A/N: Okay, so when I was in school, I took a creative writing class. One of our assignments was to write a small five page screen play. This is basically a modified, extended version of the original one I wrote while in school. It was really fun and I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 20: Dreaming Of You
Shirokin Park was populated with students and teachers alike, making their way to school before they were late. The students spoke in loud voices. Ryu wondered how they could have such energy so early in the morning. He was sitting on the edge of the fountain, attempting to read his book for class. However, he couldn't concentrate with all the loud chatter of the students.
'Annoying loud people,' Ryu seethed in his head, not wanting to voice his thoughts. 'No matter where I go, I can't concentrate…' Ryu closed his eyes. He was starting to feel a little bit of stress come on. 'At home, there's stupid Hayato, always being loud,' he opened his eyes again after that thought. 'And out here, stupid loud high school kids…' he silently glared at the culprits around him, not even noticing him sitting there.
As time passed, the high school kids were no longer present, nor were their teachers, as it was now time for high school to begin. He was sporting a black biker jacket over a t-shirt, worn blue jeans, the usual boots, and his skull ring. Any young woman, or older woman, who had passed silently by him, and actually noticed him, had stared to marvel at his looks. He didn't notice them much, as they were silent, and he was concentrating on his book. Not thirty minutes later, a group of young women were walking by him, chatting lowly. His eyebrow twitched at the disturbance. He noted that their voices weren't close to him, so he peered up from his book without moving his head to see the women. Some meters away, he saw a young woman of average height standing directly in front of him. Her long brown layered hair came down to the middle of her back. He could tell she had on a black long sleeved shirt, a frayed denim mini skirt, and high-top canvas sneakers.
Sayo was with the other girls, walking through the park as they were discussing Sayo's latest break up.
"I can't believe you actually said that to him," Juri marveled at Sayo's boldness, a skeptical expression on her face.
"Yeah, really," Maki, standing next to Juri, agreed.
"Hey, check out the hottie sitting at the fountain," Kiri whispered, standing opposite of the other two, while leaning in toward the middle of the group. Five of them peered over at Ryu with curious eyes. The only one who didn't turn around was the one standing in front of him, Sayo.
'Geez, these girls…' Sayo thought with a chuckle.
'I can hear you…' Ryu thought to himself, irritated by the girl's whispering.
"Quit that, it's rude to stare at people," Sayo chastised the girls, a disapproving look on her face. Their eyes had lingered for too long.
The girls all snickered while they pried their eyes from him to peer at Sayo. Kiri, Saya and Mitsu were secretly eyeing him still.
"Honestly, you girls are so terrible," Sayo half-joked about their behavior, shaking her head at them with her eyes closed.
'At least she has some sense of decency…' Ryu thought to himself, hearing Sayo's comment about her friends. Girls like that were definitely good ones in his book.
"Why are you being so goody-goody?" Kiri nudged Sayo's sides playfully, wiggling her eyebrows at her friend.
"What, do you know that guy, Sayo-chan?" Maki asked in a teasing manner.
"Not that I know of, but that doesn't mean anything," Sayo answered, shrugging first. The other girls were still sneaking looks over at him.
'Sayo-chan? I think I've heard that name before…' Ryu thought hard, trying to remember. A single memory came to mind. It was the night he and Hayato had helped Minoru home after they found his wallet, and discovered Yankumi's secret background.
"Geez, first Ayu-chan and Mayu-chan come over with Saya-chan and Sayo-chan," Yankumi complained in a low tone, but the two boys could hear her fine. "And now you two show up, I don't think I can handle much more of this…"
That was it! Yankumi knew a girl named Sayo-chan. Apparently Sayo-chan and Saya-chan had showed up unexpectedly with their mothers the night before. 'Ayu-chan' had ran into her a couple days before the women showed up at the Oedo home.
Ryu lifted his head from his book to see the group of young women.
Sayo turned around to take a quick look at this 'hottie' the girls were talking about. She turned halfway, taking one step backwards, revealing to Ryu her sleeveless navy blue hoodie, and an elaborate dragon graphic on the front of her shirt. Their eyes met. Sayo felt her eyes widen as she gazed at him. His face registered in her mind. She had seen this guy somewhere before.
Suddenly, she remembered. The day she broke up with Misawa, she had seen him standing by the gates of Kurogin Gakuen. She had never really spoke to him, nor seen him again after that. But his face was unmistakable. She swallowed hard, realizing he was staring at her as well. Blinking a few times, she tore her gaze away from him and turned back around to face the girls.
"What?" Juri questioned, seeing that Sayo was baffled.
"What is it Sayo?" Saya, also noticing the change in Sayo's behavior, questioned with a small hint of concern laced in her voice.
"Nope, I don't know him," Sayo answered, trying to ignore his stare burning a hole in her back.
Impulse taking over, Ryu stood from the fountain edge, closed his book on his finger to keep his place, and advanced toward the group of young women. The other girls noticed him coming toward them. After seeing her face, he had to at least introduce himself to her. Why would he let a beautiful woman with her head on her shoulders right get away so easily?
"Excuse me…"
Sayo heard the voice behind her and turned around swiftly. He was unexpectedly close to her. "Uh, yes?"
Before Ryu said anything more, he glanced behind the young woman before him to see Maki-chan standing adjacent to her. "Ah, Maki-chan."
"Ah, you're Takeda-kun's friend, right?" Maki smiled, and the other young women looked over at her curiously.
"Yeah," Ryu nodded his head, reminding himself mentally of why he was over here in the first place.
"It's nice to see you, these are my friends," Maki motioned to the other girls around her.
"Nice to meet you, Odagiri Ryu desu," Ryu bowed his head a little.
"Maki-chan, you know this guy?" Kiri questioned curiously. All the other girls wanted to know as well.
"Well, I don't know him, we're more like acquaintances," Maki answered, feeling a bit of pressure on her. "Odagiri-kun, this is Sayo-chan," Maki held her hand out toward Sayo.
"Ah, nice to meet you, Tsukioka Sayo desu," Sayo introduced herself, feeling a bit of embarrassment coming over her. She bowed her head a little as Ryu had.
"I was wondering if you'd like to come with me," Ryu asked Sayo impulsively. The other girls watched the two intensely, as if they were watching an intense television drama. What would Sayo say to this proposal?
"Uh, sure, why not," Sayo smiled.
"We'll see you later, Sayo-chan," the other girls said her name teasingly, walking away from the two to leave them alone. Sayo looked back after them with her brows furrowed at them. However, they were gone before she could say anything back. Just as quickly as the girls made their escape, Ryu took Sayo's had and led her out of the park.
After getting a good, close look at his face, Sayo realized how attractive he was. She was thankful that he was in front of her at the moment, because she could feel herself blushing like mad. She barely even knew him, and he was already holding her hand. As their surroundings changed, she realized where he was taking her. No sooner, they stood between Kurogin and Momogaoka.
"This is where I went to high school," Ryu told her, wanting to get the hard part out of the way first. What would be her reaction to his rebellious past? "Class 3-D."
"Mm," Sayo nodded her head. 'So he and Misawa were in the same class...' Sayo mentally noted.
They stood side by side, facing Kurogin. Sayo turned her head to look behind her at her old school. "That's where I went to high school," she told him.
'Well, at least she wasn't repulsed…' Ryu thought, taking in how she didn't seem to care that he was a part of the rebel class. He turned his head to look behind him as well. "Momogaoka, huh?"
"Yeah, we were right across the street from each other and never knew," Sayo smiled, irony lacing her voice.
Realizing just how much interest he was taking in her, he pulled the bookmark out of his pocket and placed it where his finger was holding his place. Before the two could say anything more to each other, heavy footsteps and lead pipes dragging on the ground caught their attention. It was coming toward them from behind. Ryu whipped his head around to find the source. He was surprised to see the guys from Ara High. It was the same guys who had fought with them in their senior year, just months ago, and they were still wearing their school uniform.
"Odagiri, it's been a while," the leader stopped in front of them all and slung his pipe over his shoulder, looking at Ryu with a wry smirk.
Ryu said nothing back to them, only moved to cover Sayo from their sight. He knew they had already seen her, but he didn't want them to hurt her. She had nothing to do with their skirmishes.
"I see you've graduated, along with Yabuki and the rest of your little gang," the leader had a twisted look on his face now. "As you can see, we weren't so lucky."
"I'm not the one who held you back," Ryu remarked. There was no way he was going to let these guys blame him for their failure.
"Even so, I feel like hurting one of you guys," the guy slouched a little. "You're just the one I happened to stumble upon."
"That's just stupid," Ryu muttered darkly.
"I hope you're ready for this," the leader taunted, signaling his groupies to attack.
Ryu moved quickly, shoving his book back toward Sayo and dodging punches, kicks and lead pipes at the same time. Adrenaline taking over them both, Sayo moved just as quickly as he did, grabbed the book out of his hand, and dodged one of the lackey's attempts to grab her. He stumbled over his feet and fell toward the pavement. Sayo stood up straight, facing Ryu's back and saw him get punched square in the jaw by the leader. She jumped a bit at the sight of his wincing face. Another one of the lackeys grabbed her upper arm. She quickly jerked her arm back, effectively elbowing him in the face, and turned her head to him with her brows furrowed in anger.
"Don't touch me!"
"Ah!" the guy cried, hand flying to his nose, and falling backwards from the force. This distracted the leader for a moment, giving Ryu time to strike him in the gut, causing him to fall.
Sayo turned to look over at the other guy who had fallen after trying to grab her. He was back on his feet and advancing toward her, with grabbing intent once again. Feeling disgusted and over fighting, Sayo decided to be blunt. She took two steps toward him, drew back her fist, and jammed it into his solar plexus.
"Urgh!" the guy gurgled, wrapping his arms around his stomach and kneeling on the ground in pain.
"Whoa…" the other guys began to back off, seeing how she had dealt with two of them with just one hit each.
The leader was helped up by his groupies, still coughing and panting from Ryu's hard hit, and they began to retreat. "You win this round…" the leader called back to them as best as he could.
Ryu had received a few more hits while Sayo was dealing with her two opponents. His hands were on his knees as he took deep breaths. Sayo joined him at his side, as he stood up straight and sighed. "Sorry…"
"It's okay, I know self defense," Sayo smiled sweetly at him. She hadn't blamed him for this. Those guys came out of nowhere and attacked them. "I kept your book safe," she tried to lighten the mood and cheer him up.
He smirked a little at that and grabbed her hand. "Let's go," he told her, leading her away from the schools and back toward the park.
Ryu had kept his hand entwined with hers the whole way to his apartment until they were standing in front of the door. He let go of her hand as he fumbled with his keys to unlock the door. As soon as he got it open, he stepped aside and motioned for her to enter. "Go ahead."
"Ah, Ojamashimasu…" Sayo mumbled as she stepped inside, stopping to sit down and take off her sneakers.
Ryu slid off his boots and took them into his room. "Wait here, I'll get you some slippers."
"Okay," Sayo nodded, setting down his book before untying her shoes and sliding them off. As he emerged from his room in his own slippers and a pair in his hands for her, she stood, grabbing his book again. "Thanks."
He nodded, and began to walk away toward the kitchenette. "Make yourself comfortable."
"Okay…" Sayo stepped into the slippers and decided she'd sit on the couch. She stopped quickly, before he got too far away from her, and remembered she had his book. "Oh, here, your book," she held it out toward him.
Ryu turned around, finally remembering that she had his book as well. "Ah, thanks, almost forgot about it…" He strode back to her, accepted the book from her, and headed into his bedroom.
He came back out quickly and headed back toward the kitchenette. Sayo sat down on the couch and watched him as he grabbed a bottle of water from his fridge. She couldn't understand it, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. She forced herself to tear her gaze away when he turned around though. Unscrewing the lid off his bottle, he took slow steps toward the couch while downing the water. Once done, he screwed the lid back on and sat down next to Sayo on the couch. It was only then that Sayo saw the cuts he had gotten while fighting.
"You're bleeding," Sayo said, more to herself, as she stared at his face with concern written all over her own. He looked down at her blankly, revealing a little cut on his cheek. "Where'd that one come from?"
"Huh?" he didn't really know he had gotten the cut. He couldn't feel it.
"There's a slim cut on your cheek," Sayo told him, more concern lacing her voice.
"Oh yeah, a lead pipe grazed me," He shrugged, unscrewing the lid off his bottle again.
"Well, where's your first aid kit?"
"In the bathroom, through that door, immediately to your left," Sayo stood as he instructed her on where to go looking for band-aids and such. "It should be in the mirror."
"Okay," Sayo nodded her head before she entered the first doorway. It took her a second to realize she was in his room. Inhaling deeply, she turned to her left and entered the bathroom to get the first aid kit from the mirror. His first aid kit turned out to be anti-bacterial cream and band-aids. She spied cotton balls and some alcohol, so she grabbed those too. Exiting the bathroom swiftly without lingering in his bedroom, she returned to the living room where Ryu had turned on the television. She sat down, placing the items on the coffee table, shifting her body so she could care for him while they both sat on the couch. He watched her as she dabbed one of the cotton balls with a bit of alcohol.
"This might sting a little," she told him before using the tips of her fingers to turn his head so she had access to his right cheek and lightly dabbed the cotton ball over the cut. It barely fazed him. The cotton ball absorbed all the excess blood, and removed all of the surface dirt. Taking a minute to prepare a band-aid with anti-bacterial cream on it, she turned away from him. Once ready, she turned back to him and gently placed the band-aid over the cut, making sure the cream was on the cut. "One down, one to go."
Ryu nodded his head and straightened it out. She could reach the wound on the corner of his lips while he was facing forward. This way he may be able to ignore the stinging. This one would definitely be more sensitive than the other one. He glanced down at her as she prepared the other cotton ball with alcohol.
"Okay, this one will probably sting, so I'll be gentle," Sayo told him before she made contact. He winced a little, as he was right that this one would definitely sting more. Just as she told him, she was gentle and didn't press it down hard, as other people would have. Once again, she turned to prepare the band-aid for the wound. He watched her as she made sure the anti-bacterial cream was in the right spot on the band-aid. She turned back to him and placed the band-aid strategically. She wanted to cover the whole thing, if possible. "There, all done," she smiled at him as she picked up the trash, alcohol bottle, and the first aid kit.
"Thanks, I'll help you," they both stood up from the couch. "I'll put away the first aid kit and alcohol."
"Oh, okay," she smiled and handed him the two items. He walked around the table and into his room. She headed over to the kitchenette to toss the trash. They both returned to the couch at the same time and sat down next to each other.
They sat on the couch for about half an hour, watching television and chatting a little. Sayo was enjoying his company; it wasn't every day that she got to sit around with a hot guy in his apartment and watch television. Even if the guy was a former rebel, she didn't care. Ryu, on the other hand, was a bit nervous about having her there for as long as he already had. What if Hayato came home and found them? Oh, the talk they would have after she left. He wanted to avoid that situation at all costs.
Ryu turned his head to look over at her. She was quite immersed in the show that was on at the moment. He took in her profile while he could. The way the corners of her mouth curled upward in a smile. How brown her eyes were. The way her hair almost covered her eyes so he couldn't see them. The natural highlights that streak her hair, several tones of browns. She blinked twice and looked at him from the corners of her eyes. Blinking one final time, she turned her head to look at him fully with a smile.
'There's something about her…' he thought to himself as they gazed at each other. Her smile was kind and warm. Being impulsive, and without thinking before taking action, he found himself leaning down to kiss her. Sayo didn't realize what he was doing, not right away. Her eyes didn't widen until their lips had made contact. He drew himself back after a few seconds.
"Um…" Sayo uttered, trying to register what exactly had just happened. He held his position, watching her face change expressions as she realized what he did. 'Oh… My… God! He just kissed me out of nowhere!'
Ryu continued to hold his position. 'Wait for it…' He was expecting a punch, or a slap. Sayo looked down at the couch space in between them, then looked back up at his face. She exhaled silently and gazed for a moment. But it never came. Instead, she leaned forward quickly and kissed him. This time, it was him who was taken aback. When Sayo drew back, he had to say it. "Well, that was unexpected…"
Sayo looked down at the couch and turned her head away from him, red with embarrassment. "S-sorry, I…" She was cut off by him grabbing her chin and crashing his lips onto hers once again. This time she kissed him back, eve though her head was still spinning. They continued to kiss, while Ryu leaned her back onto the couch slowly, him on top of her. His foot knocked the remote off the coffee table, and she stepped on it with hers, changing the channel. They were still kissing for quite some time, ignoring the television change. Then a thought struck Ryu. What if Hayato came home? 'Shit…'
Breaking their little kiss party, he stood and scooped her up from the couch with one arm under her knees, the other around her shoulders. She wrapped her arms around his neck for security, having a feeling that he wouldn't drop her even if she wasn't holding onto him. Ryu moved the two of them into his bedroom, gently laying her on the right side of his bed. She watched him curiously as he walked around to the left side and joined her on his side, facing her. She rolled onto her side to face him and cuddled into his chest. He was really warm. She hummed contentedly. He draped one of his arms over her shoulder and propped his head up with his other arm, watching her.
"Ne, Odagiri-kun…" Sayo started, her voice sweet with an air of happiness to it.
"You don't have to call me that," he told her calmly, stroking her hair with the arm he draped over her.
"Then, what should I call you?" she closed her eyes and smiled, waiting to hear his answer.
"Just Ryu," he answered, feeling a pit form in his stomach at the words. He had just met her today, what the hell is wrong with his brain!
"Ja, Ryu," she smirked, glancing up to look at his reaction. "You can just call me Sayo."
When she said his name, it sent shivers up and down his spine, but he ignored it. "Sayo."
She inhaled sharply upon hearing him utter her given name, butterflies instantly forming in her stomach. Somehow it made her feel happy. She nuzzled her head into his neck comfortably with her eyes closed. "That sounds good…" she mumbled to herself, not realizing she was thinking aloud.
"I think so too," he whispered in her ear and closed his arms around her back.
The more they cuddled together, the more comfortable they got. They weren't speaking, just enjoying each other's company and presence. It was no time at all before they both fell asleep, just the way they were. At least this way, if Hayato came home and looked in, he wouldn't be able to see Sayo.
Ryu's eyes fluttered open, revealing his bedroom lit dimly by the sun through the dark curtains on his windows. He looked around, expecting to see a certain person. But Sayo was nowhere to be found. He sat up in his bed, still in the same pair of sweatpants he had gone to bed in the night before, no shirt on, scanning his room once more. Sayo was still not there. His eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion as he looked down at the comforter covering his legs.
"It was just a dream…" he muttered sourly. It had seemed so real, yet so unreal at the same time. He should've known.
….
"Probably better than this…"
Sayo's eyes fluttered open, her head on her fluffy pillow in her own bed. She was surrounded by her bedroom at her parent's house. The sun lit her room quite well, since her curtains weren't that dark. She squinted as she sat up and looked around. She could've sworn she was just in Ryu's apartment, laying next to him on his bed. The thoughts and images made her blush significantly. She shook her head, realizing she felt disappointed that it was just a dream.
"It was… just a… dream…" She sighed and allowed herself to flop backwards onto her bed. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried hard not to cry. The dream depicted such a simple life. Something not complicated. A blissful illusion. "Even so…"
….
"I wish it were real…"
Hayato found himself in the hallway of the Karaoke Party place, holding Saya's wrist. She was behind him, looking confused. He let go of her wrist and stood there with his back to her. "What's wrong?" he heard her ask. He stood there for a second, trying to think of what he was supposed to say. If he remembered correctly, this situation between them turned into a delicate one. He ended up hurting her feelings. Maybe this time, he wouldn't. He turned around to face her with a solemn expression.
"You."
'This is all way too familiar…' Saya thought to herself, gazing at Hayato's solemn face. However, her reaction was still the same as it had been originally. She had been taken aback.
"What?"
"You, being like that," he continued, the situation not changing at all. It was doomed to be what it had been. Although, some would say blessed, since he got to hold her.
"I don't follow you…" she responded the same way too.
"Having an attitude like that," he continued, cursing himself in his head for every step he took toward the same exact outcome. He had a chance to make it better, not worse! "I don't like it."
"Well," Saya felt her body straighten up, an indignant feeling filling her gut. Sarcasm struck her tongue, "I'm so sorry."
'Why did I do that? This is only gonna get worse if I don't try to change directions…' Saya only realized this and questioned her own actions after it was too late. If she had realized quicker, she could've said some thing completely different, maybe apologize for having a bad attitude.
"Don't do that," he felt himself struggling to keep his hands off her again. The urge to grab her was strong, but he felt he could hold it back. It was true, though. Her attitude sometimes got on his nerves, especially when she directed it toward him. However, he knew it was only a matter of time before he pulled her body toward his and trapped her with his arms to his body. She would piss him off.
'I know she said it on purpose…'
"Why not?" Saya heard her mouth spew out, knowing what was to come directly after it. "Well, Yabuki-kun?"
Using the formality was going to piss him off again, she knew that. Yet, she couldn't stop herself from using it in this situation. After all, it was an argument they were having. She could play a little rough. Then she felt his warm fingers encase her wrist tightly. His eyebrows were furrowed too.
'Oops, I did it again…'
"I thought I told you not to call me that anymore."
He knew his anger was uncalled for, but he hated it when people referred to him formally. Especially if those people were close friends. There was a specific reason he had told Saya to call him by his given name. While he had already admitted this reason to himself, he hadn't admitted it to anyone else yet. He wasn't ready.
Playfulness took over her. "Yeah, so what?" she smirked, remembering what would happen next. While she felt like she was blushing, her body didn't show it at all. But she began to wonder. Why was she reliving something that had already happened to her? It's not like a person could go back in time and relive something. There was just no way that was possible. But, how was this happening?
Hayato felt the playfulness spark in him when he saw it in her eyes. "All right, have it your way then."
He pulled her body forward a little roughly by her wrist, and she fell into his chest. He caught her gently and wrapped his arms around her upper body protectively. Her face was in his neck, eyes closed. He rested his chin on the top of her head, relaxing a bit as her stiff body relaxed as well. The embrace was comfortable for both of them. "How do you like that?"
'Did it feel like this before?'
"…" Saya couldn't find any words to say. Her body had finally registered the blush she was feeling, and let the blood rush to her cheeks once in his embrace. "Hayato-kun…"
Saya thought it odd that she wasn't whining this time. Last time, she was whining because he was being romantic in an open place where others could see them, and they weren't even dating. She was jolted out of her thoughts when Hayato moved his head next to hers, his breath on her neck. She felt herself sigh.
"Saya-chan," his voice was normal, but low. He only wanted her to hear him.
This was the moment, the turning point. Hayato knew that his actions and words here were different from what they were supposed to be. Maybe something good would happen. Maybe he'd be able to tell her this time. It was the perfect moment, after all. He had screwed up, as usual, last time. It was time to make things right.
Saya felt a delicious shiver run down her spine from his breath on her neck. The way he said her name also gave her a sensation she couldn't quite pinpoint. "Hm?" She slowly moved her arms up to his back, waiting for the right moment to return his embrace.
'Maybe, it'll be different this time…'
This was it, the moment he had been waiting for. It was now or never. He had to do it. He had to know how she felt about him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He turned his head toward her ear. "I love you, you know," he whispered. He waited for a reaction from her. Her body stiffened in his embrace.
Saya's eyes widened in shock. She wasn't expecting him to confess his love to her. She wasn't even really ready to admit it to herself, let alone to him. What was he thinking? Her body had stiffened as a natural reaction to her shock. However, realizing how heavy his words were, she relaxed her body and wrapped her arms around his upper back, returning his embrace. She rested her forehead on his shoulder for a moment.
"I love you too…"
This time, it was Hayato's turn to widen his eyes and react with shock. He didn't think she felt the same about him. He thought they were just good friends in her eyes. He tightened his arms around her just a bit to show her how serious he was. Her small body fit with his perfectly.
"Glad to hear it."
Saya nuzzled her head into his neck, feeling quite comfortable in his embrace now. His arms were strong, and they made her feel safe. He was a bit taller than her, so he didn't have to lean down to reach her too much. Nor did she have to reach up too far to get to him either.
'If only this could last for a while longer…'
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Hayato jumped back as his hand flew to guard his collarbone and a small noise escaped his throat. His face was one of frazzled man. A small blush creeped onto his cheeks. Her chin and breath barely grazed his collarbones. Saya was looking at him curiously, her arms still in the air where his body was just a second ago. She blinked at him, waiting for him to speak.
"…" he couldn't say anything.
"What was that?"
He looked down at the floor, seemingly embarrassed to have to admit it. "My collarbones are sensitive to the touch…" he mumbled, not wanting her to know his one and only weakness. 'But she found that all on her own last time…'
Saya blinked a few more times, registering the information he had just given her. His collarbones were sensitive to the touch. Collarbones. Not his naval, or some other place that normal people would be sensitive to, but his collarbones. Saya immediately placed a hand over her mouth and closed her eyes, turning her head away from him. Her body quivered with laughter. However, she couldn't control herself, and eventually both of her hands flew to her hurting sides. As much as she didn't want to, she was laughing aloud. Tears began to form at her eyes, she was laughing so hard.
'This may be rude….'
"Don't laugh," Hayato's cheeks were ablaze now. "It's not funny…"
Although, he knew it would be her reaction. Last time, she had laughed at him as well. In fact, the guys had laughed at him too, when they found out. It was an odd weakness to have, but he had it. It was something he couldn't ignore either. It was just his natural reaction. He was born with ticklish collarbones.
"Sorry," Saya attempted to apologize in between her massive laughing fits. "But it is funny."
Saya was feeling playful again, now that he wasn't being all serious. Plus, they had gotten the heavy stuff out of the way. His face when it happened was absolutely priceless. She wished she had a camera to save the moment. However, she wasn't that lucky.
"Hey, I'll hug you again," he tried to threaten, noticing more familiar events coming back. Would he return to ruining the situation once again? The threat didn't seem to have any effect, since Saya was still laughing. "Fine, I'll just kiss you instead."
He moved toward her with the intent to do exactly as he said. She stopped laughing and looked up at him seriously. "You wouldn't dare."
A devilish smirk took over his lips. "Oh, I would." He continued to move toward her, as she backed up, trying to make space between them.
Saya felt her back hit a wall. 'He wouldn't really kiss me, would he?' She didn't know the answer to that question, but it sure seemed like he was going to right at the moment. A sense of helplessness washed over her body in a single wave. Her stomach produced butterflies of an insane kind, as she got highly nervous and aware of the wall behind her. She had nowhere to run.
"Hayato-kun, don't…"
"Why not?" he asked as he stood directly in front of her and placed both of his hands on either side of the wall behind her body, trapping her.
'I did this before,' Hayato remembered. Although, the situation turned out much different than this one. He had told her his feelings, she had responded, and they shared a moment of happiness together. He didn't want the end of this situation to become the reality that it was. He wanted something different. Even though it was already different.
'I want her…'
Saya found herself unable to look him in the eye. "Because…" she was looking at the floor with her head down instead.
She found herself failing to find a good reason for him not to kiss her. If she said she didn't want him to, she would be lying. If she said it wouldn't be right, she would be lying, because it would be so right. If she told him she was embarrassed to do such a thing here, she would be lying. If he kissed her in any place, she wouldn't be embarrassed. She would be happy. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she wanted him. She wanted him bad.
"You don't love me?" he was still playful, knowing she was having a hard time figuring out what to say.
"It's not that…" she mumbled, seemingly embarrassed, her eyes still on the floor.
"Then it should be fine, right?" he wanted her to lift up her head. He figured this would be the only way to get her to do so.
"Eh?" she looked up, surprise evident in her voice. Their faces were so close, hardly any space between them. Maybe, with luck, she would be able to fit one single finger between their noses.
He leaned in, closing his eyes as he got closer. She closed her eyes and waited for the contact.
Hayato's eyes snapped open, and he shot up from his bed on the floor of his and Ryu's apartment, sitting up. He was trying to figure out what had just happened to him. He looked around, seeing the apartment. He had on his sleep clothes, a t-shirt and his boxers. He sighed, realizing what he really didn't want to. He looked over to the wall beside him sourly.
"Overactive imagination, playing with my head, making me dream weird things…"
Saya's eyes snapped open, revealing her wallpapered room in her dorm. It was a little dark. She sat up slowly, trying to remember if what had just happened was real, or just a dream. It felt so real, yet so fake at the same time. She had already been in that situation, and there was no such thing as going back in time. It was just impossible. The girls, and the guys for that matter, hadn't been to the Karaoke Party place for months, and there were no plans to go back any time soon. She stared hard at her comforter covering her legs.
"It had to have been a dream…"
Hayato stood from his bed and began to get dressed. He had to go in early to open the coffee shop today. It was possible that he hated open shift more than close shift. He was quite glad that the responsibility of opening the shop only came around once a week. Aside from part-timers, everyone who was full-time had to open at least once a week.
He had to talk to somebody about this dream he had. Ryu definitely wouldn't listen to him, as he would probably end up turning the conversation around onto Ryu anyways. Tsuchi was too busy, hardly ever seemed to have time off from school or work to have some fun with the guys. Hyuga wasn't exactly the type one would confide in. But Take, he was the perfect candidate. He was a sensitive guy and always listened to what someone had to say.
"I wonder if he has off today…" Hayato wondered aloud as he slipped on his shoes by the front door. Standing, he grabbed his keys, cell phone and opened the door. "Itekimasu…"
Once out the door, he hooked his keys on his belt and flipped open his cell phone. He searched through his contact list until he reached Take's number and hit talk. It rang a few times before his friend answered.
"Hello," the familiar, child-like voice rang through the phone, relieving Hayato.
"Hey Take, you got off today?" Hayato wasted no time to get to the point. The dream was really bugging him.
"Yeah, why? You need to talk or something?" Take asked, the sound of frying food in the background. Figures he would be cooking while on the phone.
"Yeah, kind of," Hayato shrugged, waiting for the crosswalk to indicate he could cross the street. "When is good for you?"
"Well, I don't have work today, but I have a class later tonight, so anytime before two in the afternoon is good, I guess."
"Alright, I get my lunch break at noon, we can meet somewhere then, okay?" Hayato proposed the situation to his long-time friend, hustling across the street quickly to avoid any crazy drivers.
"Okay, sounds good," Take replied, fierce sizzling erupting in the background. "Call me when you get off for lunch and we'll meet in the middle."
"Yeah, that's great," Hayato nodded his head as he neared his workplace rapidly. It was just a short train ride away now. "I'll see you then, I'm on my way to work right now."
"All right, see you then Hayato," Take hung up after finishing his little statement.
Hayato snapped his phone shut and pocketed it, entering the train with his ticket in his hand. Boy was this morning going to be long.
After Ryu had awoken earlier from his dream, he had fallen back asleep. He was thankful that he didn't have any morning classes today, otherwise he'd be royally screwed by now. He slowly slinked out of his bed and made his way to the kitchenette for a bite to eat. Realizing he didn't hear any snoring or noises of any sort, he turned his head to look over at Hayato's makeshift room. His roommate was not there. Then he remembered how Hayato had been complaining about the open shift the previous night and relaxed. Turning his head back around, he continued to search for something that looked good to eat.
As hard as he tried to ignore it, the dream still persisted in his mind. Bits and pieces of it flashed before his eyes. He shook his head a few times in an attempt to remove them, but it never worked. They came right back. Maybe if he talked about it with someone, he'd be able to ignore it. But who could he talk to?
Hayato was definitely out already. He'd made that mistake before, and didn't intend to make it again. Hyuga probably wouldn't listen to him and want to talk about Mitsu instead. Tsuchi seemed to be too busy to do anything besides work and study. Not that he could blame him, he had a lot of studying to do as well. Take, on the other hand, seemed like the perfect candidate. He'd known Take as long as he'd known Hayato, so they were close enough. Take wouldn't try to get Ryu to realize his feelings for a certain person, unlike Hayato. Take would listen to him and make small comments here and there.
"I guess I could talk to him…" Ryu muttered to himself, seeing nothing of interest in the fridge or cabinets. He returned to his bedroom and clothed himself. He was going out for breakfast.
After clothing himself, he stood by the door to put on his boots. Turning to grab his keys, he remembered his cell phone was still in his room. "Damn it…" he muttered, sliding off his boots and jogging back into his room to grab it. He still had to call Take. He pocketed his phone, slid his boots back on and headed out the door to find some place to have breakfast.
"Where should I eat…?" Ryu asked himself, not having any idea of what he really wanted. He fished out his phone from his pocket and dialed for Take. The phone rang in his ear for a minute or so before the other picked up.
"Hello?" Take sounded a bit distracted.
"Hey Take, it's Ryu," Ryu answered indifferently to the distraction.
"Oh, hey Ryu," Take sounded happy, as a pot clanged in the sink and water immediately splashed into it. "What's up?"
"Not much, just deciding where to eat…" Ryu answered truthfully, shrugging his shoulders as he reached the street in front of his apartment building.
"Oh," Take turned off the water, and Ryu heard a chair scrape against hardwood floor.
"You got today off?" Ryu asked out of nowhere.
"Yeah," Take answered, making a small 'oof' sound as he sat down in his chair. "You need to talk or something?"
"Yeah, you could say that I guess," Ryu shrugged again and crossed the street at the crosswalk. He headed toward town to find something that caught his eye.
"Well, I can't meet with you at noon, but I can before," Take offered, knowing Ryu wouldn't ask outright like Hayato.
"Anytime is fine," Ryu told his friend, looking around the streets at the restaurants around him. Nothing struck him just yet.
"All right, I'll call you when I'm done with my breakfast," Take told him, and Ryu could hear the smile on his face.
"Alright, see you then," and they both hung up. Ryu kept wandering, trying to find something to eat. This might take a while…
Saya found herself alone in her and Kiri's dorm when she entered the living room. She made herself a glass of iced water and headed back into her bedroom. Once in, she sat on the edge of her bed, picked up her phone off her nightstand, and dialed for Sayo. She took a long sip while it rang.
"Hey Saya," her cousin answered groggily. Saya had to assume the other had just awoken as well.
"Hey, did I wake you?" Saya inquired, lowering her glass from her face slowly.
"Nah, I've been up for a while now," Sayo answered, failing to hold back a yawn.
"Mm," Saya nodded her head and took another sip of her water. "Hey, I need to talk, are you busy today?"
"Busy? No, not today," Sayo indifferent. "We had competition yesterday, so Yoshida-kun didn't schedule a practice for today."
"I see, you don't just jump into the next dance?" Saya felt amused by how her cousin's partner operated.
"No, Yoshida-kun says it would be too stressful, and I agree with him," Sayo answered, Saya could hear her shrugging. "Besides, I have to work tonight."
"Ah, well then we better meet before two," Saya smirked, knowing how the set up of the Dream Star was.
"Do you still have a key to your mom's apartment?" Sayo asked, sounding almost off topic.
"Of course I do," Saya answered, sounding a bit incredulous that Sayo would even ask that question.
"We should meet up at your mom's, where it's private, and talk about things," Sayo proposed, taking in a deep breath and exhaling loudly.
"Yeah, I guess we could do that," Saya knew her mom wouldn't be home today, it was a school day after all. She had to work.
"Alright, I'll meet you there in an hour," Sayo was ready to finish this conversation before she spilled her guts over the phone.
"Alright, in an hour," Saya nodded her head and they both hung up. "Now for breakfast…" she stood from her bed, set her phone back on her nightstand, and headed into the kitchen to make something.
Ryu stepped out of the family diner he chose to have breakfast in. It was semi close to his apartment, a decent price, and the food was good. He couldn't go wrong with a deal like that. Right as he neared the crosswalk, his phone rang in his pocket. Casually fishing it out, he looked at the caller Id. It was Take, right on time.
"Hey," Ryu answered, watching and waiting for the traffic to allow him to cross the street.
"Hey, I'm heading out now, where do you want to meet?" Take asked right off the bat so he knew where he was going.
"Café de Rovne," Ryu slipped out the name of their old hang out spot from high school. The place hardly ever had any other customers besides them. At least that they knew of, anyway.
"Oh, I haven't been there in a while," Take mumbled upon hearing the name.
"I'll see you there," Ryu crossed the street finally. He wasn't too far from the café right now.
"All right, see you," Take hung up.
Ryu snapped his phone shut and pocketed it again. He didn't know whether to call it lucky or not, but the details of the dream he wanted to talk about were still fresh in his mind. At least there wouldn't be any holes in his story.
Hayato stood behind the counter at work. It had been about an hour since he'd opened. As early as it was, he could hardly believe how many college students were there. It always amazed him every time he opened the shop how many college students came in so early. Then again, there were times Hayato remembered waking up around eight in the morning and Ryu would be gone. He put on his business face and greeted his next customer.
"Welcome, what would you like to order?"
"Ah yes, I'd like a large dark chocolate latte to go please," an older business woman in a lavender skirt suit approached the counter, sounding hurried.
"All right, that'll be 650 yen please," Hayato typed in her order. She hurriedly fished out the money from her change purse and set it on the counter. He scooped it up, placed it in the register, and printed her receipt. Picking up a large cup, he marked the sides with her specifications, and handed it off to one of his co-workers who made the drinks. He ripped off her receipt and held it out to her. "It'll be right over there when it's done."
"Thank you," the woman nodded her head, accepted her receipt, and moved over to the pick up station.
"Next, please," Hayato called as his register became open again. A young girl slid in front of him.
"Yes, I'd…" she looked up at his face and stopped for a moment. Hayato only continued to smile his business smile at her. "Um, I'd like a small caramel macchiato, please…"
"For here or to go?" he asked distractedly as he typed in her order.
"Oh, uh, to go, please," the girl looked down at her shoes. Her face was flushed.
"Alright, that's 540 yen," Hayato informed the young girl.
"O-oh, right," the girl nodded her head, and searched her purse for the proper amount of money.
"Large dark chocolate latte to go," Hayato's co-worker called as he set the older woman's order on the counter at the pick up station. The woman walked up to him casually, retrieved her drink, and left the store.
"Here we go," the young girl at Hayato's register placed the money on the counter shyly and looked back at the floor.
Hayato nodded as he placed the money in the register. Then he grabbed a small cup, marked her specifications on the sides, and handed it off the drink maker. He looked back at her as he ripped her receipt from the register printer. "Here's your receipt, your drink will be right over there when it's done."
"Ah, thank you," she retrieved her receipt and stepped aside to let other customers order.
"Next please," Hayato called once again. This time, a young man in tight jeans approached Hayato's register. Hayato kept his business smile in place. "What can I get you?" he greeted.
"A small black coffee, please," the young man's voice was a bit high, but Hayato tried to ignore it.
"Small black," Hayato mumbled as he typed it into the register. Not very many people ordered black coffee here. "For here or to go?"
"To go."
"320 yen, please."
The young man placed exact change on the counter, which made Hayato's job easy. Hayato nodded, placed the money in the register, printed the receipt and handed it to the young man. As the young man pocketed the receipt, Hayato marked a small cup for the young man, and handed it off to the drink maker again. "It'll be right there when it's ready."
"Thank you so much," the young man stepped aside, joining the young girl who was previously helped, and still waiting on her drink. The young man noticed her trying to secretly stare at Hayato from afar. "He is hot, isn't he?"
"Huh?" the girl jumped, startled by the sudden comment. "Uh, yeah…"
"I wonder if he'd be interested in me…" the young man commented dreamily.
The young girl just stared at the young man as if he were suddenly green.
Ryu and Take were together at the Café de Rovne, having their usual drinks from high school. Take was sitting in one of the chairs next to the couch, where Ryu sat comfortably without Hayato next to him for a change. Music was being played faintly in the background and the owner wasn't downstairs at the moment.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Take inquired, knowing that Ryu wouldn't just come out and start the conversation on his own. He may have said he needed to talk, but Take knew that he didn't want to talk. That was the difference.
"I had a weird dream last night…" Ryu started, sitting up a little straighter, readying himself to start this long description of the dream that he knew he was going to be asked to give.
"What kind of dream?" Take raised a brow. Ryu hardly ever had weird dreams. Especially not weird dreams that made him need to talk about them.
"One about an alternate life," Ryu answered, feeling he should add more. "I had been thinking a couple weeks ago about what it might have been like if we hadn't met the girls until now, after high school."
"Ah," Take nodded his head, understanding what Ryu meant by alternate life. "What was weird about it?"
"It was just one day," Ryu started, the slight disappointment from this morning returning in his stomach as he thought about the dream again. "I met Sayo-chan for the first time, and yet so much happened in just one day…"
"Go ahead and describe it for me, please?" Take asked kindly. "I won't be able to help if I don't know what happened."
So Ryu recounted the whole entire dream, in detail, for Take to hear. How he and Sayo met at the park. The way he took her by the wrist away from the other girls. How he showed her the school. The guys from Ara High hadn't graduated and attacked them. How she held her own against the goons that attacked her. That he took her back to his apartment, even though he had hardly known her for two hours. How gentle she was when she cleaned and dressed his wounds from the fight. How he was impulsive. That he kissed her. And she kissed him back. Then they kissed some more. Why he moved them to his bedroom. The way they cuddled in his bed. The way he had felt about her within just a few hours of meeting her. And how they fell asleep in his bed, cuddling together at the end of it all.
Take's eyes were wide from all the detail Ryu had remembered. Most don't even remember what their dreams were about, let alone any details. But Ryu remembered all of it. Probably because it was important to him. Take thought about asking Ryu how he really felt about the girl, but left it alone. He knew it wasn't the right thing to do. Ryu would just retreat into his shell for a while.
"Ryu, it sounds like to me that you really do love her," Take observed instead, mentally bashing his own head in for letting that out. He watched Ryu carefully for any reaction.
"I don't know…" Ryu shrugged and looked away, relaxing quite a bit and sipping from his cup. Well, this talk was practically over now.
"I'm glad you were able to talk to me about this, Ryu," Take smiled kindly at his friend and grabbed his own drink.
"Better you hear it than Hayato," Ryu remarked, adding sourly, "I've made that mistake once already…"
Take chuckled at this, knowing what Ryu meant about his mistake. Hayato was definitely not one to go to with sensitive conversations. Nor was he really one to go to with secrets. The guy was his friend, but God knew he couldn't keep a secret to save his life. Plus, he wasn't exactly subtle when it came to asking questions and making comments. Yes, it was better Take was the one Ryu talked to instead of Hayato.
Saya unlocked the door to her mother's apartment and walked in, turning on the lights in the process of slipping off her shoes. She was twenty minutes early, figuring she'd get the place comfy for the two of them to talk. This way they wouldn't have to wait for anything to heat up or cool off. Thinking ahead, Saya brought out an extra pair of slippers for Sayo to use when she got there and placed them by the front door. Just in case, Saya filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove to heat up. This way there'd be water for tea if they decided they wanted some. Deciding to get somewhat comfortable, Saya sat herself down on the sofa and turned on the television to occupy her attention until Sayo arrived. The end of some variety talk show was on, so she didn't change the channel and just listened.
Before she knew it, Sayo buzzed. Saya jumped off the couch and headed for the door. Peering out the peep hole, she saw Sayo waving her hand in the air. A small smile overtook Saya's lips and she opened the door. "Come on in."
"Thanks," Sayo smiled as she entered. She knelt down to take off her shoes while Saya shut the door behind her and headed back into the living room. Sayo stepped out of her shoes and into the slippers that were set out for her. Then she shuffled into the kitchen for a drink.
"There's water on the stove for tea if you want some," Saya informed her cousin from the sofa.
"Oh," Sayo spotted the kettle on the stove, steam rising from it. She blinked and looked away, opening the fridge for something cold. She left the kitchen with a bottle of water and headed to the sofa. Feeling right at home, Sayo cracked open the bottle and took a long drag from it. After screwing the lid back on and placing the bottle on the coffee table next to her, she lounged on the sofa, her legs across Saya's lap.
"Well, aren't you comfy?" Saya chuckled, watching her cousin swing her legs onto her lap.
"Yep," Sayo answered with a smirk. 'So, you said you needed to talk?"
"Yeah…" Saya looked away, feeling the butterflies parade in her stomach. She grabbed the remote for the television and muted it.
"Whenever you're ready," Sayo told her calmly, knowing these kinds of talks took time to prepare for.
"I had a strange dream," Saya started, trying to figure out how to describe what happened in her head before saying it and sounding stupid.
"Hm," Sayo nodded her head and closed her eyes. It seemed they both were experiencing strange dreams. Sayo waited for her cousin to continue, as she knew how hard it was to describe these dreams.
"It was like I was reliving a part of my life," Saya began, a confused expression taking over her face. "Only, parts of it were different…"
Sayo said nothing this time, opening her eyes to peer at her cousin. That sounded a lot like her first dream that involved her and Ryu together. An alteration of memory through her dreams. Saya leaned back on the sofa.
"Remember the night they joined us at Karaoke Party?" Saya looked over at Sayo, waiting for an answer to her question.
"Yeah, that was a while ago, wasn't it?" Sayo nodded her head again, having a feeling she was right about the type of dream her cousin had.
"Yeah, though it wasn't the whole night, just a little snippet," Saya nodded her head and turned back toward the television. "When Hayato-kun and I were in the hallway together…"
"Mm," Sayo nodded her head and kept herself quiet. This was Saya's turn to tell a story that never existed, and probably never would.
Saya continued to explain the dream. Even though she couldn't remember all of the details, she remembered the most important details. How he had hugged her. How he told her he loved her. And she told him she loved him. Then, she told Sayo about how she accidentally found his weakness.
"Oh? Weakness?" Sayo perked up hearing the word. "Is his weakness you?" she teased a bit.
"No, it's not me," Saya replied while blushing hard. "If I tell you, you have to promise me you won't tell anyone about it, okay?" she was serious about this.
"Okay, I won't say anything…" Sayo nodded her head and backed away a bit.
"…His collarbones are ticklish…" Saya admitted, peering at Sayo from the corners of her eyes, watching for a reaction.
"…" Sayo was registering what was said in her head. Collarbones? "Pfft…." Sayo collapsed into a fit of giggles. She squeezed her eyes shut and slapped her hand over her mouth. There was no muffling of her giggling.
Saya's mouth formed a flat line as she struggled to keep herself from joining her cousin. She looked away and closed her eyes. "It's not that funny…"
"Are you serious! His collarbones?" Sayo asked while laughing. "What kind of weakness is that, ticklish collarbones…"
"It's his, okay! And I told you, you can't tell anybody," Saya answered loudly, wanting to finish talking abut her dream.
"Oh, alright I won't tell anyone…" Sayo stopped laughing and let Saya continue with her story.
Saya continued with how the situation returned to what it was in reality. Playful with her laughing at him. Then, she continued with how it changed in an instant as he moved in to kiss her. Saya relayed the dialog between them back to Sayo as if she were reading a script. Sayo had a look of surprise on her face.
"Just before our lips made contact, I woke up…" Saya finished her little story.
"That sounds a lot like a dream I had a while back," Sayo sat up and swung her legs to the floor. "I don't remember if I told you about it, but I had a dream about graduation night that was a little altered and ended just like yours did."
"Hm," Saya nodded her head, trying to connect the two dreams in some way.
"Speaking of dreams," Sayo started, getting Saya's attention. "I had a strange dream last night too."
"Really?" Saya looked at Sayo curiously. "What was it about?"
"Remember how I was wondering what it would be like if we hadn't met the guys until now?" Sayo asked her cousin before jumping into the details of her dream.
"Yeah, and I told you not to think about stuff like that," Saya muttered, having a feeling she knew where this was heading.
"Well, the dream depicted what it would be like if I hadn't met Ryu-kun until now…" Sayo explained, knowing Saya had seen it coming.
"Was it weird?" Saya asked, wanting to let Sayo get it off her chest.
"Kind of," Sayo answered, not sure what to label the dream as.
"Go on, tell me about it," Saya told Sayo leaning back on the sofa and closing her eyes.
Sayo only nodded her head and began to recount the dream for Saya. How she met him at the park by the schools. The way he took her by the wrist and led her away from the other girls. That he showed her where he went to school. The Ara High guys who attacked them. How he protected her from the leader. That he took her back to his apartment, even though they had hardly known each other for two hours. How she cleaned and dressed his wounds from the fight gently. How he was impulsive. That he kissed her. And that she kissed him back. Then they kissed some more. How he moved them to his bedroom. The way she cuddled with him in his bed. The way she had felt about him within a few hours after meeting him. And how they fell asleep in his bed, cuddling together at the end of it all.
Saya could only stare at her cousin throughout the whole entire story at the details Sayo was including. They had kissed in her dream. Actually kissed! Suddenly, Saya found herself wondering if Ryu had had the same dream Sayo had. This dream only confirmed that Sayo had feelings for him. And they were strong. Sayo couldn't deny it now.
"I know, it's kind of romantic…" Sayo admitted, staring at her lap, not wanting to look anywhere else.
"Sayo, you can't ignore your feelings," Saya told her cousin seriously. "This dream is enough to tell you how you really feel about him."
"He's my friend, Saya," Sayo closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "That's all there is to it."
"But Sayo," Saya moved to put her hand on Sayo's shoulder.
"No, I won't ruin this relationship," Sayo shook her head, her fists balling in her lap.
Saya just gazed sadly at her cousin. The poor girl had such a difficult time with love. Not that Saya had a lot of room to speak, of course. She was just as bad as Saya. Maybe even worse, since she had never had the guts to say yes to any of the admirers that asked her out during school. She never tried. Maybe she was the one running away from her feelings…
Hayato walked out of the coffee shop he worked at, officially on his lunch break. He fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed for Take. Padding his way toward Café de Rovne with his phone to his ear, he waited for Take to pick up.
"Hello," Take answered, light music in the background.
"Hey Take, it's me," Hayato greeted, stopping at the crosswalk.
"Oh, hey Hayato," Take's smile could be heard in his voice. "Where are you at?"
"On my way to Café de Rovne," he answered, staring hard at the light, waiting for his turn to cross.
"Oh, good," Take sounded a bit relieved. "I'll be waiting for you then."
"You're already there?" Hayato was confused. How did Take know he wanted to talk at Café de Rovne?
"Yeah, I was talking with Ryu," Take answered in his usual happy tone.
"Oh," Hayato nodded, finally getting his turn to cross the street. "I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Okay, see you then," Take hung up.
Hayato walked as fast as he could toward his destination. On his way, he thought of how he was going to describe the dream to Take. He replayed the whole thing in his head on his way there. Taking a deep breath, he turned the door knob to Café de Rovne and entered the establishment. The owner greeted him from behind the bar. He was honestly expecting Ryu to still be there with Take, sitting on the couch that he usually occupied with him. But Ryu wasn't there. Take turned to greet Hayato from his seat in the chair closest to the couch.
"Hey Hayato," Take smiled.
"Hey, where's Ryu?" Hayato asked, making his way to the couch to sit down.
"He said he had class, so he left," Take answered with a shrug.
"Ah," Hayato nodded his head, understanding.
"So, you needed to talk?" Take inquired, making sure he remembered correctly.
"Yeah, about a dream I had last night," Hayato nodded, wanting to get this off his chest as soon as possible.
"Oh, a dream?" Take looked surprised. Second one today.
"Yeah," Hayato nodded his head. "I wanna get this off my chest as soon as possible, so I'll just start."
"Go ahead," Take nodded his head. Hayato was much different from Ryu. With Ryu, Take had to prod and push. Hayato, on the other hand, just dived in head first.
Hayato began to describe the dream, recounting everything that went on. How it was mostly the same as it really happened, and then it was different. How he told Saya he loved her. And she told him she loved him. Then she found his weakness. The way she laughed at him. How he threatened to kiss her when everything else failed. How he thought she looked cute when she was scared. The way she said his name made his body enflame. How badly he wanted her. And then it stopped before the good part happened.
"Wow, Hayato," Take smirked at his friend, drink in hand. "You've got it bad, my friend."
"What?" Hayato looked over at Take with his brow cocked.
"You and Ryu both…" Take muttered, taking a large gulp of his beverage.
"I don't know what that dream was about…" Hayato mumbled to himself, leaning back on the couch.
"You're on lunch, why not eat something?" Take asked, setting his drink on the table and leaning back in his chair.
"Right," Hayato nodded his head and walked up to the bar to order food and a drink.
Who knew why they were dreaming of each other…