Reaching out for Help (Part 1)

The sun already went down, many people passing by in the coffee shop. Most of them are students and workers who's about to go home. As you look up in the sky, it's clear and you can clearly see the first quarter moon. Kinrue gets the ice latte she ordered while staring at the moon, listening to the background music and people's voices here and there.

"It's been ten minutes. We're not here to just drink a coffee, right?" Kinrue glance in front of her and saw the serious face of Shenyue Leroux while crossing her arms.

"Yue is right. We skip the practice because you sound serious when you called me. Do you want to say anything?" Renkai stated.

"I'm sorry for taking your time, but I really need your help this time." Kinrue put down the ice latte before staring at them. "One week from now, it's that sh*thead birthday, right?"

"Yeah, I thought you didn't know since you never act like you care." Renkai chuckles, taking a sip of his iced Americano.

Another silence came over their table. She just stare at them while tapping her index finger on the table.

"Go straight to the point. I'm a busy person." Shenyue broke the silence.

"Well, sh*thead and I don't have any relationship besides being a weird enemy of each other. I know you saw us way back in Asura Town. You must misinterpret what you saw, Shenyue. He's just a man who can't let watch a woman struggling. A tough one outside, but weak inside." She said. "I'm not supposed to say this to anyone because it's our condition, but I'm running out of time, so before I leave, I want to fulfill the deal we had. Besides, it's still useful to me."

"W-wait. What the hell are you saying, Kinrue? You and Raven, everyone knows that you have a relationship? Even Arisa and Lewis didn't tell us. Tell me, what's going on? Do you know about this Yue?" He looks beside him where Shenyue sits, but she just looks down, not answering him.

"It's a complicated story that starts with a huge mistake. A situation we both caught up without a hole to escape so we ended up in a ridiculous deal. We just need to find a partner, a true partner, and not tell anyone about our relationship."

"You didn't need to do any of it. Why are you still continuing that deal?"

"It's because of Mollyana Auclair. Her sister isn't a dumb that we can easily fool. We don't want this so-called relationship to reach his parents, so it's still necessary and the boss... She's a real pain in the ass. Until we prove that we have someone we love, that's the time she'll let us go. We can't fool her by pulling anyone to pretend for us, just pretending in front of her cost me ten years of my life span."

"I still didn't get this conversation. Woman's really a complicated creature." Renkai heaves a sigh and takes a sip of his drinks.

"First, why do you need to leave? Second, why you don't want his parents knows it? Third, why can't you just talk it out with Molly?" Shenyue glare straight into her eyes.

A laugh escape from Kinrue's mouth before she looks outside again. She saw a group of students laughing together, a couple cuddling to each other, and an office worker in a hurry. Across the street, she saw a screen displaying Callie Leroux with a brand she's endorsing. The faint smile vanished from her mouth before heaving a sigh.

"Do I need to answer it? I just need a simple help from the two of you."

"Why? You can't answer a simple question?"

"Yue."

"It's fine Renkai. I'll answer her question." She said, crossing her legs. "About your first question. Let me say I'm a runaway child who's supposed to get back to where she belongs. Second, a reputation. I need to maintain everything in my grasp or else we're doomed. Last, the boss only believe with evidence nothing else."

"You're making it more complicated because of your answer. Are you a runaway high ranking elite to go to that extent?" Renkai's words made her flinch, but she laugh it out.

"Anyway, The sh*thead likes Callie Leroux, I want to make a progress and made them a couple in the future. I want your help. You're close with them. Besides, that b*tch and I can't get along well, even in my dreams, so I need someone to help me. I meet you because of that mere reason."

"C-Callie?!" Shenyue face becomes dimmed as she clenches her fist—almost gritted her teeth.

"Not you or Arisa. It's the b*tch Callie Leroux wins. If I were to choose, I'd rather choose between you and Arisa, but I didn't expect that d*mn b*tch wins. Anyway, it's not like I can force his decision, so I want to support and help him. Help me."

They look at each other for a few seconds, but Shenyue looks down, biting her lower lip while Renkai seems in a deep thought.

"Well, answer me one last question," Renkai asked. It made her look at him. "Do you have feelings for Raven? Even a slightest one, tell me the truth."

