Disclaimer: Don't own anything in Hikaru No Go
Before start of story as usual, want to thank Blackest Star Catcher, Jamfase, Xiar, dgc178, Kickkid3, Kisa is Dreaming, Vkempf, DarkPortAtreides and Coiling Death for all the wonderful reviews and encouragement. Besides that thanks to all who reads this fic too.
Hope everyone likes this chapter...
Chapter 17
The scorching sun glared upon the group of young individuals getting off the bus when they reached Kanagawa. They stood before their holiday resort on top of a cliff, next to the beachside, designed in a Japanese traditional décor. It was almost like Touya's home but the resort was much bigger of course. The Japanese garden around the resort was vast and bonsai trees trimmed so beautiful could put anyone to attraction. Nonetheless, they would be charm only if it wasn't so hot.
"Arghh!" Kaga fan himself with his paper fan vigorously. "The heat is killing me!"
"Otosan, I am very hot!" Hatori wailed, nearly pulling Hikaru's pants down.
"Just wait a moment alright Hatori!" Hikaru replied, looking like he was about to faint in the heat too. "Natsume... please…"
"Hatori-chan, leave your father alone!" Natsume said gently, kneeling down next to the boy.
"Ew!" Kuniko cringed away from Yuuki who stood next to her, pouring a bottle of water over his head. "Watch it with the water. You are getting me wet too!"
"This place hadn't change much the last summer I came," Kaneko grinned with her hands on her hips. She stood in front of a rather agitated group of associates. "Well, I hope you guys enjoy yourself here in my father's resort!"
"Of course we will Kaneko-san!" Akari smiled gratefully at her friend with Touya next to her. The heat was also getting to her. She pulled her baseball cap lower, to shield her face from the sun. "I am glad you invited all of us!"
Touya still looked rather collected in his usual calm self even the heat was making him dizzy.
"Well, it had been sometime since the last gathering," Kuniko winked and flashing a thumb up sign. "So Kaneko-san and I went through some discussion and plan this trip, to visit her father's resort!"
"I wonder when Tsutsui-san and his family are going to arrive…." Akari said wonderingly looking around. "He will be coming too, right?"
"He said he will be here tomorrow morning," Kaneko replied looking down her watch.
"I see," Akari turned back to Touya and smiled. "I guess we will have to get our things into our rooms first!"
"Boys will share a room and girls in another and for the family they have a room to themselves." Kuniko said. "Unless Akari-chan you want to have a room with Touya-kun alone…" She added rather slyly, smirking at her friend.
Akari and Touya blushed at that statement and Hikaru couldn't help sniggering at Touya's discomfort. Yuuki somehow looked livid, was about to say something when Akari spoke first.
"Well, I think it would be best with the girls in one room and the boys in another…." Akari said and turned to Touya timidly. "If that is alright… Akira?"
"I agree…." Touya nodded once, that blush on his face still hadn't disappeared.
He never had friends teasing him before and this emotion was rather new to him. Somehow he had a feeling that he was going to get along with Akari's friends better than he thought. He smiled slightly at the mischievous throng. How he wished he would have friends like them before when he was in school. He was engulfed into GO, he never had this time to be with anyone except elderly men in his salon to play GO. After meeting up with Hikaru and then Akari, he only realized how much he had missed out in childhood.
"Akira, is something a missed?" Akari asked when she noticed Touya looked rather down suddenly.
"Iie, I think I am starting to feel hot!" Touya lied, smiling gently at Akari. He didn't want to worry Akari and now that they were suppose to have fun in this summer vacation.
"Now, you are starting to feel hot?" Hikaru almost yelled. "What are you, an android?"
"Nobody ask you Hikaru…." Akari snapped before even Touya could think of anything to retort back at him. Finally Akari turned back to him, smiling again and picking up her bag. "Come on lets head inside."
