I’M A BRAT AND I’M IN LOVE
(But am I the only one in love?)
Chapter 5
“Put that phone down Rika. You need to rest. You heard what the doctor said.” Rika’s maid, Greta snapped at her as she made her bed. They had just gotten home from the hospital and the doctor’s orders were for Rika to get plenty of rest.
Rika groaned. “Leave me alone woman.”
Greta mumbled something in Spanish and snatched the phone out of Rika’s hands. “No you are to go directamente a dormir (straight to bed.) Straight to bed Rika.”
“Straight to bed Rika.” Rika mocked as she sat on her bed angrily. “Give me my phone Greta.”
Greta laughed as she pushed Rika off the bed so she could continue spreading it. Rika sat at her window Patio and stared at the sky.
“Senõr(Mr) Levi really did a great job with you. I heard from Master Sato that he sat by your side until they arrived at the hospital.”
Rika blushed and c@ressed her hand, remembering how Levi had held it and comforted her.
Greta laughed. “Oh! I really have worked here for so long! I remember when Senõr Levi was still a teenager. He did get more handsome as he aged. If only I weren’t old enough to be his mother, I wouldn’t mind getting some of that!” Greta said and burst into boisterous laughter.
Rika looked at her, incredulous. “You’re disgusting Greta.” She said.
“Ayy don’t tell me you don’t have the hots for him too. That boy makes any woman with blood in her veins boil!”
“That’s it! Out of my room!” Rika said as she began to push Greta out. “Oh and Greta, Paws off. Levi’s mine.” Greta laughed loudly and opened the door, coming face to face with Mr Sato. He smiled at her.
“Greta. What’s all the ruckus?” Greta wiped a test from her eyes. “Oh Master Sato. Me and Rika were just having a conversation. Una Charla(a chat.)”
Mr Sato gave a dry laugh. “I’ll leave you two now. Sleep well Rika!” Greta said and walked away.
Mr Sato smiled at his daughter and walked into her room. “How are you feeling dear? Thought I’d check up on you.” Rika stood at the door, watching her father carefully.
“I’m fine dad. Is that all?”
Her dad ran his fingers along her reading table.
“Saw you and Levi at the hospital today, holding hands. When did you two get so close?”
Rika smiled. “Why? Does it bother you daddy?”
Mr Sato sighed endearingly at his daughter. He then smiled at her.
“Well I just wanted you to know, family friend or not, no man comes near my daughter unless I approve of him.”
“Levi IS family. You’ve known him since he was in diapers.” Rika retorted.
“And you’ve only known him properly for just almost two months. For all we know he could secretly be some kind of psychopath.”
Rika was silent. She then smiled widely and said, “Yes daddy you’re right. I surely wouldn’t want to end up at the mercy of a psychopath. God knows I’ve got my hands full already.”
Mr Sato smiled at his daughter, walked up to her and kissed her on the forehead. “Goodnight champ. Rest well.” He said and walked out the door. Rika closed the door behind him and fell on her bed. She curled up on the bed and tried to fall asleep.
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The next day at school, Hunter and Rika walked out of their classroom, having finished the last paper for the day. Hunter looked around the school nervously. “I can’t believe you still came to school today Rika. It feels like everyone is talking about you. What happened yesterday has already spread like wildfire. You won’t believe the rumors. Some people are saying that Damon raped you. Can you imagine?”
Rika sighed as she opened her locker and began to touch up her lipstick. “You’re the one listening to those rumors Hunter. I think you should pay more attention to our ongoing exams.”
A group of girls ran up to Rika. “Omigosh Rika we heard what happened! Are you okay? You’re not hurt are you?” They chorused, with fake sympathy.
“No I’m okay! Thank you all so much for caring about me!” Rika said sweetly, her countenance changed to innocent and sad. The girls muttered some more words of comfort before finally leaving. Rika turned back to her locker and continued to fix her make up.
“Great Rika. Now you just gave them more gossip material.” Hunter said beside her. Rika faced him and said, “You Know Hunter, sometimes I wonder if you’re pretending to be dense or if you really are just dense.” And she began to walk away.
Hunter’s jaw dropped. “Hey! You’re the one that nobody ever knows what you’re really thinking!” He yelled as he caught up to her. “Uh oh. Don’t look now, but Damon’s friends are totally staring at us.” He said again quietly.
Rika looked in the direction Hunter was looking and saw a group of Damon’s friends staring at her, some of whom she recognized from when she and Damon had been dating. “Rika I said don’t look!” Hunter whispered furiously at her.
Rika smirked,and unbuttoned her shirt, revealing some of her cleavage. Hunter watched her, confused. “What are you doing?” He asked but she didn’t reply. She instead plastered on a se.ductive smile and walked up to the boys.
“Hey boys!” She greeted cheerfully. “Got anything to say to me?” All of the boys stared unashamedly at her open cleavage. Rika laughed. “I didn’t think so. By the way Lucas,” she called, referring to one of the boys who upon hearing his name, snapped his head up from Rika’s breasts to her face. “I heard your parents just bought you a new motorbike. You should take me out sometime.” The boy looked shocked. “Uh, Y-yes Rika!” He answered and she gave them one last smile before walking back to Hunter, buttoning her shirt back up.
