Scenes From a Memory

ลำดับตอนที่ #3 : Chapter 2 : The Worst Dinner

Chapter 2
The Worst Dinner

The cold wind blew severely around the city. Emi had to walk through a small alley surrounded by high buildings to Chesterfield Street where her house was. It made she feel much colder because the cold wind blew stronger in here. She speeded up to the exit. Chesterfield Street, one of the busy streets in California Islands was quiet, people stayed in their houses to avoid being frozen. Looked like the blizzard was coming.

Emi arrived home. She took her sweater off. The house was very quiet; she tried to find her mom.
“Mom… I’m back.” She called her mom but no answer in return. Then she walked up to the second floor, went to her mom’s room. She found her mom getting dressed in formal in front of the mirror like she was going out somewhere.

“Mom… I’m back” Emi called her. She turned her face back.

“Oh! You’re already back. Change your clothes; we are going to visit Mr. Tokiwa.” She told Emi and turned her face back to the mirror, turned her body around it to check her dressing.

“Mr. Tokiwa?”

“Yes, Mr. Tokiwa, the most important customer and friend of dad, he has just moved to this island.” She told Emi.

“And how about dad?” Emi asked because she hadn’t seen her dad yet since she was back from the school.

“We will meet him at Mr. Tokiwa’s house. Hurry up, we are late now.” She waved her hand hastening Emi.

“Okay… mom” Emi grudgingly nodded.

Mr. Tokiwa was a good businessman, family man and leader; more than sixty percent of Emi’s dad’s company came from his company. He looked good in every aspect; Emi liked this man’s way of life. But only one thing that Emi didn’t like was his son, Yuiji Tokiwa who had liked Emi since he was young but in the same time, he always compete with Emi in everything, Grades, ability and knowledge as if he always wanted to show that he was better than her in every way. Crave, gallant and rude, these words could best describe what he was. Though he looked handsome, elegant, tall and rich these things were obliterated by his rude behavior. He molested Emi every time he met her, though he did it just by his eyes, it annoyed Emi a lot because all her life had hardly ever stayed close to the boy. But what’s worse was her dad seemed to want to offer her to be Tokiwa’s daughter-in law and he was the only boy that Emi’s dad allowed Emi to contact was him and he never knew that it would always be an imagination.

Emi went to her room and chose her clothes to change.

“Kok Kok” her mom knocked the door. “Change into a formal dress, this is important.” She ordered.

Emi didn’t understand well why her mom had to be so serious about her dressing. She was just going to visit Mr. Tokiwa’s new home not a luxury party. But she obeyed her mom willingly.

Emi changed her winter school uniform into a white dress. Minako looked at her strangely and walked to her.

“It’s too simple I think.” She said and took Emi to her dressing room. Emi stood still and let her mom do everything she wanted. Minako took her favorite white Hermes belt out from the closet, girded it on Emi’s waist and turned her body around.

“Look better.” She said and took her diamond necklace out. It looked so heavy with 50 carat diamond. “You wanna put this on?” she asked Emi.

“No need… mom.” Emi shook her head.

Minako smiled at Emi. “Up to you, it makes you look good but on the other hand, it could make your neck sprained.” She told.

“It think it’s ok for now, I don’t wanna have a neck massage for the whole week.” Emi told mom and laughed.

“Okay, we’d better go now.” Mom said.

The storm was brewing up outside. Minako opened the door to the garage, and then got back into the house immediately.

“What’s wrong? Mom” Emi asked her mother.

Minako grabbed her coat from the coatrack. “You can be a ghost in the blizzard outside, put your coat on. Trust me.” She told Emi.

Emi tried opening the door to see the how bad the blizzard was. When her hand just perceived the weather outside, she ran upstairs and put her coat on immediately.

“I trust you. I trust you…” Emi said when she got downstairs.

Emi and her mom’s Lamborghini. Minako started the engine and drove out from the garage. The vision was terrible in the middle of the blizzard. Minako couldn’t see the street well because the windshield was full of the white snow and the wiper wiped weakly because the snow on the windshield was too thick. Fortunately, there were only a few cars on the street.

“We shouldn’t go out this time you know?” Emi muttered.

Her mom knitted her brow “I know, but we can’t deny this invitation.” She told her daughter.

“Where is Mr. Tokiwa’s house?” Emi asked moodily.

“Very close, on Windmill beach.” Minako replied calmly and kept driving.

Windmill beach was in the west and it was very close to Emi’s house, just driving along the Chesterfield Street to the Windmill junction and turned right. She could get there by bus in 15 minutes, but that was for a usual weather. Emi and her mom had already been on the way for half an hour!

However, they reached Mr. Tokiwa’s house after spending unbelievable 45 minutes on the Chesterfield Street in the blizzard. Mr. Tokiwa house was a luxury wooden one beside the beach. There was a large white garden that used to be green before the blizzard came ashore. Windmill beach was known as the best place to sniff pure oxygen. It was the costliest place in the islands. Everyone dreamed to live their lives here, but not in the blizzard like this.

Saito’s Chevy parked in the parking area where was easily capable for holding more than 6 cars. Minako parked her Lamborghini beside Saito’s car.

“Dad is already here.” Emi said.

