A Lingering Touch (Junjou Romantica)

[13]

Nowaki expected Hiroki's distance over that kissing confession. In fact, he assumed this outcome and avoided Hiroki for a about week. Maybe even longer since he lost track of time. He did anything to prevent himself from walking toward Hiroki's home. Anything. He tried. How he tried to stay away from him. Nothing happened in town whenever he wished for it to occur which made him unknowingly pass the area. He ended up having to entertain the elderly who humored him with one-sided talk. Enough stories of rambunctious grandchildren and old lovers of grandeur tired Nowaki out.

On a last ditch effort, he observed the woods and again, he ended up at Hiroki's home. Sighing, he walked closer and checked around the vicinity. New additions to the waterlogged talismans showed up on the home. Old ones crinkled and turned light yellow. Ink withered down the paper, staining others underneath. He reached out and touched the pure paper, causing one to break off.

He remembered Hiroki's grandfather started stapling on talismans on his last few years of life. A sense of drive to protect the home, urged him to almost cover his home with them. His children tried talking him out of it, but their cries went to deaf ears. Around that time, the priest from the main temple urged the town to add the bells and talismans to their homes. The man just took things a bit too far in his quest.

At the sound of the door opening and shutting, Nowaki jumped on the spot. He heard one voice. Hiroki's glorious voice. The bells rang on the inside. Alerting of his presence. He made a dash for the other direction, but a yell stopped him in his tracks.

"Stop right there Nowaki!"

Nowaki gulped, turning his head, he saw Hiroki's furious gaze. Time to face him. No use running anymore. "Hiroki-san."

In an annoyed tone, Hiroki asked him as he shoved his phone into his pocket. "Where the hell were you? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Nowaki flinched, he expected such a reaction from Hiroki. "Hiroki-san...I was busy on patrols."

"Bullshit. You were avoiding me. I saw you disappearing whenever I came close to seeing you. I might not see far without my glasses, but I saw your bright red clothes. Your freaking jewelry glows from the sun hitting it." Hiroki crossed his arms on his chest, he gave him a glare. "Is the idea of getting one kiss from me that disgusting?" Admitting he desired a kiss embarrassed him, but the anger masked over his initial feelings.

"N-No!" Nowaki denied it as he hurried in front of Hiroki. "I thought you regretted saying those words. It's better to have a better reaction when one is sober. Hiroki-san, I'm so much older than you through a vast amount. I'm not even alive. I'm an apparition. You can choose someone else. Someone better for you."

"That's my decision to make. Not yours." Hiroki tapped his foot.

"You...you have endless possibilities for another person to match you." Nowaki motioned to himself. "I can barely materialize long enough to touch anything. Any distraction takes my attention away and I phase through. You showed your displeasure from witnessing it last time."

"You'd react too if you saw someone half way through your body! I never had a ghost go through me before in my life. It felt like I had someone throw ice water on me."

"You will grow tired of these differences between us. Have you ever heard of a human and a ghost making a relationship work?" Nowaki inquired and answered before Hiroki opened his mouth. "To my knowledge, very few manage to work out a decent relationship. One has to die or lead a life away from other humans. Another person will steal your heart and I can't do a thing about it."

Hiroki narrowed his eyes. "My feelings and intentions are not a fickle matter. I care about you. Way more than anyone. It's taken me a lot to come up with this conclusion."