The cafe was quiet except for the soft hum of conversation and the occasional clinking of ceramic cups against saucers.
The warm glow of the hanging lights illuminated the polished wooden table where Ayaka and Akihiko sat, facing each other.
The scent of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air, mingling with the faint sweetness of Ayaka's drink.
Ayaka took a slow sip of her iced latte, letting the cool liquid soothe her nerves, while Akihiko sat across from her, his posture as relaxed as ever.
His long fingers rested lightly on his chin, and his piercing blue eyes—so cold and unreadable to others—were now locked onto her with an intensity that made her stomach twist.
It felt like a staring contest.
Ayaka, determined not to lose, met his gaze head-on, but it was becoming harder to hold when those blue eyes seemed to pull her in, as if daring her to react first.
The moment stretched, thick with something unspoken, and just as she thought she might win, Akihiko suddenly let out a deep, amused chuckle.
Her composure cracked instantly.
Flustered, her grip on the glass tightened as warmth rushed to her cheeks. "W-what is it?! What did you revise on the contract?" she snapped, her voice sharper than she intended.
Akihiko, unfazed by her reaction, casually slid a file across the table toward her. "Read it." he instructed, his voice smooth as silk.
Setting her drink aside, Ayaka picked up the contract and flipped it open. Her brows furrowed as she scanned the pages.
"You removed some of the clauses?" she asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.
Akihiko leaned back in his chair, taking a slow sip of his coffee before answering. "I did."
Ayaka's eyes flickered with uncertainty as she read further. "Even the clause where you get half of the royalties?" She looked up at him, her voice tinged with concern.
Akihiko merely smirked. "I just contributed to the character and plot—you did all the magic." His words were light, but his gaze held something deeper, something unreadable.
Ayaka hesitated before flipping through more pages, and her eyes widened. "You removed all your clauses?"
"Almost." he replied smoothly. "I added one."
A nervous feeling curled in Ayaka's stomach as she searched for the new clause. When she found it, her breath hitched slightly.
"The contract is extended until further notice. Ayaka will STILL prioritize Akihiko's needs and directions, whether related to the novel or his personal life, for the duration of their collaboration."
She blinked. "What—?"
Looking up, she found Akihiko watching her with an expression that was both amused and unreadable.
"Why would you need it to be extended?" she asked, suspicion lacing her voice.
Akihiko simply shrugged, sliding a pen toward her. "Maybe I want to write another book."
Ayaka narrowed her eyes, her lips twitching into a smirk. "Since when did the Ice Prince become invested in writing?"
Akihiko only raised a brow. "Are you going to sign or not?"
He tilted his head slightly, as if daring her. "Never mind, we're still bound by the previous contract. You'll do what I please either way."
Ayaka clicked her tongue. "Well, you're not wrong there." She sighed, looking down at the contract again, before glancing back at him. "What genre are we going to write, then?"
"We'll talk about it after the current book is published." he said.
"Fine." Without further hesitation, she took the pen and signed.
Akihiko picked up the document with a satisfied smirk and tucked it into his bag. "I'll be holding onto this." he murmured.
Ayaka sighed again, knowing there was no point in arguing.
A quiet moment stretched between them as she absentmindedly stirred her drink, her thoughts drifting back to something that had been nagging at her since last night.
She hesitated for a moment before finally breaking the silence. "Sooo..." Her voice was casual, but the way she played with the straw of her drink betrayed her nervousness.
Akihiko looked at her curiously. "Hmm?"
"A-about last night..." Ayaka's voice faltered, and her heart stuttered slightly as she struggled to find the right words.
Akihiko leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His lips curled into a slow grin. "Well… you were tempting me to."
Ayaka's entire body went rigid. Her grip on the cup tightened as heat shot up her spine. "I didn't!" she squeaked.
"But you looked so cute." Akihiko mused, his voice deep and teasing. "I wanted to see your reaction."
"W-what?! Just to get my reaction?! Are you crazy?!" Ayaka sputtered, her cheeks burning.
"Are you seriously the type to kiss someone just because you find them cute?! Unbelievable!" She huffed, leaning back in her chair with crossed arms, her lips forming a stubborn pout.
She could feel her frustration bubbling inside her, but it was nothing compared to the rapid pounding of her heart.
Akihiko's laughter broke through the air—rich, smooth, and effortless.
His laugh was rare, but when it came, it was elegant and intoxicating in a way that made it impossible to stay mad at him.
But what completely shattered her defenses was what he said next.
"The only person I'd kiss for being cute is you." His voice had shifted, dipping into something softer—something serious.
Ayaka's breath caught in her throat. She stared at him, her face completely aflame, her heart hammering so wildly it drowned out every other sound in the cafe.
Akihiko watched her reaction closely, his expression unreadable except for the amusement dancing in his blue eyes.
Then, as if that wasn't enough, he leaned in just slightly, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "If you keep looking at me like that, I might just do it now… even if we're in a cafe"
Ayaka froze.
