Taking The Long Way (Wataru)

[Satonaka Mari]

Thankful that it was now the weekend, Mari had slept in a little longer than she usually would have done. However, she got up around nine, getting breakfast before grabbing a quick shower. She contemplated doing some homework, but decided against it when her eyes spotted her running sneakers. After all, she had all of Sunday to do her homework, and possibly tonight too providing her friends didn’t want to do something, so going for a run couldn’t do any harm. Besides, she much preferred being active than sitting doing schoolwork.

With her plan for at least the next hour or so set in her mind, she got dressed in her running gear and put her ipod in her pocket, before going back downstairs and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. Calling out to her parents to let them know she was going out, she stepped out the front door, inhaling the fresh air with a smile. It was mildly cold, but her hooded top plus the running would keep her warm enough.

She put in her earphones, before putting her ipod onto the separate playlist of upbeat songs that she had for when she was running, and pressed play. She jogged her way through the streets, keeping time with music out of habit, until she reached the beach. The beach had been one of the first places she had visited when she and her parents had moved here. Even if the water was never warm, she didn’t mind; she just found the ocean so pretty.

The slightly damp sand underfoot made for a more uneven running surface, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. It was nice being at a beach again and not having to travel far to get to it. A few thoughts crept into her mind about her old schools and her old friends. She still occasionally kept in touch with some of them, but they didn’t really see each other anymore.

As she rounded the corner of a sandbank, however, she ended up colliding with something kind of solid. With a small squeal, she ended up falling backwards and landing on her backside, hands on either side of her in the sand. Thanks to the sand creating a soft landing, it hadn’t hurt any. Looking up, Mari recognised who it was that she had run into, also noticing that she must have nearly knocked them over as well. Azuma Wataru. She had a certain soft-spot for the tall redheaded boy, because she knew he was giving tumbling his all and that he was trying to change for the better.

Her usual smile graced her lips as she stood up, rubbing her hands together to get the sand off. “Gomen, Azuma-kun,” she said, pulling her earphones out of her ears and wrapping them around her ipod before putting it back in her pocket. “I guess I should pay more attention, huh?” She laughed a little, feeling a little embarrassed that, yet again, her being lost in thought had caused her to be clumsy. “What are you doing out here?”



((ooc - her outfit is here~! I'm so looking forward to this! XD))

[Azuma Wataru]

OOC: this is going to be so fun! =D

Wataru was going for a jog like usual. Like any other day. It was a habit he developed ever since he started tumbling due to the high fitness level required. He always leaves the house before nine in the morning because any other time later than that, the beach would be more crowded with more people walking around. And he didn't like this, so he avoided times with more crowds.

He was a fit, healthy, young and energetic EX-yankee.

Wataru also planning to stop by Nippori's house to borrow a few magazines. Nippori always had the latest collections with the greatest girls. He didnt exactly 'borrow' them but Wataru looked and read through them at Nippori's place. Ryosuke was probably already there. Those two had a hobby of trading those books with each other.

For some reason, the beach-side was more serene today with the waves gently crashing into the shoreside. The sun was out high and the sky was very blue, with the colour of the ocean reflecting off from it. There wasn't a single trace of cloud that Wataru would spot. The breeze was also a saviour, rescuing Wataru from overheating from his jogging. He was almost done with his run so he slowed down into a rhythmic pace as he catched his breath once again.

Using the bottom of his singlet to wipe his forehead from his sweat, revealing his abs, something crashed into him.

Then, it bounced back and landed on the sand.

Wataru definitely hadnt expected this early in the morning and the impact almost made him fall too. He was about to yell at whoever made him lose his balance when he realised who had fell over.

OH.MY.GOD. thought Wataru.

It was Mari-chan. Yes, his Mari-chan.

He stood there frozen for a while, his mind completely blank. He didnt know what to door say and was even too surprised to help her up.

“Gomen, Azuma-kun,” All Wataru could do was stare at her. Mari looked super, extra, super duper cute in casual wear. This was all Wataru's mind could process. Pink suited her well and made her glow in the gleaming sun even more.

“I guess I should pay more attention, huh?” She laughed a little, feeling a little embarrassed that, yet again, her being lost in thought had caused her to be clumsy. “What are you doing out here?”

Finally, this snapped him out of his bubble of thoughts. "Oh, Ma..Mari-chan! Uh.....Y..Yo!"

Smiling a little, he continued, "I'm so sorry, it was my fault."

Wataru was nervous. Really nervous. He was fiddling with the bottom of his singlet, grabbing onto it and twisting the fabric with all his might.

"Ano...Daijobu?" Wataru was really worried that the fall hurt Mari. It seemed painful to him.

"I'm just out jogging as usual. I guess you are too eh?" The clothes that Mari was wearing revealed that it was pretty obvious even for the dumbest love sick idiot in town.

