Aiko knew that she couldn't stay in the kitchen for long, so she went straight to the storefront and met the two men again.
She wiped away her tears and took a breath so that they wouldn't realize that she had been listening to their conversation.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Chuuya-san!" she said while trying to look cheerful and like nothing happened.
She took two slices of strawberry shortcake from the display case and put them in the cake box.
"I'm giving you three slices so that you don't have to bother to come here if you don't want to come. I mean maybe you're really busy but you want to eat cake, so you can eat it at home without coming."
Her words were enough to make Chuuya somewhat confused and surprised, Why would Aiko suddenly say such a thing?
But she didn't comment much and accepted the 3 pieces of cake.
"Thank you then. Maybe I'll come again if I'm going to buy a cake for Elise..."
But before he could finish speaking, Aiko shook her head and said that she could make the delivery if Chuuya wanted.
"Just tell me the address where you work or maybe your house. I'll send the cake there, so you don't have to come here," she said.
Aiko's words slowly dawned on Chuuya that she was trying to gently push him away, as if to tell him that he didn't need to come to her shop anymore.
This reinforced his suspicion that Aiko would want to be alone with Dazai rather than meet him.
As he received the paper bag containing the cake he bought, Chuuya accidentally touched Aiko's hand and for some reason he felt something between the two of them.
However, since his mind was already filled with thoughts of Aiko liking Dazai, he chose to dismiss those feelings.
"I think I'll only be a nuisance if I stay too long. So I'd better get going," he said and walked away from Nozomi Bakery.
Aiko's eyes dropped when Chuuya left without turning to her and spoke so coldly.
'I don't want to be a burden to him.'
Dazai who realized this immediately turned to Aiko and noticed the girl who had been silent.
He was watching her because Dazai was worried that Aiko's emotions were currently unstable and something might happen.
"Aiko-chan, are you okay? It's okay to be honest with your feelings once in a while," he said.
She sighed softly. "I just don't want to be a burden to Chuuya-san. Since he comes here often, I feel very comfortable around him, because I feel like I'm protected by him."
The woman admitted that she could feel great power from within Chuuya, but Chuuya's calm nature when he was with her made her feel calm and safe as well.
"Even though he yells and scolds you a lot, I think it's a very sweet thing because he looks different when she's with you. Her flushed face, her unruffled and panicked demeanor is what attracts me to her," Aiko explained with a flushed face and a sad smile on her face.
But it turned out that all this time Chuuya had considered her a burden, and something dangerous to many people.
It was enough to hurt her feelings, especially when Aiko started paying attention to the orange-haired man.
"When he forced himself to come over after work. His wounded body sometimes makes me want to stay near him and heal every wound he has."
One by one her tears fell again, in front of Dazai who could only be silent staring at her.
"You love him that much?" asked Dazai while still smiling to comfort her.
Aiko wasn't sure if it was love or if she really cared for Chuuya.
But clearly, she wanted to be there for him and wanted to make him feel comfortable with her too. Just like how Aiko felt safe and comfortable around him.
Hearing that answer, the smile on Dazai's face widened even more, because he knew how sincerely Aiko loved the man she hadn't even known for too long.
"Chuuya is indeed a pretty difficult guy to get close to. You might be able to get along with him, but that doesn't mean he'll open his heart to you or be honest about his feelings," he said.
"I'm just getting my hopes up, aren't I?" asked Aiko with a chuckle as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Not really," said Dazai leaning back in his chair.
He explained that Chuuya was indeed a complicated man, but not that complicated to understand.
If he did like someone, it meant he would go out of his way to protect them.
"Go to great lengths to protect them? From what?"
Dazai shrugged his shoulders. "Many things. But one thing for sure is that he does it because he loves that person very much. The more he likes you, the more he'll try to push you away so he doesn't have to feel that sense of loss again."
Aiko's eyes widened as she heard that.
"Maybe he's saying that you're a burden to him." Dazai stood up from his chair and patted Aiko's head gently.
"But perhaps unbeknownst to you, he heart desires your presence with him."
"Dazai-san... Could it be..."
He smiled again while blinking one eye.
"Not only is his body and patience short. But how he makes decisions for his own feelings is just as small as his body," he said.
*****
ZRRSSSSSS
It was raining heavily in Yokohama, making it a very cold and wet night. Aiko, who had just finished bathing, entered her room and sat down on her sitting pillow.
Her hair was still very wet and she covered it with a towel. Her mind was still filled with Chuuya and Dazai's words.
Could Chuuya like a woman like her?
Water dripped from her green hair. Her heart beat very fast whenever she thought about Chuuya.
She remembered how they laughed together when Aiko treated the wound on Chuuya's hand, or other moments when they could talk together.
Chuuya listened to everything Aiko said even though the girl was talking nonstop.
Especially when Aiko once accidentally held a baking sheet in the oven without her gloves, burning her fingers and Chuuya immediately helped her.
Flashback
"You idiot! You shouldn't have forgotten to wear gloves when you touched the hot pan! You hurt yourself!" the man said in annoyance and pulled Aiko's hand towards the sink.
She was sniffle lightly as she felt the stinging in her fingers. Chuuya let the water run over Aiko's left hand so it wouldn't burn anymore.
"Getting red like this, you're so careless." He continued to scold Aiko.
Even so, Aiko knew that Chuuya's scolding was out of concern for her. The man then treated Aiko's hand by applying burn cream and wrapped a bandage around it.
"Feeling better?" asked a softer but still stern Chuuya.
Aiko nodded her head. "Thank you, Chuuya-san."
"Don't do it again next time. You lucky I'm here or you'll keep crying like a lost child." Chuuya tried to break the ice so Aiko wouldn't continue to feel guilty.
"I'm not that crybaby," Aiko replied with a pouty expression.
He chuckled at Aiko's expression and patted her head lightly. Instantly, the sparks that had appeared disappeared.
"Your hands are precious because you can make cakes as delicious and beautiful as that. You should be able to take care of them, you hear me?"
Aiko nodded again while wiping away her tears.
"Stop crying already, you crybaby."
They both chuckled together as if the bad incident had never happened.