━━━━━ ꨄ ┊❛ 𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗘. ❜
❝ i'm pretty special, aren't I? ❞
TIREDLY you yawned as you stared at the two lonesome figures infront of the gate, silently wondering what they're talking about while you waited for a certain swept-back white-haired boy. Now you were pretty damn curious, but you have an Idea about the main theme of their conversation. You watched as he turned his back to her and started to walk up to you. Only to be stopped by a little yell from the persistent girl.
Your head went up to the someone who stood infront of your table as you were seated on your chair. You slowly stopped doodling all over your notebook while waiting for the girl to speak up her issue . No way in hell would she want to voluntarily talk to you . B ecause you recogniz ed her as one of your classmate you don't have much contact with. So why is she standing there silently?
"Is there something I can help you with?" you spoke up first, impatiently waiting for her to say anything.
" O-Oh . [lastname]-san. I heard you are a good friend of Umemiya-san, so I wanted to ask you if you can... introduce me to him." her gaze was everywhere but on you.
But you couldn't blame her. You literally drilled two holes in her head with your [e/c]-colored eyes. And after hearing her reason to approach you, you deadpanned at the mention of his name before sighing out tired. This isn't the first time someone approached you to ask about that white-haired guy. Even people you never saw in your entire life reached out to you to meet him or to get a glance at him.
Was he some kind of legend or what?
If you answer no then she'd probably keep pestering you to meet him, you know with only one look. A nother sigh left your lips as you stared at the clock . "Yeah sure." you muttered, watching how her eyes lit up and how she began to wear a bright smile. Just when you thought you were done with school and thought you can stay longer to doodle in your notebook, this girl came into the picture and ruined your plans.
Maybe if you've stayed a bit longer to do your own things, he would've gone home by himself. But as soon as you looked out the window, you grimaced slightly. "Ah. I thought wrong again." you turned away and packed up your things. Damn yourself for thinking like a naiv child. And damn him for not leaving you alone. "What did I ever do wrong to deserve this. Luck is never on my side..."
"—Umemiya-san, please let me thank you."
The white-haired boy let out a melodic chuckle as he waved his hands around. He looked at the girl who was bowing down for saving her from some creeps last time. "Oh no. I did something natural as a Bofurin member. No need to thank me for it, really!" he smiled at her. The sun was shining down, but it pretty looked much like the rays of sunlight were only meant for him.
She stood up straight again to look at him again. The grip around her schoolbag was getting tighter. "No! I don't know how I'd end up if it wasn't for you. I really want to thank you somehow. Uhm— I heard you like the Café Potos. Maybe I can invite you to a meal?" she offered with her rosy cheeks. The man infront of her was really handsome. And it was hard for her to not blush around him.
"Please don't waste your money on me." he still wore the smile, his eyes softened. "Well then."
With that he turned his back to her. But she immediately got panic as she reached out for him. "Wait please!" she yelled, making him stop as he turned around again. "M-May I get your contact info?" she asked timmidly, holding up her cute decorated phone. "I... really wanna stay in contact, you know?.." she added, looking away to avoid meeting his eyes. The hot feeling in her stomach made her feel like exploding anytime.
"I'm sorry." Umemiya got the hint and apologized with slight frown. "There's a woman I already like."
"Oh." she froze on her spot, the hot feeling of embarrassment grew as she lowered her gaze.
"I've liked her for a long time. I don't think I'll fall out of love..." he explained, rubbing his neck. "I'm really sorry."
Blue eyes landed on his own hand. On top of his palm is a pressed withered flower, now a part of his necklace. The flower which was once a rose with a beautiful light-pink color. A memory of a bewitching, beautiful lady flashed in his mind. Shining [h/c] hair. Glittering [e/c] eyes. A graceful girl watering her pretty plants in the garden. But no flower can match her beauty at all. He'll never forget that.
With that being said, he turned around again and slowly made his way to you. His frown immediately was replaced with the happiest smile as he quickly ran towards you with open arms, attempting to let you feel his warmth and wrap his arms around your body. "Gross." you furrowed your eyebrows and dodged. "You dare to keep me waiting and now you want to hug me? Yeah, no way."
"Awh! [name]-chan, don't be like that!" he smiles at you brightly. "You're so mean!"
"Yeah of course. I just have something against you." you shrugged your shoulders and began to walk away.
"[name]-chan, don't leave me! I need to show you my cute little plants!"
The left behind girl stared at the boy who, just seconds ago, seemed like an independent man follow you with his phone in his hands while you calmly walked down the sidewalk, not really interested in whatever he was showing you. You, the girl who despises violence hanging up with the leader of Bofurin? You, the girl who always stood in the background. What kind of joke is this.
She noticed. You're the woman he talked about.
─ ⊹ ⊱ ☆ ⊰ ⊹ ─
"You know. One day if your girlfriend sees how you keep clinging onto me, she wouldn't be happy about that." you sighed for the nth time this day.
"What am I hearing? Are you worried about my future girlfriend not liking you?" he tilted his head to the side.
"No, i'm just saying so you'll stop sticking against me." you said without taking a glance at him. "Aren't you worried about your love life?"
"Nah, i'm in love with the most beautiful woman on earth."
As soon as he said that, you pulled out your phone and began tipping before stopping to show him your phone. "It is said that Bella Hadid is the most beautiful woman in the world." you showed your search results. He froze and stared at you while sweatdropping. "I don't think you're in your crush's league." you sighed. "Please give her up, yeah? Crush on someone else, Umemiya."
"Please..." he smiled at you again and gave you his hand. "Call me by my first name. And give me the answer. Taking my hand is yes, rejecting means no."
You eyed his calloused, rough hand. It's a bit dirty. Was it the soil from gardening? Or was it dirt from fighting? You don't really like to touch dirty things. At all. You were a bit of a germophobe when it came to touching things. So you hesitated. But in the end you lifted your hand and placed it on top of his, while your gaze laid on your now interwined hands. His hand was warm compared to your cold one.
" Hajime ." his given name rolled out your tongue smoothly.
The excitment was visible on his face, as he bit his quivering lip. The smile grew to the biggest and brightest one. "Yeah?" he lifted his eyes from your hands and to look at your rather stoic face. The warm sun engulfed your both figures into it's depth, while the wind was blowing gently, letting your hair dance with it's rhythms. Perfectly in harmony with the shining. The silence was bearable, comfortable even.
"Is there anyone else who gets to call you by your first name?" you asked quietly.
"No. Nobody does. They call me by my nickname »Ume« or »Ume-chan«. Why?"
"Just wanted to make sure that I'm the first one." you answered before turning away. "I'm pretty special, aren't I?"
"Yeah, of course you are." only you can let him feel the same fuzzy feeling, of course you're special.
"Sometimes I wonder how you can keep up with this. Me." you're pointing at yourself, at your stoic personality as you kept walking further, him following after you.
"Don't know. You're special." he still smiles happily. He always smiles. But that's fine. You can always look at him, and he would look at you with the same warmth. He is much more special. More than you'll ever be.
"[name]." he called out your name.
"Hmm?"
"Do you like yourself?"
"Most of the time."
"Then you don't need to worry about my girlfriend not liking you."
"What? I think she'll hate me for touching your hand first."
"Uh huh. Sure."
At this reply, you furrowed your eyebrows slightly and your eyes went to him. He was still looking at you while following every step. "What are you even talking about, stupid?" you sighed. "Sometimes you're talking bullshit." and weirdly enough, you like to listen to his rant about-he can rant about anything and you'll listen, even though you don't understand. You avoided his stare.
While his eyes never left you, not even for a second.
・𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄・