He was the only one that noticed her over her younger sister. She had been swayed by Doumeki Shizuka's looks, but it was several months later that she had really begun to think about his companion, Watanuki. He'd been so very nice to her…
"Sorry I'm late, Ota-san!"
Her smile grew so much brighter when that slim but pleasing figure appeared in front of her with that slightly embarrassed but happy grin on his face. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't heard him come in.
"It's all right, I wasn't here long."
He was wearing his winter uniform again and she reflected that she rarely ever actually saw him in anything else. The sapphire eyes were kind behind the glasses, but then, as she looked at them, she realized there was something different…Maybe no one else would have seen it, but as one who'd observed for six months, she couldn't help seeing it.
"Watanuki-san?"
"Eh?"
"What's wrong with your eye…it seems different somehow now."
"My eye?" He lifted his hand, letting it hover over his right eye without touching it and a realization seemed to cross his face. "Oh, that. It's nothing. I had a…specialized…operation on my eye. The…doctor said that it would help me see somewhat better." That smile was still the same as ever: compassionate and gentle, friendly, but she had the feeling he wasn't telling her everything. "How could you tell? No one else has been able to."
"Because…" She honestly didn't know how she really could tell, she just somehow knew it. "It just seems like it's not quite as…vibrant maybe as before."
"M-maybe," Watanuki stuttered and smiled. "But despite how it looks, I do actually see a little better than before."
Misaki didn't want to press any further, as it was obvious Watanuki was not comfortable with the subject. Her sister, who had followed her stubbornly to good-naturedly spy, hid somewhere in a corner of the café, and it almost made Misaki giggle. "What would you like to order?"
Their conversation was minimal for the most part, talking about random things such as food and how they'd been, but that wasn't what she wanted to truly talk about. She wanted to ask how things were with Kunogi Himawari, with Doumeki Shizuka, and that woman who had helped save her. She wanted to ask if he was really all right and not hear the standard answer he would give anyone who asked the question. She didn't want to hear the answer that was standard in society: that he was fine.
But she could not bring herself to ask. It wasn't until they were halfway through their tea and sweets that she saw a face she hadn't expected to see. "Doumeki-san," she gasped in surprise at his sudden silent entrance, but her heart didn't pound as it used to when they'd first met.
"Hey."
"Doumeki! What are you doing here?!"
"You didn't walk home with me like we planned," he answered and without an invitation, sat down in one of the chairs at their table. She could feel her sister's astonished stare from somewhere in the café. What was this feeling she had? Like she had been completely forgotten about the moment Doumeki Shizuka had shown up? As if they were suddenly in a world beyond her reach?
"Since when did we have that that plan?!" the boy in glasses hissed back lively and Misaki's heart began to sink. Something…something…
"So I went looking for you. Yuuko-san said you'd be here."
"I came to meet Ota-san! She wanted to talk! It's not like I have to tell you everything!"
Her eyes met Doumeki's and she blinked in surprise at the strange…look in them. It was almost like suspicion, and yet at the same time, dismissive. As if he were torn between jealousy and feeling as if she wasn't even in the running…But running of what? Oh…Oh! Could it even be possible? Could…Could he be interested in…Watanuki?
As if he had asked her a question, she tried to smile and answered, "I asked to meet Watanuki-san to thank him and let him know that I was all right. I also wanted to ask him if he would accompany to the new theme park on Sunday. My sister is working, but it would be fun to go. Just the two of us."
It didn't appear as if Doumeki missed the addition of 'just the two of us'. Her heart was pounding so hard as she glanced at Watanuki, waiting breathlessly for his answer. Watanuki blinked and she watched as his cheeks flushed adorably red and he laughed a little, rubbing his head as if she had shocked him. Her gaze softened lovingly on him. He really was the sweetest boy.
"That's really nice, Ota-san, but, I already promised to do something with Doumeki that day."
Her hopes deflated a little. "Oh, then perhaps Saturday then?"
"Well…" Those sapphire eyes glanced at Doumeki, around the room, and then back at her, as if he was trying to put something into words. "Ota-san—"
If it were possible, Misaki's jaw would have dropped to the floor. It was not that Watanuki didn't know what to say, but his words had been cut off by the addition of a tongue in his mouth that was not his own. Her shocked and somewhat disoriented gaze shifted from the pressed lips together to the hand that was gently holding Watanuki's chin, then up to Doumeki's face.
Could there be a more convincing display of affection? Her hands shook on her purse as she stared at them. Watanuki's face seemed only shocked that he was being kissed in the café, not that he was being kissed by his friend, who happened to be a boy. Was it always destined to be this way? She could have neither…
Watanuki jerked away and leveled a light punch on a Doumeki's muscular shoulder. His cheeks were flushed deep red and Misaki reflected that in all the past six months she had watched him, she had never seen him glow like that. He appeared angry, appeared to be telling Doumeki off about kissing him in public like that, but there was also appeared to be a light in his eyes that she knew she would never produce in him. She wanted someone to look that way because of her. That was how her parents looked at each other: that love unhindered and meant to be. There was such a life in those gazes as they stared each other. Even arguing, there was a vibrancy to be envied.
"Ota-san…I'm so sorry…but I can't go with you as anything other than a friend."
It took a few seconds to register that Watanuki was speaking to her. When she did, she could only smile sadly, knowing that she had never been considered at all. "It's all right. I thought…I thought I'd try anyway. So on Sunday…?"
There was that happy but blushing face again. "It's kinda our anniversary…Shi-I mean, Doumeki has something special planned, so he says."
"I'm sorry to have called you all this way," she murmured, wanting nothing else to run before her carefully constructed poker face broke and she dissolved into tears. Her hands were shaking and it took everything she had to stand up calmly. "I'll leave you then."
Watanuki tried to stop her, but thankfully, Doumeki's hand on his arm kept him sitting. That was a piece of kindness, since she didn't want him to see her crying. Completely divorce from her mood, the sun was shining and bright and she could only stare up at the expanse of blue in depression.
"Why…?" she whispered to no one in particular.
"Misaki…?"
When had her sister shown up? Oh well, it didn't matter. An arm slid around her shoulders and she was led on the slow path back to their home. Her hot tears slipped down her cheeks, but with her sister there, it was all right to cry. It was all right to cry her tears out now…
"Shizuka! How could you do that?! That was so callous!"
Doumeki finished Watanuki's tea and gave him a look like he was an idiot. "That's just because you're so dense. You didn't even realize she asked you here to ask you out."
"WHA—"
But like last time when he had tried to say something, Doumeki's tongue stopped him and they shared to the sweetest kiss his boyfriend had ever given him. His head was somewhat dizzy when they finally parted. "You're mine, Watanuki. Don't forget that."
"You're so selfish and possessive," he hissed back, but there was a smile on his lips anyway.
End