Redamancy
Summary: Magic and mystery hang around her in perfect symmetry. Like magnet, she is a force that constantly draws people in and he is just a victim that falls prey for her charm.
Redamancy (n.): The act of loving the one who loves you; a love returned in full.
Thirteen years ago
TK glanced around nervously, taking in his unfamiliar surroundings. He felt so alone right now. When he had asked his mother to enter him to the summer camp, he had thought that he would be able to spend more time with his brother. But now that he was here… he wasn't so sure it was possible anymore.
He turned to look at Matt sadly, surrounded by a bunch of kids of his own group. Matt felt his gaze on him and looked back, flashing an apologetic smile. He tried to seem cheerful, he didn't want his brother to think that he was too scared to be on his own, so he gave a reassuring smile of his own. But as soon as Matt turned away, his smile dropped and he looked down to his feet, frowning.
Suddenly, he felt a foreign weight fell upon his head. Looking up, he saw that it was a hand that belong to a girl he had never met before. She was tall, and was clad in pink from head to toe, standing out easily among the other kids. The girl was smiling warmly at him, stroking his head as if they had known each other all their lives.
"It's okay," she said, her voice was soft. "You don't have to be scared. They said this is just temporary. Don't worry, you'll be in the same group as your brother later."
"How do you know Matt is my brother?" he asked, sniffing.
"It's not so hard to tell. You two look so alike," she giggled.
Seeing her laugh brightened his mood somehow. His initial disappointment for being separated from his brother slowly begin to ebb away. "Why are you so sure that me and Matt will be in the same group later?"
"Oh, you will. Just wait and see," she smiled confidently, before striding off toward one of the camp counselors. TK watched curiously as they talked. She was pointing her finger at him and then moving it toward Matt's direction. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but just when it seemed like the counselor was going to reject whatever she was saying, the man nodded, seemingly had relented.
When she returned to him, her face was brimming with happiness, "He said we could switch to your brother's group! Come on!"
He was surprised when he found himself being dragged away, but he was even more surprised with the fact that this girl, who had only known him for a mere three minutes, was willing to go to such extent to help him despite not being asked to do so. Who was this girl? Why was she being so nice to him?
All thoughts and doubts disappeared when they reached the other group, and he immediately ran to his brother.
"Matt!" he hugged him tightly.
"TK, what are you doing here?" Matt asked, surprised, but hugged him back. "Shouldn't you be in your group?"
"The counselor said I could move here!"
"Really? That's great, but why did he suddenly allow you to switch?"
"I talked to him," the girl said, grinning proudly. "I asked if we both could switch because we're not comfortable with our current group, and he said yes. Your group seems much more fun anyway. Like that bushy haired kid, he looks pretty interesting. And I think I could be friends with that red-haired girl."
Matt blinked at her, still looking surprised. "Uhh… thanks for your help, um…"
"It's Mimi. My name is Mimi Tachikawa," her smile grew wider as she introduced herself. "I take it you're Matt, right?"
"Yeah, that's me. Yamato Ishida."
"Nice to meet you, Matt! And what about you? What's your name?" she asked, turning to TK, then giggled, "It's funny that I've helped you and all but I still don't know your name."
'Pretty girl in pink' was what he dubbed her as before he learned her name. If he thought she was pretty when she smiled, she looked even prettier when she laughed. He liked her, he decided. She was pretty, brave, friendly, and always so cheerful, so full of life. Everything about her was easily likeable. Little did he know that he had already discovered his first crush at the tender age of eight.
Grinning too, he answered happily, "I'm Takeru Takaishi, but you can call me TK. Nice to meet you, Mimi!"
Six years ago
The weekend getaway had been Tai's idea. It was because they had been too engrossed in their own life, too busy with themselves that they barely had time to meet up with each other, that he—as the self-appointed leader of the gang—thought they needed to plan one. So they agreed to meet on one Saturday morning in front of the local theme park.
TK followed his brother closely as they exited the train, his steps were a bit sluggish than usual. In truth, he hadn't been feeling too well this morning, probably because this week's practices had finally taken a toll on his body. His school basketball team was one step away from winning the tournament, having reached the final just last week for the first time in five years. And since then, their coach had been drilling them to a non-stop practice.
He had finished the practice late last night, coming home at nine and was tired beyond anything. But Tai had been adamant about all of them coming and he had promised to come as well, so he couldn't—and wouldn't—bail, even if all he wanted to do today was to curl in his bed and sleep throughout the day. Thankfully, he was doing well in hiding what he really felt, because Matt didn't seem to notice anything when he dropped by to pick him up. His baseball cap must have done its good job in concealing his horrendous eye bags.
By the time they arrived at the designated spot, Tai, Kari, Sora and Mimi were already there. The latter waved her hand at them, looking cheerful as always. Whilst everyone else was wearing a simple T-shirt and shorts, the brunette definitely took her time to dress properly. She chose a sporty look today, donning a matching set of black track jacket and black tight track pants, with a mini tube top underneath, showing off her flat stomach. Her hair cascaded against her shoulder in its natural wave, and her brown eyes were obscured by a pair of aviators. Even in an ordinary day like this, she still managed to steal the spotlight.
"We've been here since ages ago, you guys. Chop chop!" she yelled, clapping her hands impatiently.
"Coming from the drama queen who just arrived five minutes ago," Tai muttered not so subtly.
"What was that, Taichi?"
"Nothing. God, you sound like my mom."
They waited for Joe and Izzy next. The said boys arrived together in exactly three minutes later. After a quick chiding from Mimi and a series of apology from the boys' party—the brunette really had them believe they had been waiting hours for both of them—they entered the park.
Tai suggested that they take on the extreme rides first, whilst Matt said that they should build up their pace by choosing the mildest ride first, which brought the two into their first argument of the day. Sora and Kari tried to be their voice of reason, trying to knock some sense into Tai's thick skull to agree with Matt's logic. Izzy and Joe were content with just watching, while Mimi opted to sidle up to TK.
"You're awfully quiet today," she remarked, nudging his arm. "I haven't heard you said a single word since you came. Are you sick or something?"
TK let out a chuckle, mainly because her guess was actually spot on, even if it was only meant as a joke. "Has nobody ever told you that silence is gold?"
"I heard that somewhere but that doesn't apply to you. Silence looks strange on you." She inched her face closer to his, scrutinizing him, and TK held his breath. "Strange," she thought aloud, lifting his hat up with her index finger, then grimaced, "You haven't been sleeping well, have you? Don't try to deny it, because those eye bags make a very clear statement."
"I might have," he pulled his cap down, trying to play it cool while his sore body was screaming in denial. "The practices have been crazy this week, and I'm just a little exhausted."
"You could have stayed in. I'm sure everyone would have understood."
"And miss all the fun with you guys? No way," he put on his most convincing smile which Mimi seemed to buy.
"I like your spirit, Takaishi," she grinned back, then looped her arm around his as they entered the first ride. "Let's go!"
TK had little to no trouble keeping up with the first few rides, but after the third one, he was beginning to feel a little dizzy to the point of nauseous. After the fifth ride, however, which in his mind was an unrelenting and merciless roller coaster, he could no longer hold his gut in and practically sprinted toward the nearest trash can to empty his stomach.
Mimi immediately jogged toward him in worry, Matt following tentatively behind. She quickly worked to rub his back in soothing circles as he retched and coughed, offering a water bottle she produced from her small backpack when he was done, which he took gratefully.
"You okay, bro?" Matt asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"A little better now," he rasped, returning the bottle to its owner. He realized he had made quite a spectacle among his friends, for they all were watching him with worried look on their faces. "God this is embarrassing," he muttered to himself, then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry guys. Didn't know I had such a weak stomach."
"You shouldn't have pushed yourself too hard," Mimi reprimanded gently, her hand was still running up and down his back.
"We could take a break first," Kari suggested, still looking at him worriedly. "It's getting near lunch time anyway."
Her suggestion was met with a murmur of agreements, partly because they didn't want to see TK getting sick again, and partly because they were secretly hungry as well. Together, they walked into the nearest fast food joint they could find.
