C1 Chapter 1: Jasmine Tea and Hiyashi Chuka: First Meeting- May

Cara Willis sighed, locking the patina colored door to her new apartment. She had just spent a chaotic, exciting week going through her new job as food editor of the Shibuya Ichi food Blog. The worldwide known company was known for being female run, highlighting Tokyo's food scene. It thrived on highlighting different ethnic backgrounds, boasting top notch chefs and viral celebrities, making it a sought after job. Cara was on a year-long contract with the possibility of a permanent position should she prove to be an asset. The week had been intense to say the least.It was a blur of meeting staff, discussing her first assignments, and finalizing her office space. She hadn’t been able to unpack, and she was fine with it. She had decided she was going to unpack little by little. Her clothes and bedding were the first to unpack when she arrived at 9 am that Monday.

She had walked through the Tokyo airport, her body buzzing with excitement. Despite the jet lag catching up, she had managed to unpack that first day after work. The kitchen was the easiest, she had bought a bunch of items from the 100 yen store a few blocks away from the train station. Her futon and bedding had been the first things to arrive at the apartment. She remembered being driven to her apartment at 10 a.m. by Umi Tanaka, her old college friend who had snagged her the job. Truth be told, she had all the qualifications as a journalist and blogger. She was fluent in four languages, Japanese being the latest one she was still learning. She wasn’t a native,but she knew she’d be able to handle navigating. She definitely would fare better than her mother had when she had gone her age to teach.

The apartment was in Tama City, a thirty-minute walk from her job, and she was 48 minutes from Shibuya when she needed to let off some steam. She walked into her apartment, shrugging off her cardigan and placing it on the chair next to her bedroom. She checked her phone, sighing as she noticed the missed calls - from her parents.

Cara hated missing calls from them, but she needed to give all her attention to her new job. She made a mental note to call them later. It would be Saturday in a few hours when they were up. They had been supportive of her travels, but she knew that they also were worried. They wanted her to settle down. They didn’t say it in so many words, but she knew her parents wanted her to slow down and be closer to home. The trip had been the result of her burying herself in her work. She clawed her way into every long-term travel assignment given at Sauveur, Bon Appetit, and was eventually able to make her demands for permanent positions. More importantly, she was back with an old friend and away from Seth.

She quickly removed her shoes, stepping out of the Genkan and onto the hardwood floor, surveying her new living area. She hadn’t properly gotten to revel in it, but with her first weekend off she was excited. The mundane task of unpacking for her was instantly exciting as she surveyed the apartment.

She was glad she didn't have to work this weekend. It was a fairly standard Japanese apartment, with her washing machine nestled in the small alcove near the bathroom, after the long corridor. The washer was flushed against the wall, just enough for a curtain to hide it. Her kitchen was bigger than the usual Japanese apartment kitchens, and she wasn't about to complain. It also had a commercial vent system, allowing her to air out the living space should she decide to fry something for dinner. The stove had four burners and a huge sink, complete with a fold up dish rack above the sink basin. The pantry was a pull out that she could stock with canned goods, spices, and other items she needed for cooking. She opened the fridge, frowning at the lack of food, aside from pickles and a small bag of rice, remembering she needed to eventually get dinner. She had been mainly living off of Konbini food since arriving, preferring sleep to cooking at the moment. The thoughts of what she should make disappeared as she stared at the sun setting below the city skyline. The skyline was a mix of dark blue, creamy lavender and peach as Cara slowly surveyed the rest of the apartment provided to her by the company.

The balcony and living room were interesting. The right side had deep storage closets, with a small section to hold a t.v. and her suitcases. Her bedroom was situated in a separate room, with her living room serving as her office space and sewing section. There was a fold-up low coffee table and cushions, along with bookshelves. Overall, it was one of the nicest apartments, right above that apartment she had in Ho Chi Minh above that Pho shop. She stopped, finally gaining a chance to stare out the balcony.. She was lucky and got a nice scenic view of the park and the stretch of street that housed various restaurants and quaint shops. The apartment was in the middle, facing east, and thus also got a good amount of sunlight. It was also an unusual design as the neighbor to her left was sharing balcony space with her. She settled on focusing on the balcony to wind her evening down as she debated what to do about dinner.