“I see, Let’s go” Minako stopped the engine and got off the car.

The weather outside was cold until Emi and Minako didn’t even want to stop outside. They immediately ran to the front of the house. Minako knocked on the door for several times.

“I’m coming!!!” Someone shouted from inside. Not too long, Mrs. Tokiwa opened the door. She looked so surprised to see Minako and Emi.

“Hey! How are you?” Mrs. Tokiwa greeted. “Just get inside first.” She invited.

“Thanks!” Minako and Emi said at the same time.

Tokiwa house was extremely large with 3 floors, decorated with wooden furniture. Emi and Minako felt warmer immediately when they got inside the house.

“How are you? It’s been so long that we haven’t met.” Mrs. Tokiwa asked Minako.

Minako smiled. “I’m good, but a bit cold when I stay outside, and you?”

“Very good, I feel so impressive with this island you know?” she replied “And you? Little Emi, how is it going?” She turned her face to Emi.

Emi gave her thumbs up. “Not too bad.” and then smiled a little bit.

Minako looked around the house. “Your new house is very nice and warm.” She praised.

“Let me give you a small trip around the house.” Mrs. Tokiwa told Minako. She seemed to have been dying waiting to do this since they first stepped into her house.

“It’s my pleasure.” Minako told her. “Emi, come on.” She called Emi.

Mrs. Tokiwa first took them to the drawing room. Emi saw a lot of costly ancient paintings on the wall, she felt like she was in the Middle Age designed room. Everything was suited with it. Next to the drawing room was a living room. This room was completely different from a previous one; it was a modern style with wooden interior decoration. Mrs. Tokiwa bragged all the way, showed her and her mom luxury stuffs in each rooms. Emi responded in smiling as a matter of courtesy, but her mom didn’t do the same way. She also bragged about her stuffs, her clothes and her everything. This made Emi felt extremely boring. In High Society, there was nothing more than bragging and lying. Something they had never seen, but they said like they saw it every day.

Last year Mrs. Tokiwa followed her husband to Denmark. That was her first time, but she had been talking about this country with Minako since five years ago like she could guide everyone to every corner in Denmark.

Emi recalled that she hadn’t seen her father since she came here.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Tokiwa. My father is already here, right?” she interrupted while Mrs. Tokiwa and her mom were boasting frantically. Minako threw a tantrum. “Emi! Don’t interrupt adults when they are talking.” She complained Emi.

“Oh! I am so sorry, I completely forgot to tell you that he has been here since 4 pm” Mrs. Tokiwa pointed at the mezzanine. “He is talking with my husband in his office up there.”

Then Mrs. Tokiwa took Emi and Minako up to the mezzanine to meet Saito. When they got to the room, Emi got shocked because she there were not only her father and Mr. Tokiwa in the room. Yuiji was also there reading a book on his father’s armchair.

“Mr. Masaru, your wife and your daughter has come.” Mrs. Tokiwa told Saito while he was talking with her husband. Saito turned his face to Minako.

“Sit here.” He pointed at the long sofa next to his seat. Minako walked to the sofa and sat down. Emi didn’t follow her; she was standing at the door.

Saito turned to Emi with a moody face. “Come here and sit down.” He ordered with smooth voice.

Emi looked at his face, when he looked back; she turned her face away. She walked to the sofa and sat beside her mom grudgingly. Yuiji stared at her all the time.

“Your daughter is much prettier, Mr. Masaru.” Mr. Tokiwa admired Emi with Saito.

He smiled broadly after hearing this. “Your son is very handsome too. He looks really elegant.” He admired Yuiji back with Mr. Tokiwa.

Mr. Tokiwa laughed in his own style. Emi thought that it was like a King-Kong. Mr. Tokiwa had a very good shape, looked good anyway and extremely rich. He seemed to exercise every morning before his working hours. But the only ugly thing of him was his voice when he laughed.

“Yuiji, come here.” He told his son. Yuiji stood up and walked to his father with a hint of a smirk on his face. He sat down beside his father. Mr. Tokiwa held his son’s neck.

“I am so busy finding good high school for him.” Mr. Tokiwa muttered about his son’s education.

Saito thought silently for a while before he got an idea. “Why don’t you send him to Clark l'Empereur School of Business? It is the best place to instill your son’s knowledge in business administration, when he graduate, he will effectively inherit your business kingdom.” He explained to Mr. Tokiwa.

“I hope, but nevertheless, it all depends on my son. If he didn’t want to inherit my businesses, I would collapse it all and let him go his way.” Mr. Tokiwa replied with a serious voice. “How about your daughter? Where is she studying?” He asked Saito.

Saito turned his face to Emi. He seemed to smile, but Emi looked at him just a little moment and then showed a moody countenance. He did the same to her daughter and turned his face back to Mr. Tokiwa.

“She has been studying at New Yorkshire High-School since we moved here.” Saito told Mr. Tokiwa.

Mr. Tokiwa didn’t seem to know this school. He tried thinking of it because he thought so far to Yorkshire High-School in Sheffield.

“Is there any school named Yorkshire in this islands?” He asked Saito groggily.

“Of course there is, it’s on Milestone Avenue. It is a branch of Yorkshire School in England.” Saito replied.

