A/N: Chapter 5 is up! PLZ ENJOY ;3
«Shinozaki!»
I instantly broke into a smile when I saw his smiling face and the burly shape of his body. He stood right by the cafe me and Mochida-kun went to the day before, but no awkward memories bothered me. My mind was fastened on one guy and only him.
«Hiya!» I cheerfully called out when I got close enough. He grinned and said: «Surprised that you accepted the challenge. Maybe you're slight bolder than I thought?» «Eh?! What's that supposed to mean?!» I yelled at him, punching him in the chest. He laughed, dodging my weak punches like a boss. «Just kiddin'. You're a cute explosion of energy, aren't you?» he asked. I didn't mind the other words. The only word I noticed was «cute». Holy crap, he called me cute! «Yes! I am!» I agreed with the same energy and determination, making him literally lose his shit.
…
«Geez, thanks a lot for giving us free weird looks. I'll pay you back,» Kishinuma-kun whispered discreetly as we sat there by the table with a ice tea and a piece of cake each. My was a strawberry cheesecake and his was a chocolate cake. The cafe was decorated for the Christmas mood, since it was only a few weeks away. I couldn't contain my giggles at his quirky, feminine imitation. Thinking that I did something wrong, I immediately stopped giggling when he suddenly stared at me with a really plain expression. I was going to ask him what was wrong, but threw the idea out of my mind when he suddenly picked out something from his jacket's pocket.
«Huh? The diary?» I muttered as he wrote in the notebook. He looked fascinatingly focused on every single letter he wrote with the black pen and closed it with slight force. It was then I noticed that he had placed a mark on the 6th page already. «Mhm. There's a lot I wanna say, you see,» he explained and put it back in his pocket. «Uh… huh….» I muttered. He's been writing out 6 pages in two days?! And I didn't even think he would use it!
«Hey… Kishinuma-kun?» I asked. He had his cup to his lips, so he hummed out: «Hm?» «Since we are like friends at this moment… I don't have to ask you questions connected to work, do I?» I asked. That was honestly what I wanted to ask the entire time we sat there. Was this supposed to be another hearing or something?
He looked at me for a second and immediately burst out laughing. I coughed awkwardly, making him stop, except that he was still smiling. «Heh, y'know… I was worried there for a moment,» he admitted, embarassed. «Huh? What do you mean?» I asked. «Well…» He scratched his neck, unable to respond for a second. «I was scared that you would ask me questions as my psychologist.»
«Is that so…? Then how do you want me to ask?» I asked, dumbfounded. I really was a little lost. I mean, who was I, other than his psychologist? While smiling for himself, he looked at the tip of his finger as he circled it around the cup. Was he… blushing? He looked up at me with glossy eyes and said in a low voice: «I want you to ask me… as the adorable Shinozaki that bumped into me that day.»
I bit my lip, suddenly getting incredibly nervous and sensitive to just hearing his voice. It's confirmed… He thinks I'm cute. Am I really that cute? Geez, forget that already… «If you say so… Then, gladly…» I accepted and giggled. «First of all, though…» he said, interupting me. «Stop calling me Kishinuma-kun.»
«W-What?!» I blurted out. Only the thought of saying his first name made me go completely nuts inside. «No one used to call me Kishinuma. I'd prefer it more if you called me by my first name,» he said. Did he sound grumpy, or was it just me? «Then… Yoshiki?» I said in a barely audiable voice. It made me feel super weird. «Good enough,» he commented with a grin. «Shut up… The only thing I signed up for was to ask you questions,» I mumbled, embarassed and angry that he made fun of me. «Go ahead, miss,» he casually said, leaning his face in his hand.
«Alright… How did you wake up this morning?» I asked, simply out of curiousity. He chuckled and replied: «Since I'm deaf, I rely more on my eyesight than the average person. I have this lamp that completely enlightens my bedroom in a really bright light in the desireable time. It wakes me up at once and it's much more convinient than a bell.» «Wow…,» I said.
«What do you like to do in your free time?» was next on my list. He chuckled for himself and admitted somewhat shyly: «I actually really love writing.» My eyes widened in suprise. «Writing? Like, fiction?» I asked, even more interested in what he had to say. He nodded and continued: «I tried once, but I figured that real cases were more fitting for me.» «So, you wrote articles?» I asked. «Yeah, I started working for a newspaper just a few months after I turned 20, but I took a break from work 2 years ago,» he answered truthfully. «Because your condition was too troubling?» I asked. «Basically, yeah,» he replied. It's so easy to see that he's really passionate about writing. It must've been really sad to quit it just because of his condition…
«And what about your parents? Were they supportive?» I asked, careful not to push it. That was my biggest fear. I didn't want to get him bummed because of a question about his family. But then again, I wasn't asking him as his psychologist. He looked a little less enthusiastic, with good reason. But surprisingly, he was honest and sincere as he told me: I'm not on very good terms with my parents, shall we say. They split up right before I got diagnosed with my condition, which basically made me drive myself away from them.»
My… He must've been really close to his parents, then. Looking at his pale, trembling hand resting on the table. Felling like he was in need, I took a hold of it, surprised at how cold his hand was. «Is it hard for you to talk about?» I asked. He looked at me and smiled sadly. «I'll gladly tell you, if you're willing to use what I don't have,» he said. I looked into his eyes and promised sincerely: «Always.»
His smile got wider and almost every bit of the grief in his eyes vanished. «They would fight… a lot. I hated it. Dad worked during the late evenings, so that was the only time I didn't need to listen to their yelling and sometimes hits. But during the day…»
Now it wasn't just his hand. His entire body was trembling. It was like he was still scared. Still scared that the fights would turn into a fight between life and death. «Yoshiki?» I called out to him, trying to break the isolation of bad memories around him. «I'm cold… I'm so cold…!» he hissed out between shaky lips.
When people are cold… When people are sad… When people are so lost in crazy emotions… It was only natural to do that, right?
I tightly pressed his face against my chest and placed my arms around his back. His entire body was ice cold and quivering. He didn't resist, since he most probably felt the same as me. All he needed was warmth. I knew that it wasn't just because of his memories about his parents fighting. I felt it. What he felt when he lost his hearing… When he quit his job just because of that weakness he couldn't control… He was letting all of it out, right in front of me. I couldn't be happier…
«Ayumi…» My first name… My heart fluttered when he for the first time, called me Ayumi. «I wonder what you sound like…» he whispered, his hot breath tickling my chest. «Oh, I sound completely average… Nothing to be excited about,» I said, running my fingers through his blonde locks when his body heated up. «No… I bet your voice is beautiful…» he whispered drowsily, almost like he was falling asleep.
The time just flew by. The moments where he calmed down and he saw me off where completely washed out of my mind. All I could think about on my way to work the next 4 days… Was his warmth.
…
«Oh, Shinozaki! What's up?» Mochida-kun cheerfully called out as usual. My feelings about him were a lot different that time, though. I was still so angry at him, and I didn't fear being blunt towards someone like him. After a little hair-flip, I strutted towards him and literally smacked my hand on his desk.
«What the HELL did you do?!»
To my shock, he didn't look surprised at what I did. He just looked at me, showed a little smirk and said: «You're really still thinking about that? Man… It must've been a good one.» My face literally burned in anger and embarassment and I yelled at him: «Shut up! Did you ever hear me ask for a kiss?!»
To my suprise, he got up and walked dangerously close to me.
*SLAM!*
He trapped me with his arms on the closest wall and glared at me. I was completely phased at his scary expression. «No. But I still wanted to,» he said. «W-What…?» I whispered. He groaned in annoyance and spat out: «That's what I both love and hate about you. So… innocent and oblivious.» W-What is he talking about? He clenched his teeth and said in a very loud voice:
«Ever since I started working here, I've been having feelings for you! Shinozaki, everyone knew at once! Everyone but you!»
I kept my mouth shut, trying not to let out a gasp. I knew that he was being flirty and teasy, but… He has feelings for me!? Noticing that I didn't have a reaction, he kept talking: «Even the way you seemed so unattainable… I became more and more attracted. I can't fricking stand it…!» I thought it only was a fit of frustration and nothing more. But it quickly turned into something else when he suddenly put his finger underneath my chin. «Shinozaki…»
He breathed out my name and suddenly moved so close to me that our lips roughly touched.
«M-Mn!»
With all the strenght I had, I pushed him off me and yelled at him: «Back off!» As a pure reflex, I ran into my office and shut the door behind me.
A/N: Oh shit! Has Satoshi gone completely mad?! What are you guys' thoughts about this fic so far? Plz tell me :) UNTIL NEXT TIME ;3