Chapter 48: typical

"Haruu, faster we are going to be late again!", says his best friend. Haru went out of the gate while putting his right shoe on then he ran after. His best friend follows. The guard is already closing the school gate when they came running together with the other kids. "You are late again". Seventeen seconds or less till the homeroom starts when they arrived at their class still catching their breath. "You are late again Haru", says Kira standing in front of the back door of the room where Haru and Kate enters like she was waiting for him. His best friend glared at her as she walked passed at her.

Haru already sit in front of Kate's desk and opening his lunch box when she stand to leave. "Are you not going to have lunch?", he asked following her a gaze. "I have to finish something, I'll go to the library. Go and have lunch with your Kira", she says then continue to walk away. "What's her problem?", whispered to himself.

"Is he crazy, can't he notice. Gosh… it is obvious that that girl is flirting him and he is entertaining her!, seriously?! I can't believe that he likes that type of girl, he's so low", she's whispering to herself while on her way to the library. "He's blind" She suddenly turned around when someone talked behind her back. She look around to see if who is the man is talking to but no one is around. "Are you…talking to me", she asked the man pointing at herself. "If someone sees you, they might think that you are crazy, talking to yourself alone", he said as he walks towards her with both of his hands in his back. "But he is crazier to let someone like you go" "Who are you?", she asked as she move one step backward. "Oh, my apologies. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm—" he already handed his hand to shake hers yet he didn't finished what he was saying when Haru shouts his best friend's name from the back. The two of them turned around to see him at the same time. Haru runs to his best friend. "What are you doing?" he asked then looked at the man who is now beside her from head to toe. "Who is he?!", he whispered to her. "I don't know, he just pop up in front of me", she whispered back.

"C'mon", he said as he hold her hand and walk away. "Haru! Where are we going?!" "There is no way that you are not hungry. Whatever are you going to do in the library can wait, lunch is almost done and you didn't eat even a single piece of bread", he said without looking at her. "When did you start having concerns about me? I thought that all you care was about Kira" Haru stopped to face her. "You are my best friend so I also care about you" then he holds her hand again and continue walking. "Ah yeah I am the best friend", she whispered to herself. "And Auntie will scold me if I leave you alone", he added. Disappointment and sadness is written on her face as she follows the flow of the river. "Did you already have your lunch?", she asked. "Yeah, I ate it with Kira" "So you really ate with her" "What do you like?", he asked when he let go of her hand. She realized that they are in the cafeteria and Haru is staring at the menu. "Ah… just a sandwich" "Ha?! You will not get full with just a sandwich", then he went to order more. "How will I erase it if you are like that", she whispered. After a few minutes, Haru came back with a lot of foods on his both hand. "Are you going to make me fat? Do you want me to finish all that?" she asked with a big eyes. "So you won't get hungry in our whole afternoon class" His best friend just sighed.

After class, Kate was expecting to go home together with Haru like what they always do since they were kids yet Haru said that Kira asked him to accompany her on the mall because she had to buy something that is why he can't go home together with Kate. She faked a smile then said that it is okay because she was about to tell him too that she can't make it this time also because she had to finish a work that she is talking about during lunch time in the library. Kate smiled a little and waved back at Haru while they are walking out together with Kira going out of the school. Actually, she is already done on what she's talking about for a week. She just make it as an excuse to avoid herself being embarrassed in front of her best friend. This is the second time this day that she sighed. She kept her head down then move one step forward when a guy suddenly hugged then they both fall on the stairs in front of the building.

"Sorry, sorry I didn't see you there", said the guy when he stand up and clean his clothes after helping her to get up. "I was in a hurry so—" "It was you, it was you again", she said when she noticed that it was the same guy in the corridor during lunch time. "Oh Kate" "How do you know my name" "Ah…" It takes him a minute to answer that when he pointed her name tag clipped on her blouse. Kate hold her nametag when the man pointed it. "Are you hurt somewhere" he asked while checking her. "No, I'm okay" she answered moving backward. She was about to fall again from one stepped stair when the man hold her to stop her from falling. From their position right now, they are just like in a romance novel. Kate immediately get off from him. "I think you are not okay. We should have you checked in the infirmary", said the guy as he hold her arm and pulled her going to the infirmary. "I am okay" "We should make sure that you are okay. My guilt will not stop me if something happened to you" At first, she thought that this guy is overreacting but even though she appreciate how much he cares for her even he don't know her. "But you were in a rush" "Your safety is more important than anything", the guy said. From what he just said, she blushed a little.

