Seriously Joking, Jokingly Serious

Prologue

His Voice ( The Prankster's Voice)

What was that? Did I hear you correctly? Have I ever taken a woman seriously? Yeah, I did once. And it was all in vain...

It was all in vain, simply because what we see is not always what is real. Even what is termed as "love" is often distorted by people callous enough to do so.

I thought "love" was all it took for a relationship to work. I was stupid enough to give my heart to a girl who I believed accepted as I am, faults,weaknesses, and shortcomings thrown in.

As I look back, I see how foolish I had been. She had never been truly in love with me.She had fallen for what she thought was the real me.

Is being what I am enough of a reason for me to be despised and abhored? I am what I am. Take and accept me completely, or leave me entirely.

So I had changed, and certainly not for the better. I swore never to let myself fall for a woman ever again. I began to stop viewing women as person who possess value. Instead, I viewed them as objects, playthings who satisfy my physical needs. I play with them, they play with me... No strings attached.

Deep inside, though, I know this is all a facade. Behind the charming and playful mask that I wear is a person who still longs to be accepted for who he is...

Fate has a rather nasty way of playing tricks on people, it seems. I came to meet someone who appeared to see through the pretenses I've been keeping for God knows how long.

Will the day come when I can say, " Seriously, I've stopped joking?"

Her Voice (The Man-hater's Voice)

People can't be trusted... More often than not, they'll only hurt and disappoint you...

Why do I say so? I've experienced it personally. I was abandoned by my father when I was still a little kid. I saw him neglect our family because of another woman.

This was enough for my faith in people to be shattered. I came to despise people who play with others' emotions. It also left in constant fear of ever being emotionally attached to people, men in particular.

Sure, I'll fool around with them. I've come to terms with the fact doing so is expected of me as a would- be geisha. I'll let them possess my body but never my heart...

Still, one never knows what life will bring... In this case, it came in the form of a man who epitomized everything I hate, or did it?

Because then, I saw through the facade he has been hiding behind in for so long... Behind his devil-may-care attitude is a person tormented by a scarred past.

I couldn't help but wonder... Will a day come when I can finally say, "Seriously, I've learned how to take life a little bit lightly?"