Kaneko lead them down the much cooler environment indoors of the resort. Most of the guests should be down at the beach or at the swimming pool cooling off and the corridors seem rather empty. She pointed out the directions as she walked along the deserted corridor.
"There is the swimming pool, down there is the recreation room, we had an onsen here too but its summer and I am sure no one wants to get burn, this way will bring you down the cliff to the beach and the gardens will be…" (I am sure everyone knows onsen; hot spring)
Finally they got to their rooms, Kaneko turned to the boys with her hands on her hips again.
"Your room will be next to ours, but no peeping on us!" She said sternly.
Akari could only smile at her statement swung her bag over her shoulder and turned to Touya who looked rather astonished at Kaneko's speech. Well, maybe in his whole life he had never peep onto girls before but that doesn't mean the other guys had never done it. Somehow Akari noticed, Kaga looked away, ignoring Kaneko pointedly and Akari burst out laughing.
"Never mind, if they do peep…" Akari said with a wink and turned to Kuniko who also started laughing.
"I think we do know the right medicine for them." Kuniko continued the sentence and winked back.
"Soda-ne," Akari sang and skipped into the room with Kuniko still laughing, followed close behind her.
Soon Kaneko walked in after Kuniko and slammed the shoji door shut.
"What was that about?" Kaga asked.
"Akari and Tsuda-san was once peeped by some guys in High School," Yuuki explained going into their room. "They were changing into their sports attire for PE."
Kaga and Touya followed along.
"What?" Touya exclaimed surprised and rather heatedly at what he heard. Someone saw his Akari… oh… uh… he shouldn't think about that too.
That one time when she was as good as naked in his eyes in those wet clothes. Touya blushed and remained silent. Yuuki continued with the story as Touya slid the shoji door closed quietly.
"When Akari and Tsuda-san found out," There was small smile playing on his lips. "They snuck into the boys' locker room when it was empty and planted several fire ants into the boys' pants… you should have seen the boys' faces when they wore their pants. I think they couldn't sit for almost a week."
"Scary," Kaga fan himself settling himself down next to an opened window, where there was a furin hung on the top frame of the window, chiming as the summer breeze blew. (Furin: Wind chimes very popular during summer in Japan. It's categorized under Futaku (hanging bells)) "I never knew Fujisaki and Tsuda could be so vicious when it comes to getting back their rights! They look like innocent little angels."
"Couldn't put that better," Yuuki smiled softly and turned to Touya who still stood by the door. "Are you going to stand there the whole day? I thought we plan to go down to the beach."
"Right," Touya smiled in return. "I was just slightly amazed at some things Akari does."
"You can say that again." Yuuki chuckled. "Come on, I'll tell you what Akari does that you can never imagine possible! There is just so much to tell!"
Touya smiled at Yuuki's openness. He seemed rather different compared to the first time he had met up with him. He walked up to him slowly and settled his bag down the floor before Yuuki started his tale. Most of it, he had heard from Akari the last time they went out for dinner, but he still listened as Yuuki described how adventurous his little angel was…
The beach was rather crowded even the sun was blazing fiercely down on them. There were small children running in the soft sand playing tag. Some were swimming at the shore with their parents guarding them and most of the younger groups lay on the beach getting a tan.
The girls had started to the beach even before the boys left their room. Kuniko and Akari set up a huge umbrella on an empty spot. Kaneko spread out the picnic blanket. Finally all three of them huddle under the umbrella to shade themselves out of the raging summer sun.
Akari was in a rather revealing white one piece swimsuit, with small yellow flowers adorn at the lower part of her abdomen, her back bare and two yellow thin strings tied to the back of her neck. She was wearing a matching white beach hat, looking rather peaceful while she watched the children splashing water at the shore.
As for Kuniko she wore a pink bikini and shielding her eyes with a pair of red frame sunglasses. Kaneko wore a sporty like, one piece swimsuit like Akari but hers was dark green with red stripes adorn on her left side of her waist, it almost looked like a swimsuit the Olympic swimmers would wear. They were having a small debate on whether to wait for the boys or start having lunch without them.
"I am hungry…." Kuniko whined.
"It is only polite to wait for the guys." Kaneko shrugged.
"Not fair, you had all the sandwiches in the bus earlier!"
"Hey, look, the boys and Natsume-san are here!" Akari exclaimed raising her arm up to wave them over, kind of glad their debate had come to an end. "So we can start eating now!"
Soon after lunch, the group rushed off for a little volleyball game again which Akari humbly decline automatically. She had already made a fool out of herself last summer and had Touya laughing at her too. So she rather stays under the umbrella with Natsume and Touya.
It was maybe for almost half an hour the game proceeded and ended with the throng stumbling back to their picnic area hot with perspiration. Natsume gave out some icy drinks for everyone to cool down.
"I think a dip in the ocean will be great now!" Kaga said getting up towards the shore. "Anyone care to join me?"
"I'm coming!" Kuniko cried standing up immediately running after Kaga who had already left, she turned around slightly to Akari. "Akari-chan, come on! I am sure you can swim!"
"Yeah, I can but I'll pass for today…." Akari smiled. Somehow, her left rib was aching after sitting stiffly in the Shinkansen and then the bus ride. (Shinkansen: Bullet train in Japan) She didn't want to do anything to make that worst.
"What is wrong Akari?" Hikaru looked over at her. "Not like you to pass off swimming in a hot day like this…"
Akari gulped when Touya looked over at her worriedly. Was she getting sick?
"Iie, just don't feel like it today." Akari quickly said and flashed Touya a reassuring smile.
"Hey you guys, the waters are great!" Kuniko shouted from the shallow area of the sea. "Come on in!"
"Let's go otosan?" Hatori said, looking up at Hikaru with puppy eyes.
Hikaru sighed and got up. "All right come on…." He was planning to have a little rest after the volleyball game but somehow that doesn't seem like an option now.
"Well, I guess I am going too…" Yuuki got up and left with Hikaru and Hatori.
Akari sighed silently and thought inwardly. I want to go too!
"Akari, if you are staying here to accompany me; I would rather want you to go join your friends instead." Touya said looking at Akari rather down cast expression.
"They are your friends too, Akira…" Akari said looking over at Touya. "What about you? Don't you feel like swimming?"
"Iie, I never really do sports!" Touya smiled rather timidly looking away from Akari. "I never did have the time to go for any sports!"
"Touya-kun, has dedicated his entire life in GO, Fujisaki-san," Natsume said joining in the conversation. "Well, that is what I heard from my parents whenever they spoke of him. You see we hardly really meet each other!" She laughed softly watching over to Hikaru and her son.
"I know that but…" Akari's voice trail off when she realized that she was suddenly covered by shadows. She turned over quickly and looked up to see Yuuki and Kaga, soaked from head to foot, towering over her. She raised an eyebrow. "What…."
The smirked the boys wore on their faces put Akari nearly to nervousness. She knew what those boys were up too but Touya was somehow oblivion to those guys' intentions just look at them with mild curiosity.
"Iiiee!" Akari shrieked, startling Touya, while scrambled to get up on her feet to take flied and was disappointed when her legs were seized. "Don't even think about…. Eeeks!"
Kaga grabbed Akari's legs, Yuuki on the other hand, grabbed hold under her arms and lifted her up, with her struggling to get away unsuccessfully in their grip! The girls in the waters were laughing and Hikaru also couldn't stop his laughter too, but somehow Touya was rather stunned, just stared wide eyed at them motionlessly. Natsume was also staring, opened mouth.
They stepped into the shore, "Seno, 1, 2…" and tossed Akari into the in coming wave. "3"
"Yatta," Kuniko jumped up slightly, brought both her hands up into the air, splashing water on everyone near her. "We got Akari into the water!"
"What did you do that for?" Akari yelled splattering, her head bobbing out from the water.
Yuuki and Kaga started laughing without stopped, after getting over their fits of laughter, they turned sharply towards Touya who jumped slightly in his position at the way they were staring at him, his eyes widened more, if that was even possible.
"Don't you dare!" Akari cried pushing her wet tendrils out of her face. "If he wants to come in, he will come in with his own free will!"
Touya smiled slightly when he heard Akari coming into his defense. Somehow, slowly he got out from under the umbrella. He was wearing a black swimming shorts, with an unbutton shirt over the shoulders to cover his bare top. He somehow wasn't very use to exposing himself too much. He hardly visited to the beach before and the last time he went, he was in a shirt and long pants. He walked over to the shore and waded over to them, still smiling.
"I think I will safe you guys a trip back up the beach." Touya said good-naturedly, he stopped when the water reaches around his lower torso. "The water is kind of cold…"
"Yeah, just swim around, it goes off after a while!" Hikaru replied holding onto his son, floating next to him with a safety guard around him.
"Gomen Akira…" Akari said softly wading over to him. "You didn't have to come in, if you don't want to…"
"Iie, I think I should learn how to relax once in a while!" Touya replied still smiling. "You know, you look really cute with your hair wet like that…"
"Arigatou," Akari blushed slightly. "I…"
Before Akari could say more, there was a tremendous splash of sea water thrown on her face. She choked slightly and turned to see who the culprit was. It was Kuniko, laughing not far from her. Loosing her battle to keep calm, a splashing contest started…
Akari winced slightly when she wrapped her lower rib with bandages tightly. She was alone in the room when everyone else was cooling off in the recreation room. She told them she will join them soon after she got dressed. She was one of the last to take a shower and deliberately took her time as slowly as possible to get this time alone. She didn't want anyone to know and first of all she didn't want to worry Touya.
A soft knock nearly made Akari leapt into the air. She turned to the door pulling up her blouse quickly, fumbling with the buttons.
"Who… who is it?" Akari asked. If they were the girls, they would have just entered without knocking.
"Akari are you alright?" Touya's voice came from behind the shoji door. "Tsuda-san said you are still in the room getting dress!"
"I am ready…" Akari stammered slightly fastening the last button.
Touya slid the shoji door opened and looked in. Immediately, always being observant, Touya saw Akari on the matted floor, pushing something in her hand, hiding it to the back. He frowned slightly, wondering what Akari was hiding from him, not liking the idea a single bit.
"Akari what is that?" Touya asked walking in, towards her.
"What is what?" Akari tried to look as innocent as possible, gripping onto the roll of bandages tightly in her hand behind her back.
"This," Touya knelt down in front of her, gently reach to the back and brought her hand to his view. "You know, I don't like the idea of you hiding something from me…"
"I just didn't want to worry you…" Akari mumbled softly as the roll of bandages came to view.
"Your rib hurts again?" Touya asked softly, reaching out to touch the side gently.
"Not really," Akari smiled up at him. "Probably the long ride kind of strains it a little but, it should be alright tomorrow. I am sorry; I really didn't want to worry you…"
"You know I will be even more worried, if you keep this to yourself." Touya said reaching out to touch the side of Akari's face. "Please tell me when something is bothering you next time."
"Hai," Akari leaned over and kissed him softly on his lips. "Come on, everyone is waiting for us."
Touya got up and pulled her up with him, with their hands laced together they made their way to the recreation room together. The familiar shouts coming from the recreation room could be heard even before the couple reaches it. They looked at one another, their eyebrows raised.
"I wonder what are they are quarreling about now." Akari said curiously before they entered the room.
Both Touya and Akari stalled by the door, their mouth slightly ajar, staring at the crowd playing Twister on the floor. The sight had almost shocked Akari and Touya speechless.
Kuniko was under Kaga and Yuuki, her hands stretched out facing downwards, one on the right and the other slightly to the left. Her legs however was stretched painfully, one upwards and the other to a side. Kaga was over her, both his legs stretched apart and hands together on one colour of the mat. Yuuki was cursing under his breath, being slightly squashed between Kaga and Kuniko. Kaneko however didn't manage to get tangled with them was stretched rather painfully too with one leg over to the other side the mat under Kuniko and her other leg bent slightly in a squatting position and both her hands in front of her.
Akari burst out laughing at them after getting over her shock. She walked over to her friends with her hands on her hips looking down at them, smiling slyly.
"Do you know if I poke anyone of you now, all of you will topple?" Akari said bending over slightly to look at them. "I guess it is pay back time for throwing me into the ocean…"
"Baka," Kaga cried, body shaking, obviously trying to balanced himself. "Don't you dare…"
"GO AWAY!" Kuniko wailed.
"Is really hard to get this far!" Yuuki said in a strangled voice.
"Well," Akari drawled, held up her hand, before she even touches anyone with her finger, everyone panic.
"Arggh!" Kuniko cried her feet failing her and she collapsed with Yuuki falling on her too.
"BAKA!" Kaga yelled again, loosing his balanced and fell too.
Kaneko somehow managed to take her feet away before everyone collapse on it.
Akari turned back to Touya and grinned, he obviously never seen Akari so playful before. This was the first time. At that moment, he would have snatched her up into his arms and kiss her senseless if there wasn't so many people in the room. She could always make anything look so amusing. Touya watched laughing at her annoyed friends cheerfully, a smile forming on his lips too.
"So what did I miss?" Hikaru walked into the recreation room after the commotion.
"Akari making her friends pay for throwing her to sea." Touya replied chuckling softly.
"Hey Hikaru, you missed the tumble!" Akari said with a grin, turning over to him when she heard his voice. "You should have seen their faces."
"Ouch! Get off, you are heavy Mitani-kun!" Kuniko cried still under him.
"Ah, I can't feel my back anymore!" Kaga groaned.
"I feel like my feet had dropped out!" Yuuki muttered.
Kaneko only sighed with relief that she was not under them.
Akari smiled at her friends and straightened up just in time to catch a familiar glimpse of a person outside the window. She frowned slightly trying to get a proper look but that person disappeared around the corner, train of very long dark hair trailing behind and flick out of sight. She jumped slightly when she felt Touya wrapped his arms around her from the back. Forgetting about the worried thought at what she saw, Akari turned to Touya with a smile.
Three days later…
Touya looked up the bright full moon with a contented smile on his face. He dressed cozily in a plain blue yukata, tied up with an obi belt and wearing a pair of tatami sandals. He had his arms crossed in front of his torso, his thoughts playing back to the three days vacation he had. Tomorrow they will be going back to Tokyo, back to their normal lives. Never in his mind, had he thought, will he be spending a vacation on the beach. He wasn't complaining though, it was a most wonderful vacation he ever had. Maybe it was because Akari was with him.
The garden was cooling in the night air, Touya made his way around quietly enjoying the silence and stillness of the atmosphere. In distance, he could hear the ocean waves lapping over the shore softly, but his solitude walk in the garden was soon ruined, when he noticed a dark familiar silhouette not far from him, hidden behind a huge bonsai tree. His steps faltered slowly watching that person, someone he had not imagine meeting again and of all places, why here?
"Akira…" Yuii's smiled in the dark. "What a pleasant surprise!"
Touya almost winced when he heard her voice, which he had dreaded so much. He watched her stepping out from the shadows, the moonlight shinning down her face. She was smiling at him seductively.
"Alone as usual?" Yuii continued when Touya didn't answer. "Well, I wouldn't mind giving you some company if you want. After all, you can see I am pretty free right now…"
Touya stood motionlessly on the spot watching her stepping closer to him.
"So, how have you been?" Yuii asked when they were inches away. "Still thinking about me?"
Touya stepped back quickly eyeing her wearily. Why have she got to turn up when he had such a wonderful time? Now his vacation was going to end rather terribly and all because of her presence.
