Office Diaries - Chapter 159

In the afternoon, the same day, the delivery of the clothes came at the promised time. The staff that came with the delivery people was two, one elderly and one teenager apprentice. Tohru went to the room to change into the kimono and the two fixed it for him while Yanee watched.

She had to admit the potato really looked good even in traditional clothing. She sighed dreamily as she took out her phone to take photos for Ami. But as soon as she lifted her head, she saw the potato looking at her and winked.

Urgh…

Heart…. Her heart did another flip-flop and Yanee sulked at her very teenager reaction. She’s still not used to this so it took time for her to adjust and breathe properly. With a sigh, she held her phone up and waited for the staff to stand aside before taking photos.

Tohru smiled at her as she took his photo.

Although kimonos for men weren’t as flamboyant as the ones for women, there were still many different styles and colors. The one for formal weddings, Tohru tried on two types. One was called koromontsuki haori hakama, a black kimono made of top grade pure silk fabric with gloss, partnered with a striped gray and white skirt. The other was the iromontsuki haori hakama of the same material although the coat had a different color. For this, the shop sent a purplish one with intricate embroidery to match. As for the kimonos for the reception, Tohru had two types as well just like Yanee. He had an omeshi and a tsumugi, both which were less formal than the wedding ones. All the ones Tohru had were the ones that would complement Yanee’s kimonos that she’d wear at the expo.

As Tohru changed clothes, Yanee “dutifully” took photos for Ami, but honestly, she would keep copies for herself as well. Who asked this potato to look good in everything, huh? As if reading her thoughts, Yanee caught Tohru giving her a knowing smile and she blushed. Still, since there were other people there, she pretended as if there was nothing unusual.

Both the elderly woman and the teenager looked thrilled at the fittings.

“Ah everything fit nicely!” they said.

Tohru looked amused at them. He knew they all would fit nicely since his mother or his sister brought one of his kimonos from home and they measured the clothes using it. Ami wouldn’t sound so sure of the fittings earlier if not. In any case, after three hours, the staff put all the kimonos in the boxes and placed them nicely in the guestroom where Yanee’s wedding kimonos were and they left.

At almost seven in the evening, the apartment was quiet with only the two of them there.

“Would you like to go out for an early dinner?” Tohru asked.

“Don’t you want to take a shower and change clothes?”Yanee asked.

Tohru’s been with her since early morning. Since she was itching for a bath and a change of clothes herself, she wondered if he felt the same.

“I have some clothes in the car. I’ll go get them,” he said with a grin and left only to return in record speed.

“Just so you know, you’re taking a bath alone,”Yanee told him matter-of-factly and he quickly pouted like a scolded puppy. “No use acting cute here, mister. I’m immune to it.”

Well, not really, but he didn’t know that.

“Go, take a shower,” she told him.

She already showed him where the bathroom was earlier so she didn’t need to do it again.

“I’ve prepared a towel and bath things for you,”Yanee added thoughtfully. “You just have to make do with my shampoo and bath soap though. We don’t have stuff for boys here.”

Tohru grinned. “I’m fine with smelling like you do for today,” he said with a wink and Yanee glared at him until he disappeared into the bathroom.

After he’d bathed and changed, Yanee did the same.

“Do you want to go out for dinner?” Tohru asked as soon as Yanee stepped out of the bathroom.

Her hair was still wet so she had a towel draped over her shoulder.

“No. Let’s just have pizza tonight?” she asked with a hopeful smile and Tohru arched his brow. “Please?” she pleaded sweetly and the other gave in.

She’d been eating restaurant and hotel food these days. She missed having some junk food and pizza topped the list.

“Alright,” he condescended and called for delivery.

The two of them sat leisurely at the sofa again as they munched on their food. Yanee just prepared soda and juice for the two of them. Yanee didn’t know why. Normally she’d be nervous since she’s alone with him, but she’d been with him for the whole day and she felt comfortable. It was as if they’d been together for a long time.

“So, what was it that you want to tell me the other day?” she asked as soon as she finished eating.

They had ordered two boxes of pizza, one for each, and she was only able to finish half of hers.

“Which one?” he asked innocently and Yanee scowled at him as if to tell him he couldn’t escape explaining tonight.

He chuckled. “Don’t be mad, okay? I was just teasing you,” he said before popping the last bite of pizza in his mouth and leaning over the table to get his drink.

When he finished, Yanee handed him a wet tissue to wipe his hands and lips. But her questioning gaze on his face never left.

“About Jena’s story,” she reminded him. “You said you asked Jena not to discuss her story with me since you wanted to do that.”

Tohru nodded. “Do you remember what her story was about?”

Yanee nodded, and she recounted the story of Jena’s and Alvin’s lives. She started from the fateful night at the bar until the time when everything became clear to the two of them.

“I think that’s all,”Yanee said after a while.

She reckoned she did well retelling the story step by step and Tohru nodded again.

“How about the life lessons you gained from their story?” he asked and Yanee was more than prepared to answer him this time.

After all, since that time he told her that he’d like to discuss this story with him since one of the lessons as for him; she thought hard again and again trying to guess which one it would be. She was curious. She was more than curious. So, now, she was ready to tell him what she knew. She just recited what she already wrote on her notes the other day.

“Trust. It was the same as the others’ stories, although, in Jena’s case, it was more on giving trust to the wrong people and paying the price. After that, it’s Karma. People who were rotten to the core would meet their just desserts. The people who had drugged and caused Jena to experience something horrible got what they deserved in the end. Finally, peer pressure is real,” Yanee enumerated.

“That’s right. People get to do a lot of stupid things even if they knew they’re bad just to belong,” Tohru said with a nod. “Anything else?”

Huh?

Yanee looked confused. Aside from what she already said, she couldn’t think of anything else to say. “There are others?” she asked and Tohru just smiled.

He looked at her as if he was still expecting her to say something else. But he’s going to be disappointed. She had nothing else to add to those.

“I don’t have other things I can think of,” Yanee confessed and Tohru shifted on the sofa.

“Hmmnn…”

He looked thoughtful for a while as he rubbed his chin. He looked as if he was also trying to recall something important.

“How about the part when Alvin dragged telling his secret too long?” he asked and Yanee frowned.

She thought about how Jena had suffered longer than necessary not knowing about the truth of her past. She had been hurt and tormented by the incident when she thought she was drugged and rȧpėd by a stranger all these years that she almost broke down when she searched for the truth only for other people to lie to her and made it worse.

On the other hand, she could also put herself in Alvin’s shoe and see things from his perspective— maybe because she’s an outsider. But Yanee understood that for his part, knowing how much his action affected Jena’s life, he couldn’t help having the fear of rejection. He was scared that if he told Jena the truth, she would hate him since she thought that she was rȧpėd.

And Jena’s life had been totally derailed— this one was a fact. She had woken up feeling defiled by a stranger and betrayed by her friends; she ended up pregnant and kicked out of her school. Alvin’s fear was understandable. Not anyone could forgive the past as easily as Jena had once she knew that it was her husband who took her body that night.

“What about it?” Yanee asked Tohru after a while.

“It’s not really about Jena’s life per se,” Tohru answered. ���It’s more about keeping secrets…”