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Supper: Ha-ha, thanks for inspiring me to finally post this!

Stubborn Love
Squit Ayumin

Chapter 4

"What is wrong with you?" Ryo demanded, manners and patience long gone.

She looked at him as if she had just noticed his presence. "Why are you still following me?"

And she proceeded to walk onwards.

In complete disbelief, Ryo quickened his pace to catch up to her. "Your boyfriend just punched me. Twice."

"And you deserve it after what you did to me today." She gave him a piercing look. "Besides, what sort of man can't take a punch? Especially from Kazu. You're an embarrassment if you can't take it from him."

He stopped, overcome once again, before catching up to her again. "That contract thing wasn't my fault, first of all, and where do you get off asking me for favours?"

She stopped to look at him. "I didn't really ask you, did I? You played along out of your own free will."

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. There were a thousand things he wanted to say to her, but he was too flustered to say anything. "You—"

"Yes?" she challenged.

"You're unbelievable," he said finally, disappointed in his response.

She smirked. "Look, you don't seem like the kind of guy who eats pork scratchings at shady pubs and I didn't want to be with Kazu, so we both got out of what we both didn't want to do, right? If anything, you should be thanking me."

"You think—wait. I should be thanking—?" He frustratingly loosened his tie. "Pork scratchings happen to be one of my most favourite dishes."

She laughed, obviously not believing him.

"If you could call it a dish," she retorted. "Please, you definitely look like one of those guys who've lived their entire lives in the country club."

She was insulting him again.

She smirked and walked onwards. "Come on then, Motou. You owe me dinner."

"I owe you what?" Ryo followed her, almost swimming in disbelief now. "I don't owe you dinner. And my name's—"

She opened a door to a McDonald's and shut it in his face. He stared for a second, wondering if he should do the smart thing and simply be on his way.

Her surrealism drew him into the restaurant, however. That, and it was empty so the employees were all staring at him, wondering why he was just staring at her.

"Get me a chicken nugget meal," she said immediately, as she situated herself in a booth. "Sweet and sour sauce, Coke."

He walked to where she was. "You must be joking."

"Do I look like I'm joking?" She squeezed the water from the hair, allowing it to drip to the floor, and took off her jacket. "Go on, then. I don't have all night."

Two minutes later, Ryo found himself setting a tray of food in front of her.

"Is this… healthy?" he asked, taking a nugget.

"Hey, get your own!" she demanded, seizing the food from his hand. "And no it's not healthy. It's McDonald's. Are you stupid?"

"I paid for that," he pointed out.

"And I assure you that I'm very, very grateful," She opened a container of sauce and dipped, "but I haven't eaten all day. I'm hungry."

"You honestly the most unbelievable person ever," Ryo muttered, looking away. The air conditioner pumped massive amounts of cold wind his way, causing him to shiver.

"Cold?" she queried. "It's what you get for not bringing an umbrella."

"You didn't bring an umbrella."

"I don't mind rain," she said matter-of-factly, taking a large helping of her drink. "So, explain something to me."

He still didn't look at her and instead shrugged.

"Why are you following me?"

His eyes jerked towards her, incredulity rushing through him. "What makes you think I'm following you?"

"Well, after we left that pub, you followed me here to McDonald's. On top of that, you were stupid enough to buy me food." She smirked. "What? Do you fancy me?"

"What?" he asked a bit too quickly. "No. No! What's wrong with you?"

Why exactly was he here? He was more enticed at the disbelief of this all that he couldn't make himself break away.

That, and admittedly this was a good distraction from his personal problems.

Those were the only reasons he could think of anyway.

"My boyfriend is back at the pub. Why don't you go talk to him instead?" she pointed out, smirking. "Have you got a girlfriend then?"

"Yes—no." Ryo felt annoyance. "Why do you want to know?"

"Which one is it?" she asked, still smiling as if she was the single greatest being on Earth.

"No," he said firmly.

"Oh, I get it now." She smirked knowingly. "You were dumped, weren't you? That's why you were sitting all droopily at the pub."

"No," he objected. "Actually, I was just there to get dinner."

"And that's why you were such a douche to me today, huh? Your girlfriend left you so you took it out on me?" She laughed.

He gawked. "I wasn't rude. You were rude!"

"You called security on me," she pointed out.

"You told me to throw myself out of a window!" he retorted.

"After you called security." She held a chicken nugget to his face. "Here, take it. I pity you, Motou. And you look much too gangly."

He took it. "I am not gangly."

