CHAPTER 40: THE FOUR OF THEM

Nishikido Ryo sighed and kept sighing. His eyes glued on the blue file which was on his table. Grunting irritatingly, he lifted the file and a minute later, he put back.

“Arghhh!!!” His fingers rumpled through his hair, making it messier than before. Leaning back against his chair, his dark eyes looked on the ceiling while mumbling cursing words.

Stupid boss!!

Stupid Yamapi!!

Why I have to send the files to Financial Department when right now, at this moment, I have problem with Erika!!

                Thinking about it made he felt became more irritated. Right now, it has been nearly a week since their quarrel in the back alley. And the force kisses ….At the sudden thought made Ryo bit down his lips. Damn!! He’s the one who should be blamed for after all!! What the heck he kissed her on that day! Forcefully kissing her.

“What are you doing?” Ryo’s body jerked instantly and there he found a pair of dark eyes was looking at him. There was puzzle plastered on Yamapi’s face as he looked at him. Then, his dark eyes moved on his table and stopped at the blue file.

“I thought I asked you to send that file an hour ago, Nishikido san?” Ryo heaved a deep sigh, cursing himself for being caught by his boss for not doing his work.

“Yes.”That was the only answer he could say just now.

“Then, why it is still on your table?”Ryo gritted his teeth, as his mind tried to find answer to give to the man. Yet, nothing came out to help him.

“I’m still waiting for your answer.”

“Why you are looking so pissed off, Pi? It is just a document. Not more than that. Later I will send it. You don’t have to worry about it,” Ryo shot him angrily noticing the way Yamapi asked him. Even his face filled annoy look. With that, the hunky man became silence at once. Noticing this, Ryo roughly raked his hair in frustration.

“Gomen…gomen. Look, I’ve been in bad mood recently. Sorry for snapping at you. How about this, I send it right now, okay Pi? ”Grabbing the file, Ryo stood up and started to stroll toward the main door. However, Yamapi’s voice pulled him back.

“Ryo!” The kansai man stopped his pace and turned around. There he found his boss was smiling.

“ Wait for me.” Instantly, Ryo arched his eyebrow in strange manner. Yamapi moved toward him before stood in front of the man.

“I’m going to the Financial Department with you too.”

“Why?”The kansai man questioned his boss in return

“I got something to do. Plus, I need to see Marina…”Instantly Ryo chan light up.

“So, you can send this file yourself, aren’t you, Pi? I don’t need to go there, sending this stupid file.”Ryo flashed a wide grin to his boss, knowing himself that he could save himself from seeing Erika.

“Tch! That is your work. Not mine. By hook or by crook, you have to send the stupid file on your own. ”Yamapi told him irritatingly. This made frown appeared on Ryo’s face immediately. Damn!!!

                The two of them walked with each other, with few conversations exchanged between them. Strangely, he could not focus on Yamapi’s words. In spite, he was indulged in the depth thought. Throughout the journey, Ryo felt his heart beat harder and harder, imagining on meeting Erika next. Somehow, perspire brimmed at the top of his head, and his hands turned clammy.What the heck am I nervous like this? He questioned himself alone.

“Oii Ryo chan!”

                Instantly the Kansai man jerked his head up when his name was called. Then, he noticed something. The surroundings changed and he found the Financial Department board was within his sight. We reach already? The thought rang inside his head. With that, his heart beat accelerated even faster making nervous and panic ran through his veins.

“How long are you going to stare at the door like that? Come! We have a lot of things to do later.” Yamapi shook his head slightly before leaving him alone outside of the Financial Department. With that, the nervous ran wildly again inside him.

                From all this life, this is the most nervous time that he, Nishikido Ryo, ever feel. Not even when he wanted to have his first kiss during his 5th grade and when he wanted to jump from high bridge, for bungee jumping. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath for a while and calmed his heart beat down. After a while, he walked toward the door that leads to Financial Department.

Ryo peeked inside, looking around. The place was empty. Then, he saw Yamapi who was just came out from the witch’s office.

“Marina is not here.”The sound that came out from his mouth was almost like complain. Even, it was accompanied with a frustrated look. Then, Ryo averted to Erika’s place too, it was empty. Somehow, he felt grateful with it that she was not even there. Where is she?

“Excuse me.”Hearing the voice, his body jerked and goose bumps appeared all over his body.

Erika!

 Immediately, he turned around and found the woman was behind him. There was not even a slight smile on her face just like how she usually gave to him when they met between each other.

