The rain hasn't stopped for hours. Rui had fallen asleep beside me hours
ago. I looked down at him and couldn't help my heart from skipping a beat.
The kiss and confession seemed like a dream to me. Can this guy really love
me? This guy who looks like a Greek God and seemed to take almost every
girl's breathe away even without looking at them? This guy who showed no
emotions and seemed so cold? This guy who stood beside me when I needed
him?
The answer to all those question...YES. I wanted to jump up and scream with joy but tried to stop myself from doing that because I really didn't want to wake Rui up. After the kiss, he hugged me in his arms, both of us not saying a word and watching the rain fall. I sneaked a look at him once and saw a soft smile on his face. That was when I knew he was truly happy.
Stroking his hair out of his closed eyes gently, I bent down and kissed his forehead. Rui's eyes fluttered open and stared into mine momentarily before breaking into a gentle smile.
"Hi..."He said touching my cheeks.
"Hi yourself..."I didn't know why but I started to blush and looked away quickly.
Suddenly, I heard a weird growling sound and I looked at Rui who was now propped up on his elbows, looking slightly sheepish.
"Sorry...I'm just a little hungry..."He patted his tummy and it let out another growl. "Okay...I'm really hungry..."
I stood up and brushed my hair from my face with my fingers. "I'll go cook something...what would you like to eat?"
Rui shook his head and pulled himself to his feet before walking towards me. "Why don't we go out and eat today...my treat..."
"But...we have so much food here..." I protested but he placed a finger on my lips, silencing me.
"I want to celebrate..."
"Celebrate what?"
"Celebrate 'us'..." he replied and if I was red just now, I was redder now.
I nodded my head and he took my hands, leading me out of the room. Soon we were in his car and before I could say 'waiter', we were seated in a small but cozy restaurant being served by a friendly old lady.
"Ah...to be young and in love...how I missed those times..."She said wistfully, after placing our food in front of us.
"You seemed happy..." I told her while Rui attacked his food.
"Well...at this age...I shouldn't let old troubles bother me right? In life...you have to learn how to forgive and let go...then you'll fine true happiness."
"So aunty...I'm sure you found true happiness already right?" Rui asked swallowing his food.
She gave a soft sigh and a tinge of sadness appeared on her face. "Oh yes...and I'll never forget that time of my life...he was the best thing that happened to me...."
Before she could finish her sentence, a customer walked in, she left to attend to them but we stayed on, even after finishing our food. It wasn't until closing time that Aunty found time to talk to us again. Rui and I helped her shut her restaurant and we sat in the corner with Aunty, talking again with some cakes and coffee on the table.
She told us to call her Aunty Ikano and I could tell, she was glad to have us around to talk to. I was even more surprised when Rui joined in our conversation which he rarely did to strangers.
"Where is he now Aunty Ikano?" I asked and she sighed. She pushed her seat back and disappeared behind the counter only to reappear with a picture in her hands.
"He is in a land where he can be free..." she said softly.
The picture showed a couple in their early 20's clearly very much in love, hugging each other on a swing. I handed the picture to Rui and he stared at it for a long time.
"His name is Hikaru...as in the sun...and boy did his name suit him well. When he smiled, it was brighter than the sun itself and how he brought light into my life again...I met him in a weird manner." Aunty Ikano started her story, with a faraway look in her eyes, recalling her past.
"I had just been proposed by my boyfriend and didn't know what to do. He told me not to give him an answer yet, so I took the ring and placed it in my bag, before leaving his house. I guess I was lost in my own world and didn't hear the motorbike roaring towards me. I realized too late, and couldn't avoid it. But luckily, he swerved and I fell to the ground at the same time as he did. I crawled towards him, hoping that he was alright. Before I could reach him, he sat up and limped towards me."
Under the table, Rui took my hands in his and held it tightly. I looked at him but he was listening intently to Aunty Ikano's story but he squeezed my hand lightly, telling me that he knew I was looking. "My belongings had scattered on the ground and the first thing I saw was the empty ring box, throwing me into panic mode. I started to look around frantically when he suddenly spoke, asking me what I've lost. When I told him I've lost a diamond ring, he didn't hesitate and started to help me find it. I saw that his arm was bleeding badly and tried to stop him, but he just wouldn't listen. He was very stubborn. In the end, he found it and placed it in my hands before picking up his motorbike and ridding off without saying a word. I thought I would never see him again."
