UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN (BOOK 1)

01.

HIRO

"You're fired! You! You! and You!"

That is what I heard immediately as I opened the door of my room. I approached the railings of the staircase to look down. There, in the living room, I saw my mum, yelling in front of our three housemaids. 

Shaking my head and one corner of my lips lifted to a lopsided half-smile, eyeing the three young women crying and begging for a second chance to stay in here. 

I know why mum is expelling them from their job in here. That is because of the sloppy work they do. Just only a simple job they are commanded to do, yet they can not do it well. Mum hates clumsy people, so am I. 

I didn't even bother to hear their next protest in front of mum and I went back to my room.

The weather of the afternoon outside seems to be nice as I can see the reflection of the sunset in the window. I want to get out and have some ride with my bike at this rate of time, but I know, mum won't allow me to. Tsk. I'm used to it anyway. 

"Hiro, get out right now." Mum's voice coming out outside of my room. I walk over to the door and open it. 

"What?" I ask flatly, raising my brows without any effort. 

"Fix up your self. We will go to your grandfather. He just has passed away."

"Excuse me?" My brows grew together. 

"Why are you so shocked? You never once even seen your grandfather. Come on. Dressed up and get downstairs." After mum said that she left. 

I close the door of my room. Shocked? I'm not. TSS. 

But, Grandpa just has passed away? How did that happen all of a sudden? Last night I just heard them fighting over something on the other line.

'Nevermind. That's not my business anyway.' I mumble and change my clothes into a decent and professional one. 

After that, I get out of my room and went downstairs. 

There, in the living room, mum approach me.

"That's good, Hiro. You should look more decent often in front of the people and wherever you go. Make yourself looks like money whom people are aiming at all times, but do not give them the coins, instead build a fence, stay away from them. In that way, people couldn't steal it from you. Remember this, my son, don't trust anyone around you except me, your mother. When your grandfather will be buried, all of his wealth will go to me. We will take care of it-- the money. No one else should steal that from us. Okay? So, you should help out your mother in taking care of it."

"Does money really important?" I ask. 

"Of course, my son. To anyone, money really matters. If you have money, you will get people's respect, people's strength, and people's service. But if you have nothing, you will look pitiful and useless like trash to them. That's the power of money. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand," I replied with any emotions.

"Good, my smart son." Mum brushes my cheeks."When you graduate soon in high school, I took a business course so that you can help me in running our business." She taps my shoulder. "Come on--" she wasn't able to continue her sentence when she notices something on my wrist. 

The handmade bracelet. I don't even remember who gave me this, but I can't take off away this on my wrist. 

For the reason that I feel it has a big sentimental value to me. 

"I told you to take that. Why is that still there?" She nags. 

"I told you, I won't. I can throw anything excluding this."

"Seriously, Hiro." She breathes frustratingly. "Whatever. Come on, let's go."

Mum and get out of the house, got in the car, and left.

In an hour, we arrived at my grandfather's house. This is my first time to get in here. So, mum, was right when she said that I have once never met my grandfather. 

Because when grandpa was alive, he forbade me to see him. I don't have any idea why, but I didn't pay any attention to it because I was not interested in meeting anyone related to her family. 

Mum had entered the house. I just followed her lead. 

Many people are here mourning with their different levels of professions, behaving decent and more professional just like my mother. 

I stayed beside mum while she is talking to her colleagues. 

I roamed my eyes around, eyeing the people who're having an indistinct talk, I guess they're talking about business as I can see the words traces in their mouth. 

Seriously? Are they here to talk business or to mourn? Which one? 

Just then, suddenly, I turn my head back to my mum as I heard her magical laughs as if it wasn't a big deal for her that her father died.

My forehead wrinkled as I watched her laughing with those people around her. 

That's bullshit. How can she release an internally laughs knowing that her father is lying inside the coffin that is not breathing? 

I left my mums' sight without her knowing it. I walk around the house until I got into the garden area. Here, there are no business-minded people are talking. It's peaceful and relaxing. This is what I want. I hate surrounded by anyone. 

"Hiro?" A girl's voice coming out of nowhere. 

My forehead wrinkled as I face that s**t callings me. I need peace of mind yet, this s**t ruins it. 

"Hiro, it's you." A girl with her black dress approached me. 

