Chapter 13
"Risuko." Pushing aside the curtain provided for the fitting room, Takumi calls out the raven-haired girl's name as he stepped out to present his choice of clothing -- since, apparently, his crackhead of a stalker decided to throw his clothes out who-knows-where just for the sole sake of tailing him to Italy. In result, he had to buy new ones. "Hey, do you think... this looks good on me?" Quite hesitant, the golden-haired boy mumbles the last part in a sheepish manner, his voice barely audible.
As he moved to catch a quick glance of the girl gawking at his profile, he cannot fight back the blood rushing towards his cheeks -- mentally questioning himself why he decided to be so bold and ask the petite girl. Being the huge tsundere he is, Takumi averts his teal hues from any sort of eye contact with the female -- nevertheless, feeling her gaze marvelling over his form.
Hazel eyes trailing from the biracial male's flustered face towards the choice of clothing he wore, Risuko couldn't help but let a fond smile dance on her lips, glad to find herself in a friendly and casual scenario with the blonde. Takumi stood in a white shirt with a minimalistic design of a crescent moon on his left chest, and a pair of denim three-fourths.
She cannot help but admire his appearance longer, finding his handsome features standing out from the simplistic attire. The black-haired stalker honestly find the look quite fresh -- accounting the fact that boy was into fashionable clothing. In a way, she found it odd that the stylish male even bothered asking for her opinion. After all, this is the girl who wears a long white scarf with her every choice of clothing all year round. In a way, it can be easily told she lacked much knowledge in fashion.
"Don't just stare. Say something." Takumi grumbled, earning him the attention of the ebony haired girl as she was snapped out of drooling at his apearance. Leaning back on her seat as she stretched her legs, Risuko looked up for a moment whilst humming in ponder. Huffing from the lack of response, the blonde spun his heels to go back inside the changing room. "If you think it's bad, just say so!"
A mix of disappointment and embarassment conjured up in his stomach; along with it was annoyance. Just as he grabbed the curtains, on the verge of stepping back inside the fitting room, his companion speaks up.
"I don't think it's bad at all, Takumi. You look nice! It's honestly rather refreshing to see you wear something simple for once." The said male turns to catch the sight of her grinning features, a blush dusting his cheeks upon hearing the compliment. "Simple is best!" She added, presenting a thumbs up to emphasize her great approval.
The moment came as a fleeting one, switching back in a flash to the usual as Risuko shot up from her seat with a proud declaration escaping her lips. "Nonetheless, even if you were dressed like a hobo, I will still find you attractive! I, the White Deat--"
"I knew I shouldn't have bothered asking you!" With a scoff, Takumi stomped his way back inaide the fitting room.
Well, what else could he expect, Risuko had been deeply infatuated with his looks since their third year in middle school. He would be lying if he said it didn't leave a bitter aftertaste -- knowing how his stalker is a simple-minded woman attracted to any good-loooking man. Inwardly slapping himself, the young man brings a hand to scratch his head with a groan.
"On second thought, I believe you would look best stripped off of any sort of clo--"
"Shut up!" Face burning hot as a boiled octopus, Takumi tells off the unabashed girl with an embarassed shriek. Realizing how his relatively loud tone had caught the attention of a number of bystanders, Takumi feels himself growing more flustered, hiding himself behind the changing room's curtains. "Don't you dare peek, you woman." He commanded lastly before disappearing from her sight with a pull of the curtains.
"Come on, Takumi-chan~ Just a little bit, please~" Risuko pleads, tone almost deceiving for any stranger who clearly hasn't a single idea what her favorite hobby is. However, as Takumi had known the girl for a year now, the honey she uses to mask the poison it can cause was completely null for the blonde boy.
"I'll abandon you!"
He spats the empty threat with utmost ease. Yet, it must me noted that it was nothing but empty; it wasn't a lie that he cannot do so. It was either because he has enough decency not to just abandon a teenaged girl in a foreign country or he doesn't really dislike the girl like his tounge would always imply.
~~~~~
"Takumi, Takumi!" As the said male finds a hand tugging on his sleeve, the flaxen-haired boy pauses his steps, staring down at his Risuko who wore a fake beard whilst pointing towards a certain direction. Cocking an eyebrow, Takumi watches the girl gawk in anticipation. "That guy is hot!"
The corners of his lips curves down to a deep scowl, shifting his attention towards where the girl was currently pointing. It took no more than a heartbeat for his features to darken at the sight of boy in their age with shoulder-length jet black hair. The hansome stranger's locks were tied neatly in a ponytail, showing off the piercing decorating his ears.
Of course, what else could he expect? It was pretty much impossible for the simple-minded woman to not finding at least ten men which would catch her fancy -- furthermore, in a foreign country.
"Oh, dear Takumi-chan~" Risuko swooned, leaning her form closer towards the biracial male as she bats her eyelashes in a comical manner -- too exaggerated to be sincere. "Please do enlighten the White Death how to say, "Mind telling me your name and number, hotsuff?" in Italian." The words left her mouth in a flirtatious manner, grinning widely as the shorter teen basically droiled at the sight of the attractive boy -- an innocent boy who was simply minding his own business.