“What do you think about this school? Is it alright? Should I send Yuiji to study here?” Mr. Tokiwa asked Saito multiple questions about the school at once.

“I think it’s the best common high school. If Yuiji doesn’t want to study in a specialize high school.” Saito replied.

“I think common school is the best choice for us right now. How about Emi’s GPA?” Mr. Tokiwa asked.

Saito swallowed. He didn’t really want to answer this question because his daughter’s GPA was so terrible. In High Society, people couldn’t effort their children having low GPA because when they would feel so disgraced when their friends knew. So, the GPA in one of the competitions that people in High Society brought up cutting to the heart of each other.

“It’s quiet okay, not too good.” He replied slightly. He could easily guess the next question; it must be “How much?” for sure.

And finally Mr. Tokiwa asked the question. “How much have you got, Emi?” He turned his face to Emi.

“2.44” The girl answered with emotionless face. Saito got very angry visibly. He gazed at Emi like he was going to kill her. Emi didn’t even mind, she smirked to her father.

Mr. Tokiwa noticed an unusual action between father and daughter.

“Excuse me, Mr. Masaru. Is anything wrong between you and Emi?” He asked worriedly.

Both Emi and Saito calmed immediately, Saito stopped gazing at his daughter and Emi stopped driving her father’s crazy.

“Nothing… Nothing, everything is okay.” Saito told Mr. Tokiwa and smiled to conceal what he did with his daughter.

“Nothing” Emi reiterated to not make her family looked unstable. Saito looked definitely calm after hearing Emi’s reiteration.

Mrs. Tokiwa was sitting smirking happily. “It is a very good result I think.” She ridiculed.

Her words ignited Minako. She started gazing at Mrs. Tokiwa and she seemed to know that she was being gazed at. All Mrs. Tokiwa did was keeping sending a provoking smirk to Minako.

“How about Yuiji?” Minako asked Mrs. Tokiwa with extreme moody face.

“Very disappointed.” Mrs. Tokiwa replied with the same smirk as before. “He has got 0.3 decreased.” She told Minako.

“Then how much?” She moodily asked.

“Yuiji, you answer.” Mrs. Tokiwa passed the question on to her son. Yuiji provokingly stared at Emi and Minako. “3.94, it has badly decreased from 3.97” he answered.

His answer made the couple speechless immediately. Saito facepalmed seriously and Minako seemed to be in “Shock Mode”

“Unbelievable!” was the word that Emi wanted to say after seeing her mom and Mrs. Tokiwa making a cold war. She had thought ever since she could remember that her mom and Mrs. Tokiwa were good friends. But today she realized that it had been nothing more than having each other to brag their new monthly stuffs or went to luxury handmade stuff fairs. In fact, they compete with each other all the time; the winner would be the one who got a better life, such as having child who had a better GPA and this time Mrs. Tokiwa decisively won. “Boring!” was another word Emi wanted to say to High Society.

Emi seemed to accept a mistake after seeing her parents felt so serious. Somehow, Emi was not a stupid girl, but the problem was her behavior. She didn’t attend classes she didn’t like so often. Some subjects that she thought that the instructors were bad, she also did the same. There were 10-15 marks for attendance, 20-25 marks for assignments, Emi never got from these subjects. But the only thing strange was she always got top marks in any subject, she knew much more than other students who attend every class additionally and this point helped Emi survived from getting F but couldn’t help Emi having a good GPA.

Mr. Tokiwa saw that the situation was going bad. He stood up. “Don’t quarrel with this trivial matter.” After he said this, everyone seemed to calm down, especially Minako and his wife.

“Listen up!” Mr. Tokiwa said. Everyone turned to him and paid attention. “The GPA is not used to compete with each other, and it is not used to judge who is stupid… or who is smart. But the GPA is just a set of numbers that shows how better or how worse you are. If it is worse, you have to try making it better in the next semester, if it is the same, keep improving and if it is better, keep improving to the best.” He explained. Everyone nodded, accepting his words. Mr. Tokiwa turned to Emi. “And I believe that Emi is not a stupid girl, Moreover, I feel that she must be more clever than many people, or even Yuiji." he said and turned his face to his wife and son. Mrs. Tokiwa stared at her husband as if she wanted to ask him why he said like that. Mr. Tokiwa stared at her back.

"Look! I have been a businessman for more than 20 years, since I was only 22. When I was a college student, I used to be a student who got the worst result. But it didn't collapse my life. After graduation, the situation forced me to start my own business. Fortunately, everything went very well in first 3 years before I establish my kingdom of imagination. At this point, I completed my objective that I was dreaming of since I was young.” He told.

“What do you mean, Ken?” Mrs. Tokiwa asked her husband.

“I mean successful people don’t need to get good school records.” He replied his wife.

“Kok Kok Kok” Someone knocked on the door.

“Get in!” Mrs. Tokiwa shouted. The door was slowly opened by the female cook.

“The dinner is ready.” She told Mrs. Tokiwa smoothly with smile.

Mrs. Tokiwa stood up. “Mr. Masaru, Mrs. Masaru and Emi, let’s go to the dining room to have dinner together.” She invited.

“Yes, try to forget bad things and have a nice meal together.” Mr. Tokiwa reiterated.

