He hesitated. His gaze fell to the ground for a beat before meeting mine again. “I’m just trying to keep things fair. Level the playing field… I hear the whispers you don’t, Akiko. You have no idea how much danger you’re in.”
“Me? You mean us…everyone here.”
“Yes, we all are, but you especially. I know you’ve gotten this far, and I’m not trying to take that away from you. But…”
“But what?”
Jiro kicked at the ground with his shoe, avoiding eye contact. I just didn’t get it. Why was he even here? Why did he care? One minute he was acting how I expected, like someone who despised me. And the next, he was singing praises and telling me I was cute and deserved to win.
“You have to trust me. That’s all I can say,” he offered up eventually. “You deserve to be here. I don’t want to see your chance at real opportunity diminished.”
“Fairness? That’s the angle? That’s what this is about?” I raised a brow. “This has absolutely nothing to do with our past. I mean, you can see how this looks from where I’m standing, right?”
“I’ll admit, I was pissed when you broke up with me. But this isn’t about revenge, if that’s what you’re thinking.” He paused, as if reflecting for a moment. “I was kind of an asshole back then.”
“Kind of?” My voice pitched higher.
“Okay, fine. I was an asshole.” He shrugged, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips. “But?—”
“Please don’t tell me you’ve changed,” I interrupted.
“Peopledochange. Cut me some slack here… You’re not the same person you were back then.”
I tilted my head, studying him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, for starters, you’re confident now. You’re not afraid to speak your mind or step into the spotlight. Back then, you were quiet and kept to yourself. But now…” He gestured vaguely, as if searching for the right words. “You’re surer of yourself. And you’ve grown up. You’ve always been cute, but now—” He eyed me up and down. “Now you’re beautiful. Graceful, even. It suits you. You were kind of clumsy back then.”
I stared at him, caught off guard by his words. Compliments I didn’t realize he was capable of giving or that I even wanted to hear. At least I think they were compliments. Whatever they were, he had to have been paying attention to dish them out. I mean, really paying attention.
But this was also Jiro. Fuckboy numero uno. He was the guy who could talk his way into any girl’s bed. Had he rehearsed this entire spiel? Or had he really changed?
“Well, thank you,” I said cautiously. “That’s nice of you to say. But you still haven’t answered my original question. What do you want from me?”
He sighed, his expression softening. “I guess I’d like to be friends again.”
“Friends? The Jiro I know doesn’t just want to be friends with a girl.”
“I’m not that Jiro anymore,” he said. “I’ve grown and changed. Look, I was a punk in university. I know that. Honestly, how you even put up with me is a mystery.”
“It really is,” I quipped, unable to help myself.
“If I were you, I would’ve dumped me sooner.”
“I’m glad we can agree on that.”
He chuckled. “I probably wouldn’t even entertain a conversation with me right now. It’s asking a lot.”
“No arguments there,” I said simply.
“But when I think back… We had some good times, didn’t we? You made me feel…different. Like I could open up and say things I didn’t tell anyone else. Remember how we’d talk for hours before falling asleep? Those are good memories for me.”
Don’t crack, Akiko. This is Jiro. Remember why you broke up with him.
“And every time you cooked for me…” His voice dipped. “It made me feel special. Loved. I know I didn’t show it enough back then, but I felt it.”
Shit!
“I’m sorry, I have to go.” The words spilled out before I could stop them. I pushed past him, my shoulder brushing against his chest as I forced myself forward. My pace quickened with each step, each one heavier than the last. I didn’t dare look back, afraid even a glance would shatter the fragile dam holding my tears back.
