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[Kimi ni todoke] - [Tomofumi Tanizawa]

The two teens didn't return home the way they had come. Instead, they took a detour, circling around the walls of the abandoned steel mill and re-entering the compound through the main gate. The yard was eerily quiet, devoid of any signs of life.

Vienna walked closely behind Ni-ki, her steps almost in sync with his, while the two fluffy yellow chicks trailed behind her, their tiny feet pattering against the ground.

Ni-ki glanced back once, noting the odd procession. The sight of the chicks waddling after Vienna brought a fleeting smile to his face, but he quickly suppressed it, returning to his usual stoic demeanor.

Even after they reached home, the two chicks continued to follow Vienna everywhere, their little feet never far behind her. They were so attached that when Vienna went to the bathroom, the chicks tried to follow her inside.

Before they could waddle through the door, Ni-ki intercepted them, scooping them up by their tiny necks with a smirk of annoyance.

"You little perverts," he chided, holding them at arm's length. "Give her some privacy, will ya? Respect your owner!"

The chicks squirmed slightly in his grip, their tiny beaks opening and closing as if in protest. Ni-ki shook his head, setting them down gently outside the bathroom door. He muttered to himself, amused despite his feigned irritation, "Can't believe I'm dealing with this."

Having been scolded by him, the two chicks redirected their focus towards him, their beady eyes now locked on their new target. Much to his annoyance, they began following him around with the same devotion they had shown Vienna.

Ni-ki sighed, his patience wearing thin as the tiny chicks trailed his every step. Finally, he bent down, scooped them up by their necks again, and muttered, "You've got to be kidding me."

Without another word, he placed them in an old shoebox, closing the lid with a bit more force than necessary.

Just in time, Vienna emerged from the bathroom. Her eyes immediately landed on the makeshift prison for her new pets. She hurried over, scooping the chicks into her arms and hugging them protectively.

"Hey! What if my kids choked in there?"

Ni-ki raised his hands in mock defense, a smirk playing on his lips. "They were about to follow you into the bathroom. That's pervy."

"Then so are you."

His eyes widened in surprise, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You're getting too brave," he murmured, a mix of amusement and warning in his tone.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette and was about to light it when Vienna suddenly thrust a small tube of ointment in front of his face. He paused, eyebrows raised in confusion.

Vienna nodded toward the cut on his lips, silently urging him to take care of it.

She was about to turn away when Ni-ki suddenly took hold of her wrist, his large hand engulfing her tiny wrist easily. His grip was firm yet gentle as he said, "You do it for me."

"You can't? Has your arm not healed yet?"

He nodded, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"But you fought pretty well."

Despite her words, she took the ointment and carefully began to apply it to the cut on his lips. Her touch was gentle, but she was focused on the task, her brow furrowed in concentration.

As she worked, Vienna hesitated, something clearly on her mind. She was about to ask a question but shook her head, deciding against it.

Ni-ki, curious, pressed, "Go on, ask."

Still focused on healing him, she finally spoke, "That day when we first met..."

He chuckled, interrupting her, "Our first kiss?"

Startled by his teasing, she accidentally pressed too hard on his lip, causing him to wince. She quickly apologized, but then continued, "You fought... pretty well today, so... why not that day?"

Ni-ki's expression softened as he responded, "I was sick. You know the saying—a smart man knows when to retreat."

Standing up as Vienna finished tending to his cuts, Ni-ki stretched and fanned himself with the hem of his shirt, exposing a glimpse of his toned stomach. He sauntered over to the fridge, retrieving a bottle of beer.

With a practiced motion, he rammed the lid of the bottle against the edge of the table, popping it off effortlessly. The bottle cap fell into his palm, and he casually tossed it into the bin before bringing the bottle to his lips.

As he began to down the beer, his Adam's apple bobbed with each gulp, the cold liquid sliding down his throat.

Vienna's gaze lingered on Ni-ki as he drank, her eyes tracing the movement of his throat. When he lowered the bottle, he caught her staring, a brief flicker of amusement crossing his eyes.

Embarrassed, Vienna quickly turned her head away, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"What do you want for dinner?"

Vienna smoothed the creases in her skirt, avoiding his gaze as she sat down. "I'm fine with anything..." she replied softly, her voice trailing off as she fidgeted with her hands.

Lowering her head, Vienna was about to continue reading her books when her textbook was suddenly snatched by Ni-ki. Startled, she raised her head, her eyes wide and locked onto his.

"Speak properly," Ni-ki instructed firmly.

Vienna's confusion was evident, her bright eyes reflecting her uncertainty as she looked at him.

Straightening himself, Ni-ki walked over to the drawer, rummaging through its contents. He pulled out a book from the very bottom, its cover coated with a thick layer of dust. After dusting it off, he opened the book and handed it to Vienna.

"Read this."

She glanced down at the book, noticing it was a Primary School textbook. She looked back up at him, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, "Why?"

"You talk like a duck."

Ni-ki flipped through the book quickly before settling on a passage. He pointed at each word with his fingers as he narrated, "The cat is on the mat." After waiting for a few seconds, he glanced at Vienna out of the corner of his eye.

"Why are you looking at me? Look at the passage!"

Vienna's eyes darted back to the book, and she began to read the passage silently.

Exasperated, Ni-ki instructed, "Aloud."

"..."

Ni-Ki repeated "The cat is on the mat."

Vienna narrated after him, "The cat is...on the mat."

"The mat is blue."

"......The mat is blue." Vienna subconsciously nodded her head as she spoke, struggling to express the entire sentence without a single pause.

"The cat likes to sit on the mat and look out the window."

"......"

"Don't be anxious. Repeat the sentence a few times in your head before you speak."

She lowered her eyelids. Following his instructions, she first repeated the sentence a couple of times in her heart, before carefully and slowly pronouncing each and every word, "The cat likes to sit on the mat and look out the window."

Having narrated the sentence fluently, Vienna carefully and discreetly raised her eyes to look at Ni-Ki; although Ni-Ki's head was lowered, he was gazing at her as well, an unmistakeable and small smile forming on the corners of his lips. Lowering his eyes, he continued reading the book.

The glow of the setting sun softly shone on his face, causing Vienna's heart to beat erratically.

"Outside, there are birds in the tree. The birds are chirping happily."

She repeated after him, her voice wavered slightly on some words, but she kept going, determined to finish.

Ni-ki watched her intently, his gaze never leaving her as she read. He noticed her struggle with certain words, her voice shaky, but he didn't interrupt. Instead, he waited until she finished the passage.

"The sun... is shining bright," Predictably, Vienna began to stutter once more. Embarrassed, she lowered her head in shame.

"The sun is shining bright." Ni-Ki's low and steady voice rang out once more.

"The sun is shining bright. The cat closes its eyes and falls asleep on the warm mat. The birds keep singing, and the cat dreams of chasing them in the sky."

As Vienna finished the passage, she looked up at Ni-ki, her eyes searching for his reaction. For a moment, they just gazed at each other, the room falling into a comfortable silence. Ni-ki's expression softened, a flicker of pride evident in his eyes.

He didn't say anything, but the way he looked at her spoke volumes. Vienna felt a warmth spread through her chest, the anxiety that had been gnawing at her starting to fade.

In that quiet moment, they both felt a sense of connection, unspoken but understood.

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