Six
Yohei emptied his hand of pizza crust, in one bite. He licked his thumb, his point finger and the middle one to taste the remaining salty substances of the food.
He was about to take another slice from the supreme box when his eyes widened in shock. He saw nothing inside the box but a white sheet messed with some oil and hot sauce.
"Yum..." Sakuragi rubbed his full tummy and his lips kept on pressing each other like the delicious taste would be gone forever. "I lo-ove pizza."
Yohei's jaws dropped exhaustedly in the sight of his redhead bestfriend. There were eight slices of large thick crust pizza and he had only eaten a couple.
"Next time, Yohei." Sakuragi wrapped an arm over his dark-haired pal like a coach advising his player. "Eat faster."
It's about three in the afternoon and Sakuragi's mother came an hour after lunch. She learned that Yohei had been staying in the house since morning so she asked them to have a pizza delivered in her expense.
Yohei was like a part of the family and so was the other three Sakuragi gundan. The five war freaks were friends since childhood days and Sakuragi, being an only child, withdraw from boredom when he's with his close buddies.
"I miss Mrs. Yumi." Yohei slumped his back on the couch, exasperatedly. "She'd been gone in a month now."
Mrs. Yumi was an old widow who used to live next door. She's alone in her house with twelve different breeds of cats to entertain her from loneliness. Having several time for herself, she cooked a lot and shared her recepies with Sakuragi and his friends. But she went to Hiroshima last month to live with her daughter and grandchildren till her death.
"Is the house not sold yet?" Yohei glanced at the redhead to query.
Sakuragi merely shook his head and began pressing the remote control to tune from channel to channel on the television.
"I'll leave now." Yohei suddenly stood from the couch with a look of irritation.
"Why?" Sakuragi frowned. He loves it when his friends are there. It's so much fun.
"I'm starving here."
"Look at the fridge, maybe there's some foods there."
Yohei gave him a smirk. "Food? If you have foods there, we wouldn't have a pizza delivered here."
Sakuragi crossed his arms on his chest. "Is that what you came here for? Only for food?"
"Don't start it up."
Preventing a mess with the redhead, Yohei just inched towards the door and left without closing it. Sakuragi let out some air of disappointment. Now he's on for hours of nothing to do especially when his mother was resting inside her bedroom like she didn't sleep for an entire year.
Suddenly, less than ten seconds passed, Yohei came back with an exhilarating emotion.
"HANAMICHI!"
"What?" Sakuragi didn't intend to look at his bestfriend. He pursued his non-stop selection of channels.
"Mrs. Yumi's house was sold."
Sakuragi's brows knitted. He was definitely interested about having a new neighbor, but learning it from Yohei, he had to keep his pride and resist showing his excitement.
"Stop it, Hanamichi." Yohei glared at his bestfriend. "I know you. Come on, let's see your new neighbor."
Having no enough resistance, Sakuragi finally yielded. he turned off the televsion and went with his bestfriend. Together they walked towards the next house.
They saw a mini-truck parked on the side of the street and when they inched closer, they spotted six men huddled in a certain area. They were being paid by their boss for bringing the appliances inside.
"Do you see who it is?" Yohei asked as Sakuragi stretched his neck on the opened gate and peeked inside.
"Not entirely."
When the men left towards the gate, the person who paid the workers was seen.
Rukawa Kaede.
Sakuragi's mouth laid open, sagging to the ground. "Ru-ka-wa?"
Yohei, standing behind him began to be curious and see it for himself. "Him?"
Rukawa was about to re-enter his new house when he noticed a weight of stare thrown onto him. He gazed towards the opened gate and saw Sakuragi and Yohei standing nearby.
He turned to face their direction and looked at them seriously, which is normal for him.
"Ru...rukawa? What are you doing here?" Sakuragi queried, not yet reviving from his astounded state.
"I bought this house." Rukawa replied, his sapphire blue eyes never leaving the copper brown eyes of the redhead.
