CUPCAKE ONE

It was a beautiful sunny day in Tokyo. Beautiful Saturday morning. There were a lot of kids playing in that park and several adults. Among them, there was one who really caught the attention of others. That person looked so shining.

This beautiful creature was wearing a pair of beige trousers, the favorite color and long sleeve blouse had the same color with the trousers and the top two buttons were unbuttoned. This beautiful creature looked so sexy. Had a long wavy golden brown hair and let the hair down. The eyelashes were long and curly. It was a real eyelashes. The body was small and slender. And the skin was glowing white. Those lips were naturally pink. That beautiful person didn't wear make-up. The beauty was so natural. Everyone who sees him will be attracted to him. Wait!! Him?? Yes him! That beautiful person was a man. He's name was Kaneshiro Akira, a sissy. He was kind and loving person. Loved kids. Every kids in the neighborhood loved Akira. And also the mothers of the neighborhood. How about the men in a neighborhood? They laughed at him. For those men, Akira only a trash of their community. They said he's not good for their social environment. They thought, he's not a female and nor even a man. He's only a weird creature for them. Sometimes they called him alien or something as they please. But Akira didn't care. He was just living to be a good person. No one could bother him. He has a beautiful soul that never know hatred.

"Hey! Akira. Looks like someone is watching you from afar. Look there. A man with his daughter is looking at you," said one of the mothers, his friend.

Akira turned to the direction his friend was referring to. From a distance he could see someone was watching him. He and her daughter sat on the swing. But Akira didn't really care. He went back to chatting with the mothers.

"Akira. Don't you want to know why he keeps watching you?" a mother in blue laughed.

"Just leave it alone." Akira said.

"Akira... See he's still paying attention to you. Maybe he has a crush on you." The girl in the yellow dress winked.

Ah! Women!! Akira chuckled and couldn't help but cast his gaze again at the man on the other side. Akira watched him.

"Oh. God. It's Kitaro Eiji! He's my friend!" he cried.

" Mothers, I'm sorry I live first. That is an old friend of mine. " said Akira.

"No wonder the guy keeps looking here. Let's go there quickly, Akira."

Akira waved his hand and he could see the man was confused and pointed at himself. Akira nodded at him as he continued walking towards the man and his daughter.

"Kitaro?" Akira greeted him as he approached the man. He smile.

Akira saw Kitaro Eiji lifted his daughter and stood up.

"Do you know me?" he said.

" He don't remember me. Then why he keep watching me just now? " Akira asked to himself.

"Kitaro. It's me Akira. Kaneshiro Akira. Yokohama High School? You used to call me Cupcake." said Akira.

Akira could see that Kitaro Eiji was a little unsteady but he seemed to be able to control himself. Maybe he was surprised.

"Kaneshiro! Hisashiburi desu!" he said.

"Akira! Just call me Akira. How are you? Is this your daughter? She's so beautiful."

"I'm fine, Kane... Akira. Yes, this is my daughter. Michiko. How are you?"

"Hi, Michiko. I'm fine too, Kitaro." Akira gently pinched the little girl's cheek.

"Call me Eiji. Because you asked me to call you Akira." he asked Akira.

"Alright, Eiji. Why are you two alone? Where's your wife?"

"She's not here. We divorced a year ago."

Actually, Akira could see that Kitaro Eiji felt uncomfortable meeting him. Maybe he felt bad that he treated Kitaro Eiji well. In the past... Kitaro Eiji had treated Akira cruelly. Akira didn't understand why Kitaro Eiji hated him so much. Or maybe because Akira was a sissy. He bullied Akira. Slapped him, hit him and even kicked him until Akira passed out. Akira never forget those incidents. But Akira treated him as an old friend he hasn't seen in a long time. It's all in the past. And Akira had a motto : " evil does not deserve to be repaid with evil ". Because if he did like that, it would make him the same as a bad person. And Akira didn't want to be a bad person. He had his own way of getting revenge.

"Oh. I'm sorry Eiji. Are you two okay?" Akira asked.

"It's fine. There's no need to apologize. We're fine, Akira."

"Oh yeah. How did you guys get here? Do you guys live around here?"

"Yeah, we live just down the street. A gray house with black fences. A few houses after the "Me and My Cupcakes" cake shop. Do you live around here too, Akira?"

"Yeah, I've lived here for a long time. It's been about thirteen years since I moved from Yokohama. I live in that cake shop. I own the cake shop. I renovated my mother's house and built the cake shop five years ago. Let's have a chat at the shop. Don't hesitate. It's better for us to chat there. " Akira asked.

Akira really saw that Kitaro Eiji felt even more uneasy. But he still followed Akira who led them to his cake shop.

They entered the cake shop and went straight to Akira's house, they sat near the window which had a view of the beautiful small garden behind his house. Akira's favorite spot.

Then Akira left and came with some cupcakes in various flavors and two cups of coffee. He put it on the table.

"Eiji.. Come on tell me how you got here and become my neighbor. We live very close now huh. I'm glad you became my neighbor." Akira gave his best smile.

"Akira... Are you really glad to be my neighbor?" he asked.

"Yes, Eiji. I'm happy. Why do you ask like that?"

"I.. I.. I really feel bad for receiving your kindness considering I was so cruel to you when we were in high school. Don't you hate me? I'm sorry, Akira."

