Night In The Playground
“I… really don't understand…” Daiki scratched his head as he furrowed his brow and stared at the problem on the blackboard.
“Ja… thinking time’s up! Arioka-Kun, please show us what you did on the board.” The teacher smiled as she offered him the piece of chalk.
“I…er…. That is to say…I…uh…”
“You didn’t get it did you?”
“No….” Daiki bowed his head ashamedly, and sat down, lately his mind had been slipping, he had been zoning out at lectures and waking up only when the bell that signaled the end of the day sounded.
“Ne, Dai-Chan… what’s going on with you? You used to be so… well… together…” Yuto looked worried as he put his things into his bag and stood up.
“Ah… nothing….” Daiki stood up and put his things into his bag, casually swinging it over his shoulders. Yuto shrugged and walked out of the classroom.
“Whew…” With a sigh Daiki sat down and stared at the seat two rows in front of him and one to the right. It was there that she sat, every day with that perfect smile on her face, that gentle expression, and that sweet smell that she always wore. For the last few weeks, he had been staring at her, Haruo Izumi. Izumi was the star female athlete and scholar at Juri Academy, everyone knew her and everyone was her friend. Everyone that is, except him, the boy who had a crush on her. For a few days he had played around with the idea of just going up to her and introducing himself, but every time he got close, he chickened out and made a strange excuse about not feeling well, or not waiting to disturb her. These excuses got more and more ridiculous as even he himself didn't believe them anymore.
“Gah, put yourself together Daiki!” the boy beat on his head with his clenched fists. He was desperate to pick up his studies and had been staying behind after school to read the day’s lesson. He was about to open his book when suddenly the door to the classroom opened.
“Ah! Gomen, I forgot something.” Daiki stood up quickly, hitting his leg against the desk and wincing in pain as he sat back down.
“Ne… are you okay?” Daiki looked up and blushed as the girl was none other than Izumi herself. She smiled at him with her beautiful brown eyes and he felt the pain in his leg subside.
“I-I’m fine…”
“Ah… you’re….Arioka-kun, right?” She asked as she walked to her desk and reached in to pull out her cell phone.
“H-Hai….” Daiki shook, a little nervous. He watched as she turned around to face him, her flowing brown hair danced in the breeze that wafted through the room and gently laid itself against her shoulders.
“Are you studying today’s lessons? I’ve always been doing that at home, but I have always been looking for a study partner! It’s so lonely doing those equations alone and quizzing myself. Maybe one day we should get together and study for the test ne~” She looked thoughtful as she twirled her phone around in her hands.
“U..Un!” Daiki nodded, happy that things were unfolding the way they were.
“Well, Arioka-kun, here, let me give you my phone number, call me if you ever feel like studying after school okay?” She smiled again and his heart melted as he nodded, unable to say a word. She presented her phone and he could barely concentrate hard enough to lift his own.
“Ja…. See you tomorrow!” Izumi giggled cutely as she walked out of the room, sliping her phone into her pocket.
Meanwhile, in the classroom, Daiki had completely forgotten about why he had stayed late, his textbook sat, forgotten on the corner of his desk as he held his phone in his hands and stared at the numbers listed under “Haruo, Izumi” and smiled to himself.
“I got it!” He jumped up from his desk happily and in the process, hit his leg once again.
“Ow….but… I got it!” He winced as he clasped his leg.
That night, Daiki paced back and forth in his room. He toweled his hair dry and took a deep breath, letting the cool night air embrace his shirtless body. It was no use, even a refreshing shower didn’t help him, try as hard as he might, he couldn’t help himself from stopping whatever he was doing every few minutes to check his phone. He would check to see if he had received a message, or perhaps missed a call. As soon as he checked both, he would check his contacts list to make sure that he had her number, reassuring himself that it wasn’t a dream. Every time he would see her name in his address book he breathed a sigh of relief.
After waiting well into the night, Daiki finally convinced himself that she wasn’t going to be messaging or calling him anytime soon. With that, he laid back on his bed and smiled happily. He imagined Izumi and himself in every single drama and movie that he had been watching and as the images in his head danced around, he couldn’t help but giggle as the night beckoned for him to sleep.
The next morning, the sounds of an obnoxiously loud, but reliable, alarm clock woke Daiki up. He had only enough energy to lift his arm up and slam the snooze button before collapsing onto his bed again. Groggily he rubbed his cheeks before burying his face into the crook of his elbow, nuzzling against his own smooth skin. Just then his phone beeped and his eyes flared open. Intently he looked at his black cell phone, sitting innocently on his bed stand. Was he just imagining it? He closed his eyes again but as he did the phone beeped again. This time Daiki sprang up from his bed and eagerly grabbed his phone.
“Two messages!” He whispered happily to himself as he opened up the inbox.
“Yo! Where are you?! You didn’t forget about coming in early today for the special assembly did you? ~Yuto” Daiki sighed, disappointed
“Ah!” he jumped as Yuto’s words ran through his head and he looked at the clock, he had forgotten to set it a bit earlier and instead of his usual 30 minutes, he had 15 to get there before the MANDATORY school assembly took place. With a flurry of movements, Daiki began pulling on his uniform while absent-mindedly brushing his teeth and looking for his book bag. After a good 10 minutes of Chaos, he finally put himself together and dashed out the door, stopping only long enough to grab a piece of toast from the breakfast table and waving goodbye to his parents and brother.
He got onto his bike and looked at the time.
