I opened my eyes. It’s too bright. I couldn’t see. I could only feel the cold breeze coming from the sea, hear the waves splashing on the shore, and smell the ocean and the flowers.
Flowers?
I looked around as the light started to slowly disperse. There were flowers everywhere, swaying with the wind. They looked so pretty and very colorful. Then, there were footsteps. I turned around but I couldn’t see the person. It was like he’s sparkling. I closed my eyes for a second, hoping that this will clear my sight. The moment I opened my eyes, the person was right in front of me. I gasped. He’s tall and slim. I couldn’t see his face but he’s smiling. I just know he is. He took my hand and put them on his shoulders. He started to sway as he put his hands on my waist. We swayed and swayed, staring at each other’s eyes—Again, I just know. After swaying back and forth for some time, his mouth opened. He was saying something. Something I couldn’t hear. It was inaudible. No, there was no voice at all. He smiled again and slowly leaned.
I sneezed.
I opened my eyes again, and to my surprise, I see my room’s ceiling.
It was a dream.
It's the same dream I've been having for weeks now. And, as always, I feel so light when I wake up. Something similar to having butterflies in your stomach, I guess. I haven't been in love so I really don't know. Yeah, I'm already 22—too old to still be innocent about love but, hey, I love money. Does that count?
I stood up and saw a big mess—clothes, bags, shoes, make-up, accessories, and paper bags. They’re everywhere. I shopped yesterday so most of these are new. This is currently my happiness. I live in this small apartment which is actually just a room—a bed, a closet, a small TV, a round table, little fridge, one burner electric stove, sink, and the bathroom and toilet. Oh and I bought that full length mirror beside my bed. How neat I look is pretty much the opposite of how my room does. Yeah, I’m pretty confident that I look good. People always say that my beauty is a waste. What they mean is that my face is pretty but my personality’s ugly.
Alright. Another day. Another boring day. I'd really like to go somewhere else and start anew. I want some adventure, excitement, thrill... And, of course, I'm still a girl, I want to experience love.
I'm gonna be late. I took a quick shower and put on a new gray dress I bought yesterday. I dried my hair and swept it into a bun—no time to curl. I put on some make-up, a white cardigan on, wore black stockings, gray shoes, and, lastly, my brown coat. Now, I have to run.
Well, my job is just 10 minutes of walk away. Still, I walked fast. I hate getting late.
And I wasn't. I reached my table without greeting anyone a happy morning. No one greeted me so why should I? I want to have friends, too, but they just won't talk to me. Me being shy is misunderstood as being snobbish. Hence, the ugly personality.
"Everyone!" It was the HR Department head. "We have a new worker here. He's Furukawa Ryuu. Be nice to him." I didn't really care but, surprisingly, I heard footsteps coming near. Dang, his table is next to mine.
"Ehem," he coughed, aiming to get my attention.
I looked at him—he was smiling at me. His smile was so captivating. His teeth were white and perfectly aligned. His lips were so thin but kinda chapped. Blame the season, it’s fall.
"Hi. I'm Ryuu." His voice echoed in my ear, a bit hoarse and very manly. Still, it sounded very cheerful. Even his eyes were smiling, they're chinky but they're twinkling.
"If I were you, I won't talk to her," Ms. Nagasaki who walked behind us said. If I were to describe this woman, one word fits: bitch. Rumor-spreader can fit too. I don’t know why but she just seems to hate me. We never really talked so I don’t know where she gets whatever she says.
