Haruki stood in the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His gaze fell on the white bandage wrapped around his head. For the first time, he saw the words Emi had scribbled in a moment of raw honesty.
A faint, knowing smile played on his lips. "Really, Miss Emi? I find that hard to believe..."
Moving quickly, Haruki headed to the market. He took a significant portion of his savings and bought a brand-new, high-end smartphone—the latest model. Returning to the Kaminari Estate, he found Emi still lost in a deep sleep. He quietly placed the unboxed phone on her side table, laid a handwritten note beside it, and vanished into the afternoon light.
By the time the rest of the Kaminari family returned, the house was silent. Amaya hurried to Emi's room, expecting a disaster zone, but stopped dead in her tracks. Haruki hadn't just cleaned the room; he had transformed it into something more beautiful than before.
Emi was sleeping peacefully. Amaya watched her for a moment, then quietly withdrew without a word. Meanwhile, Kenzo learned from a servant that Haruki had just departed for his own home. Yuki and Hana, back from their village trip, were practically glowing with happiness.
When Emi finally opened her eyes, she gasped at the sight of her room. Who did this? she wondered. I destroyed this place in my rage... how is it so perfect now?
Then, her eyes caught the gleam of the brand-new phone. Her face flushed a brilliant red as she unboxed it. "The latest model? Grandfather must have bought this for me!"
But then, she saw the note. Her eyes narrowed as she picked up the piece of paper.
The Note:
"Dear Miss Emi, I saw the state of your old phone. It seems you took your anger out on that poor device, but such rage isn't good for the soul. I don't know if this phone matches your high status, but it's a gift from me, bought with my own earnings. It's your responsibility now. I would be honored if you accepted it, but if it's not to your liking, feel free to throw it away. Also... thank you for the bandage. I will never forget that kindness. There's some Biryani left in the kitchen; have a servant heat it up for you, or toss it in the trash if you prefer. See you at the festival tomorrow. Your driver, Haruki."
The letter hit Emi like a tidal wave. Tears welled in her eyes. She pressed the paper against her heart, whispering, "You idiot... how could you think I'd ever throw away anything you gave me? I'll keep this closer than my own soul."
Suddenly remembering the Biryani, she sprinted to the kitchen, only to find Yuki and Hana practically floating in the air, having polished off the entire dish.
"YOU TWO!" Emi screamed in a fury. "How dare you eat my Biryani?! Give it back!"
Hana, lost in a spice-induced trance, murmured, "So this is Biryani? Everyone in the house is eating it and literally flying..."
Emi looked around. To her horror, Kenzo, Amaya, Jiro, Tatsuya, and Izumi were all caught in the "Biryani Spell," looking like they had touched heaven.
"Emi, my dear," Kenzo said, returning to earth with a grin. "Have you tried this? It's legendary!"
"THAT WAS MINE!" Emi yelled, stomping her foot. "Haruki made it for ME! I will never forgive any of you!"
Back in her room, Emi sat huddled with her new phone and the letter, feeling a deep sense of longing. She saved Haruki's number first thing and sent a text:
"Idiot Haruki! How dare you leave without my permission?!"
Five minutes passed. No reply.
Ten minutes. Still nothing.
Emi was turning red with frustration. She typed another, softer message: "My dear driver... I need to talk to you. Please reply."
An hour went by. Silence. Emi was about to explode when a notification finally popped up.
"I'm sorry, Miss Emi. I was busy. I'm glad you accepted the phone. What did you want to talk about?"
Emi felt like she had been given a new lease on life. She quickly typed back with her usual attitude: "I'm not used to waiting! And I only accepted the phone because I didn't have another one handy."
"I see," Haruki replied. "Your attitude tells me you're feeling much better now."
Emi smiled at the screen. "I'm okay. Does your head still hurt?"
"Not at all. Though there was something written on that bandage... I couldn't quite make it out."
Emi's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She typed frantically: "Forget it! It was nothing! Just a scribble!"
"Haha, alright. I'll forget it. It's late, Miss Emi. I'm going to sleep. We have school tomorrow. Goodnight."
Emi pouted. "No! I want you to talk to me all night!"
"Impossible. I'm sleeping. Goodnight."
The next morning, when Haruki opened his phone, he nearly fell out of bed. 100 unread messages from Emi. His hands shook as he typed: "So sorry! I fell asleep!"
There was no reply. Haruki sighed, looking at the ceiling. "I think a storm is coming today..."
At 7:30 AM, Haruki pulled up to the estate. The large bandage was gone, replaced by a small, discreet band-aid. Kenzo came out, noticing the mark. "Haruki! What happened to your head?"
"Just a small accident while doing chores at home, Sir," Haruki lied smoothly.
"Take care of yourself, son. And thank you for looking after Emi yesterday."
A moment later, Emi walked out, radiating a cold, sharp aura of pure attitude. She climbed into the front seat without a word. Haruki knew he was in deep trouble. He drove in silence until Emi began talking to "herself" loudly.
"I don't know why he ignores me," she muttered, looking out the window. "I want his attention all the time, but he's so clueless. I can do anything for him, but he doesn't even care. He's such a fool."
Haruki couldn't take it anymore. "Miss Emi, you seem sad. I said I was sorry about the texts..."
Emi ignored him completely, continuing her monologue. "Yeah, he says sorry, but I stayed up all night waiting while he just slept. And look, he even threw my bandage in the trash. He doesn't value my feelings at all."
Haruki felt the sweat building on his brow. He decided to play her game. He sighed loudly and spoke to "himself" while steering the car.
"Man, I was really planning to invite 'her' over to my house to try a new Pakistani dish I'm working on. But since she's so angry with me... I guess I'll just eat it all by myself. What a shame."
Emi's head snapped toward him, her eyes wide. "WHO?! Who are you making a new dish for? I'll kill her!"
Haruki reached into his pocket and pulled out the white bandage, waving it in the air with a grin. "The person who gave me this. But hey, she's mad at me, so..."
Emi's face instantly softened into a beautiful, shy smile. "No... no, she's not mad at all! She'll definitely come to your house and she'll definitely eat your new dish!"
Haruki chuckled to himself. Miss Emi... you really are too innocent. "If she's not mad," Haruki said warmly, "then I promise I'll cook the best meal of her life."