The Rules We Break

Chapter 5

I followed her into the house. A quiet stillness permeated the air, a stark contrast to the bustling energy of the restaurant we had just left. Only our housekeeper, Manang April, was present, her presence a comforting constant in the otherwise empty house.

"Manang, where are Mom and Dad?" I asked, addressing our kind and ever-reliable housekeeper.

"Oh, Yuhan, you're already home. Your parents went out with Freya and Harlley," she replied, her voice warm and welcoming. "Is that Kyla with you? Have you two eaten?"

"Good evening, Manang!" Kyla greeted politely, her voice gentle and respectful, and then she performed a 'mano,' a traditional gesture of respect, by touching Manang April's hand to her forehead. "Yuhan and I ate outside, so please don't bother preparing anything for us."

"God bless you, Kyla. You're such a kind young lady, Yuhan's friend. Your mother placed the cookies she made in the refrigerator in your room," Manang April informed us, her eyes twinkling with affection.

"Thank you, Manang. Kyla and I will go upstairs now. Please rest, it's getting late," I said, offering a polite farewell to the elderly woman. Kyla and I then made our way up the stairs towards my room. The quietness of the house, the gentle exchange with Manang April, created a very homey feeling. The day was drawing to a close, but I was still very happy that Kyla was in my home.

Wow, your room is a mess, it looks like a storage room," I exclaimed, taken aback by the sheer chaos of Yuhan's bedroom. It was clear that he wasn't one for tidiness, relying heavily on the housekeepers for such tasks. He had clearly gotten used to having other people clean up after him.

"Hahaha, sorry about that. I keep forgetting to ask Manang to clean my room. Actually, I've been trying to clean it myself lately, because I feel bad bothering them. But I'm just too lazy, so it ends up like this," Yuhan explained, offering a lengthy, somewhat sheepish apology.

"How can you even sleep in a room this messy?" I asked, genuinely puzzled. I had a touch of OCD, especially when it came to my own space. I couldn't stand clutter; everything had to be in its proper place, organized and neat. Since I had this slight OCD tendency, I couldn't resist picking up the scattered items on the floor and placing them where they belonged.

"Hey, don't touch that stuff. Leave it alone, I'll clean it up tomorrow," Yuhan said, trying to stop me when he saw me starting to tidy up his room.

"You know what you should do? Get up and help me clean, so this place can actually look like a room you sleep in," I replied, my voice laced with a playful but firm tone.

After nearly an hour, we finally finished cleaning. Yuhan's room was quite large, and there was an astonishing amount of clutter scattered throughout. He turned on the small HD TV in his room as soon as we were done, and then flopped onto his bed, a sigh of contentment escaping his lips. The room felt much more spacious and calming after our cleaning spree.

"What are you lounging around for? My cookies, give them to me so I can go home," I said, my voice laced with a hint of impatience.

"You should go home later, or just sleep here. It's late, and you're going to make me drive you," Yuhan retorted, his voice sharp and laced with a touch of playful defiance. My temper flared, his stubbornness resurfacing, a trait that always managed to irritate me. After he had practically begged me to accompany him to buy shoes, it seemed like I was now indebted to him for asking for a ride home.

In a fit of pique, I stormed towards the door, slamming it shut behind me. I didn't care if I woke everyone in the house; I was simply too annoyed to care. Yuhan, sensing my anger, quickly followed me, catching up as I descended the stairs.

"Hey, this alien is so easily provoked," Yuhan teased, his voice lighthearted, as he grabbed my hand and pulled me back towards his room. His attempt at humor only fueled my frustration, as he failed to take my annoyance seriously. I wanted him to understand that I was genuinely upset, that his flippant attitude was adding fuel to the fire. It felt like he was dismissing my feelings, treating my anger as a mere childish tantrum. The lack of seriousness, the constant joking, made me feel like he didn't respect my boundaries. Or, perhaps, he didn't respect me. The thought made my blood boil.

"Let go of me. I want to rest," I said calmly, trying to keep my voice even, despite the rising tide of anger within me. I was desperately trying to regain control of my emotions, to prevent them from spilling over and escalating the situation. Perhaps Yuhan sensed the depth of my frustration in my tone, because his facial expression immediately shifted, his playful demeanor replaced with a look of serious concern.

"Are you really angry?" he asked, his voice now devoid of its usual teasing lilt.

"No, I'm delighted. Absolutely thrilled. Can't you tell by the look on my face?" I replied sarcastically, my brow furrowed, my eyes flashing with irritation.

"Sorry," he said, his response short and subdued. His face took on a pleading expression, like a three-year-old child who had misbehaved and was seeking forgiveness from their parent. I couldn't tell if this was just another act from Yuhan, or if this was his genuine reaction.

"All you ever say is 'sorry.' Not everything can be fixed with a sorry. Not every mistake can be forgiven, even after a sorry. And just because you say sorry, doesn't give you the right to take advantage of me," I retorted, my voice still sharp and laced with frustration. At that point, I wasn't even entirely sure what I was so angry about. Maybe it was the fact that he didn't want to drive me home that pissed me off big time. Or maybe, it was the feeling that he didn't care about my comfort and safety. The thought that he was so unwilling to do this simple thing made me feel unimportant, like my needs didn't matter. The dismissal, the lack of empathy, was like a slap in the face. It felt like a fundamental lack of respect, and I was so tired of it.