"Did you Aunty Ikano? Did you see him again?" I asked, leaning forward slightly.
Aunty Ikano smiled at me and nodded. "At that time, I was a university student and when I went to class, my best friend Kumiko ran up to me and told me that there was a new student in our class. I didn't bother much because my mind was too occupied with the sudden proposal and the accident."
Rui picked up the cup of coffee and sipped it slowly before leaning back against the chair. His hands still clutching mine, he tugged it lightly, pulling me to him. I leaned against him as he let go of my hand and circled it around my waist lovingly.
"I was reading a book when he walked in. It wasn't until Kumiko nudged me in my ribs did I notice he entered. There he stood, looking as gorgeous and strikingly dangerous. His piercing brown eyes, stared right at me before nodding slightly, acknowledging me. The lecturer asked him to take the empty seat next to mine which he did. In less than an hour, almost all the girls in the university were talking about him. I think he had formed his own fan club not even a month after enrolling in our university."
"He is very handsome..." I said, taking the picture from the table and looking at it again.
"He looks familiar..."Rui said so softly, only I could hear.
"Well, to cut a long story short, we became good friends and soon we fell in love. I left my boyfriend for him. I still remember the fight he got into with Hikaru. Both of them ended up with stitches in the hospital. In the end, my boyfriend told Hikaru that if he ever hurt me, he'll never let him see daylight again. What I didn't know was, Kumiko was in love with Hikaru as well."
"Wow..." I gushed out.
"One night, I didn't know why but I missed Hikaru a lot so I decided to take a cab to his place. Apparently, Kumiko chose to confess her undying love to him on that night as well. I hid behind the lamp post when I saw them both outside his house, sitting on the steps. Although I was too far to hear their conversation clearly, I saw her grab him by the neck and kissed him. All I could do was watch in horror and I felt my blood boil when I didn't see him push her away instantly."
"He kissed her back?" Rui asked. Aunty Ikano shook her head. "No, he was too shocked at first but after when he realized what was going on, he pushed her away and saw me standing there. He tried to run after me, but I jumped into the first cab I saw. For days, he tried to contact me and explain things but I just wouldn't listen. In the end, it was Kumiko who had to explain everything to me."
"Did you forgive him?" Rui's eyes were wide with interest and I smiled secretly. It was rare to see Rui so interested in something.
"Of course I did! I married him!" Aunty Ikano exclaimed and we all laughed. "But we had to fight to do that. My parents objected strongly to him as well as his. Wherever we went, they manage to track us down and separate us. Sometimes, they manage to keep us apart for a day or two, sometimes months. But they could never make us give up on our love. One night I was really sick, because I refused to eat and was fading away fast. My parents gave in finally and talked to Hikaru's parents and they let us meet. I guess in the end, they gave in because they knew they couldn't tear us apart."
"My time with him was the most happiest of all...although short but it was filled with great memories...the road we choose wasn't the easiest off all. We had to overcome a lot of obstacles but it only made us realize how much we loved each other."
"Sometimes we need things to happen to remind us about love..." Rui said softly.
"Indeed we do...Hikaru passed away one fateful morning after we've been married for 2 years."
"Passed away?" I whispered, shocked.
"Yes...he was suffering from cancer...I was holding his hand when he took his last breathe. His last words to me was 'Thank you for loving me Ikano" but it was actually I should be the one thanking him. He taught me what true life really was...love was freedom..."
"I never found another who could replace him in my heart, that's why I never remarried. I opened this restaurant so I could always be in the place where we found happiness." Aunty Ikano wiped a stray tear and smiled at us.
"It's getting late...you kids better get home...this old lady is going to catch a few winks..." She stood up, and I helped her clear the table while Rui went to get the car.
"He loves you very much..."Aunty Ikano suddenly said to me. "I can see it in his eyes...and yours too."
