The morning set in, and I guessed he was still sleeping. I peeked inside the room—he was sound asleep. I was wearing pajamas that revealed most of my body, which felt a little daring. I guess you could say we're what most people call boyfriend and girlfriend now, right? From cuddling to the more intimate stuff, it's all happening. I grabbed a glass of water and headed to the kitchen, thinking I could prepare something for breakfast. I checked the refrigerator and found some eggs, ketchup, and a few other ingredients. Good enough for omelet rice, I thought. I was still yawning—it was early Monday morning, around 6:45 a.m. I slapped myself lightly to wake up fully. I still had work to go to, and yesterday had been both painful and enjoyable, I guess.
As I was talking to myself, I heard his footsteps approaching. He hugged me from behind and said jokingly, "Good morning, moaning witch."
"Moaning witch? What do you mean?" I replied, a bit angry.
"This is why I don't like doing virgins—you were way too loud, even though I was being overly cautious and gentle," he said.
I was totally embarrassed. I guess I had shouted too much yesterday. "What choice do I have? It was my first time," I said, blushing vividly.
"What's for breakfast?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Can't you see? It's omelet rice," I snapped, still annoyed by his earlier comment. "Finish it yourself. I'm going to take a bath." I dashed off quickly, still furious.
"Yes, ma'am," he laughed.
After my bath, I dressed up for the office and met him in the living room, eating. "Yours is on the table," he said. I took a few bites, but time was running out. As I was about to leave, I remembered something. "By the way, Andrew, you haven't been to the hospital except once after the trip. What's wrong?"
"I quit," he replied casually.
"Why?" I was totally confused. Why would he forfeit his job?
"Hmm, I guess I found something better to divert my attention to," he said, looking at me with a smile.
I glanced at him quickly, one hand on the door, and noticed his phone was in his hand. "Don't tell me it's betting again, you this guy."
"No," he shot back. He rested his hand on the couch and said, "It's standing right in front of me," raising his eyebrows.
I looked around, searching for what he was talking about, but then I realized he meant me. This sent me blushing heavily, my face turning red, and my voice began to shake. "Thaaat doesn't mean you should quit your job."
He picked up his wallet. "Let me drive you to the office," he said.
I looked at him but couldn't respond. He took my hand off the door, collected the car keys from me, and got into the car. He rolled down the window. "Come on," he said. I got in, and we took off.
I kept focusing on him while he was driving. He seemed more manly and handsome than ever. "Stop staring, please. I don't want to get into a car accident," I said, laughing. Then I received a phone call that lasted close to five minutes.
"Who was it?" he asked out of curiosity.
"It's my sister. She's in her final year of college and asked for some money. I'm going to forward it to her now."
"Wow, your sister. I wish I could introduce myself to her—and your brother too," he said.
I looked at him, wondering if he had forgotten or was deliberately ignoring the fact that I'm dying in a few months. "Don't let me spoil my morning," I said to myself.
We arrived at the office after about twenty-seven minutes of driving—faster than I usually drive. It was just in time. I could see my colleagues heading in. "Andrew, don't say anything. I'll open the door and join them quietly," I said.
"Why do that?" he asked.
"See, I don't want any gossip here. I want my morning to be quiet as usual. Understand?" I said, feeling like I was talking to myself.
He got out of the car, walked to my side, and created a romantic scene. He opened the door and stretched out his hand for mine. I was totally speechless. My reflex brought my arm up, and I thought, *Fuck up.* I was about to pull my hand back when my coworkers noticed us.
"Kyoko-san!" they said. "Wow, is that your boyfriend?"
"Yeah," I said through gritted teeth.
"Seriously, he looks like a movie star. Can he speak Japanese?" they asked.
I was about to end the conversation quickly, but he stepped up and bowed his head. "THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF MY NATSU!" His voice boomed like thunder.
"My Natsu?" they teased. "How romantic!"
"Kyoko-san, you should have introduced us," they said.
I couldn't respond. I was both angry and cheerful at the same time. I made a subtle "fuck you" gesture to Andrew, but he noticed and laughed it off. He pulled out a restaurant reservation ticket and handed it to them.
"Isn't this the five-star restaurant near the office?" they asked.
"Yes," he said. "It's all for you, as a token of appreciation for everything."
"Wow, he's rich too!" they exclaimed. They looked at me. "Kyoko-san, you're living in a fairytale."
One of them said, "Let's give it a title: 'The Handsome Guy and the Ice-Cold Princess.'"
*Ice-cold?* I thought to myself. *And how did he come so prepared? Did he know he was going to drive me to the office today?*
"I can't believe the uptight Kyoko-san caught a big fish like him," one of them said.
"She can often be like that sometimes," Andrew said with a sad expression. "Even I'm struggling to keep up."
"Oh, how sweet," they said.
He was starting to look like a celebrity. I looked at him with my stressed-out baby face, which I do when I'm embarrassed. He seemed to catch on.
"ANYWAYS, THANKS FOR ALL THE TROUBLE!" he finally said before driving off.
"Words will flow like water today," I muttered. *Fuck, Andrew. Was all that necessary?*
---
### Andrew's Perspective
After that, I left shortly. It's her birthday soon, and I laughed to myself. Natsu must be surprised by what I did. I should be prepared for what comes after—I really caught her off guard.
As I drove, I noticed what looked like a betting joint. I entered the building, bought some chips, and went to the main hall. I decided to try horse racing. I checked the stats for the fastest and most in-form horse, but it didn't help much. I went with horse number 14. The odds were about 14:1. I had gotten a tip from an evangelist I met before entering—he looked high but was talking real shit.
"Should I bet it all?" I wondered. "No, I don't want to cause a scene." I decided to go with 200,000 yen.
The race started, and I was shouting, but for some reason, horse number 14 came in last. *Damn, that brat. I can't believe their strategy. They lured me in.* I left the gambling den with no shirt, my watch gone—I had bet it all. *Damn them.*
I walked straight back to the car, turned around, and shouted, "Fuck you all!" A guy heard me and started sprinting toward me. I quickly got in the car and drove off as fast as possible. *This isn't my town. If it were the States, I could've whipped his ass and sent him back to his mama.*
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### Natsu's Perspective
Natsu came home a few minutes after. Bad timing—I was totally stressed.
"Let's go shopping in our free time," I said. "I saw some newly released clothes online. I called my supplier, and he said they're available."
She didn't say anything and walked straight to the bedroom. Then she turned to me with a joyous smile. "Thanks for today, Andrew."