Late night encounters

After an exhausting and neverending game of Old Maid with the girls- as it appears, people get more and more competitive the longer they play- there was nothing that I wanted more than falling into the cool and soft embrace of my futon and shutting everything off until the teachers came to wake us up the next day. Apparently, my bad luck had a different idea about how I should spend my first ever night away from my parents. It was thrilling, yeah but I hadn’t intended to stay awake through it and I had already done plenty during the day, I didn’t need to do more at night. Of course, it wasn’t like I had a say in my own life and sleep. When had I completely lost control of what was happening to me and why did I have a nudging feeling that the person in the centre of it all was behind what was keeping me awake once again?

The weird sound that was catching my attention mere seconds before, stopped for a moment. I let out a sigh of relief and stretched my ears trying to find out if it really had stopped or it was my imagination from the beginning. I relaxed and smiled while making myself comfortable and hugging my pillow only for the sound to echo in our room even louder. I was so close, so close! I punched my innocent pillow and groaned before deciding that I had to get up. Even if the sound wasn’t meant for me to hear or turned out to be some branch hitting on our window, I needed to check it out. I wouldn’t be able to sleep with it in my mind.

My body was heavy and my bare feet slipped on the wooden floor but I managed to balance myself giving my all to not swear as much as I was inside my head. There was no reason for the girls to wake up as well, all this was probably caused by my own stupidity or whoever was behind it was trying to torment me and not anyone else. I was certain about it for some reason. 

The moonlight was faint, barely giving me an idea about the outline of the furniture and the rest of the people sleeping on the floor. I tiptoed between them and tried to reach the glass door. My vision was blurry from sleepiness and my clothes were stuck on my body by the increased temperature. I tried to swallow but my tongue was sticking on the roof of my mouth due to the dryness. Honestly, I felt dirty and didn’t really want to meet anyone who might be knocking on our glass door but it wasn’t my fault for the sight they were about to witness.

I reached the door scratching my hair and was ready to slide it open when I froze. In all the fuzziness and blur, I had a moment of clarity. This wasn’t normal. Who could be on our balcony and knocking on our glass door instead of the room’s door? What if it was some creep or some students from another class trying to play a prank? I was in no mood to come across any of those things! Who would even be awake at this time of night? It had been hours since we had come back to the hotel and bathed in the hot spring it provided. Surely, we weren’t the only ones staying awake despite the teachers’ orders but who would be stupid and bold enough to go knocking in another room?I tried to brush it off and shrugged like it was nothing. A creep couldn’t have entered the vicinity without getting spotted and even if it was some of our classmates, I could laugh whatever they had in mind off. This was a part of the whole experience, wasn’t it? Even though my thoughts were calm and I thought I was able to convince myself, my hand trembled as I touched the cool glass and slid it to the side to open the door. 

I jolted but there was nothing there. I sighed in relief looking around to make sure that whoever was there hadn’t given up and was leaving, hoping it really was a product of my imagination. I took advantage of the situation to breathe in the refreshing air and let it relieve the hotness of my body. The atmosphere was moist due to the close proximity of the hot spring and it tasted of leaves and grass. I made the mistake to close my eyes for a moment to enjoy it.

In a split second, someone had grabbed my hand and pulled me to the side. I exclaimed in shock but before I could start screaming and kicking, drawing everyone’s attention, my face was crushed against a shoulder and my torso was held tightly between too slim hands. My eyes opened widely but my will to fight it off faded instantly when I managed to spot the rose gold strands of his hair and inhaled his odor. It was his usual deodorant but in much more quantity that almost made my eyes water. Now that I thought of it, his attire looked too formal and his hair stuck on my cheek full of material and wax to keep it in place.

“Kajiura-?” He trembled. He buried his face on my shoulder and took quick and short breaths while clinging onto my body like it was his sole safe-line. My heart started beating so erratically that I was afraid it would escape my ribcage and go straight out my body in a desperate attempt to find his. I wasn’t sure if it was because he was holding me like this or due to the worry he was causing me, I had seen him hurt before but never like this. Maybe it was both. It didn’t matter. He felt ready to collapse, like he was going to fall apart from the seams. I hugged back with as much force trying to keep his parts together not knowing what else I could do. My eyes moved frantically as if they were reading my numerous and mixed thoughts and feelings.“What happened?” I knew that there was no point in asking. If he wanted to talk about it, he would have already. I could only offer him what he let me give, physical comfort. I just hoped it was enough for the moment. I would freak out if he fell apart on my watch.