She touched my hands and sighed softly. "Don't ever let the most important thing in your life go or you'll regret it. Love could be the hardest thing to find in life. Once you've found it, cherish it. You'll never know what will happen next."
"Tsukushi? Are you ready to leave?" Rui appeared at the door.
"I'll be there in a second..." I called out to him and he nodded, disappearing again.
"Thank you Aunty Ikano...you've made me realize a lot of things..." I hugged the old lady tight and she hugged me back.
"Now go...don't let this old hag take anymore of your time away from Rui..." She walked me to the door and waved us off.
"Come back anytime and keep this old lady company alright?" She told the both of us before we drove away.
In the car, I stared at Rui, all the way back to the house, trying to memorize every single feature on his face.
"What are you looking at?" He asked, taking his eyes off from the road for a second.
"Nothing..." I replied and he gave me a weird look.
"You know, Hikaru looks awfully familiar...I've seen his face somewhere...but I just can't remember..." Rui's handsome face twisted into a frown.
"Maybe he has a common look?" I said.
Rui shook his head. "No...I'm sure I've seen him somewhere..." he said more to himself than to me.
"Take your time...it'll come to you when you least expect it." I advised him and he shrugged.
"I guess..."he muttered, turning into the small road leading towards the house.
A week has gone by since Rui and I arrived in what I would like to think as our little 'haven'. The flowers that Rui had picked for me earlier had been preciously placed in a blue glass vase and now sat on the window sill in my room. I had just finished doing the laundry and cleaned the house while Rui decided to take a short nap.
Earlier on, I had decided to whip us up some Italian cuisine for lunch which I kind off failed miserably. Alright, I admit. It sucked. The spaghetti was over cooked, the cream sauce was a little burnt and the garlic bread was as hard as the stones in the garden. Although the whole meal was terrible, Rui finished eating everything with no complaints whatsoever.
*Flashback*
"Tsukushi! Don't throw that out..." Rui exclaimed, grabbing the bowl of spaghetti from my hands just as I was about to dump the whole contents into the rubbish dispenser.
Frowning, I tried to grab the bowl back but he moved it out from my reach. "We can't eat that! It's horrible!" I cried out, trying to reach for the bowl which he was holding above his head. Although I tried to jump, I still can't reach it. "I'm such a failure!" I moaned finally, giving up.
Rui smiled and placed the bowl back on the counter, his eyes scanning the mess I made in the kitchen. "It looks edible to me." He said, pointing to the sauce and dipping his finger in and licking it.
"You don't have to lie to me. I know my abilities." I told him and he shrugged, grabbing the bowl and spaghetti and sauce to the table and then setting the table before grabbing a bottle of red wine. "We can't have Italian food without a good red wine."
"This is not Italian food." I picked up the garlic bread and shoved it under his nose. "This is rubbish!"
"Stop pouting and let's eat. I'm hungry." He sat down and poured the wine.
"I'll call for pizza." I said, walking past him to the phone but he grabbed my hands as I past him.
"Tsukushi, sit." He looked at me and I sighed and nodded.
After sitting down, he passed me the glass of red wine. "I'm really happy." He told me and I looked at him questioningly. "I'm happy because you tried to cook for me, even though you didn't know how to. And because of that, I'll eat it no matter what."
"You'll get food poisoning." I warned and he laughed.
"No I won't. Even if I did, I'll be happy."
"You're crazy."
"Yes...I guess I am..." He admitted and I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "So, can I have the honor to try out Makino Tsukushi's cooking?"
I nodded and he started to take a bite. I looked as he chewed and then swallowed. He took another bite, chewed then swallowed. No expression on his face that told me it was horrible. I took my fork and tried taking a bite and almost spit out instantly.
"How could you eat that!" I exclaimed, gulping down the wine.
"Because it's made by you. Anything made by you taste good." He told me, still eating.
"Don't eat that." I stood up and tried to grab the plate.
"Tsukushi...stop it." He said sternly and I stopped. "You know why I insist on eating it even if it's bad?"
I shook my head.
"Because you made it for me. You cooked this meal for me, out of your own goodwill. It taste good to me because I'm so happy that even if you didn't know how to cook, you tried, just to make satisfy me. And that's why I love you Tsukushi." Rui looked at me and I smiled.
