Chapter 70：In Doubt [2]

"Takeshiii !!!!"

Hysterical screams attack Takeshi who just entered the conference room. Those screams are like signaling dozen of blitz lights that almost in synchronous flash. Wearing a wide smile, Takeshi returns the fans' calls with hand wave while his feet are stepping toward a long seven-seated table. Mr. Hamada has sat on the farthest sit, next to director of Scar Face. A woman sits between the director and Song Gyeo Joon, a beautiful Korean actress that is the main female character. Seems like the woman is the interpreter that will help the actress communicate. Once Takeshi sat next to the actress, screams return, this time shouting Ichiba Sato's name.

After Ichiba sat, a master of ceremony comes in and sits on the other edge of the row. He then immediately opens the event by greeting the audience. "Welcome to Scar Face premier !" he exclaims, welcomed with thunderous applauses.. The MC then introduces people beside him. Starting from Ichiba Sato, in return they stand and bow to the audiences.

-------------

Yu Jin who just entered his apartment immediately smiles when he saw Xiao Ping seriously staring at the television. The flat screen television is showing a news. Xiao Ping usually is not interested in news, but this time is different since the news is about a press conference and premier of a Japanase drama. From her enthusiast Yu Jin can easily guess that it is Takeshi Hasegawa's drama.

"Is it his new drama ?" Yu Jin asks while sitting next to Xiao Ping. The girl turns to him just to nod before her attention back to the television. Not wanting to disturb, Yu Jin just quietly sits and watches the show.

------------------

"Hasegawa-san, Sato-san, there is a rumor that you were fighting on Song-san at the shooting set, is it true ?" a reporter asks, immediately greeted with Takeshi and Ichiba's giggles. Song Gyei Joon also smiles after her interpreter whispers to her.

"No. Obviously it's not true. Song-san is married, don't you know that ?" Takeshi answers the question first.

"Song-san is very happy to work with this team because they all are very solid and close," Song Gyeo Joon's interpreter adds after the actress spoke in front of the mic in Korean. Ichiba also slightly leans toward the mic, "There is no such fighting. Maybe you got the information twisted. I'm not Yamamura-san," he says then turns to Takeshi with ignorant wink.

Takeshi returns the wink with a squint, but before he can deny a reporter speaks, "True. After Saeki-san broke up with Yamamura-san, it looks like you two are getting intimate. Don't you want to say anything about it, Hasegawa-san ?"

Takeshi turns his head to the reporter and hide his irritation with a smile. "This should be a conference about Scar Face, sir. But, it's alright, I will answer it: Saeki-san and I has no relationship that more than a friend," Takeshi answers it straightforward.

"So.. you don't have a girlfriend ? How about your ex-girlfriend at Kyoto ?" another reporter attacks. "No. There is none. We have been separated for so long and she is married now. There is no special woman other than my mother," Takeshi confirms then lets a small laughter when the reporters boohoo-ing to doubt what he said. "It's really the truth. Right now I'm concentrating on my carrier. I already need an assistant to take care of my life, how can I take care of other ? So it is impossible for me to have girlfriend now," Takeshi explains and adds a smile as a confirmation.

-------------

"What is it, Xiao Ping ?" Yu Jin asks when he saw Xiao Ping ate the spaghetti he made reluctantly, "Is it taste awful ?"

Without raising it, Xiao Ping shakes her head. "No. It's good," Xiao Ping answers shortly. "Then, what is it ?" Yu Jin asks while putting down his fork.

"Why did he say that ?" Xiao Ping answers him with a question. Yu Jin sighs. He already can guess that the girl in front of him is still taking Takeshi's words about girlfriend. "I think it's a common thing for a celebrity. They don't want their personal life to be exposed in public," Yu Jin answers.

"Is that so ?" Xiao Ping asks while raising his face. Her sight is full of hope, hoping that Yu Jin's words are true. Yu Jin nods and softly smiles to her.

When Xiao Ping's hand moves to twist the fork on the spaghetti, Yu Jin again eats his spaghetti. "Yu Jin," Xiao Ping calls. "Hmm.." Yu Jin mumbly responds with a full mouth. His feeling is slightly uncomfortable after he finds out Xiao Ping deeply stares at him.

Yu Jin blocks the sight with moving his sight back to his plate. After struggling to empty his mouth, he says, "I believe what ..."

"I believe," Xiao Ping cuts his words. Yu Jin raises his sight to Xiao Ping's face right when she shakes her head agitatedly. "That's not what I want. I want to know your opinion. Do you think the email was from Takeshi ? Am I really dating Takeshi now ? Do you really believe that ? Don't you have slightly doubt in mind that I have been played by someone ?" Xiao Ping bombards him while trying hard to suppress her tone to be calm and her tears to not running. She knows Yu Jin won't stand to see her cry. The best friend of her is definitely will indulge her with soothing words.But this time, she refuses it. She wants the most honest answer from Yu Jin, not the comforting answer.

Yu Jin stares at her so deep and long. Xiao Ping's heart is beating so fast, she barely can't wait for Yu Jin's answer.

"The truth is.. I .. I'm not sure," finally, that's all that can be said by Yu Jin's thin lips.

Still staring at the young man who sits in front of her, Xiao Ping gives him a crooked smile. "Thank you for your honesty. Honestly.. I'm not sure neither," Xiao Ping weakly says then drops her head and delivers spaghetti to her mouth. Silence accompanies them until the dinner's end.

----------

"Cut !!"Mr. Kawabe, the director, shouts followed by an exclamation "Ten minutes break!" by his assistant. Takeshi approaches Hiroshi that holds his towel and protein shake on both hands. Takeshi grabs the shake then sits on the empty seat with stretched legs.

"Aunty called," Hiroshi makes a report while throws towel to Takeshi's face. "Really ?" Takeshi doubts, putting the towel away from his face, and with hand signal asking his cellular from Hiroshi. After the cellular is on his hand, Takeshi makes a call to his mother. "She's not picking up," he says after some times then regretfully chuckles. "What did she say ?" Takeshi asks while giving his cellular back to Hiroshi.

"Nothing important. We just chatted," Hiroshi answers. Takeshi wipes sweat on his neck then drinks his shake. "You know what's confused me ..," Hiroshi starts another conversation.

"What ?" Takeshi asks.

"How could they know about Ayumi," Hiroshi continues. Takeshi turns to him then shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe they collected info from my neighbors," Takeshi says then sighs. "I can't avoid neither, since it's a truth. I mean, She and I had a history. So, even if my neighbors told them, they did nothing bad," he adds.

Hiroshi stares at him for a quite long time. There is something different on Takeshi's tone. His voice usually was a bit bitter when talked about Ayumi, but now is not. Maybe it's been a while, but he just realized it now.

"And she really is a history for you ?" Hiroshi provokes. Takeshi glances at him and nods. "Sure," Takeshi reassures. "That's good."

"I mean...," Hiroshi sighs before continues, " It's really good if you have been able to forget her, right ?" Takeshi glances back at him to seek a hidden meaning from Hiroshi's face that looks a little ridiculous with wide eyes and eyebrows raised high.

"I guess so," Takeshi finally agrees after failing to find what he seek.

-------------

"It's Yu Jin's apartment," A Lin says in confused but letting her hand being pulled by her sister. "Xu Qian, what are we doing here ?" A Lin asks again.

Xu Qian only answers after they are in the elevator. "You were right. Xiao Ping is not dating Yu Jin. But, there something I want to show you," Xu Qian says with no intention to explain more.