Between Two Roses - Chapter II

I’m sorry I had to delete this post yesterday just to make sure I didn’t write anything wrong that could affect the main storyline, but thank God there aren’t any of changes need to do so I repost it :)

“The polka dot ones look good on you.” I grinned.

Before my eyes, was a young girl wearing dark navy sailor uniform and a pair of knee-high black socks above her brown shoes, muttering doubts to herself over two colorful parkas in each of her hands. It’s weird though no matter how you look at it, for people buying parka at this kind of season.

“They sell winter clothes all for 70 percent off in summer!” that was her answer when I asked why. Pretty reasonable, for a high school girl like her to saving up and being frugal over pocket money usage to purchase things they always wanted in the first place. Three years ago when I was in my second year high, I used to do that all time, buying only one rice ball and a can of soda for three months so I could purchase my first laptop without mooching on my parents. That didn’t mean they couldn’t buy me one, they just didn’t want to. And they didn’t have to.

The music in this store was quite an ear candy, it fitted my taste well enough that I tapped my foot and sang along all the time until she noticed and laughed softly.

“Don’t tell me, you like idols too, Tsubasa-san?”

Not a bad choice for an alias, right? After what happened with that Fujita girl, now I’ve become even more careful when dealing with high school girls, even decided myself to get the least involved with them. Though I knew not every student like her, but I couldn’t careless and let my guard down, especially towards the underage ones.

“I even thought to get into an audition once. You know, seeing them singing and dancing together like that somehow looks fun.” Of course the first sentence was a lie; I didn’t have that much confidence into thinking of doing one. She smiled and continued examining the clothes.

Seemed they only had girly clothes here, not much my cup of tea as I wasn’t into frills and such. But I wasn’t wearing something boyish either. I just liked to keep it casual yet cool. 

“I guess you’re right, I take the polka dot ones then.” She pouted when putting down the other stripes patterned ones into the rack; it seemed that she actually wanted both. But it’s already become her own consequences of what she had done this afternoon. She knew what she had been saving up for.

I was reading an online daily through my phone at the park when suddenly someone poked my shoulder.

“Are you the rumored Kissing Monster?”

My jaw almost dropped that time, such sudden question from whom appeared to be a high school girl! I thought she was being impolite but after taking a better look at her school emblem, I guess I could understand why.

It was the school I told earlier about. Where I heard the girls were after me and giving me that weird nickname. But I never actually had one of them came and talked to me before. Suddenly I became interested in knowing this girl far more. So I let her sitting beside me.

“I’m just curious of what girls in your school think about me.”

“Well they just caught you passing by our school many times with different girls walking beside you. That’s why you got that nickname.”

This girl was a smart one, judging by her tone of speaking, and she was also pretty with her straight dark brown hair, sharp-looking eyes, and small lips that looked so tempting to touch.

“I’m Iriyama Anna by the way. What’s your name?”

“Why?” I playfully laughed. She was so brave being so casual with strangers.

“Is it convenient being called Kissing Monster?”

“Fine,” I giggled again “I’m Tsubasa.”

Then it was silence for a moment and we both just stared at the pond in front of our bench, there were some doves and other birds at the edge. The view somewhat made me peaceful.

“I’ve been watching you from afar…” suddenly she spoke, breaking the silence. Her tone sounded lonely.

“Are you one of my fans too?” I answered jokingly. But when she turned her head and met my eyes, I read there was a slight of seriousness in those sharp dilated pupils.

“Probably”

In a brief moment, I thought about making her my next target, I thought it would be easy as she seemed to be interested in me. But I reconsidered things after what happened with Fujita Nana, I didn’t want to do something reckless.

“How old are you?” She let a silent scoff as if I was asking something prohibited.

“I have money.”

“So you do know what I’m doing.”

“We are all do. We just don’t have any courage to approach you.” She fumbled through her bag and took out her purse. It was such a cute purse. But I still didn’t get some things though.

"What are high school girls thinking about nowadays huh..." I laughed in disbelief.

She was about to object me when suddenly I looked deep into her eyes 

“Aren’t you afraid your parents might know you do something like this?” I lowered my tone and tried to reject her softly.

“You look like a good person, Tsubasa-san.”

“Listen, it’s not about mon-“

“Please,” she suddenly shifted closer; I could feel her warm palm against my fist, “just one day.”

I sighed. 

And that was how I ended up with Annin, what she wanted me to call her with, in this small factory outlet.

“I still don’t understand why.” I threw myself to the sofa after it got dark and we decided to check in to a hotel in outer city. We went shopping and I took her into a quite fancy dinner---at least much better than the previous ramen place---where she relaxed herself with some medium rare steak and a glass of wine, which surprisingly she ever had before. I knew she was still an underage kid but the mischievous side of me chose to offer her a piece of heaven.

“You’re quite naughty ones, aren’t you?” I recalled our conversation in the family restaurant this evening after I witnessed her calmness when taking a sip of the wine, as if used to it.

She shook her head,

“My Dad let me drink since I was 15, actually I’m not really fond of it but it’s your treat so…” she shrugged.

