Red Threads

Brief Memories

Mika's eyelids were wide open. Bummer. The white glow from the room lights made his eyes sting. His gaze was still blurred as he scanned every corner of the room he was in right now. No more darkness, muddy ground, rocks, and shop-fronts. The room was bright with walls filled with Sonic posters, and a lollipop wrapper whose color had faded.

Mika forced herself to change her position to sit down. His head feels throbbing. His nose and eyes are hot. His throat was sore, and very dry. Apparently, he has a fever now. Damn it again, it's not dead.

Slowly, Mika got up and walked out of the room. He stood for a few seconds in the doorway. His gaze swept across the entire corner. The house is deserted. As if he were the only resident of the place. The desire to walk around every corner of the house was gone, when nausea suddenly attacked him. Mika rushed towards the bathroom located right across from where she was standing. He was only out five minutes later, having managed to relieve his nausea and flushed his head with a few dipper water.

“Gosh! You just missed it anyway.” Mika screeched, as Kai suddenly appeared before her. He almost hit the guy, who was carrying a bowl of noodles.

Kai put on a flat face when faced with Mika. However, it still could not cover the amused look in his pair of eyes. The man took a step forward, then placed one back of the hand on Mika's forehead.

“Still hot. I made mi kuah, here. From last night, you haven't eaten anything, have you?” Kai pointed at the noodle in his hand with an eye gesture.

Mika did not say a word, for a while. He just looked alternately between Kai and mi kuah in the hands of the guy. Of course, it made Kai feel a little bit angry. Then, the man again said in a guilty tone. “Sorry, here there are no pitsa or other expensive food. I only have instant noodles.”

“Eh, no. Not that.” Mika interrupted Kai's words for a moment. He just didn't want Kai to misunderstand. “Gue is just confused, why am I here?”

Kai clucked. Then, walk away from Mika. While heading to the living room—which also serves as the middle room—Kai said, “Night you passed out. Don't know if you're already taking ngerepotin?”

Instead of being offended, Mika just laughed a little at Kai's sneer. Following the man's steps, Mika cast a glance at each side of Kai's house. The house is not as big as his house. There were only five rooms in the house; two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room also served as a living room. There's only one thing in common between his house and that house. Errata. Not his home, but Nagra's. The house is also empty.

“Where are your parents?” ask Mika. His hands were busy stirring the noodles in front of him.

“Gue has already told you, my parents are out of town.”

Mika turned to Kai by raising her one eyebrow. Feeling strange about Kai's parents' departure. It had been almost a month, but the boy's parents still hadn't returned. “Still not home yet?”

Kai laughed blandly, shaking his head. “They will never go home.”

Mika's eyebrows are linked, astonished. “What do they work for? That busy?”

Kai took a long breath. It was as if there was a burden that he was trying to release through a breath. His originally upright shoulders, seemed to be slightly decreased along with the look of his face that turned turbid. Lazily, he answered Mika's question. “They divorced when I was seven.”

Mika lowered her head. Distracting to the bowl of instant noodles in his hand. “Sorry,” he said slowly.

Kai laughed a little. Whenever he talked about his parents, his memory always turned to the little girl who had made a scar on the tip of his eyebrow. “Lo still remember the same little boy who already threw me using stone?”

Mika nodded. His focus was thrown back to Kai.

“The day I met him was the last day of my parents' divorce hearing. I did not intentionally come. Wh-wh-what for? Anyway, I don't know about that either. All I know is that day my life turned dark. People squirm me with a look of pity. Dan, I'm sick of it. Finally, I went to the park. At that place, I met him.” Kai's eyes glared at the wall in front of him. Her lips incessantly revealed a warm smile, which made Mika jealous.

That feeling is fucking. How could he be jealous of her? How could that feeling exist, whereas her boyfriend wasn't Kai?

“Come main. Don't get me. You're like a fat cat, a clumsy,” said little Mika. He approached Kai with a big smile on his lips.

“Cat lameness even can not be diem times, Ka,” Nagra chirps from behind Mika. The guy still plays the ball at his feet.

Mika ignored Nagra. He just pulled Kai's hand. "Let's play. I want to see you play ball with Nagra. Poor him there are no friends. I, right, can't play ball.”

“Why me?” Only that question came out of Kai's lips. Yes, why was he invited to play? Why was he chosen? Today, her parents threw it away.

Kai's eagle eyes panned longingly, every time that memory was present in his head. It is much more painful to miss someone who is next to him, but not to be reached. To miss someone who is no longer there.

“Why did he throw you with stones?”

In this part, Kai could not hide the laughter. Perhaps, it was the funniest memory he ever had. The look on the little boy's face when crying and sulking, was always able to be an entertainer. Every time he wanted to give up because of his life, the little boy had always been a new spirit to him. He just wanted to be with the little boy, again.

“Because, I gave his brother a match ball. In fact, his brother had already accepted defeat. Uh, he's crashing. I wear a rock. If I know I'm bleeding, he's crying.”

Mika laughed, but sounded bland. To him, Kai's story sounds much more interesting, than the love story in a television drama. It's just, there's something in his chest that feels pain. He did not like to see Kai's face when he told him about the little boy. He's jealous, jealous, or I don't know. He does not understand his own feelings.

“The last time you met, what happened?” ask Mika.

“Nothing happened. He just gave me a lollipop, kept telling me he was happy with his family. Yes, that's it. He didn't even say he wanted to go.” Kai smiled bitterly.

