"Okay. So read this sentence for me." Natsumi said, pointing to the one she wanted on the sheet in front of Ryuu. He glanced down and his forehead furrowed in concentration. She waited patiently while he worded it out in his head. He had been doing well on his exams lately and slowly his grade was improving, but midterms were coming up and she wanted to be sure he was ready. So she had increased the workload in their sessions to focus more on reading and grammar as those were still his weakest points. If Ryuu got a good mark on this big exam then it would make the second half that much easier.
"Nashi wants to...travel around the world so that she can see...mon-monuments of the past...empires." He finished and glanced at her hesitantly. Natsumi smiled brightly and gave him her most encouraging clap.
"Perfect! Even with the hesitation in the middle that was still spot on! You are such a fast learner Ryuu that you may not even need me after midterms." She teased as she picked up the book and flipped to a different page, looking for a different passage. She felt his body heat surround her and looked over to see that he had leaned back on his hands, scooting himself closer to her spot on the floor. They weren't touching, but the sleeve on his shirt was brushing against her bare arm.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Sumi. You aren't that good yet." He said with an easy grin and she giggled while rolling her eyes and returning to the book. But her eyes weren't really focusing on the words anymore. Ryuu stayed in his spot and she could feel his eyes on her. It had been like this periodically since Field Day. It seemed like Ryuu was always moving closer to her and she wasn't sure if he was trying to tease her or if he was even aware that he was doing it. He had even reached for her hand on occasion while walking through the halls at school.
She tried not to think too hard about it, but it was starting to distract her more and more. She silently reprimanded herself about the fluttering in her chest as Ryuu lifted his hand from the floor, his fingers brushing her arm 'accidentally' on the way up as he scratched the side of his head. She felt her cheeks heating and frowned at the words before her as if they held the answer.
'Stop it Natsumi! That's Ryuu next to you remember...Your best friend...he's not trying to flirt with you!' Those words did the trick and she was able to push aside the weird feeling and focus back on their studies. She was able to push quite a bit of information into him before she realized that it was getting late. She glanced at the clock and frowned.
"Hey Ryuu...Don't you usually get picked up by now?" She asked as she read the time on the clock. It was already ten minutes past six. Ryuu glanced up and frowned as he pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen.
"I forgot to take it off silent." He said and put the volume up. The second he did the phone chimed and he flipped it open. He listened for a minute and Natsumi began to clean up before his sudden shout made her jump.
"What!? Wait slow down...Well are you alright?...Then don't worry about me-Yes I'm sure...I'll figure that out, just take care of yourself and the car." He said and snapped his phone closed. Natsumi looked up at the frown on his face in concern.
"Is everything alright Ryuu?" She asked and he glanced down at her, sighing as he rubbed the back of his head.
"The car broke down on its way here. By the time it gets picked up and my driver can grab one of the others it'll be really late...How far is the train station from here?" He asked as he picked up his bag. Natsumi blinked and shook her head as everything caught up, she stood up and reached out to catch Ryuu's sleeve to stop him.
"Hold on Ryuu! You can't head to the station this late. By the time you get home you won't have much time to sleep and you have school tomorrow." She said and he shrugged. But she shook her head and fixed him with a stern look.
"Don't be stupid. Just spend the night here. Mom won't mind since she's practically adopted you." She said and Ryuu chuckled at that. It was true that Sumi's mom had started to force him to call her Mom as well and had started sending lunch along with Sumi for him.
"Maybe she's trying to figure out a way to trade you for me." He teased and ducked back as Natsumi swatted at him.
"Still...I don't want to bother anyone with-"
"I think I can force myself to tolerate you for a few more hours than normal." Sumi said, crossing her arms over her chest and it made him smile. He moved closer to the door with a stoic look.
"Are you sure Sumi? If it's so hard to be around me I can leave." He said as he reached for the handle.
"No wait!" She called, reaching out to him and he grinned as he turned back and moved to her side. He placed his elbow on her head and leaned down towards her face, enjoying the way her cheeks brightened.
