Eri stood at their usual meeting spot on the street corner, glancing at her watch every few moments.
"Those two idiots, why are they so late again?" she muttered, irritation creeping into her voice.
Just then, Kogoro Mouri came sprinting up, panting heavily.
"Where's Shuichi? Why's it just you?" Eri asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Shuichi's got a cold. He's staying home to rest today," Kogoro replied.
Before he could finish, Eri was already turning toward the Mouri family's apartment building.
"What're you doing?" Kogoro hurried to block her path.
"What do you think? I'm checking on Shuichi," Eri said, her frown deepening. "We've known him for over a decade—when have you ever seen him sick?"
"He's fine, really. It's just a slight fever," Kogoro said, trying to reassure her. "Besides, my mom's home. If anything's wrong, she'll take care of him."
"But…" Eri hesitated, worry lingering in her eyes.
"Even if you go now, you know how Shuichi is—he'd just tell you to go to school," Kogoro pressed. "It's only one day. He can handle himself. We'll check on him right after school."
"…Fine," Eri relented after a pause, nodding reluctantly.
Before leaving, she cast one last anxious glance toward the Mouri building.
That single glance nearly gave Hayashi Shuichi, who was creeping toward the street corner, a heart attack. He ducked back into the alley, his pulse racing.
It's this late, and they're still here? They're gonna make me late! Shuichi thought, his heart pounding like a drum.
For a fleeting moment, he felt like a husband sneaking out to meet a mistress behind his wife's back.
After waiting a few agonizing minutes, Shuichi cautiously peeked out. Confirming that Eri and Kogoro had finally left, he bolted toward Rice Flower Station.
Yukiko's audition was at a location far enough away to require a train ride.
When Shuichi reached the station, Yukiko was already there, waiting.
"You're so slow!" Yukiko huffed, her cheeks puffed out in mock indignation. "Making a lady wait? Shuichi, where's your chivalry?"
"Chivalry?" Shuichi shot back, exasperated. "If I'd left two minutes earlier, Eri would've caught me red-handed at the corner!"
"She didn't see you, did she?" Yukiko asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"I don't think so," Shuichi said, shaking his head. "Come on, let's go. You don't want to be late for your audition."
"Wait a sec," Yukiko said, grabbing his arm. "That's all you've got to say?"
"What else?" Shuichi blinked, clearly puzzled.
Yukiko pouted, spinning in place to show off her outfit. For the audition, she'd chosen a vibrant emerald-green dress, her chestnut curls adorned with a butterfly-shaped hair clip. The light-colored dress accentuated her delicate features, making her look effortlessly pure and charming. As she twirled, the hem of her skirt flared, a vision of captivating beauty.
"Okay, that dress does look great. I noticed it when I got here," Shuichi said, finally catching on. He nodded in approval. "Alright, no more stalling. Let's move."
"Just the dress, huh…" Yukiko muttered, pouting again. Seeing Shuichi already heading to buy tickets, she sighed in frustration.
He's so smart, so how's he this clueless sometimes?
…
Between seven and eight-thirty in the morning, Japan's trains were a rush-hour nightmare. Countless salarymen and students packed in like sardines, shoulder to shoulder, flooding the stations and cramming onto trains bound for offices and schools.
Shuichi, pulling Yukiko along, fought tooth and nail to squeeze onto a carriage.
The train was so packed there was barely room to stand, let alone turn around.
Yukiko was already overwhelmed. Living close to school, she usually walked, and on weekends, she avoided peak hours. She had little experience with this kind of sardine-can chaos.
"Shuichi, I can't breathe…" Yukiko whispered, her face pale.
"Hang in there. It'll thin out after a few major stops," Shuichi said, spreading his arms to shield her, pushing back against the crowd.
His efforts didn't do much, but they gave Yukiko just enough space to breathe a little easier.
"Shuichi, tha—"
Before she could finish, the train hit a curve, and the tightly packed crowd swayed with it. Shuichi and Yukiko were pressed even closer together, their bodies practically glued.
"You!" Yukiko's eyes widened. She could clearly feel two warm hands pressed firmly against her backside.
"It wasn't on purpose! Force of nature!" Shuichi blurted, but his hands instinctively gave a slight squeeze.
"Force of nature, huh?" Yukiko's lips curved into a teasing, almost mischievous smile. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, "How's the feel?"
"Soft… comfy…" Shuichi answered before realizing what he'd said. His face flushed crimson, and he quickly turned to stare out the window.
"Why won't you look at me?" Yukiko teased, clearly enjoying his embarrassment. "You meant to do it, didn't you? Feeling guilty now?"
Shuichi stayed silent, mentally chanting, Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
He had to calm down, or certain things might… stand out.
Seeing her teasing get no response, Yukiko's eyes gleamed with mischief. She stood on her tiptoes, her lips brushing close to his ear, her breath warm as she whispered, "Shuichi, how's my figure?"
Normally, it wouldn't have fazed him, but pressed together like this, he could feel every curve of her body against his. The thoughts he'd barely suppressed came roaring back, filling his mind with images of her fiery silhouette. Certain things were now beyond his control.
"Woman, you're playing with fire!" Shuichi growled, no longer hunching to hide his reaction.
Yukiko instantly felt the shift. Japan's thorough education on that subject meant she, a high schooler, knew exactly what that heat was. Her face turned beet red, and she instinctively tried to pull away, but the packed train left her no escape.
Mortified, Yukiko buried her face in Shuichi's shoulder, muttering under her breath, "Jerk!"
(End of Chapter)
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