Hello....... Ah, it’s been so long. Sorry…
CHAPTER 6
Acchan wakes up early morning. She finds her mom has a bad fever, so Acchan tells her to take a rest and Acchan will do all her mom's duty in the morning. Acchan quickly prepares the breakfast while aunt Nanny, another maid, makes up the house. Luckily, Acchan knows exactly what kind of breakfast that her young master likes, how much she have to add sugar or salt, and everything. Just like her mom & Nanny always teach her about to cook their young master's favorite foods. After the breakfast is ready, Nanny asks Acchan to give the young master his uniform. At first she's worried if she can go to the young master's room or not, considering that he has a cold head and high temper… plus about how did he knows that Acchan had been bullied. But as this duty is what her mom always do and now she has to substitute her, so Acchan take it and walk upstairs to Kai's room.
Se knocks the door. "Excuse me...". The door is unlocked. Acchan tries to knock the door again.
No answer. As what her mom said that she just go inside the room, she makes herself to open the door. She peeks in but no one's there. "Excuse me, young master? I bring your school uniform..." Acchan said.
No answer, but then Acchan can hear the sound of shower from the bathroom. "He must be having a shower.." she thought.
She comes in and about to put the uniform on the hangers. She can see a lot of books are scattered around on the table and floor. She shakes his head seeing this messy room. But in the other side, she takes a sympathy to her master that he might be studied hard last night. She picks up the books and pile them up on the table by classify it by each subject, then she leaves.
When Acchan comes back to the dining room, she meets Sae who just comes out from his room.
“Good morning..” Acchan greets him.
“Ah, Acchan. Good morning…” Sae replies the greeting, but he looks at Acchan with a confuse look. How did Acchan comes out from Kai’s room this morning. Sae about to ask it but he change the question, “Kai has awake?”
Acchan nods, “Uhn. I think he’s taking a bath. I just bring him his uniform.”
“Oh, okay…” Sae nods, still confused that usually the one who prepares Kai’s uniform and anything is Mrs.Maeda. “Thank you..”
“You’re welcome.. And, by the way, the breakfast is ready. I’m sorry we can't join to have breakfast together. Mom has a bad fever this morning. So I guess I will have my breakfast with Mom in our room.”
“Mrs. Maeda is sick?” Sae looks so surprised. Acchan nods in sad expression. “Souka… so that’s why Acchan is the one who prepares Kai’s uniform” Sae thought.
“I’ll call doctor to examine her today, don’t worry.”
Acchan takes breakfast for her mom and her. She feeds her mom to help her to eat because her mom seems like so weak.
“Acchan, would you give me some favor?” her mom said.
“Uhm… of course, mom. What do you need me to do?” she smiles at her mom.
“Since I’m not able to do a lot of things, please help me to take care of young master.”
“What? That cold head? No way…“ she thought. But of course she doesn’t tell it to her mom. She just smiles and nods.
“It’s Tuesday, he always do some exercise in the afternoon. Prepare him his warm bath tub before he finish exercising, and don’t forget to make him a glass of milk before he sleeps. Okay?”
“Okay, mom. Just count it on me. I’ll take care of YOUR DEAREST SON” Acchan said jokingly. “Just get some rest and get well soon.”
Her mom chuckles. “You’re jealous of him, aren’t you?”
“Acchan, I know he’s not that kind of friendly person. But still, look at him… if it’s not us who take care of him, who else? You sure have to be glad still having me to take care of you.”
Acchan looking down, realizing something that what her mom said was actually right. “Okay, mom. I understand. Oh, it’s time to go now or I‘ll be late” she looks at the clock which shows that it’s time for her to go to school. “And, Uncle Sae said that he will call a doctor to come.”
“Okay. Take care, honey..” her mom kiss her forehead. Then Acchan leave her mom and about to go to school.
“YOU’LL LEAVE AGAIN??!!” suddenly Acchan heard someone’s shouting. Who else? It’s her young master, Takahashi Kai who shouting this morning. Acchan stops her steps and listening to the conversation of Kai and Sae from the living room while the two is in the dining room.
“KAI! Please understand my position now!” Sae shouts back at Kai. “I have a big responsibilities of our family business, and if it’s not me who handle it, who else, Kai? YOU?” now Sae get a little angry.