'Who the hell is she? How on earth did she know me?'

I raised my brows to her. 

"I thought I was just having an illusion. It's really you." She says and smiles at me. 

I just ignore and turn back at her. 

"Hey, didn't you know me?"

'The hell I care about your name? TSS.' 

I walk away from here but she's still following me. I could see her shadow in front of me. 

"Now, you are ignoring me again? You're really unbelievable, Hiro." She let out a deep sigh. "By the way, it's me, Nathalia. Remember me?"

Still, I didn't bother to give her an answer. TSS. 

"Were classmates, yet you used to ignore me in school. Anyway, my mum and your mum are good friends. So maybe we can be friends too like them."

I still keep ignoring her nonsense talk and I walk even faster just to lost her sight but s**t, I stop walking when she suddenly appeared in front of me. 

"What are you doing!?" I yelled out. 

She just laughs. 

's**t. Is she crazy?'

"Wow! Did you just speak? It's my first time to hear your voice. It's nice. By the way, again, I'm Nathalia. Let's be friends." She says, stretches her right hand towards me. 

"Get lost. I'm not interested in you. Also, I don't need friends. So don't talk to me as if we're close." I say coldly and was about to walk away from her when she grabs my arm.

And in anger I felt, I pushed her causing her to sit on the bermudagrass.

She was shocked by what I did yet, I don't really care. It's her fault anyway. She bothers me, she ruins my peaceful mind. 

"How dare you--"

"I dare. If I told you to don't talk to me, it means do not ever bother me with the rest of my life. I don't make friends so don't insist on your self to me. It's disgusting." After I said that, I leave her sight and go back to inside the house to find mum. 

I can't stay here any longer. 

My eyes caught my mum, talking still with her friends in front of grandfather's coffin.

I was about to walk to her direction when someone grabs my arms again and slaps me. 

That girl, again. 

Everyone stops talking and turns their head and eyes on us when she started to yell out to me. 

"You bastard!" She gave me her sharp look. 

But my face remains flatly. 

"What?" I scoff. "Did you just put a hands on me?" I ask in a cold tone of my voice.

"Right! I did! Then, what will you do? Huh, you will hit me then like what I did? Or you will push me like what you did earlier? Hey, Hiro, do you forget that I'm the daughter of CEO--"

I cut her line. "So what if you were the son of a CEO? Should I praise you? Should I be friends with you, now? Tell me." I scoff. Her eyes widened in shock to the words I said. "Hey little girl, for I tell you, even if you are the daughter of a President, it has nothing to do with me." 

"You scumbag--" she was about to slap me again but I immediately held her wrist. 

"Try to slap me again and I will show you how a boy slaps a girl."

--

HOME. 

"Why did you do that, Hiro? Are you out of your mind!? Many people there, my business friends as well as your grandfather's friends! What you did might give dirt into my name!" Mum yelled out to me when we already arrived home. 

"Are you thinking about yourself right now, mum? She slapped me in front of everyone! So what do you expect from me to do? To keep holding back and keep quiet!?" I yelled back at her. 

"Are you shouting on me right now!?" Anger dominating mum's voice. 

"Yeah! So what if I am? Why? Will you punish me again? Locked in a room for three days? What!? What else would you do, mum, huh!?"

"Watch out your god damn mouth, Hiro! I will let these things out! But the moment you will do this again in front of my business friends, you will be grounded for one week! Are we clear?!"

"Again! Business friends again?" I scoff. "I thought money was all that mattered to you, you still have business friends?" I say emphasizing the word 'business friends'. "Ah, by the way, make it one month. I'm used to it anyway. TSS." After I said that I went upstairs, heading straight to my room.

I threw myself into my bed aloud letting a deep breath and close my eyes as I feel my heart pounding in anger.

I didn't know why I was so quick to get angry. And when I can't control the anger, I hit someone. I can't even remember the memories I had before.

I just woke up one day bringing this kind of personality. I get angry easily, I get frustrated when someone is talking to me except my mum. Also, I hate being friends with others, maybe because that's what my mum told me. Not just only that, I also do not feel different types of emotions. I don't smile, nor laugh. I don't cry, nor feel pain. All I know is that to feel angry. 

That's the only emotion I felt. 

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