Hidden Motive
I-pin switched on her computer
LAMBO HAS SIGNED IN
LAMBO: hey !
I-PIN: nihao, long time no see
L: i bet you miss me : )
I: why should i? broccoli head!! : 0
L: ahahaha…you are still as sharp tongued as ever…how long was it since the last Vongola fight? ;D
I: 10 years, i guess
L: we must be 20 already…
I: so how's yr life? Found a job?
L: *sigh* yeah..i take care of a ranch…what job you do?
I: a waitress at a restaurant. What's a ranch?
L: it's sort of like a farm with many animals
I: wow XD
L: if you want, you can come and stay there for a few days
I: really?
L: yup. Are you free this summer hols?
I: yes! : D
L: ok then, I'll come pick you up from the airport on the first day of the hols, 9am
I: do I have to bring anything?
L: just bring anything you want
I: ok, I'll see you then!
I-PIN HAS SIGNED OUT
I-pin was almost bursting with excitement at the thought of staying at Lambo's ranch. She would ride on horses, feed cows…
Cows, Lambo. Lambo, cows. She stopped in her thoughts. F-FEED LAMBO? She shook her head, but could not prevent the image of her feeding Lambo noodles, from seeping into her head.
I-PIN! she scolded herself, don't think too much. Lambo-san is inviting you there as a FRIEND and has no hidden motive for this. You've been friends for fifteen years!
On the first day of the summer holidays, I-pin waited for Lambo outside a pastry shop in the airport. She had brought a small luggage. It was almost nine and he had not arrived.
Tired of waiting, she bought a plate of tiramisu, an Italian dessert. As she was about to take a bite out of the dessert, Lambo appeared, carrying a cow-print messenger bag. She stumbled out of her chair to greet him.
"Lambo-san!"
"Hey, didn't I say I'll come?" he said, winking at her.
He spotted the dessert on the table, picked up the silver teaspoon and scooped out a tiny bit of tiramisu, popping it into his mouth and licking the spoon clean.
"Tiramisu, " he muttered, " you must really miss me a lot."
Red-faced I-pin tried to argue, but in truth, she was happy that she finally got to see him again.
"Here, try some too, it's really delicious," Lambo continued, scooping another bit of the dessert and holding it in front of her face.
Stubbornly, she snatched the spoon from his hand and ate it herself. He was mildly surprised. He had half expected her to let him feed her.
Would she say yes? He thought sadly.
On the plane going from China to Italy, I-pin did not say a word. She glanced at the clouds in the sky, lost in thought.
Why does Lambo care so much? I know we're friends, but even friends don't do it to this extent…
Lambo placed his hands on I-pin's, and she looked up.
"Whatever you're worried about, I don't know, but with me here you'll be okay."
I-pin blushed and retorted," I don't need protection from a stupid broccoli head!" She pushed his hand away.
Quickly changing the subject, she asked," So how long does it take to get to this ranch of yours?
Lambo lifted up four fingers.
"About 40 minutes by car."
Lunch was served on the plane. It was pasta topped with melted cheese, Lambo's favourite Italian food.
I-pin was not accustomed to the taste of cheese and made a face after trying it, making Lambo laugh.
"What's this?"
"It's cheese, made from milk. And milk," Lambo pointed to himself, "comes from cows."
At his words, I-pin recalled her thoughts a few days ago. She stared at the floor shamefacedly, pretending to study the patterns on the aircraft's floor.
Lambo noticed and thought worriedly: I was only teasing her, but did I go too far?
12 hours later, the plane touched down. It was already 11pm. A black and white sports car stopped to pick them up. The driver was a pretty looking young Italian lady.
I-pin's heart sank. Did he already get a girlfriend?
In her old Chinese clothes, she suddenly felt inferior to the well-dressed lady in the driver's seat.
"This is my sister, Lia," Lambo explained, gesturing to the lady.
Hearing this, I-pin almost heaved a sigh of relief. He looked at her questionably and she stifled her sigh into a yawn.
