Sunday…December 11…Town…3pm
A smile pressed on Masao’s lips as he said goodbye to his company. Two guys and one girl turned away from him and cut through the congestion of people in front of the subway. The three were from Masao’s old school, the one he attended before transferring to Gakuin High. He considered them “friends” and kept with façade of maintaining an acquaintance with them. They had met up in an expensive shopping district, away from Gakuin. Masao couldn’t risk running into anybody that knew about Kira. Their relationship was kept secret in school, but that didn’t mean somebody couldn’t suspect that something was going on between the two.
Masao had declined to ride with them; though they were getting off at different stops, they would still take the same train. He wanted to stay in the district to do some shopping. There was only one person that he even considered buying for during the Christmas time. After such a rocky past couple of months, Kira really deserved something nice. Masao wanted something that would show his affection, to show how much he cared for the other boy.
Hands in his pockets, Masao turned and slowly began walking down the sidewalks, while keeping an eye on the shops. His group had gone shopping earlier, but Masao hadn’t seen anything that stuck out. This present had to be special, something Kira would cherish. Already he had planned to take Kira out to dinner. They would travel to some fancy restaurant that already had their reservations. He already planned out a walk along the river boardwalk, a walkway that followed along the manmade river that ran through the town. The boardwalk was off to the side from the town, secluded by a stone wall. Lights lined the pathway, and at night, they would illuminate the path including the covered bridges. They would walk after dinner; Masao would have to make sure Kira brought along a warm coat. It would just be the two of them, nobody to interfere with them, not even Masao’s addictions. He had planned the day so that his time with Kira wouldn’t be a numb high for Masao. He would be there for Kira in body and mind. Masao hoped Kira would enjoy the date.
He needed something to give Kira, something Kira could take in his hands, something he could hold. Materialistic may be unimportant, but Masao wanted something precious for Kira. Jewelry was the first thought for a significant other, but Masao wasn’t too sure when the other happened to be the same gender. A few more disappointing shops later, Masao decided to check out the jewelry store.
Once the bell chimed announcing Masao had entered the shop, the associate was by his side, greeting him and offering assistance. At first, Masao declined help, but after much persistence on the sales clerks half, he succumbed. He listened as the associate talked, simply nodding or shaking his head to questions. He was led to different counters that encased the expensive jewelry. He was shown earrings, necklaces, and rings, all of which were female-esque. His frown went unnoticed as the worker suddenly let out a low “Oooh I see,” and led him to a different counter where the jewelry was styled for men. Masao’s eyes widened slowly as it dawned on him that the person knew. His breathing became more rapid and harsh as he tried to hold his composure, yet at the same time, the associates words seemed to diminish. He kept his eyes down on the contents of the counter, not wanting to look the sales clerk in the eye.
While his eyes were down, one particular ring caught his attention. He ignored the words from the guy as he got closer to the glass to see it. The associate caught on as well and began giving a lengthy lecture about the ring. He caught a little about its origin and getting matching rings. The price tag was the problem now. He could possibly come up with that much, but it would be cutting it close to Christmas and testing Shige’s patience.
Without thanking the associate, Masao left the building.