| Fan Fiction |
by biniBningPunkista
What I knew though, was that I’m feeling tipsy and felt like an absolute coward. I have been running away too many times already.
Why why why do I always run away when it’s about Ikuta Toma?
“Miss, you alright?” A guy wearing a formal attire asked.
“Gowaway.. squirt.” I told him off waving my hand to shoo him away.
The guy knitted his eyebrows and stomped off. My head swayed a bit as I looked with uneven gaze at the guy who just walked away from me.
That was the 10th guy approaching me that night, it was all starting to get annoying.
Then with my hazy eye sight, I caught the barman’s small smile.
“Jusht because they shee a lady in a nysh dresh drinking in the bar alone… jey all assshume they haf a chansh..” I muttered to the barman with my words slurring and stumbling out of my mouth while shaking my head and taking in another glass of wine. He just nodded at me knowingly or maybe I was just imagining it.
I heard another set of footsteps approaching, not bothering to look at whoever it was, I shrugged my shoulders and slumped on the bar table.
“Shtupid people… I told you aredy gowaway…” I garbled as my eyes slowly drooped, then I felt a pair of arms lift me up from the chair. My eyes narrowed trying to focus on the face of the person who was carrying me, but all I could see was a blob of head. I was too dizzy to even focus.
Did the barman get tired of me and called someone to bring me back to my room?
The person who was carrying me was definitely a guy because he easily carried me through the elevator. He had broad shoulders, strong arms and… smelled good too.
I miss moments like this…
I snuggled closely to the man who has been carrying me then muttered softly,
“Toma-kun… you seem different. So far away…” My voice drifting and everything slowly went black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I woke up my head was searing with pain.
“God the hang over!!!” I shouted as I bent sideways and held my head with both hands. That’s when I noticed a pair of feet poking on the side of my leg.
What the fuck?!?
I instinctively moved away, but in the process made me fall off the bed with the blanket.
Shit shit… what did I do last night?
Crouching on the floor and trying to avoid looking at the bed, I tried to rearrange my thoughts from the party up to the time I was too drunk to even stand up that someone carried me to…
Oh my god.
My head turned from side to side to look at the room. To my relief it was the same room I had occupied for the last few days. The only question is… who was that person on the bed with me?
I quickly checked out myself to feel if I did some silly thing like having sex last night while I was too drunk. I touched the areas of my body that needed touching.
No. This doesn’t feel like the morning after. I am still wearing my dress from last night and I don’t seem to smell that bad either.
Slowly, I peeked through the edge of the bed. It was a man’s feet.
Toma? Did he by any chance knew, that I was here?
I stood properly and started to look…
MATSUMOTO JUN?!?
My mind completely went blank, then bewildered and then finally furious.
“What the hell are you doing here in my room?!?” I yelled as I grabbed his feet and shook him awake.
“Eh? EH???” Jun woke up disorientated then looked at me wide eyed and completely startled.
“Oh… you’re awake.” He finally said calmly, as if he just came out of a trance.
“That’s all you could say??? YOU’RE FUCKING AWAKE?!? After you spent the night in MY room?!? What the hell is wrong with you? What are you doing here? How could you be so perverted???” I demanded with my arms across my chest, brows frowning and definitely fuming with anger.
“Don’t you remember?” Jun asked.
“Remember what!?” I shouted.
“Last night, you were very drunk… I carried you here in your room, lay you on bed and was about to leave, when you grabbed me on top of you and… hugged me tightly. You even called me Toma. I was really struggling to get away… but… you…” His voice trailed off that I was more curious than angry.
“I what?” I demanded trying to hide my embarrassment.
“You… smiled at me… then started… ano… you started crying.” Jun said then started to scratch his head hiding his own embarrassment.
“I WHAT?!?” I asked unable to accept that I have cried vulnerably in front of him.
“You heard me. So I stayed…” He said awkwardly.
“I… cried?” I asked utterly confused. I was never a good drinker in the first place, but I never expected that I would forget everything I have done the prior night. I was probably dreaming by then.
I looked at Jun carefully deliberating mentally what he just told me. Then after a few minutes of a totally awkward silence I finally spoke up.
