A familiar young woman was waiting for her at the airport with her luggage.
Her hair was cut short into a chic black bob, her face had two beauty marks under her right eye, and she wore high-waisted shorts that emphasized her hourglass waist nicely.
It was the purple tassels earrings that stole her focus. She made something like that together with her roommates in the dorms at Pastel Academy. As if recognizing her, the girl hurried over with a widening smile.
As she drew nearer she became more certain.
"Claudia?" Mercredi blinked in disbelief as if the person standing infront of her were a ghost. Her hair was once so long it stopped at her butt, famous for her cool and chic beauty, family business, and good temperament, so many girls back at their school had longed to be in her good graces. What was such a person doing here?
Mercredi by her with a bear hug. "Welcome back!"
Mercredi looked her up and down, still wide-eyed. "What are you doing here?! How...how were you able to get in the airport?!"
"I wore a cap!" She demonstrated by posing, and smoothly pulling a black cap over her face, although it covered her eyes her beauty mark and luscious black glossy lips were still in plain sight. She was well-known for these trademarks so it wasn't convincing in the slightest.
Mercredi nodded, "There's no way you're fans wouldn't have noticed you."
Claudia's smile waned, still, she tried. "I came early!"
Yet after returning from baggage claim, they witnessed the scene of fans suddenly screaming as soon as they walked out into the airport's main lobby.
It should have been a nightmare event but perhaps the airport staff also heard the news and prepared accordingly. Fans were being held back by rope, and security guards were keeping the strays that tried to dive underneath in check.
"Claudia Bai!"
"It's really her!"
"I knew it, the post was true!"
"CLAUDIA!"
Claudia blinked a couple of times, before finally removing her hat and waving with a sheepish smile. She could feel her companion's gaze boring into her as she did.
"I thought so." Mercredi sighed. "Even if no one noticed right away the moment someone shared it on social media, your fate was sealed."
"But...it's been quite a while since I've seen you Eddie! I just thought... well, when Headmistress suddenly texted me out of the blue telling me that you were on your way back, I couldn't think straight..." Moping, Claudia pressed her index fingers together.
So it was the Mademoiselle's doing? But why would she ask her to retrieve her? They haven't spoken in years. She had complaints but couldn't voice them.
"Mmmm." Mercredi tilted her head. "Although I appreciate the sentiment... there's no need to risk both our lives just to welcome me back like this, don't you see? The only saving grace is that someone made a barrier in time... actually, who are these guards? They don't look like airport security, are they with your company?"
The guards were all wearing black suits, there weren't any patches with the name of the airport on their clothes.
"Hmm?" Claudia tilted her head as well. She walked over to the security guard. "Excuse me, who do you work for?" She got no answer. It was the one supervising them who spoke.
"Miss, please exit this way."
The two were escorted to the door, the guards holding back the fans retreated as well, maintinaing, their formation as the fans ran after Claudia, screaming.
The guards created a great wall on both sides of the girls as they walked them to the parking lot, to Claudia's purple SUV. They checked the car for bombs before allowing the two to enter.
"Um, thank you!" Claudia and Mercredi made sure to bow and thank them before entering the car.
The stiffs didn't respond, their eyes glued to the fans, trying to climb atop each other.
"CLAUDIA!"
"CLAUDIA I LOVE YOU!"
"Sss...who do you think sent them?" Claudia turned to ask Mercredi of all people.
Mercredi's eyes widened, if she didn't know then she naturally wouldn't! "Your agency perhaps?"
"I would have recognized their faces. They were all wearing shades, all had similar builds." She shook her head as she looked back to reverse. "They're not from my company."
Were they all that close? "Then... a secret admirer? If the news of your appearance at the airport spread that fast, then one of your admirers probably sent them. Is there any big shot that's been particularly nice to you lately?"
As Claudia processed this notion, her lips curved.
She tapped away at the screen of her car, as she drove. The call was picked up immediately.
Claudia cleared her throat. "Ahem, was it you mister?"