Tai made a comment about how he thought it would be Joe to most likely get sick from the ride instead of TK, which received a snort from the older guy who told him not to underestimate him.
It wouldn't have been him either if he wasn't sick to begin with, TK thought sourly.
Mimi kept hovering over him as they walked, and though he appreciated her concern, it was starting to make him uneasy.
"Mimi, I'm really fine now," he assured her, though he knew his expression wasn't very convincing.
"You said that too last time before you puke all over the place, so forgive me if I can't believe you now," she retorted, giving him a look that clearly leave no room for him to argue.
TK opted to just sit down while Tai and Joe took the task to make the order for all of them. His brother had insisted that he should eat something, which he had to decline more than once since his stomach couldn't handle anything other than plain water right now. He leaned back against his seat while the others eat, trying to get his body to relax even if he was shivering a bit from the strong gust of wind in the air-conditioned room.
"You look pale," Sora commented, her face contorted in a motherly concern. "Maybe we should call it a day. It wouldn't be fair if we continue while TK's sick like that. We already had plenty of fun anyway."
TK, who had been watching the others eat all this time, straightened in his seat. "No, please don't stop on my account. I've ruined the day enough. I can't let you guys finish early just because I'm sick. You guys go ahead, I can catch the train by myself."
He saw Matt was about to protest but Mimi beat him to it, surprising everyone, "I'll go with you."
Her statement was turning heads, and she just looked back at them innocently, "What? You guys can't possibly think we could just leave him alone like that, right?"
"I was planning on taking him home," Matt retorted, looking slightly offended.
"Well, no need to. I'll take him myself."
"You sure, Meems?" it was Tai who asked, knowing Mimi was the one—beside himself—to show the most enthusiasm at the prospect of their short getaway.
She nodded surely. "I've been here with my parents before, so I won't miss much. But you guys should have fun! Don't worry about me and TK."
"Mimi…"
"Stop looking so troubled, will you? It hurts to know that you have so little trust in me," Mimi pouted, feigning a sad look at the older blonde.
A sigh came from his lips, and he finally relented, knowing it was futile to argue with her. And while it wasn't the best arrangement—and that didn't include his lack of trust in her—deep down he knew she got a point there, and it was the fairest decision for both sides.
"Just be careful, alright? Both of you," he warned in a softer tone, but the look on his face was serious, his protective instinct kicking in.
She rolled her eyes, muttering "Yes, dad" while TK replied with "Of course, we will."
After biding everyone adieu, the pair set off on their own, with Mimi's arm circling his own as they walked, insisting that they shouldn't be separated. The gesture, and even her presence alone brought a sense of comfort to him. He was secretly glad that it was her instead of Matt. While he loved his brother to death, the older blonde would be all over him and worrying too much, and instead of relaxing, it would just make him uneasy.
"Are you sure you're up for a train ride?" she asked, once they were out of the park. "We can just catch a cab. Don't worry, I can cover it."
He opened his mouth to reply, but she beat him to it, "Never mind. We're taking the cab and that's final."
And before he knew it, she already hailed one, and ushered him to get in. Once inside, TK gave the driver his address, and the car started moving. It would take a while to get there, since his apartment was located on the other side of the town, but he couldn't deny it was so much better than taking the train. The walk to the station alone sounded unbearable right now.
Mimi let him rest his head on her shoulder, her slender fingers combing through his hair soothingly. He didn't remember the last time he was being pampered like this, and he couldn't deny how nice it felt, especially coming from the girl whom he adored so much.
"I'm sorry for ruining your day," TK mumbled, beginning to feel sleepy under the ministrations.
"Nonsense. I enjoy helping my friends," she replied easily, and he imagined she would wave her hand had they not been in this current position. "How are you feeling now?"
"Comfortable," he answered truthfully, letting a content smile lingered on his lips. "Must have something to do with present company. You make a nice human pillow, Meems."
"Well, that's new. Thanks, I guess," she let out a small laugh. "But seriously, do you feel any better?"
"Kind of."
The brunette sighed, and he could see a series of rant coming his way, "What were you thinking? You made me believe you were actually fine when you're really not. I bet you were already sick even before you got there, but forced yourself to go anyway, because that's the kind of idiot you are sometimes."
