Toradora: The Next Step

Chapter 5: Kitamura's Birthday

A few days had passed since the shopping trip, and with it, Kitamura's birthday approached. Minori hadn't communicated with Taiga or Ryuuji ever since the day they went shopping. The two had repeatedly called and texted her, conscious of the fact that she was avoiding them.

After a final text was sent at near midnight the night before Kitamura's birthday, there was utter silence at the table in the Ryuuji residence. Taiga's phone slipped out of her hands and into the table as she realized that she shouldn't expect a reply to her text. The light of the screen of the phone dimmed after a few moments and then completely shut off. Another phone was then placed upon the table, this time it was Ryuuji's. He let out a sigh as he manually turned his phone to standby.

"Hey, Ryuuji... Do you think she'll come? To the party?" Taiga groaned as she began to lean forward over the table. The silence remained. Gradually, Taiga stretched her arms out along the table as she rested her head upon it. And yet, the silence remained.

"Well... I'm sure she'll come." Taiga muttered as she drifted off to sleep in her awkward position. Ryuuji took a glance at Taiga and he couldn't help but grin.  He reached his hand towards her messed up hair and gently patted it a couple times before resting it there.  After a glance at the clock which read 1:03 am, his vision begun to blur.  Quietly, he too laid his head down on the table, still with his hand upon Taiga's hair.  His eyes, after blinking thrice, completely closed.

At the table, both Taiga and Ryuuji slept in unnatural positions.  Nearly completely still.  Silent.  Almost like corpses.

The ear-splitting alarm started to sound at 7 am.  It must have beeped for over 5 minutes before one of the two corpses at the table reacted to it.  Thunderously, Ryuuji leaped up from the table and stormed over to the alarm before pressing the button to silence it with discontent.  The boisterous noises that he made had completely roused Taiga from her slumber.  There was an enraged look on her face as she stared intensely at Ryuuji, who had just turned around and caught on to the stare.  She arose from where she was sat and took two steps towards Ryuuji, still on the other side of the room however.

"Hey, Ryuuji..."  Taiga mumbled with her eyes fixated on his.  "Do you know how to wake up ANY louder?!"  She roared as she took two more steps closer furiously.  Ryuuji flinched and stood where he was completely petrified.  The tiger in front of him growled as she took another stride closer.

"W-Well...  It's Kitamura's birthday today, right?  W-We should get ready Tai-GAH!"  Ryuuji rumbled as he was vigorously punched in the stomach.  He started to fall backwards but with a sudden shove from Taiga he was instantly down on the floor with her on top of him.  A faint blush appeared on Ryuuji's cheeks.

"Sorry, you stupid dog.  Now get ready already and stop stuttering."  Taiga whispers smoothly as she lays adequately on top of Ryuuji.

"I-I can't get ready with you there..."  He mutters embarrassingly.  There was a gasp released from Taiga.  In a tenth of a second, her cheeks had flashed a bright red and she raised herself to her feet.  

Three hours later, at 10am, Taiga and Ryuuji arrived at Kitamura's house.  Ryuuji reached for the door with his fist to knock, but it was Taiga who knocked the door first which made his eyebrows raise.  He sighed in relief that she was now valiant enough to face Kitamura serenely.  The door slithered open and there cocked Kitamura with a grin.

"Well hello, old friends!"  He yelled with a jolly tone.  His hand jerked and pointed into his hallway, clearly gesturing them to enter.  They took the invitation and proceeded into the house.  Both of them simultaneously and unconsciously whirled their heads back towards the outside with an uneasy look painted on their faces.