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Neon Pulse was pretty packed even for a Saturday night. The place was dimly lit, a space filled with pulsing strobe lights zipping and flashing across the room, a massive dance floor, and music so loud you could some drinking booths at the corners as well as a bar. People were dancing and grinding against each other on the dance floor either sipping on neon-coloured cocktails or smoking.

Clubs weren't always my scene. I often preferred more quiet and open settings over loud cramped and overcrowded ones. So you can imagine how out of place I felt in the club. It was like I was a fish out of the water.

I took a small sip of my margarita. I was seated at the drinking booth wearing a black mini off-shoulder dress that stopped just above my knees and hugged my body while also showing a bit of some cleavage. I was still surprised I still fit that dress since it was the dress I wore for my high school prom about seven years ago.

My gaze darted around the crowded room from the booth, searching for Remi, who left me alone doing who knows what but was nowhere to be seen.

"Girls' Night out my ass," I muttered under my breath, irritation creeping into my tone. "She ditches me the moment we get here. Unbelievable."

"Hey, beautiful,"

I was greeted by a cocky smirk that belonged to a man who sat comfortably as he occupied the space at the booth without even asking if he could sit. I arched an eyebrow at the strange expression, unsure if I should be annoyed or mildly amused by his boldness and overconfidence.

Another thing I didn't like about clubs was having to interact with people who potentially gave you the wrong vibe. And no matter how many times you tried to turn them down, they never take no for an answer. And I was not in the mood to entertain such interactions with such people alone.

"Can I help you," I asked dryly.

"Damn, not even a hey back. I'm offended," he joked.

"I'm more offended that you're even seated here and talking to me without my permission."

The guy was taken aback, not expecting my response but he quickly recovered and laughed. "You're a feisty one, ain't you. I like that."

"Good to know. Now, state your business."

"I saw you sitting alone." He leaned closer, his smirk still hugging his lips. "I thought I could keep you company."

I studied the stranger before me. He looked like your typical bad boy from those Wattpad/TikTok novels many women always enjoyed reading. Or at least he was trying to. His dark hair was slicked back, he had multiple piercings on both his ears and one on his lip. He wore a leather jacket with a chain necklace around his neck and rings adorning his fingers.

I mean, he was okay looking but I wasn't impressed at all.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm doing just fine," I replied, taking a sip of my drink.

"Come on, don't play hard to get. Let me buy you a drink." He insisted.

"And what makes you think I want anything from you?" I arched an eyebrow.

Once again, he's taken aback by my response but this time instead of laughing it off he got defensive. "Whoa! Lady! No need for the hostility. I'm just being nice."

"Are you really being nice or are you just trying to be nice just to get something from it."

"Would buying you a drink be enough to persuade you to give me a chance?"

"Sorry, but it's going to take more than a free beverage to impress me. And as you can already see, I already have a drink," I said apathetically. "So why don't you save the smooth talk for someone who's fooled by it?"

The man's face turned from red to anger and embarrassment. "Now you listen here—"

"Everything good, bro?" A voice interrupted the guy in front of me, and we both turned to see Ken Sato, or Kenji as many he often preferred to be called by, standing behind him.

My eyes widened in surprise, a mixture of shock and relief coursing through me. I never expected the night to take this turn, especially meeting the famous baseball prodigy and captain of the Yomiuri Giants after a year. Last time I'd spoken to him was during an interview on live television. At the time, he had a broken arm and had to sit out for most of the season until he healed.

He wore a black blazer over his white designer t-shirt that hugged his lean, athletic build. His sharp visuals complemented his confident demeanour. His dark hair was styled neatly, adding to his suave and polished appearance. His piercing dark eyes conveyed intelligence and intensity. Everything about him screamed suave and charisma.

"Fuck off and mind your business, dude." The guy glared at him as he stood up with his fist clenched.

Kenji smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, seeing how this fine lady is openly showing her disinterest in you and discomfort around you, I decided to make it my business," he said. "So, I highly suggest you listen to what she says and back off."

"What? You her boyfriend or something?"

"No. I just don't like seeing women being bothered by dumbasses who lack basic etiquette and manners. So either you leave peacefully or with a broken jaw. Take your pick."

Kenji's eyes narrowed into slits as he glared at the stranger, leaning closer to him, sizing him up. His height gave him an added advantage over the guy for intimidation, and I could tell that the guy was trying hard to match his energy but was failing.

The guy scoffed and retreated. "Whatever," he grumbled as he moved past Kenji, making sure to bump his shoulder as hard as he could as he left. By the time Kenji gave the guy one last displeased look as he disappeared into the crowd before turning to me with a soft expression. "You okay?"

I blinked twice, getting out of my daze. "Yeah... I'm fine. I had things under control, you know."

He chuckled. "I'm sure you did. Mind if I sit?"

"Sure, go ahead," I replied.

Kenji sat down, occupying the empty space beside me. "Did you come here alone?"

"No. I was dragged here against my will by a friend," I told him.

"Ah, the joys of having extroverted friends," he chuckled. "Is your friend still around?"

My eyes scanned across the club one last time and found Remi on the dance floor, lip-locking with some random guy. "She's still around. And she's busy," I remarked dryly.

Kenji followed my gaze. "Is she the dark-skinned lady with the braids?" he asked.

"Yep," I replied, popping the 'p.'

He let out a low whistle, looking back at me with amusement dancing in his eyes turning into laughter. "Looks like she's got her hands... or lips full."

I chuckled and shook my head at his joke before taking a another sip from my glass. "Since you're stuck here without much of a choice and your friend is busy with other things, how about I keep you company," he said.

