Being Next to You - Always there

julian - it's taste

     There was something wrong with her.
     It was invisible.
     She has been lowering her head for awhile.
     "Sorry, I crossed the line," I apolgized.
     Abruptly, Rina grabbed my shirt's collar and pulled it down.
     I was surprised. I was afraid to step on her dress. Her face was even this close.
     She answered:
     "Yeah. I still like you."
     'A very straightforward confession.'
     I can felt her breathe touched my ear, and she was unusually calm.
    Since we're at the corner, I don't know what color is she was showing right now.
     It was BAD.
     It made my chest very awkward.
     "You're too daring, Rina," I said.
     "Speak of yourself," she replied, "And if I did try to lie, you would know it right away."
     "I suppose that's true. You are a leaky basket."
     "Ah!"
     "What???"
     "You smiled at me just now," she giggled. Her hands are lingering behind my back.
     "Put your fingers away, Rina..," I tried removing them from my waist.
     "Julian, you knew that I like you, so you should've expected this."
     "Well... I did knew about it, but... I didn't expect you to be this assertive."
      Although I don't hate it, it was too much too handle.
      'I started to feel weird.'
     "I'm really not assertive, Julian. I just like you... A LOT."
     I covered her mouth.
    "Yes. You are assertive alright." I sighed, "Just try to adjust your voice a bit, Rina."
     I hope my hand wasn't too greasy with the cooking I did earlier...
    And then, suddenly, my right hand feels wet.
     To be exact, my palm felt off...
     LICK.
     'What the—!?!'
    I immediately took back my hand, and I found out there was SALIVA on it. 
     HER SALIVA.
     "Did you just lick my palm?" I asked. I was frozen stiff.
     "You wouldn't let go off me."
     "I didn't hold you that long..."
     "It tasted very thick and greasy," she continued.
     "I... didn't ask you to taste it nor do it," I retorted.
     "However, I admire your slender hands, Julian. They even feel so gentle and smooth like a baby," she said.
     I didn't know 'what' or 'how' to react.
     Rina looked at me, and then asked:
     "Are you angry?"
     I glared at the slobber.
     "To be honest," I made a paused... "I am too shock to be angry. My mind is a bit mess-up, but, what were you thinking? You can't just to those kind of stuff. We might not be taking a lot of attention right now because we're here, but we are still in public. What if someone saw you? That was very dangerous. You could have been—!?!"
     BITE.
     !?!
    "RINA!!"
     I HIT HER.
     I don't remember if I slapped her hard.
     It wasn't on purpose, yet, I don't have the urge to apologize.
     I DON'T REGRET IT.
     She BIT me.
     She also left me some teeth marks on my skin. They sting.
     "What are you doing?!" I raised my voice.
      Rina yelled,
      "I'M ANGRY, JULIAN!"
      "And I'm not okay!!..."
      "I'm..."
      "clearly..."
      "... not okay..."
       Her eyes were about to cry, looking at the ground.
      "Y-You knew that I like you. It's so unfair! I thought... I thought after we broke up, you forgot. And—... that was my chance to have a new start... And you blew it..."
     'I wanted to touch her.'
     "It can't be helped... It was very obvious..," I murmured.
      "DON'T SAY THAT!" She yelled at me again. "IT'S FRUSTRATING THAT I MADE IT SO LUCID."
    "Lucid?"
     I chuckled. It was a bad thing to do. "Yeah. That may be a better word."
     "Are you making fun of me?" She frowned.
    "What do you want me to say? I was glad when I knew that you still like me," I answered.
      Her face immediately flushed with embarrassment.
     Figures.
    "Rina, I like you, but don't get the wrong idea," I said.
     It left her speechless.
     "I like your company, I like seeing your face, I like how fluster you get by a second... but it's not the same type of 'like' you're looking for. I'm sorry. Although, I still like you even though you bit me. Actually, I wanted to hit you in the head earlier," I added. 
     "Y'SHOULD HAVE JUST DO IT THEN."
     "There's no way I can do. When you licked my hand, it left a weird sensation that made my feet weak," I stated.
    "It— wasn't on purpose... I tried to make myself look fine, but instead, I made myself weirder..," she gloomed.
    "Oh, now I can see why," I answered.
    Rina looked at me.
    "Julian... You're still not mad?"
    "Of course I'm mad!" I bursted. "You bit me out of nowhere! Tell me who does that? You are not a dog, Rina. Not even Jude does that! He never did that! That's why I'm so surprised that I don't know what to do!"
     Shoot.
     'That was too honest.'
     "Julian, did I just made your heart skip?"
     "Unfortunately, it did," I answered.
     'I wanted to flick her head.'
     "This is a bit annoying," I talked to myself.
     "Rina, right now, I still don't know what to do. What should we do?"
     She suddenly grabbed my hand again.
     "What are you.. doing?" She caught me off-guard. I began to feel nauseous.
     She pressed my hand against her cheeks.
     'What was happening!?!'
    "I... also don't know what to do... but right now... I want to touch your hand like this...."
    I don't know if she was whispering for herself. It was very soft that you barely can hear anything, and yet...
     I understood it...
    "Julian?"
     She called again. I wasn't paying attention, I just saw her smiling again, while pressing my hand deeply against her cheek.
     Holding it tightly, she said, "I guess I'm not the only one who makes red faces..."
     The princess took advantage with our situation.
     Her skin was soft yet delicate. I was afraid to get use of this, however, it felt very nice.
    "You're too amazing, Rina. You're lucky that there are many boxes and props blocking this corner, or there's no way I'm going to let you do that freely," I complimented.
     She quickly changed the topic.
     "Y-Your hand is bleeding," she said.
     "You've finally noticed. You bit me, remember?"
    "I'm not going to apologize..."
    "It's okay. I'm not going to apologize neither."
     "You're too kind, Julian," she said.
     And then, Rina stood up, dusting her dress, as she offered me her hand.
     "Shall we go then?"
     She gave me a smile.
     "Where?" I wondered.
     "Aren't you going to take me to the library?"
     "Let me wash my hand first, and then, we can go. You owe me a band-aid."
      We walk to a nearby washroom. Rina was waiting outside.
      I don't want to sound like I'm exaggerating, but when I washed my hand with water, it aches. The pain was worst when I added some soap, and I thought, maybe I'm too sensitive in pain. Kevin did hit me in the head last time...
     But what bothers me most are these teeth-marks. You can see it so vividly.
     It'll be hard to make a excuse this  time.
     When I went out, she was there, waiting. Her hands clearly have three pieces of band-aids.
     "Sorry. Did you wait long?"
     She shooked her head.
     "How's your hand?"
     "It doesn't hurt like last time."
     Well, I'm not really lying.
      Last time was painful.
     "I got the band-aids you've asked."
     "Thanks... If its alright, can you put it? I thinks it's difficult if I use my left hand."
     Rina obediently nodded.
     If she acts like this...
     It was like someone pressed a button. I wanted her to stop making those expressions on her face right now. It makes me think what happened to my hand minutes ago was merely an illusion. Well... That's what I wanted to believe—!?
      "Ouch!"
      "I'm very sorry, Julian!!"
      Once again, she was apologizing.
     She's still apologizing to me...
     I don't know why, but it makes me tired.
     I want revenge, so I kissed her forehead.
     Her reaction responded quickly.
     "Don't surprise me like that!! That was bad for my heart!" She reddened.
    I'm starting to redden as well...
     "Well, that's funny to hear... It's not like this is the first time you touched my lips, am I right?"
      'Hmm...'
      'Her skin tasted salty...'