“You really need to make him agree or the deal is off!” Mariya heard her manager say over the phone which was enough to make her panic. She worriedly bit her fingernails, thinking of  a way to make Yamada agree to work with her in her upcoming drama. See, Mariya was offered to be the heroine in an upcoming drama but with one condition… Yamada needs to be the one to play her love interest or else, the role will be given to someone else. 

“I’m trying my best to convince him! I’m waiting for him now. Yama-chan still likes me. I’m sure I can make him agree” She said over the mouthpiece, trying to convince herself that everything will be fine. She only has one obstacle to get rid of - Rio, the girl who is trying to snatch Ryosuke away from her. 

----

Ryosuke felt himself sigh for the nth time with Yuto’s words repeating inside his head like a broken recorder, “I’m taking her away”. He forced both of his feet towards the exit of the Jimusho and just wished for Rio to be right beside him. He’s not used to going home alone. Every end of the day for the past few weeks, he’s always been accompanied by his bodyguard: Yamada Rio. However, tonight, it’s different… It feels empty. 

Before reaching the gates, Ryosuke squinted his eyes to see a clearer picture of a familiar girl standing outside the building as if waiting for someone. She’s wearing a cute floral dress and plain white sandals alongside a small shoulder bag - too small to fit anything in it. Mariya smiled and took a step forward after seeing Ryosuke walking towards the front gate of the building. An immediate smile grew on her face when their eyes met. “You finally came out”

“What are you doing here?” Ryosuke asked. He wasn’t expecting her to come back after the incident that happened at Inoo’s birthday. Ryosuke expected a decent reply from Mariya but she seems too busy looking for someone in particular. 

“Is Rio-chan not with you? I thought she always sends you home?” She asked innocently but enough to make Ryosuke’s heart sink. Yes! Rio USED TO send him home every night but not anymore. 

“She’s not in today”

“Mou, I came here to apologise for my behaviour last night. I shouldn’t have said that. I wanted to apologise to Kei for ruining his birthday too” She said guiltily but instead, Ryosuke felt himself scoffing at her. Little did she know, instead of “ruining” his birthday, Inoo was actually very entertained from what happened.

“Everyone went home already. You should too. It’s getting late” Ryosuke said coldly, not having enough energy to deal with Mariya at the moment. 

“Then… Can I walk with you instead? Maybe we can go to that Batting Centre you always go to? We can have some fun before we go home… you know, like we used to?” Mariya asked before clinging on Ryosuke’s arm like they were already a couple. Before he can even protest, Ryosuke already felt her dragging his left arm towards the said place. 

“Wait… I’m not really in the mood to play” Out of impulse, Ryosuke pulled his arm back. She fell silent for awhile. The boy felt a sudden guilt going through him, crying girls are really not his forte. “I’m sorry”, he mumbled. 

—

Mariya lifted her shoulder to fix the strap of her bag when she noticed a familiar figure standing not so far away. The girl stood just behind Ryosuke. She squinted her eyes to confirm that it was indeed someone she knows. 

“Rio-chan?” Hearing this, Ryosuke looked up and saw Mariya looking past his shoulder. It prompted him to turn around only to see the girl he would like to see the most: Rio. She seems to be having a hard time deciding if she should stay or go. She awkwardly fiddled with her bag and chuckled nervously. “Are you here to see Yuto-kun?” Mariya said abruptly, making Ryosuke’s heart sink a few centimetres down his chest cavity. 

“I-I… uhhmmm…” It was obvious that she was struggling to look for words. Ryosuke was about to ask her a question when suddenly…

—

“Yes… I asked her to wait for me” Yuto appeared out of nowhere. He smiled at Ryosuke and Mariya before placing his arm around Rio’s shoulder. Ryosuke’s eyes never left Yuto’s hand pulling Rio closer. “She’s now MY bodyguard, after all”, he lied. The truth is, Rio actually went in the Jimusho to check up on Ryosuke. It was just unlucky for her to run past Mariya on the way. Rio bit her lower lip, thanking Yuto for saving her from further embarrassment. 

“How sweet! Me and Yama-chan are off on a date as well. Do you want to join us?” The three heard Mariya say before clinging to Ryosuke once again. Ryosuke didn’t say anything but his gaze landed on Rio who seems to be avoiding direct eye contact. Are they dating now? Did Yuto confess already? All possible scenarios went inside Ryosuke’s head, making him feel a rush of mixed emotions. 

“Yuto-kun and I are