"Thank you..." I said, sitting back down and he nodded.
*End of Flashback*
The food were all gone, thanks to Rui. I looked at the time and saw that it was already 4:30 and since I had nothing to do, I decided to head over to the garden with one of the books I found in the room and read.
Just as I walked past Rui's room, his door slid open and there stood Rui, his hair tousled and looking gorgeously sleepy.
"Hi sleepy head." I said, giving him a small smile.
"I'm hungry..." he told me in a soft voice.
"But you just had lunch!" I pointed to the clock behind him.
"As you said, 'Had'...."He shrugged and yawned.
"What would you like to eat?" I asked. This is Hanazawa Rui we're talking about. He eats when he's hungry and sleep when he's sleepy. Who are we to argue with that?
"Hmm...let's go to Aunty Ikano's place for some coffee and food." He suggested and I nodded eagerly. I like Aunty Ikano and can't wait to listen to her other stories.
In a few minutes, we were heading down to Aunty Ikano's café, anticipating some cake and coffee. When we arrived, we were surprised to find it closed.
"Is today her off day?" I asked Rui as I tried to look into the windows.
Rui shook his head and shrugged. He looked around and finally nudged me lightly. "Come on, let's go back..." he said and we walked back to the car. I can't help but feel a little disappointed and didn't realized I was pouting until Rui touched my lower lip with his fingers.
"Stop pouting, let's go get some snacks from town alright?" he winked at me and I smiled.
I figured Rui had never been grocery shopping before because as soon as we stepped into the hypermarket, his eyes sort of started shinning excitedly and like a little boy let loose in a toy shop, he started grabbing almost every single item he found interesting off the shelves.
"Urm...Rui...I don't think you'll need that..." I said, trying to keep myself from laughing out loud.
"What do you mean?" He was holding up a box of biscuits and looking at it and then at me.
"It's for babies..."I pointed out and he read the small pink wordings on the box again before placing it back on the shelves.
I couldn't help myself anymore and burst out laughing. Rui who had never blushed before had a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks. The Hanazawa Rui who was popularly known as cold and expressionless is now looking so adorably shy. He had never acted this way before. NEVER. I realized, spending time with him alone really made me know the other side of him. The side that nobody has ever seen.
Rui paid for the stuff we bought and helped piled it into the car. We had bought enough to last us for the next whole month. I did try to put back a few things only to find it miraculously appearing in the trolley again at the check out counter. I asked Rui about it but all he did was shrug and gave me his famous expressionless face.
We reached the house and Rui took my hands in his, only to let it go for a second to unlock the door. "Rui...how about the groceries?" I asked, suddenly remembering about the stuff behind his car boot.
Turning to head back to the car, Rui grabbed my hands, stopping me and turning me to face him. He pulled me gently towards him and I rested my head on his chest as he stroked my hair.
"Thank you..."He said softly. "Thank you for spending this wonderful 10 days with me..."
I looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "No...thank you..." I whispered as he bent down to kiss me.
"SURPRISE!!!!!"
My eyes flew open and the whole house was suddenly flooded with lights. I turned to look and saw Akira and Soujiro smiling at us.
"What are you guys doing here?" Rui's usual cold expression replaced the soft and gentle one just now as he asked his two laughing friends.
Akira stumbled slightly and held up a can of beer. "Is that how you greet your brothers who had been waiting for you for the past few hours!?"
He sounded slightly drunk. I looked at Soujiro who had the same expression as Akira. Great...we now have two drunk idiots to take care off.
"We couldn't get hold of you....when we went over to your place...nobody knew where you were...until I remembered about this holiday house!" Akira explained. "Genius aren't I?"
He suddenly turned to me and frowned slightly. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
Before I could answer Soujiro hit the back of Akira's head softly. "Baka! Where else would Tsukushi be if she's not with Rui!"
"OUCH!!! Stop hitting me!" Akira exclaimed rubbing the back of his head.
I felt Rui gave my hand a gentle squeeze and looked up at him. He shook his head at me and shrugged.
"You know, the three of us were going out of our mind with worry about you two." Soujiro said.
