An Empty Shell

Chapter 18: Wait for me

The ceremony was almost finished, people were busy congratulating at one another, including Mr. and Mrs. Kazuya that they were caught up in the crowd. Hayami excused herself to go to the bathroom.
When she was washing up, she heard two ladies talking. She stood still when she heard Shuichi's name, they were letting out giggles as they describe how gorgeous he was and how they wish they could get his attention or perhaps be their boyfriend. Hayami couldn't contain herself and sniggered. Then she heard them curiously talking about the girl Shuichi was with all the time. She hurriedly finished washing up before she could get caught by these girls. She got out of the ladies room and was about to go back to their table when she saw Shuichi talking to some girls. She just rolled her eyes and puffed her bangs of how annoyingly popular Shuichi could be especially with girls. Suddenly, a guy who seemed to be their age and almost as attractive as Shuichi, approached her.
"Hello. I noticed you were in the table were Dad and his company were. My name is Ryu Ichigawa, may I have the honor of having your name?" He stated like a gentleman. Hayami was almost startled by his sudden presence.
"Oh, uhm.. I'm Hayami Miyazaki. It's nice to meet you." She introduced herself and bowed, a little reluctant.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Miyazaki." He took her hand and kissed it. Hayami creeped with goosebumps from his sudden gesture and just froze.
Meanwhile, from a distance, Shuichi was watching her and felt her sudden uneasiness.
"We'd love for you to join our company Miss Miyazaki if it's not too much to ask of you." The guy was well spoken and he seemed to be a good-natured man, growing up from a well-known family. But Hayami was very tensed and skeptical from his offer.
"I appreciate your invitation but I'm afraid I have to decline. I have to go back to my companion." Hayami declined respectfully.
"We are happy to invite your companion or anyone with you to join us, for as long as you are there too." The guy insisted with a hint of persuasion.
"Uhm.. I really—".
"There you are my love. I thought of looking for you when I realized you were taking too long to come back after a bathroom break." Cut off Shuichi as he held her by the waist and pulled her close to him. Hayami flabbergasted from what he just did especially when he called her my love. She couldn't deny it, it was like music to her ears that sent electrifying sensation to her entirety more than just goosebumps. And what more, he held her close to him, feeling his warmth as a strong arm wrapped around her side.
"Ah, I see you have met someone." Shuichi looked towards the guy and smirked at him.
"Uh, yes, Shuichi. I'd like you to meet Mr.—" Hayami stepped away from Shuichi and was about to introduce them.
"Save the introduction Miss Miyazaki as he is quiet known to me and my family. Right, Mr. Shuichi Minamino?" The guy cut off and looked at Shuichi intently.
"Indeed, Mr. Ryu Ichigawa, and it's nice of you to still remember my name from a long while." Shuichi responded with a little implication of their history.
"Well, I believe you came here to pick up your partner and I don't want to be caught up in your time. So, I should be going, please excuse me." The guy didn't seem to like the presence of Shuichi so he walked out. But suddenly stopped and turned around to face Hayami.
"Again, it's been a pleasure to meet you Miss Miyazaki. Enjoy the rest of the night." He bid courteously and left. Hayami just bowed to show respect but Shuichi didn't.
She was bemused by what just happened and she didn't like it. She looked at Shuichi who followed the guy with his eyes and she saw something's not quiet right. He's expression was so stern that his eyes reflected with rage. She got worried.
"Shuichi, are you okay? Is there something wrong?" Hayami held his hand to get his attention.
Shuichi turned to face her and held her hand back, then smiled and looked her in the eye.
"Do you want to get some fresh air?" He leaned towards her and answered with a question instead to avert that discussion.
Hayami almost jolted from the closeness of his face to hers and felt his warm breath.
"O-okay.." she simply replied as if being hypnotized.
Shuichi took her hand and led her outside of the hotel. As soon as they exited their location, Shuichi took off his jacket to put on Hayami.
"Make sure to wrap up, it's getting cold outside." Said Shuichi with ever caring voice.
