(54)

                                    

                                          
unrevised.
/ chapter 54 /



"H-Hatori-san..!" The blue-haired Sohma voiced, short breathed as she tugged on the male Dragon's hand. After a while of walking, the action finally halted his movements. 
Ichika glanced around. They were long gone from the building and had already walked a couple blocks away from it down onto the concrete path that led all the way to who-knows-where.
Glancing back at the gentleman, he hadn't faced her yet but she noticed his back was as stiff as a rock, and it wasn't just his back but his entire body, too, was tense. After what had happened, Hatori had yet to utter any word to her as they had been walking in silence. She couldn't bring herself to initiate anything, still feeling as awkward as when she was at the restaurant. 
Ichika was still in awe at his retorts to the girls asking for his number, and she was more in awe when he decided to up and leave, cancelling their reservation entirely.
It made her feel slightly guilty as she knew he had planned a nice night out for the both of them only to have it cut short. It made her chest sting. She felt as if it was her fault even though deep down she knew it wasn't. That it shouldn't be. Despite how nice she felt about prepping herself up for tonight and even receiving compliments from a person special to her, the whispers she heard all around her at the restaurant still lingered within her. 
It had her doubting herself, and she hated herself for this way. 
"Ah!" She faltered. It hurts. 
Ichika looked down at her feet covered in high heels, feeling a stinging sensation, similar to one of needles being poked into the skin, around the tips of her toes as well as base of her feet. She frowned. She wasn't used to wearing such heels and much preferred loafers or sneakers, but she wanted to at least look pretty.
The consequences of wanting to look pretty came with pain. Beauty is pain, that's how the saying goes. Now she couldn't bare to take another step without her feet hurting. 
"Your feet..." She finally heard Hatori utter. She hadn't noticed he already turned her body to face her and was now staring down at her heels.
"O-Oh no... they're fine, Hatori. I—" Without being able to finish her sentence, she watched as the older man knelt down on his knees in the middle of the path. 
She became flustered and looked around to see if there was anyone watching. When she confirmed there wasn't, she turned back to him with a confused expression. What was he doing? 
Within the moment, Hatori examined her foot with his hand. He carefully took off one of her heels to reveal slightly reddened patches of skin on her feet. She gazed at his concentrated face contorting into a small frown. Then he suddenly stood up and ushered her over to sit at a bench before leaving in a rush. 
She blinked cluelessly after his retreating back before shifting her gaze back to her feet again. With a sigh, she slumped against the bench and closed her eyes. She didn't know where he disappeared off to, but she used this time alone to pull herself together. What was wrong with her, tonight? Why couldn't she just smile through whatever those strangers were saying about her? 
She should be used... to things like this. 
Back during Ruki's funeral ceremony, there were old ladies who gossiped loud enough for her to hear. She remembered how they would secretly assume that her brother's death was caused by murder. During the time, she believed they were right and so she endured it. She allowed them to say whatever they wanted, they were entitled to their own opinion, and it wasn't like she could talk or fight back under the watchful gazes of Akito or her parents.