MY LOVELY AUTHOR'S

BENALU REFUSES TO GO PART 2

            I won't comment if Arata-si the famous actor bought me food using a drive thru service. I also won't comment because according to what he said he drove me to my apartment. But. . .

            “Why did you also enter my apartment, Arata??”

            Once again this annoying bitch forced her into life, disturbed my composure and acted as if it was something ordinary.

            “I bought three servings, Author. Two for you because you said you haven't eaten since morning and one for me as my lunch.”

            I won't comment if he asks for payment for the food he bought. I also did not comment if he asked for a wage for driving my car and driving me home. But. . .

            “I know you bought two servings for me and one for you. But why do you have to eat it here?? In my apartment?? And not in your apartment?? Your apartment's behind this wall, Arata. Did you forget??”

            “No.”

            When I looked and asked her in annoyance, Arata answered my question with a smile on his lips as if my anger was not a big deal to him, it's like my anger this is a joke-like spectacle on TV.

            “You don't want to go??” ask me again, of course still with all my frustration at him. I hope that meeting him often over the next month does not make me suffer from high blood pressure because I have to hold back my anger and resentment many times.

            “No.” Once again Arata replied with a smile on his lips.

            “Alright, do what you want. Eat here and then go. After eating. . . I have to take a short nap because I'm my job still waiting for me to do.”

            “Good.”

            We both ate quietly at the table in front of my living room TV and not at the dining table. One of my few habits is to eat in front of the TV if you're relaxed. I prefer to eat in front of the TV because it makes me feel like I'm not eating alone. Arata made no comment about the eating habits and just followed me to eat in front of the TV.

            As usual, I turned on the TV while eating and saw some TV channels. The channel I chose happened to be repeating the old soap opera Arata that made the name Arata famous.

            “Have you ever seen your own soap opera?” I suddenly felt curious. Some artists have said that they do not have time to see the soap operas or films they play and I wonder if Arata is among them or not.

            “Not everything. When the soap opera is a chase soap opera, I will not have time to see it and just judge my acting from the rating sinteron itself. But it's different from the movie laya wide, Author. Because it aired for a certain period of time sometimes I will choose a movie theater in the middle of the night to be able to see the movie where I became a part of the role.”

            “Midnight cinema?” I asked while eating my fried chicken greedily.

            “Ya.”

            “Did no one recognize you there? You're a famous artist.” This time I took the chicken and dipped it in the sauce before putting it in my mouth.

            Arata did the same before answering my question. “Nothing. Visitors who come at midnight are only a few people, sometimes even just me. Most people who come at that hour are people who want to watch quietly and do not want to be recognized.”

            “It seems. . . I should try it next time. It might be nice to watch in the cinema again after a long time not to go there.”

            Arata finished his meal and licked one by one his fingers covered in fried chicken seasoning. “If Author wants to go there, Author has to take me. I will show you some comfortable cinema and provide good service even in the midnight hours.”

            “Hahahaha. .” Arata laughed as he got up from his seat. She then walked to the sink in my kitchen, washed her hands and sat down next to me. “Is that really what they're talking about me, Author?? They were curious about my love story.”

            “Warda is your fan. He's also in your fan club and knows the latest news about you, Arata. Even when he comes here, he'll monopolize my TV and play anything related to you.” Calling the name Warda, I suddenly remembered I had to make a calculation with Warda. I had to make a calculation with him for not telling me about Arata being the male lead in the movie based on my novel. “Ah. . . I almost forgot. I'll have to make a calculation with Warda.”

            “Counting? What calculation?”

            “Calculation for not telling me if-“ I was talking to Arata without even once looking at him and only occasionally glancing at him because I focused on seeing the TV on in front of me. But for some reason I suddenly wanted to look at her and catch Arata wet looking at me with a smile on his lips.

            “Why does Author not continue your words?”

            I threw my face away and looked back at the TV due to my sudden uneasy feeling of receiving a gaze from Arata along with that smile on her lips. “Not so. Suddenly I feel like I don't want to say it.”

            “Author doesn't need to say it if you don't want to. But there's one thing that makes me feel happy.”

            I ate the fried chicken and the last mouthful of my rice while looking at the TV. Without looking at Arata sitting next to me, I asked him to respond to his words. “What makes you happy?

            Arata's hand suddenly touched my chin and jolted me. Spontaneous. . I immediately looked at her with a feeling of anger because Arata had repeatedly crossed her line.

            “You!!!” I saw Arata's hand holding a grain of rice coming from my chin and then eating it. My eyes glared at his actions because they were not actions that would be done by strangers or neighbors. “Why eat it??”

            “Why can't I?? Too bad if this rice is left behind and eventually wasted.” Arata swallowed the rice with a happy smile as if he had obtained something precious.

            I threw my face away again and looked at the TV. “Go back! Didn't I say you should go home when you're done eating? Don't tell me you forgot it, Arata!”

            “I'll be home after Author finishes eating. Doesn't it feel lonely when eating alone, Author?”

            I got up from my duduk, walked over to the kitchen sink, washed my hands and returned to where Arata was. “Why are you sure if I am lonely when eating alone.”

            Arata glanced at the TV. “This is the proof.”

            “Only because of TV alone, does not mean I am lonely when eating alone. A lot of people out there are also eating while watching TV like I do. Don't let yourself conclude something, Arata.”

            “What Author forgot? The main character in your first novel entitled Life That May Be Hard is a lonely female character. She has a habit of eating while watching TV just like you.”

            “Then what does that have to do with me?”

            “In each of your novels, the novels you create will always have one character there who has an introverted and closed attitude from the outside world. Be it the main character or the helper character in your novel there is always a character with that trait. They come up with one or more habits you have, Author. After getting to know you firsthand, I found out their similarities to you.”

            Deg. My heart was suddenly beating fast. This is the first time anyone other than Warda has learned of the secrets in the novel I've been writing.

            What Arata said is true. In every novel I write, I always include one character with the same character be it a helper, side character or main character. I always include them with some habits that I do in my daily life. It wouldn't be strange if Warda found out because Warda was my editor all along. But. . . I didn't expect that Arata would notice too.