Cara smiled, stretching as she put down her vinyl collection. She had been gifted it by her mother and maternal grandfather when she first began working as a traveling reporter. When her mom and grandfather sent the package to work, Umi smirked as she held the cardboard box labeled ‘fragile’ in red tape on her lap right before she and Cara went to lunch. She hooked up with the record player before debating what to play. Her fingers deftly hooked her phone up to her Bluetooth record player, before scrolling through her phone. She smiled, pressing play on Windy Summer as she shuffled across the living room floor, quickly singing the chorus as she walked out onto the balcony. The balcony next to hers took advantage of the ample sunlight. She had noticed it when she first moved in. It was laden with a small row of potted herbs and a small hanging planter that was heavy with ripe tomatoes. She had already started hanging small ivy plants in hanging planters along with succulents on the window sills as well as a small herb garden. She opened the sliding screen door, eager to enjoy the cool breeze. She stared at the balcony next to hers all while singing to herself. It was connected to hers, with a frosted screen barrier. She turned, finding the divider being pushed down.

“Oh sorry.’’ she said, stopping her singing.

“No don’t be. You sound very good.’’ he admitted,causing her face to heat up.

“Unusual choice. You don’t strike me as the type who likes old music.I’m gonna lower down the divider so your not just talking to a divider.’’ he said.

“ My mother got me into it.I hope I wasn’t annoying.” She explained that as the man went about lowering the top of the divider, pushing him down, finally revealing himself to her.

“I’m Ryuuji Shinohara.’’ He said smiling.

“Cara Willis . Hajimemashite. I just moved in.’’ she said, shaking his hand. Cara felt her face heat up as she got a look at the man.

He was handsome in a rugged way. The t-shirt did nothing to hide his slim,athletic figure or his broad shoulders. He wasn’t buff,but he wasn’t lanky either. He was attractive. She wasn’t going to deny that at all. His chocolate eyes were expressive as he hummed along to what she recognized as was a song from her phone. Anri. Last Summer whisper. He pulled his long hair into a ponytail, a few front wisps framing his face. Cara resisted biting her lip. Damn.Thank you, God. She was so happy she had gotten this apartment.

“I didn’t know the dividers could be removed.’’ she said quickly,trying to avoid staring at his face.

“Yeah. One of the unusual things about this old place. This is an old converted Danchi apartment.’’

“Danchi?’’ she repeated curiously, looking confused.

“Danchi apartments were built in the 70’s and got really popular in the 80s. Kinda eventually got the bad reputation of being low income later on. It got upgrades in case of earthquakes, but much of the original structure is still there. No elevators and only 5 floors. Most of the people who live here are either newly married couples, elderly or students,trying to find a cheap place while going to University.’’

“Woah. That’s really neat. I’m surprised with the renovations needed,it would’ve been a lot more expensive.’’

“Yeah,but the city made a deal with the landlords and with the university nearby. The college students and those who aren’t married have to check up on the elders on our floor. We all get a discount on rent and prevent the elders from becoming lonely.’’

“That explains why Miyamoto-san asked me over for tea with his wife.’’ Ryuuji smiled.

“Miyamoto and his wife are super nice. He bakes for his wife since that’s how they met. Don’t be surprised if he offers you steamed buns.’’

“I ate most of them during my breaks at work. Pork and red beans with sesame seeds.’’ she admitted, remembering how the man and his wife spent 2 hours talking to her. They had made dinner for her asking her about herself, and she was learning about the couple. She caught them heading to the ramen shop near the station when she came home, both greeting her and shuffling as quickly as they could, happily chatting to themselves. She smiled at the memory, before looking at the divider once again.

“So I’m assuming there’s a reason for the divider being adjustable? Did the previous tenants remove them?‘’

“I was told by the landlord that this was put up by a young couple when they had kids. It seems the parents didn’t want the kids disturbing elderly neighbors, but they’d remove it on occasion, so the kids could help the old couple with chores and their balcony garden.’’

“It seems everyone in this complex gardens.’’

“Ahh that’s most of the ladies. Most of it’s done via balcony, but there's a plot near the back, replacing one of the old playground areas. I’m one of the young ones. Plus the balcony does get a lot of sunlight.’’ he said sheepishly as he pulled off tomatoes from the plant.

“Sorry about the weird introduction. It must've been annoying. Singing to myself.’’ she said, causing the man to laugh.

“Don’t be. I thought you sounded nice. I hope you don't mind, but um do you want some?’’ he asked pointing to the tomatoes.

“Really?’’

