The Promised Revenge [Manjiro Sano]

17

"Let me take care of that for you, sweetheart."

Your eyes widened when you saw a tattooed hand find its way to the coin insert on your right, sliding a piece in as you watched the can fall to the pick-up box. The tattoo alone was enough to tell you who it was that stood behind you, and as you turned, you were met with the exhaust same image you had in mind.

The man was leaning forward, his left elbow on the machine behind him, his right hand still on the coin insert, peeking at you closely with a smile on his sly-looking face.

He was so close that you could feel his breath on your face, the smell of cigarettes coming out of him making you almost gag, having no intention of moving any further away.

"Uh... Thanks", you hesitated to speak before you turned around and crouched to the soda can, grabbing it nervously. You weren't planning on having a conversation with him today. That wasn't supposed to happen till the second step.

"You always make a scene wherever you go?", he spoke again, watching you freeze in your spot when hearing him talk, your back still giving to him. "It's making people stare."

That was it. The step you still haven't prepared for has already started. Yet, you managed to pull yourself together. It was now or never. You weren't going to mess this up.

"Oh yeah?", you said with a calm voice, turning around to face him again with a playful smirk, looking at him dead in the eye. "And who told you I haven't done it on purpose?"

He giggled, as if glad that his move was actually going somewhere. "So you want people's attention?"

"Just that of a select few", you corrected, your smile stuck on you while eying him up and down, watching his grin grow bigger and more excited.

"Is that so?", he whispered quietly, leaning in with eyes focused on the grayness of yours. "And why do you think you'd actually get it?"

You lifted your hand when feeling his smell get stronger with him getting closer, putting the lollipop right in his mouth, catching him off guard. You smiled again, looking up at him with an eye that he couldn't help but find seductive before leaving the scene. "That was enough proof for me."

It wasn't hard getting to the next stage. Now that you had already made it clear that that man wouldn't be forgetting you anytime soon, you were quick to act up again.

Step two: Handing the hope.

The guy was sitting in the corner of the restaurant. He liked that spot. Could be because of his sense of superiority, that he wasn't one to sit in the middle, or simply for his people-watching habit, that no other place could assure him a better view.

And right after he finished his meal, getting to get up and leave, he spotted a familiar figure not that far away, grabbing her takeout and about to leave herself.

He grinned wide when seeing the same person he now was going to that cafe daily simply to meet again. Calling out, he caught up to you, just got out from the diner, turning with a confused look on your face.

"You...", you let out, eyes wide showing your surprise.

"You still remember", he chuckled in a playful tone, his hands finding their way to his pockets.

"How do I keep finding you everywhere I go?", you joked, smiling at his interested gaze.

"Because you still haven't given me your name", Hanma stepped closer as you held the urge not to run the heck away, looking down at you with the same wily expression.

"You're that desperate?", you fooled, crossing your arms.

"You made me that desperate."

You laughed, looking away for a second before turning back at him, scanning him from head to toe, knowing that he liked that from how he acted the day before. "Aari."