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𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐘.
❛ chapter ten ❜
𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯.
the sixteen year old, a bit confused, glanced up before he immediately opened his mouth in disbelief, nearly throwing his book at the boy who stood outside of his window.
"what are you doing here?" kiyoshi hissed, looking around frantically as if his mother would simply spawn out of air. however, mariano was rather in a risky area; if she would've been at home, she could simply just look down from her bedroom and see him opting to climb into her sons window, and kiyoshi wasn't quite sure mariano had the right temperament to face her- not her and her sandals, which often came off and flew across the room. "w-...what? how did you get my address?"
"do not worry your pretty little head about it."' mariano cooed, his eccentric dark eyes dancing with a hints of genuine interest that could only be called manic- that and the way he seemed to be all smiles. chills ran down the younger's spine simply because there was absolutely no indication that he was going to leave- especially not with the way he had began to lift up kiyoshi's window. "now be a good boy and grab that radio. i do not want to break it. you see i am a very polite house guest."
"obviously not." kiyoshi spat, not budging or moving anything. "you're insane. leave. please."
"i do not feel like it." mariano rejected, opening his window all the way and raising a brow over at his radio that was about to fall. kiyoshi glared over at him, grabbing the device that still played music before the boy effortlessly came in through the window.
"why are you even here?" kiyoshi muttered as mariano closed the window, a small heat of embarrassment beginning to warm his cheeks. in comparison to mariano's room, his was about three times smaller and painfully simple. he didn't even have a bed frame for that matter. sure, he could've bought one but he had chosen not to; the money could be used for other things like their monthly payments and as long as he had a good mattress, he was fine. so that's exactly what was in his room; a mattress, covered with blue sheets and blankets along with multiple pillows off to the corner of the room, diagonal to the window he always had cracked open. next to it was a traditional dividing folder, one that his mom had given to him and one that gave the illusion of having more space in the room. across from the bed and where mariano stood next to was a small closet, small but large enough to fit all of kiyoshi's clothes- or perhaps, he just didn't have many. aside from the small lounging couch kiyoshi sat on, there was not much else and the room truly was compact. all of these things led to the slight humiliation brewing in kiyoshi who had told mariano he could not come over for more reasons than one; he didn't need him to see the cans and bottles his mother reused in the kitchen. he didn't need him to see the plants growing, hanging all over his room and the house itself. he didn't need him to see the heavy, huge bags of rice just sitting on the kitchen floor. he didn't need him to see the fact that they had one bathroom and the shower didn't even have hot water.
ironically enough, mariano quite liked his house- he always had.
he liked it, especially the plants in kiyoshi's room and the little paper lanterns that hung from his ceiling- especially the music playing, despite the fact that it was in japanese and he had no idea what the lady was saying- especially the window next to kiyoshi's bed in which you could see their garden better- especially the small strings of fairy lights around his room- especially the way the cat sat on the windowsill, meowing quietly as she watched the two in silence.
