Ame No Hankagai
Ame No Hankagai
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雨の繁華街 |
Ame No Hankagai (an café) |
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The city lit up in neon lights For some reason is cold and frozen |
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It was a strange first meeting. I was walking across the park and it was raining heavily, pouring down cats and dogs and all the roads were empty and there was this girl, this weird girl.
She was wearing a Goth-looking dress, complete with lace, frills and satin and at least, four inches-tall laced-up heavy Goth boots but instead of the main colour being black, it was close to maroon red and she had a matching hair or scarf band over her auburn red waist-length hair.
Despite myself and the tendency to keep to myself, I knew that it wasn’t everyday you see a Goth girl standing alone in the rain, and holding a straw basket full of what seems like ripe red strawberries.
With my hand in my black leather jacket, I opened my umbrella and walked with it towards her.
The rain was crazy and she was standing there, just standing there without any shelter over her head.
Her eyes were moving up to the skies and then down to the strawberries consistently. She had a similarly similar to a cat collar on her neck but instead of a bright silver bell hanging down from it, a Vivienne Westwood hung at the collar’s central. Her cheeks were puffed out and she had the most adorable pout on her face. She kept blinking her eyes and I knew she could barely see from the rain pouring down her face. And her hands were stretched out straight as the water flowed down from the bottom of the straw basket.
I stood next to her and the umbrella sheltered us. I stood there and just looked at her, without saying a word.
It took her a couple of minutes before her vision cleared up and she turned and purred at me. “Miao?”
“What are you doing in the rain?” I asked coolly.
She blinked her eyes a couple of times and the eyes… They were covered by mismatched a deep lavendar and amber contacts but those black irises, were big and intense. They immediately captivated me. It felt like they could see right through me. “Just washing strawberries.” She replied in Japanese calmly.
I was slightly dumbfounded. From those eyes and her reply. Seeing that I had no reaction, she resumed her activity and looked straight to the front.
What I did next, I believed to be of my subconscious but I snatched the basket of strawberries over from her with the hand I was holding my umbrella with and my free hand grabbed one of her small hands and I started walking, pulling her along. I felt some of the strawberries fall to the ground but I didn’t care. She didn’t stop me either. She just, laissez-faire (let it be).
“Tschh,” or something like that escaped her lips. I heard her from slightly lagging behind me. I finally stopped when there was proper shelter over both of us. I was still holding the basket but I let her hand go. She used both hands and gently wiped the water from her face.
“You are crazy to do something like this.” I chided her gently as if I have known her for more than 5 minutes of my life. She was about half a head shorter in those shoes; she had to be even shorter without them shoes. She seemed to ignore what I said and took out a folded wet handkerchief from her dress’ pocket and used it to wipe the water off my face. It didn’t work very well but it got half the water off my face and I resisted the impulse to press her hand against my face just to feel her softness.
“Namae wa nan des-ka? (What’s your name)” I asked her.
“Ichigo des.” She took a little bow.
“Ichigo?” She nodded. “I’m Taeyang. It means Sun in Korean.”
“Taiyou, in Japanese.” She translated.
“And you’re Ttalgi, in Korean.” She looked slightly confused. “That means strawberry in Korean.”
“I know. Or you can call me Avii,” she smiled again, “whichever you prefer.”
“Come on,” I shut my umbrella, held her basket of strawberries and pulled her hand along again. “Let’s get you some dry clothes.”
We bought her some dry capris, a blank vest over a white tank top from a departmental store. “What are we going to do about these wet clothes?” We managed to stuff all her wet stuff into this tiny bag that the saleslady gave.
“Drop them at the laundry?” She shrugged. I was slightly delighted by her. She had started talking more and she turns out to be a little hyper, a little enthusiastic, a little cool and conventionally, adorably pretty. “Ahhh, let’s go.” Before I knew it, she’d grabbed my hand and we were running down the escalators, down the levels right to the basement where the laundry place was.
“They say be back in an hour, where do you say we go?” We were for some strange unknown reason, holding hands and she had coaxed the laundry boss to take care of her basket of strawberries for her.
“You do realize that you’re still shoe-less right?” I glanced down at her feet, a little wary. “We can’t go anywhere unless you have shoes.”
“Why don’t we join the Toms Shoes effort? Go barefoot for an hour?” She shrugged again and she tugged at my arm in a pleading manner. “Jebal? (Please)”
“You speak Korean?” I think my brows rose amusedly. She laughed at my reaction.
“A little, Taeyang oppa.” She winked. “Come on, take off those shoes,” she nudged me. And I don’t even know this girl that long, I willingly removed my red wing shoes and wriggled my toes which seemed to have stiffened due to the cold pouring rain. She let go of my hand and left the shoes with the laundry man as well. When she came back, she naturally just reached for my hand.
“So what do we do now?” I asked, suddenly feeling quite aware of the slight stench that was coming from my feet. She seemed to have caught my expression, she followed up with the pretend act of sniffing the air. I poked her in her ribs and she stopped. Not without shaking her head first though.
“We walk in the rain,” she grinned. My jaws slightly dropped open but I let her lead me whenever she wanted. I was willing, I don’t know why but I am totally willing to follow her. I am Taeyang, Taeyang! This shouldn’t be happening to me. Spell. Bound. And now, I have cold feet, literal cold.
I bought her a single sunflower from this florist. The rain had decreased to a light drizzle. “You notice?” She suddenly said. “It feels great when the rain falls on the face, and the sunlight bounces off the skin, leaving it slightly warm and moist.” Then she paused, “Eew. Where did I learn to talk like Babo Odii?” Before I could ask anything, she shook it off.
“This is fun, isn’t it?” She stuck her tongue out to ‘catch the rain’.
“You know rain is different from snow right?” I tried to sound cool as I said that.
“It’s still water? Come on, let’s slow walk. People walk too fast in the city anyways.”
“Everyone’s just busy.” I keep thinking I sound too cool. But it’s a façade that I really don’t want to throw away.
“Maybe,” she shrugged. A couple of girls who were holding pink umbrellas and brisk walking, waved to her.
“Hi Ichigo!” They had huge smiles on their faces but the speed of walking remained the same.
“Hi Yuki! Hi Emi!” She waved with the same energy back at the girls. They took a quick glance my way and gave me a brief nod before they walked past us.
“Are those your friends?”
“Yep,” she replied short.
“So what was that about?” I frowned. “They didn’t stop to even give you a hug or ask you about you and I both?”
She started humming to Jason Mraz’s You and I. I just sighed, intending to drop the subject. But she came back to it. “This is how hectic life is. Anyway, it’s ok. I’m not very close to them. Do you smoke?” She asked suddenly.
“Not on a frequent basis but yes.” All my dudes smoke. It’s just a matter of how many sticks per day. Me, I’m mild. A or two a day or sometimes none at all.
“Well, don’t. Does ‘wonders’ for your image but for your health, tsch.”
“I will smoke less.” I removed my jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. I thought she looked cold, she just returned her thanks with a simple look.
“So how’s your life like?” She asked me, a complete stranger. Who is still holding her hand and enjoying her company by the way.
“I’m 22, am in an underground band and I’m a dance instructor when I’m not rapping.”
She looked at me, slightly amazed. “Woah, you’re cool.”
“Thanks,” I grinned despite myself. “How about you?”
“I’m two years younger and hmm, between things. Between passion of dancing and working in the media industry. I like to sing, and take photos,” she smiled. “And I love cats.” There were a million questions I felt like asking her but I just nodded.
“So we both like dance,” I looked at her seriously, “Wanna bust a move?”
“Now?” She stopped in her tracks. “You think we can?”
“Sure why not? We both have feet dirty dirty and a great sense of rhythm.” I flipped out my cell phone and, “BoA’s Eat You Up ok?” The public space is not a place where I would like to dance to something too girl-y. And Avii looks like she’ll appreciate BoA anyways.
“You betcha,” a huge grin appeared on her face.
And so, we bust a move and danced to BoA’s Eat You Up, in the rain, barefoot and almost nobody even stop to watch and when we finished, we laughed at ourselves in hysterics.
“That was awesome!”
“I know! I wish someone videoed us down.” She smiled.
“You know, I don’t remember having so much fun for a long time.” I admitted. “Thank-you.” She hit my head and stuck out her tongue.
“It’s ok, I needed that as well.” And I realize that I like her, she’s really cool.
This time around, I took her hand and we continued walking.
“Is it alright if I ask then?”
Her face reflected her confusion, then it dawned upon her. “Oh… You know we have barely known each other for an hour.”
“And we have connected like no one else has.” And I am still resisting the urge to kiss you. She looked at me once again with those piercing eyes of hers. I held my glance steady.
“You mean for the big crazy act of washing strawberries under the rain, dressed up like that.”
