Chapter 3：New Habit

The day turns to noon. Xiao Ping just stopped her bicycle in front of a store. She gets down from her bike, puts it agains the wall then locks its front wheel. Soon after Xiao Ping opens a dark-filmed door and enters to the store. It's an internet cafe. She works as a part timer cashier there. Xiao Ping goes to the toilet to change clothe. When she comes out, she place her eyes to the cashier place to see A Lin, her officemate, is getting ready to go.

"I'm sorry for a bit late, " Xiao Ping says to her with bowing gesture to sign sincerity. A Lin waves her hands and smiles, "It's alright. I'm leaving now, " she says. Xiao Ping nods and sits behind cashier desk. She glances to list of in-use computers. Today is not a busy day as there are only two computers are lent.

Xiao Ping then clicks an icon on the computer monitor, then a browser is up. She types in free-mail server address, then her username and password. There are four new emails, but she just ignores them. Instead, she clicks on Compose button and writes an email address on the to column, t_hasegawa@momoji.com. Right after that, her small fingers dancing on keyboards, typing in English:

"Takeshi-kun, how are you ? I hope you have a beautiful day, coz I know I am. Do you know why ? last night I dreamed about you. I was entering a beautiful garden. And when I was in that garden, I heard you called me. I turned my head to find you, and there you are, standing behind me. Suddenly you reached me into your arms, and then gently kissed me right on my lips. They are all beautiful, my dream, the garden, my gown, and especially you, and your gentle kiss. I wish it wasn't just a dream. I wish someday you are truly kiss me. Hahaha, what a dreamer !! ^__~ This is all for today. Wish you all Luck for your jobs. Take care of your health. Best Wishes, Xiao Ping."

Xiao Ping slowly clicks Send button. Then she closes her eyes and claps her hands three times in front of her face. With a pounding heart she opens the Inbox menu. Refreshes it for three times and observes the new mail list. No Failed-To-Send Notification. She then smiles to put some relieve. It means her email has gone to Takeshi's email inbox.

This last two months Xiao Ping has a new habit. She sends email to that email daily. She got the address from a friend. About two months ago her friend came to her cashier desk and caught her searching for pictures and news about Takeshi Hasegawa on the internet.

"You really have a crush on him, don't you ?" her friend asked. Xiao Ping nodded. "It's true. I really really like him, " she confessed with sparkling eyes. Yu Jin, her friend, stared at her and sweetly smiled. "Do you wanna his email address ?" he then asked. Xiao Ping turned to him disbelief. "How can you be sure it's his real email address? I mean there are a lot of email said to be his, but none is to be verified," Xiao Ping told her doubt. Yu Jin shrugged.

"Honestly, I'm not sure whether it's real or not. It's just.. my friend lives on Japan and happens to live at the same apartment with Takeshi's assistant. Then one day, accidentally he found a piece of paper on the apartment lift's floor. The paper contains the email that i'm about to give you. He returned the paper to Takeshi's assistant post box, but he remembers the email, " Yu Jin explained long and detail. Xiao Ping starred at him with an open mouth.

"You.. Are you serious ? You're not lying, right ?" she asked excitedly. Yu Jin shook his head to confirm. "But.. how can he told you the address. You are not Takeshi's fan," Xiao Ping urged him in curious. "That's because.. i coincidentally called him few days after. We are close friends. We chatted and i told him a lot about yo.." Yu Jin hanged his unfinished sentence. Instead, he scratched his head. "You told him about me ?" Xiao Ping naively asked, thus made Yu Jin more awkward. "Hmm.. well.. Do you want the address or not ?" Yu Jin changed the topic back. "Of course!" Xiao Ping immediately replied. Yu Jin could not help to smile looking how happy Xiao Ping was. He then wrote the email address on a paper.

"Miss," someone in front of the cashier desk calls Xiao Ping, recalls her from her daydream. Xiao Ping quickly smile. "15," says the person informing which computer he used while handing her money. Xiao Ping accepts it and says thank you before changes computer 15's status to be idle.