《Butterfly Heights》 Chapter 1 - 10 Years Later ¡°Chi-chan, why does no one like me?¡± My voice muffled as her dress is now stained with tears. Chi-chan¡¯s small arms filled me with comfort as she continued rubbing circles on my back. "Well, I don¡¯t hate you. You¡¯re my best friend.¡± Her voice is a bit softer than usual. I looked up and stared at her blank eyes. ¡°Really?¡± I said in between sobs. She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll always be by your side, Fuyuki.¡± I giggled and hugged her even tighter. ¡°I can always count on you, Chi-chan!¡± She gave me a small smile. I let go of the hug and pulled her towards the slide. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the slide!¡± She laughed and said yes. It was the last time that I¡¯ve ever seen Chi-chan. ??? 10 years later ring ring I groggily opened my eyes and stretched my arms. Ah, this marks another day in cram school¡­ If I can only stay in dreamland forever¡­ Too bad I¡¯m still living. Well, living isn¡¯t too bad either; I get to read shojo manga to my heart¡¯s desire. sigh If it were only that easy to get out of bed¡­ Suddenly, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I reluctantly moved towards the left to face her. I was then greeted with an incredibly formal greeting. ¡°Good morning, Fuyuki-sama!¡± Standing on the left side of my bed was a teenage girl with white hair and blue eyes, wearing a main outfit. She was my new personal maid, Shizuka Sato, as my former personal maid, who had been serving me since I was born, had to retire from old age. I then let out a chuckle. ¡°Shizuka, it¡¯s just me; no need to be overly formal.¡± Her cheeks had a subtle hint of red on them after I called her out. ¡°But Fuyuki-sama, I am but your humble maid.¡± "Oh, please, in my eyes, everyone¡¯s equal. Besides, I need 5 more minutes of sleep!¡± She just stared at me blankly. I gave her puppy eyes and said, ¡°Pwease¡±. Her gaze on me didn¡¯t falter. I let out a deep sigh. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll get up now.¡± Kobayashi-san wasn¡¯t this strict¡­ Well, she has retired now because she could barely walk without her back hurting¡­ Kobayashi-san¡­¡­ Snap out of it, Fuyuki. Besides, Shizuka seems like a nice person¡­ A strange nostalgic feeling enveloped me. Huh, that¡¯s odd. Why am I oddly feeling nostalgic. Eh, it¡¯s probably nothing serious. ??? I arrived at the jovial halls of Takuju Academy, and as usual, my shoe locker is filled with love letters. I slumped my shoulders and let out a sigh, as I am not interested in dating someone at the moment. Moments after that, I heard some people calling my name. I turned to face them and saw a group of girls. The girl with long red hair looked at me with her arms crossed. ¡°Hey there, Fuyuki! Let me guess, your shoe locker¡¯s filled with love letters again?"Her name is Haruka Hazama. I let out a deeper sigh. ¡°As usual, it¡¯s filled with love letters.¡± She rolled her eyes and retorted. ¡°You¡¯re still complaining even when all the guys start drooling when they see you?¡± Standing on Haruka¡¯s right is a tall girl with long blue hair and curls at the end, named Akane Kashiwagi. She gave a subtle, fierce glare that can easily be dismissed. ¡°Haruka¡¯s right, how can you not be happy with the fact that every single guy you see would fawn over you, Fuyuki? No matter how much I style up of post selfies online, I barely get any likes.¡± She slumped her shoulders. The brunette on Haruka¡¯s right is Kaede Tsumo. She walked closer to me with her hand on her chest and a grin on her face. "Well, Fuyuki-chan may have all the boys in the world, but Tanaka-kun will eventually fall for me hehe~¡± I rolled my eyes. "Girl, you can have that idiot all to yourself.¡± Kaede scuffed. ¡°He¡¯s not an idiot; he¡¯s the hottest guy in school. Oh, his elegance and princely personality, and look at those dreamy eyes¡­ Oh, and don¡¯t get me started with his smile¡­¡± Her cheeks then started to redden and cackle like a weirdo. Her eyes were also more dilated. The hottest guy in school? Then those people have no taste at all because he¡¯s a total nutcase. I internally sighed over that thought. Suddenly, the hallway became filled with girls squealing and gushing. At the center of that was a tall, black-haired guy with a refined demeanor. A little ahoge could also be found on the top of his hair. He walked in our direction. Kaede was reduced to an even more lovestruck form and greeted him but got ignored. He went up to me and got down on one knee and extended his right hand out. "Oh, my dear Fuyuki Furukawa, will you accept my hand and give me the honor of your companionship?¡± The crowd went in uproar from his declaration of love. I once again let out a deep sigh, my tone firm. ¡°For the one millionth time, Hino-kun, I am currently not interested in anyone. Do you even understand what the meaning of the word no means!¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He took my hand and pleaded. ¡°If given a chance, you will know how perfect we are for each other! Please, my dear Furukawa-sama, accept my request for your companionship!¡± I sighed for the one millionth time. I lowered my head for a couple of moments and gazed at him in the eye. Subtle curves in my lips were formed. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry for being harsh on you, and I definitely could¡¯ve worded it better. I really admire your courage for asking me out in front of everyone; it¡¯s just that I¡¯m really not interested in being in a romantic relationship at the moment.¡± He furrowed his brows and forced a smile. I helped him get up, and I once again subtly curved my lips. He then walked away with his fan girls. I looked around and saw Kaede with her fists clenched so tight that her knuckles turned white. Her eyes twitched as she spoke. ¡°He¡¯s only into you for now, Fuyuki-chan! He¡¯ll eventually realize how much better we are together that you two.¡± I went up to her and squeezed her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to steal him from you, Kaede-chan. I¡¯ve always rejected him every single time he asked me out. The best of luck for you two!¡± Her lips formed into a pout. ¡°Whatever¡± She¡¯s still not convinced¡­ Eh, she¡¯ll eventually come to her senses. She¡¯ll realize that I¡¯m not trying to steal Hino-kun from him. A soft and gentle voice with a subtle sign of enthusiasm brought me back to reality. ¡°There¡¯s a new cafe nearby. Would you like to try it out?¡± But I really want to finish reading my manga! I wasn¡¯t able to finish it yesterday because I fell asleep! But¡­ I kinda want to try out the new cafe too. Eh, my shojo manga can wait. The red head and the brunette both gleamed in excitement. ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful idea, Akane-chan! Now I¡¯m craving a frappuccino¡­¡±, said the brunette. ¡°You can¡¯t go wrong with a good ¡®ol Americano." Haruka added. I listened to their friendly chatter and waited for the bell to ring. ??? ring ring This officially marks our dismissal. The four of us gathered and went to the new cafe. After several minutes, we arrived in a relaxed and cozy atmosphere with the smell of coffee lingering. There were only a few customers, with us occupying the third table. The waitress gave us the menu and chose from the cafe¡¯s massive selection. Hmmm, I guess I¡¯ll have a cheesecake and a frappuccino¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll surely get more than a thousand likes for today¡¯s post!¡± "Well, you¡¯ll surely get a lot of likes with how cute and pure you look.¡± "Ah, I hope¡­ ¡± murmering noises Their chatter eventually disappeared from my mind. There was a family of three entering a cafe. They may not look rich, but everywhere they went, they radiated happiness. ¡°Dad, I want a chocolate cake, please!"The little girl was glimmering in excitement. Her dad gave her a warm smile. ¡°Anything for my little princess.¡± The little girl went up to her father to hold him with her little arms. ¡°Thanks dad! You¡¯re the best!¡± The mother chuckled. ¡°She really loves you, dear.¡± Her father exclaimed. ¡°I mean, look at how adorable my little princess is!¡± The mother chuckled once again. My heart warmed from the sight, but it was quickly followed by a sharp pang of pain in my chest. A friendly voice snapped me out of my daze. ¡°Miss, what would you like to have?¡± I got startled but quickly composed myself. ¡°O-oh I would like to have a cheesecake and a frappuccino.