Inside a dark room filled with computer equipments and monitor screens, a security officer is yawning away and stretching his arms on his lazy chair, looking at the array of images being displayed in front of him. At this time of the day, the sun is shining brightly outside, and people started pouring through the company entrances. It's morning, where everyone started working and his shift will end. All he needs to do wait is for the next security guard that will replace his post and he can have a good 'day' sleep back home.
“Morning Chuck! I got you some dough-nuts!”
Chuck heard the door opening and saw his colleague coming in with a bag of dough-nuts in his hands. Ah! His shift is now over! He might just stay for a little while to keep his colleague company.
“So, any new chicks on TV?”
Chuck's colleague pulled out a chair and sat down beside him and looked at the array of monitors. Chuck don't fancy his colleague's attitude but to him it's just a routine chat they had everyday.
“Nah. There are no new productions recently. Sometimes I really wonder what makes you take up this job...” Chuck looked at his colleague with a strange way and his colleague just smiled back and raised his eyebrow. He shook his head and then started packing up his stuff and go home. It was then that his colleague cried out.
“Good morning Miss Rinoa! Looking good as always!”
Chuck looked at the monitor screen his colleague is now staring at and saw a beautiful young girl walking through the entrance. Rinoa... something came through his mind...
“Camera 5... 7... 12...” Chuck's colleague's eyes shifted from monitor to monitor, still keeping his eyes on Rinoa. This guy must had tracked Rinoa's routine for some time already! Chuck finished packing and then approached his colleague and stood beside him.
“Man, this girl is perfect! I must have a date with her some day. Look at her features! Look at the way she walked... hm... she is walking slightly faster today though... she isn't late, I wonder...”
“Kid, she isn't that perfect as you thought she is.”
Chuck suddenly spoke and his colleague just turned around and looked at him. He didn't know what Chuck is trying to express, so he waited for Chuck to continue. Chuck seemed reluctant to talk about it but he then spoke softly.
“I... seen the uglier side of her.”
Chuck said and his colleague broke out into laughter.
“Her? Impossible! I've spoken to her before and she is the friendliest...”
Chuck's colleague suddenly stopped his laughter. He saw Rinoa bumped into a male employee and instead of apologizing, she seemed to be very furious till the male employee raised his hands as if he is defending himself. Though he could not hear through the cameras, she seemed to raised her voice and scolded the male employee, making the male employee stepping backwards until he tripped himself. Without even bothering to help, Rinoa walked away from the camera, leaving both the male employee and Chuck's colleague stunned, stupefied.
“This... is what you are talking about?” Chuck's colleague confirmed with Chuck and Chuck just slightly nodded, recalling that time when Rinoa first met Cloud.
Lunch break. While most of the other people are out to lunch, a few still remain at the studio preparing for the next scene or discussing about the work they had done. Cloud, that is now standing next to Reeves that was asking him about his opinions, once in a while stole glances of Rinoa that is sitting at one corner.
She... seemed very hostile today. It is like an overwhelming force of hostile aura emitting from her, repelling anybody around her. She isn't gossiping with the NPCs like usual, not talking to Squall or Cloud, and she looked like she will bit anyone that gets near her. Strange... she somehow became so different than usual... like... the time where he first met her...
“Cloud. Rinoa seems different today. Fix things up.”
Reeves suddenly spoke out to Cloud that wasn't pay attention to what he said earlier, making Cloud shocked at how frank Reeves can be.
“Don't tell me that you don't know how to. You are her manager and you are responsible to make sure she is in perfect form for her shots.”
Reeves continued and Cloud felt himself not knowing what to do. He and Rinoa had grown quite close for the past month but he only seen her like this before once. What could had caused her to react this way...
“Perhaps it's that costume of yours...”
Reeves answered what was playing around in Cloud's mind and a light bulb just turned on in Cloud's head. He immediately relate it to the costume party that night. Can Rinoa really still be angry about him?
Cloud took this into more serious consideration. Rinoa really seemed very angry that night. He remembered her eyes that is burning, the fierce look on her face, the voice that is chocked with anger... still, that isn't enough to make her that angry today. He didn't think that he really did something that wrong to her. What can it be...?
Perhaps he owe her an apology... but what can he do to make up for her? Chocolates? Flowers? ...Wait a minute, he isn't her boyfriend! That wouldn't work! He probably should be a good friend and share her problems...
