Finding You: Part 3
Jun stood nervously near the entrance, hoping that ‘she’ would be able to see him. He glanced at the big clock on the wall and noticed it was already 7:30 and there was not a shadow of her.
Feeling disappointed, he sighed to himself softly and started to walk down the stairs. If ‘she’ doesn’t show, that means by the end of tonight, he would have to simply pick a girl from the crowd and marry her. Now, that would be absolutely horrible because in his mind right now was to see her again. If that doesn’t happen, then he would have to find some way to run away from the marriage proposals.
As his foot touched the last step, someone touched his arms and he stopped, his heart seemed to have stopped beating too and he turned around slowly.
“You know, some say that patience is a virtue…” I Luv said with a smile. She had been hiding from his sight and been observing him.
A smile of relief appeared on Jun’s face. “I thought you would never show up.”
“Well….I’m here now aren’t I?” She replied, walking one step down so she would be on the same level as he was.
“I waited and waited….and was so afraid that you would stand me up.” He admitted and she giggled.
“Honestly speaking, I was hiding behind the door…over there…” I Luv said, pointing to the back.
Jun’s eyes widened in surprise. “What for?”
“I wanted to see how patient you were…..” I Luv shrugged.
Jun could only stare at her and couldn’t help but think she was really weird in a cute and adorable way.
“Did I pass the test?” he teased and she nodded.
“Yes…I would’ve expected you to walk off after 15 minutes, but you didn’t….” She told him.
Jun’s smile disappeared and he looked at her seriously. “That’s because I’ve been waiting for you all my life.”
I Luv gasped in surprise, not expecting to hear that from his mouth. She started to blush almost instantly and looked away, too shy to meet his gaze.
“Urm….” She stammered, cracking her brains to come up with something but her mind came up blank.
Jun’s laughter made her look up. “You look really adorable blushing like that….come…let’s go dance.” He said, taking her hands but she dug her heels onto the ground.
“Why? What’s wrong?” he asked, giving her a confused look when she didn’t move.
“I can’t dance….”she whispered shyly.
“It’s alright…I’ll teach you….” He told her and took her hands again. This time, she allow him to lead her to the dance floor.
“Okay…just follow me lead…” he said, taking her hands in his and they begin to sway to the music. “See…it’s not that hard after all right?” he asked and she nodded.
“Now…close your eyes…”he told her and she raised an eyebrow. “Trust me…”
I Luv didn’t need asking twice and she closed her eyes, allowing him to guide her. She felt him gently pull her closer to him by her waist and placed his hands behind her head and lay it on his shoulders. A smile appeared on her face and she opened her eyes. “Is this really how you dance?”
“No….only with you…”came his reply.
+_+_+_+_+_+
“That’s definitely going to chase any potential bride away.” Joe told Mabo, pointing at the dirty handkerchief hanging out from his right pocket.
“What makes you think so? Maybe it’s one way to attract my potential bride…”Mabo replied with a wink.
“Yeah…one who enjoys dirt and mess….”Joe rolled his eyes and Mabo hit him lightly on the head.
“Mind your own business….”he scolded. “What are you doing here anyway? Aren’t you supposed to go ‘chasing’ her?”
Joe shrugged and took a sip of his punch. “I decided…that if my brother here is lonely…why not accompany him?”
“Liar…” Mabo muttered with a snicker. “You’re nervous…”
“I’m not!” Joe protested, the tip of his ears turning pink.
“Yes you are! You pretend to be all confident and cool…but you and I both know that deep down, you’re so nervous about meeting her and screwing up.”
Joe glared at Mabo. “You’re talking about yourself.”
“Hey…at least I’m not coward enough to deny it….” Mabo laughed.
“Who are you calling a coward!” Joe exclaimed, folding his arms across his chest.
“Then admit it…..you’re nervous…” Mabo challenged.
“Fine…I’m….” Joe started to say only to be interrupted by the shadow of two girls standing in front of them.
The first girl looked at the other and giggled. “My my Betsy….I guess you were right…”
The one named Betsy laughed and looked at Mabo. “I see that you’re still keeping that hankie…”
Mabo’s eyes widened and looked at Betsy. “You’re the girl!!!”
Betsy nodded. “I am that girl…”
“OhH…Wow…” he gushed.
Joe on the other hand was staring at Rinrin with his mouth hanging open.
“Sir…you alright?” Rinrin asked, waving a hand in front of him, making him blink once and snapping his mouth shut.
“Urm…yeah…I’m fine…I’m….” Joe stammered and Rinrin laughed. She turned to Betsy and wink at her.
“I’ll get going….you have fun tonight.” She whispered into her sister’s ears and turned around to walk away.