I nodded. She bit her lower lip and looked a bit reluctantly but was trying to will herself to tell me. “It’s ok, I think I want to tell you. After all, you were the only one who dared approach me, so crazy in the rain.”
“You charmed me into it,” I teased and she chuckled softly. I waited for her response.
“Well, my cat died today.” She looked bored, but underneath that uncaring expression, one could tell she was in pain.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I really was. Death well, is always sad.
“Me too,” she hiccuped and her head sort of drooped down a little, a little like a withering flower.
“Come here,” I opened my arms and embraced her. She cried a little and I just soothingly pat her. It doesn’t even feel weird, in fact it felt as if this wasn’t the first time we were together like this. But I never knew her from before. I won’t pass up a girl like her. She finally stopped crying after a while.
“God forbid He lets you cry,” I blurted out and wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks. She gave me a slight smile to let know she was feeling better.
So we continued walking and we end up at the park. We stopped almost exactly at the place where we first met. The fallen strawberries marked the place.
I picked up two of them and handed them to her. She looked at me, slightly puzzled.
“Let’s go make a wish,” and I pulled her along to the central of the park where there was a huge 3-tier water fountain and stopped in front of it.
“Here,” I picked up a small pebble from the floor and pretended to wish for something, and threw it up into the fountain. “The higher the tier you managed to get your item in, the more likely your wish will come true.”
“Hmm…” She mused, and then handed me one of the strawberries. “You make a wish too.”
“What are you going to wish for?” As she approached the fountain slowly and with the strawberry in both hands in a praying gesture.
“I’m wishing that the Lord has a place for my cat, Bi in Heaven.” And she threw the strawberry up. It ended on the second tier and she looked at me slightly disappointed. “Does that mean my wish won’t come true?”
“Aniya, make another wish.” I returned the fruit to her and she made the same wish. Instead of letting her throw, I found myself doing something which I won’t originally do. I climbed into the water fountain, waddled towards its central, made a mad leap for it and managed to dunk the strawberry into the first tier.
She clapped and laughed.
I winked, “I play basketball.”
“Doomo,” she gave me a brief hug. She smells nice.
“Thanks. Look, fish!” She pointed at the fountain. “Aren’t you glad you didn’t step on them? It would make sushi!”
I found myself laughing hard at her joke. She looked really amused and she started laughing.
“So you found your joke funny, finally?” I asked her and pushed the hair back behind her ear.
“Iie, I just found your reaction very funny. Sushi.” She beamed.
I started laughing again. She observed me while I laughed and then got a little annoyed.
“Stop already,” I got smacked.
“Hai,” I replied shortly. “So where do you want to go now?”
“Do you like to ice-skate?”
“Ice-skate?” I frowned, “yea I do like that but you do realize that it’s Summer right? There’s no frozen lake around?”
“There’s an ice-skating rink in the mall!” She jumped up in realization. “Let’s go there!”
“Ok?”
A couple of minutes later, we reached the place and, “it’s closed today! Aww!”
“Tough luck, better luck next time, kiddo.” I acted and I saw a glint appear in her eyes. That kinda scared me because the last time she said that, we went barefoot and running up escalators barefoot is kind of like being slapping by hard metal every time you take a step. “I don’t like that look. It means you’re up to no good.” I told her honestly.
“Yes, I know. You’re not the only one, but come on. We’ll trespass and just sit by the rink.”
“Oh, you’re thinking of more. You want to walk on the rink don’t you?”
“Maybe?” A slight mischievous smile appeared on her lips. “Come!”
I groaned, totally speechless at her shenanigans and my disability to reject any of her suggestions. We climbed over the metal gates, which was really easy to ‘scale’.
“It’s cold,” she suddenly shivered. I looked at her with narrowed eyes and she laughed. “You wanna share the jacket? Here,” she unwrapped my jacket around her shoulders and tried to wrap it around the both of us, “let’s share.”
“Em, thanks.” I pulled on to one side of the jacket and she held the other side. I put my hand around her waist and she did the same. We took a seat by the rink because we both agreed (after trying) that walking on the rink without shoes is really crazy, even for us.
“Coffee or tea?” I asked her. We started asking each other random questions about our preferences.
“Hmm,” she considered seriously, “coffee?”
“Me too.” I nodded. “BoA or Lee Hyori?”
“I can’t pick! I love them both!” She protested, “you?”
“SNSD,” I laughed and she hit me.
“My turn, black or white?” Before I answer, she hit herself, “definitely black. Why did I bother to ask?”