"You did???" Yohei's eyes inevitably roamed around the entire bungalow place. "Is this for you or for your family?"
Rukawa didn't glance at the dark-haired friend of Sakuragi. He kept his stares private for the handsome and funny redhead.
"I'll be staying here alone, Hana. So I'll be closer with you."
Yohei seemed to be innocent of Rukawa's opulence in money. He was perfectly aware of his richness, but it seemed like he never get used of it.
Suddenly, Rukawa stepped closer to the still-flabbergasted Sakuragi. He held his right hand and motioned him to enter the house.
"Come Hana, I'll show you my house."
Sakuragi was too occupied to speak. The hand coating his was warm and delicate that he wouldn't dare to get rid of it. Sakuragi walked with Rukawa's guidance and they came inside the house.
Yohei smiled a bit as he watched his bestfriend walking farther and farther from him with the famous cold-blooded Rukawa.
"Have fun." He let out an exasperated breath and left the place, knowing his bestfriend would surely be alright and wouldn't need him.
The interior of the house didn't welcome Sakuragi in surprise and adoration. He had been there several times and Mrs. Yumi herself was a very artistic person to rival with Rukawa's interior designer.
In the living room, the couch that used to be a velvet gray 4-set sofa with swan images, was now a furry royal blue one. Semi-long sky blue curtains enhanced the refeshing cool illusion of the place.
Getting inner, Sakuragi's eyes dropped on a grand amber piano standing in a light-brown carpet.
Realizing that the warm touch had left his hand, he almost protested. However, seeing Rukawa stepping closer to the piano slowly, hindered him.
White lithe long fingers travelled across the shining skin of the grand piano and Rukawa sat on the chair then gently touched the keys without pressing it.
Until, a stroke in the keyboard produced a stimulating sound that captured the redhead's ear at once. It was a tune he was very familiar of yet he never paid heed of the lyrics. Not until that moment.
Rukawa continued pressing other keys and formed a melody. His young cherry lips opened slightly and he sang softly but beautifully.
then why can't I paint you?
The words will never show
The you I've come to know
Sapphire blue eyes glimmered as it gazed up to the copper brown eyes staring at it. Sakuragi gulped at the beauty that was Rukawa Kaede and they both remained on that situation, as the song went on.
Rukawa registered the handsomeness of the person across him. The fresh tan complexion, the soft youthful cheeks and the not-so-thin kissable lips.
Then where am I to go?
There's no one but you
You're all that's left me to
The sound went louder as it came nearer to the climax. Sakuragi felt his chest tightening and his heart inflating with every stroke on each note.
is running dry
you've come and pour yourself on me
Rukawa divided the moment in pressing the keyboard and in looking at Sakuragi. He glanced at him through his dark long eyelashes, with his rebelling bangs accentuating his sexy jaw.
I'll be with you
tomorrow and today
the sky and all the away
if the world should stop revolving
spinning slowly down to die
I'll spend the end with you
and when the world is through
Sakuragi absorbed the very romantic lyrics to the deepest recesses of his heart and soul. It was more than a sentimental melody to hear. It was a rhythm his heart throbs with in a perfect synchronization.
the stars will go down
then you and I would simply fly away
Scarlet blush stroke on Sakuragi's both cheeks. He was as red as tomato and Rukawa noticed it. He was enchanted, the redhead liked the song.
Rukawa smiled and Sakuragi was surprised. He had never seen him smile. It really was a very precious moment. He learned that Rukawa is more gorgeous with a grin. It was lovely.
As the clock ticked, Rukawa came closer to the standing redhead with twinkling eyes of sincerity and fidelity. He kneeled in front of him and held his right shivering hand.
Once and again, sapphire blue eyes stared upwards to the copper brown ones.
"I'm really in love with you, Sakuragi Hanamichi."
Without hesiatations, Rukawa pursed his dry peck on Sakuragi's hands.
Just type thrill.to/ruhana on the address bar