Un... Lucky for Love (Part 4)
Makoto sniffed to herself as she was walking away from the Game Center Crown rejected by everyone that she saw or worse... She's confused whether it was her fault that two died, one went out with Minako and one just ran off or that it was just a coincidence that it happened. No matter what, she felt that things can't get any worse...
Suddenly there was a massive downpour as the heavens opened delivering some torrential rain, she was already soaked by her ex-senpai with the crush fading away. Snarling to herself, she decided to run hoping to get shelter somewhere as the rain drops intensified going deep into her white top and brown skirt. She needed a break very badly, she needed to cheer up and it was just two bad days that will pass. Yet she wonders whether it would affect her for life. There was a thought right now that her ex-senpai and Minako are with the others right now as Minako shows off her boy for the day, literally boy for the day in this case. Just the thought caused her to hiss but then she sniffed... Maybe he was right after all, Minako presents herself as very feminine and attractive while Makoto tries her best but no man would ever want her. It wasn't just once or these past two days but since her puberty where she wanted some company yet her body prevented as much.
Makoto headed to the train station hoping to dry out as the rain continued and just stood there in the stand cold. She didn't want to make do with Ami, she loves her sure but she knows that she will miss out on the pleasures of male company and Ami herself was shy. She didn't want spend days just doing nothing while Ami was researching. When she researches, it is like a trance and sometimes goes to bed late as she was addicted to her laptop looking up a subject. Some days Ami wouldn't even say a word and lucky to even get her to eat a sandwich. It wouldn't matter if Makoto wasn't there if she was on that...
She was thinking what to do, cooking and sniffing flowers makes her content but with no one else there, it would just feel pointless. Like her life vanished when her parents died and fought to keep going until her strong body says no more but her strong body doesn't want her to die. Maybe leaving Azabu-Juban might not be such a bad idea, maybe even Tokyo itself. Just get away from the pain and settle in the countryside to fade away.
There was the man with the ruffled hair and he managed to see her as her height stands out especially with her brown ponytail, he was walking and since he was off balance accidentally pushed into a few people. They happened to stare at him and not at a good way whether it was from the salarymen or from the elderly even though he did say sorry, the elderly even grunted back. Makoto blinked and looked as she saw it for herself, he was trying to be kind and knows that it was his fault but the others rejected him. She thought in her head, "this was the same man that I saw earlier, why would he want to follow me?"
As the young man got closer, she had a better look and sensed that he wasn't a pervert as he was looking closer towards the floor hoping not to trip up. He was just as depressed as she was. There was something about him but she cannot put her finger on what, he was different than every other man that she saw. He wasn't a foreigner, she didn't consider him to be ugly as she got to see his blushing cheeks and his button nose.
He stood there and waved at her, Makoto looked up thinking why hasn't he run away. After all, all of the other men that she had ran away but he went towards her, very unusual so she gently waved back awkwardly pulling her face. It was surreal yet very quiet as the young man did not speak but instead made a gentle hum like noise.
Makoto asked, "Are you lost?"
Straight away he shook his head so Makoto put her thumb and her finger on her chin thinking what he was up to. It was unusual for what was a stranger to approach her and he did not look like a sinister person at all as she looked at his eyes and they were deep in sorrow, innocent looking.
"You don't... want me...", he stuttered as he struggled looking, "I'm... dis... abled..."
That's why Makoto thought that he was different when she had her first impression of him, he was disabled. Most disabled people in the area were treated very differently than "normal" people. She wouldn't even be surprised if he becomes a NEET if he doesn't get any help in the future and is looking increasingly likely that he won't. Really thinking about, him and Makoto were alike as in that they were different and people treated them differently. With his speech and behaviour pattern wasn't much different than her height and strength. After her puberty but before befriending Usagi and Makoto, people treated Makoto badly so she understands where he was coming from. It was the first time that Makoto actually met a disabled person and wasn't sure yet her heart felt that he needed some help in a gentle way but only if he needed it.
Makoto growled, "That doesn't bother me... You want something?"
He sniffed, "Can I have a hug?"
"Sure", she softly smiled as she can't say no for a hug.
