✰❦SoulBound❦✰

Chapter 8 ¦ Childhood

The walk was relatively quiet, basically, the opposite of the time spent in the bakery. It was a comfortable ambiance. We were walking at a slowed pace, me and Satori were looking up at the sky to point out the brightest stars and constellations. All that happened while Ushijima was trying to keep us on the sidewalk and off the road every time we started to wander off while being amazed by the view above.

School might get two plusses. I mean, Ushijima is still a grandpa, but that's just because he cares. Well, me being me, I grinned and ran toward the middle of the road. I could see him reach out from the corner of my eye. Yet, he grabbed onto nothing. I giggled and started spinning in circles while still looking up. I got slightly dizzy and went back to Satori's side. I could see a slight smile on Ushijima's face and a full-on shit-eating grin on the redhead as he stared at me. "Catching feelings? Too bad buddy I'm taken." I chuckled, trying to put on dramatic effect. 

But there was tension instead. Both of them went into shock. "By myself of course." I lightened the mood as they let out a breath they'd been holding. I'd like to know what was going on in their heads. "What were you thinking? That tension was as heavy as me." I grinned and gave a little chuckle. Satori looked at me with a sympathetic look. "What? Don't tell me you're going to disagree with me." I put my hands on my waist and looked at him with pride.

"You're not-" He started only to be cut off by me. "You're right, I'm thick." Satori laughed at that interpretation. "Put your mind at ease, we weren't thinking anything harmful." Ushijima butt in. "Oh yeah? And how am I supposed to know that? Maybe you were on the news?" I tried to keep the conversation going. "I assure you that I wasn't on the news. I was with you this whole time." "Yeah... Right..." I glared at him for a moment before spotting Maya's house in the distance and strutting over to the stairs and up to the front door.

I opened the door and hear footsteps. I saw Maya poke her head out. "Oh, honey! You're okay." She hugged me and I hugged back, of course. What kind of person would I be if I didn't? "Of course I'm fine." "Where are your friends?" "They're still walking. I kind of rushed here." She giggled and stood in the hallway waiting for the other two while I took off my shoes. I went ahead to check if Mamoru was home. 

"Hey, baby-face. I brought some people over. Behave yourself." "Shouldn't I be the one to tell you that?" He turned around in his swivel seat and grinned. "No," I replied and turned around to go back to Maya. "You actually made it! I thought you ghosted me!" I dramatically exclaimed as the two guys entered the house. "How could you not have faith in us?" Satori also dramatically responded, placing a hand on his chest. I laughed and saw Maya peek out. 

"Hello! Welcome, please, think of this as your second home. I heated up some dinner." Momma cheerfully invited them without even glancing at them. "Thank you for having us." Ushijima nodded. "I trust Y/n is going to show you around." She smiled and pulled on the tips of my hair so I would bend down for her to whisper. "If you need me, I'll be watching the terrible reality shows. Don't be weirded out if you hear me laugh like a crazy witch." Maya giggled and let go of my hair.

"Yeah, okay..." I said, slightly concerned. But my concern was quick to leave and I lead the two to the dining room. "So basically-" I started. "Don't you even think about it. Don't you dare say anything." I saw Satori grin while pointing at one of my childhood pictures. "Awh, you haven't really changed much, have you?" He had his signature 'UwU face' as I like to call it. "Ugh, don't get me started." "Tell us everything," Satori said as we sat down at the table. "And why should I?" I pointed at him with my fork. "Because we're the best." 

I laughed and took a bite of my food. "Sure I guess. As you can see, I was always - how do I put this, - a ball." I laughed. "Let me clear that up, I was bigger than most kids my age, guess that's not much different, is it?" I sighed. "You know, I actually scare people off. A few years back I used to be bullied for my size and now? Now it's intimidating! How amazing is that? I don't get to listen to yip-yapping people around me all day." I smiled.

"That's cool, but can we talk about your personality? Cause I don't think a child would be like you are right now. I highly doubt it." Satori put on a victorious grin. "Yeah, yeah, you got me there. I wasn't always so awesome and cool like this. I was a really quiet kid, believe it or not. I was into drawing things. Anything, really. The drawing thing also stuck around, now that I think about it. But I was never really any good at it. I also used to play the flute, but that's gone now. I haven't held a flute in years. I absolutely despised books, and still do. Reading was never really my thing, you know?" I finished off, not knowing what else to say. 

"Whose was it, seriously? I can't imagine a five-year-old with their nose stuck into a book all the time." Satori said, finishing up his meal. "I believe many children enjoy reading." Ushijima interpreted after swallowing. I only hummed and nodded with my mouth full. "Sure I guess. But you wanna hear something else?" Satori perked up and stared into my soul. "About your style?" "That's creepy, but yeah. Basically, I believed I was a princess and that I must wear pink poofy dresses. I would actually throw a tantrum and wouldn't give it up until I got my dress. Seriously, my mind was set in stone about being a princess and marrying a prince. And I blame my parents for that. Don't ask why, I just do." I laughed alongside Satori. 

"So, let's get this straight. You believed you were a princess?" I chuckled and nodded. "I believed I was a monster!" "Damn, really went down the 'Beauty and the Beast' path, huh?" We shared another hysterical laugh. Ushijima might have smiled a bit, but at least he was trying. "Everyone finished?" I asked, standing up. "Yeah, seems so." Satori also stood up. "You two can go to the living room or my room, I'll go clean the dishes," I said and started gathering the plates and cutlery. "I'll help." Ushijima offered. "Oh, you don't have to! I swear this is nothing, I own a bakery, remember?" He hesitantly went over to Saotri who was surfing through channels on the TV.