As if he didn’t have enough courage to boss her around when they just met after 3 years, he waltzed inside her apartment as if he just entered his own house. He walked towards the couch and jumped on it, placing his hands behind his head.

“It still feels like College”

She rolled her eyes and moved his feet, which were dangling from one side of the couch.

“Seriously! I missed hanging around your apartment” He continued, getting into a normal position. “Remember? Back then it was just you, me and Mizuki and we had an amazing time! I was the hotshot designer, you were the lazy and misunderstood English beauty and Mizuki was the party girl! We were awesome. Ah, good times” He started to rub his chin, making different noises.

Anna chuckled and patted his head.

“It’s ok. I’m sure we can still have fun. We’re still young”

Her words didn’t seem to affect Takeshi in any way. He was that type of man who never really cared about what was happening around him as long as it didn’t concern his being.

Takeshi didn’t change much mentally. He was the same 24 years old fashion rookie who wanted to surpass his mother’s name. He made his purpose clear even from the first time they met. She could still remember how enthusiastic and positive he was. At a closer look, physically he did change a lot. He became taller, his eyes seemed to hold much more experience than she would have expected, his hair color changed from the rebellious blonde to serious and stylish black. Everything about his appearance changed. He had definitely grown up well.  

“Are you still lost in Anna’s World?” She blinked.

The transition from her own thoughts to reality took a few seconds, making her look either really perplexed either dumb. Takeshi knew well enough whom he was dealing with. In his eyes, Anna could have done a lot better. He often asked her to pose for him or become a model altogether. Her response was always the same: no. She never liked fame. All she ever wanted was to feel accomplished and find happiness.  She was such a simple person. He wondered when she changed so much.

“Is it nice there?” She raised an eyebrow and made a small questioning noise.

He laughed and pinched her cheek. It obviously annoyed her.

 “You’re such a child. I’m really curious what you’ve done these past years” He took his hands back and changed his position so he could feel more comfortable. “I’m ready to listen” She scoffed and shook her head. However, she knew she could trust him and she started to tell him everything; everything except some little detail.

 

The next day, she realized that Takeshi’s visit livened up her mood and the whole apartment. Trying to think positively, she picked a short, summer dress; put a long and thin brown sweater over it; grabbed a pair of high heels and for the hair, she simply made a small bun, leaving her bangs loose. She actually looked very pretty and the thin make up gave her a fresh appearance. She was definitely ready to sign books for the entire day.

When she arrived at the specific place there was absolutely no one.

“Please, tell me the number of people got cut into half” She prayed silently.

That didn’t work because Sato san walked towards her with a bright smile. She was doomed and there was no way out.

“Anna-san! I’m so pleased to see you. I hope you had the time to think everything over yesterday. I’m sorry if I threw you too fast into your new schedule but it had to be done”

What irritated her the most in that moment was how sorrowful he actually looked. He had a kind smile plastered on his face and his eyes seemed as sincere as possible. He wasn’t putting on an act. He was genuinely worried for her and that itself changed Anna’s impression of him.

He was young and he clearly wasn’t married because he spent too much time on details. The light in which she started to see him was better. That meant the relationship between the two had chances to get a lot better.

“Oh!”

She blinked rapidly. Her manager's exclamation got her back from her memory lane.

“There are already a few customers coming! I’m so excited! This is actually the first time I organize a signing event!” He turned to her and bowed. “Let’s have a great day and work together nicely!” She started to sulk. Her face became pale and she gulped. She went and sat at the table while people started to come in.  

For almost half of that day, the work she had went smoothly. She didn’t take any break so she could finish faster. She behaved as nice and natural as she could and she was rewarded with different praises or even gifts. What surprised her even more were the readers themselves. They were young. Their words got her thinking a lot.

 

“I really like Taka-kun but it’s clear he should have made a move right then!”

“Anna-sama, why did you make Taka-kun and Nana-chan think so much about their relationship?”

“Because of this book, I got the courage to ask out the girl I like”

“Thank you for making me feel secure. Now I believe somewhere out there is my own Taka-kun!”

Those kind of small lines made her think deeper about her own life and about her own destiny. She might have changed and helped some youngsters but she might have also destroyed chances and relationships. It was a bittersweet love story; it was a bittersweet life she was leading but most importantly, that bittersweet emotion of love left her before it could blossom.

“Excuse me?” She looked up for her next fan but instead of a young girl or a young boy she met a pair of brown eyes she hadn’t seen in 3 years. “Can I get a hug with your autograph?” Anna chuckled and placed the marker on the table. She was ready to give her old friend a hug but Sato-san grabbed one of her hands.

