|Author's Note| Trust me, I really am trying to overcome my writer's block. I apologize if this was poorly written and if the plot doesn't have any substance. Dedicated to Autumn Win-dow and Annabelle Rae for encouraging me to write, and to everyone who reads all of my fics. Thank you, guys, you are the ones who inspire me to continue writing. This is an alternate fic for Autumn Win-dow's Morning Mournings.
In a Short While
buttercupbella
Just as the blazing sunlight breaks into the window of a sullen condominium unit, Kokoro Yome mutters curses against his damp pillow and flexes his arms. He doesn't fail to elbow the phone by his side and cause it to topple unto the floor. Kokoro Yome curses some more and runs his hand through his light brown hair, deciding to get up from the the bed no matter how much of a dead person he looks like.
Although he's not a paradigm of vanity, Koko proceeds to the spot in front of his shattered mirror. He thinks that no matter how broken it is, it is still functional - it still shows his familiar reflection, and it definitely shows him how hurt he still is.
Just like his heart.
Koko caresses the dark marks under his swollen eyes. He notices that he looks tired, even if he has done an excellent job at crying in his eight hours of sleep. He shrugs, takes a bath, and puts on his business attire, as usual. Before he steps into his busy world, he hurries to pick his phone up from the floor and checks his inbox with a hint of hope springing from the back of his mind. Still nothing.
He stares at the screen for a moment, and just as he's about to master his resistance, he types in a local number and becomes nervous as multiple rings reverberate in his ear.
"Hotaru Imai. Please leave a message, I'll respond in a short while."
Koko huffs in disappointment. He always ends up at her voicemail, but nevertheless, it feels amazing to hear her calm voice after a long period of silence. He feels ready for work and leaves the condominium with a little bit of smug satisfaction.
All day long he responds to calls from strangers who have problems with their bank accounts. Some of the clients swear at him because they have trouble remembering their passwords - it is a daily occurrence for him, and he becomes used to the fact that a lot of people blame him for things he never did.
Koko admits that he becomes weary of answering queries from people he doesn't even know, and during breaks, he just couldn't help but dial a familiar number.
"Hotaru Imai. Please leave a message, I'll respond in a short while."
The man with the light brown mane muses over Hotaru Imai's excessive pride. She doesn't seem to pick up, and she apparently regards voice mail as extremely useful in case somebody misses her and she just doesn't happen to feel the same way. Koko imagines the fair-skinned woman closing her eyes while her phone, still neglected, keeps ringing in the background.
When Koko arrives in his condominium unit, he scrunches up his nose at the lingering aroma of rotten pizza. It's easy to take it all in - pajamas littered on the unswept floor, dust gathering on top of the shelves, blankets strewn across the messy cot, and letters stuck in the hinges of the door. Koko frowns at the mail and sighs as he sees the telephone bill for his and Hotaru's mobile phones. Well, his paycheck is coming soon, and Hotaru better thank him for it.
And maybe after a long day of routines, when the city's lights have been turned off and everybody is snuggled close to his or her husband, or wife, or children, or grandparents, Koko sits on the base of his bed and tries to call Hotaru's phone once more, in spite of the fact that he knows she is never going to pick up.
That's when he realizes that two mobile phones are ringing in his hand, and he cries himself to sleep listening to Hotaru Imai's voice play over and over again, as if she is still alive beside him.
"Hotaru Imai. Please leave a message, I'll respond in a short while."
Kokoro Yome doesn't, and will never deny that it still feels amazing to hear her voice.
Nope. Not angsty enough for me. Super short one-shot, I guess. 8D