¡± I then gave her a forced chuckle. The 3 girls glared at me and rolled their eyes. A warm curve on the waitress¡¯ lips formed. ¡°Your food will arrive at around 5-10 minutes.¡± ??? I have now arrived at the massive, modern, and minimalist but empty living room. ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±, I enthusiastically exclaimed. I then sighed at the realization. Right, they¡¯re almost never home. Well, now that I¡¯m finally home after that delicious cake, I can finally continue reading my shojo manga¡­ A serious tone replied. ¡°Welcome back, Fuyuki-sama!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her. ¡°You can drop the sama, you know?¡± This time, her face had a look of concern. ¡°A-are you okay, Fuyuki? You¡¯re crying.¡± I touched my face and felt tears continuously streaming down my face. Why am I crying right now? I just ate the most delicious cheesecake that I¡¯ve ever tried¡­ and Shizuka¡¯s right in front of me. Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. There¡¯s no reason to cry. I blinked non-stop, trying to hold back my tears. I continued acting like my usual cheerful self. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about, Shizuka. It¡¯s probably just tears of joy from eating that cheesecake. You should come with me next time. I could eat that cheesecake every day!¡± Her brows furrowed. This gave me chills on my spine, as she probably saw right through me and might question me even more. ¡°Okay¡­¡± I kept up my cheerful facade, not letting my tears fall. "Well, I¡¯ll be going to my room now and continuing reading where I left off. I¡¯ll call you when I need something.¡± I quickly ran up to my room, not wanting Shizuka to see me. Not long after, I arrived at my massive and cozy minimalist room and plopped myself onto my soft bed. I took my manga from my wooden study table, located on the right side of my bed. I picked up where I left off yesterday. ??? My former friend and now rival has revealed to the entire school that I am the daughter of an infamous serial killer. There he was, the guy that I¡¯ve been trying to avoid the whole day, standing right in front of me near an empty classroom. I clenched my fist, trying to stop tears flowing from my eyes. "Yes, Sadakane-kun, I¡¯m the daughter of a criminal. I understand if you don¡¯t want to do anything with me.¡± My whole body trembled, tears treating to fall any moment. He looked at me with pleading eyes; his gaze never faltered. ¡°Seino-san, I would never leave you. Nothing can ever make me hate you. Your father being a notorious serial killer doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re also one. I¡¯ve known you for years. I know how pure and kindhearted you are!¡± I couldn¡¯t hold my tears in for any longer. I walked up to him and bawled my eyes out in his chest, wrapped around his long arms. ??? Seino and Sadakane are so perfect for each other, and Sadakane is so accepting. He¡¯s so kind and understanding¡­ and he also doesn¡¯t judge people by their background. ¡°I would never leave you¡­¡­¡± Before I knew it, I could see droplets of water falling onto the pages. I placed the manga onto my wooden desk and stared at the ceiling. How do you get someone that loyal... Someone who would never leave you¡­ Well I still have my lovely shojo manga that I could read to my heart¡¯s desire. I enjoy seeing people get together. The tears never stopped flowing. Why won¡¯t it stop flowing? Why won¡¯t this pain in my chest disappear? No matter how much shojo manga I read or no matter how much I try to avoid thinking about it, it will always come to haunt me. Just leave me alone, pain. I can¡¯t take this anymore. Just leave me alone, please. I¡¯m okay with my life now¡­ okay¡­ Am I really okay? I cried even harder. I¡¯ve completely lost control over my emotions. What¡¯s wrong with me? I thought that seeing people get together makes me happy, but why does my chest hurt so bad? Why can¡¯t I find a Sadakane-kun for myself? Why do they always leave me or treat me like trash? Did I do anything wrong? Why¡­ Chapter 2 - Transfer Student I have arrived at the room full of chatter and unfamiliar faces, except one, who¡¯s looking out the window. It was a girl with long blond hair. Her hair is tied in half-up pigtails with pink cat-styled hair ties. She also has a bright smile on her face, yet despite all of that, her eyes are not as bright as I remember. Mow, there¡¯s not a hint of light in her eyes, despite her expression seeming genuine. It hurt me to see her like that. I walked up to my assigned seat, which was, surprisingly, right next to her. Fuyuki¡­ I¡¯m really sorry for leaving you; if I could¡¯ve just convinced my father to stay even more. I should¡¯ve tried even harder. Maybe it could¡¯ve kept the light in her eyes. Well, it¡¯s not like I can reverse the past and do anything about it. I don¡¯t expect her to forgive me or anything. She may be only a couple of meters away now, but that doesn¡¯t mean that everything will be the same as it was before. My trail of thoughts came to a halt when a pleasant sound played throughout the entire school building. This marked the start of a school day. The door creaked and revealed a woman with long brown hair with a warm demeanor. Everyone stood up and said ¡°kiritsu¡± in unison. We then bowed and said "rei." The woman bowed back to us, and we sat down and said "chakusei.¡±. ¡°Good morning, everyone. Today, we have a new transfer student, Chizuru Takahashi-san. You may walk up in front and introduce yourself. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, but I am Akari Sato.¡± Everyone whispered among themselves, curious as to why someone would transfer in the middle of the school year. I walked up on the platform and introduced myself while scratching my nape. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Chizuru Takahashi, and I guess I like reading shojo manga.¡± Sato-sensei smiled and said, ¡°If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to ask me or Furukawa-san, who¡¯s seated next to you by the window. Furukawa-san, please guide Takahashi-san when needed to hold her adjust.¡± Fuyuki instantly responded with a ¡°yes¡± to Sato-sensei¡¯s request. Maybe she had already forgiven me. Maybe we can still go back to how we used to be... I casually walked up to my seat and was greeted with a big smile from Fuyuki. Her eyes had more light compared to earlier, but not as bright as they were before. ¡°Hellooo! I¡¯m Fuyuki Furukawa, but you can drop the formalities and call me Fuyuki.¡± Oh¡­¡­ she doesn¡¯t remember at all¡­¡­ Well, I guess it¡¯s better than nothing and eliminates the possibility of her hating me¡­ This thought still stung as the fact that Fuyuki doesn¡¯t remember me at all. I retained my blank expression, not wanting to reveal my emotions. ¡°I¡¯m Chizuru Takahashi; I guess you can call me Chizuru if you¡¯d like.¡± Well, I better get used to her calling me Chizuru now instead of Chi-chan¡­ She didn¡¯t seem to notice my inner turmoil and responded, ¡°Can I call you Chizuru-chan instead? ¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Her eyes gleamed, and she let out a squeal. ¡°Yay! Wait, you said that you like shojo manga, right? "She leaned forward, excitement radiating around her. I casually responded. ¡°Yeah¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I love shojo manga too! Who¡¯s your favorite author? ¡± ¡°I like the works of Kurai-sensei.¡± Her cheeks reddened with my answer, which I thought was strange. She played with her hair, and her eyes were twitching. "Oh, I think we should pay attention to class; you know Sato-sensei might notice that we¡¯re not paying attention at all, and I feel bad because she¡¯s such a nice teacher and we don¡¯t want to make her upset, you know. Let¡¯s talk more at lunch, okay?" I got even more suspicious, but I didn¡¯t ask her about it and kept my blank expression. ¡°Talk to you at lunch, I guess.¡± We didn¡¯t talk to each other for the rest of the subjects before lunch. After the painfully long lectures, lunch finally came. ??? Lunch has finally arrived! I can finally eat with Chizuru-chan! She just feels so familiar and warm, despite her cute blank expression... hehe~ Just wait for me, Chi-chan! Wait Chi-chan? It feels oddly natural¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met before, though¡­ Oh well¡­ I looked around the classroom and spotted my three female friends. I walked up to them hurriedly, trying not to waste any more time. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll be with Chizuru-chan today! ¡± The three girls just rolled their eyes at me. The brunette then snickered. ¡°Good¡± ¡°Well see you! ¡± I waved at them, but they didn¡¯t even bother to look my way. I felt my heart sink but immediately jumped when I heard a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw a girl with collar-length hair. Her hair was jet black and had uneven bangs, the shortest one touching her eye. She also wore a blank expression. ¡°Why are you friends with those girls? They treat you like absolute garbage.¡± Her fists were clenched tightly. I scratched my nape while responding. ¡°You know, to pass time too, and they¡¯re not too bad.¡± Her knuckles were now white. ¡°That¡¯s not the point; they still treat you like you¡¯re a pest.¡± My heart pounded when I saw her fists clenched so tightly. Is she mad at me? Did I say anything wrong? Is she going to hate me after this? My heart pounded even faster, my anxiety worsening as time went by. What should I do? How do I fix this? I mean, if she leaves me, then so what? It¡¯s just part of human life, right? My anxiety never subsided; it only worsened even more. Besides, you just met her. Maybe you¡¯re just not compatible, and as I said earlier, people come and go, Fuyuki, so it¡¯s not that bad. ¡°-ki¡± ¡°Fuyuki?¡± I quickly snapped out of my thought. Chizuru-chan¡¯s eyebrows were slightly lifted, and her right hand was trying to reach my shoulder. ¡°What happened? Your face looks pale¡­¡± My eyes twitched. I awkwardly scratched my nape and responded. "Oh, it¡¯s nothing; I just remembered that a shojo manga chapter was supposed to be released today and not tomorrow. Nothing major.¡± She furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head. ¡°Uhh okay¡­? Well, I guess we should go look for a place to eat.¡± I hastily nodded. "Yeah, we should go now.¡± We then aimlessly walked around the school until we arrived at a place full of greenery. There were unbloomed sakura flowers everywhere, white lilies planted on the flowerbeds on the left, and pink tsubakis on the flowerbeds at the right. There were also surprisingly empty beige Japanese-style gazebos everywhere. We sat on the gazebo in between the two flowerbeds. ¡°So what made you transfer here in the middle of the school year?¡± There wasn¡¯t any hint of hesitation when she answered my question. ¡°Well, my parents had to go back to Tokyo to fix some things related to our company, and he couldn¡¯t bear to leave me in Nagano, so they decided to just move here in Tokyo for good as Tokyo is also the capital.¡± My heart twisted with her words. ¡°Ah, your parents really love you, huh? "I gave her a painful smile. Her eyes widened, but she quickly regained her composure. There was an awkward silence that enveloped us. I then tried to break it, but she also spoke at the same time. ¡°You can go first,¡± I said. ¡°Oh, uh, it¡¯s okay, I really don¡¯t mind.¡± She averted her gaze from me, her cheeks showing a tint of redness. "No, it¡¯s fine.¡± I shook my head. ¡°But you¡¯re younger.¡± Confusion filled me. ¡°Huh?¡± Wait what? Not once did we mention our birthdays to each other¡­ I don¡¯t even know how old she is¡­ Eh, she probably just guessed. The redness in her cheeks was clearly evident. ¡°When¡¯s your birthdate, by the way?¡± ¡°November 7, 2008¡± She stuttered and said, ¡°Ah, I guessed right, mine¡¯s May 23, 2008. So you go first because you¡¯re younger.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go first. Don¡¯t you feel sad that you had to leave your friends in Nagano?¡± She forced a smile and said, ¡°Well, it stung at first, but I understand that my parents have to fix something for work, so I don¡¯t really mind it that much.¡± Chihiro-chan¡¯s face turned pale. I felt confused and concerned, so I asked. ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡± She hurriedly packed her lunch. ¡°Lunch break just ended.¡± I chuckled. "Oh, the bell? The bell rings 10 minutes earlier to give us time to go back to our classrooms on time.¡± She sighed in relief. ¡°I thought that we were gonna be late for a moment.¡± I chuckled again. "Well, it does mean that we have to go back to class now.¡± I finished packing and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She stood up, and we walked back to our classroom. Chapter 3 - Tour The sun was starting to rise; the outside world was still fairly dark. The halls were fairly empty, contrasting its usual atmosphere, which is packed with people. I guess I misread the time... well, that¡¯s a waste of opportunity to go to sleep. I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw a familiar black-haired girl. My feelings of frustration now turned into feelings of excitement and happiness. ¡°Chizuru-chan! What brings you here?¡± She averted her gaze and scratched her nape. ¡°I thought that I was running late, but I got to school a bit too early¡­¡± I chuckled. ¡°I misread the time too. Well, want me to give you a tour of the school since we can¡¯t really do anything.¡± ¡°Sure¡± ¡°The place we¡¯re in right now is the main entrance. Over there to the right leads to the elementary school building and parking. We¡¯re not really allowed to go to the elementary school building for reasons that I don¡¯t really know, and you¡¯re gonna get punished for going there based on the student handbook.¡± She nodded and continued listening without saying anything. ¡°While the right leads to the junior high school and high school building. Straight ahead leads to the main library of the school. Would you like to go to the high school buildings first or the main library? I forgot to mention that every building has a library of their own, but the main library has a wider selection, and the school documents and records can also be found there, but obviously, we¡¯re not allowed to go to that area.¡± ¡°Ohhh, I guess I¡¯d like to go to the main library first.¡± ¡°Well then, main library it is!¡± We walked in a straight direction, towards the main library. After a few minutes, we eventually arrived at our destination. It was a massive dome-shaped building made out of wood. It had a traditional Japanese interior. Despite being fairly early, there were already quite a few students using the facility. ¡°This section contains all of the books that we can use. It ranges from magazines, mangas, novels, books for research, travel guides, to foreign books. You can find almost everything here.¡± She gasped in surprise. Her eyes were wide open, which is a rare sight from her as she barely shows her emotions, let alone an extreme reaction. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this many books in my life. This is almost as big as our high school building.¡± "Well, that''s the main library for you. That side over there is the reading area.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. She gasped even louder. ¡°Is this entire area purely for reading?¡± "Well, you can use it for research too, but mostly yes.¡± ¡°My old school cannot even compare to the size of this library.¡± I laughed at her comment, my hands covering my mouth. ¡°This library really is something, and we¡¯re not even halfway through the library tour.¡± Her eyes were wide open, like it¡¯s going to pop off. ¡°Wait, WHAT!?¡± I left out a smirk. ¡°Mhm¡± ¡°This place is¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± I chuckled. "Well, that¡¯s pretty understandable; it is big for a library, especially for a school library. Well anyways, over there is the computer section. You can use it for research and stuff, as students don¡¯t usually bring their devices during lunch break. I mean, it¡¯s a hassle to carry all the way down here, especially when you have a library this big.¡± "Well, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°And that area over there are the conference rooms. You can use it when you need to meet up with your groupmates for a project. And then the area that takes up a third of this building is the restricted area over there that contains school documents and the area where the staff would usually stay. The place on the right of the restrooms is a cafe.¡± ¡°Wait, this library has a cafe??¡± ¡°Mhm¡± ¡°Now I wanna go to school early every single day. I can read all the shojo manga to my heart¡¯s content without having to go to the bookstore and buy it, and I can also read it at school. And on top of all of that, it also has a cafe.¡± Her eyes were sparkling. I guess going to school early isn¡¯t too bad, now that Chizuru-chan¡¯s here. Starting tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to school at around the same time as today. ¡°I never thought that I would ever meet someone who also loves shojo manga as much as I do, although I prefer owning a copy of it and reading it at home.