Chapter Text
Leo's POV.
Hotel
It has been an exhausting yet oddly exciting few days shopping for clothes and gifts in preparation for my date with Azucena Ortiz.
The guys have been a great help in choosing gifts for me. Without them, I'd probably be stuck in the stores for hours.
Jin and Paul helped me out in picking some fashionable clothes for the date. As expected, they have a way better fashion sense than I do. We eventually picked out a white shirt with black stripes at the bottom, a crimson jacket, navy blue pants, and some leather shoes.
Law and Steve brought me to some gift shops, where I bought some flowers and a flower hairpin. Much to our surprise, Lili was there too, with Asuka in tow, and she offered to buy some beautiful silver and pink earrings for Azucena after hearing about my date. I made sure to thank her profusely for her generosity.
Lastly, King and Jin gave me some advice on my posture, how to converse with her, and tips for making sure the date goes smoothly.
After finally arriving home at the end of the day, I laid down on my bed and took a moment to think about how great it is to have friends in one's corner.
To be honest, I never expected that they'd be so willing to help on something like this, but regardless, I'm thankful they did.
The date was now 3 days away. I planned on spending these last few days to work on my weakest area: social anxiety and self-confidence.
For the life of me, whenever I see Azucena's face on a New York City billboard, advertisement, or a magazine cover, my face heats up and I can't think straight. Imagine how an interaction with her in person would be like if I was a blushing, stuttering mess. Gah, how embarrassing!
The more minutes that pass by, the more nervous I am. The butterflies in my stomach prevented me from closing my eyes and sleeping peacefully.
I couldn't take it anymore. I got out of bed and went to the window to breathe some fresh air, hoping that it would get me to sleep.
The starry night was breath-taking, and it was relatively quiet, save for the car sirens. However, it did not help calm down my nerves.
Darn it. Why am I like this? Just the smallest things can sometimes make me act so irrational.
The only thing in my head was her. And her smile.
That darn smile.
Flashback…
My mind flashed back to the time I first met her.
On the battlefield at Yakushima.
Azucena Ortiz. A woman I’ve heard of, but never met in person.
The only daughter of Mr. Ortiz, the owner of the Ortiz farm.
She had most definitely caught me off guard. Her, with G-Corporation? But why…?
I asked her for the reason why she’d side with them, only to discover she was only doing it to promote her coffee. Not what I had expected, to be honest, and I was still skeptical on whether that’s her actual reason. Even now, I’m still contemplating her true motives.
After a hard fight, she finally backed down and chatted with me again. For a second, I ignored the fact we were on the battlefield due to the absurdity of the situation, however I decided to hear her out.
"You’re pretty good!”
The woman in front of me exclaimed, as she jumped back a bit to catch her breath. Her smile was still evident despite the exhaustion. I will never understand how she does it.
I was still on my guard in case she would plan on using another surprise kick to throw me off. Seriously, how strong is this woman?!
"So, how'd you know about me, anyway?"
I was pulled out of my thoughts when she spoke again. My mind was still a mess, however I could understand her question. Maybe I should answer this way…
"Well, there isn't a single coffee lover out there who hasn't heard of you."
WAIT, DID I JUST SAY THAT?!
GAH, how embarrassing!
However, she seemed pleased, much to my relief. In fact, she was overjoyed.
"Ohhh…! Thought I caught a whiff of a fellow javaphile." She took another look at me. "So, where are you from?"
"Uhmmm…I-" I was swiftly interrupted.
"Waitwaitwait, lemme guess!"
She entered a thinking pose and pondered for a bit.
"I assumed you were a Killmanjaro guy…"
Now I was genuinely curious to know if she could get it right.
"Alright then…Germany? How far off am I?"
And once again, she smiled, as if she had figured me out, but was also genuinely curious of my country of origin.
But there was nothing incorrect in the words she said.
In fact, she was correct.
"Haha, well yes, I do hail from Germany. Can’t believe you guessed it." Well, I was *technically* speaking German, but we’ll ignore that detail, alrighty?
"Hehe, I got it in one guess! Go, me!”
She giggled, that cheerful, innocent smile still on her beautiful face. Her features only served to enhance its alluring effect.
"Anyway, you should totally try our new product: The Azucena Morning Blend! If you like…I’ll send some to you by express mail~!"
I’m probably dreaming. Or am I? Did Azucena Ortiz actually offered her coffee?
TO ME OF ALL PEOPLE?!
This must be some sick joke. However, I could somehow hear a hint of sincerity in her voice.
I wasn’t expecting her to be this generous…but I do appreciate it…
"Well, I’m heading off! See you later~!" And with that, she blew a kiss in my direction and ran off into the distance. I watched her until she disappeared.
That’s when I realized…Darn it! I was gonna ask her why she sided with G-Corp! …That will have to wait another day, I suppose.
One more thing was in my mind though. Why give coffee to me, of all people? She truly is a mysterious woman. But a charming one…
Urgh, what am I thinking…?!
