Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Love or Hate ❯ Volume Ten, Chapter Sixty-Six: Tension ( Chapter 66 )

Tension

The next city was Kyoto. Charm Inu would be performing for most of the night. Lady Dragon would be on tomorrow night. Mai would only have a few minutes to talk. She knew she couldn't wait.

Mai found Isao backstage. Look at him. He was so cool and smug. She felt her blood burn. Mai took a breath. She marched over to Isao and his boys. Honda happened to see her and whisper something to Isao. The vocalist stared at Mai walking up to him.

“Mai?” Isao asked. She stood inches away from him. He raised his eyebrow.

“Yes?” he asked. Mai's head came up to his chest as everyone noticed. She folded her arms across her chest.

“We need to talk,” she said.

“Okay…” Isao said.

“Now,” Mai growled. The other vocalist shrugged.

“Fine,” he said. The rest of his band looked confused.

“Isao,” Hideki said. “We have to be on in—” Isao put up his hand.

“I won't take long,” he said. “I promise.”

“In private,” Mai insisted.

“Fine,” Isao said.

“Thank you,” she said. The vocalist turned and walked back down the hall. Isao followed behind. Honda, Katsuya, and Hideki looked at each other.

---------

Isao and Mai stood in the doorway.

“Okay, what is it?” he asked. She shoved him her phone. The male vocalist blinked.

“So?” he asked.

“Look at it!” she said. “Look at it!” Isao looked at Mai's screen. His face fell flat.

“Oh,” Isao said. Mai's nostrils flared.

“Oh?!” she said. “Oh?! That's it?! Oh?!” He shrugged.

“It was a stupid interview,” Isao said. He began to sound annoyed. She called him out here for this? He looked her in the eye.

“Why do you care?” Isao asked. Mai tried not to scream.

“It's not true!” she said.

“I know,” he said.

“Then why did you say yes?”

“What choice did I have? Our execs would've said yes anyway.”

“I don't know. Maybe say yes?”

“Were you listening to me? The higher-ups would've said we were dating. It's not my fault the report put it together.” Isao got a better look at Mai's face.

“Wait… what is this about really?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” Mai asked. She noticed him smiling.

“What the hell are you smiling for?” she asked. The other vocalist tried not to laugh.

“Well now,” he said. “This got interesting.”

“What?” Mai asked. Isao walked up closer to her. Isao took her by the cheeks. He stared deep in the eyes.

“I think you like me,” he said. Mai's face turned bright red.

“What?! Shut up!” she shouted. Isao tried not to laugh.

“Come on,” he said. “Admit it. Why else do you care about what a stupid article says?” Mai pressed her lips together.

“Shut up,” she said under her breath. The male vocalist chuckled. Mai's cheeks felt hot.

“Shut up!” she shouted. Isao chuckled before leaning in for a kiss. She didn't push him off. In fact, it felt…

Isao suddenly pushed her off. Mai stared at him, wide-eyed.

“W-W-Why did you stop?” she asked. Isao chuckled.

“I have a show to play,” he said. His forehead pressed against hers.

“We'll talk after the show,” he said. The male vocalist let go of her face and walked off. Mai was left standing there with a red face. She couldn't figure out what the hell happened.

Track Sixty-Six