Akira looked at the young man before her with a critical and assessing eye as he stared anxiously at her. Hajime was a good-looking person with above-average facial features. But she felt that his smile was a little too bright and enthusiastic, bordering on creepy.

'So, this is the boy Kaito complained constantly about.' She thought.

Though she and Kaito did not go too deep into their lives when they talked and texted, they would mention their days. And one of the things that Kaito talked about frequently was his dumb cousin, who would die sooner or later without him.

But looking at Hajime, he did not seem too bad.

"I am Akira." She responded evenly.

"I know. Your grandfather is my teacher. He showed me your calligraphy, and it is magical. I hope that I can achieve the same level of skill in my lifetime." Hajime said ardently.

'Great! A fanboy.' Akira thought with an inward sigh.

She was not a stranger to fans of her work, and she did not mind them at a distance. However, she was most scared of fanatics who looked like they wanted to swallow her up. It was for this reason that she published her manga and wrote her calligraphy under pennames.

Still, it was interesting to see such a fledgling calligraphy fanboy. Most fervent followers of her A.Y. identity were old grandpas.

"You can do it." She said politely.

Hajime looked pumped up at the perfunctory statement.

"Akira, you are a calligrapher?" Sayaka asked with surprise.

Sayaka was not too familiar with the calligraphy industry, but she knew her father-in-law was a respected figure in the national circle. If he was interested enough to mention Akira to his student, she had to be a gifted artist.

The new information made her feel slightly discouraged. Every time she thought she understood her daughter, she would discover a new secret. It was like Akira was always out of reach from her. She could not keep up.

In addition, the more she knew how amazing Akira was, the more she wondered whether her daughter would have achieved the same level of greatness if she had never been kidnapped. It was a dark thought, but she could not help it.

It made her feel at a loss.

"It is just writing words." Akira shrugged carelessly.

"How can you say that? Even a casual scribble from you would be valued at over a million yen." The fanboy defended Akira from herself.

Daiki felt even more pleased when he saw this warm enthusiasm and utterly besotted behaviour displayed by Hajime. He did not hope for much from Akira's future spouse except for complete devotion.

"Dear, Isami and Nanase are calling to us. Let us leave the children to talk." Daiki pulled Sayaka without the grace of a powerful CEO.

Akira's lips twitched as she watched the ridiculous scene. Her father was not subtle at all. He might as well have shoved her into Hajime's arms.

Hajime noticed Daiki's intentions and felt flattered. It seemed that his love would not face a lot of obstacles. As long as he had support from Akira's father and mother, he could win the battle. Furthermore, he had a secret weapon: his teacher.

"Have you been to Malachite before?" Hajime asked with a smile.

Akira felt a headache setting in. She wanted to deal with the fanboy as soon as possible, but she could not act without thought. This Hajime knew his father and mother. Also, he was her grandfather's student. Additionally, he was Kaito's cousin.

And despite Kaito's constant complaints, she could tell that he did not dislike this cousin.

"No, I have not." She responded.

"Let me show you around. There is a beautiful aquarium in the garden." Hajime said eagerly.

Akira thought for a moment before nodding. She did not know anyone at the banquet, and her parents abandoned her due to their crazy thoughts.

Hajime almost hopped up with happiness after the agreement. When he came to the banquet, he thought he would be bored out of his mind. Now, he felt like it was fate bringing him to meet Akira. His smile stretched from ear to ear.

"I heard that you have not been in Mountain Ridge for long. You probably don't know about the local sights. If you would like, I can take you out to explore." He offered as they walked out of the venue.

"I'm usually quite busy," Akira responded evenly.

Hajime was not discouraged. "I know a great artist like you would be busy, but you cannot only focus on work. You have to see the world more and relax occasionally."

Akira glanced at him.

'Was he seriously lecturing me on seeing the world more?' She wondered.

And Kaito was always complaining that this child did not work enough. Did he really have the time to offer to take her around Mountain Ridge?

"I have probably seen more of the world than you ever will." She laughed.

Hajime wanted to oppose the words, but he remembered she grew up outside. He was not familiar with external gossip about Akira because he spent his time with his mother and sister or his teacher. However, he had heard she grew up elsewhere.

He did not know her past, but she probably had seen a lot before coming to Mountain Ridge. Otherwise, she would not have such impactful calligraphy.

"Maybe you can show me the world." He responded flirtatiously as they walked up to the aquarium tank in the garden.

The large saltwater aquarium was built like a dome, and it was brightly lit. It did not have large and shocking fishes like sharks or rays. However, it had a lot of colourful tropical fishes along with some corals and sea plants. The colours were stunning under the artificial lighting.

Akira did not respond to Hajime. She walked around the domed tank, trying to identify the lovely fishes. She knew that the young man was hitting on her, but she could not determine the best strategy for dismissing all his thoughts.

Hajime could tell that Akira was not taking him seriously. He looked at her in her ruffled light purple dress alongside the aquarium, and she looked so beautiful. His face became more solemn as he was awed by her perfection.

He needed to strike while the iron was hot. He stepped closer to her.

"Akira, will you date me?" He asked.

Akira turned and looked at the young man with surprise and approval at his moxie. Moreover, she liked his directness because it allowed her to clarify things.

"Sorry, I have someone I like." She responded.

Hajime felt his heart sink at the answer, but he was unwilling to give up just like that.

"Give me a chance to prove myself. I believe that I can be better than whoever it is." He said earnestly.

Akira was going to respond, but she caught the sight of someone walking up behind Hajime. Her lips stretched into an involuntary smile as she looked at him.

Hajime was enchanted by that pure and heartfelt smile and thought that she was willing to give him a chance. However, his dream was cut short in an instant.

"I see you have become quite brave in the last few weeks. You even dare to hit on your brother's wife."