“Wait!!!” Joe called after her a second to late as she was swallowed into the sea of people.
“What are you waiting for? Go after her!” Mabo pushed Joe slightly and he too disappeared into the crowd.
After they left, Mabo turned to Betsy who was standing rather awkwardly next to him. “Urm…May I introduce myself…”he bowed slightly. “I’m Lord Matsouka….”
“Nice to meet you acquaintance. I’m Betsy….” She curtsied gracefully.
“Call me Mabo please….”he told her and she nodded.
As he was about to open his mouth to say something, Joe reappeared, panting slightly. “Have you seen her?” he asked.
“Seen who?” Mabo replied.
“Her! The girl…with you just now…”Joe pointed to Betsy who shook her head.
“I thought you went after her?” She asked and Joe shook her head.
“I tried….but she disappeared so fast!” he exclaimed.
Betsy giggled. “Rinrin’s like that….she walks really fast….”
Joe eyes widened. “Then…do you know where she went?”
“I’m sorry….but I’m sure she’s somewhere in the crowd….”Betsy apologized.
“AhHhHHrRrRGgGhhh….” Joe said in frustration and disappeared again.
Mabo turned to Betsy and shook his head. “I’m sorry for my brother’s actions. He hasn’t taken his medication today…” he joked.
“It’s alright….with 10 sisters…I know how it gets…” Betsy assured him.
Mabo found it easy to talk to Betsy and felt himself warming up to her instantly. But one look into her eyes and he knew he was a goner. He found himself drowning in the pool of brown eyes.
“Sir…are you okay?” Betsy asked.
“Yes yes…I’m sorry…it’s just that…you really are so beautiful…”he told her. “And please…don’t call me sir…call me Mabo…”
“Mabo…” she repeated after him and he felt a tug in his heart. Hearing his name coming out from her mouth was like heaven to him.
“Betsy….” He said and she blushed. “How about doing me an honor and giving me your first dance?” he asked, holding out his hands.
“I’ll be more than happy to do so.” She said placing hers in his.
As they danced together, he looked into her eyes and suddenly he felt as if he needed to tell her what was in his mind. “Betsy….I….well…”
“Yes?” she looked at him.
“I…urm…I don’t usually do this…in fact…I’ve never done this…but….” He started to blush red. “But…you make me feel….as if….as if….I’m falling for you…” he blurted out and looked at her for her reaction.
Betsy looked stunned at first when suddenly a wide smile broke out on her beautiful face and she nodded. “Now I understand what they meant by love at first sight…”she said softly.
+_+_+_+_+_
“Rinrin?” Joe asked, grabbing a girls hands and looked at her face only to be disappointed that it wasn’t her.
“I can be Rinrin or RanRan if you want me too…” the girl said, batting her eyelash flirtatiously.
Joe did all he can to not puke before he shook his head and ran away. This was the 5th girl who had tried to hook onto him. “Where is she!?” he muttered to himself. He had been chasing her for the past 10 minutes and he still couldn’t find her.
Suddenly, at the corner of his eyes, he saw a flash and he ran after the girl. “Hey! Wait Up!” he called out and the girl stopped and turned around.
Rinrin’s eyes widened to see Joe panting as he jogged the last few steps towards her. “Yes?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”
Joe shook his head, too breathless to speak. He lifted his hands up to ask her to wait till he catch his breathe. After taking a few deep breathe, he finally found his heart rate going back to normal. But as he looked into her eyes, it went up again, only this time it was faster than before.
“Uh….no no…nothing is wrong.” He assured her.
“Oh…okay…then I shall be on my way then….” She turned around to walk off but through past experience, Joe quickly grabbed her hands.
“No way am I letting you run off again.” He said with a smile.
“Who’s running?” Rinrin asked.
“You….I’ve been chasing you all over the ballroom and I can tell you…you sure are fast.”
Rinrin smiled politely in reply.
“Where’s my manners. I’m Lord Odagiri Joe…but please….please call me Joe.” He bowed slightly.
Rinrin curtsied and looked at him. “Joe…I guess I don’t need to tell you my name already since you know it.”
“Yes…Rinrin…” he replied.
A sudden electricity passed them and they both felt a strong connection between them. It was as if, cupid had suddenly struck both of them.
“Rinrin, would you like to dance?” Joe asked.
“How about….let’s just walk around the garden…”Rinrin suggested and he nodded.
“You sure know how to keep your men on their feet…”he laughed.
“That is…if they can catch up.”
He looked at her and nodded. “I will catch up…”he promised her and she looked at him surprised. “That’s because…I never want to loose you again….”
