ajisai | s. shinichiro

二十二

The first ever warm summer rain of 1998 began today in the afternoon, a golden sky with rain pouring out from the clothes. Despite the condition, it didn't stopped Airi from stepping outside of their home and to buy new oil paint tubes from the craft store. Holding onto the strap of her tote bag that is slung on top of her shoulder and the other holding onto the base of the umbrella, she began to make her way towards the Sano household.

Shinichiro had told her how Emma kept asking him to have her over at their house on the weekends. And who was she to deny her request? The little girl had especially caught her heart as well, spending afternoons playing with her dolls and talking about boys in her bedroom all the while Mikey and Izana would bicker and banter outside of her room on who's next to get her attention.

"Hm?" Airi hums, feeling a small hand yanking on her shirt. Turning her head down to look at who it is, it was a small boy with blonde hair and light blue eyes.

"Look at my cat!" He proudly tells her, smiling widely with his eyes closed. His little hands holding onto a carton that a black cat filled in. "I named him Excalibur and he's got a very cool scar too!"

Chuckling softly, the older girl bent down to admire the kitten, using her free hand to scratch it's chin. "You have a very cute kitten." She tells him, giving him a tight lipped smile. "Are you lost, kid? Why are you under the rain?" She asks, sheltering him and Excaliber under her umbrella.

"I saw this cat besides me and I immediately named him." He replies. "I also live right here." He then pointed at the apartment building on their right side.

"Ah! I see." Airi responded, blinking her eyes before averting her attention to him. "Go home and wash up, okay? You'll get sick if you don't!" She tells him.

The cheeks of the boy in front of her suddenly became red in color, his lower lip quivering. "Y-Yes I will!" He says, turning around and heading inside the apartment building. And as soon as she saw him enter, she couldn't help but smile, shake her head and carry on.

"I saw a cute kid on the way here!" Airi beams, removing her shoes as she enters the living room of the Sano residence. "He was so happy to show me the cat he adopted!"

"Do you like cats, older sister?" Emma asks, her arms already clinging onto her leg as soon as she stepped in.

"I find cats very adorable." She responded, patting the top of her head. "Although I just don't have time to look after one because I'm quite a busy person." She explains. "By the way, where is Shin?"

"About Shin nii..." Emma begins to say, only to be interrupted by Shinichiro's loud voice from somewhere.

"Oi Manjiro!" Shinichiro yells. "Put your dirty clothes that's on the floor in the hamper at least!"

"But they're all clean!" Mikey responded, his voice sounding like he was outside.

"Izana, I threw away the little colored thingy that's on the floor of your room too!" Shinichiro says.

"That's my guitar pick!" Izana shouted, followed by rushed footsteps heading inside the house.

Footsteps colliding against the wooden floors came echoing through until the figure of Shinichiro, wearing a white apron with the front of his hair tied up, hands holding onto a used cloth and pale. "Oh hi, Airi chan!" He casually greets her, smiling while walking away. After taking three steps did he realize that she was finally here. "Airi chan!"

"I didn't know you're on cleaning duty." She says. "But you actually did good in cleaning up." She adds, lifting her head up and looking at the surroundings. "Everything's sparkling clean here."

"Of course it should!" Shinichiro beams. "Besides, I volunteered to do this anyway. I'm on househusband training. So please wait for me here, okay? I'll just take a shower!" And with that he walks away from the two.

Blinking her eyes, Airi didn't know what to do except take a seat on the couch of their living room. "Househusband training, huh?"

"He's been like that ever since he met you, older sister." Emma says.

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

"Izana says he's frequenting Yokohama a lot since he met a couple of kids he became close with over there." Shinichiro begins to say, finally getting an alone time with Airi after whisking her away from his three monopolizing younger siblings, taking her out for a walk around their neighborhood.

"And I think he's beginning to show signs of being interested in bikes. Even Manjiro too! They keep asking me to teach them how to ride a bike." He continues, a proud grin painting his lips.

Hands holding and fingers intertwined between them, their hands gently swayed as they walked. "They're taking up after you." She tells him, taking a quick glance at Shinichiro. "By the way, how is your mother?"

"She's doing great now!" He beams. "She's showing improvements with her health and the last time we were there, the doctor says if it becomes stable, she'll be able to come home!"

"That's good to hear then!" Airi gasps, holding his hand tightly in hers. "I wish her a speedy recovery!"

"Whenever I visit her, she always asks a lot about you." He says, head turned and looking at her. "She keeps asking him if you're dating me already. Whenever I tell her not yet, she'd nag me to keep trying. But now I have you!"

Airi's cheeks flushed pink upon hearing his words. "M-My mom's like that too..." she stammers. "She keeps telling me if were going out already and that I should treat you nicely."

"Mrs Mitsuya, Airi chan isn't treating me nicely." Shinichiro spoke, pouting afterwards.

"What do you mean I don't treat you nicely?" Airi asks, half shouting. "I patched your hands when you cut yourself a few days ago, I visited you in your house when you got sick and I even shared my lunch with you!"

But Shinichiro shook his head. "Not enough" he replies, using the index finger of his free hand to point at his cheek.

Airi thought, if he was going to be like this, then she would take her chance. Not letting him know her next move, she took a step closer to him, removing her hand from his so she could cup his cheeks while standing on her tiptoes to place a quick peck on his lips.

"All better!" She relays, looking up at him before planting her feet back down on the ground. Turning around to walk ahead, she felt Shinichiro touch the back of her neck, turning her back around to face him as he leans down to attach his lips on hers again.