Eli knew that letting this chance slip by could possibly mean never getting this chance again. She had to make a move and with such resolve, she stood up and Jesidril and Chika blinked.

"'Sup?" Jesidril asked.

"That girl. I'll ask her out. Be right back." Although Eli meant to say that she wanted to meet Nozomi.

"Ah, you might get rejected if you do that." Chika warned.

"I have to try, right?" The blonde smiled back at the orange-haired then turned her head back towards Nozomi and walked towards her.

Jesidril leaned towards Chika, "Fifty bucks, Eli gets kicked in the balls."

"Fifty bucks, Eli gets emotional damage." Chika replied.

"Deal." And Jesidril shook hands with Chika as they watched.

As Eli neared Nozomi, she lightly slammed a hand on the table beside the photos that Nozomi was organizing while she glued her eyes towards the woman's face. With a smile, the blonde spoke in her sweetest voice:

"Hey, I'm Eli Ayase, do you want to go out with me?"

"Hm?" Nozomi looked at her and froze upon seeing Eli's face.

She was their model? She was flirtatious enough to pull the card at the first meeting, though.

Instead of responding to the question, Nozomi just told her:

"Help me with these first." She said as she looked back at the photos.

That felt like an icy cold answer but Eli decided to get along anyway, "S-Sure."

After a little while of helping out, Nozomi finally faced the hopeful Eli with a smile, "Thanks for that."

"No problem! So…"

"No." Nozomi turned her down without her smile fading.

It felt like Eli was blasted from behind with a canon and had dragged herself to a gloomy corner while she dealt with the rejection. Nozomi, on the other hand, went towards the counter to tell You that they would be starting the photoshoot shortly.

Chika slammed her shoe against the floor, "EMOTIONAL DAMAGE! Okay, I won! Give me my fifty bucks!" She told Jesidril who groaned as she grabbed the money out and handed it to her.

"Eli-chan! Here's your iced latte!" You butted in and it felt like it only gave Eli stab wounds as she sunk lower into her corner.

A while later, they started the photoshoot and since Eli wasn't the type to give up, she figured to subtly try catching Nozomi's attention. Then again, the job comes first.

Sitting on a chair, Eli had leaned towards her right and she held a white cup with her left hand. Nozomi had already prepped the digital camera and signaled the blonde to pose, to which she did by lifting the cup and pretending that she took a sip and was savoring the flavor of coffee by the way she closed her eyes.

Nozomi pressed a button and captured a photo of her. That was perfect. It seemed Eli was a natural for this. Nozomi didn't even need to edit this out because the lighting blended perfectly with Eli and the blurred background became the cherry on top.

Nozomi nodded in delight; Eli might have been too rash back there but she couldn't ever deny the physical beauty that the blonde had. Hell, she looked handsome rather than beautiful by how mature her face was. The sharp jawline and the pointed nose caught her eye and she couldn't help but stare at her through the lenses of her camera. At the very least, Eli wouldn't notice that she was slightly in a trance because of her.

But really? Someone like this woman just asked her to go out with her? That was a surreal experience. It felt like a dream. Who in their right mind would even date her? Eli was better off with a much better-looking girl. Someone who wasn't weird.

"You're staring too much." Jesidril whispered in Nozomi's ear from behind, startling the purple-haired that she flinched back.

"J-Jesi-chan! Why, you're one sneaky…" Nozomi immediately recomposed herself with a smirk as her way to conceal her embarrassment. Was she staring at Eli for too long?

"I mean I understand that a lot of girls are after Eli. Lucky you, she seems to be into you." Jesidril smiled cheekily.

"Th-That's not…!"

"I know you, Nozomi. For the slightest, you're a bit excited about her. That's what people would feel once they learned that someone took an interest in them. It's normal."

Nozomi blushed; Jesidril was right. From what she had seen in those movies and books, the bold person's advances would always leave the shy one all flustered and embarrassed. So, this was what it felt like. To be noticed by someone that way.

Then again, they just met today so Nozomi shook her head vigorously to wipe off those thoughts. It was impossible. Such a thing didn't exist.

Jesidril sighed through her nose as she observed with her smile never leaving her face. Nozomi didn't really need to return the advances, she just needed to realize that even someone like her could hope for a love they wanted to have. Once that happened, perhaps – Jesidril hoped – Nozomi's confidence could bloom.

"Alright! Time for the switch, Eli!" Jesidril called out and Eli opened her eyes to look at them.

"Right! I got carried away there, didn't I?" The blonde chuckled nervously as she stood up and approached them, gazing at Nozomi in particular.

Nozomi then looked up and froze when their eyes finally met.

Hm? Eli thought to herself as she paused.

To cover up, Nozomi smiled, "Good work."

That smile was too bright. it blinded Eli as she stood there and tried to come up with something to say.

"A-Ah– Th-Thank you! I mean, it's not really a problem!" The blonde rubbed the back of her head. Damn it, Nozomi looked so beautiful with a smile like that and Eli could feel her heart palpitating. It felt like Nozomi, herself, was fit to be a model.

Chika and You, who were watching from the corner, exchanged glances with smiles on their faces. In a way, they believed that it was a love story they would be thrilled to see.

"Are you stuttering?" Nozomi asked innocently; although, she was just teasing Eli.

"N-Not at all! I mean, you just look–"

"Beautiful? You might need to have your eyes checked, Ayase-san~"

"I-It was true, though! You're really beautiful." Eli grinned cheekily and Nozomi rolled her eyes before she walked past her. Following Nozomi's pursuit with a stare, Eli took a moment to take a deep breath before she turned to Jesidril victoriously, giving her a silent message that she and Nozomi managed to have a little chat.

Jesidril rolled her eyes when she caught the message and they proceeded with the photoshoot.

Hours later, when they were done, Nozomi started to pack up to leave and be done for the day while Eli was talking to Jesidril.

"I'm off!" Nozomi said.

"Take care, Nozomi-chan!" Chika waved and Nozomi nodded before she left the café.

"No, wait!" Eli attempted to catch up to her and rushed out of the door.

"Wait! Nozomi!" Eli called out and immediately blocked Nozomi's way to stop her.

"What is it?" Nozomi tilted her head curiously.

"I-I want to try again!"

"Try what again?"

"Asking you out. Getting to know you. Please!"

"Jeez, you can't take no for an answer?"

"I-I'm sorry for being impulsive. But, what I meant was I wanted to meet you and get close to you and–"

"Date me?"

"W-Well…" Eli couldn't respond to that.

Nozomi crossed her arms with a smile, "Aren't you moving a bit too fast?"

"S-Sorry…" That felt like a low blow for Eli as she looked down in disappointment. She was rejected. Again.

Seeing that face made Nozomi feel slightly guilty. Perhaps Eli was the type to not be able to express when overwhelmed. Nozomi may still have felt that being friends with her would still be a bad idea but… how could she ever ignore that adorable, sad face?

"A week."

Eli's face lit up and her ears perked, "A-A week?"

"I'll let you get to know me for a week. That should be enough to satisfy you, noh? After that, you will be free from whatever curse you placed upon yourself." Nozomi giggled.

"But–"

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ayase-san." Nozomi then moved past her and all Eli could do was to gaze at her as she walked away.

Nozomi, herself, didn't know but she felt she should at least give Eli a chance for friendship.

And grasping that chance, Eli couldn't help but smile crookedly. It may not have been what she expected but this would do for now. She could work her way up.

Nozomi Tojo… oh, she's trouble.

A/N: Annnd here's your second chapt! Hope y'all liked it! I have been really busy for the past days at work and hope that this week will be good to me. Along with that, I had been writing my original novels too while studying. Phew! Hectic, I tell ya!