Heartstrings & Homeruns | Kenji Sato

CHAPTER 24

WARNING R18+: This chapter contains sexual content that may not be suitable for close-minded readers.

Chapter Twenty-Four: So High School

After the dinner, Kenji and I lingered in the quiet of the night, soaking in the hum of the city around us. The bustling noise of the city still echoed faintly in my ears, but now, the world seemed to hold its breath, waiting for what would come next.

"Want a ride home?" Kenji asked, his voice soft but steady, his dark eyes locking with mine.

I hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I'd like that."

The ride to my apartment was silent but not uncomfortable. The wind rushed past us as I clung to Kenji's back, the warmth of his body seeping through the leather of his jacket. The streetlights blurred into a hazy glow, and for a fleeting moment, I felt like I could lose myself in the rhythm of the ride, the steady hum of the motorcycle, and the magnetic pull of the man in front of me.

When we arrived, Kenji helped me off the bike, his hand lingering on my waist just a moment longer than necessary. We walked to the entrance, the air between us charged with something unspoken.

"Do you want to come in?" I asked, my voice trying for casual, though my heart raced.

"Sure," Kenji's lips curved into that signature playful smirk. "If you don't mind a bit of company."

Inside, I kicked off my shoes and gestured for Kenji to make himself comfortable. He wandered into the living room while I disappeared into the kitchen to grab us both glasses of wine. When I returned, he was inspecting the few framed photos on my shelf, his expression soft with curiosity.

"You know I never mentioned that I liked how cozy your place is," he said as I handed him a glass.

"Thanks," I replied, sinking into the couch beside him.

As we settled on the couch, we began talking about random topics to ease into the evening. The conversation soon turned to high school memories.

"So," Kenji said, taking a sip of his wine, "What was your favorite subject back in high school?"

I laughed lightly, remembering my school days.

"Definitely not physics. I absolutely despised it. I was more into language and philosophy. What about you?" I asked in return.

Kenji's face brightened. "Actually, I loved physics. There's something fascinating about understanding how the universe works. It's like discovering the secrets of everything around us."

"Wow, a physics nerd," I raised a brow, surprised by this new discovery about Kenji. "I expected you to be more of a..."

"A jock?" he said, completing my sentence.

"Yeah, probably one of the popular kids who'd win Homecoming King, Prom King, and the likes," I replied, laughing lightly at the thought.

"Oh, god. No," Kenji chuckled in return. "I actually got bullied a lot before for being Asian, especially when I joined the baseball team. I wasn't that much of a pushover though, and I showed them what I'm capable of."

"I'm glad you worked up the courage to overcome all of that," I smiled, giving his hand a light squeeze before shifting to another topic. "I bet you had all the coolest science projects," I raised an eyebrow, playfully.

"Guilty as charged," Kenji chuckled. "I wasn't the president of the robotics club for nothing. I also won three consecutive championships for the state science fair," he said proudly.