Sorry if this one runs long, I just ended up writing cuter and cuter scenes and couldn't stop myself…
Goodbye, Helloooo~
~~~~Hanako~~~~
Today’s the day. The day I say goodbye to my best friend. I’m…
“Ready?” Akio asks, holding out his hand to me.
Dear, sweet Akio. He’s been amazing during all this, especially last night. Even though we were in a bar, Akio kept his spirits high enough to make our last hurrah memorable. I can’t believe he managed to get Lilly to play a game of pool with me. He just kept pushing, in that way that he does, until she relented and did it. It was hilarious. And sweet.
He even opened up to me about his past. It was really sad. He was glib about it but I could tell that it hurt to relive it so I had to tell him about mine, just to make sure he didn’t feel awkward. It was hard for me but he hugged me after I finished and even thanked me for sharing something so personal.
“…R-ready as I’ll ever be.” I admit with a smile, sliding my fingers in between his and gripping tight.
“Let’s not keep the princess waiting.” He smirks, leading me by the hand away from the dorms.
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I’m crying all over Lilly’s favourite sweater.
I’m going to miss her so much. Lilly strokes my hair and I calm a little.
This is so damn hard… We step back and I see Akio and Akira exchanging pleasant goodbye handshakes.
“All cried out?” Akio asks with a sympathetic smile and I nod quietly. He looks between me and Lilly and closes his eyes with a smile. “I know it’s a little weird of me to do this but here…”
What?
“It’s not much…” He says, rustling in his pocket for something before holding it out to her.
“Three feet in front of you, Lilly, chest-height.” Akio instructs and Lilly reaches out her arm cautiously, finding Akio’s arm and running her hand up it until she finds the gift.
I can’t believe he did this…
“Akio, is this what I think it is?” Lilly asks with a look of slight confusion. “Is this a Queen piece?”
“It’s much more than that, princess.” He looks to me with a knowing wink and slowly rotates the piece. “It’s custom.” It’s definitely a Queen piece but one half is white while the other is black.
“Take it, Lilly. Give it the once over.” He smiles again at me. Lilly runs her delicate fingers over the piece and makes a surprised face and then a warm smile.
What did he…
“Hanako, I believe you should look at this.” She smiles and offers it to me but Akio shakes his head.
“No need, she gets one too.” He grins and produces an identical piece from the same pocket. Lilly’s face lights up.
“Akio, you didn’t have to…” I say, taking the identical piece from Akio’s hand. It’s a White Queen piece painted to be half black. It’s a sweet gesture but I--
Oh you, clever boy.
“White Lilly - Midnight Flower…” I read the kanji engraved a little haphazardly on each side of the tiny piece. I look at Lilly’s, still outstretched, and he’s done the same. In braille.
“This way, no matter where you guys are, you will always be together.” He rubs the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
“Akio, this is a
wonderful gift. I’m sorry I don’t have anything to give in return.” Lilly says with a wide smile. I agree, this is fantastic.
“This isn’t really from me. It’s from the two of you, to each other. I’m just the guy holding on to them…” He smiles and steps back next to Akira, who puts her arm around his shoulder.
“You’re boyfriend is quite the showman.” Lilly chuckles as she throws her arms around my shoulders again.
“Yeah, he’s f-full of surprises. Th-this time it was a
nice one.” I sniffle a little, emotion surging to the fore once again. “I’m going to miss you…
Lills.”
I smile at her shocked reaction to me using her nickname, the first time I've ever used it. She gives a playful smile and she rubs my hair. “I’ll miss you too,
Hana.”
We say our final goodbyes and it turns out to be nowhere near as sad as I thought it would be, thanks to a little intervention.
“Hana, can I tell you a secret?” Akio asks as he waves off Lilly and Akira.
“These are from the chess set in the tearoom, aren’t they?” I tilt my head toward him.
“… I should have guessed you’d recognise them. Are you mad I used them for a little craft project?” He asks cautiously.
“
Livid but it was an amazing gesture all the same.”
I’m totally joking about being mad.
He just blushes and I plant a kiss on his cheek.
“So what now, Hana? Back to Yamaku?” He asks as we turn away from the airport terminal.
I don’t know…
“How about we go into the city?” I offer. “Make a day of it.”
“Is that your subtle way of asking me on a date?” He smirks with a raised eyebrow.
A real date. With my boyfriend. Squee. I grip his hand a little tighter in excitement as my face turns crimson and he just laughs.
“I guess we’re going then. Lead the way, Hana!” He declares, pointing our conjoined hands toward the bus stop.
