How can a guy dress so appropriately? Thats my first reaction when I open the door for him. Casually dressed in a black pullover and green slacks, his best accessories are his pair of sparkling eyes and his soft smile. Forgetting my manners, I stood in my doorway staring with my eyes bulging out. He finally gave a discreet cough when he feels he has enough staring at.
I laughed nervously to cover my embarrassment as I usher him. " For you!" he said thrusting a bottle of red wine into my hands. While I held the bottle in my hands, all I could think of was how cute he looks with both his eyes all squeezed together into two thin lines when he smile.
" May I?" he asks awkwardly.
" Hmm?" I mutter absentmindedly still staring fixedly on his face.
" May I sit down?" he asks again.
" Sit? Oh! Oh yes! Please have a seat! HoHoHo." I snapped back into reality just in time to reply in a sane manner. But I cant help feeling that my laughter is strange. I watch him sit down warily, probably regretting his decision to dine with a weirdo like me, I conclude.
Almost immediately he is looking around my apartment and the awkwardness passed. I caught a lopsided smile on his face when he caught sight of his posters hanging around the bed. Suddenly he got up on his knees and turn to me with a severe expression on his face. I was startled by his behavior and stared at him with my eyes widened to its maximum.
" I am Inagaki Goro. Nice to meet you." He introduces himself with a straight face before bursting into mischievous giggles. My jaw dropped apart in surprise and I froze on the spot. Somehow the clockworks in my mind jammed. " We never did a proper self introduction since we met.
" I have a feeling you know who I am. But since we are going to be friends, we should introduce ourselves formally." He explains with a wise smile.
Friends? We are going to be friends? Real friends? I cannot believe my ears! Maybe I heard it wrong?
" Are you still here?" he asks worriedly. I notice how his eyes glitter when he express worry. What a strange question to ask! " What's wrong?"
" I am fine." I replied after calming myself down. I smiled at him and he smiled back with relief. " I thought you said we are going to be friends! How can that be? My hearing is failing me." I explained still laughing nervously. This is not the kind of evening I had planned.
" You heard right." He said disappointingly. " Cant we be friends? Dont you want me as a friend?"
Oh dear, he is working his mournful puppy eyes on me! Of course I want you as a friend! But can we be just normal friends?
" Yes, we can." He replied much to my shock. Apparently I was thinking aloud. " I am not only an artiste, I am also a human being. If I am able to be an ordinary being before you, can you treat me as one too?"
" Yes." I replied resolutely. " But it is very hard to separate you from your public image."
" I'll show you who I really am." He promises with a determined smile.
" You're on!" I declared when I saw the challenge in his eyes. Like two conspirators, we grinned devilishly at each other.
" But first, can I have some dinner?" He asks unabashedly. " I refrained from eating when I knew you would be cooking."
" But why!" I cried out in pain for him.
" To make sure I can have my fill tonight." He smiled innocently. His naivety amuses me so much yet at the same time pains me. It is his naivety that built our friendship, what if it would also destroys it? " My stomach is doing the fifth symphony." He hinted boldly.
" Ok, ok, I get the picture." I smiled. " Dinner is served!"
" Let me help you!" He offered as he got up from his seat and follows me into the kitchen. Within a short time, he is very much at ease in this strange kitchen, locating plates and cutlery without asking, opening the bottle of wine he bought, laying the table.
With his help, dinner is served within 15 minutes. He starts eating heartily, absolutely ignoring my stares of anticipation. Pausing to chew the contents in his mouth, he realized that I am staring at him with my mouth agape again. " Why arent you eating?"
" You have very beautiful table manners." I mumbled dreamily.
" Beautiful? Does anyone use that word to describe table manners?" He asks amusingly.
" That's the only word to describe you." I replied still very much in dreamland.
He laughed so hard that I was awoken from the dreamy state. " What?" I ask. " What's so funny?"
He could not stop laughing and eventually choked. Coughing lightly, he continued to chuckle softly. Curiosity made me frown unconsciously as I wait for him to tell me what the joke is about.
" Thank you." He replied at last, flashing his heartwarming smile at me.
Suddenly a train of thoughts rushed into my mind and everything fall into place." You are very welcome." I smiled back. It's incredible how easy it is to understand someone who is sincere.
