Chapter 26

As he had been doing for the last 10 minutes, Shuya walked in circles outside his father’s office, going over what to say in his head again and again. 

“Shuya, what are you doing?” asked Himiko while walking down the hallway, carrying a basket full of laundry.

“I... I just need to ask dad something,” said Shuya. Himiko stopped and looked at him with her head tilted.

“Then why are you standing out here?”

“Well... yes... yes you’re right...” said Shuya and knocked on the door. “I’ll... I’ll go ask him.”

“Come in,” said Hayato from the other side of the door, and Shuya took in a deep breath whereafter he walked inside.

It was always quiet in Hayato’s office. No music, no talking. Just him sitting in his chair all alone, while he read through the papers laid out in front of him. He looked so serious, with one hand on his chin as he went over something in his mind.

Shuya wondered if he would become like him one day, if he could be as capable as an adult as his father was. 

As flawless. 

“Yes?” said Hayato questioning and looked up. “Did you need something?”

“Well...”  said Shuya and looked down. “I just... I wanted to ask you... ask you for a favor.”

“A favor?” said Hayato and crossed his arms. “Tell me about it.”

“It’s for school...” said Shuya and took a step closer. “You know the cultural festival is coming up. And, our class really want to make a cafe... so...” Shuya stopped talking and looked up, hoping his father had already caught on.

“So?” said Hayato. “You need to speak up and tell me what you need or I won’t understand.

“I wanted to ask you if you could sponsor our class’s cafe. Our budget is really low and everyone really wants to do this.”

“I see,” said Hayato and let out a sigh. “Why is it that I feel like all you talk to me about these days is money.” Shuya lowered his head.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know my business is doing well, but that doesn’t mean we can just scatter money everywhere. We need to think carefully about the money we spend.” Shuya nodded. “And didn’t I just sponsor your class trip?” Shuya nodded again.

“Then why are you asking this of me?” Shuya looked up.

“Because... this my last year in high school, I just want to make the best of it, I want everyone to have a good time at the festival and if a cafe is what it takes, then I want to give them that, if... if it’s possible.” Hayato stayed quiet and looked at his son, no emotions showing on his face.

“I can see you still spend money on that expensive hobby of yours,” said Hayato, and once again Shuya looked away in shame. “You still don’t want to tell me what that’s about? It’s a lot of money.” Shuya didn’t nod or shake his head. He didn’t speak either. He just looked down without saying anything, making Hayato let out another sigh.

“Fine, don’t tell me. I guess you have been behaving well since coming to this school. You're doing well, not getting into any troubles, and your grades are stable.” Shuya caught a glimpse of his father, sensing how the atmosphere of the conversation was going in a lighter direction.

“I’ll grant you your favor. Tell your teacher I will sponsor your cafe.” Shuya’s face lit up in happiness.

“Thank you, thank you dad, you won’t regret it,” said Shuya and bowed.

“I hope not, as long as you keep up the grades and the good behavior, I will be very pleased.”

“I will, I promise,” said Shuya. “Thanks again.” Shuya slowly backed out of the office and once he stood on the other side of the door, he let out a sigh of relief. With a smile on his face, he walked to his room and laid down on his bed.

Maybe he should text Iyori, letting her know he was successful? He almost did it when he remembered her expression earlier in school. So cold and distant. Why did it sting so much when she looked at him like that?

“Your preferred date, Yuki, is now available.” The message popped up on Shuya’s phone and he looked at it for a while, thinking about whether to request her or not. She would probably just reject him. 

But he wanted to see her. He wanted to talk to her. Make up with her. And put everything behind them so things could go back to the way it used to be.

“Mr. Sakamoto is requesting a date.” Iyori looked at her phone and saw the name on the screen, a name that made her smile for the first time the entire day. She didn’t even think about it before she clicked on “accept”. 

“Wanna go to the cinema?” Iyori looked at the message from Tomoki and smiled.

“Sure, which one? Should we just meet there?”

“No, I’ll pick you up,” wrote Tomoki and followed up with another message. “Where are you?”

Iyori quickly sent her location and sat down on a bench, wondering what he meant by ‘I'll pick you up’?. She knew he didn’t have a car, that’s why he always rode his bicycle. Maybe that’s what he meant. Was she going to sit on carrier?

Iyori looked up at the grey clouds filling the sky. They had a light grey color, hopefully that meant it wasn’t going to rain.

But it didn’t take more than a few minutes before the light grey clouds turned even darker, almost black, and Iyori ran to a corner store for cover when the heavy rain started pouring down.