"You know," Yuii continued, twirling her long dark hair in her finger. "You are plain pathetic, Akira, always drowning yourself in the past. I can see you got yourself a little girlfriend but let me warn you. You will never be happy!"
Touya clutched his hands to fists at his side watching her. What did he see in her before? She was no longer in his life but why does she still plague him, like he was in a never ending nightmare.
"You will never find love with that attitude of yours!" Yuii smiled, enjoying the anguish look on Touya's face. "I always did like you Akira, but you drove me away by neglecting me. Always playing that stupid game call GO. Even now, that you seem happy with that girl. Don't wish that it will last!"
She turned away and was about to walk off, when she stopped and turned her head slightly to look at him.
"You will forever be mine Akira." Yuii smirked slightly. "Remember that."
Touya staggered at her last words of hindrance, watched her retreating back, as she walked into darkness, her long black hair that reaches down her posterior, swaying behind her.
Akari looked up towards the door, cards held in her hands and her thoughts straying to Touya when he didn't appear. She and her friends were in the boy's room playing 'Big2' and she was starting to worry about Touya. He went off to take a quick shower and to change but never return.
"Your turn Akari-chan." Kuniko said cutting off her worried thoughts.
"Hey, guys…" Akari placed all her cards down. "I am going to see what Akira is doing! Just continue with the game without me."
"Hey, he is a big boy!" Kaga argued. "He can take care of himself."
"Just a quick look." Akari smiled getting up on her feet and left the room.
Somehow she felt uneasy about something that she had no idea what. She wrapped her arms around her front as if the atmosphere had suddenly turned chilly, while she padded down the empty corridor. She was walking in such haste that she nearly collided into someone when she turn around the corner. Her eyes widened with shock when she saw Yuii before her.
Yuii stared at the red head spitefully, ever so slowly a small malicious smile appear from her face before she turned and walk away leaving Akari standing in the corridor rather lost for words. Snapping out of her stupor, Akari turned to look at Yuii's retreating back. So she wasn't dreaming when she saw her outside that window! Did Touya meet her? Did she see Touya? Did she do anything to upset him again?
Worried questions appear continuously in her mind as she made her way out to the gardens. She needed some air to breath. All of a sudden the air in the resort seemed rather heavy. When the night breeze caressed Akari lightly, she sighed with relief. She felt like choking at that sudden encounter.
Walking rather aimlessly, Akari reached towards the edge of the garden, overlooking towards the dark ocean, down the cliff. Even the ocean looked inky and black in the night sky; to Akari it looked rather enchanting, while it glittered slightly in the moonlight. She stared at the ocean rather sadly the wind moving her hair lightly over her face.
What will she say when she see Touya later? Does she really have to tell him that Yuii was here? How she hated it when she had to come to decisions she couldn't make!
"Akari?"
Her eyes widened at the familiar gentle voice calling her name. She turned around swiftly to see Touya watching her rather worriedly closing the gap between them.
"Is something bothering you?" Touya asked his head slightly inclined watching her down cast expression. "You looked so lost when you stare out to sea."
Akari searched Touya's face carefully to find if there was any sign of him upset. He may have met her earlier since she saw Yuii coming back from the garden. Had he known about it? His expression somehow was pretty hard to tell when he was looking so worriedly at her.
"What are you doing here?" Akari finally said, smiling slightly. There was no need to bring Yuii up at this time. Besides it would be the last thing Akari would do was talk about her. "Everyone is waiting for you inside."
Touya smiled gently. It was a true smile that he was really happy about something.
"I was just doing some thinking." Touya said softly reaching out towards Akari and gently held the tendrils of hair blowing across her face. "And I had finally come to a decision."
Akari thought he was going to tug her hair behind her ear but he didn't. He just simply held her hair in his hand, his thumb stroking the soft strands slightly before he held it up towards his face, caressing her hair with his cheek, then held it towards his nose. Akari's eyes widened at his gesture.
