Day: 2
I applied the finishing touches to the parts that we have put in place. I rolled my eyes as I finished tying this ribbon as the last thing to do before we can call it done. Exhaustion has been building up inside me since yesterday but all it takes is just one look from my bossy senior high student's attractive and well-proportioned charming face who seemingly still busy calculating something from bundled papers on top of the table.
I sat comfortably on the table full of scrap materials and observe him carefully.
I never expected him to act so mature yesterday. I have been judging him for his cold appearance yet somehow, the way he treated me carefully given that we've just met is maturity. From my own perspective, I'm still debating in my mind if it's just his façade or if he really acts that way. Greg even carried my bag on our way home. I think we could be friends if only he stops calling me names and teasing me like a dog just like yesterday. I sighed.
The moments of how he patted my head yesterday were glistening in my memory and I couldn't help but to blush. However with what I have, I don't want to aggravate other people with my business and make it worse.
In my case, I need to be immune of Gregory's whole persona or else I'll end up liking him to the deep end.
"I think you need to rest." A suggestion popped out from my mouth after I approached his place. My eyes nearly bulged out when I saw what he was doing. He was calculating all the expenses, balance and whatever that was written on that paper. Oh geez, I thought I could help him out but it was actually one of my weaknesses; numbers. Numbers have this special power to make smart people like me in literature turn to an airhead in computation.
The sound of the calculator's buttons getting pressed were the ones who answered me. I frowned, and I consciously tapped his shoulder. My hand pulled back quick feeling jolts of electricity ran through my veins. Before my mind debate about what I felt, finally he stopped and turned to face me.
"You can go eat your lunch now. I'll follow later." His voice sounds stress and I wasn't buying that, I went from his side into the front of his table.
"I'm not going to eat if you're not going to eat with me." I swear I heard crickets after he ignored me. Is this the type of student he is? He is being unhealthy, I could say. For me, health should come first before anything else and that includes eating on the right time. Other people can ignore this sort of thing because of their way to do things but not me.
"Fine, if you insist. You know I forgot to tell you that I always faint and experience asthma attack every time I can't eat on exact time so I guess I'll sweep the floor first while waiting for you to finish and-" I snickered when he put his pen down with the calculator, stood up and stare at me annoyed. I never thought it would work.
--
"Thank you." I said to the lady behind the counter. She was handing me our tray of food when Gregory took it instead. I blinked and I noticed the lady was already smiling maliciously at us. My eyes widened in fear of what she might be thinking of.
"No, Miss you're getting the wrong idea." I laughed awkwardly while she was pressing the buttons on the cash register. I squinted my eyes around the place because Gregory wasn't standing beside me. Where did he go? The lady's hair was blonde, tied up in a bun. With her beautiful skin complexion, she was literally glowing and beautiful though unfortunately, even if I end up liking girls, I don't think she will ever be one of those girls who I would date. I swallowed bitterly. Just the thought of liking girls made me cringed.
"I sure am." She winked and gave me the receipt. I pouted at her sarcastic answer and she only laughed. Before leaving the counter and that weird yet pretty lady, my eyes saw her name tag on her uniform.
Mirajane. A very rare name. The café we went into were busting with people. Almost all the chairs were occupied with couples simply flirting on the side, students who were hanging out with one another and businessmen talking about business stuffs. Yet a certain cold eyes caught my attention and saw him already have seats and a table reserved for the both of us. It feels like we're on a date. I smiled and sat across him. One of the traits I like about Greg is how gentleman he is. I don't know if he's doing that to everyone. I'm a guy yet he still has manners when I am around. And I like it very much.
I was lying if I said that I didn't feel happy with it.
"I thought you're hungry so why were you flirting with the cashier." I was taken aback and instantly felt uneasy about what he said. I couldn't stay comfortable any longer with what he meant by that.
"I wasn't flirting. She's just laughing about-"
"Eat faster. We still need to go to the admin's office." He said not letting me explain my side. Why is he being stingy with the lady though all of a sudden? I never did something that could offend him so what's with his attitude?
I only stared at my utensils and found the view outside the window rather interesting than my lunch. I lose my appetite. I felt like I was being accused of something that I never did. I don't even know why he's acting that way. Or maybe he was just exercising the jerk side he has because he's done using me for finishing his tasks.
Good grief. I was feeling down as my food was getting cold, I heard him again.
"I'm sorry..."
"Please eat." He was looking outside when he said that though I was observing him. It's a bit heart-warming to see him saying sorry after his sudden change of mood. My eyes fell on his half-finished lunch. Gregory's eyebrows were furrowed looking anxious and I still don't know why. His voice sounded sharp yet concerned. He was really unpredictable.
"I already lose my appetite." I muttered. I glanced at him and I saw him looked so worried that he was biting his bottom lip in silence while people inside the café were busy with themselves. The corner of my lips were twitching. It was cute watching him getting all worked up because I lose my appetite.
My plate of bolognese pasta was then replaced by bibimbap and the smell of it, the delicious smell of ground pork with kimchi and various vegetables all mixed up have brought my appetite back to life. I swallowed looking at it. Gregory exchanged our lunch together.
When he noticed that I was only staring at our plates, he pushed my bowl of bibimbap.
"I'm sorry about earlier. Let's not talk about it okay?" I stayed quiet and I was about to lift the spoon to dig on the rice, a sudden idea popped inside my head.
"We won't only if you tell me something about yourself."
