Day 83- Ambition

I quickly grabbed my breakfast; just a toast with butter and Jam and rushed out of the house since I was running late. My alarm didn't ring today and neither did my mom wake me up.

The sun was rising from its deep horizon. The sky was splashed with shaded of, orange, yellow and red with a tint of purple blush.

The streets were empty but any time now, it would be filled with business men and women, students and people in cycles heading to their respective works.

On my way, I met a cute kitty on the way and played with it for a while. Well, a while in my perspective means around half an hour or so...it wasn't my fault, the cute black kitty wouldn't leave me. It kept staring at me as if I was its owner or something. I wish I could have adopted It but It wouldn't be right because its mother would be looking for it if I did something so cruel so suddenly.

I was already late by the time I reached the store. There was a small line of people waiting outside but fortunately, they didn't seem busy or over-worked by my lateness. My simple excuse and a deep bow made them smile and wait patiently until I opened the store.

At the counter, I apologized to each one of them personally once again for the inconvenience caused. They were really kind to me. Well, one of the student was a little annoyed so I gave him a free chocolate to make up. He seemed contended by that.

--

At around mid-afternoon, I got a message from Jellal.

Jelly- Yo, what are you doing?

Me- Working. As usual T-T

Jelly- Are you free this evening?

Me- Hm, the store doesn't close until 10.

Jelly- Ah, is that so?

Me- Yes...why do you ask, though?

Jelly- I wanted to take you somewhere.

Me- Take me somewhere? Really?

Jelly- Yes.

Me- Then, I can maybe close the store by 9! I'm sure the boss won't mind.

Jelly- I don't think you should do that. Be ready by 10. I will come.

Me- Okay!

Jelly- See you, then.

Me- I can't wait, Jellal-Kun!

--

I closed the store at exactly ten and stood outside eagerly. It was cold and breezy and it seemed like it would rain as the clouds overhead turned into the color of cinders.

I turned my head to the side and noticed a figure walking towards me. The way he walked, the way his shoulders were hunched and his height, it all reminded me of him. The weather almost made me feel glum. The happiness and keenness I was feeling just moments ago, was slowly decapitating.

The figure passed me, and for some reason, I wanted to stop him because I had a feeling it might be Gray. I wanted to so badly apologize to him, to hug him and to be his friend again and talk to him without feeling any kind of awkwardness.

However, before I could do anything absurd, I heard a voice behind me. "Scarlet."

I quickly turned around, relieved that he came at the right time. "Jellal-Kun."

"Let's go." He took a step toward me, grabbed my hand and began walking.

"Jellal-Kun, where are we going?"

"Just come with me. Why do you ask so many questions?"

"But I just asked one." I pouted.

"All you need to do is follow me." He didn't look at me and talk or anything. His gaze was stuck ahead on the darkened lighted footpath.

We kept on walking, hand in hand until we suddenly stopped in front of a large, see-through window. I looked at Jellal first and then at the dress that was beautifully worn by a faceless mannequin. It was white in color—more precisely, a sea shell color--knee length and sleeveless. It had faint markings of cherry blossom petals embedded in random places, it wasn't seeable unless you paid a closer attention to its finer details.

"It's so pretty..." I muttered in awe. I was already so close to the glass. My nose was almost flattened and my breath fogged the glass around my mouth.

"Let's go in, then." Jellal walked inside the store and a faint bell rang to know that a customer had arrived.

"Eh? W-wait, Jellal-Kun--" My eyes suddenly fell on the price tag hanging on the mannequin's hand. I stumbled back upon realizing how utterly, and absurdly expensive it was. Damn, I thought. The dress costs 200 dollars, like what the hell...what's so special about that dress, anyway?

I mean, sure, it looks amazingly pretty and any girl would look stunning wearing that but spending such amount on just a dress was illogical! It's a total waste of—

--

"Eh?! J-J-Jellal-Kun! You can't buy that for me! Why are you buying it?! NO! Stop! I haven't even tried it yet--"

"Right," He took the dress from the fine lady in a suit who appeared to be an employee here and handed it over to me. "Try it, then."

"W-w-what?! Now?"

He nodded. My voice was unexceptionally loud but I couldn't help it. I was in shock and I couldn't let Jellal buy me such expensive clothing even if he is my boyfriend now.

He looked at the lady and she smiled at him as if they were telepathically talking. She walked towards me voguishly, turned me around and began pushing me towards the trial room.

"J-JELLAL-KUN! Stop! I don't want to try it on!" But it was too late. I was already in the trial room with the lady standing guard outside so that I won't escape. The door was locked but I still felt a little uncomfortable to change. I stared down at the cute dress I was holding and wondered if it would look good on me as much as it did on the mannequin.

After thinking too much and wasting almost ten minutes of mine and Jellal's time. I decided to try it on.

I zipped the back of the dress and finally turned around to look at myself in the broad, crystal-like mirror. I couldn't praise myself, but the dress looked good on me. It was perfectly my size as if it was meant for me. To be honest, I had never worn such a dress before. Lucy would sometimes give me hers to wear but nothing of this sort. This was so different. It made me feel different and I somehow liked it.

I slowly and timidly got out of the trial room and searched for Jellal. He was waiting for me near a shelf of other, good-looking clothes. Checking each one of them as if he was going to buy them all for me at once.

"Jellal-Kun..." I shyly called out to him in a soft voice. I wanted him to like it. I wanted him to praise me and call me beautiful.

He stopped shuffling through the clothes and looked at me. For a second he just stared and I noticed his eyes widening just a little, ever so slightly to be noticeable. And then he walked towards me. I could hear the feeble screams of the girls at my side, yelping over the guy who was walking towards the girl. They were murmuring how handsome he looks, how they wished he would be their boyfriend and it was quite surprising that I could hear it all. As if my hearing senses became sharper by a hundred.

He stopped just inches closer to me and smiled softly, just enough to say the word, "Perfect." He looked behind at the lady and said, "I'm gonna pay now." And the two of them walked towards the counter.

I stood there, dazed and surprised as if I was paralyzed. I looked down at my dress and Jellal's single word echoed in my ears. "Perfect."

My cheeks were turning warm again. Warmer than usual. My heart skipped beats and the more I thought about him praising me, the more I wanted to get closer to him. To hug him or maybe even kiss him. I didn't get a chance to say thank you.

Just then, there came another lady towards me, a shorter one, a paler one that the previous. She smiled at me broadly and asked, "Miss Erza, if you don't mind, I would like to remove the tag now."

H-how did she know my name? But, I didn't get the chance to ask her that, instead, I nodded confusedly. She walked behind me and fidgeted at the back of my nape (probably, carefully removing the tag) Then when she was done, she came forward, bowed and left behind the shelves.

I stood there, once more, perplexed by the situation. Wasn't I supposed to just try the dress on and then take it off?

"Scarlet." He called and I quickly came back to my senses. My body reflexively moving forward toward him. "Thank you." He bowed to the fine ladies at the counter and grabbed my hand again, as gently as always. "Let's go." And we left the shop. The girls behind me were still gossiping on how handsome and attractive Jellal was looking and I envied him because I wasn't a part of their conversation. I was merely some poor girl who he was kind enough to buy such clothes for.

I swear, If I stayed in the shop any longer, I would've punched one of them on impulse.

"Jellal-Kun..." We were walking silently, but questions had noised my mind like a traffic jam.

"Hm?" He glanced at me and then back in front.

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Buy this dress for me?"

"Don't you like it?"

"N-no...I love it."

"Because I wanted you to look special today."

"Special...why?"

"I want to show you something."

"What is it?"

"You will know soon." He breathed. The air around his mouth was visible due to the sudden chillness in the air. The weather was drastically dropping as the night was getting darker.

Jellal left my hand and I arched my brows, looking at him. He took off his jacket, realizing that mine was thin enough for the cold to touch my bare arms and placed it around my shoulders. "Better?"

I nodded. "But, what about you? Aren't you feeling cold?"

"Not really." He placed his hands in his shirt pocket.

I smiled, knowing how much of a gentleman Jellal really is and wrapped my arms around his. He didn't flinch. He kept walking as if it was totally normal. Now that we were walking like this, I felt that we were a real couple.

We walked for a few more minutes before stopping at a busy area. There was a long line in front of a restaurant called, 'Love and Lucky.'

"Wah..." It certainly was a high-end restaurant judging from the looks and dressing style of people who were waiting in cue. The gentlemen wore suits and tuxedos while the ladies wore the prettiest gowns the fashion shows had ever shown.

I thought we were going to pass this restaurant and walk ahead, however, Jellal pulled me towards the man who was outside the restaurant, checking in a book the reserved guests.

"Je-Jellal--"

"Excuse me," He called out to the man who looked tall, muscular but also cheerful. "I reserved a table for two by the name, Fernandes."

"Please, let me check, good sir." He shifted his eyes at the book and quickly scanned the page like a razor machine. "Aha!" He exclaimed with a grin and looked at him. "Please, come inside, Mr. Fernandes."

Jellal nodded and looked back at me. "Come on."

I nodded hesitantly. For some reason, I was feeling too anxious to go inside. I had never gone to such a restaurant before so it was particularly natural for me to feel this way, right?

As I followed behind Jellal, the reservation man bowed at me with the same grin he had given to Jellal. I smiled, once more, awkwardly and stayed extra close to Jellal in case I faint or get lost in the mayhem.

The inside of the grand restaurant was, well...grand. The entire atmosphere was colored in shades of gold and silver. The cutleries, the glasses, the uniforms of the waiters and waitresses. Everything was like a feast in a palace. The sound of glass clinking and people chattering was like whispers of the dead.

"May I help you, young sir, lady?" A guy, probably around thirties approached us out of nowhere. He was wearing a black suit with shiny cufflinks. A red rose was pinned at the upper right side of his jacket and a silver pen was enclosed in his left upper pocket. He smiled at us, his eyes wrinkling into many curved lines.

"Table for two," Jellal said. His voice was charming, I wanted to hear more and more of it. Although I was spending time with him, I still craved to hear his voice that were like the waves of the ocean.

"Please, this way." The man swayed his hands swiftly and Jellal and I walked ahead, the man promptly following us.

He stopped at a table in the corner near the window, where I could see the street and the many houses and apartments that lined horizontally. People were passing by but they didn't bother to look at the window. Perhaps, it was hidden from their eyes, like a film of a black sheet of some kind.

Jellal nodded and the man gave one last smile at us before leaving to his spot again.

The table had a lit candle in the middle, and I could smell its faint aromatic fragrance just enough as to only when I inhale. I was about to sit when I noticed Jellal quickening his steps towards me—or, precisely, towards the chair. He pulled it back and with a slight movement of his head, gestured me to sit. The warmness was now spreading all over my body. I staggered to the chair, and for some reason, I couldn't meet Jellal's eyes. The more I looked at him, the more I was getting dizzier and warmer.

I sat and he pushed the chair in front. Just like the gentlemen's do in the movies. He sat on his chair, his gaze fixed on me and then there was silence.

I stared into his eyes and he stared at mine. His appeared more jewel-like as the burning flames mirrored and illuminated it.

Punctually, a waitress approached our table with a book and pen in her hand. She was quite short judging from her age. She was fair and had pink cheeks, her caramel blonde hair was tied in a long braid, although leaving a loose strand to fall and waver at the side. Her name was Coco.

"May I take you order, sire?" She asked in a melodic voice. It didn't take me long that she only looked at Jellal and not me. All I could do was sigh because Jellal's handsome and it can't be helped if he has this idol-like aura surrounding him. Any girl would be head over heels for him. Like I was. Like I am.

"Scarlet?" He asked me.

"Huh? E-Eh...Um—Let me see..." I quickly opened the menu that Coco had placed in front of me and browsed through the pages. DAMN! Everything was so expensive! Even expensive than the dress! At once, I had lost my appetite to eat. I couldn't just order anything...I didn't even understand the names of the dishes! It was like they were written in French or Hebrew or some alien language.

I swiftly closed the menu and hesitantly smiled at Jellal. "Uh, I would like to have water..."

"Just water?" He asked skeptically.

I nodded and I heard Coco giggling. I looked at her, feeling embarrassed for myself and averted at once when she suddenly stopped and masked a serious face after realizing that I was watching.

I gazed up at Jellal and he sighed. He looked up at Coco and ordered. "I would like two Boefu Bourguignon."

"Oui, and to drink?"

"Something light."

"Pinot Grigio?"

"Perfect." He smiled at her.

I suddenly remembered when Jellal said the same thing to me but with a faint smile than this... "Perfect."

Coco returned the smile and walked away with our order.

I stared at the table because I was drowned in my discomfiture. I was ruining the night for Jellal as well and I didn't know what to do. Everything was so different than usual. I wished we could have just at the park or beach or something like that...

"Hey," He called out and I quickly jerked my head up. "Are you feeling alright? You're looking pale."

"Eh? Uh, yes, I'm perfectly fine!" I laughed but surely, it was fake. "Please, don't worry about me!" Man...this is getting awkward.

Unexpectedly, Jellal leaned in forward and touched my forehead. "Ah," His eyes swelled a little, "You're burning--"

I flinched back, lightly pushing away his hand. I didn't want to ruin this perfect night by going home...He might have brought me here maybe hoping to speak something, right?

"Let's go home." He got up from his seat and walked towards me.

"N-no, I'm really fine, Jellal-Kun--"

"Shut up." He tenderly grabbed my shoulders and I had no choice but to get up. I felt a pang of faintness as I stood beside him, my body leaned a little to the side but Jellal caught me. "Seriously, you could have said you weren't feeling well."

We began walking towards the exit but the waitress, Coco, who had taken our order swiftly rushed towards us. "Is—Is there something wrong, Sir?" She asked worriedly. But she definitely wasn't worried about me.