“Oh, Toda san. Where is Marina?” Yamapi asked the owner of long black hair. Erika walked pass Ryo without even looking at him. She ignores me!! The words screamed inside his head. Somehow, that made his heart wrenched in a painful way.

“Horikita san went for lunch.”

“Alone?” Yamapi raised his eyebrows. Softly, Erika nodded making Yamapi let out a frustrated sigh.  Then, immediately he shot another question.

“Where does she usually have her lunch?”Erika smiled upon hearing the big boss’s question. For her, the way the man asked for the witch was something new. Pointing up her finger, Erika grinned widely to the man, showing the place her boss spent her time eating lunch.

“Up?” Yamapi imitated the action of Erika too. His eyebrows slightly arched a little bit.

“Yes, up there.”This made Yamapi became silence for a while before something dawned inside his head.

“Ahh…the company garden?” Erika nodded immediately. At that moment, Yamapi’s face immediately lit up before he strolled toward the door. However, after a few steps, he turned around and spoke to Ryo.

“Oi, Ryo. I’m leaving you here. Make sure you give the file to Toda san.”Yamapi reminded the kansai man who remained silence since Erika’s presence over there. Before Ryo could retort, the man was already leaving him alone with Erika in the office.

Damn Pi!!!                         

*************************************************************************************

                The soft breeze brushed her face as the sun shone brightly above her. Horikita Maki felt extremely calm. Gently, she rocked the big swing with her feet, and it moved slowly. The thick book that she read did not attract her much. Not as much as the beautiful weather in front of her.

“Well, you are indeed inviting me to bed, aren’t you?”

The deep voice flashed inside his mind. Immediately her body became stiff when she suddenly remembered those. Clutching her fist, she closed her eyes, remembering how she was caught by their family in arguments with her husband. Stupid arguments.

                Yamapi and Maki looked at their families with surprised flooded inside their heart. Frankly, they never expected to be caught by their families. Especially when they are in the middle of arguments.

“Everyone…we….”Yamapi’s words stopped when he noticed all the surprise looks on their face. Inside him, he was cursing himself for forgetting that they were in the middle of family gathering.

                Yamaa Rina looked at Tegoshi Yuya, who was standing next to her. Whereas, the man tilted his head and looked at his sister and Yamapi in silence. Same goes with Tegoshi Natsuhito, Tegoshi Nozomi, Yamapi’s mother and Aoki Hiroshi. The chubby Natsuki, Rina’s baby girl, was squealing even louder as she waved her fists with smile tugging at her small mouth.

                Yamapi gulped nervously. Slowly, he slipped his arms from Maki’s waist and started to rearrange his thought.

“Look. Actually, it is not like what you see…we…we don’t really fight. Really. We just…”

                Yamapi lost his words and glanced at his wife fast. The woman was looking nervous too. Maybe, she did not want her family to see the situation after all. At that moment, everyone shifted their gaze to Maki too, waiting for her answer.

“We…….”Maki stopped her words. Her cheeks flushed deeply as she did not know how to explain to her family.

Tegoshi Yuya looked at his parents and to Yamaa Rina who was looking at him too. Then, suddenly, laughter broke in the awkward situation, making Yamapi and Maki slightly raised her eyebrows. Yuya is laughing with Rina, whereas Maki’s uncle and aunt slightly shook their head.

Wh-what happened?

Wh-why they laughed?

The question rang inside Maki’s head.

“Se-seriously, Mari-chan. This is funny. Really funny…”Yuya brushed some of the tears that came out from his eyes as he tried to stifle the laugh. Rina nodded fast, agreeing to it.

“Fu-funny?” Yamapi repeated the words. Tegoshi Yuya nodded.

“Gosh, Tomohisa, Marina. How old are you to quarrel like that? Throwing everything….quarreling for the stupid things….gosh….like children…”Yamapi’s mother spoke out as she was shaking her head. Frankly, she did not know that daughter in law would do such thing. Not when she always had serious look on her face.

                Yamapi and Maki looked between each other. Immediately, their face blushed deeply. Somehow, what Yamapi’s mother told them made they embarrassed themselves.

“OH!! This is totally delicious!!” Yamapi’s voice broke the memories. Instantly, Maki snapped back to the reality and found out the hunky man already sat next to her, rummaging inside her bento.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” Maki shrieked loudly. Then, she noticed the man ignored her and chewed happily on her food. Automatically, her hands started to reach her bento from the man’s hand.

“My food!!” Maki tried to take her food back. However, her husband smiled widely when he pulled the food container from being reached by her.