Aiko ran the paper towels under the tap and pressed the towels into small, wet, square pads to bring back with her and treat Daichi's face. Daichi was resting at a table in the corner of the top hall. They had both decided it would be better to keep as much as they could from Ichika and Yui, hence the reason for finding an isolated place to sit.
"Sorry if this hurts," Aiko said as she gently wiped Daichi's face down with the wet cloth. A part of her felt that he deserved at least some of what he had gotten and she couldn't get the anxiety of wanting to talk to Baji again out of her head, but right then she had to deal with Daichi and hope she could appease him enough to not say anything to her father. This was definitely not the way for him to find out about Baji.
"Are you doing this so I keep my mouth shut?" he asked as if reading her intentions.
"Partly," she answered honestly. "But I feel a bit responsible too I guess."
"You weren't the maniac who attacked me."
"Baji's not a maniac."
"Look what he did to you," he said, gesturing to her face.
Aiko dropped her head out of embarrassment. The bleeding had stopped, but there was still some swelling. If you didn't know what had happened you could get away with believing she had simply banged her nose in sports practice, which was the excuse she planned on giving her father, but as Daichi knew what had really happened, there was no hiding it from him.
"You know he didn't mean to hit me," she finally rebutted.
"Yeah? Well, you'd never have to worry about me lashing out and accidentally hitting you."
"Yeah? Well, Baji would never try to force me into a relationship with him if I didn't want to be in one. Especially if he knew I was in love with someone else."
Daichi's eyes narrowed under his furrowed eyebrows as he stared at Aiko and mouthed a single, 'what?'.
Aiko's eyes dropped again to the floor. Did I really just say that? she questioned herself. Am I in love with Baji? But the answer was clear before she'd even finished her question. Baji was the one person that she knew who not only made her smile whenever she felt down but really made her feel happy. Even just the thought of speaking to him filled her with enough excitement to manage throughout the times that, before, would have made her feel as though she was drowning in despair.
"I do love him, Daichi," Aiko continued. "I'm really sorry that I couldn't feel that way about you, but that's just how these things work sometimes. I would have been honoured to be your friend if you'd had settled for that."
Daichi's eyes filled with moisture as he looked back at Aiko silently for some time before speaking. "You don't have to do this, you know?" he said, pulling away from her as she wiped his face again. "It would probably be quicker if I just went and washed up," and after instructing Aiko to go back down to sit with the other girls, he got up and left.
He didn't speak much more during the study session except to tell Yui and Ichika that a group of middle-schoolers started fighting outside and he had to break it up. That was his attempt at an excuse when they questioned him about the bruising, and surprisingly, they believed him. But then, Daichi was such a straight-laced character that he was mostly above suspicion when it came to dishonesty.
Aiko played the sport's practice excuse when she got home and no one was any the wiser about the whole Baji situation. So, after eating and acting out her usual evening routine, Aiko grabbed the handset and made haste for her bedroom.
She had no idea what she would say to Baji. She wasn't sure why he had taken off the way he had, but a lingering feeling told her she may have had some part in it.
Was he upset with me because I comforted Daichi? Did he get even madder when I didn't follow him? The questions kept building up until she almost lost her nerve completely. But Baji was a friend if nothing else, and he would allow her to explain, wouldn't he?
The first three nights it rang through to voicemail on each attempt. It was the usual time she called him and he already had her number saved so the only thing for her to assume was that he was deliberately avoiding her call. So, the next point of call was to try Emma.
Emma had already heard some of the story, and she was completely on Baji's side. She called it a crime of passion and was sure Baji only acted so extreme because he was jealous himself. She knew he must have felt bad that he had disappointed her and probably even ashamed of himself for accidentally hitting Aiko. She was convinced more about that last part by the fact that that part of the story had never been mentioned by him or Chifuyu. This all also, according to her, accounted for the reason he was avoiding Aiko at that time. Baji was sure Aiko was either angry or upset with him, maybe even both, and he was known to avoid his mother as much as he could if she was angry with him. As tough as he was, he couldn't take his mother's tears, and if he cared for Aiko as much as Emma was sure he did, he most definitely couldn't take hers either.
By the end of the conversation, Emma had assured Aiko that she would take care of Baji on her end and have him back on her library walk by the Wednesday coming.
Only he wasn't.
