EDITED: 2-3-2013
POSTED: 6-12-2010

The fumbling of keys, a soft 'click' and the doorknob being held and turned… the sound of the door being pushed in, two people entered—the shuffling of their feet as they removed their shoes at the entryway, the soft thud of plastic bags being placed on the side and their footsteps that made a pattering resonance on the wooden floor as they walk inside the apartment—all these noises they made were now the 'first' sounds they could hear upon this seemingly vacant apartment, if not for some furniture scattered here and there and all the newspapers lying on the floorboards.

"It's…spacious," Machi thought to herself.

"Hmm? Well, I guess so… but only a little bit larger than yours," Yuki replied unaware of the fact that Machi was talking to herself and hadn't realized that she had voiced out her opinion.

"And besides, in the end Nii-san had won upon fighting his way to make me agree in staying here. I don't even want to imagine how expensive the rent to this apartment is," and he released a sigh.

Machi scanned the rest of the room from the front entrance. The kitchen could be found at the end of the left wing and unto the right wing was the supposed living room with a balcony just outside the sliding door. Before her was a small hallway that led to the bedroom and bathroom. All in all it really was spacious. But what was really bothering her right now was the perfect whiteness of the entire space. No paintings, wall clock or anything that could be hanged unto the wall could be seen. A few chairs, coffee table and a rack were occupying the vast area of the living room and neither did the spread newspapers around the floor ddi any help… that's because the spotless walls were a-ll around her. White. Unblemished. Perfect. Perfect.

Machi she hated perfection but ever since she and Yuki got together, spend more time with each other more than they did with school stuffs, the hatred towards perfection did not vanish, not at all. Instead, it became bearable. Bearable in the sense that even Yuki—who appeared to be the very description of perfection has imperfections from within. And she knew that she couldn't go on forever, losing every bit of her composure, trashing every time she sees order just to keep herself sane… Being with Yuki after all, experiencing things together, the man who tried his best to understand her was far from enough.

"Ah?" was all Machi uttered when Yuki suddenly registered to her vision. He has already unpacked the things they had bought on their way to the apartment, at this time he was holding brushes and spray paints.

Could it be?

"Well, I sensed you're becoming tense seeing the walls huh? I figured as much," he chuckled.

"Wha – I… am not!" she yelled.

"Pointless trying to hide it… when the redness from your face tells otherwise," he continued joking. His velvet laughter notified that he loves teasing her.

"S-shut up!" she was looking at her feet now, trying not to let him see her face. She was even sure that if she could see her own ears, they're both burning red.

"So, you will help me out messing the walls won't you? Machi?" Yuki asked serenely.

I thought it was something for his art project. I should've known.

When she looked up, she revealed a charming smile to Yuki, only to make the man smiled back at her.

"I choose spray paints," she said and reached for the aerosol sprays from Yuki's hands.

"But, um… won't Nii-san get in trouble for this? He's paying for the rent fee after all. And this could be charged as damages."

"Tsk. He should be thankful for me because I only chose acrylic-based paints. Besides, I couldn't let him have his way…not all the time," he responded with a slight overcast expression. "This… is certainly for revenge."

"Then… I'm in," Machi mumbled whilst heading towards the wall and started spraying on it.

Yuki thought that he could stand there still for hours and hours, only watching Machi bringing out the childishness within by messing up the white walls with her squiggles. But he knew too that he has work to do.

They're done with the living room and dining area by the afternoon. It was a good thing that they started out early in the morning; both seemed oblivious as to how time fluttered by ever so quickly. Much to their surprise they enjoyed drawing doodles, spraying and painting here and there. The result was somehow pleasing to the eye too.

Yuki glanced around; the entire room now gave out a 'homey' feeling to it. Now he wouldn't mind coming to this place for his future 'university life.'

Leaving the house without anyone to bid farewell and arriving only to find out that there's still no one around to greet you home. Coming and going. How he hated it. Although he's preparing himself to be more independent, it was still pretty lonely. He couldn't stand it. And yet, Machi made him realize that it's okay to feel lonely, that to struggle from something inevitable—because there was no guarantee that they could spend and have each other's company for the rest of their lives actually scared him out of his wits—was normal. Dealing with his fear became bearable now that he has Machi. Bearable in its truest sense that even Machi—who doesn't prefer going out with a lot of people and mostly kept to herself could stand alone with her own strength. Bearable? Did that mean they both looked down on each other's weakness to feel great for themselves? No, that was hardly ever the case, Yuki thought. They found comfort in each other's existence—that's what.

And besides, this was something that they both did. The paintings on the wall are enough proof that they were 'together.' When he looked for her, he found her glancing around the room too; hazel eyes scanning the view and probably unconscious that a small beam was formed on her face.

"Time for the bedroom now," he called after her.

She just nodded and proceeded to take some supplies with her.

Yuki was already inside the bedroom finishing the first doodle he decided to make when Machi arrived. He turned to see her placed on the flooring some brushes and bottles of acrylic paint, then turned to his artwork for some time, and then reverted his gaze towards her again.

Uwah. She tied her hair into a ponytail! And wearing the red ribbon I gave her as a gift! Was she… trying my patience?

"What?" she asked him in a flat tone, noticing that Yuki was looking at her for some time.

"Ah, uh… Nothing," was all the young man could reply.

