Ayla's dream ended abruptly, as she was shaken back into reality. Multiple knocks downstairs caused the blonde's eyes to open. Her eyelashes faintly batting against her lids when she blinked. She laid on her bed, debating whether or not she should get up. It was Saturday and around 11 o'clock in the afternoon at best. Her muscles felt weak, just like her energy. The blonde let out an exasperated sigh, groaning as she dragged her feet out of her room. In the blackness she moves slowly enough to make no sound, fast enough to reach her main door. After so many weeks of being on alert, every action is automatic, reflexive, efficient. She swung the door open and saw an elderly woman.
"Sorry, did I wake you up, dear?" Kawahara, her neighbour from right next door, asked. She's in her early seventies and has short ebony hair with streaks of white from aging. Overall, she's a very sweet lady.
"It's alright." Ayla politely smiled, stifling a yawn. "Do you need help with something, Kawahara-san?"
"If it isn't too much," The elderly started hopefully. "I actually need help with gardening. I can't possibly do it all alone."
"Sure, I'll call one of my friends to come help us." Ayla gladly said and pulled out her phone, scrolling down to find Momo's number.
The woman smiled. "Perhaps that boy you had over a few days ago?"
"Shoto? I guess he would be of more help than Momo since he can carry heavier stuffs and—" Ayla quickly realized what she said and furrowed her brows in flustered confusion. "H-How do you even know about that?"
When Kawahara smiles, the lines in her face become epic narratives that trace the stories of generations that no book can replace. "I saw the poor boy waiting in the rain in front of your door. Actually, I think he was debating whether he should doorbell because I swear he had been standing there for ten whole minutes."
Ayla felt the colour rise in her cheeks, triggering a nervous chuckle. "A-Alright, I'll call him."
"I'll wait for you guys inside." The elderly cheerfully said and walked over to her house next door.
Ayla shut the door and leaned against it. She was debating whether or not it was a good idea to call Shoto. She fidgeted with her fingers and tilted her head towards, inhaling a few sharp breaths to calm her mindset. Finally mustering her confidence, she scrolled to his contact quickly before she could second guess and brought the device to her ear. It rung multiple times. Each ring only added to Ayla's anxiety. It was about to reach the final ring when the duo-haired boy picked up at the last second.
"Hello?" The familiar husky voice asked.
"Hey, it's Ayla." The blonde's heart fluttered. They were butterflies—no, lions—in her chest, but it felt good. "Sorry, did I wake you?"
"Yes, but it's fine." Shoto said. "What's up?"
The purple-eyes girl played with her hair and wiped her sweaty palm on her shirt. "If you're not busy, I was wondering if you could help me with my neighbour's gardening? I know it's selfish to ask but it will really help, especially since you could help carry stuff around. It'll only be for a few minutes—"
"Right now?"
"Y-You don't have to say yes if you don't want to!"
Ayla heard rustling on the other end of the line. "I'll be over in ten minutes."
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𝐔𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐞 - ᴛᴏᴅᴏʀᴏᴋɪ ꜱʜᴏᴛᴏ
RomanceWe call them 'knights in shining armour' perhaps because in the night we need "armour" or "love" to shine for us. Or perhaps it is that only love can find its way through the armour we all wear and polish, hiding the self that is so vulnerable and s...