"Fine, you're hideously fat." She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, and they say girls get sensitive about their weight."

He didn't respond, instead nibbling on the chicken nugget.

It wasn't that good.

He set it back on the tray.

"Too low class for you?" she asked, smiling. "And you never answered my question."

Offended, he took the nugget and popped it into his mouth.

"Why are you following me?"

He continued to chew.

She continued to stare at him.

He swallowed.

She stared.

"I didn't realise I was doing it," he answered honestly.

She stood up, her tray of barely-eaten food in her hands. "Yeah, sure. I'll just be leaving then."

She threw the trash away and headed towards the door.

Every bone in his body told him to leave her alone, to let her go wherever she wanted and to leave her be. It wasn't like he had any sort of bond towards her.

But a small voice in his head haunted him, telling him of the dangers of the night: thieves, kidnappers, cars and shady people in general.

Sighing, he stood up and followed her out the door. He saw her just in time to see her disappear into a red sake tent. Pulling his jacket to him, he crossed the street and walked in.

"Admit it, Motou. You like me."

How could he? He embarrassed himself the first time he saw her, she had a fit the second time and he managed to get punched rather painfully the third time.

He wasn't in any rush to spend more time with this girl, though he couldn't bring himself to walk away.

He watched as she poured liquor into two glasses, pushing one to him.

"It's Ryo," he said as he took it.

"What?"

"My name. It's Ryo."

"Myou?" she asked, holding up her cup. "I was close. Cheers."

She bashed her cup with Ryo's and drank the contents.

"Ryo," he repeated, turning away to drink even though he knew she was younger.

"Ah, polite boy, aren't you?" She smirked. "Two hands and everything."

He set the cup down.

"I'm Rika," she said, pouring into the cup almost immediately after he set it down. "You know, Motou, when I first saw you, I thought you were a complete asshole, but you're actually not that bad. In a weird, annoying sort of way."

Giving up on trying to teach her his name, he just took the drink and waited for her to finish pouring her own.

"How good is your tolerance?" she asked, smashing her cup against his.

"It's okay," he answered, drinking what remained in the cup.

"Good, because mine's absolute crap." She set her cup down and poured some more. "I've already had two glasses of wine before going out with Kazu."

So that was why she was being so much friendlier.

She pushed the sake bottle at him. "Pour."

Not knowing what to do but obey, he did so. "I'm older than you, by the way."

"Really?" she queried, evidently not understanding that he meant that he shouldn't be pouring her anything. "How old are you?"

"Twenty six."

She smiled knowingly. "You're mad that I'm not using honorifics, then?"

Oh, he hadn't realised that.

But now that he thought about it, it was true.

"To be honest though, I don't see any reason to. You're older than me, but you don't act much older." She shrugged. "Get over it, Motou."

He decided that it didn't really bother him that much. He watched as she took another shot.

"You're going to get drunk, you know," he nagged.

She grinned at him. "Do you think I came here not to get drunk?"

"Well, what am I supposed to do once you pass out?" he asked solemnly. "I hope you realise I'm not going to be carrying you home on my back."

"Of course not. You'd die of the exercise, wouldn't you?" She tossed her mobile phone to him. "You can call my mum. It's saved under 'Mum.'"

"Or you could not get drunk."

"Or you could just leave me here."

"Or you could not get drunk."

She seized the bottle from him. "Or you could just leave me here. I never asked you to be here."

She looked into the bottle, realising it was empty. "Could I have another bottle of sake? Oh, and bring some food! What do you want to eat, Motou? It's all on me!"

Ryo sighed, turning his cup around before drinking it. He wasn't even trying to look decent anymore. His back was slouched, his elbow was on the table, head rested lazily on his hand.

Rika, on the other hand, was drunk. She had been drunk for a while, but she was refusing to stop.

"This is good, Mister. You should try some."

"No thanks," he said for what appeared to be for the millionth time, watching as she put the grossest foods into her system.

"Lady, could I have oysters too?" she asked loudly. She looked at Ryo. "Oh, and whatever sushi you have!" She smiled. "You look like a sushi guy."

He liked sushi, but he had no appetite.

"I'm fine."

"Tch, then I'll eat it," she said grumpily. "You should be thankful, Mister."

As she got more and more drunk, she seemed to have forgotten both Ryo and Motou and settled with Mister.

"The thing that sucks about modelling—well, everything about it sucks, but the thing I hate most is this!" She held up a large, unappealing slab of eel to him. "I can't eat anything that tastes decent!"

