เป๊ฑ โห thinking about โฆ subaru, haku, zenji ,, and their classic shoujo cliches.
GENERIC ADVICE ?! subaru โ subaru had been more in the dumps lately; even you could tell that much. he still wore the same smile, but his body language told another story. what more could you do than drop in and try to cheer up the glum captain?
yet no matter what games you played, how much tea you drank, or how many walks you took along the lake, it all amounted to nothing. he tried to look more upbeat for your sake, yet his eyes remained devoid of that certain spark. it almost became painful to be around him, his sighs growing longer by the day.
one restless night later, the cure to his misery finally hit you. why not simply ask him what was wrong and listen? it had been so obvious, why hadnโt you thought of it sooner?
eventually, you sat down and listened to his worries: how overworked he had become, the long nights spent on paperwork, the constant stream of students approaching him with their miniscule issues, and how he just wanted to curl up under his blankets and sleep off his incoming cold.
โwhy donโt you do that, then? subaruโฆ you can ask people for help. you shouldnโt have to burden everything, even if youโre the captain.โ
and the way he looked at you nearly stopped your heart. the dull eyes that gained a small glimmer of hope. the tiny twitch of his lip paired with his eyes closing, wrinkling in an airy smile.
you were so perfect, knowing exactly what to say. if only he had the confidence to admit that he wanted you there with him, your body warming his under the puffy blanket while the sound of pattering rain on the roof lulled the two of you into a deep slumber.
NO UMBRELLA ?! haku โ hotarubi was a place of constant rain. everyone knew that, and everyone knew to bring an umbrella if they planned to visit. so how had the vice captain managed to forget one?
perhaps it was his rush to get to your โimpromptu dateโ on time. perhaps it was because his mind was too full of the idea of inviting you back and sharing an umbrella with you on the walk home. perhaps it was the phantom pleasure of your shoulder brushing against his. perhaps, perhapsโฆ
what he hadnโt accounted for was actually forgetting said umbrella. and you, not knowing you would be heading back with him, were also empty-handed. you exchanged a look, one exasperated and the other weary.
both of you could have gone to the campus store to buy one, but neither of you wanted to triple your steps today. instead, you mentioned the idea of, โmaybe i should head back.โ
his body reacted faster than his brain could process. he yanked off his jacket and raised it above your head, curling his back to shield you. his reassuring smile was enough to convince you to briskly walk back with him.
you ignored the blunt gazes of others, focusing instead on your hand resting on the vice captainโs bicep. your grip kept tugging his arm back toward you whenever it tilted just enough to let rain soak your shoulder. your attention stayed on his laughter, the shape of his lips when he shouted, โwatch out!โ right before you plunged your foot into a massive puddle. and, of course, the little knowing smile he gave you when you grimaced at him with your now drenched shoe.
STALKING ?! zenji โ youโve been feeling oh so scared recently. or, at least, thatโs what you should be feeling. instead, you remain blissfully unaware of a certain ghost trailing your every move.
during each lecture, your gaze passes straight through zenjiโs hovering form as you write down useless notes. you never once suspect that a ghost is an inch away from you, examining every pore and blemish on your face with a lovesick swoon.
during lunch, his hand sweeps across a page as he desperately searches for words that can capture even a fraction of your beauty. no language can compare to you, and he is cursed to try, over and over, to confine you to sentences that never do you justice.
being a ghost may be torture, but it comes with its perks. he canโt use a camera to frame your wonder, but he can sit upon your desk and paint your likeness in perfect detail.
heโs had enough time to memorize your favorite foods, the exact hue of your eyes in every kind of lighting, and even the number of moles on your body. he wrote a song about them too. itโs surprisingly beautifulโso beautiful, in fact, that he has played it for you at night beneath your window.
nights like that are hell for you. youโll be in a deep slumber only to be dragged awake by some unknown serenader, only to discover itโs the floating biwa on the campus. you slam the window shut, and you swear you hear it strum a single sour note in shock.
when luca and kaito finally comment on how sleep-deprived you look, thatโs when you demand haku do something. he promises to get rid of it or at least talk to it. thereโs a long pauseโฆ and then a blessed week of uninterrupted sleep.
then it starts again, each night with a brand new melody.
haku was right after all! he did have to take a week off just to let your absence marinate and give him new ideas.