“Idiots.” She said to Hunter, as she chuckled to herself.
“Okay Rika what has gotten into you? You seem so different! You’re so lively!” Hunter asked his Friend as he hurriedly walked beside her.
“Hm? Well, I guess love does that to you sometimes.” Rika answered.
“What?! You’re in love?! With whom?! How?! When?!”
As Hunter pestered Rika and she laughed at him, he thought to himself. He saw the light in her eyes as she laughed. Something was different. Rika’s laughter was genuine. She was happy.
???????
Rika walked into the law firm and made her way to Levi’s office, holding a box of chocolates. She planned to surprise him with a present as a thank you for the previous night.
She laughed to herself.
Never would she have thought she would be buying a present for a man, chocolates none the less.
How cheesy!
But she didn’t care. She quickened her steps as she neared Levi’s office. She arrived there and told his secretary not to bother telling him she was coming in, amd the secretary obeyed. One of the perks of being the heir to one the biggest companies in the world, that also happened to be the law firm’s biggest client.
She opened the door but her words died in her throat as she saw a woman about Levi’s age standing at his back, leaning over his shoulders, her arms around him and giggling. Rika’s eyes widened and she gritted her teeth.
Levi and the woman looked up and looked understandably surprised to see her. “Rika. What are you doing here?” Levi asked.
Rika smiled at him. “I came here to thank you for yesterday, but it looks like I’m interrupting something.”
Levi glanced at the box of chocolates in her hands. The woman spoke up. “Oh, you must be Rika Sato. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She strecthed out her hand to shake Rika’s but Rika only smiled at her. Levi quickly spoke up.
“Uh Rika this is my colleague, Yuri. She’s a Prosecutor.” “And also your trusty sidekick ‘Captain Levi’!” Yuri added and punched Levi in the arm. Levi groaned. “I told you to stop calling me that Yuri.” Yuri laughed.
“Levi and I went to law school together. He was always the leader of all our group projects, so he earned the nickname ‘Captain Levi'”.
“Really?” Rika said through gritted teeth, looking at Levi. “Good to know.”
She strecthed out her hand and shook Yuri.
“Miss Yuri, nice to meet you. But are you okay?”
“Yes of course. Why do you ask?”
“Because you must have really been hit hard in the head to come out of your house dressed like this.” Rika said smiling and Levi covered his face with his palms.
Yuri looked like she didn’t know what to say. “My, she’s as fiesty as you said Levi!” She finally said, laughing. “Well, I’ve got to go now. See you later Levi.” Yuri said and walked out the door.
“Well, hope you like the chocolates, ‘Captain Levi’.”
Levi sighed and sat on his seat.
“Who was that? Huh?”
“I think she introduced herself to you already.”
“Yeah but why was she all cuddly around you? She even had her arms around you. And why am I just knowing about her?”
“Because I don’t have to tell you every bit of my private life Miss Sato.”
“Oh I get it. It’s because she’s your age right?”
Levi rubbed his face in frustration.
“Shouldn’t you be in school Rika?” He asked.
“School let out hours ago old man.” She snapped back.
“Well don’t you have homework or something?”
“I do. I brought it here. I’ll do it in your office.” Rika answered, gesturing to the bag hanging off her shoulders. Levi raised his eyebrows at her.
“You can’t stay here. I’m working.”
“Oh? Am I a distraction?” Rika asked as she wiggled her eyebrows at him and leaned over his desk.
“I’m saying you’re a nuisance.” Levi said as he pushed her off the desk. She pouted angrily.
“You’ve refused to acknowledge my feelings for you. Can’t you at least let me be around you? Being around you makes me happy Levi.”
Levi stared at her but didn’t answer.
Rika sighed and stomped out of his office.
Fine! She would leave him alone if that’s what he really wanted. She sat down at the park near the building, sulking.
Soon enough, the sky darkened and it began to rain heavily. Rika ran around and finally took shelter near an empty store. She began to wring her hair out, which was now soaked. She groaned and started taking off her heels.
“Great. Now I’m drenched.”
She suddenly felt something above her, obstructing the rain that pelted on her. She looked up. It was Levi, amd he was holding an umbrella over her head.
“Come on.” He said. “I’ll take you home.”
“How did you know I didn’t go home yet?”
“Because I knew you would be out here waiting for me to take you home. Plus you ‘conviniently’ left your bag in my office.” He replied, holding up her bag.
Rika laughed inwardly. She had deliberately left her bag behind so that Levi would have an excuse to come to her house and return it.
They began to walk, but Levi held the umbrella over only her head. “Hey, you’ll get wet.” Rika protested.
“And you won’t.”
Rika took the umbrella from his hands and closed it. “Stop trying to be some kind of gentleman. Let us both get drenched.”
Levi grabbed it and opened it back up. “Suit yourself.” He said and began to walk away with it.
Rika chased after him and huddled under the umbrella with him. “Geez can’t you be even a bit r0mantic?” She complained.
Levi stopped walking and faced, the rain turning into a drizzle around them as the sky started clearing.
“Rika, if being around me makes you so happy, then stay by my side. I won’t chase you away anymore.”
Rika’s heart melted, and she almost couldn’t find the words to reply. When she couldn’t find any to say, she simply smiled at Levi and choked out,
“Okay. I’ll stay by your side.”
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