Innocent | Sugawara Koushi

32.

"Hi."

A long pause during which I unconsciously stopped breathing, waiting for his next words.

"Sorry to call you so suddenly, but I wanted to talk to you and you're not at home. Are you okay?" Koushi said and I finally started breathing again.

I stared at the wall, trying to get a grasp on myself. "I'm good." My voice was a little bit choked, but I cleared my throat and straightened up my back. "I'm good, and you?"

"Well, as I said, I'm standing outside your door. I know it's your free weekend and I finally had some time since I finished making decorations for the kids, so I thought I would visit you." He seemed as nervous as I was, if not more. And I had no idea if it's a good sign or a bad one. "Where are you?" He asked.

My heart started beating faster. I wanted to talk as well, but not like this. Not now. "I'm in Tokyo." I said slowly.

There was a silence for a moment as I waited. It seemed like eternity before I heard him again. "Why are you in Tokyo?"

"I visited Kyo. I asked her to help me a little bit with something." I said, feeling my heart race. I didn't want to tell him over the phone about the job offer. I didn't want to talk about the important things now, when I can't even see his face. And where people pass by me as they walk in and out of the banquet room.

"I'm so sorry." He said so quietly that for a moment I thought I imagined it. "I should talk to you earlier. I don't know why you needed her help, but I want to be the one who helps you when you need it."

I think my heart just broke a little. I can already hear it cracking.

"It was something only she could help me with." I said, trying to comfort him. "You already helped me by giving me her number. And the rest I had to do by myself."

"Did something happened?" He asked, still sounding like he was worried.

I sighed. How to tell him without telling him? "No, nothing's wrong. It's just-"

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" I heard a male voice from behind and I turned around, startled. Does every man today have to ask this one question? "Sorry, I thought you were holding your head and not your phone." The man said quickly, raising his hands up.

I sent him a short smile before turning around again. "Sorry for that. Nothing happened. Can we talk tomorrow? When I come back to Miyagi?" I asked quickly.

"Right, sure." He sounded like he didn't want to end the call, or like he wanted to ask me some things, but he gave up. "Just call me when you're back." I could hear the disappointment, but right now I couldn't do much.

"I'll call you. Goodnight, Koushi." I said, smiling bitterly. And as he said goodnight as well, I could almost feel the same kind of smile in his words.

When I turned around, the man was still standing behind me. "Sorry, I didn't eavesdrop. I just wanted to ask if you work here. I lost my friend and maybe you saw him." He said quickly.

He had a white shirt, like every men here, but he had no jacket and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, unlike every man here. If not for the shirt, he would still stand out with his white-grey spiky hair.

"Sorry, I don't work here. But if you describe your friend, I can help you find him." I said, feeling bad for the man. Besides looking out of the place, he looked so lost and sad as he watched people around, trying to find someone.

"He has black hair, and he is this tall." He raised his hand and put it somewhere near his forehead.

I looked around and, seeing a lot of people with black hair and around the man's height, I sighed. "Is there something I could recognize him for? Anything special?" I asked slowly.