Apple & Cinnamon

Chapter [A]

Adamant: Strong and crystalline, please be my pretty diamond. 

It was cloudy and cold, as always, in foggy London; the sun was glimmering behind the clouds that March 7th afternoon, the cold wind of 5pm swayed the branches of the trees outside the Sweet n' Bee coffee shop

-"Finally I have some time to read my book in peace with a cup of my favourite tea" - Makoto thought while he took a sip from his cup of cinnamon tea, the flavour of the cinnamon was something that he liked a lot and loved its smell too. Calmly he opened his book, The secret window, and started reading; while he put a piece of pie in his mouth, it was delicious! Today's special pie was of blueberries, it was so delicious that he wanted to take a whole pie home to share with his second family, yes second an adoptive one because he was from Japan.

Then the door of the coffee shop opened, it was a tall blonde guy with pretty eyes like emeralds, he used glasses but he looked pretty handsome with them, Brennan was his name, he approached to the owner and asked for an American Express coffee with lots of sugar, when he got it, lost in his own thoughts and listening music, he spilled his coffee on Makoto's book and clothes; he stood up quickly and his face turned red, not only because of the hot coffee burning his skin, but of anger.

-I-I I am s-s-sorry!! I-it was an accident I swear!!- Brennan said blushing and taking a napkin to try to clean the book, but Makoto just looked at him with hate and anger, gatherer his things and walked really fast out of the shop; Brennan tried to stop him, but when he reached the door -Wait!! Let me help you...- Makoto was already on the corner of the block -"Wow! That was fast"- Brennan thought, then went inside the coffee shop again to buy another coffee, he felt so ashamed that he bought the coffee and went home again, to his apartment at the centre of London.

-"That idiot!"- Makoto thought while he sat down in the bus to go home - "And I couldn't buy the pie after that little scene in the shop... Well I guess I'll have to buy it tomorrow after classes..."- And indeed, the classes on the universities where starting the next day. Makoto got home, tried to clean up his book but it was useless, the words of many pages were not legible anymore, too bad it was his favourite book and he brought it from Japan, his native country, he knew he won't be able to find that book in a store written in Japanese, not a common store at least, would he throw it away? -No. I can't...- He said to himself, the book was a present from his mother - A ruined present... - he mumbled as he placed the book on his bed; he lay down for a minute, thinking and wondering what will happen the next day - Tomorrow... Another period of my life wasting time trying to be a translator... or maybe a linguist... - He said, after that he fell asleep for a couple of minutes, then his sister called him, - Mako, dinner is ready! - She yelled from down the stairs, he got up, and went down to the kitchen to eat and share his day with family.

Meanwhile, Brennan was just arriving home, - "Finally home" - he thought, opened the door and left his backpack on the sofa - "I have to cook dinner... Geez I wish I could just order food like the other time but, tomorrow I start classes, and I'll need money so..." Let's cook - He cooked macaroni and cheese, like the other 2 nights, he wasn't a good cook so he just had to eat whatever he could prepare. After eating, he just tried to sleep and thought about the 'girl' he met at the coffee shop - "She was really cute" - he started thinking, and then well was the fact that he spilled coffee on her, so he didn't really expected to see her again - "If only I could..." - and with this, he fell asleep.

-"Everything is ready for tomorrow, the clothes I'll use, my bag and inside it my notebook, my iPod, a pencil and 3 pens, bubblegum, eraser... That's pretty much all I need for now..." - he thought while he was brushing his hair, now it was long, longer than other times, he seemed a girl for some guys, but Makoto just didn't cared, after all, - "what really matters is to feel comfortable with yourself"- and he was right, though sometimes he wanted to punch the guys that asked him out once in a while.

The alarm rang and Makoto got up after 7 minutes, he took a shower, got dressed, had breakfast and headed towards his University, he took the bus and while he was staring out the window, he was listening his song of the day, he always chooses one song for every day, he loves music, but just Japanese music because he finds it a lot of better than other kind of music. Finally he arrived to King's College London, were he was going to study and stay for a long time, he went to check his schedule and after that, he waited in his class listening music, Universe - Psycho Le Cemú to be precise. Then everyone arrived, he just took off his headphones and waited. After every single person introduced themselves, they had a break, after all, there was not much to do the first day of classes. He was walking towards the cafeteria when someone called his name

-Nobuyuki!! Wait!! - Makoto turned around and it was him, the guy from the other day at the coffee shop! - "That idiot..." - he thought - Hey! I guess Nobuyuki was your last name after all! - Brennan said - You are really fast! Mmm I was wondering if-if you wanted to come with me and eat something - he said looking to other place and playing with his own hands, totally avoiding eye contact with Makoto - "This stupid doesn't remember me..." Umm I don't know... I wanted to be alone today so - he replied coldly and turning around, he started walking - B-but, why be alone if you can meet new people? And let's just have a coffee ok? I love coffee, is so delicious that... hey!! Wait!!!! - Brennan shouted as he ran to catch Makoto who kept walking careless chewing cherry bubblegum; then Brennan grabbed his arm and said - You really prefer to be alone than to drink a coffee with me? - his eyes were so cute and full of emotion that Makoto turned his face to the left and replied - ... If I go with you, will you stop getting in my life and leave me alone? - - Yes! If that's what you want, then yes - Brennan said with a big smile in his face - Fine, I'll go then - Makoto said and with this, they went to the cafeteria and bought two coffees with donuts.

- So, tell me, are you from China? Or one of those countries that...-
- I am from Japan, I think I mentioned it at Literature class - Makoto said taking a sip of his hot coffee
- Y-you did?? Sorry, I-I didn't pay much attention, I was sooooooooo bored at that class... - Brennan said while he took a big bite of his chocolate donut
- I actually liked the class, I love to read "Of course you don't know that because you are a stupid and senseless Yankee" it relaxes me -
- Oh, you like to read? Nice! Ummm so, tell me more about your country -
- About Japan? Mmm well it is an island, even if it's small, it's got everything you can imagine, but we don't have an airport there, it is in the middle of the sea because of the reduced space we have there, the food is really delicious, seafood is always fresh. I lived in Kyoto, it is a really nice place to live, calm not like Tokyo that is a bigger city and is more noisy than other places, buildings are really... -
Makoto and Brennan talked for 2 hours and the atmosphere became less and less tense by every minute they talked; they even laughed a few times together, Makoto started to think - "Maybe this guy is not as bad as I thought, he is not so stupid after all" - But then, Brennan said something that pissed him of

-I really enjoy spending time with you, you are really nice, and calm, and I think you are a really pretty Japanese girl! I feel lucky just being here with you -
- You... YOU WHAT?!?!? - Makoto said and stood up really angry
- That you are... pretty? It's the truth I mean look at you - Brennan said nervous
- YOU THINK I AM A GIRL??? WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?? - Makoto yelled and his face turned red
- ... You are not a girl??? - Brennan said confused - B-but you are really pretty and your body is really slim! And- and you hair is long and smell nice! -
- I am a GUY!!! The fact that my hair is long and that I am slim doesn't mean I am a girl you stupid son of a b... - Makoto took his bag and walked out of the cafeteria saying - I knew that you were just a stupid guy! I don't know why the hell I thought you were a nice person, you idiot!- and with that he left, Brennan just stood there shocked because it was happening again, thoughts that he wanted to erase forever from his mind came back, and tortured him...