CHAPTER 29: HE HAD JUST JINXED IT. ┏⁠(⁠＾⁠0⁠＾⁠)⁠┛

Rika’s smirk widened while taking in their stunned reactions. "What? Is there a problem? My parents own this hotel... It’s got an indoor pool. Much nicer than sweating under the sun, waiting for some fish that probably won’t even come out." She gestured grandly towards the glass doors of the hotel lobby...

"Consider it a slight change of plans. Besides," she added, her eyes twinkling mischievously, "I thought you two could use a proper celebration, given the good news."

Sarah groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Rika-Yamamoto!" she called out her full name. "You are impossible!"

Leo, however, was still trying to process the sudden shift. A sleepover? With Rika? He glanced around the empty parking lot, then back at the sleek SUV that now seemed to be the only source of noise. This was far from the casual fishing trip he’d mentally prepared for...

"Who else is coming?" Leo asked cautiously, directing the question to Rika.

Rika just waved her hands dismissively. "Oh, just a few other friends. You’ll meet them inside. Now, come on. We have the entire top floor to ourselves. And I’ve already ordered room service."

She turned and started walking towards the hotel entrance without waiting for a response, clearly expecting them to follow her.

Sarah sighed, pulling her hands from her face and giving Leo a look that was a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "Well, this is going to be interesting," she mumbled. She grabbed his hand. "Come on, babe, let’s go inside."

They both followed Rika into the hotel lobby, which had a distinctly modern yet old-fashioned atmosphere. Instead of overwhelming luxury, there was a sense of elegance all around, drawing inspiration from minimalist Japanese design. Polished dark wood reflected under the room’s lighting. Carefully pruned bonsai trees and tidy arrangements of bamboo and stones added touches of nature and tranquility. The atmosphere carried a subtle, calming forestry fragrance, perhaps a hint of sandalwood or green tea, mixed with the scent of Rika’s perfume...

They walked passed a small reception desk, where an attendant in a yukata offered a slight bow as Rika walked past.

"She always does this," Sarah whispered to Leo as they walked towards a private elevator. "Invites you to one thing, and it turns out to be something completely different. It’s her way of doing things."

Leo could only nod, his mind still trying to adjust to the new reality...

He had mentally braced himself for a long day by a lake, maybe even a confrontation with Rika, but a luxury hotel sleepover was entirely off the chart. He couldn’t help but wonder what other surprises Rika had in store...

They rode the elevator to the top floor with little inconvenience and slight noises.

When the doors opened, they stepped into a large suite. It wasn’t just a single room; it was a large space with multiple bedrooms, a huge living area, and floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the whole city...

Japanese music played from hidden speakers behind the walls, and the atmosphere was filled with the scent of fresh pastries and brewed green tea.

On a massive sectional sofa in the living area, two other people were already lounging. A young lady with light blue hair was scrolling through her phone, and a lean, athletic-looking guy was flipping through a magazine. They both looked up as Rika, Sarah, and Leo entered...

"Finally," the blue-haired girl uttered, setting her phone down. "I was starting to think you got lost, Rika."

Rika just rolled her eyes. "These two were dragging their feet. Anyway, everyone, this is Sarah, and this is her... boyfriend, Leo." She gestured dismissively towards Leo, a hint of her earlier displeasure still in her tone, though it was softened by the context of their sleepover...

This made Leo understand that the reason he got invited in the first place was for Sarah to come, because Rika knew that if he didn’t, Sarah wouldn’t. It was a well-calculated manipulation tactic...

Leo gave a small, awkward wave. This was certainly not the fishing trip he’d imagined at all.

"What kind of activities do people even do at a sleepover?" Leo thought to himself, shifting uncomfortably. That word alone made him self-conscious and nervous.

He had never done a sleepover with anyone before...except for Sarah. And even then, it was just falling asleep on the couch while watching late-night shows on the TV or accidentally dozing off during homework...

This was totally different now. They were young adults, now at a hotel...With Rika... And two other people they didn’t know, one of whom had a smirk that made him feel like she knew something he didn’t...

He glanced at Sarah, hoping to find some hint of normalcy. But she looked just as thrown off...eyebrows raised, lips pressed against her teeth.

Leo swallowed. Were they supposed to bring pajamas? Toothbrushes? Did Rika expect some kind of... pillow fight tournament? He hated how his brain immediately jumped to every high school drama cliché ever...

In under one minute, Rika clapped her hands once. "Alright! Everyone, pick a room, freshen up, and meet me in the lounge in thirty minutes." She then walked into a different room.

Sarah grabbed Leo’s hand and led him into a room. It had a traditional Japanese style: tatami mats, sliding doors, and a soft, peaceful atmosphere. It was basically identical to the living room they came from.

Just as they were settling in, there was a knock on the door.

Leo got up and walked over to check it. When he opened the door, it was one of Rika’s friends with blue hair standing there, her expression calm but curious.

"Uh... hey. Can I help you?" Leo asked, already regretting opening the door.

She glanced into the room. "I was told this room wasn’t occupied."

Leo glanced over his shoulder at Sarah, who was already setting up the futons.

"Yeah, um... sorry, I think we got here first?" Leo said, rubbing the back of his neck.

The girl seemed surprised but not upset. "Oh. My bad."

Leo nodded. "Yeah, maybe check the other doors. There might be another empty room."

She gave a small nod. "Alright. Thanks."

Without making a fuss, she turned and walked away.

Leo closed the door and returned to Sarah, who looked up from where she was adjusting the futon.

"Babe, is everything okay?" she asked, looking upwards.

"Yeah. She just thought this room was empty," Leo said, sitting beside her.

She sighed. "Let’s hope no one else shows up again."

Leo chuckled, helping her with the futon. "Yeah, really."

"Now, babe, let’s go take a shower together." She smiled, taking off her clothes. Her breast fell down, jiggling, as she dragged Leo into the luxurious bathroom.

Moments later...

Everyone had assembled in the lounge.

"What should we do, guys?" Rika questioned all five of them.

He clapped his hands together secretly. "Please, lord, let it not be karaoke."

Ever since he was little, there was one thing he could not stand or do, which was singing. He was so bad at it that his voice almost gave his grandma a heartache.

But in life, nothing goes as planned, in a matter of seconds, everybody voted for karaoke...

Except for both of them. Sarah already knew that he was bad at music, so she voted in objection...

But due to the fact that Rika had seen Sarah sing on the movie set but was now straight up rejecting it, it could only come to one conclusion... she was doing it because of him.

Leo’s eyes widened, he slapped his hands on his face...he had just jinxed it.