The Japanese Who Stole My Heart

Regret

As soon as she stopped running, she immediately regretted the act.

"Damn! Why did I run away? So, Maria Antoinette did you join a marathon?" she said out loud. She looked back to the direction she was running from and felt a little sad. She was not able to exchange Line with him. "Ugh!!" she exclaimed and pulled her hair.

She started walking slowly. Immersed in her thoughts. Maybe it isn't meant to be. Maybe Lou was wrong. It was a chance encounter and it was a fluke in my destiny. She nodded. That's right. It was a fluke. Maybe I am really not supposed to meet him. She lifted her phone and looked at the time. Shit! My shift is starting in less than an hour. I should head back to the office.

She changed her path towards her office. With her pace, it took her 30 minutes to get to the building when it should usually just take 10 minutes. She went to the ladies' room directly to freshen up and try to compose herself. Maria used to work in a call center. She learned Nihongo because, aside from the love of the country, she always thought it will allow her to join a call center that caters to Japanese consumers. Sadly, she isn't even able to take N5 JLPT exam, yet. So now, she decided to do a job related to what she finished in College. She's been enjoying her work so far.

"Ok! Welcome back to the real world, self!" she said aloud.

She's glad that her tasks today do not involve talking, she's in no mood to talk. At all. She felt so bad about running away. She never said one word to anybody, her stupidity replaying in her mind in an endless loop.

"Maria, are you sure you're ok?" One of her team mates asked. "Are you feeling sick, or something?" The people around her seemed to be getting worried. There were only two girls in their team, the other girl is a lesbian, but she said we can use "her" as her pronoun. Maria was the only rose among all the thorns, sort of, so she's their princess.

She looked at her and shook her head.

After a few minutes, her Supervisor stood next to her and said, "Maria, go on coaching. Meet me in the Blue room in 3 minutes."

The Blue Room is the small meeting room they use for personal coaching sessions. Maria took a deep breath. She grabbed her phone from the desk drawer and stood up.

She walked slowly to the Blue Room and knocked on the door. His Supervisor, Nathan, has always been kind to her. He also admitted wanting to woo her. She was glad he doesn't seem to remember that.

Flashback to 1 year ago.

They were celebrating their team's success. They' been the best team for 4 consecutive months. They were in a KTV bar. They all filed for leave so they can drink their hearts out.

Her Supervisor, Nathan Malvar, seemed to have taken that seriously. He's consumed about 5 bottles of Redhorse and has already admitted to being drunk.

"Guys, let me just take Nathan outside for a breather. He's already drunk." She said aloud. Everybody was enjoying, singing; they did not even seem to notice them leave.

She was holding Nathan in his arm to steady him up. She decided that they will sit on the bench just outside the bar.

As soon as they sat down, "I like you Maria", Nathan said to her surprise. She looked at him quietly, waiting for him to say something else. He said nothing more, but he attempted to kiss her. As he touched her face, as he suddenly stood up, run to the nearest trash bin and vomited.

Nathan isn't a bad catch, Maria thought. He definitely has all the characteristics of her ideal man except for his eyes. He has sad looking eyes. Maybe I'll give him a chance if he confesses to me again when he's sober. She thought.

Since that day, she waited and waited. It's been over a month and she hasn't heard anything from Nathan so she just dismissed the idea as a drunken confession. Something you don't take seriously.

Back to the present

Maria slowly opened the door to the Blue Room. She saw Nathan standing, his back towards her.

"Hey!" she called his attention.

Nathan slowly faced her. She can see concern all over his face. It took about 5 minutes before he talked.

"Ria, are you ok?" He calls her Ria, when it's just two of them.

She took a deep breath and answered "Yes, I am fine. Sorry to worry you Sup." She pulled the chair in front of the table and sit.

"So, will you tell me what happened? You've been quiet the whole shift and it's just not you." He moved the other chair next to her's and sat down. "The team is worried, I am worried."

"I'm ok, sorry. I just did something earlier that I really regret so..." she paused as he suddenly took her hand.

"Maria, I'm sorry." He suddenly said.

"Sorry? For what?" She asked, a little confused.

"Let's not talk about it here. Can you meet me later? I'll wait for you in TWG." He let go of her hand, stood up and left the room.

What was that about? Maria thought, still a little confused. After about 3 minutes, she went out of the room as well. She looked at her phone, 30 more minutes before our shift ends.

She went back to her seat and finished her tasks for the day.

The chime that indicated her end of shift just rang. She arranged her stuff on her table, turned off her computer and picked up her small bag.

She went to the ladies' room again. She applied a little lip gloss on her lip and combed her hair. She looked at her self in the mirror, "I guess you'll never see Reiji again." She said to herself.

Instead of walking to TWG, she hailed a cab. She was in no mood to walk either. It only took about 5 minutes, she's already in her destination.

She opened the door to the tea Salon and saw Nathan waving at her. He was seating with his back towards a window. Her favorite spot.

She walked towards him and pulled the vacant chair in front of him. "Hey." She said.

"Ria, sorry about earlier. I wasn't thinking very well, seeing you all..." he paused, probably thinking for the right word. "...sad."

"That's ok Sup. I am the one who should be sorry, making you all worry. But really, I'm fine." She smiled.

A green tea is already being boiled in the pot, she noticed. He knows that it's her favorite drink. She decided to pour herself a cup of tea. She blew a soft wind to the cup, making sure the tea isn't too hot.

"I like you Ria." Nathan blurted out. She almost dropped her cup of tea in her surprise. "What?"

"I know you know about it. I told you I liked you during our celebration about a year ago, right?'

"Oh, wait. I already forgotten about that. I thought you were just too drunk." Maria said.

"No, I was serious." He sipped from his cup. "I was just too ashamed to talk to you about it again after what happened. Now, I regret not coming forward sooner." He looked down and played with the teaspoon on his cup.

"Nathan..." she paused. She can't believe it. It was Reiji, right outside the window. He seemed to have seen her as his smile suddenly widened.

"Maria? I wanted to tell you that I wanted to court you." Nathan, called her attention. He then looked back to see what Maria is looking at.

"Reiji..." Maria blurted out.

Nathan suddenly lifted his face as soon as he heard her say a foreign name and looked towards the direction she was smiling at. Her face all bright now.

Maria was about to stand when Nathan her arm. "Stay. Please." He said.

"I'm sorry Nathan, I have to go for a little. Can you wait for me here? I'll be right back. Just... 5 minutes." She took his hand off of her arm. Stood up and run outside the Tea Salon.

"Oh shit!" Nathan said as soon as she saw Maria stand in front of the Japanese guy. "I won't back down."