Chapter Eight: The Confrontation
Akiko should be there by now, Kamil thought as he put on his purple blazer, straightening up. He was planning on surprising Akiko at the trade depot with his early arrival, and he was also hoping to convince her to go on another date with him. This morning seemed like the perfect time to ask. Every time he was with her, he felt like walking on air. He knew she didn't exactly feel that way about him, but he was determined to get her there.
Walking quietly out of his room, he headed down the stairs, feeling like a million bucks. There was nothing that could erase the large grin on his face. As he turned the door knob of the entrance to the inn, he heard a small voice call to him from the front desk.
"Kamil, wait!" Lillie called out desperately, afraid she'd miss him out the door. Kamil's smile failed to disappear, despite the hasty tone.
"Lillie!" his happiness just kept growing. "What can I do for you this morning.
"I- I need to talk to you," she muttered as she approached him. The guilt she felt from the previous day's conversation was overbearing. She liked to gossip, but she didn't enjoy hurting other people, especially her friends, like Akiko.
Kamil closed the door, now feeling slightly concerned. "What is it, Lillie?" he asked.
"It's about Akiko," she started, looking ashamed of herself.
Most of the vendors at the depot were having major sales on their merchandise, attracting many customers. It was almost as busy as the beginning of a new season. Almost every trading country was there with crowded booths.
Raeger spotted Akiko at the Silk Country booth, inspecting some of the trinkets on display. Creeping up on her from behind, he wrapped his arms around her waist, startling her.
"Surprise," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath melting her cold skin, sending chills down her spine. Instead of struggling, she welcomed his embrace, placing her hand on top his which rested on her stomach.
"Hey, you," she replied softly, setting down the item she was inspecting. "Why'd you want to meet me here?"
"I adore spending time with you, so I thought we could squeeze in some time before I opened up."
"Oh, really? Why do you 'adore' my company so much?"
"There are many reasons, but mostly because you put me in a good mood, so I wanted to start my day with you."
"I thought it was because you took pleasure in teasing me."
"There's that, too. I can't help myself. I just love seeing your cute face turn red. By the way, you look ravishing today."
"No more than usual," she replied modestly, she never tried to 'doll up' for any reason. "I always look like this."
"I know, but you're always beautiful to me," he commented, letting her go so she could face him. He smiled at her face and stroked her cold, red cheeks with the back of his fingers, still slightly warm from only being outside for a few moments.
Akiko blushed, pressing his hand between her face and her hand; she loved his warmth.
"Well, I'm done looking over here," she said, letting go of his hand, "did you want to come to the Sakura booth with me?"
"I'll meet you over there," he responded, eying some of the goods Silk Country had out, "I want to look at some of their spices for a moment."
"Don't keep me waiting," she winked at him teasingly as she turned to make her way toward the Sakura booth, located on the opposite side of the depot. She was starting to enjoy teasing him flirtatiously; watching him blush made her ticklish inside.
The spark the two had was growing bigger and bigger each day they saw one another. Even though they hadn't been on an actual date yet, their actions were proof enough of their comfort with each other. It was only a matter of time before one would ask the other on a date.
Akiko was just about to approach the Sakura booth when she suddenly felt a tight pressure around her wrist. She quickly turned around to see why Raeger would grip onto her so tightly only to find it was Kamil.
"Kamil!" she gasped, completely shocked.
"We need to talk," he muttered crossly. Before she could protest, he started pulling her by the wrist he currently had in his grasp, making his way for the exit.
"Wait!" she shouted, trying to pull away. "Kamil, stop!" Reaching the stone step just outside of the trade depot, she was finally able to pull her arm away from him. Her face was red with embarrassment.
"Sorry," he started, his face still cross, "I couldn't talk to you in that crowd."
"Well, you didn't have to pull me out that way," she retaliated, "like a child!"
"My apologies," he responded, "but I just- I need to know right now. Are you dating Raeger?"
Akiko's anger disappeard; she was caught off guard. She was so shocked about his rash behavior, she had completely forgot that she needed to speak with him about Raeger.
"Where did you hear that?" she asked sternly, still unforgiving about his behavior.
