𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 :
hello stranger
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RIKO HAD TO stay in the hospital for a while, the doctors not sure that she was fully capable of walking on her own, nor that her leg would heal properly, so they wanted her there for most of that process.
She wanted to go home eagerly, but couldn't. However she didn't let that bring her down for two reasons. One, she had confirmation that her apartment was outside the blast and that Mylo was okay and being taken care of by a peer from school. Secondly, she was able to walk around the hospital on her own.
The doctors encouraged it, in fact. They just kept a limited area that she had to stay in, and to keep out of the way for others, but let her roam free for the most part.
Throughout her recovery, she found herself walking by the blond boy's room, peeking inside. Always, he would be in there. He could be talking to one of the boys, watching television, simply thinking, or watching the window, waiting for someone to walk by.
Riko didn't know who he was waiting for every day, but she knew that they were lucky, because he was a very attractive man.
However he'd always turn and watch her walk by, whether she noticed or not.
Days later Riko was walking down the hall by herself. She walked her normal route at her normal time, down the halls of patients that were sent in by the crash. This time when she walked by the blond man's room and looked in, he wasn't in there.
Feeling disappointed Riko continued down the hall, holding onto the railing for support. She made it to the vending machine and stopped to look at the drinks inside. She didn't have any money with her, she had left it inside her bag but she still wanted to look at the the different flavors.
As she was observing them, out of her peripherals she spotted the blond man walking in her direction on the opposite side of the hallway.
The blond man looked up and met her eye. Great, now he'll think I'm even more of a creep, not that I haven't been creepy this entire time. Walking by his room everyday and looking inside. Wow that sounds so much worse than I would have thought, she mused, maintaining the eye contact. Have I really not seen him before? The man furrowed his eyebrows, contemplating something before he started walking across the hall and towards Riko.
Riko straightened her posture in surprise, she hadn't been expecting him to approach her, and now that it was happening she did not feel prepared in the slightest. This was something you mentally prepared yourself on, not just get thrown into.
The man stopped by her, looking at body language that was still pointed at the vending machine. He glanced at it and questioned, "Are you going to get something?"
His voice almost made a shiver go down her spine. It was unique. There was a certain rasp to it near the end of the words as he spoke. She shook her head to remind herself to respond and explained, "No, I left my money in my bag. I'm just looking for when I come back."
"You do that a lot?" The man looked at her, his tone teasing. When she turned to him she realized he was referring to when she would walk by his room and look into it, and she widened her eyes in surprise of being confronted.
Riko let out an embarrassed laugh, "I...I suppose I do. But you're also looking back at me. Perhaps you also have a knack for looking at strangers?"
"It could be so." The man nodded, a small amused smirk growing on his lips. Then he reached into his pocket. Riko turned to him in confusion when he stuck his hand out, "Here."
"What?" Riko watched as his hand opened, revealing money inside. Her eyes widened at the sight.
"You said you left your money in your bag. I don't see it with you, so here." He pushed his hand towards her, "Get a drink."
Riko's eyes widened and heart fluttered at the kind stranger. She gaped for a moment before she nodded, "Thank you."
"...Yeah. No problem." He responded as Riko carefully walked towards the vending machine and ordered her drink.
The man watching from behind as the drink fell to the bottom, but then his gaze went to the clock on the wall. "I have to to back to my room, but it was nice getting to meet the girl that looks in my room everyday."
Riko opened her mouth to retort, but found it closing as a smile grew on it, "Look, I don't mean to be creepy—"
"No I get it." He breathed out, "I do watch you back after all."
Riko shifted her weight as she watched him walk away, the drink he had given her the money for in hand. Wow. He's...wow.
But I still don't know his name.
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A few months had passed since then, and life had mostly gone to normal. Her injuries healed, she was a functioning person again, but still, she couldn't get the image of that blond man's eyes piercing into her.
That was the first and only time they spoke, as she was released before he was because his injuries were worse. Although, she did get a small wave from him every other time she walked by his room after that interaction.
She also had an itching feeling that she was missing something. Something big, that would change her entire life. It was beginning to irritate her. Why couldn't she figure out what it was? She was back at work, she had a better relationship with her parents—barely—and she was with Mylo.
In fact, she was walking Mylo right now.
However, Mylo had a habit of slipping out of her harness. The dog was small, so it wasn't exactly hard. And right now, Mylo decided to do just that and start sprinting away from Riko, searching for something not even she knew.
