Note/s: After...a million years lmao. A bonus entry for Day 2 and 3 of Jashi Week 2021.


Ashi eyed herself in the lengthy mirror propped against the wall near a row of lockers in the women's changing room. Her reflection stared back with uncertainty, running her hands on the sides of the dress she'd dug out from the closet that morning in a panic. It was a pale green slip dress with ribbon straps. She'd bought it from a high end boutique a couple years back for special occasions. She supposed now was as good a time as any.

Last night, she had been angry and perhaps a bit tipsy...or a lot, worming her way into a group date of all things. But when crusty-eyed sobriety and regret came the following morning, along with a migraine, there was no escaping the mess she had started. Akira had messaged her, saying they'd gotten an extra guy to even the numbers.

She turned her face from side to side, checking her makeup. It wasn't any different from her usual office look but she did add extra coats of mascara and a bolder red lip color. At least she didn't look as haggard as she felt.

As she was fixing her fringe, Akira joined her in the mirror with an approving smile. "I'm so glad you could come with us, Mazoku-san. It'll be so much fun!"

"Of course! Wouldn't miss it..." Ashi smiled back though it did not quite reach her eyes. She would have to put on a show to get through this. There was no point spoiling the evening for everyone else.

There were five other girls in total. Ashi had been acquaintanced with them already, so she could at least pretend this was a night out with colleagues...plus men she did not know.

The night was cold when they stepped out of the office building. Thankfully, Ashi had brought a jacket and kept her stockings on.

"We're meeting them at a restaurant just two blocks from here." said Rita, the one who organized the event. "Let's walk."

As they did, Ashi focused on the idle conversation going on. They were all nice girls and treated Ashi as though she had always been part of their circle despite the awkward circumstances.

She inwardly sighed. While she wasn't expecting to get a new boyfriend out of this, perhaps this would do her some good as a distraction. To help get her mind off her own problems.

It was when they were rounding up the corner of the sidewalk did they come face to face with one of her problems.

Shinjiro.

Of fucking course.

He had cleaned up his look from last night. Drastically so, no longer sporting that ratty beard that hid his jawline. He looked more like his usual self with his fresh haircut and starched white button-up tucked inside his slacks.

His eyes rounded in surprise upon seeing Ashi while clutching a bouquet of yellow roses in his hand.

Oh god! was Ashi's first thought at the flowers, her stomach doing a flip. Don't tell me he's going on a date too! With that same woman?!

And of course, her colleagues just had to witness all of this.

Could this get any worse?

When Shinjiro finally recovered from his shock, he smiled brightly with a sparkling glint in his eyes.

"Ashi!" He exclaimed, thrusting the flowers at her.

It got worse.

As Ashi's brain tried to process, Shinjiro was doing his best to steel his own nerves. He had intended to surprise her just after she left work, but after having had to stop by at the florist plus the unusual train delays, he was afraid he had missed her completely.

Thankfully, he caught her just in time, even if it came with an audience.

"What are you doing here?!" Ashi hissed at him. Even with angry slits for eyes, he still found her beautiful. In fact, she looked more dressed-up than usual.

The other girls took a step back to the side, watching the scene unfold between them with open curiosity.

Shinjiro lowered the flowers, his cheeks aflamed. "I, well, came to see you…I thought perhaps we could go somewhere for dinner and talk."

"Sorry!" Ashi snorted, not sounding sorry at all. "But I'm not interested in anything you have to say." She then pointed a finger to her little group then to herself. "We're on our way to our dates."

"What?"

"You heard me!"

Shinjiro hated having to do anything confrontational, especially out in public like this. But he could not swallow the sudden outrage welling up to his throat.

"What do you mean you're going on a date?!"

"Why not? Do I need your permission? I can do whatever I want."

"Are you ser"— Shinjiro caught himself, lowering his voice once more. "Ashi, may we please talk about this...in private?"

Before Ashi could tell him to go to hell, Akira stepped in between them and addressed Ashi with a cheery smile. "Mazoku-san, it's fine. I think you should have a word with him. You can just catch up afterwards...or not." The other girls giggled.