In the meantime, Machi was being annoyed at how inconvenient her hair was today. She decided to tie her hair up after they've finished working at the kitchen because it always comes in the way of her work. The anxiousness she felt earlier should have become lighter now that the apartment was all 'messed up' if not for another vacuum room spreading whiteness amongst the four corners; some loose hair and long bangs sticking to her forehead (that she were too lazy to trim) were blocking her eyes which added to her present irritation. And so, she occasionally moved her lower lip to blow some air upwards to make those damn hairs out of her eyes, for the reason that her hands were wet with paint.

Yuki, who was watching her from a distance, controlled his laughter at her silliness. He marveled at the scene across where he stood, Machi acting all cute and annoyed, before aiding her from her petty dilemma.

"There, I'll help you with it," he said.

"No, just go back. I'm doing fine," she answered, not even sparing him a glance as she was too focused at her own task.

"You're certainly not," he chided.

"I said I'm fine," she flatly pointed out.

"No you're not," Yuki countered.

"I said I can do this on my own!" she bellowed, cheeks a shade of pink. Machi finally turned her head a bit so Yuki could see her mugged face.

Since Yuki had the better judgment that there's no way Machi would give in, he concluded to act on his own without her consent. He reached out for the loose hair and bangs then lifted it in mid air while his other hand delved inside his left jeans' pocket for some paper clips that he had tucked in a while ago. His hand gently brushed up Machi's right cheek and the young girl flinched from feeling something moist on her skin. All Yuki noticed was her clear red face and found it highly fascinating that she would blush immediately every time they would get closer to each other or at the slightest touch of their skins; like it was some kind of internal mechanism that only he alone could trigger. As he was busy tucking the falling hairs out of Machi's face with only paper clips in use, the girl suddenly spoke up.

"Did you…"

"Hmm?" he moved a little closer. He was concentrating hard on making the poor paper clip hold out the hairs.

"…even check your hands before touching me?" she continued.

Perplexed and in a reflex, he shoved his hands in his face to see what was Machi getting at.

Uh-oh… My bad…

Machi watched him as his face turned a little pale and indigo orbs bulging.

Yuki now discovered that there's wet paint on his hands too and he had smeared some across Machi's cheeks.

"Well, look at the bright side. The paint's color is red, and red definitely suits you… and we could wash it off with water. It'll come off immediately," he said out loud, that made it seemed like he was convincing his self.

"Acting on your own… that is something your Nii-san would do too," she commented in a nonchalant way, as if stating a fact that wasn't a big deal.

"A-are you… implying," before he could even finish his sentence Machi had already deduced what he was about to say and so she nodded.

I am acting like Nii-san? That conceited, infuriating brother of mine? No way in hell!

Yuki twitched and shuddered at the thought of it, another gloomy expression passed his beautiful face. Then a playful thought occurred... He leaned in much closer to Machi this time making her draw back.

"Wha-what are you up to?" she hissed, her flustered face still a frenzy to Yuki.

"What do you think, Machi?" his lips in close proximity to her ears, head inclined so he could still see the entirety of her face.

Machi never thought that his reaction would be like this, resulting from what she had said earlier. Yuki knew her too well, to have conjured a comeback like this. It wasn't like they had never shared kisses before… it's just that, she felt she'll never get used to it—that tensed feeling overcoming her body, the blood gushing to her face, her heart that gives the impression that it would never cease to pump twice or even thrice its normal rate, and that weakening of her knees suggesting anytime soon she would collapse. Yet, there's the overwhelming warmth that slowly invades her body, like an after effect—still, her footsteps retreated.

But there's no way Yuki would have let her escape. He placed his arm around her back and pulled her much closer to him, now their bodies pinned against each other. With a subtle devilish grin that escaped Machi's scrutiny, Yuki continued what he was about to do while Machi watched as his face got closer and closer to her, she held her breath and waited. She waited and …waited until she felt a light brush of Yuki's palm on her left cheek and that clammy feeling as well. Now it was his turn to see her eyes bulged, confusion registered in it, and then eventually formed a thin line while her forehead contorted; the young man just had to laugh at that. Machi broke away from his grasp and glared at him.

"Now it's even. The face paint I mean… you looked like you belonged to a tribe about to perform a certain ritual," he muttered while broking in heaps of laughter.

"Stop… teasing me!" she cried and unexpectedly leapt unto him. Yuki had stopped laughing and landed on the wooden floor covered with spreadsheets. Some bottles of paint had toppled over revealing colors of sorts. Machi kneeled in front of him while she let her hands submerge unto some acrylic paints that were spilled over.

"What are you doing?" he calmly asked even though he knew perfectly well that he had annoyed her big time.

"I'm about to perform a certain ritual."

"H-hey!" he tried to stop her hands but she moved quickly enough and had now smeared some paint on parts of Yuki's cheek down to his neck. "I'm sorry! Sorry, I say!" But it was too late; she was now busy drawing doodles on his left arm. Yuki then stared at her fuming and determined face. She was certainly having fun!

Machi heard a stifled laugh coming from Yuki. She gazed at him, who was now lying at the floor, parts of his face and arms were smeared with paints of varying colors. She let out a sound of mirth as she slumped down and sat on the floor, breathing lots of air.

"You are really beginning to act like your brother."

"And so are you."

Then they glance at each other. Both of them were painted; they grinned.

Laughter bounced on the walls again—the sound that occupied the vacant room.

[FIN]