Trickle

Ultra Maniac

By Whimsical Gentleman

Author's Notes – Hey! Hahaha! Obviously I'm for another chapter so I'm hopeful this would be a lot better than the past two.

Rezani – Hey! Thanks a lot for saying that. Really appreciated it.

Imai – Fuck you. Respect the author. What comes first in his mind will the one written first. Otherwise write your own story. p Beh. Oh yeah, for people who do not know him yet, beware of him. Never believe what he says when he reviews you. This dude has down syndrome or something.

Well, anyway, I will feature some of fluff in the last part. Please do take time reading it. I hope you please review!! Wah! I only have few reviews. Sniff…

Chapter III: Sleep talk

"Seki Kawakami also known as S.K., president of Aira modeling agency."

Her voice ricocheted in my ears, almost like twisting them. If I had been holding my coffee cup just then when S.K. said her identity, I could have spilled my coffee. My eyes amplified its size. Unlike her, excitement was building up, and she sat there calmly beside me, in a situation that looked like she was talking to an old friend of hers, without the slightest care about whatever topic.

Where were café tenders when you need them, huh? I asked myself, as I deeply wished for Kaji's presence right now, in this awkward moment. "Okay, S.K." I blurted, "Oh my goodness."

"I suppose you already know why I talked to you in the first place, Miss Ayu Tateishi." I had to nod quietly, "But for formality's sake, let me… verbally… say it to you. I want you to work for me. We really need someone right now; we need you, exactly you."

"Yes, yes… I understand you need someone… but why the fuck me?" I told her exasperatingly… I was semi-back in my gloomy mood again, but I hardly noticed, because of the booming happenings that occurred at one day only.

"Because I can see what you can be, in the business, perhaps." Replied S.K. "I even followed you here, if you would ask anyone working for me, they would have said you must have got something for me to chase you around like a tail."

"But—"

She gave me a finger, just to cut my words, "I did consider though, getting near to you. I had a little doubt if I should bug you. That face of yours looking like you have just been slapped by probably a big predicament. And then it came I watched you talk with that man just in front of you a while ago, your expression gave it all. I loved it. It isn't everyday I get to see those."

Was she praising me? In my interior, I barely believed what she just said.

"Tell me, Ayu, what year are you in now?"

"Fourth year of senior high school." I slightly muttered.

"I see, I see…" her voice was analyzing. There was time lapse wherein silence was prominent, and every second of it, turned out to be a vague visualization of me in front of cameras, or worse, my posed faces in billboards hung on metal frames along the streets. Probably I would be passing by a magazine stand and I would see myself posing on the cover page. "So— are you with me?" S.K. asked me, a bit slowly.

I didn't even give time for myself to think. I looked at her, and my face contrasted to hers, which was smiling. Why did I even come here? Moreover, of all the places Kaji could work part-time for, why Mimi's Locket? I sighed incessantly. My God. In less than twenty-four hours my mother had reached her final destination, I broke down; a certain man had helped me a lot, got into playing charades with him inside a café, and then out of the blue a president of a modeling agency suddenly blurted out I had potential and insisted I should work for her. What fuckcrap, I told myself. Since when did heaven proposed so many occurrences that would probably change my life forever, huh? "Miss Tateishi?" S.K. called out my name,

My stance demolished, and personally, I'd rather have a standstill for a lifetime than answer S.K. I looked at her, and her neutral face was utterly convincing I should say yes, but besides that— when I looked at her in the eye— she left me with the stage and the mental microphone to choose… "I'm sorry, S.K. But I can't accept your proposal."

I looked away, blushing. I always get embarrassed when I reject an offer, especially from people who I like very well… even from strangers, actually. S.K. sighed, but from her sigh, I believed there was no trace of any disappointment or such, and just discovering that, I almost felt a bit happier. "Very well, dear. It's okay." She smiled again; she looked like nothing really happened. And it puzzled me. She did say the fact that whether I accept or reject her deal will most probably affect Aira. I watched her fumble the pockets of her sleek coat, getting a ballpoint pen and a crème-colored card with nothing on it, "Here you go, just contact me if you change your mind, Miss Tateishi."

Seki Kawakami S.K.

Pres. Aira Modeling Corp.

09156893307

She scribbled her contacts in her thin, curvy penmanship. After doing so, she put it silently beside me in a manner that the card brushed my elbow. I need not mutter anything, but I ended up heaving a sigh, "Hey, nice to meet you, S.K. Good night." Although I didn't like her offer, I liked her very much. A good stranger, I thought. it wasn't that often I could meet people who are actually presidents of big agencies… or probably it wasn't that often also women have S.K. for a nickname. By instinct, I had to at least verbalize the sincere pleasure to meeting a fine lady like her.

She smiled, as she did without failure even at the beginning of our little chat, and probably a business tête-à-tête, "You too, Ayu." She walked away, and stopped again, "Maybe I should come here from time to time. They make great coffee, as you could find lovely people here too…" She laughed, and she finally exited without any word.

