Mai rested her chin in her hand, the mere thought of Maki's reaction clearly too good to pass up. A wicked, highly amused smirk curled her lips, completely erasing the tension from moments before.
Ren watched her, genuinely surprised by how easily she was handling everything. He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.
"I have to ask," he said, studying her face. "How are you so okay with all this? We were just talking about your sister's crazy rules, and you aren't even a little bit shy about jumping right in."
Her smirk faded into a softer, more honest expression. For once, she didn't look away or hide behind her usual attitude. Instead, she traced the rim of her coffee cup, keeping her eyes on him.
"I guess I'm just tired of pretending," Mai said quietly. "Usually, I have to act mean and defensive just to survive my family. And yeah, making Maki mad is a nice bonus. But that's not the real reason I'm okay with this."
She looked up, her gaze totally clear.
"To be honest... I actually like you," she admitted, her voice losing its usual bite. "Ever since the Goodwill Event, when I first saw you, I just felt this strong sense of comfort and safety around you. I hated feeling that way at first, and I fought it. But it's the truth."
She gave him a small, genuine smile, finally dropping her guard. "So, why should I act shy or pretend I don't want this, when I'm finally sitting right across from the guy I like?"
Ren just stared, stunned by how honest she was being. He rubbed the back of his neck and leaned back, letting out a breath. "Seriously... how are you being so open right now? This really isn't the guarded Mai I'm used to."
Instead of getting defensive, Mai leaned across the small booth. She closed the distance until her face was just inches from his, looking right up into his eyes.
When she smiled, Ren caught a sweet scent on her breath. It wasn't just coffee and matcha cake. There was a warm, sharp hint of alcohol mixed in—something strong but sweet, like Irish cream.
"Wait," Ren whispered, his eyes widening as it clicked. "Are you... drunk?"
Mai giggled, a soft, bubbly sound that completely broke through her tough-girl act.
"Maybe just a little bit," she confessed in a playful whisper. "I might've ordered my coffee with a pretty generous shot of something extra before you got here."
She tilted her head, her breath brushing his jaw as she hovered close. "Besides," she added, her smirk coming back. "It worked, didn't it? I got everything I wanted to say out in the open."
With a soft sigh, Mai leaned back just enough to look him in the eyes. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink from the drink and the confession.
"Normally, whenever you're around, my heart goes into full bullet-train mode," she admitted, glancing down at her empty cup for a second. "It beats so fast I can't even think straight. I get super shy, and my words just don't work right. So I panic, get defensive, and act mean to cover it up."
She crossed her arms loosely on the table with a slight pout. "I really hate feeling that helpless. That's why I needed the drink today. I didn't want to freeze up and ruin my one chance to actually talk to you."
A rush of warmth hit Ren's chest. He reached across the table and gently brushed a strand of dark hair behind her ear.
"...How cute," Ren murmured softly. "Honestly? I really like this side of you. You never have to pretend to be tough around me."
Mai leaned into his touch for a second, her eyes fluttering shut before she looked back up with a playful spark.
"Good," she whispered, smiling confidently again. "Because I'm done pretending for today. Now that the heavy talk is out of the way... are you going to take me out of this cafe, or what?"
Ren laughed, sliding out of the booth. "Yeah. Let's go."
He left some cash on the table, and they stepped out of the quiet cafe together. The afternoon sun was bright, and the Shibuya streets were packed with people.
But this time, the walk felt totally different. The awkward tension was gone. Mai walked close to him, her shoulder brushing his arm every few steps, and she didn't try to pull away once.
They spent the whole afternoon just acting like normal teenagers. No heavy talk about curses, clan politics, or any of the mess hanging over them.
Ren made it his mission to make sure she had fun. They grabbed sweet street food, wandered in and out of clothing stores, and Mai even laughed out loud when Ren made her try on a ridiculous, oversized hat.
As the hours passed, the sky started to change. The bright blue faded into warm shades of orange, pink, and purple, casting a golden glow over the city.
Wanting to get away from the noisy crowds, Ren led her up a quiet street to a small park on a hill overlooking the skyline.
The streetlights were just starting to flicker on. They stopped near a wooden fence, leaning against it to take in the view. The cool evening breeze blew gently, tossing Mai's hair around her face.
"Did you have fun today?" Ren asked softly, looking at her profile in the fading light.
Mai turned to face him, the orange sunset reflecting beautifully in her dark eyes. "Yeah," she whispered. "I really did. Thank you, Ren."
The playful mood from the afternoon slowly melted away, leaving something much deeper behind. The space between them suddenly felt heavy, but warm. Mai didn't look away, and she didn't try to hide her feelings anymore. Her heart was beating fast again—but this time, she didn't put up any walls.
Instead, she stepped a little closer to him and tilted her head up.