The nightmare was still haunting Ryuzi the following day. His eyes were darkened with circles, and his scowl, which was ever scowling, was more scowling than ever. He walked into school and disregarded the gossiping and the inquisitive looks.
But of course--
"Good morning, Ryuzi!"
Suki's voice rang like a bell. He leaned over the desk of Ryuzi with the same absurd grin and waved too near his face.
Ryuzi frowned. "You're too loud."
Bettah noisier than dimmer, Suki said, and sat down in his chair. "Here."
He shoved something over the desk. It was a little, gaily wrapped pastry bun. "Limited edition melon bread! I rose early and took it before Kenji was able to consume them all.
Ryuzi looked on it, disillusioned. "I didn't ask for this."
Suki leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. "It's not for you. It's for your smile. I'm just delivering it."
Ryuzi twitched and looked at him in surprise. Smile? His chest tightened. He shoved the bread into his bag without saying anything, but his ears flushed lightly pink.
During lunch Suki dragged him out in the pretext of fresh air. The school park was swarmed with students. Suki, of course, darted ahead.
"Bet you can't catch me!" weaving among the trees he called.
Ryuzi sighed. "Not this again."
However, when Suki ran behind a tree giggling like a child, Ryuzi was... following. His long strides were readily caught up, and he was round the trunk--
And then to see Suki come out the other side. "Too slow!"
The smile, the laughing--it broke something in Ryuzi. There was a twitching of his lips--a smiling. He waked it out of the window, scowling. "You're exhausting."
And you're smiling, Suki shot back, triumphantly.
Ryuzi turned at once and put his hands into his pockets. "...Shut up."
But the warmth in his chest went on the way back to class.
The family dinner of Suki was as usual that evening.
"You should've seen him!" Suki used his chopsticks in a waving motion. "Ryuzi almost smiled. Like, really smiled!"
His sisters gave theatrical grabs. Hana clutched her chest. "The Ice Prince... cracked?"
Emi leaned in. "Did you take a picture?"
Rika smirked. "Next step: he laughs."
Suki groaned. "You guys are impossible." But his rosy cheeks deceived the giddiness with which he was flushed.
Ryuzi was sitting at his silent dinner table across town. Daichi inquired about his studies; Ayumi added more vegetables into his bowl. He nodded, answered silently, yet the burden of his nightmare was still there.
Ryuzi took the melon bread out of his bag, later on, alone in his room. The wrap was rustling gently in silence. He was indecisive--then he ripped it open and gave it a little bite.
Sweetness in his tongue flew. He hated sweet things. Always had.
However, to-night he swallowed every last bite.
And as he laid the empty wrapper aside his chest was a little lighter.