Tsuba’s lips trembled. Then, she looked away.
“...You’re really different,” She whispered. “The old Ruki would’ve just shrugged and said ‘your loss’.”
“Indeed. That old Ruki was an idiot and a cold bastard.”
She laughed again, this ti it was wet, like she was fighting tears.
“Yeah... he really was.”
And then another, silence. But softer this ti. The rabbit nudged her hand, demanding attention. She gave it automatically, but her eyes stayed on the floor.
I reached out my free hand slowly, giving her plenty of ti to pull away, and tucked a strand of reddish-brown hair that slipped past her hoodie.
Although I carefully ensured that my fingers wouldn’t brush the edge of the bruise she was trying to hide, the conscious avoidance outed and it made her flinch.
“Ruki, this...”
I cut her off, “Tsuba.”
She looked up at but almost instantly, she looked down again but I caught how her eyes trembled as though her tear glands were about to burst.
“You don’t have to tell if it’s uncomfortable, alright? I won’t force you to. But tell honestly. Why did you reach out to again? Is it because you don’t have soone to rely on anymore?”
A few seconds passed with her not responding. And when she did, her whole body started trembling. I instinctively pulled her into my embrace, even against the protest of the rabbit who still wanted to be petted.
That surprised the girl a bit but slowly, her hands crept up to my chest as she gripped onto my shirt as if it was the only thing keeping her afloat.
“...I didn’t co back because I forgave you, Ruki.”
I kept my face neutral, but my chest sohow reflexively tightened. Hearing that hurts, huh?
“Then why?” I asked.
“The situation at ho has changed. My mom left us. My dad turned to alcohol, and he got fired. So, we had to return here...” She paused for a mont before forcing a laugh and quickly changing the subject, “Uhm... It’s true. I don’t have anyone else to rely on anymore. That’s why I contacted you... And you didn’t disappoint ... You picked it up and talked to . You even said you rembered. Although it sounded cold, it brought relief. It made rember how I rang your doorbell only to run away before you opened the door...”
In the end, her cracked voice turned into sobbing and laughing at the sa ti. She’s laughing at herself. Maybe she found it foolish. But to , the sense of desperation coming from her beca more pronounced.
What she needs right now is not soone who’ll remind her what it should’ve been in the past. But soone who can help her stand up in the present.
“I see... So it was truly you. I saw you through the cara but you already dashed away before I could open the door.”
“Hehe... Sorry, I was a coward.”
“Indeed, but not anymore, right? So, Tsuba, shall we have a proper talk? Well, we can stay here while you pet that little guy but I doubt the owners will let us huddle up like this.
“E-eh?”
Thankfully, she managed to hold back her tears, but her eyes were still glassy and red-rimd. I brushed the last stray drop from the corner of her eye with my thumb.
“E-eh?” She repeated, blinking up at like she’d just realized we were still crouched in front of the rabbit cage, my arms loosely around her, her fingers still twisted in my shirt.
I smiled and gently patted her back, “Co on. Let’s go sit there and order sothing. The old couple’s staring like they’re worried I’m kidnapping you.”
Tsuba glanced past my shoulder. Sure enough, the elderly owners were pretending to rearrange a shelf of cat food while sneaking worried looks our way. When they saw us looking, they both suddenly beca very interested in reading the ingredients on a bag of kibble.
She let out a little laugh that sounded almost like the old Tsuba. “They probably think you’re bullying .”
“Wouldn’t be the first ti soone assud that,” I said, standing slowly and offering my hand.
With that, we walked over to the table placed next to the glass walls. Although the pet shop wasn’t a cafe, they were still offering drinks for those who just wanted to stay and enjoy the ambiance in their shop. It was limited to two tables, though.
When the old woman walked over after I raised my hand, I said, “Grandma, we’ll get the regular.”
“Huh? Regular?”
“Oh... You’ve forgotten about us, huh? How long has it been? One? Two years?”
The old woman squinted at us for a second, then her wrinkled face broke into a delighted grin.
“Oh! The two kids who used to sneak in here every afternoon! The girl who only the rabbits liked, and the boy who looked like he’d bite anyone who got too close.”
Was that how I appeared to them back then? Probably.
Tsuba’s cheeks went pink, but she ducked her head with a tiny laugh. I just shrugged, unbothered.
“Two lon sodas and the usual strawberry cake slice to share,” I said, sliding into the chair across from Tsuba.
The old woman winked. “Still one slice, two forks?”
“Still one slice, two forks.”
She shuffled off humming, and Tsuba stared at across the small table like I’d grown a second head.
“You... rembered our order.”
“I rember everything that made you smile back then.” I leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Even the stupid stuff. Like how you always stole the strawberry on top first and left the sad little slice with no fruit.”
Her lips trembled between a laugh and sothing sadder.
“You let have it every ti.”
“Because you looked happier eating it than I ever would.”
The old woman ca back with the drinks and the single slice of cake, two forks clinking against the plate like wind chis. She set it down with a knowing smile and left us alone again.
Tsuba picked up her fork but didn’t dig in yet. She just stared at the strawberry like it was a fragile thing.
“I thought you’d hate ,” She said quietly. “For disappearing. For not even leaving a note.”
“Co on. You knew enough to understand that I wouldn’t dwell on it too much. That’s how much of a bastard I was.”
“Right... Ugh... I guess I’m already starting to get used to how gentle you are this ti.”
“Should I remind you?”
“No!” Her voice rose a little, but then she realized that it was an overreaction. An embarrassed rose from her lips before she grasped her fork and reached for the strawberry, stuffing her mouth with it and crinkling her face from both the sourness and sweetness of the fruit.
I watched that intently before reaching for the corner of her lips, wiping the cream from the strawberry that painted it because of her small mouth.
“... You’re teasing , aren’t you?”
“? I wouldn’t dare to. In any case, how do you feel? Are you ready to talk to ?”
“Not yet. Not until we finished this.”
And with that, the girl cut the cake and stabbed it with her fork before pushing it toward my mouth like she was trying to shut up with sugar.
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