PROLOGUE:

My first love was beyond my reach and the second one was filled with hang ups. When I found out that I fell in love with a man who was taken, I knew then that my third love was complicated. But, I finally realized that happy ever stories isn't for me when I get to know that my fourth love was a combination of the three.

"What's going on?"

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand and put on my glasses. There are boxes right in the living room and when I saw Hajime in front of the door, I asked the same question because he was not paying attention to me. He seemed too engrossed with the scene outside.

"What's going on, Haj?"

I stood behind him and looked over his shoulder. He jumped a little, placing his palms on his chest.

"Gosh, Aira! Would you stop that habit of yours coming at me from behind?"

"I wasn't," I ignored his overly dramatic reaction. "What are these boxes for? And who are these people?"

There were few men passing through the hallway up to the second floor, carrying boxes and other things, like a couch and wooden tables. I got up from my bed because of the noise coming outside. I lowered the rim of my glasses to see through my bangs but I lifted it again when the sunlight hit my eyes. Bulky men with all those veins, I get it now why he was too enthralled earlier. These kind of physique are just his type.

"We got a new boarder. I forgot to tell you yesterday," he even fanned himself as if I truly shocked him.

"You always forget things. I'm not surprised anymore," I turned around and headed my way to the kitchen. Before I could even stepped inside, I heard him giggled, telling one of them to be careful not to bump on the door frame. I almost rolled my eyes at his flirtatious voice. "What's for breakfast?"

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, looking sleepy in her oversized pajama. She poured some fresh milk for herself. Her bob cut hair was a mess but I find it amazing how someone can still be beautiful with a hair that seemed hit by a hurricane. Because it never happened to me. I always end up looking like Annabelle.

"Nothing that would suit your taste. Maybe you should make us one. After all, we can't cook like you do."

"You are getting married. Isn't it the time for you to learn how to cook?"

"Tell that to Miyumi because I will never be the one cooking for us once we settled down."

"What did you just say?"

Oh, no.

"I wouldn't be a slave for the two of us," she even added.

I chuckled when Miyumi joined us in the kitchen. Her sharp eyes were darted on Charlotte. Her brows were in one line. Charlotte had to put up her hands in the air. I slightly shook my head when she glanced at me, giving me signals to help her way out of the conversation.

"Charlotte says she'd go for culinary lessons starting up tomorrow," I opened the fridge and get some water. "Such a good news, right?"

"What a big fat lie."

I laughed. "Sorry."

"What are those boxes?" Miyumi finally noticed. Turning her head to her partner, she asked. "Did you order something again, Charlotte?"

"No, I didn't."

"We got a new boarder," I said. "Haj just told me this morning."

"Haj surely knows how to keep surprises," Miyumi sat beside Charlotte. "I'm hungry."

"I'm gonna make us breakfast. Tell Haj and the new lessee to join us when I'm done."

This is how I usually start my day when I'm on off duty. I wake up at 7AM and stare at no particular spaces inside my room for about five minutes or more. Then, I'd do looking for my glasses so that I could start reading my Bible. It's a routine I built for myself when I started to realize how important it is to spend a moment with God each passing day.

I used to take it for granted before but now that I am far away from home, I feel like I need to maintain my peace and sanity by being with Him like this. It makes me feel secured. It makes me feel that my day would become something better if I start it with Him. It gives me a feeling of positivity.

When I'm done fixing my bed, I'd go downstairs, off straight to the kitchen to have my morning coffee and look for something to cook for breakfast. I started cooking for us when I took notice that none of my roommates wanted to deal with preparing meals. They are so used eating an already made food from convenience store so I decided on taking care of our meals when I'm free from my work.

"Miso soup? Did anyone get drunk last night?"

Miyumi asked seeing the soup in the table. It's a common dish for hung over. I also prepared some rice, grilled fish, pickles and Japanese-style omelet. I gave her a sideway glance.

"No one. I just missed having soup in the morning."

