Two days had past since the day that I made the greatest mistake of my life. I’ve never felt this kind of feeling before. Since that day the air becomes thick and heavy, and the clouds are always covering my sight, everything happens in slow-mo, everything starts to fade to black. Everything has changed.
I was sitting on the balcony of my apartment staring at the grey sky trying to wait for the rain to wash this feeling away while listening to the music box given to me by my mom at my 12th birthday when Ichiro came in.
“HIRO!! I’m already in!! You left the door open!” He shouted as he walks towards the living room. “I have crabs. It’s not cooked yet, so you should find someone to cook it for you. I’m going back to Hokkaido later; I’ll be back on Friday so I’m leaving these to you. I don’t want my room to smell like rotten crab meat.” He continues as he put the crab meat on the fridge. Actually I can’t see him doing that it’s just that I can hear the plastic bag make some noise as he fixes the crab.
“Hmmm.. looks like it’s going to rain today, I wish it’s not raining in Hokkaido.” Ichiro said as he walks outside to the balcony.
“It’s not going to rain in Hokkaido; it’s in the north side of the country.” I answered whispery.
“Japan is not that big for this storm to miss Hokkaido.” He said while resting his back on the rail. “You look so depressed since that day Hiro, you wanna go out?”
“I’m not in the mood. What time are you going?” I asked
“Around 3 in the afternoon; I still need to buy something for my mom. Why?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re going to be lonely” he said. He sat beside me on the balcony floor and said “Cathy was here a while ago, she gave me this address. I think they’re staying at Hyatt.”
I lift my head from my being buried on my arms to see the paper Ichiro is holding. I kinda stared at it a little while knowing that this paper holds the key to cage I’m into.
“Don’t give me that look! You know what to do with it so yeah.” He grabbed my hands and put the piece paper on it. “Go there and apologize! Even though you still have doubts about some unimportant things it’s a girl you’ve hurt and gentlemen like us don’t hurt girls! We take care of them not hurt them.” Then he suddenly walked away.
Hiro I know you’re still confused and really bothered by us. Sorry. I want you and Anne to talk again. You’re the only thing I had and I don’t want to loose you both. Pls. Go to Hyatt Hotel, we’re staying there at the moment.
Cathy
Honestly I don’t know what to do with that note but there’s a voice inside me that says I must go there and apologize for the entire thing that I had done.
For the past 2 days I realize, what’s wrong with expanding the family a little bit more, she was right, I’m being selfish. I need to do something to correct the faults that I had done right?
After staring at the note for quite sometime which I don’t know why I hurriedly run towards my room and get some decent clothes. I called Ichiro on the cell and told him to give me directions to Hyatt which he gladly gave. I can totally sense that this is what Ichiro wants, he sounds happier after hearing I wanna go to Hyatt.
At Hyatt Hotel
I walked towards the reception area to ask what room Cathy and Anne are staying in. At that moment I asked myself; why didn’t Cathy put the room number on the note to make my life easier? Or this is her way to say ‘ITS TIME FOR YOU TO SEARCH WHERE WE ARE AT THE HOTEL COZ IT TOOK US HOURS TO GO TO TOKYO AND ENDED UP BEING THROWN AWAY IN JUST 3 MINUTES!’
“Uhm excuse me?”
“Yes?” The receptionist replied.
“Do you know what room Cathy Elrich and Anne Grey is staying?”
“Just a moment sir.” She then tapped some keys on the keyboard and said “Sorry sir to ask this question but may I ask what’s the reason why you’re going to their room?”
“Cathy sent me a note and she wants to meet me there.” I showed her the note Ichiro gave me. I don’t know why this receptionist asked that question. I’m not really knowledgeable about Hotel courtesy but do they really need to ask that question? It’s like invading your privacy right?
“Alright. Room 608 sir.” She said with a smile
“Thank You” I replied.
Room 608, room 608, room 608. I keep repeating it over and over again in my mind trying to remember the place where I will be found dead. What will I say to Anne? What will I say to Cathy? This is the perfect situation where there is win-win phenomenon, there’s only lose –lose situation. Either way I am the one who hurt them, I’m the one who’s wrong. They just want to be part of my simple family and who am I to reject that.
I didn’t even notice that the elevator has already arrived at the 6th floor of the hotel. It’s not even one of the fastest elevators in the world but it felt like less than a minute, maybe because my head is thinking too much that I didn’t even noticed the time.
I don’t know if my body parts are really mine but after the elevator door opened my feet start to walk forward and towards room 608 non-stop. Even I couldn’t stop them from walking. And that’s it! That’s the reason why am I standing at the front of room 608’s door, staring at the room number and holding the piece of paper that brought me here with both hands. Then the door opened. I was kinda surprise but at the back of my mind I know this will happen anytime coz it’s like in the movies when a guy panics in front a door that door suddenly opens to halt the brain rumbling the guy experiencing while staring at the door.
“Hiro-chan!” Cathy exclaimed.
“Hi” I said shyly. You can’t blame me, I’m shocked plus I don’t know what to say at the sudden moment.
“Uhm Hiro-chan… I’m going to buy some groceries. You wanna come?” She said in a shy tone. The aggressive – childish Cathy 2 days ago was gone now. I can’t even see the bokken fighting Cathy from that day when I look at this Cathy in front of me now. Is it because of me or is it because of me?
“uhm sure”
As we walk towards the elevator silence covers the whole place and a very heavy atmosphere starts to linger all over me than I couldn’t take in any longer. Before we reach the elevator I said.
