Rolling Hearts | Cherry Blossom (SK8 The Infinity) ON HIATUS

Chapter 11: Denial

𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐇, Raiko got changed with her pajamas and immediately laid down to her bed and was about to take a long rest. But all of that got interrupted because of a sudden ring of her telephone.

"Who is it now.." She mumbled as she stood up and stomped her foot eagerly going to the living room and answered the ringing phone.

She cleared her throat, "Good evening, this is Suzuki Residence. How may I help you?" she formally answered. The person who called was still quiet, when she was about to speak—the caller called her name.

"Uhm, may I talk to Raiko? raiko suzuki?" the voice on the other line asked.

"Yes, this is Raiko Suzuki speaking. May I know the name of the caller and how may I help you, sir?" she politely asked, she got excited since she thought the caller is her new customer or someone who can back her up to make her business alive again.

"This is Kaoru, Kaoru Sakurayashiki." the caller finally told her his name, making her pause and widen her eyes. "What's with the sudden call?" she thought.

"Hey, Kaoru-san," she said, trying to sound casual. "Do you need something? What's up?"

Kaoru chuckled on the other end of the line. "No, I don't need anything. How are you?"

Raiko sat on the couch next to the table where the phone sits, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. She took a deep sigh and smiled. "I'm doing great, just a little tired." she softly answered, trying to keep her voice steady.

Cherry laid back to his soft bed and look up to his ceiling, "The project that's given to us.. Do you have an ideas already?" he tried to make a topic for them to make the conversation last long.

Nestled amidst the lush greenery, a peaceful night descended upon the village. The stillness of the evening was palpable, as if time itself had come to a standstill.

The streets were devoid of any activity, with not a single car honking its horn or the sound of little kids yelling in the distance. Even the barking of dogs seemed to have subsided, leaving behind a silence.

The gentle breeze wafted through the open window of his wooden house, carrying with it the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers and fresh dewdrops from the nearby garden. The air was crisp and cool, with a hint of spring in it that tickled his senses. It was just perfect - not too hot, not too cold - just right for a peaceful night's sleep.

"Well, I still don't have any ideas, if you want—we can have a meeting and talk about our opinions regarding the poster?" she asked.

Cherry arched the other side of his lip and hummed, "That's a good idea, when are you free then?"  he tried to control his voice—not be obvious that he's excited.

"I'm free anytime except for the night though. You can decide when is it and what time since you're the elder." she stated and let out a tiny snickers.

After a few seconds, Cherry didn't answer—the only sound she heard was his little snores. She beamed a smile and chuckled, "Goodnight, Kaoru." she softly said.

As she hung up the phone, she couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth in her heart. Kaoru's little snores filled the silence, and she couldn't help but smile. This person had brought a sense of comfort and familiarity to her.

Raiko closed her eyes and let herself sink into the peaceful stillness of the night. She had been going through a tough time lately, and Cherry's call had been a welcome respite from the stresses of life.

In the quiet of Raiko's living room, the only sound was the deep snoring coming from her couch. She had fallen asleep there, too lazy and tired to make it to her bedroom.

Her sleep was so peaceful that it left marks on her face, a sign of a truly restful night.

But her slumber was disrupted by the ringing of her phone; again. Groaning, she tried to sit up but stumbled back down, wincing in pain. She answered the call, her voice slurred as she struggled to open her eyes. "Hello, this is Suzuki Residence. How may I help you, sir...ma'am...whoever you are..."

"Ohayo, Raiko-san." a soothing familiar voice said from the other line, making her straighten her slouched body.

"Kaoru, good morning! What's with the sudden morning call?" she quickly said that made her stutter as she rubbed her eyes and stretched. Her voice is still raspy—which made Cherry  flush a pink tint on his cheeks.

"Oh, about last night—I'm sorry I fell asleep while talking to you, that was really embarrassing." Cherry, from the other line—giggled.

"It's okay, Kaoru-san." she shortly answered, trying to get her senses back.

"So, Mr. Tamashiro said we have a meeting today, at the restaurant. Do you want me to pick you up?" he offered.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the phone—there's Cherry who's currently glaring at Joe who's looking at him and grinning like an idiot. He put the phone away from his ear and threatened to punch his friend, "Stop it, you gorilla." he whispered.

"Uh, if you want to—but do you know my address though?" she asked.

Cherry's jaw dropped a bit and face palmed, "I don't.." he murmured, which made her giggle. "Hahaha! Don't worry, I can handle myself anyway~ What time is the meeting though?" she inquired as she shifted her gaze to the alarm clock that has been ticking on their wall.

"The meeting will start at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, the restaurant will close early so there will be just us. Me, Joe, Mr. Tamashiro and you." he affirmed.

"Okay, Kaoru-san. Thank you for informing." she said in a casual but polite tone.

"Ah wait, before we end this call. Why didn't you used my phone number? I gave you my business card, didn't I?" she asked him again.

"Yes. But you know, I just wanted to try something new" he goofily said and let out a tiny giggles. Her delicate fingers ran through her hair as she chuckled, "Understandable. See you later then." she said and made the effort to sound reassuring.

After he listens to her answer on the other other line, he bid his goodbye too. "See you later, Raiko-chan." Cherry said, but it was inaudible so Raiko didn't really heard it properly as she put down the phone.

"So this is how a great Cherry Blossom fall in love, huh?" Joe exclaimed while patting his friend's back. He beamed a smile to cherry and proudly raised his brows, "I saw you blushing, Kaoru. Why don't you just admit it?" he questioned as he took a bite on his bread.

"It's nothing special. I'm too old to have a crush anyway." Cherry appealed and drank his tea.

Joe sighed and surrendered, but as he listened to Raiko and Cherry's conversation on the phone, and the way Cherry acted while talking to her; he knew that his friend had feelings for Raiko, but the enigmatic man refused to acknowledge them.

Cherry's desire to maintain his cold and stoic appeal was a mystery to many, but he couldn't help but admire his strength and independence.

"Oh really? Well then, if you say so."

—
AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Short chapter, sorry. I'll be better next time! 🥹