"Here comes the rain again,
falling on my head like a memory."
-Eurythmics
Shuichi was greeted by a dreary, rainy Friday morning when he stepped outside to grab the newspaper, which prompted him to check the weather forecast for the remainder of the day. Since it was predicted to be poor conditions for the duration, he thought it best to take the train into Osaka and forgo his bike. He returned inside, sans newspaper, stepping into the kitchen to fix himself a cup of tea and enjoy a quick bite to eat before leaving for university—he had woken nearly an hour before his alarm was set to expire, and hadn't been able to return to sleep, so he had abandoned his efforts and left the comfort of his bed. His mother was perched at the kitchen table, sipping on a cup of black coffee and perusing the newspaper he had been unable to locate on the porch. She fixed him with a lovely smile as he slipped into the seat across from her, armed with his own mug and a banana.
"Off to school soon, I take it?" she asked warmly as she folded down the paper and met his gaze.
"Yes. The weather is poor, so I'll be taking the orange line," Shuichi offered, then took a hearty sip of his beverage.
"Good idea. Wouldn't want you to get caught in a storm and catch a nasty cold."
"I'll be fine, Mother. No need to worry."
"How are your classes so far?"
"It's going well. There's certainly more homework than the previous semester, but I'll manage."
Shiori's brow furrowed at his admission. "Maybe you should cut back on your hours at the café. I know Kazuya will understand if you need to."
"No, that's not necessary. As long as I keep on top of things, I'll be absolutely fine," Shuichi replied, while stealthy peeling the skin from his piece of fruit. "We're already dealing with a minimal staff, and I wouldn't want to leave him in a bind."
"He could always hire another person, if need be. I wouldn't want you to fall behind on your studies, Shuichi."
"You don't have to worry about that, Mother. If it starts to become a problem, I'll consider your suggestion." Shuichi took a bite of his banana, relishing the sweet flavor on his tongue.
Shiori smiled, then rose to her feet.
"Well, I've got to get off to work. Have a good day, sweetheart."
"You too, Mother. Drive safely."
His mother approached his side and placed a quick kiss on his forehead before taking her leave of the kitchen. Shuichi finished his meager breakfast and then ventured into the bathroom to brush his teeth. As he was finishing up, Kokoda appeared in the doorway, wiping the sleep from his eyes. His hair was a tousled mess, and he looked less than half awake.
"Hey big brother," he said, his voice heavy with sleep still. "Think you can help me with that boss level when you get home later? I keep getting my butt kicked."
Shuichi smiled at the question and nodded his agreement.
"Thanks. You almost done in here?"
"It's all yours."
Shuichi left the bathroom and slipped into his room to grab his school bag, then headed out so he could make the short walk to the train station. It was still fairly early before his first class, but he wanted to make it to campus prior to the bulk of the morning rush. While he sat waiting for the orange line to arrive, he heard his name being called from afar and quickly scoured the small crowd to find the source. His eyes met that of his classmate, Amaya Noriyaki—she was an advanced placement student who shared his calculus class. She smiled widely over at him as he waved to acknowledge her greeting and took it as an invitation to approach him.
"Surprised to see you taking the train today," she said, sauntering up to him and slipping into the vacant seat that sat to his right.
"Didn't want to chance getting stuck in the rain," Shuichi replied casually. While certainly attractive, Amaya had a bit of a reputation around the university for being quite the little vixen. The running joke was that she changed her partners as often as she changed her hair color, which was every few weeks. Currently, it was dyed a vivid shade of purple and pulled up into a high ponytail. She had tried on several occasions to lure Shuichi into her bed, but he had denied her advances because he was involved with Kanaka at the time. Despite his lustful nature, he wasn't one to cheat on a partner—embracing his human side had made him realize that loyalty towards a lover was an important quality to possess, and he had done well to not stray. It certainly wasn't worth the headache. But now that Kanaka was no longer in the picture, it was a different playing field. He had heard through the collective grapevine that Amaya was wild in the bedroom, and in truth, he was curious, a feeling that was only further amplified by his lack of action over the course of the past few months.
"Didn't want to get wet, huh? That's a shame, it's a nice mental image," she teased, her tone quickly becoming flirtatious as she batted her blue eyes at him playfully. "Of course, I would be more than willing to help you dry off…"
The carnal feelings her words openly insinuated had something humming deep within Shuichi's loins. He knew full well that she was baiting him, but considering he was currently unattached, he didn't see the harm in playing her game. She may have been well versed in her skills, but he knew she wouldn't be able to best him. Seduction had been a forte of his after all, and he had yet to meet anyone who could surpass his own proficiency.
"That would be rather kind of you. Perhaps you'd need to undress first," he offered thoughtfully. "I wouldn't want you to get wet…well, your clothing, anyway."
Her eyes grew wide with surprise at his lecherous response—it was obvious she hadn't anticipated his agreeable retort.
"Good idea. No doubt you'd be chilly after getting soaked, so it would only be right if I helped warm you up," she replied with a swift, pithy recovery.
"There's definitely an appeal in being properly warmed up."
Amaya giggled at his reply, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder.
"We should hang out sometime," she said, fixing him with a pointed stare that suggested they would be doing far less chaste than grabbing some ice-cream while strolling through the downtown district. Shuichi fixed her with a knowing smirk, but before he could respond, a familiar glint of copper caught his attention from near the station's entrance. Upon further scrutiny, he realized that it was Davina—he watched as she made her way over to the board announcing the arrivals and departures and studied the screen for a moment before making her way over to a row of mostly empty chairs that sat off to the right. She wore the same dove gray cardigan from the night he had witnessed her walking home prior to their meeting, with a shirt and jeans that were of more muted colors—a deep wine colored blouse coupled with black leggings, accented with a pair of calf length gray leather boots. Her hair was secured in a loose, messy bun, with stray strands of glistening russet falling lax to frame her face in an endearing manner. She parked herself down in one of the seats and quickly withdrew a book from within the confines of her bag, pulled it open and began to read. He felt the sudden urge to approach her, his brief interest in Amaya's mischievous proposal swiftly waning.
"Earth to Shuichi," he heard, accompanied by a sharp snapping sound. That effectively tore him out of the trance he had unknowingly slipped into, and he returned his attention to his purple haired companion, inexplicably annoyed by her presence now.
"So, are you free tonight? We could—"
"I'm afraid I'm not available tonight," he interjected bluntly, quickly rising to his feet. He was hard pressed to understand the sense of urgency he was now entertaining to remove himself from her side and go to Davina—after all, Amaya was openly offering to see to the needs he was eager to satisfy, and while he certainly was curious about her talents, that desire appeared to pale in comparison to his want to interact with the auburn haired female.
"Well, when are you free? And where are you running off to? The train won't be here for another fifteen minutes," she replied, her voice suddenly irritated and peppered with envy.
"I have family obligations this weekend," he told her firmly. It was a bold faced lie, but one he knew she wouldn't try to protest against. "My friend just arrived, and we had plans to ride the train together to school, so if you'll excuse me…" Another well placed lie—he could practically smell the discontentment as it leaked through Amaya's pores at his blatant dismissal, but he found himself short of caring. Without another word, he took his leave of her, feeling the pressure of her glare digging into his back as he crossed the station floor and advanced to where Davina was sitting.
She appeared lost in the story she was reading, and failed to notice Shuichi's presence as he approached her from the side. Even when he perched on the seat beside her, she didn't seem to be aware of him. Something within him grumbled at her lack of attention, but it was quickly remedied when he spoke her name.
"Davina," he offered with a small smile, prompting her to look up from her novel. Her name rolled off of his tongue in a pleasant manner, and he felt whatever gnashed in irritation deep within his bones grown calm almost instantly. She appeared confused at first, but realization was quick to dawn upon her as their eyes met and stares held. She looked momentarily startled by his sudden appearance, but swiftly recovered from her surprise, a friendly smile forming across her lips.
"Morning, Shuichi. Sorry about that," she replied almost sheepishly, quickly returning her bookmark to her current page and pushing the book shut. Her actions internally pleased him, understanding that he now possessed her full attention. "I don't recall seeing you take the train before—is everything okay?" She looked mildly concerned for him, which warmed him in a way he rather enjoyed.
"Typically, I ride my bike, but with the weather looking so bleak, I decided this was a better option for today," he explained, to which she nodded in agreement.
"It does look like the bottom's ready to fall out," she replied in turn, appearing thoughtful.
"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked quietly, not wanting to appear impolite and force his presence upon her.
"Of course not," she replied without hesitation, then smiled over at him once again, that familiar twinkle of admiration filling her hazel eyes at his innocent inquiry. "It'll be a nice change to have some company."
Her words filled him with a strange contentment—knowing that she desired his presence inspired him to feel bold.
"Any plans for the weekend?" he asked conversationally.
"Not particularly. Unless you count cleaning my apartment and grocery shopping," she responded with a chuckle. "How about yourself?"
"Ah, the necessary evils of being an adult with responsibilities," he responded, quite liking the way her nose slightly crinkled when she laughed. "Apart from work, I'm afraid I don't have much else going on."
"Well, maybe we could meet up for a coffee or something," Davina offered. "I mean, only if you'd like to—there's no obligation to do so, obviously." Her cheeks suddenly flushed, swiftly becoming a soft shade of pink. "I'm sorry, I know that was forward of me."
Her self-conscious feedback from asking for his future company had Shuichi chuckling softly. It was endearing, to say the least.
"No need to be embarrassed," he replied, hoping to ease the discomfort she was visibly experiencing. "I would very much like to have coffee with you," he continued, his tone growing soft. "It would be an opportunity to get to know each other better."
A look of utter surprise blanked Davina's visage at his words. She clearly hadn't expected a favorable reply from him. A rush of mild amusement flooded through Shuichi at her reaction, and he couldn't help but smile warmly over at her.
"Would it be alright if I asked for your phone number?" he inquired casually, interested to see how she would respond to his straightforward request. "So we can flesh out the details?"
"Of course," she nearly sputtered, watching him as he reached for his phone. When he was ready, she rattled off the digits for him, which he carefully plugged into his phone's memory and saved under her name.
"There, it's saved," he announced with a small smile. "I'll send you a quick message so that you'll have mine as well."
"Sounds good."
Shuichi opened his mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by an announcement being made over the P.A. system of the station that their train into Osaka was incoming. Almost in unison, both Shuichi and Davina rose to their feet, and he trailed her over to the edge of the railway to await the arriving transport. A small crowd had begun to form of eager people ready to catch the arriving train, so they stood in close proximity with one another, close enough for Shuichi to catch a hearty whiff of her perfume—he inhaled it deeply into his lungs, delighted by the spicy sweet fragrance. At such a close range, he realized their true difference in height—even though the boots Davina currently wore gave her an additional inch or so, there was a solid six inches of difference between them.
While they were waiting, the space they inhabited grew fairly warm, despite the chilly, circulated air of the station's interior. In an effort to stay comfortable, Davina shrugged off of her coat and draped it over the crook of her arm. Shuichi felt his breath catch in his throat as he snuck a quick glance down, able to witness ample curves that the loose fitting garment had hidden away and that the jeans she typically wore did not overly pronounce. He found himself grateful for the sudden warmth of the vast room, his hands itching with an instinctive desire to reach out and squeeze that deliciously rounded bottom that stood so close to his body. He did nothing of the sort, of course, knowing it wouldn't be an appropriate gesture, but he admired it all the same. Davina appeared oblivious to his hungry stare, her back almost completely to him as they stood among the throng of other travelers.
Finally, the train pulled into the hub and slowly slid to a full stop, the departure doors opening on the opposing side to allow the current riders the opportunity to exit. They made their way onto the transport when the set of doors on their end opened—the interior was already quite packed with people, and there were no available seats by the time they managed to climb onboard, so the pair resorted to standing, gripping the overhead hand rails to steady themselves in preparation for their impending departure. More people piled in, forcing Shuichi and Davina even closer together, to the point where she stood with her back nearly flush against his front. He could feel the heat of her flesh, so near to his own, and internally he growled, wanting more of it, more of her. He forced those feelings away, mildly perturbed that they were so potent.
