—Haru, haven''t you been out cold for a little too long already? —she slapped my face as she annoyingly complained.
—Maaaaybe. I could have slept a little bit more, you know?
Yuuko sighed as she got back up and walked back to the kitchen.
—I made curry while you were sleeping. In fact..
—Yes, you''re surprised i didn''t wake up with the smell. I woke up when you opened the door, i just knew it was you so i stayed down because i felt like it.
Yuuko turned around and glared at me before letting out another sigh and sitting down on the table.
It''s around 8:30PM, and Yuuko has been coming to my apartment to hang out, and cook dinner in here.
How did this end up happening?
Well, i had lost a lot of weight last year and i mentioned how i have pretty unhealthy eating habits, so one of these days she followed me into here, and instantly took hold of my kitchen, given it''s pretty well equipped and big, even if i never use it...
—Haru, it''s weird for you to be so down, even in here. Did something happen? — she asked, concerned.
I looked at my own reflection in the glass of water i was holding. My hair was messy, and all over the place, and my expression looked a lot more terrible than i thought it did earlier.
—Nothing really happened, but i just had a bitter memory pop up into my head again. —i spoke very quietly.
Yuuko didn''t continue to push the matter any further, since she knew damn well what i was thinking about. Maybe im just being a bit of a idiot, but i want her to.
—I was thinking to myself how i could keep the "me" from last year up.
—And? —Yuuko gave me room to keep speaking.
—I remembered that Sayumi really liked that part of me, and it felt like the rest of the world lost its color for today.
—Your voice isn''t trembling now like it used to, you know? —Yuuko exclaimed while looking at me with a faint smile on her face.
Is it not? I didn''t really notice, because i always get so shaken up thinking about it, even worse speaking.
Yuuko placed her finger on my forehead as i looked down, and drew my attention towards her.
—Regardless of what happened with you and Sayumi, that''s not even close to being the only reason you changed, Haru. You''re your own person, you know?
—I know, but... —my eyes dropped down instantly, as i couldn''t really look her in the eye straight while speaking.
—There you go again. Haru, you really don''t like thinking or talking about yourself, don''t you? —she told me, as she sat down in her chair, a bit defeated.
—I really don''t. I can''t get the words out, and i can''t express my feelings well enough. Im sorry.
—Well, i can''t just get mad at you for it... but i would like for you to think about things from your own eyes instead of clinging on to Sayumi''s vision of things. It''s like you''re completely over her, yet you... — i knew exactly how she was going to finish this sentence, and i didn''t want her to.
—I know. Don''t say it, please.
Yuuko narrowed her eyes before she just smiled and went back to eating in silence.
—Thank you. —i told her, this time with my voice back to normal instead of the pitiful tone i had before.
After we finished eating, i made sure to clean up everything by myself to not trouble Yuuko any further.
—I''ll go home now, Haru. I want to stop by the festival, so i''ll leave a bit earlier.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
—Oh, i forgot that was going on. Don''t worry though, i''ll be fine now. —i smiled gently at her, with my honest feelings worn on my expression.
She waved goodbye at me, and left my apartment as i stood there silently, looking at the now closed door.
I went to bed shortly after since i felt really tired to begin with, and eating made me more sleepy than i might have already been.
As i woke up the next day, the day followed as usual.
I took the same morning routine i always do. I was just as late, and i was just as unfazed by it as usual.
Except, i saw something different on my way to school on the beach.
There was a girl, from my school sitting there.
"She looks pretty lonely" i thought to myself, as i just kept walking.
She was from the 2nd years, since her skirt wasn''t the same gray one i was wearing. I don''t know who she is exactly, but if she''s skipping just like me, she''s probably subject to the same stupid gossip im the victim of quite often.
I''ve heard a lot of stupid stories come up. Like im staying at some random dude''s house and that''s why im late.
And that''s not even the worse of them. I''ve heard that i am working ilegally at a bar at night, that im going out partying every night, and that im coming school from a different place every time.
Sure, i was probably offended at every single one of them when i heard them, but they''re so ridiculous now that i think about it, that i cant help but chuckle at the thought. It''d be dissapointing for all of them to know that their very well loved Haruna is nothing more than a lazy mess of a girl that can''t get herself out of bed in time for school.
No, really. I''ve always been terrible at waking up by myself. Sure, i wasn''t late thanks to her last year, but even so im really not a morning person.
As i was getting to school, i noticed that the front gate was closed, but so was the entrance in the back.
I didn''t even get restless, or anxious. I was dissapointed.
Yuuko probably went to my apartment yesterday to tell me about this and she forgot about it.
We weren''t supposed to come to school today, that''s right. The festival that was held yesterday extends to today, and i don''t even know what it is about exactly, but i do know that they 100% announced this and i didnt pay attention because im stupid.
Oh well, i''ll just head back. The breeze feels really good at this time anyways, so i won''t really complain about taking a pretty stupid walk.
As i was heading back, the image of the lonely girl i saw earlier popped up in my head, and before i realized, my eyes were glued to the beach searching for her.
Maybe i do feel a bit lonely after all, since this walk has been pretty uneventful, i forgot i didn''t even have to come here today, and to make it even worse i forgot my earphones at home.
