Autumns of Tokyo

7

"Aki-san, aki.."

"Aki!!!!".

I snapped. Tiningnan ko kung sino ang tumatawag sakin.

"Aki, kanina ka pa nakatulala! Kanina pa kita tinatawag pero ang lalim yata ng iniisip mo!". Si Hana pala.  She's a Filipina working as hostess dito sa bar.

"Sorry", and I sighed.

"Okay lang pero girl pahi-pahinga din, mukang pagod na pagod ka na at sobrang distracted ka today! Nakakaloka ka sis!". Hana said with a concerned face.

"Alam mo naman kung gaano kahirap kumita ng pera, kailangan doble kayod tayo". I answered while looking around the dressing room. Nasa bar na ako ngayon at kasama ko si Hana together with the other hostess and attendant dito sa bar. Hana is older than me by 5 years. She has a white porcelain skin and a really nice body. Siyempre need yun as a hostess sa isang high-end bar. Hana is beautiful and she has an aura that screams i'm sexy and fierce pero contrary to that she is bubbly.

"Girl, wala ka namang sinusustentuhan sa Pinas pero kung makakayod ka daig mo pa may sampung anak!", Hana teasingly answered.

I smiled weakly and answered, "I have my reasons".

Hana just shrugged off at humarap na sa salamin and started fixing her makeup. Even though I know Hana for quiet a year, I remained as acquaintance with her. We only know each other through work. Nothing more, nothing less.

As I looked in the mirror to check my reflection, everything that happened earlier came rushing and his words echoed in my mind. "You should be". What the hell does he mean by that?!

After he uttered those words nag dire-diretso siya sa pinto at lumabas na. Still flustered sumunod ako. Nang makalabas ako ng penthouse, there are 4 men in a suit na mukhang mga bodyguards niya. Even, Mr. J is here now. Riku together with the bodyguards walked and hop in the elevator, naiwan ako with Mr. J.

"Miss Aki, Sir Masaki instructed me to accompany you back to the hotel", Mr. J said looking at me with a smile.

Ngumiti ako pabalik at tumango. Gusto ko sana tanungin si Mr. J kung saan papunta si Riku pero siyempre he owns the this hotel and other chains nito kaya panigurado he is a busy man. Baka sa ibang hotel naman siya mag didisguise. I rolled my eyes while thinking of that.

I followed Mr. J, sumakay na kami sa elevator pababa ng basement. He opened the backseat of the sedan car, nakakahiya at pinagbuksan niya pa ako dahil empleyado lang din naman ako. But Mr. J smiled and gestured na pumasok na ako. I sat and he then entered the driver's seat. He started the engine and we drove back to the hotel.

On our way naiisip ko pa din ang mga pangyayari kanina and these past few days. Gusto ko lang naman na tahimik magtrabaho tapos everything become twisted because of his principles daw as he said to the woman earlier. I get it, he wants to see ang iba't ibang department kung paano kami magtrabaho pero kailangan ba yun?! To the extent na magpapanggap siya na employee din?!

I still don't get it. Even yung pagdala niya sakin sa penthouse para patunayan na totoo yung mga nakita at narinig ko, is that necessary??? I'm just a mere employee, he has nothing to prove to me.

I sighed loudly.

Sa dami ng iniisip ko hindi ko napansin na nandito na kami sa parking ng basement ng hotel where I work. Bumaba si Mr. J at nagmamadali din akong bumaba from the backseat. Lumapit si Mr. J sa akin and I lowered my head and bowed.

"Arigato-gozamaisu", I said as I thank him.

Mr. J also bowed his head to accept my thank you. Maglalakad na sana ako papasok sa backdoor ng hotel nang may inabot sakin si Mr. J na box. Kinuha ko ito na may pagtataka at ngumiti lang sa akin si Mr. J, he then went back to the car and drove away.

I looked at the pink box with white ribbon. May card din, I was about to read the card when my phone suddenly rang. Momo's name is registered. I answered the phone call.

(Aki-san!!!, Where the hell are you?! Nandito na ako sa locker room and bigla ka daw nawala sabi sakin ng visor mo sa floor! Saan ka nagpunta ha?!) Momo's voice looks like she was about to erupt any time soon kaya binaba ko na ang tawag at nagmadaling pumunta sa locker room.

I went inside at dire diretsong lumapit kay Momo, she was busy typing on her phone siguro she is messaging me dahil binabaan ko siya ng tawag. I nudged her from behind.

"What the fuc.. Aki!!!", she embraced me tightly na akala mo ang tagal namin hindi nagkita. "Aki why did you leave without permission!! Bakit di ka nagpaalam!! Nag-alala ako!!! Last time this happened.. you.," and Momo burst out in tears. I embraced her tightly.

"Shuuush. I'm sorry. Something came up with my work sa bar kaya hindi ako nakapagpaalam. Emergency. Stop crying". Inalo ko si Momo.

"I don't want anything to happen to you again, I always want to be there for you whatever happens", tuloy pa din ang pagiyak ni Momo.

"Nothing will happen okay, It won't happen again okay?". I looked at Momo's eyes with pain. The episodes of the day that I want to forget came rushing. I tried to hold back my tears.

Momo stopped crying. Tahimik kaming dalawa na nag bihis at nag ayos ng gamit. Binuksan ko ang bag ko at pinasok dun ang box na bigay ni Mr. J, bubuksan ko na lang paguwi ko. We went to the office para mag time out and surprisingly napagalitan lang ako dahil umalis ako ng walang paalam. Hindi nakarating sa kanila ang mga nangyari sa lounge earlier.

Lumabas na kami ng hotel, at nakakapagtaka pa din na everything seemed normal after what happened kanina. I could have been fired pero hindi. As Riku said, Mr. J had already fixed everything. Totoo nga.

Sumakay na kami sa densha, Momo and I bid goodbye. Nauna akong bumaba sa kanya dahil didiretso pa ako sa bar. As I entered the bar, I walked straightly to the dressing room.

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I stopped looking at my reflection at tinigil ko na din ang pag-iisip sa mga nangyari kanina. It seemed unreal yet it happened. Huminga ako ng malalim at inayos ang sarili. Our shift is about to start kaya tumayo na ako at lumabas ng dressing room.