Sorry
This is the short version. For the long version tunggu etmin tidak malas. So that's why it feels rushed hahaha
It had been four days since Kaoru and Shii last spoke. Four days in which Shii had been visibly on edge, so irritable that even her coworkers didn’t dare greet her. Four days of Kaoru staring at his phone in restless anxiety. To Kaoru, the problem itself didn’t seem that big, but he knew all too well that it became big, because it clashed directly with the very principles their relationship was built on.
“Do you really have no respect for our relationship? Is it really that hard for you to talk to me? You might as well throw that phone away if giving me an update is that difficult,” Shii snapped, her sharp gaze cutting into Kaoru. She even stepped back when Kaoru reached out to her.
“Shii-chan…” Kaoru called softly, looking at her as she refused to meet his eyes.
“Forget it. I have things to take care of,” she said. Before he could explain anything, Shii had already disappeared from his sight, her firm footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Kaoru lowered his head weakly, replaying their argument from four days ago. It had all started when he forced himself to work despite being sick. He told Shii that he was already feeling better, but when it was time to perform, he could barely move, and his voice was almost gone. That alone wouldn’t have been the real problem. The real issue was that he hadn’t told Shii about his condition, and she had found out from someone else instead. At first, Kaoru tried to explain over the phone, and everything seemed to be going fine, until he said,
“Besides, Shii-chan has been busy. I didn’t want to burden you with something unimportant.”
“Oh? Then why don’t you just leave my life altogether? Since you’re not important anyway.” The call ended abruptly.
Cursing his own thoughtlessness, Kaoru tried calling Shii again and again, but she never picked up.
Kaoru let out a frustrated sigh. Shii was truly avoiding him. Even asking Rei for help was pointless—his leader had only suggested bringing ice cream. A completely useless piece of advice.
000
Elsewhere, Shii was staring at her computer with such an intense gaze that it was as if she were at war with the screen itself. Her fingers slammed relentlessly against the keyboard, her hand clicking the mouse with unnecessary force. Her aura was anything but friendly—almost as if there were a sign hovering behind her that read “Do not disturb.”
“Shii, sorry to bother you. I need to submit a proposal.” Her hands came to a halt the moment her name was called. Still wearing that unfriendly expression, she looked up at the person who had interrupted her.
“Anzu? Ah… whose proposal is this time?” Shii took the document, flipping through the pages as she examined it.
“Knights? Rejected.” She handed the proposal back without a shred of hesitation.
“Too many unnecessary props for a performance on that scale. Revise it, or change the concept to something simpler,” Shii said firmly, already turning back to her computer and resuming her typing. Anzu raised an eyebrow in mild confusion. She was sure they were a bit over budget, but normally, as long as it wasn’t excessive, Shii would still approve it.
“Anzu-san… Anzu-san, psst.” Someone quietly called out to Anzu from behind. It was another employee from New Dimension.
“Since yesterday, Shimizu has been really hard to approach. I think it’s better not to bother her for now,” the employee whispered.
“Since yesterday?” Anzu asked. The employee nodded in response.
“Four days, to be exact.” Anzu frowned. Usually, what stressed Shii out was her university workload, but even then, she was still relatively friendly. Today, she was completely different.
“Ah… I see.”
000
Kaoru took a deep breath. He was now standing in front of Shii's apartment. His heart was pounding uncontrollably—anxiety, nervousness, and fear all mixed together on his face. He had decided to apologize to Shii in person this time. That afternoon, he had met with Izumi, who had given him a much-needed—slightly sharp—wake-up call.
“Apologize in person. Is there anything better than apologizing directly?”
“But, Senacchi—”
“Ah, why should I even have to think about your relationship? Are you a child? Can't even apologize properly? Go to her place, say you're sorry, and that's it. Do you need me to do it for you?!”
And here Kaoru was, standing nervously before Shii's door. So nervous, in fact, that he hadn't brought anything as a peace offering. It’s fine, he thought, he’d order ice cream after Shii forgave him.
“But what if she doesn't forgive me?” he muttered to himself. His hand, already reaching for the doorbell, lowered again. His eyes remained fixed on the white-painted door until it suddenly swung open.
Click.
“How long were you planning to stand there?” A sharp, ruby-eyed glare greeted him from behind the door.
