You Would Never Know

XX | One or Eight

一か八か means "one or eight" in Japanese. I first heard this idiom when I was exploring the streets of Tokyo and stumbled upon a bar that had a group of friends who were playing a game that heavily depended on luck. Whatever they were striving for, they were giving it their all. Each and every one of them but the one who looked like a hopeless mess, better off sitting on the sidelines, yelled that idiom with so much might that, for a moment, I believed he might succeed and stayed till the end to see if he actually did. My patience was rewarded, and I saw him celebrate his victory with a big smile on his face, chugging one beer after another.

Looking back, I think all I need to do is yell these words with all my might when facing hardships. I loved the idiom so much that I impulsively had it inked on my rib cage at the end of the night there.

With the bit of research I did on my phone while they played, I found out that the idiom is used when facing big challenges and you're in a situation where you'll decide to go all in or out, although I heard it at a time when the air was filled with laughter and the weight of the world was laid off a bit. The meaning didn't change, but the situation surely did. Drastically.

A while ago, I received a message from Pablo saying that he and his men would be surrounding Abel's properties.

From the mansions he owns to the headquarters. It's idiotic to do that, but I have to. And there's no going back, really.

His arm never left my waist the whole night. It almost seemed like he wanted me to keep my eyes on him.

"Well, it was great meeting you again." Ruby Jane said this before getting back to her husband.

The whole time, I was greeting the guests and talking about the new collection like a broken cassette to whoever approached me. All of that while his arm is latched to my waist.

"Sweetheart, it's been forever." I greeted one of our VIPs, Christopher Wang. He was one of the top fashion directors of our generation, and the majority of it was truly because he was that great of a director, and the rest was thanks to the agency for ensuring an empty seat for him in the industry, and he occupied that seat gracefully.

He's a lover of the behind-the-scenes over the spotlight, hence why he's wearing a muted green suit with black sunglasses to avoid interactions. But that's impossible when anybody could recognize his dyed ginger hair.

The many times we shook hands after a deal led to him becoming a colleague of mine in the agency. I knew he didn't intend to come, yet I still sent him an invitation out of pleasantries. Although there's a chance that he came because he received that invite, there's also a chance that he came because Pablo sent him, and to justify that, he's never late to an event. Either way, to play it safe, I'll act as if the former is why he's here.

Abel beside me was stiff as a wall, probably because of my unusually friendly greeting to Chris.

"Hello, darling, it's been forever indeed. I've been trying to reach out to you, but you've been so busy lately."

I glanced at Abel to show him why I had been busy for so long. "In my opinion, that's a good enough reason, but if it isn't for you, maybe the few pieces I will show you might be." I sneakily shifted the tide of the conversation and gestured to a private display area to proceed with his plan.

He gave me a tight-lipped smile and nodded as he made his way behind us.

Abel made sure we were a few steps away from Chris before he voiced his thoughts. "Sweetheart? Darling?" I held back a laugh to seem serious when I gave Abel a pointed look and ignored his eye rolls. "Who is this fake redhead to you?" He asked, and I ignored him once again.