I hope he’s not drenched, thought Iyori while being on the watch for Tomoki. Hopefully he doesn’t rush to get here and just takes cover somewhere.

The street, that had been filled with people just a little moment ago, was now almost emptied. Everyone had run for cover from the unexpected downpour and the only people walking around were those smart enough to bring umbrellas with them.

Umbrella! thought Iyori while waiting. She was in the perfect spot, if she was fast, she could buy one and they could use it when Tomoki came, in case he didn’t bring one.

It only took a short while and she was once again outside, this time with a see-through umbrella in her hand. She figured one would be enough, even if it was cliché, she knew everyone loved walking under one umbrella with their loved ones.

The rain didn’t seem to stop anytime soon, and Tomoki wasn’t anywhere in sight. Maybe he really did take cover somewhere. Maybe she should call him? He shouldn’t pay for the time it took for him to get here.

As those thoughts were going through Iyori’s mind, she suddenly saw the light from something coming from afar, and as she watched it get closer, she saw Tomoki on the bicycle, riding by the speed of light towards her. She quickly waved her hands so he would see her, and in less than a minute, he was standing in front of her, panting and heaving for breath.

“Tomoki, what–”

“Sorry... I was late...” said Tomoki in between his breaths. Iyori looked at him and saw his wet clothes sticking to his body.

“You’re drenched,” said Iyori and pulled him into cover next to her. “Why did you rush here? We could’ve postponed our date a little. Now we can’t go to the cinema.”

“What... do you mean?” said Tomoki. “I’m fine.” Iyori raised an eyebrow and let out a sigh.

“No way, I’m not letting you go around in that wet clothes. You’ll get sick.”

“But I don’t want to postpone our date!” said Tomoki firmly. “That’s why I rushed here, please don’t tell me my efforts were in vain.” Iyori looked into Tomoki’s eyes that were staring back at her. He had the same look in his eyes as Shuya did when he wanted something.

No, why am I thinking of him, thought Iyori and shook her head.

“Alright, we won’t postpone it or cancel it or anything,” said Iyori and took Tomoki’s hand. “But we need to get you some other clothes, come on.” Iyori dragged Tomoki inside the corner store with her, picking out the first outfit she could find for a cheap price.

“But this... I don’t want to look tacky in front of you,” said Tomoki while looking at the clothes she had found for him.

“I’m sorry, but this is all I can afford,” said Iyori.

“You? No no, you’re not paying for this.”

“But I want to, it’s my fault you’re drenched,” said Iyori firmly. “Besides, I don’t care what you’re wearing, you’re my boyfriend and I think you look handsome no matter what you wear. Besides, I don’t want to cancel our date either, but I don’t want you to get sick.” Tomoki looked away, a hint of redness spotted in his cheeks.

“Fine, if you really insist,” said Tomoki and Iyori smiled at him.

“Great, I’ll go pay and ask if you can borrow the toilet so you can change.” Tomoki nodded and looked at Iyori as she walked to the counter. 

After changing into the dry clothes, they both found themselves standing outside the store again, looking at the rain while thinking about what to do.

“Well, I wanted to give you a ride to the cinema on my bicycle,” said Tomoki and scratched his head. “I guess that won’t work.” Iyori let out a cute laugh and then held up the umbrella she bought.

“I’m sorry we can’t do that, but how about sharing an umbrella?” said Iyori and Tomoki smiled back at her.

“Deal.”

Walking next to each other under the umbrella, Tomoki had his arm around her, to pull her as close to him as possible, sheltering both of them from the rain. 

Iyori felt her heart racing slightly, not because of the physical touch, rather because of another fear in her heart. She kept frantically looking around, wondering if anyone was close, if anyone had their phone pointing towards them.

“Is something wrong? Am I making you uncomfortable?” asked Tomoki. “Holding you like this isn’t against the rules, right?”

“No, no of course not, and you aren’t making me uncomfortable,” said Iyori and looked up at Tomoki, surprising him when he saw the uneasy look in her eyes. 

“Perhaps,” said Tomoki and looked up in wonder, before he looked down at her again with a smug face. “Am I making you embarrassed.” Iyori’s cheeks suddenly turned bright red, hearing the statement from Tomoki, and she didn’t know whether to deny it or embrace it as a part of the date.

“No comment,” said Iyori, as a comprise to herself, and the laughter from Tomoki confirmed that she made the right choice.

As long as my client is happy, then that’s all that matters, thought Iyori to herself while trying to shut out all other thoughts in her head.

