The match Strikes! (Pt.1)

It really is a private jet. Of course, I knew she had money and her dad's an international businessman yadda yadda, but no. It's legit. There's about 13 rows, or 14 whatever that have two seats per row with a personal waitress, no flight attendant who walks down the aisle 24/7. I mean it, don't think the lady has had a single break. Oppression! I've just been staring out the window, admiring the view, soaking everything in, wondering what to think about all this. My time here in Japan. It's been a crazy past couple of days, and I think it is the first time that I've gotten a chance to think and really decompress. Rin is sitting somewhere back there, I don't know. I get it. But then I don't. Wait, I mean you all saw their problems, they almost seem more like bad family members or sisters than friends. Do I regret sleeping with Ritsika? Yes...and no. She is a close friend to Rin no matter what she says or how she pretends to feel about it. Everyone needs someone. I wish Rin realized how untrustworthy her actions really are and maybe could understand a bit where Ritsika was coming from. We talked a little bit, afterwards of course hehe, but yeah. Rin kinda does things on her own whim despite the problems it could cause for others. It's the lack of awareness but damn is she so charming.

"Hey." she sat down next to me. "Can I sit?"

Sure, I was just thinking about you anyways, let's see what you have to say. I motioned for her to sit down. This is in my head by the way, I wouldn't dare tell her. I don't know what to say because I don't know how I should feel about her.

"How's the trip coming along, and your research? Well, both."

"Good. Only that. It could be great, but I still haven't found the one I'm looking for."

"So, you say you collect all these fruits, only the best of the best..."

"Yeah."

"What do you do with them?"

"I eat them."

"What?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry, you eat them?" she smiled.

"Uh, yeah? What else am I supposed to do with them? They're gonna go bad. That dude from Osaka gave me all these yuzus and I can't do anything with them. Although, I did make a tea."

"And how was it?"

"So good. I wish you had tried some." This feels easy, like it should. I turned my head back towards the window. I don't know why, but I can never let her see me smile. It's embarrassing.

Silence filled the air again. It was us and another guy who we're giving a ride to...I don't know? Who knew private jets had an Uber service. These bastards live like kings, am I not one?!

"Tell me another one of your stories. From your adventures collecting fruit."

"Uh, okay, what kind?"

"Any," she smiled, there it is. It's that one. "Any one that'd you're willing to share."

"Hm, okay. Well, there's this time where we went to Vietnam for dra-"

"Hold on, 'We'?"

"Yes. Rich, myself and a few other assistants I had at the time. Am I able to continue, please? Or is there another question?"

"Hahaha, no, no. Okay, okay you were in Vietnam,"

"Yeah, so it was us 5 I believe and once again, we had a short deadline. The University wanted to publish or have a professor who could give their opinion for a journal and submit research to back this and the school would get a kickback from sales, whatever. But the point is we went deep into the forest, each of us, we all had to carry a machete and the guide told us it was for in case. A-"

"In case of what?"

"Well, there were tigers in that part of Vietnam, and it was mating season, you know. But primarily they were just cutting trees and bushes in our way."

"So how true is the tiger part of the story?"

"So, like I was saying, we're in the main part of the fores-"

"Hahaha, so you just ignore the question?"

"Just wait. It'll all make sense." I smiled, she's too sharp sometimes. Let me tell the story the way I want! Thank you very much! "But we we're there and we found this huge patch of Dragon fruit and it was perfect. I ate a few but of course I found the exact one I was looking for and yeah. The research went well. I should say the perfect one I find is for my personal research. The stuff that is unpublished."

Maybe that's what my father is after. Although it's curious how he could know such a thing. "Will you ever show anyone this research, one day?"

"Who knows. Most likely. I still am a scientist after all."

"I'm sure there's more to the story."

"There is but it's a whole thing but that's mainly what happened. I just skipped the details. Think Dragon Ball Kai."

"..."

"You don't know what Dragon Ball Kai is? Great."

"Sorry, I don't. Of course, I know Dragon Ball, but yeah, nope. But I enjoy details. It really tells you who a person is. Why'd you skip them or well what will you do now that you know I enjoy them?"

"Talk about something else. The details aren't always important."

