Chapter 74
Hoteru-kun
Kazuki arrived in Elyna’s new home with a huge smile and a present tucked under one arm.
“A housewarming gift,” he declared after dropping a kiss to her lips.
Kazuki looked around the empty flat then, taking it in slowly.
Bare walls that had seen better days, the afternoon light pooling on the wooden floor, and half a dozen boxes tucked in a corner.
He wore one of those t-shirts that revealed his collarbones and the delicious hollow where she loved to bury her nose.
While he took in the room, brow furrowing at the poor state of the floor, Elyna redirected her attention to the gift wrapped in a traditional furoshiki. She stepped back to study the indigo fabric, admiring how neatly it was tucked.
“Open it.” She turned to Kazuki; his eyes sparkled with anticipation. Elyna’s fingers caressed the soft fabric—clearly not new, probably his. The cloth was warm from being carried against him, and it smelt faintly of his cologne.
I’ll have to gift him something in return, so he gets it back someday.
She turned the bundle over, searching for the knot; she could feel him watching with amusement as she picked at the wrong corner. “The other side,” he instructed.
“Yeah, I know.” She didn’t. The knot finally yielded. A startled laugh escaped her when the cloth parted to reveal…
A dinosaur plushie. A tyrannosaur, actually, with huge round eyes, an impossible green colour and a tiny bow tie. She lifted it, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
“Hoteru-kun…” Kazuki announced solemnly, “ … wanted to keep you company in your new home. So you never feel lonely.”
Elyna pressed the dinosaur to her chest and lost it, dissolving in a fit of giggles. “I can’t believe you bought me a dinosaur plushie.” Then, when she finally managed to catch her breath, she caressed the long tail. “Welcome, Hoteru-kun.”
Kazuki’s eyes flickered with uncertainty, and she rushed forward to hug him.
“Thank you, my Tsuki,” she giggled. “You just made my day.”
His arms wound around her, an all-encompassing embrace that felt warm and secure. He pressed a kiss to her hair, tucking her underneath his chin. “They say the way to a woman’s love is to make her laugh.”
“That’s actually very true,” she responded, her voice muffled in his chest. Then she pulled back slightly to catch his gaze, eyes crinkling with residual mirth. “But not only. Being a gentleman and immensely good looking helps too.”
His startled expression made her laugh anew. Her chest ached with the absurdity and tenderness of the present. She couldn’t resist capturing Kazuki’s lips for a quick kiss before looking for a fitting spot for her latest gift.
“Right.” She set the plushie on the windowsill where he gazed out at the street below with dignity. “Hoteru-kun can watch over the neighbourhood.”
“A most important role.” Kazuki’s eyes held that quiet gleam she loved. His gaze caught the framed calligraphy he’d written for her on White Day. “Now, you said you wanted help putting this on the wall.”
“Ah yes, I don’t want to make a mess.”
The wonders of Japanese architecture. Paper thin walls that didn’t differ much from the ancient rice screens. Kazuki looked around the room, mulling over the best place to suspend the offering. “Where do you want this?”
They decided on the outer wall, easier to pierce without dealing damage. A mighty battle started between Kazuki and the wall; Elyna watched with amusement, wondering who would be the victor.
She could barely believe it; there they were, setting up her new dwellings together without anyone breathing down their necks. The movers paid by her mother’s company had dropped her few boxes, and this was it.
This very morning, she’d hugged Katrine goodbye in the street that used to host their flat, right before her flight to Boston.
“I hope you won’t regret this choice, Elyna,” her mother had pressed. As if she could jump on the plane right now, and leave her hopes, her love, her passions behind.
Elyna had simply shaken her head. “I won’t.”
Her mother’s green eyes had misted over. “If you ever do, there will always be a place for you in the States.”
Elyna had smiled then. A confident smile that conveyed how grateful she was for that peace offering, even though they’d screamed at each other for weeks.
There was no parallel universe where young Elyna would choose to live with her mother.
But it was still a balm to her heart to know she was loved.
Despite the disappointment, the yelling, and the canyon between their visions.
“Thank you for bringing me here and giving me this year, mor.”
The Norwegian endearment had made Katrine’s composure crack slightly. One last smile before the taxi took her away to cross the Pacific Ocean.
Elyna shook her head slightly, dispelling the memory.
I am free.
Free to caress the spine of Hoteru-kun, and watch the man of her dreams pierce her wall to adorn the small, less than pristine room with the most beautiful present she’d ever received: his love, in writing.
And while Kazuki worked, Elyna couldn’t help but take a peek at the way his shirt revealed the dip of his waist, or suggested those delicious muscles on his arms. His lean, graceful lines danced with the fabric, a tantalising sight that kept distracting her as she emptied the few necessities she’d packed.
Even something as mundane as hanging artwork became mesmerising under his hands, though he struggled not to damage the wall.
