Boy Meets Girl, Girl Meets Boy: A Love Story (Chapter 8)
Chapter Eight
So Friday finally rolled around. I almost forgot about it, until Emiko burst into my room the night before and reminded me about it.
"Remember, we go tomorrow okay?"
"Yep!" I give her the thumbs up. (Note to self: don't forget to bring ammunitions i.e. pepper spray and baseball bat. Just in case.)
She was supposed to pick me up after work so we could go together. I was checking my watch for the tenth time when she arrived.
"You're late." I shivered as I waited beside my car.
"Gomen, gomen." She bowed. "I couldn't decide what to wear so it took me awhile."
"Geez, if you were that excited, you could've planned, like two days ago, you know..."
"Sorry, sorry." We both got into the car and drove all the way to Shiba Park.
"Here." I gave her an earpiece as soon as we parked and went out. "Put it on."
"What's this?" She asked while we walked on the way.
"It's an earpiece. I'll be communicating with you through this while you wait for your Frog Prince, okay?" I pointed to a nearby bush. "I'll be hiding there. Just speak if you need me or if there's any trouble. Its signal is strong enough that I can hear you from a 5 mile radius. Got it?"
"Got it!" She gave me a thumbs up. "Where'd you get it anyway?"
"Borrowed it from Toushin, my boss. Be careful okay? This thing's expensive." I pushed her towards the direction of the tower. "Hurry up!! It's almost 8 pm!!”
“Uh…I - “ She moved forward and stood at the lamppost near a bench. She looked around to see if anyone wearing a red cap and blue shirt was within her sight.
After a 15 minutes of standing, she finally sighed. “Hanari,” She whispered. “I don’t think he’s here. We’ve been waiting for 15 minutes.”
“Relax,” I whispered into the walkie-talkie. “He’s just probably around here somewhere, hiding.” I look up from the bushes to check around. “Maybe he’s running late. Try walking around to see if he can spot you. I’ll check around here too.”
“Okay.” as she started to move around the park.
I stood up straight and made sure I saw her while she moved. I started walking backwards while scanning the area when I felt something suddenly slam into me.
“Hey!” I turn around to see what I had bumped into when my eyes met a familiar face.
“YOU!” The person screeched at me with this high-pitched voice. “You again!! Why don’t you watch it?? You know, you’re starting to become a menace to society by running around and bumping into people!! Do you need glasses or something?? Because you must really be blind not to see people around you…”
“What??” I can’t believe this person. “Excuse me but I was just walking here! I wasn’t running!! You,” I pointed a finger at the person. “just happened to stumble into my personal area!! And what do you mean “you again”?? I’ve never even met you!!” I huffed.
“Yes, you have!! You were the one - “I stopped listening to what he was saying as my eyes flew over his shoulders and saw Emiko stop behind a trash bin. She just stood there as a guy started walking…no, more like creeping up behind her.
I pushed past the person in front of me and ran towards her. “Mayday!! Mayday!!” I yelled over the walkie-talkie. “Behind you!!” only to realize that I forgot to turn it on.
“Damn it!!” I yelled. I ran as fast as I could.
But I was too late. The guy was already there, tapping her shoulders.
She turned around the same time I arrived. I tried to catch my breath as I stood a few feet away. We both stared as the guy smiled at her. I checked to see if it was him. He was wearing this really big dark grey parka, a red cap, jeans, sneakers, sunglasses and a blue shirt.
Emiko gave him a small bow. “Are you...” She hesitated. "...are you...who I think you are?”
He took off his sunglasses and gave her a shy smile. Emiko and I gasped as we saw his face (sans the glasses).
“It’s-it’s...” Clearly, she was shocked. Well, so was I as the guy bowed at her.
“Konban wa! Ohno Satoshi desu.”
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Oh. My. God.
Emiko's secret admirer is Ohno Satoshi...
Ohno Satoshi is Emiko's secret admirer...
Ohno Satoshi, the leader of the boy band Arashi, is Emiko's secret admirer...
Somehow, I just couldn't wrap the thought around in my mind...
"Ah...Konban wa..." Emiko smiled at him. "Hiroyuta Emiko desu." She held out her hand to him.
"Hey! What makes you think you can walk out on me like that?? I wasn't done talking to you!! I -“ We all turned around to see the person interrupting the moment. It was the person I bumped into awhile ago.
