Waves Of Love(GL)

Chapter 8

Akari's POV

                        "End up her tenant"

It's been years since I last rode a motorbike—secretly, for some inexplicable reason—and I was thrilled to be riding again. There’s something liberating about being free to do whatever you want. The ride felt so good that my spirit was alive when we arrived at the resort.

Just a few steps before reaching the reception area, where the friendly staff were already smiling at us, the receptionist greeted us warmly.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am Solenn, Ma'am Megumi, right?" she said.

I hummed in response while Solenn simply nodded.

"Are you hungry?" she suddenly asked me.

"Kinda," I replied shyly.

"Um, wait—sit there first. I'll just go upstairs for a moment. I'll be back," she said, and quickly went upstairs.

I sat there, silently observing my surroundings. Only then did I realize how vast this place was. In fact, it’s just a two-story building. The first floor houses the reception area, the dining area, and the guest rooms—including the room where I’m staying. The second floor appears to be for guests as well, or perhaps it’s the owner’s rest house—I’m not entirely sure.

While I was waiting and admiring the space, a staff member approached me with a flyer in her hand.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am Megumi. Would you like to buy some ice cream? The weather is hot, and we have a promo—it's very cheap," she offered politely.

"Is that so? Alright, I'll buy it, but I'll wait until my friend comes back so we can both have some," I said, watching as the staff member beamed with delight.

"Thank you so much, Ma'am Megumi. Um, by the way, Ma'am..." she began and then suddenly became serious.

"Why? What is it?" I asked curiously.

"May I ask you something first? Hehe," she said shyly, and I nodded.

"Do you and my boss know each other? Because you mentioned your friend went upstairs," she continued, which confused me.

"Huh? What do you mean? I don't understand," I replied.

"My boss is staying there. Guests are not allowed to go upstairs unless they know her and have her permission," she explained, making me wonder.

Her boss? So, the owner of this beautiful place is a woman? Wow.

"Is that so? May I know your boss's name?" I suddenly became interested in the owner's name.

"Solenn. Solenn Perez—and she’s strict about almost everything, but very kind and beautiful," the staff member said with a smile. I was very surprised. Why hadn’t I ever thought of that? I had always assumed she was just another guest.

Just then, before I could say anything more to the staff member, she approached us.

"She just offered me an ice cream, and I told her I'll buy it when you come back," I explained awkwardly as I looked at the staff member.

"Right! I'm going to prepare it. Excuse me, Ma'am Solenn, Ma'am Megumi," she said politely before hurrying off.

"Alright, sorry for the wait," Solenn apologized.

"It's okay, I don't mind," I reassured her.

"Thank you. Let's go to the dining area," she said, and we immediately headed there.

We ordered food right away, both of us avoiding each other’s gaze awkwardly as we waited for our order to be served.

I noticed Solenn staring off into the distance as if lost in thought. Curious, I interrupted her.

"Um, I just remembered—what were you going to tell me?" I asked.

"Huh? Ah, right… sorry, I almost forgot," she said shyly, scratching her nape.

"I forgot exactly what I was going to say, but may I ask?" she added awkwardly.

"Yeah, go ahead," I replied suddenly nervous.

"How long are you going to stay here? Or, how many more days? I thought you had already left," she asked curiously. What prompted that sudden question?

"Why do you ask? So you're curious about me—do you still want me to stay here?" I teased, watching her expression turn awkward.

"Just kidding," I added with a chuckle.

"What are you thinking, Ms. Sekiguchi? I'm just asking, though maybe you're right—I am curious," she said firmly. What is it with this grumpy giant?

"Alright, if you say so. Honestly, I don’t know how long I can stay here—maybe until I find a place to live? Or, to be clear, until I find even a small apartment to call home," I explained.

"But unfortunately, I haven’t seen any available places yet," I added. Her eyes lit up as if genuinely interested.

"Is that so? I really thought you were just an ordinary guest, but if that's the case, I think you'll be glad because I know a perfectly nice place where you can stay," she said confidently. Now, she had my full attention.

"Really? Then tell me where it is. It’s been almost two weeks, and I still haven’t found a place to stay," I said in relief.

"Is that so? You must be so tired from searching everywhere. I feel bad for you. But anyway, here—you can stay here," she said, which confused me a little. I’m already staying here, but only temporarily. What does she mean?

"What's with that surprised expression? Pfft... I have an available guest room upstairs that’s been empty for a long time. You're very lucky—I'm offering it only to you. This is the first time I’m offering that room to someone," she said with a note of pride. I was both surprised and a bit confused.

"Really? You're serious about that, aren't you? And I wonder... why has it been empty for so long?" I asked, both excited and curious.

"Well, I'm not the type of person to joke about the things or places I care about. And Ms. Sekiguchi, I just hate loud people—that’s why I've kept that room empty, for the sake of my peace of mind," she explained. That sounded like Solenn—serious and no-nonsense.

"I see. Thank you for telling me, and most importantly, thank you for offering me that room. finally" I said gladly. She saved the day again! What is she, really? A savior? My savior? It certainly seems that way.

"Don't mention it, but you can't stay there for free—" she began, just as our food arrived.

"Here’s your food, as well as your ice cream. Thank you for patiently waiting, Ma'am Solenn, Ma'am Megumi," the pleasant waiter said as he placed the tray on our table.

"Thank you," we both exclaimed as he excused himself.

"Let's eat first before we continue our discussion," Solenn said firmly, and I nodded.

I was also starving—my stomach was practically complaining.