One Punk Man

11.

Four days had passed since the party and Sakura visited the Kirkland household again. It was nine o'clock in the morning as she stood in front of their door as she reflected on the past events. The latest one was the most significant one. It had been the most beautiful moment for her as she danced with Arthur. Their gaze had not been broken for the rest of the evening and she swore that he must have felt her beating heart. For her, this magical experience was something she will hold close to her heart.

"Oi, Sakura."

The girl shrieked. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she forgot where she was. Emily watched her with a concerned look. "Everything alright?"

"Y-Yes, I was only thinking about something."

She was still a little astonished of why Emily wanted her to teach her how to make sushi. The American often paid her compliments for cooking skills, praising that Sakura's food – also bakery – was one of the best she had ever tasted.

After she entered the house, Emily showed her the supplies she had bought for making the food. Both of them started to work; having known each other for almost four months, the two had a good time together. Whereas Emily was of a more open character, Sakura was quieter, but the girls had fun making food. After one hour, Emily decided to make a little break. It was the first day, she had not the intention to annoy her brother about Sakura or put them in a situation to bring them together; today was really an exception. The American was fond of her Japanese friend and loved spending time with her.

For Arthur, the morning was still too early. Some ruckus downstairs had woken him up, leaving him in a grumpy state. "It's far too early," he muttered. He heard his sister giggling and sighed, "Good Lord, Emily, what the bloody hell are you doing?"

Reluctantly he removed the blanket and stood up, leaving his warm bed, his hair messier than usual. "I am going to kill her." Without thinking too much, he rushed downstairs; only wearing pyjama bottoms. Despite the possibility that she had a guest – which he excluded – he entered the kitchen. "In the name of God, what are you doing? It's far too early to –"

He stopped abruptly upon seeing Sakura standing in an apron next to the cupboard. The colour of his face changed immediately, just like his expression. From tired and grumpy to shocked and embarrassed. Emily was cleaning the kitchen table. "Oh, hey brother."

Sakura stared at the boy with widened eyes. His messy hair, his tattooed chest, his blinking green eyes and his expression were a delighting sight for her; some would say that he was hot, but for her who thought that the word hot was a little sexist, the boy was absolutely adorable. He did not know that she would be there. Surprisingly, Emily did not shout at him for his lack of clothes but only smiled devilishly.

"S-Sakura?" He stuttered. "W-What are you doing here?"

While he managed to form words of speaking, he positioned himself behind the door frame to hide himself a little from her sight.

"E-Emily asked me to come by," she answered quietly, her face as red as Arthur's. "O-Okay," he said before he dashed back to his room, closing the door and sliding down against it on his knees. "Oh Lord."

Emily snickered, making Sakura feel herself uncomfortable again.

"Don't worry he does not like anyone to see him in that state."

"B-But why he be embarrassed?" the Japanese asked, but Emily only smiled. "H-he looked cute." And there it was; the sentence she wanted to avoid uttering out loud.

"He does not like surprises, and we did surprise him," Emily chittered, continuing her task of cleaning the table; ignoring Sakura's compliment for her brother.