When they reached the cinema, the movie they were gonna watch had already started, but they decided to go for it anyway. Luckily, it was an easy plot to follow and Iyori found it quite enjoyable. It wasn’t many of her dates who went to the cinema, so it was a nice change of pace. Besides, the darkness made holding hands a lot more intimate, and she felt Tomiki’s raised heartbeat from his hand.

He really is cute, thought Iyori to herself. 

When the movie had finished, Iyori and Tomoki stood outside the cinema discussing their plans.

“Do you want an extension?” asked Iyori and tilted her head.

“If... it’s not too much trouble...” said Tomoki and diverted his eyes. “I feel like I see you so rarely. But I know I have to let you go eventually, the other guys need to have their fair share.” Iyori started laughing and Tomoki looked at her in confusion.

“You’re cute,” said Iyori and Tomoki pouted.

“I’m not cute, definitely not, I’m a man you know,” said Tomoki firmly, but it only made him seem even cuter, and Iyori continued laughing.

“Sorry, but you are,” said Iyori. “You’re allowed to be a little selfish around me. In the time you spent with me, I’m your girlfriend and you’re my boyfriend. You can be as demanding and jealous and selfish as you want.”

“Really?” said Tomoki. “Well in that case, do you want to go to a restaurant?”

“A restaurant?” said Iyori and widened her eyes. “But is that okay? You already spent a good amount of money on the movie tickets, not to mention the date on its own. Are you sure a restaurant isn’t too expensive?”

“I have money, you know,” said Tomoki and winked. “Besides, I want to treat you to a nice meal for once, not just a sad piece of cake in a cafe.”

“I love cake, so I don’t mind,” said Iyori. “But I love restaurants too, so whatever you decide is fine with me.”

After deciding on a restaurant, they went outside, getting happily surprised by the clear weather. They quickly walked back to the corner store to get Tomoki’s bicycle and then rode it together to the restaurant. Iyori held on closely while sitting in the back, feeling his heart beat faster and faster with every minute.

The restaurant was small and cozy, a nice atmosphere that fit Tomoki’s image well. He definitely seemed familiar with the place, maybe he researched it beforehand or even went there before. 

Iyori, on the other hand, hadn’t been to this particularly restaurant before, but she already felt like it would be to her liking.

After getting a table and ordering their food, they started talking about anything and everything, just like they always did. It was strange that he only became her customer back in spring, it felt like they had known each other for much longer, at least that was how Iyori felt, she could only hope he was feeling the same way.

The food arrived fast and Iyori didn’t hesitate to dig in, having eaten nothing since lunch.

“You can really eat,” said Tomoki and laughed. Iyori quickly slowed down, scolding herself for her poor manners.

This isn’t Shuya you idiot, thought Iyori to herself.

“I’m sorry, I guess I’m just really hungry today,” said Iyori. “But I should enjoy it more, I’ll slow down.”

“Please eat comfortably around me, I don’t mind.”

“But–”

“No buts, I want to know the real you,” said Tomoki and leaned forward.

“The real me?” said Iyori and tasted the words as she said me. Who even was the real her? 

“I’m not sure the real me is worth knowing, all I do is push people away,” said Iyori in a low voice and put down her fork. A sad expression filled Tomoki’s face and he quickly grabbed her hand.

“No, I didn’t mean to make you sad, I’m sorry,” said Tomoki. “And don’t say things like that, you could never push me away.”

“Thank you, I appreciate the sentiment,” said Iyori and tried smiling, but Tomoki saw right through it.

“Did something happen? You can talk to me if you want to.” Iyori looked away, wondering what she should do.

“No, let’s not talk about me, we always talk about me,” said Iyori. “I want your time with me to be enjoyable.”

“How could my time with you ever be anything but enjoyable?” said Tomoki earnestly. “Please just tell me what happened.”

Iyori let out a sigh. The look in Tomoki’s eyes made her cave in and open up about everything. About her relationship with her father, her sister, her family in general. About her grades and how she thought she had gotten better, but in the end, she was still as useless as always. 

Tomoki listened to every word she spoke, not interrupting even once. All he did was hold onto her hand, keeping it warm so she knew he was right there in front of her.

“I’m sorry you’ve been going through all that, it must’ve been stressful,” said Tomoki after Iyori stopped talking.

“Oh stop it, studying medicine must be 100 times harder. Listening to me whine about my sad high school life can’t be fun,” said Iyori, but Tomoki squeezed her hand even tighter.