¡± "Well, nothing can really compare to the comfort of your own home, huh.¡± Comfort of your own home¡­¡­ I guess that empty mansion counts as home¡­¡­ Well, you did grow up in that place, Fuyuki, and that place is the home to an infinite supply of books that I enjoy reading. Well, it may lack the traditional warmth that you¡¯d expect from a house, but you can do whatever you¡¯d like there, so it¡¯s not too bad. I forced a smile and a chuckle. ¡°I guess nothing beats the comfort of your home¡­¡± Her eyes were as wide as they possibly could for a split second before returning to her usual blank expression. ¡°O-oh well, I guess you can give me the tour of the high school building now.¡± I forced another smile. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go now!¡± We left the library and walked towards the main entrance. The fairly dark outside world when we arrived has now changed to a fairly bright scenery. The school had also returned to its original, bustling atmosphere. I then gave Chizuru-chan a tour of our high school building, which is where we can find our classroom. Shortly after, I was able to give her the complete tour of the building, telling her where all of the offices and facilities can be found. While we were walking around to kill time, I saw a familiar group of three girls engaging in friendly chatter. The brunette noticed me, and it didn¡¯t take long for the others to notice me as well. They all rolled their eyes and continued their conversation like nothing happened. My heart sank at the sight of them. Ah, they seem to be perfectly fine without me¡­ Well, it isn¡¯t exactly a bad thing, as being with them isn¡¯t exactly fun, but it was an effective way to kill time. I mean, I would never really belong in their clique. I guess this setup isn¡¯t exactly a bad thing¡­ Besides, walking around the campus with Chizuru-chan, even if I hate walking just¡­ it just feels amazing¡­ Being with someone who actually acknowledges your presence¡­ And patiently listens to everything you say¡­ This feeling¡­ this feeling is something that I would like to feel all the time¡­ I then looked up to my right, seeing the taller girl talking passionately. My heart warmed at the sight. ¡°Uhh Fuyuki?¡± I snapped out of my gaze. I quickly composed myself before responding, ¡°O-oh you can continue talking. Don¡¯t mind me, ehe¡­¡± She furrowed her eyebrows for a short moment before responding. ¡°Uhh okay¡­? Well anyways.¡± She then continued talking about shojo manga. Oh no, I messed up! Fuyuki, why did you stare at her? What if she thinks that you¡¯re some sort of weirdo now? Are you out of your mind? Just don¡¯t do anything stupid or make her feel weirded out, got it, Fuyuki? Chapter 4 - Tower Snow had started to fill the roads of Tokyo. The sun also rose a bit later than usual. Today was the day that me and Fuyuki would meet up. We decided to meet at the tall tower. I arrived at our meeting place 5 minutes earlier. I looked around to find the blonde-haired girl and had no luck. I decided to text her and said, ¡°I¡¯m already here. Where are you?¡± I then felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw the girl that I was looking for. The girl was wearing a brown trench coat and was carrying a small handbag. She leaned forward, with her hands clasped at the back. She also wore a wide smile. ¡°Chizuru-chan! Did you wait for a while?¡± ¡°I just got here a couple of minutes ago.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go to the ice skating rink!¡± She pulled my hand, and we went towards the ice skating rink. My lips couldn¡¯t help but form a small curve at her action. ¡°Cute¡­¡± She stopped walking and turned to face me, her hand not letting go of her hold on mine. Her head was also slightly tilted. ¡°Did you say anything?¡± My cheeks reddened at the realization. Shoot! I accidentally said it out loud! Chizuru!!!!! Why did you have to say that out loud? Way to go in making things awkward. Well, she didn¡¯t seem to hear it, so I can still make up something. ¡°Huh? W-What do you mean?¡± She awkwardly laughed at herself and let go of her hold on my hand. ¡°O-oh, silly me¡­ ehehe¡­ I probably misheard it or something. I guess we should continue walking to the skating rink, right?¡± My heart dropped when she let go of her hold on my hand but hid it with my usual blank expression. ¡°I guess so.¡± An awkward silence enveloped us. We arrived at the skating rink without muttering a word. I tried to break the silence. ¡°We¡¯re here now.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ we¡¯re here¡­¡± The place was full of people. There was also a long line in the tickets section. Luckily for us, we¡¯ve already anticipated this and bought tickets in advance. We just had to change into skates. After a couple of minutes, we were ready to go skate. As we went to the skating rink, I noticed that Fuyuki was a bit hesitant to enter. ¡°Do you know how to skate?¡± She averted her eyes and answered. ¡°This is actually my first time¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you. For now, just hold my hand.¡± I reached out my hand to her. There was still some hesitation in her, but she took my hand. My heart palpitated on her touch but kept my composure. ¡°All you have to do is push one foot backwards and let the other glide. Don¡¯t worry about falling; I¡¯ll catch you just in case.¡± Her hands started to relax. She took a deep breath before pushing one foot backwards. We both started to move, her movements starting to be more at ease. Her eyes sparkled.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I¡¯m doing it¡­ I¡¯m doing it!¡± ¡°Now I¡¯ll be letting go of one hand.¡± I started to follow her momentum. ¡°You¡¯re a natural at this, Fuyuki.¡± I suddenly let go of my hand and watched her skate. ¡°This is really fun, Chizuru-chan! Wait¡­ you¡¯re not holding me anymore¡­ Chizuru-chan!!¡± Her movements became more tense. Just as she was about to fall, I was able to catch her in time. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Besides, I won¡¯t let anything harm you.¡± She pouted. ¡°Well, you could¡¯ve at least warned me about it!¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry for letting you go.¡± She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± We then continued to skate for hours. Fuyuki never seemed to run out of energy and quickly learned all of the fundamentals. The sun eventually sat, with us not realizing how long it has been. I checked my watch and saw that it¡¯s already 18:27. ¡°Fuyuki, it¡¯s already 18:27.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Huh?? But it hasn¡¯t even felt like an hour.¡± ¡°We should probably go eat now.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± she pouted. We changed back to our boots and went to the restaurant. We eventually arrived and were greeted with an elegant and sophisticated ambiance, with a view of Tokyo that¡¯s way below us. We went up to the receptionist regarding our reservation. ¡°Excuse me, we have a reservation under the name Furukawa," Fuyuki spoke. The receptionist¡¯s eyes widened for a split second and quickly regained her composure. ¡°Ah yes, I will lead you to your seat. A table for two, right?" the receptionist politely said. "Yes," Fuyuki replied. The receptionist led us to our table. The round table was covered in white fabric with candles lit up. I let out a deep sigh, ¡°I¡¯m tired from all that skating.¡± ¡°Why does time only fly fast when you¡¯re having fun?¡±, she whined. I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you had fun.¡± She had a big smile on her face. ¡°Of course it was fun; you were there with me. But seriously though, where did you learn how to ice skate? You¡¯re so good at it!¡± ¡°Well, my parents and I would go ice skating every year.¡± Her big smile became more forced. ¡°I-I see¡­¡± My heart sank at the sight. If only her dad were to come home more often¡­ maybe she would¡¯ve experienced what it¡¯s like to have a parent in her life¡­ ¡°Maybe you should join us sometime.¡± Her eyes were in awe. ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that my parents will agree.¡± ¡°Thanks, Chizuru¡­¡± Her eyes started to tear up. She wiped down the tears that were threatening to fall. ¡°Heh, it seems like I¡¯m getting a little bit emotional there.¡± Fuyuki¡­ if I could only do anything to fix your situation¡­ why is her father neglecting her even if they¡¯re the only family they have¡­ Oh wait¡­ I¡¯m no different from her father¡­ I also left her¡­ I have no right to complain about her father¡­ ¡°Uhh Chizuru-chan?