"Thank you. But where are we really going?" Hayami asked still baffled.
"Were just gonna take a walk outside." He responded with a smile and continued to lead her while holding her hand to guide and assist her. Because she was still wearing her heels that seemed to have already given her discomforts.
It took only about five minutes walk to get to their destination. Hayami grew a little exhausted especially from her sandals. But suddenly, these seemed to have been taken away when she realized where they were. In front of her was the magnificent and famous Kamo river. They were at the open balconies looking out the river. Alongside were restaurants and a running pathway. There were also stepping stones crossing the river and the glorious sakura trees by the river bank. But the trees have not yet bloomed since spring won't be until after two more seasons. It was already by the end of summer and the leaves of the trees were starting to change to hues of amber. The lights of the structures near the river were reflected in the water like lanterns floating. And the silver moonlight glimmered, bending down its shine to the river as if it was the skies' extension, sharing its bluish black gradient from the night sky onto the mirror like waters.
"Hayami, you okay?" Shuichi checked her out.
"This place is beautiful.." she answered instead, eyes fixated on all the things alongside and the river itself. Shuichi chuckled at her bewitched look.
"What is it?" She's confused.
"No, nothing...uhm.. can you still walk a little farther?" he avoided her question and assessed her instead.
"I think I can handle a few more steps. Why?" She honestly and directly answered.
"I want us to go over there." Shuichi was pointing at a restaurant.
"Okay, I'm all in!" She happily exclaimed knowing that was a noodle restaurant.
Shuichi sniggered with his knuckles pressing his lips to contain his laughter but Hayami looked at him with a sharp glare, and he tried to clear his throat as if he was choking to make himself stop.
Shuichi already knew Hayami quiet well, and he also knew that she didn't eat that much during the dinner party. He saw her picking out the food she didn't like and they were almost all of them. And so, they went on to the restaurant. They could already smell the delicious stir fried noodles from a distance and Shuichi heard Hayami's stomach growl. He can't help but titter again but he's trying his best to control it and avoided her stares .
"Oh, next time I hear you laugh at me, I swear I will shave off your luxurious crimson hair while you are fast asleep!" Hayami irritatingly pointed out to Shuichi and he shut his mouth tight.
This feels just right.. I'm glad at least we're like this again. I wish it will last even just for a little while...Shuichi pondered to himself as they silently walked together.
Moments later, they finally arrived at the restaurant and they had a fine dinning together. Then soon after, they decided to head back. But before they did, Shuichi led Hayami near the river under a sakura tree. He lend his hand to help her climb down the stairs under the tree and they sat beside each other.
Hayami took a deep breath to the fresh cool breeze of the night and let out a sigh.
"This feels nice isn't it?" Hayami muttered as she closed her eyes and feel the serenity of the place. Shuichi just silently nodded and smiled as he was glancing at her peaceful feature.
"Hayami, will you.. wait for me?" Shuichi finally broke out something. She snapped and opened her eyes. She was confounded by what he just spoke as she turned towards him with a questioning look in her eyes.
"What are you saying?..Where are you going?" She asked right away to her surprise.
Shuichi paused for a moment as he tried to gain his courage to speak of something.
"When this is all over, I will be joining my Dad's hospital facility back in Tokyo. I have spoken to him earlier and he.. he offered me a position.. it will serve as my internship as well.." He carefully explained himself to her and she just waited for him to explain further.
"I thought I could also take advantage of this opportunity to identify myself on all of the things that I feel.. especially about you, while I'm away for a little while..that way I could figure out which one is really mine.." Shuichi stated his other intention. He looked up and let out a big sigh, then turned to Hayami, who remained quiet to hear more from him.
"Right now all I know is that I'm always drawn to you.. like I constantly feel these tender and throbbing feeling but pleasing and satisfying at the same time, in my chest..and they confuse and rattle my thoughts to appreciate them. I thought that these are all because I can sense you, your emotions and your mere presence as your spirit guide. I could no longer tell which one is mine.. and I know that you already knew about this.. right?" Shuichi insinuated his affections in an explicit way.