“Yosh! 5minutes! You can do this!” He cheered himself on as he pedaled faster than he even thought possible. The tall white and red school building was within reach! He panted as with a final burst of energy he pedaled through the gates and jumped off his bike, throwing a lock around it and dashing up the stairs. Finding his classmates in the courtyard of the school, he sat down and sighed in relief, he made it with 1 minute to spare.
“Mou… Dai-chan, you okay?” Yuto noticed the boy was panting hard.
“M-Mmm I’m fine” Daiki smiled reassuringly. He pulled out his phone and realized that there had been two messages! His heart raced again as he flipped open his phone and opened up his inbox. His eyes widened as the message read that it was from “Haruo, Izumi”. He nearly jumped up from his seat as he brought his phone up to his chest and hugged it tightly.
“Nani sore…?” Yamada sat down next to him and looking at the phone.
“N-Nandemonai… it’s nothing!” Daiki quickly tried to move the phone away, but was too slow.
“Yoink! Ooo a mail from Haruo-san…” The younger boy teased.
“Gimme that back Ryosuke!” Daiki lunged as he pinned Yamada against the chair and grabbed his phone back. With a heavy sigh he opened the mail and read:
Arioka-Kun Ohayo!
This is Izumi, I was wondering if we were going to have a study session for the coming test at the end of the week. Oh well, please let me know.
~Haruo Izumi
As he read, Daiki could feel his eyes flutter as he imagined spending time alone with her.
“Eh-Ehe!” He giggled to himself, causing everyone around him to turn and look at him.
“N-Nothing…remembering a funny joke…” He shrugged and pretended to be “remembering”. When everyone looked away, Daiki smiled to himself as he pulled out his cell phone and began to reply:
Haruo-san, Ohayo!
I’m happy to hear from you, I was just thinking the same thing. Anytime is fine for me, please let me know.
~Arioka Daiki
His smile grew broader as he hit the “send” button. However, just as soon as it had come, the same smile vanished from his face as he realized that he really was going to be “alone” with Izumi! With that in mind, the rest of the day seemed to drag by. Izumi had personally come up to him in class, asking that they meet at 6 in the library, and for that moment alone, time stopped, but this time, he didn't mind. As Izumi talked, he merely nodded his head with a love-stricken smile on his face. Once again, he only awoke from his trance when the bell rang, and he stood up to realize that he had not paid a bit of attention to yet another lecture.
Daiki happily pedaled home and changed out of his clothes. He tried desperately to compose an outfit that was appropriate for the occasion.
“Mou… why don’t I own anything cool!”
Clothes flew all over his bed and at one point he ended up back in his uniform, with an idea to claim that he hadn’t gone home yet.
“That’s stupid…” He censured himself.
The two hours of free time passed, and so did 63 different combinations of his clothes, before he felt satisfied. He chose a simple black, ornately designed sleeveless shirt with what looked to be a vine crawling up his side, a pure white vest, trimmed with black, and a simple pair of dark jeans.
“Yosh!” He nodded to himself clenching his fist and pumping it in the air
“You can do this!” He cheered.
“S-Should I buy her flowers?”
“No! That’s not what people do for a study date!”
“Date!? I just said date! I’m going on a date with her!”
“What do I do!?”
“What if I mess up..?”
“Oh god Daiki… don't make a fool of yourself…”
His head was a flurry of thoughts as he talked back and forth with himself. Slowly he wandered out of his house, and walked to the local library. He at least had his head on long enough to call ahead and reserve a private study room. Much to his surprise, the lady at the front of the library said that a girl was had already claimed the reservation and was waiting for him.
“This… is it!” Daiki took a deep breath as he put his hand on the knob. He opened the door to find Izumi sitting at the table in the room, her legs crossed perfectly and she was absent-mindedly flicking her hair while listening to her earphones and burying herself in a book.
“I-Izu…mi-san.” Daiki stuttered, but she didn’t hear him over her headphones.
“You’re so pretty…” he sighed, this time she looked up and he froze. Did she hear him?
“Ah! Arioka-kun! You’re here! Sorry, I was distracted ne~” She bowed slightly, flashing him her cute smile and he quickly shook his head.
“It’s okay, really! I just got here.” He nodded as he sat down at the seat opposite her at the table.
The “study session” consisted of her reading through the book while asking questions if Daiki understood, and the occasional time where she would ask him to explain it to her. Truth be told, Daiki didn't even know how he knew what he was talking about, he spent most of his time staring at her. The big brown eyes that seemed to look right into his heart stared back.
“Well, I think we’re all set then!” She suddenly said as she closed the book.
“Eh-Eh!? That fast?”
“Fast? It’s already well into the night….mou Arioka-kun, are you okay? I noticed you were spacing out for quite a bit…” She looked concerned
“A-Ah…. Nothing… it’s nothing…” Solemly he watched as the girl slowly put the papers and notes back into her backpack. As each thing went in, he grew braver and suddenly, his mouth moved itself.
“Izumi-san… would you.. like to go for dinner? It’s late and I figure… we should go eat, instead of going home. Ah.. you know…” Daiki spoke with spitfire speed, fearing if he stopped he may never work up the nerve again.
“Ah… sure why not, maybe this will be a nice tradition for these study sessions?” Izumi smiled as she slung her bag around her shoulder and walked out of the room.
Daiki couldn't believe his luck as he scrambled to just throw everything of his into his bag and quickly ran after her.
After walking for a few minutes, the two came upon a restaurant that was still opened and stepped inside.
“Ah! Welcome!” The staff greeted them as they took a booth near the entrance.
“Wow… we dodged a bullet, it’s raining now…” Izumi pointed as small drops of water began falling outside.