Still feeling really bad, he added "Honto gomen ne?" Slightly bowing his head a little, Wataru bit his lips nervously and looked at Mari-chan indirectly. If he looked into her eyes right now, his heart might just burst from over-excitement.

What a lucky day.


OOC again: I just had to mention his abs XD <3

[Satonaka Mari]

Mari busied herself for a moment after she apologised by wiping the sand off her sleeves and the back of her trousers. A little bit of sand was probably in her shoes too, but she’d sort that out later. It was impossible to go to the beach without getting sand in your shoes or on your clothes. It was almost some sort of law. Sand always managed to get everywhere.

When she didn’t receive a response for a moment, she looked back up at Wataru, tilting her head to the side slightly. Just when she was about to wave her hand in front of his face though, he snapped out of whatever thoughts he had been lost in, saying "Oh, Ma..Mari-chan! Uh.....Y..Yo!". She continued to smile, a small giggle escaping her and she put her fingers to her lips to stifle it. “Yo,” she replied, slowly moving her fingers from her lips.

"I'm so sorry, it was my fault." Wataru added, and Mari just shook her head. “No, I was the one that spaced out and ran into you,” she said honestly as she looked up at him, her smile making her eyes light up. "Ano...Daijobu?" he asked her, and she nodded shortly. “I’m fine, it didn't hurt.”

His answer to her question made Mari look at the clothes he was wearing. Well, if she had looked a moment earlier she probably wouldn’t have had to ask the question. It made her feel a little stupid that she hadn’t noticed in the first place. “Yeah, I haven’t went for a run for a few days now, so I was overdue for one,” she said, tucking a few stray strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear.

The fact that he had said ‘like usual’ made her smile a little wider. He was so dedicated to tumbling now, and it was nice to see. She had said it both to him and to herself before, but she wanted him to do his best and he sure seemed like that was what he was trying to do.

"Honto gomen ne?"

Mari’s smile dimmed slightly as she watched Wataru bow his head a little unnecessarily, before it returned full-force as she shook her head at him. It didn’t really surprise her that he was so insistent in apologising, considering how much of a mother hen he could be with his team mates some of the time. Really, it was quite sweet. As she opened her mouth to speak, she took his left hand in her own, making sure to make direct eye contact with him. “You have nothing to be sorry for!” she exclaimed, laughing slightly. “Why don’t we just say it’s both of our faults, ne?”

The cool breeze felt nice against her skin as it floated past them. Thank goodness it wasn’t strong enough to bring up any sand with it. “Do you…feel like keeping me company?” she asked, finally letting go of his hand. “Since we’re both alone and all. Unless you have anywhere else to be?” She didn’t get to talk to the yankee a lot, plus the company would be nice. As much as listening to music had filled the silence, having another person to talk to was always better.



((ooc - aww, Wataru’s adorable <3 and lolz, of course you had to mention his abs XD unfortunately, Mari didn’t notice them because she was too busy being distracted and running into him lol))

[Azuma Wataru]

“No, I was the one that spaced out and ran into you,” she said honestly as she looked up at him, her smile making her eyes light up. Wataru actually agreed with what Mari-chan said. She did seem to bump into him from out of no where. He didn't even manage to see her approach and before he knew it, they collided.

"Ano...Daijobu?" Wataru was really worried that the fall hurt Mari. It seemed painful to him.

“I’m fine, it didn't hurt.”
"I'm so glad you're not hurt.." Wataru said with a sigh of relief. If he did end up accidentally hurting Mari-chan, then he would suffer from guilt badly. He couldn't afford to make any other bad impressions of himself infront of her. And hurting the girl you like so much would minus all the good points he obtained. That's if he actually ever gained any.

“Yeah, I haven’t went for a run for a few days now, so I was overdue for one,” she said, tucking a few stray strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear.

In Wataru's eyes, Mari-chan still seemed very fit and active. "Oh, I see." The wind was blowing a cool gust just as she was tucking her hair behind her ears.

She's so beautiful....

"Honto gomen ne?"

Abruptly, Mari grasped his left hand in her own and made direct eye contact with him.

“You have nothing to be sorry for!” she exclaimed, laughing slightly. “Why don’t we just say it’s both of our faults, ne?”

Wataru's eyes widened with surprise and he almost jumped from the startle. Mari-chan seemed to have this kindof habit, taking another person's hand in her own. But Wataru didn't seem to realise she only did that to him. Maybe because he was such a mother hen. And Mari loves animals.

As he was drowning in her eyes, taking his time to admire the brown-ness, his face softened into a light smile as he nodded obediently and nervously. His heart was almost pounding out of his rib cage and would go flopping all over the sand, losing control until his excited heart would make a run for the water, plunge itself into the sea to cool down and calm itself. Just like in animations.

