Saturday morning. What should be a nice morning between a mother and son eating breakfast together somehow ended up with Hiro staring at the warm grey hood that covered her son's head.
"Shujinkou...?" There was no response. As it has been for the past 20 minutes, Shujinkou's head was firmly adhered to the kitchen table and nothing seemed to be able to change that anytime soon.
Seeing her son in such a state greatly worried Hiro. Thought it was different, she couldn't help but worry that something had triggered Shujinko to revert to how he was not too long ago. "I wonder what happened yesterday..."
What transpired the day before was all Shujinkou thought about. He could remember how confused he was as he watched Mali stroll out of the clubroom she had found for the club. There was awkward silence that did nothing fill him with guilt.
"And you act like you don't contribute anything to the club, Shujinkou," Sayori chuckled. "You just helped us get a clubroom."
Though he was grateful for her attempt to help him through the tension, Shujinkou couldn't find it in him to say a word.
"Um..." Sayori turned towards the other club members. "Isn't it great that we have a clubroom now, guys?"
"Yeah... Great..." Natsuki pouted. The petite girl shot an annoyed look at Shujinkou, filling him with more guilt. "It's so great in fact that I don't I can take any more 'great' stuff happening. I'll think I'll go before another 'great' thing happens."
Natsuki quickly left the room huff.
"Um..." Yuri started to play with her hair.
"What is it, Yuri?" Sayori asked.
"I..." the young maiden snuck a quick peek at Shujinkou. "I... I just remembered that I had a prior engagement with Yuki. She's going to be upset if I'm any later than I already am. So..."
Without saying another word, Yuri walked out of the clubroom.
"I guess we'll end today's meeting early," Monika said as she walked towards the door. Before disappearing from sight, she turned around and flashed Shujinkou a sorrowful smile. "...Thanks, Shujinkou."
The young man felt like his guilt could not get any higher after what he just witnessed. Even when he finally mustered up the strength to walk home with Sayori, he still couldn't bring himself to speak. From arriving home to this very morning, Shujinkou has said no more than ten words.
"Shujinkou...?" the young man slowly lifted his head, causing his mother's worries to skyrocket as she beheld his upset face. "Are you okay?"
Though tempted to just return to his sulking, he knew he needed to talk to someone about what was bothering him. "...Mom. You ever have those moments where you think you're doing the right thing, but you somehow end up upsetting people?"
"Um..." a single droplet of sweat crawled down Hiro's face as she pondered that question. "I guess... You'll have to elaborate."
"Remember that girl I told you about: Mali?"
"Oh," a sigh of relief brushed past his mother's lips. "What about Mali?"
"Well, she found a room that we could use as a clubroom but she was only willing to give to us if I... If I kissed her," he explained with red cheeks. Recounting what the scenario to someone else was a little more embarrassing than he thought it would be.
"Oh..." Hiro replied. The sympathy in her voice was enough to wash the embarrassment away. "What did you do?"
"I... I thought it would be a while before we had another chance to get another clubroom so I agreed to do it. But even though I thought that, I also felt like I shouldn't have agreed either. In the end, it turns out that Mali was just teasing me since she stopped it. I'm glad she did, but I still ended up upsetting the others."
"I see..." Hiro could emphasize with everyone in that scenario. It truly seemed like there was no way that no one could get out of that situation without any emotional scars. There was only one thing the mother could say, even if she knew it was a tad bit generic. Well, you're heart was in the right place, Shujinkou."
"And yet I still upset everybody..." her son let out a disappointed sigh.
Hiro struggled with what she could say next. The only thing she could say that would even stir a different reaction would be to reveal a secret that seemed to go over her son's head. But even if it would explain the fallout of yesterday, it was not her place to reveal such feelings.
"I wouldn't be too worried. I'm sure they won't stay upset for long," Hiro assured him. "They just need a little time alone. Who knows, it's probably already water under the bridge."
Shujinkou scratched his right cheek as he thought about his mother's words. Though he appreciated her assurance he knew the chance that it was already "water under the bridge" was very close to zero percent.
Suddenly, the two heard the doorbell ring. Curious to who could possibly be at their door, Hiro stood up, walked to the entrance of their home and opened it.
"Good morning, Ms. Hiro," Yuri greeted. "Is your son home?"
"Oh, Yuri. Um, yes, he is," Hiro calmly answered. Though she was calm on the outside, she was full of amazement and surprise on the inside. All she could think about at that very moment was, "So, this is what a mother intuition moment feels like..."
