Bab 24: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
She pushed me aside and reached for the huge main ramen bowl on the table and scooped in ramen to my bowl till it was full. She did the same for Romeo's bowl.
While filling it out, she asked the others, "So what's the prize?"
Ethan, Luca, Romeo and Jae-suk were too surprised at what she was doing to answer.
"Hmm?" she hummed, insisting.
Jae-suk broke out of his stare and met Saye's curious eyes, "The maid lady came in today morning said she'd only cook our meals for us now. The rest of the house was up to us. The loser and another person he chooses have to do the dishes for the next two weeks."
Saye lifted her ramen bowl, "That's it?"
Luca raised a finger, "And clean all the toilets."
Saye gasped before looking around at the enormity of the house, "And…how many toilets are there here?" she asked, slightly frightened now.
Romeo gulped. "Five big ones. Two smaller ones at the pool and next to the summer house. Seven in total."
Saye looked back at me, "And you still signed up for this?" she laughed before looking back at Romeo who was now holding his newly filled bowl too, seeing where this is going.
"I'll complete the final round for Ashe. If you lose, you clean the dishes of breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as clean all seven toilets," Saye listed and she saw Romeo's heart drop a bit. He was already quite full now.
"If we lose, I'll do all those things myself."
My revolting tummy went still as I heard those words come out of her mouth. Leaning close to her I whispered, "Saye! What are you doing? Back out now. You can't do all that all by yourself!"
"And you thought you could?" she whispered back. I was nothing less than astonished. Why was she protecting me now? After 10 years of bullying and torture?
What was her motive?
"The competition isn't fair anyway!" Luca protested, "This is her first bowl but for Romeo it's almost the seventh!"
Romeo cast Luca a look, "Don't worry, Luca. This is a girl we are talking about. And a very prissy one at that. I'll finish the whole bowl before she even completes half."
Saye smirked, "You'll regret you underestimated a girl after this competition is over."
"We'll see about that," Romeo challenged, bringing it to his still wet lips, hoping he'd win. Cleaning seven toilets was the last thing on his two week vacation list.
Two minutes later, the two were neck to neck in competition. In the meantime, Ethan had poured out some lemon water to calm my tummy. I watched them both with childish curiosity as I sipped the refreshing water drop by drop.
Jae-suk was biting his thumbs, praying that Romeo would win somehow. If he lost, he had said that Jae-suk would be his helper. I looked a Jae-suk. He had a crew cut, military style and huge strong arms that could lift a truck.
No wonder tiny Romeo chose him.
We all jumped a bit when a clank was heard. Our eyes went to the table and there, sat an empty ramen bowl, all licked and finished off.
Romeo was still trying to finish the last of his bowl.
"You can stop, boy. There's no use," Saye smirked, wiping off her lips with a tissue from her bag and tossing it into the dustbin kept in the corner.
"Let's just do the chores turn by turn every day," I pitched in, now feeling a little better.
Romeo shook his head and put down his bowl, "No, Ashe," he sighed, "I accept defeat."
Saye nodded before looking at me and smiling. I didn't smile back. In fact, I didn't feel happy at all, even though I didn't have to do the chores. I felt even angrier than before.
Romeo slouched off and went out of the house. For some fresh air, probably. Jae-suk followed him.
Saye went up to the upper floor like Darren had advised her to and entered a random room. I followed her trail and found that the room she had entered was Kai's.
I went up the stairs to have a word with her. Even though I doubted I would be able to muster the courage to say anything.
I opened the door slightly and saw Saye sitting on the bed. I looked around and saw no trace of Kai.
Where was he?
Convinced that no one else but Saye was there, I got in and closed the door. She looked up at me and gave a thin smile.
"Why are you here?" I asked, my hand still lingering on the door knob.
"Your brother sent me here. To help out. Your brother is quite caring for a brat like you. He didn't want you to do this alone."
I gasped. She knew the mission?
"He told you?" This wasn't part of any plan. Darren, you dumbass.
Don't you know what Saye does to me? How many nights I have cried because of her? How many dinners I haven't eaten because she called me fat? The number of people I had avoided because of the rumours she created?
Ha…no. You wouldn't know. I suffered all this alone because I didn't want to burden you or Mom.
I never told you.
Saye nodded, "I promised him I'll be nice."
This was too fishy for me to accept. There was a bug in this plan. Something…
"What did you get in return?" I asked her. She wouldn't agree to be here for nothing. Unless Darren and Saye were really close friends. Which had zero chance of being true. Evertech and System Games were rival companies!
She laughed, "This is simply a favour, girl."
I shook my head, "You're a give and take person. I don't believe you."
Saye stood up and walked up to me. Before she could reach me, I walked away to get away from her. Out of instinct.
She stopped halfway when she saw me dart and her face fell, "Please. Don't be scared of me. I already told you. I promised Darren I'd be nice."
"Nobody in this world trusts you, Saye!" I scream out of frustration, leaning back on the closed en suite washroom door.
She stepped closer to me, "What did you say?"
There. That's what I was talking about. That dark voice of hers when she said "What did you say?" That voice which was on the borderline of sane and manic. I prepared myself for her impact.
"How dare you say that about me? I'll make you trust me! You know I can make you do anything," she laughed all delusional.
I flinch at her voice, "You need to see a doctor," I blurted and regretted it the moment I said it. Her eyes widened at my comment and she grabbed my collar and held it tight, the cloth stretching over my neck, slowly cutting a red mark.
"No. You are the one who will need a doctor. Just wait for the moment I break you."
I balled up my fists, wanting to hit her, but I didn't. Instead, I whispered almost out of breath, "Is…this…what you call…being nice?" I managed to say with my constricted neck.
"Ha…relative to the other things I usually do, yes! Don't you thin-"
Her hold on my neck dropped and she stepped back in surprise. Before I could register what was happening, I was falling backwards when the washroom door swung open.
I let out a scream as I feared hitting my head on the washroom floor.
But I didn't.
Before I could actually hit anywhere, strong hands curled around my waist, balancing me. I panted in surprise and looked up to see who had opened the washroom door in the first place.
The face…was familiar. In fact, it was the face I had been looking for not moments ago.
"Kai?" I managed to ask in surprise. But it came out as a low whimper as I looked at the rest of him.
He had been taking a long shower all this while. I didn't know.
That explained why he had no shirt on and only a towel wrapped around his waist. His face seemed to be confused whether to frown or smile. He lifted me and I stood straight again, facing him, flustered.
I couldn't take my eyes off of him, for some reason.
He looked at the girl behind me. "What are you girls doing in my room?" he asked in that oh so amazing deep voice of his.
I internally slapped myself. Take your eyes off him, you idiot. What were these boys doing to me?
Hadiah
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