Chapter 39: The Forgotten Bento Box

From the moment Sakura went out of the cab until the time she was already inside the apartment, she could still feel her heart racing and her cheeks burning intensely. She can't clearly understand why, but Sakura had already guessed that this was the result of the events that happened a while ago.

{"Sorry… I'm late."}

Sakura was already halfway done typing her apartment code when Ken's words from earlier echoed in her head in a flash. Her fingers froze the moment she remembers how intense their gazes have been even for a brief moment, and she mentally curses herself after that.

"Geez, it's just Mori Ken, alright? You know, your former childhood friend who suddenly abandoned you? Get a grip of yourself, will you?" Sakura starts to lightly tap her cheeks with both hands as she tries to pull herself together. Then she immediately stopped as she felt her face stung because of the pain brought to her by these red, slapped marks she got from that bastard earlier.

For a short moment, Sakura almost forgot that little hatred she felt towards that guy for suddenly abandoning her and for being one of her ex's accomplices for their silly, childish scheme that they've plotted to humiliate her. How could her heart beat loudly for a man who had done her wrong in the first place?

Just then, Sakura's thoughts got easily interrupted when she noticed someone's figure heading downstairs. She almost forgot that she was still wearing her maid's uniform, a wig, and a mask right now! Surely, she can't let anyone see her in this form!

As quick as the wind, Sakura finished typing her 6-digit apartment code and dashed her way inside her room. Unintentionally, she closed the door with a loud bang and hurriedly went to her room to change.

Seeing Sakura's door closing abruptly, Alan paused for a moment, immediately forgetting his plan to walk outside with a disguise. His eyes widened a bit as he wondered what just happened.

***

Sakura woke up bruised on both sides of her face on Saturday. She was so tired after going home yesterday that she neglected to deal with it right away, so she was unable to follow Ken's instructions before leaving yesterday night.

She looked at her face in her bathroom mirror and whined about her current situation. "I still have to do some groceries today. I can't go out to the store looking like this!"

The decision was then made that she should just get it done tomorrow when the bruises feel a bit lighter and not so painful to look at. In the meantime, after doing some quick shower, Sakura headed into the kitchen and looked for something that she can use as an alternative ice pack.

She immediately sees her ice-cold mineral water bottles stored inside her fridge and thinks of an idea right away. After getting one from the fridge, Sakura runs back inside her room to get one clean handkerchief from the closet and hurriedly went back into the kitchen to wrap the cold bottle with her hanky.

"There. An alternative ice pack," Sakura said to herself and began applying it to her slapped bruised marks as she settled down in front of her dining table. She can't help but curse that bastard who did this to her yesterday night as she yelped at how it stings as the cold bottle made contact with the marks.

While doing so, Sakura happens to look at her right and immediately notices the pink-clothed bento box that she has neatly stored inside her utensil organizer. She then remembers that it has already been days since she hasn't returned it and that she kept forgetting about it every single time.

Sighing, Sakura mumbles, "I'll just do it tomorrow." and went back to what she's been doing. But then she thought of the possibility that she might eventually forget about it once tomorrow comes.

Throughout her childhood, Sakura's mother taught her to do the things that she can do now, before they become things she cannot do later. Because of that, Sakura sighed again an irritated sigh, and rolled her eyes as she finally convinced herself that she will return the bento box as soon as she is done with curing her bruised marks.

Once she's done, Sakura puts back the mineral water bottle into the refrigerator and hangs up her slightly wet handkerchief on her balcony hanger rack. Afterward, she visits the bathroom once more and carefully inspects her bruises. Though they appear less bruised, it is still hard to miss.

She places her hands on both sides of the hand wash basin and says, "How can I possibly face Alan looking like this?"

***

Having no choice, Sakura grabs one black face mask from her closet and puts it on to conceal the marks. Though Alan might find it a little weird for her to wear a mask inside the apartment, she can't let him find out about what happened yesterday night.

The pink bento box is already in her hand as Sakura went upstairs to find Alan's apartment and that's when she realized she had clearly forgotten what room number he was staying in.

Pursing her lips, Sakura forced herself to remember the apartment number that Alan had previously mentioned to her the other day.

'Gosh, why am I so forgetful these past few days?!"

To resolve this once and for all, Sakura decided to go find Alan's apartment room either way. She made some guesses as she was walking on the long hallway of ten apartment rooms right next to each other and pinged the first one on her guess list.

"H-hi, Yamaguchi--"

Sakura's hand immediately froze in its place that made her stop from waving at the person who opened the door of the first apartment room she decided to ring. Instead of Alan, she later finds herself face-to-face with an old man with sagging hair and a staff clutched to his left side that bears his weight.

"I've already paid my loans. What else do you want?!" The old man bellowed that almost made Sakura flinch.

With an apologetic look, Sakura said, "Sorry, wrong apartment!" and run away as fast as she could.

Still panting, Sakura came across apartment room 20, which is the second room on her guess list.

"Why do you have my bento box? It's supposed to be for my brother."

Sakura was just about to make a ring on the doorbell when someone caught her attention, making her tilt her head to the right side. That's when she saw a girl with that familiar auburn wavy hair that is halfway to her waist, about twelve to thirteen years of age, folding her arms over her chest as her round ocean blue eyes glared in her direction.

Wait, her brother? Could this girl be….

Ignoring her snarky remark earlier, Sakura pointed a finger in the girl's direction and asked…

"A-are you perhaps… Yamaguchi-san's sister?"