What one sardine said to the other
It was probably a combination of things that added up to the immense crowd piling onto the train that night. Wet weather, a football game at the nearby stadium ending at the same time and faulty track maintenance all contributed to the large crowds milling at the platform, waiting impatiently to hop onto the next train. It was in this thick human traffic that Sendoh and Ayako found themselves huddled against each other as they raised their voices over the crowd to make themselves heard.
"This is ridiculous. Where did all these people come from?" Ayako exclaimed, a little distressed that her normally comfortable train ride home devoid of crowds was now to be exactly replaced with a gigantic mass of people.
"Probably the football game." Sendoh said as he looked in amazement at the size of the crowd gathered at the platform. "We'll be lucky if we can get a seat."
Ayako grimaced as she stared into the back of a stranger in front of her. Tilting her head up to look at Sendoh, she realized that his height gave him the advantage of fresh air as he stood head and shoulders above the rest. She wondered if it was this height that gave him an air of dignity as he stood calmly looking over the sea of people. Then again, there was always an air of tranquility about him, as if nothing could ever perturb him or ruffle his feathers enough for that placid smile to be removed from his face.
"Well at least you can see above the crowd right now, some of us have the wonderful view of other people's armpits" She said drily. Just then, the lights flashed on the platform, indicating the arrival of an oncoming train. The crowd surged forward ever so slightly and Ayako felt herself being pushed along, powerless to withstand the force of the people. As she braced herself for the onward rush which she anticipated would happen as soon as the train doors opened, she felt two hands on her shoulders and turned to see Sendoh looking down apologetically at her.
"Just so we don't lose each other" he said. Ayako didn't have time to reply as the train doors opened and the crowd trooped into the train. Ayako had the impression she was riding a wave as the current of people swelled into the carriage. Her feet seemed to be moving according to the rhythm of others and at times she even felt lifted off her feet. In a matter of moments, she found herself pressed up against the opposite train doors with Sendoh right behind her.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly as he bumped into her. His height, which seemed like an asset earlier, now proved to be a bane as he leaned over her shoulder, having to hunch to accommodate the ceilings of the train.
"Not your fault." Ayako said simply as she pressed her fingers against the glass in an attempt to maintain her balance on the crowded train. Inwardly, she was glad that Sendoh could not really see her face because the whole situation made her feel a little shy. They had never been in such close proximity before and his leaning over her shoulder meant that she could feel his breath tickle her ear.
They were quiet for a while as the train began to move, their bodies swaying with the motion of the train. Every so often, Sendoh would bump into Ayako. She could see he had both arms extended by her either side, pressed against the train doors so as to maintain his own balance. She could also tell that he was trying to minimize the amount of times he bumped into her, and she was grateful for the thought behind the actions.
"You smell nice." He said suddenly after the train had lurched to its first stop and he was thrown slightly forward onto her back. It was more this statement than his stumbling into her back that threw her off. Did one say thank you in such situations? Ayako considered her options and decided that it was best to deal with him as she always had.
"Don't get any ideas." She said sternly and though she couldn't see it, she was sure he was grinning behind her back.
"What on earth do you think I would do?" He teased, amused at her warning.
"Nothing if you know what's good for you" She replied and because each laugh he made and each word he uttered caused his breath to tickle her ear even more, she whipped out her earphones and offered him a ear piece. It was something she did whenever she felt awkward or shy, and even though she knew there was nothing between them, the current situation made her feel slightly hot and bothered. She supposed it was only natural to feel self-conscious whenever two people were thrown into such close proximity and dismissed any other theories. In any case, it did not seem as if Sendoh felt any different as Ayako watched him nonchalantly remove one hand from the door to calmly accept the earpiece and pop it in his ear, before returning his hand back to the door. She guessed that she was just being over-sensitive because, well, what other reason could there be?
As the opening bars of the song began to blast through the earphones, Ayako turned her attention to the city lights outside, made speckled by the rain drops on the glass pane. As they listened together in silence, she felt her heartbeat slow and realized belatedly that it had quickened earlier, perhaps from the anxiety of the crowd. In that moment, however, she realized she had become comfortable again and she let out a soft sigh.
It should have been an uncomfortable journey with a dozen other people pressing into his back. But somehow Sendoh didn't seem to mind. Hunched over his friend's shoulder, he breathed in deeply as he pushed backwards against the crowd pushing onto him. Her hair smelt of peaches, and it was this smell that preoccupied his thoughts. He wondered absentmindedly what her hair felt like, the smell of peaches made him think that it would probably be incredibly soft and he wondered if his hypothesis would be right. Shaking his head, he knew that Ayako would probably look at him aghast if he ever asked to feel her hair. It was such a weird request after all and one mainly prompted by his olfactory functions. In any case, it was best not to disturb the volatile friend who was known to be quick with her fan.
Author's note: I like the idea of a tentative romance and I would love suggestions on how to build it. I sort of envision two people who are at the age where being a couple is not unusual but who are still young in terms of emotional maturity.