JUST A CRASH - BUTTERFLY CROSSING

17. Catch and Release

Yugani has an athletic stature, in contrast to Shuji's ideal body. This comparison is certainly not good. Because next to Yugani, Shuji looks like a weak man.

Shuji looks at the t-shirts and vests attached to Yugani's body with his looks, feelings of envy and jealousy creep up on him—what if Orange is tempted?

Yugani smiled and instantly exchanged chats with Jingga casually, blatantly ignoring Shuji who threw him a cold and sharp look.

“Since when did you play here?”

“This is the first time.” Jingga replied with sumringah—the woman had removed her mask.

“Lying, right? How could your shot be so on target?” Yugani looked at the shocked orange. The woman in front of him is known as a friendly stranger who is gentle and always smiling. It is hard to imagine that the previous sharp shot came from the same woman.

“Shuji taught me.” Said Orange, attracting chatter on the tall man beside him who had been ignored since.

From the beginning Yugani did not want to know about the colleagues who are with Orange at this time. But as a police officer, he knew almost every resident of the neighborhood around the complex and the name ‘Shuji’ did not leave a good impression on him.

Yugani tilted her head. “Shuji?” plus, this guy who taught the orange?

Since when were the two of them so close?

Of course Shuji's previous question saying that he is his girlfriend Jingga Yugani doesn't listen to. He knew the answer was only a form of hostility of a man to his rival.

Hearing his name being called, Shuji opened his mask and casually styled his bifurcated hair.

Yugani pulled next to her eyebrows. “You look different than the... before.” This is really that gloomy guy? Last met, Yugani saw this man in front of the drinking machine with suspicious circumstances. But the one in front of him right now, was like a healthy, cheerful young man. His face was no longer gloomy and Shuji looked energetic.

“Thus help me.” Shuji said briefly with a dense hidden message.

Yugani who was still smiling immediately lowered her lip line. "Your glimpsings are quite strange." the cop's response.

He wanted to say something to Orange, but the place and time were not right. How can a woman like Jingga go around with someone like Shuji?

Doesn't the girl know how dangerous this guy is?

“How about you guys join us?” bargain Yugani was half worried and the other half with other intentions.

Shuji drew a slanted smile. “Sure—” he wants to show and avenge his defeat just now.

“Maybe next time.” Orange precedes Shuji who surprises the two men.

“Why? I see you're very good at playing this paintball. Don't worry, this time my teammates won't be as reckless as before.” Yugani persuaded while raising the topic of those who shot recklessly in the beginning.

“No, me and Shuji.” Jingga glanced at Shuji quickly before continuing. “I'm dating Shuji. So maybe next time can be.”

“….Dating..?” Yugani was stunned for a moment, but immediately controlled her expression. “So right that he said earlier.” After saying so, Yugani returned to wearing her mask. “I first then.” With his paint gun, Yugani turned around without waiting for a reply.

Shuji did not care about Yugani's strange demeanor.

Currently he is focusing on the sentence Orange who claimed that they are ‘kating’. Shuji thinks only he thinks today's activities are special.

“You why?” The orange standing next to him piqued towards the dreamy Shuji.

“Date?” Shuji.

“...” Orange opens its mouth. When there are others, the woman can say it without burden. But when only the two of them were left, the orange suddenly became misbehaved.

“I only..”

“Since when do you consider this a date?” shuji asked half-urgently. The man approached, and the orange retreated.

“I just... repeat your answer.” The orange replied stuttering while continuing to retreat. “Not really think of it as ‘date’.”

“Hmm.” His eyes did not escape the slightest from the face of Orange that had blushed red. Her pinched cheeks made Shuji anxious to bite. He immediately distracted her. Because of this expression, Shuji decides to forgive Jingga's answer.

Brucks.

The back of the orange meets the trunk of the tree. Shuji instantly woke up. “You all right? Does your back hurt?” subconsciously the man stretched out his hand, rubbing the back of the Orange several times.

“Sick?” his worried-looking expression made the orange difficult to dodge. “No pain,”

“Huh?” the small orange voice forced Shuji to bring his ears closer.

“I said no pain!”

“Oh,” but the man did not back down at all and maintained his position.