"Eiji.. I never really hated you. I used to be mad at you but that was all in the past. At that time we were both still teenagers and immature. Let's forget the past, okay?" Akira looked at him while still smiling.

"Okay. Are we friends now?" asked Kitaro Eiji.

"Yes, we are now friends." Akira smiled. That's all Akira wanted now from Eiji.

They laughed together and sipped the coffee. Suddenly...

"Mama... I want that." Michiko opened her mouth and pointed at the pink cupcake in front of her to Akira.

Akira was shocked and he saw that Kitaro Eiji's face turned deathly pale.

" Michiko, he's not your mama, honey. You can call him Akira." Eiji said to his daughter.

Akira's tender heart felt touched when he saw the father and daughter.

"How old is Michiko, Eiji? Take it, honey." Akira handed a piece of pink cupcake to the little girl.

"Thank you Mama." The little girl smiled happily.

Akira nodded awkwardly but didn't know why he felt happy to hear that little girl called him " Mama ". He loved children. He wanted to have children.

" Michiko... call him Akira. He's not your mama." Eiji put his daughter on his lap.

"Eiji.. You don't answer me. How old is Michiko?"

"Oh. I'm sorry. She's three years old, Akira. His mother left her when she was not yet two years old."

"Oh my God! She's still too young to be abandoned. How could she be so heartless?" Akira was saddened to hear that. He looked at the handsome man in front of him.

"You can tell me if you want." he continued.

"She left us after she find another man. She said that she didn't love me anymore and would go with that man. And she swore she wouldn't take our daughter." Eiji sighed.

Actually, Akira could see that Eiji was hesitant to tell him the story. But didn't know why Eiji still told him the story.

"Eiji. Next time if you need someone to listen to you, I'm right here. Do not hesitate. Because I know how it feels to be lonely. " Akira said to him.

Kitaro Eiji stared at him. But Akira remained silent.

Akira saw Michiko's mouth covered with cream. The little girl had already finished ate two cupcakes. He laughed and handed the little girl a tissue.

"Can you clean your own mouth, honey?" Akira asked the little girl.

" Yes. I can do it, Mama."

" Michiko! " Kitaro Eiji said curtly at his daughter.

Akira saw that he shy. And the little girl immediately burst into tears.

"Don't cry, dear. I'm sorry, okay?" He hugged his daughter. But she was still crying.

"Can I carry her?" Akira asked.

Kitaro Eiji nodded. Then picked up Akira and put her on Akira's lap. Michiko immediately hugged Akira tightly. She was still sobbing. Akira hugged her and patted her back.

"Don't cry baby. Don't cry anymore okay. Do you want another cupcake?" Akira asked.

The little girl shook her head.

"You want chocolate? I have chocolate. If you want it we can pick it up at the shop." Akira asked.

The little girl nodded and smiled at him. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Akira gently wiped her tears-filled cheeks and led Michiko to the shop. Five minutes later they were back in the house. Michiko held a small box of chocolate in her hand. They stood before him.

" Papa. See Mama gave me a box of chocolate. " she said to his papa.

Kitaro Eiji looked at his daughter helplessly.

"Why does she keep calling you mama, Akira? I'm sorry." he asked softly.

"Hey! Don't be sad. She doesn't really understand the situation yet. She just misses her mama. Let her call me whatever she wants, okay?" Akira stroked Eiji's head.

"Don't worry, Eiji. It's okay to me." Akira said.

Kitaro Eiji nodded helplessly. Then Akira sat back in his chair while holding Michiko on his lap. They continued their chat. And Michiko fell asleep on Akira's lap.

"By the way... Do you live alone here?" asked Eiji.

"Yeah I've lived alone here since my mother died. Sometimes one of the shop assistants stays here when we have a lot of orders."

"Eehhm.. Aren't you married? Sorry. I didn't mean anything if you don't want to tell me it's fine." Kitaro Eiji asked him.

"I'm not married, Eiji. Who wants to be with me? I'm just a sissy. You know that people have always looked down on and despised me." Akira smiled bitterly.

"Who knows? Now a lot of men like men, right? You're so beautiful they'll like and want you."

"Hahaha... You're kidding! They just want me to warm their bed. Never more than that." Akira said.

"Have you ever developed a relationship with any of them?" asked Eiji.

"Yeah.... Several times. But like I said earlier. They only need me in bed not in their life."

"Why?" the handsome man propped his chin while watching him.

"Eiji... I'm not even a woman nor a man."

"Oh. Okay. Sorry.."

" Stop apologizing to me . I 'm used to things like that . I know myself well enough . And I never blame them . " Akira chuckled .

"By the way, Eiji. Like you said earlier... Do you really think I'm beautiful?" Akira teased him.

Akira saw Eiji's face turned slightly red. But seemed the man could control himself.

" Oh what a handsome and mature man! " he only said to himself and didn't spit it out the words.

"Yes you are really beautiful," he said.

"Thank you, Eiji. This is the first time a man sincerely compliments me without any other intention. And this is also the first time you compliment me." Akira smiled widely and his eyes were shining beautifully.

Akira did that on purpose to tease Kitaro Eiji. He could see Kitaro Eiji was stunned. He wanted the handsome man to regret everything he did to him. And he swore one day the man would bend his knees in front of him.