HEART WORLD

~ Michi ~

"Shin! Shin!" I ran up to him once the teams were dismissed from the field. "You won, you won!"

"You talk like I did it myself. It only looks impressive because I happened to be the last runner."

"Come on, don't be like that. You were like, woosh! That was awesome!"

"Cut it out, Michi." He suppressed a smile.

"Come on, I'll treat you to something as a reward."

"You don't have to."

"Shin. Shin. This is me, offering to spend money. Do not take this for granted."

"… You have a point."

"So what do you want?"

He took a moment to think. "We can go to that place you like."

"You like FroYo?" I was obsessed with it because, not being ice cream, eating it didn't make me feel guilty.

"I'm not against it."

"Come on, pick something you like. Today is about you."

"I just picked."

"Oh, come on…"

"Don't get in the car yet. I'm going to change in there."

"But aren't you supposed to change in the public restrooms?"

"With those lines? No way."

"Oh, okay then." I shall not look. I shall not look at the chest or the back of this person, whom I have no interest in seeing. "Rah!" I slapped myself in the face to banish impure thoughts.

"Uh." Shin poked his head out the window. "Did you just slap yourself?"

"No!" I crossed my arms once I had gotten into the shotgun seat and buckled up. I was just feeling weird, is all.

"… Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah." I smiled warmly. "You were really cool."

"… Okay then."

"So why couldn't Toma or your dad come?"

"Toma said he was studying, and my dad had work."

"Ah. Well, it all worked out pretty well for me, in the end. Sorry, if you'd rather have had one of them here."

"No. It turned out fine."

"Oh. Good…" What was this new sense of awkwardness? Had it been there before and I just hadn't realized it, or was it just all in my head? Probably best to just ignore it and be happy for Shin.

"What are your plans for after high school?" He switched up topics suddenly.

"Well… I figured the local university, Myouga. My grades are good enough to get some decent scholarships, and I can work a part time job while I'm at school too."

"Huh. That's where Toma was thinking of going too."

"Yep. What about you? You're a year younger than Toma and I, so you've got a little bit more time to plan."

"I guess it depends."

"On what?"

"The farther the club goes in competitions, the more likely it is that I can get a sports scholarship. It depends on what universities offer track-and-field."

"Huh… And you've been studying hard too, haven't you? You blow off hanging out with Toma and I more often lately."

"… Sorry, I guess."

"No no, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. I'm just saying that… I respect that about you. How hard you work."

"You respect me, huh?"

"Yeah." I rummaged around in my purse, looking for chapstick. "Oh man!"

"What?"

"I left my wallet at home… Sorry."

"It's not a problem. I can buy."

"No, no way!"

"Then we can stop by your apartment on the way."

"No, the place is probably going to be closed by the time we get back to town anyways. Can I take you some other time? Please please please? I feel bad."

"Okay, fine. I won't say no if you're begging like that I guess."

"Thanks, Shin."

"But your stomach is growling right now."

"It is not!"

"Stop lying. Idiot."

"Ugh… You're mean, you bag of bones."

"We can stop at a drive through on the way."

"You can get something for yourself, but I'm determined for you to not buy me food."

"Whatever you say."

"Humph! My will is as strong as steel!" I clamped my hands over my ears when he stopped at a drive through, humming throughout the entire exchange.

"Michi. Michi!" He yanked one of my arms down so I'd listen. "Eat your food."

"I specifically told you. I warned you that I wouldn't eat anything you got me."

"Oh. I thought you hated to waste food though. Aren't you the same Michi that once ate five leftover parfaits at Meido no Hitsuji after we closed at work just so they wouldn't have to be thrown away? Now you're wasting this food and my money? That milkshake is going to melt, you know."

"Shin… You… You demon… You son of the devil… My weakness… Fine!" I grabbed up the food he had gotten me and tore into it. "I'm still mad at you, though."

"You're welcome to pay me back later."

"I probably won't."

"I thought so."

"Just kidding!"

"No you're not."

"Geez, Shin…" I grumbled. "So mean… But, thanks anyways."

"You're welcome." He glanced over at me. "Hurry and eat fast, okay? You usually don't hesitate to wolf your food down."

"You want me to hit you. I'm going to, and then you'll lose control of the wheel and we'll both die in a fiery car explosion."

"Calm down, will you?"

"Humph." I didn't speak again until I had finished eating. "Happy?" I wiped my hands on my skirt and kept them in my lap.

"Relatively." He kept one hand on the steering wheel while placing his other hand over mine.

I stared down at it. "Hah… Ahaha… You're being weird, Shin."

"… I get it." He took his hand away, and then my skin felt cold in comparison.

"N-no, I didn't mean it like that. Um… Geez." I grabbed his hand and held it tightly. "You can be melodramatic sometimes, you know."

"Hmph. You're one to talk." He twined his fingers with mine. The rest of the ride was spent in the comfortable silence I'd come to get used to, but now it just felt like it had a new layer to it, somehow.

"Well… Thanks for today. And I promise to treat you to yogurt later. Remind me if I forget. Or don't. Whatever you want."

"I'll surprise you."

"Okay. Good night." I looked at our hands one more time before pulling away and sliding out of the car.

"You need to be more careful when you're wearing a skirt, Michi."

"Shut up!" I ran over to the stairs that would lead up to the apartment I shared with my dad. "Idiot! You big bag of bones idiot!" It was a lot easier to heckle him from a distance.

"Wait, Michi." Shin got out of the car and approached me. "Sorry. I guess."

"… I'm not going to pay you back for the food," I mumbled. "Your payment was the unwarranted sight of my underwear, which I would like you to forget."

"Maybe." Shin swept my bangs back and pressed a kiss to my forehead before taking a step back. "Good night." He smiled.

"G-g-good… Idiot!" Geez, this was weird… I fell apart now just if he smiled at me.

The memory got fuzzy there, signaling its end. The pieces were there though, why that was the last bit of happiness I had to remember associated with Shin. That night, the one I had just remembered…

My father had been killed a week later. So of course, everything that had been built up had fallen apart instantly.