"Lillie told me everything this morning. She mentioned that you two have been seen together quite a bit lately, holding hands, no less. Is it true?"
She didn't really know how to respond. Biting her bottom lip, she struggled to know where to begin. There was so much to tell him and all of this was being thrown at her so fast.
"Well?" Kamil was getting frustrated. He wanted answers.
"It's partially true," Akiko mumbled, "we're not dating, but we do have deep feelings for each other."
"Since when?"
"For a long time now, but-"
"Then why did you even go on a date with me if you had feelings for somebody else?"
"I wasn't sure about how I felt. I was in denial for so long, and then, one day, he came up to see me while I was working in the field-"
"He's been to your farm?!" This made Kamil especially angry. Not many people had been up to her farm and he wanted to be in the exclusive few that had.
"Okay," he sighed as he brought his hand up to his forehead, "Is there anything else?"
"Well," Akiko was a little nervous as she gulped, knowing she had to tell him everything, "We were going fishing together for a bit, and he's been going with me to the trade depot lately."
New ideas began to rush into his imagination, making his frustrated expression worse. Akiko was starting to get anxious. She never expected him to react this way; it wasn't his nature.
"I think I know what's going on," Kamil stated with a sarcastic smirk on his face.
"Kamil, please understand," she pleaded, "Raeger and I, we're not dating yet, but-"
"I never knew you were like this. I thought you were better than this."
"What are you talking about?"
"C'mon," Kamil huffed, "You two are not dating, he goes up to your farm alone, you go 'fishing' with him, probably in remote places. Sounds like clever allibis."
"Kamil, what are you trying to say?"
"I'm sure you've heard of the phrase 'why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free'?"
"EXCUSE ME?!" Akiko's face turned red with anger.
Back the depot, Raeger finished with his browsing and headed towards the Sakura booth, only to find that Akiko was nowhere to be found. He wandered around the trade depot, weaving in and out of crowds in search of her.
Where could she have run off to? he thought with growing concern.
Moments later, he spotted Jonas, handing out flyers to people passing by, advertising the sales. Perhaps he had seen her.
"Jonas, have you seen Akiko?" Raeger asked, denying a flyer Jonas tried to hand him.
"Oh, yes," he answered with a worried expression, "Kamil just coerced her out a few minutes ago. He didn't look too happy."
Kamil?! That can't be good.
As he drew closer to the stone steps, he could see Kamil and Akiko facing each other. Kamil had an irritated expression as he talked down to Akiko, who had her fists clenched at her sides, her face beat red.
Kamil noticed Raeger as he came up from behind Akiko.
"Well, look who it is," Kamil pointed out, also causing Akiko to take notice.
"This is between you and me, Kamil," Akiko bickered. Raeger said nothing, he didn't want to intervene. He knew his presence wouldn't make things any better, but he didn't want to leave her there, in case she needed him for any reason.
"Oh, right, because he has absolutely nothing to do with this."
"You're not even giving me a chance to explain things!"
"What is all this ruckus?!" Klaus announced, making his way down the stone steps, looking annoyed. He stepped in between the two bickering hot heads and getting pushed them apart.
"The entire town can hear you two," he exaggerated, "this is not the place for a conversation like this." Akiko agreed.
"Well, I was hoping to have this conversation in a more private area," Akiko stated, continuing to face Kamil, "but this jerk just had to drag me out of the depot, embarrassing me in front of everyone!"
"Oh, please!" Kamil retorted. "I bet you were never going to tell me anything. You probably like to have your options open."
Klaus completely stepped in between the two, facing Kamil, extremely displeased with his comment.
"That is no way to speak to a lady," he said in an intimidating tone. He looked back at Akiko, then to Raeger who just nodded. Klaus returned his nod.
"I'm going to take the lady with me for now," Klaus decided, "this conversation is too heated to continue like this."
Without giving Kamil a chance to voice his opinion on the decision, Klaus carefully hovered his arm over Akiko's shoulder, guiding her up the steps. She wasn't sure what was happening and why, but she complied. When they were out of earshot, Raeger approached Kamil, hoping to approach the tender subject at a different angle.
"I know it's probably not my place to say anything," Raeger informed, "but I think you should give her some space before-"
"I think you need to back off," Kamil interrupted belligerently.
"Excuse me?" Raeger decided that being polite wasn't going to get him anywhere.
"You know how long I've been trying just to get on a date with her? I been going as slow as possible, and I finally thought I was making progress, then you just suddenly decide that you want her instead. Is that how you like to play? You just steal girls from other men?"
"I have more respect than that, Kamil, and she was never yours to begin with."
"So, you're saying this isn't your fault."
"Stop acting so childish."
"Look, just stay away from her."
"It's not up to you who Akiko wants to be with. You're not her boyfriend, so you need to stop acting like it."
With that, Raeger headed back to his restaurant; it was almost time to open and he had no desire to pursue the one-sided conversation. Kamil, just stood there, bewildered, then realized how foolish he acted. He let his emotions and frustration get the better of him. He plopped himself down on the cold steps, ashamed of himself.
Klaus escorted the flustered Akiko through town, making their way back to his home. On the way, they ran into Licorice and Fritz as they came out of the carpenter's shop. Licorice noticed Akiko walking with Klaus, her head pointed towards the ground. She instantly knew something was wrong, so she pardoned herself from Fritz and ran to her side.
"Akiko!" she exclaimed. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"Let's wait until we're in a more appropriate environment," Klaus requested.
He chivalrously opened the door for the ladies, allowing them to enter his home before him. Akiko sat at the table with her arms folded, burying her face in them on the tabletop. Licorice took a seat next to her, rubbing her back. She looked up at Klaus for guidance.
"There was an unpleasant meeting this morning," he implied quietly. Licorice knew what he meant, looking back down at Akiko, who lifted her head back up from her arms. Thinking she was about to start crying, Licorice used a calming tone to speak to her.
"I'm guessing you ran into Kamil," she whispered.
"Something like that," Akiko replied, leaning her back against the chair. She went on explaining to her friend what happened after he had dragged her out of the depot. The calming aroma which filled the house relaxed her, making it easier to explain everything without getting upset. Klaus presented them with two hot cups of tea, then excused himself to the other room, giving the girls their privacy.
"Wow, what a jerk," Licorice commented after hearing the story, "still, I'm sorry it had to turn out that way."
"I just wish he gave me a chance to explain before jumping to all these insane conclusions," Akiko sighed.
"Maybe, after he's calmed down, he'll be more reasonable."
"I hope so."
KNOCK KNOCK.
Klaus re-entered from the other room to answer his door. He opened the door just wide enough for him to see the visitor, but not enough for the visitor to see the girls sitting at the table.
"Akiko," he called, turning his head back towards her, allowing her to see that it was Kamil. Before he could say anything else, she took a deep breath as she made her way towards the door.
"Thank you, Klaus," she said before turning her attention to Kamil. "How did you know I was here?"
"Call it a good guess," Kamil responded, much calmer now. "Can we talk?"
"I don't know, are you going to let me talk?"
"Yes, I'll just listen."
Akiko carefully closed the door behind her, then leaned against it, not wanting to leave. Finally getting her chance to explain everything to Kamil, she started from the beginning, when she first met Raeger. They started out as just friends, but everything changed on the night he got sick, when the she first felt the spark. Ever since then, she had been denying her feelings, not knowing what real love was. Going further into detail, she explained his visits to the farm, the fishing trips, and the meet ups at the trade depot.
"I see," Kamil sighed once she had finished. "So, you felt no connection with me, then?"
"I'm sorry," Akiko replied, "At first, I really did try to find one between you and me, but I just couldn't."
"But what can Raeger give you that I can't?"
"I- I can't exactly answer that. Something about him just pulls me to him."
Kamil lowered his head, looking at the flowers that were planted at the foundation of the building. Akiko apologized, feeling guilty about unintentionally leading him on. She was hoping they could just stay friends, but him constantly bringing up dating in their everyday conversations was beginning to weigh her down.
"I- I understand," Kamil murmured. "It might be best if we- if we gave each other some space for a while."
"That would be best," Akiko agreed, "maybe, after some time, we could be friends?"