"I'm sorry but please cancel our order." He said and we walked past her. She tried to stop Jellal but he wouldn't look back.

My body was unsteady as we got out of the restaurant. Why did I had to fall sick at such a time...? I cursed myself under my breath.

"Come on." Jellal bent a little and waited.

"Eh?"

"Get on my back."

"N-no, it's okay...I can walk and besides, I'm heavy--"

"You talk a lot." He grabbed both my wrists and crossed them around his neck. Timorously, I got on his back and he caught me again, making sure I wouldn't fall from behind him. My face was near his ear and I could smell his shampoo again. It soothed me a little. It made me feel less light-headed.

"Alright." Jellal began walking quite effortlessly.

The silent, cold air surrounded us silently. The stars were still hidden by the ashen clouds. The smell of rain nearly touching the ground.

"Jellal-Kun..." I whispered.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry..."

He moved his head toward me a little. "It's alright."

"No, it's not. You have done so much for me today...You even thought of a perfect dinner but I ruined it all...I'm really sorry--"

"We can always have a perfect dinner anytime. Your health is more important now." He pushed me up again as I was slowly sliding down.

"You're right...We can have a perfect dinner anytime now that we're together." I smiled, burying my lower half—til my nose-- on his shoulder.

"You're heavy, though." He complained and pushed me up again.

"S-sorry..."

"You know, Scarlet."

"Hm?"

"You're so much trouble."

"I-I'm not," I pouted. "If you think I'm trouble then drop me here. I can walk on my own."

He chuckled. "Baka."

"Y-you baka!"

"I don't want you to faint in the middle of the road now. It would be a problem for the passers-by."

"So, you're not really worried about me but for the people?"

"Of course, they would have to call an ambulance and stuff and waste their precious time on you."

"I-I hate you, Jellal-Kun." I murmured.

He scoffed and pushed me up again.

--

Jellal squeezed the warm cloth and placed it on my forehead. Lying down still made me feel a little weak but I tried to keep my eyes open and look at him.

He had given me a tablet and it surely was working gradually working on me. He sat next to me on the bed, pressing the cloth a little from time to time.

"Thank you, Jellal-Kun, for bringing me home...and I'm sorry again."

He lightly nodded. "You should sleep now."

"A-are you going back home?"

"Yes."

I averted my eyes from him. "C-can you stay with me until I sleep?"

There was a pause for a long time but eventually, he nodded again.

I looked up at the ceiling. My body was getting even warmer, a hazy headache was crawling up my head and sleepiness was sticking itself to my eyelids.

However, there was one thing I wanted to ask before I fell unconscious.

"Jellal-Kun."

"What is it? Go to sleep already."

"Why, all of a sudden, did you decide on taking me to that high-five restaurant?" I was glad that he took me there but also confused as to why he would do such a thing. I would actually have been happy by just eating ramen with him again.

He looked down for a minute and then at me. "I wanted to show it to you."

"Eh?"

"Ever since I was in middle-school, I wanted to be a chef. I was very fond of my mother's cooking and my father wasn't bad at it himself. They both taught me a few recipes which I would try while they helped me in the kitchen since it was not safe for a fourteen-year-old to play with fire and stuff," There was a faded smile on his lips. "And ever since then, I grew to love cooking more than ever. I did volunteer work to earn as much money as I could so that I could take professional cooking lessons."

"Ah," I widened my eyes upon a sudden realization. "Is that why you did all those works?"

"Uh-huh. It was the only way since I could think of. And now that I had enough money, I decided to take those lessons; the reason why I'm busy now."

"I-I see..."

"The restaurant--" I looked at him, "I want to be a chef in that restaurant. That's what I wanted to show and tell you."

I smiled. "Jellal-Kun...You really have a big dream."

"I certainly do and I will try my best to become one. It's the one thing that will keep me close to my mom..." Jellal looked even sadder than he looked at the hospital. I guess memories; bad and happy are flashing right before his eyes.

"Jellal-Kun, I'm sure you will become the greatest chef ever!"

"You're overexaggerating--"

"I'm not. I know you will! And I know that one day from now, I will see you working in that restaurant. That's why, please do your best, Jellal-Kun! I will be rooting for you always! I know I'm no good at cooking or giving you any advices but if I can help you, I would! So, please, rely on me too because your happiness is my happiness."

I think I said too much...Why isn't he reacting—

Suddenly, Jellal leaned in forward and kissed my lips. Startled, I stared at his closed eyes, my lips catching the sweetness of his.

He pulled back gently and stared into my sleepy eyes. "Thank you, Scarlet." He smiled and kissed me again. This time, I closed my eyes as well. The sweetness of his lips turned sweeter than honey by each passing minute until I was oblivious of my insentient state.