"But you just said..." Chryxso stammered. His face clearly screaming 'No, this is not happening!'. She scoffed.
"I just said I'm making the most of my vacation here. What part part of that sentence did I say I'm leaving?" She sounded innocent and naive but her eyes showed some glint.
"You're not yet going home?" As if to confirm his horror, he still asked Mayu rolled her eyes.
"I'm not going anywhere." You twits, and you have the galls to work against me. She even heard Glenn 'uh-oh' from the driver's seat. 'Uh-oh' you two!
"You know what, I'm not really in need of an assistant right now, Yumi. I think I can just stay home and rest for now. So you might as well enjoy your stay so we don't get your brain bombarded." Chryxso immediately blurted. Glenn just nodded his head vigorously.
"Suddenly you're so nice," she smirked. You wish!
"Hey, I'm always nice. I just thought that-"
"You can't fool me sly fox. If you got something up your sleeve, I don't care. Just a reminder though, you're not the only one who's got a sleeve here." he dropped his shoulders. Yep, I did it!
Sorry man, I got to help you back on your feet again. I made Ellaine a promise on that. Mayu really had no plans interfering with his activities but her nosy self did not allow her to let the guy continue with his dipping emotional health.
"Oh I know! Would you like to visit the islands around?" His face looked like someone who thought of a bright idea. Mayu rolled her eyes again. I mean, does stupidity require one to be brokenhearted?
"Chryxso, I already told you, your tricks won't work on me. Did you think that I accepted that job because I don't have a choice?"
"You planned it didn't you. You used me," he covered his chest. Mayu is flabbergasted.
"Duh, look who's talking." She answered back.
"Let's go home Glenn," he folded his arms together. He's obviously irritated now. It looks like it was the first time his game turn against him, she smiled the smile of victory. Bleh!
"No, we're not going home yet." they were already near a park when he started complaining. She opened the door and pulled him away from the car.
"Where are we really going? You don't even know this place," then he stopped and looked at her with accusation. How does he always know where I'm standing? And why does his gaze always fall down on my eyes like that? Is he looking down on me?
"Are you trying to get me lost?" Mayu just shook her head in dismay. Impossible is not enough. Paranoid is not enough. Crazy is not enough. Chryxso. Just Chryxso.
"We're taking a break here. Glenn, help me setup please. I got the things within the compartment."
"Where are we exactly?" she scanned the area. She shrugged her shoulders, she didn't know. But she didn't panic, Glenn is with them, they won't be lost.
"It looks like a park to me. There are benches and garden here." she guided him next to a Mimosa tree and got him to sit under it's shade.
"We're at River's," Glenn answered for her while carrying some knick knacks that she perpared last night. She glanced around, what river?
"Ah," she heard him say and closed his eyes. He looked peaceful like that though. She wanted to carress his face but she's afraid it might ruin the atmosphere and they just end up fighting again. She just looked on, silently admiring. Oh, if he could just stay still and not talk.
"Go on Glenn, I'll just call you again if we needed to go home." Glenn already had his forehead on a knot when he turned to her and even Chryxso's sleeping face tensed.
"I know your house is just around the corner so you can go visit your baby and enjoy some time with her." his face showed shock and he smiled at her gratefully.
"Thanks but-"
"It's okay. I promise, I won't let him hurt me," she waived her hand as she tried to coolly shoo the young father away.
"Excuse me? Should I not be the one saying that? Go on, just pick us up later. Bring the car with you in case this little mouse plays some tricks on me." Chryxso's eyes remained closed as he argued but his face is relaxing again. Glenn met her gaze and they both smiled. Ah, why are there a lot of good-looking people here?
"Chryxso," he still had his eyes closed. " let's continue our pending chat before. I want to hear more stories."
"I don't remember reading you a bedtime story. For one thing I'm blind,"
"Stop treating me like a kid okay!"
"Don't shout, you'll drive the birds away."
"Huh? Birds? Where?" she craned her neck and looked around. She just realize that he's joking around whe she heard him chortle. She punched on his arms but he continued to snigger.
"Ah," this annoying rock! Mayu blinked her eyes, her mouth twitched as she tried to hold her annoyance in.
"Stop opening you mouth, the bugs will hover towards your mouth." she barked at him.
"The bugs will come after you since you stink of fish sauce!" he's surprisingly calm as he teased her.
"I already took a bath and brush my teeth. And I ate the food with fish sauce last night so... Why am I even explaining this to you?" she kept glaring at him but he just sat straight, ignoring what she said.
"Come here," she took a deep breath before she followed and sat next to him. They're now both resting on the trunk of the tree, their backs partially against each other.
"Thank you," she heard him murmur. My ears must have been playing me. This rock seemed to thank me.
"I didn't do anything," he chuckled.
"You did this for Glenn, right? I almost forgot it, he's a young father but when I required him to stay at the mansion for the mean time, I did not even hear him complain."
"You're a good friend to him." she heard herself say then her eyes squinted, is he?
"You think so?" he asked, his voice cracking.
"I hope that doesn't go in your head," she smugly replied to try to ease the heavy atmosphere. He smiled. Ah this is so nice, if he keeps on smiling like that I might fall for him. Nah, you can't he's already in love with Ellaine, a part of her brain argued. She pouted, duh, woman's already married. So, you're hoping for a chance?
"Ouch!" she felt a sting on her arm as someone pinched it. "What do you want this time?" she gasped, exasperated when she realized that the guy is openly pinching her arm.
"Good grief. Can you please pull your thoughts together. You're mind is always wandering about." he replied as he let go of her arm.
"That's the charm of artists just like me, we have our own world. And stop pinching me, I have a sensitive skin, it may corrode." she gently rubbed on the reddened skin of her arm as she cast him an accusing look. Mayu calm down, hissss, calm down.
"When did you ever have a sensitive skin? You're the one sticking to me like a snake. And you're not an artist mind you, you're autistic." he declared.
"Can I have a day without any of your annoying intrusion? Please? Chryxso Aresta!" Mayu gritted her teeth as she spoke. I can't lose this.
"I'm trying to behave here. You're the one building your own world there and nobody here can see who you're talking to. Who knows you're already putting me under a curse or spell. Did you send Glenn away to massacre me?" he spoke as if she was about a kill him. Mayu stretched her arms as she breath in, closed her fists and gave a piercing look towards the sky before she slowly exhaled.
"I won't taint my hand just to get you killed. And I still want to collect my fee from my assistant duties so keep that gruesome thought off of your mind, okay."
"Can you just keep that off the topic for now? You haven't even started with your work and you're already giving me a headache." Chryxso definitely didn't like how he got himself into trouble today so he snapped at her.
"Okay," she shut her mouth and continued with her thoughts.
"Don't you dare daydream again, woman." She smiled, this is the first time he called her woman instead of a kid.
"So what should I do then? You refused to have a decent conversation with me so I'll just stick with my imaginary friends."
Chryxso looked at her as if she's missing something from her head before he sighed in defeat.
"What would you like to talk about?" he finally relented.