beleza

Walking into her favorite cafe in Toshi, Mei let out a sigh. This was the one place she could go to relax. Great music, not many people, it was the perfect place for Mei to sit and relax. 

The next moment happened in a blink of an eye. Mei had been walking to a table and now she was suddenly covered in two peoples drinks. She probably should have seen it coming seeing as the waiter had been walking towards a small spill. 

He seemed really sorry, not that Mei blamed him or was angry. It was an accident.

"I... Well... I'm all right..."

To be frank, this wasn't the first time Rei had accidentally spilled a drink on a customer and he was certain that it wouldn't be the last. However, the girl's reaction was most definitely a first. Usually, the bespectacled teen would receive harsh remarks or demands of money for the damage he had caused on their clothes and he was surprised he still hadn't gotten himself fired.

He looked down at his uniform to see that it was all stained with dirt and the drink that was spilled on the floor. Great. He slid his gaze back on the girl and could do nothing but offer her a sheepish smile.

"U-Umm... I can pay for that." He offered even though it might cause a large hole in his wallet. "This isn't the first time I've spilled a drink on a customer and while others would demand money from me, most of them would just drag me out with them to go and buy them new clothes by some means."

Nagisa caught the small smile that appeared over Rei’s features and tossed a warm smile of his own right back, a small chuckle following suit. Nagisa took a few moments to let the feelings of happiness sink in, in order to let himself slow down even a little bit as to give Rei some room to talk. Even if Rei didn’t show it as much, Nagisa knew the taller was just as happy about the reunion. 

His smile weakened in the slightest as the gap between the time Nagisa asked the questions and Rei’s answering grew. A small pang of worry struck the swimmer- on top of itching to hear Rei’s answers, he was now a bit worried that the question had upset Rei. Did that mean he was leaving again? No, Nagisa didn’t want to jump to conclusions right away. There was no way that Rei could leave the city, now that everyone was finally together again! He put his worries away, deciding to simply bask in the fact that is friend was here now. 

Just as he was about to speak once more, he felt himself being pulled along by the taller. Nagisa blinked in confusion, a bit startled by the sudden contact and rush to leave the area. "Rei-chan, what are we doing?" he questioned, though didn’t tug back or resist. His answer was soon found as they exited the bookstore, which was just fine with Nagisa. He had totally forgotten his reason for being there, other than looking for some entertainment, so leaving was perfectly fine. As long as Rei stuck around, of course. They had tons of catching up to do. 

Once the other had finally spoken up, Nagisa chuckled at how Rei it sounded. Always worried about appearances, he was. However, he quickly cut his laughter up and straightened himself up, his eyes meeting the blue pair in front of him. "Don’t worry about them! I’m sure they’re fine!" he insisted, nodding his head. Realizing his questions still had yet to be answered, Nagisa ruffled up his hair, and tugged on Rei’s sleeve a bit. 

He wouldn't be able to give a proper explanation as to why he had stopped talking to them. Focusing on his studies seemed decent but not good enough. In fact, that would make him sound rather pretentious, wouldn't it? It'd be like telling them they're a bad distraction to him and they could be the cause of a possible downfall of his grades. Of course, he knew Nagisa's never a bad distraction. If anything, he's one of the few people who made Rei want to work harder on his studies. He still wasn't sure why though but it genuinely did feel that way.

Well, whether Nagisa was silently demanding for an apology or not, Rei was going to give him one anyway.

"Nagisa-kun...!" He began, struggling to find the right words. His body had already gotten rigid with tension, guilt and perhaps a small tinge of awkwardness. Apologizing was an odd thing to Rei. Not that he didn't like the very idea of giving an apology since he used to do that a lot back at the swim club. But he never had to apologize for anything else other than his lack of swimming skills so this all felt rather strange to him. He reached up to adjust his frames in pursuit of tucking away the look of embarrassment flushing upon his sharp features.

And with a sharp breath, Rei carried on. "I-I'm sorry that I have unintentionally ceased myself from talking to you...! I... I never realized it until now and now that you're standing in front of me, I realized just how much I missed--" Resisting to say 'you', he swallowed. "--our days at Iwatobi. I want to give you a good explanation but all that comes to my mind is that I've been focusing harder on my studies lately. I didn't mean to stop talking to you or to Haruka-senpai or the others. I'm really sorry."

Was that apology good enough? Rei couldn't tell. Somehow, it didn't feel good enough. Nagisa deserved a better expalantion after all. If Rei was in his shoes, he knew he'd be more than upset to know that Nagisa hadn't been talking to him for months. He'd worry day by day if he had said or done something wrong but would be too scared to ask for he wouldn't be sure whether or not he wanted to know the answer. Upsetting Nagisa was the last thing he wanted to do. No, scratch that. Upsetting Nagisa wouldn't even make it to the list.

Well, none of it mattered, since Rei was now within Nagisa’s grasp; quite literally, too. When Rei gave the word that Nagisa’s embrace was too much, the blond simply chuckled and tightened his grip. It didn’t last long, though, as Nagisa felt himself being slowly nudged away by a desperate Rei. He managed to put on a fake pout for a few moments, but wasn’t able to hold back his excited smile for very long. 

"I can’t believe it’s really you! That means the whole team is-" Nagisa hardly had time to get words out before he watched Rei gesture for Nagisa to lower his voice, to which he responded with a small pout. He took note that they were indeed getting some odd looks, but frankly Nagisa didn’t really care. He was just happy to see Rei again, so it didn’t matter if other people were annoyed. Well, that’s how Nagisa justified it, anyway. 

"Awh, don’t be like that, Rei-chan!" Nagisa whined, "It’s been so long! You didn’t call, or anything! You haven’t changed, though! Funny how we’d meet up again where you can do more of your weird theory work!" he continued, jabbing a finger into the taller’s shoulder. While Rei’s hushed intention was justified given the duo’s location, that wasn’t exactly a thought going through Nagisa’s mind. No, he was far too worked up to consider that they were in a bookstore: a location where quiet was pretty much a requirement. 

"Are you here to stay? Does this mean you’ll swim relays with us? Oh! Everyone else is here, too! Haru-chan, Mako-chan, even Rin-chan and Gou-chan!" the swimmer wasted no time in belting out mounds of information at once, completely forgetting Rei’s earlier request for quiet. However, he did take into account the dirty looks that were thrown in his direction. So he leaned in a bit closer to Rei, his eyes narrowing as he spoke, 

Nagisa hadn't changed at all and that somehow brought a meager warm smile of relief to Rei's sharp features. He may not look like it, but he was just as contented to see his friend again-- no scratch that, he was just as utterly thrilled to see his (arguably) best friend again. Nagisa's recognizable bouncy demeanor and his brilliant appealing grin hit a wave of nostalgia to the taller teen. And when the shorter of the two pointed out about how the others were also in the city, Rei found himself nearly flinching in surprise. Everyone's here? How in the world did that happen? It could be a coincidence. A vastly bizarre and almost ludicrous coincidence. Just when the blue-haired teen was about to open his mouth in pursuit of asking about their friends, Nagisa's last question cut him off.

"You’re here to stay too, right?"

Something inside Rei achingly squeezed just by the sound of his question. There was a hint of concern lacing the blond's tone-- almost as if he was reminding Rei about how he had lost contact with him. It wasn't even on purpose and yet, Rei blamed himself for it. Nagisa must have been worried all this time and the memory of that one particular day where the breaststroke swimmer had begged him to stay in the swim club back at their hometown flashed in his mind, making him feel worse than he already did.

He pursed his lips as he stared at his companion in thought, seeing how the shorter male's dazzling fuschia hues were lost in some imagined future that was clearly brighter than the present. His brain scrambled for a decent response-- an apology, but he couldn't tell if that was what Nagisa was looking for. There was a lack of resentment in his delicate but strong features in spite of how Rei had never contacted him for the past few months. However, granting him an apology sounded like the right thing to do.

But before the taller boy could utter a response, he took notice of how most people were staring at them as if they were a funny circus act. Uncomfortable by the attention, he adjusted his frames before reaching to encircle his long digits around Nagisa's wrist and drag him along out of the store. It felt odd tugging his friend with him considering Nagisa was usually the one who did that. Once they were now safe from the strangers' glares, Rei released a soft sigh.

Although, as he was collecting the right words to speak, he seemed rather scatter-brained in his approach of topic. Though, that was just because he wasn’t quite used to talking to children- rather… teenagers, unless he was acting as some authoritative figure. Nevertheless, it would be much more interesting than sitting around watching the old fuddy-duddy’s talk about business plans. He was only here because he was invited.

"Usually I love parties, but this is rather boring…" He chuckles a little, finally instigating conversation. "I’m a friend of the hostess, so she simply invited me- she knows I love gatherings, unfortunately this one seems much to proper and important to have some fun, don’t you think?" He pulls the flask in front of him, and tilting it slightly back and forth, watches the liquid angle itself as any liquid would. But he could only sigh again.

"I have half a mind to just leave and do something much more interesting…" He shrugs before standing up, making his way over to the younger male. He places the wine flask into his hand. "I think that woman has her eyes on you ya know… She’s been eyeing you the entire time you’ve stood there." He grins something quite mischievous, perhaps he could have a little fun after all. 

"Doing something more interesting than being here honestly sounds tempting right now." A tired sigh slipped past the bespectacled teen's lips though he couldn't find himself relating to the stranger's viewpoint in regards to the party being rather boring. While Rei did find it dull to be standing here doing nothing by himself, he still had never been to any other parties so he couldn't really compare.

The blue-haired boy somewhat warily eyed the stranger as he was approached, disregarding the wine flask. It was at this extent did he pick up on how the guy's eyes held the dim hue of a swallowtail butterfly. His flaming cropped hair surprisingly complimented it. While there may be a dull tint to the stranger's striking optics, the younger of the two caught sight of the genuine ambiguous radiance within the dim golden specks-- the flair of devilry, as how Rei would define it.

Perhaps it wasn't a good idea involving himself in a conversation with this person. If anything, Rei couldn't help but think that he shouldn't trust anyone present in the room. While they all appeared to be holding compelling and significant positions, there was also a tinge of mischief in their smiles-- almost as if they knew everyone's secrets and will soon use them to their advantage.

His pondering thoughts were soon planked down to a halt upon hearing his new companion's words. He blinked in utter befuddlement before following the guy's gaze, catching sight of a tantalizing lady eyeing him from afar. Embarrassed heat rose up within the teen's cheeks as he awkwardly cleared his throat, averting his gaze back on the other male while reaching up to adjust his frames in attempt to tuck his embarrassment away.

It was a most intense stand off. Nagisa eyed his foe, his face scrunched into a mixture of deep thought and slight frustration. The swimmer stood in front of a wall of books, his arms crossed over his chest, foot tapping impatiently. He leaned slightly forward, reading each spine with careful inspection. The area was quiet. The only sounds were the occasional hushed whisper of the store clerk, footsteps, and turning pages. It was an awkward silence for Nagisa, as he was far too used to going out places with one or two of his numerous friends. But what else was there to expect? He was in a bookstore, after all. 

It started as a simple task: collect the books he would be needing for his schoolwork. As classes were to be starting soon, it was something that should be done sooner than later. After days of lazing around and taking the occasional walk down to the pool, Nagisa finally got himself up and out to the bookstore; the largest bookstore Nagisa had seen. However, the list he was supposed to be going off of was not in his hand, nor was he in the section where his school books would be located. No, he was standing deep in the history section. 

History was a favorite subject of Nagisa’s, and boy, did they have a lot of it. The thoughts of obtaining his school books were now completely erased as he viewed each history book, struggling to contain himself and not grab as many books as he could. Nagisa was in a deep state of thought, and was focusing strongly at the mound of books in front of him. He could get the next book in the documentary series he had been interested in, or he could start a brand new one he’d herd good things about, he could grab a random book, and…

His thoughts stopped all together upon hearing the noise of a book hit the floor. Head snapping to the source of the noise, Nagisa’s eyes caught a familiar flash of blue. His disgruntled expression faded into one of curiosity. A wave of nostalgia washed over him, just as water did upon diving in. "Rei-chan..?" the words slid out, a soft murmur as he questioned the figure’s identity out loud. His eyes followed the shadow that faded into the isle over. Nagisa only assumed the person was following after the book he had herd meet the floor. Out of curiosity and slight hope, Nagisa followed suit. It took him very little time to find the figure, his eyes lighting up the moment recognition flowed through. 

"Rei-chan, it really is you!" Nagisa exclaimed, much louder than he should have. He had missed the sight of his good friend, as he had lost contact with the other soon after moving to Toshi City. It felt a bit surreal, as the odds of the whole team moving to the same city on unplanned terms were low. However, it happened, and it was real. Out of excitement, Nagisa flung himself at his friend, wrapping the taller into a tight hug. 

The silence that furnished the store was eminently relished by the bespectacled teen as purple hues surveyed the books displayed before him. He was in need of a new dictionary and at this point, he knew that he should stop lending his things to his classmates unless he was all right with the idea of never having his school materials returned. Rei's brows pinched into a serious frown-- a lovely gesture of contempt that he used quite often. Even if he had just fixed upon not loaning his things anymore, he knew it would be futile. Some of his classmates were rather persistent after all, sometimes even too persistent that they would often remind him of a particular blond he knew back at his hometown.

He couldn't even remember the last time he had said 'no' to a request. Ever since the day he had concurred to the offer of associating himself with the swim club back at Iwatobi, he had chanced upon the realization of what could have happened if he had stayed firm in his decision of not joining at all. Before, he never had trouble rejecting offers and such. But things were different now. He had been living with the thought of rejecting a request meant rejecting a path to something fresh and exciting. And if he had to put all the pieces together, his new way of thinking was all because of Nagisa.

The unforeseen image of the short blond whistled through within Rei's thoughts and he blinked in surprise, unintentionally dropping the dictionary he had in his hand. He earned a few glances from the noise but he willed himself not to look at them, thoroughly embarrassed for stealing their attention. He quickly bent down to pick it up, still somewhat taken off-guard by the memory of his friend. It was odd. It had been a long time since he had thought of Nagisa and the others and now that he thought about it, he had gotten cognizant of the fact that he had stopped talking to them.

It all happened too gradually that he never even noticed it until now. He had been so caught up with all the responsibilities that had been weighing on his shoulders that he had utterly forgotten about keeping in contact with everyone. He missed them, of course, but his studies had been distracting him from actually remembering them and their memories together. Just as the tall teen finally straightened up and was in the midst of sliding the book back to its assigned place, a familiar bubbly voice called out his name.

"Hm?" The very moment he turned to find the source of the voice, he suddenly found himself being tugged to a rather uncomfortable tight hug. He didn't even have to think twice to recognize who the person was-- the blond locks were already a dead giveaway. "N-Nagisa-kun...! Your embrace... is suffocating me...!" Out of overly dramatic desperation, Rei placed his hands on the shorter boy's shoulders in attempt to softly nudge him away before releasing a relieved sigh.

Well, boring parties weren’t his ideal place to taste test wine. Usually you would find the red head in a bar, requesting whatever alcohol that seemed to suit his tastes for that day alone. Different days and times required different moods for different types of alcohol, didn’t it? Well- that alone showed how much of an enthusiast the red head was for drinking alone. 

Today’s taste had watered down to a simple glass of wine. He would’ve invited someone to keep him company, but part of the fun was meeting new people. So this stuffy setting with all these stuffies making faces and “tasting” wine would do. He could only imagine what poor unfortunate soul would wander in a boring place like this. Apparently he was that unfortunate soul- but he didn’t particularly find interest in going to boring parties like these as he settled in his seat against the cushions of the hosts hotel’s pillows. It was better than mingling with useless words of political interests among the much older crowd.

And how in God’s green Earth did he end up at this particular party again? Right, some woman. It was always woman. A woman that he had known for quite a while, unfortunately he had only had the chance to say ‘hello’ before she bounded off with some of the other guests. By far this was boring- he was just about the youngest one here. At least that’s what he thought anyway. But once his gaze landed on someone that appeared young and lively, looking as bored as he was he made a comment. 

"Kind of boring right?… This party is full of a bunch of stuffy old dinosaurs, huh?" 

What am I doing here?

That inquiry had been overcasting the poor boy's mind as his gaze slid over to where his father stood, inwardly calling out to him. He just wanted to go home. He shouldn't even be in this party right now but his father had been rather tenacious about introducing him to the other businessmen he was under truce with for a business partnership project. When Rei was introduced to them, he couldn't help but notice how they were all notably younger than his father and it would take an idiot not to realize that most of them were already considering about stealing his father's position.

Not that it really mattered. His father disregarded his warnings about them and Rei left them be after they kept on reiterating him to try the wine. He probably looked like an idiot standing by the wall, away from the crowd. A beautiful lady or two had approached him earlier and their friendliness was enough for Rei to get too flustered that he just had to force to put their conversations to an end. Older women sure have quite a strange charm to them.

He crossed his arms as he scanned the other guests until his eyes locked with one of the women's who approached him earlier. Immediately, his eyes widened in slight surprise as heat rushed up his cheeks, causing him to quickly avert his gaze to somewhere else. But as soon as he did, a voice beside him snagged his attention away and it was at this moment did he realize that there was actually a cushioned couch beside him.