*Knock Knock*
A loud knocking pulled me rudely from my slumber and I opened my eyes, blinking at the sudden brightness.
Was it the landlord again? Didn't I pay my rent a few weeks ago? I thought to myself hazily, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. I looked around and remembered that I was sleeping in Akira's guestroom.
I climbed out of the bed and hurriedly open the door before the person who was knocking on it banged it down.
Akira hand stopped mid air as he saw me staring up at him and his handsome face broke out in a big smile.
"Good morning!" He called out cheerfully. In my opinion, too early to be so cheerful. "No, wait.good afternoon!" he corrected himself quickly.
"What time is it?" I asked grumpily.
"1:30"
"1:30!!! I'm so dead! I need to work!" I exclaimed, almost panicking myself to death.
Akira put a hand on my shoulders to calm me down. "Tsukushi.I've already applied leave for you." He told me and I almost fainted.
"YOU WHAT!?!" I screamed. Images of Ms.Akio sinister laugh came flying in my mind as she prepared to fire me. Me lugging my small luggage onto the streets when I had no place to live..
"Tsukushi!!!" Akira called my name and I wanted to wipe that smile off his face. He was the reason why I was going to loose my only job!
"Mimasaka Akira.I'm going to kill you."I told him through gritted teeth and saw his eyes widened as he recognized my angry look and started to run.
"Tsukushi! I was just trying to help!!!" He shouted as I chased after him. "You needed your rest!"
"Arggghhh!!!" I screamed in frustration. Who was I kidding? I will never catch him. Compare his legs and mine and I'll definitely loose by a long shot. But the weed spirit in me refuses to give up and I started to speed up only to bump into something or someone.
"OW!" I cried out, falling to the floor.
A strong arm helped pull me up to my feet while I rubbed my arms painfully. I looked up to see who had helped me up and saw Rui looking at me with what I think was amusement sparkling in his eyes.
Standing next to him was Soujiro, grinning at me and of course, behind him was Akira who was trying to use his friend as his shield.
Totally forgetting about the others, I glared at Akira. "How could you make such decision for me!" I screamed at him and he winced. "I could get fired! Where would I find money to pay my rent? Would you be happy if you see me wondering the streets without a roof over my head?!"
"Tsukushi.you know we wouldn't let that happen to you."Soujiro said calmly trying to help smooth the situation out but one glare at him shut him up instantly.
"Come on, let's go get you washed up and head out for lunch." Rui took my arm and dragged me up the stairs before I could say anything. Maybe it was for the best as I could take some time to blow off some steam in the bath.
I opened my door and sat moodily on my bed while Rui silently walked over and sat next to me.
"Tsukushi, I got something to tell you." He suddenly said, breaking the silence. I looked up at him and saw something in his eyes which I knew I wouldn't like. The seriousness of his tone also sent shivers down my spine.
"Last night, Tsukasa."Rui started to say, but for once, I saw him lost for words.
"What is it Rui? You're scaring me.." I told him softly. The only time I saw him like this was when Tsukasa was laying on the hospital. " Is Tsukasa alright?" I asked him, panicking slightly.
"No.he's fine."he quickly told me and my heartbeat return to his normal rate.
"Then?" I asked him expectantly.
"Well.last night, Tsukasa was introduced to Okawahara Shigeru."
"Okawahara."that name sounded familiar. "They practically own the oil industry right?" I remembered reading it on the newspapers somewhere.
Rui nodded. "Yes. Shigeru is the daughter and heir to the Okawahara's and is now the fiancé of Tsukasa." he said slowly and suddenly, I felt as if the rug had been pulled under my feet as the reality of his words sank in slowly.
"Fiance..?" I repeated softly, turning pale. "I thought it was best you knew now then later."
I stood up and tried to give him a shaky smile. "That's good for Tsukasa! I should congratulate him.finally a girl is willing to marry that pineapple head." I exclaimed clapping my hands together.
