Four
Giving the thick door a quick knock, Hatori stood there seemingly patient as he waited in front of the Honda household.He was normally a very composed and gentle man; never allowing unneccessary feelings or emotions. Yet, at the moment he was exceptionally annoyed, impatient, and uneager to meet the girl. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he ran his slender fingers into his long hair, wondering what was taking the girl so damn long to open the door. He had work to do, errands to run, and duties to fullfill and he sure as hell didn't have time to dally about the day and try to woo the girl into his affections. Why was he even here in the first place?
You better make amends with her or you'll never hear the end of it, his mother's voice echoed in his head.
Grunting silently to himself, he gave another swift knock at the door. Maybe she wasn't home? Damn, this was humiliating. He scowled for a moment longer until he saw the door creak open slowly. His frown deepened when he saw that it wasn't Tooru Honda. Instead, it was a dark haired woman with the most speculative look in her chocolate brown eyes. She held an eerie and mysterious aura about herself that made him feel rather uneasy.
They stared at each other in silence for a long while. She didn't frown or smile, nor did she seem curious or surprised. Instead, they both shared a look of complete indifference.
"I think I have the wrong house," Hatori said at last, eyeing the girl cautiously.
She continued to stare at him intently, not offering a response until she saw him bow curtly and pivoted on his heel to leave. "No, you haven't."
He turned around to face her again, obviously annoyed as he narrowed his eyes at the young woman. "I haven't?"
"You're looking for Tooru Honda."
It was more a statement than a question, really. He eyed her suspiciously, wondering how she knew and felt an involuntary shiver run along his spine.
"Ah, yes," He said calmly, finally assuming that this Honda girl probably had many visitors; therefore leading this young woman to jump to the conclusion. He nodded absently at his assumption and lifted a brow at the girl, expecting her to let him inside.
But, she stayed put. Growing slightly irritated at her rudeness, he continued to stand before her erectly, his expression suddenly changing into that of stone.
"You're Hatori Souma."
He jumped out of his skin. Well, that's how he felt. Yet, he didn't bugde nor blink an eye to her shocking declaration. He merely nodded and placed his large, clammy hands behind his slender back. He continued to stare at her in feigned disinterest, although he was becoming highly uncomfortable with her vulture-like presence.
"Hm, come in," she said relunctantly, bowing her head.
She then gradually opened the door wider and waited for the stoical man to enter, lest her hand slip and the door would slam ungracefully in his face. Hiding a smile at the thought, she stepped back to let Mr. Souma enter and quickly shut the door.
So, this is Hatori Souma, she thought silently to herself, frowning as she looked over to the tall man standing behind her. He was indeed good looking, no doubt about that. However, he was a mysterious man. He was isolated in his own thoughts at the moment, showing no sign of interest at all. He paid little attention to his surroundings and would most likely pay little heed to anything or anybody else - moreso Tooru. If that wasn't bad enough, she felt an unwelcoming vibe from this enigmatical fellow. Something dark and doleful filled this man's heart...something mystic though harmless.
What was there about this man that Tooru let the idiotic thought of marriage cross her mind? Whenever she brought up the subject of her friend's potential fiance, she was left with dodging answers that reeked evasion. Mixed emotions clashed together, making it very difficult to comprehend and leaving poor Saki in a state of confusion.
She had expected Tooru to find an open minded and charming man that wouldn't ridicule her for her own lack of common sense and occassional acts of stupidity. She half expected him to be almost as naive as Tooru, if not very outgoing and kind. He would give anything for her to make her feel happy...to make her feel loved, wanted, and needed. She sighed then, wondering why she wasn't born a man.
Frowning suddenly, she looked over to the tall man still standing behind her and told him to have a seat for she was going to fetch Tooru for him. Turning on her heel without a glance back, she made her way down the long hallway and quickly disappeared inside a room.
"Hana?" A voice from within the blankets said in a muffled voice. "Who was it?"
The slender woman stepped inside lightly as she made her way to the twin-sized bed. There, beneath a thick quilt lay a drowsy, pink-cheeked darling. Saki lifted a stray whisp of brown hair and tucked it gently behind her delicate ears.
"It was Hatori Souma."