Too bad he was born with a handsome face and had to catch the attention of a crackhead.
Takumi feels a vein pop as he witnessed the ebony-haired stalker stare at the stranger with great enthusiasm shining through her hazel hues, irritation bubbling on his stomach. "Don't bother the good people here, you idiot!" He barks, grabbing Risuko by the back of her collar, before proceeding to drag her away from the gut-wrenching stranger.
"Ah! Mi Amor~" Risuko cried as she stretched her arms, reaching out for the unnamed male like in a disney fairy tale. Her overdramatic reaction resulted to a flustered countenance masking her companion's features -- the latter feeling he could dig himself a hole to crawl in out of his stalker's ridiculous actions. "At this rate, the both of us will be doing a remake of Your Name."
"At this rate, I'll be stuffing a tissue on your mouth for you to shut up." The golden-haired chef grumbled, lifting a hand to tear of the faux beard hanging on Risuko's jaw. Only when anyone considered as a good looking boy was finally out of sight was when the male teen released his forceful grip on the always preposterous girl.
"Kinky~"
"I am seriously going to abandon you in a foreign country!" With a frown plastered across his thin lips, Takumi drags the girl along to return the unpaid item back in place. A blush dusted his poreless cheeks from his companion's mortifying reply.
On the other hand, Risuko was well aware that her blonde tsundere was simple acting like his usual perverse self, chuckling as she tailed Takumi upon regaining her freedom to walk on her own free will. Smiling as she increased her pace to walk by the golden-haired half-Italian boy's side, the ebony-haired girl shifts her hand behind her back, showcasing an innocent ambiance anyone would regret even considering so. "You say that when you're leading me to the ladies section in the department store."
Once again, his ever-so persistent parodied kidnapper had seen through his intention, resulting to his visage exploding to a dark shade of vermilion -- the bright color contrasting with his well-groomed golden tresses. Risuko grinned upon seeing his response, knowing well she had hit the nail on the head with how Takumi flinched and stared at her with such a flustered expression.
"How sweet of you, Takumi." The raven-haired girl beamed, expounding her gratitude with the most sincere tone she could muster. "Thanks."
Huffing as he whipped his head to the side, avoiding any sort of eye contact with shorter teen, Takumi reasoned out. "I'm only doing this since I am a decent enough person to aid you -- although we wouldn't have encountered this predicament in the first place if it weren't for your idiocy."
"This goes to show how great my love for you is!" Risuko proudly declared, lifting her chin as she stood high and mighty. "And, you know what they say, you can never love without being a fool."
"Irrelevant." Takumi scoffed, folding his arms across his lean chest before gesturing towards the numerous racks of various female clothing. Sighing as he mumbled. "Choose your own clothes and meet me here later on. You're paying me back once we get back to Japan though; don't forget that!"
"Aye aye!" With a salute, Risuko skedaddled off to search for a few articles of clothing that she would deem fit for her. Shaking his head, Takumi watches the raven-haired girl dash off out of his sight, a sigh escaping his lips whilst stretching his back. Well, he supposed he could at least make up for all his rude comments on the girl. As much as it would be difficult for him to actually admit, the young chef enjoys her presence quite a lot.
It was such a shame that he couldn't be a lot more direct.
~~~~~
Humming as she skipped her way back to where Takumi had appointed as their meeting place, Risuko carries a good amount of clothing along with undergarments enough for three days. At least having enough common sense, she knew that it wasn't necessary to pruchase clothes to last through the whole visit -- also accounting in the fact that Isami would be flying to Italy sooner or later.
Amber hues scanning the area to relish in the sight of good Italian culture, the raven-haired girl perks up at the sight of familiar silky flaxen locks standing just a couple of racks away, grinning as she immediately swiveled her heels to rush off towards the boy.
"Takumi-kun~ ♡" Hearts animatedly floating from her person, Risuko sang the words out loudly, heels meeting the tiled floor of the shopping mall in an allegro rhythm. Her dark locks bounced with her every movement, cowlick swishing from side-to-side like an antenna. "Ciao~ mi amo--"
At the sight of a foreign stranger seeming to be in a conversation with her Takumi, the raven-haired girl halts her steps. Squinting her almond eyes, Risuko finds a brunette with permed locks talking to the biracial male with a smal smile on her glossed lips -- the phone in her grip hinting that she was asking for the male's contact information. As they were speaking in an unknown tounge for the Asian girl, the petite teen was absolutely clueless.
However, that didn't stop her from butting in and expressing her rights on her stalking-subject. I mean, we're talking about a girl who snuck in the luggage area just due to the fact that she couldn't stand not seeing a certain Aldini for at least a month.
"Hey, woman! Get yo' hands of mah man!" Risuko hissed, rushing in between Takumi and the russet-haired foreigner. She outreched both her arms sideways, shielding the blonde boy as she puts a distance between their pair and the stranger. With the latter being Italian, she could only stare at the shorter girl with a confused gaze. "I won't let you have my Takumi-chan!"
