Summer Trap (Matsumoto Series 2)

Chapter 3

Dedicated to: Titanic Ship

Chapter 3
Souvenir

August 18, 2022
Meiji Mura

One of the things that I noticed to Japanese people is how quickly they can walk. Kanina ay kaunti lang ang distansya sa pagitan namin ni Kousuke pero ngayon ay ang layo na niya sa akin.

Ilang beses na siyang lumingon sa akin at kumaway na parang ang bagal bagal kong maglakad. And what's worst? That annoying grin on his face!

I am already wearing flats. Bakit pakiramdam ko ay may suot akong mataas na heels? Bakit naman kasi ang bilis nitong si Kousuke maglakad?

We're here to explore. We should take this tour in slow down.

"Wait!"

Akala ko ay maglalakad pa siya pero tumigil na siya at hinintay na niya akong makarating sa kanya. One of his hands was already on his waist as he watched me walked toward him.

And when I tried to grab my umbrella, he held it higher.

"Allow me," he said confidently.

My brows arched. Japanese are not gentlemen. Nakakapagtaka talaga itong si Kousuke.

"What?" natatawang tanong niya nang makita niya ang reaksyon ko.

We started walking and shared my umbrella.

"Nothing," sabi ko na may kasamang pag-iling.

"I can easily read your thoughts. This is not Japanese-like, right?"

"Are you trying to impress me?"

He chuckled. When he noticed that the shadow of the umbrella was not covering me enough, he quickly switched our position. He also tilted the umbrella to assure that the heat would not touch my skin.

While him? Kousuke Matsumoto with his fair skin is damn glowing under the sunlight. Namumula lang siya sa init ng araw habang naniningkit ang maliliit niyang mga mata sa kakangisi sa akin.

"No. How will I impress you? I am nothing. Just a cute country boy with a red car."

I huffed. "You're impossible."

Nagpatuloy na kami sa paglalakad. While we were walking under the same umbrella, I couldn't help but took side glances at him. Kousuke's literally a stranger to me, but his light personality makes me feel at ease and comfortable with him.

Tulad nga ng sinabi ko kanina habang naglalakad kami mula sa parking lot, I wouldn't even expect a huge tourist spot in the middle of a forest. The huge space of Meiji Mura's being surrounded by nothing but green tall trees.

"Napakaganda. . ." usal ko habang nakalingon na lugar kung saan kami pababa.

We were greeted by an old huge building that I thought I'd only see in pictures or in online, but right now— it's right in front of my eyes.  The old building was firmly standing in the middle of well-maintained bermuda grasses and aligned bushes, and in front of it was a long man-made pond.

"Kousuke, it's okay. You can fold the umbrella."

"Alright."

We were just a few steps away from the entrance of the first old building painted with pale orange when our attention was caught again by the pond we thought was just a silent decoration. Halos kapwa kami mapatalon ni Kousuke sa posisyon namin nang biglang may umangat na tubig.

And when it suddenly burst and sprinkled in the middle of the heat of summer, when sunlight was beaming intensely against those tiny droplets, my eyes felt like it captured hundreds of gems— diamonds gleaming under the sun.