82 Chapter 82

Tom Peterson looked at us with an inquisitive gaze.

"Sorry sorry. Rumors sometimes end up blowing out of proportion…" I apologized and took my hand away from him.

The vlogger smiled, his goal completed, and stepped back.

"Well, it is a curious thought. Charlie do you think you'd be an actor for a Marvel movie?"

"Well, I don't have much acting experience but it would certainly be an interesting thought."

Quickly wanting to get out of his groove of questions, I turned to Tom Peterson.

"How is it being an actor?"

He smiled, "Well it certainly is very fun… Actually—"

He began blabbering and talking about his very fun experiences with the industry. Why did this turn into an interview?

I looked at them with a gentle expression but inside I was filled with exasperation. I wanna go home even though I got myself into this.

"Charlie?"

I shook myself out of my thoughts hearing my name.

"Yes, sorry?"

Ah, crap. I think this is the first time I've been caught staring into space.

They looked at me with amused expressions, "I was just saying that you'd be a great person to have on crew." Spiderman spoke to me with great interest in his eyes.

I laughed at his words even though he didn't mean it.

"I certainly would be very honored," my eyes turned to crescents, and my persona brightened.

…

"Rykun?"

I called him over the phone after a while. It had been some time after we had separated and the sky was turning dark.

We decided to meet up where we entered and I saw him with a tired smile while still holding up his vlogging stick.

He ran to me and tripped.

I mentally face palmed and ran over hurriedly to him.

"Rykun, are you hurt?"

He began laughing while holding up the vlogging stick safely.

"Hahahah… Haha… I'm sorry.. Hahahaha."

He laughed at his clumsiness and stood up after his fit of laughter.

"Are you good?"

He took my offered hand and used it to stand up.

"Yeah, I'm good. At least the vlogging stick didn't break, right? Haha…"

I smiled with a helpless expression, "Yes, yes… Of course."

Taking a step, he winced and cursed.

"Shoot. I think I rolled my ankle or something."

"You wanna go sit somewhere?"

"You should give me a piggyback ride," his eyes brightened.

I deadpanned, "No."

Piggyback rides are exclusive to Natsumi.

"...Please?"

"..."

"..."

"Let's go sit somewhere."

"Nooo, pleaseeee."

I helped him over to sit on a bench.

I raised my eyebrows at his arm still holding up the vlogging stick.

"...You're still vlogging even though you're hurt?"

He raised his fist and said with a proud face, "Dedication!"

I laughed.

"You want a piggyback ride?"

He looked at me for a few seconds as he hesitated within his mind on something.

He promptly cut off the recording and sighed to look towards me.

"Charlie?"

He called out my name heavily.

"Yes, what's up?"

I said in a calm tone to relax the atmosphere.

"...I… My older brother died a few years ago and well just having you around felt like he came back. Online you were just a really good friend... but when you came over it really felt like you were my older brother…"

I widened my eyes at the revelation. So this is why he acted so out of character earlier in the morning.

"Rykun, I'm sorry about your loss…"

He waved his hand, "I'm over it, my brother's a great guy," he said with a smile and then continued with a difficult expression, "I guess it kind of explains why I acted really hyperactive in the morning… It just felt really fun and happy."

He looked up at the ceiling with a gentle expression.

A warm feeling approached my consciousness at being compared to a figure akin to an older brother.

Perhaps in the spur of the moment, I nodded at him and said, "I'll be your brother, Rykun."

His eyes returned to their original brilliance and he shot out his arms in a celebratory fashion while trying to stand up. He frowned in pain and sat back down to which I laughed.

"Thank you, Charlie." He looked at me with great gratitude and then continued, "I promise I won't be too annoying."

I chuckled and stood up having made my mind, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

He looked at me in confusion.

"Hop on."

…

"RUN! Come on Horsie! Run!"

His hands wildly flayed around the recording vlogging stick while I ran around on the sidewalk.

"So this is what it feels like to be this tall."

His mature disposition that I had known from streaming with him was thrown out the window and he became an innocent child filled with joy and laughter.

"Go go!" He pointed towards the front with his knightly lance— the vlogging pole as he laughed jovially.

I turned back with a smile, "Alright, alright. Since you're up so tall then you should call up a cab."

He waved his hands around at any taxi but was ignored every time.

"...Just cut the recording and call an Uber up." I rolled my eyes.

"Hmm… actually. Let's not get an Uber."

"Hmm?"

"Well you're in Petra and you don't want to try the food?" He looked at me as if I had insulted him somehow.

I nodded, "Good suggestion. Let's go eat food."

"For how long are you staying?"

"I'm probably leaving tomorrow in the morning so let's go to your favorite food place."

I entrusted Rykun with my food palate.

He smiled and raised his hands in excitement, "Alright, then we'll go to the best restaurant I know."

…

…

…

I walked quickly to my family's apartment door wanting to finally relax at home.

I knocked on the door and was greeted by my mother and father already in their work clothes.

My mother quickly embraced me and a warm feeling came into me.

Really, though the views of tall luxurious hotels and rich core cities with great skylines are impressive, there's nothing better than home.

I hugged my mom, almost suffocating her affectionately with sweetness.

This is my home.

…

…

…

2 days ago.

NO WAY. NO WAY. NO WAY.

I quickly threw my phone in my pocket and began walking around with a flushed face.

With a rapid heartbeat and a feeling of fluttering in my stomach that would not slow down, I felt a sweetness explode from my heart.