"Hmmm, you truly care for Hajime," she teased.

"He's more than sober and this isn't for him alone. We've got a new lessee so I need to show off," I jested as I took off my apron.

"So defensive. Aren't you, Aira?"

"Maybe you should start checking on your man 'cause I think he's already flirting with the new boarder right in front of the door," Charlotte told me, shaking her head. "What's there not to like about you, huh? You've been chasing him for years. Isn't that enough for him to put you into big consideration?"

"You guys are taking Haj and I seriously. In case you forgot, he's gay."

"Still you had a thing on him," Miyumi insisted.

"Well, he's gay?"

"And you get attracted to gays," Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Glad we aren't a subject of your weird fetishes."

I laughed at that.

I moved here a year ago when Haj offered me a place to live comfortably where I could have my own privacy. He worked as a cosmetic surgeon in the same hospital as mine. We knew each other three years back when I finally landed a job in Japan. I worked as a nurse and I met him through Charlotte who was in the same training with me during that time. I decided to live here since I've been looking for a new place which is way more spacious and convenient.

It's not far from the hospital and he owned this apartment, too. A two story building with five rooms in total, surely he had earned much than I expected. I took one of the rooms. Both Charlotte and Miyumi occupied one room so there are still two empty rooms until a new boarder came in today.

"Is this your first time living on your own?"

I heard Haj talked. His body covered the other person he was talking to. I couldn't see his face at all. One thing I noticed was Hajime talking in English. So, I guess that the new boarder could understand and speak English like we do. It's a language not too common here in Japan unless you had a job with a necessity of it.

"Yeah."

Oh, he's male boarder.

I tried to peek on his face but Hajime was quick to get closer by stepping forward.

"Don't 'ya worry, baby boy. This gay here will take care of you. Just tell me if you need anything," Haj offered with his voice on pitch.

He even held out his hand to reach his face. He's probably flirting and I almost scoffed. I knew that tone too well. He did not even notice my presence behind him so I placed my arm around his shoulder and pulled him away. I can't let him have his way on a total stranger especially when I'm just right here.

"It's too early to be flirting around. Don't you think, Hajime-san?"

He brushed off my arm immediately. My brows arched as I tried to hold back my chuckle. Glaring at me, he said. "And it's rude to interrupt a conversation."

His voice is back to normal.

"Oh, breakfast is ready. Why don't you two get inside?" I smiled sweetly and finally paid attention to the man he was talking to. Haj called him 'baby boy'. "So, how old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

I was right when I assumed that he can speak English. His emerald eyes told me so. They were looking deep and too expressive. He doesn't have to say anything to convey his feelings. They were all written in his eyes, only that you can't read fully them. His messy hair is a shade of dark gray but a hint of Japanese blood lingers on him, too. I'm always fond of green eyes even before I came here abroad but finally staring at it now makes me want to look away.

I sighed and turned to the one beside me. "He is way too young for you, Haj. Stop it with your way of welcoming a new lessee," I looked at the kid again. "Excuse his manner, kid."

"It's alright."

I smiled. "Have you eaten your breakfast?"

He stared at me for a while before he answered.

"No, I haven't."

"Come inside, then."

"You are taking his attention away from me," Haj complained when I grabbed his arm.

"Because he was stealing yours from mine," I backfired. "I'm quite possessive when it comes to you."

"You're making it look like we are truly lovers."

"Well, aren't we?" I looked up to him sideways. "Come on, Haj. I've been courting you for like years now. Why can't you just say yes, hmmm?"

Getting rid of my hand in his arm, he walked ahead of us. I rubbed the back of my neck with my palm and turned around to face the new lessee. I smiled awkwardly. He must be really confused right now but when I found how his eyes never faltered while staring back in mine, I knew then that he is someone who can't be bothered by anything.

Ah, what a cold-hearted young lad.

"I think I just got rejected again," I said it out loud. "By the way, what's your name?"