strawberries and cigarettes | h. rindou

chapter 11: let the rain kiss you

three days passed by without any contact with rindou and i admit that i've been worried. maybe he's busy preparing for his business? still, it's normal for friends to get anxious right?

who am i even kidding with, friends? i don't want to stay as friends with rindou. i just can't trust him for now, it may sound harsh but i can't trust his words.

i decided to just work the whole day, i'm staying at his place for a while until i can buy a good place. today, i worked from home because i was too lazy or should i say i didn't have the energy to do anything.

it's past my dinner time, i usually eat around six in the evening but two hours passed by and i haven't eaten anything. i tied my hair and brought some money with me, a smile formed on my lips remembering my first encounter with rindou was because i decided to eat outside.

i got it in the elevator while humming some lyrics from a song. my days are different without him, the elevator door opened and right in front of my eyes i saw rindou with another woman.

it felt like someone threw me a bucket of cold water, the woman was pretty even prettier than me. she was covering her mouth with a fan trying to hide her beautiful smile. rindou's expression couldn't be seen but it looks like he's making her laugh.

if he wanted to go party and get some ladies why here? even if kept on denying that i don't want him still he's aware that i have feelings for him.

rindou's gaze was about to fall on me and i started to click the close button while panicking. a deep relief left my body after the door closed. my body fell on the floor, i started shaking, tears were falling and i'm certain that i got angry on myself.

why am i even reacting this way after rejecting rindou? after telling people that we're just friends? it's stupid to say that, i know for myself that i want more than that.

the elevator door opened and i hurriedly went inside my room to cry. after a few minutes of bawling my eyes out i look like a mess and took a shower to calm myself.

a purple silk night gown wrapped around my body while i drink some wine. i wonder if he's having fun right now? an hour passed by and there was no sign of him, i was expecting him to visit me.

my heart skipped a beat after my door bell rang, i decided to look at the person who's outside by the screen beside the door. it's rindou, he's wearing a formal attire the same outfit as earlier. this time three buttons were open and his necktie hanging beside his collar untied.

i wanted to act normal like i didn't see anything so i opened the door. a smile formed on his lips immediately after seeing me, i tried to smile back even if it hurts to pretend.

"hey, i miss you." rindou leaned in to press a kiss on my lips but out of reflex i stepped back. he raised his eyebrows in confusion and i just greeted him with a smile.

"what brings you here?" my hands went up to this coat to fix it since it got messy. he did had fun, well if that makes him happy then it doesn't matter if i got hurt.

"can't i visit my woman? i've been busy for the past three days preparing for the business." rindou went inside the place and locked the door.

he bend down to reach my height and looked at me in the eyes which i tried to avoid. please, i hope he doesn't notice the redness around my eyes or i can just make some excuse.

"b-by the way, have you eaten yet or should i cook for you?" i turned around and made my way to the kitchen to start preparing the ingredients.

rindou took his coat off and placed it on the counter while he follows me from behind. i kept on dropping things from time to time because of him. his gaze kept burning holes behind my back as he leaned his back on the counter hands crossed on his chest.

"how a-about steak? do you want some f-fried rice with it?" why the hell is he staring like that?! i can't keep my composure, i feel like i did something wrong when he's the one who should feel nervous because he was out with some other woman.

i was facing the sink beside the fridge to clean the utensils i'll be using. why the hell am i cooking after telling myself that it was too lazy to cook? i bit my lip in anger hating the situation i got myself in.

rindou's foot steps were getting closer until i felt his hot breathe touched the back of my neck. he placed his left hand on the sink while the other on the fridge locking me in place.

his soft lips started showering my neck with kisses and even my shoulders before placing his head in the of my neck.

"what's our problem?" a shiver went down my spine after feeling his hot breathe and lips moved. our problem? it's just my problem to begin with.

"what do you mean? i don't understand-" rindou turned me around to face him as he looked at me in the eye.

"don't smile if you're not really happy, it's obvious when you're pretending. your eyes looks dead when you force yourself to smile." he trapped me once again this time he's even closer.

"i don't know if i should be offended or not." a nervous chuckle left my lips.

"your eyes smile when you're really happy." rindou's fingers brushed the tears away that were hanging in my eyes from the beginning.

it felt stupid, after rejecting him in front of his friends here i am crying again. he didn't say a word, instead he pulled me in for a hug while rubbing my back.

"w-why would you h-hang around with a-another woman?" i couldn't say the words properly, why am like this?

"another woman? you mean the lady you saw from earlier?" he asked, still hugging me and sometimes he placed kisses on my hair.

rindou carried me bridal style before opening the door in my room placing me gently on the bed. he kneeled down in front of me wiping my tears away even if i still look like a mess.

"you misunderstood it, she was offering me to eat dinner with her but i refused. i told her that i'm already in love with someone else, she laughed it off thinking that i was just pretending." rindou explained, he didn't have to but he kept on going.

"it took me an hour to get here, after that i attended a meeting with some people who's willing to help me on my business." he brushed my hair away from my face.

"why? are you jealous perhaps?" he began to tease me after comforting me.

"hm-mm.." my eyes fluttered as i open them, rindou's expression was different but i couldn't see properly because of my tears.

the room fell silent and it started to rain outside, i wiped my eyes to see clearly. rindou's eyes had a tint of red, his cheeks had a shade of red also, and his lips..

maybe because it's raining that's why i'm seeing things, both of us didn't talk for a while. we enjoyed the comfort that each other was giving along with the rain. it was a misunderstanding after all.

"i didn't expect you to admit that you got jealous." rindou said breaking the silence as he sat next to me on the bed.

"why? what do i usually say?"

"you either teased me back or lie about what you feel." rindou pressed his forehead to mine as he looked at my lips.

"what did you feel after i said the truth?" the cold wind filled the room, i left some windows opened earlier.

"happy, it's a simple word but it felt like you're opening your heart to me slowly." rindou placed a kissed near my eyes.

"if you're not ready yet it's fine with me, if you don't trust me yet i won't force you, and if you don't believe my words then take your time. after all, i did say i would wait for you no matter how long it will take."

the rain calmed down after a while, the smell of the busy streets of tokyo that i loved filled the night sky, and the soft piano that was played outside danced with the wind tonight.

i did some things that might have hurt him, said some words that stayed with him, and lied to him about what i feel but in the end he chose to stay with me. slowly, a warm smile formed on my lips hoping to reach him.

"there, that's the smile i know.." rindou leaned in to press a gentle kiss on my forehead softly like the rain.