“Y-Yeah…”
“Arioka-Kun…. Don’t be so nervous… we’re friends right?” he girl smiled as she noticed Daiki’s hand shaking as he held the menu. Secretly, the boy didn't know what to feel, he had just been referred to as “friend” and wasn't sure if that was a step forward, or a giant leap backwards.
“Y-Yeah….”
After another two minutes of awkward conversation, the two finally ordered and began talking about things other than school. He found out that she loved the story Cinderella, that she loved miso soup, but hated the tofu that came with it. She talked about her favorite dramas, variety shows, music, and even her favorite books. Even as these meaningless facts came out of her mouth, he asked for more, smiling dumbly, just nodding and listening to her talk. He wanted to know her.. and it seemed to him, that everything she said, was just… so interesting. Indeed, he was hopelessly in love…
“Ne, we’ve been talking about me the whole time… what about you Arioka-kun?” Izumi suddenly shifted topics.
“Well…. What about me?”
“What’s interesting about THE Arioka Daiki?” She giggled as she emphasized his name.
“N-Nothing….I think… I’m rather boring really…” He proceeded to talk about himself, nervously revealing some of his most embarrassing secrets, seeing how she reacted. After every story he told, she smiled and comforted him, assuring that it was just bad luck, or it’s perfectly normal. Daiki felt so comforted and accepted, as her warm brown eyes returned his looks and her soft silky hands wrapped around his.
“Awe, that’s not true…. I think you’re very interesting.”
“Really!?” Daiki asked, perhaps a little too eagerly.
“Un!” She nodded as the server set their plates down.
“So… Daiki…. Will you be coming to the big track meet tomorrow night?”
“Hm?”
“The track meet, I’ll be running in it… I was wondering if you’d come.”
“I… don’t know.”
“Why not? If… I win, I’ll dedicate it in your honor…..” She teased.
“Ahah, Okay okay.” Daiki giggled, blushing a little.
“It may be the last time that I run…” she said, as she looked at her bowl of soup. The light from the room reflected off the shimmering surface of the liquid, lighting her eyes up.
“Oh..? Why? I thought you loved running track.”
“I do… I do.. but it’s just that lately.. I’ve been trying to juggle more and more academic ventures…. And my parents are pressuring me to take as many courses to prepare for college.. “ Izumi sighed as she took a sip.
“Well… that doesn’t mean that you should give up something that you love so much…. If you want it really bad, you’ve got to be able to fight for it….” With an impulse, Daiki reached forward and grabbed her hand.
“Dai…ki?”
“I’ve seen you run before, if it makes you so happy, you shouldn’t give it up…”
Izumi simply stared at him for a few moments before returning to her food, her mind a jumbled mess of thoughts. Her silence continued until the end of their meal. As the two stood up, Daiki felt he should apologize for his words, maybe he had overstepped his boundaries…
“Ne… let’s go running…”
“H-Haaa?” Daiki’s eyes widened.
“Let’s go running….”
“O..Okay…” Daiki nodded, not quite understanding.
“We’ll have to find a place to put our things….”
“We're actually near my house.. we can leave our things there…” Daiki offered as she nodded.
When they got to Daiki’s home, the two took only the time to put their bags in the front doorway. When they were leaving, Daiki took a jacket from the nearby closet, and headed out.
“Ja.. let’s go.” She smiled brightly as she took off. For a few moments, Daiki stood absolutely still… there was the beautiful image again. He took off slowly, his eyes focused upon the girl before him. She ran with such carefree abandon, her long and silky hair dancing behind her. Together they two of them ran down the street into the nearby playground and laughed as the two of them, finally tired, collapsed onto the bench.
“It’s so nice and freeing isn’t it?” She asked, as she looked up into the sky.
“Yeah….” Daiki sighed, his body ached, he was tired and not used to this… but somehow he felt so refreshed at the same time. In the midst of all this, a sudden roar of thunder came and almost immediately the waters began to fall.
“Ah!” Izumi giggled as she ran towards the playground, taking shelter in one of the small structures.
“Ahah” Daiki laughed as he followed. The two of them huddled under the brightly colored playground structure. They were both soaked and she smiled at him as they sat there, waiting for the waters to pass.
“Are you cold?” Daiki asked as he took off his jacket and wrapped it around the shivering-girl.
“Arigatou…” She bowed and looked into his eyes, and for a brief moment, they were caught in each other’s gazes.
“I…iya it was nothing.” Daiki looked away quickly, blushing as he did. He felt her move and suddenly he felt her lips against his cheek as a gentle kiss linked them for a few precious seconds.
“It was sweet of you…” she said as she pulled Daiki’s jacket around her tightly.
“Are you tired? Why don't you rest a little, I’ll wake you if the rain stops okay?” Daiki offered.
“Unn, maybe…” She sighed as she let herself go and rest her head against Daiki’s shoulders, again he blushed.
Secretly, she didn't really feel tired, somehow, from the moment she met him, she knew that there was… a certain something. The way he stared at her so intently when she was saying all those pointless things, the way he smiled as he listened, it all made her feel warm inside. Perhaps, she thought, just maybe she was falling in love with him. As she put her head on his shoulders, she closed her eyes and listened. The soft rises and falls of his body whenever Daiki breathed, the gentle movements he’d make so as not to wake her, and even the small tugs on the jacket around her, so she wouldn’t be cold.
“Arigatou… Arioka-kun.” She mumbled as she let herself go and smiled as the gentle rainfall lulled her to sleep.