“No, actually I prefer hot pink.” Her eyes widened, “I’m kidding. Black, you’re right. Black for you too?” She nodded and smiled.
“So punk music or R&B?”
“Anything I can rap or dance to is good. I don’t really have a preference.”
“So ballads are no good for you?”
“Oh no, they’re good, but I prefer if the ballads are really emotional, those heart-wrenching emotional. Makes me feel alive.”
“You’re sick,” she poked me in the ribs.
“There’s nothing wrong with me and you know that. You like ballads then?” Her head bobbed.
“I like all music. Can you sing?” She asked eagerly.
“I’ll sing a little for you if you want?” She nodded enthusiastically. “What would you like to hear?”
After some consideration, “How about ‘Wedding Dress’?”
I shrugged; I know that song by heart. “Baby jebal geuui soneul japjima Cuz you should be my Lady oraen sigan gidaryeo on nal dorabwajwo” And I stopped. “How was that?”
“Pretty good! You have a pretty voice.” She looked awed.
“That’s not a compliment to a guy?” I frowned a little.
“It is. That means, in industrial terms, you have the ability to charm the skirts of girls with your voice.”
“That’s better. You know your stuff!” I praised her and she threw me a haughtily glance.
“Yes I know that.”
“Cocky,” I hit her head and she gave me another smug look.
“Ame or Yuki?” She asked me.
“I prefer Autumn but if I really have to pick…” I tried to make up my mind and decided that I couldn’t decide. “Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll like any season with you in it.”
I think both of us were surprised at my answer. I know I was at myself and she was looking at me kind of strangely. I thought she would break away and chide me for being crazy but instead she replied, saying, “I like any season with you in it too.”
“That’s cool,” I kissed her hair gently and I think she liked it. She made a pleased cat-like face at me and went, “mew~”.
“Ahh, I could use with an ice-cream right now.” I blurted. “It will freeze real nice.”
“And what flavour would you like?” She rested her head on my shoulder.
“Well, I would like just a plain vanilla one, and before eating it, you have this bowl of Dark Rum liquor and you have to soak the whole ice-cream, but not the cone into it and like so it will be totally flavoured with Rum. And when you eat it, you get totally intoxicated. My perfect ice-cream dream.”
“Alcoholic,” she stuck out her tongue playfully at me.
“No. What made you say so?” I grinned and nudged her, “what would be yours?”
“Just a big strawberry fruit and inside the fruit, it would be full of something strawberry cream and colourful mini marshmallows and outside it would be slightly coated with dark chocolate so it’s not all sweet?” She frowned, “I think?”
“Ooh, an ice-cream with an attitude. I’ll like to try that after I finish my Rum one. Would you like a taste of my invention?”
“Will I see stars after that? I kinda want to see the whole universe, the stars, blackholes and everything.” She gestured with her arms.
“That remains to be seen but I will work on that. When I get that working, I’ll give you a call.”
“I’ll like that.” She looked down at her toes, “Oppa, I think my toes are freezing.”
“Mine too,” I tried to move mine and they barely moved. “Let’s get out of here while we still have twenty toes.” She laughed.
We sneaked out and suddenly someone shouted, “What are you doing here?” And we took to our heels, laughing, gasping and panting all at the same time. We didn’t stop until we were out of the mall.
“That was fun!” She cheered, “We should do that again!”
“Okay, but with shoes next time? My feet hurt.”
“Okay. Look,” she grabbed my wrist and peered into my watch, “it’s been two hours!”
“Really? Felt like ten minutes,” I shrugged. I realized we didn’t say how much time we were going to spend together. It had been a rather crazy afternoon… “Should we go get…”
Out of a sudden, we heard someone yelling in the streets. It sounded like…
“Ttalgi! Ttalgi! Aish, babo! Where are you?”
“You think the voice is looking for you?” I asked her.
“How many people you know in Japan called Ttalgi?” Her brows rose amusedly. “Yea, it’s probably for me.”
“Yawgi!” She shouted to no one in particular. “Yawgi!”
The voice stopped calling out and a bespectacled girl spotted us and went “OH!” and started running in our direction.
“Aish Ttalgi! Where have you been? I have been calling you non-stop!” The older girl ran towards Avii, gave her a brief hug and then hit her on the head.
“I forgot my phone! Don’t worry, I was safe, I was with TaeYang. And I was about to call you.” The younger girl protested and took the girl’s arm and pulled her towards me. “Eonni, this is TaeYang. TaeYang, this is JaeEun.”