"Wind… wind… Ohh… Why are you talkin' to me… Just as if I'm a heart to be blown by you… Oh baby, you're such handsome wind—"

I listened to the radio, some 80's music was playing… The remainder of the time I was ignored by my coffee cup, teasing me in all of its unmoving glory. I sat dumb staring at the ceramic cup. It seemed I wished all my life to make the cup grow alive, and entertain me… like the one in The Beauty and the Beast perhaps. I smirked…Okaaaaaay… Why am I even thinking of that Disney movie anyway…

Kaji was taking so long it got me frustrated. What was Mrs. Chujo… whatever her name was… making him do? "Man…" I mumbled to myself, finally giving up on waiting. I hoped S.K. was still here… it would be so much better if she didn't offer that job she wanted to give me. Jeez… am I fit to model? I did not think so. I grabbed the ballpoint pen near the counter, well, supposing it was Kaji's, and I'm sure he would not mind anyway. I grabbed some paper there,

Kaji,

Hey… I'm sleepy now, why did you take so long to go out of that door. I've been waiting for you all the time, you know. Well, anyway, I think it's a good thing also; I could go out without paying anything. Hahaha!

I wanted to say about meeting S.K. while he was away… Should I? No… I decided finally, maybe that could wait. As if all that shit about Aira was a matter of life and death for me…

… Anyway, take care when you go home. I know you'll be leaving late here. We still have classes tomorrow, if you forgot, Kaji. Good night, and yeah, I love you.

P.S. thanks for cheering me up, and treating me divine coffee…

Having satisfaction over what I wrote, I neatly folded the little paper, and set it inside his inventory notebook, with the ballpoint pen beside it so the reserved page wouldn't be completely sandwiched.

After that, I went out of Mimi's Locket.

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I did not speak anymore during the whole trip home. It was a quirky but sad thought, an involuntary internal riot; the many faces of my dead mother revolting why am I in deep tristesse. Her fragrant words enveloped my mind. And as if like waging war, my barely left comfort was in versus to my present melancholy… personally feeling like grit and crushed rocks in your shoes without wearing socks. A sprinting car passed by, displacing puddles of dirty water, while I was silently walking on the sidewalks alone. It was unusually quiet. I just realize those past events when I got the unwanted chance to walk in this uphill route alone, were noisier. Well, not to the extent it could be considered cacaphony, but rather a continuous, irritable buzzing sounds of the bustling streets downtown at the dead of night.

I would happily appreciate it if a paper plane happened to hit my head, and I picked it up, opened it, reading aloud there were hundreds of things to talk and think about other than dead family members, coffee makers, beautiful old ladies, and modeling careers. Of course, by nature, it was only limited to a hypothetical situation.

But thankfully, before it lasted too much to say my walk was too long, I was already standing at the porch, a doormat shaped like a cat meeting my feet. Opening the door and locking it immediately, without care I removed my shoes, turning the lights off and heading towards my room without any word.

There was no one saying in their sweet voices, 'Konbanwa, Ayu-san!', and there was no one to call… I ran through the phone, and there was a blinking red light, signifying someone had left a message…

Oyyy! Ayu-chan!

No doubt it was Nina, as the voice recorded was choppy, giving the suggestion the speaker must have been shouting over the phone like an insane fan girl would do… Well… there was only one girl who would actually do that kind of thing, and it was Nina…

Where have you gone? We were looking for you, Maya-chan even ordered a battalion of the Magical army to find you here in town. I hard a hard time convince her not to release such a conspicuous crowd walking on streets. My human instinct did develop, you know.

She sincerely laughed, and even in her clumsy laughter she had already done magic curving my lips in such a fashion it turned out to be a little smile.

Take it easy, Ayu… I hope you sleep well and tight tonight. Don't forget we have a test about Western expansionism, the Opium War, and the Boxer Rebellion, alright?

She just made sleeping harder as she mentioned that… Oh Nina…

"I'm so sorry, guys…" I mumbled, even though the gang wasn't here to hear what I've said. I drank a glass of cold water, and went up the staircase to my bedroom. I didn't even bother to change clothes, or take a bath… In my tired feeling, I failed to resist the temptation to just strip to my lingerie, and surrender myself to the bed.

The softness of the surface made my vision woozy, as my bed was unusually wobbly, or probably it was just my sight. I felt I was a little dazed… Hell… probably even drunk… But those petty matters didn't give too much attention to my brain. I could hear myself sub-consciously breathing, and afterwards, I fell to abysmal slumber.

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The evening was impeccably beautiful; it was a summer's night. And it seemed as if evening was of younger age than of the winter's, orthe autumn's. The crescent moon shone gloriously above all the stars studded on the velvet sky. I was in awe, the only thing that set aback my happiness was the heavy helmet I was wearing. I never liked the feeling of wearing heavy, 'obese' gear, sitting on my shoulders.