The next morning, the birds were chirping as a cool refreshing breeze flowed through the air and gently caressed the two under the small playground structure. The night’s embrace had lured Daiki into a sleep as he now had his head resting against hers and they slept soundly, peacefully. The winds blew harder, blowing some of her hair into his face and he awoke to her smells and as he shuffled around, she began to stir.
“G-Gomen, I… fell asleep as well…” Daiki stuttered as he scratched his head and yawned.
“Mm It’s okay.” She smiled, tilting her head sideways and watching as he stretched and let out an adorable yawn, yep, she was in love.
“I suppose… we should…go home…” he sighed, standing up and in the process hitting his head on the low roof above them.
“Ah! Itai~” He winced as he sat back down.
“Are you okay?” Izumi rushed next to him and gently brushed the area with her hands and gave it a soft massage, easing away the pain.
“H-Hai…” Daiki said, turning around to see that she was only a few inches away from his face. Ever so slowly… the two inched forward until their lips met and for a few moments, they kissed tenderly.
“Ooohh, an Onee-san and Onii-san are kissing!” A little boy’s voice came out as the two broke their kiss and shyly looked away from each other.
“Oooo!” The other kids joined in as they saw the two.
Izumi smiled shyly still and gently made her way out of the covered area.
“Arioka-kun! I’ll be waiting for you at the meet tonight!” She called as she ran off.
“W-Wait! Your stuff is still at my house!” He called, but it was too late.
“Ne ne~ Onii-Chan likes her right?” One of the boys asked.
“…yes…very much.” Daiki smiled as he stood up, careful not to hit himself again. With a sigh he walked home to see her bag and smiled as an idea came to him.
That night, the small track stadium roared with the screams of hundreds of fans, but Izumi only needed to hear one. She turned around and round, scanning through the crowds and finally saw him. Daiki was pushing his way through the crowded seats to the bottom of the seating area. He stood there, holding onto the railing so as not to be knocked backward again by the raging audience. With a smile she waved to him, Daiki smiled back and waved, pumping his fist in the air to cheer her on. As she saw this, a building sense of courage rushed through her. With him here she could win this, she had to win this.
The pistol rang through the air as the runners took off. The wind blew against her face and her mind drifted to this morning when they woke up together. The wind was just like this, it ruffled through her hair and made it flow in wafting currents as she ran. She could remember his soft touch, the real interest he took when listening to her talk, everything about him. They had only known each other for such a short time, but she felt as if she had known him for a lifetime.
While she was busy remembering, her legs hadn’t forgotten to run, with her mind busy elsewhere, she could barely notice the fatigue that the other runners were suffering and still she pulled ahead. Her thoughts of Daiki drowned out all else as she lowered her head and charged forward, as she turned around to look, the other runners were wide-eyed as she moved with a speed they had never seen before.
“For you… Daiki.” She whispered as she pushed even harder and ran ahead. Izumi ran her laps and within a short amount of time, the last lap came. The finish line was within reach, and she smiled as the winds gusted strongly, blowing away the drops of sweat on her skin, they dropped against the track, shimmering as they fell.
“Izumi-San…” Daiki whispered, mesmerized by her beautiful
“Arioka-kun…” she whispered, as she crossed the finish line,
The crowd roared even louder as they all stood to cheer her on. She bowed as she gratefully accepted her award. Though the crowd may have all been looking at her, she was only busy with him…Arioka Daiki.
Immediately after she was free from the cameras, cleaned herself off, and into her own clothes, she ran out of the locker room and found him standing outside waiting for her. He was busy jumping up and down, and looked rather nervous.
“Ari…oka-kun?” She asked as the boy froze and turned around.
“I-Izumi! Congratulations! U..Uh… these are for you!” He presented her with a big bouquet of roses.
“A-Arigatou!” She gasped as she smelled the sweet aroma. When she looked up from the flowers, she felt her heart skip a beat as Daiki stepped closer.
“I-Izumi…you uh.. left this… at my house.” He shyly offered the bag, it had a small envelope taped onto it. Suddenly her mind flashed their conversation the night before, this was exactly like one of her dramas! He had listened and followed…!
Her hand shook as she reached for the envelope and gently pulled it off. She opened it slowly and his neat handwriting greeted her eyes.
Izumi-san.
I know that telling you this through one of those drama-type ways is a little corny, but I hope you’ll listen. I know that I’ve only known you for such a short amount of time, but I want you to know, in spite of all that, I would like to be by your side. When I was listening to you, I could feel the world around me just melt away. When I was telling you about myself, you showed a genuine interest, and I know that I’m rather boring. Thank you. I guess, what I’m trying to say is…
The note ended abruptly. She turned it over and found nothing.
“What I’m trying to say is… I love you.” Daiki finished, causing her to look up.
“I love you… and I want to be with you, forever.” He reiterated.
Immediately she put her arms around him and smiled broadly.
“I love you too…Daiki. I want to be beside you forever too…” She said as she looked into his eyes and tears of joy rolled down her face. She was so happy to hear the words that she herself had not worked the courage to say.
“What are you crying for silly?” He chuckled as he wiped them away with the sleeve of his jacket.
“Daiki…”
“Shh, it’s okay..” He said as he leaned forward and kissed her. This time, there were no interruptions, there were only the fireworks in their minds, and the blooming love in their hearts.
Yes, they would be together, side-by-side, forever.
(>’_’)><(‘_’<) (>’_’)><(‘_’<) (>’_’)><(‘_’<) (>’_’)><(‘_’<) (>’_’)><(‘_’<) (>’_’)><(‘_’<)
Kya~ Sorry it took so long! I’ve finally found some free time! Yey! I don’t know if this one was good really… I was writing it over and over in my head. Failure….*sigh*
~Emmie
“Ja… thinking time’s up! Arioka-Kun, please show us what you did on the board.” The teacher smiled as she offered him the piece of chalk.
“I…er…. That is to say…I…uh…”
“You didn’t get it did you?”
“No….” Daiki bowed his head ashamedly, and sat down, lately his mind had been slipping, he had been zoning out at lectures and waking up only when the bell that signaled the end of the day sounded.
“Ne, Dai-Chan… what’s going on with you? You used to be so… well… together…” Yuto looked worried as he put his things into his bag and stood up.
“Ah… nothing….” Daiki stood up and put his things into his bag, casually swinging it over his shoulders. Yuto shrugged and walked out of the classroom.
“Whew…” With a sigh Daiki sat down and stared at the seat two rows in front of him and one to the right. It was there that she sat, every day with that perfect smile on her face, that gentle expression, and that sweet smell that she always wore. For the last few weeks, he had been staring at her, Haruo Izumi. Izumi was the star female athlete and scholar at Juri Academy, everyone knew her and everyone was her friend. Everyone that is, except him, the boy who had a crush on her. For a few days he had played around with the idea of just going up to her and introducing himself, but every time he got close, he chickened out and made a strange excuse about not feeling well, or not waiting to disturb her. These excuses got more and more ridiculous as even he himself didn't believe them anymore.
“Gah, put yourself together Daiki!” the boy beat on his head with his clenched fists. He was desperate to pick up his studies and had been staying behind after school to read the day’s lesson. He was about to open his book when suddenly the door to the classroom opened.
“Ah! Gomen, I forgot something.” Daiki stood up quickly, hitting his leg against the desk and wincing in pain as he sat back down.
“Ne… are you okay?” Daiki looked up and blushed as the girl was none other than Izumi herself. She smiled at him with her beautiful brown eyes and he felt the pain in his leg subside.
“I-I’m fine…”
“Ah… you’re….Arioka-kun, right?” She asked as she walked to her desk and reached in to pull out her cell phone.
“H-Hai….” Daiki shook, a little nervous. He watched as she turned around to face him, her flowing brown hair danced in the breeze that wafted through the room and gently laid itself against her shoulders.
“Are you studying today’s lessons? I’ve always been doing that at home, but I have always been looking for a study partner! It’s so lonely doing those equations alone and quizzing myself. Maybe one day we should get together and study for the test ne~” She looked thoughtful as she twirled her phone around in her hands.
“U..Un!” Daiki nodded, happy that things were unfolding the way they were.
“Well, Arioka-kun, here, let me give you my phone number, call me if you ever feel like studying after school okay?” She smiled again and his heart melted as he nodded, unable to say a word. She presented her phone and he could barely concentrate hard enough to lift his own.
“Ja…. See you tomorrow!” Izumi giggled cutely as she walked out of the room, sliping her phone into her pocket.
Meanwhile, in the classroom, Daiki had completely forgotten about why he had stayed late, his textbook sat, forgotten on the corner of his desk as he held his phone in his hands and stared at the numbers listed under “Haruo, Izumi” and smiled to himself.
“I got it!” He jumped up from his desk happily and in the process, hit his leg once again.
“Ow….but… I got it!” He winced as he clasped his leg.
That night, Daiki paced back and forth in his room. He toweled his hair dry and took a deep breath, letting the cool night air embrace his shirtless body. It was no use, even a refreshing shower didn’t help him, try as hard as he might, he couldn’t help himself from stopping whatever he was doing every few minutes to check his phone. He would check to see if he had received a message, or perhaps missed a call. As soon as he checked both, he would check his contacts list to make sure that he had her number, reassuring himself that it wasn’t a dream. Every time he would see her name in his address book he breathed a sigh of relief.
After waiting well into the night, Daiki finally convinced himself that she wasn’t going to be messaging or calling him anytime soon. With that, he laid back on his bed and smiled happily. He imagined Izumi and himself in every single drama and movie that he had been watching and as the images in his head danced around, he couldn’t help but giggle as the night beckoned for him to sleep.
The next morning, the sounds of an obnoxiously loud, but reliable, alarm clock woke Daiki up. He had only enough energy to lift his arm up and slam the snooze button before collapsing onto his bed again. Groggily he rubbed his cheeks before burying his face into the crook of his elbow, nuzzling against his own smooth skin. Just then his phone beeped and his eyes flared open. Intently he looked at his black cell phone, sitting innocently on his bed stand. Was he just imagining it? He closed his eyes again but as he did the phone beeped again. This time Daiki sprang up from his bed and eagerly grabbed his phone.
“Two messages!” He whispered happily to himself as he opened up the inbox.
“Yo! Where are you?! You didn’t forget about coming in early today for the special assembly did you? ~Yuto” Daiki sighed, disappointed
“Ah!” he jumped as Yuto’s words ran through his head and he looked at the clock, he had forgotten to set it a bit earlier and instead of his usual 30 minutes, he had 15 to get there before the MANDATORY school assembly took place. With a flurry of movements, Daiki began pulling on his uniform while absent-mindedly brushing his teeth and looking for his book bag. After a good 10 minutes of Chaos, he finally put himself together and dashed out the door, stopping only long enough to grab a piece of toast from the breakfast table and waving goodbye to his parents and brother.
He got onto his bike and looked at the time.
“Yosh! 5minutes! You can do this!” He cheered himself on as he pedaled faster than he even thought possible. The tall white and red school building was within reach! He panted as with a final burst of energy he pedaled through the gates and jumped off his bike, throwing a lock around it and dashing up the stairs. Finding his classmates in the courtyard of the school, he sat down and sighed in relief, he made it with 1 minute to spare.
