I sat in the chair, drinking my coffee while staring at her...
She looks so happy. It appears that she is saying something, but I am lost in thought, 'Have I really made the right choice? What happens if some hoarder finds out? I'm sure I'm gonna get in trouble, but what about her? What are they gonna do to her? Are they gonna kill her or are they gonna make her forget everything? Are they going to silence her and her father as well?'
I was lost in thought, asking myself all those questions, when suddenly, she poked me, "Ryu! Hey! Hello..? Are you there??"
I immediately snapped back to reality, "Y-Yes, yes... I'm here." Then, I smiled at her.
Her eyebrows furrowed, "You sure? What are you thinking?"
"I was just remembering how I first met you... It's here, in the café."
"Oh? Tell me about it..." She suddenly looked at me with cat eyes.
I immediately flustered, "I-It's nothing! It's embarrassing to talk about it..."
She rolled her eyes down, "Come on... You never share your story to me..."
I shook my head, "I don't wanna share my embarrassing story."
"Come on, no fair... I wanna hear your story, but you don't speak up. Yet, if I share mine, your head always floats..."
I gulped, "That's because I don't have that much of an interesting past... Except after I met you..."
"That's why you should share how you first met me..."
I sighed, "Ok, ok... But promise me you'll not share this to anyone."
She replied hastily, "Pinky swear! I promise!"
She then offered her pinky and I accepted it.
I sighed, felt like there's nothing I could do, "Ok... At first, I actually thought you are just a by passer..."
"Ok... Then?"
"Then you suddenly wear the barista outfit... I swear I almost spit my coffee."
"Haha! Ok, ok. And then?"
"Then, at that moment. I just realized that I saw the most beauti- I mean the prettiest person ever..."
She gasped, "Come on! Are you that embarrassed to say that I'm the most beautiful?" She then pinched me.
I chuckled, "Oh, ok... The most beautiful..."
She nods, "That's right... That's what I wanna hear. And then what?"
I shook my head, "That's it... I mean, aside from my time being stopped... That's pretty much all I can say..."
"So... Basically, you were in love at first sight for me?"
I nodded, "I was in love at first sight to you, yes..."
"What about my father? How did you know him? Please tell me what my father told you about me..."
I immediately evade my look, "Nope... I don't wanna talk about it. Your father is literally just here with us..."
"Don't worry about it. Come on... I wanna hear the details..."
She begged like a child, but I'm not falling for it easily, "Not happening... You might hear something you won't like..."
"Like..? I promise I won't be mad. Pinky swear!" She then offered her pinky once more.
Something is holding me back to have a pinky swear with her. However, I still accepted it.
"Ok... So your father first thought I'm a yakuza who stalks at you..."
Her head bolted upward in surprise, "What!? That's terrible!"
I then put my hand in her mouth to silence her, "Shh... I thought you swear?"
"Sorry... And then what?"
"Then I explained to him, that I'm the exact opposite of it..."
Her eyebrows furrowed, "That you're not a yakuza and not a stalker?"
I shrugged, "Well the stalker part is half true..."
"What? It's basically the same... You're still a stalker."
I corrected her immediately, "Half! Stalker..."
She giggled, "Right... And then? What happens next?"
"Well... He gave me an advice to talk to you, but I'm not ready..."
She smirked, "You wimp..."
I flustered, "I-It can't be helped! Ok!? I'm just not used to it..."
"Yeah, yeah... And then?"
I looked down and blushed, "I... Uh..." Then I looked back at her, "--Remember the time I gave you a cold brewed coffee? With a note in it?"
"Yes?"
I looked down again from embarrassment, "Yeah... That's what I did next..."
She sighed, "Mhm... Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you why you did that, but you left right after you gave it. Tell me, why?"
My head tilted in confusion, "What do you mean? I just told you I'm not good at opening conversations."
"Yeah, well... You can pick better words to write. Why you picked something about taking a break?"
I gulped, "Well... That's because I see you working hard all the time, yet you still manage to smile amidst all those works."
She then raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Are saying you have been observing me?" She then smirked, "--Stalker..."
I flustered, "I-It's not like that! I just kept glancing at you..."
She replied lazily and dubiously, "Right..."
We then stared at each other's eyes. After a few moment, she laughed and so as I.
"Haha! Anyways, I have to go... I'll see you again. Ok?"
"You have errands?" She asks.
I scratched my head, "Ye-Yeah..." Then I grin.
"Ok... See you tomorrow, then?"
"I can't promise it, but I promise I'll comeback again. Ok?"
"Ok... Pinky swear?"
"Yes. Pinky swear." I then offered my pinky and she accepted it.
Later that night, I was invited and asked to come since we are summoned by the elder.
There were 10 of us summoned by the elder.
The elder has a red-jeweled ring. Wearing a long, dark leather trench coat. It looks a bit like ours, but fancier because it has black feathers as designs.
The elder then announced, "Welcome... You are all the chosen followers to be sent to Sapporo."
"What do we do? My elder?" One of the hoarder asks.
"You are to bring reinforcement to the hoarders of Sapporo."
"Who are the enemies? My elder?"
The elder smirked, "Traitors..."
Almost everyone smirked except me. I know for myself that I've been betraying my cult, but I have to remain in disguise or else they'll find out.
The elder then says, "You are all luckily picked, but you can turn this down if you don't want to."
I then asked myself, 'Should I turn this down? Because I wanna see her again... If I turn this down, then I will see her again... But, if I don't turn this down, I will see her again in maybe after a week? Or it could be never...'
I was having trouble finalizing my decision, 'I won't see her for long if I accept this quest, but isn't it for the best? I mean, I am really not meant to be with someone. Why do I even push myself to be with her? When the only right choice is to leave her alone in order for her to live...'
The elder then asks as I lost myself in thought, "No one? Just stand up and leave if you don't want..."
3 of us stood and left.
My eyes opened widely, 'They stood up... Is this my chance to stand up as well? I mean... I want to, but something is holding me back...'
"Go randomly pick another 3. We need at least 10 people for this mission." The elder whispered it to his assistant.
After a few minutes, 3 more guys have joined. The elder asked again if no one else wants to leave. However, we remained.
The elder smirked, "It's settled... Now leave and go to Sapporo. Your presence there is a need."
We all bowed down and left. But, have I really made the right choice? Is leaving her really the only way?
This is a chance to finally stay away from her. I've been wanting to do this, because I don't want her to get into trouble because of me.
A tear came out of my eye as I look into the full moon, remembering her and our pinky swear. Her soft hands, her warm body. Will that be our first and last date?
I felt sadness over me as I remember every beautiful experience I had with her...
Breathing uneasily because of a heavy feeling, I murmured, "Yuna... I'm sorry..."