When the train finally took off, the sudden forward velocity caused Davina to jolt backwards, the full length of her backside pressing firmly against his body. Shuichi gasped at the sudden unanticipated contact, and even though it was only for the briefest of moments, he felt a sudden blossom of heat unfurl within his lower extremities.
"Sorry!" Davina exclaimed at the touch, quickly pushing herself forward to avoid touching him. The crests of her cheeks darkened once more, and the pleasant aroma of her perfume was suddenly accompanied by something new—while it couldn't exactly place it, it wasn't at all unpleasant, and it made his internal self eager for more contact.
"It's quite all right," he assured her evenly, his voice calm despite the whirlwind of things he was internally experiencing. In truth, he hoped for more of the same.
The remainder of the short ride into Osaka was had in relative silence—when they reached their destination, it was a far easier task to exit the train than it had been to board. Once the pair were free of the transport, they made their way out of the depot and began the brief walk towards Chishiki No Eda. The sky had gone from a dismal gray to ominous black, and the wind had picked up considerably, howling through the tall buildings of the cityscape with rancorous force. Davina slipped back into the warm protection of her sweater, appearing visibly alarmed at the gloomy conditions overhead.
"Glum, isn't it?" Shuichi offered as they ambled forward on swift legs, maintaining each other's rapid pace.
"If we make it onto the campus before all hell breaks loose, it will be a small victory," she replied agreeably.
"I do believe we'll manage," he offered reassuringly, smiling mildly as she glanced over at him, the concern on her face lessening at his words. "We're nearly there already." He could smell the impending rain as it brewed within the dark clouds, but believed that, given their hasty stride, they would safely arrive at the main hall prior to the storm commencing.
As they continued their walk, Shuichi could feel the presence of eyes digging firmly into his back—it was a stare tainted by discontentment, and it didn't take much to deduce that it was Amaya who was glaring at him in such a manner from her position nearly half a block back—a quick glance over his shoulder confirmed these suspicions. Shuichi could sense her displeasure at seeing him in the presence of a female that wasn't herself, and the scowl plastered across her face was a blatant indicator of the scorned feeling she was entertaining. But he was unable to debate this realization further, because Davina began to speak, claiming his full attention once more.
"Just about there," she announced, the main gate of the campus appearing as they rounded the final corner on their venture. "Did you happen to bring an umbrella? All of my classes are within the main corridor today, so if you need to borrow mine, I'd be more than happy to let you use it."
Her offer prompted Shuichi to smile, warmed by her innate concern for his wellbeing.
"I did bring one for myself, but I very much appreciate your offer," he replied softly. They finally arrived at their destination, slipping in through the gate and making their way into the safety of the campus hall. Their arrival was punctuated by a loud clap of harsh thunder, which startled Davina, causing her to nearly jump in response to the deafening echo. Within seconds of that menacing roar, the dark sky erupted, torrents of rain pouring forth to blanket the outside world.
"Looks like you were right—we made it just in time," she announced with a smile of relief.
Shuichi nodded, mirroring her visage with his own, then glanced down at the watch that adorned his right wrist to check the time—his first class wasn't set to begin for another seventeen minutes.
"Well, aren't we a lucky pair," he replied with a pleased smirk, which caused Davina to chuckle.
"I suppose that's true," she responded, watching as several other students pushed their way through the hall doors, drenched to the bone from getting caught in the maelstrom that they had managed to so narrowly avoid.
"Well, I better get off to class," she continued, sounding suddenly unhappy. The change in her tone wasn't lost on Shuichi, and he wondered if it was born of disappointment that came with them having to part ways. He had been rather enjoying her company, as brief as it had been, and found himself hoping she was feeling the same way. His consideration was confirmed when she tacked on a reminder for him to text her so that she too would possess his number, and they could continue to plan their outing. Little did she know that he had planned to do so the moment he arrived at his classroom, lest he forget when he became consumed with the day's assignments.
"Well, this has been nice," Davina said, meeting his stare and holding it firmly, despite her tone having grown shy. "I'm...looking forward to hearing from you later. Have a good day, Shuichi." She took her leave of him then—he watched her go, his eyes lingering on her retreating form. She paused near the corner to wave back to him, smiling as she did so—he returned her gesture enthusiastically, feeling a sense of loss at the sudden absence of her presence.
He turned to head down the opposing corridor, consumed by his internal thoughts and paying little attention to his surroundings. Perhaps he should have been more aware of his environment, because he nearly ran into Amaya, who had been unfortunate enough to get caught in the downpour and was looking worse for wear. She was absolutely soaked, her violet hair hanging limp in its ponytail, and her carefully applied makeup smudged beyond repair, leaving faint black circles beneath her eyes. Her face was narrowed into a scathing glare, her blue eyes bright with rage.
"Seriously? You blew me off for that?" she hissed vehemently, her lips curling up into a righteous snarl. Irritation immediately flooded throughout Shuichi's entire person, annoyed by both her presence and statement.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken," he replied coldly, his face growing stoic as he fixed her with an icy stare. "By insinuating that I 'blew you off' would mean that we had plans in place, which we did not. I informed you that I already had plans to meet with my friend, so I don't appreciate your imagined slight."
Any feelings of interest Shuichi had been previously entertaining towards Amaya had abruptly vanished. Her jealous, overzealous reaction had effectively voided all desire he had briefly entertained towards her, and now he found himself wanting to be free of her company. He knew he was being a bit harsh, perhaps, but he was in no mood to tiptoe around to spare the feelings of a female who took it upon herself to react so childishly when she failed to get her way. Satisfied with his statement, Shuichi parted ways with her, leaving her to stand in the hall way, her mouth agape in surprise.
Shortly after his arrival into his homeroom and with twelve minutes to spare before the start of class, Shuichi pulled his cell phone out of the confines of his pocket and pulled up a blank message addressed to Davina's number. He typed out a short greeting, and sent it along before slipping the phone back into its holding place. While other students began to file into the classroom, Shuichi's mind shuffled through all the possibilities of a future meet up with Davina, smiling slightly to himself as he did so. Between chores, errands to run, and an evening work shift, his Saturday was already spoken for, but apart from brunch with his mother on Sunday, his afternoon was free. He made a mental note to suggest that particular time for their outing, whatever it would be. Regardless of what was to be decided upon, Shuichi found himself excited at the prospects—he couldn't recall the last time he had been so eager for such an interaction. As class began, he found it almost difficult to concentrate—he only hoped that time would be kind and move quickly so that he could see her once again.
. . .
When Davina roused from sleep early that Friday morning and was met with a dark room that lacked its usual hint of morning sunlight seeping in pass the narrow slits in the blinds, she was almost concerned. After crawling out of bed and slipping on her robe, she headed for the front door, curiously poking her head out—the sky looked absolutely bleak, riddled with dark clouds and the outside air thick with humidity that lingered before the coming of a storm. In light of the poor weather, she wasted no time in getting ready for her day, hoping to a higher power that by being proactive, she would be able to make it to her campus and avoid getting caught in the impending squall. It was nearly a solid hour before she would typically leave her apartment to head into Osaka, but the early venture would prove worthwhile if she could arrive before things got bad.
She arrived at the train station, which was already fairly full of people all with the same mindset as her. Stepping over to survey the board announcing all incoming and outgoing trains, Davina hunted for the orange line, happy to see that it was set to pull into the depot in just about fifteen minutes. That would allot her plenty of time to get to Chishiki No Eda, even with the additional influx of others who were all planning on the same method of travel as opposed to using their bikes or walking to their destination in an attempt to not get hung out in the rain.
