Capítulo 17: Emi's daily life

Emi slid the last dish into the drying rack, wiped her hands on a towel, and sighed contentedly. Her apartment, small but cosy, was her sanctuary. She had always taken pride in doing things herself, from cooking her meals to keeping her place spotless. The aroma of freshly brewed tea still lingered in the air, mixing with the scent of the rice she had prepared for breakfast.

After having a filling breakfast, Emi quickly got ready to leave. "Alright, time to get going," she murmured to herself, grabbing her bag and keys from the counter.

Before leaving, she took a quick glance at her reflection in the hallway mirror. Her outfit was simple but matching to work at company like Harada co-operation—just a navy blouse paired with a pencil skirt—but it was enough to make her feel confident. Satisfied, she slipped on her heels and opened the door.

"Good morning, Mrs. Tanaka!" Emi greeted her elderly neighbour with a cheerful smile as she stepped out of her apartment.

"Good morning, Emi-chan!" Mrs. Tanaka replied, her wrinkled face breaking into a warm smile. "Off to work already? You're such a hard worker. I heard you were out late yesterday? Did you find a boyfriend?"

Emi chuckled, bowing slightly out of respect. "Haha! No way, I had a dinner at company." She said and tried to leave because she didn't want to get late."Thank you, Mrs. Tanaka. I'll see you later!"

"If you want, I can introduce you to my grandson! he is a handsome young man," While Emi kept walking, Mrs. Tanaka shouted to which Emi couldn't help but smile.

Emi couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in her daily routine. She liked greeting her neighbors, being part of this small community within the larger city. It grounded her, and made her feel connected to something beyond just work. Her current lifestyle was vastly different from what her parents forced her since she was child, and she didn't even regret a single bit about coming to Tokyo and finding her own path.

Stepping out into the fresh morning air, Emi took a deep breath. The city was already bustling with activity—cars honking slightly, people hurrying to work, the distant sound of busy shops. She began her drive toward the office, a journey she always looked forward to.

About halfway to work, Emi parked near a familiar parking lot and entered a cat cafe, which was popular among people of that area. A soft meow reached her ears, and she smiled as a sleek, black cat emerged from behind a comfortable-looking chair.

"Good morning, Tora," she greeted the cat, crouching down to scratch its head. The cat purred and rubbed against her leg affectionately.

The caretakers of the shop came to greet Emi, and they left her and Tora so they could interact like they always do.

"You must be hungry," Emi said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small container of cat food she always kept for Tora. As she poured the food into a small dish, she couldn't help but think aloud. "You know, Tora, maybe it's time I get a place of my own. A real house. That way, I could adopt you, and you wouldn't have to look forward until I come everyday."

Tora looked up at her with wide, unblinking eyes, as if understanding every word. Emi chuckled and continued, "But houses in Tokyo are so expensive... I'd have to save for years. And even then, who knows if I could afford something with enough space for both of us."

Even though she was the secretary of the famous businessman Harada, she still struggled a lot when it came to money because she had to keep sending some to her parents, even though they had enough to survive. It was as if her parents were punishing her for going against them, showing her that she wouldn't be able to survive on her own.

As Tora ate, Emi's attention was drawn to the small café across the street. Through the window, she saw a couple sitting by the window, laughing and holding hands. A strike of longing hit her unexpectedly, and she sighed.

"Must be nice," she muttered to herself. "Why can't I find a man that I'm interested in?"

Suddenly, without warning, an image of Ryo flashed in her mind. Emi felt her cheeks grow warm, and she quickly looked away from the café window, embarrassed by her own thoughts.

"What am I thinking?" she scolded herself, shaking her head. "He probably has a girlfriend anyway, I heard rumors about something like that... There's no way someone young like him would be interested in someone like me."

But then her thoughts took a different turn. "But if that's true, why did he invite me to dinner?" she wondered, her brow furrowing in confusion. "He didn't have to... and he seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me better."

Emi's thoughts started to jumble together, a mix of confusion and curiosity swirling in her mind. She tried to push the thoughts away, but they kept creeping back. Was Ryo just being friendly, or was there something more to it?

"Stop it, Emi," she whispered to herself, standing up and brushing off her skirt. "You're overthinking this. It will be just dinner."

But even as she told herself that, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to Ryo's invitation. She sighed, giving Tora one last pat before heading back to her car.

As she drove through the busy streets, her mind kept wandering back to Ryo. The way he looked at her, the way he smiled—there was something different about him. Something that made her feel... special. That he didn't feel about him before he was discharged from the hospital.

"No, don't go there," she warned herself, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. "You don't know anything about him. For all you know, he could just be playing around. Rich boys like to play around after all."

But then again, why would someone like Ryo need to play around? He was successful, attractive, and could probably have any woman he wanted. So why did he choose to spend time with her? She had never seen him interested in another woman, so she had to wonder.

She always thought about Ryo as someone that she could relate to, after all, he was always absorbed to his work and always thought about going up the business world ladder.

The question lingered in her mind as she pulled into the parking lot of her office building. Emi parked her car and took a deep breath, trying to clear her head. She needed to focus on work, not on some far-fetched fantasy.

As she stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance, she couldn't help but wonder. What if there was more to Ryo's invitation? What if...?

"No, stop," Emi thought, forcing herself to focus. "You're here to work, not to daydream."

With that, she pushed all thoughts of Ryo aside and walked into the office, determined to make the most of her day.

But even as she tried to concentrate on her tasks, the memory of Ryo's smile kept creeping back into her mind. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but feel a small flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, there was something more between them and just as she expected, as soon as she saw Ryo's face, her little argument went down the drain.

"Maybe! It's time for me to focus on myself!"

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