"Thank you, you don't even need to do that", she said to the guy when she get off the car after he delivered her to her house. "I wouldn't let a beautiful girl like you walking home alone especially to a times like this, a lot of things might happened to you" Kate smiled at him then closed the door. Kate was wearing the same smile even the car already leave, that is when she realized that Haru is watching her not from afar.

"You went home early", she said watching him walking near her. "Who is that?" "A schoolmate" "So who is that schoolmate" "Oh shoot, I forgot to ask his name" "You don't know his name and yet you ride on his car?!" "Why are you overreacting" "Because maybe Kate, you just rode on a stranger's car" "When I am leaving the building, I got bumped into him so we fall on the stairs together" "What?! Are you okay?" "Let me finish first okay" "That fall doesn't cause too much damage to me but I think it gave him a scratch on his arms. I told him that I am completely fine but he insisted to take me to the infirmary to make sure am really fine then he drove me home" "He's a scammer. That is the way of a con artist to deceive you. Don't talk with that guy again" "Wait what?! He was just concerned so that is why he do that and he is not a bad guy" "Then why did he bumped you earlier of all people that are there" "It is my fault, I am standing in front of the building that is why he didn't see me because he was in a hurry" "What a foolish reason, he was just telling that but he made that on purpose because he was targeting you" "Stop of your nonsense suspicion. The guy doesn't did anything to you, he was just concerned. This might not happen if you just went home with me and not chose that Kira girl" "But…but you said" "Yeah right, stop acting like you care for me because we know that of all people that you are not. Stop telling me what to do and what do not because you are not my dad", she said then walked entering their house. "Wait, Kate! Kate!" She slammed the door in front of him.

The next day, a whole bouquet of flowers exposed in front of her when she entered the room. Her classmates are shouting "Ayieeeee" when they saw the flowers on her table. Haru's eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he sees it following her. "Who does it came from?", asked a classmate. "There's no name written on it"., she said holding he bouquet when she received a text message.

'Did you already saw the flowers? Do you like it?'

-Rico

She smiled then text back.

'Yeah, they are beautiful. I like it. Thank you so much'

"Yieeee is that him. The one you are texting?" asked another classmate. "Kate when did you get a boyfriend" "What?! Do you have a boyfriend? Why did I didn't know that?", Haru asked entering in the scene. "Rico is just a friend" "Rico?! Is that the guy who drove you home yesterday?" Their classmate's eyes around them suddenly shined. "It is not what you are thinking okay", she said to her classmates cause from the looks of their eyes, she already know what they are thinking. "Kate!! Someone is looking for you!" shouts one of her classmate standing in front of the door. All of their eyes turned on that way.

"Hi" "What are you doing here, class are about to start" "I just want to see you first thing in the morning to complete my day" "Okay, you already saw me so go, go" while pushing him away. "Do you believe in destiny?" "Huh?!" "Since I met you yesterday, you never get out of my mind" "Now you are throwing a punch line. Stop it because it's corny. Now goo", then pushed him away again.

"Who is that? He's cute" "And hot", said her classmates as soon as she entered the room following her to her desk. "Why did he want to see you? Did he asked if you liked the flowers he send?"

