Starry Days & Sunlit Nights: Volume 2 - Haze of Shadows

Chapter 2.3 - Straightforward Honesty

"So, how did they meet?" Jay asked Yumi as they walked home together, with him holding a majority of the shopping bags.

"Huom?" Yumi faced him with a steamed bun in her mouth—something she had picked up for the road home.

"Your parents," Jay clarified. "They had a couple of things tied to it with deep sentimental value, so their first meeting must've had some big impact on them."

Yumi swallowed her food. "Of course. They first met at the movie house."

Sounds normal so far.

"Daddy accidentally ran into her and knocked over her popcorn, and she punched him in the face."

Jay blinked, then chuckled. "So it did have a big impact. Wow, now I feel a lot less embarrassed about our first meeting."

Yumi grinned mischievously. "You know, when you were up that tree, your boxers were showing a bit."

Jay's face lit up bright red. "R-Really?!"

"Nope!" Yumi chirped and burst into laughter. Jay couldn't help but join her.

"Wait a minute, how did you know I wore box--it was Jeanne, wasn't it?"

"Not telling!" Yumi said, sticking out her tongue playfully before taking off, leaving him in the dust with her purchases.

"H-Hey! Wait up!"

After about five minutes of chasing, the boy bent over the sidewalk, trying to catch his breath. While his chest heaved, a can of orange soda entered his vision.

"Here," Yumi said as she held out the beverage to his face. Jay had been further behind her than he thought.

"Thanks," the boy accepted the offering. Spotting a place to sit down and rest, he popped the tab and started gulping down.

As for Yumi, she didn't seem to be sweating too much; then again, she did have powers over the body, so maybe it was her own subconscious doing, or it was simply from having grown up running around, literally, with Kylie all the time since she was a child.

Strong, cheerful, sweet, and many other things he wasn't, she seemed almost too perfect. He felt she could do anything she wanted, even without her Day powers. While it made him feel honored and pleased to be her friend like he wanted, he couldn't help but doubt whether he was worthy to stand by her side.

He hated that feeling, and it wouldn't be the first time.

"You sure you want me to come along as your date tomorrow?" he blurted out and immediately regretted it. Now that it was said, he couldn't take it back.

"Of course," Yumi replied with such cheerful innocence, she likely didn't pick up on his insecurity. That was probably for the best. "I wouldn't have asked you otherwise."

Jay smiled a little. That was a bit reassuring; even if it didn't help his insecurity, it meant that at least she valued him, and that was enough for now.

They soon arrived at Yumi's home. Unlike her last house, this one was mostly made of concrete, perhaps for Yumi's sake, should her powers go berserk again, even if her training was specifically meant to avoid that.

"Since you came all the way with me, wanna come in for a while?" Yumi invited the boy.

"Why not?" Jay figured after a brief pause.

Entering her home, he found it to be fully furnished with hard plastic, glass, and metal--apart from the sofa, of course. The boy decided not to make any mention on how far her family went to fireproof the house.