Homemade Cuisine!

Several kilometers away, in the neighboring city, Ayase had arrived at a studio where James Sollis was to have his photoshoot.

" Are you, Ms. Nakamura?" She was greeted by James' assistant and also manager, a tall guy with an imposing frame and presence 

" Yes, I am!" She nodded simply. The manager signaled her to follow him which she did. We entered the photoshoot room which was full of various equipment. James had his back turned when I entered the room with his assistant/ manager.

" James, your photographer's here. Say hello, would you?" James slowly turned and met my gaze. He lifted my chin as he emitted a sarcastic comment, " Nothing special!"

( How very rude?)

" James, is that a way to talk to someone?" His assistant/ manager reprimanded him for his foul language. He turned to me and apologized on his behalf.

( James Sollis, the Rockstar, is so different in real life. Martin won't believe me when I tell him this and neither would his fans.)

" What are you dazing down for?" I don't have all the time in the world." He lifted an eyebrow as he commented. Ayase looked calm on the outside but wanted to shout on the inside. Keeping a professional work ethic, she didn't let her feelings be known.

" You're right, Mr. Sollis." She utters with deep kindness and consideration. " We shouldn't waste any more time. Are you ready to begin?" She grinned at him as she finished her sentence.

James didn't answer the question asked but obediently went to get into position for the photo shoot. As Ayase was getting ready to begin, he said formally, " You better take good pictures."

Ayase responded the following, " Of course, Mr. Sollis." I can promise you that you'll have no complaints regarding my work."

" We'll see!"

The photo shoot officially started five minutes after their last exchange. It was looking good so far. Ayase took various poses of James from all kinds of angles. Only a couple more were left to take.

" I'm going to change clothes." James left to change while Ayase took a minimal break.

The assistant/ manager approached Ayase and said apologetically, " I apologize again for James' earliest behavior. He's not usually like this."

" I can kind of understand what he must be going through."

???

" He must be under so much pressure. Between the expectation and his normal life, it's reasonable to behave as he did. He has two different personas; the one he shows on the stage and the one-off stage. Did I get it right?" The assistant/ manager was stupefied by her grasp of the situation.

" Yes, you're right!" I didn't think you would understand. I'm amazed!" James, who was by the door, heard everything. He came out of his hiding spot moments later.

" Let's take the remaining pictures in one click!" James got into position and so did Ayase. Counting from the beginning, it took a total of more than two hours to finish the photoshoot. Ayase was extremely tired. Never in her career had she taken so many pictures in one click. This was another level than the one she's been experiencing until now.

" Thanks for your help today, Ms. Ayase!" You truly saved us today."

" No worries and you don't need to thank me for doing my job." Ayase assembled her work materials one by one. When she finished assembling everything, James was standing in front of her with drinks.

" Here!" James extended one of the orange juice drinks he was holding. Ayase was a bit surprised by this action which wasn't at all ordinary.

" Is this for me?" Ayase asked as she expected a sarcastic comment but that didn't come this time.

In response, James said, " You've worked hard today and that is your reward."

( He's not as bad as I thought.)

" Thank you!" She took the drink and headed out of the studio. She got a call from Martin at that moment who asked her for a report regarding her first day at the studio.

" I'll tell you everything when I get back." She hung up the call and walked down to the station to take the metro.

Ayato was on his way back from school. Throughout the drive, he was thinking about how John's lunch box was delicious as it was made with love and reflected on how it would be nice if he also had a mother who would make him his lunch box just like his classmate John.

" Did school go okay, young master?" The driver, who also happened to be one of Sebastian's bodyguards, asked him.

" It was normal!" He uttered simply calmly and respectfully.

" That's good!" He kept on driving until they reached a traffic light and the car came to an ultimate stop.

Just then, Ayato spotted Ayase on the way ahead and remembered her.

" Go straight ahead!" Ayato instructed the bodyguard.

" But this isn't the way home." Ayato was looking on the way ahead where Ayase was standing. A minute passed and the bus came.

" Oh, no, she's leaving!" The bodyguard grasped the situation only after Ayase had gotten inside the bus which drove off immediately.

" Let's go home!" Ayato sighed in disappointment. Seeing that, the bodyguard decided to change his mood.

" Where are you going?" This isn't the way home." The bodyguard was following the bus' trajectory and Ayato was confused by his sudden behavior.

The bodyguard responded and said, " You wanted to meet that lady, didn't you?" Ayato, understanding where he was coming from grinned slightly. Seeing that, the bodyguard was happy as he now knew he was doing the right thing.

The drive was approximately an hour and a half until the proximal destination. Ayase got out of the bus and headed towards an alley in which her house was located. The bodyguard followed swiftly from behind.

" What do we do now, young master?" Ayato looked troubled as he didn't know whether it was the wrong thing to suddenly show up without notice. The bodyguard helped him make up his mind about things.

" Let's go, young master!" He extended his hand so Ayato would come out of the car. Ayato took his hand and exited the car. Together, they walked towards Ayase's house.

Ayase on the other hand had just gotten inside her house and shut the door behind her. She went straight to the washroom to freshen up. Just as she had gotten out of the washroom, she heard a knock coming from her door.

" Is it Martin?" She wondered as she walked frantically to the door and took a deep breath several seconds before opening it. To her surprise, it wasn't Martin the one at the door but a child who she recognized very well as they had met not so long ago. That child was accompanied by a man wearing a suit.

" Ayato, was it?" She muttered kindly and happily to the kid. The man wearing a suit was just looking at both of them.

" I'm enchanted that you remembered my name, sister." He said with a bit of embarrassment accompanied by it.

What followed was a hug, " Who could forget a cute kid such as you?" She welcomed both of them inside and served them a cup of tea a few minutes later.

As they all finished their tea, Ayase asked Ayato the following, " So tell me, what brought you here, Ayato?"

???

The question was followed by a pause before she continued, " Don't think I'm displeased with your visit or something—------------------" I'm just wondering if your father knows you're here. I wouldn't want him to accuse me of something again." Having made her reasoning crystal clear to him, Ayato looked at her.

" I was on my way home from school when I saw you and wanted to say hello." He muttered with an innocent voice. He followed by, " I also wanted to apologize on my father's behalf for how he treated you during our last encounter."

" It's not your place to apologize to me as you did nothing wrong and let me tell you this, " If he were to repeat this, just like last time, I would give him a piece of my mind." She muttered proudly before him, making Ayato chuckle in the process.

In the middle of it all, Ayato's tummy made a weird sound and he felt embarrassed.

" We should probably go, young master." The man in a suit said to Ayato who nodded in agreement with him. They stood and were about to leave when—----------------

" Wait a minute, you two!" Where do you think you're going?" She had both of her arms crossed as she looked straight at them.

???

???

" None of you will leave my house with an empty stomach, so sit right back." She said with a sweet, yet authoritative tone. The two felt a shiver and obeyed the command that was given to them without making a fuss.

Ayase left them soon after and went to the kitchen from which she came back thirty minutes later, with two bowls in a tray. Ayato and the man in the suit sitting at the dining table.

" This is a quick dish I concocted, I want to hear your impression." The said dish was white rice and nothing more than that, but a sweet aroma was coming out from the dish, filling their nose with ecstasy.

" Let's dig in!" The two took the first bite.

" Bon appetit!"