Chapter 2 - Restless
" You looked terribly pale!" Akira remarked out loud. " What did you do last night?" Akira asked, casting a mischievous glance at Soujirou. However, with his mind getting preoccupied with other issues, Soujirou simply ignored Akira. " Soujirou! Look at me!" Akira stomped over and faced Soujirou. " Tsukasa is busy dealing with that Makino, Rui hasn't been himself lately due to Shizuka's presence and now you are going to ignore me? This is so…" Akira gave him a you-know-how-I-feel shake on his shoulder. " Huh?" Soujirou looked up, a little dazed. " Urghh! I give up!" Akira threw his arms up, exasperated. What did I say? Soujirou thought when he saw his friend walking away angrily.
Soujirou was home exceptionally early after the party during the night before. " I am back." Soujirou greeted when he noticed his mother busy tending her husband's favourite bonsai in the front yard. " You are early tonight." Mrs. Nishikado said, smiling at her son. " Are you waiting for him?" Soujirou asked, but no reply was received. " Don't bother, I saw him entering Maple Hotel with a friend."
"Oh…" Mrs. Nishikado stood rooted on the spot. Soujirou had no intention in rubbing salt into his mother's wound, however the broken relationship between his parents was already an open secret in the family and they wondered why their mother would still want to keep this unhappy marriage. " Kaasan, give it up…before it is too late." Soujirou knew his words would surely go unheard. " You don't understand. " Mrs. Nishikado sighed. Soujirou shook his head sadly. " I am going in, and you can wait all you want." Soujirou said before getting into the house.
The clock hadn't even struck midnight when Soujirou decided to call it for the night. Soujirou soon became grouchy as he kept tossing and turning all night without getting any sleep. This mattress is damn hard! And he was actually blaming his wakefulness on the poor bed that he hardly sleeps in. Nevertheless, he knew the reason for this unusual insomnia, but he did not wish to go there. He was not ready yet, not ready to fall in love.
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"Tsukushi-chan…" Tsukushi turned her head, waiting for Yuuki to continue. " Nothing." Yuuki said. " Are you sure?" Tsukushi's eyes narrowed. "This is already the fourth time you are doing this. There must be something wrong." Tsukushi said, crossing her arms. " Really, nothing." Yuuki gulped. " Oh, there's customer…" Yuuki quickly changed the subject before spilling the beans. Keep myself busy… Yuuki reminded herself constantly in order to stop thinking of the surprise acquaintance during the night before.
" I have a situation here, Kyoko-chan could not make it for her shift tonight and I need one of you to stand in for her." The lady boss informed the girls. Oh, extra working time means extra money. Tsukushi thought happily. " I will do it." Yuuki said. Tsukushi was a little surprised and of course a little disappointed for not able to earn the extra money.
" Is that why you kept hesitating just now?" Tsukushi asked concernedly. " Nani?" Yuuki was confused. " Are you in need of money?" Tsukushi rephrased her question. " Oh…" Yuuki finally understood what Tsukushi was referring to. " Yeah…I saw one huge teddy bear at the gift shop during last week…but the price is a little too high. So I decided to…" Yuuki played along. " Sou desu ne." Tsukushi heaved a sigh of relief. " For a moment, I thought it was something related to Nishikado Soujirou." Tsukushi said. " Dai jo bu…" Yuuki smiled bitterly, " He won't be interested in me anyway." Yuuki said, feeling somehow disheartened by this fact.
Yuuki was alone in the dango shop; it was quite boring without Tsukushi and the boredom made her mind wandered off into her world of fantasies.
Would you like to have coffee with me? …Yes… Let me send you home. …Okay…Yuuki started reminiscing about the short conversation she had with Nishikado Soujirou while she mentally replied to those questions. Perhaps it was only a one-time offer given to me by cupid and I actually rejected it. What was I thinking? Yuuki reprimanded herself. But I do not wish to be just another toy for this playboy… Yuuki started a mental debate. I want to be loved and not to be played. Yuuki finally concluded. It seemed that her sensibility was the winner during this round.
" Yuuki-chan, please have these dango delivered to this café." The lady boss instructed as she passed the delivery slip and a box of beautifully wrapped dango to Yuuki.
" 135, Rosebud Café…" Yuuki tallied the address in her delivery slip with the signboard, making sure she was in the correct place before entering. " Konbanwa, I am from the Dango shop." Yuuki called out as she stopped behind the cashier counter.
" Are you new? I never see you making deliveries before." The manager asked as he handed the money over to Yuuki. " I am standing in for Kyoko-chan tonight." Yuuki explained, securing the money into her uniform pocket. " Thank you!" Yuuki made a slight bow before leaving.
" Would you like to have a cup of coffee?" Yuuki spun around and stood rooted to the ground. It was the similar cologne, the similar voice and the similar face. It was Nishikado Soujirou. A brief silent fell between the two. " So, what's your reply this time." Soujirou asked, breaking the intense silent. " I…I…" Yuuki stammered, her brow furrowing in thought.
…To be continued.