JUST A CRASH - BUTTERFLY CROSSING
15. Embarrassed? What is shame.
Shuji begins his morning with toast and coffee. The window of his apartment was opened and from outside the whistling of unpretentious birds accompanied. While listening to the busy voice in the apartment next door, Shuji finished all his homework and stared at the pile of clothes he had folded neatly—he was never this productive. He walked to the balcony to check his plants, at the same time a flying bird passed and pooped.
Shuji smiled at the bird and melted his filth with a peaceful heart. If the lightning weather boomed though, Shuji would never get angry.
His mood since he opened his eyes today cannot be described in words. Everything she saw seemed to radiate beauty. Even the passing cockroaches, he could still smile.
“Imutu..,” Shuji crouches watching a dying cockroach being sprayed with pesticides. He seriously took the dead cockroach and buried it in an empty pot on the balcony. “Hopefully next time you weren't born into a cockroach.” Shane prayed seriously.
Shuji goes to take a shower and chooses warm casual clothes and then moves out of the apartment. He immediately met with Jingga who was preparing to leave for work.
“Why not call me?” Shuji frowned and the two walked together towards the elevator. Of course he was just acting, from the start, he knew Jingga was about to leave.
“Call you..., why?”
“Huh.” Shuji turned his face away. “I can take you to stop.”
Orange rubs her eyelashes. “But the stop is very close.”
“I'll drive to work then?”
“Do not be silly.”
“Hmp.”
The orange ignores the protester and enters the elevator. The orange stood up, waiting and waiting, but he could not hold back for a long time.
“You, can't stop doing that.”
“What am I doing?” Shuji pulled next to his fine brows.
The man next to him continued to snort ‘hmp’, ‘hmp’ non-stop even though it was out of the building. If only this were someone else…
But in this talk Shuji, Orange can always understand. “You're not tired of snorting constantly?”
“Hmph!”
“....” The orange thinks long before proposing. “All right, I'll let you know if I leave for work?”
“...” Shuji glanced from the tail of his eyes. “You can press my apartment bell.”
Although Jingga agrees to try to get to know Shuji more closely, it does not mean she can directly interact so closely.
“And there is a phone, later I SMS.” said Orange finally.
Shuji said a few minutes after thinking—he felt sending a message was not as good as meeting in person.
Only this time Jingga did not care about Shuji's feelings. Why would the girl have to pick someone up just to get to the bus stop?
Orange squinted his eyes at the end of the road, if he constantly relented, such as Shuji really drove him to work every day how?
Although there are sweetness, rather cringe to imagine. Even the Elementary School kids here leave and go home alone. Shuji doesn't work in the same place as him, so it's impossible that Orange will do that.
“Have your lunch how?” shuji asked suddenly.
Around them passengers began to arrive and stand around the bus stop.
“I brought stock.” Reply Orange.
“Termos drink, take it?”
“Em, I made ginger honey water like you brought yesterday.”
“You should wear a scarf.”
“Ah? Its alright. The morning is not too cold. Evening I was outside just for a while.” Orange did not have time to finish his sentence when the scarf was put on his neck.
Shuji who came out wearing a scarf now let his neck be blown by the dry season breeze. In front of him, Shuji's jakun shook-orange immediately lowered his gaze and tried to focus on Shuji's fingers moving around the scarf.
In the heart of the woman thought, why so long when just pairing a scarf?
“It is nearing winter, the air will get colder. Moreover, you are coughing, right.” Shuji breathed a tired sigh. “Why are you careless like this.”
“Excellent youth.” The chirps of an old voice near the two of them suddenly.
The orange turned to the origin of the voice and looked down noticing the pair of elders sitting down and watching the two of them.
“Happy to be a young couple.” Said the grandmother. “Times I was like that too.”
The grandfather beside him nodded. “Persis like we used to.”
“The bus is coming,” said Shuji pulled back the attention of Orange.
Seeing his master bus coming, Jingga heaved a sigh of relief and glanced at Shuji quickly. “You didn't hear what the old man said?”
“Hm? What did they say?”
“They said—”
“The bus looks full, quick to enter, later not to the seat.” Shuji pushed down on the orange back. When Shuji's long finger touched his back, heat like flowing towards his skin instantly made the orange stiff. His mouth stopped talking and he could only go with the flow of passengers to get on the bus. He took a chair by the side of the window and stared out.
