11 Kindness (5) (Edit)

' I want to do embarrassing things.' Wah, wah, don't think about it! Even if Kiryu was silly, don't think about it. That phone call went smoothly. Didn't Soichiro find it suspicious that she was hogging his phone for a long time? Her heart is still beating so fast, her Kiryu. She wants to see him soon, to be held in his arms again.

...

Two hours later.

She felt bad about bailing on Haruka-kun. But she wants to make her preparations. It's almost her birthday; they'll see each other again soon. Maybe she should go to a hair salon; her hair needs trimming. Ah, but it would be safer too if she cuts it herself. That performance of hers drew loads of attention. She is somewhat famous now. It was only one performance but then again considering the venue and all that promotion. Haruka-kun really is a good producer. But still, she's no good at cutting hair. It should be okay, right?

.....

6:00 PM

After parting ways with the girl from class, the last thing she expected was to bump into Haruka-kun in the alleyway. But sure enough, here he is. Haruka sat on the cold ground, back against the wall. 'He's hurt,' Lila saw the grey and blue bruises on his skin, and her frown deepened. Who would beat him up? Loads of faces came to mind, and she deeply sighed. This man's enemies are numerous. She immediately rushed over and bent down; and she softly touched his cheek, "Haruka-kun?" Lila called out.

He stirred awake, but it took a few moments for him before he answered, "… You," Haruka seemed very confused.

!! Ah, he's awake.

"Haruka. Are you all right?" she asked. How severe are his injuries? Where is he hurt the most? The bruises on his face look awful, somebody must have hit him a lot.

"That's nice; hearing my name being called by you."

'What stupid things is he saying now?' Lila thought. She shook his head, this isn't the time, she examined his injuries, and her frown deepened. How did he get hurt? As she was thinking of possibilities, he slumped his face in her chest, and Lila froze, "Wait, you...."

"Lila..."

Hearing her name, her real name escapes his lips. Her gaze softened this person. This person, she wants to protect him.

.....

- Haruka's Apartment -

The word kind does not suit her.

For as long as Lila could remember, she always wore a stoic expression on her face. She could not smile. But after she met the man named Austin Kiryu that changed. That's why watching Haruka. Watching him love her so much is so very painful.

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone with Karashima?" Kouta asked his tone and gaze filled with worry.

A few hours had passed since she found Haruka in the alleyway. It was only natural she called for help. The two of them were attracting a lot of attention; her blue hair stood out. So she called Mikami-kun, it was just her luck that Kouta-kun was there too. He scolded her as he ought to have. Kouta said she ought to have called them first and only approached Haruka after they arrived.

But now the same person is showing his concern. Lila laughed at Kouta-kun's concern. He is kind."It's okay. He'll probably head back by himself." It was half a lie; it depends on Haruka's mood once he woke up.

Kouta-kun still seemed uncertain and yet he eventually left with Mikami.

It seems strange looking after Haruka-kun in Kiryu's place. But, this was the nearest location. He got into a fight. Lila shook her head; it's nothing to do with the conflict with Soichiro's side. There was a faint scent of perfume when he held her earlier.

She's cleaning the place and is in the middle of cooking when Lila felt lips on her neck; she shuddered, "Senpai."

"I wondered where I was, your place?" Haruka said, still half dazed.

Lila did not know how to respond, considering how he kept lavishing her neck with kisses, "Ah, what are you doing?"

"You smell nice today."

"O—okay, I get it. B—but, lay down!! I still need to finish cooking." Lila exclaimed. If he weren't sick, she would give him the cold treatment. A deep sigh passed her lips, 'Why do they keep ending up in this situation, is her tolerance towards men this bad?' she questioned mentally in her head.

He seemed surprised to be receiving a lecture but nodded. He ran his hand through her blue locks and kissed it lightly, "Thanks, I owe you."

"Yes..."

She watched as he walked back over to the couch. A relieved sigh escaped her lips. She doesn't understand him well. He says he likes her, but she knows he still sees other girls. The reason he's injured too is most likely because he has been fooling around. The girl's boyfriend probably caught wind of the affair and thrashed him. Haruka-kun though didn't fight back from the looks of things. How come?

