The way she looks at the wisteria? To Rui? Is there such a thing? They say eyes are the window to one's soul. That you can tell what the person really is feeling because eyes won't lie. It must be the light's work that her eyes looks like glinting, the emotions Ami thought she saw in her eyes were just light passing through. Yes. That would be the most logical explanation Konan could come up to. Why would she let some mere words mess up her head? She even got intense headache because she couldn't sleep at night thinking about it and now she skipped school to rest. She just texted Rui to excuse her in class.
"Having contact with this guy comes in handy after all." she muttered as she pressed send. She dropped her phone on her side and curled herself, draped in her black duvet. She laid there, closing her eyes, however her mind is astray.
'Is Rui lonely now that I'm absent?'
'Fool. Of course not. That bastard's popular. There's many girl's waiting to talk to him. He could just pick one. Or maybe all of them at once.'
"What?" Konan suddenly sat up on her bed. "What did I just thought?" She never really thought about these things before. Just what is happening to her? Konan sat, eyes to the wall and lost in her thought until her Mother knocked on her door.
"Come in." Konan said, loud enough to be heard outside. The door creaked and her mother quietly came in carrying a bowl.
"You're up. Are you feeling better already?" Her mother while standing in front of her, carrying the little table she always used for meals in bed.
"No, my head still hurts." She said as she scooted backwards until her back hit the bed frame. She leaned on it and closed her eyes. She could smell the sweet aroma of her mother's special porridge.
"Is that so? Well then, you might not have any fever but still this porridge can at least soothe your head." Her mother said, gently putting the table on her lap. As usual, her Mother's voice is what they call "gentle".
"Thank you, Mother." She muttered. Her mother just gave a smile and a nod. "Get well soon, dear." her mother said and closed the door. Konan gave a brief stare to the porridge before taking a spoonful in her mouth. When she finished eating, she laid down back again and fell asleep eventually. That's how she spent almost the whole day until she's well enough to sit be the window, taking fresh air as she skimmed over her notes the other day.
"I could just borrow Nakajima's notes tomorrow." She mumbled. A golden ray of sunset hit her face. She rose her head and stared at the different hues painted in the sky. Each color completing each other.
How would it feels like to be feeling awe seeing this kinds of thing? Well, who knows? It's not like Konan has a way to know the answer.
"Konan dear? Someone's here to see you." Her Mother called from downstairs. Someone? Could it be...? There's no doubt about it. After all, there's only one person who knows where she lives and dares to come over without saying first.
"Okay. I'll come down shortly." Konan opened a drawer and rummaged through it looking for a hair tie, a black color specifically. Although she rarely ties her hair she got handfuls of it since her mother always buys her one, the only problem is its mostly pink or any other color other than black.
"There it is." she muttered as she held the only black hair tie she had which she bought at a school fair in her middle school. She jogged out of the room , down the stairs and surely, there sitting in the sofa sipping tea is her seatmate.
'How you look at that guy who's always with you..' Ami's voice resonated in her head. "How I look at Nakajima, huh?" she muttered as she stepped down the last stair. She silently walked towards him with the little voice in her head telling her to scare him. She covered her face with her hair and hung her head low. She's about to touched Rui's shoulder when the young lad spoke and turned his head to her.
"Ah, Fujioka-san you're he----- AAAAAAAH!" his voice echoed in the house along with the shattering sound of the teacup hitting the floor. Konan's mother came running from the kitchen. "What happened?" she asked with a worried look. Her eyes darted to the broken teacup and then to Konan quietly standing beside her with her long black hair still covering her face.
"Oh my Konan dear. Did you, perhaps scared him?" She nodded her head slowly and cleared her face.
She nodded once again, " I'm sorry Mother, I just feel like it's the right thing to do." Konan honestly said. Well, she's always honest and straight forward, not finding any reasons to lie.
"I'm sorry. I broke your cup, Mrs. Fujioka." Konan and her Mother's attention turned to Rui who frantically bowed his head, repeatedly. They stared at him, until her mother started chuckling.
"Relax, Rui-kun. It's not a big deal and besides it's Konan's fault in the first place, for scaring you like that."
'So kind.' Konan thought. Well it's true anyway. She's at fault. Konan bowed her head. "I'm sorry."
Rui automatically panicked. "No, no, it's okay Fujioka-san. I just didn't expect it. I'm sorry for shouting. It's very unmanly. Please raise your head." He said, his face feeling hot.
'Oh my, what is this? He wants to look manly in front of my beloved daughter? What a naughty boy.' Mrs. Fujioka thought, grinning.
"Ah, that's right. Rui-kun. Why not stay for dinner? My husband and Aoi-kun is on their way home. You haven't met Aoi-kun right?"
Rui shook his head.
"Great. You'll met him now. I'm sure he'll like you. Well then, I'll just prepare the dinner."
Konan watched as her Mother quickly left the room, leaving Rui who looked like was about to say something.
"So Aoi finally missed home huh?" She muttered then turned to Rui. She sat at the sofa in front of Rui's. " Is it okay Nakajima? Please forgive my Mother. I can tell him if you want to leave." She said, expecting him to agree since he looked like he wants to leave but in her surprise he shook his head.