“I’m sorry”
Cathy stopped and replied. “It’s ok. We’re the ones who need to say sorry coz we just crashed in your house and tell you that we are you siblings. If I were in your place I probably done what you’ve done back there.” She even didn’t look at me as she said that implying that she’s still upset. What am I thinking? Of course she’s upset! I’m not living in a world of animes which everything run smoothly and every minute of life is a complete happiness and joy.
“I’m sorry I’m being selfish.”
“You know what?”
“What?”
She suddenly turned around and said “WE NEED TO BUY SOME GROCERIES!!” and put a very cute smile. She’s my sister alright, she got my mom’s sudden change of emotion talent.
“uh.. ok” I replied hesitantly. I don’t know if she’s OK with now or she just want to divert the topic to something else rather than saying sorry and such.
We didn’t even talk about anything from the moment we got off the elevator until we arrived at the grocery store. That long walk is just plain silence, not even a sound came out from out mouths.
At the grocery store we just walk around the isle of shelves one after the other. Just like when you’re searching for an item that you don’t know what that item really was, you just keep looking at everything on the shelf and if you cant find it you’ll just move on to the next shelf.
“What are you looking for” I said to break the deafening silence.
“I’m looking for tea… Why is there all cup noodles in here?” She answered while browsing the shelf of cup noodles.
“Uhm.. The drinks section is over there.” I pointed out.
“OOOOOHHHHH!!” then she punch her head lightly. “Baka!” and she walked towards the drinks section of the store.
“Actually Hiro-chan… I’m still upset.. but after seeing you at the front of our door makes that feeling go away. I don’t know the reason but I think I’m safe when I’m with you.” She said as she walks towards the Tea section.
“Thanks” I replied. Its heart warming to hear that from her; it’s like someone freed you from 10 years of being chained in a dark room. “I wish Anne feels the same way.”
“I think she does.” She replied while filling up the basket that I’m carrying with boxes of Tea leaves.
“Huh?”
“The very same day she realized that things are happening rapidly that even we can’t catch up.” She answered. “Let’s go”
“huh? Where?”
“I’m meeting Anne-chan in a nearby restaurant.” She answers with a smile.
“Do you think I should meet her now?” I asked
“Well you’re in the front door of our hotel room a while ago. What are you planning back there? Stare at the door until it melts?” she asked jokingly.
She was right; the restaurant is just so close to the grocery store, actually it is just in front of the store. As we cross the street we already noticed Anne sitting on a table outside the restaurant.
“oh there she is!” Cathy pointed out.
As we come closer I became more tense that ever and my heart won’t stomp palpitating vigorously inside my hest that I want to throw up. Right in front of Anne I can’t say a word, or feel anything; it’s like since I came to her territory all the people around us starts to disappear, and that only the both of us are right there at that very moment.
“Hiro-chan helped me with the groceries like a real otoutochan!” Cathy praised.
“I think both of you are tired. Have a sit” Anne said and she took a sip from a cap of coffee she’s holding. “What did you buy at the groceries? We still have some stocks in our room.”
“Stocks?! You drank all my TEA!!” Cathy irritably said. “I’ve been saving those teas!”
“Teas are made to drink and to be savoured by a tea lover like me.” Anne replied and took another sip of coffee.
“Well atleast don’t drink tea as if it is like water.”
I think their conversation will be all about teas so I just need to interrupt for a while to release the burden that’s in my chest since we came here.
“Uhm Anne” I started.
Anne looked at me and said “I understand.”
“huh?”
“Ichiro came to me that day and explained everything. Hahaha..” she said “That guy really do cares a lot about you Hiro. He told me every dilemma you have.” she continue.
“Every dilemma?” I asked as if I didn’t heard it clearly.
“Yeah… every single one of ‘em” She said while smirking. THAT ICHIRO! I sure will kill him when he gets back from Hokkaido. “He really is such a nice guy. If he’s my brother I sure will love him so.”
“what?!”
“He’s so sweet and lovely and sweet and lovely and..” She said as if she really intends to tease me.
“sweet and lovely.. I know I get it” I annoyingly replied.
“How come I didn’t know this?!” Cathy said.
“You know how Ichiro looked at you? HE was like want to rape you or something!” Anne reasoned out.
“Ichiro is not like that!” I defended.
“What?!” Cathy replied in a shock.
“Cathy-chan Ichiro is not like that, believe me!” I told Cathy and looked at Anne with piercing eyes.
“Hahahahaha!!! You two are so cute! You always defend each other.” Anne laughs uncontrollably. Although normal girls will be out of poise when they laugh out loud, it’s different with Anne, she’s still well poised and royalty like while LOLing hard, the only thing missing is rolling on the floor.
I don’t know if everything is OK now with all three of us but the sight of us three laughing at each other is a must remember scene. I haven’t laugh this hard before, it’s like there’s no tomorrow, it’s like the happiness wont stop pouring at us. It’s euphoria at its best.
“If I’m right I think Ichiro has a crush on you Cathy. Hahaha” Anne continued.
“EEHHH??” me and Cathy replied and her face started to become red.
“Why Hiro? You didn’t notice?” Anne asked.
“No” I said as I shake my head. I’m disappointed! Ichiro! Why didn’t you tell me about this??
And then Anne screamed “OH MY GOD CATHY ARE YOU OK?! YOU’RE ALL RED!”
All of the people looked at our direction because of Anne which makes Cathy even more intimidated and red, you cannot compare her to a tomato coz she’s much redder than a tomato, maybe apple?
And then she faited.
“CAATTTTTTHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!”
Anne and I shouted as we jump over Cathy who is about to fall down from her chair.
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