Riko tried to grab the dog but the animal was too fast and her hand flew past her, hitting a random piece of metal that made her hiss in pain. She looked at her hand, it was bleeding. Damn it! She looked at the dog who was still running, then broke out into a sprint after her.
For such a small animal, Mylo ran fast. It was hard to chase the dog through the small area—a park that was strangely empty for the hour—but she managed to catch up with the dog, since the animal had stopped.
"Mylo, you—"
Oh shit.
Squatting in front of Mylo with his hand extended and petting Mylo was none other than the blond man from the hospital.
The man looked up. It was clear he recognized her immediately, especially since he piped, "You can't look at me in the hospital so you send your dog to track me down?"
Riko looked up quickly, finding the source of her brain rot standing right in front of her. Her mouth dropped slightly as she lightly scoffed in disbelief. "...Hi."
The man looked up, observing her expression. His small laugh and smirk made it obvious that he liked the obvious impact he had on her. He stood up, Mylo staying by her side. He teased, "Hi." even though he also felt the same shock of seeing her in front of him.
Truth was he couldn't get her out of his head either.
"I'm sorry about her, she get's excited and just runs off." Riko informed, scratching her cheek lightly in embarrassment. She didn't know why, but something about him made her feel like she had no secrets, that he knew everything.
"What happened to your hand?"
Riko blinked, "What?"
"Your hand," He pointed out, his gaze staying on it, "it's bleeding."
"Oh that," She looked down at it before shrugging it off casually, "nothing."
A beat passed. "Can I see it?"
"Um...sure?" Riko extended her hand and let him look at it, but got shocked when his hands folded under hers and wrapped around the bottom of her own hand.
The man tilted her hand lightly, carefully observing the wound. Riko tried not to get distracted by the skin contact and instead focused on the mole beneath his eye. Eventually he nodded, humming, "It's not that deep, shouldn't need a suture. Probably just alcohol and a bandage."
"Know a little about wounds huh?"
"I'm a medical student." He let out a laugh in the form of a breath exiting his nose, "So, I'd hope so."
"You're off?" Riko inquired, knowing med school was busy.
"Still recovering from the meteorite crash. It got me good." He informed, prompting, "You're off?"
"I'm a psychology intern." She shrugged, slowly taking her hand back from the man but regretting it because of the cold wind that now hit her skin where his hand was previously, "I don't go in today."
"Hm..." He hummed out, those were two professions that were close to each other. He looked down at her hand, then back to her face, "Have you eaten yet?"
"No. I was going to make something but then Mylo wanted to go on a walk so..." Riko trailed off.
His eyebrows furrowed, "Mylo?"
"The dog."
He looked at her strangely, then at Mylo, then back to her, then repeated, "Mylo?"
"Yeah." Riko nodded. She noticed his furrowed eyebrows and inquired, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I've just never heard someone name their dog Mylo."
"Well," Riko started, about to become very defensive, "I'll have you know that Mylo is a wonderful name for a dog."
"Japanese Spitz, huh." He took a moment to think, observing the animal below them who was mindlessly wagging her tail as it observed the two humans. "It fits you."
"What do you mean?"
"They're cute."
Riko raised her eyebrows, feeling flattered but surprised, "Bold."
He tilted his head, "Do you like bold?"
Riko waited for a second to reply honestly, strangely charmed by the man, "I'm not against it."
"Hm..." He hummed, still holding her hand, "You know, I haven't eaten yet either."
Riko looked up, watching as he looked up from her hand and into her eyes. "Are you trying to ask me out?"
He raised an eyebrow, "I believe you're asking me out."
Riko paused, a smile pulling at her lips, "Do you want to go get something to eat?"
"Since you asked."
Riko then remembered something. She didn't even know his name, so she prompted, "I'm Riko."
"Chishiya." The man greeted back, staring into her eyes as if he were lost and she was what he was looking for.
Riko smiled, "It was nice to meet you again, Chishiya."
He gave a small smile back, "You too, Riko."
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AUTHORS NOTE !
Sure he's a bit ooc but I don't know
how to change that so there ya
go.
I've gotten so many comments
that are lyrics from 'Yes to Heaven'
by Lana Del Rey that hearing it
makes me cry because the
story's over and it reminds me of it.
This is the official ending
of the story.
I'll be writing out headcannons
and oneshots(this ones a maybe,
I don't actually have any
ideas for it yet) so if you're
interested, stay around ig
Posted: January 17, 2023
Words: 1919
Edited: ✘︎