She couldn't answer, rather take a sip of her drink as if thinking deep. "He knows almost all my weakness, always taking care of me even if I didn't tell and a fool who's ready to take responsibility to a woman like me because I shout at him. A ridiculous, but honest man. I know the reason every woman admires him a lot. Despite of it, he has a terrible tempered to the person he doesn't like, and he looks down on himself a lot."

"You just describe him,"

Kinrue laugh and looks back at them. "I like him as a person, but romantically not. Did I answer your question?"

"If it's your answer, then I'm fine with helping you with your plan." Renkai said.

"How about you?"

"Fine. I'll help you because I want to see something else. You didn't know Raven well. It's just a few reminders."

"What do you me—"

"What are the three of you doing?"

Kinrue almost jumps out to her seat when someone talk behind her. It's a familiar voice that she didn't expect to hear. She looks back to make sure the person she's thing and the person behind are the same, but they're the same one. It's Raven Auclair with his icy gaze. Behind him is Callie Leroux, who seems surprised upon seeing the three of them.

"Oh, Raven, Callie, we're just talking since we bumped on the way. I told Kinrue to come with us." Renkai said, without a trace of lying.

"I see."

"Guys, thank you for your treat, but I need to go home now. I'm tired." Kinrue picks her back and nod to Renkai and Shenyue before she looks towards Raven. She can't help to glance behind him and saw Callie staring at her with full of doubt.

A playful thought came out to her mouth just to irritate Callie. She turns back to Raven, giving a wide grin before she pulls his necktie to match her height. Before he can react, Kinrue's lips touch his that made the other gasps in shock. It's a quick one, but she saw the irritation and madness on Callie's face.

"It's a goodnight kiss, darling. See you tomorrow."

"Y-you... What the hell are you thinking, doing whatever you want in front of h—"

"In front of whom, darling?"

"Kinrue." His voice turns to a cold warning tone. It made her laugh.

"It just pissed me, seeing her face. Don't worry, it's me who force you. You'll be fine."

"Hey, Kinrue. Isn't it rude to grab someone and do whatever you want without their consent? You're going below the belt, don't you think so?"

She stares behind Raven and saw Callie clench both her fists, restraining herself not to burst out in anger. A lot of memories from the past came out like a film inside her mind. The way her family and other people keep comparing them on each other. She couldn't help but wake up the madness inside her. Without thinking twice, she pushes Raven beside and walks straight towards Callie.

They stare at each other with the same madness in eyes. But in a flash of light, Callie's hand already land on her face. She heard the other people near their table gasps—looking at their direction. Instead of slapping her back, she just laugh while holding her cheeks that got slapped.

"I'm tolerating you as long as I can because Raven seems worried about you, but this time I can't even watch how vulgar you are. A woman without manners, I pity you."

"Hey, Callie, stop it. We're in public." Shenyue run in between them to stop, but her sister yanks her hands and takes a step closer to Kinrue.

"One slap isn't enough to wake you in reality." She slaps her again on the other side. Like before, there's no reaction from Kinrue.

Raven saw everything, but his body isn't moving as if it freezes. He wants to stop them, but his mind is in chaos. His action might lead to misunderstanding and he doesn't want to hurt any of the two because of his action again.

"Stop clinging to Raven like a dog in heat. You can't even compare to him, so back off, b*tch."

"Did you just call me a b*tch? How dare you?!"

Before someone can stop them, they already clashing each other. They pull each other's hair and scratching their faces. It made the ruckus around louder than before. Shenyue try to separate them, but she got push down, hitting the table beside.

Amidst of the chaos, Renkai run to towards the two and separate them with full force. The two keep panting, without breaking their gaze on each other, but Renkai's gaze turns dimmed as the menacing aura surrounds him.

"What the hell are you two doing in this public space? How about you Raven? You're an inch away, but you just stand there not doing anything? Are you nut?" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "For pete sake, you're not even a child to begin with, but you keep acting like one."

"Argh! It's all my fault." They all look to Kinrue while wiping a blood from the scratch Callie made.

"Hey, it's bleedin—" she slaps Raven's hand and gives him a death glare.

"I'm fine. I said, it's all my fault. Anyway, I can't breathe the same air as that woman, so I'll take my leave."

"Kinrue,"

A faint smile form into her mouth as she walks outside the coffee shop.