"I didn't want to bail on you guys. Everyone, especially you and Tai seemed so excited about today, and I didn't want to disappoint anyone," he muttered, closing his eyes as he basked in Mimi's pleasant scent.
"You really are an idiot, Teeks," she remarked, but her tone was gentle. "What kind of friends do you think we are? Of course we would have understood."
He chuckled weakly. "Sorry."
"Stop apologizing," she chastised, then frowned as her hand raked through his hair again. "You're sweating."
"I do feel a little cold."
TK could feel her frown deepened. "That's not right." He was silently thankful when she politely asked the driver to turn the AC down.
Mimi started dabbing on his sweaty face with a small towel she carried with her, while he felt himself getting more relaxed under her touch. His eyelids grew heavier with each passing second, until he could no longer keep his consciousness at bay.
"TK, we're here," said a soft voice. He felt a gentle shake on his body, bringing him to his wake.
The blonde extracted himself from Mimi, feeling slightly embarrassed that he had fallen asleep on her throughout the ride. It mustn't have been the most comfortable position for the brunette. But even if she was bothered by it, she didn't show it at all.
After paying the driver—apparently the girl was holding one of her father's credit card, which she insisted was alright upon his protest—she helped him out of the car, and he let himself being navigated toward his apartment despite never having been there before.
Upon entering the elevator, Mimi gave him a sheepish look, and he smiled in amusement as his finger reached past her to press the number to his floor.
"I thought you'd have left by now," he said, moving to lean against the wall.
"Do you despise me so much you want me gone already?"
He let out a breath of laugh, thinking to himself that it was the last thing he wanted. "Don't take it the wrong way. It's just that I'm basically already home, and you probably have other things to do after this. Better things."
"Oh? What's on your mind?" she asked, deciding to humor his idea.
TK thought for a moment, "Like a fancy dinner with your parents? Or um…shopping?"
Mimi snorted, "You really think I'd be thinking about shopping at a time like this? Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not that shallow. And no, I don't have any fancy dinner plan. We planned to spend the whole day with the others, remember?"
He grimaced when he did, "Yeah…before I ruined everything."
"Can you stop that?" she sighed, slightly exasperated. "You didn't ruin anything, TK. You got sick, and that's normal. I came with you by my choice, and I never do things I don't want to. Stop being so hard on yourself."
TK almost apologize again, purely out of instinct, but caught himself in time. He figured it would be better if he just stayed silent, lest she annoy her even more and end up making her actually regret helping him.
The elevator dinged when it reached the seventh floor, and he found himself being pulled out of it, before Mimi, once again, looked lost. He took the lead then, being the one to pull her hand now. Once they reached the right door, he knocked on it, knowing his mother was home.
"Takeru?" she looked surprised as she opened the door. "I thought you said you'd be home late."
"I was supposed to…but I'm not feeling well," he replied, letting his face being inspected.
"My poor boy… You do look sick," she cooed, before her eyes darted toward the feminine figure beside him. "Oh, you brought a friend!"
That was when Mimi took her cue, bowing politely, "Hi, Ms. Takaishi. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Mimi Tachikawa."
"What a cute name!" she practically squealed. "It's a pleasure, Mimi. Please, call me Nancy. Would you like to come inside?"
"Oh, that's okay. I'm just dropping TK off," the brunette smiled politely before turning to him, touching his shoulder. "Get better soon, okay? I'll see you at school."
"Thanks for everything, Meems," he offered her his sincerest smile.
She returned it with a pretty smile of her own, which did funny things to his insides. He watched her go with a wave, failing to notice his mother's knowing smile.
"She's very beautiful. Your girlfriend?"
TK chuckled, he could only wish she was. "No, mom. She's a good friend."
"Like Hikari?" When he nodded, she clicked her tongue in disappointment. "You're surrounded by all these pretty girls and you only keep them as friends? Such a shame."
He just gave her a resigned smile and shrugged. But he couldn't help but think of the irony of today's event. Despite getting sick and canceling his original plan, he had the chance to connect with Mimi in a way that he had never before. If being a little sick was the price for that, he guessed he didn't really mind at all.
