Chapter 5

Blackmail

He had to be joking… Right?  It was like he was asking me to be his slave in return for him to keep his mouth shut about my private life. 

Oh, what was the English word for it?

He waited patiently for his words to sink in and think about my response.

“What-what if I refuse?” I inquired tentatively.  I could feel my body breaking out into a light sweat.  I needed to form an escape—fast!

He pulled back a little as if to gather his macho superior powers together and illustrate his point.  I was half expecting him to break out into a super-sayon pose, but instead he readjusted the strap of his backpack on his shoulder and grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hall with him. 

I heard the teacher come out of the classroom I had just exited and lock the door behind him. 

Ah, so that was why he was pulling me along now.

I twisted my arm out of his grip to regain some control over the situation.  The movement was unexpected and I slipped from his large hand.  

“And what if I refuse to do whatever you demand?” I declared, mustering more confidence in myself now and quickly trying to think of a plan out of his trap, but still coming up dry. 

My head was still reeling with his unprecedented demands.  Was he serious, or just out of his freaking mind?

“It’s simple really,” he said as he grabbed my arm again and dragged me to the staircase. 

The hallways were completely empty now and he lowered his voice so that it wouldn’t reverberate and carry on to some unknown listener beyond vision.  

His grip hurt.  

“I’m Mr. Popular and can do whatever I want.  I can get people to do my bidding.  I can spread lies, rumours, about anything and everything, no matter how ridiculous they sound, and everyone will hear them and believe them to be true.  If you don’t do what I say, then I’ll tell everyone that you’re the former—an attention-seeking slut who works in a maid café.  Surely, even you are aware of the stigmatism attached to such cafés, hm?  And what’s more is that I have proof that can easily be photocopied and posted all over the halls of the school.”

My mouth was flapping open again.  I snapped it shut and lowered my gaze, my face hot with humiliation—or perhaps anger?  Probably both.

Damn that picture!  I knew that picture would be nothing but trouble!

My mind began to whirl as adrenaline finally kicked in. 

What were my options? 

If I refused, I’d be humiliated and who knew what kind of weirdoes would show up at my work to stalk me. 

Then I’d have to quit after just starting this job, leaving me to my own devices in finding a new one again. 

That could take months in this city and economy. 

But I couldn’t just drop out of school because of a rumour.  I’d have to face these kids every day for the rest of the year as some freaky Japanese slut.

What about him? 

This looked like a win-win situation for him either way.  He’ll either get a slave or have fun watching me squirm and be miserable under the rumours. 

Yes, it seemed like he had nothing to lose. 

What about the stigma against guys entering such cafés?  He didn’t fit the otaku standard, but still… It was my only option for self-defence.

I gathered my courage up and rolled my eyes at him, hoping that the right words would come to me.  “

You otakus are all the same.  Stupid, selfish, fantasy-heads—you really think you can get away with spreading rumours about me working in a maid café without getting some, uh, backlash?”

Is that the right word?  Yes, yes it is, I reassured myself. 

I raised an eyebrow at him.  “Even you must be aware of the disgust behind the meaning of otaku guys like you who go to these cafés—not just once—but many times?  Surely you don’t want that kind of label attached to you?  That would ruin your reputation, wouldn’t it?”

I prayed that I looked intense enough, threatening enough, convincing enough for him to buy my words and not see through to the trembling person within.

It was a long-shot, but I hoped it would be just enough for him to back off.

He eyed me carefully.  I puffed my chest out so that I wouldn’t crumble under his harsh scrutiny.  Maybe this would be harder than he thought possible?

Then he burst into laughter.  “You expect people to believe that?” 

He waved his hand as if brushing an annoying bug out of his face.  “I can just laugh off any accusation like that and everyone will laugh along with me because I don’t fit the profile of an otaku in the least.”

Drat!   He wasn’t falling for it!  There really was nothing in my favour!

I crumpled then, my hopes all dashed. 

He grinned when he saw that he had won and I was about to give in. 

I had to ask… “Why?  What do you want from me?  Because I—”

He quickly grabbed the back of my head, pulling me forward while simultaneously pushing my body against the wall, and crushed his lips against mine.

What the—?  Th-This should not be my first kiss!

I would have protested if I hadn’t been completely shell-shocked. 

The sound of chatter from a pair of girls flitted by, but I hardly noticed because of the high-pitched tone ringing suddenly throughout my head.  I was frozen in place, but I could feel myself starting to melt under his touch. 

He moved his lips expertly over mine until the pair of students had disappeared out of listening range.  Then he released me and watched me with that knowing grin as I gasped and tried to gather my dizzy self out of my puddle of goo.

What… What just happened?

“I’m sorry, you were saying?” he probed with an air of arrogance—like he knew he had that effect on everyone.

“Why did you just—just—gah!” I spat, too embarrassed to even spit the words out. 

My face was too hot and I tried desperately to try and collect myself.

He shrugged, humour shining in his eyes as he tried to look bored.  “I didn’t want anyone overhearing our little discussion,” he answered simply, as if it was obvious.

“And that—that—that means kissing me?” I demanded hotly, rubbing my lips with my arm. 

Geez, he had been all over them…

“Sure why not?  You want your little job to be kept a secret, right?  Anything I want, right?  If you’re afraid of me sleeping with you, that’s fine, I have no intention of using you in that way,” he declared before cocking his head and adding, “unless, of course you want that.  Then a guy like me won’t hesitate to being offered sex.”

“Oi.” I could feel my anger starting to flare up, my face still hot with embarrassment, but a new emotion was sweeping over.  “That is exactly what I was trying to say.  There is no way I would sleep with just anyone—especially someone like you.”

I was hoping my words would upset him, but instead he just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. 

“You’re not the one I want,” he said bluntly.

“Eh?” I could feel myself deflating, my jaw swinging open again momentarily.  “What?  Then what do I have to do with anything?”

“It’s the blonde one I’m after,” he said firmly.  

His eyes looked out the window to the trees and gardens that decorated the front of the schoolyard.  

“I want to know what she likes, what her hopes and dreams are in life.”

I couldn’t wrap my head around it.  “So you want to use me to get to Elizabeth?” I asked incredulously.

He turned back to me and grinned.  “That’s the plan.”

“Unbelievable,” I exclaimed. 

I collapsed on the stairs and put my head on my arms, too tired and confused to think straight now.  My heart was still pounding fervently in my chest.  My head was still spinning. 

He had kissed me just moments ago… and it meant nothing to him.  He was completely unfazed by it.  It was just a cover for the girls that passed by, but I...

“What?  She’s hot!” he remarked, sitting down next to me and putting his arm around my shoulder lazily.  “It’s not about you, okay?  I don’t know how you Asian girls tick, so I want to get to know her better through you.  She’ll trust you better than she’ll trust me.”

I pushed his arm off me.  “You really are an idiot, you know that?” I declared hotly.

“What?”

I pulled myself up and grabbed my textbooks that were resting next to him.  “I don’t even know your name and you can’t even be a man and pursue a woman on your own?  That-That you have to threaten me with blackmail to get me to do whatever you want just so you don’t have to face her and get to know her herself?  That’s pathetic!”

I stepped away and shook my head at him in disgust.  “Good luck.  You’re going to need it.”

Shameful, I thought as I walked off, leaving him to sit on the stairs and ponder my words on his own.