"Why do you continue to pretend that you don't like having me around Sumi when we both know the truth." He asked and she huffed.
"You're starting to change my mind for me." She whispered and he chuckled, ruffling her hair as he smiled down at her. His teasing was pushed aside as he let the soft strands run through his fingers.
"Are you sure it's okay Sumi? I can just take a train home." He whispered as he watched the brown locks slip out of his hold. Sumi looked up at him and her smile returned, the soft one she gave him when he was starting to feel really frustrated. It always managed to calm him down and helped him focus. But this time there was something else besides encouragement shining in her eyes and he wondered after it.
"I'm sure Ryuu. I'd never want my best friend to walk all that way in the dark." She said moving forward suddenly and wrapping her arms around his waist. It was a brief hug and he hadn't even had a chance to return it before she pulled back and smiled up at him.
"I'm allowed to worry about you just as much Ryuu." She said before hopping out of her room. He could hear her calling for her mom and the quiet murmur of their voices as they talked, but he felt rooted to the spot. He recalled when he had told her something similar on their walks home from her work.
"Ryuu, if this is too much trouble each night you know you don't have to walk me home."
"I thought I made this clear before Sumi...I can't just let you walk home in the dark alone...I would worry too much about you."
He reached up and rested his palm over his chest as a strange heaviness filled him. It wasn't completely unpleasant though and he took a deep breath as he ran his fingers through his hair and wondered what it could be.
"Hey Ryuu! You hungry?" Sumi's voice rang through the apartment and he tossed his bag back on the floor and left her room. It was probably nothing to worry about anyways.
----------------------------------------
"Any day now Sumi." Ryuu teased as he leaned against his hand. She stuck her tongue out at him and continued to stare at the chess board between them. They were sitting across from each other at the kitchen island. He chuckled and took a drink out of his can of cola, keeping one eye on the board to catch her move. Finally she picked up her knight and moved it into position. His grin widened and he shook his head.
"So close Sumi." He said reaching out and sliding his bishop across the board to capture her last castle.
"What!? How did I not see that?" She grumbled and he flashed her that slanted grin.
"Just one more thing I'm better at than you. Along with math, sports, manners, charm-I'm kidding!" He laughed as she puffed out her cheeks and reached for her ammo sitting in the bowl beside her. He grinned and picked up one of the candies she kept for him and popped it into his mouth.
"Hmm. Now what shall it be this time?" He said between chews. She sighed and held out her hands in invitation as she waited for him to decide. He thought about it until he got a good one.
"Most embarrassing moment before you met me?" He asked and Sumi tapped her chin in thought then laughed and gave him an odd look.
"Why did you add 'before I met you'?"
"Because I've seen you fall so many times I'm sure that would be one of them and that's cheating." He said and she rolled her eyes while she thought about it. The game had been her idea and he was actually glad she had suggested it. Each time one of them lost a piece they had to answer a personal question the other asked. They had already gone through three rounds and he was learning a lot more than he thought he would.
"I would have to say the first day of my first year here." She said and he focused back on what she was saying. Her cheeks were a soft pink and he chuckled, knowing that this was going to be amusing.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
"I was so much younger than everyone else that they mistook me for a middle schooler playing hookie. It took three hours in the principal's office to straighten everything out. My mom had to come down and explain that I had skipped a few years because of my high scores." She finished and he burst out laughing, but had to immediately muffle it as he remembered that everyone else had gone to bed already. He looked over to see her giggling along with him. He shook his head and patted her head.
"It's okay Sumi. Just keep drinking milk and you'll grow up big and strong someday." He teased and she smacked his hand away with an annoyed look that only made him smile wider.
"I'm not that small!" She pouted and he surprised her by placing his fingers under her chin and tilting her head back. He brought his face closer and grinned down at her.
"No...I suppose you're the perfect size..." He whispered and his grin doubled when her face burst into color. She saw the flash of laughter in his red eyes and groaned as she pulled away from his grip.
"Not funny Ryuu."
"I beg to differ." He chuckled and waved his hand over the board.
