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“Eleanor put me onto it,” I admit. “I haven’t seen very many. But Jujitsu Kaisha is the first one she ever showed me back when I first moved in with her in high school. We’d stay up all night watching it during the summers.”
“That’s really sweet.” Henry shakes his head, chuckling. “These are all Danny’s posters. He loves to collect them, and I don’t have the heart to tell him they can’t be prominently displayed.”
“Have you seen any episodes?” I inquire, trailing my gaze across the various other framed signs, all written in neat Japanese characters.
“Oh, for sure,” he replies. “Danny organizes watch parties for the house. I’ve probably seen every episode of Jujitsu Kaisha in existence three times.” He laughs, and I can’t help but notice how melodic and calming it sounds. His laughter is hearty, but not too loud – slightly hoarse, but not grating.
Why do I feel like I could listen to that laugh for hours?
“Well,” he continues, running a hand through his hair, “should we get started?”
The ring of Henry’s phone pierces the air suddenly, causing us both to jump.
“Oh, shit – I gotta take this.” A concerned frown forms a crease between his eyebrows as he turns into the kitchen.
“No problem,” I reply, waving my hand casually. “Take all the time you need.”
Henry nods at me, answering the call as he does so.
“Hey, everything okay? I… have a friend over.” His voice is quiet, determined, and he glances over at me when he says the word “friend.”
Is that what we are?
I can hear a woman’s voice faintly on the other line, but I can’t make out what she’s saying.
“I get that,” Henry seems to interrupt her, his tone slightly terse. “But now’s not a good time.”
His body is tense, his wide shoulders emphasized with the flexing of his muscles. His knuckles are practically white from the way his hands are balled into fists, the veins in his arms becoming more prominent with his every move.
“The game isn’t for 2 more weeks. I don’t even know yet if I’ll be playing for sure–”
He stops to listen. The woman’s voice is slightly louder now than before, and more frantic, though I still can’t decipher what she’s saying from my place on the living room couch. I glance across the room, pretending to still be admiring the anime posters – definitely not eavesdropping.
“Okay. I’ll see you at the game, then.”
See who?
“Sorry about that,” Henry remarks as he walks back into the living room. “Did you decide on my room or the living room?”
Stay cool. Don’t make it seem like the only thing you want in this world is to know who the hell was on the other line of that phone call.
“Uh…”
Pathetic.
He smiles, a chuckle escaping his slightly parted lips.
“We’ll stay down here tonight,” he decides. “You’ve already gotten comfy.”
He flops his weight down on the couch beside me, causing my whole body to rock with the motion of the cushions.
“I forget how short you are,” he teases.
“Petite,” I correct him as I steady myself, “not short.”
“Sorry – I forget how petite you are.”
He makes eye contact with me, his forest green eyes sparkling dimly in the soft light of the living room. His cheeks are flushed as tendrils of his chestnut hair sweep across his forehead – with some pieces more dry than others, as if he just stepped out the shower.