The two were silent at a close distance and they could hear the sound of each other breathing.

Orange lowered his gaze, but his eyes were still met with jakun Shuji who moved teasingly. The orange closed his eyes.

“That, can you back off..” said Orange slowly.

“..Why did you close your eyes?” if Shuji had never asked about the things that were forbidden in the Orange faith, the man thought that the Orange was ready to be kissed.

Every woman who closed her eyes when she approached the sign asked to be kissed, right.

It's just that the orange is different.

“You, you're too close.”

“I didn't touch you, kok.” As per his statement, Shuji placed both of his palms on the right-left side of the orange. The distance with Orange there are two heads, only this position makes the orange as in the bridle. And that pressure slowly raised his body temperature to the face.

The woman felt her face hot but her expression was still on hold to remain flat.

“Shuji, don't be ignorant.” The orange opened his eyes and said while gnashing his teeth.

Shuji's unmoving position signifies that the man is unwilling to back down.

“I want to ask.” Said Shuji suddenly.

“What?”

“Do you know that the cop seems interested in you?”

Orange opened his eyes with a question that was out of topic.

Shuji piqued receiving the orange reaction. “You know.”

“M-his meal I said was dating.” Out the answer, Orange immediately closed his eyes and his mouth—he did not want to say his heart content as clearly as this. It was like giving an answer that the Orange liked was Shuji.

How humiliating.

Next to his ears Orange heard a low crisp laugh.

“You happy?” Orange distanced her face from the sound, trying to control her mood.

“Sorry.” Shuji said with a laugh, but his hands and position moved backwards. Orange heaved a sigh of relief and immediately knelt down picking up the dropped item.

In order to make amends, Shuji carries a water gun and their masks as he returns to the building.

“You sure you want to go home?” shuji asked in front of the receptionist. All the loan has been returned.

“Sorry, is the booking cost expensive?”

“Not about that." Shuji said quickly. Afraid that the woman in front of him would think of paying for it. "I wonder if your mood is okay?” They had only played for half an hour and Jingga had asked to go home. Were it not for Yugani's disturbance earlier, Shuji could not have found another reason. But it doesn't seem to be because of that.

“...My stomach hurt since this morning actually.”

Hearing that Shuji's forehead immediately wrinkled with worry. “You've had breakfast? Ah—” Shuji is silent for a moment. “Not because of it.”

The orange that heard it was confused. His attention was immediately diverted.

“What's your body hurting?” Shuji stretched out his sleeves and allowed Orange to grasp them.

The usual orange will not accept it, but lately somehow his desire has increased. He wanted a lot and a lot of simple things that upset him.

Orange opened her phone and checked the calendar when she thought of something.

When he came back, he saw Orange sitting frowning. Suddenly the woman's expression turned bright and changed agitatedly.

“Still sick? It hurts?” Shuji half settled down near the feet of the Orange and gave the paper glass filled with warm water to the Orange.

The orange accepts it but does not drink it immediately.

“No.. nothing.”

“Your face clearly says there's something. Tell me.” Shuji urged seriously.

“I, I'm not sick.” The word orange slowly. She almost whispered in embarrassment, but— being shy to her did not mean Shuji would understand.

The orange should say it straightforwardly. “My period came and I forgot.” He was too worried about the event this weekend and did not have time to check the calendar.

Moreover, this time his period came four days faster.

“Period...?” Shuji tilted his head.

“That period..,”

“I know, menstruation in natural women.” Cut off Shuji who put Orange to shame once again. Look, he's the only one who's embarrassed.

“Guard, take it?” shuji asked with a face that was still flat.

Orange resigned and shook his head.

“Around here no one provides sanitary napkin.” Looking for female visitors will be difficult at times like this.

Shuji took off his jacket and asked Jingga to stand up and tied it to her waist perfectly.

Shuji checks the clock and checks the schedule of the nearest bus. “Maybe a bit uncomfortable, but we go down the mountain first, huh?”

“..Em.”

There was no need to wait long, seven minutes of Orange sitting at the stop, the bus came and the two boarded.

