You lucky readers, you, I finished writing this chapter in time! Good thing I have been doing NOTHING lately. Unfortunately, from Thursday onwards, I'm going to have a lot less time to write. Just a warning for all you lovely readers.
Here is some much needed Ayushiki! (For you, PorpoisEagle! :3)
A few weeks had passed since Yoshiki's hospitalization. He was out of the hospital and the doctors said that he had fully recovered. There was a small silvery pink scar on his stomach, but besides that, he was as good as new.
It was a Monday, and Yoshiki's first day back at school. He was ten minutes late.
"Kishinuma-kun, are you seriously late on your first day back?" Ayumi scolded him as he sat down at his desk. "You really have no respect for school rules, do you? Or do you just think that the whole world waits for you to start?"
"Shinozaki, you've been waiting for me, haven't you?" Yoshiki said with a lazy grin as he gestured to her bare desk. "You didn't start your work yet."
Ayumi blushed furiously. "I wasn't waiting for you. I just... hadn't gotten around to it yet!"
"Whatever you say." With that, Yoshiki pulled his textbook out of his bag and started his classwork.
When the bell rang for lunch, the four friends met at their usual table. Ayumi was still fuming about her conversation with Yoshiki. Satoshi was sitting next to Naomi. They weren't official, but it was obvious to everyone that they had something going on.
As Yoshiki slid onto the bench beside Ayumi, who immediately scooted an inch or two away from him, he smiled at everyone. "How about we all go to the movies tonight?" he suggested innocently.
"I'm up for it," Satoshi agreed. "How about you, Naomi?"
"Sure," the short-haired brunette replied.
"It can be a sort of… double date," Yoshiki added smoothly. Ayumi blanched.
"D - date? Ah, I don't think -"
"Why not?" said Satoshi, winking at Yoshiki conspiratorially. "Me and Naomi, and you and Yoshiki!"
"But -"
"Don't you want to go to the movies, class rep?" Naomi asked, getting in on the act.
"Er - yes, but -"
"So it's settled!" Yoshiki exclaimed grandly. "Let's go see that new horror movie. It's playing at seven."
Ayumi stared at her friends blankly. Had she just been conned into a date with Yoshiki? She wasn't sure what to think about that. But the more important question is, she reasoned as her eyes widened, what am I going to wear?
At half past six, Ayumi heard a knock on her door. It must be Yoshiki! "I'll be there in a moment," she called down the stairs.
"Oooh, who is that?" Hinoe asked mischievously. Then she gasped. "Is Ayumi going on a date?" She rushed down the stairs.
"Hinoe, you'd better not open -" Ayumi's warning was in vain. Her sister swung the front door open.
"Hello, there," she greeted their visitor, who was wearing a black v-neck and green pants. He was tall and handsome, with bleach-blonde hair and sharp grey eyes. It was no wonder Ayumi liked him! "You must be Mr. Kishinuma!" Hinoe exclaimed delightedly.
"Yes. Are you Shinozaki's sister?" Yoshiki asked with a slight smile. He looked composed, but Hinoe sensed nervousness in his aura.
"Mm-hm! I'm Hinoe. Nice to meet you!" They shook hands. "Ayumi-chan is still getting ready. She must be going all-out for you!"
Yoshiki blushed. "It's sort of casual," he lied. "As - as friends…" Hinoe didn't need her sixth sense to see right through him.
Just then, Ayumi descended the stairs. She wasn't wearing anything fancy - they were just going to the movies, after all - but to Yoshiki, even in her soft orange sweatshirt and jeans, she looked like Cinderella on her way to the ball.
"Wow," Yoshiki breathed, too quiet for anyone to hear. Of course, that word came to mind whenever he saw her, but tonight, she was his. In a completely non-sexual way, obviously, Yoshiki thought, trying to prevent the color from rising in his cheeks.
"Uh. Hi, Shinozaki," Yoshiki greeted her, snapping out of his daze. "All ready to go?"
"Yeah," Ayumi said, pulling at her sweatshirt. Did she look okay? She stood in the doorway and turned to her sister.
"I'll probably be back around ten. Bye, Hinoe!"
"Have fun - but not too much fun!" Hinoe said with a giggle. Both of the teenagers reddened.
"Let's go," Ayumi said quickly, walking out onto the stoop. Hinoe shut the door behind them, still smiling. Sometimes, she loved to mess with her younger sister.
A beat-up Jeep was sitting in the driveway. "Is that yours?" Ayumi asked, surprised.
"I'm borrowing it from a friend… I didn't want to make you walk," Yoshiki said uncertainly. Was it better to walk than to drive in such a piece of junk? "Um, would you prefer to walk?"
"No, this is perfectly fine," Ayumi replied with a reassuring smile. He opened the door for her, then trotted around the front to the driver's side.
It smelled a little strange in the car, but Ayumi decided not to say anything. Yoshiki seemed to realize it anyway, because he muttered an indistinct apology under his breath, feeling embarrassed.
They spent most of the short ride in silence, each of them occasionally making awkward small talk. Both were secretly worrying about how they should act. Was it a friendly date? Or a date-date? Should Yoshiki put his arm around her while they watched the movie? Should Ayumi cuddle up to him at scary parts? They were over-thinking the matter so much that neither of them was enjoying the date so far.