I couldn't hide my ebullient smile and quickly hopped over to my mom with twirls.

"Mommy!"

She noticed my happiness and quickly wrapped her arms around me to hug me.

"What's happened, darling?!" She smiled and reciprocated my excitement.

I buried my head in her embrace and pressed my face against her to hide my squeal.

I looked back at her and she hugged my head again.

"Hehe, is it what I think it is?"

I tilted my head asking what she meant.

"Is it about a boy?"

I felt my face heat up and I hugged her again and hid my face against her.

"Well, is it?"

She asked with a teasing undertone.

"...Mhm."

"I can't hear you…"

"...Yes moooom."

I rolled my eyes as she playfully pushed my buttons with great joy.

"Hmm, tell me about him?" She looked at me with interest and mirth in her eyes.

"...Mmmm well… he finally asked me out on a date!"

I couldn't suppress my turbulent emotions, not that I wanted to though.

"Haaa… you're growing up so quickly…" She kissed my forehead.

I closed my eyes feeling warmth in my heart and I laid against her.

"So, who's the boy?"

I looked up at her eyes and hesitated.

"...Uh…"

"Yes, young lady?" Her question had an authoritative tone that would not be left without an answer.

"You know him," I slowly spoke out.

"Oh," her eyes twinkled in mischief, "ehhh, we already know each other? We're already at that stage? Are you trying to get married to him now?"

I imagined a scenario in the future that included very special people gathered for something very special.

My eyes turned to crescents and I smiled gently, "Yes…"

At her horrified expression, I began giggling.

She pinched my nose, "You silly lady! Almost gave me a heart attack."

"That's what you get for teasing me!" I retorted.

"Alright alright, it's my fault. So tell me who he is," she began whispering towards the end of the sentence.

"You remember when you teased me about a guy walking me back home from the gym?"

She took a pause to remember the moment and as she laughed, her eyes also closed from how wide her smile was.

"It's that same boy that was also hospitalized and you called me on the phone and begged me to let you go with him?"

"AGH! I did not beg!"

"Haaa, when you called me you sounded like a kicked miserable puppy. You were just about crying when I was silent for a second."

My face heated up and I butted my head into her embrace.

"Tell me about the date then, young lady."

"Hmm… well," I reached deep into my precious memories, "It's not the first date we've had… rather, we did something similar to a date before but it wasn't really a date."

She laughed, "You're adorable, Sato Natsumi."

With sparkling eyes, I recounted all of the precious moments that I'd had with him.

Soon enough, family friends and cousins began crowding over to us at my mother's cheerful laughter.

"Natsumi… who's the lucky guy?" A cousin younger than me by a year asked me with wide eyes.

Before I could answer, a boy interrupted me.

"Nat-Natsumi? You're…" he looked crestfallen, "You… like someone?"

I tried to ignore the pitiful look he was sending me.

"...Yea."

I scrunched my eyebrows at his expression that he soon covered up with a weak smile.

"Ah… I see."

My heart felt bitter seeing the familiar expression.

I would reject people on the basis that I wanted to focus on my studies and avoided relationships like a plague, yet here I am, very attracted to a special someone.

But the thing is the others confessing to me clearly only wanted me for my face and to get the girl that's rejected multiple people while having never been in a relationship before. They wanted me as a trophy.

After a month, the gossip and attention would die out and I'd be thrown away.

He slowly began walking away as I conversed with my younger cousin.

As a family friend, we're very acquainted and have known each other for a few years.

He's someone that has played around with girls in the past. After a while, he began to have an interest in me because I was of the few that did not want his attention.

I snickered in my mind. What a narcissistic person. To be interested in a girl just because she isn't trying to get with you. This isn't some romance movie.

He wasn't used to something like this and so he tried courting me.

I didn't want to have a relationship at all and just wanted to focus on myself and my independent freedom.

He took my coldness and indifference as playing hard to get but was secretly vying for his affection.

It did not help that his friends told him I "totally digged him" when he told them about me. No dude, you don't know me and I don't know you either.

I found out when a cousin that goes to the same school informed me.

What's worse is he invited me once to a school event for family members, but he introduced me as his girlfriend instead.

I had dressed casually and was told by one of his friends that if I wanted his attention, the way I dressed wasn't helping me at all.

With my blood boiling, I told him I wasn't there to impress and had no interest in the family friend.

I called him disgusting for calling me his girlfriend without my consent or even knowledge. Unfortunately, I felt horrible when I called him disgusting and when I apologized he took it as a sign that I cared about him.

I rejected him politely and kept telling him that I did not want anything to do with him but he remained persistent.

Then he played with other girls' feelings to try to catch my attention or make me jealous, but I did not know that until weeks later.

He finally stopped pestering me and I thought he'd gotten over me.

Now, many months later, today, he comes up to me like this.

Now I don't want to talk about Charlie at all because it'll seem like I'm trying to kick him while he's on the floor and pour salt over his wound.

Hmm… though I wonder if Charlie was here would he be jealous…

Hehe, it'd be cute if he's jealous. He always seems like a mature person so it would be very adorable…

Not that I'd do anything to make him jealous though. That would be scummy. I also know he'd never try to make me jealous.

Ehh, I did get jealous once when Maya was getting uncomfortably close and playful with him. I'm not the jealous type but I felt a little bothered that the ex he used to love very dearly before was trying to get him to love her again.

Hmm, but I shouldn't be this upset right now. It is Christmas!

My smile once again gained its brilliance and I hummed to myself his composition of Canon in D.

…