[ CHERRY BLOSSOM ] x ( could be he's seeing her for the first time and is like (°◡°♡) )
( a city of trees. / accepting ! )
she’s being watched. she can feel it. which is ironic, really, considering hotaru is doing quite a bit of watching herself. she could hardly be blamed for it - she happens to quite like visiting this cafe. whoever it is that’s renting the space & charging a fee for entry has drastically altered her plans for the day, & she has every right to ( spy on them ) know who is responsible.
& here she thought she was being sneaky, too.
stars, she must look silly, peeking around corners & trying to sneakily peer through glass.
with a wavering breath, hotaru straightens. there's no sense in delaying the inevitable.
she sees him as soon as she turns - lingering in the doorframe of the cafe’s side entrance. the embarrassment that’s already surging in her chest intensifies, a faint rush of pink dusting her cheeks. it's one thing to know she's been caught in such a strange ( & admittedly compromising ) position, it's something different entirely to risk facing her judgment directly.
he doesn't look angry, which is some consolation. if anything, he seems reasonably taken back by the young woman sneaking around the outskirts of a perfectly normal cafe. he's handsome, though, she admits - & incredibly tall. neither of them speak or move, & hotaru contemplates whether she could make a quick escape. she wouldn't - she isn't nearly as fast as makoto or haruka, & she probably wouldn't make it far if he chose to pursue. but that can be plan d.
❝ hi - listen, i’m sure this looks … ❞ she falters for the words, gaze to the ground, ❝ … suspicious. ❞ loathe though she is to admit it. nervous fingers press down on the length of her skirt, desperate to do anything to preserve some composure. usagi is going to have quite the laugh at her expense later for this …
❝ i’m sorry. ❞ hotaru says quickly, bowing her head & blurting the apology before any amount of shame can hold her back. ❝ i promise, i'm not here to cause any trouble or anything. i was just … curious. i didn't mean to intrude or disturb. ❞ she isn't the type to ramble, not normally. but these words are stumbling over her lips before she can really stop them. uncertain violet eyes look to his face, hopeful for some semblance of understanding, or confusion, or even resignation. anything to reassure her that he would simply walk away & pretend he hadn't seen her.
but he's just … staring at her.
she isn't sure what that means.
❝ um - sir ? ❞ this time, she raises her head, emboldened by his hesitation. his lack of response is a little concerning. hotaru cautiously glances over her shoulder, looking around for … anything, really. anyone ? nothing is there to greet her, so she turns back to him, nose scrunching. does she stare back ?
❝ i … i'm sorry, really. it won't happen again. ❞ … ❝ and, um, i hope … whatever this event is … goes well. ❞
… maybe she should've just gone to another cafe.