Saito and Minako tried to be usual and forgot Mrs. Tokiwa’s provoking words. They stood up and followed Mr. and Mrs. Tokiwa to the kitchen.

However, I was really hard for Saito and Minako to forget this. They wanted their daughter to be good and not to be inferior to each other. Though Emi had done very well in knowledge and ability, she had never done it in statistic while others had done it since they were in grade 1. Mrs. Tokiwa’s words directly impacted their hearts, but in the situation like this, they had to be calm and kept silent for it.

The dining room looked like a small hut in the middle of the forest with wooden interior design but it was in Tokiwa mansion, full of a smell of dinner. There were several dishes on the table covered by food covers. Emi guessed there must be a fine turkey or something like roasted stuffs.

Everyone sat down on the luxury chair. Emi sat across from Yuiji who was sending her smile repeatedly. Emi hate his smile most, he did it as if he was going to rape her.

“Disgusting!” Emi muttered silently.

It was no use muttering alone while Yuiji didn’t hear the words and he didn’t seem to stop molesting her with his eyes.

“Are you ready to have a nice meal?” The cook asked.

Mr. Tokiwa looked at each one around the dining table; everyone nodded accepting at the same time. He smiled happily at the cook. “Let’s do it.” He told her.

Top grade toasted beef, premium turkey and god-class salmon soup emitted an odour around the dining table. Everyone except Emi swallowed and stared at those menus, they would deserve each parts of the turkey and salmon head if it was possible. Salmon soup was first finished and became a blank bowl in minutes. Then the turkey and toasted beef respectively.

Emi didn’t like beef but her parents loved it. She ate only turkey and drank some orange juice because she felt absolutely cramped with Yuiji who was staring at her all the time. She thought he was a crave man.

“Dad, I think I should attend Emi’s school.” He told his father.

Mr. Tokiwa stopped eating and turned to him.

“What makes you decide so quick.” He asked Yuiji.

“I don’t need to be badly off getting good grades.” He bragged and turned his face to Emi. “Moreover, I may help Emi getting better grades.” He said with a smirk on his face.

His words ignited Emi, he looked down upon her and at that time, Emi swore that she would never behave with this idiot politely. It was enough standing with his immoral words.

He reflected everything his mother was, always looked down upon each other, conceit and bragful. If he absorbed what his father his only a little, he would be much better than what he was at present.

“Yuiji, why did you say to Emi like that?” Mr. Tokiwa complained his son with anger.

Mrs. Tokiwa also reiterated. “I agree with your dad, you shouldn’t say that.” She complained with a provoking voice and stared intently at Saito and Minako.

Emi seemed to be detonated by her idiotic action. She put a spoon and fork down severely. The sound of aluminums crashing against a tile plate reverberated around the dining room before Emi stood up and walked out of the dining room.

Emi walked out to the living room. She sat on the fur sofa. Minako followed her very close.

“What’s wrong, Emi?” She asked her daughter worriedly.

Emi shook her head. “Nothing, mama, I just couldn’t stand his rude words and actions.” She told her mom.

“I also have to stand his mother’s words too, it is very distressful.” Minako recited.

Emi held her mom hand. “I am sorry, I have been a very bad girl.” She apologized her mom before her tear flowed out.

Minako held her daughter in her arms. “Don’t cry baby, I believe that you can change and you will make it for sure. One day you will make them see that you are better.” She soothed.

Emi raised her face and stared at her mom. “I don’t want to, but if it made you happy, I would.” She told her mom and hugged tightly. “Dad will surely kill me when we get home.” She bemoaned.

“He won’t.” Minako told.

“No don’t think so, he has looked so serious, said nothing since just now.” Emi explained.

Minako groped Emi head and sent her a smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t let it happen.” She soothed.

Suddenly, Mr. Tokiwa walked into the living room. Emi and Minako stood up.

“I’m really sorry about what my wife and son said just now.” He apologized mother with her daughter with woeful eyes.

Emi wiped her teardrops. “Don’t worry, I don’t mind.” She told him with the sound of crying.

Mr. Tokiwa turned to Minako and bowed. “Mrs. Masaru, I have just complained my wife about rude words she said to you. I promise that I will never let this happen again, I am so sorry.” He apologized.

Minako sighed deeply. “It’s not all her fault, it’s mine either. We may be the strangest friends in the world.” She told Mr. Tokiwa.

“How strange? Mr. Tokiwa asked groggily.

Minako smiled a little. “Have you ever seen friends who always compete with each other?” she asked Mr. Tokiwa.

Mr. Tokiwa swallowed and lowered his head. “You know? This is one of the bad characteristics of High-Society. Competing, insulting and bragging, it absolutely sounds strange when I see friends who compete with me. I think I will never get used with it and I don’t actually want to be in this society but somehow, my wife and son did, that’s why I have to be like this.” He muttered. “What you have confronted is just a very little bad thing; I have confronted more than you ever think.” He said.

Minako nodded accepting his words. “We have to say sorry too, we abruptly walked out of the dining room.” She apologized.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind that.” Mr. Tokiwa said and shook his head.

