𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐀𝐑 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 | 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝

☑ ᵇᵉᶜᵒᵐᵉ ᵃ ᶠʳʸ ᶜᵒᵒᵏ

ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ｔｗｅｎｔｙ－ｔｗｏ

♟

"Are you minimizing your sugar intake like what your father instructed you to do so?"

The young woman glanced at the empty room for awhile, her sight lingering on a certain ravenette's office char while twirling the end of her shirt. She intently listened to the reminder of her mother like she was some three-year old kid, resting her back on the window frame in the process.

"Yes, mom.. I'm.. doing my best in it." A relieved sigh was heard from the other side of the line as she responded politely.

"That's good. Be sure to remember that or else!" (Y/N) rolled her eyes playfully with the concern that her mother was evidently showcasing.

"Oh and one last thing, dear... About that police guy.." The childish grin that once adorned her beguiling features ceased to exist as those words slipped out from her mother's lips. She patiently waited for the middle-aged woman to continue her sentence, her fingers brushing against the cotton-like texture of her clothes.

"..please allow yourself to be loved.. at least once, okay? He seems like a very decent guy and by the sound of it, you like his company around you. At least give him a chance?" 

The grip that she had on her phone tightened, her other free hand reaching out for a random object to clutch on. Her lungs expanded upon heaving in a barrel of air to hide the discomfort that she was feeling with the topic.

Both exchanged their short greetings and goodbyes before the call finally ended. (Y/N) proceeded towards her desk and plopped her self on the chair. Her fingers scattered around the insides of her pocket to look for something, picking up what she thinks is a piece of her sugar-free mint gum sheets before shoving a big part of it in her mouth.

The magnificent orbs of (e/c) that she possessed strained on the blank doorway in front of her. She continued to chew, her jaw moving in an admiringly rhythmic pattern that was in sync with the sound of the whirring of the air conditioner.

Daisuke went inside her office room, only to catch a view of an preoccupied young woman. It was the first time that he saw her in that state. She was silent; something that he wasn't use to experience when she's around his vicinity. He quietly made his way towards his desk before sitting on top of it, his sight never leaving her engrossed expression.

"Is there something bothering you?" (Y/N) snapped out of the suffocating grasps of her thoughts as she tilted her head to the direction of the speaker. She took another bite of the remaining part of the object that she was holding, her saliva immediately coating it which created a cool sensation in her tongue.

"Why? What made you say that?" 

The ravenette raised his eyebrow before he stood up and walked to the clueless young woman. He bended down to her sitting figure as he inched his face closer towards hers, squishing her cheeks with two of his fingers to stop her from munching.

"You're eating paper."

•••

(Y/N) placed the non-stick pan that was full of oil after turning the stove on a medium-heat. She hummed in satisfaction while chopping the potatoes into thin slices before dipping them one by one in the all-purpose flour mixed with salt and pepper.

Successfully coating the potato slices, she then immediately placed it in the heated cooking oil. It took her just a couple of minutes for the food to fry. With this, she carefully took it out of the pan with a drainer.

Daisuke stopped his tracks after witnessing the kitchen room in the worst state so far. Everything was definitely not in order; dishes scattered with potato peelings sprouting from every corner. His sight shifted from left to right before landing on the girl that was currently busy with something.

"Oh, hey Kambe-san!" (Y/N) turned her heels towards the male on the doorway, an eye-closed smile adorning her flour and sauce-stained face.

"What are you doing?"

"Well.. I figured out that before I take my one week leave, the least I could do was to leave you some snacks to chow on!" 

The ravenette blinked after remembering that the young woman would actually not be around for the said amount of time since she'll be visiting her parents for their anniversary in their hometown. For some very odd cause, his insides grumbled in dismay because of what she said... it was alarming him, but he does not really know why he was feeling like this.

(Y/N) grabbed a handful of the freshly cooked fried potatoes and showcased it in her hands like a magician holding  some cards.

"I made you potpots- HOT HOT HOT!" Just before the male could react to the delicacy that she showed, the heat from the food immediately transferred towards her hands, causing her to let go of it.

"NO! MY BABIES!" She dropped on her knees before plopping her back on the floor beside her beloved fallen potato comrades. 

Daisuke mentally chuckled with her silly actions, an entertained smile making its way to etch on his lips. His mesmerizing eyes of ice blue scanned on the sludge that scattered across the place before his sight landed on (Y/N) who was now currently closing her eyes due to the comfort of the floor has given to her.

He felt that same foreign swirling in his stomach once again; that certain feeling that he gains every time he was around her. It was annoying him but for some reason, he was getting used to it. The peculiarity of the clenching feeling that has been conquering his insides never fails to make his face warm in the best way possible.

He crouched down beside her lying form before extending his arms to place his hand on her face. His fingers wiped the grime that stained her vulnerable cheeks, baffling the confused young woman in the process.

"Can you.. stay here for a little while?"