I gripped Kaji's waist firm, as the speed of his motor was again building up. It was ten-thirty-ish in the evening. We could have stayed longer at the karaoke bar with some friends, a couple of beers and shots, and roaring laughter. As much as I wanted to stay and party all night since it was the end of the last term in school, I still had to do some extra work for extra credit. I desperately needed it… Kaji valiantly and immediately volunteered to take me home for the evening. It was a good thing my mother wasn't really there to supervise every action I decide upon, like most girls experience. Mom would certainly not allow me to ride a motorbike, especially with a guy.

I clinched tighter to Kaji. "Whoa, Ayu, don't hold unto me like that, I can't drive Scotty safely if you choke my waist, you know." He said in his helmet. Scotty… well, Kaji had this weird tradition of naming his favorite things. It was always the nascent fact that came to my mind, when some hopeless fangirls goo-goo over Kaji told me his most-worn blue-and-white underwear was also popularly known as Benedict the boxershorts.

"Well, you are going too fast. Plus, I'm scared this helmet might fall off and might bring my whole body with it." I complained quietly with humor, "God, why is this helmet so heavy…"

"It's just because you are thin, Ayu." He sniggered, "If you're really getting uncomfortable, you can just get off. Who's going to fetch you home, aye?" I grumbled, although he was wearing a helmet, I knew he was smirking…

"Damn you." I mumbled with a smile. What piece of fun shit Kaji was. I decided to lessen the constriction of my arms to his waist. "Thank you," I told him, and laid my head against his back. He smelled good in his black corduroy jacket, like wood spice… Kaji always smelled like aromatic wood spice, from dawn until evening. I don't know how he does it, actually, and I'm amazed. A lot of men disagree, but good smell helps a lot… "It's a good thing you didn't get tipsy with your alcohol tonight…"

"Hahaha! Well, somehow I knew you would need my help in the end…" he told me, "But I realized what I truly mean was that somehow I really knew we'd end up together tonight." Kaji whispered. The contradicting wind made louder his whisper towards my ears. "It's pretty quiet here, right?"

"Come to think of it, this is the first time I passed by this route."

"I'm sure the city roads are jammed with cars right now, this route's preferred for a situation like tonight…" he told me… "You love it don't you?" I understood him instantly. The panorama was breathtaking.

But if I were the stars, and I looked upon this girl riding behind a guy driving his motor, desperately clutching on his back, afraid she might get into an accident… It looked more breathtaking than anything else.

I hugged him suddenly— a different hug, out of the blue. I could hear his motor slowing down, and he rested his left foot on the ground to keep our balance stable. He was chuckling sweetly. Kaji took me by surprise, he threw his helmet off and she knew I had also removed mine. It was as if it was already an order from the universe they had conspired us to remove our helms at the same time this fateful minute of this fateful night.

Those hard cursed headgears rolled on the cement of the road.

And like magnetism, the man in front of me faced behind, held my chin, and pointed it upward to permit my lips to contact his. He did not even give me the chance to speak anything, nevertheless, precisely I would not scream and yell in rage if he did gave me the chance to speak…

His lips were wet, or possibly it was mine that was wet… I closed my eyes, I could feel his hand pulling me closer and closer, to the extent my body had touched his chest… "Mmmm…" I couldn't make out any word… "Mmmmm…"

Kaji completely ignored me… and he pushed his lips on mine… Our tongues were already wanton, and he had started to take the liking of biting my under lip. He brushed his hands on my hair, up and down, up and down… as if he expected to make it longer by stroking it up and down. If he was so aggressive with his hands… mine were just enjoying the hardness and masculinity of his back… "Mmmm…" The wind grew cooler and cooler, but imaginary as it was, it seemed like steam to us both…

He cut the kiss, and I signaled myself to open my eyes again. He looked so handsome in the shade of the night, mixing the pale shimmer of the moon and stars, "You're beautiful, Ayu…" Kaji looked away, and he picked up the two helmets unruly on the cement, "I'm sorry for kis—"

"I love you…" I blurted out, almost like a scream. He smiled… "I love you, Kaji…" I heard another two thuds hitting the ground, and I closed my eyes again, already expecting to meet his lips again.

Glaring was the sun, I woke up with pained eyes. It was one thing I always detested about mornings. I could accept everything; rowdy hair, stinky breath, dry saliva, the way you reek… anything… but sun glare… It was because the curtains were thin and white. I do not even know why I have not changed them yet. I yawned…

That dream… that exact time last year… It was stamped on my mind that it was one of the most mortifying but the most romantic events ever… It was a good year.

I went back to present-time, and facing the oaken wall clock, it told me it was half to seven o' clock in the morning. There was ample time for me to take a bath, cook myself with pancakes with strawberry jam as I always did smother them with butter and maple syrup, and to dress up. School starts at seven-thirty. I still remained dumb gaping at the clock merely in its ticking glory.

Oh well— Then came the golden words, Time is Gold…

I mumbled to myself, "So take your time…" It is gold, right?

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Author's Notes – Hey! Did ya'll like it? Hope you did. Well anyway, until then. I still have lots in mind, hahaha, so rest assured I'll get back with a much more interesting chapter.