The Sun and The Moon (SatoGou)

Chapter 2

As I walk to Ash's house, I wonder if there's any chance of telling headmaster Oak that I've changed my mind. There's no way this isn't insanely awkward. I don't think I've exchanged more than seven words with Ash before today in all of the years we've gone to school together. I didn't really want to have to start now, either.

I recognised the street name, so I walked here, since he apparently only lives a few minutes away from me. Once I reach the street, I keep an eye out for his door number. It's right at the end of the street, and I'm surprised to see it's so normal. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this quaint, average-sized house, with one car sitting on the small driveway. The garden is tidy, like someone meticulously looks after it, and there's a number of cute animal ornaments dotted around.

Nerves make my palms sweaty as I walk up his drive to the front door. Once I ring the doorbell, I'm committing myself to being here for the evening, but afraid someone might have seen me through the window, I don't hesitate. I hear it ring, and stand awkwardly on the step, readjusting the bag on my back, full of textbooks. There's footsteps in the hall, and I say a silent prayer for this to somehow go okay. When the door swings open, it's not Ash, but a middle aged woman. Her long brunette hair is tied in a low ponytail, swung over her shoulder. She's wearing a cooking apron covered in flour and holding a wooden spoon, smiling warmly at me. She looks so kind that for a moment I forget to be nervous. "Hello," she says cheerfully, tilting her head.

"Hi," I say, wringing my hands together awkwardly. "I'm here for Ash."

She blinks, for a moment showing her surprise. Then it's gone, replaced with her cheeriness again. "Oh, he didn't mention it. Typical Ash." She turns towards the stairs and calls his name up them, then faces me again. "Come in, um...?"

"Goh," I say, stepping inside when she moves out of the way. I glance around the corridor as I take my shoes off. Everything is so tidy. Hanging along the walls are numerous photos of Ash in all stages of life.

"Nice to meet you, Goh," she says. I can only assume this is Ash's mum. I've had so few friends in my life that it feels intimate to meet someone's parents, and so this whole situation feels a little strange to me. "I'm Delia. You can just head upstairs. His room is the first on the right."

There's a clatter in the kitchen, followed by a fat ginger cat racing like lightning down the hallway and into one of the rooms, something sticking out of its mouth. Delia shrieks and races off, shouting something about her baking, and leaves me standing at the foot of the stairs. I sigh, glancing to the top of the stairs. I really, really don't want to have to walk upstairs and let myself into Ash's room. I don't even know him. I'd slam the door on anyone that did that to me. The only alternative is to leave, and that's even more awkward, isn't it? Is it? I don't even know.

Giving in, I start to climb the stairs. Luckily, Ash's bedroom door is slightly ajar, and I can see him through it, sitting at a desk chair with one knee drawn up to his chest, tapping a pen against his mouth as he stares down at a notebook. I notice he's wearing headphones, and that's why he didn't hear Delia. I swallow hard, just standing there awkwardly for a few seconds before I approach and gently push the door open, not wanting to give him a fright. He turns as I enter, and his eyebrows fly up.

"Goh," he says, pulling the headphones down and hanging them around his neck. The desk chair swivels until he's facing me. "I forgot you were coming."

I blink at him. "You literally text me about this like forty minutes ago," I say. I know sometimes I can come across as abrasive, but I never notice until the words have already come out. Ash doesn't seem to care, though.

"Right. Sorry." He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Come in."

I step further inside, glancing around his room. He likes pictures, I suppose, considering there's so many of him and his friends. He gets up, circling around me to close the door, but I barely notice. For some reason, looking at all of these group photos over the years makes my heart clench painfully in my chest. I can't even imagine what growing up as Ash must have been like. Constantly surrounded by friends, always having so much fun. It's as different as it could be from my own childhood, spent mostly indoors, keeping away from people. Suddenly intimidated, I tense up, as Ash comes back around to face me.