Soon, Shujinkou walked to the door, prompting Hiro to take her leave before she could say anything that could embarrass her son.
"Yuri?" he said, surprised.
"Good morning, Shujinkou," Yuri greeted.
The young man scratched his right cheek as he silently stared at his visitor. He was shocked that she didn't seem upset with him.
"Is something wrong?" she curiously asked.
"N-No..." Shujinkou shook his head, trying to regain any semblance of composure he had. "So... What are you doing here?"
"Well, I'm here to accept a previous proposition of yours."
"Huh?" Shujinkou imagined a blue question mark float over his head as he tried to recall what proposition he made to Yuri recently. "Um... I don't really remember any propositions."
"Oh... Well, it makes sense considering everything that happened right after," the maiden emphasized with the confused young man. "Remember at the convention we went to during summer break? You offered to help me not feel like a fish out of water regarding my uneasiness due to once putting down manga."
"Oh yeah, I did offer to do that," Shujinkou scratched his right cheek as he recalled making that very offer. With all the exciting and emotional situations that happened right after, he would have been more surprised if he had remembered. "So, you want to come to my room and check out my collection?"
"Ah-!" Yuri's cheeks immediately grew red as she begun playing with her hair. "As enticing as that sounds... I actually had another idea in mind."
"What is it?"
"Well, there are a couple of things that I wanted to get from the mall today and, since there's a bookstore there, I figured that I would be able to search through their catalogue. I know that this may be a little selfish on my part and inconvenient to you but, is it possible for you to accompany me. I know things will go more smoothly at the bookstore if you're there with me."
Shujinkou scratched his right cheek as he processed what he had just heard. It was truly strange to hear Yuri worry about possibly being selfish or inconveniencing him after what had happened the day before.
"Um, sure. I have no problems going with you," he finally answered.
"Hm. That's a relief," A relieved sigh slipped through her lips. "I was really worried that it would inconvenience you."
"No inconvenience at all," he assured her.
"So, are you ready to depart?"
"Yeah. Just let me tell my mom that I'll be gone for a while.
After doing just that, Shujinkou soon joined Yuri on her journey to the mall. Though she didn't seem to be upset with him, the young man was still weary.
"Shujinkou, is there any place that you need to go while we're there?" Yuri suddenly asked.
"Huh? Not really," he answered as calmly as he could.
"I see... Well, if you do, you don't need to think that it's an inconvenience."
"Alright."
The rest of the trip was filled with an awkward silence. Along the way, Shujinkou noticed Yuri sneaking a few glimpses at him. From what he saw, it seemed as if she was curious about something.
Not another word was said until they finally arrived at their destination.
"So, what stores do you need to go to?" Shujinkou asked.
"Actually, everything I need is actually in one place on the second floor." Yuri explained. "It's where I get my various atmospheric enhancements."
With a nod of the head, Shujinkou followed Yuri to the 2nd floor and into her intended store. Looking around, he was soon hit with nostalgia.
"Haven't been in here in a while," Shujinkou noted.
"Have you ever been interested in this store?" Yuri asked.
"Not really. I used to come here back in the day with my mom."
"I see," a slight giggle escaped through the maiden's lips.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"Ah. Nothing really... Just..."
"Yuri," the two watched a young woman approach them. She had short turquoise hair and tranquil air about her. "You've graced my store with your presence and you've brought a guest."
"Good morning, Ms. Kandela," Yuri replied. "Um, this is one of my friends from the club I'm in."
"Ah." Kandela leaned towards Yuri's left ear and whispered, "Is this the boy you've mentioned before?"
Yuri silently nodded her head, prompting the curious woman to turn her attention to Shujinkou." If I had to guess, you would have to be Shujinkou correct?"
"Mm-hmm," Shujinkou confirmed with a nod of the head.
"Shujinkou... An appropriate name for one traversing the path we call life," she said.
Surprised by the interaction, Shujinkou turned to Yuri and said, "I didn't know that you're on good terms with the store owner."
"Yuri actually helped me during my time of crisis," Kandela explained. "During a time when a great amount of customers flooded the mall, Yuri offered to help me. I've never seen a young lady who knew about the true values of atmospheric enhancements."
"Well, it's one of my interests... It's only natural that I would know a little about such things," Yuri shyly interjected.
"A little?" Shujinkou and Kandela said surprised.
"Well, maybe an adequate amount...?"
"An adequate amount?"