Ashi tried to protest but the girls only walked away, bidding "Jack" good luck while complimenting his new haircut as they passed.

Shinjiro looked to Ashi in askance, who crossed her arms in annoyance. "They know you as Jack. Sometimes he picked me up from work."

Somehow, the knowledge of such an innocent and thoughtful gesture annoyed Shinjiro. It was foolish to feel so primitive about it, but if anyone should pick Ashi up from work, it should be him.

"Shinjiro." Ashi flattened her tone. "Why are you here?"

"I told you. I want to take you out to dinner so we can talk."

"You think you can just show up out of nowhere to disrupt my life?!"

The corner of his lips lifted. "Well, it does appear to be a running theme for both of us."

Ashi huffed, moving her hands to her hips. "There's nothing to say. I'm just trying to get on with my life."

"And I want to be in your life." He all but begged. Again, he pushed the flowers towards her, which went ignored. "Ashi...please. I do not wish for things to end the way they did. As a matter of fact, I want the opposite. I want another chance."

Ashi's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Another—are you out of your mind?!"

"Ashi...please…" Shinjiro's eyes moved warily, to indicate the glances of passing strangers. But Ashi did not care and swatted the flowers away, causing yellow petals to fly around.

"I made it clear! I want nothing to do with you!" She exclaimed. "Stop trying to force me into a role I don't want to play."

Shinjiro, who was fixing the flowers, blinked up. "What role? Ashi, I just want you to be you."

"Are you sure it's me you want?" Ashi sneered. "You seemed pretty cozy with your date last night."

His eyes widened. "You saw me?"

"That's right." Ashi tilted her chin. A gloat in her tone, thinking she finally had him. "And I see you're not denying it."

Shinjiro shook his head. "No, that was Suzu. My ex-wife. We were just discussing the finalization of our divorce."

Ashi's eyes shot open, her mouth gaping.

"What?"

"Ashi." He said with an exasperated sigh. "If I still held any feelings for her, I would not be here in front of you now, would I?" He thrust the flowers once more to her and Ashi, in her lackwit daze, accepted it. "Ashi..." He continued, his voice much softer. "I still think what we had—have and could have is worth fighting for."

Ashi could not believe it. He sounded like one of those cheesy dramas she constantly made fun of. She could feel the heat rising from her neck to the follicles on her scalp. "Stop spouting sentimental crap!"

"But I"—

"Shinjiro, be real." Ashi sighed, gripping both hands on the stupid flowers to hide her shaking, which would have been effective if the yellow petals stayed in place. "Don't tell me you buy into that soulmate nonsense?"

His eyes softened. "Maybe I do. The kiss we shared in my apartment"—

"Ugh!" Ashi did not want to hear anymore. "Come on! We were both drunk that night. That doesn't count. And don't get me started on what happened afterwards." As though reliving the memory, she dragged a hand through her hair, ruffling it in annoyance. "God, what a mess."

Shinjiro was unperturbed. "I think it was destiny. That night meant everything to me." He said with conviction. "Never had I felt that way before. Never."

"It was the alcohol!" She said, almost shouting. Her eyes pleading with him to see reason. But Shinjiro's eyes never faltered, his jaw clenched stubbornly as he looked at her as though she was the one being unreasonable.

"No, it was not." His words dropped like a verbal anchor. It was clear he had already made a decision and he was going to hold steadfast to it. Ashi could huff and puff all she wanted but he was not going to be swayed. At least not with words.

"You know what?" Ashi seethed, tucking the abused flowers under one arm. "You want to play it like that? Come on." Before he could protest, Ashi grabbed him by his collar as she began to move at a brisk pace, dragging him along. Shinjiro, bent over, tried to keep up on his feet.

"Where are we going?" He managed to ask, his eyes trained on the back of her head.

Ashi did not spare him a glance.

"Somewhere I can prove you wrong."


