You’ve got a message!
She was expecting a reply message. Really, that was all she’d been expecting, and not that this was a bad thing, but her heart leapt straight to her throat and she gave a little surprised squeak when she almost dropped her phone when, instead of the text message ringtone, it started ringing her call alert tone, and she couldn’t believe whose name it was showing on the caller ID.
Oshitari Kenya was calling her.
Touko had a small moment of panic. Mostly it was in her head as she stared at her phone ringing in her hands and her thoughts going, “Oh no oh no oh no what do I say?!” But she had to act fast, the phone wasn’t going to ring forever and it was rude if she just ignored it (and that would definitely send the wrong message!). So she flips her phone open and answers the call.
“H-hello, Kenya-san,” she said in greeting. Did she sound too enthusiastic? If her nerves were obvious, then… well, she hoped it wasn’t. At least she was glad this was a phone call instead of in-person, or over Skype or a video call. He wouldn’t be able to see how pink (or red) her cheeks were.
Despite that, though, Touko was really, really happy. She couldn’t even stress how much right now.
He could’ve sworn a piece of him flew out of him when he could hear the little click that signed she was answering the call. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, really. For one he wouldn’t know how he would feel if she hadn’t picked it up. On the other hand, he hadn’t actually prepared anything to say, even though he could think of millions of stupid things he wanted to ask her. What she’s been up to. If she’s been taking good care of herself. If she started dancing again. If anyone’s out there troubling her……If she got herself a boyfriend-
Either way, it didn’t matter anymore. She was there (and because of him, too) so he better also get his guts up.
“I-I’m sorry!” Kenya had to pause and cringe at himself. As to why he thought starting with an apology was the best conclusion, he completely had no clue. “Did I startle you?”
No, Kenya. You‘re the one who sound startled.
“I- I mean.” He cleared his throat, attempted to. “I suddenly……feel like I have so much to say to you. I couldn’t find a way to make it do with my dumb text messages, so-“
At this point, he questioned if staying with those dumb texts would have been a better idea. It probably would.
“I hope it’s okay. M-me calling you, I mean.”
“Of course it’s okay,” Touko says, trying to sound reassuring. “To call me. It’s okay to call me. Anytime you’d like,” she adds, making her point clear enough, hopefully. She was being too nervous about this phone call. It shouldn’t be like that at all! They’ve talked face to face before, so a phone call shouldn’t be any different. So why was her heart beating so loudly in her ears?
Touko takes a deep breath and composes herself. This is so un-lady-like. There is no need to be so flustered over a phone call, right? So there is no reason to go into a panic attack. She counts to three and thinks of something to say, to keep the conversation going. It would be a waste of a phone call if they don’t talk about anything, after all.
“It’s nice to hear your voice again,” she says, smiling to herself. It really is, though. She’d missed it a lot. Touko hesitates for a moment before she continues; she isn’t quite sure how to word what she wants to say, but she’ll try her best.
“Kenya-san, I… I’m really sorry for leaving all of a sudden, without telling you personally. I should have called you back then, too. Leaving like that… was wrong of me. I’m sure I hurt your feelings, too. For that, I apologize.”
You’ve got a message!
Kenya could feel himself getting embarrassed. So much. He could feel his own face burning from ear to ear, and he felt like he just wanted to hide somewhere and never come out again. He was happy. Really happy. But having her actually telling him that she missed him was a bit too much for him to handle. Ah, damn.
He sat down, legs crossed, fingers gripping firmly around his phone and stare fixed on the screen, on her words. He needed to reply, fast. He had to tell her something. He had to make sure she knew how happy she was making him. Unfortunate for him though, words kept on escaping his mind. The worst of timing, of course.
“Damn it.” A curse slipped him, followed by a low grunt under his frustrated breath. He was pulling a total blank, and everything he at least attempted to write sounded too ridiculous, it made him weep. And he thought writing those dumb papers at school was hard!
Still, there was no way he could let this pass. And if texts weren’t working, then there was only one other option…
He loaded his list of contacts, scrolling through familiar names in an unbelievable speed (It amazed even himself). It went into a halt when it reached to a certain name. He had never called her. Even when they were practically dating, he never did. It was always shy little messages from one to another all the time. It made him ponder if calling her right now would surprise her.
But still, he had to, right?
Giving her name one last groggy look, he pressed the dial button.
She was expecting a reply message. Really, that was all she’d been expecting, and not that this was a bad thing, but her heart leapt straight to her throat and she gave a little surprised squeak when she almost dropped her phone when, instead of the text message ringtone, it started ringing her call alert tone, and she couldn’t believe whose name it was showing on the caller ID.
Oshitari Kenya was calling her.
Touko had a small moment of panic. Mostly it was in her head as she stared at her phone ringing in her hands and her thoughts going, “Oh no oh no oh no what do I say?!” But she had to act fast, the phone wasn’t going to ring forever and it was rude if she just ignored it (and that would definitely send the wrong message!). So she flips her phone open and answers the call.
“H-hello, Kenya-san,” she said in greeting. Did she sound too enthusiastic? If her nerves were obvious, then… well, she hoped it wasn’t. At least she was glad this was a phone call instead of in-person, or over Skype or a video call. He wouldn’t be able to see how pink (or red) her cheeks were.
Despite that, though, Touko was really, really happy. She couldn’t even stress how much right now.
You’ve got a message!
The ring on his phone not long after he had sent the reply almost startled him. That was quick. Or so he thought, completely unaware that he had just spent the last couple of minutes pointlessly dozing off. He flipped his phone back open, and wasn’t entirely surprised to see what the beeping noises were all about. She replied. It brought a smile to his face. At least he knew that he didn’t chase her off or anything with that stupid respond of his. Sometimes he wished he was a bit better with words. Or with girls. Or both, really.