"Ah..." Yuri exchanged glances with the two of them as she started playing with her hair. "Anyway, I was just looking for..."
"The usual?" Kandela smiled. "I'll leave you too it."
Shujinkou watched in awe as Kandela took her leave. She moved with the grace and fluidity of one who had no cares in the world. He then turned his attention to Yuri as she looked around the store. With his mind focused on such things, he was hit with a sudden realization.
"Yuri's also pretty graceful when she moves," he thought. "Then again, she always has an elegant air to her when she's not nervous."
"Shujinkou," snapping out of his thoughts, Shujinkou noticed Yuri approaching him with a bottle containing a couple of sticks.
"What's that?" he asked.
"It's a reed diffuser," she replied.
"What's a reed diffuser?"
"It's a part of aromatherapy. You see, aromatherapy requires oils of your choosing and a diffuser. You simply insert the compatible oil of your choice and the diffuser turns it into a breathable fragrance."
"So that's how that works."
"But it doesn't just provide a nice scent, it can also provide respiratory disinfection, decongestant, and psychological benefits."
"Yeah. You did say that it helps you better get into the books you read," Shujinkou recalled.
"It does," a calm, somewhat dreamy expression landed on Yuri's face. It wasn't an expression he saw from her often.
"So, how's a reed diffuser different from the other ones?" Ahujinkou asked.
"Simply the method. Instead of inserting the oil into a diffuser, you insert the diffuser into the oil and let it do its job. It's also works as an aesthetically pleasing addition to a room, so it also has that going for it," Yuri happily explained.
"Wow..." Shujinkou scratched his right cheek as took in what he just heard. "And you tried to claim that you only knew a little about this stuff."
Yuri simply smiled in response. "Well, you're the same when it comes to the stuff you know sometimes."
"Touché."
He watched Yuri collect the oils she wanted and purchased them. Finished with her first task, he followed her out of the store.
"Well, I got what I needed from here. Shall we head to the bookstore?" she asked.
"Yeah," Shujinkou nodded his head in agreement.
As the two journeyed to their next destination, Shujinkou's eyes were drawn to a nearby delight.
"Something the matter?" Yuri questioned.
"Hey, Yuri, do you think we could stop for some snow cones?" he asked.
Yuri simply nodded her head and followed Shujinkou to the snow cone stand. Moments later, they're sitting on a bench enjoying their frozen treats. Shujinkou's face lit up with joy as she took his first bite.
"So good!" he beamed.
"It really is," a bright smile crossed Yuri's face reached into her bag and pulled out on of her oils.
"What're you doing?" Shujinkou questioned.
"Ah!" the young maiden nervously thrust the oil back into the bag. "Nothing. It was a just a silly idea."
Shujinkou silently stared at the maiden in front of him, causing her to feel even more nervous.
"Did I really do something that weird?" she asked.
"No, it's just that... I realized that you've been really happy and outgoing today."
"Ah. Well, I was letting my emotions show a little more today since I usually repress them some. I figured it would be really easy to do around you."
"Really?" Shujinkou scratched his right cheek. He then smiled and said, "That's good."
The two continued to eat their snow cones as they continued to talk about whatever came to mind. No longer feeling weary, Shujinkou could finally allow himself to relax.
They soon finished their frozen treats and made their way to the bookstore. Once inside, Shujinkou was once again afflicted with nostalgia.
"Is something wrong?" Yuri questioned.
"I was just thinking about the first I went to a bookstore with you," Shujinkou explained. "That time you were helping me with something literature related. It's kinda funny that we're on the opposite side of that situation."
"I see. I've learned that life can be funny like that."
"So, uhm..." Shujinkou scratched his right cheek. "I gotta ask; why the sudden interest in manga?"
"Well, to be honest, ever since our conversation at the convention during our break, I've been thinking that maybe I should've given it more of a chance before putting it down. I may end up still not preferring it, but at least I would be able to better understand why people do enjoy and maybe find some positives to it I've previously ignored. It would also really help me become better fr-," Yuri averted her gaze as she fell silent.
"I see... So that's why," a small smile formed on Shujinkou's lips. "Well, I'll help you any way I can."
"Thank you."
"So, um... I guess the first thing to remember is that manga isn't a genre, but a medium. Like video games and regular novels, graphic novels are tools that any author can use to tell the story they want to."
"I see..."
"So... That said, all you need is to know that and then just pick a book that appeals to you."
"Hm... Do you have any recommendations?" Yuri asked.
