Dance all night, Yoga in the morning

As dawn broke, Yui concluded her peaceful morning ritual of yoga on the balcony focusing her energy on not overthinking how her inbox would look in 24 hours. A free day had been ordered by the CEO himself, and while she dreaded the concept with all her being, she could not rebel against it. So she did her Yoga and went back inside to sit cross legged and mentally map how to re-arrange her schedule to cover the time lost with the ridiculous vacation day concept.  It was right when she attained perfect clarity of her visualized calendar that a vibrant array of Romanian curses from next door broke Yui’s focus. She would lie if she claimed that the symphony sparked by the pre-dawn alarm, she’d set on the engineer’s calendar was not a melodious start to her day.

While Yui might not have mastered Romanian, the language of expletives is universal. It was clear her neighbor was engaged in a full-blown feud with his unwelcome digital wake-up call.

Relishing the aftermath of her prank, Yui was jolted by an unexpected knock. Not at the door, but from the balcony. As she lifted her eyes, she doubled in shock.

Adam was standing on her balcony, looking rather irritated. His usually messy hair was even more disheveled that morning and his eyes carried an ominous glare. This early morning surprise was enough to amuse Yui, but what added to her delight was the absurdity of it all. Despite the balconies being close, a conventional person would simply stroll through the hallway for a friendly morning visit. But then again, when was anything conventional with Adam?

 “How did you make my alarm go off?” he asked, frustration clear in his tone. “What kind of corporate voodoo is this?”

Startled, Yui jumped out of her bed, pressing against the wall where she found some cover. “Go away, I am not decent,” she retorted, although it was half a lie. She was comfortably cocooned in her yellow pajamas. 

Ignoring her protests, Adam continued to knock, until, realizing he was not going anywhere, she had to finally step out from her makeshift hideout and open the balcony door.

“You could have canceled it if you’d bothered to read your emails. It’s just a Google calendar thing” she informed him, sounding braver than she felt.

“I do not read emails,” he retorted back. His wild bed hair and intense gaze made him look like a character ripped from the pages of one of Mina’s favorite fantasy novels.

“Well, you should, Mister Stroe,” she shot back, trying to hold her ground against his dark aura.

“You better have a very good reason for waking me up at this ungodly hour. I was up at the beach until sunrise,” he grumbled, towering over her.

“Nobody made you watch the sunrise on the beach,”

He advanced on her, slamming his hand against the wall. In her daze, Yui was reminded of a scene straight out of Mina’s clichéd shoujo manga. “You love control, don’t you? It’s a free day, Miss Ishida. I got the memo and I’m sure you did to. So why is it any of your concern what time I wake up at?”

“I don’t need to control anything, I set the reminder before we knew it was a free day, Mister Stroe,” she held her ground, stiffening her back just to make her innocent lie more believable. 

Adam growled something in Romanian, causing her smartwatch to translate his words into: “You can shove your reminders up that fine ass, too bad you have the personality of a communist old lady.” His smile was far from friendly, his teeth looking almost menacing in the morning light.

“Well, I will have you know I don’t have a single communist bone in me. Japan was never a communist country and my ancestors…”

“Walking around with Google Translate turned on?” he interrupted her, still so close she felt completely distracted by his scent. He smelled so good, like wind and sand and vacation.  “Live a little. Do you ever do anything not planned beforehand?” he challenged.

“Yes, I do…” she countered, feeling like a child standing before a giant. “Now would you kindly refrain from jumping over balconies? We can’t afford to have you injured,” she requested in an attempt to regain some dignity.

He laughed in her face, making no effort to play nice. “Me, get injured? Jumping a 20 cm gap between balconies? I free-soloed the Alps, I’m more likely to get injured when your alarm startles me so bad I fall from bed,” he mocked.

Rolling her eyes, she stepped aside, gesturing towards the door. “Please use the door like a normal human being, Mister Stroe,” she chided.

“Please stay out of my hair, like a normal human being, Miss Ishida” he shot back, clearly annoyed. 

Without throwing her a second look, he walked past Yui and stormed out of the room, via the actual door this time.

The beach by their hotel wasn’t going to win any awards for ‘The Most Comfy Beach.’  The few scattered palms looked confused and out of place, like lost tourists on the rocky beach.

The sea was a whole other story. It was blue. Very, very blue. And it was filled with small stones that seemed to be everywhere, making swimming a bit like an extreme sport. The waves were a noisy bunch. They crashed loudly, probably showing off their rock-smashing abilities. Yet, it was a picturesque scene, even with its imperfections, and Adam preferred it that way.  He would choose quirks and character over perfection any day. 

And that particular day, the charming chaos of the wild beach suited Adam’s mood well. He had been trying his hand at skipping rocks across the water. But the turbulent waves proved formidable opponents, refusing to let the stones glide. Accepting his defeat, he settled on a larger rock, pulling out his phone. A few messages from his sister appeared in his unread notifications. She seemed to be in one of her good moods, Ana Stroe was either a dotting big sister, or disappeared for months. There was no middle ground.

‘How’s Marbella treating my baby bro? Any 🍑?’ she was asking.

