"Just flashbacks and tingling sensations," I blurt out, while rubbing the tear slipping away from my eye.
I can still remember when I first wrote my book in front of my computer. Nobody had faith in me when I published my work. Even my parents and classmates were not aware that I had been writing stories as a hobby. If they did, they would not bat an eye at my project and deem it as a meritless work that I would abandon.
Not until I met Roxy, who always insists on helping me with my references.
From morning to night, we would discuss each storyline and choose among the options to follow. Roxy even provides me with recommendations that would pique the interest of the readers.
We still do this every once in a while, when Roxy has her day off.
Roxane is always here for me when I need her the most. And I am always thankful for her sticking at my side, continuing to shower me with compliments or criticize my work.
"If you say so." She carefully unlatches me from her brace while resuming back to our topic.
"These drafts reminded me back of the old days."
"Do you mean that time where we went fishing to study the fishes?" Roxane motions with her hands as if scrolling the reel from the fishing rod.
Wistfully, we caught nothing from that day when we went fishing on our school trip. The slick school of fishes turned our efforts all for nought as we arrived home with nothing in our palms.
"That was a terrible day," I second her idea, but it is not the scene that bothers me the most.
"I can relate myself with these drafts made by Nickson," I append to her while browsing the sheets for the last time. "I have nothing against the guy, but he needs to use his earnings wisely."
I always mention how Nick needs to spend his salary from time to time. He is free to do whatever he wants with the money as long as there would be a share for any orphanage or donation for those who need it the most..
"Then why are we chasing him down?" Roxanne asks while leaning her head over to the side.
"Since it's fun, right?"
We both roar with laughter, knowing that we are only messing with this mangaka for tracking him down. We don't want to do anything with Nick. All I yearn for is for him to acknowledge my work as his fellow artist (in terms of creativity) and a share from his salary to those who are in need.
Creating a piece of art requires work and hard sweat, so he plays a part for that criteria.
"Oh, right!" I interject in the middle of our talk and attempt to make my way towards the kitchen. "I promised Himari to bake her cookies!"
"Can I help!" Roxane insists while clasping her hands together and showing me her puppy, glittering eyes.
"The last time I let you hold the knives, you nearly cut yourself!" I react while pushing her away from the scullery.
"I promise not to do it again!" Roxy assures me, while motioning her hands and forming a cross-like figure on her chest. It is a symbolism for crossing one's heart as a pledge for the other party.
I raise my brow while intersecting both of my arms, dubious about her vow.
"Roxy, you almost sliced your neck with it!" I mutter, raising my voice.
"It was an accident!" She asserts while faintly laughing to herself, and shifts her head over to the side. "I swear I will never do it again!"
After a few minutes of staring at each other's eyes, my mind gives in and forms a way for her to go inside the kitchen. I cannot handle the stress whenever I see her face sulking like a child and begging for her parents for something that he or she wants.
That's one of my few weaknesses that I know about myself.
"You can, but you're off-limits on touching any sharp objects, understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!" She acknowledges while eagerly staring at all the equipment found inside my home.
Roxanne never has the chance to cook for herself or her father. They usually takeout foods from convenience stores as a substitute for a decent meal. Hence, I always invite her over to my house and feed her with the proper homemade menus.
We spend the rest of the evening preparing the cookies I promised to Himari and our dinner, pan-seared steak.
"The best dishes are often the simplest to prepare," I mutter as I instruct Roxy to fetch me salt and pepper, together with meat stored inside the fridge.
With just minor ingredients and a single pan, anyone can cook a steak that's as mouth-watering as sold in the exclusive steakhouse.
It is for the first time that Roxanne follows the recipe for making a single mistake. She confidently prepares the tray while batting the ingredients mixed inside. We place the finished product for thirty minutes inside the oven and heat it at 350 Fahrenheit, enough to bake it into brill biscuits.
Within a few minutes, the aroma coming from the cooked meat fills the air. The oven also makes a sound, alerting us for the freshly baked biscuits ready to pull out.
"Can we take a bite?" Roxy reaches out for her hand, only to meet with my fingers, ready to intercept her clamp.
'Déjà vu,' I mumble to myself and feel that this might have happened before.
"We haven't even eaten our supper yet," I retort while sliding her hands aside. "And this is not for us. It's for Himari."
"The Japanese girl from the orphanage?"
