ajisai | s. shinichiro

三十二 x 7k reads special

"You know...in Home Economics class, we were given a project that involves sewing. Our teacher told us to sew anything we wanted, may it be clothes or stuffed toy, really anything!" Airi begins to say, resting her head on Shinichiro's lap as they lounged in the living room inside her house.

"Did you begin with your project?" Shinichiro asks, fingers gently combing through her hair, a small smile painting his eyes as he admires her from a different angle.

Airi nodded her head, lifting her head up a little to look at him. "I started it last night and got a bit carried away actually!" She replies, smiling with her eyes closed. "I ended up with making more than one. I was able to make Takashi his own beret! He was really happy when I handed it to him! And this is the one I'm going to show to class!"

What was once a smile on Shinichiro's face immediately disappeared when Airi pulled out what seemed to be a doll version of him - wearing a white shirt and light faded colored jeans.

"I purposefully made it to look like you so that when were not together, I'll talk to this little one!" She explains, "When I finished this last night, I was really impressed with the results that I feel a bit attached to it already!" She adds, chuckling softly.

Shinichiro knows he should be happy, he really should be happy and giving her praises that she worked on a school project that she enjoyed along the way. But what is this feeling bubbling inside his chest as his eyes burned on the little doll version of him?

Whatever it was, it was sickening.

"I'll just go to the bathroom first." Airi bids, going over to him before handing to him the doll. "Make sure to take care of your twenty centimeter self!" She says before turning around and heading towards where the bathroom is.

Now it was all him and his doll version alone in the living room. Of course she did a good job at making it look like him, but to know that this doll is the one who would get to have her hugs and be able to sleep at night in her bed before he could? Not on his watch.

"Oi." Shinichiro begins to say, looking down at the doll in his hands. "Think you're so cocky for getting to sleep besides her before me huh?" He asks, hitting the doll before ultimately stopping as Luna enters the living room, joining him in her bear onesie and walker.

"Ah, Luna. I didn't know you're here." Shinichiro says, smiling at the little baby, showing to her the doll that Airi made.

"Okay, Luna. I'm going to ask you a question" He says, "Who do you think is more handsome - me or this one?" He asks.

Expected and not surprised, Luna smiled and giggled with her arms raising up, making grabby hands at the doll.

"Figured." Shinichiro deadpans.

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

The following day, holding a watermelon in her hand, Airi makes her way to the Sano household one Saturday morning upon hearing the news that their mother has finally been discharged from the hospital and is now home with them. Given the fact that she is going over to their house right now, it would mean that she would get to see her again for the second time but this time in a relationship.

And truth be told, for Airi, meeting a guy's parents, felt more nerve wracking than a teacher criticizing your work.

"Meow"

Blinking twice, Airi looks down at her feet to see a black cat with a scar on it's head right in front of her.

"You're from before" She mentions, smiling before squatting down to pet it's head. "Where's your owner?" She asks. And as if on cue, the blond haired boy with blue green eyes came running towards them.

"It's you again, nice lady!" He beams to her, smiling brightly while running towards them, "And you even found Excalibur!"

"Hello to you too!" Airi greets, smiling up at him. "We never got to know each other's name. I'm Airi, and you are?"

"Chifuyu!" He beams to her, eyes darting to look at the watermelon in her hands. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Ah- I'm going to my boyfriend's house." She responded, straightening her legs as she stands back up. "I won't be keeping you two anymore. Get home safely too, okay?"

"We will!" Chifuyu enthusiastically responded, carrying Excalibur in his arms before raising one paw and waving to her. "Bye bye, Airi san!"

Waving her hand back to him, she watches Chifuyu enter their apartment building first before resuming to walking to her destination. But as she takes one step forward, a familiar voice called out to her.

"Airi nee!" It was Baji, looking down at her with a big smile on his face from the same apartment building. "You're going there too, right? Wait for me!" He shouts, immediately turning on his heels as he jogs down the stairs in a flash.

"No need to be in a rush, Kei!" Airi replies, chuckling softly. "No one's racing with you or trying to outrun you even." She adds. "And be careful when walking down the stairs! You'd trip and fall if you do!"

"Just excited!" Baji replies, grinning at her. "Mikey's invited Haruchiyo and Senju to play football with us today. Izana's actually even good at playing football." He adds.

Nodding her head to this, the two of them walk side by side. "But isn't it that Izana's not playing with you guys anymore, right? I heard from Shin that he's playing with Kakucho now."

"Right!" Baji responded. "We often don't see him anymore too. I'd sometimes hear that he's by the playground or going to Yokohama with Kakucho...he's got friends there too, he says!" He tells her. "But Mikey invites that Takemichi more now too! He's a bit slow when it comes to football...that's why he always gets the ball on his face." 

Hearing his words, Airi couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Don't be so hard on him. Let him live a bit." She says, "Yokohama's quite a big place." Airi comments, heaving a breath. "But it would be nice to go there someday."