“But even when the moon looks like it's waning...it's actually never changing shape. Don't ever forget that.”
― Ai Yazawa
. . .
Several hours later… Hiro, (now sporting brown hair and a white cap over his still-slightly damp head) locked his apartment door, feeling nervous and kind of embarrassed with what he had done to his hair.
It’s silly but Hiro seriously felt like he was about to do a walk of shame with what he was planning as he put on a plain, medical face mask on the moment he rode the elevator to get to the first floor. He was half- praying at this point that no one would recognize him on his way out of the apartment building.
Besides, his apartment wasn’t really security enforced even if it’s kind of pricey, considering the general, well-off residents in the building so Hiro would be surprised if there weren’t already “journalists” who had somehow managed to evade their meager guards and were now roaming the halls.
Hiro just had to hope that his poor excuse of an attempt at a disguise worked when he walked out the front door.
Otherwise, he would be mobbed.
With a deep breath in, Hiro steeled his nerves before casually pushing the front door open with his head hung low and his eyes pointedly focused on his cell phone’s too bright screen as he opened one of his mobile games, trying to make it look like he was busy with it.
A few bright flashes from their cameras momentarily blinded him here and there, making his eyes sting with a sudden wave of dizziness (he had to stash his eyeglasses inside his pocket) and he leveled a glare at the photographers… well, at least he hoped he had, they all looked like blurred figures to him without his glasses on–but to his sweet relief, they all looked somewhat disappointed and annoyed that he’s a brunette and definitely not the half-Asian professor they’re looking for to interrogate.
But some still tried to get in his way.
“Excuse me, sir!”
“Hey buddy, do you know Professor Zen?”
“Have you heard about Ms. Lunamor’s boyfriend?”
Hiro had to elbow and physically shove some of these nosy people on his way out of them without a word, just shaking his head, forcing himself not to just turn tail and run back to his apartment every time they forced their phones and cameras right on his face.
Huh.
No wonder Lunamor hates these kinds of people.
Still despite the bold move he just made, Hiro was so nervous that his knees were practically shaking. It most certainly didn’t help that he nearly bolted the hell out of the place there and then when the phone in his hand suddenly started vibrating quite loudly while he was walking away, unsurprising… since he always had his phone in silent mode.
…An unknown number.
Somehow, Hiro had an inkling who was calling as he readily pressed the call button, mindful to keep his voice low as he continued to walk away from his apartment (as well as the parking lot) because these people might recognize his car.
No, scratch that, his car’s surrounded.
He’s going to hail a cab for the time being.
“Where were you?”
…Sure enough, it’s Lunamor.
“Why do you have to know, Lu–?” Hiro quickly forced his mouth shut, mentally cursing–there were still too many people lingering around! He almost smacked himself for nearly ruining his plan, “You know what? Forget it. How on earth did you even get my phone number?” he demanded, “That’s kind of creepy, even from you, you know?”
Hiro wasn’t really sure if Lunamor actually cursed at that because of the general noise around him but the Italian word she had so quietly hissed in the background was obviously one of frustration, displeased with his lack of a clear response.
“Idioto. That’s irrelevant. Did you saw the news?”
“No need. My building is surrounded.”
She scoffed, “Told you so.”
Was it him or did she honestly sound so smug about that? Hiro rolled his eyes, half-wondering if she just called to rub it in his face.
How petty.
“For your information, I just got out, no thanks to you.”
“...cosa?”
Despite himself, Hiro grinned triumphantly beneath his face mask, “You heard me. I got out, all thanks to good ole hair dye. Need I remind you that you’re not the only one who has a brain?”
“Debatable,” she muttered.
His eyes narrowed, “Excuse me?”
“Whatever, so where are you now?”
He shrugged, “On my way to grocery shopping.”
For a moment, there was silence on the other end.
“…You still there?”
“Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND?!” she snapped.
Hiro winced, tilting his phone a bit away from him to glare at it.
“Don’t you yell at me!”
“Smettila di essere stupido allora!”
“…I literally have no idea what you just said.”
Still, the panic in Lunamor’s voice was jarring, so unlike how she normally speaks. Hiro wasn’t used to it and… it was kind of freaking him out more than he already is.
“Look, I just…”
“Yeah, what is it now?”
“What if someone recognizes you?”
“Uh well, I haven’t really thought of that. This is just me being spontaneous is all…” Hiro answered with a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, “But I think I’ll be okay.”
“Stay there,” she ordered.
Hiro frowned, “What? Why?”
“I’m on my way.”
“What do you mean you’re on–?”
She hung up.
Stunned, Hiro stopped in the middle of the road to stare down at his phone with wide eyes at the implication of her words, half-thankful but still mortified to feel his own cheeks steadily growing warm underneath his face mask, the loud chatter of the reporters around him completely lost to the deafening sound of his pounding heartbeat.
What the hell.