Reimi watched with dread as the bus rumbled its way slowly into the bus lane. It was beyond busy and she could see at least about fifteen to twenty standing bodies bobbing and swaying in motion with the bus' movements. The bus was so packed, she worried if she'd be able to get on.
Why is it so busy today?
She glanced around her as other people began to get up and stand beside her, preparing to board as well.
I doubt we'll all be able to get on…
Normally, Reimi would just wait for the next bus but today had been so stressful, she just really wanted to get home and try to relax. Fortunately enough, the bus pulled up almost right in front of her. Unfortunately enough, people were not being very courteous and had begun to 'discreetly'push in front of her with their shoulders. After 'letting'two people go by, she decided to take initiative and took a long stride onto the bus and quickly swiped her bus-pass across the oyster machine.
She clambered through the crowd of people until she had reached the middle of the bus just before the stairs where she found a small space to settle. She took an exasperated sigh as she adjusted her messenger bag and reached for one of the nearby polls to keep herself steady. She stumbled a little as the bus began to move again and tightened her grip around the metal rail. She blushed a little at her clumsy movement despite the fact that she hadn't been on her own as many people had wobbled at the abrupt start of the bus' engine.
She glanced down in front of her and was surprised to meet the eyes of a young man smiling up at her, noting the way his tall, brown hair seemed to naturally retain a messy, spikey style that swept to the side in a bizarrely gravity-defying manner. She hadn't really taken notice that she was standing in front of someone. The bus was one where all the seats beyond the stairs faced forward and the ones before the stairs faced inwards.
It wasn't a malicious smile indicating he was laughing at her but nevertheless, she quickly looked away self-consciously and decided to not look in his direction for the rest of the journey. It didn't help that she found him cute either.
She tried to keep herself distracted by watching the scenery outside, but after a while she began to feel nauseous and took to pulling out her iPod from her bag and pushing the earphones into her ears, choosing some calm music hoping it'll have the same effect on her. Suddenly, Reimi jumped. Even through the sound of her music she could still hear the sudden loud blare of a car horn, and as soon after the bus came to a very impulsive halt.
Everyone jolted with the bus and the person behind Reimi, unable to keep themselves balanced, bumped harshly into her. At the unexpected impact, Reimi had no time to brace herself and sucked in a breath as she began to fall towards the people sitting in front of her, her eyes closing automatically.
Unbeknownst to her, the young man from before had seen her begin to fall and had quickly sat up, just a little bit, and adjusted his arms so he could support her against him, positioning her in his lap. Reimi's eyes snapped open at the sudden warmth and feel of someone's arms around her, and to her mortification, saw she was sitting on someone. She quickly turned to the person ready to spout apologies profusely when she comprehended who it was.
"Are you okay?" He looked genuinely concerned and there was no sign of embarrassment or awkwardness in his expression at their conspicuous predicament. Their faces were so close that Reimi panicked for words before realising she was still in his lap with her hands on his shoulders, an unconscious action during her descent.
"Oh my go- I'm so sorry," She scrambled to get up and her face felt so hot from blushing, she was sure everyone could see it. She looked everywhere but him in shame and was startled to hear him laugh boyishly.
"What are you apologising for?"
She glanced at him curiously, seeing the kindest smile she was sure she had ever seen and, as if it was contagious, a slight spark of happiness ignited in her and she could already feel some of her stress leave her somewhat.
"I hope I didn't hurt you…" She replied quietly, knowing people were probably listening and looking at them.
"You didn't," He assured still smiling brightly at her, "and even if you had, it wouldn't have been your fault," he commented, his eyes wandering in the direction of the bus driver.
After nodding knowingly, she attempted a smile and thanked him in a gentle voice, still feeling nervous about the attention that was on her.
Laughing a little, he told her, "No problem," as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. Reimi felt like she should say something more but when nothing came to her, they both went back to how they were before for the rest of their journey with the exception of a few shared glances and smiles (which did not make Reimi's heart beat in the slightest).
A few stops later, the boy got up to leave but just before he took the final step off the bus he turned back to Reimi and smiled, stunning her, though she managed to smile back and gave a little wave. Trying to ignore the small pang of disappointment at the young man's departure, Reimi thought over her work day which had been the main source of her stress.