+_+_+_+_+_+_+
Jun stood nervously near the entrance, hoping that ‘she’ would be able to see him. He glanced at the big clock on the wall and noticed it was already 7:30 and there was not a shadow of her.
Feeling disappointed, he sighed to himself softly and started to walk down the stairs. If ‘she’ doesn’t show, that means by the end of tonight, he would have to simply pick a girl from the crowd and marry her. Now, that would be absolutely horrible because in his mind right now was to see her again. If that doesn’t happen, then he would have to find some way to run away from the marriage proposals.
As his foot touched the last step, someone touched his arms and he stopped, his heart seemed to have stopped beating too and he turned around slowly.
“You know, some say that patience is a virtue…” I Luv said with a smile. She had been hiding from his sight and been observing him.
A smile of relief appeared on Jun’s face. “I thought you would never show up.”
“Well….I’m here now aren’t I?” She replied, walking one step down so she would be on the same level as he was.
“I waited and waited….and was so afraid that you would stand me up.” He admitted and she giggled.
“Honestly speaking, I was hiding behind the door…over there…” I Luv said, pointing to the back.
Jun’s eyes widened in surprise. “What for?”
“I wanted to see how patient you were…..” I Luv shrugged.
Jun could only stare at her and couldn’t help but think she was really weird in a cute and adorable way.
“Did I pass the test?” he teased and she nodded.
“Yes…I would’ve expected you to walk off after 15 minutes, but you didn’t….” She told him.
Jun’s smile disappeared and he looked at her seriously. “That’s because I’ve been waiting for you all my life.”
I Luv gasped in surprise, not expecting to hear that from his mouth. She started to blush almost instantly and looked away, too shy to meet his gaze.
“Urm….” She stammered, cracking her brains to come up with something but her mind came up blank.
Jun’s laughter made her look up. “You look really adorable blushing like that….come…let’s go dance.” He said, taking her hands but she dug her heels onto the ground.
“Why? What’s wrong?” he asked, giving her a confused look when she didn’t move.
“I can’t dance….”she whispered shyly.
“It’s alright…I’ll teach you….” He told her and took her hands again. This time, she allow him to lead her to the dance floor.
“Okay…just follow me lead…” he said, taking her hands in his and they begin to sway to the music. “See…it’s not that hard after all right?” he asked and she nodded.
“Now…close your eyes…”he told her and she raised an eyebrow. “Trust me…”
I Luv didn’t need asking twice and she closed her eyes, allowing him to guide her. She felt him gently pull her closer to him by her waist and placed his hands behind her head and lay it on his shoulders. A smile appeared on her face and she opened her eyes. “Is this really how you dance?”
“No….only with you…”came his reply.
+_+_+_+_+_+
“That’s definitely going to chase any potential bride away.” Joe told Mabo, pointing at the dirty handkerchief hanging out from his right pocket.
“What makes you think so? Maybe it’s one way to attract my potential bride…”Mabo replied with a wink.
“Yeah…one who enjoys dirt and mess….”Joe rolled his eyes and Mabo hit him lightly on the head.
“Mind your own business….”he scolded. “What are you doing here anyway? Aren’t you supposed to go ‘chasing’ her?”
Joe shrugged and took a sip of his punch. “I decided…that if my brother here is lonely…why not accompany him?”
“Liar…” Mabo muttered with a snicker. “You’re nervous…”
“I’m not!” Joe protested, the tip of his ears turning pink.
“Yes you are! You pretend to be all confident and cool…but you and I both know that deep down, you’re so nervous about meeting her and screwing up.”
Joe glared at Mabo. “You’re talking about yourself.”
“Hey…at least I’m not coward enough to deny it….” Mabo laughed.
“Who are you calling a coward!” Joe exclaimed, folding his arms across his chest.
“Then admit it…..you’re nervous…” Mabo challenged.
“Fine…I’m….” Joe started to say only to be interrupted by the shadow of two girls standing in front of them.
The first girl looked at the other and giggled. “My my Betsy….I guess you were right…”
The one named Betsy laughed and looked at Mabo. “I see that you’re still keeping that hankie…”
Mabo’s eyes widened and looked at Betsy. “You’re the girl!!!”
Betsy nodded. “I am that girl…”
“OhH…Wow…” he gushed.
Joe on the other hand was staring at Rinrin with his mouth hanging open.
“Sir…you alright?” Rinrin asked, waving a hand in front of him, making him blink once and snapping his mouth shut.
“Urm…yeah…I’m fine…I’m….” Joe stammered and Rinrin laughed. She turned to Betsy and wink at her.
“I’ll get going….you have fun tonight.” She whispered into her sister’s ears and turned around to walk away.
