LIVING | 하루토

11 - Past Battles

HARUTO'S POV (yes, finally!)

i sat on the side of the bed, crossing my legs but making sure to leave a comfortable enough gap between acoff and i.

i don't know what came over me. it was as if my body moved before my brain could even comprehend what was happening.. but dare i say that i didn't regret it.

feeling her warmth right against my skin made me feel - somehow - reassured. like i had someone to finally lean on after all these intolerable years alone of nonstop training. cuts, bruises, broken bones, everything of which i had to deal with all alone growing up.

"so you were saying?" i asked, breaking the silence.

all i wanted to do was be here with her.

i found myself feeling like this a lot recently but i could never figure out why. she isn't from here.. so why is it that i'm somewhat so entranced by her?

"you seemed a bit cold to your mom earlier.. mind if i ask?" she started again, her honey-like voice flowing through my ears.

i bit my lip, unsure of how to answer.

the question surely took me by surprise. was it that obvious? should i be telling her something like this? endless questions flooded my mind.

fuck it.

i might never see her again, so fuck it.

"mom and i were never really close growing up," i hesitated, shifting a tad bit closer to her.

i felt her sit up, ready to listen as she tugged on the blanket that was now covering the both of us.

concurrently, i fiddled with the drawers on the bedside table. i knew mom kept a small matchbox here to light up her bedside candle from the few times i've been here.

the hushing of the stick against the box finally became of something useful when i lit the candle up.

it's orange flame instantly lighting up the room. my eyes followed the flame until i found them focusing on her face— her features only more prominent now because of the flame's glow that layed beautifully on her. i never noticed it at first, but her almond-like eyes with a deep blue colour paired with the slight reddish-pink of her lips and the small freckles that decorated her rosy cheeks all being framed perfectly by her slightly curly red locks.

those red locks that led me to finding her in the woods on that faithful day.

"h- ruto?" her voice asked again, her eyes fluttering up at me with a look of concern. that's when i realised i had been silent for too long.

"was that too much of a personal question? i shouldn't have asked that right? it's not like we're friends or anything.." she rambled, darting her eyes away from mine, like she always does.

"no!" i quickly replied, shooting my head towards her. this is it. now or never, haruto.

i had never been much of a talker, let alone share my past and true feelings with anyone. the only person i did that with was with kei but after-

nevermind. i don't want to remind myself of those days again.

but yena.. it felt different with her from the first time i laid eyes on her in that hazy forest. i can't put it into words but it was like i was entranced by her almost immediately — as if i knew i had to protect her although at thst time, she had just been a mere trespasser.

i could have left her there or even reported her to authorities for trespassing and faking an identity, but i didn't.

instead, i'm here now with here in my own mother's home.. sharing this moment.