¡±, Her tone was laced with worry. Her words snapped me out of my daze. ¡°Well, our food just arrived.¡± I was still startled from earlier. ¡°W-well then, let¡¯s eat!¡± We said ¡°itadakimasu¡± before we started eating our food. We ate and chatted about random things until we finished eating our food. We then went to our last destination, the observation deck. The whole of Tokyo was illuminated by the bright full moon. Fuyuki was in full awe of the view. She quickly went on one of the tower viewers and looked at the view. I watched her while she was looking at the view of Tokyo. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her. ¡°The view here looks amazing!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it exactly the same as the view at the restaurant?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, looking through the tower viewer is a completely different experience. Besides, I was focused on our food earlier.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± ¡°What, I was hungry.¡± She pouted. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at what she said. ¡°Back to our original topic, going here at night gives off different vibes. It just feels more peaceful, you know?¡± She let out a contented sigh. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never been here during the day, so I can¡¯t say.¡± I shrugged. ¡°You should also go here during the day to see it for yourself.¡± ¡°Well, I agree that the night feels more peaceful, but only if you¡¯re at your house or from above here.¡± She started laughing. ¡°I mean, there are a lot of bars here in Tokyo.¡± I would like these moments to never end¡­ I wonder how she¡¯ll react if she remembered our past¡­ Would she get mad at me? Would she forgive me? Sigh, if things could only stay like this¡­ Even if she remembers¡­ Sadly, you can¡¯t really pause time. I know that I would eventually have to tell her, but I just can¡¯t bring myself to. What if she reacts terribly? What if she never talks to me again? I just can¡¯t bring myself to let her go¡­ Chapter 5 - Chizuru Takahashi 10 years ago It was another day at the big playground that my personal maid would bring me to. It was boring because no one wanted to play with me. I didn¡¯t do anything bad to them. Why is she still bringing me here? Suddenly, I saw a girl with blonde hair and pigtails. She was also with an old woman who¡¯s probably her personal maid and a tall man in a suit. She looked happy and went up to the other kids, but they were all scared of her, like how they act around me. My personal maid looked smiling at me and said, ¡°Why not play with Prime Minister Furukawa¡¯s daughter, Chi-sama?¡± She then brought me towards them. ¡°Chi-sama, over hear wants to play with the young lady.¡± The girl jumped in happiness. ¡°Let¡¯s play! My name is Fuyuki, Chi-chan!¡± I looked at her and responded. ¡°Uhh, okay¡± She then pulled me, and we ran to the slide. My mind was still processing what¡¯s going on, and my heart beat quickly. I looked behind me, and the grownups were looking at us while smiling and talking to each other. The girl started coming every day, and I would always be excited when we¡¯re going to the playground, unlike before, and we would play and stick together until one day. It was dark outside when my mom and dad arrived at our big house. They both went up to me and gave me a tight hug. ¡°We missed you, Chi-chan," my mom said. ¡°We brought you your favorite, ramen!¡± I was so happy that I hugged them even tighter. ¡°Thank you, mom, thank you, dad!¡± My mom smiled at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, sweetheart. Seeing you this happy is what makes us happy.¡± The bodyguards placed the food on the table, and we all ate ramen. After a while, my parents looked nervous, so I asked them. ¡°Mom, dad, why do you look nervous?¡± My dad replied. ¡°We¡¯re really sorry but have to move to Nagano because of some problems at the rice production in Nagano.¡± I felt sad. But I promised Fuyuki that I wouldn¡¯t leave her¡­ She¡¯s also my best friend and only friend¡­ I argued. ¡°But Fuyuki lives here!¡± My mom responded this time. ¡°We have to, or else our company will suffer the consequences.¡± I sighed. ¡°Fine¡­¡± My dad said, ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make sure to bring you to your favorite ramen shop right before we go to Nagano.¡± The thought of eating ramen tomorrow didn¡¯t really make me happy because I wanted to stay here with Fuyuki¡­ ??? 6 years later It¡¯s been years since I left Tokyo. Fuyuki never really left my mind. She would always be there, lingering on my mind every single day. It was late at night, about to go to sleep, as I should, but she was there again, at the center of my thoughts. I wonder how she¡¯s doing¡­ Was she able to find a new friend? Does she have a good support system? Is she happy? Does she have a boyfriend?If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The thought of her having a boyfriend made my heart drop. Why am I feeling like this? She¡¯s just the first ever friend, let alone the first and only best friend I ever had. I shouldn¡¯t be feeling this way¡­ Well, whatever that was, does she still remember me? I mean, we were still children at the time, but I just can¡¯t forget about that day, the day where I left her, knowing that she¡¯s all alone¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Fuyuki! I should¡¯ve convinced my parents more! I¡¯m sorry for hurting you! I¡­ I¡­ I could¡¯ve done better! I knew about your situation and still left you¡­ I¡¯m such a terrible friend! Tears started streaming down my face. I¡¯m sorry, Fuyuki¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ for everything that I¡¯ve done. I hope you¡¯re doing okay, even if I¡¯m not there by your side. I hope that you have someone who¡¯ll be there to cherish you and treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Before I met you, I felt pretty empty. I mean, sure, my parents loved me, but they weren¡¯t always home early; they¡¯d only tuck me into bed, and when I wake up, they¡¯re already gone. I understand that they¡¯re busy, but aside from that, the other children at the playground were intimidated at us. I would always be alone there at the corner, and that is, until you came into my life. You lighten up my dark world. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Those were the best moments of my life, but things don¡¯t last forever. I just wish you the best, Fuyuki. That night, I didn¡¯t get an ounce of sleep. I just stared at the ceiling all night. After several hours of crying and staring, I heard a knock on my door. I quickly pretended to be asleep. I heard the door creak and footsteps approaching. I then felt a soothing voice attempting to wake me up. It provided me with so much comfort, easing up the pain that I felt over the last several hours. That voice belonged to my mother. ¡°Sweetheart, it¡¯s time for you to wake up and get ready for school!¡± I was so tempted to give an eyeroll, but it would blow my cover. I never really had a friend here at Nagano, so school was something that I never looked forward to. I still tried to regain my composure and pretended to wake up. ??? It was lunchtime at school. I sat at the faraway corner of the cafeteria, eating the bento that our personal chef made me. It didn¡¯t take too long for me to finish eating and brought out a manga by my favorite author, Kurai-sensei. It didn¡¯t take too long for me to hear a feminine voice calling me. I looked up to the direction of the voice and saw a meek, pink-haired girl. ¡°Are you perhaps also a fan of Kurai-sensei?¡± My eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Yeah, I am. Takamine-san, right?¡± She averted her gaze and responded. ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ You¡¯re Takahashi-san, right?¡± I nodded. She then started playing with her hair and asked. ¡°I-I-Is it okay for me to sit down?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± She went up to me and sat at the chair right next to me. ¡°So, how long have you been a fan of Kurai-sensei?¡± ¡±I-I¡¯ve been a fan since her debut." Her voice trembled. My eyes widened in fascination. ¡°I¡¯ve also been a fan since she debuted. Her manga just feels so familiar and how emotional her works could get and the satisfying happy ending.¡± Her eyes gleamed in excitement. ¡°I know! And the pacing is just perfect!