He sighed deeply, and wiped off the small bead of sweat that was forming
above his brow. It was very warm in the green room, and doing such heavy
and dirty work was enough to cause a sweat. The sun had been shining on his
back for most of the day, and he was just about ready to tear off his
sweatshirt and jump in the shower. He was covered in potting soil, and he
hated being so icky and dirty. Standing up off the ground, he brushed his
hands off of the dirt in the small sink, and he sighed again, looking at
the good cleaning job he had just accomplished. The apron wasn't helping
him much either, he still had dirt on his jeans. But worst of all, he
wasn't getting paid for this job. He slightly frowned, and closed his eyes,
and kept repeating to himself, "it's all for mom, I will help mom..."
Checking to make sure the young flowers were ok in their new pots, he
smiled again as he ran his long fingers through their green leaves. He
enjoyed doing this... He just really hated the dirt.
*****
His aquamarine eyes stared out onto the blue water before him... The color was slightly hinted an orange from the setting sun. The sky was a mixed orange pink and purple, and the breeze was almost perfect for the autumn weather. He felt much better after taking a long, hot shower, and in clean clothes again, leaving him feeling relaxed. He was hoping his buddy would show up by the dock he was sitting on, and he was hoping he would feel like jumping into the water with him, like he used to. He smiled. He can remember his mom yelling at him to at least come into the house and change if he wanted to swim in the water. But he hasn't seen Suiki in ages. He missed that killer whale...
The soft sound of the waves left his mind open to more thought. He then thought about the girl... Hiryuu... He blushed, and dug his fingers into the damp wood. He hated himself for being so shy... He wanted to be better at that, he wanted to flirt, and he wanted someone to talk to. But he just couldn't open his mouth...
"Shin...? It is, Shin, right?" He almost fell into the water when her heard that voice. He turned red again, and quickly stood up and faced her.
"Yeah! That's my name!" he laughed nervously, and held his arm behind his head, and jammed his other hand into his jean pocket. She smiled, and laughed. This made him even more nervous.
"Well.. Um..." she blushed a bit as well, and held her arms at her side. He looked at her, and was a bit confused at the way she was acting. He wasn't an expert at girls... But, blushing? She was nervous?? In front of, him!? "Your mom, Mrs. Mouri, she, wanted me to let you know that she'll be making dinner, on my way out..."
"Dinner? She's cooking herself?" he let his arm fall to his side, and he still stared at her. Damnit, be polite, and stop thinking about your mom so much, she'll think you're queer. He shook his head, and laughed and smiled nervously, and rubbed his elbow. "Thanks for telling me..." he looked at her, and he smiled weakly. Think think... "Oh um.. You're leaving?"
"Yeah, I, have to get back home." she smiled weakly back. Try to make conversation! Don't let her leave just yet.
"Where do you live?" he sighed, and tried to control his blushing.
"Right around here. I, live by myself. I just moved in a month ago, and I'm still not to familiar with the area just yet, and I don't know too many people." she smiled. "I'm new." "New? Where did you move from?" he smiled wider, and he felt a little more calm. I'm getting better at this, he thought.
"I originally lived in Tokyo, but then I attended collage in New York. Then, I came back and found out my uncle died, and he left me the house I'm living here now."
"I'm sorry, about your uncle.." he sighed, feeling really stupid for asking. He shouldn't asked, he should have shut his mouth and let her walk away.
"Don't be." she sighed and smiled. "I never knew him, he was an... Uncle twice removed." he smiled widely, and let out a giggle. It was high, and it squeaked. This caused her to laugh a bit, and she covered her mouth with her hand as he turned redder than red.
"Well!" he laughed, clapping his hands together nervously. "Why are you leaving? Would like to stay for dinner?" She giggled, and shook her head no.
"No thanks, I have to go. Ok, I lied. I don't live alone, I live with two cats, and they need their own dinner, so, I better get going."
"Well, since you're new, can I walk you home?" Suddenly he felt very uncomfortable again, and his wide smile faded a bit, as well as hers.
"I.. guess!" she smiled nervously, and shrugged. She is just as nervous as I am, he thought. This brought his confidence back, and made him smile more.
"It's ok, you can trust me. I wont bite." he giggled.
