The gentle glow of the morning sun broke Miyu out of her sleepy trance. It was almost blinding, and she found herself rolling over, still groggy with sleep. She glanced around the room lazily, hoping that her clock would say she'd have more time but knowing it wouldn't. The red glow of the numbers read that she'd woken up only slightly earlier than she normally would. She sat up, placing a robe over her shoulders, and decided to wander to the kitchen for a glass of water.
It was strange, but Miyu couldn't shake the instinct to tiptoe around the house. She hadn't heard a peep from Saito's room and had no intention of waking him up so early. She tried her best to sneak into the kitchen, keeping all movements at a minimum. But once she arrived, it seemed an even bigger problem awaited.
She had no idea where the glasses were.
And to top it off, there were so many cupboards that she wasn't sure where to start! Saito was usually the one that took care of meals, so she didn't actually know where any of the dishes were stored.
Maybe this one? She decided to check from left to right, choosing to ignore the (many) ones that she was unable to reach.
But when she opened it, she was met with small batches of dried goods and seasonings. She tried another, this time met with canned items and instant ramen. The stress seemed to increase as she focused on not only opening the cupboards, closing them silently as well. She tried another, this time being met with plates. She had to be close! She tried another and found seemingly endless stacks of bowls. The next transitioned to pots and pans. She stood back, feeling defeated, and began to consider.
Would Saito hear if she climbed on the counter to try another cupboard? The counter was barely above her hip. She'd climbed trees higher as a child without slipping. But just the possibility of waking up Saito and having him rush to find her looking like an idiot made her nervous. No--She could do this. She just needed a glass. Going back to the left, she nodded to herself, taking a step to get on the counter as quietly as possible.
Saito kept the countertops neatly, so she didn't have any fears about accidentally bumping into anything.
"O...jou..?" She froze at the deepened voice behind her. She didn't turn to face him, refusing to let him see the expression on her face...though he could probably already tell by her ears bringing on a faint red. She wasn't quite sure what to do in such a situation. Should she answer him? She slowly climbed down, still keeping her back to him. She hung her head.
"I just wanted a glass…" The words were barely above a mumble.
And they were met by a stifled chuckled, threatening to break into full laughter. She couldn't help but curse him in her head. He was over half a foot taller than herself. How was she expected to reach the same cupboards?
His footsteps gently made their way next to her and she was yet again reminded of their height incompatibility. He reached over her head for the exact cupboard she was attempting to search and did so with ease. The glass met the countertop with a gentle clink.
"I apologize. I should have told them to place them lower." Saito cleared his throat, a hint of laughter still traceable in his words. Miyu turned with the glass in hand. She was unable to meet his eyes in such a situation, but she made sure to utter a small thank you.
The sip of water was enough to clear her mind and embarrassment. Yet, this time, it was Saito who averted his eyes, a faint redness settled on his cheeks. She tilted her head, confused.
"Is something wrong?"
"Ah..erm...your...No." She blinked. He turned his back to her. She looked down. Remembering she was simply in her pajamas and a robe, she was again imprisoned by the embarrassment of her own actions. "I apologize. Excuse me." He was gone before she could say anything more.
She felt only shame. Her feet dragging back to her room was evidence of this. The day may have just started, but she already found herself wishing for its end.
-
Later, Miyu couldn't seem to get that morning's events to push out of her mind. She found herself stealing glances at Saito, then burying her face in her books in futile distraction. As for the dedicated bodyguard, if the events were still fresh in his mind, he showed no sign of it. Diligent as always, he spent most of the class scribbling down notes and asking questions when needed. It was only the second day of class, but he was becoming what most of her classmates would see as a model student.
Still, he remained at her side, only parting when it was time for gym class.
When Miyu arrived at the locker room to change, she was almost bombarded by girls she'd yet to have spoken to.
"Hey, Miyu, how close are you to Saito?"
"Do you think we could get his number??"
"What type of girl does he like?"
"Is he single?"
She was overwhelmed. The questions came and went only to be replaced by a different one. She wasn't sure how to respond, and honestly, she didn't have an answer to any of the questions asked.
They only reminded her of how little she knew about the man she'd spent nearly all of her waking hours with. Would that make them close? Perhaps to others, but she knew better. They were strangers that simply led the same path. Almost like someone you would see on your daily commute because your offices were together. You knew them enough to point them out, describe them even. You could put together a loose description of things they liked because you'd seen them enjoying it...but at a distance.
"Well, I--"
Miyu didn't truly know if he was single. He was such a private person that he'd disclosed almost none of his personal life events. Had he ever had a girlfriend? Did he even fancy girls? She recalled the question about his type. What was his type? She struggled to picture him with someone outgoing, only able to see him frowning in her head. She also struggled to see him with some as strict as himself. It would only end up in a duplicate of their interactions.
She paused.
Was she too strict? Too disciplined? For the first time, Miyu wondered if Saito ever found her overbearing. Defeated, she shook her head at the onslaught of girls, staring at the floor.
"Sorry, you'll probably have an easier time asking him. I don't know him that well." Their faces fell in disappointment, gentle mumbles growing distant as they each went their way to change. Miyu turned to do the same, but a voice stopped her.
"So you're not together then, right?" A young girl asked across the room, arms folded as she glared with inquisitive eyes. She was surrounded by a few more girls who Miyu noticed had been exchanging glances with hushed whispers.
She bit her lip.
"No…" The way her voice wavered scared her. She could be a mess internally, but she was always outwardly composed. They weren't. It was simply a fact. But something about the answer made her feel...off. The girls didn't seem to notice, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
"Oh, okay then!" She was met with a grin, and it was immediately as if she weren't there. They returned to fixing their appearances, almost competitively.
"Oh, Miyu! You're already here! Let's get changed and get to the field." Anri's voice sounded behind her, but it was as if Miyu were deaf.