Hitonari Hiiragi – 31 Fujimori Street
"Hiiragi" He called after me. Something inside felt relieved as I didn't want to leave his side, I wanted to stay with him. I stopped, not knowing what to do. Do I keep walking or do I turn around. My mind wanted to stop and go back to him, but my body was paralysed. I was angry of him to treat me like a child, to not even care about my feelings and to hurt them like they were nothing to him, but had I done just that by calling him a replacement? I slowly turned around and looked at him saddened. "You aren't going back to your dad's are you because…I'd like you…to come round."
My eyes widened and it must have been an obvious reaction as he turned his head and looked at the grass. I was standing there cold and my whole body was completely numb from the cold. I looked up at the sky to clear my mind for a while and took a deep breath. I wasn't in the mood to do anything, but lie down and look at the stars. I didn't expect any of this to happen and to loose my apartment keys. I'd never set foot in Tachibana's house before and suddenly sleeping over just seemed to be a little awkward in my eyes.
"You comin' then, Baka? The least you can do is give me an answer instead of standing there like some retarded idiot." I looked down at his dark eyes. He was back to the old stubborn self again with his stubborn expression was on his face yet again. He was standing, one hand in his pocket holding the string, the balloon floating in the air and the other holding the jacket. "And take this, I don't need it." I took it and put it around me. Had I not been nearly frozen to death, I wouldn't have taken it. I looked at him and smiled.
"I guess that's a yes then, Baka. You can say so." I looked down on the floor, my face flushing in embarrassment. "Or are you deaf too?"
"Come on, let's go." I said. He began to walk, my clothes sticking out of his bag along with Akane Special. I hadn't known he'd still keep those shoes. I looked down on the floor again. Nothing seemed to have bothered me at that moment other than seeing his house for the first time. I didn't know what to expect.
"You gonna stand out there looking like a complete idiot or are you gonna come in?"
"Shut up." I retorted. His house gave a somewhat warm vibe and it didn't seem as awkward as I had expected it to be. To be sincere, it almost felt like home. It was really cosy and I took his jacket of my shoulders and placed them on the rack. Akane was placing my drenched clothes along the radiator and I couldn't help but look and smile. He caught me smiling and looked at me in annoyance.
"What are you smiling at? It's not like it's gonna dry being stuffed in my bag now is it?" He walked into the kitchen and began to open the cupboard doors, searching for something. His shirt was hanging off his shoulder and he slipped on this unusual pair of odd coloured slippers.
