Frozen Rose (Langa x reader)

Chapter 61

(Y/n)'s POV

I was alone at Joe's restaurant. Reki and Langa were at their part-time job. Although they had asked whether I wanted to accompany them, I declined. My body was still sore and my mind in knots.

"You okay? You look dead," Joe commented as he set my order down.
"That's exactly why I came here. I'm hiring you as my wheelchair."
"Huh?! Maybe we should go back to the doctors. Something must be wrong with your brain."

A giggle escaped my lips. He sported a grin before settling into the seat beside me as I began eating the pasta in big mouthfuls. He raised an eyebrow, pushing a plate of garlic bread towards me, seeing as how I was behaving like a starved animal.

"This is my first meal of the day."
"You forgot to bring your lunch to school? What about breakfast? Did you wake up late or something? You have to eat properly," he replied.
"Geez, you sound like a worried parent. I'm eating now so it's all good."
"You know...at times, you eat like it's the first meal you've ever had but make it seem so..."
"So what?"
"Easy and natural. I don't know."
"Thanks for the compliment."

He heaved a great sigh. I flashed a cheeky grin before eating another mouthful. A few bites later, I could feel a presence behind me though I made no move to turn around until my pasta was finished.

My fingers reached for a piece of garlic bread. Joe nudged me as I took a bite. He turned my rotating seat around with his foot. Ruka stood a few paces away with a cocky smile gracing her face though she couldn't hide the anger dwelling in her eyes.

"Do you have to annoy me whenever you see me?"
"I came here to enjoy a meal. Who knew you'd be here to ruin my appetite?" she retorted.
"Yeah, whatever."
"Hey-"
"Before you cause a scene, just remember that this is someone else's business. Don't cause trouble for others simply because of some girl you can't stand."

She appeared infuriated though eventually dropped into a seat. I left the money for the meal by my empty plates, ignoring Joe's protests. I hadn't come here to eat for free no matter how tempting it was.

"My sister's most likely with Langa right now," Ruka suddenly exclaimed.
"He can hang out with whoever he wants. It's not like I own him."
"Oh? That's a surprising thing for you to say."
"Your sister hasn't proved as hostile as you, but she's annoyingly persistent."
"Don't ruin their relationship."
"Ruin their relationship? Are you kidding me right now?"

Azuto strolled into the restaurant, pointedly ignoring my presence. Joe placed a hand on my shoulder, sensing that I was about to punch someone in the face. I took a few deep breaths, offering a small smile to dispel his concern before leaving.

Miya waved as I stepped outside. He moved to join me as we walked in silence. The chilly air blew against our bodies, making goosebumps appear. Birds flew past overhead, racing against the wind currents. Cars drove by, splashing the occasional puddle that we avoided.

The sky was darkening little by little but still I walked. Miya didn't say anything. He simply kept me company. Along the way, he had taken to doing simple tricks on his skateboard. Mine was strapped to my bag, seeing as how my body was still sore.

"(Y/n)?"

Miya was still skating along as if nothing was wrong but a large man had begun following us. I turned around, staring him down. Neither of us moved. He took a step forward.

"Back off. He's with me."
"And who are you?" questioned the man.
"Are you seriously asking me that?"
"Yes, I am, missy. This is a dangerous place for a girl to be. Go home."
"I'm here to see a friend."
"Oi Hanamaru, she's one of us."

We turned to see Jun walking towards us, waving the man away. He pulled me in for a hug. I buried my face against his chest and only then did he sense that something was up.

"Hey, is something wrong?"

I shook my head.

"I don't believe you," he replied.
"You should."
"I'll ask you later but you better tell me."

I pulled away but he lingered close in case I was going to have some fainting spell like a stereotypical princess. A small smile appeared on my face before my fingers gripped his sleeve. It wasn't until I spotted Miya trying to fight off two grown men who had taken his skateboard that an eruption of laughter escaped my mouth.

"Let the poor boy have his skateboard back," Jun called out.
"We were just playing with him."
"Don't make fun of me! (Y/n), why'd you come here? This place stinks of unjust bullying," Miya argued.
"It's not so bad once you get used to it."

He rolled his eyes but followed me nonetheless. We were inside their hideout. Surprise coloured my eyes. They had renovated the area, turning it into more of a high-tech secret base as opposed to the dark, dangerous makeshift place they had going on before.

Jun left us to grab snacks. A pair of dice were suddenly thrown at me. I caught them effortlessly though the force with which they were thrown almost burnt my hand. A few of the guys waved us over, where they were playing card games or rather, where they were gambling.

"Wanna play? Jun said fighting was out of the question because of that skateboarding beef you had the other day," said Minato.
"What are you guys playing?"
"Poker. We can teach the new guy some tricks."
"I'm not 'the new guy'," Miya grumbled.
"Come on, sit."

Miya and I managed to squeeze into what narrow space was available, considering how buff everyone was. Minato began shuffling the cards. Nobody said a word. Jun whistled from the sidelines, shaking his head when his gaze met mine. That was when I knew this wasn't going to be easy.