chapter 15 - cruel tantrums
wednesday, 12/8/2020
"You seem hesitant," Kineta pointed out.
Mai exhaled. "I'm not."
He leaned onto the wall, his head tilted curiously. "Why won't you open the door, then?"
Mai huffed stubbornly as she unlocked the door. Her sister must've found the extra key under the pot. The brat had always been known for being clever.
Kineta watched her, a bit concerned.
Mai thinned her lips. "You don't need to come with me."
He shrugged. "I'm curious. Let me be."
Mai puffed out a breath before she entered her apartment, Kineta trailing after her.
Mai scanned the vicinity suspiciously before she found a child cladded in elementary uniform asleep on the sofa. Her hair was a dirty blonde that reached her chest which contrasted to Mai's dark hair. They didn't look similar. In fact, he could barely see any resemblance.
"She's my half-sister," Mai said abruptly as if answering his internal question.
"She's cute," Kineta pointed out.
Mai took Kineta's soaked jacket and placed it on the hanger. "I'm cuter."
Kineta's brows raised. "Hm?"
Mai glanced at him. "You'd disagree?"
Kineta grinned. "I wouldn't describe you that way-"
Mai pinched his waist, her cheeks blossomed. "You're daring for a virgin." She welcomed him in and settled him on the sofa next to her half-sister. "Tea or hot chocolate?"
"You're never going to live it down, aren't you?" Kineta sighed as he stared out the window. He could hear Mai working in the kitchen, humming out a tune. Her voice was smooth and a bit low, lulling him to sleep.
Suddenly, his eyes caught onto a wall that was adorned with awards. He stood up, approaching it with ease. "Did you win all of these?"
"Yeah," Mai answered, right behind him. Shocked, Kineta turned back as Mai's eyes drifted through a framed award to the next. "These are the ones that won't fit on my mother's house."
"You have more?" Kineta asked, stunned.
Mai chuckled. "Don't you watch any television shows?"
Kineta sucked in his cheeks. "Apart from Thirteen Reasons Why? Not really."
She retreated to the living room. "That's probably why." She sat on the sofa, watching him mockingly. "I'm surprised by how long it took for you to know."
"Are you supposed to be some celebrity or something?" Kineta questioned, sitting next to her.
She leaned back and crossed her legs as she placed the teacup onto her lips. "Am I?"
Kineta furrowed his brows and took out his phone.
"Holy shit! Really?" Kineta said, surprised. He shone with childish excitement and Mai almost squished his cheeks from how adorable he looked. "How about Pewdiepie? Have you met him?"
Mai nodded. "I met him at a function around two years ago. He's nice."
"You're not a fan of him?"
"I don't have time to be engrossed in those things."
Kineta's eyes widened as he flashed a dimple. "Can I meet him?"
Mai softened. "I don't think so. I've been on hiatus for a few weeks."
"Why?"
She bit her lip. "My manager had been applying me to adult movies without my consent." Mai huffed. "One day, they told me to strip out of the blue. I didn't have any time to prepare for that."
They were quiet for some time, Kineta taking his time to process things further.
Suddenly, the little girl stirred on the sofa. Mai fixated on her, stern. "She wants to pursue her dreams in the music industry."
"Do you think she can make it?"
Mai quirked her lips. "We'll see."
