As he sank into his cold bed once more, his fleeting moments with her started flashing before him again. He thought of her gentle hands cupping his teary face, her soft embrace thawing his frozen heart, her quiet hum drowning out the silent echo of his lonely cries.
He stared at the softly lit ceiling of his desolate bedroom as he twirled his thumbs around. He turned to lie on his side.
"It's like I can't escape her…" he whispered to himself. "And that promise… why does she even want me to use her first name…" his body suddenly tensed up, almost like he had made a realization.
"Could it be? But why?" he started twisting and turning in his bed. "But what if I'm reading way into it? AGHH!" he let out a quiet, frustrated roar, with his face buried in his pillow.
"I don't know anymore…" he said hesitantly, laying on his back again, his face flustered. As the weight of his eyelids grew heavier, he thought of her tender smile, and before he drifted into sleep, he whispered, "I guess I would be pretty fun…"
The next morning, Shizuo was violently awoken from his sleep by the constant ringing of the doorbell. Shizuo rubbed his eyes in annoyance. "Who the hell could it be?" he thought to himself.
He unhurriedly dragged himself out of bed. "I'm on my way, GODDAMIT!" he roared. When he turned the key and opened the wooden door, he saw the figure of a tall man.
As his eyes adjusted to the light emitted by the hallway chandeliers, he heard the man speak. "You gonna talk or what?" the voice questioned.
"UGHH! What the actual hell are you doing here on a Sunday morning, DAI??" asked Shizuo, his eyes half opened.
"Dude, what do you mean morning… It's almost six," replied Dai.
"That doesn't change the fact that you're here uninvited," sighed Shizuo. "Come on in, but we might step out to the laundromat later,"
"Yess, I knew I could count on you," replied Dai, giddily running past him and jumping on to the couch.
Shizuo shook his head and locked the door. He turned to Dai, who was comfortably sitting on the couch. "Load up the game… I'll go wash up," he said, almost demandingly.
"Already at it chief," Dai reached over and grabbed a controller. After Shizuo was done, he walked over to the couch and signaled Dai to make space for him. "Ready to get your ass kicked," Dai leaned in towards the TV.
"You know I always win… so why even bother," replied Shizuo with a grin on his face. Dai looked around the apartment suspiciously. "Hey Shizuo… did you do some cleaning around here?" he questioned.
"Yeah, I got tired of living like filth," he replied coldly. "WOW… something major must have happened… why not tell me about it," he asked teasingly. "Why don't you focus on the game," said Shizuo, as the game announcer declared player one as winner.
"SO, SOMETHING DID HAPPEN… please tell your best friend everything, he will listen very, very closely." Shizuo stood up from the couch, turning his face away not confront the question.
"Get off your ass… we're going to the laundromat," yelled Shizuo as he ran into his bedroom and collected all the clothes on the floor.
Shizuo left his bedroom with a huge plastic bag containing all his dirty clothes. "Get up, Dai!" ordered Shizuo as he walked towards the door. Dai immediately put down the controller and jumped over the couch.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?" he shook his head. Dai smiled as he put his hands in his pockets and walked out of the apartment. As they walked along the sidewalk, Shizuo felt the morning breeze and golden sun on his skin.
"Man, that last game wasn't even fair," complained Dai. "I really don't care… you got distracted and you lost," replied Shizuo, grinning. "You're such a rat," said Dai, rolling his eyes.
"By the way, what gives?" he continued. "What do you mean?" asked Shizuo with a confused look on his face. "I mean… where did all this motivation come from?" commented Dai calmly.
"You can't hide it from me forever you know…" continued Dai with a cartoonish smile on his face. Shizuo's face turned serious in an instant. "Hey Dai," said Shizuo, his voice cold as ice.
"What is it like to be infatuated by a person?" he asked with a stern voice. Dai's shoulders relaxed as Shizuo uttered those words.
"That's a bit deep but I'll try to put it into words," replied Dai. After a brief pause, Dai began talking again.
"Think of it like his, it's when every moment without them feels like a waste. It's when you find yourself longing for their presence even at the most irrelevant times. It's when you think about them so much your head hurts. I can keep going but I think you get the point." Shizuo looked at Dai before smiling.
"Didn't take you for much of a lover boy, Dai," he teased. "I have my moments too, asshole" shrugged Dai, signaling Shizuo to walk into the laundromat with him.