Davina secured a seat on a nearly empty row of chairs perched near the travel screen, and pulled Red Dragon from its secure place within her backpack. She was nearly through with her reread of the novel, and wished to complete it so she could begin another over the weekend—she found herself considering giving Wilbur Smith's River God another whirl. It had been several years since she last read it, and it was one of her absolute favorite stories, a lengthy story set in ancient Egypt that followed the intricate life of a slave belonging to a powerful and evil man. If not, she toyed with the idea of hitting the small bookstore in downtown Kaiden and seeing what they had on offer—not that she had much spare space left within the only bookshelf she could fit into her small apartment, but she would make due. There was no such thing as having too many books—how she missed her massive collection and copious shelf space back at her home in Denver. During her next venture to the states, Davina planned to switch out a few of current selections for different ones, although she knew the process of picking which titles to trade would be a harsh one.
Davina had barely made it a full page in before she sensed a pair of eyes boring into her—she ignored the pressure of the stare at first, curious of whom they belonged to, but not in the mood to converse with a stranger. She kept her eyes drawn to the text in front of her, even as her unannounced companion slid into the seat beside her. Only when the unnamed presence spoke her name did she bother to look up, mildly startled—considering how few people she actually knew here, she certainly hadn't been anticipating it. Vivid green eyes locked with her own, and she was immediately able to place who they belonged to, a smile quickly forming upon her lips at the realization.
"Morning, Shuichi. Sorry about that," she offered, trying to swallow down her surprise at seeing him sitting there—her mind immediately leapt to the drawing she had done the night before, and she experienced a sudden rush of both pleasure and unease. She had sketched his visage almost perfectly, despite having only seen his face a handful of times. To realize that his face was so engrained in her mind in such intricate detail inspired a strange feeling, as if her brain was adamant about recalling such a thing. Davina didn't really understand why—she had a very good memory, but it certainly wasn't a photographic one. Regardless, it was a face she was truly happy to see in a sea of strangers. In truth, he too was still a stranger to her, but decidedly less of one than those who milled about her. "I don't recall seeing you take the train before—is everything okay?"
"Typically, I ride my bike, but with the weather looking so bleak, I decided this was a better option for today," he replied, quelling her worry. She nodded her head in understanding, feeling sheepish for such an inquiry. Of course he would be trying to avoid the bad weather—everyone was.
"It does look like the bottom's ready to fall out," Davina responded softly.
"Do you mind if I join you?" he requested after a second's hesitation.
"Of course not," she responded, smiling over at him. The thought of having him accompany her for the venture to campus certainly made her happy at the prospect, and perhaps it would even give her the opportunity to know him a little better—she was undoubtedly curious about him, feeling as if there were far more to Shuichi than he cared to let on. "It'll be a nice change to have some company." Considering it was a journey she had been making on her own, it would be a pleasure to have some companionship for the short duration, and the one person she couldn't seem to shake from her subconscious, no less.
"Any plans for the weekend?" he inquired casually.
"Not particularly. Unless you count cleaning my apartment and grocery shopping," Davina offered with a sardonic chuckle. It was boring enough response, but it was the truth. She rather enjoyed being a homebody—going out on occasion was enjoyable, but she far preferred the comfort of her familiar space. "How about yourself?"
"Ah, the necessary evils of being an adult with responsibilities," Shuichi offered, his blunt summary of her obligations causing her to laugh mildly—he was right, of course. "Apart from work, I'm afraid I don't have much else going on."
"Well, maybe we could meet up for a coffee or something," she said, spouting the words before considering the implications. The request tore out of her mouth, as if her tongue had a mind that was separate from her own. "I mean, only if you'd like to—there's no obligation to do so, obviously." Embarrassment suddenly flooded through her, causing her cheeks to redden with heat as she mentally kicked herself. "I'm sorry, I know that was forward of me." As someone who more often than not carefully measured her words before speaking, to eject such a thing without thinking was unlike her—she braced herself for a negative response.
Surprise followed when Shuichi chuckled at her brazen inquiry.
"No need to be embarrassed. I would very much like to have coffee with you," he replied, his voice growing almost quiet. "It would be an opportunity to get to know each other better."
