Time After Time
Chapter 02
"WHERE THE HELL AM I?!"Maybe I've said it too loud because my voice echoed all across the room. I heard a faint sound of footsteps coming closer and somehow felt afraid... who kidnapped me?! Could he be a man with a weird moustache? Or someone with a body of enormous muscles?Or some maniac wanting to rape me?!
Then I looked at my body.
What the!! I'm wearing someone else's pajamas!! He's a creep! He even saw my naked body already! I'm gonna kill this one for real!! I stood up the bed and charged, I'm going to knock this person/maniac's brain for real!!
Yooooosh! Three! Two! One! Charge!I jumped over the mysterious person just before he came inside but we end up stumbling over the floor. It was then that I realize that the person was a girl!
"Ouuuch!" She exclaimed. "I guess you're feeling well already."
"Who are you?! Why am I here?! What happened to my clothes!?" I asked, firing her too many questions.
"Before I answer that, would you please get off of me? You sure are heavy." She frowned and I quickly got off with blushing cheeks. I sat at the edge of the bed, without looking at her.
"Do you want some tea? Or perhaps, coffee?" She asked politely as if I haven't done anything weird to her.
"Anything will do. Thank you." I answered.
"Then I'll go with coffee." She said before leaving me alone inside the room. I scrutinized every detail of the place. It was no where near my room but I somehow felt comfortable here... I don't know why...
The girl went back with a tray containing two cups of coffee and a small slice of cake. Looking at her, she looks quite familiar... But I can't remember what happened last night since I was at the bar... And... I can't remember...
I stopped from my thoughts when I heard the girl in front of me sigh...
"I can't believe I took a stranger into my house and ended up making a cup of coffee for you... You even jumped at me!" Frowned the girl. Who's she, anyway?
"Where am I and why am I here?" I asked after taking a sip of the coffee she prepared. It was brewed perfectly.
"Well, as you can see, this is my room and you're at my house." She answered and stirred her coffee. "I saw you at the bar just before I leave to go home. You're the only one left there and you fell asleep at the end of the counter. The bartender tried waking you up but it's no use. I helped him and had you stand up but when you slightly woke up, you vomited and it spilled all over your clothes and mine. That's why..."
As she proceeded with the story, I felt my cheeks burning red already. She sipped her coffee and stared at me. "You should eat the cake. I'm sure you are hungry." It made me look at the slice of cake and my stomach growled inside. "Don't worry. If I intend to poison you, I should have done it while you are helpless."
I took the fork and dig into the dessert. Once the food got into my mouth, I tasted the sweetness of the cake and it somehow lifted my spirits. "Oishii~"
"It sure is..." She sipped her coffee again. "Now, where were we? Ah, vomit. You stink of your own vomit and so am I. I didn't want you to cause too much trouble at the bar. I can't let you take a cab because I know you wouldn't be able to tell the driver your address. That's why I didn't have a choice. The only option left is to take you home. And I resorted to that."
"Thank you..." I said as I looked down and tried to hide my red cheeks.
"Now, finish your snacks. A cold coffee doesn't taste good at all." Said the girl.
I ate the remaining piece of cake and sipped the coffee quickly. As I do that, I tried remembering what happened last night. I blushed redder as the thoughts come clear into me...
"Anyways, why are you trying to drink yourself to death last night?" She suddenly asked. It made my chest painful inside.
"Well I--" But I stopped from talking when I felt her warm fingers by my cheeks, wiping a tear.
I didn't even notice that. She had a concerned gaze and looking at it made my heart skip a beat. "If you can't, don't force yourself to tell me." She swiftly stood from her chair. "I'll look if your clothes are already dried."
I nodded and thanked the girl. She was about to leave the room but before she did, she stopped by the door and spoke, "Don't shut the pain in your chest, it might blow you out."
The girl left and went back to the room quickly. "It isn't dried yet." She sat at the edge of the bed and looked at me. The silence between us felt very awkward and I was the one who started the conversation this time.
"You're the performer at the bar, right?"
