Heart-Strings

CH 16

Shouto looked at Izumi with both a nervous and unsure gaze.

He wasn't sure if what she was doing was currently acceptable of the current weather.

He looked to his left and then his right, only to see very few people doing the same as she was.

He sighed slightly and then made the choice to ask his question.

"Are you sure it's ok to eat ice cream at this temperature?" He asked her.

He was concerned; as his face showed it to be.

He didn't want to bother her from doing her own thing, so he wasn't sure if what he was asking would be seen as offensive.

Izumi steered her attention from the popsicle to gaze up at Shouto.

She pouted slightly before smiling cheekily.

"Why? Would you like some?" She asked playfully.

She suddenly raised the popsicle to Shouto as she was talking.

Her smile was wide as she finished.

Shouto grunted a bit as he stepped back slightly.

He tilted his head to look at Izumi, as the popsicle blurred his view.

Izumi brought the popsicle back to her.

She then started laughing.

His reaction's are funny.

She tried to laugh a bit, but for some reason, it seemed hard to at the moment.

"Are you ok? You're tearing up a bit."

Izumi felt a hand touch her face.

Hm?

She opened her eyes slightly.

Her eyes turned slightly wide as she was met with the face of Shouto's; very close to hers at that.

Her face slowly turned red as she processed the situation they were in.

Her eyes, as well, got wider.

She unconsciously glanced at his lips before going back to his eyes.

—

"Ow"

Shouto rubbed his forehead slightly.

That hurts a bit.

"Ah, Sorry." Izumi mumbled out softly.

Her face were flushed quite red, with her back turned to him.

She held onto the popsicle stick quite prominently.

"It's so loud"

She was bought as she felt her heartbeat.

She was flustered; more so than embarrassed.

Shouto stared at her back and tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"Did I do something wrong?"

The thought bothered him.

He furrowed his brows slightly at that.

Hm?

He paused for a moment.

He then huffed out a sigh.

His expression became one of amusement as he smiled slightly.

He came to realization as he softly cleared out his throat to catch himself.

He didn't want to be caught smiling at this situation.

For if he was, then he was afraid his whole body would be bruised by Izumi's hand.

Small blush formed on his face.

"It's ok." He said.

Izumi slowly turned back as she heard that.

"Hm."

"Sorry for suddenly leaning in on your face like that." Shouto continued.

He felt slightly awkward at the moment for he doesn't quite know whether it was appropriate for him to apologize.

He shrugged off the thought.

Izumi looked up at him in embarrassment.

She nodded slowly.

"It's ok." She once again mumbled.

They stood there in awkward silence.

That made Izumi feel more flustered.

"Would you still like some though?" She brought the popsicle slowly to his face.

I should stop overreacting.

This time, it was not done to get a reaction out of him.

She asked out of Goodwill, for it was his money that was used after all.

Shouto looked at her shy gaze and smiled.

He was about to reject the offer, but something didn't want him to.

He slowly leaned in to Izumi.

After all, he had not want to startle her again.

He then, suddenly, took a small bite out of the popsicle.

"Huh?"

Shouto moved his eyes from the popsicle to Izumi's eyes.

Izumi was startled at first for a moment.

His eyes.

She smiled.

Her face was slightly flushed from the situation.

"What are you trying to do?" Izumi laughed out softly.

"Are you trying to seduce me or something?" She continued.

The cheeky smile formed on her face once again as she continued.

Shouto looked a bit flustered and surprised at her question.

He slowly got back up and stood tall.

He answered, still feeling a bit flustered.

"Maybe." He slightly grinned as he said that.

His tone was cool and calm; the opposite of what his face looked.

He looked straight at Izumi's eyes as he said that.

He soon then broke the eye contact as he focused on the taste of the popsicle piece in his mouth.

"Ah, this is good." He said with a smile.

He said that as if it, what was uttered from his mouth before, was something of the normal.

"Huh
What
"Ah, y-yes it is!" Izumi stuttered out.

Ugh

She cleared out her throat a bit.

"You can have more if you want." Izumi said, a bit more stable now.

Shouto looked at Izumi as she stared at the Ground.

An amused smirk was formed on his face .

"No, it's ok. I bought it for you." He said with a smile.

A soft look replaced his previous expression.

Izumi looked up and stared at his face before slowly nodding; still feeling shy, as her face showed.

"Ok." She mumbled softly.

"Let's go, it's getting a bit cold."

She said.

Shouto nodded.

She grabbed Shouto's hand and smiled at him before quickly turning to move on.

Her ears were still flushed from the situation.

She continued to talk as usual.

Since he's acting normal, it's fine.