"What was all that about??" I hiss, pulling Kakeru to the side. We're now just barely outside of the cafeteria, loitering in the corridors -- which we probably shouldn't have been doing.

"What was all what about?" He parrots, acting innocent but dark-grey eyes never look back to me. And with a smug smile on his visage, his hands glide into his pockets.

"You know what! Why'd you embarrass me like that? And over a sock?" I ask him. Thinking back to the situation causes redness to infect my face. I huff and stomp my foot into the ground.

"What can I say? It's a cute sock. You're hiding all the polka dots just beneath the ankle cuffs." He chuckles out. I just don't think he is taking me very seriously. I just want some honesty from him, but he makes me feel like this is all one big joke.

My brows knit downwards, and I am now frowning. "Why does it feel like this is just a joke to you? Why are you doing this?" I can't help but ask. And as I avert my eyes, I grow sad.

I mean, he's damaging my relationship with Yuuta. I know we're only friends, but it certainly is not his place to intervene and break hearts. I begin to run my fingers along my forehead, touching the bristles of my hairline-- only to sigh.

I don't look at Kakeru, but his aura has changed. "I..." He pauses, fingers outstretched to touch me. "I'm sorry, you've got me all wrong. I must look like a douche..."

"...Yes. You do. I mean," I finally turn to him, lightly frowning now. "What was with all of the flirting? Did you really come all this way for a sock?"

I'm asking him a lot of questions, but they're the right pointed ones. I wait for his response, but he just stares. I don't know what for, but Kakeru is currently drilling holes into me. Maybe he's just looking for the right words to say.

"I did. I did come all this way over a sock." He finalizes, folding his arms over his chest. He's still slightly smiling, it suits him nicely.

"I--What--Why--" I stammer out, helplessly. I am at a loss of words, and I'm not really sure what to think. Maybe there was something more to him, he's just not letting me know what. I take my fingertips against my temple, rubbing ceaselessly. This Kakeru Hoga is clearly going to be the death of me.

"Whatever!" I end up barking out, pivoting. He seems to have already read the room and learned his lesson... "I'm counting on you! Don't upset my friends, and don't upset me."

Kakeru hides his pearly whites behind his tongue which was still pushing past his lips as he grins. He's silent, so I have no choice but to take his lack of reply as a yes. I had to put total faith in an acquaintance...

So, I raise my hands and step forward. He must've noticed my frown, my eyes, or whatever it was on my visage-- because he suddenly clears his throat and the sweat which was forming on his forehead.

I can hear the sound of my skin coming into contact with his. It's abrupt, cutting, unrelenting. Kakeu hisses after my open-hand practically strikes the nape of his neck-- and instead of letting him go-- I reel him closer.

"Huuuuh? What was that?" I exaggerate, hanging my chin low in an animated way. The black-haired male keeps his eyes averted, but no matter which corner or door he looks to-- he can't hide the fear brimming in his eyes from me.

"You'll be on your best behavior, yes?" I chime, beginning to smile. My fingers are gradually tightening, and my dominate fingers are threatening to sink a nail or two into his skin.

The male flinches, eyes daring to trickle back towards me. "...O-Okay! Okay... You have my word..."

I stare. His eyes, his lips, even his flaring nose...

It all looks sincere enough.

I don't hesitate to release his neck. Instead of gripping, slapping and impaling, I hook my forearm around his neck and I step forward.

"So!" I begin, craning my head to the side. "Where to next?" I ask him, chuckling sadistically. My words slip past my lips in a rhythmic hum, similar to a, barely audible, electric car.

"Where to next?" He again parrots. All he does is repeat my questions-- when will I ever be on the recieving side of things?

"Yes. Since you're not a work, I take it you have other plans. Classes, maybe?"

He slowly nods, holding eye contact with me. He's watching me, but for some reason he doesn't seem present. Kakeru seems lost... lost in something. And the more he stares at me, the more I can't help but feel like I'm the cause.

"Yes, I do. But I do have to head back to the store and get some more stuff done. There was this distraction, you see... So I am behind schedule." He drawls. It's familiar, and I don't like it.

I find myself frowning a bit. Not necessarily because he's leaving— I just don't want to be alone by myself. Not at the moment. Yuuta and Hinata has just walked off, but maybe if I give it a light jog, I can catch up to them.

"...Hmm... Okay then. I'll see you later; alligator." I fan. Kakeru is now averting his gaze, giving me an apologetic smile— but I don't allow it to bother me.

"Yes, yes you will, haha." He giggles out sweetly, just like a child. Perhaps it was the way my last syllables trickled and shuddered out of my lips.

I flick my hair over my shoulder, wriggling my fingertips into his general direction with a peculiar expression on my face. Brows knitted downward with a suggestive smile— he looks a bit confused but by now I am walking away, piecing my phone out of my pocket.