“I’ll treat you to ramen, JAPANESE ramen. So you better find a really good ramen house here in Taiwan. Be ready in 30 minutes, we’re going out.” I told him, completely transforming myself by not showing an ounce of embarrassment of what shameful thing I have done last night.
I silently grabbed Jun away from the bed and shoved him outside of my room; it was his turn to become confused by then. He was struggling away from my clutches and was asking a lot of questions then started muttering some unintelligent stuff, but I forcefully pushed him through the door and closed it in his face. I sighed heavily and went into the bathroom to shower and relieve the pain that suddenly throbbed on my head.
This morning was not going to be a bright one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inside the Ramen house that Jun brought me, we were both facing each other and sat in complete silence while eating. My mind was a million miles away, and then I noticed that Jun has been stealing glances in my direction.
Eventually I had to break the silence because of annoyance.
“You’ve been doing that a couple of times already? What are you thinking Matsumoto?” I raised an eyebrow.
He almost choked on the ramen he just shoved in his mouth. Then he started coughing and thumping his chest that I felt bad for being so cocky when it was me who has been taking advantage of him the whole time. I reached out a glass of water for him to take; he grabbed it quickly and drank all of it almost in one gulp.
“Gome...” I said quietly which seem to startle Jun in a non-appealing way.
“Why are you suddenly saying sorry?”
“It was a moment of stupidity. I mean… last night was a moment of stupidity… the whole idea of going here in Taiwan was a very very stupid idea in the first place.” I grumbled at myself rather than Jun.
“So… who’s Toma?” He asked seriously.
“My… my fiancé. He was at the party last night, I chickened out. So I left.” I said in a very low tone.
“Why are you running away?” Jun prodded on.
“Because I had no reason to stay! He… he seems to have settled in a place I can’t even enter.” I answered feebly at him.
“How did you even know that Mao when you didn’t even talk to him.” He argued.
“I didn’t have to talk to him to know Jun, I’m not blind. I can see.” I said angrily.
“What was there to see? You don’t know it, but you do fit well in that place. It doesn’t make you a social climber Mao if that’s what you’re thinking. You yourself was brought up with a golden spoon in your mouth, you just… well… you just seemed to rebel from that lifestyle.” Jun pointed out.
“It’s not that I care if people think I’m a social climber, I just felt… ano… I felt really scared last night.” I said softly.
“Why?” He asked.
“If I was to marry a man with prestige in his back ground, I would be bearing his name by then. I don’t know if I could live with that. I got really scared… I just wanted to live a simple life, not with power or money or fame. I never asked for those. All I wanted was to be with the man I love, live a life that I have built with my own hands…” my voice trailed on before I continued to speak,
“…but most of all I’m scared to know what Toma decided on, how he fixed his issues which need major decisions that would involve me in it. What if I can’t fit in it? What if it doesn’t even involve me? What if…”
“What if all of his plans were for you? What if he has been thinking of you all this time? What if you are his world and he wouldn’t know what to do if you weren’t in it?” Jun interjected.
I looked at him in awe then started to throw him my chopsticks.
“How could you even say such freaking cheesy lines at times like this Matsumoto??? This isn’t a script!” I scolded Jun, though my heart seemed lighter by hearing those words.
Jun shrugged and smiled at me.
“Gome, can’t help but remember those lines from my drama… it just seemed so appropriate in your situation. Here I am; the guy who can never have the girl, the friend who always helps out and gives consoling words… and there you are, the leading girl who is always confused, always in trouble, always…” His voice trailed off not finishing his sentence. Then he grinned and spoke more clearly.
“Our roles are too appropriate, right?” Jun snickered.
I caught the meaning behind his words, but I just couldn’t say anything about it.
“Arigataou ne?” I gave a small smile. It was all I could say, I have no proper words to tell him.
“For what?” He cocked his head to the side.
“For all the help you gave.” I said then called for the bill.
“We’re leaving?” Jun asked looking at his bowl still full of ramen.
“No you’re not, I am. This is my treat remember? I’m going home to Japan; the people there are going to miss me too much if I’m gone too long. This makes it my goodbye treat and thanks.” I said acting smugly.
There was a moment of silence between us. Then the bill came, I grabbed it and then Jun reached his hand over mine as if stopping me.
“You’re running away aren’t you?” He said really serious this time.
“I guess I am.” I answered then pulled my hand away from him with the bill.
