The Moon's Redamancy In Fall [Tsukishima x Yamaguchi]

twenty-one.

Inspired by the song "Prey" by The Neighbourhood.

❝As long as you notice, I'm hoping that you'll keep your heart open, I'll keep mine open too, If you don't ask, I won't tell just know that, just know that, it all hurts, it all hurts just the same.❞

Yamaguchi

The entire afternoon went by hastily of Yachi-san and I talking about the project. We both decided to experiment on Japanese Natto.

The main goals of this project are to isolate and identify probiotic bacteria from four brands of natto, to characterize the isolated strains, and to determine whether the isolated bacteria strains have inhibitory activity against pathogens . . .

"Probiotic bacteria, isolated from Japanese Natto . . . Uh, health benefits," Yachi-san muttered under her breath as she writes down the important details on a piece of paper.

I think it's funny to have Natto as our Science Project, after all it reminded me so much of Tsukki. I actually told Yachi-san about the project in a jokingly manner, I didn't actually thought she would agree.

Tsukki always hated Natto ever since we were kids. He would always gag from the smell and taste of it but somehow he managed eating it as long as I give him a little push.

After a few more minutes of writing, researching and drinking coffee, Yachi-san's voice filled the void of silence as she spoke in a soft, hesitant way.

"Y-Yamaguchi-kun," She whispered as I peered over her, fixing her gaze on me.

I could see her irises dilating and her eyes sense illustration, as if she was so close to crying, Yachi-san's cheeks are as round as her face, they're always rosy, as if she's shy all the time, which isn't a lie at all.

There has been only one time when I've actually seen Yachi-san ashamed. Not only her cheeks, but her whole face turned red. Though the ears had been hidden among the blonde of her hair, it was obvious that they were as rosy as her face.

I hadn't known she feels more than she expresses, until then, when I saw her turn to hide in the most gentle way.

Later, when we knew each other better, Yachi-san said sometimes she feels her shoulders, and in extreme cases, her arms burning with shyness, and her stomach becoming a dome because of the butterflies that always remain.

She bit her lip a little too hard making it turn white before she spoke again, "I like-"

Yachi-san's voice were immediately cut off by a loud familiar ring tone of my phone in my pocket, vibrating violently.

Taking it in my hand, the caller ID showed Tsukki's name, "Oh, hold on a sec," I said, sliding my finger across the screen to accept the call, "Hi, Tsukki!" I chirped but tried to surpress my excitement from his call.

"Hey," Tsukki said to the other line, his voice coming out in a gruff tone.

I blinked and pursed my lips together, glacing around the room, "Why'd you call?" I asked.

"Come get your bento box my mom prepared for you,"  He muttered, I could hear Kaori-san's voice from the backgroud a little inaudible but I could hear her kind of demanding Tsukki, "Yes, mom, I get it," Tsukki sighed irritatedly.

I cast a glance over Yachi-san on the couch, Yachi-san's blush seared through her cheeks and for a minute, I thought her face was on fire.

She suddenly felt awkward, demure, and coy; even going as far as attempting to hide her rosy features behind her slim fingers, "What? Now?" I blinked, asking Tsukki over the phone.

"Yes," Tsukki's respond was abrupt, "My mom will ask me over and over again,"  He addressed in a flat tone.

"But I'm with Yachi-san, right now," I said, my voice coming out a bit throaty.

The other line went dead silent, Tsukki didn't speak for almost thirty seconds, I thought the call was cut or on hold, "Tsukki-"

"Okay." He cut me off, ending the call in an instant.

Okay? Okay.

I stopped, and peered intently at the screen of my phone on my hand for a few seconds, tilting my head quizzically, bewildered from Tsukki's strange frame of mind. I placed my phone down the coffee table.

Discerning from Yachi-san's cut off sentence a while back, I fixed my gaze on her before asking her, "What was it that you like?"

Yachi-san's eyes bore into mine, looking at me dead on the eye, she plastered a wide, flustered smile, "I like your scarf,"

For some reason, the way she complimented my scarf sounded a bit funny. A bit kind of  forced.

I couldn't help but giggle, "Thank you, Yachi-san!" Smiling from the memory of it, I recalled, "This was given to me by Tsukki during last year's Christmas,"

Yachi-san's eyes darted away, her voice grew smaller, "Yeah . . . It's really pretty," She beamed, her eyes dragging towards the carpeted floor.

Last year's Christmas was a bit fun. Tsukki told me that his mom insisted that he should give me a present even though Tsukki didn't want thinking about buying anyone a present because it wasn't his thing at all. Kaori-san's very thoughtful to her families and friends.

I remembered giving Tsukki a pair of dinosaur socks but I never seen him wore it. Maybe because he thought it was too cheesy and corny, either way at least I knew he kept it.

I guess I'll have to pass by at Tsukki's home later before I go home from Yachi-san's house. A few more hours had passed, the sun started to sink from the horizon, the skies were already getting dark and I didn't even notice it because I was too caught up with the project.

At the edge of the cloud there was a brilliant white patch, like a turning page catching the sun. The rest was dove grey with a subtle hint of purple, just enough to announce the coming sunset.

Yachi-san and I stood by her room's terrace, admiring the sunset, the orange gold stretches far and wide, the color of fire hearths and tangerines. It is but the reflection of the dawn, the promise of the rising sun that comes after the velvety night has had its say and the land has rested once more.

All of a sudden, Yachi-san held both my arms and gaze at me intently, her hazel eyes were a radiating brown sun warmed with inner gold, there was something of the hazel tree in her hazel eyes, not only the comforting browns of the boughs yet also the green of springtime buds.

In a quick moment of time, Yachi-san's face were a few inches away from mine. Yachi-san stood on tiptoe to reach my height. She blinked, her breath fanning my face in the slightest bit, for some reason I was frozen to my feet and up to my head, I wasn't able to move.

What is she going to do?

"Y-Yachi-san . . ." My voice coming out tight, quavering, my lips trembled from how close our faces were.

My heart began to pound, palm sweating but I could tell that my hands were ice cold, it almost felt like I wasn't even breathing. I stood there with my hands on both my sides, unable to move.

After even knowing it, Yachi-san's soft, warm lips collided with mine. Her eyes were closed, I could see her blonde eyelashes from this close.

I definitely felt my heart skipped a beat and in an abrupt manner, it started beating violently, mostly with uncertainty, my eyes were wide open, I had no idea how to react, my body were held by her pair of thin arms.

I stood there. Frozen. Her lips, on mine.

I couldn't kiss her back.

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