"Yes, Botan told me when we were at Obachan Genkai one day. Obachan also mentioned about this before when I first met Puu, but I was still naive at that time, not realizing what she was implying. " She answered and paused for a moment.
"So, you always knew how I felt... especially about you.. because you feel it too but not because you have the same feelings for me but because that's just what and how a spirit guide do.." She clasped her hands to her dress to gather strength as she tried to explain these things to him. "That is the reason why, I tried to avoid you, to see if I could change my feelings for you and not to confuse you anymore. I wasn't trying to punish you or hurt you. I just don't want to deceive you by controlling your affections for me. That's just lying and deceit, and I don't want to do that to you.." Hayami finally related her feelings to Shuichi as well..
"Hayami.. I know and I understand. Don't worry about me, I'm okay.." Shuichi put his hand on her shoulder to reassure her.
"But Shuichi, this is all my fault and I'm really sorry.. if it wasn't for me, then things wouldn't have been this complicated, especially to you.." she insisted.
"To be honest, I'm grateful you have those feelings for me and you taught my heart to feel that way too... I have never thought of showing my affections to anyone before because I really never knew how to...but I think now I have..through you and with you, and I never regretted them.. I feel like I'm becoming more human and I don't resent it.."
Shuichi took her chin to make her face him and look him in the eye. Then he slowly opened his hand to cup her cheeks with his other hand at the same time. Then he leaned forward with his forehead touching hers, their face were so close they could hear each other's breathing and feel the warmth of their breaths.
"If I can I would do that over again and I will never get tired of it. You are the only woman I know who've made me feel this way in all my lives, human or demon.. I am not used to having my heart beating so fast like this. You see, I'm human physically but how my body work is still like my demon self. And how a demon's heart beat is almost to none. But you made it beat so fast like crazy! Like you always set it off on a high-speed chase (chuckles)..that I couldn't even control it sometimes.... Well just like.. that time..and most likely right at this very moment..but I will try my best not to make you feel uncomfortable... (takes a deep breath) I'm so into you.. Hayami.. I want you to know that even if I lose these affections to you when I'm gone or when the spell breaks off, I will always come back and search for you just to feel the same way all over again.. till then, please...wait for me, Hayami..?" Shuichi expressed himself so genuinely to Hayami his eyes sparkled with buds of tears. Hayami was overwhelmed by how he shared his feelings for her. She held her hands up and touched Shuichi's already beet red cheeks. He almost shivered by the impulses he felt from her  warm touch.
Hearts were racing and thumping so loudly that they could almost hear them in that quiet night...
Breathings were catching up like they just ran from a hundred miles...
Eyes danced as they glimmer in the moonlight...
Touches brought a satisfying heat in the cold night...
Hayami took a deep breath closing her eyes.
"Yes.. I will wait for you.. and I always will..Shuichi." She whispered with tears in her eyes, then she suspired deeply and smiled as something in her chest felt like lifted, and now she feels lighter than ever before.
Shuichi's eyes grew for a moment from hearing those words she just said. They were only whispers but to him he heard them loud and clear. Then his eyes softened and smiled happily.
"Thank you.." He merely spoke but those words contained all the feelings of happiness that he could ever imagined, and Hayami gave it all to him. Their hands still on each other's face, leaning their head to each other. Then their face got closer and closer, Shuichi slightly angled his head as he got closer. Buds of tears that dampen his lashes sparkled beneath that moonlight and he slowly closed his eyes. Hayami started to feel drowsy from the closeness of Shuichi's face. She closed her eyes with a tear fell on her deep blushed cheek. Their lips almost touched, when suddenly, Shuichi paused. He perked up and kiss her forehead instead as she gaped.
"We should probably head back now." He whispered and smiled.
"I'll save everything for you until I come back.." he added, then looked at her with those seductive eyes.
"O-okay.." She only muttered, a little croaked as she was still regaining herself. She was left speechless and felt drained by that suspenseful kiss..