Chapter 3

Ayame’s POV

I came to a big city from a small village, where my parents decided to live an eco lifestyle. When I got to the university my grandma proposed to me to live with her, so her place was where I was going. My mind was still occupied by the events from earlier. Doubts were hunting me, if my actions were right, what if I shouldn’t interfere in whatever was going on between those two, still… Thinking before acting, I should work on that. There had to be a good reason why their answers were opposite, so maybe I shouldn’t help Shimada so recklessly. No one could understand my genuine love for boys' love stories, which I just found adorable, cute and heartwarming, at least the one I chose to follow. Yeah it was my little obsession. I hoped that the city would let me be understood and seeing in real life the example of a couple from the stories I loved to read, could make me a little too happy.

I was surprised when my grandma’s apartment felt somehow loud. I did notice extra pairs of shoes, suspiciously small and students looking. Kids were sitting next to the table and doing their homeworks, as it wasn’t their first time there. The wall had to give me some support.

“Grandma, why did you betray me?” I screamed agonizingly sliding down. “Do you have any other grandchildren beside me? You always said I am the only one. Was it all a lie?”

“You lost that brain of yours somewhere again?” The punch delivered with a rolled newspaper reached my head painfully. I looked at my beloved grandma reproachfully, but it didn’t move her even a bit. She smiled warmly at the kids and gave them juice. “Don’t pay attention to her. It’s my only granddaughter Ayame, who, like she demonstrated just before a moment, likes to exaggerate and make things up. I don’t think you remember her, but maybe your brother does, she used to spend vacations here when she was a kid your age.”

“I need a bit more explanation of the situation”.

I asked, because I couldn't get from my memory any trace of a boy who could be their brother. I was playing with a lot of kids then, no one became my really good friend, so naturally I forgot when I stopped spending time here. There were also no tracks of someone mentioning having twin siblings, but for the moment I wasn’t sure if my math was mathing, and they were already born at that time. Kids tried to intimidate me, there were two of them, but I was probably twice their age, so our levels were equals.

“Their grandma was my best friend and my neighbor. She and her husband were taking care of three of them, but when they passed away, the oldest one had to take over. I am helping them from time to time, including looking for Sakura and Shima, when their brother is busy.” Grandma explained putting the juice in front of me, still taking part in the quiet battle of auras.

“He called us that he might get to the doctor, as he fell from the stairs because of some idiot.” Shima mentioned, while his sister got interested in my hairstyle, fighting with herself about asking me to do the same with her hair.

“I hope it’s nothing serious.” Grandma sounded worried.

“Me too,” I added.

A bad feeling was growing in my heart, like it tried to tell me that it was my fault, to obscure it I proposed Sakura to do her hair. The girl's face lightened up momentarily even more when I gave her a few of my new hair accessories, which I haven’t used yet. Shima was looking at my hands closely during the process.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, just keeping an eye on you,” the boy tried to impress me, behaving like sister’s bodyguard and I barely stopped myself from giggling. They were too cute.

I spent another hour with the kids, playing board games, when their brother showed up. My first thought was that he must be really tired, but he didn’t want his sibling to notice. However in my opinion kids are seeing thighs like that, but they are hiding it too well to not worry anyone that they knew. He recognised me first, I needed a few more seconds. I wanted to ask if Katsuo found him, but for sure he wasn’t happy to see me.

“First this idiot, now you. Give me a break,” were his only words said by Ryouta there, leaving me and kids speechless, when he didn’t even give us a chance to finish a game.

“I guess it wasn’t your first meeting.” Grandma was right, giving me a disappointed look. “What did you do?“

“Nothing,” I thought it would be good to lie a bit. “But I know who could do something, so I am gonna make a call.”

Pick up! I was getting nervous while waiting until hearing Shimada’s voice, calm and indifferent. I realised what could be the reason behind my anxiety earlier and Ryouta’s anger. He hurt him? Because of me and my wild imagination?

“What the hell did you do?!” I got angry and shouted louder than I wanted.

“What are you asking about?” Still unmoved, while I was going around my room, wanting to shake him.

“About Nagata Ryouta, the one I helped you looking for earlier. Did you find him?”

“Yes,” I heard some emotions finally, like a brief moment of joy and then disappointment. “I called him and unfortunately he fell from the stairs. Luckily on me, so I guess he wasn’t hurt, but ran away so fast that I didn’t even have a chance to ask. But why are you asking?”

I took a few deep breaths, calming down that it was just an accident, not deliberate action, so I could finish this conversation, but he didn’t let me.

“Okay, thanks.”

“But wait, why did you ask? Did you meet him later?”

“It happened that we are neighbours…” I said enthusiastically and almost made the same mistake during the day.

“Cool. Where do you live? I am asking just in case.”

His tone reminded me of a joke, but still I was ready to answer him but stopped at the last moment and got pretty angry at myself. Shimada Katsuo was not exactly the problem, the source of it was my rush and stupidity, and then the resolution that I would never do that again started to run. Still the last word had to belong to me.

“Like I am gonna tell you. He had to see a doctor, so I won’t help you again. Be careful with your words and decide what you really want, you rotten, spoiled brat, not caring about others feelings!”