IF... [BOOK I]

IF... the cocoons hatch into butterflies

"Uhm, you are Diandra, right?!"

A deep voice called on me again as if trying to confirm whether I was the right person. I turned my head around in hope that was not any of my acquaintance.

Kukukuku isn't that a bit wishful? He already called on your very name though kukukuku

I really wanted to rip this thing apart -- if it had a body, if it had indeed. While feeling nauseous I made eye contact with a man who was dressed in a casual cloth that currently walked slowly toward me.

"Who?" said me in confusion.

"Man, that's cold" answered him while smiling. His smile was so gentle. I kinda--

Like it, eh kukuku

"Sh- shut up!" I unconsciously shouted at the Alien-Sir which currently pointing out my gut feeling right to my face. And of course, I startled the man instead.

"Eh-- ahh-- ugh, no!" baffled me at my own stupidity "I don't mean you, it's-- ugh!"

"Ah, hahaha" laughed him contentedly. He took half a minute to finish his laughter whilst I was seriously stupefied over there.

"Ah, haha, heh, sorry" said him afterwards between the few giggles he did not bother to suppress "You're just too amusing"

Ugh! Amusing?! Isn't that another way of saying I am just plain weird?!

Pfftt beside being clumsy, you are also narrow-minded kukuku  

Grrr! Shut your trap, Alien-Sir! I'm working my ass off here, trying to keep my dignity intact, duh!

None, none. You have none left kukukuku

The man seemed to notice that I was distracted. He cleared up his throat in effort of getting my attention back to him. 

Bloody broccoli! I forgot he was still here!

"Umm, I-- eh, sorry I'm not good at remembering faces, you see"

"Haha, I see" answered him with a few laughter in between, he surely liked to laugh "No wonder, we only ever met once -- not having a real, meaningful talk to boot"

"Ugh, is that so? So I'm safe?"

"Sa-- hahaha" he laughed again. Now it was harder than before. Mother celery, he starts to piss me off.

Yea, yea, piss you off cause every time he laughs, the cocoons on your stomach hatches into butterfly kekekeke

I-- what! Alien-Sir, I'm begging you, stop picking on me. I'm frigging trying to focus here. Tch!

"Well, uh-hum, yeah" he started talking normally again "You are safe, of course"

"Eh, ugh, yeah" I did not know what I should say thereafter. I meant he just called out to me out of the blue. And I did not even know what his intention was.

"Are you going somewhere?" asked after that.

"Ugh-- not really" mumbled me whilst glancing at the coffee shop I was at earlier "I've just gone out from that cafe over there"

"Hm-hm" hummed him while thinking about something "You have anything to do after this?"

"Eh-- no, not really"

"You hungry?"

"I-- "

"Are you going to say not really again?" cut him off in the middle of my murmur.

"Ugh-- n-- not really-- HUH!"

"Pfft" he puffed out, again. I had lost count how many times it was. He kept laughing at anything I did or said.

Literally anything! This is bad, ain't it?!

Yeah, real bad. Your heart beats are kinda annoying now ku~ Please consider my well being as well ku~

I was sure my face was as red as the next shop's patio umbrella. He surely noticed it and aggravatingly enjoying the course of events.

"Well, since you don't really have anything to do and it's almost time for lunch-- " said him whilst looking around "-- may as well joining me for a meal. How about it?"

Do I have a choice?

Nope, you don't kuu~ Just follow him and be chill already. Stop producing butterflies, I'm seriously drown in here ku~

That joke is not one bit funny, Alien-Sir!

Bleh! For once, I'm not joking ku~ I'm bloody suffocated! ku

Good. Now, go die!

"You okay with seafood? Or prefer anything else?"

"I-- I'm good with anything"

"Roger that" After saying that he dragged me toward the nearest Chinese restaurant around the area.

He just ordered whatever he wanted since I literally let him do that. I'm sort on cash, remember?!

Like I have the liberty to be picky about my foods. Even so, if the plot twist befell upon me, this establishment would surely rob me broke -- once he decided to share the bill.

I'd better pray now. May god moves his heart to take upon the bill himself.

Why bother. You don't believe in god, as I said. You should just tell him you are broke ku~ Case closed ku~

Oh you haven't died yet, Alien-Sir?! 

Being sarcastic, are we ku~ Well, now your heart beats for a different reason kukukuku Can't chill child, are we kuu~

During my self-conflict I did not notice the man before me had finished making his orders. Currently he was sitting quietly across me -- scanning, analysing.

Mr. Alien-Sir was also too busy making fun of me that it failed to cover for my blind spots.

We both were ignorant. No. I was the one who were ignorant.

Of the truth of the system. Of how the world I thought I knew was actually worked.

I saw hints but chose to be clueless. And this was going to cost me quite a sum later on.

--\\\--

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