For Your Safety (ON TEMPORARY HIATUS)

Chapter 6

(Hinata POV)

"Kunimi-san?" I said confusedly, righting myself onto my feet. "What are you doing here?"

Kunimi looked as though he had just arrived, presumably from volleyball practice. He was changed out of his uniform and wore a simple black shirt with baggy, white track pants. The faint smell of sweat with a masking smell of deodorant indicated he was yet to have a shower. The school issue bag, along with a similarly coloured gym bag sat perched on his shoulders, remaining still as they draped upon his slender body.

He looked at me with his usual bored expression, eyes staring back into my own curious gaze. It was unsettling, the way in which his eyes remained locked onto my own, as if he was looking directly into my soul, seeming to uncover every secret I dared hide. We held eyes for a small while before I broke the contact, searching the room for something to look at that wasn't Kunimi in order to stop the feeling of being read like a book.

"My parents own the building." He stated, his eyes still burning holes into my head, causing my already tiny body to shrink away from the sweltering gaze unconsciously. "And I live here."

Nonchalantly, he reached down and shouldered two of the biggest bags I was attempting to carry and began walking across the lobby, toward the elevator. The bags were tossed onto his shoulder with ease as he sauntered away. Wordlessly I followed, heaving the remaining bags into my arms with great difficulty. Kunimi made it look too easy. The elevator doors had begun to open as I caught up to Kunimi, allowing us to enter its confinement together with an uncomfortable silence hanging over us.

Kunimi was no longer staring at me, opting to stare at the number dial even after pressing the number 14. I kept my eyes averted from the boy standing next to me, feeling the uneasy tension becoming thicker by the second. The upbeat elevator music did nothing to lessen the uneasiness that squeezed the air out of my lungs. I almost couldn't breathe by the time the doors dinged open, thankful for the interruption to the awful silence. At this point I was wishing that Kunimi had've been a stranger to make the transaction less awkward, yet I didn't understand why I felt so uncomfortable in his presence.

Kunimi led the way down a short hall and through an already opened door, his longer legs carrying him much faster, causing me to somewhat scurry after him. I stepped into our new home, admiring the look of the place. It was small and simple, but it was safe from the predatory eyes that would surely be looking for us soon. Despite knowing I would miss Grandmother, I knew deep down that as soon as he returned from his business trip, that would be one of the first places he looked.

The entranceway was directly attached to an open area that housed the kitchen, dining and lounge spaces. A hallway to the right led to three, small identical rooms with only a bed, wardrobe and desk in each, and a bathroom that held a toilet, shower and singular basin with a large mirror hanging directly above it. The whole apartment had a smart greyscale theme to match the exterior of the building with minimalistic furniture that kept the apartment looking larger.

I dropped the bags on the couch, silently signally Kunimi to do the same. Once the rooms were picked out, I would move the bags into their respective rooms, and most likely unpack them as well.

I looked to Kunimi who looked as though he wanted to say something, his face etching an unreadable expression. But before he could open his mouth, Mother and the lady that had met us by the car entered the room, Natsu in tow. Standing in the same room as one another, it was easy enough to figure out that the lady was Kunimi's mother as they shared quite a few similar features.

"Let me know if there is anything further you need assistance with, Hinata-san! We would be more than happy to help." The lady was saying as she headed to the door.