¡± Lunch went by quickly, which happened for the first time in a while. Me and Takamine-san became close, and we would often talk about our mutual love for Kurai-sensei. Her presence eased the guilt of leaving Fuyuki behind and breaking my promise, but Fuyuki never left my mind. I would always wonder if she¡¯s doing well, but unlike before, I didn¡¯t blame myself as much. ??? 2 years later It was summer break. I was reading the latest chapter of Kurai-sensei¡¯s works until I heard a knock on my door. I modulated my voice and said, ¡°Come in!¡±. It was my personal maid, with a rare serious face, contrasting her usual cheerful expression. ¡°Your parents need to talk to you.¡± My eyebrows furrowed. Huh? I don¡¯t think I failed on a test or something¡­ This is odd¡­ ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go there," my voice laced with skepticism. I went to the living room and noticed my parents averting their gaze from me. I sat down on the other end of the modern-style couch. My mom broke the silence and said, ¡°We need to tell you something.¡±. I listened patiently. ¡°As you know, our company has grown a lot over the years, and traveling from Nagano to Tokyo fairly often isn¡¯t exactly the most convenient, so we decided to move back to Tokyo. We already arranged your transfer to Fuyuki¡¯s school, if you still remember her. We¡¯re really sorry for putting you through this again, dear, but work is equally important.¡± I gave them a gentle smile. ¡°I understand, and I really don¡¯t mind. Besides, I can talk to Misaki through LINE so it¡¯s not too bad, and I¡¯ll get to see Fuyuki too.¡± My mom¡¯s eyes started tearing up. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to do this at first, but we really need to be in Tokyo most of the time. I know that you¡¯re not exactly the best at dealing with people, and it¡¯s hard for you to leave your best friend here in Nagano, so thanks for being understanding, dear.¡± ¡°I know that you¡¯re doing this for my future and that you only want what¡¯s best for me, so there¡¯s no reason for me to get mad.¡± My mom went up to me and hugged me tightly, and I hugged her back. My dad watched us both with his eyes filled with affection. ??? I was in my room, with my heart palpitating, looking for the courage to tell Misaki that I¡¯m moving to Tokyo. ¡°Misaki, I have something to tell you.¡± To my surprise, she instantly read the message and replied. ¡°I¡¯m listening¡± I took a deep breath and told her. ¡°The thing is, I¡¯m moving back to Tokyo.¡± ¡°WHAT¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll still talk to me through LINE, right??¡± I let out a chuckle at her response. ¡°Of course I will; you¡¯re my best friend, you know.¡± ¡°Well, you have to tell me how life in Tokyo is.¡± ¡°I will¡± I was nervous at first, but when I saw her replies, I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her responses. Thanks, Misaki, for being my first and only friend here in Nagano. We may not be able to see each other as much as we used to, but I¡¯d still find time to talk to you. You¡¯re the first person who ever befriended me here. And Fuyuki¡­ It¡¯s been a really long time since we last saw each other. I really am sorry for breaking my promise and leaving you... I really am. I hope that we can still be friends right after all that¡¯s happened and leave the past behind. I loved you, even until now, I do. It did take me a while to realize, but I eventually did. This time, I will never leave you. Chapter 6 - Kurai-sensei A week has passed since we went to the tower. I decided to come earlier than her and arrived at our meeting place, which was a cafe near our school, 30 minutes earlier. To my surprise, she was right there, looking out the window. She was also wearing earphones. OH MY GOSH, NO MATTER WHAT I DO, SHE''LL ALWAYS BE EARLIER THAN ME! I WANNA SCREAM SO BAD RIGHT NOW. I wonder how long I''ve kept her waiting for me... All of the worst-case scenarios filled my head, and panic started to control me. Oh no, what if she''s been waiting for an hour? I''m such an idiot; I should''ve come sooner. Why did you have to make her wait, Fuyuki? Fuyuki, why are you being like this? Making people suffer all because of your idiocy! Negative thoughts continued to haunt me as my breaths started to become more laborious. "Fuyuki?" The soft and deep feminine voice was filled with concern. YOU IDIOT! WHY ARE YOU BEING LIKE THIS! YOU''RE SUCH A TERRIBLE PERSON! I then felt arms shaking me. That caused me to finally snap out of my thoughts. "Fuyuki! What happened? Take a deep breath." Chizuru-chan''s eyes were wide open and her movements were frantic. My breaths started to calm down. "Do you feel better now?" I gave her a reassuring smile and responded. "I feel much better now." Great, you made her worry. Great job, Fuyuki. Just great. I scratched my nape and said, "Well anyways, let''s go take a seat." ??? My worry subsided when her breaths finally calmed down. What happened to you, Fuyuki? What could''ve caused your panic attack? Did I do something wrong? I was listening to music, and then the next thing that I''d hear was her hyperventilating. Fuyuki... What did they do to you all those years? Maybe this could''ve been avoided if I didn''t move to Nagano... Well, I can''t change the past, and this time, I''ll never leave you, like I did before. I won''t let anyone hurt you. I may not be able to change the past, but I won''t repeat the same mistake moving forward. We sat at the cafe in awkward silence, contrasting the cafe''s comforting atmosphere. Despite trying to reassure me that she''s okay, she still had a troubled expression. Fuyuki... I''m sorry. I''m sorry for breaking my promise. No, self-hatred won''t do anything; what I have to do is make things right now. Suddenly, I received a notification. It was from the unofficial Discord server of Kurai-sensei''s ongoing manga. My emotions immediately shifted from guilt to jumping in joy. Apparently, the latest chapter was posted last night, and I didn''t know. Fuyuki broke the silence and said with her eyebrows furrowed. "What happened?" "The latest chapter of Kurai-sensei''s manga was released last night." Her confused expression immediately switched to panic. She played with her hair and said, "O-O-Oh... I see... That''s... That''s wonderful... yeah... ehe..." "Uhh... okay..."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Why is it that every time I bring up Kurai-sensei, she acts weirdly... I can''t think of a possible reason... My thoughts were halted by a phone call. "Oh, I need to take this real quick. I''ll be right back." Why is it that each time she gets a phone call, which almost rarely happens, she always act secretively? I continued pondering about Fuyuki''s weird behavior. Our food had already arrived, yet she''s still busy with her phone call. After around 10 minutes, she came back, acting like nothing happened. "As usual, this cafe never disappoints. The cheesecake tastes amazing and the frappucino has a perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness." "Do you perhaps like cheesecake?" Her eyes lit up. "I love cheesecake, especially when it''s from here. They have the best cheesecake that I''ve ever tried." My lips couldn''t help but form a subtle upward curve. "Especially when it''s a blueberry cheesecake, I love blueberries so much! And then combined with a cheesecake, it''s perfect." "I guess I should also call you Blueberry-chan, because until now, you''re still smaller than me." She pouted. "Our height difference is only about 2 centimeters. That''s barely anything." I let out a chuckle. "That doesn''t change the fact that you''re smaller than me. Besides, you''re also younger than me, so isn''t Blueberry-chan a cute nickname for you?" Her cheeks were flushed. "Just call me however you''d like." "I was just kidding; I''ll still call you Fuyuki. Come to think of it, it''s snowing." "Oh yeah, ''Fuyu'' means snow." "Well, I can''t call you an ice queen since you''re the opposite of one. You''re too energetic." She let out a laugh, which warmed my heart. "You act way more like an ice queen than me." I couldn''t help but pout from her comment. "I''m not an ice queen. "Ah yes, an ice queen definitely doesn''t have either a serious expression or a blank one." "Do I really look that heartless?" Her eyes widened. "I-I''m so sorry! I didn''t mean to offend you or anything. I was just joking. I''m really sorry." I squeezed her hands in attempts to calm her down. "Please stop apologizing; I wasn''t offended. I was just joking, I swear." The tension in her was slowly