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“Kuroiro, slow down please.” Kinoko murmured softly, her voice barely reaching the void boy a few paces in front of her.
Shihai stopped and looked over his shoulder to look down at Kinoko, a smile coming to his lips. He turned half way and waited for her to catch up. Being almost a whole foot taller than her, of course his legs were longer so he could walk farther. Truth be told, he wanted to be a bit away from the dorms for a while.
Kinoko quickened her pace, coming up to Shihai’s side as they resumed their mindless wandering around campus. She crossed her arm across her chest and latched onto her opposite sleeve to rub the thin fabric between her fingers as a comfort.
Her eyes focused closely to the clean concrete below them, but she listened to whatever he had to say. Shihai mostly spoke of how tiring classes were lately so close to the midterm, tiring things the other boys do, what he misses about going into town late at night, just normal and mundane things. Kinoko didn’t mind just listening, humming in acknowledgment and stealing glances at him.
The cool wind whipped around them, shifting their clothes with it. A small lull in the conversation, the soft patter of their footsteps in rhythm and the rustling of the trees filling the air around them. Kinoko kept a hold on her sleeve, the fabric pinched between her fingers tighter. Shihai tilted his head to the sky, eyes switching focus from star to star. A deep breath in as the wind slowed and out as it swept by again.
“I don’t know how you say you didn’t have friends in middle school.” He spoke up suddenly, his voice clear with a slight humor as he stared upwards.
“Ah… just… not many people want to be friends with the mushroom girl… You know how it is.” Kinoko kept her head down, long bangs shading her eyes even more in the night.
“That's ridiculous. You're the sweetest girl I've ever met,” he said the words softly, leaning down closer to her face. “You're adorable and kind, eccentric and fun. Seeing you come out of your shell has been such a wonder…” He stood up straight again, interlocking his fingers behind his head.
Kinoko looked up at him, eyes filling up with the street lights for the first time that night. Her crossed pupils searched his face for answers on why he would say such a thing. All she could do was trace the outline of his void skin tone against the night trees lit by the street lights. His white haired fluffed from his nightly shower before he dragged her out to walk around before curfew. She liked the way the wind swept it up and out of his eyes. His eyes weren't as void as his skin, they glinted a softer hue but maybe that was just the street lamps… Wait, he's looking right at her.
Kinoko dropped her gaze back to the concrete below, suddenly very invested in watching her cutesy shoes shuffle alongside his beat up combat boots. Shihai let a light huff out of his nose. Stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets, Shihai bent down to eye level with her. She denied to look back up at him, focusing on the grass to her right.
“You have cute eyes…” It was spoken softly, maybe not to even be heard, but it brought her attention one hundred percent to him. Her eyes widened at his compliment, shock filling every corner of her mind.
A manic smile stretched half way across his face. Her cheeks always seemed to be a permanent shade of blush, but this time it deepened and spread across her face in a rush. Her eyes widened a bit as she matched his gaze.
Her bangs swept to the right to give her a clear of him. His skin would blend easily with the night sky, but hair hair acted as a border to highlight him, it almost looked like a halo to Kinoko as it reflected the yellow street lights. In return, Shihai could view one of her eyes clearly; the white of her crossed pupil settled in the middle of the lightest cream that faded to a toasted brown on the outer rim.
“Do you… really mean that? Do you think that, Shihai?” Her voice didn’t sound as shaky as before, but it was certainly softer now. The sound of his first name from her had him tense and his heart speed up.
“Yeah… I do. I really do, Kinoko.”
They both wanted this moment to last for eternity, but Kinoko’s shy demeanor got the best of her, causing her to whip her head around and focus back on the ground. Shihai smiled a bit wider and stretched tall again. The silent walk back to the dorm wasn’t so bad with each other at their side.