Café, Waiting, Love 。The way he’s laughing is a bit over the top, but it slowly fades out just as the ending credits of a film. It all happens from a different laughter filling the air instead, the one of higher pitch and an irresistible tone. He swears that it’s suddenly lit up the room to another level of brightness. There’s something so comforting, so homely about her laugh, and it catches both his interest and attention. He wants to hear it again; he wants to hear it always, forever until the world reaches never. He’s captivated and there’s a genuine smile perched along his lips.
He hasn’t smiled like this in ages.
“Embarrassing together, yeah. Prov-together. Same thing.” The touch she gives him in natural, and he doesn’t feel it the least foreign. Instead, he sits to just accept it, and watches the girl’s mind switch gears in between two moments. She’s flustered again, as seen by the brief glimpse of her rosy, red cheeks. There was another moment here where he couldn’t help but to smile, again. It was as if he was probing his reflection in the near by mirror. The admittance of a vaguely embarrassing line, then the feeling of wanting to disappear into a corner somewhere — and the way the feeling burned up your cheeks and caused you to cringe even further. He knew it all too well.
His feet helped him to stand again, and his eyes were better at observing his surroundings this time. He made sure no towers of textbooks would be blocking his way as he stood outside the kitchen entrance, besides the wall that separated it from the living room. “Uh, sure, I’d love a slice.” The girl had proceeded to come out afterwards, and he followed this time again, taking a seat into one of the chairs. It was clear of how ridiculously embarrassed the girl was, and he was trying to draft a method of how he, himself usually deterred from the feeling.
“It wasn’t really that embarrassing.” He pauses and makes sure he’s got her attention, offering a pleasant smile. “One time, I met this wonderful, beautiful girl after her concert… and totally freaked out.” The memory slowly recollects, and it forms images of the same night in his head. “So I tripped — as usual, right in front of her and fell on the ground there… and she was laughing, because it was so funny.” A hand now rests upon his forehead, and a look full of regret once again appears. “My first meeting with my biggest idol and I fall upon her feet… not in the way I wanted to, anyway. But see, that was way more embarrassing.”
“Oh yea, it is huh” she murmured to herself, still afraid to turn herself around to face him. Although it was the same, she still felt her emotions waver and her cheeks uncontrollably red. It was as if their roles had switched. Just a few moments ago, his sudden phrase made him bashful and unable to meet he eyes, and now, she was doing exactly the same. Thankfully though, her blanket covered most of her face, and she had hoped that it was enough to hide the redness of her cheeks.
At the sound of his voice, low and gentle, unlike her high-pitched laced with nervous energy, Tina looked at him, cheeks still red and eyes filled with uncertainty “Of course, there’s totally nothing embarrassing” Tina stuttered in an attempt to calm herself, which had obviously failed at the slightest shyness that danced around edge of her voice and her stiff smile in return to his pleasant one. As the other recounted his history of embarrassment, Tina listened and looked at him with wide-eyes brimming with curiosity. The way he unfolded his story with the various intonations of his voice, the various gestures of his bodily language of falling down, and the subtle expression of regret that complemented the scenarios of his story caught Tina’s attention. The previous embarrassment forgotten, and the sound of his voice comforted Tina. Tina laughed at his story, “That is pretty embarrassing” Tina mused as the smile hung on her lips "At least, she’ll remember you the most now" Tina encouraged, and nodded.
The sky turned moonless, and the snow fell heavier. Recollecting the goal of his visit, Tina tip-toed towards the door and noticed that her neighbour had been long gone. Only the empty hallway, snowy hallway remained without a hint of the previous cracked pot, just like the stranger’s visit. A visit that came and went without a trace, and another memory of their encounter buried within. But, she didn’t want him to go, though she would never admit that to him. Her bad day and a day that was doomed to be lonely turned into a memorable one because of him. Despite her wants, she had to let him go. After all, he had other things to get to, especially his work. However, she didn’t know how to say goodbye, goodbyes was something she wasn’t good at. In fact, she hated saying goodbyes, so she returned to her seat and munched into her cold pizza in silence.
NAME: Tina Tamashiro
