Mimi awoke the following morning, her head groggy and her eyes swollen from the tears from last night. Overall, she felt horrible.
Walking downstairs for breakfast, Mimi saw Alec in the kitchen on the phone. The moment he saw her walk in, he quickly said goodbye to the other on the line and hung up.
"Morning," Alec smiled a little awkwardly. After all, it was the first time she slept over at his house. "Ah, I got you breakfast from your favorite café."
He pushed the white paper bag on the counter forward. Mimi glanced down at it absently.
"Thank you," She mumbled and sat on the kitchen barstool.
Mimi unwrapped the egg sandwich from the bag and chomped on it in silence. It took only three bites before her face scrunched up.
"It's bland…" She made a small pout.
From her pitiful tone, Alec couldn't help but want to please her, "Do you want me to make something for you?"
Shaking her head, Mimi continued eating her sandwich while occasionally taking a sip of her coffee. Meanwhile, Alec had been studying her, unable to see through her quiet expression.
After a while, he cleared his throat and asked what he had been wondering since yesterday, "What happened last night?"
Hearing his question, Mimi froze momentarily. She swallowed and set the sandwich down on the counter, her fists clenched on her lap. Raising her head to look at her brother, Mimi's eyes trembled.
"Alec…I think Tobias might break up with me." She whispered in a hoarse voice.
Thunder struck in Alec's head. Blinking out his surprise, he stared at his sister for a moment. The girl had always been a confident, egotistical human being. Alec was confident in that. However, before him, that person nowhere to be found. Instead, he saw a heartbroken young girl.
His heart stung.
"What makes you say that?" Alec spoke his concern.
Mimi sniffled. "Isn't that how it goes? The girlfriend makes a big mistake that broke the boyfriend's trust and then he breaks up with her?"
"Where did you see that from?"
Wiping the corner of her eyes, Mimi said straightforwardly, "Adult films. Usually, the best friend comes in comforting the boyfriend and they bang."
Suddenly, Mimi made a face and flickered her eyes to her brother with a narrowed gaze. Alec could sense the distrust within her expression.
"Are you going to bang Tobias?"
"No!" Alec's hand slammed on the counter.
There was an awkward silence between the two. Mimi had turned her attention to the hands-on her lap, while Alec continued staring at her. Multiple complex thoughts and emotions were running through his mind at this moment.
Truthfully, he wasn't surprised by his sister's way of thinking, considering she had never grown up developing normal relationships. Everything she knew came from magazines, the television, and what she's seen. Although she had changed, the current Mimi still had yet to grasp the complexity of the feelings of two people in love.
Alec stared at her for a moment then sighed softly.
"The person I was on the phone with this morning…it was Tobias. He wanted to know if you were all right."
Surprised, Mimi raised her head. From the start, Alec had been looking at her with a concerned smile, his eyes soft.
"Being in a relationship doesn't mean there are no fights. All couples fight, and some end in time apart. But in the end, they forgive each other and start loving each other again…Just because he's mad at you that doesn't mean he hates you. He still loves you, Mimi." Alec gave a reassuring smile.
"He…He does?" Mimi couldn't help but ask innocently.
Alec nodded his head. "Do you want to call him?"
Mimi shook her head while wiping her eyes with the back of her palm.
Out of everyone, she knew how much Tobias loved her. Even when she rejected him, rather harshly at that, he still fought for her.
How could she not understand his love for her?
It was just...For the first time, she saw Tobias act indifferently toward her. Never before had he acted in such a way that scared her. She had been scared and foolish.
She didn't want him to hate her, but neither did she want to hurt him. However, right now…
"I want to see him." Mimi smiled softly.
Unable to hold back his own smile, Alec chuckled. "You can do that after you finish your breakfast."
While nodding her head, Mimi's face appeared bright. Continuing to eat her food, Alec watched her with a helpless expression.
…
At the same time, after Alec had ended the call with him, Tobias stared at his phone for a moment before setting it on his desk. Resting his hands on his lap, Tobias leaned back in his chair and sighed up at the ceiling.
It had only been one night, and he already missed her. Again, Tobias sighed.
He really was pathetic.
While he was mad at Mimi, Tobias felt he played a part in her actions. If anything, he was madder at himself. If not for his strong rejection of his past, he wouldn't have created a wall around his relationship with Mimi. This only scared her and led her to act impulsively.
From the beginning, he knew Mimi had already been afraid to accept his feelings and share her own. In the end, when it came to his past and feeling, he shut her out.
Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time that day, Tobias stared at his phone. After a while, he gave up and stood up to attend his next meeting. When he left his office and walked to the elevator, he was surprised to a familiar face.
"Ms. Tong…"
Looking up from her notebook, Lina Tong's eyes widened in surprise. She courteously bowed her head and then smiled.
"Good morning, Mr. Itou."
Tobias blinked for a moment before nodding his head in acknowledgment and entering the elevator. As the doors closed, the two stood in silence. Peeking up from her notebook, Lina Tong was surprised to see Tobias had also been staring at her.
"Is…Is something wrong, Mr. Itou?"
As if just noticing he was caught staring, Tobias cleared his throat and glanced away. After only a few seconds, did he turn back, his expression hesitant.
"Can I ask you a question?" His deep voice came out stiff.
"Of course. What is it?"
"It's a personal question." Tobias clarified.
"Oh." Lina Tong blinked her eyes in surprise. She cleared her throat, and then looked at him with a serious expression. "Then, go ahead."
Tobias nodded his head. He looked up at the elevator to see they were almost on the bottom floor.
"What do you do after you argue with your partner?"
Again, Lina Tong was surprised by his sudden question but still took upon herself to answer seriously. Truth be told, although she let go of her feelings for Tobias, she still found him to be an enjoyable talking companion.
"Well, from experience in my relationships, re-connecting quickly after an argument is important. It's best not to let a fight linger. Most of the time when my ex-boyfriend and I fought, we would talk it out after we calmed down and try to work it out."
"Oh." Tobias's eyes lowered to the floor.
Seeing the quiet expression on the man's face, Lina Tong scratched her cheek.
"Ah, but just don't be too hard on yourself. We all say and do a lot of things during bad times, but we still have a chance to make it up to those we hurt." She gently reassured.
"…I see." Tobias looked up to see the had landed on the bottom floor. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Tong."
"Haha, it's no big deal." Lina Tong chuckled. "I hope I was able to help you."
Nodding his head, Tobias stepped out of the elevator. Watching his figure leave, Lina Tong adjusted the purse on her shoulder and sighed.
Whoever his partner was…she wished them the best.
They'll need it.
…
Arriving in front of his apartment, Tobias approached the door when he suddenly paused. Lifting his head, he sniffed the air. His face was tense, and his eyebrows were tied in a knot.
Had he left something in the oven before he left? Or perhaps it was a neighbor. The more he sniffed, the stronger the scent became.
That smell…It smelled like smoke.
Without a second thought, Tobias unlocked the door and rushed inside. Upon entering his eyes stung from the heavy smoke in the air. He coughed and blinked a few times to clear his vision.
"Yaahh!" A high-pitched voice could be heard in the kitchen.
Instantly, Tobias felt the panic rise up within his chest and his mouth dry.
"Mimi!"