The surprise was overwhelming.Why on earth was there a photo of me there, I mean, here, in Hiroto's room? The gasp I involuntarily let out must have been too loud, because, just then, Hiroto turned around and spotted me.I took a step back.The guilt in my face is definitely showing on red alert.
'Who is that?' I asked, breathing heavily, as if I'd run a race.All my efforts to calm myself down were failing miserably.Who the heck was he?!
He glanced at the picture I was staring at, and looked back at me, his brown eyes trying to lighten my mood.He stood up, 'Kin, calm it.It's not who you think it is.'
Instinctively, I took another step back, but I wish I hadn't, because, a moment later, I was falling, having tripped over the rug near the door.I never felt the ground hit me, though, because, at that precise moment, I felt an arm circle my waist.I looked up to see Hiroto standing over me.Since when were you so weak that you tripped over rugs that do nothing but lie around?! I serenaded myself in my head.
I pushed his arm away as I stumbled to my feet,'Don't touch me!'. I took out my knife.
'Alright,alright.', he said as he lifted his hands up above his head.'But, really, Kin, you don't have to use the knife.'
'You don't decide that for me.'
He didn't reply.
'Who is that?', I nodded towards the picture which had so horrified me.
'My family.'
'Not that one, the one next to it!'
'My cousin.'
'I- What?' WHAT did he just say?
Hiroto put his hands down and sat in front of the photos again.'That's my cousin.Aika ', he said.'I told you, remember? The day I helped you.You reminded me of someone I knew.'
I put my knife in my pocket again, fingering the blade.'She-she...'
'Looks just like you, yeah.'
I blinked.'What did you mean when you said 'knew'?'
'She's... not here anymore', he looked down at his hands, and I instantly felt sorry for him.'No one in my family is.'
Oh,God.I've never known how to act in situations like these.
'I'm so sorry', I said, sitting down next to him, hoping I was saying the right thing.
He smiled a very watery, but nice smile.'I can literally see the awkwardness on your face.'
'Hey! I am trying.'
'Clearly.'
Silence.
And then,'Can I see the picture?'
He nodded, taking it off the table and handing it over to me.When I took a look at it, I felt Aika looked different, somehow. Her hair had tighter curls than mine did, and the sharp features on my face were not visible on hers.She had cheek bones which looked like it could cut glass that would never appear on my face, and, even though we had the same shade of grey-silver eyes, hers were less almond- shaped than mine.
'She looks nothing like me', I narrowed my eyes at Hiroto.
He laughed.'I know.'
'But- you said-'
He cut across my stammering,'The alleyway was dark that night.You did look like her.To me, at least.'
I stared at him.
Hiroto gave me a killer smile,'But when you came here, you- your personality, everything.You are the complete opposite of Aika.'
'What's she like?' I couldn't help myself, curiosity had the better of me.
'Aika? She's great.Sweet and kind and not really loud.', His eyes were so lit up.
'Meaning I'm rude and unkind and really loud.', I really sucked at comforting people.
Hiroto chuckled,'Well, yeah.'
I laughed with him.He really was sweet, but I still couldn't gather up enough courage to ask him about his family.
He stopped laughing and turned to me ,'You're dying to say something aren't you ?'
'What ?', I said , feigning.'Pfft, no.Of course not .'
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him hide a smile,'Liar.'
Woah, I never noticed those dimples before! 'You can tell ?'
'Actually, it's sort of obvious when you're biting your lip and watching me nervously like that.'
I groaned,'Lucky me .'
'So, you were asking me?...'
'I wasn't asking you anything.' I crossed my hands.
'Stubborn as well? God, no.'
'What's wrong with that?' I narrowed my eyes.
'Nothing.'
'Good.'
There are times when you are sitting with a stranger, or someone you've met recently, and you have so much things swimming around in your mind that you want to ask this person, but the atmosphere is conversation less, because you cannot grasp what question it is that you need to know the answer to first.This was one of those times.I am definitely not a girl you'd want to be stuck with in a situation or crisis.
I took a deep breath,'Listen, I wanted to ask you something.'
'I know.' Hiroto smirked.
I glared at him.Why, the cocky little...
'Sorry, sorry.'
'Well, the thing is, I wanted to know how -how ... your family, you know ...' What do I say, passed away ? Smooth.
'Oh.', he said .The cheer in his face disappeared.
'I mean ', I struggled .'If you don't want to talk about this, you don't have to-'
He shook his head," The March eleventh quake. I was away, then.'
'Oh...'You just had to, Kin, didn't you?'I'm so sorry.'
He shook his head, his eyes shining.
Please, don't cry, I don't know what to do, I thought, twisting my fingers, though I felt like a fascist for thinking it.
He looked at me sideways,'Don't be.It's not your fault.'
I bit my lip.'Hiroto, I didn't mean to-'
'No, it's alright.' he said.'I can't go on about it forever, I might as well get over it.'
I looked down at my hands,'Yeah.'
'And I thought I asked you to call me Hiro?'
'Well...I'm not really used to it.'
He gave a dry laugh,'Then, get used to it.You're the only person I know that calls me Hiroto.'
'Okay.'
He smirked,'Okay, who?'
Oh, the nerve.'Hiro.'
He hid a smile.'You're so weird.'
'I guess I am.'
Hiroto took a deep breath.'After they passed away, I visited the house', he said suddenly.'It broke me.I don't go there unless I can't help it anymore.I haven't been there for ages.'
I was speechless.Why is he telling me this?But interrupting wasn't my best choice just then, so I shut my mouth, listening to what he was saying.
WELL! How's it going? Here's a longer chapter for you all to enjoy! I can't BELIEVE I'm writing romance, my own story is freaking me out.Exams this week and I've been filling in parts into the draft randomly. VOTE!!! Dedicated to Wattpad for making all this possible.Love,
~Kei
P.S: There's a photo of Hiroto (or Matsumoto Jun) on the side, but feel free to use your imagination, because that's not exactly how I picture him either.