"I disagree. Ahhhhh." She stood up to stretch for a minute, "So, I can't lie. I want to tal-well. Let's do this: How do you feel towards Ritsika?"

Rather blunt. It's who she is at this point. I was hoping to avoid this.

"Why?"

"Well, I mean, you had sex with her. She's my sister, I'd definitely like to know about how you feel about her?"

"And what comes of that? It doesn't really matter. We're on the way to meet your dad for who knows why and let me ask you this. It doesn't shock me you're sisters, but wh-" Maybe I'm overstepping, I'll keep that to myself, "Nevermind. All I'm say-"

"What we're you going to say?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

"No, no. Tell me. It's clearly not nothing. It's about me, no?"

"Why do you treat her that way? If you're sisters as you say, you should know that she has an infinite amount of respect for you and seriously looks up to you. Did it ever occur to you that maybe she does what she does to get your attention?"

"Hm, astute observation from an outsider. But you don't really know her. Every single guy or friend or whomever, she meddles. Irregardless of what it is that I want. Who it is that I want..."

"She always interferes but when I cut her off and make a point to stand up for myself and not allow things like this to continue, I'm the person in the wrong. No. I don't believe so. I like you, but I'm sorry for this, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

Should've said nothing. "It doesn't seem like it. All you do is use me, you say your dad wants something to do with me, but never asked me how I feel about it. You say we're going for research but we never did. I ask you for the truth, you ask ME and RIDGE for help, sending him around as your errand boy without a thank you or even shred of acknowledgement for what we're doing for God knows why and...honestly? You're selfish. I dislike people like that."

She sat there for a second, without saying anything. Maybe this is what was needed. She gets up and goes to the back of the plane again. Once more, I'm back to looking out the window. We should've been in Tokyo by now, but one can only assume we were never going there in the first place. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions or maybe it's actually just an accumulated amount of experience with this woman. And truthfully, I can only blame myself.

"You still didn't answer my question."

"After all that, you're still only thinking about that. Did you listen at all?"

"I did. I've told you. I share what I can, when I can. I've done this before. I'm sure she told you. You're one of the many guys I go on adventures with and it's true. I do do this all the time-"

"Do-do."

"..."

"Continue, I'm sorry." Let's blame the author for a cheap joke. I can't even control my thoughts! 

"And this is the first time that I've felt this."

"Felt what, exactly?"

"So fucking jealous that my sister had sex with the guy I had fallen in love with first. I can't stand it." 

Uh...

"It makes me so jealous to know that you could end up with her, and of course, if that's what happens, it is what was meant to happen, but I don't want to believe that. Life is too short to not say what you want to say. I love you, Shin. There's no rationale, reason, the amount of time, I don't know, but it's something I can only say is the absolute truth."

Uh...

"This thing of mine, this witch hunt as it seems to me now about my dad, my family it's so fucked and twisted and I've been too head-honcho about that-"

"Didn't think you knew that term."

"Russia. But I've involved all of you in it and I'm sorry. I truly am. I realized something. When I was running after my dad, both figuratively and literally, I could only think about you. What you were doing, who you were with, what Ritsika was probably up to, how can I make you trust me?"

"Well, it starts by being trustworthy. Tell me. This plan of yours. Your true dream. What it is you really want to say. Exactly as you say it is, nothing more and nothing less."

"Okay. I promise. I will tell you everything."

In that moment, I actually faced her to say that. She was trying and that's all I wanted. Without thinking, it seemed as if our faces glided together, melting into one another. The plane stayed silent while our lips interlocked and for the first time in my life, it was something that would be hard for me to let go.

"Uh, hah, so will you ever tell me your answer?" she said, pulling away. I think this is the first time I've see her blush. Her hair was down, there was a slight tear in her jeans, those green eyes stared at me but that smile is what I was waiting for.

"Sure, as soon as the match strikes."

"What does that even mean?"

"You'll know in time. We're not going to Tokyo, are we?"

"Rich is your friend, right? We don't want to leave him hanging." She smiled, leaning her head on my shoulder, as I stared out the window. 

The honesty is a work in progress, but I guess that's everything in life, no?

***