The water droplets brought about by the heavy rain that night left wet patches on the sidewalks, and the yellow and violet hues of the city lights became visible once again. Haru stared at his reflection on the patch near the doorway as he waited for the lady, musing whether she remembered him like the way he did.
It was just a fleeting moment, but how could he forget the woman with long wavy pink hair he met that afternoon; the woman who shed tears in front of him? How could he forget someone who still looked so beautiful even when crying?
She was drenched in rain and even if her back was facing them, he instantly recognized her hair and her outfit when Kiyoshi pointed her out. Just like how he handed his handkerchief instantaneously on their first encounter, he also came up to her and offered her a cup of coffee without hesitation. His colleague's already aware of what happened, but he's uncertain if he recalled the deets about her.
Haru heard the door open and saw the other barista leading the woman outside of the café. "Good thing he still has his hoodie in his locker. Quite big on you, but that'll keep you warm."
"Thank you so much for the help and for the free drink and for the hand towels and for—"
"Sure, Sakura. It's almost 11:30, so go now," Kiyoshi jokingly shooed them as the lady kept bowing her head.
Sakura's wearing not only Haru's black oversized shirt but also his beige-colored hoodie. With the cup of caramel hot chocolate in her hand, she glanced at him with her puffy eyes; the eyeliner stains have been removed, and her hair has partially dried up.
"Take care, you two," Kiyoshi held on the door as he waited for them to leave. "We'll also be on our way home in a while," he said while the other staff waved their hands as they finished tidying up the place.
"Sankyu," Haru waved his hand and glanced back at the woman beside him. "Let's go?"
She nodded her head and bid goodbye to Kiyoshi. She at least felt better after changing her top and after warming herself up with the free drink she got from the café.
"Sakura, right? Your address?" he asked as he started walking.
"Oh right!" she quickly scrambled for her phone inside her still kinda wet bag. "Ah shit, I hope my phone's still fine."
Sakura examined her phone for a bit, sighing in relief since it still worked fine, before searching for her address saved in her notes. She showed it to Haru, who stopped and leaned to take a closer look.
"It's just a 15-minute walk. I hope, so don't worry," she sheepishly smiled.
"That's good to know," he glanced at her, then continued walking again. "You'll be able to take a good rest afterward."
Feeling embarrassed from being soaking wet and from wearing a stranger's clothes, she avoided Haru's glance whilst she walked alongside him. The night was pretty silent; there were fewer honking cars. It was late at night, but it seemed that there were only two of them on the streets.
Her sudden realization troubled her. How could she ask another man to walk her home at this hour? But then again, she's all by herself. Ruki was supposed to accompany her on her first few nights in Tokyo, but he ripped her heart into pieces. If it's not for Haru, then she'd probably be wasting the night away somewhere far.
"Were you able to go to the mall?" Haru finally broke the silence, anticipating her response.
Sakura pondered for a moment. She still didn't want to open up about it, but the man beside her was a stranger. She thought that he'd probably not listen to her and that he'd easily forget about something… so trivial. She built up her courage before speaking. "I did! I spent almost 5 hours crying inside the comfort room."
Haru's eyes widened, but it wasn't the answer he was expecting at all. He already had a hunch of what might have happened, but he still didn't want to pry. Yet, he continued listening to her intently with a hand in his pocket.
"My boyfriend…ex-boyfriend," she corrected herself, "broke up with me through LINE. Sucks to be me, right?"
Sakura chuckled softly, trying to hide the pain she's feeling inside. Turning to a corner, she shivered a little as a gentle wind blew. She then crossed her arms, still holding the cup of her cocoa, before recounting how her heart got broken.
"He probably thinks I'm so dumb for sticking with him even if it's obvious that he doesn't want to be with me anymore. But…I still gave him so many chances hoping that one day, he'll show up... and that everything will be alright again," she smiled weakly. "But nope, he didn't show up even once."
"You're too kind."
"Well, didn't they say that love is kind?" she said, almost finishing her beverage.
"Is it still love when kindness is already being abused?"
"Abused?" she let out a soft laugh. "What do you know about love? You seem to be an expert on it."
His eyes wandered to the apartment lights, scratching his cheek afterward. "Mm... what is love?"
"Why are you asking me when I was the one asking you?" she let out a soft laugh once more. He seemed so innocent that she found it so cute.
"What is love?"
"You've got to be kidding me."
"No, seriously. I'm not familiar with the 'romantic feeling'."
She stopped her tracks, "You've really got to be kidding me."
Sakura stared at his face. She hasn't looked at him properly ever since he offered her a cup of coffee that night. She only knew he was good-looking, but not this 'good-looking'. Haru has medium-length jet-black hair, which was now half-tied and with bangs on both sides. He has sharp eyes and plump lips. He stared back at Sakura until his big pupils magnetized her.
"Is something wrong again?"
She blinked twice, "Wait… you're the guy a while ago…."
"So… you finally remember?"
Her heart skipped a beat; this man has been with her since this afternoon, and he has witnessed how broken she was! She stepped backward, almost losing her balance. Her feet and hands felt cold; her head was spinning and her stomach was churning.
Haru caught the cup of caramel hot chocolate slipping from her hand while his other hand seized hold of her wrist, pulling her close to him before she even lost her balance. Sakura blinked her eyes slowly, noticing the man's concerned face gazing at her.
"You okay?"