I'll Follow the Sun

-----One Week Later-----

                A lot had changed once Judai moved in with Johan. Be it gaining the confidence to reach out to friends like Asuka, Sho and Manjoume, or simply the fact that Judai wasn't so preoccupied with his current situation. As the days passed, he thought less and less of where he was supposed to go or who he was supposed to be.

In order to feel worthy enough to live with Johan, Judai convinced him that he would do all of his household chores for as long as he would stay. Johan declined, but when Judai threatened to leave, Johan gave in to his friend's stubbornness.

On Saturday, Judai called Asuka and asked her on a date.

"You...you want to take me out?"

"Yeah, is that okay?"

"Well, are you sure? You're not going to run away on me, are you?"

Judai cringed at the words, but forced himself to stay calm and ignore the jab. "No, I won't. So, will you go with me?"

She agreed after that. The two had went out to a park for a stroll. They brought some old bread to feed the ducks, and made sure to stop by all the flowers to give them a sniff. Lots of dogs passed by with their owners, and Judai went the extra mile to pet every single one.

They chatted about new things that came up during the six months they hadn't seen each other. Memories and old jokes arose midway through, changing the conversation to a complete reminisce of their time together.

"It's nice to have you back," she smiled, twirling a daisy around her fingers.

"Thanks," Judai laughed it off. "I've been back for a couple weeks now."

"No, I don't mean that," she corrected, mellowing her smile into a meaningful gaze. "It's nice to have the old Judai back," she hesitated, "The one who loves to joke around and talk about everything...who always sports their best smile and puts everything into their passions. That Judai. I'm happy to see him."

If Asuka tried mentioning something of this sort a week or two ago, Judai may have gotten angry. He may have been annoyed at the fact Asuka was living in the past and trying to divide a line through his being. However, Judai was beginning to understand the type of person he wanted to be. Just because he hit rock bottom earlier in the year, didn't mean he couldn't rise back to the top.

"I'm glad he's back too," he winked, breathing in the fresh air with a pure grin.

The two ended their date with dinner at local restaurant. Asuka ordered grilled chicken with asparagus and mashed potatoes while Judai ordered his favorite fried shrimp with fries. They enjoyed each other's company and talked for what seemed like hours.

"Asuka, do you have a special someone in your life?" Judai asked with pure curiosity.

She was seemingly startled by the question, though she tried to hide it. "Well, I've been on some dates here and there," she looked off to the side in deep thought, "But there's no one I want to pursue."

Judai gazed straight into her eyes, not realizing that his interest was causing her to blush and feel uncomfortable. "You're an amazing girl, you deserve the very best."

Asuka sighed, nodding in assent, yet too mellow to respond.

"Never forget that," he gestured with his fork, scooping it down to pierce a shrimp. "And never settle for less, either," he spoke with food in his mouth.