Tea Shops and Tragedies

Four Minutes

"Chihiro! You should not associate yourself with such delinquents!"

"Chi, bro, why are you hanging out with such a stuck-up loser?!"

The flagrant accusations overlapped each other, two demanding voices combining to one interrogation addressed to the poor Chihiro. He opened his mouth to interject, his glossy eyes flicking between each angry expression of the two furious boys. Sadly, before he could even utter a word; and without waiting for a reply, the duo now turned on each other, an air of disbelief melding in with the atmosphere thick with tension,

"Language Kuwata! How disrespectful of you to insinuate I am such a phrase!"

"Delinquent! Are you seriously hearing yourself?! What are you, an 18th century scholar!"

Realizing he was fighting a losing battle, Chihiro turned to the small group gathered, his fear and unease plain on his pale face, begging for help. Heeding the call, the young athletic girl stalked over to the two bickering boys with a huff, grabbing each by their shoulder with such strength and force they buckled beaneath the weight.

"Stop it already! Both of you! You guys are supposed to be Chihiro's friends, but neither of you realized you were making him cry!"

She snarled, shocking the testosterone-fueled ragefest into submission, wilting beneath her icy glare.

They looked over at Chihiro, who indeed was hastily wiping tears from his pink cheeks and being comforted by the other girl with long dark hair.

Kiyotaka felt a pang in his chest, his anger being washed away into disappointment and embarrassment at is flare of emotion. He mentally kicked himself harder, chewing on the inside of his lip. He was supposed to be a moral compass, yet had allowed himself to insult Leon just as the delinquent had done to him. He was no higher than the fiery redhead across from him.

Leon also held a guilty look.

"I don't know what either of you did, but you better apologize to each other! Right now!"

The girl let her steel grip go, giving the boys a light shove toward the other before also going over to comfort the upset boy.

Kiyotaka sighed, shifting where he stood, loosening his taut crossed arms and furrowing his brow as he slowly turned his eyes to look at Leon.

A volatile determination shone back in his eyes, he was absolutely not going to apologize first. Which only meant...

Kiyotaka dropped his arms down to his sides in a loose stance of attention and closed his eyes so as to not have to look at the annoyance that stood sloppily in front of him. He could at least regain a shred of his dignity.

Be the bigger man, if you will.

"Leon Kuwata, I apologize for raising my voice at you, and for my.... outburst earlier. I let my emotions get the best of me."

he bowed slightly, still letting his frustration show on his expression. Leon scrunched up his nose in a sneer, receiving a glare from the athletic girl when he looked for any sign of compromise.

"Fiiinnee!"

Leon groaned, slouching and shoving his hands in the pockets of his ripped black jeans,

"I guess... i'm sorry..."

He began, only meeting Kiyotaka's gaze to give him a wolffish and not-at-all-sorry grin,

"...That you are such a prude."

The girl smacked him hard on the back of the head, causing him to keel forward before righting himself, no doubt a whining disposition already fresh on his sharp tongue. While the two of them bickered, Kiyotaka slowly made his way over to where Chihiro now sat, the burning shame making the back of his neck and ears hot. He needed to apologize.