𝐌𝐘 𝐈𝐍-𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 [Kozume Kenma]

18. REASONABLY UNREASONABLE

~ SHIRO ~

"Hey... are you okay?" I asked frantically, my tone evidently revealing my internal panic. In this situation, it was the most rational thing to do. I had just revealed perhaps my greatest insecurity; my inexplainable, borderline creepy attachment to a person I had never met. And this guy right here reacted by choking. Choking.

"I know I'm weird, but you really don't have to die trying to tell me that..." I mumbled awkwardly, while still watching Kenma choke on a piece of apple pie. Of all things, why does it have to be apple pie? The irony here was just too cruel.

"I'm sorry..." The blonde-haired boy stuttered in between coughs. "It was just... really unexpected."

"Yeah... unexpected... I guess..." I tried my best to nervously laugh it off. I mean, it could've been worse. Of course, he was just probably holding back to be nice, but I appreciated the effort.

I struggled not to stare as Kenma slowly regained his composure, his red-dusted cheeks fading back to its usual pale tone. My eyes wandered down towards the two pieces of half-eaten apple pie in the pastel yellow bento box. Apple pie...

Those two simple words had caused quite a reaction out of the boy who rarely expresses any hint of emotion. What did those words mean to him? I wasn't particularly smart and was prone to making self-destructive decisions, but then again I wasn't completely brain dead. Not yet, at least. That was no ordinary reaction. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. It was the reaction of someone like me - someone who was hiding something. Seems kinda sus...

"Hey, Shiro."

My gaze shot up to the boy sitting cross-legged in front of me. "Yeah?"

"Um... I've been meaning to ask this for a while now..." He began sheepishly, his golden eyes darting around, as if consciously trying to avoid mine. Why was he so nervous again, all of a sudden? I furrowed my brows, trying to decipher through his incoherent mumbling what in the world he was trying to ask.

"Could you... do you think you can... maybe, if you have the time... consider becoming our manager?"

"What, now?" The words slipped out swiftly before I even processed the thought. Immediately, I felt bad and regretted it. I should have known he would've taken it the wrong way.

"You don't have to... if you don't have time. Or if... if you just don't want to." Kenma quickly added, the pink tint on his cheeks flushing a darker shade every passing second. "I mean, even if you do have time... I understand why you'd rather not spend your free time with us..."

I held back the urge to laugh as I listened to Kenma choke on his words in a flustered mess. Who would have thought that this anxious, stammering boy was the same one who had calmly held me in his arms only a day ago?