The café was bustling with office workers taking lunch break. Akira and I could barely squeeze through the doorway. I wondered if the café was a bad choice. There were way too many people in the café. The line was starting to form quickly. The end of the line was at the entrance.
We waited in line together until it reached the register. Akira asked, “What do you like? Americano? Latte? Caramel Macchiato’s my favorite.” I was reluctant to tell him what I liked. Although I look like a serious person, my taste buds are different. I like cold sweet drinks like a Frappuccino. I also didn’t want him to know because I had hardly enough money to pay for any drinks.
I replied, “I’ll just get some water.” He frowned at first but changed his expression to a smile when the girl behind the register asked for their order. He pointed at the menu and said, “I’ll take a medium Caramel Macchiato and medium strawberry Frappuccino for her.”
I was beyond shocked when he ordered my favorite drink. How did he know I liked that drink? Was he an alien from out of space? I quickly tried to get the girl to cancel the Frappuccino but was stopped by Akira. His hands covered my lips lightly to prevent me from telling her to cancel the order. The cashier asked, “Could I get your name? We’ll call out your name once the drinks are ready.”
Akira replied, “The Caramel Macchiato is for Akira and the Strawberry Frappuccino is for Mika.” She thanked them and continued on to the next customer. He removed his hand from my mouth and smiled at me, “Just accept the free drink. Just think of it as a gift for spending the day with me.”
I had nothing to say to that. The girl was already taking the next person’s order and it would be rude to interrupt. I walked over to the waiting area with Akira. I asked, “How did you know I like Frappuccino’s? He said, “I noticed you were staring at that strawberry Frappuccino over there. I assumed you wanted one.”
He pointed at a girl sitting beside the window with a strawberry Frappuccino in hand. She was talking to a guy that looked like her boyfriend. I quickly looked away from them when the girl turned around to look at us. I didn’t want to get caught staring at a random person.
I jumped in surprise when I felt his lips on my ears. He whispered, “They’re not looking at us. So, you don’t have to be so worried.” His breath on my ear felt ticklish and his presence made me feel on edge. My hands started to feel slimy with sweat and my heart raced uncontrollably in my chest. These are not the symptoms of falling in love. I’m sure of it.
I’ve read countless books about girls that fall in love. I’m probably reacting this way because he’s a celebrity. I’m probably just feeling nervous because he’s so handsome. Any girl would feel nervous in this situation. Especially when the other person is a famous celebrity with amazing visuals.
I wiped the sweat off on my skirt and said, “It’s so hot in here. I think it’s because of all the people crowded in one area. Don’t you think it’s hot?” I made sure to keep a distance away from Akira to avoid looking like a freak. It was easy to avoid his gaze with my long hair. My hair tends to be in my face, and I can easily hide my eyes from everyone. It was easier to hide without my glasses.
I was relieved when the tension was broken by the employee. She shouted, “Akira and Mika, your drinks are ready.” I quickly moved away from Akira and grabbed my drink. As soon as I got the drink, I took a large sip of it. His gaze landed on me at the worst time. My cheeks were sunken in from slurping the drink and I probably looked like a fish.
I wanted to slap myself for acting like an idiot. I should probably never go to a café with friends or family. I look like a dork, and I would probably be made fun of. Sayuri would definitely tell me to go away if she saw me like this. I hid behind my hair once again. Akira grabbed his drink and took a sip. Unlike me, he looked like he was shooting a drink commercial.
I was watching him drink his coffee for a while till I noticed everyone else also staring at him. I should’ve realized sooner that every single girl in the store was staring at Akira once they heard his name. I realized too late when a girl shoved me away and jumped in front of Akira.
She squealed, “Are you Akira? You have to be! Can I pretty please get an autograph?” She blinked her eyes abnormally fast and twirled her hair around her finger. She pursed her lips to make them look bigger in front of Akira. I should’ve known that this would happen. Akira was a famous singer, and this was bound to happen sooner or later.
I was completely taken out of the picture when a horde of girls came running towards Akira. The café soon became lively with the sound of squealing girls. I had no way of getting around everyone because I was very short in height. I gave up completely when I noticed that the girls weren’t budging. These girls were so much taller than me.
Although I was behind the crowd, I could still see Akira. There was just enough space for me to peek between two girl’s arms. Akira was busy smiling at the girls with his pearly white teeth. He winked at the girls and caused everyone to scream in excitement. It made me feel like I was being played with.
He had the aura of a Casanova that could hook any girl if he wanted. I grimaced when I realized that I just shot myself in the foot. I shouldn’t have easily come here with Akira. Sayuri told me that he was a player. I should’ve believed her when she told me. His actions towards me, and all the other girls proved it. I felt stupid for being so gullible.
Maybe he was only being nice to play with me. There’s no way a guy like Akira would willingly help a girl like me. I decided it was best if I just left. Akira was too busy signing everyone’s autographs and flirting with random girls. I wanted to toss the Frappuccino in the trash can but decided not to after realizing how wasteful that would be.
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