ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇɴ

୨⎯ Trim My Heart and Try Again ⎯୧

It is currently four in the afternoon. Looks like it will rain. With the atmosphere being cold and foggy, I doubt anybody will swarm in the streets before the sun sets. The television says so. News is flashing on the screen right now and I am here being a couch potato with a truck of a hangover.

"Flash report! A dozen alerts wore off in a luxurious hotel just an hour ago. One of the staff members found multiple corpses on a particular floor. Witnesses have gathered to report a suspicious individual walking around the building—"

Damn... My head hurts so bad. I need to call... Mari.

I stay frozen on the spot with my head burrow on a squishy pillow and just feel around my phone on the coffee table beside me. Randomly tapping on my phone screen, a sense of relief kicks in when I hear it ringing.

"Knew you would call me." My face drops upon hearing his voice. "I didn't know you miss me this much, Y/n. I mean, you should be more expressive especially since you're an actress, right? You can practice on me, you know."

An instant flashback then shot inside my brain. That's right... I dialed his number that one crazy midnight in his car.

Back to when we were still inside that damn cramped car, I was slightly woken up by this asshole for stupid reasons. Since I wasn't in the mood to argue with him and just wanted to snooze back, I went along with his sayings.

The Haitani sounded pretty annoyed as he complained, "Hey, Y/n, can you dial this number on your phone? Mine's kinda being a bitch right now. I might have to buy a new one..."

"Tch." I sluggishly searched my pockets and then found my phone. Being half awake, I took my time typing the number on the keypad. "Can you listen to it once it rings?"

'Listen to it'? The fuck does that mean?

I placed the phone beside my ear and the person on the other end was none other than—"Hello, Y/n. I finally got your number. You know, I've been meaning to ask for it ever since we faced each other in that ring and—!"

Rindou glanced at me and saw I was back to sleeping. He chuckled softly and said, "So leaving me behind is your answer, huh."

Flashforward to this existing situation I am in, I am deeply flabbergasted and don't know how to escape this scene. It's like every time I am with him, he has got me wrapped around his fingers and I always end up kneeling on the ground before him.

"You just can't resist me, Y/n." Rindou keeps blabbering while I remain silent. "So? Why did you call at this hour? What service shall I do to you, princess?"

A shiver runs down my spine as I hear him saying all this nonsense. With a gruff voice, I say to him, "Shut up for one second, Haitani. If you want to feel useful, call my manager for me or better, leave me alone!"

"And this is what I get for being kind to you. Are they not treating you right? Look, I can treat you so much better—"

"Shut it!" I yell unintentionally. Silence arises on his end as a single word doesn't bubble up. "Forget it. I just accidentally called your number. It's nothing."

"So your head still hurts after all these hours." Before I can even respond to him, he abruptly hangs up the phone. "Wait–! Tsk." Good job me. Hope you're happy with the way things are turning out. He will definitely ruin my life again.

My chest begins to cramp up into a single spot as my eyes accumulate water that soon covers my vision. I utter quietly to myself, "I hate this feeling. I dislike crying." Then, tears stumble down my cheeks nonstop while my mind replays my high school life in front of me.

After all these years, why must he reappear into my life? What is the reason for us to end up back in each other's path? If I moved to another city, would he still be there chasing after me?

I was starting to like you...

That line comes back punching me in the face. "Leave me alone, I said." That choking sensation in my throat hinders me from speaking right. Cries fill the pitch black living room with only the television lighting the place up.

Then, I hear the doorbell ring. Dread strikes me as the thought of him actually showing up to come check on me haunts my loneliness. Perhaps it was a bad idea to let him take me home.

I get up from the couch though still holding onto the squishy pillow as my shield. Opening the door, I take a peek from the small gap. Huh? He's not here. Oh, but something's on the floor.

Surprised, I haven't caught sight of him yet from the moment I opened the door. "Maybe he's not really here." I whisper to myself while bending down to get the small package on the ground in front of the door. "But I wonder what's inside of this thing."

Seeing what's inside the package forms me into a statue for a second. A note read, "This is for your hangover. You have to eat first before drinking the medicine. Pretty sure you already know the drill seeing how drunk you were. Good luck."

My cheeks somehow tug the ends of my lips upward after reading this silly note. What? Trying to win me over by acting like a ridiculous caretaker? You are nothing to me, Haitani. ...At least, you were something.

"Y/n dear! I'm back. Sorry if I had to leave for a while— Huh?" Mari says with a question on her face. She sees me down on the couch sleeping with half of my body almost falling and well, I left some kind of mess on the coffee table.

She giggles to herself, "You should have called me if you needed anything. Going out when you're not feeling well will just put you into more trouble."

It has been two days and I have not heard from him since. "Ah, I love the peacefulness." I sigh with relief trickling my nape as I sit in front of the cooler while my hand fan is blowing my hair back.

I suddenly hear heavy footsteps running towards me. It is apparently my manager who just slams the door wide open and shouts in pure joy, "Y/n! You have some surprisingly good news! The head of the production team is in need of you at this instant!"

Getting up from the floor, I question her with a puzzled expression, "But the meeting is supposed to be tomorrow. Can't it wait? I already planned to stay inside for the rest of the day."

