Half the World Apart

4. lost phone

tw // mention of bullying

"Bye-bye," Tomio waved before exiting her dorm room where he had dropped her, "Call me later!"

"Stay safe!" Riku said, closing the door and reaching out to her back pocket.

".. Where's my phone?" she asked herself.

No, no, I'm sure I brought it with me.. Right?

She recalled her steps but couldn't get a clear memory of where she could've left it. The bus? No.. The ice cream shop? Maybe? Unless..

She quickly opened her door and called out, "Tomio! Did you take my phone?"

"What?" he shouted, walking back to the room, "No? Not this time, at least.. Did you lose it?"

"I think so.. But it's fine, I can look for it myself,"

"It's fine, I can help, I like spending time with you anyway.."

"What?"

"What?" a confused look on his face before realization took over it, "I-I mean, yeah, we haven't seen each other in months, it's only natural..."

A slow grin crept up her face "Awww, you love me~"

Maybe I do, he thought.

"Where should we check first?" he looked up at her.

"Don't you have Find my iPhone?" Riku asked, "That would be quicker."

"Ouch," he said, placing a hand on his heart and a pained expression on, "I'm so hurt,"

"What?"

He quickly looked at her seriously, "I use Android, you dumbass," he said and dialed her number.

"What? Since when?" she asked as they retraced the steps, deciding to head for the ice cream shop first.

"Since— Hold on," he answered his phone.

"Who's that?"

Tomio put the phone away from him and covered the speaker, "Ice cream shop," he replied before putting it back onto his ear, "Yes. Thank you!"

"What'd they say?"

"Your phone's over there, my driver's nearby. Texted him to pick us up,"

They talked for a bit until his driver arrived where they were — near their dorm.

"Thank you, Kawamoto-san*," Riku greeted as she entered the car, receiving a nod from the driver.

(*a/n: (Name)-san is an honorific in Japan which generally translates to, and is used the same way Mr. does abroad.)

→ small time skip ! →

After the short ride, they arrived at the ice cream shop where the familiar staff returned her phone to her with a smile.

They returned to the car where Riku had asked Tomio for a wire to plug into the side of the car.

Their car was not far from the limousines you'd see in the movies. Long, black with some mini-refrigerators in the side. Although rich, Kaneko Tomio wasn't that similar to Tokyo Reed. Tokyo's family had been part of the richest families in the world for decades while Tomio's dad had shot up in business a few years ago.

Riku and Tomio had been best friends since the start of middle school when they were both new students. Together, they were bullied but they both stood up for each other. After his dad's business shot up to heights, people attempted to befriend him like never before.

None of them even knew why they were made fun of as children (Riku had insisted they were just jealous), but the poor boy never let anyone near him again unless he had befriended them without knowledge of his money.

Riku cocked her head to the side as she read her notifications. 2 missed calls.

Tomio slid beside her and read over her phone, "'rude glucose father'? What have you been doing while I was gone, pup?"

"Stop calling me pup," she glared and elbowed his side lightly, "I thought we dropped that in middle school. Also, this is some dude I randomly called around a week ago."

"So you go looking for other guys when I'm not around?" he whined, sinking into his seat, "And glucose fathers?"

"Sugar daddies,"

"What,"

"Yes."

"But you have me," he pouted.

"I didn't know he was gonna be rich," she defended.

"Oh so he's rich,"

"Why else would I name him glucose father?"

"Do you have me named as glucose father?"

"No? Do you want to be named that?"

"What am I named then?"

"...Glucose bestie," she giggled before returning Tokyo's call.

"Hey, what? Give me your phone, let me change it!" he said reaching out for his phone.

"No, I'm calling someone,"

"Am I not important to you anymore?" he asked, jokingly.

She looked at him in the eye for about 5 seconds, "Kawamoto-san, do you mind halting the car? I need to get off."

☆

word count: 754 words