"Three?" Rui echoed softly beside me and I looked past Akira and Soujiro.
"Tsukasa!" I whispered, feeling the blood rushing to my head. He was leaning against the wall, almost hidden in the shadows.
The answer to all those question...YES. I wanted to jump up and scream with joy but tried to stop myself from doing that because I really didn't want to wake Rui up. After the kiss, he hugged me in his arms, both of us not saying a word and watching the rain fall. I sneaked a look at him once and saw a soft smile on his face. That was when I knew he was truly happy.
Stroking his hair out of his closed eyes gently, I bent down and kissed his forehead. Rui's eyes fluttered open and stared into mine momentarily before breaking into a gentle smile.
"Hi..."He said touching my cheeks.
"Hi yourself..."I didn't know why but I started to blush and looked away quickly.
Suddenly, I heard a weird growling sound and I looked at Rui who was now propped up on his elbows, looking slightly sheepish.
"Sorry...I'm just a little hungry..."He patted his tummy and it let out another growl. "Okay...I'm really hungry..."
I stood up and brushed my hair from my face with my fingers. "I'll go cook something...what would you like to eat?"
Rui shook his head and pulled himself to his feet before walking towards me. "Why don't we go out and eat today...my treat..."
"But...we have so much food here..." I protested but he placed a finger on my lips, silencing me.
"I want to celebrate..."
"Celebrate what?"
"Celebrate 'us'..." he replied and if I was red just now, I was redder now.
I nodded my head and he took my hands, leading me out of the room. Soon we were in his car and before I could say 'waiter', we were seated in a small but cozy restaurant being served by a friendly old lady.
"Ah...to be young and in love...how I missed those times..."She said wistfully, after placing our food in front of us.
"You seemed happy..." I told her while Rui attacked his food.
"Well...at this age...I shouldn't let old troubles bother me right? In life...you have to learn how to forgive and let go...then you'll fine true happiness."
"So aunty...I'm sure you found true happiness already right?" Rui asked swallowing his food.
She gave a soft sigh and a tinge of sadness appeared on her face. "Oh yes...and I'll never forget that time of my life...he was the best thing that happened to me...."
Before she could finish her sentence, a customer walked in, she left to attend to them but we stayed on, even after finishing our food. It wasn't until closing time that Aunty found time to talk to us again. Rui and I helped her shut her restaurant and we sat in the corner with Aunty, talking again with some cakes and coffee on the table.
She told us to call her Aunty Ikano and I could tell, she was glad to have us around to talk to. I was even more surprised when Rui joined in our conversation which he rarely did to strangers.
"Where is he now Aunty Ikano?" I asked and she sighed. She pushed her seat back and disappeared behind the counter only to reappear with a picture in her hands.
"He is in a land where he can be free..." she said softly.
The picture showed a couple in their early 20's clearly very much in love, hugging each other on a swing. I handed the picture to Rui and he stared at it for a long time.
"His name is Hikaru...as in the sun...and boy did his name suit him well. When he smiled, it was brighter than the sun itself and how he brought light into my life again...I met him in a weird manner." Aunty Ikano started her story, with a faraway look in her eyes, recalling her past.
"I had just been proposed by my boyfriend and didn't know what to do. He told me not to give him an answer yet, so I took the ring and placed it in my bag, before leaving his house. I guess I was lost in my own world and didn't hear the motorbike roaring towards me. I realized too late, and couldn't avoid it. But luckily, he swerved and I fell to the ground at the same time as he did. I crawled towards him, hoping that he was alright. Before I could reach him, he sat up and limped towards me."
Under the table, Rui took my hands in his and held it tightly. I looked at him but he was listening intently to Aunty Ikano's story but he squeezed my hand lightly, telling me that he knew I was looking. "My belongings had scattered on the ground and the first thing I saw was the empty ring box, throwing me into panic mode. I started to look around frantically when he suddenly spoke, asking me what I've lost. When I told him I've lost a diamond ring, he didn't hesitate and started to help me find it. I saw that his arm was bleeding badly and tried to stop him, but he just wouldn't listen. He was very stubborn. In the end, he found it and placed it in my hands before picking up his motorbike and ridding off without saying a word. I thought I would never see him again."