“TaeYang? Sun in Korean?” The older girl frowned slightly. “What kind of name is that?”
“Eonni, don’t be mean. He’s been a sun to me all day, rescued me from the rain.” She hit the older girl playfully. “Took me shopping and bought me clothes, see?” She gestured to her new and not so clean outfit.
“I see,” Eun replied a little stiffly, “well,” she looked at me a little more kindly now, “sorry I’m so sceptical, she always end up with the wrong company, and I am glad you’re not.”
“Eonni, can you please pick up my laundry and get us some juice? I’m thirsty, I promise I won’t run away,” Avii beamed.
“Yaksok?” The older girl was still frowning.
“Haiiiii.”
“I’ll entrust her in your care then,” she looked pointedly at me.
“She’s weird,” I told Avii once the girl was out of earshot.
“She is also nice,” she laughed casually.
“You’re Korean?” I asked Avii in surprise.
“Iie, I’m half Japanese and half Chinese. I have Korean cousins.” She smiled innocently at me, “my real name is Lin Hong Bao.”
Ichigo… Avii… Then I put the pieces together and it kinda stuck me. “Nani?! You’re the ‘faceless’ girl who just debuted and first single won the #3 on the Orion Charts aren’t you? I love your version of Ame No Hankagai! I’m a fan, you know?”
She returned me with a well-practiced smile. It was that kind of smile that stars you see on TV naturally return with when someone praised them.
“Guilty as charged,” she put up her right hand in the air. “Sorry I didn’t say,” she looked half-sorry but half-determined, “but I thought things would be different if I told you that. You won’t see me as…” Before she finish, I continued.
“As who you really are.” I did a mock surrender action. “I’m not blaming you.”
She looked relieved and also a little guilty for having lied to me. “I’m glad we met.”
I reached for her hand, “naturally, me too.”
“Here,” she took my hand and opened my palm. Then with her finger, she signed her name on it, “To TaeYang, with love, Avii.”
“Thanks. Now I have something to brag to the guys about.” I chuckled.
We just stood there and looked at each other for a moment. The older girl, Eun returned with the laundry, the basket of strawberries and tapped her foot impatiently. She opened the can of juice and passed it to Avii and handed an unopened one to me. I shook my head, rejecting her. She shrugged.
“I don’t mean to nag,” she started and Avii cut her off. “But closed-door event in an hour, Ttalgi.”
“I know, give me a moment, I’m just saying goodbye.” The girl nodded and gave me a brief smile. She went to stand in a corner and started fidgeting with all the things she was holding.
“I had a great time,” she swung my hand a little, “thank-you for everything.”
“Me too,” I was suddenly grieved at that this was our last moment together. I don’t want this to end.
“So..”
“Soo,” we both said at the same time. “You go first,” I offered.
“So, give me your phone,” I took it out and handed to her willingly. She took a photo of herself and dialled in her number, then attached the image to her contact.
“So, call me ok?” She said, half-commanding, half-questioning.
“I will,” and I kind of finally decide to give into my impulse. I leaned in and we shared a kiss. One of those kisses that will linger on your mind, in your life for a long time to come.
And that you knew this moment was special.
“And I will call you,” And I meant it. The first time a girl asks me to call her, and I really mean it.
She looked down at the leather jacket, “do you think I can?”
“Yea, keep it. I’ll love for you to keep it.” I hugged her and she replied, muffled.
“I’ll wear this for my next performance, keep an eye out ok?”
“I will, I’ll see you again.”
“I know… Goodbye” She gave me a gentle peck on the cheek and those piercing eyes smiled at me. And she walked away towards Eun, throwing lingering glances at me every once and then.
I waved until I no longer see her. I collected my shoes from the Laundry man and thanked him verbally for his kindness. With my umbrella in my hand, I walked out of the mall and the sun was shining. The rain had stopped but I kinda miss listening to its pitter patter. I realized that I was still barefoot. I looked at the soles of my feet. And they were surprisingly cleaner than I thought.
Like how this day turned out fun and more meaningful than I imagined.
I sat down by the sidewalk and suddenly her song came into my mind.
“Your cologne, for some reason is nostalgic, these wavering days
Stay here until morning comes, stop the time
A false promise, at the station platform, you said we'll meet again
Although its a parting, goodbye see you again, until we meet again
"A false promise, goodbye see you again, until we meet again"”
Yep, I took out my phone and looked at her photo, “until we meet again baby.”
I smiled, stood up and headed for home.
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