“Sh-Shii-chan,” Kaoru stammered, his throat tightening under her gaze. He could barely swallow his own saliva.
“I-I'm s-sor—” Kaoru’s world spun as his hand was yanked, and suddenly, he was on the floor.
“Huh?” Not only that, Shii was now on top of him, her expression still furious.
“YOU—(*)” Shii grabbed the collar of his shirt roughly. Their faces were close, not in a romantic or sweet atmosphere, but in a way that made Kaoru feel his life was slightly in danger.
“DID IT REALLY TAKE YOU THAT LONG TO APOLOGIZE?!” Kaoru could feel Shii's hand trembling, whether from anger or something else.
“Shii-chan, c-calm down,” Kaoru tried to take control of the situation, but Shii wouldn't allow it. She tightened her grip on his shirt, and a second later, bumped her forehead against his, not too hard, as she didn’t intend to hurt either of them, just enough to deliver a small punishment. Still, it was enough to make Kaoru groan.
“Ouch.”
“Hakaze! Answer me. Did you really need four whole days to come here? You really tested my patience.” Shii's angry expression began to soften.
“I thought you really weren't going to come anymore.” Her grip weakened, and her head hung down.
“Shii-chan,” Kaoru slowly freed his shirt from her grasp, then gently patted her head.
“Shii-chan, can you get up first, hmm?” Kaoru asked softly, and Shii immediately stood, followed by Kaoru.
Seeing Shii still looking down, Kaoru smiled. He pulled her into a hug. His heart felt calm, the raging storm of anxiety inside him slowly faded.
“I'm sor—”
“I'm sorry, Kaoru.” His apology was cut off as Shii spoke first.
“Sorry for getting so angry at you,” Shii murmured, continuing her apology. She buried her face deeper into Kaoru’s chest as she felt him trying to look at her. She didn’t want Kaoru to see her expression right now—it felt too embarrassing.
“Hey, Shii-chan, let me see your face,” Kaoru tried to push her shoulders gently, but Shii wasn't having it.
“No, I don't want to. Hakaze, don't make me angry again,” Shii threatened, her voice muffled.
“Alright, alright,” Kaoru surrendered, letting Shii remain hidden in his embrace.
“I’m sorry too, for taking lightly something I shouldn't have. I’m sorry for disappointing you,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. His hands gently stroked her back, trying to convey warmth and calm her down.
“Mmmhm,” Shii gave a small nod in his embrace. Kaoru’s smile widened—he couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth curve upward. He tightened his embrace, his heart now at peace. Several times, he kissed the top of her head, a small gesture to make up for the four days he had spent without her.
Epilogue
A nameless tune hummed softly from Shii’s lips. Her face was bright—no more dark circles under her eyes, no more frown lines on her forehead. She offered smiles to anyone who greeted her. The world looked beautiful through her eyes; even the shouts behind her sounded like music.
“Shimizu-senpai.” Shii turned toward the voice.
“TSUKASA-KUN!!” She waved at Tsukasa, her smile growing even wider when he stopped in front of her.
“What is it? Want a snack? I know a café that just opened, apparently their desserts are really good.” Shii almost reached out to ruffle his hair if he hadn’t dodged in time.
“Please don’t treat me like a child.” Shii only pouted at him briefly.
“Tch, stingy.”
“Ah, that’s not why I’m here. I came to negotiate. Anzu-san and I revised the proposal a little, but it’ll still be slightly over budget. I hope you’ll consider it.” Tsukasa handed her the document he was holding, but Shii didn’t take it.
“Huh? Why make a new proposal? Just use the old one. It’s fine if it’s over budget, you can cover it by raising the ticket price a little~ No need to lower the quality.” Tsukasa looked confused by her response.
“Eh? But Anzu-san said you asked for revisions.”
“Ah, maybe Anzu misheard. I already approved your proposal. I have a meeting now, Tsukasa-kun~ Oh, and if you ever want to visit that café I mentioned, feel free to contact me, okay?” And just like that, Shii walked away, leaving Tsukasa standing there, still trying to process what had just happened.
So she hadn’t rejected their proposal after all. Then why was it different from what Anzu said? Did Anzu prank him? That couldn’t be it. So what had really happened?
(*) Shii uses “Omae” instead of “Anta”