Junjou Possession

Chapter #3

Junjou Possession |Chapter 3| Minori

I walk out of the beautiful aquarium without so much as a glance backwards, although it takes a whole lot of effort to just rush away from that tall, brunette haired man. As I got into my cousin's black car I see that man come running out of the aquarium. He could not see me because the windows are tinted, but I felt that he was searching for me. His figure became a blur as the car blended in with other urban traffic.

"What the heck was that for?" muttered my cousin, Shinobu. He was sitting up front with a much older man, who he had introduced to me long before as Yuu Miyagi, a Literature professor at M University. "Wait when the car stops to jump out, you baka!"

I glare at him and rub my drying eyes. "I dropped something." My hand clenches tightly onto my black ribbon bracelet with brown and blue beads. All three are my favorite colors.

"If it was that stupid bracelet you obssess over you should've just left it in there."

"Shinobu!"

Mr. Miyagi steps in. "Shinobu, it is your cousin's bracelet and if it is important to him let it be."

I cross my arms, point across. "Thanks, Mr. Miyagi."

"You can call me Yuu, Minori."

After a while of driving and me staring out the window at pedestrians Mr. Miyagi stops his car in front of my apartment complex, a large white building that fit in with perfect proportion to the other giant buildings in the area. I pull my schoolbag over my shoulder and quickly tell my cousin goodbye.

"I'll call you later!" Shinobu said and rolls up the window. Within seconds the car pulls away from the sidewalk and disappears in the street of Tokyo.

I know that I have to get up reasonably eary tomorrow for work, so I immediately hurry inside my one bedroom apartment and pull some leftovers out to eat for dinner. Shinobu offered to cook me something. Unfortunately, that involves having to buy cabbages and only cabbages. As I wait for the food in the microwave to heat I sit at the small wooden table in the corner of the kitchen, and open my notebook from earlier.

Inside are notes I write whenever I visit the aquarium, which is an every-other-day occurence for the past several months. I analyze and study the smoothness of the glass containers, the lighting off the different areas, anything I find for potential. Even the pattern of the floor and position of the wooden benches are not unnoticed by me. Sometimes I sketch a certain design I found particularly interesting or beautiful. One drawing was half finished. That was when that man interrupted me.

Mr. Haruhiko.

The microwave beeps and I pull the scalding food out. I loosely say thanks before eating. As the morsels meet my lips I cannot help but picture Mr. Haruhiko in my mind. His height, the smooth crispness of his ebony suit, and stoic gaze are all an interesting design. Merely measurements I have contemplated before today when he suddenly pulled me into his arms. Before that I had never taken into consideration of other important details-his scent, his warmth, or the feeling of his body pressed against mine.

I am drowning in thought that I jump to alertness when my metal fork falls against my plate. Confusion fogs my mind and I hold my head in my slightly quivering hands.

Why do I this? I have only just learned his name today, and yet I observe him so stubbornly?

I check my phone clock and see that it's ten-an hour before the museum closes. I doubt he is still there though. After dumping my plate in the sink along with the other three day's worth of them I head to bed. My desk for schoolwork is shoved in the corner, covered in books and school supplies for my various classes. The room is small and everything is in a corner. I stip down to my boxers to pull on a pair of sea blue pajamas and crawl into bed. The alarm is set for seven, the lights out and the digital numbers of the clock burning a hole in the lonesome darkness.

I sigh and turn onto my stomach, where my head buries itself into my pillow.

Slowly, I fall asleep.....

.......But even behind the black darkness of my eyelids, I can make out a tall figure with the eyes of a hawk pulling me into his arms and calling me Misaki. I subtle pain grabs my chest.

Who is 'Misaki?'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I irritatingly turn off the blasting alarm making my ear drums pound and lay in bed, contemplating for a few moments. My brows lowered and I stretched. What did I dream about last night? The thought was slipping from my memory. Something....blue. Definitely blue. Water, perhaps? A dock? The beach? And a man wearing a black suit...

"Aurgh!" I grumble in anguish and hit my head against my pillow. "I even DREAMT about him?! What the hell?!"

Suddenly I had the urge to not go to my apprenticeship, but I have to. If Mother finds out that I turn down my apprenticeship she will kick me into next year. I pull myself out of bed and sluggishly walk to the bathroom. One look in the mirror confirms my tired blue eyes and messy dark brown hair. I turn the shower on while I strip. The warm, rushing water cascades down my lean, straight body and all my doubts go down the drain. I quickly wash with a loofah and scrub my hair with both shampoo and conditioner.

Cold air makes goosebumps appear on my arms and legs I attempt to get ready at time-breaking speed. It only ends up with me tripping over my pants and falling face first on my bed. I tug the slacks on muttering and tuck my white shirt in. After blowdrying my hair and styling I give myself the once over. I adjust my collar and untwist my tie multiple times before I am satisfied. Usually I will not care to be so neat, but it's my first job after all and first impressions are important.

In the kitchen I grab a bottled soda and a granola bar to snack on on my way to the company. I make sure that my subway ticket is in my pocket and my lunch, keys, and any documents I need are inside my schoolbag. Checking the time I hastily exit my apartment after locking up and walk to the nearest subway terminal.

First day as an architect's apprentice, here I come!