"She's so weird." Kakeru hiccups.

━━ 🏐 🏐 🏐 ━━

"Ennoshita?"

Hinata beckons his roommate, head craning to the side. He's waiting for a response from his classmate. He doesn't know much about him— about what he does as a hobby, about any relatives— but what he does know; is that he flaunts signs around till his passes out  over the stench of his own sweat and musk from inside of his mascot. What is it, anyway?

Hinata has never asked. Maybe it's because the few times they've spoken, he was already on his way out of the door. Their schedules have never aligned up until this point.

"Hm?" He hums back, shouldering himself into the ginger-haired males direction. With his mascot still sitting heavy on his body, its beady eyes meets his.

Hinata doesn't reply to his coo. He lowers his bag to his bed, and they stare at each other, wordlessly. It was until his black padded hands stretched for his foam head did Ennoshita continue to speak.

"What? What is it? You normally call people's names and then leave them hanging?" He detaches its head from his actual head. It looks a little unsettling.

Then all of a sudden, the stench of hard-work and pit-sweat perforates and tickles Hinata's nostrils. Despite the respect he holds for Ennoshita, he scrunches his nose out of disgust.

"Geez; dude... Go take a shower! Did you run fifty laps in that thing or something?" The ginger turns his head, swabbing his thumb along his nose. An inappropriate response to a guy that had just worked his ass off.

"No... it's called labor, DUDE. And since you're asking, guess who met a cute girl today and saved her (cute) ass?" The brown-haired male chimes, raising his stuffed hand to his lips. He lets out a suggestive chuckle— for a moment too long— and his mind starts to drift. He seems like he's been thinking about the moment since it's happened.

"She had a cute set of cherries, too. The perfect size... She should've let me fondle them." He miserably attempts to mutter the last bit, and Hinata— cringes even more. His nose just sinks further and further into his noggin— then he forces that horrible sentence to go through one ear and out the other. 

"You're sick, man. A perv as a roommate? I may as well request a room change right now..." A bad introduction, to say the least... but Ennoshita doesn't seem like a particularly bad— well— horrible guy. He's just a pathetic man with pathetic desires.

Has he even touched a woman before?

"Whatever, dude. Not a pervert, just a guy totally in love with women and their capabilities. And storage." He then reaches for his mittens, detaching them. And then follows the rest of his suit. Out goes one leg, and out goes the other. "Anyway, I'm out now. Time to go to my second job. Nice to finally meet you, roomie." Prince Charming finally greets, extending his hand for Hinata to grab— but he doesn't hesitate to fan him off.

"Piss off! You smell!" Hinata barks, cracking a desperate, offended smile. "And do you ever actually attend your classes? Aren't you afraid of flunking?"

"Nah, because my dad is my professor, hahahaha! Ha... Yeah... he's going to beat me... but I'll see you later!" Ennoshita reaches for his cologne sitting on his bed, along with his other sprawled out junk which was crinkling his disheveled bed some more.

He gives himself a (over)generous amount of spritz and then fans the air around him. He's now created his own perfume. It's a less than adequate miasma, but to each their own.

Ennoshita tosses that aside and then he reaches for his wallet, then his shades— even though the Sun is set to lower within the next few minutes.

"Lock the door behind me pleaaaaseee! I left my key in my locker at work, and I'm pretty sure I owe some guys some money..."

Slack-jawed, Hinata's brows can't control themselves as they twitch. He's thinking about what a total inconvenience his roommate is. Sighing, his light hues follows him as he exits, slithering past the door with a sharp wave.

"Gross. He's too gross. I don't have time for this. I have to get to work too. Man... night shift is so lame." Reluctantly, the ginger trudges his feet along the floor and ruffles his hair. His fingers knit around his scarf, and after wrapping his satchel around his shoulder, it doesn't take very long for the door to shut after him; too. Its locks engage and his footsteps flee into the silence.

...

I feel very awkward.

I feel ashamed, really. That conversation— the entire interaction I could have gone without seeing and hearing.

Light filters into the closet, and there I am on the other side. Blade in hand. I exhale. It's not a sigh— just kind of a huff. A breath. Maybe I forgot to breathe at some point.

Finally, I step out of the closet, dusting off my clothes. A part of me is hoping it wasn't the foul-mouthed Ennoshita whose closet I sought refuge in...

Hm. Perhaps he saves me a lot of trouble by not showering.

I glance around, eyes lowering towards the mascot he's left lying so irresponsibly by his bed. I crane my head to the side, black locks following.

"Ennoshita Chikara..." I coo, taking my scarred hand towards my black fringes. I give them a pull over my forehead— just before I begin to grin.

"I have plans for you."