"Did you Aunty Ikano? Did you see him again?" I asked, leaning forward slightly.
Aunty Ikano smiled at me and nodded. "At that time, I was a university student and when I went to class, my best friend Kumiko ran up to me and told me that there was a new student in our class. I didn't bother much because my mind was too occupied with the sudden proposal and the accident."
Rui picked up the cup of coffee and sipped it slowly before leaning back against the chair. His hands still clutching mine, he tugged it lightly, pulling me to him. I leaned against him as he let go of my hand and circled it around my waist lovingly.
"I was reading a book when he walked in. It wasn't until Kumiko nudged me in my ribs did I notice he entered. There he stood, looking as gorgeous and strikingly dangerous. His piercing brown eyes, stared right at me before nodding slightly, acknowledging me. The lecturer asked him to take the empty seat next to mine which he did. In less than an hour, almost all the girls in the university were talking about him. I think he had formed his own fan club not even a month after enrolling in our university."
"He is very handsome..." I said, taking the picture from the table and looking at it again.
"He looks familiar..."Rui said so softly, only I could hear.
"Well, to cut a long story short, we became good friends and soon we fell in love. I left my boyfriend for him. I still remember the fight he got into with Hikaru. Both of them ended up with stitches in the hospital. In the end, my boyfriend told Hikaru that if he ever hurt me, he'll never let him see daylight again. What I didn't know was, Kumiko was in love with Hikaru as well."
"Wow..." I gushed out.
"One night, I didn't know why but I missed Hikaru a lot so I decided to take a cab to his place. Apparently, Kumiko chose to confess her undying love to him on that night as well. I hid behind the lamp post when I saw them both outside his house, sitting on the steps. Although I was too far to hear their conversation clearly, I saw her grab him by the neck and kissed him. All I could do was watch in horror and I felt my blood boil when I didn't see him push her away instantly."
"He kissed her back?" Rui asked. Aunty Ikano shook her head. "No, he was too shocked at first but after when he realized what was going on, he pushed her away and saw me standing there. He tried to run after me, but I jumped into the first cab I saw. For days, he tried to contact me and explain things but I just wouldn't listen. In the end, it was Kumiko who had to explain everything to me."
"Did you forgive him?" Rui's eyes were wide with interest and I smiled secretly. It was rare to see Rui so interested in something.
"Of course I did! I married him!" Aunty Ikano exclaimed and we all laughed. "But we had to fight to do that. My parents objected strongly to him as well as his. Wherever we went, they manage to track us down and separate us. Sometimes, they manage to keep us apart for a day or two, sometimes months. But they could never make us give up on our love. One night I was really sick, because I refused to eat and was fading away fast. My parents gave in finally and talked to Hikaru's parents and they let us meet. I guess in the end, they gave in because they knew they couldn't tear us apart."
"My time with him was the most happiest of all...although short but it was filled with great memories...the road we choose wasn't the easiest off all. We had to overcome a lot of obstacles but it only made us realize how much we loved each other."
"Sometimes we need things to happen to remind us about love..." Rui said softly.
"Indeed we do...Hikaru passed away one fateful morning after we've been married for 2 years."
"Passed away?" I whispered, shocked.
"Yes...he was suffering from cancer...I was holding his hand when he took his last breathe. His last words to me was 'Thank you for loving me Ikano" but it was actually I should be the one thanking him. He taught me what true life really was...love was freedom..."
"I never found another who could replace him in my heart, that's why I never remarried. I opened this restaurant so I could always be in the place where we found happiness." Aunty Ikano wiped a stray tear and smiled at us.
"It's getting late...you kids better get home...this old lady is going to catch a few winks..." She stood up, and I helped her clear the table while Rui went to get the car.
"He loves you very much..."Aunty Ikano suddenly said to me. "I can see it in his eyes...and yours too."
She touched my hands and sighed softly. "Don't ever let the most important thing in your life go or you'll regret it. Love could be the hardest thing to find in life. Once you've found it, cherish it. You'll never know what will happen next."
"Tsukushi? Are you ready to leave?" Rui appeared at the door.