“Yeah. I’ve given them to my other neighbors and my parents, but they keep growing. I already made tomato salad and tomato sauce. ’’

“Sure. I don’t mind. I’d love some.’’ Cara said smiling.

“Great. Bring a bag.I’ll unlock the door, so you can walk in.’’ Ryuuji said as Cara nodded. He turned around, catching a glimpse of Cara. A white t-shirt and red high-waisted cigarette pants. Ryuuji smirked, admiring her curvy figure, before heading to unlock his door.

Cara hesitated for a second. She made it a rule to avoid getting close, especially given her job situation. She shook her head,glaring.

“No. You told yourself this isn’t like the last time. Now move. Confidence, Cara. Go make friends and say Hello. He seems friendly. At the very least take some tomatoes as a welcome gift. ’’ she told herself as she grabbed one of her small plastic bags, slipping on her black flats before making her way next door. Ryuuji’s apartment was clean, but it was definitely lived in. The same set up, but now that she knew the history, it felt like she had stepped into a weird, exciting time warp. The genkan was clean, the shoe closet flushed against the wall. She stared at the retro Star Wars and western posters lining the hall right before the kitchen. She smirked as she caught sight of Kurosawa and Iwasaki film posters lining the living room wall amid faded Astro Boy stickers peeking out from underneath the frames.

“Shinohara-san-’’ she said hesitantly, finding the kitchen empty.

“I’m in here.’’ he called, walking back from the balcony, his arms balancing a small mountain of tomatoes.

“This enough?’’ he asked as he placed them on the empty counter space.

“Perfect. I can make tomato sandwiches and some curry.’’ she said excitedly, placing them in the bag.

“Tomato sandwiches?’’ he asked curiously.

“Bread,mayo,salt,pepper and sliced Tomatoes. My mom would make them when my grandpa would garden. I heard it’s a southern thing in the United States.’’ she explained as she put the bag on the couch.

“I’ll have to try it.’’ he smirked as a meow rippled through the apartment. Cara squeaked coming face to face with a small Russian blue cat, who curiously stared at her from atop an empty chair.

“Awww hello.’’ she said stooping down to offer the cat her hand. The cat sniffed, before rubbing against Cara’s jeans.

“Oy! Yamero, you bad girl! I’m sorry. I usually keep her in my bedroom. Some might be allergic.’’ he said quickly as the cat purred.

“Thankfully, I’m not. She reminds me of my cat, Ashi. Ashi is with my parents.He’d probably get along with her.’’ she explained pulling up a photo on her phone of the fluffy Siamese Maine coon mix.

“So are you going to introduce me to this cutie pie?’’ she said as she pointed to the cat. He handed her back her cellphone, before stooping down to pet his cat.

“This little troublemaker is Mayonaka. May for short. I’ve had her for about a year. She’s a sweetheart,but really shy. Usually.’’ he said as the cat purred eagerly as Cara scratched her ear.

“Guess she likes you. She normally hides. She’s not the most social cat. ’’ he answered, before standing up. Cara watched as he began opening a tin of cat food. The cat meowed, immediately making her way near the cat tree at the end of the room near the sliding door completely abandoning the visitor.

“I’m glad.I don’t want her hiding. It’s her home,I’m just visiting.’’ she said as he set down a blue bowl with cat food next to the cat.

“So the cat has been fed. It's time for the humans to eat.Do you want to stay for dinner?’’ he said heading to the fridge. after washing his hands

“What are you making?’’ she asked as he pulled out a large container of colorful items.

“Hiyashi Chuka. I kinda made too much. ’’

“I don’t want to intrude.’’ He stopped,wiping his hands on his shirt, before crossing them.

“I’m going out on a limb and assuming you just have rice and pickles in your fridge?’’ he said, a grin forming on his face as Cara felt her cheeks redden.

“And some furikake.’’ she muttered sheepishly. He chuckled, leaning against the fridge.

“I’m supposed to go grocery shopping tomorrow. I spent the day at my job and was thinking of just going to get instant ramen. I had been eating mostly konbini food and went out this week.Sleep has been outweighing cooking at the moment.I’m just now getting over the Jetlag.’’ Ryuuji frowned,shaking his head.

“You’re definitely gonna need a good meal tonight then.’’

“Also the grocery store doesn’t open until 10 am. ’’ he said, wincing at her as she looked at him, her face drooping slightly.

“Your kidding,right?’’

