My fingers were itching, and I couldn't hold my chopsticks right. I was getting annoyed already, because I couldn't even do a simple thing like eating correctly. My eyes crossed to the other side of the table, where my sister was eating.
"Where is Pirika?" I asked at last.
She looked up, eyes puzzled. "You don't know where your future wife went?"
"When I ask a question, I expect an answer, onee-san," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Ah, fine." She shrugged. "She's by the river, if I'm not mistaken. She always stays there back when she was fourteen."
I could have said, "I knew that!" because I often see her there too, but decided I shouldn't. I had enough of my sister's teasings to last me a couple of lifetimes. She had always believed that I looked for Pirika because she had been the idea of a wife I had conjured even when I was just fifteen years old. She didn't believe me when I said I ran out of options for a bride so I fetched Pirika.
"Didn't you tell her that she should eat with us at mealtimes?" I asked.
"I did that, but maybe she lost track of time," said my sister. "And maybe, you better go there and see her yourself. No matter how much you ask me, I can never answer satisfactorily because I am not Pirika,"
"I know that!" I barked at last. "I'm not stupid!"
"Yes, I know," she said, smiling patronizingly.
This was one of the times I wished my sister would marry already so she would stop paying attention to my life too much.
She took a picnic basket and started to place food in there. "Here, Ren. Bring her this so she can eat there."
"Go ask Pailong to do it," I said, picking up my weapon. I wanted to get started on my training again.
"You're here, so why else would I ask for my kyoshin? Besides, Pirika would appreciate it more if you are the one to bring this to her, you know." She thrusted the basket into my hands. "Here."
True enough, I found Pirika by the river, kneeling by it. She was…doing the laundry?!
She looked up when she heard footsteps. Her face lit up. "Ren-kun!"
I suppressed a smile- something that I found hard to do because her smile always solicits an automatic response within me. "Why didn't you eat with us awhile ago?"
Her smile vanished. "G-Gomen nasai. I lost track of time."
"Later at dinnertime, you must be in the dining room at seven," I instructed.
She nodded.
My eyes went on the basin and the clothes. "Why are you not using the washing machine?"
She shrugged. "Your clothes cleaning instructions say that they must be hand washed."
"These are my clothes?!!" I yelped. I noticed my black briefs and knew that these clothes were mine. I fought the colors threatening to rise on my face. "But…"
"Wives wash clothes for their husbands. Why would I be any different?" There was no trace of malice in her eyes, that I told myself I should be similar. It meant nothing to her that she was washing my undergarments, so why should I be so concerned?
She then noticed the picnic basket. "You're going on a picnic, Ren-kun?"
My eyes followed her gaze. "N-No," I admitted. "This is for you. You didn't eat so…"
Faint blush tinted her cheeks. "Y-You shouldn't have."
"I did, so eat it," I snapped. I knelt down and opened the basket. I took out the picnic blanket and spread it on the space beside her. I began to lay down the food my sister packed.
She quickly washed the soap from her hands and joined me on the picnic blanket. "Arigatou, Ren-kun."
The corners of my mouth twitched. As the days passed, she was starting to say my name without stammering.
She bit on her sandwich as I absentmindedly poured juice for her in the glass. I paused when I felt her stunned gaze. I was just handing the glass of orange juice at her.
"F-For me?" she asked at last.
It hit me only now why she was so puzzled. Why was I serving her anyway? I hid my embarrassment in a bark. "Of course! It's just the two of us here!"
Her cerulean eyes danced. "A-Arigatou…"
"First, gomen nasai. Now, arigatou," I said, sighing exasperatedly.
"But I am thankful," she protested.
"Right, right, just continue eating." My eyes went to her wrinkled skin on the hand. "There are maids that will wash my clothes. If you are concerned about the hand wash instructions, I'm sure my sister could instruct the, You don't have to do this."
She looked up and smiled. "But I want to do this."
I frowned. "But your hands…"
"Oh, these?" She held her hands up that she used in washing my clothes. "This will disappear when my hands become dry."
"Why do you want doing things for me?" I asked, puzzled.
"Serving you makes me happy," she said simply.
I handed her another sandwich. "Eat this."
She shook her head. "No, thank you. I am quite full. I'll save it for later."
"That rabbit meal satisfied you?" I asked.
"Uh-huh." She started to clear the plates when I stopped her.
"I'll do it," I said.
She blinked. "E-Er, if you say so." She went back to her laundry. I, on the other hand, finished packing the basket. I decided to postpone my training for a few more minutes. I lied down on the grass, looking at the sky. We were silent for a moment, engrossed in our own activities.
"Pirika?"
"Hmm?"
"You still haven't answered my question yet. Why did you leave the mansion without telling me?" I asked.
I heard her sigh. "Was it necessary?" she asked after awhile.
"Hell, of course it was!" I said, though I didn't elaborate. I myself didn't know the exact reason why it was necessary.
"I didn't think you would care," she confessed. "I mean, we're just a couple of freeloaders in your home."
"You still owe it to tell me your whereabouts. You are my responsibility…" I paused. "You and your brother."
"I'm sorry."
"Alright," I said. I was about to shut my eyes when I heard a splashing sound. I opened one eye and saw Pirika wading in the water, reaching for my black underwear. I shut my eyes embarrassedly. "No big deal," I tried to tell my burning self. "She is my future wife, pretend future wife, but future wife still."
Suddenly, I heard her scream. That was when I felt my heart jump up and fall down at the same time. "Pirika!!!" I yelled, jumping up.
She was being carried by the fast currents of the river! Her head bobbed up and down the waters, screaming for help.
Without thinking twice, I jumped into the water and swam towards her. I raced with the currents as I tried to reach for her. "Hang on, I'm coming!!!"
Within seconds, I reached her shoulders. I yanked her towards me, but we submerged under the water. I opened my eyes under the surface and realized that the riverfloor had disappeared. I had no idea that we had come this far in the river. The water was safe in our spot awhile ago, but this part…it was going to lead us to one of the big rivers in our country!
I pulled Pirika up with me to make her breathe, and fortunately, we found a drifting piece of wood. I swam towards it, pulling her along with me. Now we were afloat.
"Pirika? Pirika?" I hissed, shaking her roughly. "Wake up, damn you! Don't frighten me!" My eyes scanned the surroundings and sighed in relief when I saw that we were going to pass a part of the river close to the land. I tensed my muscles and hugged her tightly. I timed my moves, and at the second we passed the ground, I let go of the wood and swam towards the grass, ignoring the currents. Fortunately, we made it back on dry land.
But I didn't relax. My eyes went to Pirika, who was still unconscious. "Pirika, Pirika, wake up, please!" I begged. My hands trembled. "Come on, you idiot. Open your eyes…" I pumped on her chest frantically, then pinched her nose. I bent down to give her a CPR, but in the last minute, she coughed out water. I sighed audibly in overwhelming relief.
She opened her eyes weakly. "Ren-kun…"
"Damn you, that was hell frightening!" I hissed, but she wasn't frightened, for the first time. Maybe because I could feel no real anger within me, just relief…and gratitude…that we both made it out alive.
Mostly, because she was alive.
Oh hell, what was I thinking?
Her hand reached for the inside of her blouse and pulled out something. "I…here…I saved it," she said, voice wobbly.
She was holding out my black briefs, with the white name, Ren embroidered into it, no doubt by my sister.
I took it, laughing. "You risked your life for this, you idiot?"
"I love you," she whispered, and it cued for everything around us to stop.
I couldn't move, I couldn't speak. All I could do was just stare at her in shock.
And she fainted in my arms.
tsuzuku