Chapter 9: Watching
The next few days seemed to pass painfully slow for Usami Akihiko.
For Akihiko, his days had been spent getting bandages changed and medicine adjusted, while also impatiently awaiting his day of release. Aikawa still had work to do and other authors to take charge of back at Marukawa publishing, leaving Akihiko to suffer in severe boredom in her absence. He had kept himself busy by creating stories in his own mind - a trick he used to do as a child to keep himself sane during the long hours of time he had to spend when visiting or hosting family members.
One of these stories, he had begun to imagine, was that of a prince and a genderqueer princess - one of which who was a boy forced into being a princess, and who was punished for enjoying his one passion - writing.
He had been formulating the details and plot in Aikawa's absence - it wasn't like his family was going to come visit him, and his only other friend was Hiroki (who had called him to inform him that, like always, he "had way too many shitty essays to grade" and "who even lets imbeciles like these go to M University?!").
Aikawa will eat this story up Akihiko thought, sighing faintly as the minutes ticked by as he waited for her to come pick him up after her routine work was finished.
Even though his legs had healed slightly and been recasted and had become slightly more movable, as Nowaki had explained to him before, there was no way he'd be able to walk or even take the train home - at least not by himself. Aikawa had assured him that she'd be much more comfortable if he'd let her drive him home, and he had agreed.
He wasn't even entirely sure he'd be able to find his apartment on his own anyways, but he didn't want his already stressed and doting editor to worry about him.
Now, he was sitting in a wheelchair provided by the hospital as he looked out the window of his room. He had grown tired of just lying around in his bed all day long ago, and the nurses thought the wheelchair could be a good opportunity to get some circulation flowing through his legs.
He sighed as he observed the outside world. The sky, he thought, looked overcast as if it was going to rain later that day.
Boy, he thought bitterly.
If I liked the rain before, I certainly don't now.
Rain, snow, storms of any kind - he thought he'd love to never see any of them again. The typhoon that had swept through Tokyo had been a major factor in the crash that had stripped him of so many of his memories and mobility. His legs were going to be a pain in the ass to move around in, even with crutches - despite his appearance, Akihiko had never been all that talented when it came to sports or balance.
I'd much rather have Aikawa wheel me out of here today than embarrass myself trying to limp all the way to the exit.
Akihiko would rather show a little bit of weakness for once then accidentally fall over on their way out. As much as he hated relying on Aikawa after all of her help so far, he really, really didn't want to draw unwanted attention to himself.
He ran his fingers freely through his hair, relieved that after multiple changings, his bandages on his head were finally removed for good. He lightly scratched the back of his head, feeling his slightly greasy silver hair between his fingertips.
He scoffed, feeling gross due to the fact that he hadn't been able to take a shower in his own home for the past few days. Looking down at himself, still in his ugly and uncomfortable hospital gown, he missed his own clothes as well - which had, unfortunately, been so ripped up and bloody that the hospital had thrown them away shortly after he had arrived.
Akihiko checked the clock.
5PM. he thought.
That leaves me with about two and a half to three hours of time to kill.
He groaned, his room suddenly feeling small and cramped as a feeling of restlessness overcame him. He didn't think he could stand waiting here patiently one more minute, let alone three hours.
Silently, he wheeled himself over near his bed to the call button for the nurse. He pressed it, and within minutes the nurse had arrived, worriedly asking him if he felt sick or if his head hurt at all.
"No, no. I'm fine." he assured her.
"Are you sure, Usami-san?! I-I don't want you to lie to me. If anything hurts at all, or if you have pain anywhere, please let me know!" she said quickly. The young girl was short and petite, even by Japanese standards, with long inky black hair that was tied back in a ponytail to keep the long strands out of her face as she worked.
Akihiko was the first patient she had been assigned to since she had been hired by the hospital, and she was constantly nervous that she was going to make a mistake in caring for the rich and widely famous man. Akihiko smiled at her in an attempt to ease her worry.
"No, no. I'm fine. I was just going to ask you if I could have permission to go outside." he said. "I was wondering...Kusama-san had told me that the hospital had just planted a new garden, and I was wondering if I could possibly go sit by it and see it for myself."
"Well...I-I don't know, Usami-san...it might not be the best for you…" she said, trailing off with doubt in her tone.
"Oh, but I've been cooped up in here for so long, I just wish that I could get some fresh air." he said, his smooth voice enveloping her like velvet - a trick he used whenever he was forced to speak at award ceremonies he had no interest in.
"Well...I guess it couldn't hurt.." she said, untensing at Akihiko's calming tone. "Kusama-san probably won't mind…"
She looked at the man one last time who, in an effort to win her over, looked at her with pleading eyes.
"...Alright." she said finally.
"Ah, thank you so much!" he said with faked enthusiasm - he was glad to be getting out of his room more than anything else.
The nurse blushed and nodded, quickly wheeling Akihiko out of his room and towards the elevators. Once inside, they chatted about this and that, before the elevator came to a halt on the first floor.
The nurse quietly wheeled Akihiko down the hallway. He received quick glances from everyone they passed, and women would blush and quickly move out of their way. Akihiko smirked to himself.
I guess I'm still attractive even in this state, huh?
When they had finally reached the end of the first floor hallway, the moment the nurse had opened the door a cool breeze brushed Akihiko's face.
He inhaled deeply. His ears were filled with the familiar noises of evening Tokyo, and the cool air that had blown over him as they went outside seemed to calm his soul completely. The nurse pushed the wheelchair along the well kept sidewalk until they reached the garden that Nowaki had been talking about - It was close to the hospital, intended for use either by patients wanting to admire the outdoors or patients in their rooms wanting to admire the garden from inside.
She quickly bowed to Akihiko, leaving him in the privacy of the garden and promising to be back to check on him in a few hours or that if Aikawa came, she would tell her where he was. A thought suddenly occurred to him.
"Wait!" he yelled, startling the nurse and causing her to stop.
"Yes?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.
"Could...could you possibly bring me back something to write with and some paper?" he asked, causing the nurse's eyes to widen.
"Certainly!" she said, rushing quickly back towards the entrance of the hospital in search of the items that the author had requested.
When she was gone, Akihiko sighed, wheeling himself towards the small bench in the center of the garden. Looking around, he admired many of the flowers and plants that surrounded him - he didn't know the names of any of them, but it didn't make them any less beautiful to look at. Fresh saplings of trees were planted as well, giving the promise of new life and that in a few years they would grow into tall, strong trees.
Akihiko sighed and closed his eyes as another cool breeze blew, causing his slightly overgrown locks to tickle his face and neck. He smiled, breathing deeply as he allowed the fresh air to clear his mind. He began to focus on one thing - his story.
He sat motionless with his eyes still closed and his face relaxing into a blank expression as he allowed his own imagination to swallow him. He thought of the plot - the characters, their names, where they lived, what they were like - he was in complete control and could bend their fates to his own whims.
He imagined their appearances - the first character would be muscular, tan, and have shocking blonde hair and pensive blue eyes. The other character - his "princess" - would be dainty in appearance, with long, silky black hair and gray, sad eyes - eyes that reflected the hurt and suffering they had to endure everyday.
Suffering...what have they suffered...he began wondering, developing the back story of his own character.
He began developing their life similar to his own, something relatable that would capture the hearts of his readers - he would have them grow up sad, alone, ignored and hated by their siblings. He would have them be-
"Usami-san! There you are!" the returning nurse had called, shocking Akihiko from his deep thoughts. She quickly strode over to him, handing him a pen and a yellow notepad from her outstretched hand. He took them gladly, and began scribbling his thoughts down in his immaculate handwriting immediately
"...I…I hope it's alright…" the nurse said as she stood awkwardly next to Akihiko, unsure of if she was needed for anything else.
"...hmm." he replied, not particularly paying attention to what she had said, his hand moving quickly across the paper and his eyes concentrated on what he was writing.
The nurse, taking the hint that he wanted to be alone with his work, bowed quietly once more before leaving him in the solitude of the garden again.
Akihiko continued to write as inspiration hit him at full force. He excitedly wrote sentence after sentence, the slowly setting sun acting as a light for him as his thoughts became tangible. He poured all of the emotions and effort he had into his characters as he could, wiping sweat off of his forehead and constantly gripping the pad of papers as the wind blew.
By the time the sun had finally set, he had just added the period on the final sentence of the third chapter of the story, which occupied over forty pages of the notepad. He laughed in accomplishment at the beginning of his new piece, raising it above his head and genuinely smiling for the first time in days.
He yawned, realizing suddenly that the sun had set and night had fallen. He stretched his arms high over his head, causing his hospital gown to rise slightly on his lithe legs as the mischievous wind blew once more.
At this action, he heard a loud crash come from what sounded like one of the hospital rooms.
What the hell? he thought, looking curiously from window to window for any sign of movement from the rooms - a sudden smirk tugged at his lips as a thought crossed his mind.
Was someone watching me, perhaps?
He lazily scanned each row of windows, most of which the lights were either off inside or had the curtains drawn.
Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the curtains in one of the sixth floor rooms move slightly. He stared intently, piercing the window with his gaze waiting for any more movement from it, when he heard a familiar voice calling his name.
"Usami-sensei~!"
He turned to see Aikawa waving enthusiastically at him as she ran in his direction. She was in her usual high heels, and was wearing a long skirt that complimented the fancy blouse she wore.
"Usami-sensei!" she breathed, winded from all the running she had done. He waited for her to catch her breath before she continued.
"When I got to your room, the nurse said that I could find you out here, in the garden." she explained, her eyes freezing on the notepad in his lap where he was sitting in his wheelchair.
"Wait...have you actually started working on something already?!" she asked, completely astonished as she took the notepad from her proudly smiling author's hand.
"Yeah. The idea of it just hit me, and I knew it was something you would like, so I just took it upon myself to start right away." he said, smiling at Aikawa as she frantically flipped through each page, reading the story as quickly as possible.
He waited patiently in silence for her to finish. When she had, she looked at him with wide eyes.
"How...how long did it take you to write all of this?!" she asked.
"Well...since you're here, that must mean it's around...eight o'clock? So then about two and a half hours, I guess." he said, pretending as if it were no big deal.
"It's wonderful, Usami-sensei! It really is!" she squealed, hugging the precious new manuscript to her chest.
"Hey hey, don't flatter me. You probably only like it because there's a crossdresser." he laughed.
She sighed and shook her head, knowing that she couldn't argue with him (he was right, after all) and began wheeling him back towards the hospital with a smile on her face. She was relieved to see her author writing again - not just because it was his job, but because it was a great sign that he was getting back to normal.
"Oh, and I have a pair of clothes for you that I brought." she said, wheeling him along the sidewalk.
"I left them in your hospital room. I brought you a black sweater and some jeans since it's getting cooler out, but…"
"But what?" Akihiko asked, curious as to why Aikawa had suddenly trailed off mid sentence.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just could've sworn you had a red scarf at home that I was going to bring, but I couldn't find it anywhere" she sighed as they reentered the building.
"A red scarf, huh…" Akihiko said, not particularly interested in the matter as they moved down the hallway.
They stopped in front of the elevator, and Aikawa pushed the button.
"Oh well," she sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "It's not like it's anything important. It's probably just in your disaster of a room somewhere."
"I'm sure we'll find it eventually."
Earlier that same day, Takahashi Misaki had become restless as well.
Similarly to Akihiko, Misaki was scheduled to be released later that evening. He couldn't wait to get back home where Manami and Mahiro were waiting for him.
Takahiro had visited him nearly every day, but Manami and Mahiro hadn't gotten the chance to see him during the time that he had been in the hospital. Misaki didn't particularly mind, however, since - in extreme contrast to Akihiko - the last few days had seemed to have flown by for the young man. Today, however, Takahiro had to work, which meant that he wouldn't be able to come get Misaki until the late evening or night time and hadn't been able to visit him today.
The time seemed to tick by painfully slow for Misaki in his brother's absence, since he didn't have anyone he felt like calling, and nothing interesting was on television that he felt like watching. The nurses had suggested he read a book, but Misaki personally hated reading, unless it was manga or a very short article, since those were easy to handle and didn't contain nearly as many words as novels usually did.
Sighing, Misaki sat up to get a better look at the clock.
Crap. It's only 5:30! he thought.
What am I supposed to do until then?!
He flopped back down onto the soft mattress, grateful that his injured ribs had healed much better in the past few days. He still winced in pain slightly from time to time, but the pain wasn't anywhere near as bad as it had been before.
His bandages had constantly been changed in the last few days as his road rash healed, and most of his wounds were scabbing over. Now that he didn't need them anymore, his bandages had been removed completely, and Misaki disliked the gross sight of his wounds immensely. He hated looking at his chest and torso and seeing his usually soft skin covered in scars and injuries. He felt slightly insecure, though he wasn't sure why.
It's not like anyone's going to see me naked he thought.
The thought left an odd feeling in his chest that he couldn't quite place, and he wasn't sure why.
Grah! Stupid! Why have I been so forgetful lately?! he thought, grabbing the sides of his head and shaking it.
His head bandages had been removed as well, allowing for his unruly chocolate locks to flow freely. Misaki was glad that he no longer had to worry about accidentally touching the rough gauze when running his fingers through his hair anymore, and that he wouldn't have to go home today with it on either - he didn't want to draw attention to himself when leaving, and certainly didn't want to frighten Manami or Mahiro when he got home.
He brushed his bangs out of his eyes, sighing loudly and feeling antsy.
Bored, he suddenly sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bed. He stood up and wandered aimlessly around the room, picking up random things he found on shelves or glancing at the assortment of charts that hung on the walls.
He briefly ran his hand across his scarf - which he had tucked back away inside his coat sitting on the counter - feeling immediately soothed by it. He wondered momentarily why he would have worn a red scarf with a light brown coat anyways, but then again he had never been a fashion connoisseur himself. He shook his head and wandered over to the large window in his room.
He liked this room, since from it he had a perfect view of the newly planted garden below. He would look out his window from time to time to admire the plants or to watch the patients that sat down happily with their family or friends that had visited them on the benches outside. As he looked at it now, as expected, no one was there - it was the evening, after all, and visiting hours were ending soon.
Misaki was about to turn away from the window when something suddenly caught his eye. A nurse had brought a man in a wheelchair to the garden. Curious, Misaki watched as he called out something to her before she left.
The man, despite his silver hair, did not seem to be older than his late twenties or early thirties. Misaki could see that he had well toned biceps as he wheeled himself towards the bench, his muscles tensing with each motion as his back faced him.
For some reason, Misaki felt entranced by the man's every movement as he watched him, and his breath caught in his throat as he caught the sight of the man's face as he turned around.
His face seemed as if it were chiseled from stone, as it was pale and free of any blemishes or marks - despite a few healing cuts, but they didn't seem to take away from the man's attractive appearance. His face was angular, and his strong jaw seemed to always be lifted slightly, as if the man was proudly lifting his head wherever he may be. His silver hair seemed to glow in the setting sun as it blew lightly in the wind.
The most startling things, Misaki thought, was the man's eyes. They were an oddly light lavender color, and complimented his hair nicely. They added an air of mystery to him - he would surely stand out if he were in a crowd with several other people.
Misaki felt a blush creeping to his face, and suddenly wondered why.
What am I blushing for?! He's a guy...he thought, embarrassed by himself.
What am I doing, so dumb…
But still, Misaki did not look away. He hid behind his curtain, peeking out slightly to watch the man - he didn't want to be caught, since he'd surely look creepy or stalkerish if the man saw him lurking at the window.
Misaki's breath caught in this throat again when the man smiled softly to himself - he seemed as if he were completely at ease in the small garden as he admired everything from the small flowers blooming in the ground to the small trees whose tiny branches reached for the sky. He looked - Miskai thought - undeniably handsome.
Misaki's chest tightened as his heart began to hammer against his ribs loudly - the man's smile seemed to set something off within him. He grabbed the front of his shirt, confused by his own beating heart.
So what? Misaki thought, trying to calm his own heart down.
So, he's just an extremely attractive person, who just happens to be a guy...this doesn't mean anything...this doesn't, oh…
Misaki's thoughts slowed as the man suddenly closed his eyes and his face went blank. The man's eyebrows furrowed slightly as the minutes ticked by, and he seemed lost in his own thoughts.
I wonder what he's thinking about…
Misaki watched the man as he remained perfectly still for several minutes. Misaki's breathing had slowed as he watched in silent anticipation for when the man would open his eyes again, until he had become nearly as still as the person he was watching.
Misaki was startled when the man's eyes suddenly shot open. His heart immediately raced when he realized the nurse had returned with something in her hands. What she was holding, Misaki realized, was a yellow notepad and a pen as she handed it to the man's eagerly waiting hands.
Misaki watched as the man intently began scribbling down on the notepad as he leaned over to balance it on his lap - his silver bangs hiding his face from view as it hovered only inches away from the paper as he completely ignored the world. The young nurse stood there awkwardly for a few moments, before bowing and leaving again.
Is he writing a story, perhaps? Misaki wondered, resting his chin on his palms as he watched the man from above.
I wonder what he's writing about...he thought dreamily.
The man had written for nearly three hours, during which at some point Misaki had pulled a chair over to sit down in. He was extremely fascinated in the way the man seemed to tune the entire world out to delve in his own - how he seemed as if he were turning thoughts and theories into words and real things.
Misaki didn't understand why he found this so interesting. He thought, maybe, it was because the man could do something he could not - whereas Misaki couldn't even read a book without struggling, this man was writing his own.
He was taking his imagination and turning it into a reality. And to Misaki, now that he thought about it, that was incredible.
Misaki had watched as the man, without fail, wrote word after word, sentence after sentence and page after page. His beautiful movements entranced Misaki as his hand moved gracefully across the page and as his body rocked slightly whenever a good idea hit him.
Whenever the wind blew, Misaki would get a glimpse of the man's face - his eyes were always intent and focused, and his brows were always furrowed in concentration.
And, during all this, Misaki sat there watching, his heart fluttering at each of these man's actions - confusing him to no end as he struggled to understand why he was feeling this way.
This isn't normal...he thought.
By the time the sun had finally set, the man suddenly cheered - holding what he had worked on so diligently in his hands as a true smile spread across his face.
Misaki's throat went dry as he grasped the curtain tightly, leaning closer to the window to get a better look.
The man, from what Misaki could see, had a slight pink tint to his cheeks, and his lips were pulled back to reveal a set of perfectly white teeth. His eyes seemed to glow with pride as he looked at the notepad - he seemed honestly, and purely happy.
Blood pounded in Misaki's ears as a fierce blush spread across his face as he licked his dry lips. His skin felt hot as he watched the man as he stretched his long arms above his head, flexing his deliciously evident biceps, making his head go numb and his heart go crazy.
Closer...he thought, leaning on the edge of his seat to get a better look at the man.
Suddenly, as if on cue, a convenient gust of wind blew, causing the end if the man's nightgown to rise slightly on his legs, revealing that above his casts, his tightly toned thighs peeked out at Misaki from underneath the flimsy fabric.
At the sight of the man's newly exposed flesh, Misaki's heart squeezed so tightly that he involuntarily spasmed, accidentally knocking over his chair - sending it and himself falling to the floor with a seemingly deafening crash.
Misaki's heart pounded in the painful silence as he pressed his face into the cold tiled floor, praying the man hadn't heard him, though Misaki knew he there was a slim chance that he hadn't.
What do I do, what do I do?! Misaki panicked, knowing that he had to get up eventually, when all he really wanted to do was to lie there in embarrassment.
Slowly, Misaki began to rise shakily to his feet, his heart racing and his breathing shallow. He hid behind one of the curtains before cautiously peeking out from behind it. He immediately saw the man scanning the building with a devilish smirk across his face.
Oh no, he heard me! Misaki panicked, trembling slightly as his cheeks flamed with embarrassment.
Though, the fact the man was scanning the windows told Misaki that he wasn't entirely sure which room the crash had come from. A small amount of relief filled Misaki as he tried to stand completely still as the man's gaze seemed to come closer to where he was.
Misaki's hand that he was using to hold the curtain trembled slightly, and he used his other hand to try and still it. In this attempt, Misaki had accidentally yanked the curtain down slightly. Cursing, he kept still as he peeked out from under his bangs to see if the man had noticed.
The man's intense gaze was directly on Misaki, causing a slick sweat to form on his back and his legs to weaken, making him tremble slightly.
Misaki knew that since the lights were off in his room, and the fact that he was mostly hidden by the curtain, there was a good chance the man could not see him.
Yet still, those piercing lavender seemed to pierce him where he stood.
This pressure...I'm going to collapse...he thought.
Suddenly, just before Misaki's legs were about to give out, the man's head suddenly snapped to the right as something caught his attention. Misaki sank thankfully to his knees, sighing as if the entire weight of the world had been lifted off of his shoulders.
He allowed the cold tile of the floor cool his sweating palms as he took a few deep breaths, before quietly peeking his head over the window sill to see what was going on.
To his surprise, it had been a woman who had gotten the man's attention.
Who is she?! Misaki thought as scooted his way closer, grasping the window sill so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white.
The woman was about average height, with long strawberry blond hair and a lovely heart-shaped face. She wore heels, and a blouse was tucked into her long skirt. She was obviously beautiful, Misaki thought, but he wondered why he didn't react to the sight of her in the same way as he had the man beside her.
He watched intently as the man gave her a soft smile as he handed her the notepad. She flipped through it excitedly, saying something to the man as she hugged it to her chest.
Misaki strained to hear what she was saying, but it was no use.
What's she saying?! he panicked.
Wh-why is she so excited? Did he write it for her? Like...a love story?!
Are...they together…?
Misaki's heart sank immediately at the thought as his grip on the window sill lessened.
They do look good together...he thought sadly, watching as the woman began wheeling the man away, smiles on both of their faces.
She looks much better with him than you would a small voice in the back of his head whispered.
Misaki felt himself becoming depressed. His throat tightened and he felt tears sting his eyes as he watched the two figures disappear from his view.
Wait, why am I depressed?! Misaki thought, shaking his head violently.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Misaki harshly rubbed his eyes - his brother was sure to show up soon and there was no way he'd want Takahiro to show up and find him crying. Sighing, Misaki picked up the previously strewn chair from off the floor before he flicked on the lamp next to his bed, temporarily blinding him and making his eyes sting more.
Misaki quietly closed the curtains, blocking any view of the garden as he walked back over to his bed and sat. He shakily ran his fingers through his hair as his heart beat slowly and painfully in his chest.
He silently swung his legs up and stretched out on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling above. His arms were outstretched and his palms were facing up.
He closed his eyes, silently waiting for his brother to arrive - the image of the mysterious man's smile burned in the back of his mind.
About fifteen minutes later, Takahiro arrived, cheerily greeting Misaki who, in return, gave his brother the best smile he could.
Misaki felt terribly depressed, but Takahiro didn't seem to notice. Takahiro informed Misaki that Nowaki had told him that they were allowed to leave whenever they pleased as long as they made sure to check out at the main desk. Misaki was relieved to finally be leaving the hospital, hoping that once he returned home that things in his head would go back to being normal.
Takahiro handed misaki a fresh pair of clothes he had brought from home, and turned away to give Misaki some privacy as he changed. He pulled a green sweater over his head, struggling slightly with his casted arm, but once the sweater was on Misaki relished in the feeling of the soft cotton caressing his skin. It was an entirely different feeling than having the coarse paper of the hospital gown constantly scratching on his newly scabbed over wounds.
He tugged on new jeans that were hole free, and they hugged him snugly on his narrow hips. He slipped on his plain white socks, and forced his feet into his familiar old sneakers, lacing them up quickly and efficiently.
"Okay, Nii-chan." Misaki said, grabbing his old pile of clothes off of the counter.
"I'm ready to go."
"Great! Let's go!" Takahiro replied, turning around to look at his newly clothed sibling.
Takahiro smiled, elated that he would finally be able to take his brother home - Manami was preparing a hot pot as they spoke, and Mahiro couldn't wait to see his Mi-chan again.
Misaki trudged along, smiling faintly at Takahiro who offered to carry his extra clothes, but he politely refused. He held his clothes tightly to his chest - his scarf still tucked safely away inside. He hadn't told Takahiro he had found it, and for some reason a feeling in his gut told him that he shouldn't.
Deciding to listen to himself for once, he pretended as if nothing was different, and walked out into the hall as Takahiro closed the now vacant hospital room behind them. They turned towards the direction of the elevators, Takahiro beginning to chat happily, when he froze mid sentence.
Unsure of why his brother had suddenly stopped, Misaki traced his brother's gaze to where his brother was looking.
Someone at the end of the hallway was leaving their room. Misaki heard the creak of the wheels of a wheelchair.
"Wah, Usami-sensei, as soon as we get home you have to get working on that story as soon as possible!" he heard someone say in a cheery voice that sounded definitely like a woman's.
Misaki twitched, and time seemed to slow as the man from before suddenly appeared, the same beautiful woman in the skirt pushing him out of the doorway and into the hall. She closed the door behind her as the man rested his head in his hand with his eyes closed, and a pair of crutches balanced in his lap. He looked as if he weren't paying attention to her babbling at all.
"I need to know what happens next as soon as…" the woman trailed off as her gaze rested on Misaki and Takahiro. She locked eyes with Takahiro for a few moments and faltered.
Do they know each other? Misaki thought, looking between the two as they merely stared at each other, as if they shared a mutual understanding of something that Misaki was unaware of.
"...Aikawa?" the man in the wheelchair spoke, snapping both Takahiro and the woman who, Misaki guessed, was Aikawa.
"Why did you stop talking?" The man in the wheelchair slowly opened his eyes, causing Misaki's heart to begin to flutter as he quickly looked away, making himself busy as he dropped down on one knee and pretended to retie his shoe. Misaki felt the man's gaze upon him and his brother before the woman spoke again.
"Huh? Oh! Uh, no reason, I just, uh, lost my train of thought." she said quickly. Misaki stood back up, watching as the woman began wheeling the man in the direction of the elevators.
"Come on, Misaki." Takahiro ordered quietly, tugging gently on his little brother's sleeve, following the other two down the hallway as they headed towards the same destination.
Oh, no. Misaki thought, feeling the familiar heat of a blush cover his face.
Oh no, we're going to have to ride the elevator together! Misaki panicked, fighting the urge to run in the opposite direction as he felt his anxiety begin to spike.
What do I do, what do I do?! I don't know if I can stay calm if we get that close to each other...
Misaki wished he could disappear as he and Takahiro walked towards what he knew was surely going to be an embarrassing experience on his part, his footsteps on the tiled floor echoing the rhythm of his beating heart.
Hello, everybody!
Yikes, this chapter is pretty long, isn't it...oh well, I hope you enjoyed it!
Anyways...
I hope everyone is doing wonderful! (and hopefully your grades/work isn't dropping in quality like mine have been recently...*goes to the shame corner*)
-OopsIThoughtICouldFlyy