Three years ago
TK made his way through the throngs of people. It was Mimi's debut in throwing a college party, and he was one of the few high schoolers who were invited. Usually, he would come to a party like this with Matt or one of his friends, but tonight he arrived alone since he had to finish the basketball practice a bit later than usual.
The music echoed throughout the whole place in loud thumps, numerous people had gathered in the center of the room, dancing to the beat. The place was heavily packed with people, but he was having a hard time finding any familiar faces. After a while of slipping between the mass of bodies, he finally reached a makeshift bar on the other side of the room. He smiled in relief upon seeing who was there.
"Mimi, hey!"
The brunette turned away from her conversation with Davis, then beamed, moving to give him a quick hug, "TK! I'm glad you made it! I thought you didn't come."
He happily returned the hug, "Of course I came. Why pass an invitation for free food and booze?"
"Good thinking, BJ," Davis remarked, moving to pat his back as a greeting. "Hey, man."
TK acknowledged his friend before returning his attention to Mimi, raking his eyes from her head to toe, taking in the sight. She looked stunning in her all-black outfit. She sported an oversized band T-Shirt that barely reached her mid-thigh with a gaping wide V-neck, exposing a clear view of her lacy bralette. Her lean legs were covered in fishnet stocking and knee-high suede boots. Her long hair was tied into a high ponytail, and on her neck was a thick diamond choker and two other silver necklaces.
"You look amazing, Meems."
"I know right? I've been trying to tell her that all night but she won't believe me," the maroon haired teen shrugged.
Mimi gave him a look, "That's because I don't know if you're genuinely complimenting me or just trying to smooth talk your way into making me agree to go on a date with you. I can't trust something that came from a guy who checked out five different girls' asses during our conversation alone."
"They looked nice! What's wrong with just looking?"
She snorted, shaking her head, "You're unbelievable. Keep that up and you'll be single until at least fifty."
Davis actually had the audacity to look hurt. "That's harsh. You wound me."
TK chuckled, patting his best friend, "Go find another target, Davis. She's way out of your league."
"I don't care. I'm still not giving up. I'll have you succumbing to my irresistible charms one day. Just watch me," he vowed, finishing his drink and slammed it onto the bar with unnecessary strength. "Now if you excuse me, I have some important things to do."
"Like finding Kari and see if you could have a go with her instead?" Mimi laughed, then pushed lightly at his chest. "Just go. She's probably wondering why you haven't bothered her yet."
After declaring another vow, Davis took off on his quest to find the poor brunette, leaving Mimi and TK on their devices.
"I'm sorry you had to fall victim for that," TK gave her a sympathetic smile.
She waved it off. "I'm used to it. He's not the first one, but definitely the most persistent so far." Mimi rounded the bar table, poured a cup of fruit punch and handed them to TK. "Here you go."
"This is nice," he commented, taking his time to sip his drink. "What is this?"
"It's champagne punch with slices of raspberry and orange. I made it myself," she explained happily, pouring another cup for herself.
"It's really good. You got some serious talent."
"Oh, it's nothing," she waved her hand casually, though he could see from her expression that she took the compliment to heart. "Did you forget I was the one who prepared the drinks in most of Tai's party?"
"Of course not," he chuckled. "Tai always served the best drinks."
"You mean I serve the best drinks," she slapped his arm playfully, before grabbing his wrist. "Come on. The others are in the backyard."
Mimi easily slithered her way through the sea of people while balancing her drink on one hand and dragging TK with the other. His gaze was momentarily glued to her protruding bottom which was barely covered by the shirt, until he forced himself to look away. It should be illegal to wear a dress that short. He surreptitiously wondered whether she was wearing shorts underneath it, then mentally berated himself for thinking such things.
"Hey, guys! TK is here!" she declared loudly, turning heads of most of the occupants within that area.