easing up. "I''m really sorry for what I said. I should''ve been more careful." "I really was just joking around. You didn''t say anything offensive." I desperately tried to calm her down. "I hope..." Seeing how anxious she was and how she would always make sure that she wouldn''t offend me really breaks my heart. It makes me question how badly people have treated her. ??? It''s already night time, and I just got home. I quickly went to my desk and started working on the latest chapter of my manga. I need it to be finished by tomorrow, as it will still have to go through my editor. ??? Me and Akira were at an arcade, playing when a group of girls waved at him. "Oh, Ken! I didn''t expect to see you here," a girl our age said. "Oh, he''s Akira," I retorted. "Uhh, that''s obviously Ken." Akira just stood there flabbergasted. "Look, Yuki, I can explain." "So all this time, you were my ex who broke my heart in front of a lot of people? And now, you''re gonna wear a wig and say that you''re a guy named Akira!? I should''ve known all along that it was you. You looked familiar when I first saw you. Now tell me, why did you have to break my heart that way? Why Ken, why?" Tears started flowing down my face. ??? I groaned in frustration. My writer''s block struck once again. "Ugh, I can''t think of the next scene! Why does it have to strike now? It''s literally due tomorrow! I thought that I''d be able to finish this today, but no. Are you being for real now? I can''t think of anything!!!!" Just then, I heard a knock from the door. "Come in!" It was my personal maid, Shizuka. "Do you need anything, Shizuka?" Her face was still as stoic as ever. "I heard you get frustrated while I was about to go to the maid''s quarters. Is it perhaps about the manga?" I sighed in frustration. "Yeah, I''m stuck. I can''t think of the next scene, and I have to finish this by tomorrow at 13:00." She looked at me in the eye; her gaze never faltered. "Fuyuki-sama, it is also important to take a break. You''ve been working hard ever since I first saw you, whether if it¡¯s for school or your mangaka career. You just got home and you''re already working on your manga, even if it¡¯s already pretty late. I mean, working hard is important, but you also need to take a break sometimes." I couldn''t help but smile from her advice. "You know, for someone as stoic as you, you''re surprisingly caring, but I''m not complaining." She averted her gaze. "You''re like a sister to me, Fuyuki-sama. Before I forget to ask, does your friend know that you are a mangaka?" I started fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. "Actually, she doesn''t, and I don''t plan to tell her." "But being open is important in both platonic relationships and romantic relationships." I sighed. "If it were only that easy..." "Didn''t you say that she is a big fan of your work?" "I know, but I''m still scared. I can''t bring myself to tell her." She let out a deep sigh. "At the end of the day, it is still your call, Fuyuki-sama." I know that I should tell her, but I just can''t bring myself to let go of Chizuru-chan. Just the mere thought of her leaving me scares me to death. Chapter 7 - Study Session ring ring The bell officially marks the end of class. As I was packing my things, I got an idea. I faced my left and looked at Chizuru-chan with my eyes gleaming in excitement. "Chizuri-chan, wanna study together tomorrow for our test?" She looked at me with her lips forming a small upward curve. ¡°Sure. So I guess it¡¯s still gonna be the usual? Going to the maim library before classes, huh?¡± I quickly nodded. ¡°Yeah!¡± ??? I groggily opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. It didn¡¯t take me long to realize that today was the day that I''d be studying with Chizuru-chan. This isn¡¯t exactly the first time that it happened, but my heart couldn¡¯t help but beat faster than usual. I quickly got up and prepared for school. After several minutes, all I needed was to eat breakfast. At the table, Shizuka was standing right next to a seat with her usual stoic face. I ate my food as fast as I possibly could. ¡°Fuyuki-sama, you need to slow down and chew your food properly.¡± Her voice was laced with concern. I pouted. ¡°But I wanna go to school early.¡± She deadpanned at me and spoke. ¡°As if you don¡¯t come to school early ever since you befriend a girl named Chizuru.¡± I whined. ¡°I¡¯m too excited for our study session.¡± Her eyes of concern were replaced with a more gentle expression. ¡°Ever since you befriended her, there is no time of the day where you don¡¯t have energy. I also didn¡¯t need to drag you out of bed anymore.¡± I started to relax and reminisced about our times together. ¡°It¡¯s just that she feels so familiar and comforting, but I also don¡¯t remember seeing her anywhere. She¡¯s also kind and gentle¡­ She would also pay attention to everything I say, even if it¡¯s pure nonesense¡­ She¡¯s just perfect in every way possible...¡± "Ah, it sounds like someone finally captured the heart of Fuyuki-sama¡¯s locked heart.¡± I whined again. ¡°Hey! You make it sound like I¡¯m some sort of distrusting ice queen who finally melted.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it true? You may not look like it at a glance, but deep inside, you are.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Whatever. Well, I¡¯m done eating now, so I¡¯ll go now.¡± ¡°Stay safe, Fuyuki-sama.¡± Her eyes gazed at me in a gentle manner. ??? It didn¡¯t take me a while for me to arrive at the almost empty gates of our school. I walked as fast as possible to the main library. I managed to shorten the typical 5-minute walk there to only 3 minutes. I went inside the familiar but massive traditional building that was filled with a lot of books. I went to the reading area, and sure enough, I was able to spot her wearing headphones while reading the latest volume of my manga. I couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy over the sight of the manga, but then remembered that we''d be having a study session, which made my heart leap in joy. I went up to her table and sat on the seat across her.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Chizuru-chan!¡± She placed her headphones into her neck and stopped what she was currently doing. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here, Fuyuki; I guess we should start studying.¡± I happily nodded. We took out our textbooks and notes and started reviewing. I noticed her struggling with an equation and asked. ¡°Are you having trouble with it?¡± She nodded. I stood from my seat and walked up to her. ¡°Basically, you use this formula and maneuver it a bit; plug in the values you got earlier and there!¡± ¡°Ohhh, so that¡¯s how it¡¯s done. How are you so good at studying? Not just math, but with all subjects. What¡¯s your secret?¡± My cheeks started to turn red. I played with my hair and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know; I just listen to our sensei, and yeah. Do you need more help?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I get it now.¡± ¡°Well, just tell me if you need help.¡± We then continued studying by ourselves. It didn¡¯t take long for me to finish studying, so I excused myself and looked for something to read. I went back to our table and started reading the shojo manga I found. I couldn¡¯t focus on what I was reading and sneekily took glances at Chizuru-chan, who¡¯s earnestly studying. My heart warmed at the sight. The expressions that Chizuru-chan makes while she¡¯s studying are so cute! The way she furrows her eyebrows while trying to understand the lesson¡­ Her unwavering gaze¡­ ??? While I was reviewing my notes, I noticed that it was incomplete, and there were unfinished formulas. I decided to ask Fuyuki, whose eyes seem to be dilated. "Uhh, Fuyuki, can I borrow your notes?¡± She jumped from my question and tried to compose herself. ¡°O-oh sure!¡± She took out a notebook that¡¯s covered in pink leather from her pink bag and handed it over to me. ¡°Thanks¡± She smiled at me and said, ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡± I opened the notebook. It was filled with random drawings. My eyes widened in realization. On there was the first ever design of Yuki from Kurai-sensei¡¯s manga, with her art style. My eyes widened in realization. ¡°Fuyuki, a-are you¡­ Kurai-sensei?