“Hey, hey, in the end you have to pay me, don’t forget that.”

She just giggled and taking another sip.

“Which part you don’t understand?” she sat on my lap; her face was so close to mine that I could breathe her breath. I’ve met many pretty girls but this girl could be considered special, her eyes somehow weakened me.

“Why…” I paused when she started ruffling my hair with her dainty fingers. Her parted lips were so inviting but I still had an unfinished mission.

“…you so eager to date me?”

Without even waiting for her answer, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I kissed her.

I actually didn’t have any intention to touch her regardless she was underage or not. It’s just this was my first time dating a customer who approached me first. It was usually the opposite. Moreover, she just clung around my arms and not wanting me to apart. Just like a little child.

She shifted and now was on top of me, we looked at each other eyes for some time then she smiled.

“The reason is…because I like you.”

The question was too familiar in my ears that my lips automatically knew how to answer.

“I can’t Annin, you know that.”

“Yeah, I know. Weird isn’t it?” She leaned in and started kissing me again.

“In the morning I’ll be gone. Is that still okay to you?”

“Then please…embrace me tonight…”           

When I switched my position and started kissing her again, it was nice and smooth. Her cheeks were rosy with heat and her chest heaving with anticipation. She let out shiver less sighs of pleasure when I rained her face, her neck, her chest, and her stomach with kisses. But when I laid my hand on her upper thigh, she twitched and closed her legs instinctively, and suddenly I realized something,

“Don’t tell me…you are a virgin?” I was about to pull my hand back, as I felt a sudden guilt. I had to confess I never had a virgin before. And I felt like a bad guy here, taking something precious from someone that didn’t even know me well. Not that I was a virginity worshipper but this was something that once you lost, you could never get it back no matter how loud you cried out for it and ended up living with regrets. Moreover, the feeling of the person that being taken would be always attached to me. And attachment was always something I tried to avoid, in the name of professionalism. But she grabbed my hand and put it on her left breast and squeezed it. I saw her smile.

“If it’s Tsubasa-san, it’s okay…”

A month after the incident with that Fujita whore that made me broke and fell onto my knees, I tried to living up the usual, gaining my strength back in order to be able to bring my dates into better places and treat them with better services; that of course would worth in return. It was all thanks to a rich lonely widow called Takayanagi Akane.

I met the typical women like her quite often. Getting married because her ex-husband was just after her money, then being deceived, divorced, and in the end lamenting and blaming the world for being unfair letting her embrace the loneliness until forever. They needed hugs and embraces and someone who is willing to hear every problem they had faced in a day without complain. They basically just lacked in love and wanted to be loved. But that’s why people like me exist.

As for me who didn’t believe in love, I’ve always thought that love could be bought. What I’ve been doing for a living was already enough proof to attest my theory. But instead of love, I thought people care of each other is normal and what I’ve been doing to my customer wasn’t love but care. Based on what I’ve had in life, love is just a subtle world of conquering and domineering over other people into claiming them as part of their life. It’s almost like a mutated form of care that turned into possessiveness and selfishness in the name of affection.

I dismissed myself when Annin was in the shower; she knew I already planned on leaving early in the morning. So I took all my personal belongings and a white envelope that was slipped under the pillow. Then I answered a mail from Akane, saying I would be right there in an hour. One more last thing before I walked out the building, I wrote a thank you letter to Annin and put it inside her school bag.

I did hear her sobbing anyway.

xxx

Without complaining, Rena took a bite of the bread that was served on the table in her room. No matter how hungry she was, as she had been collapsed for three days straight with only being fed by the now detached IV, eating was the least thing she wanted to do right now. Though it was actually tasty, the bread left a bitter savor in her mouth, making her stomach swore in grievance. If it wasn’t for the maid that kept bitching and checking around to make sure she ate any, she would gladly choose to go back to sleep. The only thing she needed right now was to be alone, drowning herself in solitary.

Not long after that time she woke up, there wasn’t any IV or any medical equipment that made her disbelieving the fact that she was put down by the heavy dose of various drugs she had taken beforehand. From the said maid she was given unnecessary information she didn’t even want to acknowledge about things happened since her arrival.

She was forced to listen in disgrace the detailed condition of hers about how her mouth foamed the moment after she was being carried to the nearest hospital. About how she suffered an instant weight loss and making her even skinnier than she already was.

“Master was really worried about you, Miss.”

Rena scoffed; she knew that man who controlled her life was only worried about his own work, worried about nothing other than the future of Matsui Enterprise. Later she learnt the truth about her father’s saddening physical condition. He was getting old and from what she heard from the gossiping maids who were cleaning around when she pretended to sleep, his visit to the local hospital a week ago was for getting the monthly MRT checkup which she knew, wasn’t something for a simple headache he constantly complained about. He knew he wouldn’t be able to continue managing Matsui Enterprise any longer. And suddenly Rena’s shoulders felt hundred times heavier than before.

For the first time in her 27 years of life, she cared enough to curse her brother’s murderer.

xxx