CHAPTER II:

"What are we getting?" Haj asked me lazily.

I looked at the list of ingredients on my phone.

"Beef and all other things," I replied.

"Whatever," Haj took some cabbages. "I'm just gonna pick anything in sight."

"I'll be making gyudon, karaage and yakitori. Would you like something else?"

"Cold beers are good if we'll have yakiniku."

"Okay. We'll have that," I added it on my list. "By the way, don't drink too much later."

"That'd be boring," he answered with mischief. "I wanna get drunk and do naughty things with Shou."

"So persistent."

"Does it bother you?"

He sounded like a playboy. I rolled my eyes as I reached for potato's starch. We went outside to buy some ingredients for tonight's welcome party. Since I started living here in Japan, things like these are common. Dinner with colleagues after work, going to beach on the first week of summer, and having oden as our meal on cold winter days.

If I were to recall my life when I was still in my hometown, I was not sociable. I spent most of my days inside my room with myself drowned in stuff like reading and writing. My friends used to nag at me for being sedentary. So, this kind of role still appears new and strange.

"It does bother me because I know you," I gave him my attention. "What happened to your fetish on elder men, huh?"

His brows furrowed.

"Wait," he swiped his tongue on his lips. "Are you seriously thinking that I'm making a move to get on Shou? Gosh, Aira! Just like you said, he's too young for me. I still preferred elder men or someone at my age, although that kid is really handsome, like a Greek god who just descended from Mount Olympus."

I eyed him intently before I looked away. I honestly don't trust his words right now because just like I said, I knew him. Almost too well that it concerned me. I ignored his explanation and moved to the meat section. He followed me behind with his arms weighing on the rolling cart.

"I think you should be paying attention to yourself rather than focusing on me," he muttered.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

His eyes went utterly serious. "Well, haven't you noticed the way Shou stared at you earlier? Or were you feigning ignorance the whole time? Because somehow you're really good at that."

"Shou likes me," I sneered at him. "Is that what you are trying to say?"

"Uh-huh," lifting his brows, he grinned.

"What a ridiculous assumption you've got there."

"Hmmm?" He probed as if contemplating. "Why don't we test the water later?"

"Stop this conversation already," I placed some chicken wings on the cart. "Your imaginations are way too wild than J.K. Rowling."

Haj did not say anything after that but his cunning smile stayed on his lips and it was getting on my nerves. He must've felt it because he dropped the topic as we get back home and yet he remained disputable which makes me feel more agitated inside. Shou likes me? What is that? Some kind of joke? I think Shou's type of girls has nothing to do with women on their late twenties.

I sighed mentally. Haj was truly an idiot. Why does it feel like he's trying to push me away? He was not like this before. So, what's the difference now? It appeared like he's really up to something. I hate this ticklish feeling of curiosity.

"Kyushu University? You've got some brain!"

Charlotte gasped in astonishment. I glanced at them. They were all into Shou's whereabouts before he decided to live here. Kyushu University? Haj graduated in that university, too. I once took some research about the campus and it was known as a place for medical experimentation during World War II. Even Albert Einstein visited the university when he was still alive.

Is it a place for genius people? I wonder why I got accepted in Kyushu University Hospital. I worked there but I am no genius. I carefully sipped on my lemonade cucumber as I continued listening to their conversation. They seemed like enjoying the night which is better.

"What year are you now in medicine?" Miyumi asked.

"Fifth year."

"Oh, you are already in your internship, huh? And you're just twenty-three, that's amazing," Charlotte commented as she drank her drinks. Her face is now red. "We worked there, in your university hospital. Haj used to until he built his own cosmetic clinic."

"I know."

"You've seen us?" Haj finally joined.

Shou's eyes darted at me. "I saw her."

That caught me off guard. I blinked my eyes as I gazed back at him through my glasses but I slowly frowned when I heard a chuckle from Haj. I turned to him but his eyes remained on Shou. All his attention is on the boy in front of us until he said some dubious suggestion.

"Why don't we play spin the bottle? When it spins and stops at you, you gotta choose either telling the truth or doing the dare."

"Childish but looks like fun," Miyumi giggled, her face a bit flushed.

"Give me the bottle now!"

Charlotte placed the food on the side of the table and put the empty bottle of beer on the center. She spun it and just when I thought I wouldn't be joining this ridiculous game of Haj, it stopped right where I seated. I almost groaned but held it back. I even heard Miyumi clapped her hands. What's with that reaction?

"So, Aira," Charlotte laughed mockingly. "She ain't liking this, guys. Look at her face."

"No, I'm fine," I told them. "I'm gonna go for truth."

"Argh! Shift it to dare," Miyumi complained.

I lightly shook my head and grinned. "Not happening. Drop the question already."

"Why haven't you dated anyone of your suitors?" Hajime asked seriously.

Miyumi eyed me. "I'm curious about that, too."

"Hmmm, let me see. Maybe because I've only got my eyes on you?" I said playfully.

"Such a liar," Haj turned away as he reached for the bottle to spin it. "Who wants to ask anything about Charlotte?"

