Ohaiyo

feat. Shi-chan and Yamapi.
additional story to Long Silence.
--
Very slowly, my eyes opened to greet the ceiling. There was a warm sensation on my naked left arm, and I turned to see his eyes closed, his breathing slow and steady and his hand gently holding on to my arm. I didn't want to wake him up, since it was a Sunday. Yet, at the same time, I was tempted to be selfish and wake him up so I could spend more time with him before he boarded the plane this evening. In the end I simply shook my head. I could spend time just staring at him; it was way too early to wake him up. The sun had barely climbed above the sea yet.

Maybe I should make breakfast, I thought, gently removing his arm and lifting myself off the bed.

"Shi-chan, I have something to tell you. Actually, I have a very bad temper in the morning, so....yea."

Very unfortunately that morning, my strength less arm gave way, sliding to slam his head against the bedside table. I widened my eyes in horror, bending over him, shivering as the cold from the air-conditioner pricked my skin. "Daijoubu ka?! Yamapi?!" The other thing I was afraid of from this was his temper. How bad was it? Could it be worse than my own?

He put a hand to his head, a pained expression on his face. "Itai..." And that was the first time he glared at me.

"Gomen, I didn't mean it." I apologised.

"It's only so early in the morning. Why did you have to do that for?!"

"I-"

"And now that you've slammed me into consciousness, I'm not able to go back to sleep again! Honestly, why are you so clumsy?!" he scolded, sitting up, and I could see he was obviously still fuming. "I don't need you to remind me that I didn't have a good sleep!"

"I said sorry." I reminded quietly.

"Forget it." he said in a frustrated tone, and I watched his back as he grumpily entered the bathroom. Very silently, I got out of bed as well, hiding into the other bathroom.

I let the water run over me, warm yet refreshing. The cold from just now continued to pound into me, though. "He doesn't NEED me." I repeated to myself. "That's perfectly fine with me."

Ten minutes later I could hear him approaching the bathroom I was in. I was still in my crouching position on the ground, the water still riding over me. "Shi-chan?" he asked, knocking on the door. I didn't answer. I didn't even care if I put on my childish, petty front again. I hated this morning. The last thing I wanted was to get scolded at first thing in the morning. "...I'm sorry, Shi-chan."

"Go away."

"Shi-chan-"

"I said go away! Leave me alone now."

"I said sorry, okay?"

"I said that too. You didn't even want to hear it. Just shut up and go away." I argued, even though I was hurt when I told him that. I didn't want him to shut up. Not forever, at least. I heard him leave, and even though I was behind the door, I could sense his unhappiness with me. Baka me, I shouldn't have been so sensitive!

By the time I emerged from the bathroom, Pi was already nowhere to be found in the house. I suppose he had gone to find his friends. Feeling very trapped within the apartment, I decided to head somewhere else to cool off.

...but it proved ill. It turned out that the seaside only made me feel even more upset, because this was where Pi always brought me to when we needed some time away from the city side. Other than here, I could not think of somewhere else where I could seek solitude. "I hate you, Yamashita Tomohisa." And I immediately regretted saying that.

Not long after, I fell asleep while looking out to the sea.

By the time I woke up, I regretted that nap. I stared at my watch, and quickly shot up. It was 4pm already? Pi's flight was at 5pm. I flagged a cab down, diving into it, directing the driver to the airport, panicking. I knew he would be back in four days, but somehow I wanted to see him again, no matter what had taken place that morning. "Tomo-chan, matteru yo..." I whispered. I had not wanted a little argument to end us up like this.

I burst into the airport, but...

Flight taking off.

I was too late. Baka, I could've called his ketai just to hear him speak first. I would've been content enough. I watched from the glass windows as the plane took off. But I was too stubborn to make the first move to patch us up. Just because of a little morning blues...

My tears trickled down my cheeks, and I sniffed. Maybe I shouldn't cry. I was seeing him in four days. But four days seemed just so long. Was he angry at me too? That's why he wouldn't call when he couldn't find me? I stared after the plane, silently saying a 'goodbye' to Pi.

--

Tadaima. No one would respond me. I sat crouching on the sofa in the living room, staring back at the blank television screen. It was when I realised that I had left my ketai at home in the living room, switched off. Yet I didn't look at it hopefully. He couldn't have called me. He was good at knowing where to find me. But he didn't search. At the same time, I was too stubborn to apologise. I wish I had.

--

"Tadaima." I greeted gloomily to an empty apartment on a Thursday. There was no answer. I had finished work earlier today. I made for the shower, enjoying the gentle warm water splashing over my body. He was coming back today. I needed my chance to apologise to him. But what if he decided to stay over at a friend's house today instead of coming home? The thought of it made me uneasy.

I waited. And waited. The sun was almost setting, and I was disheartened. His plane was supposed to have arrived this morning. But he didn't come. In search of my hairclip, my hand brushed across the table without me looking. A crash. The pieces were laid out on the ground, the chemical leaking onto the floor and eventually onto the rug at the entrance of the bathroom. The room was engulfed in the strong scent of the perfume, a little too much for one to appreciate it. It had been a gift last Christmas from him.

I bent down, picking up a broken shard of glass. But my finger got a tiny cut instead. I didn't do anything to stop the tiny little trickle of blood travel down my finger. It interested me. Having finally declared myself too tired, I put myself down on the ground, staring at the ceiling. And very slowly, my eyes closed to a long, unbearable pain.

--

=YAMAPI'S POINT OF VIEW=

"Tadaima."

There was no one who greeted me back. I wondered where Shi-chan was. Had she moved out in anger? I had tried calling her, but her ketai was off the day I boarded the plane. And later on there wasn't even a little break for me to call her. My friends had pulled me along for karaoke, even though I had told them I wanted to head for home.

I opened the door to the bedroom. My luggage fell immediately. She was there, on the floor, unconscious, a single line of blood tracing down her index finger past her wrist, a broken bottle of perfume beside her. The scent was almost unbearable, so strong that I sneezed. "Shi-chan!" I exclaimed, hurriedly picking her up, shaking her figure lightly. She did not respond. I called her again, panicking. No, no, she would not have left without a word! "You can't die! I didn't mean to raise my voice at you the other day!"

I saw her shift a little, slowly opening her eyes.

I could only stare at her, the shock still overwhelming me. "I thought you had..."

Shi-chan looked apologetic. "Gomen, I just fell asleep on the ground." She gave a little smile. I pulled her in, and she slowly put her arms on my shoulders.

"You scared me. I don't want you to leave me like this."

"Ano ne," Shi-chan said, "sorry for the other day. I was really stubborn. I am like that especially in the morning."

I didn't respond. I only hugged her tighter.

"Tomo-chan, okairinasai."

=END OF YAMAPI'S POINT OF VIEW=