Davina could feel the muscles in her face contort with shock—she hadn't anticipated that he'd be amenable to the idea—after all, she was more or less a stranger to him, someone to which he had no obligation. And yet, he had readily agreed to join her for an outing, and was now smiling kindly over at her, his green eyes glittering with silent mirth.
"Would it be alright if I asked for your phone number? So we can flesh out the details?" he asked, and Davina felt her stomach do a nervous flip. She swallowed slightly, attempting to maintain her demeanor.
"Of course," she replied, her words almost unsteady as they left her lips. He quickly reached for his phone, and she spoke the numbers aloud to him, watching as he punched in the digits into his contacts.
"There, it's saved. I'll send you a quick message so that you'll have mine as well."
"Sounds good," she responded, her tone softening. Excitement bubbled within her at the thought of being able to communicate with him on a more personal level going forward. Such a thing could open a great many doors, although she was somewhat hesitant to consider what lie behind them—she wanted to get to know him better before she even bothered to think about the future and whatever it held in store.
When the announcement echoed forth over the speakers that their train was incoming, they both stood, with Davina taking the lead to perch on the platform. A crowd of likeminded travelers quickly gathered, pushing them quite close to one another. Even with her back to him, Davina was hyperaware of Shuichi's presence behind her—their difference in height wasn't staggering, but it was obvious, even from her current position. It quickly became warm in the enclosed space, heated by the presence of many bodies as they lingered. Davina slipped carefully out of her sweater, wanting to avoid becoming overheated while they waited, and hung it over her arm, knowing that she would want it on once more when they were free of the throng.
The train pulled into the depot, and after those travelers departing fled the cart, they piled on—every seat was spoken for, and the interior was brimming with people, giving them no option but to remain standing for the duration of the ride into Osaka. They perched near the exit doors, each claiming a small section of the handrail to cling to. Even more people followed suit, which pressed her even closer to Shuichi. They were nearly touching, her back angled against his front, close enough where she could feel the warmth of his body—it was a pleasant sensation, one that inspired a heat to blossom deep within Davina's belly. At such proximity, she could smell the fragrant aroma of Shuichi's cologne—it was deep and earthy, sandalwood, or patchouli, with an odd floral undertone vaguely reminiscent of roses. She inhaled it deeply into her lungs, deciding quickly that she rather liked it. It suited him perfectly—masculine yet subtle. Davina nearly sighed, enjoying the moment far more than she cared to admit.
When the train finally launched forward, the momentum caused Davina to fall back into Shuichi, their bodies colliding for a brief moment—the touch sent a shockwave rippling through Davina, something deep within her body humming in delight at the unanticipated impact. A soft gasp fled Shuichi at the contact, and she felt her face immediately grow hot once more.
"Sorry!" she almost squeaked, pulling herself as far forward as she could manage with the assistance of the handrail, attempting to quell her mortification before he could witness it.
"It's quite all right," he replied, his voice seemingly unaffected, which came as a relief to her. It had been an accident, after all. The rest of the ride was a quick one had in quiet, and when they arrived at the station in Osaka, they quickly disembarked, which proved to be far easier than boarding it had been. They exited the station, and Davina was immediately dismayed, surveying the angry looking sky with concern. The conditions had grown even bleaker, the clouds darker and looming dangerously overhead. The wind whipped past them as they walked, prompting Davina to pull her coat back on over her shoulders to avoid an unpleasant chill.
"Glum, isn't it?" Shuichi said as they ambled onward, matching each other's stride.
"If we make it onto the campus before all hell breaks loose, it will be a small victory," she offered, silently praying to a higher power that they would be able to do so. Many of her classrooms were quite cold, and the idea of going throughout her day with damp clothing was something she'd prefer to avoid, if possible.
"I do believe we'll manage—we're nearly there already."
They continued their fast pace, and Davina nearly sighed in relief as they approached the last corner. They might be lucky, after all.
