PRICELESS| HARUTO AND ASAHI FF

• twelve •

Haruto walked out of the cellar and wandered aimlessly through the corridors, replaying Ji Hyun's words in his mind.

"Am I really stupid?" he wondered, slowly twisting the knob of his room door. This question weighed heavily on him, and he couldn't dismiss it lightly. Slipping inside his room, he stood in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection.

"I don't think I look stupid," he said, striking a pose like a model. He tilted his head, examining his features critically, as if searching for any sign of foolishness.

"Maybe it's not about looks," he mused aloud. "Maybe it's something deeper, something I need to understand about myself." With a sigh, he sat down on his bed, determined to figure out what Ji Hyun really meant and how he could prove himself otherwise.

With that thought, he fished out his cell phone and ordered his chef to prepare something for him. In a jiffy, a man came and served him the dish. Haruto then took off his blazer, glancing at the tag labeled 'Watanabe Haruto.' A smile crept upon his lips as he thought and said, "Now I know I'm really stupid. I won't forget this, Ji Hyun."

He folded his sleeves and began to dig in. As he ate his favorite dish, savoring and enjoying its taste, his mind wandered back to what Ji Hyun had said. "She is insane, but how on earth did she have the nerve to say she is fearless in front of me? In front of Watanabe Haruto? That's totally insane. She can't imagine the consequences of her words. I can be cruel if she dares to say that again."

The flavors of the dish mingled with his thoughts, each bite reminding him of the audacity of her words. He chuckled softly to himself, a mix of amusement and annoyance playing on his features. "Fearless, huh?" he muttered. "We'll see about that."

Just then, he heard a knock on the door. "I'm not done yet," he said, hoping it was his servant come to take the dishes back. But his hopes were quickly dashed as the door swung open and a familiar figure stepped in.

"Still having your meal?" the figure said as he made himself comfortable on the bed.

"What's the point of joining me, Ani?" Haruto teased as he saw Mashiho lean back on the bed with a relaxed demeanor.

Mashiho gave him a friendly shove on the back. "I was bored, and you didn't seem like yourself today. I searched for you everywhere and found you here having your meal."

"Yeah, I was tied up with some work. By the way, Ani, how does a person look stupid? I mean, generally speaking," Haruto asked, turning toward him.

Mashiho raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking? Did someone say you were stupid?"

"Ugh, no. I'm just asking, Ani!" Haruto replied, trying to dismiss Ji Hyun's words. Deep down, he was still stung by her comment, and it hurt his pride more than he wanted to admit.

Mashiho glanced at him curiously. "You sure you're alright? You seem more bothered than usual."

Haruto sighed, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just something that's been on my mind. Anyway, let's talk about something else. How's everything going with you ?"

Mashiho looked at him thoughtfully but nodded. "Alright. Let's change the subject then. I've been meaning to ask you about that ongoing project which we are working on."

As they shifted topics, Haruto found himself momentarily distracted from the sting of Ji Hyun's words, though they lingered at the back of his mind.

After the chit-chat about the project, Mashiho walked out of Haruto's room. Haruto heaved a sigh, wanting to rest, but his mind was out of control. Ji Hyun's words lingered persistently, echoing in his thoughts.