𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙏 2 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙏 (𝙈𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙪 𝘽. 𝙓 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧)

4. ethereal

———"And so I had a late arrival."

::
EVER SINCE that day, Bachira and you were almost inseparable. At school, the two of you would often eat lunch together, and hang out after school whenever you were both available.

You also met his cool mom, who was genuinely one of the sweetest women you have ever encountered. She was welcoming and warm towards you, showing you her artworks whenever you expressed an interest in it. She seemed enthusiastic that Bachira had brought home a friend for the first time.

-

With days turning into weeks, and weeks turning into months, all of the time that Bachira had spent with you made him forget all about the past he had.

Because of you, the guitar hero, the memory of being alone no longer carried a burden in his mind.

While he truly did still feel quite alone on a soccer field, Bachira always was certain you'd be there for him off-field. This made it more bearable, your support meant the world to him.

Obviously, Bachira Meguru would return the favour. Whenever you recorded guitar covers, he would often just sit and listen attentively. Occasionally, he would even lightly sway to the music, his eyes closed to further immerse himself.

It was small gestures like these, whenever you noticed them, you would always smile to yourself with a light feeling pounding repeatedly into the depths of your heart.

It was also because of these little moments that you became aware of your own feelings.

The feelings you have developed for Bachira Meguru.

————————

YOU BOTH found comfort within each other, not afraid to voice out anything to one another. And so, when an embarrassed and flushed Bachira approached you, you were quite surprised.

— "I know this is going to sound so childish, but do you want to go to the aquarium with me?" He asked, with a sense of hopefulness in his behaviour.

— "What do you mean childish, of course I'd wanna go! I actually find aquatic animals quite mesmerizing." You admitted. Bachira's eyes lit up at your response.

Conveniently, it was the weekend, so you two were able to go the same day as Bachira made the suggestion.

You could see an aura of excitement and anticipation surrounding him. You chuckled at Bachira's playfulness, a quality of him that you appreciated.

— "Which exhibit are you looking the most forward to?" You asked him.

— "The dolphins! They're so cheerful, and they're smart! I really love them." Bachira replied cheerfully.

You grinned at him, before taking ahold of his hand and led him inside the doors to the aquarium. Bachira's face flushed a few shades of red from the sudden contact.

Your fingers laced together, not letting go, as the two of you looked at one exhibit after another. The aquarium emitted a soft dark blue ambiance, which made the experience feel quite unreal.

But to Bachira, you looked ethereal.

He loved your comforting gaze that seemed to often bore into his, your subtle changes of emotion that appeared on your face.

When the two of you arrived at the dolphin exhibit, Bachira seemed completely blown away. He had finally let go of your hand, as he pressed both of his palms against the glass. He smiled, a rather large smile, observing the dolphins swimming around.

You had never seen him look so amazed at something before. Taking your phone out, you quickly snapped a few photos of him to make some memories.

And so, when your time at the aquarium was finished, Bachira looked slightly disappointed.

— "You alright there?" You asked the bob-cut boy.

— "Yeah! Just a bit sad that the day is over. I had so much fun today!" He explained.

You chuckled at him, before you pulled out something from your pocket.

When you revealed it, Bachira's eyes widened.

It was a plush key chain of a dolphin, purchased from the aquarium souvenir shop.

— "It's for you, so you can think of this day when you look at this key chain!" You handed the small present to him.

— "Thank you! It's so cute! I'll treasure this, y/n." He grinned at you, basically jumping up and down out of excitement.

Then, within the heat of the moment, Bachira hugged you, as he enveloped you with his arms. You gasped, surprised at the sudden action, but you decided to hug him back.

— "Sorry! I shouldn't have done this without asking-" Bachira was releasing his grip on you, but you stopped him.

— "It's alright, let's just stay like this for a little longer, 'kay?"

Bachira swore he has never felt himself blush so hard before.

————————

HE COULD not stop staring at the dolphin keychain you had bought for him. Bachira decided he would take it with him wherever he went, deciding it would be most effective as his good luck charm.

Bachira held it by the chain, letting it swing back and forth like a pendulum. His golden irises following it right and left, as his own thoughts began to wander.

A sudden epiphany struck him.

Lately, Bachira Meguru had been smiling a lot more often than before.