Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 71595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Vivi is shaking her head. “I can’t believe you were able to make Alexei take such a photo. How in the planet did you do that?”
It’s Hannah’s and my turn to burst into laughter. We can do this over and over, and I think Vivi’s idiomatic mix-ups will never get old for us. “It’s love,” Hannah says when she finally recovers herself. “A guy like Alexei would only do this for someone he loves, and this is proof that he loves our Kat, whether he can admit it or not.” She looks at me for confirmation, asking cheerfully, “Am I right or am I right?”
I smile brightly. “You are so right.” But I’m lying. The truth is, Yuki had only taken these selfies because it’s another way for him to make it up to me.
And yes, it’s still caused by The Emergency We Can’t Talk About.
A flurry of action distracts my thoughts, a sudden restlessness in the mostly female crowd waiting for the rain to pass.
“Speak of the demon,” Vivi mutters.
“Devil,” I mutter back under my breath, “and can’t you please pretend that you don’t hate his guts?”
Yuki is walking briskly towards us, a tote bag slung over one shoulder – the kind that only the hottest Asian guys seem able to pull off – and his dark head bent over his phone while his other hand holds up a transparent umbrella. Combine this with the semi-blurry background of the tree-lined sidewalk behind Yuki, and it’s like watching the opening scene of a romantic movie unfolding. And I’m not being biased when I say that. I swear I’m not. Because if I were, I’d also have to add that since it’s Yuki, the movie’s a sure shot at winning an Academy Award and smashing box office records worldwide—-
“Hello, senpai.” Yuki is suddenly standing right in front of me, and in his blue eyes I realize three things.
One: I had one of those fantasies again.
Two: He knows this—-
Three: And he’s going to punish me for it.
Oh, shite.
Yuki’s saying hi to my friends now, and while Hannah cheerfully returns his greeting, Vivi only scowls at him. “Don’t break her heart.”
“Vivi!” She always, always says this, and it always, always makes me wish I had the power to turn the ground into a sinkhole so I can disappear at will.
But Yuki only smiles. “I’ll do my best.” It’s always what he says, too, and it always, always makes me wish I could pretend I believe him.
He takes my hand then, asking, “Ready?”
I can only nod. All around us, girls are looking at Yuki, dying to have him notice them even a little, but he doesn’t. He never does. His eyes are only always for me, and times like this I feel acutely self-conscious and tongue-tied, leaving it to Yuki to say our goodbyes for both of us.
As we start walking, I try to put a little distance between us under the umbrella, but Yuki notices it right away.
“You’re going to get wet like that, senpai.” He releases my hand only to put his arm around me.
Is it silly to think that I feel cherished when Yuki does things like this in the open?
He pulls me closer, and I have the craziest urge to burrow against his chest. I need a distraction, badly, and I rack my mind for something to say. “Umm...”
There’s a slight pause, and then Yuki says, “I think Vivi’s warming up to me.”
It’s exactly what I need to hear, and I pull away to gape at him. “Are you serious?”
“She didn’t threaten to have the gods of her shrine curse me like she did last week. That’s an improvement, isn’t it?”
Despite everything, I can’t help giggling at the reminder. “I guess it is.”
“She reminds me of Lace a lot, actually.”
I gasp. “I thought the same thing the first time I met her.”
“Minus the swearing though.”
I start laughing. “I thought of that, too!” And just like that, the awkwardness passes between us, and my body starts moving on its own.
When I nestle against his chest, Yuki looks down at me with a smile. “You’re alright now?”
Oh.
“You know,” I say in a small voice. “Don’t you?”
“That you don’t know what to do with yourself when I play nice?” Yuki releases a sigh of profound weariness and his voice is of sham sadness when he says, “Yes, I do know.” I make a face, but he ignores this and continues on in a pious note. “And to be perfectly truthful, senpai, it’s made me realize that I don’t know you as much as I thought I did.”
Now I’m confused. “What are you talking about?”
“I never knew you were such a die-hard masochist—-”
I pull away to sock his shoulder. “Am not!”
“I never expected the smallest act of consideration on my part would depress you—-”
“Stop it.” But the words are ruined by the snort of laughter that follows it.