Shuji waved at him. Although the cold temperature was not erased by the warm sun, the light was still dazzling when it crossed Shuji's face.
Silently Orange attached a scarf around his neck, a faintly masculine scent wafted. Refreshing and calming him. With hesitation, Jingga returned the wave of the hand, provoking a beaming smile from the man outside.
Shuji watched the bus disappear at the turn.
A group of schoolchildren passed by excitedly, adding to the cheerfulness.
Shuji turned towards the firefly booth.
“Young man, where's your girlfriend?” tanya Takemi, a regular salesman of a yam booth. Usually when he is not working, his wife or his child will replace him.
It was early morning and most people who stopped by the booth would not stand still and talk. They usually buy ready-made yams and go straight away. Plus, people don't eat grilled yams every day.
Only a few who always stop by the booth every day, although the time is not always the same. Shuji is one of them.
The young man in front of him received the freshly cooked roasted yam and bit into a mouthful before replying. “After work.”
“You should be alone.” Takemi turned the yam while continuing to chat lightly.
[wild shooting in Area F killed two people and caused mass panic.]
Shuji's peaceful ears instantly turned sharp once he caught the news that was being broadcast on the radio. Takemi who was still chattering at that time also listened quietly until the news was over.
“... Lately the news that appears is always uncomfortable.” Takemi's Mumbling. Tie his head he loosened before reinstalling. “Area F is in the city next door but it's actually not far from here. Stay on the train, the perpetrator can get here.” The yam seller refills the charcoal. “Ah, what am I talking about, sih.” He then turns to Shuji and apologizes.
“No, indeed we should be careful.” Shuji finished off his last piece of yam. “Didn't yesterday have arrests in this area?” shuji said, raising the news of the stalker who was arrested some time ago.
“You're right. I'm going to visit the temple this week to ask for protection.”
Shuji just pulled a smile and suddenly flashed through his mind. Does the God of Orange have a temple too?
Should I visit him?
Meksi he is not a supertitious person, but usually he goes to the temple and prays every new year.
But what is the name of the Lord of the Orangs? Could it be that his God Orange is a God as well as the one that already exists?
“Add more, young man?” takemi's voice breaks Shuji's daydream. The seller offers a new sweet potato that Shuji refuses because he has breakfast.
Shuji said goodbye and decided to go home. But what is the point of worshiping? Wanting to go to any temple, it would not be able to save itself from danger.
Of course, this opinion was born based on Shuji's thinking. Because he had never experienced an amazing experience or something magical. Every hardship he experienced, he completed it with his own strength and effort.
Plus the news on the radio just now was enough to worry him. Prayer makes people bold and confident, but it doesn't help them avoid danger.
If alone, Shuji will not connect himself with dangerous events.
Now that there was an orange, he had to think deeply. As he remembered…. The girl could not defend herself. What if there's a wild shooter or a madman who stabs recklessly when Shuji's not around…
Shuji learned martial arts karate—maybe he can teach Orange as well?
Although he rarely practiced, he still memorized his movements. Teaching simple martial moves is not difficult.
“I can teach him to shoot. He won't carry a gun anywhere.” Suddenly the lamp in Shuji's brain shone. “Or I can take him to paintball. Simulation in place, harmless, and can train a person's movements—let alone to dodge.”
Shuji nodded his head on the road to his apartment. This can also be their first date. Shuji feels like he's a genius!
“I tried to take him this week.” Shuji opens his phone and searches for the nearest paintball arena.
The place that appears is not far from the agro-tourism that Shuji had visited. Shuji's radiant face instantly turned grim. “Really coincidence.” He sneered. Shuji had almost forgotten about this topic.
Jealousy churned in his heart but soon he extinguished it.
He just reached an agreement with the orange. Even if Shuji wants to bring up this topic, if Jingga back nudges about him following the woman while walking.
Shuji with a heavy heart had to forget about it. Maybe he could ask the man's bio after he was much closer to the orange.
For now, he could only be patient.
It's okay, later also I can date to many places with Orange.
That thought got Shuji a new idea. While putting together a new menu for his article, he could wander the area and walk around with the Orange.
Perhaps this is what is called love and a balanced career.
**
+8245XXX: Good.
The orange who ate alone in the staff room was watching the reels on his phone. Suddenly a foreign number appears in the notification, sending him an unclear message.