“Sadly no. The grocery store that's about 15 minutes by foot-’’

“The Seiyu? Near Tama Station?’’ Cara finished. Ryuuji nodded.

“Yeah,that’s not open til 10 am on weekends. It’s been going through new management and renovations. The next closest is a 30-minute walk east of here.’’ Cara winced,her thoughts fading as she watched him bite into a tomato wedge.

“Shinohara-san-’’

“Call me Ryuuji. I’m not an old man.’’ he said, playfully pouting. Cara smiled, her dimples being apparent.

“I just don’t want to bother you.’’

“It’s not a bother. It’s been a while since someone young moved in next door. The last person was an old woman named Minamoto. Believe me when I say you aren’t a bother. You’re also a new neighbor, so consider this a welcome-to-the-neighborhood party. And I’d like the company.’’ he said as he offered her a seat at the white wooden table. Cara bit her lower lip before sitting down.

“Shi-Ryuuji, Arigatou.’’

“Your welcome.’’

“It’ll take a bit. So don’t get mad if I call you by your last name.’’ Cara warned.

“Douitashimashita. And I don’t mind,Cara.’’ he replied, placing the ramen noodles in the ice bath.

“Can I help?’’

“No. I’m almost done.Just relax.’’

He was decisive in his movements, a blur in front of her reminding her of a hummingbird. It

looked like a well choreographed dance as she watched him fish the noodles out of an ice bath,

vigorously shake out more water via a strainer before dividing them between two shallow white

bowls. The cold ramen was topped with ribbons of thin bright yellow omelet, julienned ham, strips

of cucumber, bright pink chilled shrimp, wedges of heirloom tomatoes, batons of nori and sesame

seeds. Ryuuji poured over a creamy sesame soy sauce for the noodles, before handing the bowl to

Cara.

“Go ahead and eat. Do you want any Jasmine iced tea?’

“Yes. Thank you. I can wait.’’ she said as he pulled out two glasses and a slender pitcher of cold

Jasmine Green Tea. He poured her a glass of tea, before sitting across from her.

“Itadakimasu!’’ both said before digging in.

“So what brings you to Tokyo?’’ he asked, mixing his toppings and noodles together.

“Work. I’m working as a food critic. Mainly for a tourism website.Shibuya Ichi. It’s for a year at the moment,but I’m excited.’’ she said,plucking a small portion of noodles and shrimp. She watched Ryuuji start to grin, amused.

“What?Why the cheeky grin?’’

“Hehe, well this is ironic. Didn’t think publicity would be this easy to get. I’m a ramen chef.’’ he said as she sipped on her tea. She nearly choked on her tea as her brain registered the comment.

“What?! That’s amazing!’’

“It’s not that amazing.’’ Cara listened, her mouth hanging out.

“I beg to differ. Selling 600 bowls of ramen is no easy feat.’’ Ryuuji smirked.

“It’s about 900 give or take. And no, I guess it’s not.’’ he said humbly.

“How long have you been a ramen chef?’’ she asked as she poured some green tea into her glass.

“Since I was 13,unofficially. It’s my Uncle’s shop and I often helped during the summer and winter break when I’d go to Tokyo. I didn’t really start working there until I was 17. My parents wanted me to go to college, so I compromised. I majored in finance, so I could help with the expenses of my uncle's store as long as I got to work in the kitchen. I didn’t want to go into a normal salary job. It's not my style, so I decided to work with my uncle and my cousins. ‘’

“So how did you get into food criticism?’’

“I majored in Journalism. I had a blog and then a YouTube channel and when I got my masters, I started writing about food when I wasn’t teaching elementary kids. Kinda fell onto the scene ever since. I love to cook , I like writing about hidden gems and I just love it.’’ Ryuuji smiled as he continued to eat and listen.

“I’d like to get to know you better.’’ he said as he cleared the table after they had finished. It was the first thing he said after listening to her during dinner. Aside from adding to the conversation in snippets, she had been the one talking.

“Oh?’’ she said surprised. He smiled as he put the dishes into the sink, before heading back to the table.

“Yes and since we both have something in common, I have a suggestion.’’

“I’m all ears.’’ she bit back an over eager smile.

“We cook for each other. Once a week. We swap dishes and chat. During this time you can ask me anything and vice versa.’’

“Sounds interesting.So do you have any allergies? I don’t wanna kill you. ’’

“No allergies. I just don’t like anything with bananas.’’ he said smiling.