Minako held Emi hand to take her back to the dining room. “We are going back to the dining room. We have to say sorry to your wife and Yuiji. Don’t you get back there together, Mr. Tokiwa? She asked.

“I will follow…” He told. Minako took Emi back to the dining room.

“Mrs. Masaru!” He called Minako.

Minako and Emi turned back to him. “May I talk with Emi personally?” he asked Minako for the permission.

Minako looked at her daughter, Emi nodded. Then she walked out to the dining room leaving Emi to talk with Mr. Tokiwa.

“Take a seat, Emi.” Mr. Tokiwa sent Emi a smile and pointed at the sofa.

Emi nodded smiling and sat on the sofa. Mr. Tokiwa sent Emi a glass of water and sat on the table next to the sofa.

“Thank you.” Emi said to him.

“Sorry for wasting your time, Emi. I just want to talk to you.” He heralded.

“Yeah… It’s good to talk with you. What do you want to talk?” Emi smiled. Several teardrops were still on her face.

Mr. Tokiwa picked some tissues from the box and gave her. “Wipe the teardrops first.” He told her.

Emi took tissues from his hand and wiped her tears away. Somehow, her face was still red from crying.

“Okay, I may start from the general thing first.” He said. “Would you mind talking about my son, just about his education.” He asked Emi.

“Not at all. Let’s go on, Mr. Tokiwa.” Emi told him.

The man sighed. “You know, I can’t even discuss this seriously with my wife or even Yuiji, he doesn’t care about this though it means a lot to him.” He explained seriously. “And I think you are the only one I can discuss this with because you are the same with Yuiji.” He told Emi.

“The same?” Emi doubted.

Mr. Tokiwa nodded. “Yes, the same. You are a student and my son is too, though I ask a hundred of parents, it is not as effective as asking the real student like you.”

“You want to say a picture is worth a thousand words?” Emi stared at him.

“May be.” He said.

“And what do you want me to answer?” Emi asked him.

“Just an easy and simple question. Do you think I should let my son apply for your school?” He asked.

Emi sighed deeply. “Why not?” she answered shortly.

“Just why not?” he asked groggily.

Emi turned to him. “Mr. Tokiwa. Everyone accepts the opinion that Yorshire is the best common high school in the state. I believe that you have been looking for the school for Yuiji long enough, and I think you must have ever heard the reputation of this school.” She explained smoothly.

Mr. Tokiwa showed a confused face. “As I have told just now, I have never heard about this school.” He told Emi.

“Because you thought that it is a school in Sheffield.” Emi told him. “Why don’t you just check on your memo, I think a professional businessman like you have to note everything you see each day, don’t you?” She advised.

“Yes, I do.” He took his iPhone 7s out from his trouser pocket, searched gravely for Yorkshire High School and he finally found that he had information about this school. He paid all of his attention on his iPhone for a while before he put his iPhone back to his trouser pocket.

“I completely missed it.” He confessed.

“It is a good school; more than 90 percent of students here can attend top 10 universities in the US.” He told Emi.

“I’m not among that 90 percent.” Emi smiled at him.

“Don’t say like that, Emi. I know you are so clever.” Mr. Tokiwa admired her.

“How?” She asked.

“I don’t know, I just feel it. Moreover, I’m not the one who judges a book by its cover.” He explained laughing.

Emi sent him a smile. “That’s why I like you, Mr. Tokiwa.”

“What?” he doubted.

“I told you that I like you because you never complain me about my grades.” She laughed.

“Why should I do that?” Mr. Tokiwa asked Emi.

“2.44 is unacceptable for most parents, you know? Especially my father.” Emi told him, she voiced sentence with softly.

“I don’t know, but I understand you because I used to be like you when I was at the same age with you.” He told.

“How?” Emi asked with doubtfulness.

“This subject is bored, that subject is bored. That’s what I thought at that time. You know, I used to skip every class for a week until the director sent my parents about my behavior.” He told a story funny.

Emi laughed.

“Why do you laugh?” Mr. Tokiwa asked.

“What you were is what I am now.” She replied shortly.

Mr. Tokiwa lowered his face. “Just now, I talk with your father about this.” His voice changed to be serious.

Emi stopped smiling and her face became serious immediately. “What did he tell you about this?” she asked.

Mr. Tokiwa seemed to be speechless.

“Tell me…” Emi pleaded.

Mr. Tokiwa looked at her face. “He seemed to be angry at first. But after I complained him about his attitudes, he looked better.” He told. “Emi, your father loves you a lot, but he is not good at expressing how he feels. He is a conservative man; everything must be the way he wants. I think you know this very well. But for now, he just wants you to have a good GPA because he wants you to attend a good university. I understand that this is the way he used to do when he was a student in a small school in Japan. He seemed to try very hard to attend Harvard as a scholar and he thinks the only way to be successful is studying very hard and associating with good students only.” He explained.

“That’s why he allows me to contact with your son only, but I haven’t contacted him just once.” Emi muttered.

“Really?” Mr. Tokiwa seemed to be shock to hear this because Saito never told him about this. He had been saying with him that Emi was suited for his son. In fact, he wanted Emi to marry Yuiji in the future just for the business relationship with him.

“Of course, I can’t even stay close to boys.” Emi reiterated.

