He brushed past the olive-brown haired boy and begun walking down the same flight of stairs Ushijima had gone up. He watched the man leave, and started glancing at the numbers on the apartments once he was out of sight. They read "13, 14, 15," He walked along the wall, reading the numbers as he went before reaching another flight of stairs going up. He climbed them, glad numbers stayed the same between Japanese and English. He walked along the wall on the upper level now. "20, 21, 22," He eventually reached another flight of stairs at the end and climbed them. He should be there soon.
He walked faster this time, knowing he was getting closer. "38, 39, 40," Ushijima stopped in front of the door that read "41." It looked the same as all of the others. A white door with a small hole just below the number. Chipped, old paint covering the surrounding walls and a small window on the right side of it. The blinds were closed and there weren't any signs of anyone being inside.
As much as he wanted to just turn around, grab a cab to to the airport and call Taro to come pick him up, but he knew he couldn't. He would get a heavy scolding from Taro... If that's even the least of his worries. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Nothing.
He knocked again, a little harder this time. The door seemed to be made of pure concrete, as it hurt to knock on it and it barley made any noise. He waited there, his hands wrapped behind his back to hide his nervous thumb fidgeting. After a few more moments, right as Ushijima was about to knock again, the doorknob turned. A woman with olive-brown hair stood there. She wore small, rectangular glasses and a small, purple knit cardigan over a forest green shirt. She looked up at Ushijima, her face staying the same stoic expression for a second. Her expression quickly changed once she realized who it was. "Wakatoshi!"
She grabbed him by his sleeve and pulled him inside, shutting the door behind them. The olive-brown haired boy looked around the studio apartment. It was dark inside, despite how sunny it was outside. The only light seen was the slight, seemingly unwanted peek of sun from the closed blinds and a extremely dim orange roof light that barley lit up it's surrounding 4 inches in the kitchen. As his eyes adjusted, he found a worn couch that seemed some attempt of fake leather. Clothes and random nic-nacs piled along the couch as well as the floor and other surrounding areas.
"What the hell, Wakatoshi?"
He turned to face the woman.
"What?"
She had a look of disappointment.
"Your extremely late."
Ushijima looked at her, confused.
"It's that Taro's fault. Isn't it. I swear I can never-"
"Mom. It's not her fault."
He cut her off. The bitterness in her voice when she said "Taro" bothered him.
"You never told me what apartment number you were, so I had to ask around. I don't speak English, either so it was a bit hard. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
She looked at him a moment, though he couldn't really tell her facial expression due to the dim lighting of the room. She removed her glasses and turned in the other direction.
"So disrespectful."
She remarked under her breath as she walked to the kitchen. She turned back around.
"You can sleep on the couch. This is a studio apartment so there's only one bedroom."
Ushijima nodded, slightly uncomfortable.
"Um, where's the bathroom?"
She sighed.
"Go in the door right there and then go left. It's right there. It's at the end of the hall, not on the left. That's the closet."
She pointed at the right side of the room at the supposed "door right there." He nodded and followed her directions.
(663 words)
YOU ARE READING
Two with one crown (UshiTen)
FanfictionTendou was a sly manipulator who nobody trusted. Ushijima was a miracle boy with a little too much curiosity. Upon meeting, they both thought they would be like everyone else, but to their surprise they're nothing like anyone they've ever seen befor...