"Are you bothered that someone is having a crush on Kate?", asked Kira to Haru who never leave his eyes on her. "Haru! Hey Haru!" "Ah…huh?! Are you saying something?", that is when he noticed that Kira is talking to him. "Are you affected?!" "Of what?" "That someone likes your best friend" "Of course not, why would I will be affected. I just didn't like that guy for her. I having a bad feeling about him"

Haru and Kate sit together at lunch inside the classroom and brought the lunch boxes with them. "Are you not going to eat with Kira?" "She has plans with her friends" Then suddenly, Rico popped up again in front of them even he belongs to a different class. "I want to eat lunch with you and charraaan I made you a lunch box", showing his homemade lunch box to her wrapped with pink small hearts cloth. "But I already have a lunch box" "I made that especially for you, why don't you try it even just one bite" "Why you guys want to make me fat" She picked up her chopsticks to get a piece of an omelet from Rico's lunch box when Haru get it first" Both of them looked at him eating the omelet. "Hmm…It's delicious. It is almost perfect but it is missing something. I can't taste the whole thing because the ingredients is incomplete, a seasoning maybe?" then smiled at him. You can see from Rico's face that he already want to punch the guy be he is stopping himself. He turned to Kate. "C'mon have a taste" Kate another dish then ate it. Rico is still looking at her waiting for her response. "Hmm…it's good, it's delicious" Rico breathe in and smiled at her. "I'm glad you like it, it was my first time cooking" "Oh?! It was your first time? You never cooked before? But it is so delicious, where did you learn it?" He scratch his nape looking a little bit shy. "My mother helped me preparing that. She was so much willing to do it when I told her that I am cooking for the girl I like" "I want to taste her cooking too someday" "Why not, I will tell her to invite you for dinner in our place" "Great…" "Oh by the way, are you free this weekend?" "Kate?!" She turned to Haru looking at him like her eyes are asking him what he is going to say. "You are going with me this Saturday, right? We already talked about this" "About what? Where will I go with you? You didn't told me anything" Then turned to Rico. "Of course, I am free this weekend" "Great, so we can go out?" "Yeah sure" Haru raised his eyebrows at her while murmuring. Kate did the same then smiled when Rico looked at him. "I'll pick you at nine" "Okay"

"Why are you going out with that Rico? I already told you that I got a bad feeling about at guy" said Haru to Kate who is currently fixing herself in front of the huge mirror at their house. "Why would I listen to you? Did you listen to me when I told you that I don't like that Kira for you because all she can do is to flirt and wear heavy make-ups. But what did you do, you still court her" "But she is not yet my girlfriend" "Rico is not also my boyfriend" Beep-beep. "That must be him" She immediately grab her small sling bag at her bed then immediately went out. She already forgot to say goodbye to her best friend. Haru just watched her entered on the man's car from the window of Kate's bedroom.

"You look gorgeous" Rico said as he opened the door of the car for her. "Thank you" "So where are we going?", asked Kate staring at the road while Rico is driving. "Secret, it's a surprise" After that they don't talked to each other for the entire trip until they arrive. Rico wake her up when they already arrived. She yawned and stretch her arms as she look around still sitting inside the car. "Where are we?" "We are on our vacation house" She is very much amazed of the surrounding when they went out of the car when all she can see are tall trees that are aligned and in the center of it a two-story house with a small veranda and the blue sky. "Do you like here" "Wooow, it is beautiful" Rico smiled.

Kate spend the whole day looking around the place, inside or outside the house. Every single thing that her eyes reach is she feel amazed about it and Rico is just smiling watching her. "I didn't know that you are this rich", she said still looking around. "It is my grandma's but she already died and before that, she gave this house to my parents. "Hmmm… Can I look also upstairs" pointing at the second floor. He smiled then said, "Sure" like he was watching a kid playing around the house.

That night, Rico cooked dinner for the two of them. Only two candles as their light at the center of a small round table, a bottle of wine and rose petals on the floor like on any typical romantic movies. "Hmmm you really cooked so well" After eating, the two danced holding each other in conjunction with the melody coming from a small music box. "I just met you but why do I feel that I already know you for a long time" "I was the guardian angel sent to protect you, like you and spend the whole life with you", he answered then his lips touched her.

They are still kissing while going in to one of the rooms and remove their clothes one by one as they lay at the bed together with their lips still attached to each other.

The next morning, Kate woke up from the light of the sun coming in from the window when she realized that she is not wearing any clothes and just a blanket is covering her body. She looked beside her and Rico is not already there.