Long Distance Kiss

'Oyasumi Richan!'

An-chan and my other family members wish me as I walk towards my bedroom. It is my mother's birthday so I had to come home to celebrate it. My mother's constant complains about me not visiting her and the weekend made it a perfect combination to take a leave from my work.

'Ahh I am exhausted!'

I mutter jumping on my bed and hugging the pillow. Dipping my face into it, I close my eyes. I check my phone again, whenever I am getting little time alone, I am doing this sneak peek at my phone. But there is nothing, it is not like I am expecting a call from anyone but I am worried. I am the editor; it is my duty to check if everything is going smooth back at my work place in Emerald.

Sighing I close my eyes, it feels good to be away from the messy hectic life. But it feels different, kind of uneasy. So I question myself 'what if I left Murakawa and got back to my old life here?'

I have almost forgotten what it is like to be living in my house and working in Onodera publishing. It seems like a different life, so much has changed. Though I love literature, I am enjoying working with shoujo manga and even though people at the Maiden department are weird and some are intimidating yet we are getting along. And then there is the 'de-ja-vu', a scene out of a shoujo manga itself, my reunion with Takano-san.

I snap open my eyes as his face flashes before my eyes.

I look at the watch, it is ten o'clock, Takano-san must be going home now. May be he went home early considering it is weekend or he is still working.

I hear the phone vibrating on the bedside table. It is Takano-san's text.

'Are you free now?'

I reply with a 'Yes' and regret it the next moment for answering his text so quickly. I should have made him wait and make him wonder about my whereabouts.

I notice as Takano-san's name lights up the phone's screen.

'Hello?'

'Onodera I am missing you.'

I blush at the sudden confession. It is been like a day since I have heard him and those words are the last thing what I have expected to hear. I feel my hand shake holding the phone and my heart drumming in my chest. So many thoughts cross my mind, so many questions.

'Where are you?''what are you doing?''how was your day?'

But I discard all of them and manage to say, 'Did you call Mutou-Sensei? She is supposed to submit the storyboard this week.'

'No.' After a long pause Takano-san replies.

Before I can form a sentence to say, he asks..

'Did you miss me ?'

I blink at his voice and feel my throat go dry.

'Ristu'

Takano-san whispered, making me shiver.

'Takano-san I have been gone for a day only, stop saying such cheesy lines.' I glow pink till my toes and he laughs over the phone, I can feel his breath humming. If I close my eyes I can see him vividly.

'Ristu I will be waiting for you at the station to pick you up, come home soon.'

'I have my train early in the morning I have to sleep now, Goodnight.'

I blurt out in a hurry avoiding the sensual words of Takano-san.

'Oyasumi Onodera'

I see the screen as the glow disappears. The uneasiness is gone, it is like this everytime, I never know if Takano-san is trying to cheer me up or support me but I feel calm after hearing his words. Be it work, be it confidence, be it my personal life, his words always loosens me up. Though he is always torturing me at my work but he is always attentive towards my problem.

I lazily crank my one eye open as the phone vibrates again. Seeing Takano-san's name on the screen I wrinkle my eyebrows.

'Is everything Okay Takano-san?'

'No, I want something from you before I sleep.'

'Huh? What do you want?'

I try to think all the possible things that he may 'want' at this hour. All kinds of professional and work related urgency but I feel baffled when he replies.

'A kiss.'

'…..'

I feel like throwing the phone away when he sternly warns me.

'It is an order obey or I double you work.'

'That's not fair.'

'I know.'

'I don't know how to do it.'

'But we kissed a lot of time sometimes with our tongue—'

'ow ow stop! I never did it on the phone.'

'It is easy, bring you r lips close to the phone and close your eyes and blow a kiss imagining my face.'

'…'

'Ritsu I love you.'

And then it is a silent and soft sound of his lips, the embarrassing 'chu' from his side. I don't know what came over me but I closed my eyes shut taking in the moment's romance.

'Onodera it's your turn now.'

Takano-san whispers.

'CHU!'

I hastily perform what Takano-san instructed me to do. In the process I feel my face burning and my heart pumping all over my body. I feel the temperature of the room rise suddenly to hundred degrees.

Takano-san is so far away yet I am flustered.

I can see his smile plastered on his lips as he said, 'Oyasumi Ritsu'

For few moments I stare at the dark ceiling, my head is blank except the thoughts of him fleeting in. I feel happy somehow.

'Oyasumi Saga..'