I sat at the first stool, closest to the backyard. My mother sat at the far stool next to the round counter, my brother avoided eye contact for some reason as he sat in the middle of us, where he kept checking his phone. And my father, he stood with his arms crossed in don't of all three, leaving one seat unoccupied.
He sighed, closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, when he opened his eyes he let out the breath and dropped his arms. He looked like something I wasn't used to. Something is afraid to admit I'm scared of.
"Look, the arrangement with Kohei and his father is off, so you can stop worrying about that." He said, but it didn't sound like him. It was his voice, and yet it didn't sound a thing like him.
He must have seen my discomfort because he straitened his posture, but as I look more deeply into the details, using the character my mother so graciously gave me, I saw it was more than just me being uncomfortable. It was my father, Gakuhō himself, who was afraid of acting like he did just now.
I wasted to text Nagisa, I wanted to ask him if he was alright, if he had yet to treat the wound he had sustained. Ice might have worked for treating the pain tonight, but it looked really bad. Of course I wasn't able to analyze it up close, but I could tell how bad it was by the sound that made it.
Just thinking about last night made my stomach turn, I made the movement to touch my lips where Nagisa's had been. I caught myself half way and looked up, school ended and right when I arrived home, my father called everyone in.
"This is completely ridiculous!" My mother yelled. "Why is the arrangement over!? What exactly happened!?" Gakushū looked away from his phone for a moment.
I—for once in my life—actually forgot how cruel and cunning my mother was. Reality thought it'd give me a break and this was it pulling me back into itself.
I stand my ground, it's now or never I know that. I stood and said, "because I don't love him. I don't even like him, in fact if I felt anything toward Kohei, it would be resentment.
Every face in the room widened, i know why they are so surprised, unlike Gakushū, I never spoke out of turn or rebelled against my parents, but this is something, maybe even the only thing, I will not back down about. Not if I want it as badly as I hope I do.
The lions seemed to back down at my words, it may have also been the confident stare and determined aura that surrounded me. My brother doesn't even want to talk to me. He won't look at me in the eye and that tells me I am as scary as I feel. This is good, I can't get somewhere with this.
"I WON'T get married, I don't like that boy, he's an incompetent, unnecessary attribute to myself. But if you want me to get married, I'll surely do so. On. My. Own." I left to my room, Gakushū followed, leaving my parents to bicker among themselves.
"Are you loving back to A-class?"
I jumped at his voice, he seemed so small in the kitchen, so fearful of me? Do my expression change? Is that why he sounded so calm?
"N-" I shifted uncomfortably, cutting myself off, debating how I should go about this question. I, of course, must play off of it. Change the subject with light making it obvious, "I don't know... your still studying right? For the mid term exam?"
He scoffed as if I'd been playing dumb, "everyone in A-class has been studying like crazy of course I have."
"Just wanted to make sure." I winked at him, then made a clean get away into my room.
My own, personal, cocoon. I went face first into my sheets and laid there for a couple is seconds before deciding I wanted to call Nagisa. I always did, why was I surprised about it now, Kohei was out of the picture and I didn't even need to intervene... on purpose; and my brother had a crush on my best friend, again my actions not being significant.
I should be happy, in fact I should be thrilled, but all I was right now was stuck. I didn't want to be in this house right at this moment and the peopl in it what absolutely nothing to do with it.
The person who was responsible for this feeling of stuckness was the person I wanted to call. I wanted to do more than call him, though. I wanted to hand out with him, so I would.
Nagisa hey I didn't know if you'd pick up, so I decided texting you was the winning option. I know you'll see this, so: 5:00, Red Heart Theater. Be *ON TIME*
That should help, it was only three fifty nine. almost four. It took because about 15 minutes to get me and get home, then we had that awkward stand off in the kitchen for a few minutes and I had wasted the other debating between myself if I should text or call Nagisa. Which wasn't a big deal in the end and then I felt stupid for another couple of minutes even thinking it was a big decision.
In the end I obviously smacked my delusional self across the face and just sent the text.
I got dressed and checked my phone, just as I suspected, Nagisa saw the message, he however did not respond. But I didn't think to much about it, I had a date to get ready for.
• • •
"Hey."
"Knew you'd be here."
"What can I say?" He sighed with a smile, one that made my heart drop to my feet, maybe I wasn't as confident as I had pretended to be back at the house.
Well, it's to late to back out now.
"Nothing, no one can resist me." I stated.
"So prideful." He shook his head, with a lopsided smile that fit him just perfectly.
"Always." I smirked, then grabbed his hand and tugged him along, "come in the movie starts in 45 minutes."
"Well then that gives us an hour," he turned to me with the big goofy smile and reminded me, "the ads."
"Ahh, how could I forget?" I joked.
We bought our tickets and then waited in line until we got to the front, Nagisa insisted on paying for all our snacks. We only had a few things so I let it slide, just this once.
The movie was about to begin—well the ads—but I wanted to use the restroom before so I walked with Nagisa to the seats, then told him I wanted to use the toilet before so I didn't go in the middle.
He told me I'd better hurry if I didn't want him to eat all our items. Ha, like his tiny body could handle most of what I got.
"I'm just saying, their are rumors of what really happens to Akari Yukimura, you know like why she stopped acting."
"So what, there's no way I'm changing my opinion. She's still my favorite actor and always will be."
My heart dropped at the mention of that name and at first I couldn't pinpoint why, and continued washing my hands; but the more they talked, I began to make my connection to Akari Yukimura.
I walked out and back into the auditorium full of people. The ads were just coming to an end. I decided to enjoy this time with Nagisa, who knows when I'll get another just like it?
YOU ARE READING
Butterfly Blues
AdventureY/n is the twin sister of Asano Gakushū. Though she looks like her mother, way more than her father and brother. She usually competes with Gakushū for the top spot, however this year her father has other plans for her.... Y/n is transferred into E c...