The person took off his sunglasses. “Ah, Oh-chan! I see you’ve finally found her. Did you introduce yourself already?” He said nonchalantly.
We all gave him a what-the-hell? look.
I was so surprised. The person was a he. It was a guy.
How could’ve I missed that?
Shiranai ne…
“What? Got a wedgie or something? Because you all look like something got stuck under your butts...” He pointed at our faces. He walked over to Ohno and waved a hand at his face. “Oi!! Ossan!! Stop staring and go introduce yourself!!” He pushed him forward towards Emiko.
I still kept staring at him. I knew it was rude but somehow, I couldn’t shake the thought that I had seen this guy somewhere before. I looked at him from head to toe. He was wearing a beanie cap, jeans, sneakers, black long sleeves shirt and a gray hooded jacket (what is with the color gray? He and Ohno are, like, color coordinated or something…). He stood hunchbacked and had a weird look on his face. He was about the same height as Ohno but it wasn’t obvious from his very, very bad posture.
Then it hit me. “YOU!!!” I pointed a finger at him. “It’s you!!” I turned to Emiko. “That’s the guy who bumped into me and spilled my coffee!!”
“NO, I DID NOT!!” He yelled back at me. “It was you who wasn’t looking and spilled hot coffee all over me.” He waved his hands in the air. “That’s what I was trying to tell you awhile ago when you bumped into me!! Geez!! Not only are you blind, but you're deaf as well...” He shook his head in frustration.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Who is this guy?? Can you believe him??” I asked Emiko.
But Emiko didn’t even reply. That was because she was too busy gawking at the guy next to Ohno. “Ni…Ni…Ni-Ni-Ninomiya-san...” She gaped at me.
“Who??” I retorted.
Now it was their turn to look at me. “What?” I raised my hands, palms facing up. “Should I know him??” I pointed to the weird-looking, rude guy next to Ohno.
“You...don’t know me??” He asked me slowly.
“Right...like you’re SOOOOO famous.” I snorted. I walked over and stood beside Emiko.
“That’s Ninomiya Kazunari.” She whispered to me. “He’s a member of Arashi!!”
“Eh??” I stared at him. “He’s in Arashi??” I chuckled. “You’ve got to be kidding me!! This guy??” I started laughing.
“Hey!! What’s so funny??” He asked defensively.
I ignored him. “So how come I’ve never seen him before? How come I don’t know him??” Because, honestly, he doesn’t look familiar to me.
“That’s because you don’t know Arashi.” She scolded me.
“Well, you got me there...” I shrugged. “The only members I know are Matsumoto Jun and Riidaa here.” I nodded at Ohno. “The rest look the same to me. In fact, they all look the same to me…”
“Remember when I made you watch an episode of D no Arashi? Remember the short guy who’s always next to Ohno-san? The one with the high-pitched voice?”
“Guy with high...oh, Oh! The bratty, whiny dude with the girly voice!!” I snapped my fingers. “That’s him?? Maji de??” I started laughing out loud.
“Hanari!!” Emiko gave me a nudge. “Don’t laugh. It’s rude.”
“Suimasen.” I said to the others, laughter lacing my voice.
The guy named Ninomiya glared at me while Ohno just chuckled at me. Well, at least someone found my comments funny…
Emiko stepped forward towards Ohno. “Ah, Ohno…san,” She bowed again. “Are you hungry?” Ohno shook his head. “Good! Would you like to have dinner with me?”
Ohno’s lips slowly curled upwards at her question. “Sure!”
Emiko stood beside him then slid her arms around his. “Then let’s go!!” She started walking towards the exit. “I know this great ramen place near here...”
I was left standing there with Ninomiya-san. I gave him a smirk before taking two steps in the other direction.
“Oi! Where are you going?” He called after me. But I just turned around, looked at him and shook my head.
“Hey, why don’t you guys join us??” Ohno called out to us. “Come on! My treat!!”
“Sure!” I ran to catch up with them. Hey, free food!
“Nino! Come on!!” Ohno called behind me. “Stop sulking and come with us!!”
“Fine...” Nino said as he ran up to us. “...but just as long as you’re buying.”
Ohno just laughed and shook his head. “Like you would want it any other way...”
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