"Yeah. Didn't I tell you that a while ago?"
"I must have forgotten minutes ago," She replies with her mouth already overflowing with the brown cookies. I can even hear her loud munching sounds, inviting me to take a piece.
"You don't get it, do you?" I heave out a sigh while helping myself with the biscuits resting on the pot.
'Himari would understand,' I wonder, while eating the last bite of the unfortunate brownie.
After gobbling up our well-done steak, we glance at the clock and notice that it's already late at night. The two of us also have our school day for tomorrow. We would also meet with the rest of the students for our first assembly and establish relationships with our classmates.
We will meet with the freshmen and possibly meet the sweet romance that I have been waiting for since childhood. But, alas, that dream would somehow wait for a while since these chapters will never write themselves.
Our class will also elect students who would run for the student council. They will be the ones who are in charge of any affairs that the students need during the academy. The following week, these councils (the present and the upperclassmen) will host a party for all the newcomers attending our school.
Roxane and I would think about joining this gathering, given that we are not comfortable attending in such a crowded place. I could collect some experience and use that for my novel, but I do not want to leave my best friend behind and alone inside her house.
We will figure our decision in due time before the ceremony. Right now, we need to prepare ourselves for tomorrow, specifically by meeting with Nickson.
We end our night by satisfying our fill while finishing the chapters scheduled for today.
The sun arrives, and the arrays of light greet my orbs. I slumber on my desk in front of my laptop, still turned on, while hitting the keys fffffffffff continuously before raising my head. Afterwards, I go inside the bathroom and wash my drool and gounds while getting ready for school.
The leftover steak tastes even better despite leaving it inside the fridge for the entire night. But it doesn't share the same relish as before since I am not eating with Roxanne.
Before going outdoors, I pick up the obsidian shoulder bag and bring it with me along the way while adding the baked cookies inside my lunch box and separate the sack that I would give to Himari.
....
I sprint my way towards the orphanage, while glancing over at my watch.
"I will be late for this," I mumble to myself while knocking my hands on the wooden surface of the door.
"Hello? It's Yuki! I brought some cookies."
"Oh, dear me!" An old yet gentle voice gives me a response from the other side of the door.
"Yes, yes. You may come in, dear." The gate gradually slides open, revealing the face of the kind caretaker of the building.
Following behind her is the adorable girl, weakly rubbing her eyes from the sudden commotion happening outside.
"Himari, you have a guest!" The elder taps her shoulder and pushes her beside me, inviting her to take the bag.
"Big sister Yuki?" Himari guesses whilst covering her mouth from her yawn.
"Yep!" I rhapsodically exclaim while handing over the tiny pink pouch that contains all the biscuits left from this morning.
Himari's eyes widened at the sight of snacks resting on her hands. Her hands swiftly find their way to untangle the rope and take a quick bite of the first brownie that she sees.
After crunching the nugget a few times, she looks at me with her eyes and mouth curling skywards in delight.
"Thanks, big sister Yuki!" She remarks while happily taking the biscuits away inside her room.
"You should probably go now," The grandmother suggests while giving me a bottle of fermented tea that she made.
"You shouldn't have,"
"Please take it." She fragilely puts the bottle between my hands and flashes me a gleam.
"Thank you." I lay hold of the plastic flask from her hands and immediately run straight forward to the park. It is the quickest route that my instincts tell me, and there is no other choice but to continue on my journey.
I am already late anyway.
"If it wasn't for that stupid…" I (curse) audibly to my heart's content while violently marching my way towards my school.
....
Roxane spots me entering the door with our homeroom teacher standing in front of the blackboard. She waves her hand while energetically marking my seat, only to call out for her attention by the schoolteacher.
I browse the room and spot my favourite seat. I lay all of my baggage on the ground in a hurry while bowing my head to the teacher. Here in Japan, they will tolerate anyone late for anything except with a valid explanation.
"Psst,"
Even without searching, I know Roxanne is calling for my attention. After all, she is one chair ahead of me in the middle of the room.
"Hey! Earth to Yuki! Coming in. Earth to Yuki!"
"What do you want?"
I become afraid that the professor might call our attention, so I reply annoyingly.
"Guess who's beside you," She utters while gesturing her fingers and directing me on my left side, near the glass windows, without batting an eye. Although this is a risky move to communicate with me, she still avoids getting caught by the teacher and relays her message to me with ease.