Lena’s Happiness

Lena stumbled out with a dejected look on her face. It was 2:00 PM, and her classes had finally ended for the day.

After her exchange with Keven, she realized just how hopeless everything seemed.

Coupled with his threats to her sister, she felt even more backed into a corner.

Ignoring the worried gazes of her friends, she slowly made her way toward the dormitory to get some rest.

Due to the school's layout, she had to pass by the parking lot to reach housing. It was there she heard a loud, ear-piercing noise— one she was familiar with.

Guided by the sound, she peeked around the corner, trying to identify the car. When she did, however, she froze, recognizing the model instantly.

Quickly, she opened her gallery and scrolled until she found the picture in her favorites folder—a handsome boy getting into a car of the exact same type.

A genuine smile bloomed on her face as she ran toward the car, pushing through the already forming crowd to reach the driver's seat.

Inside, she saw the man she'd been thinking about nonstop.

"Akashic!" she shouted. Seeing him step out of the car, she bolted toward him, wrapping him in a hug.

Startled by her sudden action but used to her personality, Akashic returned the hug with one arm, his other hand still carrying a bag.

"What happened?" he whispered as she clung to him.

She simply shook her head, insisting everything was fine before pulling away. Hearing the murmurs from the crowd embarrassed her, but she maintained a calm face.

*growl*

The sound of Lena's stomach rumbling was faint among the crowd, but Akashic heard it and chucked.

"Would you like to go out to eat? I could use some food myself."

Although he had made breakfast earlier that morning, he hadn't had the chance to eat it. Alexia had been extra clingy after waking up—not that he minded. 

So, In the name of "making up for lost time," they'd been with each other for over an hour, until Alexia was tired enough to rest again.

With nothing else to do, he'd decided it was about time for the twins to finish their classes, so he'd brought their clothes.

Lena placed her hand over her belly. She had skipped lunch, distracted and without an appetite, but after hearing Akashic's offer, her stomach came to life, rumbling in a similar rhythm as his car.

"Where's Luna? It's only a two-seater, but she can fit." Akashic said, frowning as he looked around for her sister.

"She's... doing tutoring. She'll be busy until 5 or 6." Lena said, freezing when she mentioned the tutoring.

Akashic made a mental note of this but shifted the mood.

"Well, I'll make sure to bring her back some food. As for us, how about a preliminary date?" His words seemed to work, as Lena smiled happily and nodded.

He opened the door for her, and she climbed into the passenger seat. After closing the door, he remembered the bag still in his hand and walked to the front of the car to place it in the storage.

Once finished, he got behind the wheel and noticed Lena's starstruck gaze as she admired the car's interior.

Pressing a button, the car roared to life. He revved it a little, causing the surrounding students to step back. With the newfound gap, Akashic backed up and exited the parking lot, heading toward a restaurant he knew she'd enjoy.

Along the way, Lena remained silent, looking around in awe. At the next stoplight, they made eye contact, and she was practically begging for permission.

"Haha, go ahead." he said, amused.

Stars lit up in Lena's eyes as she whipped out her phone, snapping pictures of everything—except Akashic's face. Although everyone at school now knew the car belonged to him, she was posting these photos to her massive following and didn't want to out him.

Even if she knew Akashic wouldn't mind, she refrained.

"Phew! Interior shots done!" she said with a satisfied grin, eager to take more pictures once they arrived.

A few minutes later, they pulled in to a sushi restaurant. It wasn't busy yet, as it was still early. 

Akashic remembered that at the party, the food Lena ordered most was sushi. So, this spot had been his first thought.

Indeed it seemed to be correct as she was excited when she saw the place. It was also a fairly popular restaurant, as it had recently opened.

Though as long as she was with Akashic, it didn't matter—even if they were eating boxed macaroni.

They were quickly seated in a quiet area across from each other. The waitress, a friendly woman in her 40s, asked what drinks they'd like.

"I'll just take a Sprite, please." Akashic said.

He didn't really like alcohol, but would occasionally drink it for special occasions.

"Strawberry lemonade, please." Lena requested with a smile.

After bringing their drinks, the waitress asked for their food orders.

Looking through the menu, Akashic listed his choices. "Can I get the shrimp fried rice, crab wontons, California roll, and dragon roll, please?"

He winked at Lena, who didn't hold back.

"Ah! Can I get the rainbow roll and lobster roll, please?"

The waitress nodded and walked off, informing them of the wait.

"Lobster on a pre-date? How will my pockets ever recover from the real thing?" Akashic joked, causing Lena to roll her eyes.

"Poor me. My future boyfriend is planning on starving me!" she teased, pouting for effect.

[+100 Satisfaction Points]

About 20-30 minutes later, their food arrived. They thanked the waitress and began to eat.

Akashic enjoyed every bite, though not enough to earn satisfaction points from the system. Lena, on the other hand, savored every piece, a gleeful expression on her face.

"It's so good! I can't believe I never came here before!"

They continued chatting as dinner drew to an end. An hour later, they walked out of the restaurant. Since Luna didn't eat sushi, they planned to stop elsewhere to get her some food.

"Oh, so that's why I never went." Lena mused, thinking of the nearly $200 bill.

Back in the car, Akashic made a quick stop for gas and ensured Luna's meal was ready.

After dropping Lena off, he planned to go grocery shopping for dinner.

"Oh yeah, are you attending the party this weekend?" Lena asked.

"Party?" Akashic was caught off guard. He didn't remember anything like that during his first time around.

"It makes sense you wouldn't know. It's a private party for the most popular students at school."

Hearing this calmed him. It made sense he hadn't known about it.

Even now, he didn't care to attend. In his mind, why waste time with people he hated when he could be home making Alexia cu— spending time relaxing?

Before rejecting the invitation, he asked Lena about her plans. He sensed discomfort from her when she mentioned the party.

"I... yeah, I'm going." she said hesitantly.

Her faltering words confirmed his suspicions, and he changed his mind.

"Well then, so am I." His response surprised and touched her, though she couldn't bring herself to dissuade him.

With that settled, they continued driving.

About ten minutes later, they reached a stretch of empty road. Akashic stopped and looked at her.

"Ready?"

Lena cast him a confused glance, but he gestured for her to look ahead. As soon as she did, he floored the gas.

0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) in less than 3 seconds. 

The sudden acceleration pinned her head against the headrest.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed as the speedometer climbed higher. They shot past 100, 150, 175, before finally hitting 200 mph (321 km/h).

They maintained that speed for only a few seconds before the road neared its end, and he slowed down. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she experienced the thrill of speeding for the first time. A childlike joy spread across her face, her heart still pounding.

Seeing his plan had worked, Akashic took her back to the dormitory. It was around 4:15

PM.

After parking, he got out and opened the trunk, handing her the bag.

"Now you have something to wear to the party, don't you?" he chuckled as she took the bag.

Maintaining eye contact, Lena was lost in his gaze, thinking sadly to herself.

'So handsome, so nice... if only I could've met him under different circumstances!'

She knew how powerful Keven was. And though Akashic had money, Keven's family had more.

Above all, she couldn't bear to watch Akashic get hurt for her sake. Even his decision to attend the party was dangerous.

She knew all this, yet she still couldn't keep her distance. For however long she had left, she wanted to spend it with him.

"Should I look away this time?" he teased with a smirk, bending down as she approached.

"Idiot." she grumbled before planting a firm kiss on his cheek-close to his lips-then scurried off.

Akashic was slightly disappointed but his smile never faded. 

'So cute.' He remarked while looking at the fleeing rabbit.

'Keven, huh? Guess I'm starting with him…'