Rui continued to watch me and I knew he didn't believe a single thing about the front I put on, but kept quiet about it. He knew me too well but I needed to pretend. To lie to myself that I was alright. My mind told me that I should let Tsukasa go and my heart also know that. But why did it still hurt to hear him engaged to someone else?
"Tsukushi."Rui reached out to take my hand and I quickly turn and ran to the bathroom.
"I'll take a quick shower and be out in 5 minutes." I slammed the bathroom door shut behind me and leaned against it. Tears started to flow down easily as I slid down to the floor. The reality of letting Tsukasa was sinking in, and it was sinking in hard and painful.
I don't know how long I sat there on the floor crying, but when I was done, I did feel slightly better. I'm sure I took more than 5 minutes and took a quick shower. When I open the bathroom door, I half expected to see the room empty, but Rui sat on the wing chair, staring out the window at the sky.
"Sometimes, crying will make you feel better Tsukushi.you're human too.let the feelings you've bottled up inside out."He said, his back facing me.
I walked up to him and as if he sensed me, he turned to face me. Without saying a word, I fell into his open arms and started to sob. He stroked my back gently and I suddenly felt thankful to have him by my side. To have him as my rock.
"You're so skinny."Rui commented after my sobbing subsided. I pulled away from him and gave him a small smile. "Let's go eat, I'm sure Akira and Soujiro must be wondering where are we." he said and I nodded.
When we walk down the stairs, Akira had a frown on his forehead and I knew that Soujiro had just told him about Tsukasa's engagement. They were whispering furiously at each other and stopped when they saw Rui and I walk down the stairs. Soujiro and Rui looked at each other and I saw Rui nod slightly and Soujiro quickly looked at me with concern written on his face.
Akira looked as if he wanted to walk towards me but Soujiro grabbed is shirt and shook his head.
"Guys.I'm fine alright!" I announced, hating to be treated as if they were walking on broken glass around me. "Aren't we going to eat? I'm hungry." I told Rui and headed out the front door with the 3 following me behind dumbfounded.
A loud knocking pulled me rudely from my slumber and I opened my eyes, blinking at the sudden brightness.
Was it the landlord again? Didn't I pay my rent a few weeks ago? I thought to myself hazily, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. I looked around and remembered that I was sleeping in Akira's guestroom.
I climbed out of the bed and hurriedly open the door before the person who was knocking on it banged it down.
Akira hand stopped mid air as he saw me staring up at him and his handsome face broke out in a big smile.
"Good morning!" He called out cheerfully. In my opinion, too early to be so cheerful. "No, wait.good afternoon!" he corrected himself quickly.
"What time is it?" I asked grumpily.
"1:30"
"1:30!!! I'm so dead! I need to work!" I exclaimed, almost panicking myself to death.
Akira put a hand on my shoulders to calm me down. "Tsukushi.I've already applied leave for you." He told me and I almost fainted.
"YOU WHAT!?!" I screamed. Images of Ms.Akio sinister laugh came flying in my mind as she prepared to fire me. Me lugging my small luggage onto the streets when I had no place to live..
"Tsukushi!!!" Akira called my name and I wanted to wipe that smile off his face. He was the reason why I was going to loose my only job!
"Mimasaka Akira.I'm going to kill you."I told him through gritted teeth and saw his eyes widened as he recognized my angry look and started to run.
"Tsukushi! I was just trying to help!!!" He shouted as I chased after him. "You needed your rest!"
"Arggghhh!!!" I screamed in frustration. Who was I kidding? I will never catch him. Compare his legs and mine and I'll definitely loose by a long shot. But the weed spirit in me refuses to give up and I started to speed up only to bump into something or someone.
"OW!" I cried out, falling to the floor.
A strong arm helped pull me up to my feet while I rubbed my arms painfully. I looked up to see who had helped me up and saw Rui looking at me with what I think was amusement sparkling in his eyes.
Standing next to him was Soujiro, grinning at me and of course, behind him was Akira who was trying to use his friend as his shield.