Reimi was a twenty year- old, professional pianist and composed music for TV shows and commercials, and had recently been having slight conflicting ideas with her current client. She had been spending the last few months working on a BBC thriller series and the producer kept being unsatisfied with the anima of the music she had been constructing. Apparently, it was too 'sombre'. Reimi had worked with all kinds of people before and was always open to listening and adapting to what her client wanted, but this had become ridiculous. She found out later in the day, from a fellow colleague, that the producer was actually very well known for being 'difficult' to say the least.
She sighed and hung her head, her wavy, chestnut-brown hair falling in front of her face reminding her that she should probably get a haircut soon. She never liked her hair going past her jaw more than an inch, despite the fact that a year ago she wore it long, past her shoulders.
When Reimi's stop finally came, she got off tightly huddling her brown knitted cardigan around her, the cold air reprimanding her for leaving her house without a coat. During the walk home she thought of the night ahead of her, probably filled with amending her sheet music or composing new music all together. She groaned under her breath and tried to think about happier things. Like projects beyond her present one. Her mind suddenly flashed the scene from the bus and a giddy smile formed on her face which she forcefully pushed down.
That following month flew by from the sheer colossus amount of work she had been doing, and had had to spend many a nights doing over time in the studio. During the past month, she came to discover that the same young-man from before shared the same bus as her but only about forty percent of the time. The first time she saw him after the incident she was thrilled (although she wouldn't admit it to herself). She had wanted to say something to him but she didn't have the courage or the assurance that he'd actually want to talk to her or that he'd even remember her (though it was a pretty memorable happening).
So, she said nothing.
However, when he first made eye contact with her, he looked…ecstatic and waved at her animatedly causing her to giggle under her breath. They were seats apart though so she could only wave back and smile. Although, other than that he would always smile at her (after the first time, they were just nice, kind smiles), he never approached her even when there was an opportunity to.
And, so, Reimi pretended she wasn't bothered by it and continued to politely smile back each time.
She also pretended not to notice him during bus journeys and ignored the bubble of excitement that floated in her stomach which once it popped, left only a faint residue of dissatisfaction.
Sometimes she caught herself watching him and would quickly look elsewhere, scolding the part of her brain that always pulled her towards him. And equally, she would swear that she saw him watching her but would turn away before she could catch him. She ended up pinning it on wishful thinking but by the umpteenth time she started to worry he had noticed her watching him and had grown scared of her. She felt sick at the thought and started to dwell in self-deprecation for having such a childish crush at the age of twenty.
It was a Friday night, about nine forty-five, and Reimi was waiting for the bus home like she did every day. It had been another long night but luckily she had got to leave earlier that eleven that day unlike the days before. She sighed in content as she looked around her and relished in being the only one at the bus stop.
No mad dash for the bus.
She smiled to herself and pushed herself up off of the bench as her bus approached. She politely smiled to the bus driver and walked to the back of the bus, keeping her eyes forward and trying not to notice the familiar flock of hair to her left. She sat in the second-to-last row next to a window and set up her iPod, focusing her eyesight anywhere but in 'his' direction. Then, suddenly, a man jumped in the bus just before the doors closed and slurred something loud and rude-sounding at the bus driver. He swayed in place at he attempted to swipe his oyster card, missing the first two times but then managed to make contact the third.
He looked in his late-thirties but, Reimi noted that the alcohol might have aged him older than he actually was. His sandy-blonde hair was neatly cut and parted, although slightly dishevelled in places and the clothes he wore were a nice balance between smart and casual. It wasn't rare for people to go out on a Friday night to blow off some steam, and Reimi wasn't particularly disproving of people drinking but she had always been a bit apprehensive of drunk people as she never knew how to handle them.
He stumbled his way further into the bus before abruptly stopping as he zoned in on Reimi who had accidentally made eye contact, initiating some form of interaction in the man's eyes. He sauntered, well as well as a drunk man can, over to her chair before blatantly moving his eyes over her, analysing her. Apparently whatever test she was subjected to, had gone well, as he smiled and slid into the seat beside her.
"W-where are you off to then?" he smirked, he shoulders hunched and his head low, making him look up at her. Reimi withdrew at the attention and hesitantly answered.
"Just home," She unconsciously hugged her bag that she had had rested on her lap tighter.
"Ah, long day at work? Or are you coming back from somewhere?" The man had become surprisingly more coherent within the span of the last ten seconds.
"Er, work," Reimi was unsure if she should even have been answering, it just seemed to encourage him, but she had never been very good at rejecting people or telling them when they're bothering her. Also, she wondered if she was being too judgemental and he just wanted to have a chat on his ride home.
"Stressful day, huh?" He questioned further.
Reimi could only managed an awkward smile and shrugged. He didn't even seem too interested in the answer to begin with.
"Yeaaah, I get that," he dramatically nodded his head, the alcohol affecting his mobility, "maybe you should come home with me?"
Okay, so, maybe he was an overfriendly drunk who had lost any idea of boundaries.
"Oh, no, that's okay, I really just want to go home," she rambled trying to smile politely but it was forced and came out strained.
"O-oh, right, right," he appeared to struggle to keep his head up and had slowly begun to lean into Reimi's side.
Please, just go sit somewhere else.
He lulled into a silence and Reimi wondered if he'd fallen asleep until he suddenly spoke up again, "M-maybe I should walk you home, make sure you get back okay," his hand, to Reimi's horror, had found its way onto her thigh. That small movement held a heavy implication. Reimi's mind and heart were so full of anxiety she hadn't even heard the loud, heavy yet quick approaching stomps of boot cladded feet.
And, just as it came, the hand was forced away.
"Get off of her!" Reimi was astonished to find the guy next to her roughly pulled from his seat, the collar of his shirt in the vice grip of the very man she'd been avoiding, "What's wrong with you, can't you see she's obviously bothered?!"
"W-wha-what the hell are you doin'?!" The drunkard sputtered, barely keeping his balance and nearly toppling both men over but the more sober one was able to hold them up.
"I was just talking to her!"
"Right, well you're done now," Reimi was shocked at the harsh tone that rumbled out of her 'hero's' throat. She'd only ever seen him be kind and sweet, but she couldn't say she wasn't extremely grateful.
"What?"
The bus had stopped and the bus driver had appeared out of his booth to see what was going on.
"Sirs, if you're going to act violently I'm going to have to remove you from this vehicle,"
The man angrily looked between the driver and Reimi's saviour, then at Reimi herself who was still entranced by the guy who had so 'rudely' interrupted him. He turned back to the driver and grumbled, "This is my stop anyway."
He stumbled off the bus and the driver, apparently satisfied, went back to his seat, starting up the bus' engine again. Reimi looked on at her kind of (definitely) crush who was still watching the other man walk away through the window, as if he was worried he would return.
"Um," Reimi started, causing him to sharply change his attention to her.
"What were you doing?" his voice was loud and agitated, almost angry.
He's angry?
"W-what?"
"You should have told him off or called for help!" he had come closer to her, standing over her beside her double-seat.
There wasn't anyone else on the bus at this point.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do," She told him weakly.
And I was scared.
He watched her for a minute before his expression changed into something Reimi looked like guilt as he rubbed the back of his head.
"No, I'm an idiot," He sighed, "I shouldn't have shouted at you. That must have been terrifying and it was a difficult situation to deal with," he then gingerly took the seat next to her, where the other man had sat.
"I hope you don't mind," he said tentatively, "Just in case any other drunks come on."
Reimi smiled to herself, "I don't mind. And thank you…for helping me."
Suddenly, becoming more like his cheerful self, he faced her and smiled widely, "Anytime."
The conversation died down and Reimi struggled to think of with any interesting subjects or topics. She begged her mind to come up with something, anything, but she was too frazzled by the pressure of coming across well.
Luckily, he spoke up instead, "Lloyd."
"Sorry?"
"Oh, er, my name's Lloyd," He smiled sheepishly and Reimi hoped the heat in her cheeks didn't show.
Lloyd.
She couldn't help but smile radiantly back at him, "Oh! My name's Reimi. Nice to meet you," she said enthusiastically.
Lloyd looked in awe at that moment and seemed to perk up even more by her words and tested out her name happily, "Reimi."
And from then, the lack of discussion didn't really matter as much.
As they sat in somewhat comfortable silence Reimi tried her best to calm her heart and focus on the strange smell of varnish and sawdust, which she eventually realised, was coming from Lloyd. But she couldn't marvel about it for too long.
Lloyd had begun to gather his black, brown-hemmed backpack then, to her disappointment, informed Reimi it was his stop next. So, they said they're farewells and Reimi thought for a moment that it was hesitant… on both sides.
Reimi watched him as he moved to the front of the bus and out the automated doors, his brown work-boots clomping along the way. When he stepped into the dark outside she saw him hunch his shoulders and dip his head further into the high collar of his forest-green, military coat. It was early winter and the air was especially chilled at night.
Reimi wondered if he had long to walk before he got home.
Reimi fretted when she realised that he was looking back at her and prayed she didn't come across creepy, but when she looked again, he was smiling and waving before he continued walking. When he was out of site, the bus back on the road, Reimi fiddled with the buttons on her beige winter-coat, giddily smiling as she tried to bury her chin against the coat's soft boa collar.
Reimi tried not to feed it, but the hopefulness that had sprouted since their last encounter had her eager to see him again and the jump in her step was evident. Her soft sand-pink skirt swayed and jostled on her way to the bus stop after another stressful day at the studio, yet the tension had depleted almost immediately with the hope of meeting Lloyd again on the bus. Although, as he was only on the same bus as her less than half the time, it seemed unlikely she'd see him.
The bus pulled up and her happiness seized as soon as she was on board. Lloyd was there, but he wasn't alone. Not that that was strange, she'd seen a few people with him on the bus before. Sometimes there was a boy, younger than Lloyd, with silver hair and a child-like demeanour chatting away with him or on a blue moon there would be a man, probably the same age as Lloyd, with bright, red hair and trendy clothes who was loud and boisterous.
However, it wasn't either of them. It was a girl. A girl with long, blond hair and a brilliantly bright, sincere smile that Reimi thought could still a mad man. Reimi knew it was a quick and typical assumption that they were a couple but…there was an obvious closeness that Reimi wasn't bothered to excuse or justify. Self-loathing and anger seeped its way around her thoughts, and dissolved her previous optimistic ones.
I'm so…stupid.
She judged herself for getting such an overbearing crush on a stranger she had only had a few words with and knew next to nothing about. And that girl…was the complete opposite of her, in looks AND mind. She seemed so cheerful and positive, whereas Reimi had always thought she gave off quite a melancholy aura and was too soft-spoken.
Seated near the back of the bus (her chosen spot), Reimi sighed quietly and looked out of the window. She decided that she'd go back to her original plan. Ignoring and pushing down any feelings about him, and keeping her distance. She had much more conviction this time and was actually grateful that it wasn't too often that they shared the same bus.
While she pretended she didn't notice her stomach twist in sadness, she got out her headphones, drowning herself in music and any thoughts that weren't of Lloyd.
And never saw the questioning, concerned eyes that constantly hovered over her.
Why?
He was there…again.
It had been a few weeks after the incident, and her plan…wasn't going well. It was as if, when she came to the decision to distance herself, the amount of bus journeys Lloyd and her shared greatly increased. The usual forty percent ascended to ninety. Lloyd was almost always on the same bus as her now, and Reimi couldn't help but think the universe was against her.
Luckily (she'd like to think), he didn't approach her and even though it seemed drastic and made her feel a little guilty, she pretended to not see him and never make eye-contact with him.
Maybe his shift changed?
Not that she knew what he did or if he was even in work.
And so, another day and Reimi was no longer surprised to see Lloyd on the same bus. She hated to admit it, but she seemed to always know where he was without actually looking, like a radar or something. The bus was quite busy that day due to the bad weather and he was standing, and she had to do the same. She found a space opposite him but turned her body so to not be directly facing him.
Although, she could tell in the corner of her eye that something was strange… People were keeping a little space between them and Lloyd, as if he smelled. She had taken a chance to look up at him and saw that he was completely drenched, water dripping from his hair and clothes. He didn't seem too concerned that people were side-eyeing him and being careful not to touch him so as not to get wet.
Reimi understood where the other passengers were coming from but she couldn't help but feel annoyed and slightly angry at them, and at the thought of Lloyd being ostracised in any way (even though he really wasn't). So, apparently throwing her 'plan' out the window for now. She approached him, pushing past people to reach him.
"Lloyd," she said getting his attention. Ignoring his sudden overly-happy demeanour, and the questionable look of relief as soon as he saw Reimi, assuming anything she deciphered was probably wrong from past experiences, she pulled out a pack of pocket tissues from her bag and throwing caution to the wind, took one out using it to dry his dripping face before handing him the rest of the pack.
"I'm sorry, I know tissue isn't the most practical thing to use but it's all I have on me," she explained apologetically, only receiving a soft, fond smile from Lloyd which froze her in place. She'd never seen him look like that before (that she knew of anyway).
"What are you apologising for, you dork? You're helping me," he told her while he chuckled under his breath.
Reimi said nothing but smiled back while trying to contain the nervousness that was bubbling up in her stomach.
"Oh, it's my stop coming up," Lloyd noticed, his tone almost sounded disappointed or sullen by the realisation.
Reimi took out her compact umbrella and handed it to Lloyd.
"Won't you need it?" He said as his eyebrows furrowed.
"My house is right by my bus-stop," She lied. It was actually a thirty minute walk.
Lloyd watched her for a moment and then at the umbrella. Reimi swore she saw something click, like he'd come up with an idea or had suddenly become enlightened.
"…Okay, thank you," he said gratefully looking at her, and he was really looking at her, as if he'd found something really interesting and he couldn't take his eyes off of it.
"Y-you're welcome… Bye," Reimi waved him off as he took his leave, not having detected the bus had even stop.
What…was that?
She mulled over the interaction for the rest of the bus journey before chastising herself for thinking too much about something that was probably nothing…again. By the time Reimi reached her stop, the rain was torrential. She stepped from the bus into the outside, only to be drenched in an instant. She didn't regret giving Lloyd her umbrella though and was actually a lover of rain, it made her excited like a child.
…Reimi awoke the next morning with a cold and fever.
The current production she had been working on was coming to an end, on her last week actually and all that was left was polishing up all her pieces. Not that it wasn't still awfully busy and stressful, after all it was 'crunch time'.
And for this very reason, she absolutely was not ill. Nope. She couldn't be. Not now. And she didn't feel so dizzy that it hurt to stand, or as a matter of fact, to move in the slightest. Her head was not pounding and her nose wasn't running like a faucet. Nope. No.
Perfectly healthy.
So, of course, she had gotten through the day swimmingly…she assumed. Her vision was definitely swimming anyway, and when she was finally on the bus, sat near the back, she rested her head against the wet (from the condensation) window. Her head hung from exhaustion and she feigned ignorance when she saw her hands in her lap, a sickeningly pale complexion rather than her usual light-olive skin tone.
She was breathing heavily, and her body felt so hot and clammy, she was so uncomfortable. She hardly perceived her eyes closing slowly as she sunk further into herself, slowly falling into a limbo of slumber that she couldn't control.
Then, what felt like a moment later but was actually fifteen minutes later, she was softly shaken awake with a gentle voice calling out her name.
"Reimi," The voice was laced with concern and panic, "Reimi, are you okay?"
Reimi's eyes fluttered open, her lap the first sight she saw as her head was so low that her chin was latent against her chest. She struggled to lift her head up towards the voice but she eventually managed and was met with frantic, anxious eyes.
"Lloyd?" She questioned in surprise, "What's wrong?"
"Reimi, you should go to the doctors, or maybe the hospital," He said in a serious tone Reimi had never heard him use before.
"N-no, I'm fine, don't worry. I'm just really tired," She tried to reassure.
"Reimi, you're clearly ill," He told her in almost a reprimanding tone.
"It's just a cold. I'll rest as soon as I get home," She assured him, but then realised, she didn't know where they were. She turned to look out the window and after a minute, sighed in relief.
Thank God, I haven't missed my stop.
However, another thought quickly entered her mind.
"Lloyd, wasn't your stop a while ago?" Her voice was feeble as she turned to him in confusion.
"U-uh, yeah, I-I'm going somewhere else today," He stuttered as he replied.
Oh.
The blond girl from before flashed in Reimi's mind and she glumly sunk further into her chair.
"Oh... Erm, my stop's coming up so I better get moving," Reimi tried pulling a polite smile but she doubted it looked that way. Lloyd got out from the seat beside her, still looking at her with worry and a protectiveness, so that she could get up. However, when Reimi went to stand, her legs buckled underneath her and she fell back into her seat, her whole body refusing to move from fatigue.
Oh no.
Lloyd quickly moved back beside her, "Reimi?"
She nervously laughed, and tried again with him following her movements this time, only to have the same thing happen again but with Lloyd holding her when she fell.
"Reimi… Can you not stand?"
"Uh, I…" Reimi saw that the bus was pulling in at her stop.
Crap. What do I do?
Lloyd seemed to have noticed as well. He looked at Reimi who was too busy in her thoughts and suddenly, took action. The automatic doors opened and Lloyd scooped Reimi up effortlessly into his arms.
"Wah!-L-Lloyd?"
Lloyd ignored her protests, called out a thank you to the bus driver, then hoped off of the bus.
"Okay, so which direction is your home?" Lloyd asked smiling down at a baffled Reimi.
"L-Lloyd, quickly get back onto the bus," She panicked, seeing the bus' door begin to close behind them.
"Reimi, you're really warm," He told her, his face etched with unease, "And I doubt you staying in this weather is going to help, so, please, just point me the way."
"But, it's almost a half an hour walk! You can't carry me the whole way," She argued.
"That's fine. You're light and I have a lot of stamina," He beamed reassuringly before faltering, "Wait…half an hour? You said your place was right next to the bus stop," He looked at her incredulously.
Alarm bells rang in Reimi's head but she was too ill to really act on it and just tried to hide her face and keep herself from falling unconscious. Lloyd observed this, then decided to come back to that later and once again, asked where she lived.
She finally told him, feeling guilty for keeping him longer in the cold while he was trying to help her, not to mention carrying her.
The walk would have been awkward for Reimi but everything seemed like a surreal dream as she swam back and forth from consciousness.
At one point she thought she heard Lloyd mutter, "I knew I shouldn't have taken it," But felt too sick to ask what he had meant.
With some more deciphering Reimi's incoherent directions, they finally made it to her flat. Lloyd quickly spotted the couch and gently laid Reimi onto it, then saw that she'd actually managed to fall asleep.
He felt awkward being in her house without her consent but he wasn't planning on leaving any time soon. He shouldered off his backpack and went through it, pulling out his phone. He taped the screen a few times before pressing the call button on a certain contact.
Ring Ring, Ring Ring, Ring-
"Hey, Professor?"
Reimi awoke to the sound of clinking and running water, and found herself in her flat lying on her sofa with her coat, shoes and jacket neatly folded and piled on the floor next to her. She slowly sat up, her head lightly pounding, and looked over to her kitchen area where the noise had come from.
"Lloyd?!" Reimi croaked loudly, her voice thick with sleep. Lloyd was in her kitchen, hovering over a large saucepan on her stove. He spun around when he heard her call his name and quickly came over to her.
"Reimi, you're awake. How are you feeling?"
"U-uh a bit better, thank you," She stuttered, feeling very self-conscious, "What are you still doing here?"
"O-oh, right, I'm really sorry. I was too worried to leave you by yourself but wasn't sure if you'd be comfortable with me calling an ambulance, although maybe you would have instead of a strange boy being around your home…" He trailed off at the end of his ramblings before he started again, "I mean I can leave! But let me call someone else for you instead."
Reimi knew that she should feel unsettled with someone she didn't know very well in her home but Lloyd had seemed so genuine ever since she'd met him that she doubted he had any ill intent…ever, although she still kept her guard up.
(And she always had pepper spray, and the fact that she lived in a flat complex with over ten other residents.)
"That's okay. Don't worry, Lloyd. You helped me a lot today." She smiled thankfully towards him, then out of the corner of her eye, saw the clock behind him, "Oh my god, Lloyd! It's quarter to eight! You've been here for almost two hours!"
"Yeah, sorry. I panicked and called a friend who's good at these sort of things. She told me to take off your coat and jacket so that you didn't overheat and to make soup, although I don't know how good it's going to taste. Oh! And she said a bath that's not too hot is good. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone around your house..." He scratched the back of his head nervously.
Reimi wasn't really sure what to say, or do for that matter, before she decided maybe apologising would be best.
"I'm so sorry, Lloyd. I can call you a cab and I'll pay for it of course. Didn't you have somewhere to go?" Reimi felt awful he'd wasted his time taking care of her, although she felt a small wave of guilt mixed with relieved happinessat the thought of him staying with her than going to his girlfriend's.
"Don't worry, I can call my roommate to come pick me up," He assured.
"But aren't you expected somewhere? They're probably worried about you," Reimi continued, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.
Lloyd hesitated a moment, his mouth opening and closing, as if he was debating his next words, "Reimi… I lied when I said I was going somewhere else today," He paused a moment to gauge Reimi's reaction.
…What?
"I had seen you when you had gotten on the bus, and you looked so sick, so, I kept an eye on you. And when it got to my stop… I just couldn't move," His mannerisms became awkward, almost shy at his confession.
There was a palpable silence in the room, before a smile slowly tugged on Reimi's lips. She laughed lightly and shortly, "Lloyd, you're so kind."
Despite her smile though, her eyes were distant and slightly solemn at the thought of how much she liked this guy. Lloyd had noticed and seemed to misunderstand as he began, "Reimi…You don't have to be polite. I know I've made you uncomfortable from the start, even before today…"
"Huh?" Reimi said with confused interest.
"After we met…I could tell you were avoiding me, and I know I must have come across too strongly, but I really liked you since our first encounter," He laughed at the memory, "And the more I saw you, and met you, it kind of snowballed…" He looked up from his view of the floor and glanced at Reimi.
Reimi faltered for a while unable to say anything but just processed what had happened. Then, after a moment of static thoughts, she smiled slowly and sweetly. Even if this wasn't the way Reimi had liked their relationship to go, she was still happy that he had liked her just as a person, despite him not having any romantic perspective of her at all.
But she couldn't be his friend. It'd hurt too much. And not knowing if it was the fever, or the sudden need to just get it all out, she told him as much.
"Lloyd, thank you. I really like you too," Reimi started with a smile, "But you're right, I was avoiding you, though not for the reason you think," She let her head fall on the back rest of the couch.
Lloyd sat down on the soft beside her, his eyebrows knitted together as he listened.
"I like you in a different way than you like me. And I know it's ridiculous because we hadn't even properly spoken but it happened. And, because of that, I decided it'd be best to avoid you. I mean, it must be pretty creepy having a stranger have crush on you."
Lloyd's eyebrows shot to his forehead when she finished, "Wait! You…have a crush on me?"
Reimi, already as embarrassed as she was going to get, nodded where her head lay on the back edge of the sofa. It became silent, and Reimi eventually looked over to Lloyd from under her eyelashes. He was…smiling. Beaming even, just like he had when they first met.
But then it disappeared as he realised something, "What did you mean that I like you a different way?"
"W-well, I like you…in a, er, r-romantic way…" Reimi stuttered awkwardly lifting her head up.
"Yeah, so…it's mutual, right?" He asked with a confused tone, his eyebrows scrunched together.
Reimi mirrored his expression, "N-no…wait-what? No, you have a girlfriend."
"What? No I don't!" He protested confoundedly, raising his voice.
"But the blond girl on the bus…"
Reimi could almost see the cogs turn in his brain as he wracked his memory.
"Colette? She's not my girlfriend, I've known her since I was four. She's like my sister!"
Reimi's mouth hung open slightly as she uttered an, "O-oh…."
"Is that why you stayed away from me?" Lloyd questioned as things started coming together.
"A bit…yeah," Reimi hesitantly admitted.
Another loud silence rang out as they both went through all their past encounters in their heads and tried to piece together signs of feelings from the other.
"When you were carrying me home, you said something about my umbrella…?"
Lloyd snapped back to reality at the broken silence.
"O-oh. Yeah, I would have never taken your umbrella from you but…"
"But I wanted you to take it, I offered it to you."
"I know, but I never would have accepted it when I thought you'd need it. Then, I realised that… if I did take it, I would have to return it which would give me a chance to talk to you again…I have it today actually," He had gotten quieter with every word of his confession but Reimi had heard everything.
Silence returned and Reimi could tell he was nervous, but she couldn't think of what to say. She didn't quite believe it.
"Uh- Erm…are you sure? Y-you don't even know me," Reimi knew she wasn't being fair, after all, it was the same for her but it was too perfect a scenario for her not to question it.
"Hmm, yeah, that's true. I can't really explain it though. Since we first met I was drawn to you. Be it the way you look, your mannerisms, the way you talk, or what you say, I just…always could tell when you were near…and I couldn't take my eyes off you. You must have seen me staring?"
Reimi had begun blushing profusely mid Lloyd's explanation and barely managed to respond.
"..I-I thought you were looking because you saw me looking and were creeped out," Reimi quickly told him.
Lloyd watched Reimi for a moment, as if the words were sinking in, and then, he laughed heartedly.
Reimi began to laugh as well, more from happy relief than anything. Suddenly, a loud rattling could be heard from the kitchen.
"Oh, the soup!" Lloyd ran over to the stove and turned down the heat, "I think it's done. I'm a pretty okay cook, so it shouldn't be bad, at least."
He asked Reimi where the bowels were and they began to dish up.
As they ate soup (Reimi insisted he eat with her), they played twenty questions, finding more about each other (such as; Lloyd was a 22 year old wood-craftsmen apprentice who had recently graduated from university) and enjoying every moment in each other's company. They talked about work, aspirations, friends and family, their childhood, and Reimi forgot she was even ill. She was having so much fun and felt so happy, all her stress seemed to melt away.
However, it became quite late and Lloyd had to leave. Despite Reimi's protests he got her to call her sister to come over and look after her for the night. He stayed with Reimi until her sister arrived. They talked quietly as they waited.
Bzzzzzz
"Oh, that must be Beatrix," Reimi got up to answer the buzzer to let her sister up.
Lloyd got his jacket and backpack, and followed Reimi to the door.
"Are you on the bus tomorrow?" He asked straightforwardly.
"Yeah, but I don't know what time," Reimi told him with an apologetic look.
Lloyd gave a thoughtful expression looking up at the ceiling before returning his attention to Reimi, "Can I get your number? So, I can make sure you get home alright," He shyly glanced away for a moment as he used the excuse.
"O-oh, yeah," She stammered as she stifled her surprise and fumbled with the keys on her phone as she showed him her contact number. He typed it into his phone quickly before pocketing his mobile.
"Thanks," He mumbled as he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, "Can I see you again soon? When your better-oh and if you want to," He asked hopefully before becoming worried he'd put her on the spot.
Reimi quietly chuckled which gradually became the sweetest smile Lloyd had ever seen, "I'd really like that."
Lloyd gave a genuine, large toothy-girin, "Can I call you?"
Knock Knock
"Uh-yeah, of course," Reimi responded happily as she opened her flat door to reveal a girl with long, blonde hair in a messy fish-tail braid.
"Hey Reimi, you alright?" Beatrix asked in concern as she looked over her sister.
"Yeah, thank you so much for coming. Sorry to have ruined your night," Reimi apologised guiltily.
"You didn't ruin my night," Beatrix assured strongly before turning to Lloyd, "Thank you for helping my sister."
"No problem," Lloyd smiled, "Er...Well, I should get going," He told Reimi reluctantly.
"O-oh, yeah, thank you so much and I'm sorry that you spent most of you free time here tonight."
"It wasn't a problem. I had a lot of fun. Well, bye," Lloyd opened the door but quickly turned back a kissed Reimi on the cheek as he held one of her hands in his, "See you soon."
And with that he smiled happily and left.
Reimi stood in that same spot for a good five minutes in a haze of happiness and confusion, then she smiled as she remembered something.
He didn't give me back my umbrella.