'I'll Change your opinion'
Hello again! Long time no see. But now I'm back. Better late than later. So, here is the hot new chapter of the Runner. So now, I'm fresh and ready to continue the suspenseful ending of the previous chapter. Whom did Haruka encounter at the door? A person or something more? Surprise.
'It can't be…' muttered the blonde while staring at the man in front of her.
His form was familiar and she calmed herself down when he smiled weakly at her. He never was a surprise type of person; however when he planned in doing one he shook everything to the core. Just like now…
'Hey, I just came…' he started, but the tall girl interrupted him.
'I just didn't expect you to reply that soon. Not even mentioning showing up…'
At the last sentence the man made a funny grimace, making his whole face turn childlike. Haruka half-smiled and leaned against the door, crossing her arms.
'Well, you called and you sounded rather concerned. So, I thought I'd come around and help.'
'Yeah, I really appreciate this, but I'm fine. Really…'she said while giving a quick glance behind her at the sleeping Michiru.
The man looked in the direction Haruka was looking, but was cut out by her when she suddenly turned at him. He smiled and added warmly 'Why don't we go for a walk? And in the meanwhile you can explain to me what the problem is.'
'I…I'm fine. Really. I just was…' without letting her finish, he grabbed her hand with his right hand and her jacket with his left.
'It's just a walk. Besides' he said while leading her at the staircase 'I didn't come here just to hear you're fine.'
While walking Haruka had plenty of time to observe her late night visitor. He was quite taller than her and handsome, something that just couldn't pass unnoticed the way his shirt fell on his chest. His hair was short brown with discreet blond highlights on its edges.
They barely knew each other. She had seen him only once and briefly, still he was far beyond the picture she had in her mind. 'Surprise?' the blonde shook off the thought as he looked and grimaced playfully at her, trying to look like Joker from the Batman movies. His sense of humor was nothing she had seen before. It was sarcastic and childish; however she knew well it was only the surface. Each of his grimaces and jokes hid a deeper meaning, a shade from his past. Biting her lip she followed him till a small pub nearby the hotel.
'So, what's wrong?' he asked while taking a big bite of his burger.
'Eh?' she started, but found herself staring at his mouth not believing the fact that some people could actually eat at midnight. Snapping out of her daydreaming she added 'I was just in a bad mood and I wanted someone…to talk to'
'Yeah, but why me?' he asked smiling 'It's not like we're pals or something'
'Well, yeah…' the blonde couldn't explain that fact either 'No one took me seriously so I thought, why not call Christian and talk about it?'
The brown haired man grimaced again and whispered with a warm tone in his voice 'I remember…'
Haruka's Flashback
She turned bluntly the pages of her note books, her look passing through decades of phone numbers. 'Whom to call?' She fell on the couch motionless. It's funny how even best friends can't help sometimes. 'Why don't they understand me? Parents aren't a solution either. So, whom to call? Christian…Why him? Why not? Yeah that would be great to call a complete stranger and start talking about your miserable, boring self. As if hasn't his own life to think about…You've talked to him! He's mature and kind! And the blonde dialed with a sign. Surprisingly enough, she felt like if she called a guy she secretly was in love with and then would silence at his voice. She almost did…But reason regained control.
End of flashback
'And you said that you were feeling unhappy and rather pessimistic about your life' Christian outlined while stuffing himself with fried potatoes. It was a wonder to Haruka how he was still so skinny eating that portions of food.
'And you told me that this is what life is about. The 2/3 of it is this miserable, full of pain feeling. But the point is to enjoy the other 1/3 to its limits and cherish it'
'Exactly!' he exclaimed nodding and then added 'And hunt it! Hunt the white color of your life'
'You have a point there. I wonder why I keep complaining about my life. It's perfect! I have everything! Still, I always feel something's missing and seek problems where there are none' she stated and grabbed her glass of water, just to hold onto something.
'You're demanding too much of yourself. Relax. Try to be more selfish' he said and finished off his burger. 'Now I have his full attention…' thought Haruka.
'You know, despite me looking so cool and confident, in the reality I have a quite low self-esteem. I tend to believe in other people more than in myself' the blonde said with a sing 'But really, I'm fine now. Love is the best medicine to anything'
He dived in her green eyes and asked her 'How do you expect to love someone when you don't love yourself?'
Haruka opened her mouth and then shut it. One million thoughts might have passed through her mind then, but she didn't lose control. Not with his eyes on her. She saw a mere child in his brown eyes. Warmth was pouring out of them, while she knew hers were giving out utter indifference. A wrong impression indeed, because she cared more about other people than herself. But still…It is a good defense. Hiding her all her feelings under a look was a gift and a curse at the same time. Who could see behind the lines?
'Why do you insist that you're so serious? I mean, you've suffered more than me in this life. However, I see a child through your eyes'
He smiled awkwardly and replied playfully 'Do you? Could you imagine that I hated women since I knew myself? I believed that they were the worst beings on the planet. Deceitful, full of lies and a pain in the ass' and he added then with a laugh 'Want me tell you another reason why I'm gay?'
It was Haruka's turn to dive in his eyes. She never believed she could say what she was about to tell him 'I don't care. Even if you are gay, I'll put you into a straight way'
He raised his eyebrow slightly and comforted himself better on his seat. Then he asked her half-playfully, half-serious 'What are you thinking of?'
'What are YOU thinking of?' she returned the question.
'I asked first' he stated. It was then when Haruka actually noticed they were looking at each other face to face trying to resolve each others mysteries.
'Promise to tell me after?' she asked thinking that this was going to be far more interesting than the book 'The perfect date' she had read a week ago.
'Sure' he replied with a boy-scout look on his face.
For an instant she wondered if she should actually speak her mind. State her thoughts as they were; pure, truthful… 'What do I have to lose? Try it and see what happens'
'I wondered if I could possibly change your opinion about women'
'I think that I like you'
Surprise.
Phewww. So what was that all about? How will Haruka cope with the cold-straight-away-delivery confession? Just wait for the next chapter!
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