We've been with each other for two days only but just like what I said, we can be friends and before anything else, we need to know something about each other right? Even only the surface can suffice. Gregory sat back and crossed his arms looking at me very suspiciously.
"Why do I need to? It's not like we're friends." His voice sounded monotone. I was getting embarrassed on my seat. His eyes squinting at me like reading my mind what I was planning to do so I cleared my throat and exhaled.
"I just... want to be friends. That's all but you sounded like you don't want to." A plan formed instantly in my head. Maybe reverse psychology would do it nicely. Acting nicely, I pouted and leaned back on my chair.
"It's okay if you really don't want to. Of course, I have helped you with finishing the venue. Maybe after helping you until now, I have no use for you now." I know, it's kinda making me guilty to do this but he still seems unfazed of what I said.
"That's true. You have no use to me now that we're done." My jaw dropped surprised of the unexpected reply. Is this guy has no conscience at all?!
I have ran out of words, still shocked of what I heard yet a suppressed laughed came from him and then he smirked after. I was confused as I looked at him sternly.
"Do you think I wouldn't notice your poor acting?" I was drowning in embarrassment and what's making me more anxious was his victorious look he have on his face.
"B-But I really want to be friends with you but your cold treatment just like earlier was making me think that maybe you're not a person who is supposed to befriend with." I burst out and he only stayed silent. His lips formed a straight line and sighed.
The café has only a few people in it including us and good thing they're a bit farther from our table or else it would be another stack of embarrassment if they heard me bursting out like a kid.
Finally, he talked.
"Did you ask me to be your friend?"
Those were the final words that make me want to be swallowed in a sinkhole.
"I did say I want us to be friends..." I said in low voice knowing I'm being too ahead of myself again.
"We're friends then." He smiled. A rare smile that shows once in a blue moon. It's very contagious and found myself grinning ear to ear. The wall clock inside the room rang means it's already 1pm. Suddenly, he fished his wallet out from his back pocket and stood up.
"Where are you going?" My voice filled with curiousness. His eyes were serious when he took the receipt so I quickly gathered my phone and wallet from the table to stand up but he stopped me.
"I'm going to pay for the meal. I don't want you near any cashiers again."
I sat back and looked at his broad back nearing the cashier. I know why I was blushing at the moment and the thought lingered inside my busy head till we got back inside the campus.
--
The day finished with a relief knowing we do not need to do it again tomorrow. However, does it mean that we're not gonna see each other again?
"Hey, do you wanna watch the sunset? It's very bright and vibrant today." Unlike the other days, we go home when the sun was near gone. He stopped and stare at it for a while before nodding. Our way home has a pretty mini cliff with trimmed grass trailing down towards the pond full of koi fish and half of it was filled with lotus flowers. It is one of the interesting things the reason why I continued my college in the same university. I like nature-everything.
Our feet sounded heavy like it has something to do what would happen next after we finished the tasks given, after we've become friends and after we watch the sunset.
I looked back to check if he was following and I regret doing so. I ended up bumping myself against his chest and he tripped because he stepped on my shoe lace. I squeaked closing my eyes. I know I was going to fall so I waited for stingy bruises and purple marks on my skin later. My body was rolling for how many times until a force stop the motion. The grassy ground never felt this soft for what I know. Hands were gripping my shoulders and I felt small within this space, I gasped when I open my eyes to see Gregory groaning in pain while sitting up.
"You're forever clumsy, Rin. When will you stop being one? Did you get hurt?"
I was still dizzy trying to analyse what happened. I ignored all of his statements as I realized I was on top him. He caught me before I fall. Before I could hurt myself, he let himself crash on the ground because of me. He sat us up together and we're on our knees. My heart was beating crazy because of the situation but what's more making lose my mind was how he still looks out for me. He started blowing all the leaves off my head as I being captivated by his whole being with the sunset behind his figure, he looks very aesthetic.
"I-I'm fine. But you have bruises on your elbow, look!" I was worried seeing him wincing in pain when he blew some dirt off his skin.
"I'm sorry Greg- Its"
"I have a small bandage here. Can you patch me up?"
--
After pulling ourselves from the ground, we sat beside the pond nearby and treated his bruises. Good thing there wasn't a wound. Is a wound and a bruise the same?
"You don't need to use yourself just to protect me. You should've let me fall alone. Now look at what you have. You look like you were beaten up." Good thing I have a bottled water in my bag and a bag sanitizer or else I couldn't have treated him very well. I was crouching in front of him shielding his face from the sunlight.
He wasn't wincing anymore or Gregory might be acting tough in front of me when I noticed him biting his lip to supressed the pain. I giggled and that caught his attention. I froze in my position with his bore into mine, I was a little bit trembling.
"Beautiful." Greg's voice echoed again and again. I opened my mouth to retaliate but he speak again.
"The sunset today is beautiful." Cracking a smile he averted his eyes to the direction of the sun and I only smiled bitterly. I thought I was the one he was talking about. I blushed and sat beside him properly.
"I agree." The only words I could say.
The beautiful sun was setting down as well as our chances of seeing each other just like these days. A sudden jolt of sadness ran through and I hugged my knees on my chest. I just need to enjoy this moment of beautiful silence with him until we separate ways later. I pouted yet I could still see him again right? He's just from a neighbouring building.
"What?" I mumbled when he pushed something against me without looking at him. He did it again and I was going to argue but not after I saw his phone literally an inch away from my nose. I took it from his hand and I looked at him with an unsure look.
"Type your phone number. I'll call you later."