“There’s no helping it, I’m just a total coward when it comes to moments like this.” I said dejectedly at Jun, then stood up and bowed low at him.
“Sayonara.” I said my goodbye softly and turned to walk away from him and out of the restaurant.
“Matta ne.” Jun called out.
I just said goodbye, didn’t I? Why did he have to say I’ll see you?
I shook my head and didn’t bother to turn. I was thankful for all his help and the time I had spent with him in this Taiwan adventure, but I wouldn’t want to get too attached with that man anymore. Japan will be my salvation for recuperating. Everything needs a time out, including this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Tadaima!!!” I shouted at Erika’s kitchen with my arms wide open while beaming at everyone.
The entire kitchen staff stopped what they were doing then looked at me. As soon as they realized it was just me, they all abruptly went back to work. The kitchen went back to being busy and noisy.
What a very cold welcome.
I pouted as I took a seat by the counter, when suddenly a plate or teriyaki beef and maki, was placed in front of me. It was Erika. I jumped off my chair to hug her in delight.
“Okaeri.” She said as she smiled at me and hugged me back.
“You look awfully weird today.” Erika observed me closely.
“I just got back from Taiwan.” I told her casually.
“I suddenly had a craving for your cooking so I decided to pass by first thing. The ramen in Taiwan was awful. It was nothing like yours.” I shook my head then shoved in the food into my already watering mouth.
“Ah… this is the real thing!” I exclaimed at Erika as I pointed at the food with my chopsticks.
“So where’s Toma?” Erika asked while looking around.
My mouth was too full and I was deliberately ignoring her question. Erika looked at me doubtingly.
“Did something happen?” She asked with her eyes suddenly narrowing and full of suspicion.
I mumbled something incoherent then was about to shove more food into my mouth when Erika held my arm midway, stopping me from feeding myself.
“What exactly happened in Taiwan?” She asked demandingly.
I gulped down all the food before answering her, and then I looked at her seriously and started from day one to my last day in Taiwan.
After listening intently to my story, Erika just stared at me. Then all of a sudden she wacked her palm at my forehead, hard.
“Ouch!!!” I cried out then touched my forehead.
“That really hurts Erika.” I told her with a frown trying to feign being really hurt.
“That’s for spending all that time with Jun.” She said, then started pinching my arms and sides as if a thousand ants where biting through my skin.
“Ow! Ow! Ow!!! Cut it out! That really hurts!!!” My voice was uncontrollably loud.
I was in real pain, those where Erika’s killer pinches; the ones that really hurts the most.
“What was that for?” I asked grudgingly as I soothed the areas she pinched with my palms.
“That’s for your stupidity. You shouldn’t have gone there in the first place then you wouldn’t be thinking of all those ridiculous stuff. You are an INOUE! God, you’re even richer than me in the first place Mao. Can’t you even understand how big deal a samurai clan is? You are letting your baka instinct mislead you.” Erika shrugged and shook her head.
“I’m not thinking about the money Erika!!! I’m thinking of Toma’s future and what I have always tried to live for. You of all people should have been able to understand me by now.” I told her with tears in my voice.
“I know what you’re thinking Mao. I do understand what you mean… but you are running away again. How many times are you going to run away from Toma when things go tough? When situations have gone wrong? Are you even ready to get married to him if you keep running away like an idiot? You’re not that head strong Mao I’ve known then. You’re just being a coward. Why do you always do things like this especially when it involves Toma?” Erika asked wearily.
Everything she had said stings my heart because all of it was true. Why can’t I help but run away when the name Ikuta Toma rings out?
~To be continued~
This is purely a fan-fiction.
------------------notes------------------
I miss Toma… he’ll be coming out soon enough. *cough* Mao is really being stubborn! Gives me tons of headache just because of that. FYI: Erika’s pinches are from the devil. That’s why *cough* it hurts big time… you wouldn’t want her *cough* pinching you too.
We need some ice cream while reading this!!! or… I’ll just look at you while you’re eating your ice cream *cough* coz I still have the coughing spells. T_T I want to get rid of this annoying *cough* sickness!!!
*insert*
This is the kind of kitchen I had in mind for Erika’s place and of course how her restaurant should look like… comments would be loved as always. ^_^v
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b327/dhen_shaneen/Untitled-4.jpg