Maybe Emma's wrong. Maybe Baji isn't as interested in me as she likes to make out, Aiko wondered as she flipped through her study books. Why does he have to be such a baby? You don't just stop talking to someone like that. She pushed her books aside, picked up an exercise book and pen and began tapping the pen against the top of the book. And what was all that rubbish about coming to get me if I got sent away? How would he even know if he never answers his phone? Aiko dropped the pen and let out a low groan. They'd been at the library for almost an hour and she hadn't managed to do anything apart from stress about Baji and his whereabouts.
"Aiko," Yui said softly from the chair beside her. "I don't know what's going on, but it doesn't look healthy."
"What does that mean?" Aiko asked.
"You're completely stressed, and tense."
Aiko groaned and looked back down at her book.
"Look, if you want to talk, you can talk to me. I'll try to help if I can."
Aiko dropped her head onto Yui's shoulder. "Nobody can help me. I probably should have just listened to my dad."
"Yeah, I guess. I mean, we should always listen to our parents, Aiko," Yui said as she rubbed the top of Aiko's head. "But I also think being able to truly smile, as you have these last few months, is something golden that you should cherish if you get the chance."
"Thanks," Aiko whispered.
"But I'm not condoning disobeying your father, okay?"
Aiko laughed at the irony of her statement. Could it be any more of a contradiction? "Don't worry, I won't tell Ichika you said what you said."
"Thanks," she whispered. "And speaking of the devil." Ichika and Daichi walked over to the table and put down a drink and snack in front of both girls.
"You two can go for snacks next time," Ichika complained. "Daichi disappeared for ages and left me standing on a corner waiting for him."
"I've apologised a thousand times," Daichi moaned and walked around to stand at the end of the table next to Aiko. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Aiko didn't respond, confused enough by his exchange with Ichika yet alone his request to speak with her, but regardless she rose from her seat and followed Daichi to a reading station at the end of the hall.
"Aiko, if you will, could we talk for a couple of minutes. Just a pure honest talk between two friends," he said gesturing to the seat next to the one he stood at.
"Sure," she replied not knowing what to expect, but she was sure that that wasn't how two friends usually started a conversation. Daichi sat too and watched Aiko for a moment, his face as serious as usual.
"Well, I just want to get this out first," he said before drawing a long breath. "I like you ... a lot." He paused for a moment to ensure it settled in. "I have since, probably, the first week we met, and I guess, I assumed that you would eventually like me back."
You guess? she thought, a little on guard over where the conversation was heading.
"I know I probably acted like an idiot over the whole Baji thing," he continued. "but I just didn't get it. Why him?"
A flash of every beautiful thing she loved about Baji ran through her mind, but Aiko remained silent.
"So, basically, I need to ask you - do you think there will ever be a chance for us to be together?"
"Why are you asking me this now?"
"Please," he said, his face softening. "I need to know the answer."
Aiko took a deep breath while considering the reason for his question, but no hidden agenda seemed to present itself, so she shook her head.
"Because of Baji, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, but I've never liked you that way, even before Baji."
"Why?" he asked, and when no answer came he continued. "I thought I was doing everything right. I paid attention to you, but I gave you space if you wanted it. I tried to comfort you when you looked down, I ..."
"Daichi," Aiko interrupted. "You didn't do anything wrong, it's just not you. I'm sorry."
Daichi rubbed his fingers roughly against his brow as if caught in an internal conflict. "Do you still like Baji?"
Aiko nodded.
"How much?"
"I don't really want to talk about that."
Daichi let out a loud sigh, a pained expression contorting his face for a second before he straightened himself in his seat and a smile spread across his face. "I just met Baji at the shop."
"Did anything happen?"
"Yeah. He exists," he said with a small sigh.
"Huh?"
Daichi let out an embarrassed laugh. "I don't know. When he asked to speak to me I thought he would be a real Neanderthal, you know? And I'd feel justified in hating him. But, he's kind of cool."
Yeah, I think so too, but ... "What did he say to you?"
"Well, firstly he apologised. He said he overreacted but, I guess, I was the one in the wrong for handling you the way I was. Then we had a bit of a man to man and he said he'd make things up to me."
"Make it up to you how?"
"He thinks it would be cool if I learnt how to ride a bike, and I've kind of always wanted to. So, yeah, he's going to teach me."
Aiko spontaneously burst out laughing. What is happening right now? Okay, so Baji came down to apologise, but Daichi finds him cool and is going to start learning to ride a bike? "Are we talking about a motorbike?"
"Of course, what else?" he answered, seeming almost offended by the question.
Aiko stared a while before reaching over to pinch him, and then when he gave her a somewhat bewildered look said. "Sorry. I'm just shocked, and maybe a little impressed."