"Just about there," she said happily as the campus came into view, close enough for her to believe that they would manage to avoid the poor weather after all. She considered herself fortunate that all of her classes for the day were located throughout the main hall, so even once the rain began, she wouldn't have to fight the outdoors to move from room to room. However, she wasn't certain about Shuichi's situation for the day—he didn't appear to have brought an umbrella with him, and she didn't want him to get caught out in the bad weather without one.
"Did you happen to bring an umbrella? All of my classes are within the main corridor today, so if you need to borrow mine, I'd be more than happy to let you use it," she offered.
He smiled over at her admiringly, as if he was pleased by her worry over him.
"I did bring one for myself, but I very much appreciate your offer."
They made it past the gate and strode into the main campus hall, which prompted Davina to sigh in relief. Just as they breeched the doors, a roar of thunder echoed forth from the sky, which almost caused her to jump in shock. Mere seconds later, rain began to hammer down, catching those unlucky enough to have not entered the safety of the building in a heavy downpour.
"Looks like you were right—we made it just in time," she said to Shuichi, smiling widely.
Shuichi nodded in agreement, sparing a quick glance down at his wristwatch to check the time.
"Well, aren't we a lucky pair," he offered with a smirk, his reaction prompting Davina to chuckle softly.
"I suppose that's true," she replied, watching those unfortunate students push their way into the hall, soaked through and looking absolutely disheveled. Davina glanced at the clock that hung over the entrance, fighting back a rush of disappointment. She still had plenty of time to get to her classroom, but needed to use the restroom before heading there, thanks to that last cup of coffee she had consumed prior to their venture.
"Well, I better get off to class," she said, trying to keep the unhappiness out of her tone, but failing to do so. "Don't forget to shoot me a message when you can," she tacked on, almost as a secondary thought, trying to appear casual about wanting to speak further with him. "Well, this has been nice—I'm...looking forward to hearing from you later. Have a good day, Shuichi." She made a hasty exit then, her bladder demanding that she locate the nearest facilities and relieve herself. Despite the urgency, Davina felt herself hesitate as she approached the corner of the corridor, fixing her companion with a quick wave and smiling back at him. He mirrored her gesture with enthusiasm, and with a spring in her step, she continued to move onward.
After a quick trip to the bathroom, Davina headed towards the lecture hall assigned to her first class and selected a seat near the center of the vast vestibule. She was just about to reach for her book to entertain herself for the ten or so minutes of free time that remained when her phone vibrated within the confines of her bag, announcing that she had received a message. She dug for her phone and freed it from its hiding place, smiling to herself as an unfamiliar number flashed across the screen, accompanied by text that had a quick greeting, followed by Shuichi's name. She swiftly saved the digits into her contacts list, content with the fact that he had followed through and reached out to her. She hadn't expected it to be so quick, but was certainly happy that it had been. The urge to message him back right then and there was a strong one indeed, but she forced it aside—odds were that he was preparing himself for his class and wouldn't been keen on responding until later. She didn't wish to seem too eager, either, out of fear it would somehow inspire him to change his mind about later interactions. Instead, she replaced her phone within her bag, making a mental note to pen a reply while she was between classes or at lunch.
Davina's attention found her book once more, but again, she found it difficult to concentrate on the words. Her mind was adamant about considering things concerning a certain redheaded male, and seemed willing to entertain little else. She still couldn't believe she had been so brazen to voice her internal want for more of his time in the manner that she had, and yet, for once, it had appeared to work in her favor. Plans had yet to even be made, and here she sat, longing for them with a desperation she did not particularly understand. Her curiosity began to run wild, wondering about all sorts of vague, unimportant details about Shuichi—what his favorite color was, his preferences in music, his hobbies. She hoped their meet up would happen sooner rather than later, but she wouldn't push for it. Her current objective was simply to get through her Friday, hoping she could spare the attention it would require to not fall behind in her class work.
The weekend couldn't come fast enough, and, if she were lucky enough, it would include more time spent in the company of the charming, yet strange man who had seamlessly managed to captivate her thoughts in ways she hadn't believed to be possible.