The two of us settle in a cafe and go inside, hoping we could talk about something bothering her. We do not inform anyone about our talk, considering that the topic must be about Yui, their member. She must have something to say after seeing me inside their club room.
They should know about Yui's situation, so she confronts me directly.
As we go through the bright road, we stop by the recognisable coffee shop with all the unlit lanterns dangling outside.
We slide the door open and sniff the fragment of coffee beans and milk, welcoming our nose. Our eyes gawk at the paintings and carved wood on the floor. As we move closer to the desk, the sound of koto-also known as "Japanese harp", mellows our ears.
"One caramel coffee, please," the girl beside me states.
"Make it two."
I raise my hand and offer the server a smile. After taking our orders, the barista prepares our drinks inside the kitchen while humming with the music.
Time passes by, yet nobody wants to start the talk. The two of us look at the wooden table, waiting for the server to deliver our orders.
Within a few seconds, I steal a glance at the girl beside me and hope to strike a word. My gaze drifts over to the coffee beans inside the container. I want to drink fresh brews of caffeine, but I will leave that chance soon.
The server places the tray on top of our table with the mugs on top. We see the smoke rising above our cups, spewing the sweet and bitter taste of the joe.
Before my tongue reaches the febrile beverage, I hear a voice close to my ear. "How is the coffee?"
Every cell in my body jumps, surprised about the breath gusting over my nape. I nudge my head over to my side with my hand on my side. I am ready to punch the heck with whatever pops out beside my skin.
"Do you do this all too often?" I ask, with my eyebrows skyrocketing towards my forehead.
"No." The girl answers and moves back.
The girl jerks her body backwards and averts my gaze with her flushed cheeks. Her eyes travel through the distant paintings, thinking to herself about the regretful actions she has done. She then strokes her hair while verging her head back to me.
"It became a hobby of mine. Sorry."
She lowers her head and confesses her apology. I give her a quick nod and tell her that everything is okay.
The girl looks at me and introduces herself. "You probably know me since I became the youngest club president of the drama club, but I am Chung-Ae, a Korean exchange student. Half-Korean and half-Japanese if you want an exact mixture."
"I am Yuki, also half-Japanese but half-American."
I look at the two customers stepping inside the coffee bar. Their chit chat becomes the noise resounding through the room, battling against the soothing music of the jazz.
Our eyes wander through the coffee shop and eventually stare outside through the window. We count the people passing by and entering the cafe. They look thirsty from the coming of the summer breeze as we notice their parched lips. The sun has yet to set since it is still early afternoon, where the students go home or hang out with their groups.
In this hour, officers would run around in the offices, meeting the professors and the dean about the documents they need to sign. Clubs would also stay behind and hone the members on what the seniors have learned through their experience. Since the students can join a club of their liking, these organisations would show off their performance to attract the newcomers for attention.
Beside me is the president of the drama club. She saw me inside the room not too long ago. I knew her from the get-go from the first time I saw her sliding the door open.
Who could forget that slim figure and her scarlet lips that everyone has been talking about around the classroom? The rumour starts from the boys of the other classrooms, talking about her goddess looks. Based on the stories I know, this girl has a brill butt, average chest cup, and charming lips that draw every tongue hypnotised from its beauty.
When she entered the room, she did not expect me to be waiting inside, sitting on a chair with Yui. Although we also did not expect her to come into the room during lunch hours, the president persisted and meandered in the room, catching me red-handed.
My hands grow stiff when I guess what she is going to say to me. Since I barged inside the club room, this girl would say something about the matter. I am looking forward to her change of moods and pointing out my irresponsible performance as a secretary.
If the tides go against me, I will use my power and explain to her my ability to travel between rooms for the sake of "checking" people. It might sound questionable, but also a part of my job.
However, the club president shatters my expectations as she utters something relating to Yui.
"How is she, Yui?"
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"She sometimes pushes herself too often… okay, a dozen of times, and I was wondering if she still-,"
"Want to be an actress?" I complete her sentence while stirring the spoon around my cup.
Chang-Ae fiddles with her spoon and imitates my movements. The girl fixates her focus on my whirling coffee and thinks of something to say.
I stop stirring the cup and raise my eyebrow. "Is there a problem with that?"
The girl leans closer to her mug and gives out a weak blow to the steam. I see the white smoke drifting above our faces and eventually disappear into the air. She rubs her hands on the surface and feels the warmth of the caffeine. After checking its temperature, Chang-Ae takes a sip from her coffee and lets out a satisfying exhale.
I mimic her movements and lift my cup, pouring the coffee through my throat. But I forgot a crucial moment.
The heat burns my pharynx, creating a tingling pain of sensation scattering through my insides. I want to puke out what I have drunk in my throat, but that would embarrass the two of us, especially doing it here in public with a person I know besides me.
"Do not look," I warn.
Chang-Ae tilts her head in confusion and asks, "Why?"
"You will regret it."
Without warning, my cheeks blush, and the colour disperses to the pale skin and orange skin that I have. My hands dart to cover my mouth, but it is too late for now. Exaggerated as it is, I cannot take any sudden spike of heat entering my body. The same applies to cold substances, making me sensitive to temperature.
I can take some extreme temperatures inside my mouth, but I need to take some time to prepare myself before consuming any nourishments. It is not an illness but a habitual routine that I do with my food.
I push my limits and gulp whatever is wishing to force itself outside of my stomach. It feels like something is escaping from my guts and barges itself from whatever path it could find. After locating my mouth, that mucus screams in joy but immediately tosses back into my digestive system.
In the end, I stand up and cheer for my victory after hauling myself victorious from my internal battle. But after a moment, I dramatically fall to the ground and pound the concrete floor using my hands.
"Are you alright, Yuki?"
The girl next to me taps my back and checks on me. Upon raising my head, I meet an angel in disguise. But as I shake my head, my vision changes, revealing the face of Chung-Ae near mine.
I glance around and see the patrons and the barista staring at me with puzzling eyes, uncertain what to make out of the scene. They believe I am allergic to the coffee extract in my coffee, leading the server to rush in my direction.
"Are you okay?" He asks and offers me a hand. (Note from the Author: It is tempting to write Daijobu desu ka? But you know how it is. Please remember that Japanese people are talking in Japan, and people of the same nationality (Korean-Korean) would use Hangul/Korean language.)
"Do not worry. I love the ground, and the ground loves me."
I politely refuse his offer and stay sitting on the snuggly wooden floor. The people surrounding us lose interest in my fallen figure and resume their daily activities as if nothing has happened. Japan has experienced many things besides seeing a girl stumbling on the ground like a radical princess, so they stop batting an eye.
Chung-Ae, who has been staring at me for a couple of seconds, blinks in rapid succession before nudging me back to the chair.