Tai, who was in the middle of a beer pong match with Matt, Izzy, and several other guests, greeted him loudly in return, asking him to join the game. His brother merely smirked and lifted his drink in a mock salute, while Izzy smiled in acknowledgment. Sora, Kari and Yolei were relaxing by the pool, engaged in a conversation of their own all the while watching the game from distance. They gave a small wave upon seeing him, albeit a little more eagerly in Yolei's case. He could also see Joe standing on the other side of the pool, talking to a girl he didn't recognize.
Mimi gave him a playful push toward the direction of the beer pong table, winked, before joining the other girls. He smirked to himself. He was given the full view of her backside once more and he couldn't help but stare. He didn't let his gaze linger long though, and turned toward the game table. Tai welcomed him with open arms, instantly claiming him into his team. His arrival marked a new game for both teams.
Being a skilled basketball player had its advantages at times like this. He had a better precision and aim than most people, making it look like he was playing effortlessly. So far, he had successfully scored all of the balls into their respective cups. The guys roared in surprise for each time he scored. With the pace he was going, he was sure to bring his team toward victory in no time.
"Michael!"
From the corner of his eyes, TK saw Mimi rose from her seat to approach a newly arrived blonde guy he had never seen before. He was tall, probably on par with Joe, with a lean built, neither skinny nor too muscular. His hairstyle reminded him of Matt, albeit slightly longer and curlier with a different shade of blonde.
"Who is that?" TK wondered aloud, looking at Matt for confirmation.
Glancing at the couple, his brother replied, "That's Michael, Mimi's American friend. You missed the introduction."
The guy placed a peck on her cheek as a greeting, while Mimi kept her hand lingering on his shoulder. They were standing too close to be 'just friends' so he drew his own assumption. Even from distance, TK could see the emotions swirling in his eyes as he looked at Mimi; adoration, lust, longing. His stomach suddenly churned uncomfortably. He was glad that he wasn't able to see the same look on Mimi's face. He didn't know how he could cope with that if he did.
"You mean boyfriend?" he asked again, almost spitting the words.
Matt shrugged, about to deny. But then he looked over again and re-examined them. "That's not what she said to us, but now I'm not sure."
Michael whispered something in her ear, making her eyes widen and smile stretch, and she whispered something in return. He seemed satisfied with her answer, smiling as he took her hand in his, and together they walked back inside.
TK was itching to follow them, but held himself back. What was the point? He had no right to claim Mimi like that. She wasn't a mere property to fight over. Mimi must have chosen him for a reason. Who knows, maybe that Michael guy could make her happier than he ever could, and the last thing he wanted was to stand in the way of her happiness.
Bitterly, he turned his attention back to the game, trying not to think of how lucky Michael was.
One year ago
It was a typical Saturday night for TK. He had the apartment all for himself since Matt was out on a date with Sora. He could have asked for Davis or Ken to come over, but he wasn't in the mood to meet anyone right now, so he chose to spend the night by himself, watching a livestream basketball game on the TV.
He made a quick run to the store to stock his drinks and snacks in preparation for the big match. Stopping by rows and rows of aisles, he grabbed everything he needed and headed to the cashier, where he met a familiar figure.
"Mimi?"
The brunette turned, then her eyes lit up in recognition, "Oh, hey TK."
The greeting lacked her usual cheerfulness, her expression seemed to emanate gloom instead of brightness, her shoulders were sagged despite being the most confident person he knew. Everything about her was off tonight. It disturbed him to see her like this.
"What are you doing here?"
She lifted two frozen containers with a small smile, "Ice cream. It's a perfect night for one of those."
He raised an eyebrow, "Your apartment isn't exactly close to here. You came here all the way just for an ice cream that could easily be found anywhere?"
Mimi let out a hollow laugh, "No. I was supposed to watch a movie and have a dinner with Michael, but he canceled on the last minute. I'd thought of watching the movie alone, but it just… feels sad, you know? So I decided to grab some ice cream and just go home." She paused to look around. "I didn't realize I was coming to your block."
Now that he fully looked at her, she was well dressed for the occasion as well, with a form fitting midi dress and a loose denim jacket. On her feet was a pair of white sneakers. She looked gorgeous and ready for a night out, and TK felt like punching Michael square in the face.