I arched an eyebrow at his offer. "What about your teammates?"

"Don't worry about them," he waved his hand dismissively. "They're having enough fun without me. I doubt they'll notice me missing anyway."

I suddenly felt a pang of sympathy. "You don't have to. I'll be fine on my own."

He shook his head. "It's quite alright," he assured. He leaned a little closer which caused me to gasp and blush a little. "I prefer this. A nice conversation with someone who actually wants to talk rather than the usual club scene."

"Not a fan of clubs?"

"Not really," he chuckled a little. "Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a good party every now and then, but it's not my preferred way of unwinding and letting lose, you know?"

"Too loud and crowded for your liking?"

"You have no idea. I prefer quieter and more intimate gatherings."

I hummed, leaning back as I stared at him. "Sounds like you."

Kenji arched an eyebrow with a hint of amusement. "You seem to know a lot about me, Miss Wakita," he teased with a lopsided grin.

"I'm observant. It's kinda a crucial requirement to be a good journalist," I told him, returning the grin.

"And what observations have led you to that conclusion?" he questioned, his eyes twinkling playfully.

"Well for one, you don't seem to enjoy drawing too much attention to yourself."

"You got me there," he nodded in agreement. "I do prefer being in the background than being in the spotlight most of the time. But that doesn't mean I don't like being noticed. Just maybe not by a horde of screaming fangirls."

I hummed thoughtfully. "Quiet, less crowded settings with no screaming fangirls... seems reasonable for a private person."

He chuckled. "At least you get it. Though," a thoughtful expression made its way to his face, "I do have to admit that the occasional little admiration doesn't hurt the ego."

"Don't let that ego get to your head, Mr. Sato," I warned him playfully. "You know how that went when you first joined the Giants."

"Don't remind me," he groaned, rolling his eyes.

I chuckled. "So I'm guessing your team dragged you here to celebrate your win against the Tigers?"

He let out a playful but exasperated chuckle. "You guessed right. The team thought it would be a good idea to come down here to celebrate. And, well, they didn't give me much of a choice. You?"

"My friend thought it would be a good idea to come down here to celebrate the end of my 'life sentence with no parole' over some drinks while also mingling as a newly single woman."

His eyebrows shot up, taken aback by my response before letting out a laugh mixed with amusement and understanding. "Your friend sure has a way with words."

"That's just the beginning. Spend more time with her and you'll see how colourful and creative her vocabulary is. Trust me."

He chuckled again. "So should I expect you to mingle with anyone here? I can be your wingman if you want," he said with a playful glint in his eyes which made me chuckle.

"Thanks but no thanks. I'm not exactly looking," I said. "I doubt any guy would be interested if I told them I'm divorced and a single mother."

His playful demeanour softened slightly at my response. He moved a little closer to me. I almost felt my heart leap out of my chest. Keyword: Almost.

"You'd be surprised," he responded, his eyes serious but his tone low and sincere. "Being a single parent is not a turn off, you know."

"Yeah, but a lot of men prefer having kids of their own over having a stepchild."

"I get that, but out of everything you said, only the 'single' part should be your actual concern. The rest is just details."

"That so?"

"Yeah! Of course. Just 'cause you're a single mum doesn't make you less dateable. I could argue that it adds more value in my opinion. A woman that's caring, strong, loving, making sacrifices, and a homemaker. That's some good stuff right there. The kind a lot of men lack in a woman."

"Unless the man in question has a mommy kink."

Kenji burst out of laughter, clearly not expecting that response from me, and I couldn't help but laugh with him. His eyes gleamed with amusement as the previous serious topic evaporated.

"Well, that's certainly a bonus," he said, recovering from his laugh. "I guess you've got all the bases covered then," he teased playfully.

I couldn't help but smile and looked down at my half-finished glass.

He chuckled. "So, any specific requirements you're looking for or are you still not exactly looking just yet?"

"Still not looking. At least not now," I replied. "I don't think it would be wise to jump into another relationship and introduce Chiho to a new man, especially since it hasn't been that long since her father and I divorced."

Kenji nodded, his expression understanding. "Taking it slow is understandable. Especially with a kid involved," he paused. "But there's no harm in enjoying some harmless flirting, you know?"

"Well..." I said. "As long as it's within reason."

"Within reason. Got it," he raised his hands playfully. "I promise I won't let it get out of hand, no matter how tempting it might be."

"Don't get cocky," I said. I playfully glared at him.

"Who, me? Never! Well... not unless you want me to."

I chuckled at his response. Kenji's grin grew wider, his eyes lit up with genuine amusement. "Wanna ditch this place and go somewhere?"

My eyebrows flew up, not expecting such an offer. "You sure you want to ditch your teammates?" I asked.

He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about them. Like I said, they probably won't notice I'm gone. And I'm pretty sure it would be the same with your friends too."

"Hmm. You're probably right," I agreed.

"So, are you in?"

I stared at him for a moment, biting my lips as I pondered his words. The last time Kenji made such an offer was over the phone when he asked for an off-the-record conversation and advice on my experience as a parent—how I managed having a career and raising a child. That was a year ago.

His offer was enticing, the idea of slipping away from the crowd and noise to a more quiet and intimate setting intrigued me more than I wanted to admit. It wasn't like me to do something like this, interacting with people of his status outside of a professional setting. Yet for some reason, there was something undeniably appealing about it. Kenji wasn't just a subject or a famous athlete tonight; he was a human offering a normal conversation with another human.

"Sure. Why not," I shrugged.