Chapter 88

"So why'd you come here?" I scratched my chin after I finally sat up on the bench. I tried to ignore the red in my face, swiping away the memories of just a minute ago.

She tilted her head cutely. "I wanted to see the filming..." she looked around at the people that were taking down the setup. "But I think I'm too late?"

"Yeah, we just ended actually." She had been curious about where we were going to be shooting earlier before the filming and I had told her the location. "I'm surprised you came though."

The day was turning to late afternoon quickly. Being inside a room, the bright lights still made it seem like day.

"Hmm, yeah. I came this late because I had been finishing some work earlier…" She patted my shirt that had been dirtied by dogs and dirt. She scrunched her nose, "Did you roll around on the floor?"

"Haha… I was just playing around with some cute dogs."

She looked around in excitement.

I patted her knee, "They already left."

Her face slightly fell. Seeing her behavior brought a smile to my face and I slightly nudged her with my shoulder.

She looked up at my eyes, "Anyway, what was the ad about anyway?"

"Did I not tell you?"

"...Nope."

"Huh, I must've told Re—" She punched my shoulder with a smile.

Her oversized sweater hid the entire length of her arms behind a long sleeve. I pretended to be hurt, though the fabric of her sweater softened the blow.

I winced and patted my shoulder, where she had hit me.

"Don't mention Reed's name again," she tried punching my shoulder again.

I looked at her with an incredulous expression, "Stop stop. It hurts."

Natsumi widened her eyes and apologetically began softly patting my shoulder. Still looking at my shoulder, she inquired: "What happened? Was it the dogs? No wonder there was a dirt patch there…"

My eyes turned to crescents at her naggy behavior.

She looked up suddenly at my smirk and scratched her cheek with a timid smile, "What's wrong?"

She frowned at my continued silence and grin that grew wider.

"What are you laughing about?"

Her brows furrowed and she raised her fist intensely, "If you don't answer I'll punch you again."

I kept smiling gently at her as she began punching again.

"You weren't hurt, liar," she accused, seeing that I wasn't reacting a bit in the slightest.

Of course, her punches did hurt but at this point, I've already gotten used to them.

My gentle smile cracked a little under one of her well-placed punches. I grabbed her arm with a ticking eyebrow, "Aren't you going to stop?"

"Stop what? You tell me what you're laughing about."

"Ah, this woman…" I sighed and held her arm tightly as she tried wrenching it out of my grasp.

"Ah, this guy… I regret not punching you more."

My brows twitched as I stared at her with a smile not so smile.

"I wasn't hurt but now those punches actually hurt me."

"Ah, big problem bozo. Pretend to get hurt you'll get hurt."

The side of my mouth twitched, I looked at her with an perplexed expression.

Still trying to wrench her arm off we began tussling back and forth playfully.

Finally growing tired, she stopped and left her arm loosely to be held.

She looked down and her hairs were sticking around in weird directions and messed in her face at the small workout.

I laughed internally at how sleazy she looked.

"Anyway, you wanna do something fun?" I suggested.

She looked up at me with a priceless smile, "Yeah, let's go." Her head butted against my collar as I still held her arms.

"You aren't gonna let go of my arm?" she spoke after we both got up from the bench.

Unamused at her question, I deadpanned, "And let you punch me more?"

"Hmm? You sure you just don't wanna hold my arm?"

I rolled my eyes, "I don't want to hold your arm."

She grinned and before she could do whatever her prank was, I noticed her intentions and reached for her hand and intertwined our fingers. "I'll take this though."

Caught when she least expected it, her eyes widened, and quickly looked away.

I poked the side of her head, "Also, you look homeless."

She blew her hair out of her face with her nostrils and frowned at me, smoothening her hair out.

"You know, it would've been way better if you held me like this and stroked my hair yourself," she put my arm around her, demonstrating the action with a joking scolding tone.

I stared at her with no apparent expression and poked her forehead.

We walked out of the room towards the halls.

"What?" She frowned in confusion at the finger poking her. "It would've been way cooler. I thought you were a… playboy?" She smiled mischievously.