“No matter where you are in life, failing at something always feels awful. Your so-called friend should know that as well. I can’t believe he would push you so much, he should’ve known how disappointed you would feel if you didn’t reach your goal.”

“I thought so too...” said Iyori and let out a sigh. “I guess we never understood each other to begin with.”

“Maybe,” said Tomoki. “I know it sounds strange, but I understand you. I’ve failed many times in my life, more than I want to admit. But the feeling was always the same, no matter what I failed at. It’s okay to be disappointed. Don’t be so hard on yourself just because others might not understand.” Iyori looked at Tomoki and felt her heart at ease for the first time in days.

“Thank you,” said Iyori. “I needed to hear that.”

After talking and eating some more, it was time to part ways. Iyori waved goodbye and started making her way to the train station. It had been a long time since she had date with someone that wasn’t Shuya. Walking back alone felt somehow strange, almost lonely, but Iyori pushed away her thoughts and kept walking.

While waiting for the train to arrive, Iyori took out her phone.

“Mr Sakamoto gave your date a 5 star rating, congratulations on another successful date.” Iyori smiled when she saw the notification on her screen. She really didn’t feel like she deserved all the love he gave her. Sometimes she even felt bad about how much he seemed to cherish her. Even if she gave all her love to him doing those hours, she knew it would never turn into more. Was it really okay to play with someone’s feelings in that way? Even if he knew what he signed up to beforehand. 

She heard from other people in the company that sometimes the clients didn’t always like the fact that they went out with other people than them. Maybe that was the deal with the guy who had been texting her.

Thinking about the weird texts for the first time in a few hours, Iyori unlocked her phones and went to her messages. She hadn’t received anything since the day Mao tried to kiss her. Hopefully he had found something better to do and wouldn’t bother her anymore.

The train arrived and Iyori boarded. While looking out of the window, seeing the scenery passing by her, she suddenly felt her phone vibrating and a chill went down her spine. 

How could she be so naive. He wouldn’t just stop, not like that.

With her heart sitting in her throat, she took out her phone again, but just a moment later, she let out a heavy sigh.

“Mr. Takahashi is requesting a date.” Iyori looked at the message on her phone. She completely forgot to log out of her app earlier. She quickly rejected the request and sent a message to Shuya.

Iyori

I’m already on my way home.

Shuya

Is that so? Sorry, I didn’t know

...

I just wanted to let you know that my dad said yes to sponsoring the cafe.

Iyori

Really? That’s good then

Iyori looked at her screen, waiting for something to happen, but no messages came in return. Had she scared him away for good?

That’s fine, that’s what I want, thought Iyori and turned off her phone, but a second later she felt it vibrating again and she quickly pulled it out.

Shuya

Working all afternoon?

Iyori

Yes

Shuya

It wasn’t... any creepy guy... right?

Iyori

No

...

He’s a regular. He’s nice and harmless.

Shuya

Good... that’s good...

...

I know we aren’t on the best terms right now, but if something happens, please tell me anyway.

Iyori stared at the message for a while and thought about what to answer, when she heard the speaker on the train announce that she was at her stop. She quickly gathered her belongings and left the train.

Shuya

Sorry if I overstepped again.

Iyori saw the following message from Shuya when she left the train platform and let out a sigh.

Iyori

No, I was just getting off the train.

...

I’ll tell you...

Shuya

Really? Thank you.

I’m sorry about everything. I didn’t mean to pressure you like that.

Iyori

It’s fine.

Shuya

No it’s not. I don’t want you to be mad at me.

Besides, I should’ve known better. I’ll do better next time.

Next time, the words lingered in Iyori’s mind while she walked down the street. Did she want there to be a next time? A few days ago she never wanted to study again. 

Iyori

Alright.

Iyori looked at her message and felt her heart calm down. Somehow it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Messaging Shuya like this while walking home, almost made her forget about her fears and worries. She didn’t even notice that she had arrived outside her house before she walked past it and was greeted by her neighbor's dog.

She quickly turned back and walked up to her door, waiting in front of it while sending another message.

Iyori

I’m home now.

Thanks for messaging me... I’ll see you tomorrow.

Hello everyone

Man, I really love Tomoki, I was always so happy whenever I wrote a scene with him in it. And it must feel so good for Iyori to finally talk to someone who just listens to her. It's hard when you and your friend or lover are both going through something, because you both need someone who can be there for each other, and who should put aside their troubles for the other person?

Wow that went deep, but anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And as always, I hope you're happy and healthy wherever you are!

Love, Annalise~