"Tadaima!" (I'm home)
"Okaeri!"
"EH?"
Nani ? the girl looked incredulously at the older lady. She was panting heavily and beads of sweat were forming continuously on her forehead.
"Oi! Oi! You look like you were chased by a dog or a ghost or a ghost of a dog or something!" the older lady, Yoko pointed at the younger girl.
"Atashi?" (me?) the younger girl pointed at herself cluelessly.
"No, it's the door behind you. OF COURSE, IT'S YOU!" Yoko twitched.
"Ehehehe.anou..betsuni" (it's nothing) She was scrambling for an explanation.
"Betsuni ka? You're sweating like a pig. You're blushing like a tomato." Yoko approached her younger sister closer.
"Sou da!" (that's it) Yoko exclaimed and pointed to her sister accusingly.
"Eck?!" the younger girl cringed.
"Your smile is creepy!" Yoko was peering at her sister's face even closer making the other girl squirm and trapped at the door.
"Ne, onee-san (big sister) don't look at me like that. You're scaring me." She pouted and then smiled guiltily at her sister.
"SCARY?! I'm scaring you? You're the one who looks scary here, little lady!" Yoko's eyes were narrowed as she huffed and then patted her sister's shoulder.
"Anyways, go get my sunglasses. It's on top of the table near the drop light." Yoko turned to fix her bag on the sofa.
The younger girl remained standing next to the door and staring at her sister.
"Well..? Are you gonna just stand there like a post? Go get my glasses. Hayaku!" (quickly!) Yoko crossed her arms and looked at her sister.
"Ah! Hai!" Like someone suddenly pricked by a pin on the butt, she sped upstairs to the room to get Yoko's glasses.
"Kore." She handed her sister's glasses. "Anou.what time will you be home?" "Well, the usual, of course. You know how it is at the restaurant on Sundays." Yoko put on her sunglasses and tucked her bag under her arm.
"Sore ja! I'll pack you some dimsum when I get home, ne?" Yoko winked at her sister.
"Let it be beef, onegai?" (please) the younger girl tugged at Yoko's arm.
"Ah! Choosy kid are you?! I'll see what I can scavenge at the kitchen. Don't forget to lock the door and don't let strangers in the house, okay?" Yoko raised an eyebrow at her sister.
"Hai! Hai!" The younger girl saluted her. "Take care!" and watched Yoko leave the front porch.
"Wash that face of yours, it's creepy!" Yoko waved at her.
"Don't forget my dimsum, onee-san!" She jumped.
"I won't, creepy face!" Yoko gave her sister a grin and waved goodbye.
The younger girl stuck out her tongue, smiled, waved back then closed the door.
Click. The door was locked.
"Ah! Mou! That was close! Whew!" She wiped her sweat from her forehead.
"Creepy face? Me?" With that said, she ran to the bathroom sink and began to splash water to her face.
"But I don't look creepy, I'm just.just." She saw her face began to contort into that creepy silly smile again.
"Oh no! She's right. I do look creepy! Why can't this smile get off my face?" She began to splash more water to her face until she got her shirt wet.
More splashes. Splash. Splash. The bathroom floor was wet. Her shirt soaking wet. Hair dripping wet.
She looked at the mirror again. This was futile. The face on the mirror still reflected the silly smiling face.
Dear Lord! I was so freaking obvious.
She began to talk to her reflection on the mirror.
This time, she let the smile take its place. "But it was wonderful, wasn't it? Did you see how he smiled and said 'Sweet'?"
"Can you still feel how soft those lips were? Wouldn't it have been nicer to stay longer, had it not only for those kids coming?" She grinned.
"This is a major breakthrough, you know. Moments like these are not to be wasted. They are to be remembered forever, ne?" She sounded like she was lecturing.
She saw her cheeks turn bright red.
"Ah!! You see, how you're making me feel? Look at my cheeks, silly! Hah!" She accused the mirror.
"I'll never be the same, you know." She batted her eyelashes dreamily.
She opted to take a quick shower and changed into dry clothes.
She began to pace restlessly back and forth in the living room. What to do? What to do? I feel jumpy.
She turned on the television. It was the sports channel. The highlights of the NBA Championship Games.
She nearly shrieked and quickly turned it off.
"Don't do that!" She clutched her chest and fell off on the sofa.