"Ah… Please don't bring that up again…" I smiled fondly at the memories. They were memories from not even a year ago but it already felt like so long. "You remember being gym buddies?"

She laughed and slapped my arm. "When are we getting back to it? I need someone to spot me." She raised her arms and strengthened her biceps.

It was very funny seeing her with oversized clothes that made her look smaller and thinner suddenly acting very gallantly.

I squeezed her bicep, "Wow, you're soooo strong…" I nudged her flirtatiously.

She huffed and puffed and began walking very stiffly. "You know, you're pretty cute. I can make you one of my concubines."

I began clapping, acting like a maiden very much in love. "Oh, my hero!"

She looked up with pride. "As long as you know how to wash the dishes, clean the house, take care of the children, and make me some tea."

"I know how to sweep the floor and give very good massages."

"Hohoho," she chuckled and raised her sleeves, showing off her biceps. "Come on my cupcake, I ought to see the quality of that massage you mention."

I cringed at her calling me a cupcake— seeing her smirk, I assume she did it on purpose as well.

As dumb and stupid as this interaction was, acting weird around each other wasn't anything new. It helped me blow a little fuse from having to act so upright and tight all the time.

She almost began running off before I pulled her back with a smile.

"I should become an actor."

"Ah, yes." I nodded like a chicken, "Yes, Natsumi should be an actor."

"You know, let's submit a movie script like that. I bet it would be great."

I nodded and added my feedback, "Yes, and our pet should be a giant chicken that can breathe fire."

She nodded seriously. "Perhaps, perhaps. And then there should be villain ninjas that threaten our peaceful home that we'll defeat with chicken feet."

I laughed, unable to hold my laughter anymore.

"Anyway, what do you wanna go do?" she stuck close to me and looked up at me.

"The mall? I haven't gone there in a while."

She nodded happily, "OK!" Her smile spread to my face.

"But," she made a pointed finger, "you…" she poked my chest, "need to wear a mask and a hat."

"What? Why?"

"This is your time to relax; you shouldn't be spending every single hour of the day being an entertainer. Look— you just filmed for so long and now you want to go out there and meet up with fans?"

Ah… well that wasn't really my intention...

She stopped walking and turned to look at me. "You need to take a break sometimes."

I looked at her hesitantly and agreed slowly.

I really did not mean that I wanted to meet with fans now… This is a complete misunderstanding...

"Also, I don't want people interrupting us every second."

"...I'm not that famous."

She looked at me, unamused.

"Charlie."

"...Natsumi?"

"How many viewers do you average in your streams?"

"Mmm… quite a few…"

"OK. How many people know you live in Weath?"

"Uh… Well people at our school…"

"Yes, the people here in Weath know your face."

I knew what she was referring to and I knew her exact line of thought. I just didn't want to think about it…

"Also, what if people see you with me?"

That was also something I had considered, but didn't really need to think about much since any attention was attention.

"It's not like people don't take note of us at school."

"Is it not good for the press and reputation?"

I smiled.

"This isn't like k-dramas where there's a plot device that forces us to be apart," I poked her forehead, "as long as rumors are just rumors and nothing comes directly from our mouths, people can't say anything for sure."

She nodded.

"At first it'll bring up attention to my name and very drama-seeking reporters might write very scandalous things— but in the end, it'll just clear itself with a little bit of media handling from our side. Also, it's not like journalists are trying to bring me down. That would just be like killing a chicken that lays golden eggs. They'd just write enough to spread a little rumor and get some value out of it."

She nodded, "I see, I see." Still, her ears were a little red from me mentioning her thoughts about it being a novel situation.

"Still, my public image right now should be pretty pure and innocent like. Rather, it'd be a good method to catch attention…" I stopped and began thinking, "You know, Natsumi…" My response was belated after a few seconds of thought.

She smiled at me, noticing where my thoughts were headed.

"Save that thought for when you're going to get a role," she shushed me.

"Yep. I'll wear a mask then."

"The mask will also protect your lips," she grinned at me.