“Cloud. Settle it, quick.” Reeve gave a stare at Cloud and Cloud understood that Reeves means it. Rinoa's role in the next scene must be important. Cloud nodded, and cracked his head to figure out a way to tackle his new given “assignment”.
The hostile aura Rinoa emitted is even more effective than insect repellent are to mosquitoes, as none of the crew dared to even stare at her for long. Cloud, being the only person that dare to approach her, stood behind her, still figuring out how to bring her back to her normal self. He tried to walk next to her, but couldn't find the right words to say, so he walked to her far left, then to her far right, all the while avoiding her sight. He had to come up with something real quick now, or else she will...
“Stop walking around like that! If you have something to say, say it like a man!”
Yup. She's really annoyed. But that somehow broke the ice between the two. Cloud, not knowing why, now have the courage to approach her closer and sat down beside her. Cloud looked at her and she looked back. She looked annoyed but not angry. Not the look she had on her face during that costume party.
“What?”
Rinoa said with a rather rude tone, which is very unlike her. While Cloud is finding the right words to say, he noticed that she seemed... tired... Rinoa now seemed annoyed again and Cloud blurted out whatever that is in his mind.
“A bad night sleep?”
Cloud asked and Rinoa nodded slightly, as if she was just entertaining Cloud. Cloud ran out of ideas. He used to be able to just say something stupid and the two will go on and on arguing on something... what is her problem...
“You are not still angry about that night, are you?”
Cloud ended with a laugh but Rinoa just kept quiet, and just stared at him without changing her expression. Can she really be that angry about that night? Can that mean that she...
Cloud remembered seeing her very disappointed when she didn't saw him at the costume party. She even pushed Laguna away. Is she really that angry about revealing herself to him when he is in a girl's costume? Did he accidentally peeked into her heart when she didn't want him to?
“Please... it's nothing... just leave me alone for a while...” Rinoa said without strength and Cloud could sense that she is not feeling well. He wanted to leave as she asked but something tells him that he should be here right now with her. Cloud just kept quiet, and keep Rinoa company by just sitting there without disturbing her.
“Hey guys! Seen Squall around?”
Zell was seen coming in happily with Raine beside him, sensing nothing of Rinoa's hostility. Raine on the other hand, knew that there is something wrong with Rinoa and hinted Zell to keep it down. Cloud looked at Zell and 'admired' his sense for danger. He is so optimistic that he assumed that everyone around him is as happy as himself. Wow.
“Ah Rinoa, feeling down again? Let me see... tired... depressed... easily annoyed... unlike yourself...” Zell continued to push his head into the lion's mouth but still have no fear.
“Hm... I seen this face exactly a month ago...” Zell continued and a thought suddenly struck Cloud's head. A month ago... that is when he first met Rinoa...
“I got it! It is that what-they-called mmph...!!!”
Zell was about to say it when Raine covered Zell's mouth and knocked Zell's head with a knuckle, and then dragged Zell out of the room with Zell still struggling. Raine gave a slight smile to Rinoa and Rinoa just smiled back, as a sign of gratitude. Now that only Rinoa and Cloud are left in the Cloud, Cloud couldn't help believing that Zell can actually know the source of the problem the moment he saw Rinoa. What in the world is in Zell's head?
“So... that explains your temper when I first met you...”
Cloud said and although he wanted to laugh, he hold it as much as he could but it is still written all over his face. Rinoa seemed to get angry again but Cloud could sense that she actually blushed. She bit her lower lip and her eyes seemed to be asking Cloud for a favor. She is... shy about such matters!
“It's okay. I totally understand about such matters and this will not go out to the others. It's just... it's just...”
Cloud can't stop himself laughing and the hostile look on Rinoa face came back again.
“Half of the world's population is female and it's the first time I've seen a girl acting so...”
Rinoa is getting angrier and angrier but this time it do not bother Cloud that much. This is the angry face he sees everyday when he teased her. It's the one that...
“You know... come to think of it... you looked really cute this way...”
Rinoa hold up her fist and Cloud run off like a kid with her chasing behind him, and deep down in her heart, smiling.
Ahem. I don't really wanted to say much but...
(I took a long time to decide whether or not to write this chapter. Somehow makes me look very shallow. I even had to convince myself by surfing through the net to confirm my knowledge on such stuff. That is all the trouble I have to take for not being a girl... sigh... anyway, think whatever you want, but just keep reading. There are all sorts of junk in this fic, hoping to make it suitable for everyone. )