"Satsuki! Satsuki, are you awake? Wake up, it's time for school!" Taishi shouted from outside their house. Satsuki was awake and she could hear him. She just wouldn't get up. She didn't have that much will to.
After a few more of Taishi's wake up calls, Satsuki tiredly sat up on her bed then stood up lazily. She climbed down on the stairs and walked to the door like a zombie.
"Ohayou!" Taishi smiled as soon as she opened the door. Satsuki walked to him with her head to the ground and after a pause, she dropped her forehead on his shoulder. Taishi's smile faded, he instantly understood what's on with her. He placed his hand on top of her head and whispered, "Go on."
Satsuki hanged her one arm around Taishi and put her other arm against his chest, burying her face on it. No word came out from Taishi while Satsuki cried. Words couldn't help her, but at least he's there.
They got themselves up on the roof of the house and they watched the sun rising. Satsuki was still on her pajamas and Taishi was already in his school uniform. They decided not to go to school. They still weren't talking. Taishi would occassionally glance at Satsuki. She was crying no more but she stayed silent.
"Ah! You haven't had breakfast yet, right?" asked Taishi. "... Un." Satsuki groggily nodded and kept staring straight ahead. "Jya, I'll cook downstairs, is that okay?" Taishi asked again and Satsuki only nodded again. "Are you gonna stay here?"
Satsuki glanced at him, her eyes still a bit wet and she shook her head as a no. Taishi smiled and extended his arm to his bestfriend. She took his hand and he put out his other to help her stand up. He wiped her tears off with his fingers and carressed her hair. "Smile." Taishi said in a silly face and voice Satsuki smiled a little, that turned into a soft giggle.
They climbed down the roof and went in through Satsuki's window in her bedroom. Taishi walked ahead holding Satsuki's hand lightly as she followed him behind downstairs and to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and the pantry to see what he could make up. Satsuki sat on top of the dining table and watched him walk around, kicking her feet playfully in the air.
"What're you gonna cook?" Satsuki asked, now in a cheerful tone. Taishi looked at her and smiled. "Um... how does curry rice sound?" said Taishi. "That would be good!" Satsuki smiled. There was a short pause. "Satsuki, your brother's a good cook isn't he?" Taishi asked as he chopped the ingredients that Satsuki couldn't see. "Un! But Taishi's a good cook too, right? You cook bentos for me when nii-chan isn't around to do that." Satsuki replied in a proud way. "Yes but I don't think I can surpass him."
"Eh~ So Taishi wants to surpass nii-chan?" Satsuki smirked. "Kinda. I've eaten his cooking once. When he cooked your bento and you shared me some, right? I thought I was good but that thought disappeared after tasting it. So I thought about studying how to cook so I could improve." Taishi said and started washing rice. "I see. What did you study about?" Satsuki asked, interested. "I won't say. Just promise not to peek while I cook."
"What? Then what am I supposed to do?" Satsuki pouted. "Why don't you try to call your brother on the phone?"
Satsuki stopped kicking on air and smiled. "That's a good idea!" she got down the table and darted upstairs, into her room and took her phone. She dialed Kei's number and it rang. She slowly plopped herself on the bed, waiting for him to pick up. She was sort of expecting he wouldn't answer but she couldn't help but keep her hopes up.
"Satsuki! Hey!" She heard her brother's voice on the other line. Her face brightened up. "Nii-chan! I was thinking you wouldn't pick up!" said Satsuki. "You think I'm that busy?! We haven't started the meeting yet. It got delayed for 2hrs. so I wouldn't be busy until then. How is it going? Wait, aren't you at school?"
"I didn't go to school. I woke up late..."
Silence.
Kei knew she didn't get up late. That's way too impossible. There have been times when Kei left and the next day, she wouldn't go to school. She never really explained why but it was somehow understood that she doesn't want to leave the house. She doesn't want to leave the day before that they spent so happily together. Not so soon.
"I see. Go to school tomorrow, okay? Have you eaten breakfast? Lunch?" he checked. "Um, Taishi's downstairs cooking for me."
Kei sat up straight on his chair in alarm. "Taishi?"
"Y- yeah. Is something wrong?" Satsuki asked trying to sound brashly. "Well no. I'm glad he's properly taking care of you. Just... don't let him in your room. And he should be home before 5PM. Okay?"
Satsuki stretched the phone away from her to heave a sigh, rolling her eyes. "I get it"
The same limitation talk. This is what ruins her mood sometimes when she talks to him.
A few more minutes later, Taishi called to her and she bade goodbye to Kei then hung up. Their chat started off a little bad but it went okay.
When Satsuki opened her door, Taishi was standing right there with a plate of curry rice on his hands. "Itadakimasu ka? (Shall we eat?)" Taishi asked surprised Satsuki. "You expect me to eat this?! Are you really serious?!" Satsuki asked po-faced in an annoyed tone. "Yes I do"
"Are you kidding me or something?" Satsuki asked again. "Yup" Taishi answered without hesitating. "Poor thing." Satsuki said and took the Rilakkuma curry rice while shaking her head in despair. "Why do I need to eat this." Satsuki complained again and Taishi just laughed.
Night fell. They climbed up the roof again and spread picnic mats to sit at and also carried 2 pillows with them.
Taishi laid flat on his back and Satsuki sat, hugging her knees. "The moon's full tonight." Satsuki smiled at the sky. "It's beautiful, huh?" Taishi asked her and she nodded. "So... what did you talk about on the phone with your brother?" asked Taishi. "Nothing just... how am I and how is he and also our theme park trip 2 days ago." Satsuki shared. "Are you sure that's all?"
Satsuki looked at him with dead eyes. "It's something about that again, huh?" as Taishi said this, she looked away.
"You don't... like me anyway. Do you? It's not like I have a reason to break that limitation he made me." said Satsuki. "Oh. So you think of it that way? So if I like you, would you have a reason to break those limitations? Would you do that for me?" Taishi sat up, his tone impatient. Satsuki hugged her knees tighter. "I... I don't know..." she conpletely turned her face away from him.
"Do you like me, Satsuki?"
She clenched her jaws on the question and she could feel her ears getting hot. Taishi looked away and rested his back on Satsuki's arm.
"Because if you do... I wouldn't hesitate to say the things I want to. I'd clearly deliver my feelings to you. I'd feel a lot less heavier. And if you don't, you can just say it... I'll stay with you eitherway. I wouldn't leave you. That'd be the biggest mistake I can possibly do."
Satsuki smiled and a tear fell on her cheek.
She knew the words. Now she just needs to say them to him.
