ajisai | s. shinichiro

十二

🗀 Rejection: 12

Later on that night, because of the close contact he had with Airi yesterday and how he got to walk her home again earlier, Shinichiro felt an increase in his emotion, a chemical effect coursing through his body - causing him to want to sing his heart out.

As he sits down on a small chair facing his bike, his tool box and radio resting besides him, Shinichiro couldn't help but belt his heart out.

"Nothing's gonna change my love for you!" He sings aloud, feeling the song before singing aloud once more. Humming to the following lyrics before singing loudly again.

"I love you!" He yells the lyrics out. 

All the while Shinichiro was in the garage, adding a few touches to his bike, Emma was in the kitchen, standing on top of a little chair so she could reach and wash the dishes, Izana besides her wiping whatever Emma handed to her clean while Mikey still sat in the dining table eating dorayaki while Grandpa Sano read a newspaper. 

"Turn off the radio, Manjiro. That singer has an awful voice." Grandpa Sano commented, eyes not lifting up from his paper.

"But grandpa" Mikey begins to say. "It's not the radio. It's Shin nii."

"Airi chan, what are you going to do after high school?"

"Hm? Ah. I'll go to university." Airi simply responded. On top of her desk was a blank page of her sketchbook, her pencil in hand; just like yesterday, no inspiration was drawing inside her head.

"Really?" Shinichiro beams, leaning a little closer to her. "Which university are you going for?"

"TUA and MUA." Airi replies, giving him a tight lipped smile. "If I get into either, I'll be moving out of our house. "It's almost two hours from our house to there." She chuckles softly.

"What made you want to pursue art then?" He asks, resting his chin on the back of his hand, his palms resting on top of her desk.

"Well...I just used to like coloring back then. And then I suddenly I liked mixing colors together, creating a new one. One thing lead to another and now here I am." She explains. "Don't you just like it when you're handed a colorless coloring book?" 

Shinichiro gives her a tight lipped smile before shaking his head.

"Figured." She responded. "But that's how it came to be." She adds.

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

The following day, various colorful posters were pasted all over the walls of the school building, balloons floating on the third floor and various booths lined up outside the grass area of the campus. The lower class men were having their field day, usually senior students were let off from this so they could be given days to prepare for their entrance exams and national test.

"I kind of wish days are always as happy as this." Airi admits to herself, sitting in the bleachers. Both Roa and Seiko were coaching their juniors, hence why they aren't beside right now. But despite that, someone who is always willing to stick besides her is now walking back to her.

"I knew you'd be here!" Shinichiro remarks, giving her a bright smile while holding onto two drinks. "I saw your favorite drink and I immediately bought you one!" He tells her, going over to sit besides Airi, handing the drink to her.

"Thanks." She replies, taking the drink in her hands before sipping. As her eyes darted down on the frozen yogurt drink, she noticed pink hydrangea petals floating around the milky white liquid. 

Slightly turning her body around to face him, she placed her drink in front of his face. "Do you see the petals? Those are pink hydrangeas." She tells him before setting it back on top of her lap. "I was actually born when the hydrangeas bloom."

At her words, Shinichiro takes a quick glance at her. "When do they even bloom?"

"Next week."

Shinichiro almost spat his drink inside his mouth. "Your birthday's next week?!" He asks, half shouting. Causing the other students to turn their heads to look at their way.

"Quiet down." She whispers, elbowing his rib. "But yeah. It's my birthday next week." 

"Cool! Is your birthday on a weekend? Can I take you out on a date?"

"No thanks. I can't even go on dates with myself."

"There they are!"

As the two of them turned their heads, three figures were getting closer to them - it was Benkei, Wakasa and Takeomi. As they head over, Wakasa immediately takes a hold of Shinichiro's arms, restraining him behind his back whereas Benkei held Shinichiro by his left forearm. Takeomi stood besides Airi, taking a hold of her forearm.

"Sorry Shin chan" Wakasa says. "But we have to bring you to them."

"Them?" Airi asks, blinking her eyes twice.

"Can you at least tell us where were going?" Shinichiro asks, looking at Wakasa and Benkei before his eyes bore holes to Takeomi. "And get your hands off her."

Takeomi removes his hold on Airi, raising both of his hands up in the air. "Calm down, Shin." He responded, turning his attention back to Airi. "Go anywhere and I'll drag you back."

"Not like I'm planning on it." The girl replies, giving him a salute.

"Okay, let's go!" Benkei chimes in, both him and Wakasa dragging Shinichiro first while Takeomi and Airi follow behind.

"Where are you taking us, by the way?" Airi asks, lifting her head up to look at Takeomi who ducked down a little to hear what she was asking.

The long, black haired male grinned to himself. "You'll see." He replies. "You might even like it."

She squints her eyes at him. "I don't know whether if I should believe it or not. That sounds either subjective or objective!"

"Just trust me." Takeomi responded, patting the top of her head while nodding.

As they arrived in their destination, they were dragged into a particular white and black tenth booth; little red heart cutouts adorning the exterior and a single small table inside the tent.

"You guys are back!" A girl beamed, her hands rummaging to get something from the basket that's looped in her arm. "Now that they're here, I want you guys to put these on!" She instructs handing Shinichiro a black coat and a veil and bouquet to Airi.

"What the hell is this..." Shinichiro grumbles, looking at the coat as if he's expecting a clue to pop out of it's pockets.

Meanwhile, Airi was quite baffled at the items handed to her. A bouquet? A veil? Lifting her head up, the girl lets out a 'grk' sound, for on the banner the word 'MARRIAGE BOOTH' were printed in fine cursive.