Mayu's face is so crumpled as she flopped down the huge sofa in the room. She's staring at this guy with such enormous glasses you'd think each lens is about a kilo or two. He appears to be reading something from the papers neatly arranged on his table. Her grimace is getting worse now. Her legs are itching to leave the place so she can have her peace. The annoying guy just kept on reading. She exhaled heavily that it sounded like a grunt than her intended sigh. It appears she now caught his attention.

"Yes Mayu?" he spoke gently without lifting his head. He's still reading. Now, he's being rude. Not that she's a great person or something. It's just that...

"I'm going home," she answered as she picked up her things that had been begging from the table. As she reached the door, the guy spoke again.

"No, we're still talking." She grinned and carelessly find her way to the sofa again.

"Oh? So we we're talking? I'm sorry. I did not know. I really thought I'm just alone here, trying to practice some monologue for an audition. You know, like when you speak to Mother Nature, you're just speaking alone. But you know she's somehow there." He just nodded in agreement. This got her more irritated.

"Seriously! Are you gonna ever speak to me or will you pay me while I sit here in your office?" she yelled in her outburst. She can tolerate this world's noise as she's noisy herself. What she won't allow is to meet a person she's supposed to speak with but will just drain her saliva and blood and still won't speak to her. She may as well go home and sleep. This way her time has not been wasted. A smile slowly formed from the lips of the guy she's supposed to be conversing.

"Eleven cups of coffee? Not bad," he shook his head while goings through the paper again. Seriously, what's with that paper?

"You can try it if you want. It's fun!" she barked back and sneered. She noted how he tried to stifle a laugh before he looked at her. Ah, such an angelic face. It would definitely be better if he does not speak at all so she can just look at him and won't get tired of it.

"I'd just like to remind you. Our hospital has seven floors. If you're really planning to have an early conference with Saint Peter (1), you can always drop by my office and I'll take care of pushing you from the rooftop. If you're planning to die, don't bother other people."

"I'm not trying to die! Why? Would you like to go [die] first? You're older than me, may I just remind you. I still have a lot to do. Maybe you're already tired growing old. I. Am. Not. Killing. Myself." His crisp laughter filled the corners of the room. Her level of annoyance just went up. He stood up and pinched her cheeks.

"You're really funny. No wonder everybody adores you," he knows what to say during her outbursts. She smiled back. He always wins her this way- when he starts complimenting her.

"Of course! I'm young, beautiful, alluring and hot!" she snooted and barked again. "And you? You smell like smoked fish."

"What!" his composure is no longer showing on his face, his brows are now starting to furrow. "How the hell will I smell like a smoked fish? I take a bath everyday unlike you who's thoughts are always suicide."

"I'm not committing suicide! I'm drinking a cup of coffee! And I take a bath sometimes!"

"Eleven cups? In just three hours? And you're just drinking coffee? C'mon, you can do more to fool me Mayu."

"And I'm saying, I'm not trying to kill myself! I'm drinking coffee to keep myself awake and alert while I'm thinking. I need it to stimulate my brain cells and to keep myself from drowsing off."

He shook his head again while he grabbed the paper he's been reading awhile ago and hid it behind one of his drawers. He sat back on his chair like a king and grabbed more papers to read.

"Go home Mayu. And get some sleep. Please don't make the old man worry. He's waiting for you at home," he dismissed her on a defeated tone. She's surprised to hear about her grandfather, the old man he's referring to, waiting for her.

She smiled to herself. She knows that she's his favorite grandchild, primarily because she's a girl but sometimes she also indulges herself into thinking that she's a princess on her grandfather's eyes that he spoils everything about her.

She did not argue anymore and grabbed her bag to meet her grandfather.

She glanced back at the door as she closed it. She can see a nameplate there- Lance Kristofer Optina, Critical Care Specialist. That's her brother- the man she's having an argument with. Or let's just say the man tolerating her argumentative nature. In fact, he did not even argue with her. So what? she thought. I love arguments, they make you think, her argumentative self defends.

She shooked her head and went on her way. Her brother could sound like a terrorist but she knows his reasons- he's just worried about her. And she understood.

It is true that she gulped down a total of eleven cups of coffee causing her to palpitate. She shivered just remembering what happened. She even imagined her soul leaving her body while she's having what she thought is a panic attack. She felt really afraid then and only calmed down when she saw her brother's face turning paler and paler. Not that she enjoyed seeing him panic, it's just that his countenance is enough to calm her nerves.

Maybe it's due to the fact that each is one's own sibling and are also orphans, there's no one but each other to lean on and defend. Although sometimes she wonders if he still sees her like a kindergarten or a grown woman. Whatever, he's not a man anyway. Just an old tree, she thought.

She snapped from her own fantasy when she heard a car's continuous loud horn behind her. She immediately plastered her annoyed look and slowly turned. Her jaw dropped upon seeing their family driver behind the wheels. This could only mean one thing, one of the doors from the backseat opened, her paternal grandfather stepped out regally even when holding a cane.

She put on her best smile and walked towards their old man.

"Hi gramps! I missed you, too!" She hugged him and started snuggling like cat when he bellowed...

"Sierra Mayumi Optina!"

1. Peter is one of the apostles of Christ and was often believed to welcome the dead people on their way to their final destination.