Kenya had to bite back a chuckle. It hadn’t been the most pleasant time in the camp. Or at least for him. But he was certain that just anyone would share the same opinion. He’d probably share the things that have been happening to him with her. Just for the laughs. Whether or not she would take what he had to say seriously was a completely irrelevant topic. It suddenly became a such a silly little joyful thing to talk to her again, he didn’t mind coming off as stupid.
“There hasn’t been much going around, really.” He started off another reply, this time with much less tension between his every move. “I’d rather be home since forever.”
Though he had to halt for a while, re-thinking about the second part of her message. He’d love to meet her again. Always. He’d always wondered if that was even possible now that the circumstances had changed. She gave him an offer. Why refuse? He’d just regret it all his life if he did. Come to think of it, he couldn’t have asked for a better holiday. Spending all the day with her. Buying each other gifts. Having a great dinner under the gigantic Christmas tree downtown-
…Now he was just being too excited. How dumb. He gave himself a little awarding slap on the face.
“If it isn’t too much, then it would be great.” Kenya took a deep breath. Let’s not mess this up, Oshitari. “Maybe for once we can hang out without having to worry about all the tennis and camp stuff.” That was the truth. Being stuck in the camp was being a hassle, and there were only so many things to do.
He was going to hit the send button, before out of nowhere he just decided to put in a quick addition;
“I really, reaaallyyy wanna see you again. Like, a lot.”
He silently cussed at whatever it was that told him it was a good idea.
Touko smiles dreamily when she sees his reply, and releases a breath she didn’t realize she was holding when she reads the last sentence. She has an embarrassingly happy grin on her face, she knows, but she doesn’t care. He wants to see her. Again. Like, a lot.
It was too much, really. Her heart was beating in her ears and she just feels so happy. Maybe she should have started texting him sooner. She should have, but hindsight is 20/20. At least she had time to gather her thoughts and not make an embarrassment out of herself. Speaking of which—
She steels herself from embarrassing herself (from herself, no less) further, Touko sits up and types her reply.
I really, really want to see you again too, Kenya-san.
She bites her lower lip. She… she really should add more. She doesn’t want to sound over-eager though, but she doesn’t want to sound too aloof, either… Ah, to hell with it. She has to be honest with herself sometimes too, right?
I’m looking forward to spending time with you again. I’m sure it would be more fun to, outside camp.
I miss you.
You’ve got a message!
If there was anything about Kenya’s phone for the past two months (weeks? He couldn’t even tell anymore), then it was nothing else but useless. Not only it wasn’t being any of help when he was in the utmost desperate need to contact someone- or anyone in that matter, apparently now it’s revealed that it had been screwing up with the time. He highly doubted it, of course. But in any case, he wondered if it still mattered.
This time though, for once it wasn’t intending to flip his temper inside out.
“Hello, it’s been a while hasn’t it?”
‘Slow’ was nowhere in his dictionary, and he never took more than half a minute to reply to text messages. No such time to waste, y’know? But it was for sure that Kenya spent at least 3 minutes staring back-to-back from that short sentence, to the name of the sender.
“I feel horrible for not keeping in touch with you for such a long time, but I always think of you and wish you well. How are you, Kenya-san? I’m doing well. There are so many things keeping me busy lately, but… it’s almost Christmas! I thought I’d say hello again…”
That was totally unexpected. When she left a long while ago Kenya was certain that it would be almost impossible to stay in touch. He didn’t know that much about her, yet. He didn’t have the chance to ask a lot. He thought he’d be stuck in the camp doing tennis for god-knows-how-long. And even if he had managed to acquire himself some free time, he doubted finding out where she lived would be appropriate. Though right now, when the chance had given itself for free, Kenya was still unsure how he was supposed to respond. Should he be honest and tell her that he probably needed some of her comforting words right now? Or alternatively, he could just act casual and not come off as a huge creep to her.
“Touko“
Pause. He remembered calling her that. She made him call her that. But was it still going on? That thing between them. Whatever it was—
He deleted what he typed.
“Akeno-San! Good to hear from you again! Don’t apologize for anything! I’ve always doubted to try texting you, too.”
That was a good start, he thought.
“I’m great! Haven’t been out from camp, but I think I’m heading back home soon! Can’t wait for Christmas!”
There were still a lot of things that he wanted to say, but he supposed he’d better keep it short.
“I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. You’re always in my thoughts.”
To be honest, Touko had been waffling about sending Kenya a message. She’d type message after message after message, but this was the only one that she’d sent. And she’d been checking her phone for a reply ever since. Her heart raced and beat loudly in her chest when her phone rang, telling her that she’d gotten a reply. Touko had already received three false alarms (one text from her mother and two mail advertisements) and she was about to give up all hope that he would reply—
Except her breath catches when she sees the sender of the message and she immediately reads the contents over and over and over. She was sure her cheeks were flushed pink as she reads Kenya’s reply, only a little disappointed that he’d called her Akeno-san again, instead of the more familiar Touko. But he’d replied! That was enough. (Or not enough? She wasn’t sure. What if he’d called instead? She’d definitely not know what to do then.) Touko had taken Megumi’s advice: just send him a message and tell him how you feel!, she’d said, and Touko had been taking baby steps. She isn’t sure if she should be rushing into things, but… well, at least there’s progress right?
She quickly types a reply, hits the send button and falls back on her bed, clutching her phone to her chest.
That’s good to hear! I feel bad for leaving too soon. I was looking forward to a lot of things at camp.
If you’re going home for the holidays, we could spend some time together, if you’d like. I miss talking to you, and maybe we could catch up?
There’s a blissful smile on her lips and this time, she’d wait patiently for his reply.