Deep inside his heart, Kai does understand about this matter. But he can’t hold the loneliness in his life. He feels like he live for nothing and no one around him. He doesn’t reply back. He just turns his face to other side, still with disappointed expression.
“I suggest you to make friends with others, Kai” Sae said. “I never see you with a friend, even with a girl.”
“It’s not your business!” Kai said sharply.
“Kai, the one who can change your life is your own self. Make friends with other, I guarantee that your life will be different. At least, you won’t feel lonely anymore.”
Kai still can’t control his emotion. He leaves Sae in the kitchen and when he’s about to enter the living room, he meets Acchan. He stops for a moment when he saw her.
“Friend?” Kai thought. “Yes, maybe Uncle Sae was right. I never have any friends at all even though I’m quite popular at school. And that girl, she lives here for years and I feel like I’ve never been noticing her at all. Am I that rude? Am I that bad?”
Looking at Kai’s face which is looks like a monster, Acchan just look down. “Good morning” she said in a low voice. Kai doesn’t reply the greeting, he just walk away over her, get his bag and go to the front door to go to school. Acchan turns around and look at him when he walks away.
“Stone head!” she thought and gives him an evil look.
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Kai really had a bad mood today. He’s so depressed with the situation he had right now. He doesn’t know why but there’s a little voice in his heart to go to the salon to refresh himself—or to make another trouble. He skip the course he has to do today. Kai tell Kine to come back home, so he can go by the taxi alone.
The hairdresser greets him when he arrived at his favorite male salon. Kai takes a seat and pick a magazine on the table. He reads it and suddenly deciding something when he looks at a western blonde guy picture on the magazine. He shows the page that he open then give it to the hairdresser.
“Make mine like him!”
The hairdresser takes the magazine and takes a look at the picture. He seems so surprised as he looks at the picture. “Are you serious??” he ask Kai.
Kai nods. “Uhn. Just do it!”
The hairdresser starts to do his job to Kai’s hair. After about one hour doing his job, he ask Kai to wait for several minutes then he leaves Kai.
“Nice colour, dude!” suddenly a boy said. Kai turn to his right side, there’s a boy who just cut his hair besides him. The boy looks like the same age as him.
“Of course” Kai answer shortly “and it’s better than yours.”
The boy laughs. “Funny. Hey, I’m Yuu, by the way.” He offers his hand to Kai. “I’m new in this town.”
Kai ignores him. He seems don’t really care about him. Yuu, who still giving his hand to Kai, seems so disappointed and pull his hand again.
“Looks like he’s not really friendly..” Yuu thought.
The hairdresser comes back and finishes his job on Kai’s hair. At the moment, Kai remember of what his uncle said. That he has to make some friends with other. When his hair is finished, Kai finally decide to walk over Yuu.
“I’m Kai, and I know a good restaurant around here” Kai smiles at Yuu.
Yuu chuckles. “Let’s go, then!”
The two go to the restaurant nearby which has delicious foods. They have a long chat there. Especially Yuu is the one who always asking Kai everything since he’s new in this town.
“I was having a long hair. But my new school’s headmaster told me that long hair is not allowed for the students. Such a strict school here!” Yuu starts to talk.
“Where’s your new school by the way?”
“Soc.. soc.. soccer..ah, I forgot the school name. Socr..”Yuu tries to remember the school name, he suddenly look at Kai’s uniform and saw the logo. “Socrates Academy?” Yuu widened his eyes. “Hey, we’re in the same school!!”
Kai so surprised, in the other side he feels happy that Yuu is going to be in the same school as him. So it means that he will have a friend at school. “Wow, that’s quite good!!” Kai smiles.
“WAIT!! The school doesn’t allow me to have a long hair, but.. you.. you make your hair blonde??!!!” Yuu frowned while pointing his finger to Kai’s ‘new’ hair.
“Yeah. Nothing’s wrong,” Kai answer it calmly. “The school just tells that we must have a short hair. They don’t even said what colour should be.”
In a short time, the two boys can be friends so fast. It’s actually because of Yuu is very attractive and always take initiative to talk first. He asks Kai a lot of things about the school, the town, and everything. Fortunately, Kai enjoys his talk with Yuu and he thinks that Yuu’s a good friend for him.
