Later that morning, they arrived at the office together, drawing curious glances from their coworkers. As they stepped out of the car, Hayato looked at her with a gentle smile. "Let's have lunch together in the cafeteria," he said. Chiaki nodded, her heart full. "Okay." For the first time in years, she felt like she was right where she belonged.
As soon as they stepped into the office, the usual buzz of morning activity surrounded them—phones ringing, keyboards clicking, quiet chatter drifting through the air. All eyes seemed to turn in their direction. Hayato moved with his usual calm confidence, returning nods and greetings with a polite ease that only made him stand out more.
Chiaki, on the other hand, felt her heart thudding in her chest. She walked a little faster than usual, trying not to look flustered as she headed straight for her desk. Her face felt warm, and though she kept her eyes down, she could sense the curious looks following them, coworkers whispering just loud enough to stir her nerves. Still, she pretended not to notice, her hands moving busily as she set down her bag and organized her workspace.
Just as Chiaki was about to sit down, Hana popped up beside her, eyes twinkling with curiosity. She leaned in and whispered with a grin, "Chiaki, something tells me something very good happened." Chiaki blinked in surprise, her cheeks warming. "Is it that obvious?" she mumbled. Hana beamed. "You and the GM look different today—lighter, happier. Don't deny it! You're finally together, aren't you?" she teased, clearly thrilled for her.
Before Chiaki could answer, a sharp voice interrupted. "Chiaki, come with me," Elena said flatly. Her tone was clipped and cold. Chiaki's smile faded, her stomach knotting as she followed Elena to a quieter corner of the office.
Once there, Elena crossed her arms, her eyes icy. "I don't know what kind of act you're pulling," she said, voice low but cutting. "But don't think for a second that you've fooled anyone. Do you really believe you can charm Hayato and take Karina's place? You don't belong in that world."
Chiaki froze, the words landing like a slap—but before she could reply, a familiar, steady voice broke the tension. Calm. Firm. And unmistakably on her side.
"Elena, that's enough."
The sharp voice made both women turn. Karina walked toward them, calm and composed, but there was strength behind her words that made Elena visibly shrink.
"You should be ashamed of yourself," Karina said, her tone cool but firm. "You don't know anything about Chiaki, so you have no right to speak to her that way."
Elena opened her mouth to argue, but Karina didn't let her. "I spent years by Hayato's side. If anyone should be upset, it's me. But I've accepted the truth—his heart was never mine. And I respect his decision. Maybe you should try doing the same. Right now, you're just embarrassing yourself."
Elena's face turned red, her hands clenched at her sides. But with no comeback, she turned sharply and stormed off, her heels tapping angrily on the floor.
Chiaki stared after her, stunned, then looked at Karina. "Why did you stand up for me?" she asked quietly.
Karina gave a small sigh, her gaze steady. "Because he chose you. And this time, I wanted to handle things with dignity."
Chiaki nodded slowly, moved by Karina's unexpected grace—and for the first time, truly respected her.
Just then, Hayato walked over, his calm, steady presence drawing attention. His gaze softened when it met Chiaki's, then shifted respectfully to Karina. "Karina," he greeted.
She offered a small, sincere smile. "Hayato, I just wanted to say thank you."
He looked a little surprised. "For what?"
"For taking care of me in the U.S.," she replied, her voice calm but full of emotion. "You didn't have to, but you always made sure I was okay. I've told my family to drop the arranged marriage plans. I won't hold on to something that was never meant to be."
Hayato's expression warmed, a quiet respect in his eyes. "You deserve real happiness, Karina," he said gently. "I hope you find someone who truly loves you."
Karina smiled, her eyes glossy with tears she didn't let fall. Then she turned to Chiaki. "Take good care of him, okay?" she said softly but sincerely.
Chiaki nodded, her heart full of emotion. As Karina walked away, Chiaki felt a sense of peace. The past had finally closed, and whatever came next, she was ready to face it—with Hayato by her side.
*****
During lunch, the cafeteria buzzed with life—clinking trays, cheerful chatter, and the warm clatter of chopsticks. Amid it all, Chiaki, Hayato, Sohei, and Hana sat together at a cozy corner table, their laughter blending in with the lighthearted energy of the room. Hayato had chosen the seat right next to Chiaki without hesitation, casually placing his drink beside hers and subtly leaning in whenever he spoke. It wasn't overt, but his quiet protectiveness was impossible to miss—especially to Sohei and Hana, who exchanged knowing looks and smothered smiles.
Sohei, never one to resist poking fun, leaned back in his chair and grinned. "So, big bro's finally off the market, huh?" he teased, his tone exaggeratedly dramatic. "And here I was betting you'd grow old married to spreadsheets and quarterly reports."
Hayato didn't rise to the bait. He just gave Sohei a calm side glance, the corner of his mouth twitching. "I've always known what I wanted," he said simply—but there was something in his tone, quiet and firm, that made Chiaki's heart flutter. When he turned his gaze toward her, it lingered—warm, open, and unmistakably full of affection.
Chiaki's breath caught. Her chopsticks paused midair. "S-Stop staring," she muttered, looking down quickly and nudging at her rice to hide the flush creeping up her cheeks.
Hana leaned forward with wide eyes and an excited squeal. "Chiaki! You're totally blushing!" she gasped, practically bouncing in her seat. "This is so adorable—I can't believe I'm watching this in real time."
Chiaki let out a helpless laugh, her embarrassment melting into happiness. Surrounded by teasing friends, warmth, and Hayato's steady presence beside her, the moment felt unexpectedly perfect—messy, loud, genuine, and hers.
"Shut up," Chiaki muttered, her face burning as she buried her attention in her lunch tray, though the teasing made it nearly impossible to eat. Her ears turned a deeper shade of red when Sohei leaned in with a wide grin. "I never thought I'd see the day Chiaki gets all flustered over a guy. This is better than drama night."
Chiaki groaned, hiding behind her hands as if she could vanish into the cafeteria table. Hayato, ever composed, shifted closer and calmly set his chopsticks down. "If you two keep pushing her, I'll make sure your workload triples next week," he said smoothly—his tone light, but with just enough edge to make them freeze mid-snicker.
"Understood, boss," Sohei and Hana said in unison, straightening like two kids caught red-handed, though the sparkle in their eyes said this was far from over.
Chiaki was just about to let out a sigh of relief when Hayato leaned toward her again, his voice low, close enough that his breath tickled her ear. "But I like it when you blush," he murmured.
Her whole body tensed, and her hands flew right back up to cover her face. Across the table, Hana let out a muffled squeal and Sohei bit back a grin so big it nearly split his face. Their shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Just when Chiaki thought it couldn't get worse, Sohei leaned forward with the gleam of mischief in his eyes. "Hey, Chiaki. Did you know that back in high school, Hayato basically scared off every single guy who even thought about confessing to you?"
Chiaki peeked through her fingers, stunned. "Wait—what?" she asked, her voice breaking with disbelief.
Hana gasped, fully invested. "No way! Don't stop there—what did he do?"
"Oh, you'd love this," Sohei said, clearly in his element. "If a guy was going to talk to you, Hayato would just happen to appear nearby, arms crossed, staring them down. A few even handed him their confession letters by mistake—he never passed them on, by the way."
Chiaki turned sharply toward Hayato, mouth slightly agape. "Is that true?"
Hayato shrugged, unbothered. "They weren't good enough for you," he replied simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Chiaki let out another mortified groan, dropping her face into her hands again. "I cannot believe this…"
Hana clutched her stomach, tears of laughter forming at the corners of her eyes. "That's… so intense. But kind of romantic? In a messed-up, protective way."
Sohei chuckled. "He was head over heels for you back then. Honestly, it was kind of pathetic—no offense," he added with a grin.
Hayato didn't react—he just gently reached for Chiaki's hand, easing it away from her face. His fingers were warm, his thumb tracing small, soothing circles across her knuckles. "It's true," he said quietly, meeting her gaze. "I've only ever had eyes for you."
Chiaki looked up at him, her eyes wide, searching his face—and in that moment, everything else disappeared. The teasing, the chatter of the cafeteria, even her earlier embarrassment faded into a soft blur. All she could see was Hayato, his steady gaze locked onto hers, his hand warm in hers. Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink, not from teasing this time, but from the way his eyes made her feel seen, cherished—loved.