“That, if your jacket is dirty how.” Orange Whisper. After all, the stain left behind was not an ordinary stain, but a blood stain. Not a few people who think period blood is disgusting.

“If dirty will stay in washing.” The answer makes the question orange meaningless.

“You want to rub your stomach?”

“Hah?” The orange immediately rounded his eyes and folded his hands in front of his stomach with a holding position.

“This word can make the stomach so more delicious.” Shuji did not take his eyes off the search results on his phone screen.

The orange brought itself closer to the window and refused firmly.

Shuji turned his head to the belly of Orange with regret. “Good.”

At the next stop, Shuji pulls the orange down. This area includes agricultural areas, because there is only rice around it, this place is rarely visited. But a lot of workers live around here and konbinis are not rare buildings.

The orange goes into the konbini and moves to the shelves with lined pads. Because it was uncomfortable, Orange immediately took the nearest one.

“Why take that one? The winged one is more convenient.” Shuji's sudden voice in his ear made the orange splash in place.

“K-you surprised me!”

“Sorry.” Shuji stood behind the orange at close range and did not intend to move at all. From behind, it was like hugging.

“Where did you hear that wings are comfortable?” Orange wants to suck, you ever try? But his jokes didn't sound good to him.

“I read in the article just now.” Shuji reads each brand and picks up a small green pad box. “This fragrant betel she said more comfortable and many women wear.”

The orange held his forehead to cover his embarrassment. “Can't, I'll just choose.” Please shut up!!

Shuji who heard that did not understand at all. “But your choice is not good.” Shuji directly drags Orange to the area of ****** *****. The man actually wanted to vote but held back and stood by the cashier, giving his free time to Orange.

The two items that make Orange shy half-dead are paid Shuji— while the woman herself has resigned.

Oranges go into public toilets and check. It was fortunate that his nodes did not penetrate into Shuji's jacket. It's just that the back of his pants has a little red dot.

Orange came out of the public toilet and immediately handed Shuji's jacket.

“It's done?”

“Hmm.”

“...” Shuji watched the orange that was walking in front of him. Although the orange pants there is a little stain, the point is only a little and covered with the end of the hoodie he wears.

“You're still ashamed of what else?” shuji asked half teasingly.

“You don't understand.”

“Em, I don't understand. I never menstruated. But in my eyes this is as natural as giving birth.—means not that you want to give birth.” Shuji. “But it's me, so you can be free.”

“...I mean?”

Shuji refused to continue the topic. “Your stomach still hurts?”

“Lumayan.” Orange cannot underestimate the early menstrual period. It felt wrapped around making him uneasy. Sometimes want to sleep, want to hide, want to lie down—his body is tired but he was forced to stretch for the sake of feeling better.

“Then we directly take the bus to XX.” The area Shuji mentioned was the compound they lived in. The orange that heard it was directly opposed. “I used to work under the same circumstances too, really. So no problem.”

“I know.” Said Shuji slowly. “But we're playing this so you, and I'm happy. If you're uncomfortable, don't play the name.”

“….”

“Replace next week how?”

That means next week they'll be 'dating' again? “This was your plan from the beginning?”

Shuji drew a subtle smile. “So you should have lost, right?”

Shuji retracted the topic of their previous paintball game.

“Where can you say so.” Orange dodged immediately. Although his position is positive to lose if he continues, but in the end he was not shot by Shuji.

“You yourself also lost, right.”

Shuji laughs. “Yes, we both lost.”

“Actually losing is also no problem.”

“Mm. If you lose both I will also be happy.”

“....” Shuji's words always manage to silence Orange. After all, this woman had not been able to utter such an embarrassing sentence.

Both of them sat back at the stop. It was still day and Shuji regretted their activities ending early. But this moment he admits is better than the one he spent a week ago.

Shuji reminds himself to keep his distance, don't be greedy. But he wanted, wanted, and wanted more.

Previously he only wanted to be able to watch over the Orange from afar.

Once close he wants to continue to cross paths with the Orange no matter what the circumstances.

The more he came here, he wanted to be able to chat with Orange even if they were far apart.

Now, Shuji wants to keep clinging to the orange.

It would be nice if he could take care of the orange in every circumstance.

Greed is endless.