In her dorm with Akari, Emilija gets a call from a certain someone. “Ello. What’s up?”
“Um… Emilija, are you free right now?” A soft voice speaks to her from the other end.
“Yeah.”
“Can you come to my dorm? Just you? I’d… like to talk about something.”
“Sure. Just a minute.” Emilija leaps off her bed and heads to the door.
Akari glances at her. “Who was that?”
“A classmate,” Emilija quickly replies, opening the door. “I’m heading out.”
“Oh, okay.” Akari has a few questions, but figures there’s no point in asking.
“Buh-bye.” And Emilija makes her leave.
—
More due to his family’s eccentricities than anything else, Akira has a deluxe single dorm. No roommates, a ton of space, and a private bathroom.
So when Emilija comes in, it’s just Akira waiting for her.
Holding an ice pack to his cheek, he explains what happened.
“Ah, that’s why you contacted me instead,” Emilija comments.
“Does she know you’re here?” Akira asks nervously.
“No. I figured to be discreet the moment I saw you on the caller ID.” She smirks.
“Heh heh. You’re smart, Emilija.” He musters up a tiny smile.
“You’re lucky you got off with just a slap.”
“I guess. To be honest, I’m scared,” Akira confesses softly. “There’s always danger on this campus. Jie and Chao made that very clear to me. I…” He gulps. “I was affected… pretty deeply by what happened. I ended up… muttering for Akari to help me.”
To that tragic story, Emilija snickers.
“Hey!” Akira grimaces, genuinely offended.
“Sorry! Sorry!” Emilija tries (and fails) to stifle her laughter. “It’s just so obvious… You’re head-over-heels, aren’t you?”
“Ah!” Akira hunches down, hands over his face.
Emilija’s smile only widens. “Calm down. We’ll be there for you. Me and Akari both.”
Akira blushes hard.
“I can keep a secret,” she teases. “Let me be your wingman, dude. Just admit it.”
Akira jumps, blushing even harder. “B-But I’m not supposed to feel this way!”
“Says who?”
“I’m… far from suitable to be her boyfriend.”
Emilija sighs and rolls her eyes. “Idiot. Stop assuming things like that.”
“You think a weak, cowardly man like me could,” he gulps, “earn that woman’s love?”
“Yes, I do,” she bluntly responds, smile gone. “Just think for two seconds about who Akari even is.”
Akira’s mind dwells on the girl he’s fallen for, but he doesn’t vocalize a thing.
Instead…
“D-Do you have any makeup?”
Emilija whips her finger at him. “Now you listen to me!”
“Ah, yes ma’am!”
“No covering up that mark! It’s true Akari isn’t going to be happy to see it. But if you hide this, then you’re going to try hiding everything else. It’s not possible.”
“But,” Akira mutters, “I don’t want to upset her.”
“Avoiding that is impossible, let alone in a place like this. None of it is your fault, anyway.”
“It is my fault. I’m weak.”
“You’re not weak. You’re just an idiot.”
At this point, Akira is outright confused.
Well, he’s still not used to how… out there Emilija can be.
Emilija meets his gaze with a smirk. “Akari has no issue with your frailty, right?”
“She… doesn’t,” Akira murmurs.
“Then don’t worry about it.”
Akira looks down at the floor.
“We don’t judge you. And someday, we hope you won’t judge yourself, either.”
Akira doesn’t move.
Emilija sighs. “What of your gym adventures?”
“Well, I’ll keep trying,” Akira replies quietly. “As long as I can, at least.”
“Start thinking of other solutions.”
“Other… solutions?”
“Yeah.”
Akira trembles, contemplating her words. “Why… does it have to be like this?”
“Don’t worry,” Emilija says, voice becoming friendlier. “What did I just say? We’ve got your back. So keep seeing us. Don’t cover up your wounds. If you want to grow closer to Akari, you’ll need to tell her what’s burdening you. Embrace her heart, and let her embrace yours. Let her hug you. Let her comfort you. Don’t push her away.”
“Push her… away?” Akira murmurs.
At the very concept, his body jolts.
—
“Heyo, Hirose! Look who I ran into!” Emilija’s triumphant shout from the room entrance almost makes Akari jump.
But just behind Emilija, a cute man comes in, with a meek “Good afternoon.”
Akari smiles at her Akira. But then she catches on. “Your cheek…” She rushes over from her bed, pulls up a chair, and sits before him. Akira grabs a seat too.
Then, Akari brings her hand to his cheek, hovering over his skin. “May I?” she asks with graceful empathy.
Akira dwells on this.
He wants this. Of course he does. But…
Don’t touch me!
Would he ultimately utter those tense words to her as well?
But no. He feels at ease, as he envelops himself in her hand’s gentle scent, its warm presence, before it even makes contact with his soft flesh.
He nods.
And thus, Akari touches him. She caresses his cheek, absorbing the sensation of his beautiful skin tainted by violence.
Akari lets go of Akira’s cheek and asks gently, “What happened?”
Akira obliges her. He also mentions that man’s involvement, which even Emilija didn’t know.
Akira wasn’t sure how Akari would react to his slap mark. He’s honestly relieved that she’s still so tender with him. Nevertheless, as he talks more and more about his assault, her eyes grow fierce, and she bites her lip. A fearsome face…
But she doesn’t scare him.
Her strength and tenacity are beyond beautiful to him.
Instead… he cannot help but dwell upon how, because of his words, she’s upset. It’s exactly what he wanted to avoid.
Then, out of some kind of whim, Akira confesses that he’d planned to hide his wound. And thus, Akari’s eyes widen with compassion. Suddenly, sadness usurps her rage.
“I’m sorry, Akira,” she murmurs. “It’ll be impossible for us to always be by your side. It kills me that I can’t guarantee your safety. A part of me wants to always be with you, my schedule be damned.”
“No, you have to live your life,” Akira insists.
“All I can do is plead to you,” she whispers.
“Plead?”
Suddenly, Akari’s voice cracks with an anguished passion. “Please lean on us! Don’t hide your wounds. Why would you do that?!”
“I,” Akira hunches down, “didn’t want to give you another reason to be upset.”
“Please, don’t worry about that. It’s not your fault. None of it is.”
“Even though I’m weak?”
“You’re not weak.”
“Ah…” Those words… So lovely, yet so baffling. Akira just doesn’t know how to handle them.
“You’re strong in your own way,” Akari says. “Please don’t blame yourself for the sins of others.”
Strong… in my own way?
And then, Akira remembers Emilija’s suggestion: to think of other solutions.
He gives Akari a smile, answering with uncertainty, “Thank you. I’ll try.”
Akari smiles back, if only for a moment. “How is your pain from yesterday?”
“Well, my limp is better, but my limbs are still sore.”
“Keep an eye on how you’re feeling. Maybe in two days we can try the gym again? Will you be free then?”
“Yes!” Akira shouts, nodding adorably.
Akari stands up from her chair, right before Akira. Though she’s so tall and he’s so small, he gets a glance of a certain sternness on her face. She turns around and walks over to her comrade-in-arms. “Emilija, that man and his lackeys are a problem.”
Emilija grins. “They sure are.”
“We’ll bring this to the Peng Twins tonight,” Akari declares.
Akira gasps in amazement, smiling wide.
He walks towards Akari as she turns back around. She looks down at him gently, and declares, “I’ll crush him. That’s a promise.”
Akira blushes with pure admiration. She’s… She’s incredible!
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