Shelf #029
Bolts of shock spread throughout Julie's body. She was still rooted at the door, staring back at Kuu. How on earth did the press ever found out she was here with him? She never told anyone she's in Portobello. Plus, Kuu answered the door in that getup!
"Oh my God. . And they got a photo of you dressed like that?" Julie asked, her eyes darted at Kuu's gray camisole and deep blue boxers.
"Undressed like this, yes," Kuu said.
"Kami-sama."
Stunned, Julie quickly tiptoed towards the kitchen, heading to the phone.
Later that morning, Julie was on the phone, with Kuu pacing silently at the kitchen, hands on his waist and deep in thought to this sudden shock of his lifetime that greeted him right at his door. Spike was blithely heading downstairs into the kitchen in just his black underpants.
"Morning, daring darling ones," Spike greeted. He walked past behind Julie to head towards the refrigerator, beamed widely at Kuu and does a thumbs up to him –– utterly very excited about what he knew was a last night's 'result.'
Julie twirled the black cord of the phone, waiting impatiently for the tone to cut off. Finally it did.
"Yashiro. It's Julie. The press are here," she said in a panic, yet she tried to calm down. Her flushed cheeks felt burning with fury and embarassment. She knew on the other side Yashiro was also in deep panic as her. To think he had helped her escaped from Jeff unnoticed at the hotel.
". . . No, you should have seen it –– there are hundreds of them. . . " Julie muttered furiously on the receiver. "My brilliant plan was not so brilliant after all. . . Yeah, I know, I know. . Just get me out then."
She then hanged up the phone.
"Damnit. Shit, shit, shit," she cursed under her breath, and quickly headed upstairs.
Kuu was eyeing at Spike, who was all cool with everything going on around here in the kitchen. He watched him eating the container of mayonnaise.
"I wouldn't go outside if I were you," Kuu said.
Spike looked up curiously at Kuu, taking a spoonful to his mouth. His lips were a nice lipstick of pure white cream.
"Why not?" Spike asked.
"Just take my word for it," Kuu answered.
Kuu turned around and headed quietly to Julie upstairs. Spike just stood obediently as a cat eating his mayonnaise, watching Kuu walking silently out of the archway and into the corridor. The moment Kuu was heading upstairs, Spike slammed the container on the counter and dashed for the front door.
From outside Kuu's house, the press were frantically waiting for the persons they wanted to see the most. The best scoop they had first encountered gave them a bonus with Kuu answering the door first. Neighbors and children at the other side of the street were just puzzled by the sudden commotion caused by the sudden presence of such a huge number of press at Kuu's door. All of them stared in wonder. What the hell was going on and why they were at Kuu's house?
Suddenly, the blue door of Kuu's house opened. All the press turned around to see this very scrawny, pale bloke with white cream lipstick in the frame of the doorway, in his black underpants. Of course, the neighbors knew him. And their eyes were wide in disbelief and covered their fallen mouths. The adults quickly covered the children's eyes with both of their hands, but the little ones loved this and pushed them down.
"Oh, Kami-sama!"
"Dear God!"
"What the hell–?"
"SPIKE-SAN?!"
But Spike loved this presence of explosion. A thousand photos flashed upon him, yet Spike never squinted. Instead, he pushed his hands through his hair and it bolted straight up in all directions. His cream white lips flashed such a huge smile, revealing sunny yellow teeth. Spike beamed wildly and poses athletically at all sides. With no shame.
He then closed the door and wandered excitedly along to a mirror in the hallway near the living room.
"How did I look?" he muttered. "How did I look, huh?"
He started inspecting himself.
"Not bad. . Not bad at all. Cool, thunder bolt hair. Well-chosen briefs, I'd say––"
He cupped his genitals and smiled.
"––Chicks are wild with this and love black!"
Then he turned to his side.
"Mmmm. Nice, firm round buttocks. Yes."
Upstairs, Kuu entered his bedroom. He had gone back from the guest room and now wore a silk midnight blue sleeping pants. He looked unhappy for Julie, who was on the edge of the bed. She was packing. Right now she was almost dressed. She wore back her fitted white, sleeveless top and skinny jeans. She picked up her white trainers and placed one on her feet.
"How are you doing?" Kuu asked.
"How do you think I'm doing?" Julie shot fiercely. She pulled the last trainer on her other foot.
"I don't know what happened."
"I do, Kuu. Your furry friend thought he'd make a buck or two telling the papers where I was," Julie said.
Kuu watched her stood up and darted furiously across the room. Unaware of her actions, she picked up Kuu's blue denim jacket and threw it over herself.
"That's not true," Kuu said.
Julie pushed her hair away from the back of her neck and turned around.
"Really?! The Japanese press just woke up this morning and thought 'Hey –– I know where Julienna Scott is–! She's in Kyoto right now in that house with the blue door in Portobello.' And then you go out in your goddamn underwear!"
Suddenly Spike dropped in at the door.
"I went out in my goddamn underwear too," he blurted.
Kuu turned his head and flashed him a piercing gaze.
"Just get the fuck out, Spike."
He did.
"Oh. I'm so sorry," Spike said, hurrying on the corridor.
When Spike was completely gone until they heard him heading downstairs, they continued.
"This is such a mess," Julie said. Tears have started to well up in her eyes, but she forced it in.
"I come to you to protect myself against more crappy gossip and now I'm landed in it all over again–!"
She quickly opened the closet and took out her bag.
"–I mean for God's sake, I've got a boyfriend!"
"You do?"
Julie stopped and sighed heavily. This was such a difficult moment –– defining where they stood. Kuu thought he had done a horrible mistake, to have found wrong words. Of course he realized it just this morning. He was only stunned right now, only could hardly believed what Julie said back there.
"As far as they're concerned, I do," she fumed. "And now there'll be pictures of you in every newspapers from here to Timbuktu!"
Kuu walked to Julie. "I know, I know –– but. . . just –– let's stay calm–"
She shrugged her shoulders off his grip.
"–I can't stay calm! You can stay calm –– this is a perfect situation for you ––!" Julie yelled. "Minimum input, maximum publicity. Everyone you bump into will know. 'Well done you –– you slept with that actress and model –– we've seen the pictures!'"
"Now that's spectacularly unfair," Kuu said.
"Who knows, it may even help business–"
She placed her bag on her shoulders and picked up her sunglasses.
"–buy a boring book about Egypt and a crappy gay manga about The One from the guy who screwed Julienna Scott."
She shot out of the bedroom. Kuu quickly headed out after her.
"Now stop. Stop," he called out, rushing. "Julie. . I beg you ––"
They were rushing downstairs–
"–Calm down. Have a cup of tea–"
"–I don't want a goddamn cup of tea. I want to go home."
The doorbell rang as they arrived at the archway leading to the corridor.
"Spike, check who that is. . ." Kuu said. "And for God's sake put some clothes on."
But his spiky friend didn't listen. Instead, Spike leaned merrily out of the window.
"Looks like a chauffeur to me," he said.
True enough, outside the house amid the throng of press and some neighbors at the side of the street, right in front of the door –– was the manager Yashiro and two tall bodyguards.
Amazingly, even with the large human bulldogs with him, the press seemed to have backed away a few feet from him, leaving such a huge space. Yashiro just stood calmly in front of the door. He looked behind him, and saw from behind his spectacles the press moving slightly away in fear. Every single paparazzi felt an undeniably strong force as cold as ice and blazing sharply like a flame, piercing straight at them. This very young man was not to be fooled around with.
Yashiro looked back, pushed back his spectacles as though this was nothing, and rang the doorbell again.
Inside, Julie and Kuu moved from the kitchen to the corridor leading to the entrance.
"And remember, Kuu –– Spike owes you an expensive dinner," Julie snapped. "Or holiday– – depending if he's got the brains to get the going rate on betrayal."
She rushed on the corridor towards the door.
"That's not true. And wait a minute-!"
Kuu rushed after her. He finally managed to hold her arm and stopped her. Julie turned around, fuming.
"–I can't believe this –– this is crazy behavior. Can't we just laugh about this?" Kuu said, looking at her. "Seriously –– in the huge sweep of things, this stuff doesn't matter."
Spike appeared at the archway from the kitchen, sipping his cup of tea. He looked on the two lovebirds in a quarrel.
"What he's going to say next is –– there are people starving in the Sudan," Spike said.
Kuu heaved a annoyed sigh. Damn him.
"Well, there are. And we don't need to go anywhere near that far," Kuu said. He looked at Julie. "My best friend slipped –– she slipped downstairs, cracked her back and she's now in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. All I'm asking for is a normal amount of perspective."
Julie couldn't take this anymore. Still, it pained her that Kuu failed to understood her place.
"You're right: of course, you're right," Julie said, deeply hurt at all this. "It's just that I've dealt with this fucking garbage for ten years now, Kuu –– you've had it for ten minutes. Our perspectives are different."
"Come on, Julie. ." Kuu said. "I mean –– today's newspapers will be lining tomorrow's waste paper bins."
Julie couldn't believe this. She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Well, you know –– it's just one day. Today's papers will all have been thrown away tomorrow."
They stood there at the corridor, staring at each other's eyes. Juile was about halfway to lose control on her eyes, but she kept them in. If only Kuu could see and feel what it is to be famous, he wouldn't say anything like this.
Julie shook her head.
"Kuu. . . you really don't get it," she said in a low voice. "This story gets filed. . Every time anyone writes anything about me –– whoever they are, no matter what country –– they'll dig up these photos. . Newspapers last forever. I'll regret this forever."
Kuu took this in. Looking back at those sad, green eyes –– thin stream was held successfully in those depths –– Kuu understood her place. He just thought everything about this the other way around. From the bottom of his heart, he didn't want her to leave just yet. . . That was too late now. . She was busted. . She can't stay here forever, so she had to go. . Kuu knew things would come to this point. . It pained him to know that after this, he was not sure if he will see her again. . This may be for the good. . That's the end.
"Right. Fine," Kuu spoke softly in defeat. "I will do the opposite. If it's all right by you –– and always be glad you came. As much as I wanted you to stay. . But you're right –– you probably better go."
Julie looked at him. They stared for a brief moment in silence. Then, Julie fought back a stream that just freely fell down her face. The doorbell rang again. She sniffed lightly and, wiping out the tear from her eyes, pushed her sunglasses.
She opened the door, and there was Yashiro. Massive noise and photos exploded again, but this time there was still a huge gap of space and no single paparazzi dared to go near her. Outside was her manager sending an arm on her shoulder and lead the way to the car far ahead, together with a chauffeur and two bodyguards. Then the blue door was shut and they're all gone.
Silence filled inside the entire house. Kuu heaved a deep sigh and sat on the entrance steps. As much as he wanted to stop Julie no matter what, part of himself never used that strength and let her go.
At the living room, Kuu and Spike sat on a sofa across each other in deep silence. For a moment, pause swept across the entire room. Kuu broke it first.
"Was it you?" Kuu asked, looking deep at Spike's eyes.
"I. . . I suppose I might have told one or two people down the pub," Spike answered.
"Right."
Kuu sighed heavily and buried his head in his hands. Yet there was no strength left in those hands and his head sank back on the sofa. His eyes stared blankly up the ceiling. It was over now.
Another day and his Julie was gone again from his sight. . . Maybe this time, she was lost in his arms. Forever. . .
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