" Morning!"
cj whirled around and come face to face with Takuya. " Morning ~" she mutters uncertainly while fumbling with the obstinate lock on the front door.
" Let me help you." He offers with a smile and as she steps aside, he moved forward and gave the key stucking out of the lock a good hard shake. The key slides out obediently and he hands it to her.
" Wow ~"
" Takes practice." he smiles.
" Practice? You get to practice on this lock often?" cj asks, blinking her eyes with curiosity.
" Yes, we come over as frequent as if it's our own house." Takuya laughs. " Thanks to Goro."
" Thanks to Goro?" cj asks as they start walking together in mutual consent.
" Well, he goes over often for dinner and we just waltz over at a convienent time." Takuya continues to smile.
cj studies him quietly, amazed by his brashness and overwhelmed by his self confidence. For a poor writer he sure emits a strong aura.
" Where are you going this early?"
" To get some breakfast." cj replies.
" Great, that's where I am heading too!"
After leaving the apartment building, they fell silent for a short distance.
" Morning!" Another new voice shatters the awkward silence starting to form between them. Both of them turn, showing immense relief on their faces as Goro jogged up to them and gave them a bright smile. " Where are you guys heading?"
" Shop." Takuya replies.
" Breakfast." cj adds.
" Great! I am going to get mine too!"
" Great!" Takuya and cj replied together as Goro falls in step between them. " You are new in town, cj?"
" Yes, I am here to attend university." cj beams.
" Hey, just like Takuya. When he first came, he came to attend university too, isn't that so, Takuya?" Goro smiles and Takuya nodded eagerly. " What are you majoring in?"
" Psychology!"
" I remember Takuya majored in English, right?" Goro turned to his roommate again and he nodded with a smile.
" How's life with my sister and her wacky room mates?" Goro asks in a teasing tone that tells cj how much he actually loves his sister and accomodating he is towards her room mates.
" It's great. The girls are all very nice to me ~" cj hesitates at the end.
" Except for my sister with her pranks, Pam with her American humour and ima with her scatterbrains?" Goro laughs when he saw that he hit the nail on the head. cj nodded with an embarrassed smile. " We know. But they really mean no harm, right Takuya?"
" Yes." Takuya laughs just as they reached the convienence store and cj led the way in. Immediately they scattered in different directions to collect what they want for breakfast before meeting up again at the cashier.
While waiting for the cashier to ring up their purchases, she studies what the guys bought. Goro is holding a basket full of natto and a few jars of pickles while Takuya is holding 4 cartons of milk.
" That's all you are having for breakfast?" Takuya asks pointing at the small bun in her hand.cj nodded silently.
Both men exchanged a glance. Then Goro smiled. " Why don't you join us for breakfast? We have rice with natto and pickles. In fact we cook a lot of rice every morning." Takuya stared silently.
" It's ~ it's ok. Thanks for the offer, maybe next time." cj replied embarassingly.
" Sure." Goro replied good-naturedly while Takuya continues to stare piercingly as if he is troubled by something.
When cj got home, she proceeded to make a cup of cocoa to go with her bun. As she waits for the kettle to sing, she recalled how Goro was practically doing all the talking on the way back. Takuya just continued to stare at her in silence. When she recalls that pair of piercing eyes, she shivers.
" Those eyes are scary." She mutters to herself.
" Whose eyes are scary?" I ask casually as I walked into the kitchen.
" Good morning!' cj greeted cheerfully.
" That's all you having for breakfast?" I eyed the pathetically tiny bun. cj nodded. A quick check in the fridge and cupboards told me not a morsel is around.
" That's not enough nutrients." I protest. " Come on, I'll bring you to get some wholesome food for free! Eat all you can."
" But ~"
" No buts! Come on!" I urge imaptiently. Grabbing her hand, I pulled her along out of the kitchen and out of the front door, stopping outside the door opposite mine. I lean on the doorbell till the door burst open with a loud thump.
" What the ~" Takuya's angry voice preceded its owner but he stopped abruptly. Even so, both his eyes bulged with restraint fury.
" Thank you." I salute playfully as I pulled cj after me brushing past him and into the house.
" Ah good, breakfast is ready!"
" Sis." Goro said as he lay the table.
" Brought cj along for breakfast. Hope you cooked enough." I said to him as I sat down unceremoniously at the dining table.
My handsome devil of a brother broke into a genuine grin. " We tried to invite her just now but she refused our invitation."
" Who's we?" I ask curiously alternating my glance from cj to my brother. To my surprise cj blushed.
" Takuya and I."
" Can't blame cj. I wouldn't accept invitations coming from either of you." I laughed.
" And what that's suppose to mean?" Takuya challenges hotly. From the corner of my eye I saw cj shrunk back. I tilt my head and look at her, ignoring Takuya for a moment.
" Well?"
" Well, you!" I look straight at Takuya. " You scare girls away as effectively as a fly trap with flies."
Before he can hit back, one of the bedroom door opens and ima ambles out. When she saw that every eye is on her, she gave all of us a quetioning look. Next to her the door opens and Nakai scurries out buttoning his shirt.
" Whoa! So crowded this morning?" He asks in a voice coated with displeasure.
" Shingo wants milk." ima said grabbing one of the cartons Takuya just bought off the table. Before anyone can react she has made her way back into the room and shut the door behind her.
" Let's eat!" Goro announced. " Then sis and me are going to get some new plants."
" You paying?" Nakai thrust his face towards me.
" Yes." I replied before he can tease further. " So if I break anymore, you can't say I am not entitled too."
" Good grief!" He managed to remark sacrastically.
" Eat." Takuya ordered him and push a large bowl of rice before him.
" Maybe cj would like to come with us?" Goro suggests kindly. " We can show you around town."
" Thank you." cj said absently as she looked about the apartment.
" Where's Tsuyoshi?" I asked for her benefit.
" He has make-up classes today." Takuya replies.
" Too bad then." I nudge cj playfully.
" I think I will come along with you guys." Takuya adds.
" What so fun about plant shopping ~" Nakai grumbles but a glare from Takuya stopped him immediately.
" Ok, eat up so we can go." Goro said hurriedly.
