Silent Gestures

Hinata's POV

As I sat amidst the towering shelves of the library, the quiet murmurs of students studying around me served as a backdrop to the growing unease gnawing at my insides. Haruto was late, and with each passing minute, my nerves danced with an anxious rhythm.

Minutes stretched into hours, and still, there was no sign of him. With a heavy sigh, I gathered my books and bag, walking out of the library to search for Haruto after being missing for too long.

The hallway outside the library pulsed with the energy of a thousand untold stories, but I only have one thing in mind, Haruto. Each step I took echoed with the weight of uncertainty, the rhythm of my heart matching the cadence of my feet as I ventured forth into the empty hallway.

The classrooms stood empty, their silent walls offering no solace, no clue to Haruto's whereabouts. The gymnasium, usually a hub of activity, lay dormant, its echoes of laughter and competition were now nothing but silence.

“Maybe the rooftop,” I told myself. I sped up my pace, expecting him to be there. Turns out, even the rooftop, where he often went there, yielded nothing but the whisper of the wind.

Still trying to catch my breath, I sat down on the floor. The wind stroked my hair gently as I put down the bag I had been carrying the whole time.

“Where is he?” I thought to myself, only to find nothing but dust and sand. “He must be here somewhere, he needs to go past the library in order to exit the building. Me being there all the time, means he is still here,” my thoughts continued.

“At least one of our teachers is still here. Maybe I should go to the teachers’ room,” I ended my thoughts as I set foot towards the teachers’ room.

As I approached the teachers’ room, I paused for a second, not sure about the decision I would take. As I said, “Let’s just find Haruto,” I pushed the door open. The light of the room inside shone through the gap of the open door and… I was greeted by an unexpected view.

Haruto sat in quiet contemplation, flanked by the imposing figures of a stern-faced middle-aged woman and the school principal. Their voices, low and urgent, filled the room with an air of intrigue, their words obscured by the weight of their secrets.

For a moment, I hesitated in the doorway, the situation settling like a heavy cloak upon my shoulders. What could they be discussing? What is Haruto doing here?

Before I could gather my thoughts, the school principal turned towards me, his gaze piercing through the veil of my uncertainty. "What's the matter, Hinata?" he inquired, his voice carrying a subtle edge, hinting at a suspicion lurking beneath.

My mind raced as I searched for an answer, my pulse quickening with each passing second. "I, uh, I think I got the wrong room," my words stumbled, revealing the whirlwind of emotions swirling within me.

As I turned to leave, my eyes met Haruto's for a fleeting moment, and in that silent exchange, I saw a flicker of something in his gaze. It was a silent plea, a shared understanding. Driven by desperation, I made a split-second decision to wait for him outside the room, with no certain plan in my mind.

Minutes stretched into eternities as I stood guard outside the teachers’ room, My thoughts and emotions swirled like a tempest within me, a chaotic symphony of confusion and uncertainty.

“I asked myself, “What could be keeping Haruto? Was he in danger?” my heart ached with worry.

Finally, the door creaked open, and I held my breath as the figures emerged from within, a middle-aged woman, stern-faced and implacable, and Haruto, his face was a picture of serene mystery, hiding any hint of the storm brewing beneath his calm exterior.

He glanced at me briefly, then averted his gaze in an instant, checking the woman then stole another glance in my direction, his expression now etched with concern. He pointed to his phone, a silent invitation to communicate.

I flashed him an "okay" sign before tapping away at my phone, trying to reassure myself that everything would be alright. With a wave, I urged myself to believe in that reassurance.

But then, like a sudden storm, the school principal appeared, his gaze heavy with suspicion. "What are you doing here, Hinata?" he inquired, his voice slicing through the tense silence.

I glanced at my phone before meeting his eyes, mustering up an innocent smile. Surprisingly, he returned it, though it lacked any true warmth. The hallway seemed to stretch into eternity as neither of us spoke.

Taking a step back, I make a quick plan. "Hello?" I feigned a call, pressing my phone to my ear. "Yes, hi mum. I'm on my way," I continued, weaving my deception.

Finally, the principal gestured for me to leave. And just like that, I escaped the awkward encounter.

***

"Food's ready!" my mother's voice echoed from downstairs.

"On my way!" I shouted back, hastily drying my hair with the blow dryer. Who has time to wait for it to dry naturally anyway? As I finished, I unplugged the dryer and dashed downstairs to join my parents for dinner.

"What's on the menu tonight?" I asked, taking my seat.

"I gave you two eyes to see, Hinata," my mother retorted, her usual response.

I chuckled, "Just making conversation, dear mother." pouring myself some water, I settled in, wondering when Dad would arrive. “When will Dad come home?”

“Right now,” a man in navy colored suit opened the entrance door as he placed his briefcase on the ground to receive a warm welcome embrace from his wife. I was also surprised that their relationship was not like that of couples in general, their romance was still maintained even though they had raised their child until she was fifteen.

"Welcome home, Dad," I greeted.

"Let's eat while it's hot," my mom poured rice into my father’s bowl.

"Dinner!"

***

After about half an hour of eating and chatting, I gathered the dishes and headed to the sink. With the rhythm of my favorite music in the background, I washed the dishes, finding solace in the routine. Soft melodies and warm water made for the perfect combination, and my Bluetooth speaker became an indispensable companion.

As I dried my hands, the music paused, replaced by a message notification. I grabbed my phone, seeing Haruto's reply to my earlier message.

"Hey," I typed back, tucking the speaker into my hoodie pocket as I headed upstairs to my room.

Lying on my bed, I felt the comfort seep into my tired muscles. My fingers danced across the screen, exchanging words with Haruto.

"How are you?" I asked.

"I'm fine," came his instant reply.

I knew he wasn't being entirely truthful. "Really?" I pressed.

"I'm fine,” again, he responded with the same assurance.

Sensing his reluctance to share, I changed the subject. "By the way, since you didn't show up today..."

Before I could finish, he interrupted, "Didn't show up for what?"

His answer left me silent for a few seconds before I replied, “We promised to meet at the library to have our study session!”

“Right. Sorry about that. Earlier I didn’t have time to send you a message to let you know because I was dragged to the teachers’ room the second I left class,” he explained.

“Oh, I see. That’s unexpected,” I replied

“Let’s have our study session tomorrow,” he suggested.

Excitement bubbled within me. "Deal. See you then."

He ended our conversation with a sticker of a goat sipping tea, a quirky touch that somehow felt comforting.

I shut down the messaging app and laid my phone on the bed. But not long after, my phone rings.

“Haruto?”

To be continued…