[Day 31 + Naru] Loving memories
{I managed to condense it so it wasn’t super longgggg, here you goooo~~}
“I’ll be back in a few days~ Byebyee~~”
It was probably not the best time for Arashi to have suddenly requested a leave. Considering the timing, there was just so much to do - it was the busy season after all! But the blond had been insistent and refused to take no as an answer. He’d work twice as hard, no three times as hard when he returned. It wasn’t like he would be away for too long after all.
Just a few days.
After the last month of purchases, he’d become one little charm shop’s favourite customer. It certainly helped that the family that ran the shop had been very kind and didn’t pry even from day one. Arashi had been free to browse and squeal over the cute charms that filled every corner of the place to his heart’s content.
It was also a testament to their kindness that no one knew how he had stopped by almost every day to pick out specific charms, chattering and reminiscing as he did so.
A camera, a cat, a rose, a knight piece… every charm had been handpicked and carefully packed up to be sent by express mail to one of the dearest people in Arashi’s life. Each charm was accompanied with a handwritten note with either encouragements, memories, or some other sentiment for Izumi.
When he’d come across the selection of different flower charms, made with delicate silverwork and coloured rhinestones - Arashi couldn’t resist sending over a couple of those as well. A daffodil for respect, a yellow camellia for longing, a hydrangea for pride, a poppy for comfort… the list could go on. He’d certainly sprinkled in lots of declarations of love too with those charms - whether or not they had been teasing or true, Arashi hadn’t felt the need to clarify. He’d even endured quite a few teasing comments from the people he worked with everyday when they noticed just how many present boxes he kept wrapping up and sending off.
Those same coworkers now laughing as they waved him off, shooting the model suggestive winks and knowing smiles.
Perhaps Arashi had been a little over the top with his daily gift sending, it had definitely given his coworkers more ideas than he had meant to, but it wasn’t like the blond to regret showing off his affection to Izumi.
It had been something to adjust to when Izumi had graduated and then eventually moved away from home. It was certainly an adjustment not to have any of the third years around anymore when it was Arashi’s own turn to be the third year. And then he’d graduated as well and been swept up into the busy life his career entailed.
And now, tonight, Arashi was almost giddy with excitement. He was catching an overnight train to make sure he’d arrive on time, having dropped off the penultimate charm to be sent that morning. Checking over his ticket, it didn’t take long for Arashi to find his train and from there his seat, settling down with some headphones, hood pulled up and a pair of glasses perched on his nose.
Only after he had settled did Arashi let his mind wander to the charm he’d fussed over quite a bit that morning. He’d wanted it to be the exact shade of his eyes after all. A reminder of himself for the charm bracelet. As a lover of all things cute and pretty, Arashi still would prefer not to look at a precious gem of any particular shade close to his own eyecolour for at least the next month.
As it was late, the other occupants of the train were either dozing off or talking quietly, everyone minding their own business. Arashi let his eyes wander out the window, propping his cheek against his hand. Now that he had the time to just reflect, it had been a long time since the last time either of them had had time to meetup, hadn’t it? He was glad he had been able to take this short trip. It would be nice to surprise Izumi.
Since it had already been quite a long day of practices and interviews with a couple smaller magazines, Arashi was honestly much more tired than he had realized, the blond was content to settle back into his seat and let the familiar sounds of high school years past lull him to sleep.
The first stop on his agenda, when Arashi finally stepped off the train early the next morning, was a flowershop. Hefting his travel bag higher onto his shoulder, Arashi answered a few texts before heading off - snapping a quick selfie with a silly grin before he left the station entirely. Considering the early hour, Arashi was glad to find a place that had just opened. As he wasn’t looking for a bouquet that conveyed any really deep meanings, he asked for a collection of blooms that were in season. As the flowers were chosen and arranged, Arashi’s smile brightened even more. He might have been a bit groggy and definitely still felt like crawling back into bed after that train ride but his excitement was catching up to him once more. With flowers now in hand, Arashi directed his steps towards Izumi’s place, the address clear in his head after having written it over and over again for nearly every day in the last month.
Tucking away his headphones, Arashi giggled softly to himself as he attached the selfie he’d taken earlier to a message before sending it off to Izumi. He then tucked his phone away and took out the last little present box to hold - inside a simple heart-shaped locket with a photo of the two of them at Izumi’s graduation, Arashi clinging to Izumi’s neck with tears staining his cheeks - before knocking on the door.
Now that he was actually here, there was a bit of anxiety in the back of Arashi’s mind. What if Izumi had plans and here he was showing up uninvited? But he was quick to push them aside. There wasn’t anything wrong with wanting to deliver the last gift in person and to wish Izumi a happy birthday after all. If he was indeed busy then Arashi could easily find things to do around the area.
All thoughts were forgotten as the door was opened though and Arashi broke out into the brightest smile yet as soon as he caught sight of Izumi’s face, joy seeming to radiate from the blond at that moment.
“Surprise Izumi-chan~! Happy birthday!”
The flowers and present box were both offered to the elder as Arashi giggled with glee. Ahh, nothing really could beat actually being able to see Izumi in person after all.
Much to his surprise, Arashi had continued to send him present after present through the remaining October. Little adorable charms matched with handwritten letters, each one evoking a piece of a puzzle, bringing back the fluttering heartbeats and cherry blossoms of the time when their lives were strongly tied together.
Luckily for him, the presents arrived to his doorstep rather than his agency, for he wouldn’t be able to explain this constant stream of presents, all wrapped in extremely cutesy paper and with flashy pastel cards. There were so many he had ended up giving up on hanging them on his phone, instead making a little arrangement on a corner of his room to hang them all in the order they had arrived right along pinned two-shots he had, both from work and from personal moments.
It was a bit of an embarrassing little display, showing far too much how attached he was to the past. How hard it was for him to renounce to the bliss of times when they were together. Blue eyes stopping here and there when certain words called to his heart, to the strings of emotion that were left from those times, he second-guessed himself. Was he -once again- seeing mirages in the words of others, reflecting what he felt in them?
His own birthday had arrived without him even realizing the date. A normal morning routine starting as usual, blue eyes flashing over the colorful set of charms and the cheeky smile of an Arashi glued to his side for a couple selfie.
Just as any other day he pinned his hair and did his skin care, did his usual exercises and washed his body. Only realizing the new message when he stepped out of the shower and found the light of his phone on. The picture of a familiar place making his heart jump in his chest, he rushed as much as he could to dress up, picking a random set of clothes from the drawer and half fixing his hair before running to the door, the doorbell winning against his rushing.
Panting heavy he looked through the peeping hole just to confirm what he knew was true... cheeks red -was it the rushing or was it the adorable sight before him, not even he was sure-, he took a couple of deep breathes and fixed his hair just a bit more before flinging the door open.
“Naru-chan... what are you...?” he had just opened his mouth when the gorgeous blond interrupted him with her own words. Bright, bubbly words that matched the incredibly dazzling smile on her lips -it was as if the very sun had descended to grace him with its presence.
Another box and a bouquet of flowers presented forward, he could do nothing but receive them, holding the later against his chest as he maneuvered to open up the box. The beautiful silver charm with the photo of the two so charged of memories he could almost feel the tears prickling on the back of his eyes again -just like on that day.
And just like then, he swallowed it up, instead a warm and loving smile appearing in his face to correspond to Naru’s feelings.
“Thank you... it’s good to see you here” he reached out, holding her slightly cold hand in his own “Want to come in? I was about to make something to eat.” maybe then he could ask for an explanation on all these presents. Was it a whim? Was it nostalgia?
Or maybe...