Mr. Tokiwa was speechless for a while before he called Emi. “You know what he always talks to me?”

Emi shook her head.

“He always talks with me about you and Yuiji every time we meet and he always say that you always talk with him about Yuiji.” He told Emi.

“I swore that I never talk about Yuiji with him just once.” Emi told him. “And what do you tell him every time.” Emi asked.

“Really? I tell him love is a story between two people.” He told. “Do you agree that?” He asked Emi.

Emi smiled. “Absolutely…”

“Can I ask you one question?” Mr. Tokiwa asked Emi.

“Why not? You can…”

“How do you feel with Yuiji. I think you are adult enough to answer this. I have doubted since your dad first talked with me about this.” He asked.

Emi became speechless immediately. The question was extremely hard for her to answer. In fact, she already had an absolute answer for it. But to tell the man who was Yuiji’s father was really hard. Answering to straight might easily hurt his feeling. Somehow, when getting a good chance to express, she wouldn’t let it pass to say all she felt.

Emi swallowed. “I think he is a handsome, attractive, apt and educative.” She replied.

“You know that he always tell me that he likes you?” Mr. Tokiwa asked Emi.

Emi shook her head. “If I may, I think he just wants to sleep with me.”

Her words made Mr. Tokiwa shocked. “How do you know that?” He hurriedly asked.

“His eyes when he looks at me. I can feel that he molests me every time, just with his eyes but I feel that it’s harmful.” Emi explained what she had been afraid to say for a long time.

Mr. Tokiwa became crestfallen obviously. He had been thinking that Emi liked his son thoroughly. Though he knew that his son was an extremely gallant but he never knew how his son acted with Emi and this was the first time he realized that Emi didn’t feel anything good with his son, on the other hand, she hate him as well.

“He really did?” Mr. Tokiwa asked to ensure.

Emi nodded confidently.

“So you never feel anything with my son.” Mr. Tokiwa asked with serious voice.

Emi took an extra hard deep breath; she felt that Mr. Tokiwa was angry after hearing her words. However, she answered straightly because this might be the only chance to say everything. “No, I never.”

Mr. Tokiwa sighed again and sat on the sofa.

“I am sorry to say that, Mr. Tokiwa. But I don’t mean that your son is bad.” Emi apologized.

Mr. Tokiwa shook his finger. “You don’t have to say sorry, Emi. As I have told you. I just doubt about it. Moreover, I know what my son is like. I am the one who has to say sorry with what my son behave to you.” He said with unstable voice.

“I never mind that. It’s not your fault. Don’t worry.” Emi told him.

Mr. Tokiwa shook his head. “I think I have to talk with your dad about this, he’s made me misunderstood for long. And you know? Yuiji has also understood that you have felt the same way with him.” He said.

“You don’t have to talk with him about this, it’s no use. You’d better talk with your son about this, tell him that he can be my friend.” Emi advised and smiled.

Mr. Tokiwa facepalmed seriously. “I don’t understand why he always tells me like that.” He muttered.

“Business…” Emi said shortly.

“What?” Mr. Tokiwa didn’t seem to understand what Emi said to him.

“As you have told me, my dad is conservative.” Emi implied with a smile on her face.

Mr. Tokiwa didn’t understand, he scratched his head. “Then what?” He asked groggily.

“You provide 60 percent of my dad’s company income; he just wants to maintain the business relationship with you as long as possible. And this is one of the ways, making me your daughter in-law as the old Japanese always does.” Emi explained moodily.

‘Oh! My god, I can’t believe it.” Mr. Tokiwa exclaimed. “I have never thought about this you know? I cooperate with him just because his company is the best to rely on, to co-operate with. Though you are not going to be my daughter in-law, I still cooperate with him as long as my company remains.” He told Emi with a shock and serious face. “What the hell is he thinking?” He stood up and walked around the room muttering repeatedly.

Emi felt that she had expressed enough, she should go back to the dining room.

“Excuse me, Mr. Tokiwa. I am going to see my parents in the dining room.” She told him.

“Okay…” He accepted shortly.

Emi walked out of the dining room, while she was at the door, Mr. Tokiwa called her.

“Emi…”

She turned just her face back to him.

“I regret…” He told her very shortly and sent Emi a smile.

Emi sent him a happy smile back before she walked out of the room. She knew well what the word “Regret” from Mr. Tokiwa meant. He seemed to have a little hope to have Emi as his daughter in-law in the future but somehow, Emi didn’t want to be, so he can’t force her. It’s not his vision.

Mr. Tokiwa was an opposite of Emi’s dad in every way. He always forced both Emi and his wife to do what he wanted in everything.

Emi found no one in the dining room; there were only empty table and chairs, they have already finished the dinner. She went to the kitchen and found the cook washing dishes in there. “Excuse me? Do you know where they are at the moment?” The cook turned her face to Emi.

“Yes, they have just gone to the drawing room to wait for you.” She told Emi and turned her face back continuing washing dishes.

“You know? After you left, the dining room was extremely silent. It’s been a long conversation, right?” The cook spoke with Emi, but when she turned her face back, she realized that she had been speaking with herself.

Emi went to the drawing room. She saw her dad and mom with Yuiji and his mom in there. They were talking entertainingly.

