Chapter-Twenty-One: Rose Girl + Lily Boy:

Everything is not at peace in the Red Rose House. I learned that late in the evening. That�s coming later on. Back to this morning.

I helped out in the kitchen afterwards. Sappoto-san�s idea, really. I didn�t understand it myself.

�But we�re guests,� I said. �We don�t have to do any housework because of it!�

�We must,� she insisted. �They were nice enough to let us in and feed us!�

�So?� I asked, not getting her point.

�We have to repay them somehow,� she summed up.

�No, we don�t,� I said.

�Yes, we do,� Sappoto-san insisted.

�No, we don�t,� I said again. She gave me big, whimpering eyes. I tried to look away from her. No, I thought. You�re not going to pull that one on me again. No ma�am!

Guess what happened?

Dishes aren�t that bad, right? I mean, Andi and I do them all the time. This shouldn�t be a problem. But I can�t understand why I�m doing mine along with someone else�s.

�You didn�t have to do all this,� Kyoko told me in the kitchen. I managed a little smile for her.

�Oh no, it�s okay,� I lied.

�You sure?� she asked.

�No, no,� I insisted. �It�s okay. Really.� No, it�s not! Why the hell am I doing?!? This makes no kind of sense! Kyoko smiled at her.

�You are so nice,� she said. She turned to her oldest daughter. �See, Hiromi?� she said. �You could learn a thing or two from our guests!� She only waved her mother off. I nervously laughed in my head. Reminds me of Diamond�, I thought. I picked up another dish and began washing that. I�m going to get Sappoto-san after this!

A few minutes later, Sappoto-san and I ended up helping around the big house. I still didn�t get why I was doing this. However, my mind wandered off elsewhere as something caught my eye. I noticed Hiromi talking on her phone on the back porch. Curious, I hid around the corner to eavesdrop.

�Hey baby,� she said. �I miss you so much. Yeah, I hate it here too. Yeah. My family brought over a couple of guests from sea. Uh-huh. I can�t get away this morning. I�m so sorry. Yes, I know. See you tonight? Love you too! Bye!� She blew a kiss in the phone before hanging up. Hiromi looked up and saw me watching her.

�What?� she asked. I shook my head.

�I�m just here, cleaning up the porch,� I lied. She narrowed her eyes at me.

�Whatever,� she mumbled as she walked away. I gave her back a nervous smile. Just like Diamond, I thought. Maybe these two met somewhere in a past life�

I shook my head. Nah. That�s just creepy. I tried my best to push that thought out of my head. Bad thoughts! Get out of my head! Get out of my head!

�Is something wrong?� I heard someone ask behind me. I turned and saw Sappoto-san peeking her head out the open front door. I lowered my shoulders and breathed out in relief.

�Oh, it�s you,� I said. �Nothing, nothing.� I put up my hand before she could open her mouth to speak.

�I said I�m fine!� I said.

�Okay�� she mumbled. However, my mind is now intrigued. Who was Hiromi-chan talking to just now? Boyfriend or girlfriend? Are they cute? Are they older or younger than her? I just had to find out. Too bad, that would have to come later on tonight. Oh well, I can kill time until then. Trust me, I�m an expert.

The girls of Shimamoto-san�s family are very lively, I will give them that. They are just as chatty too. I hadn�t had a moment of silence since I encountered Hiromi on the phone that morning. They talk about everything. School, work, crayons, crushes, pudding, gossip, Hello Kitty, and all other girly things in between. It�s almost like being back home with Andi again. Almost.

Kyoko looked at me at the dinner table with a smile on her face. She pressed the palms of her hands together.

�So tell me Shigi-san,� she said. �Do you have a boyfriend?�

�Girlfriend,� I replied. The kids all looked up at me. The mother looked at me like I was a new exhibit in a museum.

�So are you�� she said.

�Bisexual,� I said. Shimamoto-san raised an eyebrow at me.

�Are you two�� he began to ask as he pointed at Sappoto-san and I. We shook our heads.

�Oh, no, no!� I said. �My girlfriend is back in Tokyo. Her husband lives in Osaka with their children.�

�Osaka?� the captain asked.

�Yes,� Sappoto-san replied. �I work in Tokyo to support my family.�

�Family, huh?� he asked. He sat back with a smile on his face. The man turned to his sons and two daughters.

�Kids,� he said. �This is an example of a good woman here! Learn well from her!� Sappoto-san just sat there blushing. Dinner carried on from there. I kept my eyes on Hiromi the whole time. She didn�t say when she was heading out to her lover. So, I�m going to have to wait and see.

By ten at night, everyone went to bed. I watched the window for any signs of life. I even kept my clothes on for breaking and running. Just need to see Juliet get up and leave. Lucky for me that Sappoto-san is sound asleep next to me. I said that I wouldn�t take off and leave her, but still�

I paused when I saw moment outside. I glanced over for a better look. Target is moving. Show time! I crept out of bed and crawled to the doorway. I managed to take one more look at the bed. Good, sleeping. She�s still sound asleep. I have to make this quick. I quietly dashed out the door.

Hiromi walked along the dirt back roads. I did my best to follow her in the shadows. I began to map out who this mysterious guy was. He�s probably very cute and older. Maybe he�s closer to his twenties. I thought about my secret boyfriend, Takeo. Despite putting an end to my cheating days, I just can�t quit him. Andi, Takeo, and I all have an understanding even though Andi wants me all to herself.

Hiromi paused when she came into the woods. I hid in the brush and waited to see what would happen next. She checked her phone and looked within the trees in the moonlight.

�Okay Toshio-kun!� she called. �Come out the mockingbird!� A young man closer to her age walked over to her. He had a smile that even made me blush. Hiromi rushed over to him and embraced him. The young man held her by the waist.

�I missed you so much,� she whispered loudly. Her boyfriend gently kissed her on top of her head.

�I couldn�t stop thinking about you today,� he murmured back. Judging from this scene alone, I knew that I was witnessing forbidden teenage love before my very eyes.