"I believe it is your turn weirdo. Maybe you can redeem yourself." He challenged and her cheeks puffed out as she set her determined eyes back to the game. He chuckled again and watched as she planned out her next move. As he looked at her lowered head he felt that strange sense of calm and contentment fall over him. Being with Sumi was quickly becoming the most natural thing in his life. He would find himself thinking about her and imagining what she was doing, which would usually lead to him pestering her through texts and random phone calls. It was too much fun to annoy her.
"Take that sir." She giggled as she leaned back and popped a strawberry into her mouth. He rolled his eyes as he examined what she had done. He frowned as he realized that the only way for him to get out of this was to sacrifice at least one piece. He smiled and winked at her good naturedly.
"Well done Sumi. Alright, have a pawn." He said moving the 'sacrificial lamb' into position. Sumi smiled and moved her knight, pushing the pawn off its spot and snatching it up.
"I will happily take it. Hmm...What this time?" She said and he leaned against his fist with an easy smile as he watched the way her eyes sparkled while she thought. If he had known she would get this happy learning random facts about him, he would have given her a list a while ago.
"If you could go anywhere in the world for a visit. Where would it be?" She asked and he chuckled, giving her an amused look.
"Not counting the places I've already been? Hmm~ Maybe someplace tropical..."
"Like Hawaii?" She asked taking a drink of her soda and he shook his head, folding his arms on the counter.
"I've been there. It was nice, but not my first choice and I was with my father on business so it wasn't really a vacation. No I..." He hesitated and she leaned closer, her body radiating anticipation of his response. He sighed and glanced to the side, hating that he felt heat rising into his cheeks.
"I would like to visit some of the older tribes in the Amazon...see what types of medical properties their remedies have and if they could be adapted to help on a broader range." He mumbled and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes had widened, but her lips were pulled up in a giant smile and it looked like she was glowing.
"That sound amazing Ryuu! I bet that if you promised to respect their culture you could gain permission to at least one of those places." She said encouragingly and he blinked. It still took him by surprise that she was so open and enthusiastic about his desire to be a doctor. He smiled and shrugged.
"Yeah...but it's just a pipe dream-"
"Ryuu." She interrupted and leaned across the counter to place her hands over his. He stiffened as he stared down into her bright eyes and felt something in his chest jump again. She smiled brightly at him as she gave his hands a gentle squeeze.
"You shouldn't just push something like this aside. If you're passionate about this-and I know you are, you should go after it! I think it's amazing that you want to help people and that you put more value in that than some big business. I-I know it may not mean much from someone like me...but I think you should pursue what you want and not what someone else expects you to." She finished. The two were frozen as they stared at each other. Then Ryuu's lips slowly curled up in a soft smile as one of his hands slipped out from under hers. He replaced it on top of hers and gave them a gentle squeeze as he whispered,
"You're wrong Sumi..."
She blinked at the look that suddenly came into his dark eyes and the way they held her own gaze captive. He leaned closer just subtly as he added,
"It means everything coming from you..."
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed as she suddenly realized how close they were. It wasn't unusual for Ryuu to get near her, but that was usually when he was teasing her. This was different. The way he was looking at her was sincere and...full of some other emotion she couldn't place. As she felt him shift closer and the hand above hers tighten she panicked and jerked back, scattering the pieces of their game over the counter. That broke whatever spell had woven over them and Ryuu chuckled as he collected the fallen soldiers.
"That's cheating Sumi. You can't knock over the board when you were about to lose." He laughed, that familiar-and safe-teasing tone back in his voice as he started setting the board back up. She giggled and gave him a disbelieving look.
"Don't lie. You're glad I accidentally knocked them over so you wouldn't lose to my superior skills." She teased back and he raised a brow at her with that slanted smirk on his face once more.
"And who won the last two games?" He asked and she turned away in a huff, jumping off her stool and moving to the fridge to get them more drinks. He laughed and finished arranging the pieces for them, the moment before seemingly forgotten.