The young man reached his arms and Makoto did the same as the arms were connecting with each other. They were both enjoying the hug as she found out that he was soft yet also strong like a good plushie while he looked down towards her tummy as he didn't want to look at her breasts making her think that he's a pervert. Besides he quickly looked down feeling a bit uncomfortable despite being one of the few bodily features that Makoto was proud of outside of back ache sometimes. He felt her strength but it was also gentle at the same time.
He smiled, "You really cheered me up."
"I really needed that, you cheered me up too", she smiled back.
They decided to walk out of the train station as Makoto didn't have enough money for a ticket as well as he had no money at all and the weather completely changed. The rain was gone and in its place was sun with not a cloud in the sky. While the man struggled to smile, Makoto however grinned as she felt more confident that she is with someone. Someone different sure but she was no longer alone, yet she was curious and wanted to ask
Makoto looked at him and asked, "Did you follow me?"
Straight away he nodded as he followed her from when the teenager got knocked down by a bike, when she tried to but failed to save someone as well as Makoto getting dumped by her senpai and Motoki who dressed up as Lupin. While he didn't say, he was attracted to her as he knows that she was different but in a good way.
"I did, you're a pretty lady and people treated you so badly that...", he paused as he struggled to say the right words, "It makes me cry... It's not fair..."
Even though he was really shy, more so than Ami, his heart was in the right place. Still Makoto quickly blinked her eyes surprised that he called her a "pretty lady", no one has ever called her that since her days when she lived in the countryside before her puberty had kicked in. At first maybe it was a sarcastic comment but as she looked at him, it wasn't like that at all. He really meant it as he kept looking at her emerald eyes and her blushmarks. The more and more Makoto looked at him, the more and more that he reminded her of her friends.
Makoto calmly suggested, "Let me show you my friends."
"I don't have any friends, I don't know what having one is like", he sulked as he made the largest frown that he ever had.
She had that feeling as looking at his face, she could tell that he was beaten up in the past as his left cheek was slightly out of alignment with one more sunken than the other. It was also his voice, unlike Makoto's where it was deep his was high and nasally, like he was more like a cartoon character than a human. She could tell that he hated his voice just by that he didn't want to talk, she sometimes does that thinking that her voice was too deep for a woman however she was much braver than him.
Since it was quite a walk from the train station to the Hikawa Shrine where her friends were most likely to be since the Game Center Crown was closed, Makoto wanted to know more about the young man as she was curious with a possibility that he will get some help or at least a friend who likes the same things as he does.
Makoto asked, "Do you like reading?"
His eyes blinked and made a frown like he was confused, he didn't know how to word it as it sounded embarrassing not knowing the language despite being a native.
"I struggle...", sighed the man. "I can't... do... kanji and hiragana...", he paused as he was struggling to talk, "Katakana just about..."
She realised that he wasn't like Usagi who couldn't be bothered, he kept trying but failing as it was just too steep especially with the detailed kanji. There might be a theory that he doesn't know his own name or at least spell it to her. Most people introduce themselves however he hasn't, she thinks that he can't find a good enough way. It also means that he can't read manga meaning all those shojo magazines that Usagi reads might as well be in Finnish as it means the same. Knowing that it was her name due to watching what went off in the past, he asked for a pen and paper and wrote マコト however she shook her head and wrote まこと in clear handwriting. At first he was surprised how simple Makoto was in hiragana but then frowned that he did it wrong as he tried to do the three characters however his handwriting was very rough, rougher than her appearance. He just couldn't do smooth curves. Makoto smiled back as he tried his best and she understood that her name could be spelt that way.
It also means that if he can only read katakana just about, it means that his daily life is a struggle. He wouldn't be able to use a computer or any device, read ingredients never mind recipes to cook, he won't be able to get a job as he won't be able to understand a contract, not even a cleaner at an office. There might be a possibility that he knows another language if Japanese struggles him like English but he shook his head. Makoto sulked yet was frustrated with her eyebrows lowered on how to talk to him, from looking at him he can just about talk but feels very uncomfortable and his pronunciation was all muddled. A part of her feels like yelling at him but she also knows that if she yells at him, it might be it however he put his hand out and she held it firmly knowing that it was a soft touch. Like he knows that he is annoying her but she understands that it isn't his fault.