"I'll be there in a second..." I called out to him and he nodded, disappearing again.
"Thank you Aunty Ikano...you've made me realize a lot of things..." I hugged the old lady tight and she hugged me back.
"Now go...don't let this old hag take anymore of your time away from Rui..." She walked me to the door and waved us off.
"Come back anytime and keep this old lady company alright?" She told the both of us before we drove away.
In the car, I stared at Rui, all the way back to the house, trying to memorize every single feature on his face.
"What are you looking at?" He asked, taking his eyes off from the road for a second.
"Nothing..." I replied and he gave me a weird look.
"You know, Hikaru looks awfully familiar...I've seen his face somewhere...but I just can't remember..." Rui's handsome face twisted into a frown.
"Maybe he has a common look?" I said.
Rui shook his head. "No...I'm sure I've seen him somewhere..." he said more to himself than to me.
"Take your time...it'll come to you when you least expect it." I advised him and he shrugged.
"I guess..."he muttered, turning into the small road leading towards the house.
A week has gone by since Rui and I arrived in what I would like to think as our little 'haven'. The flowers that Rui had picked for me earlier had been preciously placed in a blue glass vase and now sat on the window sill in my room. I had just finished doing the laundry and cleaned the house while Rui decided to take a short nap.
Earlier on, I had decided to whip us up some Italian cuisine for lunch which I kind off failed miserably. Alright, I admit. It sucked. The spaghetti was over cooked, the cream sauce was a little burnt and the garlic bread was as hard as the stones in the garden. Although the whole meal was terrible, Rui finished eating everything with no complaints whatsoever.
*Flashback*
"Tsukushi! Don't throw that out..." Rui exclaimed, grabbing the bowl of spaghetti from my hands just as I was about to dump the whole contents into the rubbish dispenser.
Frowning, I tried to grab the bowl back but he moved it out from my reach. "We can't eat that! It's horrible!" I cried out, trying to reach for the bowl which he was holding above his head. Although I tried to jump, I still can't reach it. "I'm such a failure!" I moaned finally, giving up.
Rui smiled and placed the bowl back on the counter, his eyes scanning the mess I made in the kitchen. "It looks edible to me." He said, pointing to the sauce and dipping his finger in and licking it.
"You don't have to lie to me. I know my abilities." I told him and he shrugged, grabbing the bowl and spaghetti and sauce to the table and then setting the table before grabbing a bottle of red wine. "We can't have Italian food without a good red wine."
"This is not Italian food." I picked up the garlic bread and shoved it under his nose. "This is rubbish!"
"Stop pouting and let's eat. I'm hungry." He sat down and poured the wine.
"I'll call for pizza." I said, walking past him to the phone but he grabbed my hands as I past him.
"Tsukushi, sit." He looked at me and I sighed and nodded.
After sitting down, he passed me the glass of red wine. "I'm really happy." He told me and I looked at him questioningly. "I'm happy because you tried to cook for me, even though you didn't know how to. And because of that, I'll eat it no matter what."
"You'll get food poisoning." I warned and he laughed.
"No I won't. Even if I did, I'll be happy."
"You're crazy."
"Yes...I guess I am..." He admitted and I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "So, can I have the honor to try out Makino Tsukushi's cooking?"
I nodded and he started to take a bite. I looked as he chewed and then swallowed. He took another bite, chewed then swallowed. No expression on his face that told me it was horrible. I took my fork and tried taking a bite and almost spit out instantly.
"How could you eat that!" I exclaimed, gulping down the wine.
"Because it's made by you. Anything made by you taste good." He told me, still eating.
"Don't eat that." I stood up and tried to grab the plate.
"Tsukushi...stop it." He said sternly and I stopped. "You know why I insist on eating it even if it's bad?"
I shook my head.
"Because you made it for me. You cooked this meal for me, out of your own goodwill. It taste good to me because I'm so happy that even if you didn't know how to cook, you tried, just to make satisfy me. And that's why I love you Tsukushi." Rui looked at me and I smiled.
"Thank you..." I said, sitting back down and he nodded.