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“So you don’t read manga? Like,
at all?” Akio asks a little incredulously.
“I’ve read some, but I just prefer either novels or light novels.” I answer, bent over to browse the spines of the light novels in front of us.
Crap. Never read it. Not bad. Crap. Porn. Crap. More porn. More crap. Aha!
“Huh. I thought you’d at least read some magical girl schlock as a guilty pleasure…” He huffs.
“Disappointed you can’t make fun of me?” I smile wryly in his direction and he crosses his arms indignantly. “Guess we can’t all be as pedestrian as you and read
Bleach.”
“Oi! Bleach is a modern classic! It’s our generation’s Dragon Ball!” I can’t help but giggle at his passion as I pluck the first anthology of Book Girl from the stacks. Akio peers over my shoulder to look.
“Is that what you were looking for?”
“No. Well, yes. I overheard some people talk about it and the premise sounded interesting.”
“Hit me.” Akio closes his eyes, as if preparing for the plot to hit him in the face.
I’m half-tempted to take him literally and bop him on the forehead with the book.
“It’s about a two-person literature club and one of them is a spirit who eats stories. The other is a regular boy who has to write stories to keep her satisfied sometimes.”
“Okay, you piqued my curiosity. You going to buy it?” He opens his eyes and smiles.
“I’m thinking abou-- You want me to so you can borrow it, don’t you?” I squint an eye at him and he throws his hands up in the air.
“You got me.” He laughs. “But if you want it, I’ll buy it.”
“You’ve already treated me today.” I smile, patting my jacket pocket where the Queen piece sits.
“Okay, but I’m definitely buying lunch. No arguments.” He sighs and then shoots me a cocky grin.
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“Do you honestly only read manga in the literature club?” I ask as we leave the book store.
“Well, what else am I meant to do? Watch Suzu sleep or listen to Lezard drone on about Shakespeare?” He snorts.
“I don’t know, you could try reading an actual book?” I offer with a small smile.
“It’s got words on pages, that makes it a book, right?”
He’s quite cute when he’s defensive. Plus it makes a nice change to turn the tables on him once in a while.
“Besides, I’m like an unofficial member of the newspaper club now…” He throws a smirk my way and I laugh.
“You’re an excellent dogsbody!” I bump shoulders with him and he laughs too.
“So where do you want to eat?” He asks but a chill up my spine distracts me. I look around the streets and it’s not very crowded. Mostly people going about their day, but when you suffer with social anxiety, you get a kind of sixth sense when people are looking you. Whether they actually are or not is the real problem. I scan the street around us with a critical eye. Parent and child. Business man. Couple. Elderly woman. Group of girls. Host club advertiser.
Where’s that feeling coming from?
“Hana, you okay?” Akio shifts his head to be in my field of vision.
“Y-y-yeah, just suddenly f-feeling…
Exposed.” I huddle up to him with a quiet tone. He looks around worriedly and holds my shoulder tight.
“Let’s find someplace quiet, yeah?” He whispers and ushers me towards a small café a little further down. He places me delicately in a booth and slides in next to me, rest his cane against the table.
“Excuse me? Can we get a cup of tea and a mug of coffee, please?” He asks the passing waitress and she nods. He holds my shoulders tight and places his other hand on my shaking hands.
“It’s okay, Hana. We’re not on the street anymore. Just…
relax.”
He’s worried, I can tell by his voice. Oh god, I’ve just ruined our first real date with a panic attack… You’re such a spaz, Hanako!
“I-I-I’m so-sorry, Akio…” I whisped and he just holds me tighter.
“Please don’t do that. You’re gonna be okay. Please don’t cry, either. I’m no good with crying girls.” His voice sounds as panicked as I feel but he still serves up a joke to reassure me.
He’s trying his best not to freak out, so try yours.
“O-only if-if
you d-d-don’t start crying first…” I stutter uncontrollably but I give a weak smile. He sniffs loudly, as if the mere mention of him crying is enough to make him do it.
~~~~Akio~~~~
For the love of god, Akio, get your shit together! Don’t you dare start crying, that’s the last thing Hana needs. Don’t let her know how much you’re freaking out right now.
“Are you two okay?” The waitress asks when she appears with our drinks.
Think up something quick.
“Our pet goldfish died.”
Fucking smooooooth.
The waitress looks both concerned and confused as she puts our drinks down, giving a solemn bow before leaving. I can still feel Hanako shaking in my arms but then I hear her erratically snorting.
