Tangerine ~ Bullet Train

27 - Her own choice to make

Having a warm meal in her stomach made Yuina feel even better than she already started feeling since hearing about the death of that mafia boss. The three of them sat in this lunchroom out in the open, not in hiding anymore. Everyone could see them sitting there, and it didn't make her feel cramped. In fact it made her feel joyful that she was to be seen by everyone with the two brothers in her company. She felt comfortable around them, cheerful to be in their presence even. Because who knew for how long she would be?

Her new phone was only just installed or multiple sounds were coming out of it. Not only did Yuina receive many missed phone calls and normal texts, her WhatsApp was also flooding like crazy. She stared at the thing sighing, wanting to throw and break it again, but Lemon had just bought it for her. 'Someone's popular,' he said sarcastically. She turned off the sound and shrugged. 'This concern is all fake, trust me,' she replied. She picked up the thing and went through a few texts.

Many people would wish her well and a quick recovery, so her mother would've made up a story by now. She opened the texts from her, reading how she told everyone how sad and shocked Yuina was to be seeing her father lying in the hospital like that, not knowing his fate. So that's where those messages of wishing her well came from. With an annoyed sigh, Yuina put the phone back on the table and ignored all messages.

Her mother was making things up again to receive some sympathy. No one could know Yuina didn't want to come home. Appearances were clearly all that mattered to her. She didn't even ask her daughter how she was doing. Yuina was so done with that human. She didn't want to think about it anymore, which let her to think about the only thing to be worried about right now: how to proceed from now on. Well, the thing was that Yuina didn't really feel worried at all.

Now that she had broken free of her parents, for the first time in forever it felt like she could begin to create her own path. Did she want to go to college? Did she want to go travelling, thinking about what it was she wanted to do with her life? She didn't know where to go or what to do, but at the same time she felt like anything was possible, as long as she would make that choice herself. She was free to find out where her life was heading now. She had some savings left, but maybe she had to think about switching jobs. She didn't want to run out of money entirely, and she didn't want to be around her parents' neighbourhood just yet. Yuina found herself enjoying not knowing where to go next; it made her feel free and independent.

Yuina wasn't the only one who recognised this change in her; The Twins saw it too. They both thought it to be beautiful, but Tangerine became a little frightened, too. Being save and broken free of her parents' grasp made her glow with a joyful, adventurous gaze. Her sudden realisation of independence made Tangerine cramp up like crazy. He wanted nothing more than to keep her with him; to explore this connection that was between them. But he also wanted what was best for her. He was painfully aware that he wasn't what was best for her. Still he wanted to become that. He wanted to be the person she could rely on; by whom she could safely explore who she wanted to be herself, whilst he would support her every step of the way. He wanted to say that and more, right there and then, but Yuina received a phone call that made her jump up immediately.

Tangerine found himself acting weird on impulse. His eyes darted at the screen of her phone, but he couldn't read the name of the person that was calling her. Her eyes went soft and sparkly whilst reaching for the thing. 'I'm sorry,' she said, standing up and looking at the brothers apologising. 'I have to take this.' She walked outside and answered the phone.

The Twins could see her through the window. For a moment all Tangerine could do was looking at her frightened, afraid she was calling with some dude she liked, and that she would leave him now.

Lemon saw his brother looking like that. 'Are you jealous?' he asked. Tangerine tried to deny it, but of course his brother had already seen him looking that way. 'Could you see the name of the person calling her?' he asked reluctantly, making Lemon laughing out loud. 'Geez, are you really scared she's calling with some dude right now?' Tangerine didn't know what to say. 'If she was seeing someone, would she have let you in her bed last night?' It was meant to be a reassurance, but it made Tangerine even more insecure. The truth was they didn't know what she was like at all. He couldn't know. He had never felt this way before, but here he suddenly was: jealous and afraid that she would like someone else over him. 'I guess I'm going crazy,' Tangerine sighed. 'This isn't normal.'