He made a face, typing back with one hand as he reached for his cigarette pack with the other.

‘Losing my freakin’ mind that’s how. I swear I’ve never met a more annoying woman in my life, why the hell did she have to be packed in such a cute wrapping?’

‘Because lady luck likes to play with ur nerves, that’s why. And u have the shittiest taste in women, by the way’

Adam couldn’t hear his sister’s voice, but he was ready to bet half of the stones on his new favorite little beach that she was hungover.

‘I’ll accept ur feedback when u manage to keep a relationship for longer than it takes for u to remember their name’ he typed back before pausing to light his cigarette. His phone vibrated on the stone where it was placed and almost dropped before he finally picked it back up.

‘Is this the part where I feel insulted? Cut the foreplay, corner her in the elevator and make her shut up, trust me, she wants it’

‘Ana…I wouldn’t touch the woman with a ten foot pole, she’d scream rape if I even looked funny at her. This could have been a call btw’

‘Can’t, I’m at the spa getting a facial’

He rolled his eyes and she must have known it because she continued typing. ‘It’s the money maker, baby bro, gotta keep the good genes Ma gave me. And about your dilemma, who are you kidding, she’s just your type, tiny and hysterical’

‘Yeah, I don’t need this right now. Unlike you I grew up’

‘What you need is 🍑, and I know just the place in Puerto Banus. Go ask for Mateo at Dreamers, you can thank me later xoxo’

Adam scoffed, lighting another cigarette as he looked out at the sea. He should be in there catching the surf, but he felt restless. 

‘You better not send me somewhere funny sis, u know I don’t swing that way’

His sister only answered with a winky emoji and a loving ‘Now fuck off, I wanna enjoy my spa day’ 

In his 28 years on the planet, Adam thought he gathered a diverse enough life experience. But one thing he never learned was not to trust his sister. As the sun set on his third day in Marbella, Adam found himself in Puerto Banus, sharing drinks with Mateo – a very charismatic Spaniard ready to propose at least 4 potential wives and a mistress for him to choose from. Since his restless morning, thanks to the petite woman, he was determined to make his night equally sleepless. 

Among the sizzling energy of Dreamers and its dazzling dancers, Adam found his morning frustrations with miss Ishida ebbing away. The air was electric with laughter, chatter, and the promise of a good time, making the remnants of his earlier annoyance seem trivial. Ana knew he put most of their crazy party days behind him after he got his Batchelor in Engineering. But it didn’t stop her from being the devil on his shoulder now and then. And for once, he was thankful, because 3 days of constant nagging were more than enough excuse to throw back a few shots.

It was about 3 AM when he found his way back to the hotel with company. She was a very attractive Moroccan dancer, going by the stage name of Mariana. And Mariana was very, very loud in bed. Being a true gentleman, Adam made it his mission to keep the decibel level at its peak so Mariana’s vocal talents were utilized to their fullest for the next four hours.

Yui found herself sleepless for completely different reasons. The free day had messed with her perception of time. Sitting cross-legged on her plush hotel bed, she squinted suspiciously at the glaring clock on her nightstand waiting for 7 AM so she could hit the ground running. 

There was no real point in sleeping when she had done nothing but trying to meditate and struggle not to touch her laptop all day. She didn’t know how, but she was sure that if she did touch it, her father would know.  

Instead, she paced the room, climbed down by the pool, paced the pool edge and retreated in distaste when they had the audacity to play music during a work day. She settled for reading one of her business books and listening to a few podcasts on her phone.

 At some point, she became so desperate that she even cleaned the hotel room. Eventually, she chanced a trip to a small local supermarket to buy herself a bottle of wine. Instead, she got a mix of three mini champagnes which she enjoyed on her tiny balcony.

I was around 2:30 AM, and close to the bottom of her last small champagne bottle that her phone called, displaying Mina’s big, warm smile. Yui was in such a hurry to answer, she dropped her champagne bottle spilling what was left. But the joy of a distraction, and seeing her best friend awake and looking like herself again softened the blow.

“Mina, are you ok? I didn’t want to call and wake you up, you had to sleep those off”

“I’m okay” Mina’s voice rang out, her laughter now less of a high-pitched giggle and more of a jovial chuckle. “I probably should have checked the label myself. It’s poor Kesha who has PTSD. She thinks she could’ve killed me”

Yui made sure her frown was visible on camera. “Well, she could have. But she did fly all the way to Tokyo to take care of you so…”

“Actually, she flew all the way here because she found an online boyfriend” Mina clarified amused.

“She’ll never change will she? She’s been chasing boys since pre-school. But she gets bored of them the moment she catches them” Yui commented, her tone more amused than judgmental.

“Yup” her best friend confirmed “They already split up. But forget that, let’s talk about mister  head engineer”

A brief silence fell over the conversation as Yui’s thoughts veered towards Adam. The obnoxiously carefree engineer had been on her mind more often than she cared to admit. “That guy,” she grumbled, a hint of frustration coloring her words, “Can you believe him? He keeps asking me to go to the beach like we’re here on vacation. He’s out all night and then complains when I set an alarm for him. Actually, I think I just heard him get to his room”

She turned to look towards Adam’s adjacent balcony and turned the phone with her, so that her friend could see.