Kai quickly go home and take some exercise in the fitness room. Working out for about one hour makes him quite sweaty. He wipes the sweat by the towel while he walks to his room and bout to take a bath. He takes off his shirt, leaves his sweaty body only in his shorts. He walks to the side of his room where the window is. The sky start turns into dark, he remembers that he has a lot of homework he has to do this evening. He takes a look at the table near the windows, there are some books that piled up neatly. Kai takes one of the book and examine the pile.
“How could Nanny knows how to pile up my books by its subject? I can’t believe a maid can understand the school subject” he thought. Then Kai walk to the bathroom but he hears someone inside because there’s a sound of water. He enters the bathroom but it’s full of fumes so he can’t see clearly.
“AAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!” a girl shouts so loud just when Kai can see her clearly while they’re standing close enough. She’s actually surprised as Kai just appears there in sudden. At first Acchan can’t recognize him as he has new hair colour now. Acchan quickly cover her eyes by her hands when she notices that the guy is Kai, and he is only in his shorts, which is actually shows his whole body clearly.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??!!!” Kai shouts, a little angry and surprised too. Acchan doesn’t answer, she just close her face covered by her hands. Noticing it, Kai realized that he’s almost naked. He quickly grabs the curtain to cover his body.
“Okay, you can open your eyes now. I’m saved” Kai said, with his cheeck a little bit red. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??!!” he starts to shout again.
“I-I’m so sorry” Acchan said, not even looking at his face. “Mom ask me to prepare your hot tub, that’s it. Sorry to make you startled.” Acchan then walk away still in head looking down, while Kai just standing behind the curtain.
“Oh my GOD. I still can’t believe that I saw that jerk almost naked” Acchan thought. She slaps her own cheeks when she thinks about her young master’s perfect body. “What am I thinking??!! JERK!!”
That evening, as Mrs. Maeda is still sick, Acchan’s having her dinner inside her room with her mom. It makes Kai, for the n time, having a dinner by himself again. Along the evening, Acchan can see her young master doing his homework so hard. But then she saw him walk to the backyard. Slowly Acchan peeks in, Kai is sitting on the edge of the pool. His foot s inside the water. Acchan stay behind the curtain of the window which is facing the pool. She can see his face clearly. Looks like Kai thinking so deep of something.
Acchan can see the sadness in his eyes. So many time he sigh and suddenly… Acchan can see tear drops rolling down his cheeks.
“He’s crying?” Acchan thought. There, Acchan can feel the sadness and the loneliness in her subborn young master. But then acchan remember what her mom said that Kai is actually strong for a boy that is left alone with no parents. Acchan realize that she’s luckier than Kai for having a great mom. However, seeing Kai crying like this, makes Acchan remember about her father. Without noticing it, tear drops rolling in her cheek while she watching Kai from behind the curtain.
Acchan quickly wipe her tears by her thumbs. Then she walk towards the swimming pool. “I don’t have to let him sad like this” Acchan thought.
“Excuse me…” Acchan starts to speak. “Young master, it’s already late of night. You better go to sleep…” she said in soft voice.
Kai turns his head around.He see Acchan standing near the door. It’s usd to be Mrs. Maeda who usually warns him to go to bed. “How’s Mrs. Maeda?” Kai suddenly asking.
“Mom is getting better, the doctor came to examine her this afternoon. Don’t worry.” Acchan said. “I hope tomorrow morning she can cook for you again.”
Kai doesn’t give any respond again. He just having a cold head, so Acchan decides to leaves him.
“M-Ma-Maeda..!” Kai call her again just when Acchan is about to go.
Acchan stops and turns around, facing her young master again. “Yes?”
Kai stares at her for a while, thinking the proper words to say.
“C-c-can I call you.. Atsuko..??” Kai said trembling.
“Eh?”
“….”
“Uhn, sure” Acchan said, smiling at him.
Kai nods a little, “At-Atsuko..”
“Yes?” still in confuse.
Kai look away. “Nothing. Just go to sleep ahead. I want to stay here a little longer.” He turns around, makes Acchan only facing his back.
“Good night, then” Acchan slowly leaves him and go inside the house, walking slowly to her room where her mom is sleeping. While walking to the room, she keeps thinking what happened to her stubborn young master. About the tears that feel down from his eyes, about the reason why did he want to call her Atsuko than her last name.
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