[Realistically, Taku shouldn't have had any expectations. He told himself that he wouldn't have any expectations. They got dashed anyway. Kaede never called him.
The first few days he would pull out his cellphone and look at it during lulls at work or idle hours at home. No messages or missed calls. The thoughts were pervasive. No matter what he was doing, grocery shopping, eating lunch at his desk, writing a quick email to family, his mind would wander and he'd wonder- did Kaede remember him? Every time he realized what he was doing he would frown, internally berate himself, and put the device away or focus back on the task at hand. It was silly to place hopes on that. He threw it away. Of course Kaede would throw it away. They were strangers and that was to be expected. After a week he wrote 'there's no way he will call me' and promptly crossed it out to start a proper entry.
Riding the train was another trial all together. It was harder to ignore Kaede than it ever was before. He was saved the direct day after, the student hadn't boarded, but afterwards was a constant struggle. He wanted to look at him more. To hear more. To know more. But he shouldn't know him. He should be a faded memory the same as the vague face of the clerk at the convenience store. It felt like every passenger knew this discrepancy. Could sense it every time he scanned the car or pretended to look out the window instead of at the tall man standing in front of it. He had more excuses than ever to notice the man and yet he felt like he was weaving a larger lie. It was only a matter of time until someone was aware of how strange he was.
Yet, anything can be commonplace after enough time passes. The shine wore off from learning those finer details from their meeting. They became normal inclusions into his notes - his eyes were darker today than normal, he sounded tired, he looked bored. He felt confident in these assessments. He might not have gotten a second chance to talk to Kaede but he knew him better still.]
[It's a day like any other. The most notable thing of the day is that Taku has managed to find a seat on the train for once. That, and Kaede was having a heated discussion with a friend. The girls he usually travels with are the easy going sort, the worst he has ever heard from them are complaints about the crowds, but he recognized the boy. It was the only time he ever heard anything about his time in university or what he was studying. He was a good source of information. Plus, he was one of the few men that traveled with Kaede so he stood out while the girls ran together.
Thankfully, a fight in a crowded place is guaranteed to get stares so he didn't have to worry too much about shooting looks at them during and after the little episode. Other passengers were doing the same. A fight about school though. Kaede looked troubled afterwards. Hopefully it was nothing too serious. Students skipped all the time, it was normal. Although his friend seemed very bothered.
Taku was so lost in thought in his imaginings of Kaede's life and troubles, staring blankly down at his own lap, that he doesn't even realize the real one has come over.
Wallet-san?
After all this time what would possess him to approach him now? It wasn't like this was the first time they were in the same car after that day. Could he have been staring too much? Was he drastically abnormal compared to the other passengers? But no, that couldn't be, not when he was called with such a strange nickname. Kaede remembers him. Against all odds and lack of contact he had left an impression. No matter how small or strange. All Taku does is watch him move- when he bends to mock checking under the seat, any quirks to his moth and face as he talks even when it doesn't change much at all.
Sorry, you probably don't remember me.
Finally, he realizes he has been staring in silence. He raises a hand to cover his mouth, blinks, thinks. What is he going to do? Hopefully he assumes the strangeness is only a symptom of delayed memory and nothing else.]
Oh. Oh! Yes, I remember you. It's been quite a while. [17 days exactly.] I've been good and made sure everything was packed away tight before leaving after that scare. Thank you, again.
no subject
The first few days he would pull out his cellphone and look at it during lulls at work or idle hours at home. No messages or missed calls. The thoughts were pervasive. No matter what he was doing, grocery shopping, eating lunch at his desk, writing a quick email to family, his mind would wander and he'd wonder- did Kaede remember him? Every time he realized what he was doing he would frown, internally berate himself, and put the device away or focus back on the task at hand. It was silly to place hopes on that. He threw it away. Of course Kaede would throw it away. They were strangers and that was to be expected. After a week he wrote 'there's no way he will call me' and promptly crossed it out to start a proper entry.
Riding the train was another trial all together. It was harder to ignore Kaede than it ever was before. He was saved the direct day after, the student hadn't boarded, but afterwards was a constant struggle. He wanted to look at him more. To hear more. To know more. But he shouldn't know him. He should be a faded memory the same as the vague face of the clerk at the convenience store. It felt like every passenger knew this discrepancy. Could sense it every time he scanned the car or pretended to look out the window instead of at the tall man standing in front of it. He had more excuses than ever to notice the man and yet he felt like he was weaving a larger lie. It was only a matter of time until someone was aware of how strange he was.
Yet, anything can be commonplace after enough time passes. The shine wore off from learning those finer details from their meeting. They became normal inclusions into his notes - his eyes were darker today than normal, he sounded tired, he looked bored. He felt confident in these assessments. He might not have gotten a second chance to talk to Kaede but he knew him better still.]
[It's a day like any other. The most notable thing of the day is that Taku has managed to find a seat on the train for once. That, and Kaede was having a heated discussion with a friend. The girls he usually travels with are the easy going sort, the worst he has ever heard from them are complaints about the crowds, but he recognized the boy. It was the only time he ever heard anything about his time in university or what he was studying. He was a good source of information. Plus, he was one of the few men that traveled with Kaede so he stood out while the girls ran together.
Thankfully, a fight in a crowded place is guaranteed to get stares so he didn't have to worry too much about shooting looks at them during and after the little episode. Other passengers were doing the same. A fight about school though. Kaede looked troubled afterwards. Hopefully it was nothing too serious. Students skipped all the time, it was normal. Although his friend seemed very bothered.
Taku was so lost in thought in his imaginings of Kaede's life and troubles, staring blankly down at his own lap, that he doesn't even realize the real one has come over.
Wallet-san?
After all this time what would possess him to approach him now? It wasn't like this was the first time they were in the same car after that day. Could he have been staring too much? Was he drastically abnormal compared to the other passengers? But no, that couldn't be, not when he was called with such a strange nickname. Kaede remembers him. Against all odds and lack of contact he had left an impression. No matter how small or strange. All Taku does is watch him move- when he bends to mock checking under the seat, any quirks to his moth and face as he talks even when it doesn't change much at all.
Sorry, you probably don't remember me.
Finally, he realizes he has been staring in silence. He raises a hand to cover his mouth, blinks, thinks. What is he going to do? Hopefully he assumes the strangeness is only a symptom of delayed memory and nothing else.]
Oh. Oh! Yes, I remember you. It's been quite a while. [17 days exactly.] I've been good and made sure everything was packed away tight before leaving after that scare. Thank you, again.