The world around her seemed to blur. The sound of clinking cups, the murmur of conversations, the warmth of the cafe—all of it faded into the background.
All she could see was Akihiko.
Her mind was screaming at her to react—to look away, to say something, anything. But her body refused to move, her breath caught somewhere in her chest.
Was he teasing her again? Was he serious?
She couldn't tell. And that terrified her.
Ayaka felt as if she was standing on the edge of something dangerous—something that could swallow her whole if she wasn't careful.
And yet…
Her heart whispered that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't mind falling.
Because even if she denied it with every ounce of her will, one undeniable truth remained:
She was falling more for Akihiko.
And there was no stopping it now.
Ayaka swallowed hard, her pulse erratic as she forced herself to break eye contact.
She looked down at her drink, but the ice cubes swirling inside did nothing to cool the heat rushing to her face.
The atmosphere between them had shifted—subtle yet undeniable.
It was no longer just playful teasing. There was something heavier in Akihiko's gaze, something that sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.
'Was he serious?'
Or was he just enjoying seeing her like this?
Ayaka sucked in a sharp breath and tried to compose herself. "T-there's no way you'd actually do it." she muttered under her breath, stirring her drink aggressively.
Akihiko tilted his head, watching her with that lazy, amused smirk that made her stomach twist. "You sound uncertain."
"Of course, I'm certain!" she snapped, but her voice wavered slightly.
Akihiko chuckled. He reached for his cup, taking his time as he sipped his coffee.
His fingers lightly tapped against the ceramic, his gaze never leaving her. "You're so easy to fluster."
Ayaka huffed and crossed her arms. "That's because you're always saying outrageous things!"
"Outrageous?" Akihiko echoed, feigning innocence.
He leaned back in his seat, his smirk deepening. "I don't think saying I'd kiss you is that outrageous."
Ayaka choked on air.
She gawked at him, utterly speechless, and Akihiko—seeing her reaction—let out a low chuckle.
His blue eyes glinted with amusement, but there was something else in them too.
Something unreadable.
He set his cup down and leaned in again, his voice softer now. "It's not a bad thought, is it?"
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
She could not let him win this.
With a shaky breath, she forced herself to glare at him. "You're so infuriating!"
Akihiko chuckled again, but this time, he didn't push further. Instead, he checked his watch and sighed. "It's getting late. We should go."
Ayaka exhaled in relief, feeling like she had barely survived a battle.
Akihiko stood up first, adjusting his coat, and Ayaka quickly followed, grabbing her bag.
------
As they stepped outside, the night air was cool against her warm skin, making her shiver slightly.
They walked in comfortable silence for a while.
The streets were lined with glowing streetlights, their soft yellow glow reflecting off the pavement.
Then, just when she thought the moment had passed, Akihiko suddenly stopped walking.
Ayaka turned to him in confusion. "What's wrong?"
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned slightly, looking at her with an unreadable expression.
Then—without warning—he stepped closer.
Too close.
Ayaka's breath hitched as she instinctively backed up—only to find herself pressed against the cold brick wall of a nearby building.
Her pulse skyrocketed.
"A-Akihiko—?" Her voice barely came out as a whisper.
He lifted his hand, pressing his palm against the wall beside her head, effectively trapping her in place.
The usual teasing glint in his eyes was gone. Instead, there was something heavier—something that made Ayaka's knees weak.
His voice was low, a near whisper. "Tell me…" His fingers brushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, his touch lingering. "Do you really not want me to kiss you?"
Her body betrayed her.
A sharp inhale escaped her lips, and she felt herself trembling.
She should push him away, laugh it off, tell him he was just being ridiculous again.
But her lips refused to move.
The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken emotions.
Akihiko's gaze dropped slightly, just for a fraction of a second—down to her lips.
Ayaka swore her heart stopped.
His fingers brushed against her cheek, so faintly she thought she imagined it.
"You're not saying anything." Akihiko murmured. His voice was lower now, almost a whisper. "Is that a yes?"
She wanted to scream at him—to yell at him for being so annoying, good at making her heart race.
Instead, she did the worst thing possible.
She hesitated.
And in that hesitation, Akihiko smirked.
Not his usual teasing smirk—no.
This one was different.
It was slow. Dark. Almost victorious.
"You're so easy to read." he murmured.
And then—just as suddenly as he had trapped her—he pulled away.
The warmth of his presence vanished, leaving Ayaka breathless and reeling.
He turned on his heel, hands casually slipping into his pockets as he took a few steps ahead of her.
"You're overthinking things again, Ayaka." he called back without turning around.
Ayaka stood frozen, pressed against the wall, her face burning.
She hated it.
She hated how easily he could turn her world upside down with just a few words.
She hated how much her heart ached from something she wasn't even ready to admit.
And most of all—
She hated that he knew.
As she watched Akihiko's figure walking ahead of her down the dimly lit street,
Ayaka exhaled shakily, pressing a trembling hand against her chest.