For a few minutes, there was no talking, and she focused on cooking, until Haruka spoke up, "Say, you, what was the business you had to attend to?"

"Ah, um?"

"You canceled our dinner date."

Why is he calling it a date now? "I, went to a hair salon, did shopping and other things," Lila explained.

Haruka nodded in approval, "A salon, that must be why you smell nice."

She wanted Kiryu to be the first to see aside from the stylist, so she rushed back quickly. But, somehow, it made her happy hearing compliments from Haruka-kun.

........…

Lila finished cooking quickly and sets everything on a tray and brought it over to where Haruka was laying down on the couch, reading documents. Ah, right? She found his bag nearby and knew it was his immediately.

It's a good thing she retrieved it.

"Sit over here."

"But, I'm nervous," that's a lie. She just doesn't want to get near him, at least not now. After she heard him call her name like that, Lila did not know how to react.

Haruka sat up and walked over to the couch she was on and sat down beside her. Thump. Thump. It's strange, but when Haruka-kun gets close, she can't help feeling nervous. Lila shook her head, nervous? Ha, whenever Kiryu was around, she acted so boldly. 'Don't act so stupid Terashima Lila,' she cursed in her head.

"On your birthday, where do you want to go?" Haruka suddenly brought up.

Ah — that's… should she tell him?

"Well, you still have time to decide. Can I eat now?"

Lila managed a nod.

"Are you tired? You should rest."

"Yes. Say, senpai, will you always remain with me?" Lila asked.

"What brought this on?"

She doesn't respond to that, "Senpai, you know nothing about me. But you say you like me. Isn't that weird?"

"I know you, better than you think. Do you not like me?"

"Nuh-uh, I like you. But I don't think we're on the same page."

"So, you like me."

"Is like and love the same? I have someone. We can't be together right now. But, when I'm with you, I know we can't just be friends."

"So, you have thought about it?"

Lila shook her head, disagreeing with his words, "That's not it senpai, I'm a bit confused."

"Despite what it looks like, I'm not rushing you."

"Um, I can't believe that. Since you always harass me without fail."

"All right, so maybe I am. But, you're always tempting me."

Lila proceeded to tell him that she does no such thing when she found his hand on hers, "You have someone special to you, I already knew that before."

He knows. He knows. But, even so...

"Sleep, we can talk about this another time."

Don't treat her so kindly. She can't ever return his feelings. Even if she does, her heart will always belong to Kiryu. She'll still be Kiryu's. She doesn't want to hurt him.

_____________________________________________

A few hours later

Haruka should have known better, of course, this is what she meant by sharing the same bed.

"You know, this isn't superb hospitality," Haruka commented drily. The girl had formed some sort of barricade using the large pillows between them, so he could barely see her.

"I—I know but stay on your side, please."

He intended to go home, really; he did. Lila left the keys out, so he could have used that to leave the house and go back. However, suddenly, there was a downpour, a heavy one. In such a situation, it was only natural he would stay.

A deep sigh escaped his lips, her reaction aside. What's bothering him is the exchange they had earlier. Well, he figured that they'd have that conversation soon. But even then, it caught him off guard. Hearing her shift closer, he exhaled deeply, "Make your mind up. Do you want me to attack you or not?"

"What-" she hid under the blankets, attempting to hide. But no sooner had she done so, Haruka found that she had lifted the covers to look at him. The barricade of pillows seemed to have a gap where she could look.

Haruka looked at her questioningly.

"I wanted to make sure you were here," Lila explained to him.

"You're a strange one. I wouldn't leave so suddenly."

But, he never stays either. So, he supposed Lila has the right to be concerned. Haruka moved the pillows away and shifted closer until he was right beside her, "Sleep."

Soft laughter escaped the girl's lips, "Aha, are you worrying about me again?"

Haruka did not respond and shifted the topic elsewhere. "Tell me something."

"Yes?"

It surprised him how serious he was, but he wanted to know, so he asked. "For what reason do you sing?"

Lila suddenly sat up and blinked. "I thought you would continue being silly. Are you seriously interested in me?"