“Kuso!” He nibbled on his finger.
Elyna frowned, ready to jump to his help. “Did you hurt yourself?”
Kazuki shook his head, still holding the glass frame. “Your companion is definitely not a tuttofare,” he muttered, borrowing one of her expressions.
The Italian word in his mouth was almost comical—his accent destroyed it deliciously. But Elyna’s chest swelled all the same. That her expressions started to seep into his vocabulary felt as lovely as seeing him struggle. Finally, she’d found something Kazuki wasn’t good at.
“Shin is, though,” he concluded. “He’ll come help with your furniture later.” His gaze drifted meaningfully to the narrow single bed with a playful waggle of eyebrows. “Especially the double bed.”
Elyna couldn’t keep the smile that bloomed on her face, even though her cheeks flared with heat.
There comes the charmer again.
Unrestrained by workplace propriety, Kazuki was starting to reveal the full extent of his true self. Needless to say, she found this shameless side of him delicious.
“Ah! There!” His outburst of triumph almost startled her. The calligraphy scroll hung perfectly centred now, dark ink a stark contrast against the traditional rice paper.
It truly was a masterpiece. To have his love plastered on her wall felt like a talisman, a good omen for the future.
The young woman slid her arms around Kazuki’s taut waist now, playing with the thin fabric of his t-shirt as she peeked at the calligraphy above his shoulder. The embrace was easy and comforting, like a home to return to. “Arigatō gozaimasu,” she breathed in his ear.
“As my lady wishes,” he responded, head tilting aside to rest upon hers. There was no use for more words. Thank you for hanging my most precious item, thank you for writing it, thank you for loving me, and being such a bright presence in my life.
Kazuki turned in her arms, encasing her in a loose hug. His eyes were filled with pride, deep enough to swallow her whole.
“Happy?” he asked, his breath fanning upon her face, tantalising.
“It’s perfect,” she breathed, though she wasn’t entirely sure if she meant the calligraphy, or the man standing so close that the air hummed between them.
“I can’t believe I made it,” she whispered, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the moment.
When nights stretched and she got tired of creaky floorboards, a quick peek at that calligraphy would be enough to recall that magnificent tea ceremony. The gift of Kazuki’s heart, a pillar she would need for the years ahead.
Katayū’s offer had opened a new path for her; a cultural assistant position, a subsidised room and the possibility of a real Japanese teaching licence. Two more years of university, then the government exam. Hard, yes. But possible.
She would strive to be worthy of that trust.
Kazuki’s expression turned fond now, pulling her from heavy doubts. “You did, my golden lady.” Then, he proceeded to stop her heart with the most dazzling smile, and she melted in his arms.
Kazuki held fast; he plastered her against his chest and began nibbling on her neck. “Now we need to christen every surface.” His voice had a rough quality that always caused her to overheat.
Instead of dissolving in embarrassment, Elyna rose to the challenge and retreated slightly to catch his gaze. “Do your worst, sir.”
His eyebrows lifted in surprise, before a predatory smile curled his lips. “Oh, I certainly will.”
The afternoon light caught the gold flecks in his brown eyes as he stared at her with an expression of such raw hunger that her knees nearly gave out. “I’ll never have enough of you, Elyna.”
There was no time to protest Kazuki’s intentions now; already, his hand was snaking up her long skirt, leaving goosebumps in their wake. The man was far too proficient for her own good; the cardboard boxes would have to wait.
Sweat and moans mingled in a symphony, the promise to christen every surface a time-consuming task, even though the flat was ridiculously small. It might have lasted longer—should have, Kazuki would later grumble—if not for three knocks jostling him from his thorough exploration.
Kazuki’s head snapped up, pupils blown wide.
“What? Are you expecting someone?”
Elyna was already scrambling for her clothes, legs still shaking when the knock sounded again. It didn’t come from the door.
A clear protest about too much noise and poor insulation.
Kazuki met her eyes then, looking both stunned and embarrassed. Mortified, Elyna covered her face. Arms wound around her as they burst out laughing, falling backwards on the single bed that creaked from the strain.
“I may have to tone down the volume,” she smiled, kissing the corner of his mouth for good measure. His skin smelt of his cologne, and that unique fragrance she loved so dearly.
“Mmm, too bad. I was rather enjoying your vocalisations.” His lips quirked smugly. “And now, let’s do something about dinner.”
“I saved you a daifuku that Haruki brought in,” Elyna stated proudly.
“My saviour,” he declared dramatically, then gave her a mischievous smile. “As for the main dish, I bought currynosaur.”
Elyna burst out laughing.
Aksel: so you’re coming this summer? For real?
Elyna: WE will be coming
Aksel: don’t ditch us, or I’ll kill the man, deal?
Elyna: you’re welcome to try ??what flower on your grave?