The Proposal

Airi swallowed her nervousness after Atty. Ferrer had laid out their proposition. She felt like all her blood had been drained, making her dizzy and pale.

The contract stated that she had to stay with the client in his rest house by the seashore for the entire time of writing the story. This was to ensure that brainstorming and all the other stuff would be done without miscommunication.

But it wasn’t the proposal that bothered her. It was the place they would stay—the very familiar place they used to stay. The emotional roller coaster caused her head to pound when she learned about the accommodation. Her mind spiraled in confusion, hesitation, and expectation. After seven years of running away, she was uncertain whether or not she was ready to meet the guy she was hiding from.

“Miss Resan, are you alright? Is the amount suggested insufficient? I can ask my client to increase it,” the middle-aged man said.

“I’m fine. I’m just exhausted from the long trip. I’ve just arrived today, and I haven’t had enough rest before coming here,” she lied.

Zai-zai and Merry exchanged glances. Airi couldn’t discern whether the looks on their faces expressed worry, excitement, or pity. Ravi and Attorney Ferrer were completely oblivious of what really was going on.

Ravi was also their classmate in first-year high school, but he was a transferee. He started attending classes a month later than them. So, he wasn’t there on the day Airi fainted. He only knew about the incident when he became close with the three girls.

“Do I get to reject the offer? ” Airi asked. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not after the price because writing is my passion. I will even do it free of charge for a cause. But—”

Zai-zai rubbed her back like doing so could calm her down. The air began to thicken around her, making her breathing laborious. Her vision blurred. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to fall any moment if she wouldn’t find a way to excuse herself.

“I have to think about it,” she continued. “Can you please give me some time? ” Atty. Ferrer nodded; she stood despite seeing her surroundings spin. Her knees wobbled, making her press her palms on the table for support. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go to the washroom. The offer was desirable but—”

“No one’s forcing anyone to sign anything,” someone from behind her spoke.

The voice was deep but unrecognizably familiar, giving her the goosebumps.

‘Is that Jiro? ’ she asked herself. ‘Why does my heart beat this way? It was only him who could give me goosebumps.’ Her confusion made things worse. The surroundings swayed and twisted until she could no longer see the faces of her company. “I need to—”

Her body went limp and heavy. She collapsed. But before she could drop unconscious on the floor, strong arms caught her. And a familiar scent embraced her.

“Jiro. It’s really you,” she mumbled.

**

Soft arguing voices from outside the room welcomed Airi’s hearing sense when she opened her eyes. She scoffed, reliving the events before she succumbed to darkness. It was the exact scene of how everything started between her and Jiro in high school.

‘Was it him who caught me earlier? Or am I just seeing things? ’

She stared blankly at the white ceiling with an intricate painting of subtle waves crashing on a rocky shore.

‘Did they set us up? Did they arrange this meeting without consulting me first? ’

Her fists were clenched. She couldn’t accept the fact that her friends would go all the way for her to recover. However, the thought that they might have assumed she was desperate to see Jiro again made her heart sink.

‘How could they do this to me? ’

Approaching footsteps alerted her to close her eyes once more. Then, the doorknob clicked, and the door swung open, followed by clanking shoe heels.

“Are you sure we can stay here, Ravi? ” It was Zai-zai asking.

“Yes. We can talk about the unfinished discussion tomorrow when Riri feels better.”

A chair pulled by the bedside almost urged her to open her eyes. But she kept pretending.

“She hasn’t been feeling okay for a while now.” Merry’s voice cut the silence echoing in the room. “Her therapist advised her to stop running away from her past. That’s why she returned here.”

Someone sighed.

“Her parents’ passing really broke her,” Merry continued. “But we have no idea what else has been causing her functional depression.”

“She’s going to be okay for sure,” Ravi said. “I think the reason why she pursued writing is to vent out. And it’s effective. I really wish she would accept the offer. He coughed and then walked towards the door, saying, "It could help her heal from the wound of her past."

Airi stayed the way she was. She was just waiting for sleep to work its magic and erase yet another embarrassing experience from her life.

*

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee spread in the room, waking Airi’s senses. Though curious how it was even possible, she ignored it and didn’t bother to check if someone had entered the room.

She remained in the soft embrace of pillows and the warmth of the blanket protecting her from the twenty-one degrees Celsius of the AC.

As soon as the smell of coffee dispersed, she tossed to the other side, facing the glass door towards the direction of the balcony. She squinted at the bright light entering the room. The curtains were open and neatly tied using magnetic tiebacks.

She got up at the sight of a man’s silhouette sitting by the coffee table on the balcony. The idea that someone had entered the room made her adrenaline rush. She jumped out of bed. But instead of going straight to the guy, she checked if her friends had left her phone on the bedside table. It wasn’t there. She found a familiar book instead.

‘Is this my book? ’ She grabbed it and checked a specific page. A dried red rose was inserted between pages 105 and 106. She remembered putting a rose there as a bookmark. ‘It's mine! I lost it on the first day of high school. What is it doing here? ’

Her internal monologue was interrupted by the sound of pouring water followed by coffee aroma. When she glanced at the balcony, the man was still there. Evidence that she wasn't dreaming.

She put the book back on the side table. And without having a second thought, she rushed outside and confronted the man.

“Excuse me? ” she began. Her voice trembled with hesitation. “I was just curious who you are and how you got in. ”

The man didn’t even bother to look at her, so she could only see his nape and back. He took a sip of his coffee and gently placed the cup back on the table.

“Do I need permission to enter my room now? ” he asked. His voice sent shivers down her spine. He wasn’t mad. But his tone emphasized authority with a playfulness.

“I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I was just curious.”

“No harm done.”

Silence reigned for a few minutes. She didn’t know how to respond. She wanted to return inside, but she thought it might be disrespectful. “Ahm… by the way, thank you for letting me stay for a night. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to pay you for the inconvenience.”

“Am I asking you to pay? ” he asked before taking a sip.

“No.” She scanned the man in his pajamas. Just looking at him drummed her chest. ‘He seems like a familiar stranger to me.’

“Do you also drink coffee? I heard this caffeinated beverage is writers’ greatest companion.”

“Yes. But I only drink coffee while writing.”

“I see. I won’t force you then.” He took another sip and browsed an online newspaper. Another boring silence filled the air once again. Airi didn’t even notice how long she had been standing behind the enigmatic guy before he asked another. “Have you read the contract? ”

“I wasn’t able to read everything as… you probably know what happened last night.”

“It’s not that I’m blackmailing you. But let me remind you that those people outside have seen you stepping out of my room,” he said as he discreetly pointed to the paparazzi by the gate.

Airi panicked. Indeed, there were several people trying to get a closer look at them. Some even had cameras. She was flustered, not knowing what to cover first, whether her face or her body, especially when she realized that she was wearing an almost transparent nightgown.

“Were you the one who changed my clothes?! ”

His shoulders moved in a light chuckle. “Think whatever you want.”