Camp Criminal (NSFW)

Chapter 28

(February 2)
Since I heard about Yuuma's backstory, and he mentioned how he and Ana went to high school together, I wanted to hear more about it from Ana. Luckily I was assigned to clean the kitchen for community service where I could talk with her. I began my cleaning before bringing it up.

"Hey Ana, Yuuma told me that you two attended high school together. How'd you guys become friends?" I ask.

"Ah, right, yeah, we met in high school for the first time!" Ana exclaimed. "Yuuma stuck out like a sore thumb because of his height and demeanor. Everyone was wary of him and he was left all alone. But I thought he didn't seem so bad. I quickly realized that he just looked scary, when in reality, he wasn't scary at all! I tried to strike up a conversation one day and since then we've been great friends!"

"Poor Yuuma... That sounds like he was lonely before he met you..."

"Haha, I'm not sure if that's it exactly! Maybe he was a bit lonely, but he likes tackling problems on his own. The problem in high school was making it to graduation successfully. That's probably also why he ghosted me for a while after high school ended..."

"He ghosted you!?" I need to tell Yuuma why that's not cool at all. How could he!? Especially to the kind Ana!?

"Don't get too worked up, we're fine now! But of course I didn't like how he disappeared on me like that... Sure I was busy with college, but he could have at least mentioned what he was up to. It took way too long for me to find out that his dad went to prison as well... I would have lent my help if he asked for it." She folded her arms and shook her head.

"Did you know his dad?"

"I met him a handful of times, but only briefly. He seemed like a nice guy. He was more expressive than Yuuma, but not like you or I. I was surprised to hear that he ended up in prison. But that's what started this whole thing, y'know?" She motioned to the building and the camp as a whole with her hand. "He studied law and everything related to the justice system. He became a police officer. Then he finally called me again, saying he wanted to ask me something. Hearing him again... Especially after so long... I couldn't help but drop everything and go meet him."

Ana wore an almost melancholic smile on her face as she gazed at the floor. It feels like... her feelings towards him are deeper than I thought...

She brightened with a better smile. "I really should have punched him though!! But the first thing out of his mouth was an apology. Like, seriously? You ghost me for years, then suddenly call me out of the blue one day, and then apologize like it was nothing? I want to go back and punch him for real!! Yet I couldn't after his apology. He explained about his idea for the camp. He sincerely asked for my help with it. His eyes sparkled like I've never seen before. How could I say no to that?"

"So that's how you became our chef... But why choose the camp? You said you went to college right? What were you doing besides that? Weren't there a bunch of restaurants that wanted your amazing skills?"

"Oh, you flatter me. But yes, I studied culinary arts in college and worked at different restaurants. I was having a lot of fun, but I couldn't find a place to settle down for some reason. I wonder if I unconsciously knew somehow that Yuuma would come back and I'd go with him for the rest of my life. Every restaurant that I tried out wanted me, but I couldn't stay there. I had so many emails about people wanting me to be their chef, some detailing the large sum of money that they'd pay me for my work. But I couldn't. I'd rather be somewhere I feel comfortable... Somewhere I can always smile... And I don't want to be just anyone's chef... I want to be Yuuma's chef..."

I take a pause in my cleaning. I stare at the look on Ana's face as she looks down at the floor. I open my mouth. The words don't come out. I close it. Then I try again.