Mina gasped as the light was turned on in the room. From that angle, the camera actually captured more than Yui herself could see.

“Yui…he’s not alone. He is with a…omg…they’re…oh he’s. Omg” she was not very coherent but Yui got enough of the idea to sit up from her comfy balcony chair abruptly and retreat to her room.

“I can’t believe him! It’s a work day tomorrow…”

She let her words trail off, an unmistakable blush creeping onto her cheeks. The noises from Adam’s room started almost as soon as she sat back down on her bed. They reverberated through the hotel’s thin walls, flooding her room with an atmosphere that was far too vivid for comfort. It was an experience she could have done without, but one that had also ignited a flurry of uninvited thoughts and feelings.

Her friend looked as flustered, her cute, round face reflecting Yui’s blush as they stared at each other through the camera.

“Anyway,” Mina tried to transition smoothly to another subject. “What are we going to do about ROACH?” She managed to infuse a sense of comic despair into her voice, causing Yui to chuckle despite her previous embarrassment.

“Yeah, Adam’s brilliant, but his idea of aesthetics is… troubling.” Yui muttered, her tone growing contemplative.

“Troubling? It’s like he asked himself, ‘how can I make this robot as square and unappealing as possible?’ and then took it as a personal challenge.”

Taking a deep breath, Yui confessed, “I’m nervous about the presentation the day after tomorrow, Mina.”

“It’s only natural, Yui. Big things are happening.” 

Indeed, big things were happening. Ishida Tech, the company Yui’s father had nurtured from a small-time tech start-up to a leading innovator, was on the brink of launching its most ambitious project to date – ROACH. This wasn’t just a flashy gadget; it was a pragmatic response to a real-world problem. A hulking, block-like robotic savior, aimed at navigating hazardous terrains and saving lives. A cube in a world of curvy and complex geometrical shapes. Not unlike Adam, Yui realized. He was the kind of man who preferred to keep it simple and straight forward in a world of corporate rules and nuances. And he was just as blockheaded as his robot.

“That’s just it, this is so big, so much bigger than my or even dad’s ambitions. This can save so many lives. What if I mess it up somehow? I wish dad did it himself, journalists always love his every word”

Mina’s face softened with understanding. “Yui, this is your moment. Your father believes in you, and so do I. ROACH is revolutionary, and you’ve poured your heart and soul into this presentation.”

“Yes, it is brilliant! I loved it the moment father sent me the project documentation. Imagine a world where robots like ROACH can crawl into wreckage or scale hazardous terrains to save lives,” Yui finally allowed her excitement to show at her friend’s encouragement. “It could revolutionize rescue operations as we know it.”

There was a loud bang right against the wall where Yui’s bed was, making both young women fall silent again. The thud became rhythmical. Thud…thud…thudthudthudthudthud. 

“Oh…my god, is he running on batteries?” Mina gasped.

“I have to go” Yui said abruptly, cutting off the call just to cover her beet red face with both her hands as she laid on her back on the bed.

But the sounds didn’t stop, a female crescendo was added to the symphony and it matched the rhythm of the insane thuds. 

Even when silence was finally restored, she could not sleep, her ears still ringing, skin still burning from her overactive imagination. It was too easy to picture those sounds came from her room instead of the one next to her. When she dozed off for the third time only to see Adam’s blue eyes in perfect detail, close to her face as his lips curled in a smirk and his hands…Yui decided enough was enough and got up, going straight for a coold shower.

When she was sure her mind had been exorcised of unholy thoughts, she adorned her yoga pants and bralette and headed for the balcony, happy to see the sun was finally up. It was a work day, so she saw no problem turning up her yoga music as she placed her phone on the railing between her balcony and stated with Downard Dog into Three Legged Downward dog after her warm up.

It only took 5 minutes for the balcony door of Adam’s room to open. It was not mister Romeo himself, but the conquest for the night. Even seen upside down, Yui had to agree the woman was nothing short of gorgeous. And also, very annoyed.

“ma al’amr mae aldawda’ alghabiati? yubqih ‘asfal alkalba” the woman demanded, throwing her hands up.

“English?” Yui requested calmly sitting up into a tree pose.

“You stop that. I can’t sleep, puta!” the woman pointed to the phone, her hair was ruffled and she looked very…thoroughly disheveled. Yui had to look away, closing her eyes to stop her mind from wondering on the specifics of how the woman ended in that state.

“Then maybe it’s time I called you an uber” it was Adam’s voice and Yui decide to move into the half-moon pose. 

There was a short heated, one-sided argument where the Moroccan dancer accused Adam of being a pig to Yui’s secret satisfaction and she left in a whirlwind. 

When she straightened up, she found the Engineer leaned against the railing, a freshly lit cigarette between his lips and his gaze fixed appreciatively on Yui.

“Hope you noticed the Indian cook eyeballing you,” he winked and retreated to his room.

Left alone, Yui turned her head towards the inner courtyard ever so slowly.  She was greeted by a toothless grin peering from behind the bushes with an enthusiastic wave. The universe was definitely punishing her for something.