𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖢𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖽 𝖮𝖿 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖯𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖾𝗍

24: Disapproval.

We wandered around the whole sector together as I was showing him around, showing him my favorite places along with some good food. 

I bought skewers from a stand and put the stick in front of him.

"Say 'aaah'." I urged him but he got embarrassed.

I chuckled, "Just try it.."

He struggled at what to do, but in the end, he gave in and took a bite from my stick. As soon as he tasted it, his face lit up again as he looked at me.

"It's good, right? When it comes to food, trust me!" I laughed out.

He was so focused on the flavors that he didn't realize that his mouth was dirty. He was as innocent as a child. Don't know why, but he was so defenseless around me now. 

"Your mouth is dirty." I pointed it out.

He stopped in his tracks. His hand traveled to his mouth as he tried to wipe it off but he kept missing the dirty spot.

I chuckled, "May I?" I asked for a permission to not make him uncomfortable.

"Uh-huh." he nodded as he stood still.

I grabbed a clean handkerchief from my pocket and gently wiped it off for him. 

I could feel his eyes on me which made me smile automatically.

"There. All better now." I said as I drew away with a sweet smile.

He kept watching me for a while and then smiled slightly, "Thanks." he said.

I then looked around to see what time it was because it was getting dark. The lights were slowly turning on in the whole sector.

"It's getting late. Why don't we go to my place? You can sleep over." I offered.

He struggled with what to say which made me scoff, "We have an extra guest room and you're always welcomed." I added.

His tension and nervousness disappeared at my remark. He obeyed and we proceeded all the way home. By the time we got to our garden, it was already dark.

But before we went further into the garden over the small bridge, I looked at Cloud, "I'll have to introduce you to my mom. And this is the first time I drag a guy into our house, so she will ask a lot of questions." I smiled nervously.

I knew how mom was, she would always be almost too harsh about it, I remembered how it was when Aerith introduced Zack to her. She was just straight up rude and brutally honest.

Cloud only hummed in acknowledgement, but I just couldn't shake up my worries, "If she says something that can sound mean, she's doing that for my sake, so please forgive her." I said with a worry.

"Don't worry about it." he reassured me.

I then grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, letting me and Cloud get inside.

"Hi, mom!" I said with an excited voice, hoping to cover my worries, "Yui, sweetie! Were you in the church this whole time–" but she then noticed a guy next to me and stopped in the middle of the sentence.

"Uhh.. Actually, I was wondering if we could let my friend Cloud sleep over tonight? He travelled a long way and we met coincidentally when I was on my way home." I said, lying even though I felt horrible doing so.

"You never told me about him.." she said, looking him up and down.

I felt myself getting nervous, "Yeah, it's been so long since we have seen each other and–" but she interrupted me.

"He's a SOLDIER.." she said with her usual judging voice.

But to not make it any easier, Cloud decided to speak up, "Ex-SOLDIER." he corrected her.

I felt myself getting tense.

"No. You boys can't have it both ways. Being a SOLDIER is a trade. A trade between being powerful or powerless. A SOLDIER desires one thing and that is power." she said harshly.

Cloud was watching her in surprise at how harsh she got, and I knew I had to step in.

"It's only for tonight!" I said, meddling between them.

She gave me a concerned look, "Please?" I pleaded which made her expression soften, "Alright... He's in your hands then." she then just quietly watched.

I grabbed Cloud's arm as I started pulling him upstairs, "Let's go, Cloud! I'll show you your room!" I said with a reassuring smile.

Going up the stairs, I felt the nervousness slowly going away, but I had a bad feeling at the back of my head as if something was about to happen. 

But then I was blinded by a vision that was about to happen.

–fragment of the future–

Cloud was going downstairs because mom would ask me to get turnips from our garden. And she would use this chance to tell him;

"I know Yui really wants you here, but I ask of you to leave quietly tonight... It doesn't seem right to trust you, at least that's what my instinct tell me." she would say coldly.

And Cloud would actually leave at her request.

–end of the fragment–

"Yui?" Cloud's hand was touching my shoulder which snapped me out of it, "O-Oh, sorry.. I spaced out." I laughed it off as we proceeded upstairs.

I prepared his bedroom and just as I've seen, mom called out to me.

"If you feel tired, feel free to take a rest! I'll be quick!" I said with a bright smile as I quickly headed downstairs, then grabbed a basket and headed to the garden.

I tried to be as fast as possible, and also not too obvious that I was trying to be quick. I thought I would avoid the scenario from happening, but when I looked up, I saw Cloud standing on the stairs, looking at mom who was saying something. 

Seeing her mouth, I knew exactly what she was saying. It was just as my vision has told me. 

I felt a tightening feeling in my chest. It really hurt to watch, especially because I knew that Cloud was really kind-hearted inside of his cold shell.