ajisai | s. shinichiro

二十四 x 3k reads special

"You look like you're constipated." Takeomi says, his eyes trained on Shinichiro's quiet and brooding figure. "What are you thinking of?"

"I have this feeling" Shinichiro responded after a minute passed. "I have this feeling that I need to get out of here and find where Airi is." He adds, getting up from his seat.

"Hey!" Takeomi calls out to him. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be back quick!" He tells him, briskly walking in the hallway and jogging down the stairs. As Shinichiro arrives at the gym, he sneakily evades the nearby PE teacher having a class with his students. Prying away from their eyes, he lifts his legs up and begins to climb to the other side, hopping down and then running towards the direction of their house.

Upon arriving in front of their apartment, Shinichiro was out of breath and coated in his sweat, beads of it trickling down on his skin. Steadying his breath for a while and wiping his face with the back of his hand, he raises his free hand and knocks on the door thrice.

With the door opening, Takashi lifted his head up and blinks. "Shin nii?" He asks. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah- Takashi." Shinichiro spoke, averting his eyes to look around behind him. "Where's Airi?" He asks.

As soon as he hears his question, Takashi's face morphs into a serious one. "Older sister...is in Sapporo." He begins to say, upon mentioning the city in the north of Hokkaido, Shinichiro's eyes widens and his mouth parts open.

"What...What is she doing there?" He asks.

"Before our grandmother passed, older sister liked to stay over there. Even after grandmother's passing, older sister made sure to at least go there." Takashi replies. "There's no other place she'd go to. She left yesterday evening and...she's probably arriving there already since it takes twelve hours by train." He nods his head.

"Well...will she return tomorrow?" He asks him.

Takashi shook his head. "Older sister usually takes three days there." He responded.

Three days without her, Shinichiro knew he wouldn't be able to last, not even half a day.

As Takashi could see the conflicting facial expression on his face, he lowered his hand from the door knob. "Would you like me to write down the address for you?"

"Yes please!" Shinichiro begs.

As the door closes on him. Shinichiro had to make a decision, let her be alone for three days straight or go over to where she is? If he wanted to, he'd have to make sure he has a full tank and wallet with him. But as of the moment, his bike is at home and his wallet is inside his backpack in school.

"Here you go, Shin nii." Takashi says, handing to him a piece of paper. "Mom's at home too. She asked me who was the one knocking and then I told her it's just you. She said you're free to stay here with us anytime you want!"

A small smile begins to curl the corners of his lips, placing a hand on top of his head. "I'll make sure to remember that." He replies. "I'll get going now." With that, he turned around and read the written address on the little note.

7-3-4 Kita-ku, Sapporo

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

Shinichiro didn't know how but it was a miracle for him to go back to school after escaping and then returning and even falling asleep that night. All the more the hours of yesterday passed him by, not a single call nor text did he received back from Airi. And when he started to think about her, where she is, how well is she doing and what could she be doing, the more it spiraled from there.

It was as if he was caught into a spiraling curse, one thought blooming inside his mind into another. An endless train that produced more questions than answers to satiate it.

"Hey grandpa" Shinichiro begins to say, putting on his shoes in the doorway before leaving their house. "Our homeroom teacher is getting married. Me and my classmate are chipping money to get her a wedding gift." He lies, turning around to face the old man.

"How much do you need?" Grandpa Sano asks, his hands resting on top of his waist.

"Thirty eight thousand seven hundred fifty yen." Shinichiro deadpans.

Grandpa Sano's eyes squints at him. "Seriously?" He asks. "What are you all getting that sounds so costly?" He asks again.

Shinichiro immediately begins to rack up his mind. "They saw this foreign looking item that poofs out smoke. Apparently it comes along with forty other different scents and I heard they're ordering it overseas." He responded, shrugging his shoulders.

Needless to say, Grandpa Sano went over away and upon his return, returned back with four ten thousand yen paper bills in his hand. "Here you go."

Grinning widely, Shinichiro safely tucks the money in. "Thank you so much, gramps!"

As soon as he leaves the door, he takes his wallet out of his backpack to safely secure the money. "Toll fee money, check. Gas money, check. Airi chan, here I come for you." He mutters to himself, putting his wallet back inside his backpack, slinging the straps on his shoulder.

"What are you talking about?"

A loud yell elicits his mouth, jumping and turning around to look at Mikey who is standing behind him.

"Don't scare me like that, Manjiro!" He tells him, heaving a breath as he calms down his racing heart.

"I heard you say Airi chin's name. And now I'm here." He replies, shrugging his shoulders. "What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing, nothing." Shinichiro says, waving his hand up and making a back and forth motion. "Go to school with Emma and Izana now! Don't make mom or grandpa ask why you all have a late record!" He eases.

Mikey's eyes squints a little at him but nevertheless decided not to press his older brother into it.

By the time Shinichiro is in line at the Minami toll gate bound for Sapporo, his phone began to ring inside the pocket of his uniform pants. Motioning his bike forward in one hand and the other fishing his phone out to answer the call.

"Waka?" Shinichiro quizzes. "What's up?"

"What's up?" Wakasa asks on the other line. "What's up? What's up, Shin? Where are you? Why didn't you tell us why you're not going to class today?"

Shinichiro grins to himself, planting his feet on the ground. "Well...I forgot."

"You forgot?" Wakasa repeats.

"It's exactly what I said." Shinichiro responded, motioning his bike forward again as the queue progresses. "Well, to be honest, I'm going to Sapporo. Airi chan's there." He informs him. "Tell Takeomi that the gang meeting for tonight is cancelled. I'm taking a day off from being a gang leader. Enjoy boys!" And with that, he ends the call and puts his phone back inside his pocket.

 . . . . . . . . . . ♡

By the time Shinichiro arrived at the largest city in Hokkaido, it was already eight pm and he was looking and asking around the locals on the directions that Takashi provided him. The people were kind enough to elaborate to him on how and where to get there that at exactly eight thirty, he parked his bike in front of a two storey house that has a red maple tree to it's left and a mail box under.

Gulping down his saliva and mustering up his courage, he walks up to the front door and knocks thrice. While he waits, he could hear soft padding sounds of feet colliding against the wooden floor drawing nearer and nearer to him. And when the front door opens, the sight of a lilac haired girl that he loves so much stood before him.