With that encounter over, I could only say the one thing on my mind to myself.
"What in the world was she after, I wonder…?"
I returned back to the present, lying down on my bed. Staring at the ceiling.
Unable to sleep. As usual.
I got up from bed and walked over to the window. Across from me, a poster of Azucena.
The world must be against me, reminding me of the things I’m worried about.
Before I knew it, I caught myself staring at her face for a whole minute. This is ANOTHER level of infatuation, surely!
I sighed and smacked my face, trying to get all the strange thoughts out of my head.
This woman is gonna drive me crazy. But somehow, in a good way.
Nothing comes without its cons, however.
I can’t sleep now. My hours of rest have shortened this past week.
Who is to blame, you ask? A self proclaimed “coffee queen” who I just so happen to be going on a date with in three days time!
I looked at my phone, and the texts we’ve exchanged. She texted me yesterday about how excited she was to meet a fan of hers, and even sent me a photo of some packaged coffee beans and asked me which ones I liked.
I’m sort of jealous of how calm and composed she can be in situations like this. She can also be super silly when she wants to.
It’s…attractive…
No, Leo, shut it!
Frustrated with all my thoughts, I shut the window blinds and went back to my bed in an attempt to sleep.
However, I couldn’t sleep. All I could think about was her.
She’s so beautiful. Gorgeous. Sweet. Cheerful. Everything about her is amazing-
I’LL NEVER GET TO SLEEP AT THIS RATE!!!
I sighed and pulled out my phone, scrolling through my chat history with Azucena. Again.
She’s online. This late…?
Curious, I sent her a text.
CoffeeQueen^w^ @Azucena_Oritiz
Hey, Azu. What’s up? Isn’t it late night in Peru? Why aren’t you asleep?
typing…
oh! You’re awake too, Leo?
yeah. trouble sleeping.
typing…
funny, same lol hehe
heh, it’s good to know I’m in the same boat as you.
typing…
same :3 it’s sorta comforting in a way.
so, back to my question, why are you awake?
typing…
This is the moment I began to grow concerned. She’s taking a while. Even moments where she went offline for a second. Then a reply finally came after 5 minutes.
Well I just had, idk, many thoughts! Keeps me up. And the caffeine too hehe
Hah, of course she’d say something like that.
haha I had a feeling that’s what you were gonna say. I also have a lot to think about that’s been keeping me up.
typing…
you too?! Haha, you’re full of surprises~ it’s like we’re somehow in the same situations.
Hehe guess so. So what are you doing rn?
typing…
Well, journaling. It’s a hobby I picked up~
Interesting.
typing…
My turn to ask!!! What are you doing at this late hour???
Well, uhm.
Oh no. How do I tell her that her entire being is the reason I can’t sleep at night?!
Sightseeing outside my window, ig. the fresh, cool, late night breeze can be nice every now and then. You should try it!
typing…
ooooh sounds cool! You’re such an interesting guy, leo!
Suddenly, I felt my face grow warm. I took a moment to put my phone down and kick my feet on the bed over and over in a flustered state while I squealed and fanned my face.
I pray that NO ONE sees or hears of me doing this all because of one girl’s text.
Then, as I tried to compose myself, she sent another text.
but Leo, don’t spend too much time sightseeing! rest is important. If there’s something worrying you, and you feel that you need to solve it today, I want you to know that there’s time. take things at your own pace and trust in yourself more, kay?
Well done, Leo. You worried her.
However, it was touching.
Guess amidst that enthusiastic, coffee-loving persona, she has a caring heart.
Thanks, Azu. It’s comforting to know that you care about me.
typing…
of course! happy to help :D
Take care of yourself too, okay? I know that the coffee business can be tough sometimes, and…I just wanna look out for a friend
typing…
awww, worried about me, are you~? But thanks! Hehe.
typing…
Also I’m super glad you think of me as a friend. Cuz funny thing is, I also feel the same way :3
Haha, I’m happy you said that.
LEO, YOU SUCK! WHY WOULD I SAY THAT! FRIENDS?! FOR GOODNESS SAKE I HAVE A CRUSH ON HER!
However, for safety precautions and to not overstep boundaries, I guess being friends with her is the first step.
typing…
Anyway, I’m so glad we could have a chat. See you at our date in three days time! I CANT WAITTT!!!! Hehe.
Haha, me too. Good night, Azu.
typing.
Good night!!! :)
Well, I couldn’t tell her that she was the reason I couldn’t sleep at night.
I didn’t wanna give her any hints I had growing feelings for her. I also didn’t want to hurt her feelings…
This feeling of infatuation is so hard to understand.
It developed in such a short time, and at a quick pace too.
If only Mother were still here…
No, I can’t think that way! I still have people who care about me and are willing to help.
My life is no longer focused on revenge.
I want to live my life…for myself.
And one day, I’ll tell her how I feel.