Hello, Kenzo

I'm The Boss

The days went by so fast, and by the next day, Kenzo would be coming home. He had not been contacting me since last night, but I already managed to stop myself from craving for him most of the time so he could focus on his work.

Being in love and being away from that person is a constant battle between missing them and wanting them to succeed. I knew deep down that Kenzo's career was important to him, and I wanted to support him in any way I could. However, as the days went by, I couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for his presence and the comfort that came with it. Despite my efforts to distract myself, the emptiness grew stronger with each passing day, making me realize just how much I relied on his love and companionship.

"Hey, preggy!"

"Go away, Nai!"

Nai burst out laughing, her infectious smile filling the room. "Oh, I can't! The baby must be missing Kenzo so much; the intensity is too much for you to handle! Am I wrong?"

I couldn't help but smile at Nai's teasing, knowing she was right. As much as I wanted to focus on my schoolwork, my heart ached for his presence.

"Shut up or you'll have to buy me a pork chop, newly fried, light-seasoned, and served with a side of mashed potatoes and a sour gravy," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Nai playfully rolled her eyes, knowing I was just trying to distract myself from missing Kenzo. "You know what? Just miss him! That's it! Nothing more, nothing less. It's way better. And it's fine if you send him messages; it doesn't matter if he won't reply! At least you let him know rather than keeping it inside you; the baby will be stressed out!"

Nai's lightheartedness reminded me that it was okay to miss him and that my longing was a testament to the strong bond we shared.

"He's coming home tomorrow, so I'm just fine."

"Yeah, you really look fine! Here, just as you ordered," Nai put down a paper bag, and the smell of the newly fried pork chop wafted through the air. I couldn't help but smile at Nai's thoughtfulness. "Let's eat. I know you prefer eating here in your room than going to the canteen!"

I nodded in response, and as we sat down to eat, I typed a message and sent a short message to Kenzo, and it surprisingly eased the ache in my chest.

"Effective, right?" Nai smiled.

After eating, we returned to our classes, and I focused on giving my all while teaching my students as I looked forward to Kenzo's return.

"Goodbye, Ms." My students gestured to me while trying to speak so hard, and I smiled in return for my appreciation.

"Yiiie! Excited!" Nai stopped by my room, grinning crazily as our last class for the day ended. "Ah, I wish I had something like that!"

"Go look for him! Do not waste your time with me! Here, go buy something nice to wear!" I smiled, holding out my card.

But her smile faded, and she shook her head. "No, don't do this! Learn to be selfish, Stella. You should have learned. I can't accept your card. I appreciate your offer, but I wouldn't feel right using your money for something like that. Besides, I don't need to go looking for love. I believe it will find me when the time is right. Save it for your baby." Her words hit me with a wave of admiration, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for the strong and independent young woman Nai had become.

"Well, good luck with that! I pray that you find the purest love you deserve." I smiled slyly before walking out of my classroom.

I dropped Nai off at the bus station and went home to clean and prepare for Kenzo's return. And as soon as I finished, I plopped down on the sofa, exhausted; pregnancy was taking a toll on my body. But despite the fatigue, I didn't mind it. I opened my phone to check any messages from Kenzo, and my heart sank when I saw a short response from him notifying me that he could not come home.

"What? That's it?" My heart sank even further. I felt a mix of disappointment and frustration. All the anticipation and excitement of his return suddenly turned into a feeling of emptiness. The plans I was making seemed to slip through my fingers at that moment. I couldn't help but wonder why he couldn't come home, and he wouldn't even dare waste time to explain.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and reminded myself to extend my patience. Despite the setback, I knew that love required patience and understanding.

I rang his phone, but even after trying multiple times, he wouldn't pick up. "Argh! Not again!"

Panic started to set in as my mind raced with possibilities. What if something happened to him? What if he was avoiding me on purpose? The unanswered calls only fueled my confusion and worry. He promised.

"Calm down, Stella. It was just because of the hormones!" I told myself, trying to rationalize his behavior. I had to trust that he had a valid reason for not answering my calls. Taking a deep breath, I decided to give him some space and wait for him to reach out to me when he was ready.

The next morning, I went to school with a very heavy heart. I couldn't focus on anything, even though I tried hard to shift my mind to my lessons for my students. My mind was constantly wandering back to the unanswered calls and the nagging feeling that something was wrong. As the day went on, my worry only grew, and by the time the final bell rang, I couldn't handle it anymore and decided to give my students activities instead of lectures.

"I'll give you the whole class time to finish what you can finish," I smiled at my students after giving them materials to make miniatures of the historical places in the Philippines.

"Hey, someone wants you to have this." Nai stopped by and was holding out a plastic bag.

"What is it? And who are you talking about?"

Nai slit a smile and said, "Your prince charming! He said he was sorry for not coming home, but he was too tired to come home; he had tests coming up, and he was having a hard time handling his work and his studies. He said that...he would make up next time, and don't stress out to think that there was something wrong going on. It's only you! I love you. Don't fight with him. That is all!"

Nai left, and I stood there, feeling a mix of relief and annoyance. "He could just get inside!" I mumbled and was surprised to see a newly cooked sour soup.

I slit a smile and was able to get through the whole afternoon fine and less troubled.

"Goodbye, princess!" Nai teased once again and headed home to rest.

Days went by, and it was Wednesday once again. I patiently waited for Kenzo, but he did not come home again.

"Ah, this is not happening!" I finally lost my temper and went to grab my keys and drive to where he was working.

But I failed to find him there. Frustrated, I decided to call his phone, hoping he would answer and explain his absence, but still nothing.

Then a thought hit me. I jumped back to the car and drove to where his brother was living because I would not waste my chances of going first to his sister.

Though my chest heaved in anticipation and I was praying that he was there, I mustered up the courage to knock on his brother's door. As I waited for a response, my mind raced with thoughts of what could have happened. Did he forget about our plans? Was he avoiding me?

Finally, the door creaked open, and a drunken guy greeted me with a slurred voice. He had bloodshot eyes, and a strong smell of alcohol emanated from him.

My heart sank as I realized that Kenzo might be skipping to see me enjoy his youth behind my back and that he was already terrified of his decisions. Disappointed, I barged in, and I was not wrong to see Kenzo already passed out on the couch, surrounded by empty beer bottles. It was clear that he had been partying all night and had no intention of going home at all.

Anger and sadness washed over me while I stared at him. Everyone in the room fell silent as they realized who I was.

"Stella?" His brother came from behind, and I did not bother answering him.

"Put him in my car; I'm taking him home!" I demanded.

"Stella, calm down; it would not do good for you..."

"Did I ask for your opinion? Put him in my car and I will take him home! Do it now!"

Everyone scurried to lift Kenzo off the sofa, out of the house, and into my car.