"That sounds like there ain't nothing interesting about me," Charlotte frowned. "It hurts, dude. It fucking hurts."

"Truth or dare?" Miyumi beamed at her. "Just do the dare.

"Hmmm, I'm all for truth. Nothing but the truth."

"Have you been kissed by a man?" Miyumi asked.

"Yup! Back when I was still in high school."

"Did you enjoy it?"

Charlotte smirked. "Not the way I enjoyed yours."

It runs on until the questions became too personal to even answer. I don't know if they are telling the truth or mixing it up with white lies. All I know is that I'm here listening. In their drunken state, I am the only one sober. Or maybe not? Because when I shifted my eyes on Shou, he was just holding his canned beer. He paid attention to the game which I did not expect of him. He even answered those random questions asked by Miyumi and Charlotte.

"Does Shou-chan have a girlfriend?"

"Really, Haj?" Miyumi mocked. "You finally brought that up. I suspected this game is all for that scheme of yours alone."

I stood up to get some food.

"I don't do girlfriends.

I heard him say and Haj laughed. "If you don't do girlfriends, am I allowed to flirt with you, then?"

He's drunk.

"Don't mind him. He's not sober anymore," I told Shou when I get back to my seat. I turned to Haj and he's looking flushed as well. "You've had enough alcohol, Haj."

"Here goes Aira the lover," Charlotte giggled. "You guys should really date for real!"

I ignored her.

"Come on, Haj. Stop drinking."

Haj cocked his head to Charlotte. "Spin the bottle, Charlotte. Make sure it'll stop at me."

Without spinning it, Charlotte directly pointed the bottle at Haj. "Truth or dare?"

"How about a dare this time, huh?"

Haj turned to me again. He even moved his chair closer to mine. I sighed. Then, I reached for his canned beer but he caught my wrist instead. I stared at him and he did the same. His gray eyes were fixated in mine, looking drunk and drowsy. I blinked. How could I ever forget that he got some strange orbs, too? This gay here is not a pure Japanese either – Hajime Ken Roussos.

"Haj-"

"Didn't I tell you earlier? We should test the water tonight," his gaze lowered as he murmured.

Before I get what he meant by that phrase, he crouched until his lips found mine. Someone gasped at his unforeseen display of intentional kiss but I was even more shocked than anybody else around here. I literally froze for like a few seconds, and when I tried to pull away, Haj cupped my face with his palms. My heart thudded at his attempt on turning a simple kiss to a deeper one.

"I can't seem to look at this although it happened many times already," it was Miyumi's voice that prompted me to gently push him.

"Haj!"

"Hmmm?" He looked sleepy when I peered on him. I felt his warm breath on my skin when he placed his face between my neck and shoulder. "Let's go to bed," he suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist. "Sleep with me tonight, Aira."

He's really drunk so I calmed my pounding heart. I inhaled some sanity in me.

"This is why I told him not to get drunk," I said to no one in particular as I lifted my hand to pat his head. "Would anyone of you help me to get him to bed? I'm too light for his weight."

"I'm taking Charlotte back to our room. She's beyond wasted," Miyumi told me. "Sleep well, minna!"

"Where is his room?"

Shou stood up, taking Haj from my arms. I sighed and led him to Haj's room. I heard Miyumi telling Charlotte not to puke on the floor before we left the dining room. This is such another messy night where everyone got drunk except me. I'm just grateful that Shou stayed sober. Otherwise, I'd be crawling with Haj up to his bedroom.

Shou carefully put him into his bed. I was quick to find a set of pajama on his drawer. I sat on the edge of the bed and started undressing him until I noticed that Shou did not leave yet. I stopped and glanced at him. He was standing behind the door with his arms and legs crossed. Although the room was a bit dark, I could still see his green eyes, they were gawking at me.

"Do you this often?" His voice sounded low. "When he passes out, you go tending to his drunken state?"

"Yes," I replied.

"How about the kiss?"

My forehead creased. "What?"

"He kissed you just now."

"He was drunk," I shrugged as I get up. He was blocking the door but he gave way for me when I reached for the doorknob. When we are finally outside of Hajime's room, I turned around to face him. "I don't take his advances seriously because he goes that way whenever he's drunk. He was not on his right mind when he kissed me earlier."

"So, it doesn't matter who, huh? You just let anyone to kiss you whenever they are drunk," I noticed how his jaw clenched. "What if I get drunk and I had this habit of kissing people, would you accept my advances, too?"

I parted my lips to say something but nothing came out. I became speechless. His gaze shifted on my half-opened mouth. For a fleeting moment, his eyes glistened in annoyance. I took note of that and drop it off. I discarded my thoughts even before they could have their way through my logic. Whether his annoyance was directed to me or not, I couldn't care less.

"This is your first night here and you have to see that. I'm sorry," I apologized with a faint smile. I reached for his head and messed up with his hair. "You should go to bed, too."

His words did not sound right.

But, what right do I have to read between the lines?