"Wha--" The half-Italian chef grew flabbergasted by her bold claim, shades of stawberries invading the tips of his ears. "What are you saying, you idiot?!"
"My rights as your husband!" Risuko huffed stubbornly.
"You're supposed to be my wife, you huge dolt." As he instinctively lets the words carelessly slip out his lips, his raven-haired stalker tilts her head to meet his mesmerizing sapphires, a subtle hue similar to full-bloomed cherry blossoms dusting her freckled cheeks. Realizing what his slip up had implied, Takumi stutters out incomprehensible gibberish with a vibrant red face before reasoning out. "I didn't mean like that. Who said I'll be your husband in the first place?!"
Well, that's what the author plans.
Enjoying Takumi's outburst, the raven-haired girl draws out a string of chuckles from her lips. Earning her embarassed howls from the boy. Risuko being Risuko, she chose to further make fun of the boy.
"Um..." Snapping out of their small banter was the timid voice of the brunette they had partly forgotten. The Italian girl recieves a glare from the possessive stalker; the girl their age with chocolate curls failed to notice so, invested into Takumi's pressence.
"Oh, right." Recalling their earlier conversation, Takumi straightened himself up before clearing his throat, speaking up. "Mi dispiace." The flaxen haired boy ponders for a short moment of his reply, electric-blue eyes sparing a glance at Risuko as he bit his lower lip. With a soft mumble and blush, he says. "Sono con la mia ragazza."
He pats Risuko's shoulders, his answer leaving the teenaged brunette disappointed. Placidly, the unnamed girl walks away. The shorter Totsuki student was puzzled by the events, whipping her heas as she shoots the male an inquisitive gaze.
"What was that about?" She questioned, arching up an eyebrow but all she received was a shrug as Takumi grabbed the pieces of clothing she had from her lanky arms. Sticking out her bottom lip, the raven-haired girl puffs her cheeks. "Hey, tell me what you said. I don't look like google translate, you know." She whines. "Takumi, I don't speak Guacamole alright!"
"Guacamole originated in Mexico -- not from Italy!" Takumi retorts, visage burning a fiery red. Wanting to change the topic at hand, he then points at the clothes Risuko had picked out. "And, just why are these all t-shirts and sweat pants!"
"They're cheap, that's why!" Risuko reasoned with a proud grin, snapping her fingers. "Oh, and there's female underwear there too."
Her warning came late as Takumi had already come across the items, staggering backwards as he shoved them towards Risuko's arms. Before his kidnapper/stalker could begin making fun if him once more, he declared. "I'm going to pick out your clothes since you clearly have no taste!"
"Don't be like that. My taste in men are top notch!" She chided, winking flamboyantly before sticking out her tounge. "Why else would I kidnap you a lot?"
Scoffing, the blonde chef chose to ignore her words, inspecting a few tees hanging on a rack whilst switching his gaze from any garment which catches his eyes and the supposed wearer. Grabbing a pair of shorts and an oversized striped shirt, he then grabbed Risuko -- who was engaged sightseeing for potential kidnapped boys -- by the arm before pushing her inside an unoccupied fitting room with the clothes. "Try them on and I'll see how it looks."
The raven-haired girl stares down at the garments in her arms, pursing her lips before lifting her gaze up. As her hazel topaz met Takumi's teal ones, the corners of her lips curls ul into a grin. "You can dress me up if yo--"
"I'm going to look for another set!" The blonde immedietly cuts off, fighting back another blushing occuring from his companion's unabashed words. Stomping his way towards a shelf, a certain white tee catches his attention. Reaching up to grab the piece of clothing, eyes lingering at the crecent moon imprinted on the cloth. "La mia ragazza..."
Breathing out a sigh, he spun his heels to search for bottoms to pair with the top. Before he could take a step further, Risuko's familiar voice greets his ears. Takumi shifts his attention towards where he had left the said girl to change, sauntering his way back.
"Hey, Takumi!" As the raven-haired girl sang the words out, she poses in front of the boy like a constipated faux model. "How do I look, mi amor?"
Trailing his gaze at her whole form, Takumi cannot help the twinge of pink invading his cheeks, his chest welling up with pride with how his taste fitted the girl. With the shorts showing of her petite legs and the oversized shirt hanging loosely from her form, Risuko stood as a charming Asian girl, the simple outfit complimenting her skin tone and simple features. For Takumi had accounted the black-haired teen was quite flat, he chose a shirt which could conceal the lack of chest. And, since the girl was quite on the thin side, horizontal stripes fitted her better.
As he caught himself staring, the flaxen-haired male coughs stiffly before mumbling out. "Cute..."
"Didn't quite catch that. Mind saying it again?" Risuko muttered dumbly, genuinely clueless with what her fellow young chef had replied.
Face heating up, Takumi stumbles with his words as he found it hard to believe what he had just said. "I -- I said you look stupid!"
Well, in actuality, it was a step forward for him -- starting to express his feelings with honesty.
Translation Notes:
Mi dispiace - I'm sorry
Sono con la mia ragazza - I'm with my girlfriend
(I'm not really too sure with the translation since I actually cannot speak Italian. I used google translate actually :>)