Chapter Text
Kinich is not a friendly guy at first glance, he always has a serious look on his face, so many people would wonder how someone like him can be friends with a girl like Mualani, who seems to be the complete opposite of him.
Mualani is a very bubbly person, she is a guide, and she enjoys it so much, but being just a guide isn't what she really likes, it's the relationships she makes along the way that make it a worthwhile journey. She is a sociable girl, we could even say that she is incapable of living a day of her life without interacting with someone, because a day without social interaction is a boring day.
On the other hand, Kinich is nothing like her in social skills. He forms logical relationships by keeping distance from people. More than looking for or needing social relationships, Kinich has been living a time of his life by his principles to survive.
The word "survive" next to the name "Kinich" may sound funny, since one of Kinich's hobbies is playing risky sports. The name says it, they are risky sports, but Kinich looks at it from a different prism. He does not practice them because of him being suicidal, but to overcome his own fears, to be more capable of anything.
So that's why so many people wonder how they get along, because Mualani lives for social relationships and experiences with people, while Kinich is more of a "lone wolf".
The fact is that, even if they're nothing alike, Mualani always has a way to cope with social interactions, whether it's playing jokes, bringing up topics of conversation, proposing plans... She just can't stop talking, and Kinich can't even talk that much, he listens more than talks, that's why they get along so easily.
Mualani values her friendship with Kinich very much, just as she values any other friendship she has, and Kinich does too, but recently he's been feeling strange.
His heart beats faster with the closeness of Mualani, when she waits for Kinich to answer or continue their conversation, he's speechless for some strange reason, or he hesitates whether to return the hugs that Mualani euphorically gives to him before saying goodbye.
Mualani does not suspect his unusual behavior, or at least that is what Kinich believes, because she continues to act the same way in front of him, and he knows her well, she is a direct girl, she doesn't mince words when it comes to saying what she thinks, If she had noticed, she would have said it.
It is true that Kinich does not look so different from the outside, even if his emotions make a mess in his mind, on the outside he looks quite normal, because he's not used to returning hugs easily, or talking when necessary in a conversation.
Maybe that's why Mualani didn't notice it, and he's glad she didn't, because he wouldn't know what to say if Mualani asked him why is he behaving that way.
I mean, Kinich has had enough with the bunch of doubts he's become lately, He couldn't have worried about that problem if it had happened, in fact, he feels that he is not able to concentrate on the things he does lately. His mind is always in the place where he is.He couldn't have worried about that problem if it had happened, in fact, he feels that he is not able to concentrate on the things he does lately. His mind is always in the place where he is, never wanders, never gets distracted, until now.
All he can think of is Mualani. Every time he spends a day with her, the memories of that same day replay in his mind for the next days. The jokes Mualani made, the topics of conversation she brought up, the sudden races she wants to do in random places or situations. Even the color of her nails is stuck in his mind for more than five days!
Ajaw has noticed that he is behaving strange, after all, he is the only one who is with him 24 hours a day, he had to notice, and that's what makes this situation more annoying for Kinich.
It's annoying because Kinich has to shut Ajaw up all the time in public so he doesn't say things Mualani shouldn't hear, and then he has to put up with his tantrums and his teasing phrases about "love" and all that stuff all night.
He doesn't know what it's like to be in love, and that's why he doubts what he's currently feeling, but... Mualani is so charismatic, Mualani makes a kind of "spark" in his days, makes his days to not be boring at all, to be "worth to remember".
What's more, just now Kinich meets Mualani, walking back to their respective tribes at night. They met along the way, and Mualani soon began to talk enthusiastically about any topic that crossed her mind, but Kinich sin right now is that he's not listening to her, because he is lost in his thoughts, in his doubts, in the search for reasons for his new emotions.
Surprisingly, Ajaw is quiet this time, and that is why Kinich decides to reconnect to the conversation.
"Surprisingly, today I learned a lot about horoscope, as I told you before, this person told me about it and said very interesting things..."
Ah, yes, Mualani is talking about horoscope, now it makes sense to Kinich that Ajaw does not speak, he will be completely bored because of how much he must be uninterested in the subject. For a moment, Kinich wishes for Mualani to talk more about topics that would keep Ajaw quiet from now on.
"Kinich, are you listening to me?" Mualani did a brief pause, and Kinich opened his eyes more than usual, he felt trapped, what could he say to not make her feel bad because he was, in fact, not listening?
She sighed.
"If you're not interested in the subject, you can say it, I'm already seeing Ajaw almost falling asleep! This is the first time that you two make similar faces and react in a similar way to what I say." She replied before Kinich could answer, and he was relieved for that, Mualani talkative behavior was a virtue more than an imperfection to Kinich, and this was the best example of why he thought that way.
"It's just that I'm kind of tired today." He said, not really lying, because he was, in fact, a little tired.
"Oh, so that's it... You could've said it, I could have carried you on my back to your house, you know I'm capable of that!" She said with a smile, and Kinich kept his arms behind his back, in a rigid pose.
"There's no need, my legs are fine, I can walk by my own." He tried to downplay his tiredness, since it was just an excuse to hide the truth of why he wasn't hearing any of the things she said before.
"Kinich, you should open up more often, you know?" She suddenly said, and that catched Kinich off guard. "I mean, you're fine the way you are, is just that you can't expect others to ignore your state, or to not try to fulfill your needs. If you're tired, you can say it, and if you don't want to talk, you can say that too, I'll understand."
She stopped walking, looking directly at Kinich eyes. He tried to keep up too, looking at her.
"I mean! You can stay the same if you want, It was just a suggestion, but you're fine as you are, don't take it the wrong way." She shakes her hands while she talks, trying not to sound rude.
"I'll keep that in mind."
That's the only thing that could come out of Kinich mouth, she was trying to make him improve? Because if it's not that, Kinich wouldn't know what was that for.
But it felt... Incredibly weird, like a warm breeze in the afternoon. His heart was pounding fast again, but even if this happened many times before, he'll never get used to it.
She was worried about him? He made her worried?
"You don't have to worry, I'm Sincere when I say I'm not that tired, sorry for not listening before." He managed to make that sentence without sounding weird or out of place.
Mualani blinked twice before answering.
"Then I'm happy for you, don't worry, I wasn't angry, it's always nice to have someone who only listens to what you say, or to be there just to have a reason to talk!" She smiled, and he kept quiet now.
This was the hardest part for Kinich: the goodbye hug.
At first, he couldn't even tell that there was a difference between hugging Mualani to say goodbye or not, but lately it takes his breath away, or makes his hands doubt where they should rest.
She made the same face as always, the same smile, the same look at his eyes, and approached quickly to give him a hug.
Kinich stayed still, his hands tried to caress her back a little, so that the shaking that had occurred in them would not be noticed.
A few seconds later, Mualani walked away, waving goodbye with her two arms, being as loud as always to say goodbye.
Kinich turned around, walking to the opposite direction, and that's when Ajaw decided to talk.
"I don't understand you, how can you put up with all her talks?! Today she decided to talk about horoscope and I almost died of boredom! I don't understand how can you like her, are you stupid or what?"
Kinich rest his arms behind his head, walking more carefree than before.
"Like her?" He genuinely asked. Does he like her? He doesn't know yet.
"Don't tell me that her talk has burned your brain!" Ajaw complained, and Kinich just stayed quiet.
Maybe this is a new fear that Kinich has to overcome. Maybe, and just maybe, this is like those risky sports that Kinich had managed to complete, and if he's correct, he'll try to overcome this too, somehow.