“So, pack candy in your room from that little boy?”

Kai nodded once. Wrap a lollipop and a pink handkerchief. It was the only physical memory he had of the little boy.

Unknowingly, Mika clenched her free palm. Kai still keeps the lollipop in his room. Something was about to come out of his chest. Stuffy. If not at home and beside Kai, he would have been screaming to ease his feelings.

Kai dropped his gaze on Mika. There were a thousand and one kinds of feelings emanating from his pair of sharp eyes. Without taking his eyes off, he spoke slowly. However, firm and full of seriousness. “Gue would like to thank him. Because of him, I can get through those sad days. Because of him, I dare to hope again. Because of him too, I feel back intact.”

Mika cut off her eye contact with Kai, then turned her gaze in the other direction. Seeing the look from those pair of dark eyes, made his heart melt. He didn't like it when Kai said that. He didn't like it when he found out that someone else was filling the guy's heart. Really don't like it.

After trying to strengthen his heart, he looked back at Kai. A smile of forced knots was engraved on his lips. “You love her?”

Kai spontaneously nodded. “Gue dear same dia—” He hangs his sentence. Secretly smiling happily at the look on Mika's face that turned turbid. I don't know. Can he hope now? Can he hope that Mika also has feelings for him? Kai then said in a voice that tried to be kept flat. "But, I've already loved and fell in love with lo.”

Mika's pair of eyes widened after hearing that statement. There was a strange rumble on his chest. In the midst of the jealousy that had enveloped, he felt very warm. There was a sense of calm that he could not explain. This feeling was much different than when Raga told her the feeling that day. This feeling is soothing, relieving, and without a doubt. He didn't even realize his face was warming.

“You are a talent for fighting yes,” said Mika. Then, laugh amusedly. He tried to keep his voice sounding neutral.

“Gue seriously. So, mending lo quickly broke up Raga. Let me be your girlfriend lo.” Kai then laughed.

Mika was silent for a while, after hearing Kai's statement. Making her realize that even though she and Kai had the same feeling, there was still Raga in their midst.

It reminded him of what happened in the park yesterday afternoon. He just remembered, since yesterday Raga had not even contacted him at all. That guy seemed to disappear into the earth.

“Why did you choose to stay in this house? Why not join your Mom or Papa?” Mika tried to shift the subject. The discussion about Raga, did not make him at all comfortable. It just reawakened the resentment in his heart.

“Because, none of them I can choose.” Kai could say that very casually. Although, Mika saw the commotion behind the look of the guy's eyes. There were turbulent wounds, mixed with disappointment and anger.

“At least, you know who your biological parents are,” said Mika lirih. He swallowed with difficulty. Resisting the pain when Papa and Mama quarrel back ringing in the ear.

“Night I finally know, if it turns out I'm an adopted child.” Mika laughed blandly. Feeling that his life is really sad. “To be honest, nyokab always treats me differently than Nagra. I also remember, if my friends used to say, I don't look like mama or papa.” at all Mika explained before Kai could ask.

Kai's gaze remained focused on Mika. Recording every expression printed on the girl's face in her head. Without warning, he landed a palm on the top of the girl's head.

“Nothing to regret. So adoption isn't always bad either, Ka. If I can choose, I better be an adopted child with complete adoptive parents. I don't have to worry about the pain being passed like a ball. And, stay alone because dumped the same birth parents I.” Kai smiled bitterly. “At least, there is still one of them who love the same lo.”

Mika did not know what to give an answer. The beautiful memories he had with Mama, Papa, and Nagra were present in his subconscious. Memories of when they vacation together, watch television together, and when they celebrate their birthday. All of those wonderful memories came in turn, and trapped him in an endless dilemma.

After that, they were stuck in a long period of time. Mika spent the rest of her noodles. Kai is busy with his cell phone. The silence lasted less than five minutes. Before finally, Kai sighed, then said, “Ka, I can't stand talking to lo.” anymore He was silent for a moment. Holding laughter. “Lo's eyes are on.”

Mika stopped her activities spending noodles. He put the bowl on the table for granted, and immediately ran towards the room. His face was bowed deeply to hide the shame. “Fucking kai!” meaning in the heart.

“Gue wants to go to school this out. Take care of the house, yeah. So good wife candidate!” Kai shouted. Mika could hear the guy laughing afterwards.

"Bodo very!" mika shouted from inside the room, which was then greeted by laughter Kai.

Kai is fucking.

♥

For almost twenty-four hours, Raga did not contact him at all. Many times Mika tries to get back to calling the guy, but only ends up with a waiver.

Mika could not take it anymore. After a few days he withheld the decision, finally he spilled it through a short message that he would send to Raga.

He has assured himself that he will not regret his decision. After all, it had been almost a month that her feelings for Raga had changed. Since Kai's presence makes his life much more colorful, Raga seems to be just a complementary figure. Isn't there no point in maintaining, even when feelings no longer find comfort?

Mika Ars

Ga, I want to break up.

Mika pressed the send icon on her phone screen with high confidence. After this he does not need to lie to himself again in front of Raga, if he has indeed fallen in love with Kai. He no longer needed to play with the cats in front of the guy.

Not for five minutes, the phone shook. Mika frowned as she read Raga's name on her phone screen. Why did the guy on the bus reply so quickly when he said he wanted to break up?

Space Raga

We'll meet tomorrow at the school park.

There's something I want to tell you.

It's about the Nagra case. I got a new fact.