Shinjiro's face paled upon seeing where Ashi had led them. On the outside, it looked like a regular unassuming building, identical to a small movie theater with an open lobby. However, the similarities stopped there as the flashy neon sign outside dispelled any false notion of what it was.

He turned to Ashi incredulously.

"A love hotel?"

"Shut up." hissed Ashi, pushing him towards one of the large screens mounted on the lobby wall. Pictures of different rooms and price rates flashed on the screen like menu items at a restaurant. Large touch buttons with colorful fonts guaranteed an easy check-in without the need for a reception desk. "Let's hurry and pick a room."

"Ashi." Shinjiro clutched a hand to his chest, looking scandalized. "Why are we"—

"I'm trying to make a point." Ashi rolled her eyes, tapping her foot impatiently. Her arms were folded and the flowers she had carried were nothing more than pitiful stems under her armpit. "We're going to do this stone-cold sober and you'll see that it's not this magical experience you thought it was."

"Ashi…" Shinjiro began, taking a lengthy pause to consider what he was about to say. "Forgive me, but that is the most...ridiculous idea I have ever heard." In fact, he would have used the word 'stupid' if it did not endanger his life.

A flush of color dusted Ashi's cheeks. "Oh please! Like your talk of destiny and true love is any better." She sputtered in a way that reminded Shinjiro of a hissing kitten. "Do you want to or not?"

Shinjiro chewed on his inner cheek, his eyes darting from the fuming woman to the display screen. While he was hopeful to gain something more from a relationship with Ashi, including the trappings of physical intimacy, this situation was pushing the boundaries of absurdity. Then again...normalcy had left their plane of existence long ago since meeting their doppelg?ngers.

"Why here?" He asked, mostly to stall. "We could at least go to a more reputable hotel or"—Shinjiro's voice trailed off when he spotted a couple with mismatched ages stepping out from one of the elevators. He quickly ducked behind Ashi as though her tiny frame could hide all of him.

"Ashi." He whispered, peeking over her shoulder. "I know that man." He stared aghast at the balding former chairman of his father's company, linking arms with a rather garishly dressed woman thirty years his junior as they exited the building. "He is married but that is not his wife."

The ineffective human shield lifted her eyes to the ceiling.

"Shinjiro. Please shut up."

She spun around and forced him back up to his full height. "Now come on, we're wasting time."

They once again faced the screen. Shinjiro shifted nervously as he watched Ashi go through the catalogue of various rooms. He had never been to such a place before and the selection astounded him. There were rooms that resembled classrooms and train cars and business offices, as well as weird themed ones of castles, dungeons, and famous mascots of cats and teddy bears. The latter of which made Shinjiro's skin crawl. His eyes bulged out of their sockets when the display showed another room. It was a traditional Japanese-themed one, equipped with props such as samurai armor and katana. He must have made an audible reaction because Ashi was looking up at him.

"Do you want to take this"—

"No!"

The last thing he wanted to be reminded of was his damned samurai counterpart. He gently nudged Ashi aside and chose a room himself, a simple standard one without frills and punched in for an overnight stay. If Ashi was set on...making love, it was not going to be cheapened with a short stay. With their ticket printed, they headed to the elevator.

They stayed in an awkward silence until they reached their assigned room. Behind the door was a narrow entry space. Two pairs of slippers were laid out in front of the main door. On the left end was a payment console, as well as a delivery box.

Ashi chucked the now bouquet of flower stems into the rubbish bin under the console and kicked off her heels. Shinjiro immediately picked them up, arranging them carefully by the doorway. Ashi tried not to roll her eyes.

The room was spacious and gave of the feel of a standard business suite, with light gray walls and black furnishings and accents. Just after the closet and bathroom hallway was a small living space composed of a leather settee and glass coffee table. Beyond that was a king-sized bed with pressed sheets and blankets, piled with neatly placed pillows. It faced a large screen TV mounted on the wall.

At a glance, it certainly did not give off the blatant we-know-why-you're-here-hehe vibe. That was until one found the little vending machine beside the mini-fridge under the counter.

