Chapter 219 - Rude Stalker

It was totally amusing to go around shopping with a grown woman following them around. At first, Maki Yuuka tried trailing them surreptitiously, but when the two continued to ignore her, she gave up on being secretive and blatantly followed them. She even made obvious exaggerated sounds so the others would look her way, but Ara and Chiaki who were both aware of her presence continued to pay her no heed.

It was safe to say that anyone who'd be in Maki Yuuka's shoes would be spitting mad right now. People ignoring her existence must have already taken a huge blow on her pride – not that Ara and Chiaki cared.

"No one asked her to follow us like a stalker anyway," Ara told Chiaki as they entered the sixth store.

The two had already purchased four dresses, but Chiaki had no idea that Ara was shopping for her. The younger Suzuki was bent on showering her future sister-in-law with a new wardrobe even if Aki didn't tell her to. So the current dilemma was more like if Ara would let her brother reimburse her purchases since she wanted to buy Chiaki things too.

Chiaki sighed. Although she found it totally amusing as well, she kind of also felt a bit sorry for the woman who was starting to get the attention of the other mall-goers. Because of her movements, she was beginning to garner weird stares and disapproving glances.

But Ara was adamant to treat the other like air. After purchasing the fifth dress, she guided Chiaki towards one of the cafés in the building. They'd walk quite some time, and so, were thirsty. Each one of them ordered a drink while they waited for Aki to come fetch them.

"Your brother is on the way," Chiaki told Ara as soon as their drinks were served.

They would be having hot chocolate to warm them up. Earlier Aki had called and asked about the situation and Ara assured her brother that it was not an emergency so he could to what he needed to do first. It was because Aki suddenly had to drop by Suzuki Raiden Group to sign something before coming to pick them up.

"Okay," Ara answered good-naturedly as she blew on her cup.

It was at this time when the lady in red came up to them and made direct conversation.

"Hello!"

Maki Yuuka greeted with a mega-watt smile, and the two women were not able to continue ignoring her presence anymore. Ara turned to her from her cup with her brow arched but didn't return her smile.

The lady in red was not discouraged. She maintained her smile and her voice friendly. Still, Ara could see the veiled hostility in her eyes, and so her dislike of her didn't change.

"Sorry, I couldn't help but talk to you. We always run to each other. I guess, it is fate," Maki Yuuka said with oozing charm that could make business people envious.

It was obvious that she was very good at talking to people. If she had approached Ara and Chiaki like this from the beginning, Ara would have been more inclined to give her the benefit of doubt and be nice. But the younger Suzuki had already seen and felt her real self. Maki Yuuka was another burikko. All her smiles were fake – at least, towards them.

"Fate? I don't think so," Ara scoffed. "You've been following us around since we left L'Occitane. In my book, it's called stalking no?"

If there was an award for the best actress, Ara would give it to the woman. Even though there was a shift in Maki Yuuka's eyes that indicated her horror upon realizing that the two of them knew, she didn't really show it. Instead, she feigned an embarrassed smile, totally ignoring Ara's unveiled disapproval of her.

This indicated that she really wanted to have a conversation, and Chiaki gave Ara a soft kick from under the table to tell the younger Suzuki to chill and listen to what the other had to say. Ara sighed and conceded.

"Oh, I didn't realize you've noticed me," Maki Yuuka said with her lilting voice as she placed a hand on her bosom.

She totally looked like a blushing girl caught doing mischief and Ara was amazed at how the woman could hide her anger and continue to speak so sweetly.

"I'm Maki Yuuka of Axis Corporation by the way. And you are?"

Ara wanted to laugh. The gall the woman had to ask who they were when it was obvious she already knew who they were. Well, she wouldn't have followed them around and even asked her minions to look for them if she didn't.

When it looked like Ara wouldn't answer, Chiaki sighed and smiled at the woman. "I'm Asou Chiaki, and this is Suzuki Ara," she said.

However, much to Ara's annoyance, the woman didn't acknowledge Chiaki's words. Instead, Maki Yuuka turned to the secretary and just stared at her as if she's staring at something from under a microscope.

"Chiaki, why bother being polite when this one's obviously not just a stalker – but a rude stalker," Ara chirped in, totally stabbing the intruder with her words.

Ara was so angry that this woman still had the gall to act like this after Chiaki was kind enough to give her face. She was about to decide to level up her dislike to full-blown abhorrence when the woman suddenly snapped out of her stare and cleared her throat.

"I'm so sorry…"

Ara was then taken aback. This time, all the veiled hostility the woman had in her body vanished, and her voice rang with the truth when she apologized. This sudden change in demeanor confused the demigod, but she held back on her anger nonetheless. Regardless of how unbecoming someone acted, if they apologized as sincerely as this, who would still choose to be stubborn about forgiveness?

"Er…alright," Chiaki answered as she pulled a chair for the other woman to sit on.

Ara didn't object. At this point in time, she was willing to hear out the woman's explanation whatever that was and decide how she'd react after.