Our Encounter

A Meeting, Part II

It had been two days since Ritsu Sakuma first met Akifumi Amashiro, and he couldn't stop thinking about him. He saw him everywhere he looked, but he didn't know what to do. He wanted to talk to him again, but he didn't want to seem desperate.

At lunch, Ritsu was sitting with his friends, eating his food. He had brought a sketchbook with him, hoping to doodle as a distraction, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Akifumi. He tried to push the thoughts aside, but it felt like his heart was a magnet, pulling him closer to those memories.

Just as he was about to give in to the temptation and doodle Akifumi's face, he saw him sitting a few tables away with his own friends. Ritsu's heart skipped a beat, and he found himself rising from his seat, moving through the crowd, without even realizing what he was doing.

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of Akifumi, and the rest of the world had fallen away. He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Um... Hi. I'm Ritsu," he said, feeling a little awkward.

Akifumi flashed another one of those beautiful smiles. "Hi, Ritsu. I'm Akifumi," he said.

Ritsu felt a surge of relief. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he felt a sense of freedom he had never experienced before. They talked for a while, and as the conversation flowed, Ritsu felt more and more comfortable.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, Akifumi stood up and started to walk away. Ritsu felt an ache in his chest, not wanting to leave him just yet. "Wait... Akifumi, can I ask you something?" he called out.

Akifumi turned back around, and Ritsu took a deep breath. "Can we meet up again sometime? I... really had fun talking to you."

Akifumi looked at him for a moment, and Ritsu couldn't read his expression. But then he smiled, and Ritsu felt like he could conquer the world. "I'd like that," Akifumi said. "How about after school?"

Ritsu's heart raced and replied quickly "yes...I...would be waiting for you at the gate"
Akifumi chuckled and caresses his hair for a bit then left...
Ritsu blushed by the way Akifumi's fingers touched his hair and couldn't help but smile.