“Hana, are you o--”
“Hahahahaha
goldfishahahahaha~”
Hanako’s sudden fit of laughter catches me completely off-guard. She wipes her face with a napkin as she calms down.
“Th-that was so dumb!” She grins at me and her smile melts away any tension I had in my body.
“Well I had to think of something! You know I’m not as quick-witted when I’m under pressure.”
She finishes wiping her face and turns to kiss me deeply.
I don’t think I’ll ever get over this feeling.
“What are you thinking now?” She smiles pleasantly.
“Several things I’d rather not share in public.” I smirk, knowing it’ll make her blush, and it does.
“You’re incorrigible.” She whispers, blushing profusely.
“I don’t know what that means.” I say, picking up my coffee and receiving a playful punch to my other arm.
“Maybe if you read a book…” Hanako begins her thought and I feel I’m about to be lectured.
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After a few hours of further exploring, once Hanako had regained her composure, we decide to head home. The bus ride is mostly spent in silence but we sit pressed against each other. Hand in hand.
We get back to school and I invite her to my room to hang out and watch a movie on my laptop. She obliges and we make our way there.
“It’s a lot
cleaner than I thought it would be.” Hanako mentions as gesture for her to enter first.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” I say in mock disappointment, earning a giggle.
“I just heard the boys’ dorms were really messy…” She idly comments, plopping down on my bed.
“From who?”
“Lilly…” She sighs.
That nerve’s still raw. Good thing there’s a really good out for this.
“I have a hard time believing that.” I say, my comment dripping with scepticism. I grab my laptop and slide my desk chair to in front of the bed, making an impromptu viewing stand.
“It’s true! She told me how messy they were!” Hanako giggles.
“Oh, I don’t doubt that she
told you that but lemme ask you something. One, how would Lilly know how dirty the boys’ dorms are without being able to
see? And two, how much time has
she spent in the boys’ dorms to come to that conclusion?”
Hanako’s eyes go wide and she covers her smiling mouth in mock surprise. “She
lied to me!”
“Probably to scare you away from boys like me.” I grin menacingly as I sit on the bed. Hanako laughs and brushes her hair out of her face.
The fact that she only does that around me makes me feel so lucky.
“You don’t scare me, Akio…” She smiles coyly before wrapping her arms around my neck and leans in to kiss me deeply.
I feel lighter than air whenever she kisses me. Like I could fly. I look deep into her violet eyes as she opens them again.
“What is it?” She asks, snapping me out of my reverie.
“Sorry, I… I was just thinking about how you brush your hair back whenever we’re alone…” I whisper, still lost in her eyes.
“D-does it bother yo--” I shake my head vehemently before she finishes her thought.
“Hell no, it makes me feel like the luckiest damn guy in the world!” I beam. “It’s like… Agh, what’s the word? Like your sharing something
intimate with me every time we’re alone. Like you trust me implicitly. That… That makes me feel
special.”
She looks shocked at my sudden confession but closes her eyes to think for a second before looking at me with a wry smile.
“I thought I was supposed to be the girl in this relationship?” She raises an eyebrow with a devilish smirk.
She got me good.
“Oi! Just because I can wax poeti--” My retort is cut off as she presses her lips forcefully against mine, pushing me onto my back. She lies along my side but kisses me deep and passionately. I roll onto my side and slide my hands round her back, holding her closer and caressing her body. We presses our bodies together and Hanako muffles an ‘Eep’ into my mouth.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, slightly panicked and Hanako turns crimson.
“You’re… Um…
Poking me…” She whispers. My eyes go wide and in my haste to move away, I tumble backwards off the edge of my bed, landing with a thud on my back.
“
Ow…” I wince as Hanako peeks over the edge of the bed.
“A-are you okay?” She asks meekly.
“I think I landed on my keys…” I hiss before heaving myself up into a sitting position, meeting here face to face. She blushes more as she rolls onto her side.
“Sorry, Akio, I didn’t mean for that to happen…” She presses her fingers together sheepishly.
“They say love hurts, right?” We laugh and I peck her on the lips.
“Seriously though, call the nurse, I think I broke my ass.” I do an elaborate fainting mime as I fall back onto my back.
“Nooo! Not your butt! That’s my favourite part.” She laughs, sliding off the bed and onto the floor beside me, cuddling up to me.
“We won’t be able to see the movie down here…” I say as Hanako rests her chin on my chest.
“You’re
much funnier than any movie, Akio.”
And so we lie here, mourning the loss of my poor, broken butt between fits of laughter. Couldn’t wish of a better end to our first date really.
(Also, your avatar seems perfect for that comment)