It was then that i heard a group of people laugh near by.
I sat in the stone wall separating the beach from the main street, and looked around.
It didn''t take me too long to notice three girls in the same, 2nd year uniform staring at another, somewhat familiar girl.
From where i was standing, despite my slight near-sightedness i could still recognize her orange hair.
I stood still and tried to listen closely, because she sitting still, with her back turned towards the other three.
Even so, i couldn''t really listen to a damn thing at all. The sea''s loud, and the breeze isn''t really helping.
—Oh well, like i don''t get into worse situations willingly... — i said to myself as i pulled out my phone, and walked up slowly.
I had a pretty decent idea of who she was now, and what was going on.
One of the random girls around her, pushed her making her fall head first into the sand, and that''s when i lost my fuse a little bit.
—Three second year girls, all gathered up together in a day where we aren''t even supposed to come to class. This is really curious! —i exclaimed in a annoyingly loud and enthusiastic tone.
All three of them turned around with some noticeable shock in their faces. Well, at this time there really shouldn''t be anyone walking around here, less a student of Tōkai.
—Who are you? — miss blonde exclaimed first.
—Someone. Let me tell you something though, sweetie. Wouldn''t it be bad if this someone made sure to show what you girls were doing to every single one of your classmates in 2-B? — i kept the obnoxious tone up. This should be enough to get them out of here, at the very least.
The three of them started whispering to each other, before they walked away slowly while staring at me with a lot of disgust in their faces.
Im sorry, i guess.
I looked over to miss lonely, and she was still sitting down staring at the ocean in the same position she was before they pushed her down.
Her clothes were messy, and she was filled with sand. Even down to her hair.
I could just go now, right? I mean, i could. But this girl... okay, whatever.
I sat down silently next to her, a bit closer than i usually would. I made sure to keep my gaze to the ocean for now.
—Mizuno-senpai, what were you doing here? —the girl spoke with a oddly firm tone. I shifted my gaze towards her, since she did speak to me.
—I didn''t notice we had off today, so i was genuinely just passing by. I did see you earlier, though. I wouldn''t have bothered if it wasnt the case.
As i looked over to her, i could notice a slight shade of red around her eyes.
So, this isn''t really a one-time thing, huh...
—You shouldn''t have both.... eeaah?! — i interrupted what she was going to say by putting my hand on top of her hair and cleaning the small amount of sand that was still on her hair.
—Oops, my bad. I didn''t bother, though. Im not one to let people do whatever they want. I don''t really want to get into a fight though, so i did have my doubts. Wait, how do you know how i am? Explain yourself.
—You know well that you aren''t precisely a nobody in Tokai, Mizuno-senpai. —she answered with what i was hoping she wouldn''t. Oh well, i guess it''s fine.
—That isn''t really the reason i wanted to hear, miss... oh wait, that''s wrong. If i remember correctly, we met last year shortly, right?
—Yes. Hanamiya Anri. Do you remember now? —Hanamiya swiftly hid the long part of her hair tucked under her shirt, leaving her frontal image to match the same one as last year. I remember she had her hair cut a lot shorter last year.
I smiled at her, and nodded.
—You were probably the face i recognized the most every time i went to the library with... —the words got stuck in my throat as i was about to name her.
Anri stared at me, itching me to finish the sentence.
—Well, i do remember you. I didn''t expect your hair to get that long in a year, though... —i spoke a lot more softly and less upbeat than i do at school. I figured, that i have no reason to in here out of all places.
—I didn''t expect to either, but i just wanted to leave it like this because i''d hate it no matter what. —she said as her gaze dropped down, defeated.
As much as i wanted to tell her something, i really couldn''t. Or i just didn''t feel like it. I don''t know.
We didn''t really keep talking that after that. We both brought up quite the awkward topics to each other, didn''t we?
She knew well i wouldn''t pry any further on why she feels like that, or why those girls were messing with her.
And i also figured she wouldn''t pry about why i didn''t mention Sayumi''s name, knowing she probably remembers her.
—Nishida-senpai moved to Tokyo, right? That''s why you aren''t... — i quickly put one of my hands on top of her mouth to stop her from talking.
It''s not that i don''t want her to bring up the topic, or just ask. She isn''t doing anything wrong.
It just feels like every time that i have to explain anything about Sayumi my body starts aching, like she left a part of me charred with her absence.
—Im sorry. It''s a bit of a pretty difficult topic for me still —i chuckled in self-deprecation trying my best not to make her feel awkward about what just went on.
—I know, so i apologize for asking. I''ll leave now, Mizuno-senpai.
Anri got up, bowed at me and swiftly ran away from where i was sitting.
I sighed, as i realized its still pretty difficult. I didn''t feel this troubled when talking about it to Yuuko, so was it just not being familiar enough with Anri to bring it up?
Even so, i did feel a bit down about having her leave, for some reason.
"I guess i really do feel a bit more lonely than i thought." i whispered to myself, with the sea breeze blowing my words away into the distance.
Now i don''t really want to walk back home.
You really did leave a part of you burned into my heart, didn''t you?
Sayumi.