Haru's embarrassment was so obvious since the redness quickly spread across his cheeks. "Stop saying embarrassing things, Kyoko!"
"What's embarrassing?" the voice on the other line almost raised. "Fine, you two are hanging out-"
"I'm hanging up! Ja!"
The barista quickly hung up his phone and hurried his steps to the bus stop. "Please don't mind what she just said," he muttered without looking at the woman walking behind him.
"It's fine. I'm already getting used to your antics," she chuckled and stood next to him after reaching the stop.
"Geez, I should not have turned the speaker on," he mumbled.
"Come on… it's just me," she nudged his arm while also trying to stifle her laughter.
After riding the first bus, they rode another, and to their surprise, it was almost full even if it was not the rush hour yet. And as usual, the ladies and the gentlemen drew their attention to the tall and handsome man with long jet-black hair and to the pink-haired doll-faced beauty who stood side by side.
As they got closer to their destination, the number of passengers also lessened. He then felt a hard tug on the sleeve of his shirt, and when he looked at Sakura, his brows raised upon seeing her eyes trembling in fear and her lips that had gotten paler.
"What's wrong?" leaning his head sideways, he inquired with his brows knitted together.
Sakura tiptoed a bit and whispered near his ear. "The guys sitting at the back… I…. I think I've seen them some…somewhere, but do…don't look at them. They might notice us," she answered, almost stuttering.
Despite the warning, Haru roamed his gaze at the scenery outside, then to the passengers seated near the backseat. He finally caught a glimpse of two men in their late 30s, both wearing casual clothes. One had a mohawk buzz cut and goatee, and the other had medium-length wavy hair. She was still tugging at his shirt and could not lift her face up to avoid being seen by the men.
Haru removed his black cap and placed it on Sakura's head and nonchalantly wrapped his arm around her shoulder to at least cover her pink hair. He told her to wear her circular glasses, and even pulled her body closer to his. He also let her lean on his firm chest to hide her face.
"I hope you don't mind," he said whilst staring at their reflection on the glass window; his cheeks were burning.
Sakura, with her hands clenched on her chest, only shook her head a bit. Her cheeks felt so warm, and her heart was racing so fast. She didn't know whether it was because of the fear she had earlier, or was it because of the gesture of Haru, who only wanted to make her feel safe?
The bus stopped at the next destination, and Haru saw the men standing up from their seats from his peripheral view.
He gazed down at her, "Just look at me."
When Sakura glanced up at Haru, she felt his firm grasp on her shoulder and how he moved her slightly in front of him as the passengers made their way off the bus. She only stared at the handsome man and when he noticed it, he gave her a small corner smile, a cute dent appearing on his cheek thereafter.
Sakura hadn't spoken a word even after they went off the ride, but they were still hand in hand as they strolled down the streets. With Haru leading the way, he worriedly glanced over his shoulder to check up on the woman who now seemed better than before. He pulled her inside the nearest convenience store and made her sit by the window.
The pink-haired woman, who was clearly caught off guard, confusedly watched Haru walk by the aisle and made a little gasp when she saw his reflection in the window. As if she fainted, everything that Haru did during their bus ride finally came to her senses.
"I'm not sure what you like, but here's a bottle of water… and a bottle of iced coffee," Haru placed them in front of Sakura before sitting next to her. "How are you feeling?"
"I am good… I mean better," she took off the cap and handed it to him after. "Thank you..."
He gazed straight into her brown irises, which now appeared calmer. "Were they the ones you encountered before?" he asked her concernedly, taking the cap and placing it atop the table. "The ones you talked about before?"
Sakura clenched her fists on top of her thighs, "I guess…" she heaved a sigh before closing her eyes and shaking her head to the side. "But I'm not really sure-"
Her words were cut-off when he reached for her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Relax… I'm here, Sakura. And it's alright. You really don't have to remember something so terrible."
Haru could tell how frightened Sakura was by just looking at her eyes; those were the eyes of someone who already had her blood run cold. He was then reminded of her first visit to his house when she encountered men during her train ride home. He already had a hunch that these men were the ones she was talking about based on her descriptions before. Were they somewhat related to her past, or were they only mere passengers and he was just overanalyzing the situation?
He wouldn't forget the time Sakura told him that she's 'alone' now. She's also living all by herself, so who would not get perturbed by what had happened? Such an incident should not be set aside.
Haru was so deep in his thoughts until he caught her staring at him. "Oh, sorry," he quickly retracted his hand and took a swig from his bottled water. 'Right, this is not the right time to think about such things. As long as she's safe. That's what matters,' he thought.
"I'm so thankful you insisted on coming with me," she said. "Uhmm… how could I make it up with you?"
"Hm… what can you offer me?"
"No, what do you want me to do for you?"