Shinjiro had made the mistake of crouching down to check for drinks and snacks and promptly landed on his ass at the brazen assortment of adult paraphernalia available for purchase.

Ashi sighed. She was in sore need of a drink—Oh, wait. She realized. Sober sex.

"You should shower first." She said, shrugging off her jacket. He didn't really need one of course but Ashi hoped he'd get the hint and give her a little more time to prepare.

Shinjiro, who had just gotten up, looked like he was about to stumble again as his eyes trailed up her dress.

"Ashi…" He sounded breathless. "You look beautiful."

"God, you're corny."

"But it's true."

"Will you just stop?" She muttered in annoyance, tossing her jacket on the sofa. But despite her complaint, his compliment still managed to work its way onto her complexion. She inwardly cursed her ego. The fact he found her attractive shouldn't matter.

"Oh!" An idea flashed on Shinjiro's face as he moved towards the bed. He grabbed the remote sitting atop the covers. "Maybe we can watch a movie first"—

He switched on the TV and was greeted by the sight of a flexible woman getting rammed from behind.

"Fuck me harder, daddy!"

Ashi stared at Shinjiro's gawping bloodless face and arched an eyebrow.

"This the movie you had in mind?"

"N-No…!" Shinjiro panicked, falling on his knees to pick up the remote he'd dropped in his shock. The batteries had also fallen out, so it took several excruciating seconds for him to put everything back together as high-pitched moans and squeaks filled the room.

When the screen finally faded to black, Shinjiro looked as though he had aged several years.

Ashi shook her head in disbelief.

"Amazing."

Shinjiro's head hung in shame as he got up and walked past her, dragging his slippers. "I will...take your advice." Ashi could feel the embarrassment radiating off of him like a physical brush.

His hand stilled at the door handle to the bathroom. There was hesitation, before he turned his head to her.

"Will you...take a shower?"

The bob of his adam's apple told her there were two words missing from his question but it still hung at the end by his hopeful tone. Even without saying them, she understood the invitation. She almost smiled, a soft fluttering in her throat. Only Shinjiro could be so timid and bold at the same time. Especially after his blunder just now.

"Separately." She answered.

"Oh…! Uh yes, of course." He seemed taken aback by her response, his face bursting into flames. This time, Ashi allowed a light giggle to escape as she waited for him to enter the bathroom. The door only cracked open by a fraction when his eyes flickered over to her face once more. His grip on the handle tightened.

"Um...Ashi?"

"Yes?"

He didn't answer right away. He seemed thoughtful, almost conflicted. But then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath and when he opened them again, his gaze was half-lidded and there was a tilt in the corner of his mouth.

"I rather you keep the dress on please."

There was a sultry edge in his deep voice that took Ashi by surprise, followed by the tip of his tongue briefly darting over his lips.

Is he trying to be seductive? There was a glint in his eye that seemed to point to yes.

On any normal occasion, Ashi would have found it hilarious. Jack never one tried to be suave with her. His words and gestures had always been generously romantic and full of affection, especially in intimacy. If she had to sum it up in one word, it was pure.

But the way Shinjiro was looking at her right now?

A rush of lightheadedness would have almost toppled her if not for the pride planted in her feet. Was she….swooning?! Her arm reached out for the armrest of the sofa behind her and tried to casually lean against it. She said nothing, not because she did not trust herself to speak but that her mouth had gone dry and her ears numb from her racing pulse.

It was strange. While Ashi never once doubted Shinjiro's appeal, she never (drunken one-night-stand excluded) had a problem reining in her attraction towards him, a feat given whom her last relationship happened to be.

She started to second-guess herself, clarity shining through her impulsive decision to sleep with him in a bid to shatter his misconception. Only now was she seriously considering the repercussions. This is a stupid idea. A mistake. What if she's wrong? Even worse...what if he's right?

"Ashi!" Shinjiro's excited squeal cut through her thoughts. His eyes were large and shining after having peeked inside the bathroom. "They folded the towels to look like seashells!"

...

Suddenly, all of Ashi's worries disappeared.