This guy knows who I am?
You narrow your eyebrows and clench at your sleeves.
"How do you know my name..." You slowly ask. He stares at you a bit before smiling again.
"I've heard a lot about you actually..." He crosses his arms and looks towards the car Hikari is sitting in. "Would it be okay if I borrow you?" He slowly asks. You look towards the car and then back at him.
"I guess... but I promised to help my aunt move her boxes in..." You slowly say, looking down at your feet. Hikari rolls the window down and moves the car forward a bit until it was right by you.
"If you need to go then you can..." Hikari slowly says. A smile grows on her face... not a normal smile but a teasing one. You furrow your eyebrows and slowly look towards Izana who is smiling at you.
"Nevermind... I guess." You sigh. His smile grows more.
You sit at the park swing, staring off into the distance. He walks over towards you and hands you a drink. You take the can and open it, slowly drinking from it.
"So, what exactly do you want?" You slowly ask.
"Do I need to want something? Can't I just talk to you?"
"You want to talk to me about what?"
"... Nothing much really- I'm curious about you." He smiles.
"Curious? There's nothing much to be curious about..." You droop your head down a bit as you stare down at your cup of soda. Izana stares at you for a bit before sighing and looking off into the distance.
"I heard about your grandfather..." He slowly says. Your eyes widen and then narrow.
How would he know about that? I haven't really told anyone. You think to yourself.
"I saw your aunt the first time I came to the bakery... she told me what happened... she said to come back another day- so I came today." Your eyes widen when he says that. Wait... did Hikari set me up? You question. "I wanted to get to know you better... so I've been looking for you... but everywhere I look you aren't there."
"Well... yeah- I've been busy."
"Busy with your grandfather?" He asks, tilting his head forward.
"I guess..." You say clenching your hand around the can tighter. He leans closer to you causing you to flinch a bit and look at him.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" He asks. You furrow your eyebrows.
What a straightforward question.
"No... I don't." You slowly say.
"Great!" He coos. He grabs your wrist and pulls you off the swing. Your eyes widen as he pulls you with him, causing you to almost drop your drink. You grip onto your drink tighter and hold onto Izana's hand tighter. He smiles back at you as he leads you away.
"Where are we going?" You ask.
"It's a surprise..." He bubbles. You stare at him and then into the direction he is leading you towards. You should pull away and interrogate him... but you want to know where he will take you. You allow him to pull you away.
Bzzz Bzzz
"Huh? Where's that buzzing coming from?" Hikari questions as she shuffles through the boxes. She stops when she notices your phone vibrating. She reaches for the phone and answers it.
"Hello?" She asks as she adjusts and rests the phone on her shoulder.
"YUKI??" A voice shouts from the phone.
"Yuki isn't here..." Hikari sighs.
"Huh? Who's this?" The voice questions.
"Hikari... Yuki's aunt..."
"Oh- do you know where Yuki is?" The voice questions.
"She's with a friend right now... do you want me to deliver a message for you?" Hikari questions as she opens another box. The person on the other line sighs loudly.
"No... Just tell her to call Chifuyu... that's all I ask." The voice sighs.
"Alright." Hikari nods. The phone hangs up and she places the phone down.
Baji sighs and puts his phone in his pocket after ending the call with Hikari. He pushes himself off his bed and grabs his brace, wrapping it around his waist.
"That girl never has her phone on her." He huffs as he walks out his room.
You stand still watching Izana talking to someone at a booth. He turns towards you and smiles, walking towards you.
"They have tickets for this scary movie... I heard it's really good... do you want to watch that?"
"Where have you heard me from?" You ask. He looks at you and then towards the theatre.
"My friend told me about you."
"Your friend?" You question, tilting your head forward a bit.
"Mhm. He said you have been a hot topic lately. So, I did my digging..."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Haha... you're making me nervous by questioning me so much... making me feel like I did something wrong." he laughs.
"No- I'm just curious." You slowly say.
"I know... I understand. It's weird for a guy you have never met or spoke to randomly talking to you... I would be weirded out too." He smiles. "I heard about you when I was in juvenile detention. Everyone was talking about you actually. I just got out recently... so I was wanting to meet you."
"huh?"
This guy just got out of juvenile detention? What did he do to be there?
"Wait... why were you in Juvie?... and for how long?" You slowly ask. He smiles slightly and looks towards you.
"I have been there for two years..." He slowly says as he looks back towards the theatre. "Do you want to go somewhere and just chat?"
"Sure." You calmly reply. You walk with him a bit, following behind him. You stare at the earrings on his ears. They dangle as he moves. So pretty, is all you think.
You both sit and stare off at the water in front of you. Izana takes a deep breath and looks at you.
"Do you live with your grandparents?" He asks. You slowly nod.
"My mother passed away a couple years ago... so- I live with them now." You slowly say. "What about you?" You ask, looking at him. He stares at you and then looks off into the distance.
"I don't have any family..."
"You don't?" You question. He sighs and looks down.
"I grew up in foster care..." He answers in a low tone. You stare at him and then off into the distance.
"I see..." You slowly say. You take a deep breath and then quickly look towards him. "Let's talk about more positive things." You softly say. He looks at you and then smiles. He leans back and looks off into the distance.
"I'm surprised you aren't in school..."
"Huh? What makes you say that?" You ask looking towards him. He tilts his head to the side and stares at you. His earrings dangling as he does.
"Wouldn't you be in school right now- or are you skipping?"
"I- well... no... technically I'm not skipping."
"Technically?" He raises his eyebrow.