But that wouldn't happen so his nervousness and excitement just kept building up until his cheeks were starting to flush. This was the exact moment Mari started to speak again “Do you…feel like keeping me company?” she asked, finally letting go of his hand. “Since we’re both alone and all. Unless you have anywhere else to be?”

As soon as she released his hand, Wataru was almost relieved but a fist of disappointment just punched him straight directly into his stomach. He wanted to stay like that just for a little longer. But on the other hand, he was also filled with joy hearing Mari-chan asking him to accompany her. It was the first time she ever asked him something like that and Wataru couldnt believe his ears.

Unable to hide his hapiness, Wataru smiled a big dopey smile while replying "Hai!"

...

Chotto.... He had to play it cool and not show his emotions too much otherwise Mari might lose interest. Putting on a straight face, he cleared his throat and continued "Ahem... I mean, I didn't have anything else planned after jogging anyways". A big fat lie just blurted out from his mouth.

Gomen Nippori! He silently apologised in his mind. He couldn't tell Mari that he was going to go Nippori's place to look at THOSE type of magazines with Ryosuke.

"Is there anywhere specific you want to go? I'd be happy to go anywhere" ....If it's with you.., thought Wataru, almost blushing again.

"Oh, and pink suits you well" He gestured towards the clothes Mari was wearing while attempting to give one of his 'I dont care much' smile. But inside, he was feeling all giddy.

Yes, he was TOO excited. Mari-chan probably just meant staying at the beach and taking a stroll, but Wataru always went jumping into his pool of conclusions choosing whatever suited him the best.

Silently, he added Kami-sama, Arigato! I'm such a lucky yankee ne?


OOC: I know mari wants to see wataru's abs too she will get to see them soon... i hope XD Wataru wants to see her abs too LMAO & sorry it's kinda long.. got a bit too excited

[Satonaka Mari]

Mari had only nodded and continued to smile when Wataru said he was glad she wasn’t hurt. “Sand hardly makes for a sore landing,” she said, giggling softly. It really was kind of sweet how worried he got over people sometimes. Exactly like a mother hen. She was glad, though, that she wasn’t one of those types of people that ‘judged books by their covers’, so to speak. If she was, she wouldn’t have even spoken to Wataru back on her first day, when she had asked if he was alright.

She’d learned over the years that not everyone was what they appeared to be, and she always liked to see the good in people. Her friends had thought she was crazy for talking to the yankees, and they still did, but Mari couldn’t quite bring herself to care. They weren’t bad people, that much she knew, and from what she had seen they were nice and cared a lot about their friends, which was what she really liked about them.

It didn’t even occur to Mari that she had only gotten into the habit of taking Wataru’s hand sometimes when she was speaking to him. And it also didn’t occur to her that he was affected by it or, for that matter, that he even had feelings for her. She was more than a little bit oblivious to the whole thing. She was by no means dumb, however wasn’t it common for people not to realise when others had feelings for them, when they could easily spot when other people had feelings for each other.

She was glad to see Wataru smile back at her as he nodded in agreement with her saying it had been both of their faults, because that way there would be no one with the blame pinned fully on them. After asking Wataru to keep her company, she wasn’t entirely sure what to expect as an answer. After all, he could very well have other plans with his friends, or with the whole team perhaps, since they had all become so close. She was undeniably pleased though, when he agreed to accompany her.

The large grin on Wataru’s face made her giggle slightly. He had a nice smile, she also noted. When she had first met him, it seemed like he didn’t really smile often, but now it was a different story. She seen him smile often, and it made her want to smile even more. She could remember the first time she had seen him smile, she had wondered why he didn’t do it more often.

"Ahem... I mean, I didn't have anything else planned after jogging anyways," Wataru said, before continuing. "Is there anywhere specific you want to go? I'd be happy to go anywhere." Mari smiled at him and thought for a moment. “I’m not sure, really. Why don’t we just stay on the beach for now, and if we get any ideas on anywhere else, then we can say?” she suggested, thinking that sounded fairly reasonable.

"Oh, and pink suits you well," Wataru added in a seemingly nonchalant manner. Mari was a bit surprised by the compliment. If there had been something she had been expecting him to say, it certainly wasn’t that. Nevertheless, she smiled and spoke. “Thank you,” she said, the faintest of blushes gracing her cheeks, though it was barely noticeable against the light flush that was still there from running.

Unconsciously storing that compliment away, Mari looked from the beach back to Wataru, that ever-present smile still on her face. She was happy now that she would have company, and perhaps even get to know the tall redhead a little bit better. “So, shall we?” she said, with a vague gesture at the beach, just about to start walking.



((ooc - lolz, there’s always them going to the swimming pool for part of her birthday to see them~ XD and lol, don’t apologise, I’m just glad you were able to get carried away with what I gave you. Also, sorry about the wait on this!))