A Night to Remember

"Prepare food for us," June ordered the maid as he helped Sushi to the couch.

The cook nodded and headed to the kitchen.

June followed her and added, "Prepare some orange juice for Sushi."

Returning to the living room, he opened the cupboard, retrieved the first aid box, and sat on the floor in front of Sushi.

"What are you doing down there? Sit here," Sushi signaled him to sit beside her on the couch.

Ignoring her, June gently took her leg, removed her sandals, and placed her foot on his lap.

Sushi pulled her leg back, "No, it's okay," she said.

"Do you want it to get worse?" He gently pulled her foot back and placed it on his lap again. "Don't even try. Just sit still."

He carefully removed the band-aid. "Tell me if it hurts," he said softly.

Sushi was moved by his care. She forgot her pain, watching June tend to her with such tenderness.

She covered her face with her hands, silently observing him with a mix of emotions.

After treating the wound and applying a new bandage, June looked at his handiwork.

"Isn't it too much? A little band-aid would have been enough. You're overdoing it," Sushi said and laughed.

"If I could, I'd stitch your mouth shut. You talk too much at the wrong times but don't answer the most important questions," June teased.

"When did I ever do that?" Sushi asked, puzzled.

"Have you answered everything I've ever asked you?" June retorted.

"I did," Sushi replied, sensing something deeper in his words.

"You did, yes. But were those answers honest?" June asked, his tone more serious.

Sushi hesitated before responding, "Most of the time, I was truthful."

"Oh, really? Okay," June said, looking at her intently. "Then can I ask you one more question and expect an honest answer?"

Sushi felt a twinge of anxiety, wondering what he would ask. After a moment's pause, she nodded, "Yes, what do you want to ask?"

"How do you know?" June asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Sushi couldn't quite grasp what he meant. "What do I know?" she asked.

"The thing you did in the office... when you asked if I could hear your 'sorry'?" he clarified, his tone laced with suspicion.

Realization dawned on Sushi. "Is he remembering that? Does he suspect something? How should I respond?" She felt a wave of nervousness, knowing she needed to be honest.

"Chloe told me about you," she said, regaining her composure. "She mentioned you used to do that with her, so I thought I'd try it too."

"Chloe told you that?" June repeated, nodding as he looked down at her feet again.

"Why? Don't you believe me?" Sushi asked, noticing his expression.

"No, no, Sushi, I do believe you. I was just surprised when you did that," he replied. "So, tell me, what else did she say about us?"

The cook walked in, placing two glasses of orange juice on the table before leaving.

Sushi felt a mix of uncertainty about what to reveal and what to hide. "I don't remember everything," she said carefully. "She used to say some things about you, and that one stuck with me."

"Tell me those things. I want to know, especially from her perspective," June urged, handing her a glass of juice and taking one for himself. He sat beside her, waiting expectantly.

Sushi thought, "Does he still care about Chloe's perspective?" She hesitated but decided to share. "Chloe said you're a nice person. You took care of her, bought her candies and ice cream."

June laughed, a blush creeping up his face. "Yeah, as a kid, she loved those candies."

His happy expression made Sushi smile, and she continued, "I know this too. Once, you took her to a movie at night without my parents knowing. You even took her to an amusement park."

June's smile widened as he remembered. "She was so excited that day. We had to sneak back in, and she almost got us caught because she couldn't stop giggling."

Sushi felt a warm connection growing between them as they shared these memories. She ventured further, "Chloe also said you were always there for her, no matter what. She felt safe with you."

June's expression softened, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "I always tried to be there for her but she acted weird sometimes."

June paused a second and continued talking, "I mean there were times she would keep herself so distant with me and there were times where she couldn't let me go at all. She made me go crazy.."

Sushi nodded, feeling the weight of his words. She took a deep breath, deciding to ask something that had been on her mind. "June, do you ever miss those times?"

He looked at her, a mix of emotions in his gaze. "Yes I do a lot and I remember that incident lucidly." June laughed remembering that scene and started explaining to her.

He went back into the memory, thinking about it.

"Brother, can you take me out tonight?" Sushi whispered in June's ear while they were sitting on the couch, watching TV with her parents in the living room.

"Shhh! Be quiet, your mom might hear you," June whispered back.

Noticing them whispering, her mom asked, "What are you two up to?"

"Nothing, Mom. I was just asking him to buy me some ice cream," Sushi said, laughing.

"You never listen to me, right? Come back home quickly, it will get dark," her mom agreed.

Sushi quickly got up, took June's hand, and ran outside.

"How are you this cunning?" June teased her, lightly tapping her on the head.

As they walked side by side, both wanted to hold each other's hands but didn't.

"Brother, can we sneak out tonight? Can you take me to a movie? There's a new one that just got released, and I want to see it," she said.

June tried to refuse. "But it will be too late by then. If Aunty and Uncle find out, we'll be in big trouble."

"That's why I'm asking you to plan something," she pleaded, holding his hand. "Please! Please!"

June couldn't resist her cuteness. "Okay, okay. I'll knock three times on your door. Come out quietly. Don't make any noise, okay? Just cover your bed with some pillows to make it look like you're asleep," June instructed.

Sushi got excited and said, "Okay!"

After they returned from the ice cream store, they pretended nothing was going to happen. They went to their rooms and locked their doors so that her parents would hear the sound of it and think they were going to sleep.

Late at night, June woke up and quietly went downstairs. He checked to make sure the elders were asleep before gently knocking on Sushi's door. To his surprise, Sushi opened the door at the first knock, clearly waiting nearby.

June smiled at her eagerness, took her hand, and they tiptoed downstairs in the dark, sneaking out of the house without making a sound.

Once outside, under the streetlight, June was surprised by Sushi's appearance. She looked stunning in a purple knee-length frock, her shoulders exposed. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

"How are we going from here?" Sushi asked.

June didn't hear her at first, too captivated by the sight of her. Her bangs danced in the night breeze, her cherry-red lips shining under the moonlight. He was mesmerized by her look, noticing the key bracelet he had given her glistening on her wrist.

"Brother?" Sushi shook his hand, snapping him out of his daze. He adjusted himself slightly.

Sushi blushed at his gaze, and they stood there for a moment, feeling a bit awkward but connected.