“Mou… Dai-chan, you okay?” Yuto noticed the boy was panting hard.
“M-Mmm I’m fine” Daiki smiled reassuringly. He pulled out his phone and realized that there had been two messages! His heart raced again as he flipped open his phone and opened up his inbox. His eyes widened as the message read that it was from “Haruo, Izumi”. He nearly jumped up from his seat as he brought his phone up to his chest and hugged it tightly.
“Nani sore…?” Yamada sat down next to him and looking at the phone.
“N-Nandemonai… it’s nothing!” Daiki quickly tried to move the phone away, but was too slow.
“Yoink! Ooo a mail from Haruo-san…” The younger boy teased.
“Gimme that back Ryosuke!” Daiki lunged as he pinned Yamada against the chair and grabbed his phone back. With a heavy sigh he opened the mail and read:
Arioka-Kun Ohayo!
This is Izumi, I was wondering if we were going to have a study session for the coming test at the end of the week. Oh well, please let me know.
~Haruo Izumi
As he read, Daiki could feel his eyes flutter as he imagined spending time alone with her.
“Eh-Ehe!” He giggled to himself, causing everyone around him to turn and look at him.
“N-Nothing…remembering a funny joke…” He shrugged and pretended to be “remembering”. When everyone looked away, Daiki smiled to himself as he pulled out his cell phone and began to reply:
Haruo-san, Ohayo!
I’m happy to hear from you, I was just thinking the same thing. Anytime is fine for me, please let me know.
~Arioka Daiki
His smile grew broader as he hit the “send” button. However, just as soon as it had come, the same smile vanished from his face as he realized that he really was going to be “alone” with Izumi! With that in mind, the rest of the day seemed to drag by. Izumi had personally come up to him in class, asking that they meet at 6 in the library, and for that moment alone, time stopped, but this time, he didn't mind. As Izumi talked, he merely nodded his head with a love-stricken smile on his face. Once again, he only awoke from his trance when the bell rang, and he stood up to realize that he had not paid a bit of attention to yet another lecture.
Daiki happily pedaled home and changed out of his clothes. He tried desperately to compose an outfit that was appropriate for the occasion.
“Mou… why don’t I own anything cool!”
Clothes flew all over his bed and at one point he ended up back in his uniform, with an idea to claim that he hadn’t gone home yet.
“That’s stupid…” He censured himself.
The two hours of free time passed, and so did 63 different combinations of his clothes, before he felt satisfied. He chose a simple black, ornately designed sleeveless shirt with what looked to be a vine crawling up his side, a pure white vest, trimmed with black, and a simple pair of dark jeans.
“Yosh!” He nodded to himself clenching his fist and pumping it in the air
“You can do this!” He cheered.
“S-Should I buy her flowers?”
“No! That’s not what people do for a study date!”
“Date!? I just said date! I’m going on a date with her!”
“What do I do!?”
“What if I mess up..?”
“Oh god Daiki… don't make a fool of yourself…”
His head was a flurry of thoughts as he talked back and forth with himself. Slowly he wandered out of his house, and walked to the local library. He at least had his head on long enough to call ahead and reserve a private study room. Much to his surprise, the lady at the front of the library said that a girl was had already claimed the reservation and was waiting for him.
“This… is it!” Daiki took a deep breath as he put his hand on the knob. He opened the door to find Izumi sitting at the table in the room, her legs crossed perfectly and she was absent-mindedly flicking her hair while listening to her earphones and burying herself in a book.
“I-Izu…mi-san.” Daiki stuttered, but she didn’t hear him over her headphones.
“You’re so pretty…” he sighed, this time she looked up and he froze. Did she hear him?
“Ah! Arioka-kun! You’re here! Sorry, I was distracted ne~” She bowed slightly, flashing him her cute smile and he quickly shook his head.
“It’s okay, really! I just got here.” He nodded as he sat down at the seat opposite her at the table.
The “study session” consisted of her reading through the book while asking questions if Daiki understood, and the occasional time where she would ask him to explain it to her. Truth be told, Daiki didn't even know how he knew what he was talking about, he spent most of his time staring at her. The big brown eyes that seemed to look right into his heart stared back.
“Well, I think we’re all set then!” She suddenly said as she closed the book.
“Eh-Eh!? That fast?”
“Fast? It’s already well into the night….mou Arioka-kun, are you okay? I noticed you were spacing out for quite a bit…” She looked concerned
“A-Ah…. Nothing… it’s nothing…” Solemly he watched as the girl slowly put the papers and notes back into her backpack. As each thing went in, he grew braver and suddenly, his mouth moved itself.
“Izumi-san… would you.. like to go for dinner? It’s late and I figure… we should go eat, instead of going home. Ah.. you know…” Daiki spoke with spitfire speed, fearing if he stopped he may never work up the nerve again.
“Ah… sure why not, maybe this will be a nice tradition for these study sessions?” Izumi smiled as she slung her bag around her shoulder and walked out of the room.
Daiki couldn't believe his luck as he scrambled to just throw everything of his into his bag and quickly ran after her.
After walking for a few minutes, the two came upon a restaurant that was still opened and stepped inside.
“Ah! Welcome!” The staff greeted them as they took a booth near the entrance.
“Wow… we dodged a bullet, it’s raining now…” Izumi pointed as small drops of water began falling outside.