"I'm tired," she pretended, while rubbing at her eyes.
"We'll reach our destination soon," promised Lambo, helping I-pin into the car's back seat, then climbing into the front seat with his sister.
The car ride was so enjoyable that I-pin fell asleep for the rest of the ride.
At 11.40pm sharp, the car came to a stop.
I-pin was awoken and she found that they were already at the ranch.
The ranch consisted of a huge house with three stories, a farmhouse and a few stables. There was a vast amount of empty land around them and the night sky was dotted with numerous, tiny stars that twinkled occasionally.
It was so different from the crowded streets of city China, where the nightlife was just as busy as life during the day. No street vendors selling late-night snacks in the street, no noisy gatherings in shops, no blinding city lights.
It was just a serene silence.
I-pin stood on the grassland, admiring and savoring the quietness. She could stand there forever. A cold breeze went past and she shivered. Changing her mind, she followed Lambo and Lia back into the house.
In the house, Lambo gave her a seat at the dining table. It was laden with a few traditional Italian soups and bread. I-pin sat down and Lia sat on the seat opposite of her.
"Wow!" I-pin exclaimed. She did not expect such a feast.
Lia laughed and said, "We don't usually eat this much for meals, but since you're Lambo's girlfriend, he has specially prepared more."
"I-I'm not his girlfriend!!" I-pin retorted.
"Hahaha, I was just teasing you. No need to get so angry." Lia said, laughing even more.
"However," she continued,"I really think Lambo and you make a good couple..."
"We're not like that, we're only friends!"
At this time, Lambo appeared from the kitchen.
"Hey, time to eat." He opened the cover of the pot and a warm, delicious aroma filled the room.
Hungrily, I-pin started to eat. She tore off a piece of bread, dipped it in the warm soup and ate it. Mmmmm...she felt the soup trickle down into her stomach. It warmed her stomach after being in the cool night for a long time. She ate her fill and sipped the hot chocolate that Lambo dished up next.
Slowly, the warmth crept over her like a blanket, and she was asleep, head leaning on her crossed arms placed on the table.
Lia finished her hot chocolate and handed her empty mug to Lambo.
"I'm going to sleep over at Bruno's house today."
"Okay," Lambo said, shrugging his shoulders.
Bruno was Lia's fiance and they were engaged for two years, and Bruno was already aware of the fact that his future brother-in-law was involved in the mafia.
He took it calmly and even joked that he would feel safer and not worry for Lia's safety when Lambo was around.
Lambo had grown into a powerful and famous assassin due to his assistance to the Vongola family, who expanded the range of his skills by letting him undergo a series of tough trainings. He had perfected the Electrico Cuoio and could use the power he had over electricity to its full potential. The rates of hiring him shot up to six figures after he was recognized as a high-class mafiaso.
As for I-pin, she did not take up assassination jobs that actively anymore and took up a jobas a waitress and delivery girl in a ramen shophouse in China. She still kept in contact with the Vongola family and often offered then help when they were in need.
Just so much could change in a few years...
Lambo glanced at the sleeping I-pin on the table. Seeing her, he could see his past, where they used to be childhood friends.
Suddenly, something fell out from her pocket to the floor. Lambo crawled under the table to pick it up, being careful not to wake I-pin. He brought it up to the light.
It was a worn-out Chinese silk purse embroidered with sakura blossoms. It looked...strangely familar...
Then, he realised it was the purse I-pin always carried when she was small. He had always been curious of what the purse contained.
Opening the clasp that held the purse shut, Lambo peered inside.
There was a Japanese coin worth one yen, a few name cards with I-pin's name, and a pair of horns blunt with age.
Author's note:
it may be a bit weird putting the disclaimer at the end of a story, but:
I DO NOT OWN KHR
actually, this story was SUPPOSED to be a one shot but it came out too long...
so instead of adding new chapters, i'll just lengthen the story...
sorry for the trouble... _
[hopefully i can find time to continue my 4 other stories...]