213 Don’t be jealous of someone else’s happiness

she doesn't know how long it's been since she wore a proper dress. maybe the last time she actually tried to look pretty when she had to attend the convocation in the university. it's been years. she doesn't mind wearing nice clothes for such events. 

regardless of her experience, yamashina chiyo is a little uncomfortable in the sleeveless black lacy dress that ends on a few inches above the knees. pants are better for running. she doesn't have to worry about flashing her panties if she ever falls or slip. she lets out an exasperated sigh. 

the restaurant is one of the top restaurants in the city where dishes cost her one month's salary for a spoonful of food. she has the urge to kill someone today. thanks to her cousin, she got scolded by her superior. now, she's on a blind marriage date with a stranger. to make the matter worse, her cousin is late. the people who are always on time often suffer like this. 

"yamashina-san?" 

when she sees the man calling her name, she turns her head toward him. the man had a well-built body and a mellow smile on his clean-shaven face. his eyes have a clever gleam in his eyes.  "yamashina-san, you haven't changed. your expression doesn't change at all. i recognized you right away."

this is not takeda ryosei. 

"do i know you?" she asks with a straight face.

"i am tezuka kohei." the man takes a seat. his voice is easygoing and low. "i used to be iori's neighbour."

"you are that kohei." chiyo knows him well. iori used to follow this boy around when she was a toddler. he moved away when he was a long time ago. "you are iori's date. is it childhood love for you?"

"you are quite direct, yamashina-san." kohei lets out a laugh. "it's not like that. i am curious to see iori after so many years."

"if you just wanted to see her, there were many ways to see her." chiyo smiles at him with a teasing look in her eyes. "going straight for the blind marriage date? how do you expect me to believe your words?"

her cold yet teasing gaze is making him nervous for a crime that he didn't commit. his mother told him about iori. he just went along with his mother's plans. he and iori did spend some time together when he was a child, but she was only a little mischievous girl with a bright smile. it doesn't mean that he's in love with iori.  he's twenty-eight years old. it's just that his mother has been nagging him to find a daughter-in-law for her. it doesn't seem like he can avoid getting married in this lifetime. if things go well between him and iori, he doesn't mind getting married to her. 

"believe me." tezuka kohei waves his hand. "it's not like that."

"i believe you." chiyo takes a sip of the wine. he can tell that the woman doesn't believe him at all. what should he do? he sighs. it can't be helped. let her believe what she wants to believe.

she might be right in some way.

***

running on heels is not an easy feat. but someone like kinoshita iori has no choice. she curses the traffic in t-city. why did it have to be this night? she's late. her cousin is alone in that restaurant. 

when she reaches the meeting place, she is stumped for the words.

her cousin is sitting across two men with a calm expression. yamashina chiyo has her one leg over the other and a wine glass in her hand. she is swirling the wine with a lazy expression on her face while the two men in front of her look like they are being interrogated in the police station. 

iori gapes at them. she doesn't know what to say. her cousin is scaring away the men.

"iori." chiyo notices her cousin standing a few feet away from them. "why are you standing there?"

her cousin is scary. why was she even worried? she has no doubt that this date will be a failure for her cousin. she sits beside her cousin, opposite of tezuka kohei. she eyes the man in front of her. he shows her a pleasant smile. this man is tall, broad shoulders, and a comfortable air around him. he's different from takeshi who either frustrates her to death or makes her mind go crazy.

"it's been a while, iori." tezuka kohei didn't see her photograph before he came to see her. the little girl from his memories has changed into an elegant beauty. red suits her.

the four people on the table don't see a man sitting on the corner table with a smile that promises nothing good. kamiyama takeshi glances at his future-to-be wife who is wearing a long red dress and pointy heels. the evil dress is showing off her curves that are attracting glimpses from all the men in the restaurant. her hair is tied up and leaving her elegant collarbone bare. she smiles at the man sitting across her.  

he knows how much she hates wearing heels. she never puts this much efforts on appearance. if he could, he would tear off the dress with pleasure in privacy. he would love to mess up her hair with his fingers. he would kiss that smile off her lips. 

no worries! his time will come.

"this is a little awkward." ren stares at the dish with only covers 10% of the plate. two men are eating at an elite restaurant. soft music is playing and there are only couples around them. the food isn't good either. why did he come with takeshi? he should have stayed back when takeshi asked him if he wanted to go out for dinner. after going through everything that he did, ren didn't want to stay alone. who knew that takeshi would bring him here for dinner? this evil boy! people will misunderstand them.

ren sees takeshi staring at someone with storms in his eyes. he looks in the direction and sees the couples. the girl is laughing. isn't that kinoshita iori? the woman sitting beside is yamashina chiyo. she looks different in a dress. who are the two men? 

"oh, they are on a date," he mumbles. he can't tell where the food went in his stomach. he's still hungry. "oi, takeshi! why are you staring at other people? don't tell me that you are interested in iori?"

"i am." takeshi doesn't stop staring at her. he drinks his wine. "she's so happy with someone else."

"don't be jealous of someone else's happiness." ren stabs the piece of meat in takeshi's plate. the boy isn't eating anyway. food shouldn't be wasted. when he sees the frown on takeshi's face, he chuckles and says, "if you think that you can't live without her, go to her now. i dare you to."

the boy stands up and walks away from the table. the piece of meat drops on the plate. ren widens his eyes when he sees takeshi placing his hand on the shoulder of the woman in the red dress. she looks up at him and blinks her eyes in surprise. 

did the boy just kiss iori?