Chapter 14:

"Familiar Warmth"

…two days earlier before the Page 2 of diary entry was written (three years ago in MiChaeng timeline)…

Loaded with uneasiness, Mina walks the lobby connected to the Auditorium a little bit faster. The tension stuffing her body worsen as the distance to the back door getting closer. Although it wasn’t her first time to host a program, this is technically her first time doing it as a high school student. Half of her attention is in the script, practicing the speech in her mind while the other half is busy talking to her Dad over the phone.

“Yes, Dad. Thanks for cheering me. I have to go, I’m now at the back door. Bye.”

She ended the conversation with her father and tossed the phone back inside her bag. Her focus then shifted to the surroundings. She can’t spot a single person lurking the place apart from her.

Probably everyone is inside. She thought. The stillness of the hallway made her more nervous.

It’s okay Myoui Mina, you can do great. Just calm down. Just calm down.

She keeps repeating the same mantra for seconds hoping it could work to at least composed her heart from its tense battle, however, the sweats in her forehead and hands revealed the contrary. But she has to do it, she cannot withdraw from this obligation anymore. Her fast-rising popularity among the students was the reason why her teacher chose her to host the program despite the rule that it should have been someone from the senior year.

Another sigh was freed from her lips.

Let’s do it Myoui! Fighting!

With a crumb of self-confidence, she twisted the doorknob with one hand and was about to open the door when suddenly an unpredictable event occurred. A stranger hugs her from the back. Actually, it's not really a back hug. It just feels like. There is still minimal space between her body and the stranger.

“Don’t get scared, I’m not a ert or anything, I just want to put this on you.” The stranger explained. His voice sounded nasal due to the face [surgical] mask he was wearing.

The elegant Japanese couldn’t understand herself. Generally, if a stranger popped up behind you and act like hugging you, the initial reactions are either cry for help or kick his , and that is if you are brave enough to do it, however at this moment, those things didn’t even cross her mind. She is somehow comfortable with the stranger. It was weird, surely peculiar yet she can perceive the gentleness of this person and trusted her intuition. She remained silent and let the guy do his thing.

As the stranger understood her unvoiced signal, he asked calmly. “Can you raise your arms for a bit.”

What for?

Although confused, she said nothing and just followed him. She raised her arms and the guy carefully s his hands and wraps the jacket on her waist, making sure he is not violating any part of Mina’s body. With his utmost caution, he managed to tangle the sleeves of the jacket without touching her stomach or any portion of her skins.

So that was why. Such a gentle person. I thought this type of guy become extinct, but to my surprise, I got one here.

She smiled meekly without her realizing that the cold apprehension that was once occupied her body vanished in a blink of an eye. Perhaps her body recognized that familiar warmth of his which tranquil her gradually. Like how a baby stopped from crying as soon as the infant acknowledged the warmth of his mother’s embrace. A kind of connection where it seems to resonate the message ‘Don’t worry about losing your world, I can always lend you my world.’ Sound cheesy, isn’t it? But if you looked at the context, the stranger already did this unspoken verse way before the incident today. Because this stranger is him, the guy who already lent something to Mina which saved her life.

“You have uhmm….” The stranger hesitated.

“I have what?” She asked.

“Uhmm…” Again he delayed his speech that it caused the annoyance of the elegant girl.

“If you want me to believe your words that you are not a ert then tell me the reason why you did this.” The girl challenged him, but if she only knew a bit earlier or realized it on her own, she shouldn’t have provoked him to say it out loud because it only caused for the both of them another discomfort.

“Blood…” It was too awkward for a guy to say it, but he had no choice. He doesn’t want Mina to deposit malice to his good intention. “…you have blood behind… in your skirt.”

The beauty queen froze at the explanation. She suddenly wanted to bury herself out of embarrassment. Both cheeks were red as an apple and her eyes automatically close on its own.

Lord, feel free to take me now. I won’t mind. She wishes.

The stranger who is indeed a gentle person mutter. “Sorry.” He had the gist of what was going on in her mind.

“No, I should be the one to say sorry.” Mina found her tongue at last. “I was too full of myself that I misunderstood you so I’m very sorry.”

“It’s okay. With your grandeur beauty, you have all the luxury to misconceived a stranger in this situation.”

Eh? Grandeur beauty. That was cute and so old school. Mina giggles silently, biting her lips firmly for she doesn’t want to add another embarrassment in her pocket. Her body remained at his custody, just a small movement would cause an accidental skinship to their almost back hug position. Truthfully, she doesn’t mind, but hey girls shouldn’t be an ‘easy to get’ type, right? As what her father’s said ‘easy to get means easy to let go’. She has reminded over and over again by her father that when things are easily achieved by people, they also lost the will to hold its importance. Like come on, do you expect a guy not to take a girl for granted after getting her easily? You gotta be kidding me. To show the world your importance is to show respect for yourself first. She had memorized it by heart and that is what she’s going to impose at this moment.

“Can you let me go now?” The Japanese succeeded in expressing them without that regret timbre. On cue, he removed his hands wrapped around her waist at lightning speed.

“Sorry.” He said, wobbly. The air that surrounds them suddenly feels restless. Awkward silence assembled in the atmosphere again.

To eradicate the uneasiness, Mina thought that she has to do something. So she tried turning around to formally thank the stranger, but the guy halted her attempt by pulling her into his arms once more, back hugging her this time with a breathable tight. And for the second time, her elegance was altered with panic.

Ottoke? This is a real back hug!

“Mianhae, but you can’t see my face. Feeling embarrassed was the last thing I need on my list for each time you look at me. I just want to help you. Please let me remained a bystander with a mask.”

A bystander with a mask. He is such a classic guy. So cute, really. The Japanese produced another muted tee-hee. As much as she wanted to grant his wish, her curiosity won over the argument.

“I’m sorry, but I want to see your face.”

Mina quickly turns around, however, the stranger is quicker to nullify her endeavor. He trapped her petite body into his arms tighter this time. The guy pulled a back hug that isn’t suffocating but administer a justifiable force to stop the beauty queen from another attempt to see his face. This minute, the zero skinship is impossible. There is no more space between their bodies. Even their breathing is on the same pattern. They can feel each other’s heartbeat. She was in utter shock for some time with his bold move. The guy is surely a classic type, but he is an upgraded kind.

He is an old soul with a daredevil approach. He is unique. The girl smiled, she hasn’t sorted her type of guy before, but now she does have an idea.

I like him. She quipped in her heart. In the middle of her self-conversation, the stranger whispered something in her ear.

“Curiosity isn’t an excuse to break someone’s aspiration, Ms. Myoui.”

that tingles me! Wait! He knows who I am. What the heck, this is unfair!

“In case you wonder, everyone knows who you are in this town, Ms. Popular.”

OMG! He can read minds. Edward Cullen, is that you? Geez Myoui, you read too many novels. Shut up!

“I’ll remove my hands, but please don’t turn around. Stubborn no more, will ya?”

What? No! Eh, why I am like this?