I Have How Many New Brothers?! (Brothers Conflict fanfiction)

Chapter 30 - The Compelling Stranger

I was inhaling and exhaling rapidly. My heart was thumping in my chest. I slowly stepped backwards until my back hit the wall of a building. With my hands still over my ears, I slowly slid down onto the floor, closing my eyes and burying my face in my knees.

Calm down, Yui, calm. You'll be fine if you stay calm. You made it so far already. You're probably almost there, just took a little wrong turn. All you have to do is keep walking.

I felt a small shadow cover me, but I was too distraught to think anything of it.

All you have to do is keep walking. Walking. Get up, Yui. Get up. GET. UP.

I shakily rose onto my feet, using the wall to support me. I focused my thoughts on where I wanted to go and the noises grew slighly quieter, and my breathing was slowing.

I looked up to see a man with orange hair standing in front of me. I stared at his face. His lips were moving, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. I tried my best to focus on him, and I began to make out what he was saying. "...ou alright?"

I didn't understand the fragment I'd managed to hear. "S-sorry, c-could you please r-repeat that?" I had to force the words out of my mouth.

"Are you alright?" his voice was very masculine and oddly comforting.

I tried to say 'yes', that I was fine and I was sorry for concerning him, but my voicebox wouldn't let me. I think he noticed me struggling to speak, as he didn't press. He stood there and waiting patiently. 

After a while, he asked again. "Are you okay?" I struggled with my words again, but this time I managed to say something, even if it was something I'd rather not have said.

"...No..."

He helped me away from the wall and walked me to a nearby cafe. He pulled out a chair for me and I sat down, still dazed and hearing things. He started to walk away and I panicked and grabbed the back of his suit.

"Please... Don't leave..." I knew he was a stranger and I had no right at all to hold him back. He had no obligation to stay either. But I was terrified.

I was expecting him to shrug me off and leave, but he kneeled down next to me with a kind smile, which contrasted greatly with the straigh face he'd sported since I first saw him. "I'm just going to order some drinks. I'll be straight back."

I nodded and reluctantly let go of his suit.

Like he said, he was back very soon, and sat down across from me.

I felt really bad for bothering him, and like I was taking advantage of his kindness. "I'm really sorry! Here, I'll pay you back and then I'll leave!" I fumbled with my bag, trying to pull out my wallet. 

"Calm down. It's fine." 

I shakily drew out the notes, offering them to him. My hands were still trembling as I reached out across the table and put them in front of him.

He picked the notes up and handed them back to me, telling me with a stern face to calm down.

I listened straight away, stuffing my notes into my wallet, looking down.

It was quiet for a while.

"What's your name?"

"Yui Hinata."

"I'm Natsume-" he was interrupted as the waitress brought our order.

He slid my frappe over to me and I accepted it gratefully. "Thank you, sir."

He looked strangely at me. "Don't you think that's a bit too formal?"

"My apologies. May I call you Natsume-san?" I don't think he knew that I hadn't heard his last name, but I was too shy to ask.

He didn't seem offended or upset, and nodded.

"You can just call me Yui if you like, I don't mind."

"Well, Yui, what happened?"

I was very reluctant to talk about my fear of being lost with even my family, but I found myself telling everything to Natsume-san. Maybe I thought that since he was a stranger, my family would never find out about what happened today. Maybe it was also because I found his generally-straight expression rather comforting as well.

"If you're this bad with directions, why don't you just ask someone to come with you or tell you the way?"

"I don't want to bother them..."

He seemed to be growing little annoyed with each response I gave. When I thought about it a little, I did realise that my way of doing things was almost pointlessly difficult.

My eyes wondered to a clock nearby and I noticed how late it was. It was 4:55. I had five minutes to make it to the beta test or my place would be forfeited.

I picked up my bag. "I'm really sorry, Natsume-san, but I have to go." I bowed deeply and turned to leave. He walked up in front of me.

"I'll help you get to where you need to go," he offered in a manner I couldn't refuse.

I told him the name of the company. "You're not going there for the beta test by any chance?" he inquired.

"Actually, I am."

"The beta test has been postponed until next week."

I laughed. "You're kidding, right?"

His expression didn't change.

"Well, guess that means I've made a fool out of myself for nothing. Hahahaha..ha."

I tried to laugh but I was so embarrassed. I quickly thought of something to say. "How did you know about the beta test?"

"I work at that company."

"No way! That's so amazing, Natsume-san. I bet you do a really good job!"

We sat back down and talked about his job for a while.

Natsume-san seemed like a really amazing person, and I was enjoying our conversation immensely. But I realised it was getting late and I should tell Ukyo the beta test had been rescheduled.

We ended up exchanging numbers as well, and he told me I could call him next time and he'd help me get to the company.

He saw me off with another small smile. I loved the way he smiled. He didn't seem like a sad person, he just never smiled. That made me love the times he actually did smile even more. I sat in the taxi, clutching onto my phone, smiling.

I can't wait for the next time we meet...

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My apologies, everyone, this chapter's short compared to the last few. I've been doing school work for most of the day, so I'm very tired right now.

Also, Natsume seems like a very difficult character to write, I really didn't want to make him sound OOC. D:

Regardless, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Comments, suggestions and requests are all welcome!