Piening for you

6. What If

The following day when Endou met up with Gouenji and Kira at the shop, he eyed them both curiously.

"Hello, Endou. " Kira greeted him politely.

"Good morning, Kira. How are you today?" He asked rather dramatically.

"I am ok. As usual. " She answered in a confused way and then walked in with a chuckle.

As soon as she left Endou pulled Gouenji aside by pulling at his sleeve.

"How did it go?" He asked eagerly.

"I don't want to speak twice so let's just wait for Kidou. " Gouenji answered.

"What do you have against speaking?!" Endou exclaimed in frustration.

"Shuuya!" Kira called him from inside.

Endou grinned, "Keep being secretive. I got what I wanted to know. "

Gouenji rolled his eyes in exasperation and walked in.

...

During the day Kira was handing out flyers when suddenly she rushed in.

"Is everything alright, Kira? " Gouenji was immediately concerned.

"I didn't wanna say anything to ruin the date but I think someone has been following me since yesterday. " She had turned pale as she said so.

Gouenji immediately rushed to the window and peeked outside. However, he couldn't find anyone suspicious looking.

"I think he's gone now. "Kira confirmed.

"What does he look like?" He asked.

"He is wearing a black suit and a black hat. " She said, "Could it be the same people who killed me?" She added as she stared towards Gouenji apprehensively.

"I don't know but until we figure it out you won't go out there distributing flyers. You will stay close to me where I can protect you. " Gouenji instructed her with utmost seriousness.

"But my job..."

"You can help me in the kitchen. " He assured her.

...

"What could they possibly want now?" Kira began as they stood side by side in the kitchen working on various steps of the pies.

"More importantly, how did they find you here? " Gouenji replied.

"Someone must have spotted me!" She said.

"We have to be careful about it. No one can know what I...do. " He remarked seriously.

"Is it illegal to raise the dead?" Kira asked in amusement.

"I don't know," Gouenji stopped and turned to her, "I'll ask Kidou. "  They both chuckled.

When Kidou arrived he was informed about the stalker situation. He mulled over it for a while,

"If we have to catch him, we will have to lure him out. Only Kira can do it. "

"You can't use her as bait! That's dangerous!" Gouenji immediately objected.

"It's ok, Shuuya. I am not afraid. " Kira assured him.

Kidou noticed the important detail in this interaction. He turned to Gouenji and smirked.

"I'll let you know when I have thought of a plan. " He informed Kira. With this conclusion, she left them to talk.

"I take it your date went well. " Kidou remarked.

"Well, I won't go into detail now because Endou isn't here and I don't want to speak twice. " Gouenji said.

"Even I don't calculate like this. " Kidou retorted annoyedly.

...

When they reached home in the evening, he noticed that Kira still looked troubled.

"I'm scared, Shuuya. " She admitted, "I don't want to sleep alone in my room. Will you keep me company?"

"Sure, there's a couch in there. I can sleep on that. " He said.

After dinner, he went over to Kira's room bringing his pillow along with him.

He knocked on the door and walked in. The first thing he noticed was that the window was shut and the curtains were closed.

"You should open the window, the breeze is nice. " He suggested.

"Absolutely not. " She promptly declined.

Gouenji paused for a moment, "You didn't have to be brave back there. If you're not up for the mission, we can catch him some other way. "

"No, it's ok. I'll be fine. " She took a deep breath, "Just stay with me tonight. "

"I'd give you a hug right now if I could. " Gouenji said, "Here, take my pillow." He handed it over to her.

She stared at him emotionally as she gave the pillow a tight hug. She then handed it back to him and flopped down on the bed.

"Are you sleepy yet? I'm not. " She spoke with enthusiasm.

"I'm not either. " He went along.

"Then come, let's talk. " She patted the space beside her.

He did as she told and sat beside her. He looked down to make sure there was enough space between them.

"Don't worry, we're far enough. " She said, "You worry about that a lot. " She teased him.

"Of course, I can't afford to lose you. " He answered without hesitation.

"So you really loved me back in school? When we were friends?" She asked.

"Did you think I was lying yesterday?" He chuckled, "Like I said, I would have confessed back then if I had the chance. "

"How?" She tilted her head and asked with great interest. She was staring at him like she was intoxicated by his looks.

"I did have a plan. " He said. He closed his eyes and chuckled in embarrassment as he remembered it.

"I'd stop you after school, just like the first time I did when I spoke to you. " He began, "This time you wouldn't be confused to see me. This time you'd have been happy because we were already friends.

I'd tell you I want to treat you to some ice cream. "

"And I'd say yes because I love ice cream!" Kira chimed eagerly. Gouenji pointed with his index finger, gesturing that that's exactly it.

"On our way there, I'd reach out discreetly and hold your hand. "

"You wouldn't. " She teased him.

"If I knew what I know now I'd have held it tightly like this..." He demonstrated by clasping onto his own hand.

"After ice cream we'd go to the riverbank for some peace and quiet. And that's when I'd tell you I love you. " He concluded.

"I would be taken aback for sure," Kira continued it on, surprising him, " For a minute I'd even entertain the thought that it might be a prank. But then I'd look at your earnest eyes and know it's true. " She smiled shyly.

"I'd reach out, " She leaned forward and hovered her hand next to his cheek, "And you would come closer and hold me won't you?" She shifted closer, "And then... we'd..." She brought her lips close to his.

He was always nervous about getting too close to her but this time he was pulled towards her as if by a magnetic force.

They stopped an inch away from each other, perfectly still in the dead of the night, the only sound was of their heavy breaths.

"But we're not in the past. " She broke the silence and smiled a sad smile.

Gouenji came back to his senses and immediately recoiled back anxiously.

"I'm sleepy. " He said and practically dived towards the couch.

"Goodnight, Shuuya. " There was still emotion lingering in her voice.

"Goodnight, Kira." Gouenji said as he internally freaked out over their moment.