Toradora: The Next Step

Chapter 13: Stranger

Due to the fact that Yasuko had gone shopping, Ryuuji and Taiga were alone in their home.  It had been a while since she left so they expected her to come back anytime now.  That's when they heard three soft and slow knocks on the door.

Ryuuji thought that it was weird that Yasuko would knock at the door.  Didn't she have her keys with her?  As he walked up to the door he noticed her keys on the floor and sighed.

"She must've dropped them by accident."  He mumbled to himself.  "How silly of her."

He opened the door.  "Welcome ba-" He paused as he realised that it wasn't Yasuko who was at the door.  There was a towering man with narrowed eyes staring at him.  Ryuuji stepped back in confusion and furrows his eyebrows.

"Erm... Are Yasuko and Ryuuji in?"  The man asked hesitantly.  Ryuuji's eyebrows furrowed even more and as he replies.  Who is he and how does he know them?  "I'm Ryuuji.  Yasuko is not home at the moment.  How do you-"  Ryuuji was cut off as he noticed the sound of heavy bags hitting the floor.  He poked his head through the door to notice Yasuko next to a couple bags which were on the floor.  Her facial expression was like she was trying to be calm but could break out into a rage in any second, proven by her twitching eyebrows and slightly wrinkled forehead.

"Yasuko!  What's wrong?"  Ryuuji yelled as he ran over to grab her shopping bags and bring them inside.  He put them down and the next time he looked outside of the door he saw that Yasuko has walked up to the stranger, her face looking even more angry with her eyebrows actually furrowed now.  In contrast to her face, she spoke calmly, which was slightly intimidating.

"What are you doing here?"

The man then replies, unfazed by Yasuko's menacing appearance.

"It's been many years, Yasuko.  I've changed.  I've changed as a person and I've changed my mind.  I just want to be part of Ryuuji's life."

It felt like an arrow had pierced Ryuuji as he heard this.  His jaw dropped.  His narrow eyes widened.  This man reminded him of something...  Of someone...

Yasuko snapped.

"How DARE you come back after all this time and say something so selfish.  What makes you think you have the right to do this?  You don't DESERVE to see him at all and that's because you left us!"

"What is going on?!"  Ryuuji shouted as Yasuko finishes her short rant.

Everyone fell silent.  Yasuko looked down a bit and takes a deep breathe.  The mans eyebrows were slanted in a way that made him look a bit sad.  Ryuuji was confused and curious.

Ryuuji heard footsteps behind him and then a warm hand connecting with his.  Taiga stepped up beside him and saw the situation.

"What's this?"  She asked in confusion.

More silence.

The man laid his eyes upon Taiga and thought to himself.  Before he could attempt to say anything, Yasuko spoke bitterly.

"He was just leaving."

Yet again, there was silence.  The man looked over to Yasuko.  They had an argument in the silence, communicating through their eyes, before the man walked past Yasuko and into the distance.  Yasuko watched his back as he left and when he had left her sight, she regained  her composure.

"What was that about" was the question running through both Taiga and Ryuuji's heads.