“Alright. You have a deal.’’ she answered.

“Now what day?’’

“What day do you have off?’’ he asked as she sipped on her glass of tea.

“Thursday.’’

“Same.’’ he said calmly.

“Really?’’ she said skeptically.

“I’m co-owner with my uncle and my cousin. I get to set my day off, especially since I kinda have been slacking on taking a day off for months.’’ he admitted, cringing.

“Take care of yourself. I know you love your job, but you need to stay healthy.’’ Cara gently chided him.

“I make no promises, but being able to chat with you is a rather tempting incentive to stay healthy.’’ he said flirtatiously,causing the woman to flush slightly.

“Nice to know. Well I’d better get back to my apartment. Ryuuji,have a good night.’’

“You too.’’ he said as he walked her out. She smiled at the man before entering her apartment.

Cara locked her door, walking into her bedroom.

“Cara,well you made a new friend. Level unlocked.’’ she told herself,before wincing. Being social was something she still found herself fighting against, despite being stubborn as hell. Cara sighed, thumbing through to check what time it was as her FaceTime popped up. Cara sank into her bed as she accepted the video chat.

“Hi Baby.’’ her mother said enthusiastically. Cara smiled.

“Hi,Mom.Hi dad.’’

“How are you?Are you settling in well?’’ they asked.

“Yep.Still unpacking,but I had a good day.’’

“Was work good?’’

“Work was alright. I had dinner with my next door neighbor.’’

“The Miyamotos?’’ her mom asked. Cara smiled.Her mom had been caught up to date on her neighbors,excited to send them a thank you present for welcoming Cara. Her mother had started it when Cara started traveling years ago.

“No.It was a younger guy. His name is Shinohara. Ryuuji Shinohara.’’

“Oh?Sounds promising.’’ Cara winced at the implications, causing her mother to give a wry smile.

“Mom,don’t start-’’

“I’m just saying.It’s been a while. If you want, you can get back into dating-’’

“Natalie,let her get settled in.’’ her father laughed. Cara sighed,thankful for the back up.

“I’ll stick with my job, but thanks for the encouragement. I might do that,but I just got here,so that might not be for a while.’’ she said cutting her off gently. Her mother nodded,sighing.

“Is the place nice?’’ her dad asked.

“It’s nice,has an interesting history. I think I’m really gonna enjoy this place. I’ll send photos later on this week. I’m sorry to cut this short,but I need to catch some sleep. I’ve got a busy schedule.’’ she explained.

“It’s alright,baby. Go get some rest. Talk to us when you can and don’t forget what I said. We love you.’’

“I promise. I’ll talk to Faye and Nate later. I love you both.’’ Cara nodded,smiling before disconnecting the call. She sighed,rubbing her hand over her face. Her mother meant well,but she didn’t know if she was ready for any of that. Her job came first and that to her was the most important. Dating would have to wait. She shrugged out of her clothes,changing into her teal pajamas before settling into bed.

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Seth Wilson growled angrily to himself as he leaned back in his chair. It was 6 am as he stared at Cara’s Instagram in his office. It was still marked as private. From what information he had obtained from an old acquaintance, it hadn’t been used in a while, adding to further his frustration. It had been four years since her sudden breakup, and he was still salty as fuck. He kept tabs on her in any way he could. After all she was his, and he needed to bring her back. He stared at his laptop screen, disappointed at his fruitless search as he shut down the laptop. He rubbed his eyelids. Most men would’ve just cut their losses and found another woman,but Cara was an entirely different breed of woman.

“Oh,Seth. I didn’t see you.’’ a voice said. Seth turned,finding his coworker, Jose Velasquez.

“Good morning, Jose. How are you?’’ Seth asked, running his hands through his dirty blong hair before yawning.

“I’m good. There’s coffee in the break room.’’ Jose said causing Seth to groan.

“Yes thank you. I definitely am gonna need it.’’ he said standing up.

“If you don’t mind me saying, why don’t you take a nap? It’s still early.You don’t technically clock in til 7anyway.’’

“I think I might later on.I have some stuff I need to do.’’ he said smiling as he made his way to the break room leaving the man behind. He poured himself a cup of coffee, adding heavy doses of sugar and creamer,his mind turning.

