9. Canada

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A visual for today's episode, enjoy!

Today goes by as usual.

Yuzuru left early in the morning, leaving the condo empty when Reika woke up. As always Reika always cooks something with what they have, even though she knows no one would eat the food but herself.

The afternoon was so boring. Reika had no one to talk to, she was alone in a stranger's country. She spent her afternoon by watching online lectures from her university to distract her mind, and they worked for a while.

Until Yuzuru suddenly comes home.

Surprised, Reika looks at the clock. 4 p.m? Usually Yuzuru never went home before 10 p.m. She knows he is trying to avoid her. It hurts her, especially when she sees how Yuzuru's facial expression hardens whenever he sees her. It's as though she has done something so terrible and unforgivable. She tried so hard to remember what she did wrong, but nothing really comes to mind.

"O-okaeri, Yuzuru-san." Reika walks to him and help him remove his jacket, but Yuzuru slaps her hands away. "I can do it on my own, it's okay."

Ah, yes. She forgot for a second that Yuzuru hates her.

"Can I ask why you're home early today?" She reluctantly asks. Yuzuru takes a deep breath before turning to her, and with a wide cheerful smile, says, "We're having dinner together today! Do you like ramyeon?"

After being treated coldly for so long, seeing Yuzuru smiling is like a taze of electricity to her. She wants to feel happy, but deep inside she knows.

It was a fake smile.

And so even if her heart hurts, she plays along.

"Yes, ramen would be nice," Reika says softly as she fakes a smile. "But, are you sure it's alright with you?"

"Hm?" Yuzuru tilts his head with a holded grin on his face. "What do you mean?"

"It's just... You're an athlete and such... You should be eating healthy fo-"

"Ah of course!" Yuzuru interrupts her words. "It won't be instant ramyeon, of course! We're going to a nice place! Unlike you maybe, I don't eat instant stuffs."

Reika looks down, but inside she refutes. "That's not true," she mutters softly. My mother always cooks the best food.

"Also, it's ramyeon, not ramen, you silly! Ramyeon is korean noodles." Yuzuru laughs as he grabs his coat. Reika puts on her cardigan in silence before following Yuzuru outside.

"Are we taking a taxi?" She asked.

"No," Yuzuru stares at the sky for a few seconds. Then, he smiles. The sad kind of smile, as if he remembers something melancholic and bitter. "We're taking the subway."

Reika doesn't like that smile of his.

***

Treat her nice, Yuzu. Don't be a jerk.

Those are Tracy's words to him when he left TCC. He told his team about this distant between him and Reika, and how Reika keeps bringing up bad memories for him. He had hoped to be supported, but instead everyone scolded him and tell him to be nice.

Ugh.

"It sure is spicy," Reika wipes her mouth with a tissue. "I didn't know you like spicy food, Yuzuru-san."

"Hm," Yuzuru put some more of the noodles in his mouth, enjoying the spicy sensation burning his tongue. "I didn't, at first. But then I got used to it because we come here a lot."

"We?" She looks at him, curious. "Do you often come here with Javier-san? I met him at the wedding reception, he's a really nice guy! I heard you're very close with him."

Yuzuru doesn't answer, instead, he looks around the restaurant, scanning people who are eating their food face by face.

"Not today too, huh..." Yuzuru softly mutters.

"Did you say something, Yuzuru-san?"

Yuzuru looks over to Reika, who has her round wide eyes opened like a doll. It bothers him. "Say, have you ever get plastic surgery?"

Reika gasp at the question and almost cough out the food in her mouth. "Of course no! Why would you even think that?"

"Well..." Yuzuru can't help but smirk. "You really look like a doll. Hehe."

Reika blinks her eyes a few times. Don't feel happy, she thought. Don't feel happy, don't feel happy, don't!

"It creeps me sometimes. You know those dolls on horror movies? Your eyes look just like them."

Reika sighs, feeling fed up at this man in front of her. But she makes no comments and proceed with eating. She's used to this. Muffling her emotions is nothing.

They finished eating and Yuzuru decide to walk around Canada and show Reika around.

"This is the park..." Yuzuru points at the Vermont Square Park. The area is covered with green grass and trees on the sides with benches near them, and children can be seen playing on the swings.

"They have a rink there too. Though it's for hokey."

"I see," Reika replied, looking disinterested. She keeps her head down the whole time and refused to look at Yuzuru in the eyes.

It bothers him.

"Hey," Yuzuru ardently pulls her wrist. Reika stops her steps and faces him, but still refuses to lift her face.

"What's wrong with you?"

She doesn't answer.

Aish. Impatient, Yuzuru grabs her chin and lift her face up. "Look at me."

"What is it that you want from me? There is nothing wrong with me, therefore I didn't answer." Reika snaps back, her expression looks purely annoyed. She turns her face away from his hand. "And please refrain to touch me in public."

"Ah, sorry." Yuzuru lets his hand fall by his side. For a moment he forgot, that even though they're in Canada, both of them are pure Japanese. And Japanese people don't show much affection in public.

"We're done eating, aren't we? Let's go back. There's an online class I have to attend." Without waiting for his response, Reika turns around and walks on the pavement back home.

"Rei!"

Reika gasps as she turns to him, her face red. Angry. "What did you just call me?!"

"...Rei?" Yuzuru innocently repeats. He has no idea why Reika is this mad. Why should she? He's only calling her.

"Onegai!" Reika shouts in frustration. "Please... Don't call me Rei."

People starts to notice them. Reika shouting japanese words makes them stand out even more. People are looking as they walk by. Yuzuru is used to eyes watching him, but that makes Reika very uncomfortable.

Her face is as red as a tomato as she walks away, fastening her steps. She's angry. He calls her "Rei", a name only family members call her by. She's embarrassed. People looks at her on the streets. Yuzuru running behind her to catch up.

Eventually she was overwhelmed.

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