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37: Blindfolds and Leeks (pt.1)

He puffed his cheeks. I walked around the front and got into my seat.

There was a bark. I looked down. A dog looked up at me, its fur like salt and pepper.

"Gumi, did you just bark?" Neru asked, leaning forwards.

"No," I said. The dog panted, climbing up my pants and into my lap. I yelped, startled. "There's a dog!"

The girls all looked at the dog in my lap. Yuma got into his seat and started the car.

"That's him!" He said. "Isn't he the cutest?"

"Uh...he's small, and he does have nice fur," I said. "He looks like an old guy."

"I know!" Yuma laughed. "It's the best thing ever. Can you keep him with you for a bit? I'll try to find his owner soon, after we get you to the restaurant."

I pulled my arms over the dog. He looked up at me with bright eyes, tongue lolling. He almost looked like he was smiling.

"Miku's house, please," Teto said as Yuma drove us out of my neighbourhood. "And step on it!"

Yuma tiled his head to the side. "If she says so."

He slammed his foot down on the accelerator and the girls in the back screamed. I clung to the dog in my lap, my back plastered against the headrest. Yuma swerved and zoomed up onto a freeway.

"Slow down!" I said to him.

"Go faster?" He said, winking at me. I groaned. He slowed down.

"News flash, you guys," Neru said from the back. "Kaito's planning on having a salad today."

"Whoopee," I said.

"And ice cream," Neru added. "And shut it, Gumi. You liked him the most."

"Did not," I said, the blush already crawling up my cheeks. It probably had to do with the images of Kaito lasciviously eating ice cream in my head. With wet hair.

"Did too," Luka chimed.

"It's the blue hair," Yuma said, shaking his head. "Always the blue hair."

I looked back at the girls and pointed my thumb in Yuma's direction. "Remember the guy on my phone?" I asked. "From our sleepover?"

"You mean the forty year old creep living in his mom's basement who made weird jokes?" Luka asked.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Yuma cringe at her words. I smiled.

"Yeah," I said. "That's the one. He's right here."

The girls started whispering and talking. Yuma grinned, driving the car at a safe speed.

"After all this, I need to figure out what to do with Grandpa Dog," Yuma said, stopping at the red light. He peered out of his window. "Was it left or right?"

"Right," I said.

As we drove, Yuma rolled down the windows and I looked out at the passing landscape. The wind wasn't too cold; in fact, it felt more like the end of April than than the middle of October. There were smells in the air as we passed by shops of all sorts. My mouth watered. I had eaten a small breakfast so that there'd be room in my stomach for lunch.

My stomach growled, and though I don't think anyone heard it, Yuma chuckled right after. I glared at him, but he was too busy keeping his eyes on the road and trying to seem like a responsible driver.

"Here we are," Yuma said, stopping in front of the house that we had described to him. "This is the one, right?"

"Yes," I said. "I think the teal haired girl sitting on the steps is evidence enough that this is Miku's place."

"Well, she could be a doppelgänger, you know," Yuma said.

Luka and Neru were already out of the car, taking Miku's hands and leading her into the vehicle. They all squished in, somehow, and Teto tied a blindfold around Miku's eyes.

Miku reached forward blindly and found my shoulder, giving it a friendly squeeze. "Hey Gumi," she said. "So where are we going?"

I grinned. "That's the surprise, birthday girl."

Yuma pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wasn't it some fancy restaurant or something?"

The girls fell quiet and I glared at Yuma. "That wasn't necessary," I said.

"Well," Miku listed her head, still smiling, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

When we got closer to the restaurant, which was actually an upscale steak house that all of us had pitched in money for (they had leek salad, so there was that), Yuma rolled up the windows so that the sounds and smells of downtown wouldn't reach Miku, hereby salvaging what remained of the surprise.

Though, in all honesty, I expected Miku to figure out that we were taking her someplace to eat, so there really was no point in hiding that part of the surprise.

Yuma coasted along the road, searching for a place to park the car. "This is your captain speaking. We have arrived at our destination, the name of which is classified because these angels have asked that it be so."

Teto giggled. Luka groaned. Neru was texting.

As soon as Yuma had parked the car, I stepped out, setting the dog down on my seat. Yuma walked over to the passenger doors and opened one, chauffeur style. He even planted a formal kiss on Miku's knuckles, and she didn't even mind.

"You better follow close behind," he said to me once the girls started heading in, Miku still blindfolded.

"Absolutely," I said, starting after the girls. I paused and turned to look at him. "What will you be doing?"

He shrugged, smiling. "I'll be around," he said and then he winked at me. "Unless, that is, the pumpkin would like an escort."

Before I could say anything, he threaded his arm through the crook of my elbow and started leading me inside.

Hey guys. This chapter was originally going to be about twice its current length, but you guys have been waiting forever for an update, so here it is!

Now, something I have to say, though I'l try to be quick. This chapter was supposed to be published on April 19th, because it is a gift for a very dear friend of mine, who will remain anonymous (though she knows who she is!). I'm sorry I took so long, friend! Happy Birthday. You're great the way you are, and please stay a star in my sky and a friend by my side. Thank you for the memories and smiles.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I'll try to be more frequent with updates. Seriously!

See you all soon.