We chat about a heap of things about being officers of our organisations and eventually drift back to Yui. The afternoon becomes longer as I feel my bond entangle closer to Chang-Ae. She is an intelligent girl from Korea and travels here to Japan to meet her grandparents. Chang-Ae also mentions she loves to become a director of any Japanese or Korean films hence, joining the drama club.
However, there is one thing that I could not agree with her ideals, and it concerns Yui, her friend and a member of the drama club.
I conclude our discussion and see her off from the grate. We exchange cellular numbers and eventually head towards the road leading to our homes.
The light on the streets paves our way to the darkness and shines into the darkened shadows as I stride the recognisable road. I want to pass by Himari and say hello, but I need to work on my story as much as possible and not fall behind.
Nickson and I are in the middle of a match; whoever has more impact and emotions in the story wins. The judge will be the people in the orphanage, since these people would not put their biases to the author.
All the kids would be the basis of our scores. If they feel sad, plus points to the author, the same result goes for the artist.
I spot the light inside my room, sparkling like a disco club, with a figure milling around. I have never recalled leaving the lights open when I step off the house. But there is something or someone I am missing out on inside my memory.
"I need to get on the bottom of it." My hands juggle the final ounce of my brain cells inside my head.
Now should be the time to remember such an event. However, the more I perceive the picture, I could only think of burglars robbing my valuables, who have breached my house.
I push the door open and dash up the series of steps to my room. Upon sliding the wooden door open, I see a shape of a girl moving like the grooves. Nobody can outmatch her performance except for me, who owns the entire gaming pad.
"What are you doing, Roxy?" I ask.
Roxanne stops her dance after hearing my stern voice near the door. I regret not pulling out my phone and recording her performance. She nudges her hand towards the protruding red button, attempting to sneak and turn the console off before anyone could notice.
It is already too late for that, my friend.
"I thought you hated that game?"
"I do!" Roxanne retorts.
My eyes roll over to the gaming pad, still blinking red and green lights, showing that it is still playing. After turning the switch, the machine lets out a creaking sound, with the light gradually fading away.
"I saw that one lying around when I entered the room. It was boring to play the consoles and the computer, so I tried changing up a notch!"
A confident grin paints on her face as Roxanne tidy the dancing mat on the corner. After finishing her job, she opens the laptop for me and heads over to the kitchen, screaming, "I will make you a cup of coffee, or do you prefer a cup of tea?"
"Tea!" I shout.
She hears my instructions and carries on to the kitchen. I could perceive the rumbling of utensils and cups on the shelves, with the distant water splashing over the sink. My kitchen feels like a hurricane has gone through our house. I look at the ground and discern all the piles of rubbish clustered on the floor mixed with the grains of tea extracts.
At exactly ten minutes, Roxy rushes upstairs and offers me a pocky and the steaming herb of tea. After helping me with the beverages and snacks, she slams her body on top of the pillows and holds the gaming console up high. An arcade-like sound lingers through the room and serves as motivational noise.
As soon as I stare at the blank screen, my eyes and mind freezes, unable to think of a story.
Although I can recreate the short story I wrote from the contest before, sir Benjamin already said it needed polish.
It must have been something that I have yet included inside my novels, since I focus more on the gore side and not on the emotional part.
I can make character developments out of nothing and give them personalities. But my plots are all limited to action scenes or shounen; it is a genre from Japanese that aims at young male audiences.
Any more than that, my hands give up with my head resting on the keyboard. Once I go to that state, a monkey stands up from the stage, playing its gong and smashing my brain. Sometimes, nothing shows up, not even the monkey, which would stir my thoughts.
That occurrence has become a phobia to me.
However, I do not feel concerned about my work or the jamming monkey. The lines that Chang-Ae has said from before remain inside my head. It feels almost like a musical loop that refuses to stop playing its instruments as it continues resounding through my ears.
"If Yui does not have the talent to act, can you tell her to quit? It is for her sake, as a friend who knows her well." Chang-Ae said during our conversation from the cafe.
My eyes stare at the clock, ticking its hands close to hitting the number twelve. We only have a few minutes to bond with each other before seeing my best friend off to her home. But with that thought ringing inside my head, I could not help but ponder to myself.
"Are you alright, Yuki?" Roxanne says and snaps her finger in front of me.
The sudden click wakes me up back to reality. I jerk to my seat and face Roxanne's orbs while giving her a nod.
"There is something on my mind lately, and uh, I do not know what to do about it," I confess and scratch my chin.
Roxanne pounces at the vacant seat beside me and rolls to my side. Despite her jolliness, I can rely on her in crucial times when I need her the most.
Her eyes glare at my screen and wait for me to continue. "Go on. I am listening."
Silence fills the room for a few minutes. I think about how to construct the sentences inside my head and tell Roxanne what has happened earlier. She is doing the same thing, waiting for me to explain the story.
I inhale and tell her everything about Yui and Chang-Ae.
Roxanne's face changes every time I switch scenes. She feels happy at first, afterwards downhearted because of the problem that Yui has. After hearing the last part of my story, Roxy feels her face with bitterness and lifts her hand.
"Chang-Ae said that?!"
"Keep your voice down, Roxanne. It is near midnight." I hush and look at the clock.
She nods in acknowledgement and leans her head. "Sorry. I just could not get that girl."
"Yui?"
"No. Chang-Ae." She corrects.
Roxanne closes her eyes and muse to herself. My best friend usually does this every time she feels tense and unsure what to do about a situation. This mediation only happens once in a blue moon, and today is my lucky day.
"What did you say afterwards?" She asks with her eyes yet to open.
"Knowing Chang-Ae, she could have meant that." I give her my answer.
"Do you know Chang-Ae?"
Roxanne explains to me the story about a drama club having a young president. My best friend was sceptical about the matter, so she dug up the drawers and found her background. For the first time since she saw the paper, it shocked her to see dozens of achievements written on Chang-Ae's enrollment form.
Chang-Ae is a famous actress in her school and even receives invitations from international companies. When she was way younger than her recent age, Chang-Ae took the role of a wandering kid as an extra in a television series. Since then, every director has supervised her, hoping to cast her when she gains some experience.
She has settled here in Japan to pursue her acting career together with her childhood friend, Yui.
That girl has signed more contracts than any of my books and would have a commercial play next school year. Despite getting all the fame, Chang-Ae stays humble to Yui, her only friend, during her elementary days.
"You are not going to tell Yui that, are you?"
Roxanne raises her eyebrow, suspecting me to do something unhinged.
"What are you looking at?"
"Maybe you did?" She says.
I shake my hand and reply. "Do not worry. I would never do that."
Roxanne sighs in relief after hearing such words coming out of my mouth. I stand from my seat and open the door, leading Roxanne to go home with her father.