"Eh?" Tooru lifted herself out of bed quickly, nearly tripping from such haste. She looked around frantically, her brain pounding harshly against her skull.
"He's inside the living room," Hana began, smiling gently. "I can tell him that you are in no condition for visitations."
"No, no. It must be important if he came all the way here," Tooru said almost to herself.
Her head was spinning but she ignored it, knowing full well that her friend would worry something dreadful over her. She was hoping to sleep the fever off for the rest of the day, but it seemed higly unlikely at the moment. She couldn't bear the thought of turning Hatori away just because of a small fever; it would have been outright rude.
Straighting herself, she headed off to the restroom to wash the wreariness from her features. Feeling a bit better, she applied light make up to hide the fact that she was ailing and made her way to the closet as she brought out a decent outfit while Hana was at her trail, combing the sleeping lumps from her hair. She smiled at her friend gratefully and whispered her gratitude to her before she walked out of the room and into the living room.
Hatori was sitting upright in his chair, lost in his own inner thoughts until he heard the soft padding of footsteps. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes widened for only a moment at the creature coming forth. Her long brown hair hung loose over her slender shoulders, swaying with each step she took. Her teal eyes were wide and bright as she looked over him shyly; curiously. Her face was obviously flushed, which he found most appealing for she was always either too pale or too red for his liking.
He stood up slowly when she came before him as they both bowed deeply to each other respectfully. When he straightened up again, he was surprised to find that she barely reached his shoulders. Why had he never noticed this? Bewildered at such a discovery and somewhat embarassed, he looked the other way.
Tooru furrowed her brows, confused at his behavior and wondering if she had upsetted him.
"Ah, I must apologize for making you wait so long," she stammered, feeling her head begin to throb. Oh, how she wanted to sit down and sleep...
"No need for apologies, Ms. Honda. I should have called," Hatori replied gruffly.
Tooru gave a small smile as she gestured for him to sit down as she also took her place beside him. She looked around for Hana, wanting to introduce her dear friend to her future husband. Almost laughing out loud, she realized that her companion was hiding behind the kitchen door, her long wavy hair quickly giving her away.
"I was wondering," Hatori began, breaking the silence for once, "if you would like to accompany me to lunch and a movie?"
She didn't expect that. At all. She whipped her head up to meet his grave hazel eyes, unsure if this really was Hatori Souma. Ah, yes...he was still the tall, reserved man. Still handsome. Easing back into the sofa, she nodded her approval although the thought of food made her feel extremely queasy inside. Even the thought of having to watch a film for a couple of hours made her feel unpleasantly tired. But, at least he wasn't speaking in short, fragmented sentences anymore.
Sucking in her current discomfort, she looked over to him shyly with a smile. "What movie do you wish to see, Mr. Souma?"
"I...don't know. Perhaps you have a movie in mind? That war movie that you suggested the other day, for instance."
"Well, I am not really in the mood for a war movie at the moment," Tooru replied softly, imagining the horror of watching gore and blood spill on a ruthless battlefield.
Silence engulfed them, outstretching uncomfortably for the pair. No, not this again.
"Erm, what sort of genre interests you?" Tooru asked as she shifted in her seat, straightning her black skirt with her trembling fingers.
"Comedy," Hatori replied quickly---too quickly.
Comedy? Tooru looked up at him bewilderedly, his face looking into hers in a careless manner. The thought of him sitting in a theatre while laughing insanely to himself would have seemed comical to others. But to her, it nearly terrified her. Trying not to shudder at the thought, she wondered if he even knew how to laugh. Or smile, for that matter.
"O-oh...hah...um, well, I think there's one comedy out. The Stoned Dragon, I believe it's called," Tooru stated nervously.
"Sounds great," Hatoi said dryly, noticing the quiver in her voice and wondering if she was afraid of him. "Shall we go then?"
"Go where?"
"To lunch, Ms. Honda."
"Hah...of course," she replied as she stood up, almost wishing that the day would soon be over.
He took her out to a small french cafe near the theater. Tooru never ate French food before and was delighted to finally have the opportunity to try it. Yet, when she entered the restaurant, the aroma of food quickly shut down her excitement. They both sat opposite of each other in the plainly furnished restaurant, making dry conversation. Tooru settled with soup and hot tea, hoping that it could settle the queasyness of her stomach. Hatori raised an eyebrow at her small meal and waved it off as a woman's concern for her weight. He peered into his menu for a moment before ordering a chicken ceaser sandwich with baked chips. Feeling sick and dizzy, Tooru excused herself from her seat and wobbled ungracefully to the restroom.
When she came back, her face was pale and her eyes glazed over. As she took her seat, she gulped down her cup of tea and barely touched her soup. Her head began to pound viciously at that point, her bones feeling weak.
"Are you feeling well?" Hatori asked, somewhat concerned.
"Yes," Tooru responded, forcing a spoonful of savory soup into her mouth to show him.
Hatori was not convinced. He had noticed the goosebumps on her flesh and the shivering of her body, but had dismissed it, thinking she was nervous. Her face had grown pale, however, and her eyes sunken deep into her skull.
"Are you cold?"
"Huh?" Tooru asked dumbly.
"Are you cold, Ms. Honda?" Hatori repeated, watching her intently.
"Yes...it's kinda chilly today..."
It was too humid for his liking, Hatori thought to himself. "Is your head hurting? Do you feel nauseous? Fatigue?"
The small brunette looked up at him questioningly, her eyes fluttering as she tried to concentrate on what he was saying. Her world began to spin as she saw the tall man stand up from his end of the table. And she saw no more.
The illness she has is something that I get quite a lot...maybe two-three times a year. I don't know the English word for it, and I'm not even sure if American people have this kind of illness for I never seen any type of medication for it. It's a very nasty "cold" where your body is absolutely COLD (plus you have a high fever). You can wear a jacket and five sets of blankets and it's still cold. Your body shivers uncontrollably and your head throbs something terrible You also throw up a few times and feel very drowsy. Sometimes, when you don't rest enough, you pass out / (Just like Tooru). It usually lasts for 3 days and sometimes more...and it's such a pain in the ass because you feel that you're better (like nothing ever happened) and it hits you AGAIN--- sometimes harder. Last time I had it was a few months ago and I felt like I was going to die :( I'm such a baby, haha.
But anywho, I hope everyone liked this chapter ; It was a bit short but I felt that I had to update :) Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up in two weeks or so :) School is almost over !
.Hae-jang Lee.
Taiyo- Hehe :) Thank you for your kind reviews. I hope you'll like the next chapter :)
Just Call Me Blue- Thank you, darling :) I also enjoy reading your story. I can't wait til your next chapter :D
Sakura Arielle- Awww, I'm glad you loved it!
Haritori- Yay for ToriRu! Since you are Korean, I am sure you know what I am talking about (the whole "cold" thing)...and you have to go to the Korean store and buy nasty Pan Cold medicine XD; Heehee, and thank you! I'm always looking forward to your reviews :D
Kitsunedemon- Yes ;.; Ha'ri's dad is a bad, bad man! lol, I will surely get flamed for what I'm going to reveal about him hides Or maybe not :P Anywho, thank you! Tooru is also my hero, I only wish to be as kind as her...but unfortunately I'm not :P
Slow Motion Runner- Ooooo think the absolute woooorse! I assure you that it's going to be bad / I've recieved certain e-mails requesting that I tell them of what happened between them (which of course I did not tell them anything about it since it's top secret, lol), and I was surprised by what they came up with o.O man, people think vicious things! (And I thought I was bad). But anywho, thank you :)! I hope you like the next chap as well!
Aki- Heehee, thank you! blushes like crazy
Blackrose10307- Thanks! I thought your former screen name was really cute (even though it was long), but black rose is even better :) I hope you also enjoyed this chappie too!
Chiisana-inori- Thank you, Chii!
Firewindgurl- Rest assured, I promise you more fluff in the next chapter :)!
Drumming-Femme- Thank you :)
LinBean- I'm glad my reviews inspire you. I really do enjoy reading your stories since I rarely review on others. But if I see something I like, then I like to show my appreciaton to the author :D I am eagerly waiting for your next chapter!
Fluorescentpinkfairies- Oh, and it will be very, very complicated later oo I'm already getting a headache thinking about it...haha just kidding (or maybe not...:P ) And thank you for your review!