"Michael doesn't know what he's missing," he said seriously, taking the ice cream from her hands and put them together with his purchase on the cashier. "You don't have to spend the night alone. Matt's out with Sora so I'm pretty much alone as well. I'll gladly be your company for the night, and we can take this upstairs to my place."
The brunette tipped her head to the side and hummed, "That actually sounds nice. But I'm going to need something stronger to drink."
He saw her gaze directed toward his canned soda, then chuckled, "Don't worry. I'm pretty sure we still got some whisky up there."
"Oh, perfect. Lead the way then."
The walk to his apartment was mostly filled with silence. Mimi didn't offer many small talks, and it was the first time in all the years he had known her that he saw her like this. It only made him more determined to cheer her up with everything he could tonight.
"Welcome to my humble abode," he swung his arm around as he let them in.
Mimi let her gaze wander around, the corner of her lips twitched slightly. "Looks like I didn't give you guys enough credits. This place looks a lot cleaner and tidier than how I imagined it to be."
"Why is everyone keeps saying that?" he looked around his apartment in confusion. "I thought it looked normal."
"Have you seen Tai's place? That's how a man's lair supposed to look like."
"Oh," he said, clearly remembering the state of his friend's apartment. While he didn't mind a messy room, Tai's place looked like someone had gone nuts and decided to wreak havoc there. Neither he nor his brother could stand staying too long in there, or any of their friends really.
"I would've almost believed if you told me this was Sora's or Kari's place."
"What gave it away?"
Scrunching up her nose at the his and Matt's choice of interior—everything black, blue and green—she replied, "It reeks testosterone."
TK laughed, "That bad?"
"Only figuratively. This place just screams 'men's lair'," Mimi said, shrugging off her jacket and dropped it onto the couch. He blushed when he realized just how form-fitting her dress actually was without it, complimenting her hourglass figure nicely.
Unaware of the impact she was leaving on the blonde, she entered the kitchen to put her ice cream in the fridge. Remembering her other quest, she rummaged casually through his cupboards. "So I heard you got a bottle or two whisky around here…"
Looking over, he pointed, "It's in the one on your right."
"Bingo," she said, taking out the bottle along with two glasses. She placed them on the coffee table, poured the whisky for both of them, and plopped down onto the sofa.
"What are we watching tonight?" she asked as TK was busy setting up his laptop to connect to the TV.
"There's this big basketball match that I really want to watch. My favorite team is playing tonight." He sat down next to her and flashed her a boyish grin. "I hope you don't mind."
Mimi waved her hand casually. "I'm down for anything really. I'm just crashing after all."
Grinning again, TK pressed the play button and the match started. Basketball had always been his favorite thing, so it was easy to lose himself in the euphoria, making him forget where he was and who he was with at the moment. But Mimi had been surprisingly quiet and attentive, he noticed as he stole a glance in her direction. She was munching on the snacks he had bought, eyes glued to the screen and seemingly following the game with rapt attention.
"What's happening?" she asked suddenly, and TK just realized that he actually missed a small portion of the game while he was busy watching her.
He turned back to the screen to see the game had come to a halt and one of the players from his favored team was on the ground with the referees hovering above him.
"Shit," he swore, recognizing the fallen guy as the man he idolized. "It's a foul. The enemy was roughhousing him, which was unnecessary and a breach of the rules."
"That's not the team you're supporting right?" she asked, and he snorted a 'no'. "Well fuck them. They're just scared and insecure because they couldn't catch up with the score. We're definitely winning this."
TK shook his head. "Too early to tell. It's not uncommon for the current losing team to make a huge comeback in the second half and end up winning the match. I've seen it many times."
Mimi looked at him skeptically, then at the scoreboard. "But they're so far behind…"
"There's still like thirty minutes left. Anything is possible."
The brunette blew a breath. "This is intense."
"I'm surprised it doesn't bore you."
"It's actually pretty fun if you really put your mind to it," she shrugged, opening a chocolate she found on the table. "I'm hungry."
"I'll order a pizza. What do you want?" TK asked, instantly reaching for his phone and dialed the number he memorized too well.
Humming, she took a second to contemplate, before finally deciding, "I want tuna."
