Chapter 3.1: Beer's and Late Night Calls

"Ay, bet ka niya girl!" Martha exclaims, painting her nails red. She has a habit of blurting out expressions in her national language, and this time it was a Filipino slang that means 'the guy's in to you!'.

Louise bites her burrito, processing her thoughts. It didn't dawn on her immediately, but the way Jackson quirks his eyebrow while she thanks God, Ojiro was not like her useless seniors, she then realized.

Did I just get hit on by Ojiro Korishima?

"In our country, when an athlete wins a gold medal, whether it's in a sports competition that we don't even know exists, people treat them like Gods. There are lots of welcome parties and parades; it's like a festival. And you're saying that this guy is a two-time Olympic champion?" She flips through the Ojiro Korishima-featured figure skating magazine Louise borrowed from a workmate, careful not to ruin her freshly painted nails.

"Are you really sure he's interested?" Suddenly she doubts herself.

"That's what I'm talking about. Maybe he's just polite, like every Japanese you meet on your way."

"But he asked for your number; there should be some meaning behind that, right?" she says.

"Because he's my boss."

"Does every producer in this country want to get in touch with their kohais? It's not like it happens every day."

"I-I don't know. He gave me this jacket..."

Martha takes it from Louise and sniffs it like a maniac.

"Maybe he's just a gentleman. Right, Jackson?"

"I guess it's because you're pretty," he muttered, chewing on his fried chicken takeout.

Both Martha and Louise turn their heads toward him.

"What?" he asks.

"Just because I'm pretty? How about my suprema intellecto?"

Martha cups her cheeks, studying her face.

"Yeah, just forget about the suprema intellecto. Let's just stick to pretty."

"What's wrong with you two?!"

"Hey Jackson, pass me the beer."

"Don't change the subject!"

"You're thoughtful...and kind..."

"What kind of friend are you? You could have at least flattered me a little."

"Sometimes you're surprisingly smart, and we know that you already know this, but you're really pretty, Louise. Now, finish your burrito."

Martha silently gasps behind Louise, blinking her eyes and covering her mouth with a hand.

"Aww...Gracias Jacky, I'm touched. Here, have some more." She dumps all the fried chicken on his plate from the bucket.

Louise likes it when they call her smart, even if it's only in a flattering way, and she even likes and believes it more when it comes from Jackson. She's so sick of everyone calling her pretty or beautiful all her life.

It's not like she's not grateful for being such a preciosa hermosa. Only God knows how she thanked her mama in front of the ofrenda every day for the beautiful genes she and her papa passed on to her. She has the fair and flawless complexion that her sisters always envied. They call her a Chicana, a Mexican term that means half American and half Mexican.

When she's little, everyone in their neighborhood praises her beauty and calls her a little angel for having a small face, a pair of thick, lashed brown eyes, and rosy, red cheeks. Like a cherubim in her pre-school books. In high school, her body started to develop. Her breasts became fuller, her waist smaller, and her hips wider, but her face stayed the same. Pretty, young, and innocent. A mix of soft, western features. It was like an illusion of her true self. Roses and love letters are left on her desk every Valentine's Day.

People are getting tricked.

But she wanted to be more than just a pretty face. More than someone her family wanted to just marry off to some chico she barely knows. So she worked hard and followed her passion, not just so she could finally prove something but also to return the favor to her papa someday.

Then she got hired in Japan, and her life has never been the same. The place that she admired, all glamour and light, every Otaku and introvert's paradise, turns out to be a whole lot different from all her expectations. Louise was aware that Japan has a long, dark history with gaijins, but now, with the country's modernization, they're finally opening up to the world. Racism was still inevitable in some parts of the place, and the fact that she's a Chicana and how she was treated unfairly at work made sense to her, but there's a deeper story behind that.

When she started working in their studio, people were so nice, until some of her senior male colleagues started to show interest in her, including those who were already in relationships with her female co-workers. Of course, she turned down all the advancements, but her female seniors began to act nasty, and that's when all the hell started.

So, when they said that beauty is a curse, damn right, it curses Louise's life, and it's happening again now that a famous guy she never heard of hits on her.

She hopes that it's not like what Martha and Jackson think of it. She has already learned her lesson.

And then her phone suddenly pings.

Both Louise and Martha's heads automatically turn to it quickly, like a bunch of hawks to their prey. They silently look each other in the eye, then, like a flash, scramble from their seats, racing to reach the phone first. Martha easily defeats Louise. When it comes to the latest tea, even Louise's Mexican power has no match.

"Oh..." she gasps, her eye widening, reading the text message. "Ice rink dude said 'Hi'."

Louise grabs her phone and reads the text message. The text comes with a droplet emoji.

Eugh, what the hell does that even mean?

She doesn't know, but she's pretty sure it was something nasty. Her face goes, here we go again. She shoots Martha a help me, look.

"What? A single reply won't hurt!" She pointed out. Louise is pretty sure she's just pushing her for her own amusement. "Remember, he's still the boss you forced into drinking alcohol early in the morning."

"Right," she mumbled. Louise is really obedient when it comes to work.

Oh, hi Korishima-san!

Sorry for that. It's supposed to be (waving hand emoji).

Who cares? Now what do you want?!

Yeah, I know. It's alright! (Smile emoji)

Of course, it's not okay! Like, who the hell would use a droplet emoji in their texts?

That interview was fun. I hope we can talk again about the show's production.

Leave me alone! Gedemet.

Yeah, I had fun too!

As if I enjoyed that at all, you traitor...Okay, maybe a little. It's a good thing you're cute.

I just hope we introduced ourselves properly.

She regrets sending that text a little for a moment.

Who cares?! Someone should know how to introduce themselves, right? I already embarrassed myself there enough; how dare—

And then she felt her phone vibrate in her hand, startling her. Someone is calling, and Ojiro's number appears on the screen. Louise quickly turned to Martha, whose face was only an inch away, to read the text conversation with Ojiro.

"H-he's calling, what do I do?!" she panics.

"Oh, just answer the phone, Louise."

"W-what the hell he wants? —"

"Just answer the goddamn phone!" She hissed.

She coughs in her throat before switching to her angelic, Madonna voice before picking up the call.

"Hi!"

"Hi," he greeted back.

Sweet baby Jesus, his voice is so sexy!

Martha squirms like crazy beside her, slapping her so hard in the shoulder.

"Am I interrupting? Are you busy?"

"Oh, no. I...just had dinner."

If you want to know that,

She kicks Martha, who easily dodges it, then jumps up and down excitedly, clapping her hands in silence.

"So, what's up?" she asks casually as she mouths silently to Martha to calm the fuck down.

"I felt like I needed to apologize for not introducing myself back there, in the vending machine."

She felt him flinching at the memory. As much as she wanted him to say sorry, she also wanted to just erase in her mind whatever she did there permanently.

The extreme embarrassment.

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