“I’m sorry but if you give this customer a hug you may have to give one to all of them” He whispered into her ear. She got freaked out at the thought and nodded towards her manager.

“I’m sorry but I can’t right now. However” She signed the book and she wrote down her phone number on the left corner. “Can you call me around 6 o’clock? I’m pretty sure that’s when the event will close up. We can talk then” The woman nodded.  She made a peace sign and on her way to the door. Anna chuckled happily and continued with her schedule.

 

Later that day, she couldn’t feel her right hand. She signed about 100 books in total and even though she sat down the whole time, her was feeling sore. While she was waiting for her agent to finish up the program, she massaged her sore neck. For a moment she forgot about her old friend. Everything she wanted was to go home and sleep. While she was imagining the whole scenario her phone rang.

“Good morning sunshine! It’s past 6, I’m sorry I took so long!” Her friend’s voice was really loud.

“Mizuki. I thought you may take a few days to actually call” Mizuki scoffed and yelled for someone to move faster.

“I had to get out for a few groceries and now that my brother came and freed me, I was wondering if you could come and have a cup of tea with me” Anna started to laugh, though it didn’t sound too noisy or too pitched. Since her voice was nasal, it did sound funny.

“I’m pretty sure that in your language ‘tea’ is the word for ‘alcohol’ and you’re not wondering if I can come, you’re instructing me. That’s been already decided”   

“You know me too well; move to the bar right now” The younger woman smiled.

She agreed to meet Mizuki at some random place and left everything work related in the hands of her tired manager.

 

Unfortunately, the bar Mizuki instructed Anna to go was in Shibuya. The good news was that it was placed somewhere in a quieter part of it. It was fairly easy to spot the small brunette. She was the only person drinking shot after shot without looking affected. Anna chuckled silently and sat next to her friend.

“Ah, Anna-chan!” She took the time to hug her younger friend but started to drink right after she let go.  “It’s been such a long time. I can’t believe you left me hanging”

“I didn’t. I told you about my departure 6 months before I actually left. I sent you emails and even called you once. You didn’t pick up the phone”  Anna was waiting for an irrational response from her friend. Surprisingly, Mizuki shrugged innocently.

“Life”

Anna got taken back by that kind of answer but it didn’t surprise her fully. In the time she hadn’t seen Mizuki, she found out things about her from her younger brother, Kazuki. It seemed that the fun girl she once met transformed into an extraordinary surgeon and forgot completely what the word ‘fun’ meant.

“You do know I talked to Kazuki and he told me about your affairs and whatnot, right?” She couldn’t respond to Anna since she was just sipping continuously from her glass of alcohol. Instead, she waved chaotically.  “You don’t have time to go out because you are an important asset to the hospital; you don’t have time for a relationship and not even one guy you went out with could understand your schedule” She sighed and hung her head. “It is really life or are we just getting too old for these things?” Mizuki rolled her eyes and told the bartender to give her another glass.

“Actually, I have a date tomorrow. I met this guy through an international friend. He’s half Japanese and half American. I just know he works in business and his father owns a chain of hotels throughout the whole world. He has a few in Japan too” She sighed and placed her head on the barstool.  

“Shouldn’t you be hyperactive right now? That’s not an easy prey and you found it easily” She closed her eyes and sighed.

“I should but he’s not going to come alone” Anna leaned closer to hear her explanation better.

Mizuki wasn’t drunk but the alcohol was making her sulk.

“He said he has a friend who, in his point of view, needs a little help regarding his romantic life. He told me to bring someone but that’s impossible! My friends are all ta-“Her eyes widened and glanced to the empty glass in front of her. “Or maybe not” She mumbled to herself. In the next second, Mizuki transited from being depressive and sorry for her own self into a happy and optimistic bubble. She started to giggle while she started to rub her hands together. Anna found herself in a corner where she could escape no more.

“You want me to come, don’t you?” Mizuki nodded happily while smiling widely. Anna titled her head to one side and smiled cutely. “You want me to get this other guy with romantic issues so you can have an amazing date with yours” She nodded again with the same expression. Anna shook her head and sighed. “Count me out” Mizuki was ready to nod again but registered fast the response she got.

“Come on! How hard can it be! Chris told me so many things about his friend and how lost in the Universe he is. Who knows, you may actually like him! Come on, come on, come on, come-“

“I already know you won’t stop until I agree” Mizuki nodded with pleading eyes. “I guess it won’t hurt” The older woman was so excited that she jumped on her younger friend and hugged her tightly. The rest of the evening, Mizuki kept repeating how thankful she was and how great it was going to be.