"Really?" Daichi said, a smile taking over his face. "Aiko, I should probably let you know that I don't plan to stop liking you, no matter how cool your boyfriend is, so I hope that won't be weird for you."
"Baji's not my boyfriend," she replied, clearing up the most obvious error first. "But, as long as you know we're only going to ever be friends, I'm cool."
"Cool," Daichi replied.
* * *
Aiko almost couldn't finish her dinner that evening with the burning anticipation of calling Baji monopolising her mind and heart. Baji hadn't passed any message for her in his conversation with Daichi, something that greatly impressed Daichi who was sure he was only apologising to gain points with her. However, in actuality, Baji had told Daichi that he didn't need to mention their conversation and he didn't plan to say anything himself.
But still, message or no message, she decided she had to give it a try. He wouldn't have bothered apologising if he didn't hope to make things up with her, or so she told herself. To her relief, Baji answered the call on the second ring.
"Hi," she replied to his greeting after being completely consumed by his warm, thick voice. "Er," she began after a short moment of silence. "I tried calling a few times."
"Yeah." His answer was short, filling her once again with thoughts that she had fought over the last few days of not hearing from him.
"Er ... How have you been?" she asked.
"Aiko," he said, avoiding her question. "Are you upset with me?"
Aiko remained stuck for words for a few moments as his question caught her off guard. "No. Of course not."
"Do you like that boy, like maybe as more than a friend?"
Another question she didn't expect. "Not at all. Why would you think that?"
He let out an audible breath. "Look, he deserved to be hit. He shouldn't have been holding you like that. But, er... I'm sorry I beat him up." He almost didn't sound like Baji as he spoke, he clearly wasn't used to apologising and Aiko wondered if he sounded this awkward when he spoke with Daichi. "I'm sorry I hit you too. I didn't mean to, I didn't even know you were there."
"It's fine Baji. You don't have to apologise for that."
"So what should I apologise for?" he asked, picking up on the tone in her voice.
"Er, well," she started. "Why did you walk away like that? And then not answer your phone for days?"
Baji let out a small laugh. "I guess I didn't want you to shout at me."
"I wouldn't, and there's no way you're scared of me shouting."
"Not scared, no."
So what then? Aiko wondered as the two stayed silent and she re-lived the conversation with Emma who spoke about Baji hating to hurt his mother and avoiding her if she was upset with him.
"Did Emma tell you to apologise to me and Daichi?" she finally asked.
"As if I would have if she had," he laughed. "Nobody tells me what to do, Aiko. I apologised because I wanted to. I guess she did shout some sense into me though."
Aiko laughed then too. She could see Emma giving Baji a good piece of her mind and, even if Baji had accepted her point of view, he would never let her know.
"So," Baji said. "We're friends?"
"Of course."
"Cool."
Not being friends was never a question as far as Aiko was concerned. How could she ever hold what had happened against him after he had swooped out of nowhere to protect her despite the consequences?
"Oh yeah," she said, remembering something else that had played on her mind since the incident. "Where did you even come from that day?"
"Oh," he said, chuckling. "We were on the corner where we usually are."
"But why? I thought we agreed not to meet."
"We like the ride, and Chifuyu specifically likes the Taiyaki that they sell in that kiosk near the library."
"Oh right," she giggled. "And I was thinking that maybe you were stalking me."
"Me stalking?" he said with a small chuckle.
"Yeah, sorry. It was all Chifuyu's fault."
"Yeah, you should slap him when you see him," he said, and then his voice levelled out as he continued. "Although, you sounded as though you kind of liked the possibility of me stalking you."
"What? No. I don't want you stalking me."
"You sure?" he asked, the depth of his voice, hitting her right in the navel and winding her slightly.
When no response came, Baji burst into another deep bellowing laugh, and the tension was finally gone, completely.
Aiko threw herself back onto her bed, promising herself only five more minutes, but that night they talked for more than an hour. Half of the time, Aiko wasn't even sure what they were laughing about except that whenever Baji laughed she laughed with him, simply at the joy of hearing his laughter.
When the conversation finally came to an end, Baji told Aiko of the invite he had given to Daichi to meet at Mikey's dojo at the weekend to take a riding lesson. If she wanted to go, which of course she did, he said he would speak to Daichi about bringing her with him.
Aiko ended the call and stared up at the stars on her ceiling, feeling as though she was floating amongst them. Baji's voice and laugh rang in her ears when she closed her eyes and all she could think about was the coming weekend and the possibility of spending a few hours with him.