five liters of iced coffee

→ chapter iv

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S a e r a n

Thought of the day

Dogs probably think humans make a ton of weird sounds.

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the first time the golden retriever broke into my house to court my beagle was eight days ago. the first time its owner broke into my house to court my beagle was today.

in my household, we respect and support open windows so i honestly don't know what i should have expected.

she had braided rose-coloured hair - that was the first thing i noticed. let's be honest, it would be the first thing anyone would notice. her stained rolled-up sleeves and sweaty forehead led me to believe her trip to my house wouldn't have been very pacific.

bent over the open window, the said girl made an effort to pet my obedient old beagle. it was quite bizarre, but i didn't see a reason to be impolite.

i put down my jacket with all naturalness in the world before being greeted by my persian cat. i petted it, just like the strawberry-haired girl did to the beagle. 

❝ good afternoon. would you fancy some tea? coffee? ❞

i almost pitied the poor girl. the sound of my keys dropping in the entrance table mashed with the noise of the teen falling to the ground. ❝ ouch.. ❞

i took a bottle of water from the kitchen, proceeding to run towards the window afterwards. i looked down at the fallen girl. ❝ are you okay, ms? ❞

her back was crushed miserably against the ground of the garden. she appeared as graceful as a sledgehammer in a knife fight. she covered her eyes with her inner elbow - perhaps hiding in embarrassment, perhaps merely fighting the scathing sunlight. ❝ that.. is my dog... i'm sorry he broke into your house.. i'm really really sorry. ❞

❝ oh.. ❞ my gaze shifted to the inside of the house, where the golden retriever sat in a corner of the room, filled to the brim with abashment. ❝ i should.. also apologize.. i think.. ❞ i put down the bottle of water so that i could use both hands to support my jump out of the window. ❝ are you hurt? ❞

❝ meh, a bit.. ❞ the young damsel sat up slowly, opening her eyes with a groan. she looked even more confused than when i offered her a drink  -  ❝ woh, woh, woh. what is happening here? is this a prank? ❞

i furrowed my brow, offering her a hand to help her get up. ❝ what? ❞

❝ you're cute! as in - really cute. and you're wearing a lab coat.. are you a doctor? oh my God, don't tell me you're a doctor, that's too hot. ❞

what is this girl talking about? should i call a psychiatrist? she looks like she's speaking honestly.. don't tell me she's serious.. her face is familiar. could it be we've met before? no way i would ever forget meeting someone like that.

hesitation came from both sides, being filled with no more than silence and awkward glances. she feared my reaction and i feared her honesty. something about the situation was somehow macabre, but i couldn't help but find enormous humor in the girl's incredulity.

eventually, she cracked a smile. it was all it took to provoke a laugh to erupt from my lips gleefully, with little to no delay in the stranger's mimicry. ❝ oh my, i think you might have hit your head. ❞

❝ if you're a doctor, i hope i did.. ❞

her lip was bit, her lidded eyes running my entire figure. i think my face might just have twitched, a tear threatening to come down her cheek.

❝ oh God, are you crying? ❞ her voice cracked, suddenly rising an octave.

❝ me? ❞ well, maybe. ❝ i.. i don't know? maybe? what's your name? ❞

❝ kiko. want my number too? ❞

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i did not. but i ended up meeting her again anyway. every two months, as her dog's vet and one year later, when i joined her in the academy.