"Alright, I'll walk with you then." His confidence was back, but he was still nervous. Geeze, he wasn't done this well since the beginning of high school. Could he still do this without screwing up? Standing there on the dock, as the sun set lower into the horizon, and as the air got colder, somehow, he knew he could. The water under the dock, making that soft lapping sound against the wood, somehow gave him the strength he needed too. Like the water itself, he would be calm, he always would, and he can do this. He had to do this. For the sake of his sanity, he just had to at least grab the attention of this young woman.
*****
His aquamarine eyes stared out onto the blue water before him... The color was slightly hinted an orange from the setting sun. The sky was a mixed orange pink and purple, and the breeze was almost perfect for the autumn weather. He felt much better after taking a long, hot shower, and in clean clothes again, leaving him feeling relaxed. He was hoping his buddy would show up by the dock he was sitting on, and he was hoping he would feel like jumping into the water with him, like he used to. He smiled. He can remember his mom yelling at him to at least come into the house and change if he wanted to swim in the water. But he hasn't seen Suiki in ages. He missed that killer whale...
The soft sound of the waves left his mind open to more thought. He then thought about the girl... Hiryuu... He blushed, and dug his fingers into the damp wood. He hated himself for being so shy... He wanted to be better at that, he wanted to flirt, and he wanted someone to talk to. But he just couldn't open his mouth...
"Shin...? It is, Shin, right?" He almost fell into the water when her heard that voice. He turned red again, and quickly stood up and faced her.
"Yeah! That's my name!" he laughed nervously, and held his arm behind his head, and jammed his other hand into his jean pocket. She smiled, and laughed. This made him even more nervous.
"Well.. Um..." she blushed a bit as well, and held her arms at her side. He looked at her, and was a bit confused at the way she was acting. He wasn't an expert at girls... But, blushing? She was nervous?? In front of, him!? "Your mom, Mrs. Mouri, she, wanted me to let you know that she'll be making dinner, on my way out..."
"Dinner? She's cooking herself?" he let his arm fall to his side, and he still stared at her. Damnit, be polite, and stop thinking about your mom so much, she'll think you're queer. He shook his head, and laughed and smiled nervously, and rubbed his elbow. "Thanks for telling me..." he looked at her, and he smiled weakly. Think think... "Oh um.. You're leaving?"
"Yeah, I, have to get back home." she smiled weakly back. Try to make conversation! Don't let her leave just yet.
"Where do you live?" he sighed, and tried to control his blushing.
"Right around here. I, live by myself. I just moved in a month ago, and I'm still not to familiar with the area just yet, and I don't know too many people." she smiled. "I'm new." "New? Where did you move from?" he smiled wider, and he felt a little more calm. I'm getting better at this, he thought.
"I originally lived in Tokyo, but then I attended collage in New York. Then, I came back and found out my uncle died, and he left me the house I'm living here now."
"I'm sorry, about your uncle.." he sighed, feeling really stupid for asking. He shouldn't asked, he should have shut his mouth and let her walk away.
"Don't be." she sighed and smiled. "I never knew him, he was an... Uncle twice removed." he smiled widely, and let out a giggle. It was high, and it squeaked. This caused her to laugh a bit, and she covered her mouth with her hand as he turned redder than red.
"Well!" he laughed, clapping his hands together nervously. "Why are you leaving? Would like to stay for dinner?" She giggled, and shook her head no.
"No thanks, I have to go. Ok, I lied. I don't live alone, I live with two cats, and they need their own dinner, so, I better get going."
"Well, since you're new, can I walk you home?" Suddenly he felt very uncomfortable again, and his wide smile faded a bit, as well as hers.
"I.. guess!" she smiled nervously, and shrugged. She is just as nervous as I am, he thought. This brought his confidence back, and made him smile more.
"It's ok, you can trust me. I wont bite." he giggled.
"Alright, I'll walk with you then." His confidence was back, but he was still nervous. Geeze, he wasn't done this well since the beginning of high school. Could he still do this without screwing up? Standing there on the dock, as the sun set lower into the horizon, and as the air got colder, somehow, he knew he could. The water under the dock, making that soft lapping sound against the wood, somehow gave him the strength he needed too. Like the water itself, he would be calm, he always would, and he can do this. He had to do this. For the sake of his sanity, he just had to at least grab the attention of this young woman.