Emiko's eye was dark as she said the words."Is it because you see Aoi in me, or that you think you have a second chance with me (thinking I am Aoi) that you are helping me?" Silence fell like a bomb on the apartment. Even the sizzling of the fried rice seemed to suddenly come into silence. Nino stared darkly black at Emiko all but irritated. Breathing in the cigarette and then breathing it out again, Nino moved forwards and leaned over his knees. His dark hair moved with him as he continued to stare.
"Don't think of me as such as shallow bastard," he leered caustically back at Emiko. "I'm not out to prove myself to anyone or anything or to bring any of my past back. I told you about Aoi because you asked." He stood up so suddenly that the couch shifted back a fraction. Turning straight towards the door, Nino all but ripped it off its hinges before stepping out and slamming it again. Silence fell over the whole room. However sound seemed to strangely come back again as the sizzling of the rice hit the air. Matsu, who had frozen for a second, simply began flipping the rice again with a smooth arm not looking up at Emiko.
"You struck him hard if you can believe it," Matsu sighed outwards still flipping the rice in the pan as his other arm went to lower the temperature on the stove. "I've only seen him hurt like that once before." Reaching over, Matsu poured some spices onto the rice. The white haired man made no motion of comfort or any of the like but simply continued cooking.
"I...." Emiko started causing Matsu to look up and find the red haired girl looking out the door where Nino had left. Leaning his head back down again, Matsu went back to work.
"It's not like he won't recover," Matsu continued as if being both cold and compassionate at the same time. "I believe in Nino far more than to expect anything less...By the way I wouldn't suggest you going after him... he's violent when hurt... as one would put it the bear is far more viscous when his foot is caught in a trap than when he is free." Taking out some rice bowls, Matsu began to fill them. "Did you want your rice, Emiko?" Matsu asked holding the rice bowl out over the counter. Receiving a cold look back from Emiko, Matsu smiled lightly before retracting his arm and setting the bowl on the counter. "It's there if you're hungry."
Taking up another bowl, Matsu filled it, set it down, filled another one, set it down, and filled the last. Taking up a pair of chopsticks, Matsu sighed as he began to eat. "Sorry we don't have real silverware. They're too expensive over here." Taking out a pair of wooden chopsticks covered in paper, Matsu set them by the bowl he had held out to Emiko. After a moment, he had his own in hand and was starting to eat rather quickly. From the corner of his eye, Matsu could view Emiko all but perfectly. She had a mix between confusion and something else written on her face that forced a laugh from the white haired man. Hearing the laugh, Emiko's head shot over as she stared at him. "What?" he asked lightly. "I find it humorous you're worrying so much."
"And why aren't you?" Emiko asked back. "He just... got up and left."
Matsu let out a sigh. "And if he leaves the apartment entirely I wouldn't be surprised," he answered back continuing to eat. "Or even the city for that matter...."
"And you're just...."
"I'll follow Nino wherever he goes," Matsu answered back. "It's not my place to tell him to stay in one place or another." The white haired man set down the food and crossed his arms before him as he leaned over the counter and stared at Emiko. "He told you about killing Aoi, correct?" Matsu asked with blank look on his face. Emiko nodded a moment and Matsu nodded back. "He nearly killed me too," Matsu shrugged his shoulders.
"He talked about that...." Emiko answered back. Matsu nodded a bit.
"The weeks I was in the hospital, Nino would come in every day and simply cry. Just cry like he had been the one killed," Matsu sighed. "And I learned something about him.... Nino's heart can't be tainted."
"What do you mean? He smoke and is cruel and...." Emiko began as if she had been thinking up the list already.
"I'm not talking about his mind," Matsu sighed back. "I mean his heart.... his intentions on things... " Matsu fell silent and shook his head as he picked up the bowl again. "His heart can't be tainted by hateful things... even when his mind wants it that way....." Matsu sighed out picking at his food instead of eating it. "And he never forgives himself for anything...." he sighed again. "And as he said before himself... he's not out to prove anything to anyone or redeem anything..... After we started traveling... I thought he would try and make amends or something....But he didn't...."
"But then how can you say th-" Emiko started before Matsu waved his hand.
"Instead he chose to tear himself up inside and simply go on with life... I don't think he believes there is anything he can do perfectly that would redeem himself anyways."
"You... know Nino well," Emiko finally said aloud.
"He's the closest one to me," Matsu answered back. "And I love him for being himself." Matsu took a bite of food and then turned his head back to Emiko to see her red in the face and staring at him. "What?" Matsu asked.
"You just said...." Emiko blinked again turning even redder.
A half smile worked its way on Matsu as the white haired man began to laugh. "Don't think of it that way," he answered back only continuing to laugh harder still. "It's not the way you're thinking.... we're not romantic.... and it doesn't work like that.... I just.... know him." Matsu sighed outwards eating again. "You're too funny, you know that?" he joked lightly. "Now are you going to eat or not?"
