roubai | i. wakasa

十

an: temporary new publishing time! this'll probably go on until i get a new permanent shift at work

"Why do you eat like a child?" Wakasa asks, eyes on Rini as he notices the ketchup smudges on the corners of her lips. He quietly extends his hand out to take a piece of tissue, wiping the red condiment off her lips.

"You two are awfully close now." Takeomi commented, his eyes darting between his younger sister then to Wakasa. Nibbling on the french fries while Benkei and Shinichiro sit in one corner, talking about useless stuff.

"Of course we are!" Rini exclaims, smiling brightly while slinging an arm around Wakasa's shoulder. "Were friends, Omi nii." She adds, Wakasa turning his head to give her one look before reaching out to get his drink, taking a sip.

"Don't you have any female friends?" Takeomi asks, wiping the salt and grease off his fingers with a tissue. "I don't even see you at school hanging out with a group of girls. You're always stuck with the club members."

"I don't even have friends." Rini replies, "I mean I used back in our early junior high days, but then they ditched me either they want to spend time with their boyfriends or they knew I used to beat up the delinquents that always roamed around in our neighborhood." She replies, her eyes looking away as she recalls the memory.

Rini proceeds to turn her head to look at Wakasa. "Will you leave me when you get a girlfriend too?"

Wakasa sets his cup of drink down. "The chances of me getting a girlfriend right now is pretty low. But even if I did, why would I ditch you?" He responded. "I'll even make an exception for you."

Rini smiles, giving him a thumbs up. "Good answer."

"You know I don't mind if I take the bus to Haruchiyo's and Senju's school." Rini begins to say, sitting behind Wakasa on his bike as he speeds down the road, Rini's arms wrapped around his waist from behind.

"It's the rush hour." Wakasa reasons. "The bus and the train are most likely packed right now. Just be thankful I'm giving a ride." He adds.

"Aw" The girl coos, wrapping her arms around his waist tightly. "Thank you so much, Waka! Do you want a kiss? I'll give you one since you're a good friend." She tells him, chuckling afterwards.

Instead of answering, Wakasa remained quiet. The other three were already in their meeting place, heading there for a meeting. Whereas he voiced out to them how he'll drive Rini to their younger siblings' school. Stopping his bike in front of the elementary school facade, his extends his legs out to steady his bike, watching her get out.

"Thank you so much for taking me here, Waka!" She begins to say, smiling at him before leaning in to place a quick kiss on his cheek. Catching Wakasa both in surprise and off guard. "Drive safely on your way there, okay? Bye bye!" And with that, Rini walked off.

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

"Hey" A female classmate of Rini's turns to her, one hand holding a pile of papers while her other hand held her phone. "My boyfriend says he's already waiting for me outside."

"Ah- It's okay! I can take it from here!" Rini responded, giving her a tight lipped smile, as if she isn't carrying a tower of twenty notebooks in her hands.

"Thank you so much, Rini kun! You're the best!" Her female classmate says, placing the stacks of papers on top of the notebooks she's carrying before running off.

Now that she was all alone in the fourth floor of the school building, Rini mentally told herself that she should be careful when going down the stairs. No one else apart from her was outside of the classroom. Taking a peak behind the multiple papers and notebooks, she prepares her right foot out to go down the stairs. But as she does so, a strong pair of arms immediately took mountain of papers and notebooks off her arms.

"Hand it over." It was Wakasa. "Shall we?"

"Are you sure?" Rini asks, fixing her hair. "Everyone's in class. But why are you here?"

The white haired male shrugs his shoulders. "I heard your voice outside and popped out of my room." He explains.

"Thanks." She smiles at him, going down the stairs together.

"You know" Rini begins to say, the two of them still climbing down. "I can really handle that by myself. Why miss out your class for me?" She asks, turning her head to take a quick glance at him.

"I'm fine being with late to class." Wakasa responded. "History is boring. I usually fall asleep there."

"History is boring for you, huh?" Rini asks, slowly nodding her head. "Me too." She chuckles softly. "I find that class really boring."

"Right?"

"Right!"

Upon reaching the first floor, Rini took the notebooks and papers out of his arms. "You should go back now. I can take it from here." She says, flashing him a sweet smile. "Thank you for your help again, Waka!"

He turns around, motioning his hand up and down. "At least rely on me when you need help." He tells her, climbing back up.

Rini could only stare at his back figure, blinking her eyes twice. Slowly, the corners of her lips curled into a smile before going to the teachers' faculty room.

"I can't believe that spring is about to end." Rini begins to say, head lifted up as she looks at the remaining pink and white cherry blossoms on the tree. The rest of the cherry blossom tree's had already gone bald and the blossoms are now on the floor.

"I actually it when I could look outside the window and admire the blossoms." She sighs softly. "I wish everyday is a spring day." She remarked, turning around to face Wakasa but stopped. Her breath hitched and her eyes widened in surprise as Wakasa was too close to her, his hot breath fanning her face.

"You've got something on your hair." He quietly spoke to her, showing the little pink petal that was on top of her head, throwing it down on the ground.

Darting her eyes down, Rini noticed a pink petal on top of her right breast. "Won't you get this one for me too?" She teases him. Of course Rini knew that he wouldn't get it off, considering that they were in a public place. But as she lifted her hand up to remove it, she caught his fingers removing the pink petal off her uniform.

"Didn't think I'd do it, did you?" Wakasa asks, grinning down at her.

"Congratulations then" Rini responded, crossing her arms over her chest. "What time should I meet you on Friday?"

"Does eight sound good to you?" Rini nodded her head to his question. "You sound very relaxed. What if Takeomi won't let you out?"

"He won't be home on Friday night." Rini concluded, looking at him. "Ask me why."

"Why?"

"Because I think he's secretly meeting a girl!" She announces. "He's almost always outside from and when he comes back, he'd smell like alcohol and cheap perfume." She added. "Has he been going somewhere lately?"

Wakasa shook his head. "Not that I know of." He responded. "But anyway, Friday night, you and me, eight pm. Deal?"

"Deal!"