[English] ~𝒟𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝓉ℴ 𝒟𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓂~ Kenma x OC

Chapter 7: Conversation in the moonlight

I froze in my tracks. I looked almost blankly in Kenma's direction, but he was not interested to see my reaction. He was far too busy with the lettuce leaf that was lying in his bowl in front of him. Frustrated, I put my cutlery aside. "Whether I'm here voluntarily or not is none of your business. You don't even know me." The corners of Kenma's mouth twitched, but his eyes were still focused on his bowl. I sighed.

"You and your sister, do you get along well?" I suddenly lost my appetite. "Why do you want to know that?" His questioning was now getting on my nerves. Mostly because it became quite personal. Kenma raised his head. "Just saying. I'm a little worried about Kuroo." Right, the two of them were friends. Now it also explained to me why Kenma knew that I wasn't here voluntarily. Hikaru must have told her boyfriend who told Kenma. But why would he worry about Kuroo?

"What does my sister have to do with your concern for Kuroo? Did Hikaru do anything to him? I thought things were going well between the two of them." It was nothing, right? Hikaru would never even harm a fly. Even though our relationship, by that I mean the family relationship, was strained, she was still my big sister. I couldn't imagine that she was capable of anything that could physically hurt someone. Kenma grimaced. "I don't know. Kuroo has changed since he's been in a relationship with her." Based on his vague statement, it was clear to me straight away that he wasn't giving all the details. He was nervous, so I tilted my head. "What do you mean?" But Kenma remained silent. So I dropped the topic. If he had more to say, he would have done so.

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We continued eating in silence. The rest of the group was now celebrating happily on the meadow; the atmosphere was harmonious and filled with joy and fun. I smiled and watched my new friends. In moments like these, I forgot my worries and could think about something other than my messed up life. Kenma was still picking at his salad.

At some point the constant clattering of his chopsticks in the bowl got on my nerves. Suddenly he stopped and his gaze turned to me. I got goosebumps. In the soft moonlight he looked even more breathtaking than in daylight. "Do you play video games?" My heart was pounding loudly. "Sometimes, why do you ask?" He pulled his smartphone out of his pocket. "Let's play a game. What kind of games do you have?" So random. I scrolled through my downloads. "Right now I'm playing this online game." I held my phone under his nose and he nodded. "So do I. I'll send you a friend request." 

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And so it ended up that Kenma and I played together for almost the entire rest of the evening. It was a great relief from the busy week. My mood  improved even more. I was happy. Kenma noticed it, because the longer we played together, the braver he became. From initially loose questions, we now moved into more in-depth topics. "Care to explain to me why you came to Japan?" I swallowed. Did I want him to know? Until now, no one, not even Lev or Maru-chan, knew about my father's death. It was just too painful to talk about. I preferred to hide in the pain rather than let it go and talk about it. I just felt like I had to keep it with me so I could discover more about it and his death. I wasn't ready to let him go yet.

That's why I couldn't let go of this pain. Lost in thought, I didn't notice Kenma's piercing look until too late. My cheeks turned slightly pink. "Sorry." He just shrugged his shoulders. We continued playing. "My parents separated," I heard myself saying. Shit. Why was my mouth faster than my head again? I didn't want to talk about it! It was too late now anyway. Silly me. Why did he have such an influence on me?

"My mother separated from dad when I was just born. He then went to America with me." A stinging pain spread through my chest. "He passed away a few weeks ago while he was on his way to the volleyball championships where I was supposed to play in. I only found out after the game." I didn't dare look up. Kenma said nothing. He didn't even look in my direction. "Then we have something in common." The confusion was written all over my face. Kenma smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile. "Last year my mother passed away while she was on her way to the Spring Tournament to cheer for Nekoma."

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There was something comforting about Kenma. I suddenly didn't feel alone anymore. And all because he felt the same way. "How do you deal with it?" Kenma tilted his head as he attacked my character in the online game. I escaped his attacks only after taking a few hard hits. "There's nothing you can do. Over time the pain will fade away, but it'll never disappear." My character succumbed to his attack. Defeated, I lowered my phone. "You're nothing like your sister. I was wondering why." I knew he meant no harm. Quite the opposite. But inside it gave me a sting. I was constantly compared to Hikaru. Even now. "I have to go home. It was nice chatting with you." Kenma nodded. "Log in again when you feel like gaming." With that I grabbed my things and left.

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Volleyball Friends 

Lev (11:11 p.m.): Izumi-Chan, why are you already gone? 

Bokuto(11:13 p.m.) : Yes, why? You wanted to set the ball for me ㅠㅠ. 

Tsukkishima (11:13 p.m.): Look at the clock, you idiots. It's after 11. Ito-san is also only 17. She definitely has a curfew. 

Lev (11:15 p.m.): Izumi-Chan ㅠㅠ. 

Izumi (11:20 p.m.): Sorry, I forgot to say goodbye. I'm so sorry guys I had an errand to do.

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A smile crept onto my lips. I was only gone for ten minutes but was immediately missed. What a nice feeling. I quietly unlocked the front door and crept through the dark hallway. The light was still on in the kitchen, but I didn't feel like looking. I wasn't feeling like getting screamed at because of my new hair color tonight. I ran up the stairs as quietly as possible. I jumped over the creaky step and opened my bedroom door. A small sound left my lungs as I turned on the light. Holy shit, what happened in here?!