san?" Suddenly Tanaka blurted out in a sudden spur of confidence.

I felt my breath hitch ever so slightly, as my pupils widened in shock. A smile reached my lips as I let out an amused chuckle.

Tanaka suddenly shrank back just as fast as she had blurted out. She rambled, "O-of course. Y-you don't have to tell me if i-it's too p-personal. A-although I-i'm here if y-you need me…"

A cup of water clattered on the table as it was placed swiftly, interrupting Tanaka's ranting, "Are you two ready to order?" Miya appeared with her business smile plastered on her face.

"Ah, I'll get the coffee jelly parfait and a green tea please." I quickly recited my order that I had placed in the back of my head.

"Alrightly," Miya chirped happily, "Then what about Tsumugi-san?"

Flustered, Tanaka replied, "A-a cheesecake and tea for me please."

Miya quickly scribbled down our orders onto her notepad as she smiled, "Okay, everything will be out soon."

I could feel her gaze boring into me as she kept stealing glances at me - I sipped my tea to calm any nerves I had.

"Thank you, Tanaka-san." I met her gaze, and she looked at me in confusion, "For worrying about me."

"D-don't worry about i-it!" Tanaka waved her hands in front of her frantically, "T-that's what f-f-friends do."

Even though she stuttered, her expression was one of sterness. The word "friend" bore into mind. I had a friend. Someone I could rely on. Someone I could share my worries with.

"Friend…" The edges of my lips flipped up in a smile, a genuinely happy smile. It felt like ages since I had felt this relaxed around someone.

Tanaka looked at me intently, waiting patiently for me to speak.

"I had a talk with my father over the phone," I began slowly. "about our family company and my future." I had half expected Tanaka to question me about the company as many had done before - curiosity was a human trait after all - but she stayed quiet.

So, I continued, "My family owns a company in the entertainment business, Chinatsu Entertainment. For generations, the eldest has always inherited the company. And this generation, it's my turn to take over."

"But. I…I'm not confident. I just. I just don't believe I can be the leader the company needs. But it's not something I can brush off. Years, generations of hard work was put into making the company into the successful business it is today." I gripped my sleeve anxiously as my brows furrowed. Pausing, I waited for Tanaka-san to process everything.

"Does Chinatsu-san's father want Chinatsu-san to take over?" Her voice didn't waver as she spoke for the first time ever.

"It's a family tradition that he was not an exception for either, so of course he does." My knuckles turned white as my fingers dug into the palm of my hand.

"…Personally, I think Chinatsu-san would be a great leader. Chinatsu-san is kind, smart, and hardworking. I can't see a better leader."

"A leader is confident and strong." I scoffed, "If a leader doesn't have these qualities then they are doomed to fail." Tanaka went quiet at my words.

I flinched, realizing my tone, "…haah, sorry, Tanaka-san." My emotions had gotten the best of me. Our conversation went quiet.

"Chinatsu-san, why did you join the student council?"

I looked at her confused, yet she provided me with no explanation. "Well…at first, it was Nanami-san who had invited me to join her. However, my father talked to me later on and said how he wants me to build up leadership related skills to prepare me for my future."

"Which led to talking about leading the company with your father…" Tanaka concluded. I merely nodded in response. She glanced at me, "A leader…doesn't necessarily have to lead. A leader can support with strength and guidance. I believe Chinatsu-san could do that."

"…A leader who supports?"

The girl nodded firmly, "If not leading, why not supporting? Support people and push them to do their best."

I stared at my reflection in the cup of water. Tanaka's advice would surely give me a whole lot of thinking to do, but I was grateful for it.

"Thank you, Tanaka-san."

Her face flushed, "A-ah, i-it's nothing…" She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.

I pouted, "Here I thought, Tanaka-san stopped stuttering because you were comfortable with me."

"O-oh uhm…" Tanaka stammered. She averted her gaze like a guilty child and I couldn't help but giggled at how adorable she was.

A voice cooed, "Awwww, look at her blush! How adorable!" Miya stood there with the tray of desserts.

"M-miya-san!" Tanaka's cheeks only deepened in color with Miya's teasing. The woman only laughed aloud as she placed our dishes in front of us.

I muttered a thanks for the meal as I dug into my coffee jelly parfait. The soft and jiggly consistency in my mouth. The coffee flavor was the perfect amount of bitterness.

Aaah….How I love coffee…