“Oh! Emi, you’ve come back. And where is Mr. Tokiwa” Minako said after seeing Emi walking inside the drawing room.

“He is still in the living room.” She told her mom.

“We have to say goodbye to him, we are going back home.” Minako said.

Emi observed that Yuiji and Mrs. Tokiwa looked at her resentfully. There must be something happened in the dining room while she was walking out of there just now for sure. But she thought she would ask from her mom on the way back home.

Saito stared at Emi as if he had hot something to talk with her. Emi looked at him.

“Dad, what’s wrong with you? Why are you staring me?” She asked her dad.

He ignored. “Nothing… you talk with me? Unbelievable.” He ridiculed Emi because she had not talked with him since just now.

Emi gazed at him. “If you still behaved like this with me, I would never talk with you again.” She threatened her dad. However, she knew that he had something to talk with her for sure. May be about what she talked with Mr. Tokiwa just now.

Mrs. Tokiwa told her son to call his dad. While Yuiji was walking to the living room, Mr. Tokiwa came out at the same time.

“What?” He asked his son.

Yuiji nodded his head to Emi and her parents. “They are going back… waiting for you to say goodbye.”

Mr. Tokiwa hurriedly walked to Masaru family. “I’m sorry making you all wait. You wanna go back now?” He asked.

“Yes, Mr. Tokiwa. It’s already eight o’clock.” Saito told him.

Mr. Tokiwa looked at the clock on the wall and realized that it was late at night. “Let me send you to the car.” He offered.

“No, you don’t have to do that. We can go out, the blizzard has already passed.” Saito denied and smiled.

“Are you sure?” Mr. Tokiwa asked to ensure.

Saito nodded. “Absolutely sure.” He replied sincerely.

“So I will send you at the door, okay?” Mr. Tokiwa told Saito.

Minako said goodbye to Mrs. Tokiwa and Yuiji.

“Saito, I will go to the car first.” She told her husband. Saito turned his face to her and nodded. “And Mr. Tokiwa, Thank you for the nice meal. Hope to see you again. Bye…” She waved her hand and walked hurriedly to the car.

“Thank you for your coming, Mrs. Masaru.” Mr. Tokiwa shouted at her. Minako sent him a smile in return.

Emi put her coat on and followed her mom to the car. While she was stepping out of the house, her dad called her. “Emi, you go with me.” He told her.

Emi was sure that her dad must have some something to talk with her. She didn’t like talking with him because it was not talking but it looked like an interrogation, her dad was always the only one who asked questions and she had to answer every question he asked, otherwise, he would scold her.

Her dad said goodbye to Mr. Tokiwa. Before he walked out of the house, Mr. Tokiwa came to him and whispered something. He nodded accepting that before he walked to his car. Emi followed him, before she got in the car; she pointed at her dad’s car as a sign to her mom that she was going back home with him. Her mom nodded accepting and drove out immediately. Emi got in her dad’s Chevy. Then they followed her mom.

The weather was much better than when Emi and Minako came here in the afternoon. It was only a little snow but Saito couldn’t drive so fast because the road was full of snow from the blizzard that just passed a little moment ago. However, the vision was much better than in the blizzard. The trees were covered by snow all around and the buildings color changed to white along the road.

“Dad, I am sorry making you and mom down.” Emi heralded with sincere doe-eyes.

“Don’t say sorry, just do improve yourself!” Saito told his daughter shortly. This made Emi emotionless. She said sorry sincerely but he responded as if she had never accepted any mistake.

“What did you talk with Mr. Tokiwa?” He asked Emi with a serious voice as usual.

“He just told me to improve my grades.” She answered the question shortly.

“I don’t believe you; you spent so long talking with him.” He interrupted. “Tell me, Emi. There must be more.” He forced moodily.

Emi threw a tantrum. “Why do you always want to know everything?” She asked her dad.

Saito stopped looking at the road and turned to gaze Emi with a bad temper.

“Don’t dispute; you just answer whatever I ask you.” He ordered with a threatening voice.

“Okay… I will tell you.” Emi told him.

“Let’s go on.” He ordered.

“He told me that you love me and want me to attend a good university.” She told him.

“Emi! That was an hour…” He didn’t stopped threatening Emi because he believed that Emi must talk with Mr. Tokiwa more than she told him. Emi sighed deeply.

“What does the word “Personal” mean to you?” Emi asked her dad with moody face.

Saito became angry immediately after hearing the provoking question. He pounded the steering wheel. “There is no “Personal” between you and me.” He bawled.

The situation started getting bad again. His fussy characteristic always made Emi extremely nervous. She had to be so careful when she wanted to do something, especially anything that her male friends involved with.

The reason why she didn’t want to talk with her dad at first was she had a severe quarrel with her dad yesterday because Emi’s male friend called her to discuss about the mathematics group project that Emi was a leader. The boy was severely scolded by Saito after he heard a conversation between Emi and the boy. Moreover, the boy was threatened that he would not survive for sure if he called Emi again. Emi was also scolded because she didn’t ask for his permission to talk with the boy.

