Chapter 158 - If You Want (2/2)
With that said, Ami excused herself after telling them to take photos of Tohru in his wedding clothes later and went to her room to prepare. Tohru went out to the balcony to make some phone calls and was talking on the phone when Ami emerged.
Gone was the teen pop looking petite lade from this morning. She now dressed up to the nines in a cream-colored suit pants partnered with killer heels. Her blue hair was tied neatly into an elegant chignon and a beige clutch bag rested in her hand.
”I'll be off now,” Ami told Yanee. But before she left, she looked at the younger woman thoughtfully. ”Yanee, dad and mom will come at the expo. Chummy said you will be working on your book and don't need to go and report at the office. Do you want to go back to Nagoya with me?”
Yanee looked surprised but didn't say anything. It's been two years since she left Nagoya but she's not really thrilled to go back. On holidays, it was their parents who came to Tokyo to celebrate with them. Her family was aware that the memories of Nagoya still haunted her, but Yanee knew why her sister asked her this now.
If it were a normal day, Ami wouldn't even suggest this. But she's together with Tohru now, and Ami was hoping that since she took a great leap to be in a relationship again, she'd also be brave enough to face the demons of the past. After all, she was not the one at fault. Nagoya was still their ”hometown” in this foreign country they had been calling their home for many years.
”I���”
”You don't have to answer now. There are still three days before the event. You can think about it first,” she said and then left.
When Tohru returned from his phone call, he found Yanee spaced out on the sofa.
”Is there something wrong?” he asked her softly, and when Yanee didn't respond, he repeated his question as he softly shook her and she snapped back to reality.
”Ah— what?” Yanee asked, disoriented. ”Sorry, I was thinking about something,” she apologized as Tohru sat next to her.
”What happened? Why did you suddenly space out?” he asked curiously. ”Did you argue with Ami?”
”No, of course not,” Yanee answered as she shook her head.
Even with Ami's strong personality they rarely fought.
”Did you get scolded then?” he changed the question and Yanee finally laughed and leaned back against the sofa where Tohru placed his arm.
”No, she didn't scold me,” she said and then explained. ”She just asked if I want to go back to Nagoya. She heard I don't have to go to the office as I work on the book so she was thinking if I want to go back there at our parents' place to do it. I haven't been back there since I worked at Clover.”
”Well, that can be arranged,”Tohru said. ”Nagoya's environment is better than here. You can be more relaxed.”
Although Nagoya was also a metropolitan like Tokyo, it was more laidback. Plus the Lees live near Nagoya Castle so the scenery was really good for creative writing. Tohru could see a lot of benefits going back there to work on the book.
But then again, he remembered something…
Shimizu Kyo, Yanee's ex.
One of the reasons why Yanee came to Tokyo to work was to run away from him— from her past. He regretted stating his approval to return suddenly. He didn't want to force her.
Tohru cleared his throat.
”Well, that's only if you want. You can stay anyway and even go to Kyoto to work on the book. I will tell them not to bother you and you can have the entire wing where we stayed at for yourself and Chummy.”
Yanee looked thoughtful for a while. Then she glanced at him.
”If I go back to Nagoya, will you come visit me?” she asked him coyly.
Tohru immediately beamed. ”Arcus has a branch there. I can work there while you're there,” he said decisively as if he was so sure that it was possible.
Yanee's eyes widened, and then she smiled.
”You really are a carefree boss. Your subordinates will complain,” she told him but he didn't care.
He continued to smile. ”I still have a year to be carefree. I'll work double and seriously afterwards, but now is not the time for me to care about that.”