"Um..." Shujinkou closed as his as he tried to envision a possible suggestion. "Death Note."
"Death Note?"
Shujinkou proceeded to give a brief summary of the story. As he expected, Yuri's eye lit up with interest leading him to finding her a copy of the first volume.
"Thank you," accepting the graphic novel, Yuri started to make her way to the register.
Surprised, Shujinkou could not stop himself from asking, "Aren't you going to read a little of it?"
"That won't be necessary. I trust your recommendation," she assured him.
The young man silently scratched his right cheek and waited for his friend to make his purchase. They then walked out of the store, both feeling a sense of accomplishment.
"Thank you for accompanying m, Shu- Ah!" Yuri's eyes suddenly widened with horror, surprising Shujinkou.
The last time he saw a reaction was...
"Wait..." following her horrified gaze, Shujinkou quickly turned around to find Akuma in the distance. "Oh man."
Relying solely on instinct, Shujinkou swiftly pulled his hood over his head and guided Yuri to a nearby bench.
"No!" he thought as he realized his mistake. He himself had a way to hide, but he forgot that Yuri did not. "I should have dived into a store."
From the corner of his eyes, he could tell that was no longer an option. They were trapped and a possible encounter was unavoidable.
Suddenly, an idea came to Shujinkou, one that greatly worried him.
"It's crazy but... Yuri's so scared," there was no time to argue with himself. He had to make a decision now, even if it could ruin everything. He'd rather be hated than to see a friend scared. "Sorry, Yuri."
"Huh?" before she could question the strange apology, Shujinkou suddenly pressed his lips against hers, slowly adjusting their position so only the back of his hood could be seen."Mmf-!"
Her eyes widened with shock as she tried to comprehend what was happening. But soon the shock faded and she found herself delighted by the sudden interaction. Giving into to the temptations this sudden delight has brought, the maiden closed her eyes and returned the kiss.
"Mm?!" Shujinkou felt a sharp tingle surge through his body as their kiss grew deeper than he imagined it would have. With their roles instantly reversed, he found himself attempting to comprehend what was happening. But as he tried to do so, he suddenly felt something force its way into his mouth. "That's... Not mine..."
All his thoughts were locked away as he felt a tug-of-war occur in their mouths. The reason this happened in the first place was lost to him until their lips finally parted. Both had a flustered and red faces as they gazed into each other eyes.
"That..." once again, a plethora of emotions welled up in Shujinkou. He was so lost that he couldn't even scratch his right cheek.
"Ah... Sorry..." Yuri apologized. "That was my first kiss and I kind of... got really into it."
"No! No!" Shujinkou shook his head to emphasize his "nos". "I'm sorry. I'm the one who suddenly kissed you."
"I know... But you only did it to help me with something..." a sorrowful expression landed on the maiden's face as she pondered her words.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"...Nothing," Yuri sighed. "I think I just realized something that I should have in the first place. Plus..."
She was suddenly afflicted with silence as she began playing with her hair. "The kiss made me happy but... it's also a little upsetting that it didn't mean the same for him as it did for me..."
"Yuri?" the young maiden glanced up at Shujinkou; His concerned look alleviated some of the sadness in her heart.
"...I'm fine," she said as she stood up.
Unsure what he could say, Shujinkou simply followed her out of the mall.
"Well..." Yuri turned back to Shujinkou and smiled. "Thank you for accompanying me, Shujinkou."
"No problem," he assured her.
"Mm. Then... I guess we'll go our separate ways from here."
"Okay."
As they agreed, the two went their separate ways. Alone with his thoughts, Shujinkou recalled the conversation he had with his mother earlier that morning.
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud growl. Shujinkou glanced down and chuckled as he patted his stomach. "Right, I didn't eat breakfast this morning."
He soon found a place to eat then spent the rest of his afternoon emulating Kiyoko's downtime tendencies.
The young ma would return home until the sun was already halfway under the horizon. "I'm home!"
"Welcome back, Shujinkou," stunned by the familiar voice, Shujinkou could only watch as Monika walked out of the kitchen.
"Monika?!" he exclaimed.
"Surprised?" she giggled.
Shujinkou examined the visitor in front of him. The most notable thing he noticed was the apron she was wearing. There were turquoise colored stains on it.
"...I think I'm in the wrong house..." the young man said as he backtracked through the front door, closing it in front of him.
Monika could only chuckle as she waited for Shujinkou to eventually return.