𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓫𝓾𝓼 𝔀𝓮 𝓻𝓸𝓭𝓮 (ꜱᴀɪᴏᴜᴍᴀ)

𝙻𝚎𝚝'𝚜 𝙵𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎

SHUICHI SAIHARA

I began to grow nervous when my finger hit the last digit of his number, contemplating to myself whether I should hit that phone button or not. I sighed, feeling my finger hit the button. Despite unconscious volition, I proceeded.

The faint sound of my ringtone occupied the interior of my bedroom as I felt my stomach heat up. Suddenly, he answered the call... and I was filled with utter trepidation. I felt my breathe hitch as nothing was said through the other side of the line. Then instantly-

"Hello?... Who is this?"

I blinked a few times before opening my mouth, yet having the confusion of what to say. Yes, my name was Shuichi... but I wasn't going to say that without anything more. I combed my hair with my hand; the pace of my breathe slowing down as I began to ease into the sitch.

"T... this is Shuichi -- from SunnySide, remember me?"

It stayed silent for a bit through the other side, causing me to grow nervous. Instantaneously, he chuckled through the other side leaving a jump in my heart. Suddenly, I felt my lips curl to the sound of his laugh.

Was I smiling?

I slapped at my cheeks to stop the heat from piling and listened to whatever it was he had to say.

"Can we FaceTime?"

Instantly, it went silent as I thought up an answer. As much as I wanted to see his face, I didn't want him to see mine. My hair was messy and I wasn't in my best attire. It's not like I was trying to look fancy... just not boring.

I hastily tried to style my hair with my hands as quick as I could when I heard a

"Hello?"

Through the phone. I quit the idea on changing my clothes and just left my hair as it was turning on my camera.

Instantly Kokichi turned on his camera and beamed a smile, covering himself in blankets.

"Umm..." I started, not having an idea of what to say.

"So... excited for that first shift tomorrow?"

I slowly shook my head as an answer with a blank show of expression.

"Yeah, I know. First days are always so much trouble...," Kokichi said with a chuckle.

I could hear his voice echo through my phone like the inside of a cave. Not knowing how to respond I waited for him to proceed.

"Wow, you go to the gym, huh?"

"What? No I don-,"

"Then explain all of that muscle," He said giggling as he looked at my arm.

I blushed, touching my arm a bit and looking down. I shrugged, ruffling my hair with an available hand subconsciously.

Suddenly, Kokichi sat up in his bed, glancing at something unable to be perceived on camera.

"Choochoo!" I heard him shout as a cat, what looked to be an American shorthair, pounced onto his lap, curling onto him.

He caressed the cats head, in between his ears and picked it up to kiss it's nose. I stared intently as he comforted the cat and petted him. Kokichi caught me staring and formed a smirk on his face, already giving me the idea he was going to say something quite unexpected.

"You wish I was doing this to you, huh?"

Just as I'd thought. I gulped quite taken aback to how he could be so straightforward but caught on about that being apart of his personality. We shared a laugh; his cat running off almost as instantly as it came and exiting the room.

Kokichi sighed and rolled into the blankets again, moving his hair behind his ears with his hands. I heard a scream through the line and jumped up in my seat.

"Pfft- don't worry about that. I've got my younger cousins over, they are so annoying. Cecilia probably got in a tiny accident or whatever,"

I smiled, feeling as if I related for once. Related with Kokichi, that is, and what he had to say about his cousins.

"My uncle has 10 year old twins and they really get on my nerves," I said, finally building the confidence to start a structured conversation with this guy.

"Can I play with Choochoo?" A little girl said, walking into Kokichis room.

"No you can not, put him down," Kokichi responded in quite an irritated sentiment.

That's when she suddenly started screaming and balling her eyes out, causing Kokichi himself to close his ears. I furrowed my eyebrows, not knowing what to do. I knew people could be so dramatic at times, but this was some sort of new level to it.

"Kokichi, let Paola play with Choochoo, now!" What sounded to be a middle aged woman said.

She wasn't currently in the room but I knew she was shouting from somewhere in the house.

"But she's my cat," Kokichi said, crossing his arms with a pout occupying his face.

"And this is my house, that you are still living in at nineteen."

Kokichi groaned and looked at Paola as if he wanted to throw a punch at her.

"Go ahead, play with Choochoo dumbass...,"

The little girl gasped, backing away whilst shaking her head in utter disappointment.

"Auntie Izumi! Kokichi just said a potty word!"

Kokichi face palmed before snatching his cousin by the shoulder and trying to shush her. All was too late when the angry voice of what I assumed to be his mother chimed in.

"Kokichi, come here!"

He rolled his eyes, now facing me and coming close to the camera.

"Dammit gotta go. See you tomorrow though...,"

"Ooh! Another one-," Paola began before being cut off to my ears by the hangup button.

I sighed, setting my phone down and looking at the clock on my bedroom wall. It was a little over 10:00PM, which is around the time that I get a small snack before bed.

I got up, heading to my kitchen to fix myself up some salty circular crackers. The night had never seemed so long as it did today. I barely even got to say a word to Kokichi because of my lack of socializing. I popped a cracker into my mouth, settling into my couch and staring blankly at my TV that hadn't even been put on.

I smiled to myself at the vision of Kokichi playing with his cat, wishing I'd got to see Choochoo in real life.

That's when the nervousness of working started to attack me. Of all positions I could've received, they gave me cashier? That one job where you have to talk to basically everyone. It's ok though, all I have to do is know how to use the cash register, give them their total then their money back... and scan their items of course. It's all cashier's ever do. And it's exactly what I'm going to be doing tomorrow.

Word Count: 1179

CHAPTER DICTIONARY:

Volition - The faculty or power of using one's will.

Trepidation - A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.

Instantaneous - Occuring or done in an instant or instantly.