ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ

୨⎯ The Future that Withholds Intimacy ⎯୧

"After everything we've been through together, I am certain that I am destined to be with you, Isabel. It is you that only my heart can take. No other woman can ever truly satisfy the content of my rhythmic heart. It only resonates with yours. Will you marry me?"

"Yes! Yes, Joshua! I love you!" Love is indeed in the air as Joshua slides the ring perfectly fit for Isabel's finger. Joshua gets up and softly kisses Isabel's lips. Then, the camera gradually pans upward while the screen fades to black as they share their happily ever after.

Suddenly, the volume on the television lowers down. I don't have the remote on my hand nor is it near me. I then hear a familiar voice coming closer to me as she said, "How many times have you rewatched this movie, dear? And how many times have you wept because of this exact scene?"

I reply, getting off the couch, "For as many times as you can think of. They're going to get married soon!" My face fills with joy and excitement as I imagine that scenario playing in real life. "But-"

I abruptly pause her, saying, "Don't crush my dreams by saying 'They won't make a sequel just for a wedding scene.' You're stabbing my heart if you do so!"

My manager sighs with her hands resting on her hips. "Hear me out, my beloved Y/n. If you want to get married so badly, why not think of having a boyfriend first? You're already 25 years old. I think it's about time you set your heart out to a man who can and will love you like those in the movies."

Love isn't that easy. After all these years, there is a particular reason as to why I haven't thought of falling for someone. I cross my arms while slightly leaning on the painted wall. Avoiding eye contact, I say, "Time will come. Anyways, Mari, what's my schedule for today? Is it jam-packed again?"

She squints her eyes at me, speaking in a quieter voice, "So you choose to change the topic, I see." before turning back to her professional state as my responsible manager. "You have a photoshoot with Kurokawa at three in the afternoon. It's for one of the brands that contacted you a week ago."

"Kurokawa? Ah, you mean Izana." I clarify to myself. "Alright. If you need me, I'll be in my study room."

As I am about to leave and head to my direction, my manager stops my tracks, saying, "You call it a 'study room' but I think 'manga room' is more appropriate. Don't you think? Or you mean you're studying the behavior of main characters by reading hundreds of shoujo manga to help you with your acting?"

I turn around and force a smile at her. "You know me so well, Mari. Now, I will be occupied for a while, okay? Don't miss me too much and barge into my own space at a random time." My manager just laughs at me for not being able to get mad at her. Well, I also don't know why. Maybe because I consider her as a genuine friend.

It has been years since high school passed by like a hurricane. It is definitely the best and worst year of my life. The ultimate reason is because I messed up big time, letting my feelings linger on uncertain things.

After graduation day, I bid my good friends a farewell, especially to Yuzuha since I can't see a near future of us meeting yet. As for Seishu, he made sure to keep in touch as much as he can to keep me company.

Well, now that I mentioned it, how long has it been since the last time I met him? A year or two? No, I think it's more than what I think it is. Anyhow, I still have a good feeling that I'll get to see him very soon.

A knock comes to my door which I subconsciously check my wristwatch to realize how fast time flew by. I casually walk towards the door and open it to see my manager. With a lit cigarette resting on the side of her mouth, Mari apprises me, "Time's up. Izana is here to chat with you on the way to the location of the photoshoot."

I grab my satchel and a pair of extra shoes that is comfortable for me to wear later on after the photoshoot. Before I can even approach the front door, my manager stops me by pulling the back of my shirt and says, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Turning my head to face her, I ask, "I don't think so... Am I?"

She pulls out the cigarette from her mouth and blows a smoke. She hands me a well-packaged box and says, "Here. It's the present you wanted to give to Kurokawa, right? Leaving it behind would miss your opportunity."

I gasp shortly, "You're right! Thanks, Mari! You're such a lifesaver."

"Now, let's go before Kurokawa takes notice of your late appearance." My manager gently smiles at me as she walks toward the door and widely opens it for me to exit at ease. I follow behind her. As I exit through the front door, my eyes immediately catch sight of Izana. He is leaning so casually by the side of his car while patiently waiting for me.

