Something smells fishy

Karma is calling

Ganbare, Lana!

* * *

'Oniisan', Miyu yelled as she dragged me to the back of the shop. As always her grasp was deadly and I just let myself be taken along unsure of what is going on.

'Oniisan, doko?'

She suddenly came to a halt and looked around. As soon as she let go, taking off in search of something or someone, I wasn't sure, I found myself in the kitchen. At the smell of freshly baked bread, I closed my eyes and let out a soft hum. A sly smile made way onto my lips as my hands followed my nose and a small anko bun filled with creamy bean paste landed in my mouth. Unpardonably, I chewed slowly, enjoying every single bite.

I never understood dieting women. They always looked miserable to me.
I always considered life is too short to place restrictions like that. Denying oneself a piece of cake, a tablet of chocolate or a pint of salted caramel icecream just felt outrageously stupid. I could not see the use of condemning oneself to dry chicken  and broccoli if life might come to an end any minute.

I ain't planning on going down miserable, I thought to myself and grabbed a cookie from one of the trays on the counter. It was still warm, a fresh batch right out of the oven.

'Mmm, this is heaven!' This right here!

Giggling and munching on my cookie I stopped in front of the oven. A rack of muffins was leisurely raising in their tin foil cups. Just as I was ready to take my leave, I felt somebody's eyes on my back.

I turned around slowly, my face a dazzling fifty shades of guilty and let out a barely audible 'Sumimasen,' apologizing like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Oh wait, I was.

Too embarrassed to show my burning cheeks, I kept staring at the floor, hoping to drill a hole I could fall into and disappear from the face of this, unfriendly to me, planet. My gaze stopped at the pair of long legs in front of me and slowly crawled up the presence in front of me.

'Onisan, ' Miyu came out of nowhere and latched onto the arm of the young man who was now facing me.

Tall, so tall, I thought to myself.

The men I've met so far were barely above five foot six. Enough for me to not feel like a Gulliver but not quite enough to wear high heels.

I looked back at the gorgeous man in front of me. He was maybe five foot nine, slightly ragged black hair, porcelain skin and eyes as deep as all the black holes put together, sucking me into a nonbreakable stare.

Somewhere in the background Miyu kept saying something, Japanese, English, I couldn't make it out. I kept staring into those hypnotising eyes. They were cold, emanating no emotion, not even curiosity at the person who was just caught lurking around the kitchen.

Ah! Amy sensei, ' he made a step forward. 

Why is he walking towards me? Stop! Just stop where you are!

Everything in me screaming, I slowly took a step back.

'Amy sensei, ' Myiu repeated, this time louder.

It was enough to break me out of my comatose state and make me face her with a smile.

'Meet my brother. Shiro,' she said, pulling him closer to me.

Miyu apparently had a thing for dragging people into uncomfortable proximity. I needed to talk to her about personal space. Soon.

Everything around me stopped as Shiro raised his hand waiting for a handshake.

'My name is Shiro, nice to meet you,' he said in perfect English.

What. What the hell. I just stood there, unable to move. Raise your hand Amy, smile, say something for God's sake.

'Yes, Shiro, ' I choked out, ignoring the hand in front of me.

I cleared my throat and turned around too embarrassed at my inability to  coherently speak.

'Ha, ha, what a nice place you have here, ' I babbled in an overly theatrical manner.

I set my hand onto the cool counter and sipped in the refreshing cold feel of it, directing it from the tip of my fingers to the top of my head. The vale has been lifted and I turned around to face him once again.

'I'm Amy. We're working together with Miyu.'

'I know,' he answered.

His black eyes felt distant, as if he was watching from far away. As if I was a strange creature, he studied me, starting with the length of my legs, slightly stopping and the curve of my hips, just to continue onto my chest. His eyes finally reached mine. This man was beautiful. So much, that I felt my heart racing. My head felt light and I leaned onto my hand to steady myself.

'Okay , okay, we are leaving. Play nice, Shiro! ' Miyu said playfully as she gracefully twirled among the trays of cookies and loaves of bread. He was obviously the big brother, looking as how girly Miyu acted in front of him. If she was twenty nine I wondered how old was he.

I frankly ogled him one more time, before making a run for the door, following the already exiting Miyu.

He was still watching me.

It was a lovely evening with cake, champagne and lots of laughter. Michiko turned out to have a very good sense of humour and did not hesitate to make her daughter blush relentlessly at her little mischievous jokes.

Shiro did not join us. He excused himself, after giving his little sister a peck on the cheek and a promise of an incredible present waiting for her at home.

Waiting for the cab to get me home, I got lost in my thoughts while watching the lights jump up and down the trees at the entrance. This place was magical indeed. My chest heaved as I struggled to control my breathing. Whether it was the humidity or something else entirely I did not know.