"What about swimming?"
"I... can't swim..., I'm not that like blue hair girl, she's good", sulked the young man.
There was a little smirk coming from Makoto as she knew that he was referring to Ami who is a good swimmer, she remember that when Ami was younger she recalls someone who went into the swimming pool and was the only person who never went into the main pool. He went to the smaller children's pool and struggled, since he spent at least a year trying to promote himself to the main pool however it never happened. Ami felt guilty that day when he left as she could have helped him but he barely communicated.
"Do you like sports?"
He quickly shook his head and she had that hunch that he struggled with that too whether it was football, baseball, track and field or gymnastics. Even his walking was swaying and he wasn't drunk. She can imagine it being worse than Usagi as she was clumsy even though surprisingly she does okay on the 100m dash.
"Music?"
Again a quick shake of the head means that he doesn't like it, at least it would mean peace and quiet. She also had a hunch with his voice, he wouldn't be good at singing but then again Makoto has a deep enough voice where it would sound strange in Japanese ears but more palatable towards Western ears, he wouldn't sound good at any language.
"What about watching TV?"
He paused as a "hmm..." sound came out of him, she knew that he was thinking as he was taking him time to think of an answer.
"A lot of shows make me stressed or cry", crocked the man. "I was only being honest..."
"It's okay, it's better to be honest", nodded Makoto. "Do you like animals?"
Very furiously he shook his head and made a panicky noise, she had a hunch that he was scared of them.
It turns out that he didn't have many hobbies. No wonder he struggled having friends when he doesn't have any topics to talk about and poor at verbal communication. He was thinking that he doesn't deserve someone like Makoto who talked to him and trying to talk back to her, he found her very patient even though he could tell that she must be feeling a bit annoyed. He can imagine her saying that "he's hopeless" in her head yet in her mind, she was feeling sorry for him. No friends, very little to talk about and from what she gathered a lot of things he couldn't do, make him stressed or upset. Even walking he felt scared as he looked at the pavement rather the the surroundings and his hands were shaking. It was like the worst of Usagi and Ami into one.
He sulked, "Sorry if I'm boring you..."
"You're not boring me, you just don't have much to say", strongly spoke Makoto.
While she was walking, she felt confused. She knows that she can dump him at any time yet she can't stop looking at his cheeks, she finds them cute. It was really difficult for Makoto to judge because he was disabled and she never hanged around with a disabled person before even though Usagi at her worst gets kind of close. Is she hanging around because she was taking pity on him or that there is something about him that's attracting her?
They arrived at the Hikawa Shrine and while Makoto managed to make it to the top fine, he struggled as he was out of breath as he was breathing in and out rapidly. While Makoto still had her doubts whether it would be a good idea especially if her ex-senpai was there, she felt that maybe he would have some friends of his own. After all Usagi is friends with almost everyone and there was that chance that Ami would make a good friend for him and vice versa due to their shyness having an understanding.
Within the middle of the shrine ground were Usagi, Ami and Rei with the former two stood up while the shrine maiden was sat down with her eyes closed trying to blank the annoying blonde. Unusually Minako wasn't there but she figured that she took her ex-senpai somewhere.
"Hiya Mako-chan", waved Usagi. She had noticed the other person who was shaking and excitedly asked, "Oooh... you brought someone?"
"Hey Usagi and yeah, I did", chuckled Makoto as she looked at that grin that Usagi had made.
As Usagi leaned forwarded having a closer look, for the young man however it was a nightmare. Those larger than life blue eyes were terrifying, her mouth was very large and her hair was very strange. He never saw someone like her in his life. She was getting closer while he turned around and hid behind Makoto absolutely shaken clinging onto her brown skirt. To him Usagi was a monster and she was going to eat him up.
Usagi smiled, "I won't hurt you."