She slumped on the sofa and stared at the telephone.
"I can't let this go on forever. If I can't let this out, I'll just die."
She dialed the number.
"Ah, moshi! Moshi! Could I speak to Noriko-chan?"
"Hai! Noriko desu." A cheerful voice replied.
"Noriko-chan, it's me." She introduced in a hushed tone.
"Of course, it's you. I can tell by your voice, it's you. Oh, why are you calling me now? Did you know that you have just interrupted a very special moment I am having here?"
"What moment?"
"I'm making love with the TV."
"Uh.Okay." Her voice was still hushed.
Why the hell are you talking like that? Do you have a cold? Are you sick?"
"Iyya! Anou.I feel strange. I've never felt this way before and you got to listen to me if you can't, I know I'll just die and all. Something very strange and overwhelming has happened to me today. Something that has never ever, ever happened before." Her hushed tone began to take on a high pitch.
Silence.
"Noriko-chan? Are you still there?"
Silence.
"NORIKO-CHAN!!!"
"You sound creepy."
"Ahh!! Cut it out with that creepy word. My sister said the same thing too."
"She's right!"
"Who's side are you on?"
"But you are creepy, creepy, creepy, CREEEEEEEPPPPPPYYYYY!!!"
"Noriko-chan, c'mon, what do you think is happening to me?"
"How am I supposed to know, you only gave me a very vague description of what you're feeling and I am not psychic. I do not read minds."
"I know you won't let me down, my friend. That is why I love you so much."
Okay, creepy girl. I'll see you in school tomorrow so we can discuss this creepiness of yours."
"YATTA!!!! ARIGATO! (thank you) You're the bestest friend ever!!" She began to scream.
"Mochiron! (certainly) okay, now leave me alone because I'm having a L'arc- en-Ciel video marathon. Haido-sama needs me!!!"
"Haido?!!! But you have seen those videos for a million times already."
"And your point is? Look, it's a bright Sunday, Haido is so kakkoii (cool) and there's just no way in hell am I going to let all his coolness go to waste and what better way to spend quality time with someone you love?"
"Hai. I give up. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, ne?"
"Ja ne!" Noriko immediately hung up.
Yoshi.
"Okaeri!"
"EH?"
Nani ? the girl looked incredulously at the older lady. She was panting heavily and beads of sweat were forming continuously on her forehead.
"Oi! Oi! You look like you were chased by a dog or a ghost or a ghost of a dog or something!" the older lady, Yoko pointed at the younger girl.
"Atashi?" (me?) the younger girl pointed at herself cluelessly.
"No, it's the door behind you. OF COURSE, IT'S YOU!" Yoko twitched.
"Ehehehe.anou..betsuni" (it's nothing) She was scrambling for an explanation.
"Betsuni ka? You're sweating like a pig. You're blushing like a tomato." Yoko approached her younger sister closer.
"Sou da!" (that's it) Yoko exclaimed and pointed to her sister accusingly.
"Eck?!" the younger girl cringed.
"Your smile is creepy!" Yoko was peering at her sister's face even closer making the other girl squirm and trapped at the door.
"Ne, onee-san (big sister) don't look at me like that. You're scaring me." She pouted and then smiled guiltily at her sister.
"SCARY?! I'm scaring you? You're the one who looks scary here, little lady!" Yoko's eyes were narrowed as she huffed and then patted her sister's shoulder.
"Anyways, go get my sunglasses. It's on top of the table near the drop light." Yoko turned to fix her bag on the sofa.
The younger girl remained standing next to the door and staring at her sister.
"Well..? Are you gonna just stand there like a post? Go get my glasses. Hayaku!" (quickly!) Yoko crossed her arms and looked at her sister.
"Ah! Hai!" Like someone suddenly pricked by a pin on the butt, she sped upstairs to the room to get Yoko's glasses.
"Kore." She handed her sister's glasses. "Anou.what time will you be home?" "Well, the usual, of course. You know how it is at the restaurant on Sundays." Yoko put on her sunglasses and tucked her bag under her arm.
"Sore ja! I'll pack you some dimsum when I get home, ne?" Yoko winked at her sister.
"Let it be beef, onegai?" (please) the younger girl tugged at Yoko's arm.