"Hey, Izana." I greeted with a friendly tone. "It's nice to work with you again though it's only for a short amount of time."

"Hmm? What's this for?" Izana questions, receiving my gift with an open palm. I simply elaborate, "This is a welcoming gift from me. Oh, you don't have to pay me back or anything just to balance it out."

He chuckles loudly and replies with an appreciative expression, "You never fail to surprise me! I'm glad I'm partnered up with you. If you need anything, don't be shy to approach me."

We both got inside his car with my manager sitting at the back taking care of some businesses related to my line of work on her cellphone. Then without any further delay, Izana begins to drive us to the designated location.

"I didn't expect you to stop by at my place. Is there anything to discuss?" I ask, glancing over to his direction. Keeping his eyes on the road, he answers with a focused manner, "I heard the company is in need of a fresh project. They're planning to choose you as the main lead."

I lean my head on the window as I watch each building pass by us. I quietly utter with little enthusiasm in my voice, "...Is that so?"

He continues on, saying with a hint of concern in his tone, "But the problem is, they can't find a perfect match for you. Someone who can have great chemistry with your overall personality and vibe. The project is under progress as of now but the chance of it becoming a hit is not close to the target unless they find someone that is made specially for you."

I exhale a deep breath and begin to complain, "I knew it. They treat me as a tough contender all the time. Then why don't they just always choose an actress with a name greater than mine? Just because I don't possess the visuals of a typical female lead-!"

"Y/n." Izana called with a firm voice. I snap back to my reserved self and keep my cool. I pouted, "I'm just stating facts. I didn't mean to lower the mood."

As the vehicle stops due to the red light, Izana takes this chance to look at me and say, "My purpose of relaying that message isn't to ruin your day. It's just... I just think you should gain knowledge of it."

We meet each other's eyes as I reply to him, "It's not news to me. If you are worried for me, I appreciate the concern but I'm used to it. Three years of being an actress and a model at the same time is not that difficult for me by now."

Izana has his eyes on the road again as the stoplight switches to a bright green. He says, "You deserve so much more, Y/n."

Arriving at the location of the photoshoot, I sense someone familiar nearby. Hearing her high-pitched voice makes my ears go numb. I see her nagging at one of her staff members. Ugh, I really don't wanna bump into her. She'll just cause a scene... as always.

Izana looks at me with a question in his mind, "What's wrong, Y/n? Are you actually not feeling well today? Do you want me to talk to the company?"

"Ah, no. It's not that-"

"Look who's here. Hello, Ms. A-ka-shi!" She smiles. Being an actress for about three years doesn't really take a lot to force a smile on my lips, but my irritated look doesn't seem to hide very well thanks to my eyes. "H-Hello there, Ms. Homura. How may I help you today?"

"Please! Drop the formality." Homura says, bowing her head at me. "You are older than me by a year. You may just call me by my first name."

"...Right. Well, if you'll excuse me I have other matters to attend to with Izana here." I respond, calming myself with a hand balled to a fist on my back. Homura Rain, if I could just tape your mouth so it would stay shut.

"Oh, that's a shame. I hope we get another chance to further get to know each other then! Good luck on your work, Ms. Akashi." She says with a bright facade mirroring her grin.

I walk out of my way there with Izana and Mari following my steps by my side. "Is she really that social media influencer that boomed a few months ago?" He casually asks for one of us to answer.

"It's known that Y/n dislikes her a lot." Mari adds a side comment with a faint of annoyance on her facial expression. Izana quietly hums to himself and then a smirk appears on his lips. "I understand. To think she's just a year younger than Y/n, it seems to me that this Homura won't be well-respected in the industry."

"Y/n has thrown away her surname a long time ago. That's a well-known fact in this company. For her to call Y/n by her surname acting like they are buddies just pisses me off."

"Mari." I call with a cold tone in hopes for my manager to stop blabbering about petty arguments. "We're here to accomplish our job, right? It doesn't matter to me anymore whether people call me by my surname or whatever they like. What matters to me right now is to be successful, for everyone to remember my face."

♥ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ...