OH. MY. GOODNEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS! FINALLY! HERE'S CHAPTER 5! HOORAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!
I'M SO, SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG! HALF A YEAR! I'm really sorry for that Q_Q Stuff just kept piling and things just kept happening in these last months, if I start listing everything I'll never finish ;^; But fortunately now things are going a little better so don't worry uwu
Aaaand, finally! The chapter when they meet for the first time! It turned out longer than expected (again TwT), but I think I like the result. At the very least, I'm happy I finally finished writing it xD
TW for this chapter: Implied illegal activities and violence
PLEASE ENJOY! W
Chapter 5: Meeting a bright butterfly near a dark pond
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. . .
Past
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"Hey, did you buy the last CD?"
"Ah, man, I forgot my homework!"
"The meeting point is at Hachiko's at 3!"
"Kochō-chan, can you help me with my math homework?"
Said student stopped reading and looked back at her classmate. She smiled.
"Yes. What is it?"
Kochō Shinobu. Second year student. Top of her class and president of the student council. She was also the president of the pharmaceutical club, and a member of the fencing club who already won several prizes in national tournaments. Plus, she was a beauty; all the boys and even some girls had fallen head over heels for her just by her looks. The rest did by her intelligence. She was the student who always handed her homework first; the one who always answered right to every teacher's question; the one who would always successfully guide her classmates in whatever school project they had. She was the student who had classes, club activities, student council's responsibilities and could do everything without a bead of sweat, smiling through the difficulties.
She was, truly, the epitome of the perfect student.
"Ah, thank you so much!" The student beamed and took a seat beside her, explaining to her what she found so difficult about the exercise.
"Kochō-san is so kind!" Shinobu heard one of her classmates say, in a not so discreet manner.
"Yeah, she's so smart and reliable! I bet she will be prez next year too!"
"She's so cool! I hope to be like Kochō-san someday!"
She just pretended she wasn't listening, and when she left the classroom after helping the girl, she just smiled at them as if nothing had happened.
Wherever she went, she would always attract some attention. First years venerated her; third years looked at her with a mixture of respect and rivalry. Her classmates adored her, and if you were to ask her teachers, they would certainly say she was a model student who was friends with everybody. And yet reality was nothing but.
Actually, nobody truly knew her, too impressed by her academical and social success to think about it and she made sure it remained that way. Behind every top score, there were countless all-nighters. Behind every assignment handed back in time, there were too many skipped meals to count. Aside for school festivals, she never hung out with her classmates and her excuses were so convincing that nobody ever suspected anything. The only one she was close with was Mitsuri, a girl a year older than her. But she was currently in her third year, trying to study for her university exams and therefore they didn't hang out as much as before. And even to her, Shinobu never really told her everything.
Her life outside school was a complete and utter chaos. Her diet was a mess, her sleeping pattern was totally wrecked. The small apartment she rented to be closer to her school and avoid losing time in public transport was the definition of anarchy. She was sacrificing everything for the sake of her studies—and she was willingly doing so. She was aiming the best medical school in Japan, and no less. She was naturally an ambitious person, but her aim was not only for herself; it was also for her sisters. Above everything else, she didn't want to be a burden for them anymore.
Besides, burying herself in schoolbooks always helped her to keep the unpleasant memories far, far away.
"Kochō-chan! Come have lunch with us!" One of her classmates waved at her.
"Ah, Kochō-san! Well done in the last fencing tournament!" One teacher greeted her.
"Kochō-senpai! Can you give us a hand in the flower arrangement club?" Some first years called her.
She smiled to all of them, putting on a well-crafted mask she improved over the years. After all, nobody needed to know this ugly side of hers.
. . .
He hid behind a wall, but he knew he had to run away as far as possible. Kibutsuji men were still looking for him in the streets, hunting for blood. They were close. Bearing the pain from his left side, he gritted his teeth and sprinted in the opposite direction. He knew he couldn't fight them back while injured; he needed some place to hide until they were gone.
He ran into a backstreet and managed to shake them off for a few moments, but it wasn't enough. He was behind an apartment building, the kind that only had one room, usually rented to single people. There were no balconies, but with some more effort, he managed to climb up to third floor, where one of the windows was left open. Catching back his breath, he listened to them finally leaving for good. Once he was sure there was no danger anymore, he allowed himself to let out a sigh of relief. Then he looked inside the apartment he hid in.
His eyes widened, dumbfounded. The small apartment was a complete mess. Garbage was piling up everywhere. Dirty dishes were left siting in the sink. The closet was spilling all its content into the already cramped room. Whoever lived here, they definitively didn't know the definitions of "clean" and "tidy".
For a moment, he just stayed by the window, too bewildered by the sight in front of him. Then he just sighed. He wasn't there to judge anyone anyway. He just needed to rest for a few hours before returning.
Sitting against the wall, he checked his wound. He was still bleeding, but fortunately it was already slowing down. He found some clean tissues and a bottle of alcohol under the bathroom's sink. Returning to the main room, he cleaned the wound and tried to press it as hard as he could. He was tired. Exhausted. Last night events were still taking a toll on him, and now this skirmish with some Kibutsuji men…
He had to go before the person living here returned. And yet against his better judgment, too tired to keep thinking coherently, he fell asleep.
. . .
The sun had already settled when Shinobu finally returned home. The day passed like every day: she went to school, people kept praising her, she hid in the library to study instead of eating lunch, she went to her part-time job in a konbini, she returned home while reading an advanced textbook she wasn't supposed to read until her second year of med school. Today, she did nothing outside of her routine.
She still had to study for an upcoming history exam. She was fine in history, though it wasn't as interesting as biology or physics. Still, she needed to have the best grades to be sure she'll be accepted in her dream college.
Her head still wrapped in schoolwork, she entered her apartment without trying to be discreet. She carelessly left her shoes in the entrance before making a beeline to the fridge. There were still a couple of energy drink cans. She'll need to buy more soon. There was still some white rice and a few lettuce leaves. It would be enough for dinner. She took one can of energy drink, and already drank half of it in one gulp. She would need the extra boost to keep studying until late.
The room was dark, the dim moonlight barely lighting up inside. She noticed the open window and clicked her tongue. She forgot to close it again before leaving in the morning. She cursed under her breath. You're such an airhead, she scolded herself. She closed the window, drew the curtains, and went to turn on the lights.
Then she saw him. A man rolled up in the corner of her room, seemingly unconscious. She gasped in surprise. The can slipped out of her hand, spilling its content on the floor, wetting her socks. She barely noticed it.
In the mess of her room, she didn't saw him when it was still dark, not even when she walked past him to close the window. Hiding behind the room's door, Shinobu started to panic. Who was he? What was he doing in her apartment? He couldn't be a thief, right? A thief wouldn't fall asleep in such a way inside the home they were robbing… And why was he clenching his left side?...
She blinked once. She noticed it. Barely, but it was there. A red stain on his white shirt. He looked pale. He wasn't moving at all. She approached him cautiously, as silently as possible and observed him more attentively. His left side was effectively covered in dried blood. Real blood. His breathing was quiet but laboured. He was unconscious, slightly frowning from pain. He was injured.
Overcoming her initial shock, she ran to the bathroom to fetch the first aid kit. Maybe it wouldn't be enough, especially if the wound was deep. It was still better than nothing. But when she tried to pry his hand apart from his wound to have a better look, he suddenly woke up and harshly grabbed her forearm. She let out a short cry of surprise as she almost fell on him.
"Who—Argh!" He tried to speak, but the pain shut him up immediately.
"Please, don't move!" She told him. Her voice was firm: inside, she was panicking. "Your wound is still open; it might bleed again! Please, take out your shirt so I can take a look at it."
He glared at her with bloodshot eyes—they were deep blue, like the colour of the ocean—, his grip on her arm turning slowly more painful. Yet it was not enough to deter her. Despite the fear and confusion, she still held his stare with no other intent than to help him. Then, he finally let go of her arm and wordlessly showed her his wound. It was a nasty cut, long and surprisingly not so deep. Fortunately, no organs seemed to be touched and it wasn't bleeding anymore. He would still need stitches to keep the wound closed. In the meantime, a tight bandage should be enough if he didn't strain himself.
Shinobu forced her hands to move, hoping he wouldn't notice how hard they were shaking, using the already advanced knowledge she got from medical books.
This is my first time treating a wound like this! How did he get it? It looks like it was made with a knife… Goodness, someone broke into my apartment and I'm treating his wound!
Still unable to believe it, she carefully applied ointment of her own making on the wound. It would keep the wound clean to avoid infections and help with healing. He clenched his jaw at the stingy sensation, but quickly relaxed as the remedy already started working. She was not the president of the pharmaceutical club for nothing.
And… who is he?
She eyed him silently out of curiosity as she bandaged him, though she didn't know if she was being discreet or not. Even if he noticed he didn't say anything. He just buttoned up his shirt without a word once she finished.
"Ah, please, don't overexert yourself. This bandage is enough for now, just don't strain yourself. You'll still need stitches. I recommend you to go to the hospital."
He just exhaled, as if considering her words, not meeting her gaze, but didn't respond in anyway. Shinobu remained seated beside him, unconsciously starting to play with her thumbs out of nervousness. The silence was unbearable.
"A-anyway, you shouldn't stay there laying down on the floor. Come have a seat."
She tried to help him, but he avoided her and stood up on his own. He slowly made his way to the kitchen avoiding the junk scattered in her room and silently sat down at the table. He checked the bandage once: it looked good. She followed behind him, unsure of what to do next.
"Uh… Perhaps are you hungry? You should eat something, though I'm not sure if I have anything left…" she rummaged in her kitchen cupboard until she found something. "Ah, I still have some cup noodles!"
The sound of boiling water quickly filled the room, and then stopped. She poured hot water into the cups and came back with two pairs of disposable chopsticks.
"Here, for you. It's still hot, so be careful," she gave him the warm cup of noodles and the chopsticks before taking a seat in front of him. "Thanks for the food."
But he didn't move. He didn't show interest in the food at all. He just watched her practically gulp down her own cup. She was starving. It seemed odd to him, yet he remained expressionless.
"Your noodles will get soggy, you know?" she told him. He didn't budge, his gaze remaining fixated somewhere behind her.
Shinobu set down her chopsticks for a moment. Her cup was already empty, his was still full. She forced herself to think. This situation wasn't normal at all. Was she finally going mad? Was her hectic life taking a toll on her? A wounded man broke into her apartment and instead of calling an ambulance or the police, she treated him herself, and now they were sitting at the same table eating instant ramen. His presence and his silence were intimidating. He could decide to make her disappear, and she knew she had no chance against him. She tried her best to remain calm.
Though actually… she was rather thrilled.
Something—someone—just broke into her monotonous routine and was turning it inside-out. And she would not miss the chance to have some fun, even if it was at his expense—and maybe she should start to worry about her sudden lack of sense of fear.
"Uh… How are you feeling now?" She asked first just for the sake of talking. "Take it easy for a while, okay?"
He didn't respond.
"What's your name? Ah, I-I'm not going to denounce you or anything! I'm just curious! I promise!"
Her question was meet with silence.
"My name is Kochō Shinobu. I'm a second year from the high school not far from here. And you are? ..."
No words.
"You're not very talkative, uh?"
No response. Despite her earlier small excitement, she was starting to feel annoyed at his lack of answers.
"Can you actually talk?"
Silence.
"Do you have friends?"
He still didn't bother to answer her. She sighed.
"Actually, I don't think you have any friends. With that attitude, you must not be liked at all."
This time, he flinched. He did it so imperceptibly she even thought she imagined it.
"I'm not disliked," he said almost immediately and then stopped, as if he had caught himself doing something he shouldn't have.
She stared at him for a few seconds before bursting into laugh. His expression was priceless. The first words he spoke, and he chose to say that? She had never met someone like him, someone who was just so socially awkward—because yes, there was no other way to explain it—, and despite such incongruous and almost surrealistic situation—because who, in their right state of mind, would tend to a stranger who had broke into their home and could potentially be a wanted criminal to later eat instant ramen with them? —, she was starting to have fun.
"Now I know you still have a tongue that works, there's no point trying to stay silent anymore, don't you think?" She said trying to subdue her mirth and failing miserably at it. "At least tell me your name. I already presented myself, now it's your turn. It's basic manners."
His gaze fell an instant, as if pondering before he answered. "… Tomioka."
"Well, nice to meet you, Tomioka-san," she said. "Since you're not good at talking, I hope at least you're good at listening and don't aggravate your injury."
He frowned at her sharp comment, but ultimately decided to let it go. She just shrugged, still visibly amused. He finally started to eat. She looked at him, considering what to ask next. She had many questions in her head, but one of them was more pressing than the others.
"You… are not into the legal business, are you?" she carefully asked. "How did you get those scars? They don't look they came from accidents. And also…" she took a deep breath she didn't know she needed. "I noticed your irezumi, on your back. I didn't get a good look at it, though... Are you perhaps…?"
But before she could finish, he silenced her with such a cold gaze it made her shiver.
"If you care about yourself, don't ask anymore questions," he said with an icy tone.
A yakuza?
For a moment, she couldn't answer, suddenly—and consciously—scared of the man in front of her. She couldn't avert her eyes, she forgot how to breath. For an instant, she wasn't in front of a man anymore; she was in front of a dormant, coldblooded beast, which could wake up at any given moment to tear down her neck—and she only truly became aware of it now. Yet, she was also stubborn. Despite the fear, she decided to not let him intimidate her as he pleased.
"O-okay," she responded, still stuttering, her voice still too high-pitched. Only then his gaze became inexpressive again and resumed eating his noodles.
The heavy atmosphere disappeared, leaving behind just silence and a distraught girl. What the hell just happened? Shinobu couldn't explain it clearly, and she had no time to think about it anyway. For her sanity, she had not time for it. She pulled out her notebooks and schoolbooks, and resumed studying from where she left. She couldn't drink all of her energy drink, she'll have to put up with it. She would be lying if she said she didn't want an explanation, but she suddenly decided she had more important things to think about.
He looked at her puzzled, certainly not expecting her to start studying so late, after what just happened.
"… Shouldn't you go to sleep?" He asked more to himself than to her.
"I have an exam in a couple of days, I have to study for it," she still answered. Neither of them spoke any further after that.
And also, she didn't really care about herself.
. . .
"Did you try that new bubble tea flavour?"
"Aaah, I want to go on holidays already! These exams are killing me!"
"Kochō-chan, we're going to Harajuku! There is a new store we want to check out. Do you want to come?"
Shinobu put on her perfect apologetic smile as she already walked towards the entrance.
"I'm sorry, I have a lot to do today. Maybe next time! See you!" And before her classmates could say anything, she was already gone.
She left the school almost running, but not because she was hurried to go elsewhere. In her head, the events from a few days ago keep repeating themselves like a broken record. She still couldn't believe it, though she wanted to.
Just… how? How was she supposed to take it? She still vividly remembered that night and the morning following that strange encounter. At some point, she had fallen asleep over her notes and books, and when she woke up, he was already gone. A blanket wrapped over her shoulders, the empty cup noodles and used chopsticks gone: the only proofs of his brief call. Common sense dictated she should forget everything about it, and even more after he threatened her like that.
But she couldn't. She couldn't, and it almost ate her alive, the same way her thirst for medical knowledge threatened to drown her more and more by each passing day. She wished to meet him at least one last time. No, that was a lie. It was more than mere curiosity for the unknown, the thrill and the danger. It was slowly, but surely, becoming an obsession. And without even questioning herself, she went to look out for him.
Yet, and much to her chagrin, the sole wish to meet him again wasn't enough to actually find him. She didn't know where to search in the first place. It was already obvious she wouldn't find him near her school or her apartment: he would certainly keep away from those places to avoid meeting her by accident. The train station, maybe? Too many people came back and forth each day, it would be too difficult to search there. The port? She would certainly not be allowed to enter there, though she could still try to sneak in… Despite not knowing her destination, her feet kept carrying her through the big city.
The sun had already set when she decided to go back home. Another infructuous day of searching. It frustrated her, and even though she wanted to keep searching until finding him, she was already getting behind in her studies. Although being the best student, she was no genius. Such outstanding results only came to be through hard work, sometimes too hard. Yet for her it was not enough. In order to be half as good as Kanae, it was not enough.
She stopped in front of a street she never went in before. What caught her eyes were the colourful lights, the dimmed sound of music and the sight of people ready for party. A street of bars, snacks and night-clubs, where people trade their sleep-time and money for a few hours of fun and the right to forget their tiring and dull lives. A place she wasn't allowed to go and a place that never interested her anyway. And, at the same time, a good place to try to find someone like him. As she walked down the street, she couldn't help but look at everything in awe, overly conscious she didn't belong there. Nobody seemed interested nor surprised in a high school girl roaming alone in a busy night street, aside of some men trying to invite her in their clubs, though she always managed to politely refuse their offer and escape. She didn't have time to lose, even though she still wanted to explore more this place. She was there for a very specific reason after all. She took a deep breath.
"T-tomioka-san!" She shouted.
Nobody answered. Some passer-by looked at her bemused but never stopped. Of course, he wouldn't answer at the first call. Maybe the loud sound of music and the noise of chatter covered her own voice. Maybe he was further down the street. Maybe he wasn't there at all. But she still had to—she needed to—keep looking for him.
"Tomioka-san! Tomioka-san!" She kept calling for him. "Are you here? Tomioka-san!"
She kept calling him, yet she still received no answer. Should she look into the alleys despite the darkness? Or into the clubs and try to pretend she's a grown-up to enter? She kept calling.
"Tomi—Uh?!"
A hand suddenly covered her mouth, muffling her shouts, and she was dragged far away from the main street. She tried to resist, but there was nothing she could do with her small body and lack of strength. But the arm that grabbed her soon released her once they reached the end of a narrow, dim lit alley. Deep blue eyes bore deep into her purple ones. It was him.
"What are you doing here?" Tomioka growled after making sure nobody followed them. "Are you crazy?"
His words barely registered into Shinobu's mind; she had just realised how dark the blue in his eyes was, akin to the bottom of the most profound of oceans. Or like a hidden pond, one upon which the sun never shines.
"I finally found you!" She smiled. "Why did you leave in such a hurry? I didn't even have the chance to say goodbye! How rude of you! Anyway, how have you been doing? How is your wound? Did it heal nicely?"
His angered expression morphed into one of utter disbelief. On the other hand, Shinobu was delighted: he was being much more expressive than the first time they met. Finally, Tomioka just shook his head and gestured for her to leave.
"Go home. This is no place for high schoolers."
"Hey! I just found you, I won't head back right now!"
"Leave. And don't come back," he said sternly. Shinobu crossed her arms defiantly.
"Then, I'll just come back looking for you like I did today."
The sceptic look he threw towards her indicated he didn't quite believe her.
Fortunately, Shinobu only had to come back twice for him to understand she was being serious. By the third time, Tomioka sent her back to her apartment himself. Although he was trying very hard to remain calm, he couldn't hide the annoyance in his gaze nor in his voice.
"Enough! Just don't come back, ever!" He wanted to tell her how dangerous it was, but in the end, he just settled for that.
"Mph! This wouldn't have happened if you had behaved a little more civilised in the first place," she petulantly retorted, not admitting she was doing all of that out of sheer selfishness.
"You…"
"Also, I can be useful to you, don't you think?" She added, making him raise an eyebrow. "You can hide here whenever you need. I mean, you didn't leave in a hurry the other day because whoever was looking for you found you, but more because you didn't want to bother me, right?" He didn't affirm nor deny her words. She kept going. "Don't worry. This place is sooo quiet it's even boring at times. There are only old people and salarymen in this building. Plus, I can take care of your injuries just fine. I can't take care of major wounds yet—though I'm already practicing stitching on fish whenever I can—, but the wound you had last time did heal nicely, didn't it?"
Tomioka didn't respond, but the hand he brought to his side was answer enough. She smirked.
"So? What do you think? Do we have a deal?" She asked with an excessive sweet voice. "I can always help you with anything else, as long as it doesn't interfere much with my studying. I've already lost a lot of time looking for you."
He scoffed at her before looking at her in the eye. A mix of emotions swirled in his gaze, and she found it so heavy, almost unbearable, yet she stood her ground, determined to not lose to him. He ultimately sighed in silent acceptance of defeat.
"Fine. If it keeps you out from that place… But I won't be your babysitter."
"Hooray!" She clasped in satisfaction, and offered him her hand, making him look questioningly. "Let's introduce ourselves properly this time. I'm Kochō Shinobu."
He looked at her hand for a moment, pondering, before taking it and giving a light shake. "Tomioka… Tomioka Giyū."
"Nice to meet you, Tomioka-san," she smiled, unknowingly offering him one of her rare genuine smiles.
Once everything was settled, she was surprised he decided to stay for a moment longer.
"I actually already finished working for today," he just told her.
"Oh. Okay," she simply nodded. "Well, you'll have to excuse me for not being a good company for tonight; I have a biology exam in a few days and I still need to study for that."
Tomioka merely nodded, and she noticed he was back to his silent self. She had to admit it was rather disappointing. Her stomach growled loudly, making her slightly blush of embarrassment, though fortunately he didn't make any comment. It was pitch black outside and she hadn't eaten since lunch. She rummaged through her almost empty cabinets to find a few cup noodles of different flavours. Behind her, Tomioka frowned.
"You're eating instant ramen again?" If she had paid attention to him, she would have noticed the incredulous and slightly worried undertone in his voice.
"It's the easiest and fastest thing to prepare when I'm busy," Shinobu answered flatly, trying to decide between chicken-flavoured and pork-flavoured ramen. "If you're hungry, you can have one too…"
When she turned towards him, he was already putting his shoes back, stepping outside and closing the door behind him. She stayed there for a while, with two cup noodles in her hand, still processing what just had happened. He left. Without a word. Again. Deep down, Shinobu knew he had no obligation to respect their little agreement and that he most likely only accepted it so she would stop pestering him. Yet she couldn't help but feel angry at him. She thought he would finally behave like a functioning human being, that he would talk normally to her, and…
Wait. Why was she creating expectations on him? They didn't know each other's existence until a few days ago and, if it wasn't for her insistence to see him again, they would have likely never meet again. They knew nothing about each other. She knew nothing about him. He could leave her behind, once and for all, in a way it would be impossible for her to find him again, and again, she only became aware of it now. Somehow, that thought filled her with dread.
She gasped in surprised when the door opened again, and there was Tomioka, a bag from the nearest konbini in his hand, already taking off his shoes and making his way in her small kitchen. There were several items in the bag, mostly food: a pack of rice, sesame oil, soy sauce, eggs, even some meat…
"W-what is that?" She asked astonished.
"There weren't any good bentō left. You still need to eat properly if you're going to study," he answered as he took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves.
"Wait, wait, wait? You're going to cook?" She asked before she could stop herself. "Can you actually cook?"
He frowned at her as if offended by her question, and, unexpectedly, decided to answer back.
"I guess you can't?" He said as he washed the rice.
"W-well, I, uh…"
"No wonder. If you were eating properly, you would at least be of average height."
"H-hey!" She exclaimed shocked at his retort. "At least I don't have to hide myself to avoid being killed!"
As soon as she pronounced those words, she quickly covered her mouth. She didn't mean to answer the way she did, but the habit of snapping back just kicked in without her noticing. He merely looked back at her. His eyes were colder, like the air around them, like the night outside.
"Good for you then."
They stayed in a silence only troubled by the sound of cooking food and the rain finally pouring. Shinobu felt like suffocating in such anxious stillness. When she tried to apologies, he just said "It's nothing," as if indeed nothing had happened. So, she buried herself again in her books to study for her exam, or maybe to avoid thinking about what happened, or maybe both. And she didn't raise her gaze from her books until he called her to eat.
"Kochō," she looked up and he placed a warm plate in front of her. It was the first time he called her by her name.
It was also the first time in a long time Shinobu had had a home-made meal.
.
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Present
.
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Her trembling fingers typed furiously extremely complexes scientific sentences full of new data and no mistakes. Her mind was racing. She had to write down immediately the results of her latest experiments. Of course, she'll had to rerun the tests once she could return to her laboratory, but for now…
Footsteps on her front door. She even stopped breathing, suddenly wary of her surroundings.
Two knocks. She unconsciously reached for the taser hidden under the sofa.
"Professor Sakamoto."
The dread disappeared in the blink of an eye. She rushed to the front door, her shaking hands barely managing to open the locks, until they did it. She opened the door, but not wide open, just enough to peek outside and confirm their identities.
They were two men. One was tall, with long, bright blonde and red hair, and his face worn out by the years, the sadness and tiredness. Behind him stood a younger version of him, of much brighter countenance.
"We've come to check on you," said the older man.
She let out a sigh she didn't know she was holding. A sigh of relief.
One more day. She managed to escape from them one more day.
. . .
.
~A few notes about this chapter:~
■ This chapter is set 7-8 years before Chapter 1. Giyuu is 20yo, Shinobu is 17yo.
■ At Hachiko's: Hachiko's statue is a popular meeting spot in Shibuya.
■ Snack: a type of Japanese bar, usually run by a "Mama", in which people can come to drink and have a good time.
I bet I forgot some notes I wanted to write, so I might write them down later. Also, in case you find Shinobu a bit immature in this chapter, remember this is set in the past, and therefore she still didn't live the events that made her grow up later. I was fearing I was making her a bit OOC, but she's younger here, so that explains a little.
I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! I'll try to not take too long to bring the next chapter QwQ
See you next time! :D