Defining Factor

“Hey, I was wondering something..”
Yuu turned to Miki and replied, “What?”

“We’ve never seen you walking with a guy.” She said, earning a sudden attention from Sora and an immediate addition from her, “Miki’s right. I never give it a thought before, but now that she’s mentioned it, we don’t see it much don’t we? Or, more like—we have NEVER seen you walking with a guy.”

Yuu chuckled, not willing to let herself get influenced by such an unreasonable topic.

“What the heck are you talking about? I’ve walked with Sho, Takuma, and sometimes with other classmates of ours as well! You’re being ridiculous!” Yuu shook her head slightly, although she knew very well where the conversation is heading to.

“We meant a boyfriend, Yuu.” Miki said nonchalantly.

“Do I have to have a boyfriend to walk with a guy?” Yuu replied, trying her best not to touch that certain topic.

Love and Relationship.

“You know what we mean, Yuu.” Sora chuckled.

“If  you insist on beating around the bush, then I’ll just be direct. How come you’re not getting a boyfriend?”

Yuu chuckled at Miki’s question. “That is so freakishly direct, you idiot.”

Miki and Sora laughed, but Yuu still insists on finding a way out.

“Because I don’t have to.” She answered and continued after sensing that her friends won’t continue anything after her; “I’m happy like this. I don’t need further reasons.”

“Just admit it, Yuu.” Sora grinned,

“Admit what?”

“You’re gay.” Miki laughed, earning a chuckle from Yuu.

“You want me to be one? Brace yourself.” Yuu got up and began to strip herself off her jacket, then starting to tease Miki’s clothes with a grin plastered on her face.

“Aww! No, dammit! Wait!! Sorry!”

Because it hurts.

Because it is just so freaking troublesome.

Because there is absolutely nothing wrong with being alone.

Because being alone does not mean one is lonely.

Because it saves the time and tears and the ego.

Because it is not the only reason for one to be happy.

Truthfully, she does not see what other people see. She knew that being in love feels good, she had experienced it, but she also knows that a heartbreak is so painful and tiring. Why waste everything when there is another way for one to be happy?

“God created this world beautiful, Kazu. There’s just a lot of things. Why do people make it a defining factor for happiness? I mean, you can always make curry rice using milk if you don’t have coconut milk. The taste might be different but you’ll still get to eat curry because the defining factor is the curry powder you’re using.”

Kazu, on the other line, laughed.

“You have to stop comparing things with food, Yuu.” He said.

“It’s easier for an airhead like you to understand. I couldn’t understand it, Kazu. It’s not like I’m unhappy or something.”

“Well, you don’t see what they see, and they don’t see what you do. The least you could do is just shrug it off. This is one of the mysteries of life which some people will never figure out unless they experience the defining factor. Like—they won’t know the correct amount of curry powder to be used to make curry that they prefer unless they themselves cook it.”

Yuu chuckled, “Hey, stop using my style of comparison.”

“Well, you’re an airhead as well, just so you know.” Kazu countered with a laugh.

“Well, the next time anyone asks me how come I’m still single, I’ll just say that I’m aiming for hard-earned money first and when I’m rich I can get any young man to live with me.” Yuu changed the phone to her left ear since her right one is getting warmer.

“Put me on the list of those young men. I want to have a rich woman taking care of me.”

Yuu laughed at the ridiculous request and said, “Then train yourself to be a good whore, bitch.”

Both of them laughed.

“Alright, then make sure you finish the homework I’ve given by next week. If you do, then we might just have time for another fun experiment outside the classroom!” Yuu spoke before the lesson ended and gathered all the books handed to her by the students. Teaching in an international school takes quite a hard work, but it suits her just fine. Smiling at the last student walking out of the classroom,  she stared at her phone and realized that there was a text message.

She smiled while reading it, anticipating her dinner in two hours. She has enough time to have some rest.

Or just do anything in between.

Walking out of the school building, she recognized a silhouette through the sunset light. “You’re freaking late, you know. I got out of my office earlier without even saying goodbye to my friends!”

She sighed, “Aw, come on. Dinner’s in two hours.”

“Yes, but we have a lot of things to do in between.”

Yuu laughed. “I just thought of that a while ago.”

“Well then, let’s get going. We need to buy some clothes for this little girl. Kai couldn’t wait any longer.”

Kazu pointed his finger at her stomach, then looked at the car, where inside, their eldest son is playing with a Kamen Rider figurine.

“Let’s just get her to wear Kai’s old clothes.”

“How dare you~!!” Kazu punched her shoulder very lightly, laughing, walking slightly behind her, supporting her increasing weight as their daughter grows inside of her.

“And by the way, I feel like eating curry.”

“I want to eat nabe. You want to eat curry, you’re welcomed to go on your own.” Yuu retorted with a smile as she entered the car.

Kai, overheard his parents’ silly fight, interrupted cheerfully; “Let’s eat curry nabe then!”

Kazu and Yuu looked at each  other.

 “Well, the taste might be different but both defining factors are there in curry nabe. So why not?”

Kazu stated, earning an approving nod from his wife.