“Y-Yeah…”
“Arioka-Kun…. Don’t be so nervous… we’re friends right?” he girl smiled as she noticed Daiki’s hand shaking as he held the menu. Secretly, the boy didn't know what to feel, he had just been referred to as “friend” and wasn't sure if that was a step forward, or a giant leap backwards.
“Y-Yeah….”
After another two minutes of awkward conversation, the two finally ordered and began talking about things other than school. He found out that she loved the story Cinderella, that she loved miso soup, but hated the tofu that came with it. She talked about her favorite dramas, variety shows, music, and even her favorite books. Even as these meaningless facts came out of her mouth, he asked for more, smiling dumbly, just nodding and listening to her talk. He wanted to know her.. and it seemed to him, that everything she said, was just… so interesting. Indeed, he was hopelessly in love…
“Ne, we’ve been talking about me the whole time… what about you Arioka-kun?” Izumi suddenly shifted topics.
“Well…. What about me?”
“What’s interesting about THE Arioka Daiki?” She giggled as she emphasized his name.
“N-Nothing….I think… I’m rather boring really…” He proceeded to talk about himself, nervously revealing some of his most embarrassing secrets, seeing how she reacted. After every story he told, she smiled and comforted him, assuring that it was just bad luck, or it’s perfectly normal. Daiki felt so comforted and accepted, as her warm brown eyes returned his looks and her soft silky hands wrapped around his.
“Awe, that’s not true…. I think you’re very interesting.”
“Really!?” Daiki asked, perhaps a little too eagerly.
“Un!” She nodded as the server set their plates down.
“So… Daiki…. Will you be coming to the big track meet tomorrow night?”
“Hm?”
“The track meet, I’ll be running in it… I was wondering if you’d come.”
“I… don’t know.”
“Why not? If… I win, I’ll dedicate it in your honor…..” She teased.
“Ahah, Okay okay.” Daiki giggled, blushing a little.
“It may be the last time that I run…” she said, as she looked at her bowl of soup. The light from the room reflected off the shimmering surface of the liquid, lighting her eyes up.
“Oh..? Why? I thought you loved running track.”
“I do… I do.. but it’s just that lately.. I’ve been trying to juggle more and more academic ventures…. And my parents are pressuring me to take as many courses to prepare for college.. “ Izumi sighed as she took a sip.
“Well… that doesn’t mean that you should give up something that you love so much…. If you want it really bad, you’ve got to be able to fight for it….” With an impulse, Daiki reached forward and grabbed her hand.
“Dai…ki?”
“I’ve seen you run before, if it makes you so happy, you shouldn’t give it up…”
Izumi simply stared at him for a few moments before returning to her food, her mind a jumbled mess of thoughts. Her silence continued until the end of their meal. As the two stood up, Daiki felt he should apologize for his words, maybe he had overstepped his boundaries…
“Ne… let’s go running…”
“H-Haaa?” Daiki’s eyes widened.
“Let’s go running….”
“O..Okay…” Daiki nodded, not quite understanding.
“We’ll have to find a place to put our things….”
“We're actually near my house.. we can leave our things there…” Daiki offered as she nodded.
When they got to Daiki’s home, the two took only the time to put their bags in the front doorway. When they were leaving, Daiki took a jacket from the nearby closet, and headed out.
“Ja.. let’s go.” She smiled brightly as she took off. For a few moments, Daiki stood absolutely still… there was the beautiful image again. He took off slowly, his eyes focused upon the girl before him. She ran with such carefree abandon, her long and silky hair dancing behind her. Together they two of them ran down the street into the nearby playground and laughed as the two of them, finally tired, collapsed onto the bench.
“It’s so nice and freeing isn’t it?” She asked, as she looked up into the sky.
“Yeah….” Daiki sighed, his body ached, he was tired and not used to this… but somehow he felt so refreshed at the same time. In the midst of all this, a sudden roar of thunder came and almost immediately the waters began to fall.
“Ah!” Izumi giggled as she ran towards the playground, taking shelter in one of the small structures.
“Ahah” Daiki laughed as he followed. The two of them huddled under the brightly colored playground structure. They were both soaked and she smiled at him as they sat there, waiting for the waters to pass.
“Are you cold?” Daiki asked as he took off his jacket and wrapped it around the shivering-girl.
“Arigatou…” She bowed and looked into his eyes, and for a brief moment, they were caught in each other’s gazes.
“I…iya it was nothing.” Daiki looked away quickly, blushing as he did. He felt her move and suddenly he felt her lips against his cheek as a gentle kiss linked them for a few precious seconds.
“It was sweet of you…” she said as she pulled Daiki’s jacket around her tightly.
“Are you tired? Why don't you rest a little, I’ll wake you if the rain stops okay?” Daiki offered.
“Unn, maybe…” She sighed as she let herself go and rest her head against Daiki’s shoulders, again he blushed.
Secretly, she didn't really feel tired, somehow, from the moment she met him, she knew that there was… a certain something. The way he stared at her so intently when she was saying all those pointless things, the way he smiled as he listened, it all made her feel warm inside. Perhaps, she thought, just maybe she was falling in love with him. As she put her head on his shoulders, she closed her eyes and listened. The soft rises and falls of his body whenever Daiki breathed, the gentle movements he’d make so as not to wake her, and even the small tugs on the jacket around her, so she wouldn’t be cold.
“Arigatou… Arioka-kun.” She mumbled as she let herself go and smiled as the gentle rainfall lulled her to sleep.
The next morning, the birds were chirping as a cool refreshing breeze flowed through the air and gently caressed the two under the small playground structure. The night’s embrace had lured Daiki into a sleep as he now had his head resting against hers and they slept soundly, peacefully. The winds blew harder, blowing some of her hair into his face and he awoke to her smells and as he shuffled around, she began to stir.
