The lights were turned on. The digital wall clock was showing 2:34 a.m. Shina was embarrassed to look on Akira's face. Her lips were trembling, pupils were moving fast. Then she took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Now, explain." Akira said.
"Actually, I have Mono-phobia. I can't sleep well when I am alone. Tiredness made me fell asleep fast but I got know somehow that I was alone, specially in the dark. So, I woke up half an hour ago."
"Then you thought that it would be good for you if you come to my room and sleep beside me, right?" Akira asked. Shina looked at him.
"Yes. But as I was about to fall asleep after my heart knew that I wasn't alone, you suddenly hugged me. That made me nervous."
Akira was thinking something, something that made his face look pale.
"Your parents died a week ago, right?" Shina nodded. "And you were alone for a whole week?" Akira leaned towards Shina. Shina smiled but it the pain was noticeable. Akira's pupils shrunk.
If a person sleeps at least seven hours a day, it'll sum up to forty-nine hours. Akira thought.
"How many hours you slept daily in this week?"
"Maybe three hours, I guess."
That's twenty-one hours. It's not even enough, specially not for a teenager like her.
Akira suddenly hugged her and Shina felt so warmth from that, that she had to shred tears.
"You- how-how did you survive that pain. Even it was nearly impossible for me. I know how you might be feeling right now. I'm sorry. I couldn't be there for you."
Akira's words weren't to comfort Shina, they were genuine. How? He was crying while saying those things to Shina. And Shina also felt that.
"To be honest, I also have that fear in my heart. Having nightmares every night, waking up before even you could sleep perfectly, I also know that pain."
The lights were turned off. Shina and Akira were under the same blanket.
"Um, Akira."
"What is it?"
Could- could you please-" she could say further out of embarrassment.
"Just split it out, Shina."
"Could you please hug me?"
"WHAT?"Akira shouted.
"Please, I can't sleep otherwise."
Akira sighed. "Gosh! Alright. Tuck in.
Both of their faces were turned into red because of blushing.
"It's embarrassing, kinda." Shina muttered.
"It is." Akira agreed.
"It's like we're a married couple." her voice was mixed with hesitation.
"Why the heck would you say that? That makes it even more embarrassing." he closed his eyes.
"Akira."
"What now?"
"You said that it was also impossible for you. You meant the phobia, didn't you?"
"That's right."
Shina rolled over and turned to Akira. Akira's face became even more redder when he opened his eyes and looked at her.
"How long have you been alone in this apartment?" Shina asked.
"Well, it should be two years."
"Two years! Then how did you overcome your fear?"
"I never did actually, I accepted it, though it took a lot of time." he smiled in agony. "The truth is, I was always alone. Despite my fear, it was my first desire."
"To be alone?"
'Uh-huh. That's why, after studying for some hours I fell asleep, without even knowing. But whenever I sleep, I always have nightmares. But I guess, it won't happen tonight, because I have someone in my arms, someone I have to take care of."
Shina's eyes glowed. She hugged Akira and shred tears.
"Don't forget that I also have someone to take care of, idiot." They smiled not in agony, but in happiness.
It was common that the Sun shines bright in March. But the wind in Tokyo was also in its mood. Akira and Shina were walking in a street of Koto city. Akira had a chocolate in his hand.
"You know what? I'll give half of it but still we aren't there yet."Akira said.
"Anyway where are going now?"
"To your gift."Akira smiled.
"To my gift?"
"And here we are."
They stopped in front of a jewellery shop. The shop was looking not too old and not too new from outside. Once they stepped in, they saw it was shining like a luxury store as if they were made only for the royal people.
"Welcome to our shop." The manager came forward to them.
"I thought that girls like cosmetics and jewellery very much. So I brought here."
"But are you sure? I thought it'd be just a gift."
"It is. Now come on. Let's see something for you."
Akira pushed her to some jewellery corner.
"Now tell me what do you want."
"I won't ask that much so just a ring."
Then Akira chose a diamond ring.
"That one, please."
The ring's prize was 80,000 yen. Shina was shocked to see the prize but the she looked at Akira. He was smiling.
"But it's too much for me."
"That's why, I'm giving this to you."
He bought the ring and went to a park nearby. The wind was getting wild. Shina's hair were dancing. Both of them sat on a bench, not too close and not too far.There weren't any other person. Akira noticed Shina was blushing and she was restless for something.
"Are you okay, Shina?" He asked.
"I'm fine. I'm fine." Shina was super restless.
"It's just I want to try that ring now." She looked down.
"Well, that works for me."Akira pulled out the ring's box.
"Here it is." He opened the box.
"A-Akira, can you put the ring on my finger.""
Akira's face became a little red. "O-okay. Which finger do you wanna put it on?"
"This...one." guess what? She showed the ring finger of her left hand. Akira was shocked and flattered to see that. He looked at Shina's red face because of blushing and then looked at her finger, the mighty ring finger of love.
"Are you sure about that?" he asked while his ears were becoming red.
"Uh, yes. Please, Akira."
"Okay, then. I'm doing it."
Just like a proposal where a boy puts a ring on the girls ring finger, Akira literally dd the same thing. Shina looked at her ring, put by Akira, and smiled. it was genuine and beautiful. Akira's eyes sparkled. He, for the first time, maybe, felt affection towards someone. His heartbeat were racing like a Formula-1. He couldn't put his eyes off Shina. Her smile, her genuine beauty, her dancing hair because of the wild wind were making Akira fall in love with her. But then he saw something flashing before his eyes. A girl inn front of him, who was just shot by a gun, was falling down somewhere and the smile was something he couldn't ignore. Then his head started breaking down.
"Argh!" He cried, not too loud.
"Akira! Are you okay?" Shina put her right hand on Akira's shoulder and held his left hand with hers.
"No, I'm fine. It's just a small headache."
"We should get home now. Let's go, Akira.
"Yeah, let's go, Shina."
The sun was going down in the west. Both of them stood up and started to head to their home, where they both live under the same roof, in the same room, in the same bed, holding each other.
"This was the very first time when, I, Akira, a loner since two years as far as I can remember, felt love towards Shina. And I always wondered how she'll treat me after knowing that. But it became all well afterwards. Still there was something that had bothered not only me but also her as well.-
"Shina, the girl I love, was more beautiful to me than anything else in the world. But still I never knew the reason why I love her. That's how love feels, right, the true one?"