"...Yes." A deeply elegant male voice responded.
Such a soothing voice! He could be a voice actor! Mercredi couldn't help becoming intrigued. She mouthed "Who is it?"
Claudia put a finger to her mouth as she focused on the road.
"Hmm... I had an inkling it might be you but it really turned out to be you. Thank you very much for this Sir! Next time I'll repay you... How does fried chicken sound?"
Mercredi snorted and covered her mouth.
Even with her explosive stardom, her roots as the daughter of a fried chicken place owner hadn't changed.
Mercredi had to look away from Claudia's clueless expression to avoid laughing.
Needless to say, there was a long pause on the other end. Any man's train of thought would probably have been de-railed at this point, it was understandable.
"What? You don't want to eat dinner with me?" Claudia asked.
"I do!" A very quick response there.
So that's what she was asking? Mercredi held her stomach.
"Then do you not like fried chicken?" Claudia continued.
"I... do..." he sounded like his thoughts were processing.
This Mister really didn't talk much.
"I was going to repay you with fried chicken I made myself, my mom always told me a handmade gift is better than a store-bought one to express sincerity... for sending those uncles to help me today, I'm super grateful! But now that I think about Mister you're more used to fancier things aren't you? I can make you fancy chicken. Whatever you want to eat please tell me!"
He didn't respond.
Claudia waited for a couple of seconds but when ten-seconds became thirty she frowned.
"Alright, alright, I won't make anything. How about this... we can just eat dinner someplace, you can pick."
"Okay." A quick response. Mercredi raised a brow. Claudia wasn't a bad cook, was he looking down on her?
"Then, I'm hanging up now, Mister."
"..."
"Mister?"
"Please be more careful when you go out in public."
The longest sentence he had said and the second he did he hung up.
Claudia humphed.
As soon as she hung up, she rolled her eyes and pressed her foot down on the gas pedal. Mercredi held a hand to the car door. "Really don't understand this person! Does he not like my chicken? Has he tasted my chicken before?! I don't think I've ever seen him at our family restaurant's main branch! Who the heck doesn't like fried chicken! Fried chicken can be fancy too, I know he has a culinary backing but he shouldn't be looking down on fried chicken!"
Mercredi leaned to the other side of the window as she listened resisting the urge to plug her ear holes and hold on to the door. "Maybe he has health reasons?"
Claudia was one thing, but the person on the call also seemed like a weird person as well. Judging from his voice he wasn't a simple person and depending on his intentions offering him fried chicken might have made him feel as if Claudia was looking down on him.
As Claudia's rant continued, eventually it became so fast it was if she was rapping.
Mercredi sunk in her seat, resisting the urge to plug her ears.
"Reallythoughtthatpersonwasverykindforasecond,don't knowwhatpossessedhimtodecidetohelpme.Ishelookingdownonme?Didhethinkawthatidiotforgottobringguardswithhertotheairportandthoughthewasdoingmeafavororsomething?! Eddie? Eddie?! Are you listening?" She smacked Mercredi on the arm as they stopped at a red light.
Mercredi sat up and vigorously nodded.
"Mmm? Mmmhm! I'm listening!"
"What do you think?"
Her smile was nervous, "Me? W-well, surely you know him better."
"I'maskingbecauseIdon't! I've only been on a couple of food-tasting shows with him! That's all!"
Really? Her wish to be a food critic really came true... of course, it's her career as a model-turned-rapper that put her on the map.
"Ehh...well, it seems like he is fond of you since...he helped you out." Mercredi started to explain only to end up blinking a couple of times. Why was she here?
"Mmm!" Claudia nodded in agreement but when Mercredi failed to continue quickly glanced at her for a second as she focused on the road.
Mercredi was looking elsewhere, her lips folded like a turtle.
"What else?"
"Huh? The heck should I know?"
Claudia clucked her tongue.
"Reallynohelp!"
Mercredi felt wronged. She doesn't know the person, never met him! Why would she know what to think of him?!