"I'm sure that's possible," Kamil mustered a small smile. With that said, he turned back to head back to his room at the inn, wishing her the best with Raeger.
She went back into Klaus's house to find Licorice pouring herself more hot water. Assuming she could hear the conversation, since it took place just right outside the door, she didn't feel the need to fill her in on any details. Retaking her place at the table, she took a sip of her now cold tea, cringing at the flavor.
"Did you two resolve anything?" Licorice asked as she sat back down next to her.
"Yes," Akiko replied with a relieving sigh, "I think we did."
"So, then what are you still doing here?"
"Huh?"
"What about Raeger?"
"Oh! I almost forgot!"
She said a quick goodbye to Klaus in the other room, thanking him for his hospitality. He nodded with a smile as she burst out the door. Her legs felt weightless, almost like wings. The urge to run was unavoidable. She felt free, free from sparing other's feelings. For once, she only had to worry about what she felt and what she wanted. In no time, she was at the restaurant, panting heavily. She looked at the clock on the wall the moment she entered; dinner rush was about to start. The room was filled with people from the trade depot, filling the room with a loud roar.
Not knowing where to place herself with most of the tables being full, she looked around for Raeger, who was most likely cooking. She didn't want to disturb him, so she waited at the front desk. Then, he came out from the back, wiping his hands on his red apron.
"Welcome," he greeted cheerfully, not noticing it was Akiko at first, "Table for- oh! Akiko!"
She shrugged, beaming at him, not able to hold in her happiness. As her amethyst-like eyes gazed at him, he smiled back at her.
"Raeger, I-" she was at a loss for words, "I know you're busy- I mean, I wanted to talk to you, but-"
"Yes, Akiko?" he interrupted, winking at her.
She sighed heavily, trying to contain her excitement, "What I mean to say is, would you like any help tonight? With the dinner rush?"
"Well," Raeger pondered, taking a look back over the crowd of customers, "I wouldn't mind some help with dishes."
"Consider it done!" she declared. She made a quick trip upstairs to his room to remove her jacket and scarf, grabbing an apron before she made her way back down. Making a bee-line for the kitchen, she got right to work. With her help, Raeger was able to pay more attention to his cooking and get orders out faster. Every once in a while, he would take a glance at her and chuckle at her serious expressions, staying focused on the task at hand. Her assistance made the rush much easier to deal with than it would've been solo.
Akiko helped him clean after all the customers left, satisfied. Raeger was able to turn the 'Open' card over to 'Close' much earlier than normal. She teased him, saying that it was bad business, but all he did was shrug, claiming that, as the owner, he could decide whether to close early or not.
"Whew! Finally done!" she sighed, collapsing against the counter, never realizing how much he had to do everyday.
"Thanks for your help tonight," he praised as he untied his apron from behind his waist.
"I figured if you had help, you'd get done faster. You should hire some help, there's too much to do for one man."
"I usually don't mind it. It keeps me busy. It's not like I have much else to do."
"Well, you might, soon."
He turned his head towards her, catching her blushing as she stared at the clean floor.
"Meaning, what?" he asked, taunting her. He had a clue what she meant, but pretend to be in the dark.
"Meaning, that, maybe I want you to spend more time with me," she confessed, then looking away to hide her blushing cheeks. Despite their closeness, she was still shy at times.
"Oh? Well, will it be soon?"
"Probably, why?"
"Well, you see, I have this date..."
Akiko's heart sank. She couldn't believe what she just heard. He's joking, right?! she thought.
"Oh, you do?" she mumbled, failing to hide her disappointment, but trying to be supportive, considering they weren't really dating. "Sounds, er, exciting. When?"
"I'm hoping to shoot for Wednesday night, you know, because it's my day off."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
"The thing is, I haven't asked her yet."
Akiko gave him a confusing look, wondering if she heard him right. He approached her and took her hands in his, grinning ear to ear.
"Akiko, would you like to go on a date with me Wednesday?" he asked, blushing slightly.
"Why do you have to tease me like that?" she exasperated as he chuckled at her reaction.
"Well?"
"Of course I will, but you have to stop teasing me like that!"
"Sounds like date." He pulled her in close, gently kissing her cheek as her heart skipped.