"Technically..." You sigh. You brush your hair behind your ear and slowly sit up straight.
"What makes you say that?" He asks as he tilts his head forward.
"... I got expelled." You struggle to say. You sink your head down a bit causing all your hair to surround your face.
"Expelled? For what?" He chuckles.
"For smashing a guy's face in... they said I was out of control and kicked me out of school." You slowly say. His chuckling turns into laughter. You slowly look up to him as he sits up straight and then rests his weight on his hands, leaning back a bit.
"A girl beating a guy's ass sounds so badass..." He chuckles.
"I guess you can say that... to me it just sounds childish." You sigh.
"What makes you say that?" He questions.
"I lost my chill and- yeah." You rub your face trying to calm your nerves. Izana notices and moves the hair from in front of your face.
"Most girls let guys walk all over them... I find it attractive when girls are tough like that." He smiles. You slowly look towards him. He looks up at the sky. The sun is setting. "Tough people excite me..."
"How come?" You slowly ask. He looks at you and smiles.
"They always have a story... one that I can sometimes relate to." He says sitting up a bit. You furrow your eyebrows a bit feeling confused.
"How old are you?" You slowly ask. He looks at you and takes a deep breath.
"Twenty..." He smiles.
"Twenty...? You're a lot older than I thought you would be..."
"How old did you think I was?"
"My age." You slowly answer.
"Mmm- I'm almost old enough to drink."
"Almost?"
"Almost a legal adult." He smiles. You stare at him and stare off into the distance. Talking to him feels strange. Something feels off but you can't tell what it is. You furrow your eyebrows trying to figure out why this feels odd.
"What will you do now that you're out of Juvie?" You ask. His smile disappears and he looks blanky in front of him.
"I don't know..."
"..."
"I didn't really have anything to go back to when I got out..." He softly says as he looks at you. "I don't really see a future for myself... "
"..." You begin to fidget with your fingers, furrowing your eyebrows a bit. Your eyes widen a bit when you think of something. You slowly turn to look at him.
"Do you like to bake?" You ask. He looks at you feeling confused.
You stand outside the bakery, staring inside the dark and empty bakery.
"When I got here the first time, I noticed how empty this place looks... Like no one comes here anymore." Izana softly says.
"Ever since my grandpa got sick... my grandmother closed the bakery for good. My aunt said she's willing to continue running the bakery for my grandmother... but I know how busy she is with school... and studying... I really wonder if she meant what she said..." You slowly say.
"What do you mean?" Izana slowly asks, looking at you.
"I mean... she is working on being a nurse... she really likes caring for the wounded... or whatever she said-"
"..." Izana looks towards the bakery door. His eyes are dull. You stare at them. They're pretty now that you look at them.
"My aunt wanted me to stay at the bakery... and work here... I feel like she asked me this so she wouldn't be so worried doing it all alone."
"So... why did you ask... if I liked to bake?" Izana asks. You furrow your eyebrows. You can't tell what it is... the feeling he's giving of seems like a call for help. You want to help him but you don't want to scare him away. His timing is random and the way he speaks to you is strange.
"Well... I don't really know if I want to leave... and if I stayed it would be nice to have someone who could bake with me." You softly say. Izana's eyes relax and he puts his hands in his pocket.
"Why would you want me to help you..." He blankly asks.
"Why not?" You softly ask, smiling at him. He stares at you, no expression on his face.
"Don't pity me." He grumbles, turning away and slowly walking away. You furrow your eyebrows and stare at him.
"Why do you think I'm saying that out of pity?" You huff. He stops walking and looks at you. His fists clenched and a glare in his eyes.
"I tell you a sob story... you answer by giving me pity. I don't need your sorrow." He flares his nose and shakes his head, turning away.
"... I only asked because- maybe- I-" You furrow your eyebrows and look down at your hands. "I was given the choice to stay here or go to the mountains... with my grandparents... a part of me doesn't want to leave... but I don't know." You sigh and grab the bakery door. Izana stands still staring off into the distance. "There's a reason why you came here... right-" You ask, looking up at him. He stares at you. "So why did you come?"
He stands still, staring at you. He slowly looks you up and down. "I was-"
"... you don't have to tell me..." You interrupt. "Every time I ask... I'm met up with disappointment... If you want to use me... then use me- but don't put up with the sweet person act." You sigh. Izana stands still staring at you. He slowly walks up to you and then stops walking.
"... I'm sorry-" He says looking at the bakery.
"Sorry for what?" You ask, looking up at him.
"The last time someone promised me something like that... giving me a bit of hope- they fell through." He slowly says.
"I see..." You slowly nod. "I won't force you... It's your choice completely- It was just a suggestion- Maybe I over assumed... thinking that you and I were in the same position."
He relaxes his body and his eyes. You look up at him and smile.
"If you consider it... I'll be here..." You softly say. Izana's eyes soften and you unlock the bakery, walking in and locking it behind you. He watches as you disappear behind the counter and into the back. Izana looks off into the distance and then sighs. He walks off after standing outside for a bit.
He slowly walks down a pair of stairs and into a building. He makes his way up to the rooftop and rests on the ledge. Minutes pass and the sound of the door on the roof opens. Izana looks up and smiles.
"The air feels so thin up here..." Izana soothes. He slowly stands up and puts his hands in his pockets. "You were right... about her." He softly says, smiling a bit.
"..." Kisaki stares at Izana's back, furrowing his eyebrows a bit. Izana turns his head a bit and looks back at Kisaki.
"... what now..." Izana asks.
"Revenge." Kisaki answers. Izana smiles.