Totally forgetting about the others, I glared at Akira. "How could you make such decision for me!" I screamed at him and he winced. "I could get fired! Where would I find money to pay my rent? Would you be happy if you see me wondering the streets without a roof over my head?!"
"Tsukushi.you know we wouldn't let that happen to you."Soujiro said calmly trying to help smooth the situation out but one glare at him shut him up instantly.
"Come on, let's go get you washed up and head out for lunch." Rui took my arm and dragged me up the stairs before I could say anything. Maybe it was for the best as I could take some time to blow off some steam in the bath.
I opened my door and sat moodily on my bed while Rui silently walked over and sat next to me.
"Tsukushi, I got something to tell you." He suddenly said, breaking the silence. I looked up at him and saw something in his eyes which I knew I wouldn't like. The seriousness of his tone also sent shivers down my spine.
"Last night, Tsukasa."Rui started to say, but for once, I saw him lost for words.
"What is it Rui? You're scaring me.." I told him softly. The only time I saw him like this was when Tsukasa was laying on the hospital. " Is Tsukasa alright?" I asked him, panicking slightly.
"No.he's fine."he quickly told me and my heartbeat return to his normal rate.
"Then?" I asked him expectantly.
"Well.last night, Tsukasa was introduced to Okawahara Shigeru."
"Okawahara."that name sounded familiar. "They practically own the oil industry right?" I remembered reading it on the newspapers somewhere.
Rui nodded. "Yes. Shigeru is the daughter and heir to the Okawahara's and is now the fiancé of Tsukasa." he said slowly and suddenly, I felt as if the rug had been pulled under my feet as the reality of his words sank in slowly.
"Fiance..?" I repeated softly, turning pale. "I thought it was best you knew now then later."
I stood up and tried to give him a shaky smile. "That's good for Tsukasa! I should congratulate him.finally a girl is willing to marry that pineapple head." I exclaimed clapping my hands together.
Rui continued to watch me and I knew he didn't believe a single thing about the front I put on, but kept quiet about it. He knew me too well but I needed to pretend. To lie to myself that I was alright. My mind told me that I should let Tsukasa go and my heart also know that. But why did it still hurt to hear him engaged to someone else?
"Tsukushi."Rui reached out to take my hand and I quickly turn and ran to the bathroom.
"I'll take a quick shower and be out in 5 minutes." I slammed the bathroom door shut behind me and leaned against it. Tears started to flow down easily as I slid down to the floor. The reality of letting Tsukasa was sinking in, and it was sinking in hard and painful.
I don't know how long I sat there on the floor crying, but when I was done, I did feel slightly better. I'm sure I took more than 5 minutes and took a quick shower. When I open the bathroom door, I half expected to see the room empty, but Rui sat on the wing chair, staring out the window at the sky.
"Sometimes, crying will make you feel better Tsukushi.you're human too.let the feelings you've bottled up inside out."He said, his back facing me.
I walked up to him and as if he sensed me, he turned to face me. Without saying a word, I fell into his open arms and started to sob. He stroked my back gently and I suddenly felt thankful to have him by my side. To have him as my rock.
"You're so skinny."Rui commented after my sobbing subsided. I pulled away from him and gave him a small smile. "Let's go eat, I'm sure Akira and Soujiro must be wondering where are we." he said and I nodded.
When we walk down the stairs, Akira had a frown on his forehead and I knew that Soujiro had just told him about Tsukasa's engagement. They were whispering furiously at each other and stopped when they saw Rui and I walk down the stairs. Soujiro and Rui looked at each other and I saw Rui nod slightly and Soujiro quickly looked at me with concern written on his face.
Akira looked as if he wanted to walk towards me but Soujiro grabbed is shirt and shook his head.
"Guys.I'm fine alright!" I announced, hating to be treated as if they were walking on broken glass around me. "Aren't we going to eat? I'm hungry." I told Rui and headed out the front door with the 3 following me behind dumbfounded.