Even with the promise that Usagi had made, the young man made a yelp, a very stressed noise. Since he knew having bad thoughts within the shrine was disrespectful, he had let go of Makoto and started to run away towards the edge of the steps. Makoto reached her hand and shouted, "Wait!" as she walked off towards the edge of the shrine. Rei opened her eyes and wondered what went off as she heard that strange noise and saw Makoto walking away. As for Ami, she did have a look at him and she knew that he was disabled but was too scared to tell the others her thoughts.
At the top of the steps, he sat down with his hands on both of his cheeks thinking that he blew his big chance. From what he would gather, they would be talking about him behind his back at the haiden. He knows because he remembered people in the past doing the same thing. His prediction however wasn't true as Makoto arrived at the top of the steps and she looked at him. A bit annoyed at first because he had just left yet she was thinking that was how he acted, he was terrified of Usagi and she sometimes forgets that outside of their bubble Usagi does look strange in an outsider perspective. Even with his hands on his cheeks, she saw that they were shaking as he was nervous.
He sighed, "I let you down..."
"I know you ran away because you can't do that in a shrine and Usagi scared you", replied Makoto at an annoyed tone.
Straight away he nodded and thinking that was it, he ruined his chances with Makoto. Every opportunity of him having a friend was a failure, just as much as Makoto having a man was a failure.
Makoto wondered, "I do find it strange, you're scared of Usagi but you're not scared at me."
"Usagi's a monster but you're not a monster", he anxiously spoke, "You're kind, pretty, caring. I don't care if people find you tall or scary, it is who you are. A strong sweet-heart."
Suddenly it caused Makoto's shoulders to relax and her mouth to blissfully smile with a "daww...", he complimented her and despite that he was rushing his speech, she understood. It is ironic that he was scared of a lot of things including the friendly Usagi but not Makoto. The words "it is who you are" were circling around her head and was surprised that someone understood her. He didn't care that she wasn't as feminine as she liked, to him she was a strong yet delicate person who was really gentle in the inside. Yet he sniffed as he had a hunch that it wouldn't last and thought that he had made a mistake saying those things. He loved her from her personality to her appearance but he felt like he made a fool of himself, she wouldn't choose him even if other men rejected her. To him it was like it was too good to be true even if she was just a friend and would wake up in bed lonely as it was a dream.
"You're going to let me go..."
At this point he just wanted to go home and stay there for the rest of his life, he knew that he would be safe instead of getting bullied or people like Usagi scaring him. He knew that he screwed up yet again, he had a feeling that Makoto didn't want him at all. After all he was disabled and she had plenty of abled friends, he saw Usagi, Ami and Rei there. It was only a matter of time before she would either go home or back into the shrine.
Yet Makoto stayed there, she didn't leave him and knew that it was part of who he is. After all she spent enough time with Usagi and Ami to know what they were like and he had some of their qualities with the shyness of Ami and when Usagi gets upset. Makoto wondered whether Usagi and Ami were disabled however they never said while he said straight away and trying to adapt to his different way of life.
Very quickly he gave Makoto another hug thinking that it is his last chance and she stroked his soft short hair to try to calm him down. The thoughts in her head repeating "You're going to let me go..." over and over again, she didn't want that as he was way too upset. Besides if she did let him go, she would be upset herself as she would have lost an opportunity to be with a man, admittedly one that needs plenty of help but she doesn't mind. After all she likes protecting people and especially loves when they say nice things about her that they really mean.
Makoto shook her head, "I won't let you go, you need someone in your life."
"Are you taking pity on me? You can go if you want...", he sighed.
She shook her head again very firmly and to prove it, she put her strong hand onto his shoulder and blissfully smiled. Suddenly he started to stop blubbering and sniffed as he managed to look directly at her. Her smile was making him better as he was winding down and started to relax.
"Thanks Mako-chan", he softly spoke. "Sorry for calling you that."
"It's okay, I like being called Mako-chan", smiled Makoto.
"Do you want a kissy?"
Makoto never thought that she'll get to hear those words in her life especially from a man and froze, not as a bad thing but has a shock. She closed her eyes and nodded then reopened them as she wanted to see whether he was going to kiss her. He gave her a kiss by her rosy cutey cheeks and she just blushed as the love went directly straight to her heart, she felt the tender and kindness that he had. What had been really bad two days has suddenly became one of her best days of her life.