Chapter 5

Restless night

It seemed to Kahoko as if only five minutes passed since she finally fell asleep. Almost unwelcome morning light shone through the open window onto her face, disturbing her already restless sleep. She opened her eyes briefly before promptly covering them with her arm. Groaning slightly, she fought to stay awake. Her short amount of sleep had been fitful and dreamless.

            Last night, she had laid there among the soft folds of her blanket, staring at the blank ceiling and was plagued with memories. Remembering and trying to decipher the meaning of the exchange between the two men at the dinner table.

She couldn’t understand what had happened between Kazuki and Len, the sudden tension that had sprung up and an unspoken connection. An almost victorious grin lightly touched Kazuki’s normally-smiling face and a fierce glare that consumed Len’s handsome ones. No theory she could come up with could explain it. In the end, she just dismissed it as “something between guys.”

But, unfortunately, the two guys’ weird behaviors weren’t the only things on her mind. Her heart kept persisting after Len while her head continued to berate it for doing so. She had cried much that night. She was torn.

Sighing, she slipped out of the warm blankets and changed into a pink dress with a black tank top underneath. As she pulled her brush through her crimson hair, she gazed out of the window. It opened to a garden.

“Wow,” she whispered. The vast green was dotted by clumps of rainbow. The sun from overhead gave a golden glow to everything. Even on the second story, she could distinctly see each gold-tipped flower petal and each yellow ocher-colored dewdrop. The humming of bees and other insects caused her to smile. Where flowers are, she thought, bees are sure to come. A light flower scent wafted up through her open window with the slight breeze. It was just so exotic. No amount of money could ever come close to this simple, natural beauty. She knew there was only one thing that could make this scene ever the more breath-taking. It was just a single word. Music… It took a lot of willpower for her to tear her eyes away and go downstairs.

Kazuki was reading on the couch in the living room, long legs crossed over the side. The morning light made his molten gold eyes shine and glint as they skimmed over the words. She was not surprised to see him smiling slightly. He never seemed to frown, at least in front of others. It made her wonder what really went on in his mind.

            His eyes caught sight of her. Setting the book aside and grinning wider, he said, “Yahoo, Kaho-chan!”

            She forced a smile. “Ohayo, Hihara-sempai.”

            When he scanned her over, lanky arms resting on his knees, he nodded appreciatively. “You look really nice,” he praised.

            She blushed lightly.

            But his smile faltered a little as his sharp eyes fell on the dark circles under her eyes. “Didn’t sleep well?”

            “Yeah,” she admitted, eyes saddening slightly. “It wasn’t the room or anything.” She added quickly.

            “Then what was it?”

            “Just…unsolved problems, that’s all. Really,” she said when he moved towards her. “I’m alright.”

            He bent down a little so they were at eye level. “You know,” he said, “at a time like this, the best medicine is music. Trust me. You are welcome to play anywhere in the house.” He added.

            “Even in the garden?”

            “Even in the garden,” he replied, nodding.

            Her eyes brightened. “Thank you, Hihara-sempai!” When she smiled, her entire face lit up and the sun seemed to shower his favors upon her. It momentarily took his breath away and his heart skipped a beat.

            As she turned to leave, he leaned forward and his arm impulsively reached out, catching her wrist. Surprised golden eyes met his, crimson hair falling into hers.

            “Hihara…sempai?” she asked, but her voice faded away as she was entranced by the power of his eyes.

For a moment they gazed into each other’s faces, taking in every detail of the other’s features and expressions.

            Kahoko first broke the silence. “Um…Hihara-sempai?”

            He blinked. And he was suddenly aware of his hand holding hers. He quickly let go and said, “Sorry. Don’t know what I was thinking…” he laughed nervously, scratching his head.

She grinned uneasily in return. She bowed a little as she backed away. Her crimson hair danced as she walked out of the room. His arm fell a little until he covered his face. A darkening blush crept across his face. His heart thumped in his chest. He sighed and, ruffling his already messy hair, thought, “What’s wrong with me?”

 

Author's Note

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