Scarred - Chapter 3
Title: Scarred
Author: Me
Pairing: Takaki Yuya X OC
Genre: Romance. Slice of Life. Slight Angst.
Paper planes fall.
Leaves wither.
Sun sets.
Stars disappear.
People get wounded.
Wounds turn to scars.
Miyazaki Himari pushed the doors of the library entrance. Since her best friend Hayate is still cleaning his homeroom, she told him she’ll wait in the library. She walked passed numbers of shelves until she reached the section of fiction books. She’s not a bookworm but she finds reading a nice way of keeping herself busy during her free time.
As she was about to remove her backpack, she saw the tanned guy she met a week ago, head resting on his right arm, eyes closed. After seeing him getting in an accident and in a near accident situation, it’s definitely not hard to remember him. She walked near him and peeked at what he was doing.
She raised a brow. “Math problems?” she blurted unintentionally. She bit her lip when she remembered how unfriendly this guy was.
“Yeah.”
She was startled when he responded. She wasn’t expecting any reply. He opened his eyes slowly and after a few seconds, widened with recognition, showing her how brown those are. He immediately sat up straight, still staring at her.
She found that move of his adorable so she couldn’t help but smile. She slid down the chair beside him, eyeing the worksheets he had in front. “Let me see if I can help.” She settled her bag on the table and took his paper.
Math is her favorite subject. Sure, she’s getting high grades in all of the subject since she’s one of the top students but Math is the subject she excels the most. Scanning his answers, she smiled to herself when he observed his penmanship. His penmanship is like screaming ‘I really hate you, Mathematics!’ because of the pressure applied on the way the words were written.
“You have a wrong answer on this number,” she pointed the third question. And the thing is, his solution is too far from the real solution.
“Oh,” he responded as if he didn’t care. “It’s okay--”
She pouted slightly. ‘It’s not okay, though. Why are a lot of people easily giving up on Math?’ She took the pencil from the guy’s hand and pushed the paper toward him. She moved her chair a bit nearer. “Let me help you.”
She started solving a number slowly and step by step. She kept on glancing at his face to see if he understands or not and she was glad to see that he looks like focusing on what she is writing.
She started explaining, still watching his reactions. He started shifting from his position so she concluded that he’s having a hard time understanding so she explained every step thoroughly. When she’s done, she handed back the pencil and looked at him, waiting for him to answer the next problems. The guy looked back at her.
She wanted to cringe at how unwelcoming his eyes were. They seem so grumpy.
The guy started answering. She watched as he creases his forehead at every number. She doesn’t know if he understood or not but based on the slow but continuous movement of his pencil, she knew he can already a lot correctly.
She observed his features. Unlike her, he only has a single eyelid. His nose is nicely shaped. Her eyes traveled toward his lips and realized how beautifully curved those are. She wondered, what do those lips look like if they are smiling? This guy in front of her doesn’t seem to smile that much. Or at all.
“Hey!”
Her head snapped toward the familiar voice. When she saw Hayate, she immediately smiled widely and beamed. “Hayate!”
“Who’s this?” Hayate eyed the guy beside her. “He looks familiar.”
She wanted to scoff and whisper that it was the guy whom he got mad last time but she decided not to. “A new friend?” She glanced at the guy to see if he got offended of what she said. And before she even know what the look on his face is telling, her eyes widened when she realized something. “Wait, I haven’t even know your name!” She chuckled at her realization.
She saw how the guy’s lips almost show a smile which made her grin. “What’s your name?”
“Yuya Takaki,” he answered. “You?”
“Himari Miyazaki.” She pointed her best friend. “And this is my best friend, Hayate Wada.”
Hayate tilted his head sideward and smiled. “Hey bro.”
She stood up from her seat and clung her arm into Hayate’s. “We’ll be going now, Takaki! See you next time?”
Yuya nodded and continued working on his worksheet without returning a smile.
Himari’s eyes were glued at the lower part of the hill where she and Hayate are walking. The river reflecting the orange sky, the grassy ground beside it and the soft sounds of the wind seem like pulling her to go down there, sit and talk about random things with Hayate like what they often do. She tugged her best friend’s shirt, biting a grin and looking at him hopefully. “Do you know how good it feels if we lay down there for a while and feel how much mother nature loves us?”
Hayate grinned but didn’t stop walking. “Do you know how much I want to do what you are thinking right now?”
“Do you know how much I want to tell you to that we should stop for a while and spend time there?”
“Do you know how much I want to agree to what you are saying?”
She stopped restraining her grin. “Do you know how much happy I am to know that you agree?”
“Do you know how much we can’t do that right now because mom is waiting?”
Her grin dropped which made him laugh. He placed his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer. Hayate is not a tall guy but he’s at least two inches higher than her. “Oh come on! Mom just wants to know how you are.”
The wind blew, allowing some of her hair to fly toward her face. She gently moved those aside. “I’m always fine.”
He scoffed. “Tell that to her.”
They walked until they reached the intersection. They head left and after a while, they’re already at Hayate’s house.
Hayate opened the door for her. “Welcome home?”
She laughed but entered anyway. She’s a bit guilty for treating her best friend’s house as her own home. She’s frequently staying there because there are times, a lot of times actually, that she feels more comfortable there than her own home.
“Himari!” She saw Hayate’s mother pacing toward them with a big smile plastered on her face. She hugged her. “I’m really really glad to see you! How are you?”
“I’m really fine, auntie,” she answered.
“Mom, why don’t we just adopt Himari?” Hayate joked. “So that you won’t miss her.”
They all laughed.
“How was it?” Himari’s mom enthusiastically asked.
As soon as she came home, her mother hugged her and dragged her toward the dining area to feed her with a new recipe. She looked at her mom, smiling while chewing the food. “It’s a bit sweet but it’s still good.”
Her mom sighed in relief. “That’s good to hear. Maybe I’ll lessen the sugar soon.” Her mom sat down the chair beside her and started eating too.
She looked at her mom. Her mom is a pastry chef and well, she’s not cooking great foods aside from the ones she’s cooking at her work. Still, she loves her mom’s cooking. Or she just simply love her mom.
And of course, her dad too.
“Mom,” she called.
Her mom faced her while chewing. “Hmm?”
She looked at her mom straight in the eyes. “Is dad going home?” she asked softly.
Her mom stopped chewing and her face fell. “I don’t know, sweetheart.” She gulped her food down.
She continued eating and let the sounds of spoons and forks fill the silence between them.
All she knew is that her parents are fighting over something big. She doesn’t really know anything about it but she’s often hearing them fight inside their room. She wanted to ask things. So many things, actually. But she knew it’s a matter only for her parents.
She knew her family is falling apart slowly. And it pains her. A lot. But she couldn’t do anything but to show them her love. Because she believes that love will keep them all together. If her parent’s couldn’t give sufficient love for each other, she’s willing to suffice them with her love.
And she thinks, it is enough.