‘Good? Okay what?’ The orange moves to block the number, but a new message follows.
+8145XXX: Sorry I misdelivered.
+8145XXX: It's me, Shuji
If the first message makes the orange understand, the second message actually makes him suspicious.
But he couldn't explain what suspicions were intruding on his chest. The moving orange finger keeps Shuji's number.
Orange: I'm sorry I forgot to have your number.
While this morning Jingga said she would contact Shuji in the future if there was anything.
Shuji: Ah, yes. I forgot to give you my number.
Shuji: Am I bothering you?
Orange: No, really. I'm on my lunch break.
Shuji: Ah-h.
Shuji: You don't have to reply, just let me send you a message.
Laughter Orange off reading the last message. Where are you sending messages but only read doang while both are online?
Orange shook his head and immediately replied.
Orange: Why is that?
Shuji: I don't want to bother you eating.
Shuji: Just reading it isn't too distracting…
Orange stared at point three at the end of Shuji's reply and laughed again. “Why not stop sending messages?”
Orange: I'm done.
After that, he continued eating. She retorted so because she did not want Shuji to feel bad. Orange itself will not have time to reply during working hours later.
Shuji: Oh, great
Shuji: Don't forget to drink warm water, cold weather
Orange reply with ‘iya’ brief.
He thought Shuji would not reply again, but the system showed an old ‘typing..’ explaining that Shuji was writing.
Shuji: You know near our area there's a paintball arena, you know
Orang-orang thinks for a few seconds. He opened a search engine and found out what paintball was. A man wearing a vest and a gun that pulled out a paint bullet appeared in the search results.
"Ooh..," He's seen the truth, but he doesn't know the name of the game.
Orange: I've never played paintball
Even if the orange went to the arena, he would not be able to play, so forget about it.
Shuji: I used to play paintball but now I forget
Shuji: Yeah,
Shuji: Want to play there?
Orange: Paintball?
Orange: I'm afraid to play and even make you embarrassed
Shuji: Usually not crowded, as long as the schedule is coming
Shuji: Sepi, really, the place.
The orange swallowed the last mouthful and tidied up his lunchbox immediately.
Orange: I thought about it first?
Shuji: Okay^^
Orange no longer replies to messages and prepares to return to work because the break time is almost up. Shuji himself no longer sent messages.
In his apartment, Shuji sits in front of a computer. The paintball arena homepage. Without thinking of the orange reply, Shuji directly booked the place for the end of the week.
After writing articles throughout the morning and deciding on their dating schedule, Shuji could not help but feel happy. He looked at the TV screen showing the walls of the Orange apartment. The man freely picked up the tools and walked to the next apartment.
He hummed and Shuji walked in. Shuji closed the door and stood in the position where the camera captured his picture perfectly. He wanted to record his tracks standing in the Orange apartment.
Shuji wears soft-haired orange house slippers and walks around the room in a relaxed manner.
“Hm, it turns out like this his room.” Shuji still rated himself as a gentleman, so he just stood in front of the room door. Record each corner and interior before moving on to the living room and other corners.
“Oh, these accessories are cute too.” Shuji nodded twice, thinking he could install it because this corner would not be visible from the entrance. On the middle room table, there is a glass jar filled with candy. Shuji never saw this product in the supermarket and was curious. He opened the jar, took out one candy and found in the wrapper it was written a foreign sentence that he did not understand.
“Kis-u?” Shuji reads the product and checks that every piece of writing behind it is different every candy. Without a second thought he picked up five grains, making sure his jar did not look reduced before exiting the apartment in satisfaction.
“Rindu you.” Shuji read in a limp and opened the search engine to translate it.
“...Aitai?”
Shuji held back the smile of his lips and translated the message on the five candies. Both of his hands were carried to the front of his mouth, closing the raised grin while his face blushed red.
It felt as if he received this sentence straight from the Orange.
Shuji lowered his hand after subsiding from his short euphoria and suddenly thought, Where did Orange get this candy? Why would he buy candy like this?
Shuji bit his lips, feeling half sorry. Too bad he couldn't ask directly.
Maybe he can pretend to thirst for sweet things, and instead Orange will love this candy.
Shuji opened one candy bar, bit it directly and stuck the wrapper on the schedule board on the wall.
“Boku mo, aitai desu.” Shuji whispered to the candy wrapper, as if replying to a message of love.