"I think I'll stay. I'll just text Chei-san to tell grandma. I want to meet Aoi-kun. Who's he by the way?" Rui said as he picked up the shards of glass.
"He's my little brother. " She said and stood up. "Wait here, I'm gonna get a dustpan. Don't pick it up, you might get cut Nakajima." Konan then hurriedly went where the broom and dustpan were put.
"So, what did you came here for, Nakajima?" she asked while sweeping the broken shards.
"Oh, I just want to hand you these lesson notes I took." he answered and fished out a notebook from his bag. Konan stared at it briefly before she took it from Rui hands.
"I was gonna ask you later through text but you came here and gave it on you own. You have my thanks." She said and bowed.
"Please raise your head Fujioka-san." Rui said, again frantically. He just couldn't get used to her bowing to him.
"What's with the commotion?" A male voice said from the front door. Rui turned to look and saw a tall man in a suit who much resemble Konan, except for the intimidating eyes. Behind him was a little boy with silver hair who look much like Konan's mother.
"Dad. Aoi. Welcome home." Konan said as she stood up and met them halfway. She took the bag his Father and little Brother was carrying.
"Konan-nee. I missed you." The little boy ran and hugged her hips.
"Me too buddy, I missed you too." Konan said, ruffling his hair, imitating her Mother's gentle voice. The little boy peeked behind her back and shyly looked and Rui.
'So cute' Rui thought, like his heart had been hit by cupid's arrow.
"Who's that guy Konan-nee?"
'What a cute voice!' Rui thought, another shot through the heart.
"That's my friend, Rui. Go say hi to him."
Rui straightened his sit, and gulped. And gulped. The kid is nearing him. Nearing him until it stood in front of him. "Hello, Rui-nii."
'Aaaack. So cu-u-te'
Rui's inner, dead.
Cause of death: An angel called Aoi's cuteness.
"Rui-nii? Rui-nii?"
"Ah yes, nice to meet you, Aoi-kun." Rui said, recovered. The little boy gave him a warm smile and Rui had the hardest time controlling himself not squish the chubby cheeks.
"You must be Rui-kun, I heard of you from my wife. Thank you for taking care of my daughter at school." The fluffy atmosphere that surrounded Rui shattered when Konan's father spoke. The intense intimidating aura, those sharp eyes.
Kou Fujioka. A man who, if put in a battlefield, the enemies would flee with their tails between their legs in just one look. That's what almost everyone's first impression of Konan's father is. But only those who would come to know him for a long time would know that despite the intimidating outside, the man is a big softie who loves cat. And desperately wishes to have cats but cannot since his beloved wife is allergic of furry animals. Everything furry. Will Rui stay long enough in their life to find out?
"N-nice to m-meet you, Fujioka-san. No need to thank me, I'm Fujioka-san's friend after all." Rui, despite of trying hard not to stutter failed to do so. His feel is even profusely sweating under his socks.
" Oh, you call my daughter Fujioka-san too? And us? That would be weird. I'd appreciate it if you call my daughter by her first name. Is that alright with you? Konan?" he asked, turning to his daughter.
Konan nodded.
"Not a problem, Father. Then I shall call him Rui too."
His attention turned back to Rui. "There you have it."
Rui nodded. " Okay, I will Fujioka-san."
"Great. Now let us eat. Come join us Rui."
"With pleasure, sir." Rui answered and stood up. He followed them to the dining room. 'Phew. That was nerve wrecking. '
________
"Thank you for the dinner Mira-san, Kou-san. I shall get going now."
"Come again Rui-kun."
"Gladly, Mira-san."
"Take care Rui. Konan see Rui to the gate."
"Okay Father."
"Thank you Kou-san." Rui said once again and bowed before following Konan to the door.
Konan watched as Rui went out the gate and when he was about to walk away, she called out.
"Rui... kun?" Thanks for the notes and sorry for scaring you like that." She said. He stopped and looked back to her.
" Don't mention it, Konan-chan. And for apology, it is not needed. I knew you were coming. I just didn't expect you'd let your hair down your face." He said.
A big question mark popped above Konan's head. 'He knew?'
"What do you mean you knew? How?"
"How you say? It's because you smell like your favorite flower, wisteria." He said with a smile. Konan's heartbeat jumped as the hairs on her body stood up with the passing unusual warm wind.
'My favorite flower is wisteria?' Konan asked herself.
"And also, I made that notes for you since it feels different when your seat was empty earlier. It makes me feel a little lonely." Konan's heart skipped beats, again.
Whoosh. Went the wind that made her hair gracefully dance in the wind and made her shiver at the same time. The wind is chilly and it made her shiver. But there's an unusually warm sensation that swelled inside her chest.
"So don't get sick, Konan-chan. Goodnight."
'Don't get sick? You're giving me sickness here.'
"Take care." Somehow she managed to bid goodbye even with her rampaging heart. He nodded and she watched him disappear.
Konan clutched her chest. Now she is convinced, something's wrong with her.
Oh boy.