I hope it gets less awkward once we get there, they both thought as he pulled into the movie theater's parking lot. Yoshiki opened the door for her again and they walked into the lobby. Satoshi and Naomi were already there.
"Did you two buy tickets already?" Yoshiki asked. They nodded. "Here, I'll buy yours, Shinozaki," he said to Ayumi, who was looking for her wallet in her bag.
"Oh, you don't -"
He cut her off. "I know. But I'm going to." Yoshiki smiled at her with that half-grin of his that sent tingles down her spine.
"…Okay." That was a nice gesture, she thought. Maybe he's more of a gentleman than I expected.
He bought the tickets. Then everyone went over to the snack counter.
"I'll have a Coke and Twizzlers, please," Naomi said to the man at the register.
"I'm going to have to steal some of those," Satoshi informed her with a grin. To the man, he said, "A Sprite, M&Ms, and a medium popcorn, please."
"Pig," Naomi scoffed, smirking. Satoshi paid for both of them and they went to find seats for the four of them while Yoshiki and Ayumi ordered.
"I'll have a cherry slushy and Skittles, please," said the blond-haired boy.
"Could I please have a water and a small popcorn?" Ayumi asked, assuming that Yoshiki would insist on paying for her.
"Get your money out," Yoshiki told her, straight-faced. When she stared at him, her mouth half-open in surprise, he grinned. "Kidding, kidding."
"Ooh, Kishinuma, you're so annoying!" Ayumi exclaimed, punching him in the arm. It didn't hurt at all. He smirked. She was a firecracker, all right.
When they had gotten their food, they found Satoshi and Naomi in the movie theater, sitting in the back row.
"Why the back?" Ayumi wondered aloud.
"I don't want to annoy anyone," Satoshi answered. "A lot of people don't like having teenagers in front of them. Plus, Naomi loves to talk through movies."
"I do not!" Naomi exclaimed.
Satoshi smiled knowingly. "Just wait and see," he told Ayumi and Yoshiki. The previews were just ending. The teenagers settled into their seats as the movie began.
After a few scares, Ayumi moved closer to Yoshiki. She liked horror movies, but she was also easily scared, and the heat that he was emanating was hard to resist. He slipped his arm around her cautiously, as if she were a woodland creature that could be scared off.
"You're so warm," she murmured. Her left cheek was against his chest.
"I'm not that warm. You're just really cold," Yoshiki asserted, rubbing her shoulder and smiling. They both jumped at another scare. Ayumi grasped his shirt in fear.
Meanwhile, Naomi was whispering to Satoshi for the thirtieth time: "I know I recognize that actor. What's his name again?"
"Shut up and watch the movie," Satoshi shushed her, then stole a kiss.
She blushed in the darkness of the theater. "That's the real reason we're in the back row, isn't it?"
"How did you know?" Naomi could sense his grin. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, bringing his lips to her ear. She gasped slightly at the tickle of his mouth on her earlobe.
"Didn't you just tell me to watch the movie?" she breathed as he brought his lips back to hers.
"What movie?"
Ayumi noticed that Naomi and Satoshi were awfully close together, then realized what they were doing with a blush. Kissing in the movie theater? That's rather rude, isn't it? And why waste money on tickets if you aren't going to pay attention to the movie?
Yoshiki was watching them too, but with a different thought process altogether. Should I do that? Would Shinozaki mind? She probably would. Instead of kissing her, he just tightened his arm around her. She snuggled into him automatically, and he smiled down at the top of her head. This is enough. For now.
After the movie ended, Yoshiki was going to drive Ayumi home. Satoshi and Naomi were walking, and as the four split up in the parking lot, Yoshiki could hear the couple arguing about how much Satoshi had eaten.
"Do you think they're official now?" Ayumi asked, her eyes following the pair.
"Considering they were just making out in the movie theater, I'd say yes," Yoshiki replied with a smirk.
Ayumi said nothing. Yoshiki fidgeted uncomfortably. Was she still so obsessed with Satoshi?
They got in the car, and the entire ride home, Ayumi chattered cheerfully about the movie and about the illustrator's club she was thinking of founding. Yoshiki just smiled at her energy and put a word in here and there. When they reached Ayumi's house, he walked her to the door.
"So…" the girl said, rocking back on her heels.
"So," Yoshiki repeated.
"I guess I'll see you -" Ayumi stopped mid-sentence as she became painfully aware of Yoshiki's closeness to her. They were inches away. She could see clearly the way that his platinum hair fell into his eyes, the way that his grey eyes softened when they looked at her, the hard line of his jaw, his soft lips that were heading towards her. Wait, what?
Before she could think, Yoshiki tilted her chin up gently and kissed her. It was over too quickly, just a quick peck that left her wanting more. "Goodnight," he said in a hoarse voice that told her that he felt the same.
"Goodnight," Ayumi whispered back. She went into the house and closed the door behind her, leaving Yoshiki to walk back to his borrowed car.
For once, he felt as if he had done something right.
Thanks for reading, and sorry for the lack of hot and heavy Ayushiki make-out sessions! :P As always, reviews are welcome. Happy Labor Day!
