*:･ﾟHard To Love ･ﾟ:*

CHAPTER 17 - dorothy

SOUSUKE
—❁—

As I sat in the passenger seat of Kou's car, I stared out the window at all the different buildings and people we passed.

I wish that I was lying about considering Kou to be attractive, but I'm not. Now that I feel as though everything has been explained to me completely I couldn't help but feel as though something in my brain had shifted. Kou had gone from a completely unattractive creep to a guy that I wouldn't mind going out with.. very quickly.

I was only willing to restart since I felt as though I couldn't get closer with anyone else at school, and I felt like Kou was a complete safe haven. Like someone I could trust with almost everything.

"Oh yeah, I finished your paper by the way. We may have to stop by the library tomorrow in order to get our essays printed out." "That's fine." I pull my attention away from the window and look down at my phone, checking the time to see how late it was now. "I don't even really remember the last time I had a home cooked meal by someone's Mom.. I'm usually always the one doing the home cooking." "Oh yeah?" I look over at Kou. "I didn't know you cooked." "Absolutely, I actually have a job working at a café. I'm in charge of making pastries and crap like that." "So you're that good?" Kou smiles and nods. "Good enough I suppose." "Which café do you work at?" I pull my phone out, ready to search up whatever he tells me. He then tells me a name and I type it into my phones search bar immediately. "It's not far from my family home and I've been working there ever since this past summer. It pays good and the hours are nice, so there's not much to complain about." "I'm sure my Mom would appreciate the help once we get there.. so don't be afraid to ask." "Noted." Kou glances over at me as we stop at a red light. "What about you? Do you cook?" "Hm?" I look at him. "What? Me? No way.. I'm not some master like you probably are. I can only cook a few things, curry mostly. It's one of my favorite dishes so it was only right that I learned how to make it." A smile forms on my face once I notice Kou softly smiling, looking back at the street along side him as the light we were stopped at turns green.

The rest of the drive felt very quick, and we were back at my Mom's place in no time.

"Is this the place?" Kou mutters as we pull up to the apartment building. I then sigh and look at him. "You don't have to act like this is your first time here, my memory was cleansed but I'm not an idiot." I reach over to the backseat to grab my shoulder bag, hearing Kou softly scoff to himself as he pulls into a parking spot. "Come on, I'm starving!" I exclaim before quickly getting out of the car and walking over to Kou's side of the vehicle. I stayed put with my arms crossed as he locked the car and walked over to me. "I'm actually glad I forced you to drive me back here, there's things I need to get out of the bathroom here." Kou follows me to the lobby door, opening it for me as I walk in. "I'm not sure if you've had my Mom's cooking before now.. but if you haven't then I'm sure you'll love it. My Mom has some of the best sukiyaki in the town around here." I press the button to call the elevator down to the lobby before crossing my arms again and looking at Kou. "Since you're a decorated pastry chef you should put those hands to work and make us some dessert." I smile up at him. "You think your Mom would be cool with that? Using her kitchen I mean." "Totally, she loves sharing her spaces with people." We both bring our attention to the elevator doors as they open. "After you." I softly nod my head and acknowledge Kou's hand ushering me into the elevator. "How gentlemanly." "Only for you." "Yeah right.." I smile and press the button corresponding to the apartments floor.

We both eventually made it to the front door of my old apartment and I knocked once more before being greeted by my Mom almost instantly. "You're back!" I smile and walk into the apartment, hugging her. "No way was I going to ditch a home cooked meal.. you know me." I slip my shoes off and look back at Kou as he walks in. "Mom, this is Kou. Though you 100% already know him." "Of course I know him!" She brings him in for a hug before grabbing his shoulders and looking up at him. "How have you been doing?" My eyebrows raise out of complete surprise as my eyes shift between them. "Fine, Mrs. Mitsuba." "Oh! No need to be so proper.. it makes me feel old." She smiles. "Go ahead and slip your shoes off and get comfy, the extra food I'm preparing is almost ready!" Once my Mom walked back off to the kitchen, I made my way to the bathroom so I could retrieve some of the hair clips that I was starting to miss.