*End of Flashback*
The food were all gone, thanks to Rui. I looked at the time and saw that it was already 4:30 and since I had nothing to do, I decided to head over to the garden with one of the books I found in the room and read.
Just as I walked past Rui's room, his door slid open and there stood Rui, his hair tousled and looking gorgeously sleepy.
"Hi sleepy head." I said, giving him a small smile.
"I'm hungry..." he told me in a soft voice.
"But you just had lunch!" I pointed to the clock behind him.
"As you said, 'Had'...."He shrugged and yawned.
"What would you like to eat?" I asked. This is Hanazawa Rui we're talking about. He eats when he's hungry and sleep when he's sleepy. Who are we to argue with that?
"Hmm...let's go to Aunty Ikano's place for some coffee and food." He suggested and I nodded eagerly. I like Aunty Ikano and can't wait to listen to her other stories.
In a few minutes, we were heading down to Aunty Ikano's café, anticipating some cake and coffee. When we arrived, we were surprised to find it closed.
"Is today her off day?" I asked Rui as I tried to look into the windows.
Rui shook his head and shrugged. He looked around and finally nudged me lightly. "Come on, let's go back..." he said and we walked back to the car. I can't help but feel a little disappointed and didn't realized I was pouting until Rui touched my lower lip with his fingers.
"Stop pouting, let's go get some snacks from town alright?" he winked at me and I smiled.
I figured Rui had never been grocery shopping before because as soon as we stepped into the hypermarket, his eyes sort of started shinning excitedly and like a little boy let loose in a toy shop, he started grabbing almost every single item he found interesting off the shelves.
"Urm...Rui...I don't think you'll need that..." I said, trying to keep myself from laughing out loud.
"What do you mean?" He was holding up a box of biscuits and looking at it and then at me.
"It's for babies..."I pointed out and he read the small pink wordings on the box again before placing it back on the shelves.
I couldn't help myself anymore and burst out laughing. Rui who had never blushed before had a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks. The Hanazawa Rui who was popularly known as cold and expressionless is now looking so adorably shy. He had never acted this way before. NEVER. I realized, spending time with him alone really made me know the other side of him. The side that nobody has ever seen.
Rui paid for the stuff we bought and helped piled it into the car. We had bought enough to last us for the next whole month. I did try to put back a few things only to find it miraculously appearing in the trolley again at the check out counter. I asked Rui about it but all he did was shrug and gave me his famous expressionless face.
We reached the house and Rui took my hands in his, only to let it go for a second to unlock the door. "Rui...how about the groceries?" I asked, suddenly remembering about the stuff behind his car boot.
Turning to head back to the car, Rui grabbed my hands, stopping me and turning me to face him. He pulled me gently towards him and I rested my head on his chest as he stroked my hair.
"Thank you..."He said softly. "Thank you for spending this wonderful 10 days with me..."
I looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "No...thank you..." I whispered as he bent down to kiss me.
"SURPRISE!!!!!"
My eyes flew open and the whole house was suddenly flooded with lights. I turned to look and saw Akira and Soujiro smiling at us.
"What are you guys doing here?" Rui's usual cold expression replaced the soft and gentle one just now as he asked his two laughing friends.
Akira stumbled slightly and held up a can of beer. "Is that how you greet your brothers who had been waiting for you for the past few hours!?"
He sounded slightly drunk. I looked at Soujiro who had the same expression as Akira. Great...we now have two drunk idiots to take care off.
"We couldn't get hold of you....when we went over to your place...nobody knew where you were...until I remembered about this holiday house!" Akira explained. "Genius aren't I?"
He suddenly turned to me and frowned slightly. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
Before I could answer Soujiro hit the back of Akira's head softly. "Baka! Where else would Tsukushi be if she's not with Rui!"
"OUCH!!! Stop hitting me!" Akira exclaimed rubbing the back of his head.
I felt Rui gave my hand a gentle squeeze and looked up at him. He shook his head at me and shrugged.
"You know, the three of us were going out of our mind with worry about you two." Soujiro said.
"Three?" Rui echoed softly beside me and I looked past Akira and Soujiro.
"Tsukasa!" I whispered, feeling the blood rushing to my head. He was leaning against the wall, almost hidden in the shadows.