| Fan Fiction |
by biniBningPunkista
“Rainie? Rainie Yang???” I blurted out loud as the girl looked at me more closely.
“Do I know you somewhere? Have we met before?” she squinted her eyes trying to remember my face.
“Ano… let me jug your memory. Do you remember the thousand dollar incense which you stole from your parent’s altar? You used it to make a wish by the oak tree at my family’s backyard. If my memory serves me right, you were wishing for a pony.” I told her knowingly while scratching my chin for emphasis.
“No way… I was 9 years old back then and I was still living at the…” her voice trailed off and then those small eyes widened.
“Toma? IKUTA TOMA…? To-ma-to kun?!?” she shrieked not minding that other people were looking around.
Finally! She did remember me.
I grinned at her while shrugging my shoulders and spreading my arms gesturing it was really me. It has been a long time since I’ve seen her. This was a great surprise for both of us. Apparently she didn’t even forget the given nickname she had for me a long time ago.
“Hisashiburi!!! It’s been a long time.” She instantly said and hugged me without reservations.
“You’ve become so tall! What have you been eating? It’s just been a few years since I left for china. Now I’m back, you’re like this!” Rainie exclaimed while grinning widely.
“You don’t get to call me Toma-to anymore, Akachan. That was so long ago, and besides it’s not just a few years. It’s been more than a decade since we last saw each other. I’m a man now… and taller than you if I may add.” I smirked at her and stood as tall as I can to let her realize how short she was next to me.
“Akachan? Toma-to kun, seriously… you should lose that baby nickname you gave me. I don’t cry like that anymore besides, you may be tall… but I could still knee your shins if I have to.” Rainie said smugly while her eyes were wondering up and down.
I cringed at the thought of her kneeing me again. When we were younger Rainie used to kick my shins when she gets pissed off by my non-stop teasing. Those kicks she gave really hurts like hell and I wouldn’t want to remember that side of her.
“I’ll pass up with that one.” My hand rose up automatically on a surrender sign, and then Rainie looked at me seriously.
“Toma… I can’t believe I’m really looking at you right now.” She said with disbelief.
“Me too.” I gazed thoughtfully at her, our childhood days flashing back through my mind, when suddenly I remembered the time.
“Oh shit… Akachan, I have to go. I have an emergency meeting at the office. You can go to my pad at the 22nd floor, its number 2203. Just drop by if you have the time.” I hugged her once more and waved my hand, feeling sorry that I couldn’t help her with those boxes.
I don’t know whatever reason she had for being there, but I’m really glad I could see her again. We both had some catching up to do.
I jogged towards the underground parking lot when another familiar voice called my name.
“Toma.”
Slowly I turned around, bracing myself and wishing with all my might that I was wrong... that the person who just called out my name was not…
my mother.
“There you are. I have been searching all over for you.” My mother said while studying my profile.
I knew it would take a miracle for me to forget her voice, I would recognize it anywhere, and may it be on earth or hell. Her sudden appearance was a great surprise to me and also a very unwelcomed one.
“What do you want mother?” I answered discreetly while looking at my watch showing her that I was in a hurry.
She darted her eyes at my watch and arched an eyebrow then emitted a clucking sound she usually does when she doesn’t approve on something I’ve done.
“Tsk, tsk. Toma, what do you take your mother for? Am I indispensable that you would rather go somewhere than talk to me?” Her eyes looked stern and her face looked older especially with the lines that are evidently showing around her eyes, but she had maintained her beautiful face as smooth as it could be in her age. Her attire was a loose white blouse, soft beige slacks and a pair of low heeled casual leather shoes, while on her arm was a beige leather brown bag.
My mother has never changed; she is still vain as ever.
“Yes, mother… and if you don’t mind I have an IMPORTANT meeting to attend to.” I told her while I kept a poker face in front of her.
If she was hurt by this remark, it didn’t show through her face because she still stared at me with the same look she always gave me, cold and measuring. I wanted to get out of there fast, but still… the older woman was my mother after all. A little respect for her presence wouldn’t hurt.
Then she said something unexpected.
“I believe you’ve seen Rainie? I brought her here and recommended the place. You will be seeing more of me then. Be sure to make her feel at home now that she’s back here in Tokyo. I’ll see you tomorrow Toma and I will not be given that same attitude again. Ja.” With a wave of her hand, she turned around and walked towards the building.
I felt like I was struck by lighting by her remark and then my blood started to boil. As soon as I entered the car and started the ignition, I was fuming with rage. I opened the air condition full blast to cool myself off.
The nerve of her… was she using Rainie to get near me? It was appalling to think that she had conjured another plan to do something and ruin my life all over again. I will see to it that it would never happen.
Stirring the wheel outside of the parking lot, I put my shades on to cover my eyes from the direct sunlight that hit my face.
This day was not going well as it was supposed to be.
After everything that had happened, I felt suddenly tired. This was supposed to be a romantic day, a day to celebrate with the girl that I was planning to spend my old grumpy age with… but all of a sudden things were going out of hand. The only happy event today was seeing my childhood friend, but that also meant trouble with my ungodly mother coming into the picture.
A bad feeling swept over me, whom I couldn’t dissect where it actually came from, was it from Mao’s statement regarding marriages of my mother being here with Rainie.
