15//OCCUPIED

UNCLEAR // Taka 'One Ok Rock'

As soon as I got home, my head started to fill with all kinds of thoughts. Thinking about what had happened. I knew it wasn't my role to even get involved but my mind chose to think differently.

Should I have asked and maybe he wanted to talk about it? 

I shook my head and tried to put myself in his position. I wouldn't want to open up about my problems to someone I barely knew.

The next day it was, unfortunately, Monday and school. I looked in the mirror one last time before grabbing my bag which was packed with my lunch and books. It felt somewhat a dull Monday. But I guess Monday were always dull. The blue clear sky and sun were hidden behind gray clouds. It looked like it was about to rain so I had grabbed my umbrella with me.

The ground was wet from the rain that poured the night bed before.

There were puddles everywhere, trying to avoid most of them. When I got to my favorite tree, the Sakura tree, I quickly snapped a photo of it and put the picture in my collection folder. I heard someone pacing as they stepped in puddles, hearing the water spattering. I looked to my side having a small hope in me for one particular person, but the short-haired woman with a kid by her side was not the one. I looked at the tree one last time and continue my path to the school. 

Our homeroom teacher eyed the students, scanning for missing students and didn't bother to look at the empty seat back by the window, knowing he would probably show up throughout the day.

But the day went on and he was nowhere to be seen. It must have something to do with what happened between him and Haruna.

When I met up with Riko, I couldn't help myself and decided to ask, but she just shrugged and told me she had no idea of his whereabouts.

When the school had ended, I had to study for the tests so I, at first, told Riko to go ahead, but she wanted to join so she could get some homework done.

When we entered the library, there were few students sitting individually with earphones plugged in and having their faces glued into the books. I found myself a seat while Riko sat down across me. I opened my math book and immediately took a deep breath and tried to be positive with how much work actually had to do. Riko watched me study and hesitated doing her homework.

"Didn't you have to do your homework?" I asked after having her staring on what I was doing. 

She groaned and fell back in her chair. She sighed and pulled her fingers through her hair before she clapped her hands together and looked at her book all seriously.

"Let's get this done." 

I smiled at her cuteness as she looked all focused on her textbook, trying to solve math equations.

I looked over at the one problem that she struggled with.

"The answer is 37," I noted and she looked at me, surprised.

"But how?" 

I chuckled and quickly explained it to her the and she just looked at what I was showing, slowly nodding, but still looked all confused. 

I shot her a soft smile and she gave me an apologetic grin.

"I don't think I got it..."

I let out a laugh and told her to ask the teacher tomorrow.

We didn't stay for long and she wanted to go and check out the new shop just down the town and, at first, I hesitated, but eventually gave in and went with her. It was a shoe shop that had opened up and it seemed to be already quite popular. It was also Riko's style. Cute, but still streetstyle ish.

Riko squealed and ran to a pair of baby pink sneakers as she looked over at me with puppy eyes. 

"Look how cute!" 

I nodded, agreeing with her. Being with Riko for 10 minutes, listening to her all excited for all the shoes, I laid my eyes on a book store right across the street.

I tapped Riko on the shoulder and told her I will check out the store and she gave me a thumbs up.

When I went through the store I immediately faced the store owner who bowed politely and welcomed me. I bowed politely back and went deeper into the store. 

The store owner was an old man probably in his late 60s. His glasses were on the tip of his nose as he read on a book about the political conflicts.

I went over to the fantasy section. It was amazing how many books this store had. It was even a second floor with more sections and genres.

I pulled out books that seemed interesting and went over to a couch in the corner of the room. I placed the other books on the table that was standing beside. The first book I found was about a queen who escaped from the king and ended up as an knight, leading an army to kill the evil king. It seemed amusing, but spared me for the next book. 

As I was reading the plot for every book, I heard a faintly sound of a voice.

The old man seemed to notice my expression and stood up before he went through a back door that looked like it was heading to the storage. I heard the old man saying something and I heard another voice talk back.

I tried to put my focus back on the book, but kept rethinking of how familiar the voice sounded. 

It can't be him, right? 

Why would he be in an old book store, singing?

The old man came back and apologized for the noise.

I waved my hand and told it was okay and it didn't do me any harm.

He nodded and went through the back door again and he said something and the singing started again.

Reading the plot of the books, I kept trying to listen to the voice, but it was so faded.

The singing stopped and I decided to put my focus back on the books.

"This seem interesting..." I mumbled to myself. 

"You done?" the old man suddenly asked and I looked up to see if he was asking me, but he wasn't. He was asking the person who was singing and it was of course no other than Taka.

I opened my mouth, wanting to greet him, but notice how cold he looked, I closed my lips and kept quiet. 

Why isn't he using the studio to practice?

He didn't notice me and told the old man that he will be coming back tomorrow.He then walked out without taking another look.

Without second thought I went over to the man and asked him politely and carefully.

"Was he perhaps here the whole day?"

He nodded as an answer, not looking up from the book.

"I see.." I muttered and went back to the couch.

But instead of sitting back down I felt an urge to do something I wouldn't have dared to do last year.

I grabbed my bag and ran out from the store, knowing the owner looking at me puzzled by the quick action. I looked down on the busy street, and noticed the tattoos on the arm between crowds.

Found him. 

I quickly dragged my feet towards him in a quick pace, but it seemed to be getting very crowded and the next second I lost the track of him. I stopped and looked around, tracing him. There kept getting more and more crowded and I felt people pushing as they were trying to get by. I squinted my eyes as I tried to focus on where he might have gone, but I had lost all track. 

But as I was about to give up I looked to my left to where I saw Taka walking up the stairs to a backstreet between two buildings. 

Ah!

At first I was walking fast towards him, but it ended up sprinting.

He walked slow as he had his hands in his pockets. 

He only wore a plain black tshirt and no jacket.

He must be cold.

I stopped running when I got to the stairs and walked fast up. He was almost on top before I yelled after him.

"Taka!"

He seemed to be taken back to surprised as he looked quickly behind him to see me panting. He never let go of his cold expression, but he seemed more relieved.

"Why are you hers?" He asked and I ignored the question and asked him a question instead.

"why haven't you been at school?"

He breathed out and told coldly,

"None of your business."

This made me irritated and I spit,

"It is, I don't care if you don't think we're friends, but I feel like we are and friends worry for each other." 

He looked at me surprised, but quickly changed back to his cold expression.

He looked at me dead in the eye and said,

"Who said we were friends."

It felt like a sharp pain that hit me across my chest as he just turned around and continued walking.

I wanted to run after him, take is hand and tell him he's lying, but it's true.

We aren't friends. I was friends with Riko. Taka was friends with her, not me.

I watch him disappear and when he was completely gone, I slowly turned around and walked slowly down the stairs.

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onionroot #1
Chapter 14: Really like this story. The style of writing is refreshing unlike most fics on this site and the language is pretty good except for a few errors. And most importantly, it seems that Taka and Toru always appear in front of the main character Aoi at the right moments, which is pretty good for the readers!