"honesty and grace" (Mezo Shoji X Reader)

Chapter 8

From behind the darkened curtains, the sun finally breaks past the horizon. Though it may be early, the walk yesterday morning was extremely refreshing. Deciding that that most likely will become a daily thing, your body trudges itself out of the comfort of the covers. When you stand up, a quick glance downwards at yourself makes you sigh as you strip quickly, checking to see the temperature outside this morning. It was supposed to be a lot warmer than it was yesterday, so you'd only have to wear something light. From the closet, you toss on a pair of black leggings, along with a black tank top. Over the thin top, you throw on a long sleeved white and (s/f/c) shirt. As you slide on a pair of thin ankle socks, you hear a noise from the living room. You then remember that Shoji had stayed the night, causing a breath of relief to pass through you.

Quietly, you walk out of your room to see the boy letting the air out of the mattress. He sees you and offers a nod. "Good morning." You say, voice cracking as it speaks for the first time today.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" He asks you, folding the now deflated mattress and rolling it up so it will fit back into the box. His voice is smooth, as though it hadn't been affected by the early morning first words.

"Yeah, how about you? It wasn't uncomfortable or anything?" You ask, hoping he didn't find it odd for you to worry.

The white haired boy looks over to you and gives you an all famous nod. "I slept very well." Is what he says, managing to get the box closed, now standing and turning to you as you put your shoes on. "Are you going somewhere?"

With a nod, you look at him and smile. "I'm going on a walk to get a drink this morning at this little shop that I like. What about you, you seem like you're packing up to go." You point out, watching as he puts the box in his backpack.

"Our homeroom teacher sent out a text message to everyone earlier this morning saying that he would like us to return to the dorms as soon as possible, and that they opened at five this morning. Now, it's seven." He points to the stove behind you, 7:03 flashing in green digital numbers.

You hum to yourself and look at the man in front of you, orange-golden light slowly flooding through the windows behind him. "Well I hope you don't mind a walking partner." You smile at him, grabbing a few yen from off the counter. You had placed it there when you got home last night. A part of you was relieved that it was still there, glad you could really trust Shoji not to be some petty thief.

The boy only raises his three sets of shoulders, shaking his head to signify he doesn't mind. Awaiting him to put on his shoes, you check your phone and grab your earbuds, holding them carelessly in your right hand. "Ready?" You hear from behind yourself, causing you to turn with a smile, nodding to the taller man. Shoji walks to the door and unlocks it, swinging it open for the both of you. With a hand gesture, he had insisted you move through first.

"Chivalrous, I like it." A cheeky smile comes to your face as you walk out of the door, the apartment keys jingling in your hand. When he passes through the door and closes it, you quickly lock it and follow him to the elevator. Neither of you speak a word to one another as you walk out of the building and onto the street. It wasn't an awkward sort of silence, just one where you both don't know what to say, yet you respect that fact. He doesn't seem much like the talking type, either, as if he gets awkward when he opens one of his mouths. In your head, your mind fills with things you want to learn about him, things that he purposely seems to be hiding from you and others around him. Maybe he's got some bad trust issues, you think to yourself while glancing up to see how intense his resting face was. Though you both seem to have a lot in common, it's hard to tell anything about him only because he was so quiet.

After about five minutes of walking, the little shop was in the near distance. From where you both stand, you can see a few cars coming down the road, traffic beginning to pick up for the day around the town. The sidewalks aren't very filled, just a few people lingering out of apartment buildings and going to work with backpacks or man purses. Even the familiar sounds of cars and city life begin to hum in the air. It was amusing how it could go from being so still, to the scene buzzing with commotion.