Heaving a deep sigh, I pressed my foot on the accelerator and sped through the Tokyo streets towards my office building.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Outside the office building, I sat at the street gutter beside my parked car while thinking of the things I should do to amend the horrible day I was having. The meeting went on till late in the evening, my head hurts with all those questions that the self important executives wanted to know and I still haven’t called Mao. I felt like I needed a cigarette that moment, then remembered I already quit, thanks to Mao. So I just inhaled deeply while throwing my head back to look upwards the sky.
Being down here in the street with lots of lights shining through buildings and street lamps, I couldn’t see if there were even stars that night. I laughed pathetically at myself, feeling stupid with the thought that if I saw the stars it would remove the depression and stress I was feeling right then.
I shook my head and looked instead at the cars passing by trying to let time pass by, thinking that this crappy day will be over soon. On that position, I don’t know how long I sat at the gutter doing nothing; a pair of soft hands touched my face and then proceeded to massage my temple.
A smile escaped my lips while I slowly closed my eyes. There was no need to look… she found me. A few minutes passed by before she began speaking.
“So what are you thinking Toma-to kun?”
My eyes flew open as I quickly stood up to turn around while backing away in the process to look at the person behind my back.
“Eeehhh...?!?” I exclaimed utterly shocked to see Rainie who was squatting wide eyed at the gutter where I have sat a few seconds ago, while all along I thought it has been Mao who’s behind my back.
A car beeped and screeched beside me, the driver cussing and yelling at me for getting on the road carelessly that I was almost hit by the car. I bowed down apologetically while the driver drove off still swearing loudly.
I heaved a deep sigh and looked at Rainie with tired eyes as I brushed my hand through my hair.
“What are you doing here?” Not hiding my disappointment.
“Oh my… where you thinking of someone else Toma-to kun? I thought you would be happy to see me. That was unexpected. Gome ne?” she said apologetically then sat at the gutter looking at me.
“You looked stressed out, anything wrong?”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“I was planning to take a walk around Tokyo, and then Hiromi-san suggested I ask you to accompany me around the place, so she dropped me off at the other side of the building. If you’re asking what I’m doing here in Tokyo, I am heading a photo shoot for a fashion magazine for this so called it-designer here in Japan. Apparently this person is getting more and more popular in China which is kind of irking me.” She said, shrugging as she took out a licorice from her small pouch.
I knew my mother has something in her mind involving Rainie, but I still have no idea what she wants. Why would she even think of dropping Rainie by my office?
“You still like that?” I asked, putting aside my thoughts as I sat beside her by the gutter.
“Hai. Some things just don’t change Toma-to kun, but you obviously did change. No crush on me anymore?” she asked jokingly.
Feeling my face heat up with embarrassment, I stayed silent while looking at the ground not knowing how to answer her.
Rainie nudged me and brought me back to my senses. I gazed at her, taking in her full profile. The woman in front of me was no longer a kid whom I used to tease and bully around. She looked so different and mature, like how a true lady was supposed to be.
“I was kidding alright? I didn’t mean to remind you that you had a crush on me. So let’s forget about it.” She grinned at me widely as I chuckled beside her.
“I can’t imagine that you still remember that. That was so long ago… maybe you secretly liked me back then.” I suggested while grabbing her licorice and shoving it all in my mouth.
Rainie stared at her hand while her mouth hung open with surprise that I took her licorice and was already chewing it gingerly, and then she looked at me as her face broke out in a smile.
“Exactly. You’re not dense after all Toma-to kun!” she patted my back as I almost choked on the licorice I was swallowing. It was my turn to be surprised.
Facing her slowly, I looked at her straight in the eyes.
“You… liked me back then?” I asked her wide eyed with disbelief.
“Yeah. I did and still do.” She said nonchalantly while taking another licorice out of her pouch.
I just nodded my head and became silent for a second. Then I started to speak in a low tone.
“Rainie, I got a girl friend now…”
“I know.” She said while chewing.
“But that doesn’t mean I have to stop liking you Toma-to kun…” she grinned at me this time and stood up reaching out a hand in front of me.
“You, having a girl friend… is stopping me from marrying you. So you better get your ass out of that gutter and go get this girl of yours before I start chucking you up for myself. Your mom did plan this meeting after all. I’m giving you heads up; you better watch out for your back and don’t worry about me.” She winked while thrusting her hand once again. For a few minutes I just stared at her dazed and confused. I have no idea what she was talking about and I’m not sure I wanted to know.
Reluctantly, I grabbed her hand and helped myself to stand up. Then I looked at her face and gave her a small smile.
“You are still weird as ever, akachan.” I told her shaking my head.
“I know.” Rainie said, grinning goofily at me.
~To be continued~
This is purely a fan-fiction.
Words from me: Ghaaa… now I’m sort of having sensory over load with ideas! Lolz… it just suddenly flowed out. Thank you guys so much for your comments. It really helped me pretty big…
To hannah: thank you for inspiring me with the Toma-to nick name. ^_^v
To chelle: thanks for supporting me and continuously commenting @ my xanga site. you gave me the inspiration for Rainie...!
To everyone: if you know mike he... watch out for him! he will eventually come out. hehe.. thank you readers! till the next chapter...
-biniBningPunkista