"My body is functioning pretty well, thank you," Ryu answered, completely missing the point.
Ava didn't let it slide. "I mean, your ability to function properly in bed," she clarified, raising an eyebrow as if she were discussing the weather.
Ryu's hand froze mid-air, his fingers hovering above the keyboard, unsure whether he should finish typing or just combust right there. Kuro's mouth dropped open in shock"you have never told me that." he whispered to Ryu.
Ciry, trying to stifle her laughter, cupped her hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking slightly as she struggled to keep a straight face.
Ryu, still processing what had just happened, blurted out, "Who told you I can't—"
Ava cut him off smoothly, "You don't have to feel ashamed. You're not alone; there are many men like you out there. So—"
Ryu's face turned an angry shade of red. "The heck, Ava—"
"It's alright, Hoshira-sama," Ava said, her tone oddly comforting as she patted him on the shoulder. "I'm like your mother in this situation, understand?" She smiled kindly and walked away, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.
Ryu turned slowly to Ciry, his eyes narrowing in accusation. "You did this," he said, his cold gaze boring into hers.
Ciry flashed him an innocent smile. "Oh, come on, why am I to blame?" she said, playing the part of the helpless bystander a little too well.
Ryu, flustered and clearly done with the conversation, stood up, grabbing his laptop. He was about to walk out, but Ciry quickly blocked his path.
"Wait, I want to talk to you," she blurted out, her voice urgent.
"Ciry, I'm really not in the mood," Ryu replied, trying to sidestep her.
"Please, listen to me just this once," she begged, a pleading look in her eyes. "If you do this for me, I promise I won't ask for anything from you ever again."
Ryu stopped, exhaling sharply, then turned to face her. "Spit it out," he said, his patience worn thin.
Ciry's heart raced, but the words finally came out, tumbling from her lips with surprising clarity. "I want a divorce."
The room seemed to hold its breath. The silence that followed was thick and heavy, as if the world itself had stopped spinning for a moment.
"Whaaat? A divorce? Your wedding's not even a day old!" Kuro exclaimed, his voice full of disbelief and confusion, as though he couldn't quite wrap his head around what Ciry had just said.
Ryu rolled his eyes, clearly done with the conversation. "Kuro, let's go," he muttered, walking away as if he hadn't just been a part of a serious conversation with Ciry. The tension in the air didn't even faze him; he seemed more interested in getting out of the room than anything else.
Ciry watched them leave, her thoughts swirling. She grabbed her phone and quickly texted Paula.
Ciry: Pick me up.
She pinned the location on her phone, leaned back, and waited, her mind drifting off to nowhere in particular. She barely noticed the time passing until she heard the unmistakable honk of a car outside.
Ciry stood from the dining table, already knowing who it was. Paula was here.
She strode out the gates, and there it was—a red Bentley Flying Spur, gleaming under the sunlight. Inside, Paula sat with her hand out the window, tapping her fingers rhythmically against the door, nodding along to the music blasting from the car speakers.
Her golden blonde hair waved in the breeze, cascading down her shoulders in effortless waves.
Ciry opened the back door and slid in, settling into the plush leather seat.
"Your boyfriend bought you a new car, huh?" Ciry broke the silence, raising an eyebrow.
Paula lowered the volume of the music slightly, her focus still on the road. "Nope, this is his," she said with a slight smirk. "You texted me while I was actually at his house."
Ciry's lips twitched with a hint of amusement. "So, I kind of interrupted your couple's time…"
Paula shrugged nonchalantly. "He's not even here. He went to a concert in Puerto Rico."
Ciry turned to face her, intrigued. "So, what were you doing at his house?"
Paula's eyes stayed fixed on the windscreen as she answered, "I went to get my stuff. I'd left some of it there."
Ciry nodded, then paused as she tried to process Paula's relationship. Paula's boyfriend was a big deal—a rapper, one of the upcoming top names in the industry right now. His music was everywhere, his albums were chart-topping hits, and his fanbase was growing fast.
As for Paula, she was an athlete—an accomplished swimmer, to be specific. Known for her achievements in the pool. Along with her athletic career, Paula had become a go-to for fitness tips, sharing her workouts and lifestyle with her massive following.
The car fell into a comfortable silence for a while as Ciry thought about everything, her fingers tapping nervously on her knee.
"So, you gonna talk about yourself?" Paula finally broke the silence, her voice soft yet knowing. "I mean... wedding... and Ryu Hoshira?"
Ciry's gaze drifted out the window, her mind suddenly clouded with thoughts of everything that had just happened. "How about we get to your house first?" she murmured, her voice distant, almost distracted. The last thing she wanted was to dive into that mess right now.
When they arrived at Paula's apartment, Carla was already there, lounging on the couch, eyes glued to the TV. Ciry burst through the door with a grin, her designer handbag swinging wildly at her side.
"Surprise!" she shouted, startling Carla out of her trance. Carla squealed, jumping up and throwing her arms around Ciry for a tight hug, nearly knocking them both over.
"You're impossible, you know that?" Carla laughed, then playfully shoved her away, adjusting her rumpled shirt. "I swear, you always catch me off guard."
Ciry flopped down dramatically on the couch with an exaggerated sigh, and Carla followed, sitting beside her, tucking one leg underneath herself. "Girl, you have to spit out everything," Paula said as she set down three juice glasses with a decisive clink on the coffee table.
Carla leaned forward, eyes wide with intrigue, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Yeah, girl, what happened? And why didn't you tell us about the wedding? You just went and got married like it was nothing—like you were picking up dry cleaning or something!"