"Lavender, I like that scent." Touya said, finally pushing her hair back her ears gently, without moving his hand away from her ear, he trace his knuckles from the ear towards Akari's cheekbones caressing her tenderly down her face towards her jaw, before he let his hand fall to his side. "You know, I had been keeping this in me for a long time Akari. I had hope one day I was able to tell you when you are ready, but..."
Akari was rather quiet as she stared at Touya as he spoke in his soft quiet voice.
"I know it is selfish of me to force such deep commitment on you when you are not ready for it."
"Akira what are you talking about?" Akari eyes were wide and she was rather confused at Touya's odd speech.
Touya smiled softly and moved even closer to Akari until they were only inches apart.
"I want to thank you for all your happiness and thoughtfulness you have shared with me." Touya reached his hand over to stroke the side of Akari's cheek, then rest his hand on her cheek gently. "You shared them with all your heart and never ask for any repayment. You always give and never thought of taking anything in return."
"I remember the conversation we had, last summer in the soba restaurant. It was true the things you told me. You told me that there have to be darkness for light to stand out. It had always been you by my side, showing the light in my life when I had fall into darkness. You told me that there have to be pain to have kindness. You are my kindness out of the pain I felt."
With his hand still on Akari's cheek, Touya stroked his thumb across her soft lips gently and continued.
"I am truly happy again." His face inched closer to Akari. "It was so difficult to believe at that time, but you made me see how true your words are. I started to believe and nothing could hurt me anymore. I just want you to know how much you mean to me. I know it may be too soon for me to say this!"
Touya lowered his lips and touched Akari's lips in a quick gentle caressed. He moved away slightly staring drowsy eyes at Akari's wide surprise ones. The hand on her cheek had move to the back of her head, tangling his fingers in her silky soft hair, drawing her closer to him and with his other hand, wrapped behind her back pulling her length towards his.
He leaned over again and captured her lips covering his mouth over hers deeply for a long moment with fierce intensity. After breaking away from the kiss, he moved away slightly placing his forehead on Akari's gently. Even Akari didn't really response to the kiss, he was glad she didn't pull away at his weird actions and declarations but simply stare at him rather astonished.
"All this time I had kept it in my heart and it ache so much because I felt it immensely and I really need to tell you," Touya whispered.
"I love you…"
Touya didn't dare to look at her expression after his confession, moved his forehead away from hers and burying his head on her shoulder. One of his hand buried in her silky soft hair, pushed her head towards his shoulder, the other arm around her back tightened tremendously as if he was afraid that he may loose her. Still, there was no answer from Akari and Touya's heart wrenched excruciatingly. His hold tightened even more afraid she may pull away and flee from him. He wasn't going to let her go. No matter what happened.
Touya's heart eased gradually when he felt two timid arms wrapped behind his back and a smile appeared. There wasn't any need for him to hear anything from Akari at that moment. He was please enough at her response over his confession. Her hug had proven that she cared for him too; even she had not spoken a single word. Her small gesture was good enough. Touya couldn't ask for more at this point.
One way or another, Touya was glad that his vacation didn't end as badly as he thought. What was he going to do if Akari wasn't around? She was his light, his kindness and he was beyond contented that he met her in that hot summer afternoon previous year. Now, this summer, he had confessed, his true feelings he had kept for so long. How the time had flown, a year passed by so quickly and to Touya that hot summer afternoon felt like yesterday.
That fateful meeting was a blessing. He had remembered how he had chosen to walk into Eternal Snow not knowing it will bring him so much joy to his life and he was glad he made that decision. Gradually tears of happiness fell from the eyes of the Professional Go Player. He had finally found his light and kindness, all because of Fujisaki Akari.
TBC
Another nodge higher in their relationship... but do you think Yuii will let Touya be? Laugh cruelly... MUAHAHAHAHA... let's see ne... till next chapter.
Thanks for reading!