I raised my eyebrows at her boldness.

"Huh? What will it protect them from?"

She began running away, towards the exit of the building.

"Hey! What did you mean?" I acted very densely and confused as I ran towards her.

"Hey! Come back!"

…

…

…

"I have an idea!"

I turned to stare at Natsumi who pumped her arms out in excitement. I looked toward her twinkling eyes and asked what she meant.

Like me, she was wearing a mask and a cap that covered the entirety of our face. She said she wanted to match with me.

It helped feel less awkward about wearing something so inconspicuous but suspicious in broad daylight.

"Do you like this hoodie?"

She pointed to a simple black hoodie with a picture of a rose in the middle.

It wasn't bad looking but honestly I was not lacking in clothes so I wasn't really looking for them and was merely accompanying her…

Oh well.

...Yeah, sure.

"Yep. It looks nice."

"What if we get three of them? And match. Y'know, Charlotte, you, me…"

She held out the hoodie in front of herself, trying it out, while looking at the mirror.

I wasn't against the idea but I didn't know what to think of it either.

Thinking about it, it might be a good idea to just buy the hoodies anyway...

Charlotte definitely would be ecstatic…

I sighed mentally and nodded at Natsumi.

She really knows how to bribe my sister properly…

We got the hoodies and walked to the counter.

Considering money has been the least of my worries, I offered to pay. Really, there's nothing else for me to do with this money.

Of course, she refused vehemently. She was so against the idea of me paying that she threatened she'd get very very upset.

"Look, just consider it a gift."

She shook her head. "Nuh-uh, Mister. It was my idea so I'm paying."

The shop assistant, also acting as cashier, stared between us two with a strange gaze. The other shop assistants also looked at us with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Look. This is a gift. I've been working hard so please just let me do this." I looked around and cringed internally at their endearing stares.

I couldn't bear to keep seeing these smiles so I urged Natsumi to let me pay.

She ignored me and turned towards the cashier, "Thank you, this will be everything. Please use this card."

I held her hand hurriedly and grasped it tightly. Staring at the cashier in desperation, "Please. I insist. I have cash, it's much easier to pay like that— No?"

The cashier looked between us two in confusion, hesitating at whose money to take.

"Look. I'm not going to let her pay, just please do me a favor." I covered Natsumi's mouth and held her back tightly.

"Ah, young love these days."

"This is so cute."

Is it common now for strangers to comment on someone else's relationship?

Or is it just from my clear hearing that I'm able to discern this?

"Is that the trend these days? To wear a mask and cap?"

She frowned and threatened to bite my hand.

I lightly pushed her behind me and almost shoved the money into the cashier's outstretched but confused hand.

Natsumi stood still and watched with a frown.

"Thanks," I flashed an eye smile at the cashier after picking up the bag of clothes and pulled Natsumi's hand outside.

The cool air from the A/C inside the clothes shop disappeared and the mall's warmer atmosphere embraced us.

Still, I felt an unnatural coldness radiating from my side.

Her black hat almost hid the frown on her face from me. She quietly looked to the side with a huff.

We walked together before I silently decided to approach the subject.

I fiddled with the shopping bag containing the hoodies we just bought. Finally, I asked the question—"Are you mad?" I tugged at her hand.

"No," she replied almost instantly, as if she had been waiting for me to ask that question.

"..."

"..."

Says a lot.

"...Really?"

"Yea."

Her replies were curt and short. Her small hands were still warm but did not swing as widely as they were earlier.

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm."

"..."

...So talkative.

"..."

"Hmm."

"What?"

Last resort is just to bribe her.

"You want a boba?"

"..."

"..."

"Sure," she looked disinterested.

I squinted my eyes at her.

She turned to look back at me with a more serious expression.

"Let me pay this time, though."

She tightened her hold on my hand.

"Why do you insist?" I questioned.

"I've got money to spare too," she puffed.

Yeah... I wonder where from?

I nudged her shoulder, "Okay then."

She smiled as she scanned my face.

Well, at least now I know she doesn't like others buying everything for her.