The Reintroduction

“Just answer my question,” Airi said. “Were you the one who changed my clothes? ”

The guy laughed sarcastically. “Why would I even do that? First, you slept on my bed as if you owned it. Now, you’re accusing me of nonsense? ”

Airi felt her cheeks burn and pressed her four fingers on her forehead for thinking foolishly. “I’m sorry.”

“No worries. You must be hungry. Breakfast is almost ready. You can go to the dining area after changing. Your luggage is by the bedside.”

The man gave all the instructions without even glancing at her.

‘What is wrong with him? Does he have a stiff neck? How rude! Talking without even looking at the person he’s talking to. Hmp! '  She left the man be and did as she was told.

*

Merry, Zai-zai, and Ravi were already seated at the table when she went to the dining area. It was just next to the kitchen. She walked past them without greeting. She wasn’t in the mood for that. Her feet brought her directly to the marble counter where the coffee maker was.

‘Good thing not much has changed here.’ She went on preparing her own breakfast without asking where the utensils or even the kitchenware was. A smile painted her lips when a familiar mug greeted her. It was a piece of white ceramic painted with a heart. She remembered it well. It was the mug she would use whenever her family stayed there.

After she had cooked fried rice and hot dogs, she poured some coffee into the mug.

She then sat on the table across from her three friends, who were astonished by her action.

“What?” she asked.

“How do you know where things are?” It was Ravi in disbelief.

“I was here a lot back in high school,” she said. “Aunt Raquel and Uncle Ted often invited us to stay here for vacation.”

The three were speechless.

“Now, it’s my turn to ask.” She took a sip of her coffee while staring at them without blinking. The worried looks on their faces almost made her laugh. But she didn’t give in to the temptation. She had to maintain the straight face to let them know she wasn’t happy with their setup. “Why did you set me up? You didn’t even give me time to prepare and process everything.”

“Ri, the truth is Merry and I are as shocked as you are. Ravi didn’t tell us about the client he was talking about.”

“Don’t pin it on me,” Ravi interrupted. “It just so happened that Jiro is looking for a ghostwriter. I don’t even know what he wants to write about.”

“So, it was really him last night? And even this morning?” Her heart raced because of the confirmation.

“What do you mean this morning?“ The three chorused.

“He was having coffee at the balcony of the room where I slept. It turns out to be his room.” Then she remembered her nightgown and almost turned red. “Who changed my clothes last night?”

“I did,” Zai-zai said.

Airi breathed a sigh of relief. “But wait… why did we go straight here? I could’ve slept in your house.” She looked at Merry and Zai-zai.

“The only ride we had last night was Jiro’s. And he said he wanted to go home. So, we’re here,” Ravi said.

“Can we leave after breakfast?” she asked.

“Shouldn’t you ask my permission first?” Jiro’s voice, followed by his footsteps, petrified them. “Wouldn’t it be disrespectful to just leave someone who accommodated you?” His gaze locked on Airi. “We haven’t even introduced ourselves properly yet,” with emphasis on properly.

“What are you talking about?” Airi asked, totally confused about what Jiro was saying.

“Uh, Ri. Calm down,” Ravi butted in. “Jiro has selective amnesia… which means he can only remember certain events, occasions… people.”

Airi stared at Jiro, searching his face for any signs of a bluff. Nothing. His facial features remained flat-affect. ‘So, has he forgotten about me? ’ That question to herself smashed her already broken-to-smithereens heart. ‘I’ve been double-dead inside because of this guy!’

She looked down, trying to hide her tears. She closed her eyes, silently cried, and let the floor catch her tears. That truth bomb was so intense that even Zai-zai and Merry were speechless.

“So, what does he need a ghostwriter for?” Airi finally voiced out that question in between unnoticeable sobs. She tried to control her shaky voice as much as possible.

“That matter is on the contract and not to be disclosed in the presence of unrelated parties,” Jiro said. “And since you’re not interested in the job offer, I don’t see any reason for you to know it.”

His statement sent yet another fatal blow to her already pulverized heart.

‘How can the guy I have loved for so many years turn from the sweetest to the coldest one?’ That question was only loud enough for her mind to hear. She couldn’t find the words to respond to Jiro’s utterly professional statement. ‘I don’t think he’s faking it. He doesn’t really show any hint of recognizing me. He isn’t clingy like he used to.’

“But what about the paparazzi earlier?” she asked. “You said that they already saw me walking towards you. Don’t you think that’ll be a problem?”

“My staff can handle them just to make sure no photos of you will leak. You can still enjoy your privacy.” Jiro’s gaze pulled her to lock eyes with him. “You seem to enjoy privacy so much that you even need to use a pseudonym.”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business.” Airi’s annoyed tone surprised everyone. For them, she was the most soft-spoken person they’d ever met.

Jiro raised both his hands in a surrender gesture. “My bad for putting my nose in your business.”

**

Back in Merry’s house, they gathered to discuss what happened in Jiro’s villa. They all seemed baffled at how things turned the other way around for the two of them.

“What is wrong with him?” Airi paced back and forth while her friends sat on the sofa. “Did you hear any accidents that involved him?”

The two shrugged.

“You heard him. He said that they have staff who settle the media so no unnecessary news about them can be publicized,” Zai-zai said. “So maybe that's the reason why no news about his accident came out.”

“Or maybe it’s not that big of an accident to be on the news,” Merry added.

“Regardless, it was upsetting seeing him treat me that way earlier.”

“Don’t you think he’s just getting the payback for how you treated him back in high school?” Zai-zai asked.

“I didn’t treat him bad.”

“You didn’t. But you sure pushed him away so many times when you got the chance,” Merry said.

“You didn’t treat him physically bad, yes. But you have been so aloof that you looked like you’re deliberately ignoring his conspicuous feeling for you,” Zai-zai said.

“That was twice as painful as being bluntly rejected to his face,” Merry added.

“Why don’t we just rest?” Airi suggested. “Maybe I’ll forget that this happened. And think that it’s just a beautiful nightmare.”

*

The next morning, Airi was awakened by Merry shaking her to open her eyes. She was holding her phone with an anxious face.

“Riri! Wake up! You have to see this.”

She slowly opened her eyes and waited for her vision to clear before talking. “What?” She got up, not minding her messy hair, and clutched a pillow.

“Look at this!” Merry shoved the phone to her face, showing a photo on her screen. “Tell me this isn’t you and Jiro on the balcony.”

She gasped. The photo taken was shot exactly during the time that she tried to reach for Jiro’s shoulder when she was asking him who he was.

“He said his staff can handle this sort of problem?!” She annoyingly combed her hair with her hand and sighed several times. “What should I do now?”

“Hey, calm down. Your face isn’t clear enough to be recognized. I think there’s nothing to worry about.”

Airi looked at the photo once more and nodded. “You’re right. I can’t even identify that it’s me.”