"Ah! Choosy kid are you?! I'll see what I can scavenge at the kitchen. Don't forget to lock the door and don't let strangers in the house, okay?" Yoko raised an eyebrow at her sister.
"Hai! Hai!" The younger girl saluted her. "Take care!" and watched Yoko leave the front porch.
"Wash that face of yours, it's creepy!" Yoko waved at her.
"Don't forget my dimsum, onee-san!" She jumped.
"I won't, creepy face!" Yoko gave her sister a grin and waved goodbye.
The younger girl stuck out her tongue, smiled, waved back then closed the door.
Click. The door was locked.
"Ah! Mou! That was close! Whew!" She wiped her sweat from her forehead.
"Creepy face? Me?" With that said, she ran to the bathroom sink and began to splash water to her face.
"But I don't look creepy, I'm just.just." She saw her face began to contort into that creepy silly smile again.
"Oh no! She's right. I do look creepy! Why can't this smile get off my face?" She began to splash more water to her face until she got her shirt wet.
More splashes. Splash. Splash. The bathroom floor was wet. Her shirt soaking wet. Hair dripping wet.
She looked at the mirror again. This was futile. The face on the mirror still reflected the silly smiling face.
Dear Lord! I was so freaking obvious.
She began to talk to her reflection on the mirror.
This time, she let the smile take its place. "But it was wonderful, wasn't it? Did you see how he smiled and said 'Sweet'?"
"Can you still feel how soft those lips were? Wouldn't it have been nicer to stay longer, had it not only for those kids coming?" She grinned.
"This is a major breakthrough, you know. Moments like these are not to be wasted. They are to be remembered forever, ne?" She sounded like she was lecturing.
She saw her cheeks turn bright red.
"Ah!! You see, how you're making me feel? Look at my cheeks, silly! Hah!" She accused the mirror.
"I'll never be the same, you know." She batted her eyelashes dreamily.
She opted to take a quick shower and changed into dry clothes.
She began to pace restlessly back and forth in the living room. What to do? What to do? I feel jumpy.
She turned on the television. It was the sports channel. The highlights of the NBA Championship Games.
She nearly shrieked and quickly turned it off.
"Don't do that!" She clutched her chest and fell off on the sofa.
She slumped on the sofa and stared at the telephone.
"I can't let this go on forever. If I can't let this out, I'll just die."
She dialed the number.
"Ah, moshi! Moshi! Could I speak to Noriko-chan?"
"Hai! Noriko desu." A cheerful voice replied.
"Noriko-chan, it's me." She introduced in a hushed tone.
"Of course, it's you. I can tell by your voice, it's you. Oh, why are you calling me now? Did you know that you have just interrupted a very special moment I am having here?"
"What moment?"
"I'm making love with the TV."
"Uh.Okay." Her voice was still hushed.
Why the hell are you talking like that? Do you have a cold? Are you sick?"
"Iyya! Anou.I feel strange. I've never felt this way before and you got to listen to me if you can't, I know I'll just die and all. Something very strange and overwhelming has happened to me today. Something that has never ever, ever happened before." Her hushed tone began to take on a high pitch.
Silence.
"Noriko-chan? Are you still there?"
Silence.
"NORIKO-CHAN!!!"
"You sound creepy."
"Ahh!! Cut it out with that creepy word. My sister said the same thing too."
"She's right!"
"Who's side are you on?"
"But you are creepy, creepy, creepy, CREEEEEEEPPPPPPYYYYY!!!"
"Noriko-chan, c'mon, what do you think is happening to me?"
"How am I supposed to know, you only gave me a very vague description of what you're feeling and I am not psychic. I do not read minds."
"I know you won't let me down, my friend. That is why I love you so much."
Okay, creepy girl. I'll see you in school tomorrow so we can discuss this creepiness of yours."
"YATTA!!!! ARIGATO! (thank you) You're the bestest friend ever!!" She began to scream.
"Mochiron! (certainly) okay, now leave me alone because I'm having a L'arc- en-Ciel video marathon. Haido-sama needs me!!!"
"Haido?!!! But you have seen those videos for a million times already."
"And your point is? Look, it's a bright Sunday, Haido is so kakkoii (cool) and there's just no way in hell am I going to let all his coolness go to waste and what better way to spend quality time with someone you love?"
"Hai. I give up. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, ne?"
"Ja ne!" Noriko immediately hung up.
Yoshi.