When I finally saw the silhouette of our house from within Kenji's car, I felt a surge of relief. I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached for the car's interior door handle as soon as the vehicle stopped. I unlocked the door myself and tried to open it when I heard a click. I tried pushing the door open, but it wouldn't budge. Shit! Stupid central lock!
"Personal assistant?"
I closed my eyes and pursed my lips when I heard Kenji's question. Yes, it was a question, but it sounded very much like an accusation to me. And this is the same reason I wanted to flee to the safety of my house as soon as possible. But alas, it looks like I will not be able to escape this!
I've been dreading this moment since we left Raiden's dressing room earlier today. Kenji was kind enough to let me enjoy the concert without questioning me about it, no matter how pressing it was, but I knew he would not let it slip by without forcing a proper explanation out of me. And it looks like he chose this moment when we are finally alone in the confines of his car. What agitated me was that he waited until we were finally in front of my house. I looked at our gate, and I wanted to curse. This is my official 'near yet so far moment' right here.
I exhaled, finally giving up the fight and preparing myself to explain.
"Ken, what happened was---"
"I left you for a couple of minutes, yeah, literally a couple, and you got yourself into trouble? Really now, Chiara?" I flinched at his tone. Guess I really am in trouble.
"I promise, it wasn't intentional," I said, my hands in front of me as a sign of surrender. In my defense, it was unintentional at first. Not towards the end, though.
But instead of calming down, the knots on his forehead deepened. I have to explain and fast.
"What happened was….," and I relayed everything that had happened as fast as possible. But the emotion on his face worsens by the minute. "… and that was when you guys came in." I ended my monologue.
"And what about the later part?" he urged. I cursed in my mind. That's the million-dollar question I was trying to avoid.
"What part?" I tried to act innocent, but as expected, Kenji wasn't buying it.
"The part where you agreed to it?" he pressed; the corner of his eyebrow lifted.
"Got caught up with the moment?" I tried again, and I saw the fire in his eyes. Uh-oh!
"Chiara!"
"Okay, fine! I'm sorry." I blurted and looked into his eyes, ignoring the apparent anger in them. "But Kenji, will you believe me if I say I'm doing this for myself?"
"What, because he's your idol?" he grimaced.
"Yes and no." Gosh! I do not even know how I could explain it without telling him the entire truth. But If I do, I know he would not believe me. He might tell my parents this, and they might send me to an institution. Okay, that might be going too far, but who knows? I know how crazy my story would sound. "Look, there is a much deeper reason why I'm doing this. But believe me, I am doing this for myself. For my sanity. And no, not just because he's my idol." I added just before he started judging me again. "Please, I can't tell you everything right now, but you know me. I am not that shallow, and I would never throw my life for the trivial reason you were thinking. For now, please try to believe that this is something I must do in this life."
He looked intently into my eyes for a few minutes without saying a word. And as if getting convinced by my determination, he let out a harsh breath as if finally admitting defeat.
"Fine," he uttered in a much calmer voice now. "But being his PA will not be easy. Have you ever wondered why he suddenly needed a new assistant? Plus, this isn't the first time. He had five assistants this year, and the year isn't over yet. Do you know why?"
"That---"
"The guy's like an ice cube. He doesn't care about other people but himself. Of course, he does not mistreat his assistants, but he doesn't look after them either. That shell he was in is extremely hard to break through, you know." I wanted to protest. Kenji's description was far from the kind-hearted man I had met several years before. But I swallowed back my protests. What do I know about Raiden, really? I call myself his number one fan, but even I was clueless about why he ended up killing himself. Something terrible could be happening behind the scenes, pushing him to the edge. And apparently, no one knows besides him, as no one was able to stop him. "Besides that, the guy is beloved by many. He also has a truckload of fans who are batshit crazy. And they despise the idea of another woman walking beside him. There were a few incidents when some of his fans did the unthinkable to people around him, which is why no one stayed working for him. I know it wasn't his fault, but it's hard being with him." He continued.
"I know because I heard them on the news, too," I said. I shifted my gaze to my hands as I fiddled with my fingers. "But I need to do this. I'd be the first one who will stay by his side as long as he needs me."
"Chie…"
I looked at him again and smiled.
"I can take care of myself, don't worry. Just trust me on this one, hmmm?"
"Fine." He said with a sigh. "It's not like I had ever won an argument with you. And I've never got to change your mind once you've decided on something."
"Thanks, Ken," I said, relieved.
"Do not thank me. I'll be the first to say 'I told you so' once he drives you away from him." He warned.
"I know." I rolled my eyes while he laughed. And then I felt his palm resting on top of my head.
"Just let me know if he hurts you, okay? My firsts aren't picky, and we will always be ready to protect your honor."
"I'm gonna be working for him, not seducing him." I grimaced.
"Well, we are not sure when you'd show your fangs and jump on him. Let's not forget how you're dead over heels for him---ouch!" he complained when I landed a punch on his bicep.
"Shut up!"
I took a deep breath as I stared at the enormous but beautiful house in front of me. It's the type of house I could only dream of having.
It has been over a month since Raiden's concert, and I'm finally here in front of his breathtaking house. Or should I call this a mansion?
Maria called me the day after the concert to inform me that I would officially be taking the job as Raiden's personal assistant, which still surprised me. For starters, I didn't even apply for the position formally. Second, I had to ask for 30 days to process my resignation from my previous job prior to taking up this job, and they agreed, which is also weird as my best friend did inform me that Raiden's need for an assistant was urgent as the previous one left weeks before his concert.
But I no longer question it. Why would I when everything falls strangely but conveniently into place without the need for me to lift a finger?
I inhaled and exhaled again. This is officially my first day as Raiden's personal assistant, and I'm both excited and scared. I am excited because who wouldn't be, being so close to the person you've admired for a long time? Scared because this was a job I had no clue about, and I might end up realizing I wasn't qualified to do this job in the first place.
'No, Chie. You can do this! You can learn everything as long as you work hard for it.' I encouraged myself. And after regaining my almost non-existent confidence, I reached for the doorbell beside the wooden door. Before my fingertip even connects with the button, the door suddenly bursts open, forcing me to take a few steps back to prevent being hit by it.
When I lifted my gaze, I met those familiar pair of amber eyes that almost looked like golden orbs under the sunlight. 'So pretty,' I thought.
I do not know how long we were staring at each other, but I was pulled back to reality when Raiden cleared his throat.
"A-am I late?" were the first words that left my mouth. What kind of greeting was that, Chie?
"No," he answered and reached his hand out to me. At the center of his palm was that familiar car key. I froze.
"Ahm…" I hesitated.
He knotted his forehead while looking at my face. He must be trying to read me.
"Don't tell me you do not know how to drive?" and he did read me.
I shook my head, ashamed.
I heard him sigh. Great! First day but it could be my last day at work as well.
He pulled his hand back and clicked the key to unlock his sleek black sports car.
"S-should I call for a driver?" I suggested just as he was walking towards the driver's seat.
"No. I could only let a driver specifically assigned by the agency drive for me." Right. He's a celebrity. "And, of course, my assistant." He added, which made my heart sink to my stomach. 'Told you, definitely not qualified.' A part of my brain mocked.
"I-I'm sorry," I bit my lip in embarrassment. Why did I even take a job I have no clue of?
"It's fine; I can drive." He calmly said, not even showing any touch of disappointment.
"But---"
"Don't worry about it." He cut me off. "I'll teach you how."
"What?" Am I hearing things?
"Get in; we're late." He said instead of answering my question. "Now."
"Right! Okay."