AN: Auuh….For those who wished for a serious story, I'm sorry I ruined it. And for those who waited, I'm sorry for not being diligent enough, and thank you for being so patient. (;w;)
Oh, and about Mukuro's figure of speech, I realized he's being out of character…almost like a gentleman character from an old novel, but please think of it as his way to mock Kyoko's polite behavior. :9
Simple Reminder: The story that I made are fiction, they're in no way related to the real world. Meaning it was a pure, arranged, sweetened lie. If there were similarities, it was pure coincidence. By continue reading, you are giving me your consent to continue being lied upon, and that I hold no responsibility for this. Lying is bad, so could you swear that you dont mind being lied upon by me, of all people? Is that ok?
Disclaimer: KHR and its characters belong to Amano Akira.
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Chapter 4: Game
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In the distant future, if she was asked why she was willing to go on a walk with Rokudo Mukuro, Sasagawa Kyoko would, without a doubt, shrug and said that she didn't even know why. She just did.
She was interested in him, she guessed. She couldn't figure out why he asked her of all people. He looked like the kind that wouldn't mind anyone, and if she were to be honest, the man was certainly easy on the eyes. Surely, even if he was to pick a random girl off the street, it'd be easy.
So why?
She lifted her head to look at the person walking a step ahead. She wanted to see his face. People tended to change their facial expressions, but so far annoying and irritating ones were what she got from him. How about his eyes, then? Would those beautiful heterochromatic eyes gave away his thoughts? She pondered as she walked faster, trying to catch a glimpse of his expression. It seemed like Mukuro noticed and purposely walked faster, she could almost hear his smirk as she was left behind once again.
Where were they heading to? She was curious. But knowing the man, from their few meetings, she guessed he would take her everywhere, but nowhere in particular, just to tire and annoy her. Yes, that sounded about right, Kyoko decided.
"Do you have somewhere in mind, Mukuro-san?" she asked him, trying to start a conversation. The man turned at her and smirked.
"You decide, Sasagawa Kyoko."
An order.
While it might seemed like he was giving her freedom to choose, this man actually was trying to entertain himself by watching her attempts to please him. Adding the fact that she was raised to be a wise, loyal wife who ought to obey her husband, being told to choose sometimes annoyed her.
Aaah…it seemed like she's getting used to him. She could easily understand the face he was making. That's the face that said, "Amuse me."
"Then, would it be alright if we stop somewhere? There are things that I need to buy, actually." She answered with as she broadened her steps and started walking ahead of the illusionist. "Do you mind?" she asked with a smile as she turned her head toward him.
How about that? Guys hate accompanying girls shopping, right? He surely would make some kind of excuse to not go with her.
Kyoko inwardly cheered when she detected the slight scowl on his face. Ah, it seemed like he knew what she was thinking, because he immediately grinned.
"Sure, do lead the way." He answered, shrugging. She just had to comply to his demand, right?
Understood. She nodded toward him and slowed down to wait for him to walk beside her.
Rokudo Mukuro was unable to understand himself. He was a man of control, so why did he let this woman led him around? Ah, but he was curious about so many things. How would she react? What would she do? Where would she take him? He wanted to know and for him that was enough as a reason. The man glanced at his current companion, calculating.
What would she buy? From his own experiences, girly girls tend to buy cute things to impress the guy she was with. So, would she buy dolls? Shoes? Clothes? Perfume? But it seemed like the woman was set on surprising him, so she most likely would buy things that's the opposite of cute. Boxing gloves, maybe? Or dumbbells? But she was not strong physically to be able to bring those home, so maybe if she really did buy those she would ask him to carry them by saying they were for her brother…
Oya, oya, he really should stop guessing. Or else it would no longer be fun to watch her.
As they walked in silence, both pondered about many things, but mainly about each other. Neither noticed when this game of surprise started, nor what kind of condition should be fulfilled to determine the winner. Both forgot since when did being in each other's presence become so fun. They just played along naturally, as if it was an activity that both partake in everyday.
The people around them whispered as they passed. It seemed like they've caught the passerby's attentions. The illusionist ignored the wandering females as they giggled at his sight in favor of watching the woman that had gathered the male population's glances on her features.
He was not blind in any way and he noticed that the woman was not that bad, pretty even. Did she plan to let herself got hit on by a stranger and left him hanging around by himself? But she didn't dress up, so that was unlikely the case. So why did she choose to go to this shopping district? Earlier he offered to accompany her to a department store and she immediately refused. He was interested, you might as well say that he was excited, for that mean she had things planned.
"Where do you plan to shop?" he finally asked, making the woman turned to him and successfully made her watchers clicked their tongue distastefully at how easily he spoke to her.
"We're almost there, I know of a nice place a little over there." She answered, all polite and calm.
They already passed a blindingly pink colored accessories shop, a luxurious café full of annoying lovers, a crowded bakery, a toy shop with humongous dolls on display, and a sport shop filled full of things that the older Sasagawa sibling surely would drool at the sight. But the woman simply glanced and passed them. As they walked, he noticed the crowd's range of age changed. From loud teenagers, to elderly man and woman, and he raised an eyebrow and quickly turned to Kyoko, who happily hummed an unfamiliar tune.
And the smell. He felt foolish to not notice this earlier. From the sweet fragrance of perfume mixed with sweat, to a mix of sweat and something else that was awfully familiar but unable to put his mind on.
"A market?" was all he could ask at the moment.
"Hmm? Yes, I'm glad they're still open at this hour. It'd take too long to go to a supermarket." She answered cheerily as she stopped humming, making her way to a fish vendor.
"Shopping?" an eyebrow was raised as he asked this time.
"Grocery shopping, yes. I was going to shop after we finished taking a walk, but thank you for accompanying me. It's my turn to make dinner." She said, smiling at him as the seller made his way to greet her. "I miss the taste of salted fish, but Onii-chan prefers fresh fish, so I'm torn here. What do you think?"
She won. Mukuro didn't know what she won, but it just felt like he lost. And it seemed like she felt that way too, judging from the smirk that slyly found its way to her face as the seller was busy listing the price for her.
But he wouldn't go down without a fight.
"Sasagawa Kyoko," he called, and the woman turned her head, pausing from choosing the fish, "be my wife."
Kyoko's mouth went wide, her eyes unfocused and a blush immediately found its way to her cheeks. Mukuro appreciated the change of expression, and he was satisfied. Judging from the way they interact earlier that day, he knew she was going to dismiss his proposal as a joke. And it really was that, a joke.
It was an awful joke and she was forced to accept that mock proposal. He was sure of that. Come on, a young, good looking man was accompanying a woman to buy groceries, surely that was the definition of an ideal husband, no?
If she accepted him here, he wondered if she would continue behaving as his future wife for the sake of continuing with their childish game. If she rejected him, they would both feel embarrassed, and she would forever be brandished as an ungrateful woman who rejected a nice gentleman by the people in that market. Oh, he could hear some of the younger ones whistling, the ladies giggling at their little display of affection, and the men laughing and started telling their own proposal stories.
Sasagawa Kyoko remained silent, even thought her mouth was continuing to open and close. It seemed like she blanked out. Rokudo Mukuro was sure of that, and he –amazingly- patiently waited for her answer as he calculated what's inside her mind.
Sasagawa Kyoko, a 24 years old normal woman, a student in a normal college, currently single, was at a loss. She was proposed for the first time in her life a few days after her ex's marriage, by the relative of her ex's wife. And as if that was not enough, she was proposed in an evening market. With a salted fish held in her right hand, and a wriggling fresh fish in her left. It was a miracle she didn't drop them already.
(tbc maybe)
((omake))
She won. Mukuro didn't know what she won, but it just felt like he lost. And it seemed like she felt that way too, judging from the smirk that slyly found its way to her face as the seller was busy listing the price for her.
But he wouldn't go down without a fight. He immediately turned toward the vegetable vendor nearby and grabbed a handful of cauliflower. He then kneeled down beside the red haired woman, making not only the woman, but everyone present to turned and stare at him.
"Sasagawa Kyoko!" he declared, making the aforementioned woman to take a step backward. "Would you marry me?" he asked, thrusting the make shift bouquet of cauliflower toward the woman. He then grabbed Kyoko's hand and brought it to his lips. And if that seemed romantic, everyone might need to be reminded that she was choosing fishes using the very same hand.
"O-oh, of course, Mukuro-san, if it's you…uh, sorry I forgot the next line, you caught me by surprise...I think we should practice our lines later, so let's get this done quickly and practice at home? It would be bad if we mess up on the stage." She answered after a pause, apologizing to the people nearby for surprising them.
Mukuro frowned as the people around immediately dismissed their action as a drama practice. Smooth move, Sasagawa, very smooth…and he was not happy.
((Author Note))
I should stop ruining characters…I'm sorry, they were not supposed to be in a market, and he was supposed to propose in a café, but then the more I tried to develop the story, the gloomier it became and…uuh…maybe I would write the alternative someday…please bear with it…. OwO;
May grammatical errors be forgiven…
Andrea_chan08: you might want to write your address this way meineliebe (underscore) makubex , because it seems like the site deleted the address. I'm not a Christian, but I appreciate the sentiment. Have a nice day. :3