✍🏻See You Again

6 🫐 The Party

Given that Yuzuru wasn't a huge party-goer, he was now in an almost unnaturally giddy mood. He did arrive wearing his usual apprehensive expression as if not knowing what to say or expect but after I gave him a tour of my flat and he discovered my notepad where I was writing down new Japanese vocabulary mostly linked with earphones or technology he was smiling at almost everything I said. It was now shortly after lunchtime as I invited him over a few hours earlier so he could check out the wifi and have the promised gyoza. Which was probably the main reason why he was now beaming with happiness, his cheeks stuffed with what I cooked.
I was in a much better mood myself because whatever he did with the modem and my laptop did improve the internet speed significantly.

With my wet hair wrapped in a towel, I plopped myself next to him on the sofa and started to paint my nails. I put my hand against my knee and got to work with the little brush, noticing he was watching it with fascination. I would have asked what was on his mind but his mouth was constantly stuffed with the gyoza, taking a new one as soon as he swallowed the previous one. I let him have his moment of quiet and focused on the task at hand, realizing only now how quickly I got comfortable around him to be wearing sweatpants and no make-up.

We turned the walks home into a regular thing, treating it as a nice downtime after the long days of practice and an option to chat to somebody about our interests. I liked his calm presence, listening without interrupting me and never judging me for whatever I said, no matter how silly it was.

By the time I was done with the nails he finished all of the dumplings and I was glad I ate just before he arrived otherwise there would be nothing left for me. I looked around, the flat more or less ready for the arriving party, with finger food in the fridge together with plenty of alcohol and the only thing remaining was to make myself presentable.

"Would you mind opening some of the bags of vinegar chips and putting them in a bowl?" I ask while blowing on my nails.

Yuzuru ostensibly sighs and gets up, quietly whispering but loud enough for me to hear, "stalker."

"Hey," I kick his shin but he dodges in the last second with a chuckle. "He wouldn't stop talking about them at the last ice show!"

"Sure. Sure."

"I'm not a stalker!"

"If you say so," he laughs again and pops two bags of Javi's favorite chips open, emptying them into a large bowl.

I might have gotten comfortable around him pretty quickly, but it seems he did around me too, getting way cheekier and saying more often what's on his mind.
The nails seem to be dry and I quickly test them out, before getting up and going to my laundry basket filled with all of the clothes I bought and washed.

"What do you think is my best feature?" I ask, piling all the clothes over the back of the sofa and spreading them out.

"What do you mean?" Yuzuru replies with a question and plops himself on the sofa, looking up at me with a frown.

"Boobs? Ass? What should I highlight?" I clarify absentmindedly while taking out the last piece which is a blouse with dangerously low cleavage.

There is a beat of silence and when I look at him again I see his face and neck are tinted with a deep shade of beetroot. I laugh at his flustered expression but he still stares at me like a deer in headlights.

I shake my head and lift a dark blue dress I bought, contemplating if the skirt isn't way too short when I hear him quietly whisper something.

"What was that?"

"Y-Your back?"

"What's with my back?" I spin around, trying to look over my shoulder. "What's wrong?"