She nodded at me as a reply.
"Anyways, I was there last night because..." Before continuing my words, I took a deep breath and started "Well, I went to New York to leave my past behind and try to forget."
She looked at me intently and encouraged me to continue my tale. "It happened not so long ago, I had my marriage ruined by my runaway groom. I never thought he'd do that. I was as surprised as hell when that happened."
"Oh, a heart broken maiden searching for love at New York... Interesting enough."Said the girl. I glared at her and she smirked at me. "Go on."
"That's it! No more further details." I pouted and grunted as I diverted my gaze away. She chuckled lightly.
"By the way... your name. What's your name?" Asked the girl. It surprised me, the question, I mean. But yeah, we are complete strangers up until now.
"I'm
Masuda Yuka. And you?"
"
Sato Natsuki." She smiled at me in an instant. "Nice to meet you."
"H--How about you?" I asked her. "Why are you here?"
"Me? I was assigned by the company I'm working for a project here at U.S., just for a few months. I perform at the bar as a sideline job."
"Oh, I see." Silence enveloped the atmosphere again. "Anyways... thank you, Sato-san."
"No problem. Don't go drinking all out if you're alone." She said with a kind smile. It was when I realized that she was quite cute. "I'll go check your clothes again."
She left me again in the room but quickly returned with my clothes now dried. She handed me my clothes and closed the door. As I was undressing myself, I heard a soft strumming of a guitar. It sounds really great and it somehow makes my heart melt. It put my clothes on and enjoyed the sound when it stopped and I heard a loud thug. Quickly, I went to where I heard it and found Sato-san collapsed on the floor.
I ran to her and called her name multiple times, but she was unconscious. The guitar she was holding had a small crack maybe because of the fall. I carried the girl and settled her body on the couch as I called an ambulance...
The can of orange juice felt cold on my hands as I waited for the doctor to finish the examination. I clicked it open and drank the contents. The drink made me feel chilly suddenly but I loved its sweet and sour taste.
"Masuda-san?"
It was the doctor. I entered the room with him and he discussed the details to me. "Sato Natsuki-san's condition shows signs of anemia. This is the medications she needs to take. And please make sure that she takes that. She needs plenty of rest, too. I'll check her again later."
"Thank you, doctor."
He left the two of us inside the room. I looked at her and went closer to remove the strands of hair over her face. But the messy hair looked rather angelic, for me. My cold and shaky fingertips got in contact with her smooth and soft skin and it warmed my chest a bit. I made sure not to disturb her as I proceeded.
And then, it's done. I moved back to my chair and yawned. It's still morning but I'm feeling sleepy already. No, I need to remain awake! I must make sure she's fine. Yeah, a payback for her small charity last night. I did some stretching and went out to buy some energy drink at the vending machine.
But on my way back to her room, I heard my phone ringing. I answered the call since it was my friend overseas.
"Moshi moshi..."
(Yuka-chan...)
"What is it, Natsumi?"
(It's about Umeda-san.)
"W--What about him?"
(He went at your house and also here and he's looking for you... I told him that you went somewhere far and that you don't want to see him now... Is that fine?)
"Unn.. Thanks, Natsumi."
(In case you want to talk to him, I'll send you his phone number.)
"Why would I talk to him?"
(For a proper closure, Yuka... You can't just leave things like this.)
"But that's exactly what he did. He left things just like that."
(Yuka...)
"Fine, do as you please, Natsumi."
(Good girl. Anyways, how's New York?)
"Just fine. Bright, just like Tokyo. I'll tell you next time, I'm quite busy here. I'll hang up the phone now."
(Okay, take care Yuka. I miss you.)
"I miss you, too, Natsumi... Take care."And I hung up the phone. I went back to her room and sat on my chair. I received a message from Natsumi and it contained Umeda's phone number. I turned off my phone and calmed myself down.
I looked at her and she looks peacefully resting. I stared at her and felt somehow peaceful too. I stared at her and waited for her to open her eyes.
TBC...
Thanks for reading!
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