He leaned back staring at the ceiling as he watched the few stumps of skyline peek out from amid the buildings,signalling it was almost sunrise. He stared at the reflections on the glass, reminding him of the ring he had bought for her. That was four years ago. He glared at the thought of the diamond band, shoving it from his mind as he sipped the coffee,not caring if it burned the inside of his mouth. He had other pressing matters to attend to. Thank god he had some help. It didn’t hurt to be as charming as possible. His charm was what lured her to him in the first place and no doubt would bring her back. He just needed to know where to look.

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Cara adjusted the camera, panning out showcasing Umi digging into an ice cream parfait from The Happy Diner on the seventh floor of the Shinjuku Department building.The diner focused on all things American food, but the women were intrigued by the shop's latest treat after getting a recommendation. It was an ice cream parfait consisting of sweet cream ice cream, fizzy pop rocks dappled throughout, jelly stars and ramune flavoured mousse topped with more pop rocks and whipped cream. It was created by one of the owners as part of a promotion to highlight the start of the summer. Cara relaxed as the final shot was taken, before shutting off her camera. Umi watched Cara as she stared around the American diner, fitting right into the 1950s decor with her red halter top,white keds and denim capris pants.

“Well you fit in with the decor. We need to add a shot of your outfit on the blog.It would definitely highlight the store.’’ Umi teased as she pushed a fresh parfait in front of her. They had spent the morning taking video of the ice cream and parfait making process for the vlog portion as well as the online website,both finally settling down after working.

“You ok?’’ Umi asked, noticing Cara’s silence.

“Oh I’m fine. I’m just a bit distracted. Thank god for sweets to help with getting up so early in the morning’’ Cara admitted as she scooped off a small portion of whipped cream with her spoon.

“Amen to that.’’ Umi nodded admiring the plate of pancakes in front of her.

“Glad I talked you into setting up an early morning vlog post.’’ Cara smirked as Umi sighed as she dug into breakfast.

“When can we see you in front of a camera?’’ Cara openly cringed at the comment, causing Umi to frown.

“Umi, you know that’s not a good idea.’’

“But it’s been 4 years.Surely he’s-’’ Umi argued.

“This is Seth we’re talking about.’’ Cara sighed,dipping her long handled spoon into a scoop of sweet cream ice cream. Umi frowned,knowing Cara was right. The man was exacting. Extremely thorough in everything.

“True,but you’ve been fairly careful.’’ Umi commented as Cara broke into a smile.

“Oh my gosh, this is delicious.’’ Cara moaned,eagerly eating another spoonful.

“I know. Best decision.Thank you Kimiko.’’ Umi said.

“Your cousin is fairly good with recommending sweets.’’ Cara said

“I know. So enough about sweets.Time for girl chats. How's your apartment? I’ve been dying to visit,but I didn’t want to ’’

“Very interesting. I really liked it.’’

“I’m glad. Hana was hesitant about recommending it to you, but I told her you’d love it. She wasn’t sure if you’d be ok with living in Tama with the commute and it being a bit retro. So was your first weekend in your new apartment low-key?’’

“Somewhat. I had dinner with my new neighbor. We share a balcony. He and I had a good time getting to know about each other.’’

“Oh?’’ Umi said, intrigued. Cara internally groaned as Umi’s smile met her eyes. She called it Umi’s evil smile. Reminded her of that smile that cat Yzma gave. It always came out when the mention of a man was offered by Cara. Umi immediately stared confused at Cara’s lack of enthusiasm.

“Oh come on. Nothing?’’ Umi asked exasperatingly,causing Cara to smirk.

“It was just dinner. Just Hiyashi Chuka,Umi. Nothing improper. We’re both working, so don’t get excited at the prospect of a romance in the making.’’

“So he’s not cute?’’ Umi asked,slightly upset. Cara sighed.

“He is,but I am not sure if he’s taken. I am not in the mood to open up that can of worms right now.’’ Umi smirked,watching Cara’s eyes flit avoiding her. Umi knew her friends' tell-tell sign that she found the guy attractive.Umi leaned back in her chair,“Alright,but if he isn’t and you think he’s cute, I say go for it. You’re a free woman.’’

Cara chewed on the jelly star, with conflict on her face.

“Cara,you know I’m right.’’

“Umi,I’d rather enjoy my freedom as a single woman right now.’’ Umi sighed,knowing she was better off not fighting her friend's judgement.

“Alright and the next vlog assignment we get, you are going to be in front of the camera.’’

“We’ll see.’’ Cara said as the two went about discussing the dessert. She was definitely enjoying her new job at the very least.