At least on the surface. As Natsumi stuck her head in the fridge she hoped it would take away the heat rising into her face and calm her racing heart. What had just happened? She wasn't sure, but it had seemed like he was going to k-no that's not possible. She shook her head and forced the thought away, deciding that she had misread the situation and jumped to conclusions. Much like that first walk home in the rain. She sighed in relief and relaxed back into her usual attitude as she sat the soda next to him and retook her seat.
"So who first this time?" She asked and he grinned as he reached for one of his pieces.
"Well since someone ruined the last game, I think I'll take the first move." He said and they resumed their game, taking turns snatching pieces and asking questions. It went on for several hours before they neared the final moves, neither wanting to give up the win.
Natsumi was watching Ryuu as he held his chin and concentrated down at the board. She giggled softly and rested her own chin on her folded fingers as she watched that frown form between his brows, as it always did whenever he focused on something for a long time. She also noticed the way his eyes darted across the board and could practically see strategies flashing through his eyes. She sighed and smiled softly to herself as she realized that she hadn't had this much fun in a long time.
Then again, things had only become more exciting and fun since Ryuu joined her life. As she thought along these lines she began to wonder if they would remain friends after high school. And that thought made her smile falter. If Ryuu followed after his father, he would slowly pull away from her, wouldn't he? He would become this important businessman and where would that leave her in his life? These thoughts instantly soured her good mood and she abruptly stood up. Ryuu looked up at her movements and frowned as he saw the shadows flashing across her brown eyes.
"Sumi?" He asked, but she gave him her best smile and grabbed her empty bowl moving over to the sink to wash it. She was taking longer than necessary to rinse out the dish and knew it wouldn't fool him one bit. Sure enough she felt him move up behind her and his soft voice broke the silence.
"What's that look for Sumi? You should just give up hiding anything from me already." He said and the stern tone in his voice warned her that he wouldn't be happy if she tried to lie to him. She sighed and lowered her hands, letting the cold water from the faucet run over her shaking fingers.
"What's going to happen when you leave Ryuu?" She whispered without meaning to. She closed her eyes in embarrassment as her cheeks turned pink. She heard him sigh as he whispered back,
"What do you mean by 'leave' exactly?"
"Well...I was just thinking...after high school...things change and people often grow apart right?" She asked and was met with silence. She bit her lip and began to scrub at invisible dirt on the dish as she nervously filled the empty void with her rambling.
"And growing up means that people often go where they don't expect to. That can make past relationships harder to hold onto...Friends grow distant and eventually lose contact with one another. Just look at mom! She only speaks to like two-"
"Sumi." His soft voice cut her off and she bit her lip again to keep the trembling down. She felt her heart drop as the subject hit her hard. She hadn't expected to grow so attached, but the sudden thought of losing her best friend and possibly the most important person in her life hurt her deeply. Her hands were shaking bad now and she almost dropped the bowl as she shut her eyes tight to stop the stinging.
But they immediately snapped back open as she felt warmth surround her. The water was turned off before two large hands settled over hers and held them steady. His arms ran parallel to hers and his front was pressed against her back.
"Sumi..." He repeated in that same soft voice as he pulled the bowl from her hands, setting it down before grabbing her hands in his once more. She held her breath as his movements forced her to follow, like a life-size puppet. He crossed her arms over her chest, which meant his own were resting in the same position, pulling her closer to him. She felt her heart flip as he lowered his head and pressed his nose against the top of her head and his warm breath ruffled the small strands. He continued to hold her in that gentle embrace before his soft voice settled around her and his kind words brought the tears to the surface.
"I'm not going anywhere...No matter where I go at the end of all this...I want you to promise me that you'll be there with me..."
She couldn't do much more than nod, but there was a smile on her face as she did. She felt his chest rumble as he chuckled and took in a deep breath.
"Quit trying to get rid of me you weirdo...I told you before. I enjoy tormenting you too much to stop."
That did the trick and she let out a soft laugh, which made him smile and his eyes soften. She couldn't see his expression as he still held her captive in the strange hug. If she had, she would have seen him look at her like she was the most precious treasure on the planet. But for Ryuu...she was.