"Oh." Grossed out, he took her wrist and pushed her hand away from his nose.

She happily chomped on it.

"Do you feel like leaving?" he asked, staring as his watch ticked annoyingly slower than usual.

"I just ordered more stuff! I can't leave yet!" She shook her head as she pierced another slab of eel meat with her chopsticks. "You're stupid."

He sighed again and swallowed his drink.

"Kazu? Oh, God, what an arse." Rika burped lightly and took another shot before continuing. "But he's Kazu. I'm used to him."

Ryo waved a hand in the air in disgust, amazed how unattractive this beautiful girl could be when she was drunk.

She laughed. "Why? Do you want to date me?"

"Hardly," he muttered, not caring if he hurt her feelings anymore. She most likely wouldn't remember this whole incident the next morning at this rate.

"Oh, no." She turned her sake bottle upside down. "I'm all out. Lady—!"

"Come on, this has gone on long enough. I don't have time for this." He stood up and walked to the woman running the tent. "How much is it?"

"Hey! Mister!" She stood up and wobbled her to way to him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm paying so we can leave."

"Stop being dumb, I'm paying!" She pushed him weakly away. "Lady, how much is it?"

"¥6500."

Rika stared at her. "¥6500? Are you ripping me off because I'm drunk?"

"I'll p—"

"Mister, go away!" She opened her bag and hiccupped. "I haven't got any notes. Do you take cheques or credit cards?"

"Why don't you just get your boyfriend to pay for you?"

"What? This man?" Rika poked his shoulder and laughed. "Lady, this guy isn't my—"

"It's ¥6500?" Ryo clarified, giving the woman the money.

Rika angrily hit his head with her bag. "I said I'll pay! I just have to go to the ATM."

"You can pay me back later," he said, taking her by the arm.

"You're an irresponsible boyfriend," the woman accused. "You shouldn't let your girlfriend get so drunk next time."

He gave an apologetic smile before dragging the struggling model out of the tent.

"Mis-ter!" she said angrily. "I… I said… I… I'll pay."

"And I said you can pay me ba—" He frowned. "Are you ok—"

His words were cut off, however, as she leaned forward on him, falling on his chest.

"Rika?" He shook her. "Rika? Did you pass out?"

"N…no."

"Good. Don't pass out. Really, don't pass out. I wouldn't know what to do."

"I… I…"

"What is it?"

"I… I… I think…"

"What's wrong?" he asked, shaking her harder. "I can't understand you. Are you okay?"

"Mis… mister…"

She grasped his jacket sleeves, dipped lower towards his abdomen and vomited.

He admitted it; he was abnormally clean and had a phobia of anything or anybody who didn't look less than perfectly hygienic.

"You shouldn't have given your girlfriend so much."

Rika was passed out by the fountain, while he was forced to clean the vomit spread all over the path. The man who had brought out the mop and dustbin looked piteously at him.

"I didn't give it to her," Ryo muttered, attempting to mop for the first time in his life.

"She's out good."

"Yeah," he mumbled, angrily sloshing the mop messily around the path. When she had thrown up, it had not only gotten on the ground, it managed to get all over the bottom half of his clothes. Then she stood up straight, fell on his shoulder, and vomited on the top half. Then she sort of slid down, getting it on her clothes. He had been so shocked that he dropped her, and she landed on her own vomit.

The memory of it disgusted him.

"I feel sorry for you, mate."

"Saved under 'Mum', huh?" Ryo asked angrily to the unconscious Rika as he scrolled her phonebook for her mum's number. "You liar."

Why had he followed her? If he had just listened to his brain and had left as normal people would have done, he would be home in bed.

Instead, he was forced to carry her. After he had mopped up the mess, the man told him to carry Rika since she was nearly drenched in her own vomit. He didn't want the fountain to get messy again. Ryo, also covered in it, wasn't allowed to sit down.

"Hm, do you have her on speed dial?" he asked, only to find out seconds later she didn't have a speed dial list made. His eyes fell on Kazu's name.

Rather face Kazu than call everybody on her phonebook, he rang him up and put the phone to his ear.

"Rika!" answered a familiar voice. "Where are you? I swear to God—"

"Hi, I'm sorry but—"

The phone died.

Ryo stared at it.

It still was off.

The battery had died.

Rika was sliding off his back.

He hoisted her back up.

He put her phone in her bag and stood there, speechless.

Now what?

Random Fact about Chapter 4: Translating sucks. Calling people "Lady" and "Mister" is perfectly acceptable in Japan.