We stayed like this for some minutes in complete silence. The only sound breaking the fragility of the moment was his breath that started to slow and calm down considerably. He gave me one final squeeze and let go with hesitation. His cheek brushed mine as he moved away but he looked to the side instantly not wanting to let me see his face, even though I managed to see a single thin stream glistening from his eyes to his chin. WHO Had MADE HIM CRY?!

My heart ached and I clenched my fists. I wasn’t sure if I felt more sadness or frustration. For the first time I felt what murderous intent meant and if I had the person responsible in front of me, I couldn’t guarantee that I would be able to restrain myself. I tried to subside these emotions, however, and paid my undivided attention to him. He was in fact buttoned up in an expensive-looking suit wearing a tie that made him look like he was suffocating. I wanted to rip it apart and let him breathe. I couldn’t see his expression but I could sense it.

“I-” I started but he didn’t let me say anything. He swiftly turned around and vanished before my eyes like a culprit caught red-handed. I outreached my hand towards his direction and my left foot moved a bit forward even though he was already gone. I’m not sure of how long I stayed there in the exact same position without moving, I might have not even been breathing. I was still as a statue while trying to help myself digest that there wasn’t something I could do. I couldn’t follow after him nor did I want to resign and go back in so I just stayed there as if something would change. My body grew soar and the night air started getting cooler and cooler. I had to return inside the room at some point, not that I managed to sleep after that.   ***“What?” Matsuda had been looking at me so pointedly that I felt a piercing feeling even inside the chaos of my mind. I had been silent the whole morning and dragging my feet with my shoulders slumped. That meant that my mood was significantly different from what it was last night before saying ‘good night’ and going to sleep. I didn’t mean to worry her but I couldn’t exactly control it. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since last night.

“I’m trying to figure out if you look like you’ve seen a ghost or like you are a ghost yourself?” She teased but I could see the worry still there inside her soft brown eyes. I sighed and rubbed my burning eyes.

"Maybe both" I replied thinking of how Kajiura had appeared out of nowhere last night and had acted differently than any other time. Maybe it really was my imagination after all. My serious tone made Matsuda look at me more worriedly and suspiciously. I hurried to explain myself. "Sorry, it's just something's been bugging me since last night" I ran my hand through my forehead trying to ease the headache from my lack of sleep.

"Ah..." She replied dejectedly like she simply wanted to fill the silence and backed away. I cursed under my breath. She looked hurt. The moment she thought we were growing closer, I did nothing but push her away. I had made the friendship contract with Kajiura so that I could grow as a person and become a better friend. I couldn't do that while staying stuck in the same place. I needed to take some of the steps forward and not let her make all the effort. It wasn't like I could talk to her about Kajiura's predicament, since it was more his business than mine, but I could still let her help as much as she could.

"Do you..." I hesitated for a moment. "Do you know anything about Kajiura-senpai?" I didn't dare look at her. I was afraid of what my question might imply and how she was going to look at me.

"Hmm... Apart from his complicated family situation, not much." She replied like it was nothing. I lifted my head instantly and locked eyes with her.

"What family situation?" I asked before I could control how urgent and interested I looked and sounded. She was a bit surprised but obliged anyway.

"You know, his parents have been divorced since he was young and as far as we know it was the result of many fights and conflict. He seems to dislike his father so much that he changed his last name and kept his mother's." She made a pause during which I was hanging from her lips and tried not to think about how even the girls that seemingly weren't interested in him knew more things about him than me, his so-called friend. "Oh!" I flinched in perfect sync with the sound she made. "Now that I think about it, some girls were talking about how his family has a house close to our hotel!"

My eyes sparked and I looked her dead in the eye. I touched her shoulders with the determination creating a powerful aura around me.

"Wh-what?" She seemed overwhelmed by my change of expression.

"I need your help" She seemed confused between being happy for me leaning on her and scared about what I had in mind. "And I might need the girls' help too." I added with a thoughtful look. I actually needed all the help I could get.

"Okay... What are we going to do?" 

"We're going on a rescue mission!"