“G-Gomen, I… fell asleep as well…” Daiki stuttered as he scratched his head and yawned.
“Mm It’s okay.” She smiled, tilting her head sideways and watching as he stretched and let out an adorable yawn, yep, she was in love.
“I suppose… we should…go home…” he sighed, standing up and in the process hitting his head on the low roof above them.
“Ah! Itai~” He winced as he sat back down.
“Are you okay?” Izumi rushed next to him and gently brushed the area with her hands and gave it a soft massage, easing away the pain.
“H-Hai…” Daiki said, turning around to see that she was only a few inches away from his face. Ever so slowly… the two inched forward until their lips met and for a few moments, they kissed tenderly.
“Ooohh, an Onee-san and Onii-san are kissing!” A little boy’s voice came out as the two broke their kiss and shyly looked away from each other.
“Oooo!” The other kids joined in as they saw the two.
Izumi smiled shyly still and gently made her way out of the covered area.
“Arioka-kun! I’ll be waiting for you at the meet tonight!” She called as she ran off.
“W-Wait! Your stuff is still at my house!” He called, but it was too late.
“Ne ne~ Onii-Chan likes her right?” One of the boys asked.
“…yes…very much.” Daiki smiled as he stood up, careful not to hit himself again. With a sigh he walked home to see her bag and smiled as an idea came to him.
That night, the small track stadium roared with the screams of hundreds of fans, but Izumi only needed to hear one. She turned around and round, scanning through the crowds and finally saw him. Daiki was pushing his way through the crowded seats to the bottom of the seating area. He stood there, holding onto the railing so as not to be knocked backward again by the raging audience. With a smile she waved to him, Daiki smiled back and waved, pumping his fist in the air to cheer her on. As she saw this, a building sense of courage rushed through her. With him here she could win this, she had to win this.
The pistol rang through the air as the runners took off. The wind blew against her face and her mind drifted to this morning when they woke up together. The wind was just like this, it ruffled through her hair and made it flow in wafting currents as she ran. She could remember his soft touch, the real interest he took when listening to her talk, everything about him. They had only known each other for such a short time, but she felt as if she had known him for a lifetime.
While she was busy remembering, her legs hadn’t forgotten to run, with her mind busy elsewhere, she could barely notice the fatigue that the other runners were suffering and still she pulled ahead. Her thoughts of Daiki drowned out all else as she lowered her head and charged forward, as she turned around to look, the other runners were wide-eyed as she moved with a speed they had never seen before.
“For you… Daiki.” She whispered as she pushed even harder and ran ahead. Izumi ran her laps and within a short amount of time, the last lap came. The finish line was within reach, and she smiled as the winds gusted strongly, blowing away the drops of sweat on her skin, they dropped against the track, shimmering as they fell.
“Izumi-San…” Daiki whispered, mesmerized by her beautiful
“Arioka-kun…” she whispered, as she crossed the finish line,
The crowd roared even louder as they all stood to cheer her on. She bowed as she gratefully accepted her award. Though the crowd may have all been looking at her, she was only busy with him…Arioka Daiki.
Immediately after she was free from the cameras, cleaned herself off, and into her own clothes, she ran out of the locker room and found him standing outside waiting for her. He was busy jumping up and down, and looked rather nervous.
“Ari…oka-kun?” She asked as the boy froze and turned around.
“I-Izumi! Congratulations! U..Uh… these are for you!” He presented her with a big bouquet of roses.
“A-Arigatou!” She gasped as she smelled the sweet aroma. When she looked up from the flowers, she felt her heart skip a beat as Daiki stepped closer.
“I-Izumi…you uh.. left this… at my house.” He shyly offered the bag, it had a small envelope taped onto it. Suddenly her mind flashed their conversation the night before, this was exactly like one of her dramas! He had listened and followed…!
Her hand shook as she reached for the envelope and gently pulled it off. She opened it slowly and his neat handwriting greeted her eyes.
Izumi-san.
I know that telling you this through one of those drama-type ways is a little corny, but I hope you’ll listen. I know that I’ve only known you for such a short amount of time, but I want you to know, in spite of all that, I would like to be by your side. When I was listening to you, I could feel the world around me just melt away. When I was telling you about myself, you showed a genuine interest, and I know that I’m rather boring. Thank you. I guess, what I’m trying to say is…
The note ended abruptly. She turned it over and found nothing.
“What I’m trying to say is… I love you.” Daiki finished, causing her to look up.
“I love you… and I want to be with you, forever.” He reiterated.
Immediately she put her arms around him and smiled broadly.
“I love you too…Daiki. I want to be beside you forever too…” She said as she looked into his eyes and tears of joy rolled down her face. She was so happy to hear the words that she herself had not worked the courage to say.
“What are you crying for silly?” He chuckled as he wiped them away with the sleeve of his jacket.
“Daiki…”
“Shh, it’s okay..” He said as he leaned forward and kissed her. This time, there were no interruptions, there were only the fireworks in their minds, and the blooming love in their hearts.
Yes, they would be together, side-by-side, forever.
(>’_’)><(‘_’<) (>’_’)><(‘_’<) (>’_’)><(‘_’<) (>’_’)><(‘_’<) (>’_’)><(‘_’<) (>’_’)><(‘_’<)
Kya~ Sorry it took so long! I’ve finally found some free time! Yey! I don’t know if this one was good really… I was writing it over and over in my head. Failure….*sigh*
~Emmie