TK nodded and relayed the demand over the phone, adding his order as well. It took him three minutes to put in their order and listened as the staff repeated everything, before he ended the conversation and put his phone down. He glanced at his companion once again. She was sipping on her whisky now, but looked over when she felt his gaze on her.
"What?" she asked, her mouth curled in a tiny smile.
Mimi might not be fully back to her usual self, but he was glad to see that she seemed in a much better state than she was when he first found her. It made him happy to think that he played a part in that.
"Michael is an ungrateful bastard."
Mimi looked taken aback, her smile dropped in an instant. She looked down to her lap and said slowly, "It's not the first time he did that."
The blonde blinked. It took him a second to realize that he had said that out loud instead of the classic 'nothing' reply.
"He's done that more times than I'd like to admit," she continued, inspecting her nude painted nails. "It just happened more frequently these days. He always seems so busy. But I don't know what kind of busy, if you get my drift."
TK's eyes widened. "Are you suspecting something?"
"Just a hunch," she shrugged, but her voice had gone noticeably quieter. "I heard many stories and watch enough chick flicks to be able to notice the red flags. I just don't want to believe it because I still have no proof."
"Fuck that," TK snapped, surprising her. But he was way too angry to stop himself. "Even if he's not cheating, he still acts like bastard and you don't deserve that. You don't have to keep giving him a chance just to prove that he's an asshole, because guess what? He's already one now. You can do way better than him, Mimi. Don't be afraid to walk away."
It took her a few seconds to recover from her surprise. And when she did, she looked away and muttered, "I know."
It wasn't the answer he expected and it was his turned to look surprised. "Then why?"
"It might sound silly," she started, chuckling mirthlessly. "But I'm scared of being alone. I haven't been really alone for the past two years, and it scares me to think that once I end this, I'll end up faltering and losing my balance because I no longer have anyone to hold on to. Sometimes it kept me up at night. I've thought about calling it quits more times than you think, but those thoughts always stopped me."
Something painfully sharp tore at his heart when she looked at him with those tearful brown eyes. There was a slight quiver in her voice when she uttered her next words, "I'm not as strong as you think, TK."
His first instinct was to hug her, rubbing his hand up and down her backside, while she sobbed silently against his shoulder. He murmured soothing words in her ears, 'you're going to be fine', 'don't be scared', 'it's going to be alright I promise' and kept stroking her with a tenderness he reserved only for the girl he adored since he was eight. It had been years, but he would always have a soft spot for her. He cared about her too much to let anything happen to her, especially seeing that her happiness was ripped away from her, held down by a jerk he had never trusted since the first time he saw him leaving the party with her years ago.
"I still love him," Mimi whispered slowly, sniffing into his shirt.
The confession brought a painful twist to his heart, and his chest grew uncomfortably hot from the jealousy that should never be there in the first place. It took all of his will and control to utter a simple reply, "I know."
They stayed like that for a few more minutes, until the sound of doorbell brought them back to reality. He placed a kiss on the side of her head before standing up to answer it. He made the transaction with the pizza guy quick, not wanting to leave her for too long, but he came back to find that Mimi had gathered her composure enough to put on her jacket again, looking ready to leave.
"You're leaving?" he asked in dismay. The weight of two pizza boxes suddenly felt uncharacteristically heavy in his hands.
"I'm sorry, TK. I think I need some time for myself," she smiled apologetically while putting on her shoes.
"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, slightly panicked. "I'm really sorry, Mimi. I didn't think things through. I shouldn't have said anything."
She shook her head slowly as she walked toward the front door. "It's not, really. You've been a great company. You just made me realize that I have some things I need to take care of first."
TK dumped the pizza boxes onto the sofa and approached her before she left. "Do you want me to walk you home?"
"It's alright, TK. I can manage." She flashed him a brief smile and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for tonight. And everything."
Those parting words sounded way too serious and sat uncomfortably heavy in his heart, he thought as he watched her left without looking back. He only learned the reason why five days later, when he received a shocking and painful text message from her, saying that she's moving to New York.
And they didn't talk for a whole year after that.