Ambivalent

6. Karaoke Bar

Rune

"Okay, see you there," I said to Som through the line and hung up.

"Where, young master?" Akara appeared behind me, scaring the shit out of me.

"To a karaoke bar," I replied nonchalantly and rushed to my room to decide what to wear.

"Young master, it is not a good idea," he followed me like a persistent ghost, but putting my hand on the door, I blocked him.

"Don't you ever enter my bedroom," I ordered and he nodded with a frown.

Standing at the threshold, he repeated his words again.

I looked at him blankly and shook my head, "it is a perfect idea, it has been three weeks since the semester started yet we didn't have any fun."

"Like in the village?" Akara taunted me and I felt a sudden hurt in my heart. Would I ever want to experience something like it?

I stared at him intently and challenged him, "what happened, happened. Should I just stay in the house forever with the fear that something might happen again?"

Akara stared back at me, but refused to say anything.

"Be ready in twenty minutes and don't forget who I am," I slammed the door on his face and slumped on my bed. His words completely spoiled my mood because I had thought he would understand me as he knew about my illness. He must have been aware my life was actually quite dull, compared to the other rich people, right? But rather than understanding it, he chose to taunt me for the only time I wanted to go out.

He was unreasonable as well as heartless.

Although all my enthusiasm was gone, I dressed up nicely and called out for Akara. As usual, he appeared with a black shirt and jeans, his black bangs plastered on his forehead. Refusing to look him in the eye, I called a taxi and we met the others at the Karaoke bar.

Indeed, at first I wasn't in the mood, but Som was so hilarious that I couldn't keep on sulking. After swallowing four shots, he thought he was Michael Jackson and dedicated his short existence to ruin the man's songs. Though I thought Mr. Jackson was turning in his grave because of Som's killing performance, I was having the fun of my life.

"Can I get a drink? His voice is killing me," Akara talked to me for the first time during the night.

Although I was still pissed on him, his remark made me chuckle. Feeling generous, I nodded and Akara guzzled down a shot.

"Young master doesn't drink?" Akara asked, maybe feeling bold after the shot.

I shook my head with sadness. Drinking was fine but the following day was a torture, it would upto two days for me to get rid of the headache and the dizziness. That stupid AXT-1!

"Here," I saw Akara reaching me a shot glass, "it is an energy drink, you can just pretend as if it is alcohol."

I looked at the glass with a smile before guzzling it down. "It is strong!" I said, feigning it was alcohol.

"Yes, right?" Akara played along and I felt my previous anger evaporated with the sight of his rare but beautiful smile.

"I will go to the restroom," I said hastily as my heartbeat fastened for an unknown reason.

"I will-"

"NO!" I refuted immediately as Akara's presence would only make it worse. He gave me a strange look, but sat back as I opened the heavy door and rushed out. Absent-mindedly, I reached the restroom and washed my face with cold water, hoping it would help to calm me down.

"Look who is here? My prey came by his own feet!"

Hearing the ominous voice behind me, I turned around immediately to run by instinct, but a pair of iron hands grabbed my shoulders, pinning me on the spot.

"You can't run," the psycho said with an ugly grin and I shivered with fear.

"W-Who a-are y-you?" I stuttered, trying to... well, I had no idea about the reason for my gibberish by that time.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Okay this question also didn't sound appropriate for the situation, but at least it belonged to Akara. The psycho pushed me towards the wall and caught Akara's flying kick. As the force was too much for me, I hit the wall hard and the air knocked out of me. I slid down to the ground like a sack of potatoes, my back resting on the cold tiles.

Luckily, Akara wasn't like me. With beastly power, he attacked the psycho and tried to keep him away from me. He was doing extremely fine until the man changed his mind and charged at me with a pocket knife.

I closed my eyes by reflex and expected the pain, helpless.