Ayumi Harada sat in her cozy Tokyo apartment, surrounded by the comforting clutter of notebooks, pens, and multiple empty cans of Caramel Macchiato flavored coffee To the world, she was a cute chubby nerd, plain writer and foodie, but secretly, she was Winter Rose, the best-selling romance author whose books had captured the hearts of millions. Today was a special day. Her latest book had just hit the top of the bestseller list.
Her phone buzzed with a new message. It was from her editor and boss, Mr. Tanaka.
"Congratulations, Ayumi! 'Whispers of Winter' is the number one bestseller! I knew you could do it!"
Ayumi's heart swelled with pride. Only a few people, other than her boss, knew her secret: her best friend, Rina, and Mrs. Yamamoto, the kind-hearted woman who had run the orphanage where she grew up. Ayumi had bought a cake to celebrate the occasion with her longtime boyfriend, Kenji, whom she had been dating since university. She was excited to share the good news with him.
Carrying the cake, she headed to Kenji's apartment. She had wanted to surprise him, but when she arrived, it was her who was caught off guard. Through the slightly ajar door, she saw Kenji making out with a slender, stylish woman. The complete opposite of her.
Ayumi's heart sank. She quietly pushed the door open further and stepped inside. The sight before her confirmed her worst fears. Her eyes filled with tears as she dropped the cake and confronted him.
"Kenji," she said, her voice trembling, "how could you?"
Kenji pulled away from the other woman and looked at Ayumi with a mixture of surprise and irritation. "Ayumi, what are you doing here?"
"I came to celebrate," she said, staring at the cake she meticulously picked for his preferences, now smooshed on the floor. " I got praised at work today...a-and I want to celebrate it with you."
Kenji sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Ayumi, look, you're a great girl, but you're just... not my type. You're too plain, too... good. It's got boring now. And yes, you are fat. It's not a bad thing. It's kinda cute but I need someone who can keep up with me, someone exciting…excites me."
Ayumi felt like she had been punched in the gut. His words cut deeper than she could have imagined. "So, you were just using me?"
"Yes," Kenji admitted bluntly. "Since you know the truth now, let's just call it quits, alright?."
Tears streaming down her face, Ayumi turned and left. She didn't know where to go, but she needed to get away. She called Rina, her best friend, and through her sobs, told her everything.
"Ayumi, come over right now," Rina said. "We're going out. You need to forget about that jerk."
"I don't know, Rina," Ayumi hesitated. "I'm not the type to go out and get drunk."
"Tonight, you are," Rina insisted. "You deserve to let loose and have some fun. I'll even give you a makeover."
Reluctantly, Ayumi agreed. When she arrived at Rina's apartment, her friend was ready with a stunning outfit and a makeup kit. By the time Rina was done, Ayumi barely recognized herself. She looked... beautiful.
The two friends headed to a trendy bar in Shibuya. At first, Ayumi was nervous and out of her element, but a few too many piña coladas later, she started to relax. She didn't realize the cocktails were so strong, and soon, she was feeling quite tipsy.
In her drunken state, Ayumi wandered off and accidentally stumbled into the VIP area. The bouncer, mistaking her for someone important due to her confident strut, let her in without question. Inside, she tripped and fell right onto the lap of a man sitting in a secluded booth.
He was handsome in a rugged way, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. The man, Alexander Kurayami Sato, was the leader of a powerful Yakuza clan, but Ayumi, in her intoxicated state, simply saw a strikingly handsome man. Alexander was half-Japanese and half-Russian, a combination that gave him an exotic allure. He typically avoided women, finding them predictable and uninteresting, but Ayumi was different. She felt soft, smelled like cookies, and her innocent face was both endearing and arousing.
Ayumi blinked up at him, her vision blurry. She just stared at his face, mesmerized by his blue eyes. "Beautiful," she muttered, leaning in closer. Before Alexander could react, Ayumi kissed him lightly on the lips and then promptly fell asleep in his arms.
Alexander couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. Her actions were both funny and cute, and he found himself oddly charmed by this unexpected turn of events. He looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms, not knowing who she was or where she lived. He decided to take her to his house; it was the safest option for the night.
Gently, he carried Ayumi out to his car and instructed his driver to head home. Once there, he laid her carefully on his bed, covering her with a soft blanket. Alexander watched her for a moment, a smile tugging at his lips as she mumbled something in her sleep.
Leaving her to rest, Alexander retired to the guest room. He found himself looking forward to the morning, curious to learn more about this woman who had stumbled into his life so unexpectedly. For now, he would let her sleep, but tomorrow, he hoped to uncover the mystery behind her captivating presence.