Sunday, 08 November 2009

• Chapter 3 – Let me stay here and I’ll do things for you in return

  
  

  
  

  I was back to my favorite place which started this morning, in Yamapi’s kitchen. Waiting for food to be served as the wonderful smell inhibited me once more. He was a really good cook and that’s not an understatement.

  Earlier this day, an idea kept playing in my mind but the result would depend on how this person in front of me would take it. This idea was something that would really help me and yet I’m not sure if it would work out well. First of all we’re both strangers which was brought together by cosmic circumstances, mainly mine and second I’m a girl and he’s a popular actor with a striking features that could sweep any women on their feet… including me.

  Wait… am I swept already?

  My gaze was steady as I observed Yamapi while he cooked and fried and… frowned? Yet he still looks so attractive.

  Yes. I think I am swept away already. It hasn’t been two days and yet I’m already finding reasons on how it is possible not to like the guy. I come out empty. He was a great cook, good-looking, popular actor/idol, he may be a bit egoistic but he has good reasons for it. There are a million questions in my head as to why it feels so comfortable to be here when I have just met him yesterday.

  Different reasons popped up one by one until the aroma of a freshly cooked Tepanyaki seeped through my nose which made me arrive in a final decision.

  “It’s the food.” I accidentally said out loud.

  “What?” Yamapi looked at me with that look that said: are you crazy or what?

  “Nothing.” I ducked my head out of those watchful eyes then savored the meal.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  I had no specific reason as to why I brought her back to my place. NONE. I must be crazy for bringing her back but I was too hungry and too caught up with those puppy eyes that I didn’t think twice before I acted. So we’re both back at square one. Whatever she’s thinking right now didn’t make sense. She talks out loud like a crazy person creeping me out and yet the way she ate the food I prepared made it all worthwhile.

  Geez… I’m sounding like a sentimental guy.

  Shaking my head to remove those thoughts, I took a seat right in front of Mao and ate silently. I was so used to eating alone in my house that I felt self conscious eating in front of someone else.

  When I looked across the table my self-consciousness was quickly thrown out the window because I found out that Mao was already helping herself with second servings of food, completely ignoring my presence. The sight of her eating in a hurry almost made me choke.

  Was she that poor that she had to eat like there is no tomorrow?

  My eyes observed the clothes she was wearing. It wasn’t the average clothes you would see around bazaars in low prices. Her clothes were astonishingly branded. Though it was hidden subtly, a person like me who has been working full time modeling before would know about clothes.

  “Did you previously work on a fashion firm before?”

  Mao’s hand froze mid way as she was about to pop those chopsticks into her mouth.

  “Fashion firm?” She repeated, looking lost.

  “Yes. FA-SHON FIRM.” I told her syllabically like she was a kindergarten being thought how to spell and pronounce.

  “I know what fashion is but what does it have to do with me?” She shrugged then continued to eat.

  This girl… I wanted to smack my plate on her. The way she tells me things makes me frustrated even her idiocy makes me look stupid that it feels like I’m a grandpa caring for a child. No. I’m a stranger taking in a pet, a stupid pet-cat to be precise.

  My eyes once again fell on her clothes.

  “Second hand… your clothes are second hand aren’t they?” I finally decided. Knowing more about this girl would make me crazy if I thought too much about it.

  Mao looked up to me and chewed slowly, thinking. When she was done she puckered her lips and shrugged.

  “I’m not sure… but it was given to me by someone. I don’t shop much so I wouldn’t know.”

  She really was poor.

  “Where’s your family?” The interrogation has finally begun.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  I gave a pause, thinking quickly and carefully for my answers. I didn’t want to lie to someone who helped me out so many times already. So I took a deep breath and answered.

  “My father’s dead.” Something tugged on my chest as I remember my father who died two years ago on a car accident.

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” He mumbled but continued on, “What about your mother?”

  This… was a hard question.

  “She’s… too busy. I have to take care of myself for now.” That’s a safe answer. Not revealing much.

  “Why don’t you go back to her instead of scouting for a place to stay?” Yamapi pointed out to me, which did make sense if I was really supposed to be fatherless and a neglected daughter.

  I have to come up with something.

  “You see, my college is near this area. I just have to finish my studies while working and after that I could go back home and take care of my mother.” That wasn’t really a lie, because in the end that’s what’s bound to happen.

  “Just like that? Life isn’t that easy, you are such a naïve girl.” Yamapi tapped the table, not entirely sure what he was thinking.

  “Since we’re at this… I came up with something.” I started to work on my plan.

  “That is…?” He raised an eyebrow at me which made me recoil a bit, but not entirely.

  “As you already know, I need to have a place to stay badly. So I thought… maybe… you…” My voice trailed off letting him hang on to every word I was about to say, “…you can let me stay here and I’ll do things for you in return.” I gushed out very fast.

  “Are you suggesting I take you in? Here in my place?” Yamapi said wide eyed. I nodded enthusiastically with a bright smile on my face.

  “No.” He answered flatly without even thinking about it.

  And here I thought he was an angel deemed to save me… but no. He was a dog – a heartless dog who hates taking in stray cats. I might as well name him Yappi for calling me an idiot multiple times too.

  “You can go out and run about your own business after you finish your food.” With this, Yamapi stood up and left me at the kitchen and when he was about to enter his room he called out to me and said, “Don’t forget to lock the door on your way out.”

  So much for being my hero.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  It was already early in the evening when I woke up. I have slept all through the afternoon. When I started to get up, I remember that absurd conversation in my kitchen again making me groan in annoyance. I shouldn’t have let my guard down. Having her in my place for one night was not enough for me to trust her.

  …I’m not going to hurt you. You just have to trust me.

  My own voice echoed in my mind making me cuss at myself even more. What kind of bad spirit came over me and led me to say things I would regret later?

  Scratching my head furiously, I got out of bed and took a quick shower. There was an event I had to attend tonight. An event I didn’t want to go in the first place but was talked into coming. When I was ready to go, I stepped out of my bedroom and looked around the open kitchen towards the living room. The place looked empty, as if no one was even there this morning. The plates where on its proper place and the kitchen was clean. I sighed out loud, momentarily feeling guilty for that girl when all of a sudden my phone beeped making me forget that self-reproach.

  +++1 new message+++

  7:00 pm, Shige:
  -Event is starting. Where are you?-

  Another beep.

  +++1 new message+++

  7:02 pm, Tego:
  -They’re looking for you. Hurry up or else we’re dead meat.-

  Then there were three more beeps. It was starting to get annoying.

  +++3 new messages+++

  7:05 pm, Koyama:
  -YOU PROMISED!!!-

  7:06 pm, Ryo:
  -Head’s up man… she’s already here.-

  Ryo’s message made me clutch my phone tightly. I knew who exactly SHE was.

  7:06 pm, Masu:
  -You’ve really got to come. The food IS GREAT!!! I’ll see you at the buffet table. ^_^-

  At least Masu’s message made me look forward to the event. I hurriedly took my keys and went out into the night.

  ------------------To be continued------------------

  Notes from the Author:
  You can’t just take in a stranger even if that stranger is Inoue Mao!!! hmmm… hold on please. I’ll smack Pi’s head for second. *smacks Pi at his head*

  Ok… now that it’s done, I like Masu. Hahaha… he’s cute.

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