Minako used to talk with her husband about this, but it was no use because Saito never listened to her. He thought Emi must be like what he expected, the GPA, association and attitudes. However, Emi never satisfied him just a little. She skipped, slept and talked in the classes she didn’t like such as Biology or Chemistry. On the other hand, she did extremely well in subjects she liked such as Psychology or Philosophy. However, because she was a student in Science curriculum, the minor subjects like Psychology or Philosophy had only 1 credit to collect each while the major subjects like Biology and Chemistry worth 3 credits each. That was why Emi’s GPA became so terrible and this was the topic her dad brought up to complain her. It happened too frequently until Emi got used with it; she always turned a deaf ear to him while he was complaining her. A lot of behavior reports were sent to the house each semester. If Minako was the one to open it, she would cry and Emi said sorry to her every time but if Saito was the one, he would scold her and Emi never said sorry to him.

Emi resisted what her dad was clearly. The more he forced her, the more he failed.

“Tell me now.” He didn’t stopped forcing Emi to tell him what she talked with Mr. Tokiwa.

“Okay!” Emi bawled. “He told me the story about his life. Once he was a student with a terrible GPA like me. But he said he doesn’t think good GPA will make people successful. It depends on what they think and their attitudes in what they are doing.” She told her dad with moodiness.

“Is that enough? Or you want me to tell you every word I talked to him.” She asked.

Saito said nothing and kept driving. They were nearly home. Saito turned left to Chesterfield Street. Emi saw her dad saying nothing, she thought he have enough.

But suddenly he called her again. “Emi!”

Emi sighed deeply and turned her face to him. “What the hell?” She thought in her mind.

“What?” She asked her dad.

“And you believe in what he said to you?” Saito asked his daughter with doubtfulness.

“I absolutely do it… what he used to be is not different with what I am now. That was why he talked with me about this, because he used to have a very bad GPA once and he finally succeeded.” Emi explained.

“For me, I don’t believe him.” Saito interrupted. “He succeeded because he was lucky.” He told Emi.

“Why’d you say about your friend like that?” Emi gazed at him.

“I don’t believe people with low GPA can be successful. You know why? Because they can’t even control themselves to get good grades when they are just students, do you think they will control themselves well enough to reach their goals?”  He asked Emi.

“Why can’t they?” Emi asked him back.

“One day you will understand Emi, but today, do whatever I tell you…” He ordered. “Don’t you feel so ashamed when you or your parents have to tell someone about your GPA?” He asked Emi with serious face.

“Why do I have to be ashamed?” She asked her dad back.

“Low GPA tells that you are stupid, you know?” He pointed at Emi.

Emi felt it was so ridiculous. Actually, he was the one who was ashamed not Emi, but she blamed Emi to excuse.

“I never feel ashamed because I know that I am not stupid. The GPA is just statistic set of numbers.” She told her dad sincerely.

“Whatever it is, all you have to do is to obey me.” He said.

Emi sighed again. “I think we should stop disputing about this non-sense.” She told her dad and switched the cd-player on.

“What non-sense!” Saito asked Emi moodily. But before he got the question half out, the music started playing. Though it was just a classical song, Emi increased the loudness until the music resounded around the car.

“I don’t want to dispute with you anymore!” She slowly shouted through the loudness of the music with a smirk on her face.

Saito was extremely pissed off. “Disrespectful!” He muttered along the way.

While her dad was muttering, Emi looked outside the car. She saw a little Korean boy helping his parents sweep the snow in front of his house with a happy smile on his face. They don’t look so rich and but they looked like the happiest family Emi had ever seen. They threw snowballs to each other happily. This family made Emi smile truly that she was sure that had not smiled happily and truly like this for a long time. But in the same time, this family made Emi a little sad because she had never done anything like this with her parents ever since she could remember. These people never cared what the others thought; all they wanted were staying together with their family, going out, doing activities and having dinner together. They were just immigrants from the war not US or Japanese capitalists that snatched the chance from their wounds from the war to invest. Being rich and comfortable were not commitments for their happiness. Though the government provided immigrants luxury apartments, these were not enough for all immigrants and this family might be the one that had no chance to live in those luxury apartments. They lived in a small house on Chesterfield Street but Emi thought this family had more happiness than some wealthy families because they had not got so much to think about. Their lives were just waking up in the morning, went to work and came back and have dinner with their kids in the evening while wealthy families had to be serious about the economics, stock and many things that made them worry. Emi dreamt to have a happiness life like this one day, she asked the God.

Saito wanted to listen to the radio, so he changed the mode to FM. It was breaking news.

“General Ho, the supreme commander of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea announced a collapse of the country. At the same time, he announced an establishment of Goguryeo Kingdom. Moreover, coup d’etat council is planning to reestablish Baekje and Silla in the former South Korea part. In any case, Russia Federation has threatened the armament support cancellation to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea expands in case of Korean’s land expansion. General Kevin Martinez, United States Secretary of Defense said that Russia’s armament support cancellation may severely affect the military relation with Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. For more information please visit www.cnn.com., Sara Criffon reported."

This report made Emi felt presage. But her dad switched the radio off before she started to be serious as well. They were already home and it was late at night. There were a lot of things to do tomorrow, Emi had to go to school and her dad had to go to work. No time to be serious for non-sense things. The blizzard had already passed, followed by the quietness at night as before.