She grabs me by my arm and grins. "Come on, it's good news! You don't wanna lose this opportunity to boost your image, don't you?" Mari's right. I can't simply decline for no valid reason.

I give in and Mari clearly knows something I have no idea about just by a single glimpse of her smirk. "Alright, great." She clasps her hands with her eyes close from grinning too much. Is she that happy for this project to become alive? Ah, maybe she's happy for me.

Mari continues, "I'll inform them right away that you will be arriving in the office within fifteen minutes. Sounds good? Or do you need more time to get ready?"

"What? I'll just put on a sweatshirt with this baggy pants—"

She cuts me off with excitement blinding—or should I say deafening—her, "I have an outfit ready for you, my beloved Y/n! Just trust me. It will look spectacular on you!" Mari then starts to push me towards the dressing room and picks out an expensive taste.

I am basically wearing a black suit with the blazer hanging on top of my shoulders. I ask her as I stare at myself in the standing mirror, admiring this out-of-nowhere outfit, "Isn't this a bit too much, Mari? It's just a casual meeting with the production team. Discussing and such... You know?"

She comments in a relaxed manner, "Dress to impress, am I right? This fresh project the company's looking for is somewhat gonna be crazy and extravagant, just like what your outfit is giving. Well, you will understand once the team discusses it with you in full detail."

...And uhm, I did kind of understand the concept of this "fresh project" they keep mentioning. To summarize everything I have heard come out from their mouths, it is a concept of "raw emotions" portrayed in each character. It is a level of  going out of my comfort zone, pretty much rebranding my whole self; meaning I would have to burn my study room.

I argue back to the head of the production team, "If the film will just play out like this, there are tons of actresses out there who can easily portray this type of character. Why am I, an actress who only belongs to light romance films, chosen for this specific project?"

She proceeds to enlighten me as if she hasn't been doing that the moment I step inside this meeting room. "Ms. Y/n, what is it that you don't appreciate? This is a fresh project after all. F-R-E-S-H! All made just for you!"

Over and over again, I repeat, "And what is it that you don't comprehend when I'm clearly hinting that I don't need any rebranding! All of the shows I starred in are great hits and worth a million. Don't tell me you just created this because all of the other actresses are either turned it down, occupied, or just not interested at all!"

"Ms. Y/n, we need more from you."

"More?"

"Let's just say this is all experimental. It's better to try new things and see if it works out fine. Right, Ms. Marionette?" The head of the production team urges a delightful answer coming from my manager. I keep signaling her to turn it down with my darting eyes but unfortunately my manager goes, "Maybe it could help Y/n in some degree."

I have told her I wouldn't neglect her actions and this is how much I trust Mari. She smiles at me before returning her gaze back to that persistent head of the production team. "You do have everything laid out, right? From the moment Y/n practices her assigned role to her performing in the film. Everything is clear. Right?"

She takes a step closer to her and speaks in a whispery yet sharp tone, "If she ends up hating this film forever because of how bad it played out, I won't hesitate to replace you and your entire team in a snap of a finger. Got it? Know your place. I don't approve of how you talked to Y/n just a while ago, and right now I'm just giving you a chance because of my big catch."

I sigh while stretching my arms wide, "I never really thought I would be doing something I have never tried before. Who knows, maybe this could be a blessing in disguise or not? This is a great opportunity for me to learn. Don't you agree, Mari?"

Leaving that annoying head speechless and probably afraid, my manager scurries over to my side and says, "I sense something good unfolding in this project. You will grow into something even deeper!"

I chuckle, thinking nothing much of it as I am used to her saying things that sound like a complete compliment to make your cheeks fade to pink. There are times, though, she is the total opposite of how she looks.

Cigarettes, drinking, and laying on the chilly floor. Those are some hobbies she has... or habits when we are the only ones at home inside the mansion. It's nothing concerning because that is her true nature.

When I first met her, I located her right outside a local pub, smoking a pack of cigarettes. It was her fourth smoke which I could tell from all the dead ones lying on the floor.

"Are you the one people call Marionette?" She stared at me without a soul reflecting on her sunken eyes. I patiently waited for her response until I continued with my purpose of visiting. "I am Akashi Y/n and I am in need of someone who can look out for me. I heard from trusted sources that you are one great manager."

"Manager..?" She scoffs, dropping her fourth cigarette down on the wet stone ground.

"Oh, are you...not Marionette? If so, then I apo—"

She smirked at me with a convinced tone, "You're in for some trouble, kid. My hard work might not seem the most normal to you but, hey, I at least could get the job done. Just ask and it will be done in a blink of an eye."

For the past three years, it's true that she works like a devil and it never fails to amaze me at how good she is at keeping things neat and tidy for me. Whenever I mess up, it is all good the following day. I didn't have to tell her anything because she already knows before I can take a breath.

That's why I don't take her for granted. Mari sees something in me that I don't. She is not here for the show, to amuse herself. She is here because she genuinely cares about me. Everything she has accomplished up to now is for my sake.

"So, Mari, when is the 'surprisingly good news' gonna show itself?"

♥ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ...