I would be lying if I say that I was not surprised when Aihana, the current girlfriend of Akashi called on a Sunday morning and asked me to meet her very nicely and politely at a restaurant. She must have gotten my phone number from the café.

I was completely stunned by her soft tone and for a moment I actually regretted to call her a bitch in mind. I wasn't the type of person who would forget someone's fault or wrongdoings easily and melt as soon as they apologize. I wasn't the type who holds grudges against others either, but I try to avoid them at all costs. But her action took me totally off guard.

So that was why I was standing alone in front of a particular posh restaurant on the town wearing a plain white linen shirt with a pair of blue jeans. I inhaled and entered the restaurant stealthily. 'Here goes nothing.'

As soon as I entered the restaurant, my eyes managed to spot Aihana sitting beside the window within a second. She was a graceful woman, I must admit. She was literally glowing even in her simple baby pink blouse and white mini skirt. Her light brown silky hair was curled up framing her beautiful heart shaped face cutely. Her round green eyes met my dead blue ones before I started walking toward her table.

I stood in front of her table. "Um... Hi."

She looked at me up and down thoroughly. "You don't really look his type..." She mumbled to herself.

I didn't get that correctly, so I asked again. "Sorry?"

Her green eyes snapped up to mine surprised and realized her confusing behavior. She stood up from her chair and took out her hand. "We haven't met properly yet. Hello, I'm Aihana Hirosawa. Nice to meet you." She smiled at me politely.

I was stunned at her politeness. This girl totally seemed like a different person than the one I saw the other day. How can a person's personality change so drastically within a week I don't know but I wasn't complaining either. I shook her hand gently. "Hi... Um, I'm Ena. Nice to meet you too."

She chuckled cutely squinting her eyes. "It must be confusing for you. I'm really sorry for my behavior that day. I realized that what I did was completely wrong, so the only way I felt that I could feel good if I apologize to you properly."

"No, no, no!" I said frantically. "There's no need to apologize. It was partly my fault too. Besides, didn't you heard the saying, 'the customer is always right'. It's okay, really."

"Still, I want to apologize. I am extremely sorry. Is your hand okay now?"

"Yes, I'm fine. It was just coffee, nothing serious. All good."

"Thank goodness." She smiled. She actually looked relieved which made me even more confused. It was not like I never met any rude customers in the cafè but none of them ever apologized to me like this and I never felt bothered about it either. I did believe in what I said, 'the customer is always right.' So yeah, this Aihana; a girl who came with my ex husband, was confusing the hell out of me with her bipolar behavior.

"Since we're here, why don't we have lunch together? My treat." She offered me smiling.

It was a free food offer, so I really couldn't let this chance slip away from my hand. I was a cheap person. "Sure, I'd love to." I agreed, smiling for a completely different reason.

The waiter came and she ordered nothing more than some green salads and water. I guess she was on a diet or something, but I clearly didn't see the need. She was in perfect shape. I ended up ordering sukiyaki, pickled cucumbers and inarizushi as a side. Akashi always thought my taste was weird.

I smacked myself internally for remembering my ex husband even though it was totally unintentional.

"Is something that matters?" She asked, looking at me. "Your face is not looking good. Is the food bad?"

"No, no!" I shook my head. "The food is really good. I was just thinking about some... matters."

"Oh," She smiled. "By the way, that day you and Sei-kun seemed close. He said that you guys were old acquaintances."

I stared at her smile. So this was what it was all about. She wanted to talk about Bakashi. "Yes. We, um, are."

"Just curious, but how do know him?" She leaned towards me slightly. She still held her sweet smile in place, but her eyes were skeptical.

I felt uncomfortable. What should I say? Well, I can't really say that I was her current boyfriend's ex wife. How much twisted that would actually sound? I wonder what Akashi had told her. But whatever he told her, I don't really think he told her the truth.

"I was his classmate in Rakuzan." I answered carefully.

"Just classmates?" She raised her brows. "Don't mind, but I don't think Akashi would have remembered you if you were just a mere classmate."

I gulped. "I was in the Student Council with him and did some projects together."

"Oh," She leaned back and stared out of the window thoughtfully.

"Y-you guys are cute together by the way." I said quickly to ease the tension and she turned to me. "You and Akashi, I mean. He didn't date a lot of girls in high school but none of them was good for him. But somehow, I felt like you're... truly the one for him. You guys look adorable together and belong with each other."

Tell me how screwed up all this was?!

I didn't think I had to play the empathy card too. And did I say that I was good at flattering people too? But I felt my throat constricted when I uttered each word. There was a huge lump in my throat and I was trying my best to hide the pain in my voice. Thankfully, she didn't notice anything weird. She really was obnoxious.

Aihana's heart shaped face lit up like an 100 watt bulb as she looked at me with a wide smile. "You really think so?"

"Yes, of course." I smiled coyly. "You're really perfect for him. I knew it the moment I saw you guys together."

"Oh my God!" She cried and pressed her hand on her mouth. "I totally misunderstood you and thought that you were flirting with my Sei-kun and all!"

"What?!" I choked on my lemonade. "Are you kidding me?! What in the world made you think that I was flirting with him?" 'yeah, yeah, go ahead, tell me...'

"But he was eying you a bit weirdly."

"That's because, I used to have chestnut colored hair back in high school and now it's blue. Maybe it weirded him out a bit." I came up with the weirdest excuse I could think of. Akashi very well knew I originally had dark blue hair.

'Did I say that I was very good at lying too?' Well I am.

"Oh, is that so." She said thoughtfully but the look of suspicion and worry on her face was long gone. I exhaled in relief.

"Let's be good friends, Ena-san." She looked at me smiling.

I gulped. Friendship was not something I give people so easily. This pretty innocent girl in front of me who was previously just jealous of me for who knows why and now that all the misunderstandings are cleared, she wanted to be friends with me. My sane mind was not capable of taking decisions right now. Well, that if I was still sane by now.

Before I could stop my mouth I uttered. "Sure."


She smiled at me happily. It was real.

I smiled at her tightly. It was fake.


A twisted friendship has formed in the most twisted way possible. And I was the one who made it possible. I don't know what will be the consequences but in the back of my mind, I had a feeling that it won't be the prettiest.

Again, before I could stop my mouth, I asked her a question I would regret all my life. "Do you really love Akashi that much?"

"Yes." She smiled at me softly. "I love him more than my own life. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have him in my life. I can't even think of living in a world without him and sometimes it scares me that how much I love him."

I stared at her pretty face as she uttered those words dreamily. She had a look of pure love and genuine care for him on her face. I realized that this girl named Aihana was truly in love with Akashi Seijuro. My ex husband.

I wonder if she had seen his real face.

I wonder if she would be able to love him when she sees his real face. Or should I say, two faces?

But I don't have any plan to reveal it to her.

"If you really love him that much then," I smiled at her kindly but somehow tightly. "Never let him go. That would be the worst mistake in your life."

My heart was darker than I thought.

_

A/N: I couldn't be optimistic even if I want to. I wish I could just have a glimpse of the future so that I can be rest assured. But that's too much to ask for, right? I know that pessimism is bad but I just can't help it.

Aish, why am I like this?!?!

I am ranting and being irrational. Gomen.

Edited. Don't forget to vote!

||By my leave||