“Wait!!!” Joe called after her a second to late as she was swallowed into the sea of people.
“What are you waiting for? Go after her!” Mabo pushed Joe slightly and he too disappeared into the crowd.
After they left, Mabo turned to Betsy who was standing rather awkwardly next to him. “Urm…May I introduce myself…”he bowed slightly. “I’m Lord Matsouka….”
“Nice to meet you acquaintance. I’m Betsy….” She curtsied gracefully.
“Call me Mabo please….”he told her and she nodded.
As he was about to open his mouth to say something, Joe reappeared, panting slightly. “Have you seen her?” he asked.
“Seen who?” Mabo replied.
“Her! The girl…with you just now…”Joe pointed to Betsy who shook her head.
“I thought you went after her?” She asked and Joe shook her head.
“I tried….but she disappeared so fast!” he exclaimed.
Betsy giggled. “Rinrin’s like that….she walks really fast….”
Joe eyes widened. “Then…do you know where she went?”
“I’m sorry….but I’m sure she’s somewhere in the crowd….”Betsy apologized.
“AhHhHHrRrRGgGhhh….” Joe said in frustration and disappeared again.
Mabo turned to Betsy and shook his head. “I’m sorry for my brother’s actions. He hasn’t taken his medication today…” he joked.
“It’s alright….with 10 sisters…I know how it gets…” Betsy assured him.
Mabo found it easy to talk to Betsy and felt himself warming up to her instantly. But one look into her eyes and he knew he was a goner. He found himself drowning in the pool of brown eyes.
“Sir…are you okay?” Betsy asked.
“Yes yes…I’m sorry…it’s just that…you really are so beautiful…”he told her. “And please…don’t call me sir…call me Mabo…”
“Mabo…” she repeated after him and he felt a tug in his heart. Hearing his name coming out from her mouth was like heaven to him.
“Betsy….” He said and she blushed. “How about doing me an honor and giving me your first dance?” he asked, holding out his hands.
“I’ll be more than happy to do so.” She said placing hers in his.
As they danced together, he looked into her eyes and suddenly he felt as if he needed to tell her what was in his mind. “Betsy….I….well…”
“Yes?” she looked at him.
“I…urm…I don’t usually do this…in fact…I’ve never done this…but….” He started to blush red. “But…you make me feel….as if….as if….I’m falling for you…” he blurted out and looked at her for her reaction.
Betsy looked stunned at first when suddenly a wide smile broke out on her beautiful face and she nodded. “Now I understand what they meant by love at first sight…”she said softly.
+_+_+_+_+_
“Rinrin?” Joe asked, grabbing a girls hands and looked at her face only to be disappointed that it wasn’t her.
“I can be Rinrin or RanRan if you want me too…” the girl said, batting her eyelash flirtatiously.
Joe did all he can to not puke before he shook his head and ran away. This was the 5th girl who had tried to hook onto him. “Where is she!?” he muttered to himself. He had been chasing her for the past 10 minutes and he still couldn’t find her.
Suddenly, at the corner of his eyes, he saw a flash and he ran after the girl. “Hey! Wait Up!” he called out and the girl stopped and turned around.
Rinrin’s eyes widened to see Joe panting as he jogged the last few steps towards her. “Yes?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”
Joe shook his head, too breathless to speak. He lifted his hands up to ask her to wait till he catch his breathe. After taking a few deep breathe, he finally found his heart rate going back to normal. But as he looked into her eyes, it went up again, only this time it was faster than before.
“Uh….no no…nothing is wrong.” He assured her.
“Oh…okay…then I shall be on my way then….” She turned around to walk off but through past experience, Joe quickly grabbed her hands.
“No way am I letting you run off again.” He said with a smile.
“Who’s running?” Rinrin asked.
“You….I’ve been chasing you all over the ballroom and I can tell you…you sure are fast.”
Rinrin smiled politely in reply.
“Where’s my manners. I’m Lord Odagiri Joe…but please….please call me Joe.” He bowed slightly.
Rinrin curtsied and looked at him. “Joe…I guess I don’t need to tell you my name already since you know it.”
“Yes…Rinrin…” he replied.
A sudden electricity passed them and they both felt a strong connection between them. It was as if, cupid had suddenly struck both of them.
“Rinrin, would you like to dance?” Joe asked.
“How about….let’s just walk around the garden…”Rinrin suggested and he nodded.
“You sure know how to keep your men on their feet…”he laughed.
“That is…if they can catch up.”
He looked at her and nodded. “I will catch up…”he promised her and she looked at him surprised. “That’s because…I never want to loose you again….”
+_+_+_+_+_+_+