Ina looked around as she stepped outside, taking a few deep breaths of fresh air to calm down her racing thoughts. The sun was shining brightly, casting long shadows across the pavement, and birds chirped merrily in the trees lining the street. She walked aimlessly for a while, lost in her own thoughts, trying to make sense of everything that had happened the past few days.
Meanwhile, Kuro-kun was on his way to work, feeling a mix of worry and determination burning within him. He knew he needed to talk to Ina's manager about her situation ASAP. Then he suddenly stopped, remembering the promise he made to Ina. As he stood before the Cover Corporation building, he was stuck with indecision. On the one hand, Ina's manager needed to know what was going on. On the other hand, he had promised Ina to keep it to himself until she came to terms with what had happened. He decided he would tell them that Ina was sick at home.
Ina went to the park to try to relax. She watched the beautiful scenery and the people in the park. She saw people walking their dogs, children playing wth the ducks and couples just enjoying the nice autumn day. After about an hour of people-watching, she got up and decided to go to a café. She went to their favourite coffee shop and took a seat at the large window. There she sat, Latte in hand, just watching the world outside drift by as she tried to silence the questions swimming around in her head.
Hours passed.
As the sun started to lower in the sky and it was apparent that evening was nearing, Ina got up, paid for her drinks and continued her aimless walk, her mind drifting back to Kuro-kun's words earlier. Why did he seem so troubled? She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, but she pushed those thoughts aside for now.
As she rounded a corner, she nearly collided with someone coming from behind, causing them both to stumble backward. "Hey, watch where you're going!" A tall and imposing man glared down at her, his eyes cold and unforgiving. His presence sent shivers down her spine—this wasn't just anyone; it was Mr. Nakamura, the studio owner!
Ina instinctively stepped back in fear as she recognized Mr. Nakamura, her eyes widening in terror. "I-I'm sorry, sir! I didn't see you coming," she stammered, backing away nervously. The man crossed his arms over his chest, towering over her with a menacing presence. "What were you doing here anyway?" he growled, his voice low and dangerously threatening. Ina looked around nervously, her eyes darting left and right as if searching for an escape route. "I-I... umm..." she stuttered, unable to form coherent words under his intimidating gaze. Ina's heart raced in her chest, and sweat formed on her palms as she continued to back away from him. "I-I... I was just taking a walk," she managed to croak out, her voice trembling with fear. Mr. Nakamura's eyes flared. "And why, pray tell, were you taking a walk?" He asked, his voice calm voice betraying a tranquil fury. "I was told you were sick at home, yet here I find you messing about without a care in the world. How do you think that reflects on your work ethic? I cannot have an employee of mine just wandering about as they see fit. We have a contract and it is your duty to stick to it. I cannot accept that employees such as yourself just go about throwing my rules to the wind and just doing as they please and being expected to be paid for it out of my pocket.
Ina's gaze dropped, unable to confront him. "I... I needed some fresh air," she managed to choke out, her voice barely more than a whisper. She took another tentative step backward, almost feeling the cool pavement beneath her feet as she tried to maintain balance. Her heart hammered in her chest, and adrenaline coursed through her veins like ice-cold water. Ina quivered in terror as Nakamura continued his tirade at her, Ina's heart pounded loudly in her ears. She didn't know what else to say or do; she just wanted this encounter to end quickly.
Then, suddenly from around the corner, Kuro-kun arrived and saw what was happening. He immediately came to try and deescalate the situation. "Mr. Nakamura, is there a problem here?" He asked, trying to sound impartial. Ina's pointy ears perked up in relief at hearing Kuro-kun's familiar voice, her eyes pleading with him to help. She stopped moving, trembling as she faced both men. "N-no, everything is fine," she managed to croak out, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Ah, ok. Well, that's great then. Were you coming to pick me up Ina? That's very thoughtful of you. But you really shouldn't be outside when you're sick. I thought I told you to stay inside and get some rest." Kuro-kun said, trying to sound convincing.
Ina looked at Kuro-kun in confusion, her eyes darting nervously between the two men. "W-well, umm... yes, I supposedsome fresh air might help me recover faster," she lied quickly, hoping it would appease Mr. Nakamura. She took a deep breath and gathered enough courage to slowly step forward again, trying to regain some composure. "I apologize for bothering you both. Have a good day." With trembling legs, she hurried away from them, her heart still racing wildly in her chest.
"Now then, if you would please excuse us." Kuro-kun gave a polite nod to Mr. Nakamura and made to follow Ina.
Ina's ears twitched in relief as Kuro-kun followed her, a comforting presence beside her. She didn't dare turn around to look at Mr. Nakamura, afraid of what else he might say or do. Once they arrived back at the house, Kuro-kun turned to Ina and gently asked her. "What was all that about?"
Ina's fluffy ears drooped in shame as she leaned against the wall, her whole body trembling from the encounter. "I... I don't know," she muttered softly, her voice barely audible above their footsteps. "He caught me walking past the studio and started yelling at me." She took a deep breath to steady herself before continuing. "I-I just needed some fresh air, okay? Please, can we just forget about this?" Her eyes pleaded with him, begging for understanding and forgiveness.
"Of course. As I said before, take as much time as you need." Kuro-kun nodded in understanding. " Just... try to be a bit careful of where you're going and who might see you."
Ina perked up in gratitude, her eyes filling with tears at his words. "Thank you, Kuro-kun," she managed to choke out, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "I'm sorry for worrying you." She buried her face in his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of the laundry detergent that always calmed her down. After a few moments, she pulled away, wiping away the remaining tear tracks on her cheeks. "Now, let's try to forget about today, okay?"
"All right, how about we go home and I start making us dinner and we'll just forget this whole ordeal happened?" Kuro-kun said, tussling her purple hair.
Ina looked up in agreement, her eyes brightening with hope. "Yes, that sounds perfect," she said, following him home where he would start preparing dinner. She would busy herself with setting the table and picking out some music to play in the background, trying to push away the lingering thoughts of Mr. Nakamura's intimidating presence.
As Kuro-kun put a pan of water on the stove, he pondered to himself, "How can I best support Ina in what's she's going through right now? On the one hand, her manager needs to know. On the other hand, if I break the news to them too early, it might cause unforseen problems for Ina and put her under even more stress." He pondered these thoughts while preparing a delicious pasta for him and Ina.
Ina's nose twitched as the familiar aromas of pasta sauce and garlic bread filled the small kitchen. She continued to work on setting the table, humming softly under her breath, lost in thought about what was going on around her.
As Kuro-kun placed the steaming plates on the table, she couldn't help but notice how caring he was towards her, always thinking of her well being despite everything that had happened. A small smile crept onto her face as she sat down across from him, reaching out tentatively to take his hand in hers.
As he noticed this, Kuro-kun put his hand on hers and looked into her eyes. Ina was surprised at his sudden action, but she didn't pull away. Instead, their fingers intertwined tightly, and she looked into his eyes, searching for any trace of doubt or uncertainty. Her own eyes were filled with gratitude and a growing sense of hope.
Kuro-kun sat there, staring at the girl he only took in a month ago, but who had completely changed his world. He sat there, waiting for her to speak.
Ina eyelid twitched in confusion, her eyes holding a mix of fear and uncertainty. She took a deep breath before speaking softly, "Thank you for... everything. Truly..." Her voice cracked slightly, and she squeezed his hand back, feeling the warmth of his touch seep through their connected skin.
With a small nod, she released his hand, reaching for the pasta bowl on the table. "Let's eat," she said, trying to divert attention away from the elephant in the room.
Kuro-kun cleared his throat and decided to speak. "Is there something bothering you, Ina? Is there something that has you worried? Because if so, please talk to me about it. Then we can solve your problems together." He said softly, several emotions filling his voice, trying to make his care for her evident.
Ina's eyes flickered with uncertainty for a moment. She took a bite of the pasta, savoring its tangy tomato sauce and al dente noodles before putting down her fork. "It's... nothing really," she tried to dismiss his concern, but there was something about his sincerity that made her doubt herself. After swallowing, she took a deep breath, gathering courage. "Well, when I transformed into this.. thing," she gestured awkwardly at herself, "I didn't know what it meant for my career as a model." Her voice cracked slightly, and tears welled up in her eyes again. "I don't know how people would react, especially Mr. Nakamura." She paused, taking another bite of her food to compose herself. "And now, well, things are just different."
"I understand." Kuro-kun said simply. "Things are different now."
Ina was surprised at his understanding tone, and she sniffled softly, her eyes reddening with unshed tears. "Thank you," she managed to choke out between bites of pasta, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy. After finishing their meal, they cleared the table together and did the dishes, their hands brushing against each other occasionally, sending tingles of electricity through both of them. As they finished, Kuro-kun turned to her, his expression softening slightly. "Ina, I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always support you. We can figure this out together, okay?" He reached out a hand, palm facing upwards, inviting her to take it.
Ina relaxed slightly at his words, and she slowly stood up from her seat, taking a deep breath before extending her own hand tentatively. Their palms fit together naturally, their fingers intertwining comfortably. "Thank you, Kuro-kun," she whispered softly, leaning against him for support. They stayed like that for a moment, just holding hands, the weight of the day lifting slightly off their shoulders. Eventually, they separated, and Ina cleared her throat awkwardly. "I should probably get some sleep now," she said, eyeing the clock on the wall. It was late already. "Let's both get some rest and we'll discuss how to deal with this situation tomorrow. Sound good?" Kuro-kun asked her. Ina nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Yes, that sounds perfect," she said softly, giving him a small smile.
She signed off for the night, making her way upstairs to her room, leaving Kuro-kun alone downstairs with his thoughts.