¡± Her eyes were wide open, and she was left speechless. Her body started trembling. Fuyuki¡­ is Kurai-sensei!? That explains why she reacts weirdly with the mention of Kurai-sensei¡­ That must¡¯ve been awkward for her when I told her that she¡¯s my favorite author. Still, I can¡¯t shake off the feeling that something happened¡­ Fuyuki¡­ Knowing that she¡¯s Kurai-sensei, that explains why her manga feels so familiar¡­ Wait, SHE¡¯S TREMBLING! Just as I realized that she was trembling, she was already gone. I looked everywhere but failed to find her. ??? I felt my soul leave me when I realized that I accidentally gave her my drawing notebook. When she asked me if I¡¯m Kurai-sensei, I brought my things and ran as fast as I could. No¡­ no no no no no!!! Chizuru-chan, I¡­ She knows¡­ She knows! What do I do? Please don¡¯t leave me, please! I¡­ uhh uhh uhh I ran aimlessly around the campus until I thought of going to the clinic. I then went there as soon as I could. I arrived at the clinic, panting. I was struggling to breathe after running for so long, knowing that I have asthma. The nurse¡®s face was filled with concern. ¡°What happened!¡± I continued panting, struggling to catch my breath. ¡°Do you have asthma?¡± "Yeah," I said while panting. She helped me sit down and asked. "Do you have your inhaler?¡± "Yeah, but can I go home after this?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll call your parents.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just call my driver.¡± She gave me an understanding look and helped me with my inhaler. ??? As soon as I got home, I went to my room and locked the door. Tears instantly flowed down my face. Chizuru-chan probably hates me now¡­ as if I can do anything about it. But still, I¡­ I can¡¯t let her go¡­ Chizuru-chan, I¡¯m sorry for being like this. I¡¯m sorry for being cringe and geeky. I¡¯m sorry for being a mangaka. I¡­ I should¡¯ve just stopped, or else this wouldn¡¯t have happened; she wouldn¡¯t leave me. Well... maybe she would''ve, but the chances now are way higher. Why did I not stop? YOU SHOULD¡¯VE STOPPED, FUYUKI! WHY DID YOU STILL CONTINUE BEING A MANGAKA? WHY? Chizuru-chan, please don¡¯t leave me... Chapter 8 - Is It Worth It to Chase After Your Dreams? 3 years ago Ah, what should I read now? I feel like I¡¯ve read almost every single shojo manga possible! Now I¡¯m so bored¡­ Ugh! Wait¡­ Why not try to make my own? I mean, I find drawing fun, and I don¡¯t really have anything to do this summer break¡­ Few days later And done! I¡¯m finally done with the first chapter! Just a few more clicks and publish! Now I¡¯m gonna start making the second chapter! Few hours later Ugh! I can¡¯t think of the next scene!! Suddenly, I heard a ding sound coming from my phone. I opened it and saw a notification from my Twitter. It was a DM from the username ¡°Kotoneko¡±. Kotoneko?? I don¡¯t think I know anyone with the username ¡°Kotoneko¡±¡­ Opens profile This Kotoneko seems to be a mangaka¡­ They said, ¡°Hi!! I know that this may sound creepy or weird, but I just want to say that I really love your new debut manga. It¡¯s so good, especially for the first chapter of a debut manga. Keep up the good work!!! I¡¯m looking forward to the next chapter!!¡±. Hmmm¡­ Should I respond?? Eh, whatever happens, I won¡¯t reveal to her my details, and besides, that¡¯s my mangaka account. She can¡¯t find anything related to me, only manga stuff. Since then, I continued making manga and kept in touch with Kotoneko. Apparently, Kotoneko¡¯s real name is Kotone Yuki. She also goes to my school, and we¡¯re around the same age. Several weeks later This day officially marks the end of summer break. As usual, the halls of Takaju Academy were as busy as it gets. I walked towards my classroom and entered the room filled with cheers and chatter of my classmates. There she was, Koto-chan, who is sitting right behind me. I walked towards our assigned seats and turned around to face her. She had long pink hair, her bangs swept to the side, with purple eyes complementing her hair, and her cheeks were flushed. I was over the moon, as this was the first time I¡¯ve ever seen her after we became friends. ¡°Koto-chan! It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve seen each other!¡± She averted her gaze and said, ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She went through her bag and took out a little keychain of a black-haired girl from my favorite manga. ¡°Uhh, I saw this at the bookstore yesterday, and it reminded me of you¡­ Y-you can have it!¡± My heart warmed at her gesture. ¡°Thanks, Koto-chan!" Just then, three girls went up to me. One of them had long, red hair; the other had blue hair with curls at the end, and the other one had brunette hair. The brunette had a smile on her face. ¡°Fuyuki-chan! We¡¯ve been looking for you.¡± I played with my hair and said, ¡°Sorry about that¡­¡± All four of us continued to talk while Koto-chan just watched us. I gave her a warm smile and continued chatting with Kaede-chan and the others. Few days later I saw a pink-haired girl being pinned to the wall. She was surrounded by a group of girls. One of them took her notebook. ¡°Heh, let¡¯s see¡­ Oh, shy girl, is a mangaka creating cringeworthy stuff? Hahahaha, how pathetic.¡± The other girls laughed with her. ¡°How are you not ashamed of yourself for making these? Oh wait, you can¡¯t even talk properly without looking people in the eye.¡± They all laughed even harder. The pink-haired girl desperately tried to reach for her notebook, but the girls passed it around. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re not done with you¡­¡± ¡°Please, give it back!¡± The girl pleaded. The girl holding the notebook then decided to rip some of the pages. The pink-haired girl¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Stop! Those are important!¡± They all laughed in unison. ¡°And why should we care, huh?¡± The pink-haired girl desperately pleaded. ¡°Please, those are very important to me.¡± I watched in horror. Seeing Koto-chan get bullied for making manga shattered my heart into pieces. I¡­ how could they! Koto-chan didn¡¯t even do anything wrong. So what if she writes manga!? It¡¯s not cringeworthy; she¡¯s an amazing mangaka and a sweet girl at heart! But I can¡¯t make myself move¡­ I¡­ My thoughts were disrupted by my friends. ¡°Heh, that¡¯s what she gets for being a weeb," the brunette said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with making manga?¡± ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re defending her now?¡± ¡°No, I meant-¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°What, you¡¯re joining this loser now?¡± I sighed. ¡°No¡­¡± ??? As soon as I got home, I logged onto Twitter and texted Koto-chan. Fuyuki: ¡°Koto-chan, are you okay??¡± Kotone: ¡°Those popular girls ripped pages of my notebook where I made the next chapter. I didn¡¯t even do anything to them¡± Fuyuki: ¡°Seriously though, what¡¯s wrong with making manga¡± Kotone: ¡°Be honest, Fuyuki, do you actually find it cringe?¡± Fuyuki: ¡°Of course not! I mean, if I did, would I be making manga¡± Kotone: ¡°Fair point, but honestly, I¡¯m thinking of stopping¡± Fuyuki: ¡°What? Don¡¯t let them get into you¡± Kotone: ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore¡± Fuyuki: ¡°Listen, why did you decide to make manga¡± Kotone: ¡°Because it allows me to express myself, while at the same time, I can make people happy¡± Fuyuki: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what about your fans? Are you just going to leave them behind because of some mean girls?¡± Kotone: ¡°You¡¯re right, Fuyuki. Why should I stop because of them¡± Fuyuki: ¡°That¡¯s the spirit¡± Ah, if only I was able to defend her¡­ ??? While me and the girls were having our lunch, a group of girls were gathered around Koto-chan while she was eating. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s our shy dork!¡± The other girls held onto her wrists as their leader threw Koto-chan¡¯s food. ¡°Hey!¡± "Oh, is the little shy girl gonna fight back now?¡± Her voice was menacing. ¡°For fighting back, you¡¯re gonna have to eat it on the floor like a puppy.¡± The leader crossed her arms and smirked. Koto-chan¡¯s eyes widened in terror, and the other girls pushed her to the ground without letting go of their hold. ¡°I-¡± Just then, a teacher was seen walking around. The bullies glared at her before releasing her. "Oh, you¡¯re lucky; next time, fate won¡¯t be this generous, got it.¡± With that, the bullies left. My friends all laughed at the sight, while I was left speechless. ¡°Too bad the teacher came; it would¡¯ve been entertaining to see her eat it from the floor," the readhead snickered. I-I¡­ Koto-chan¡­ is it even worth it to continue making manga? Seeing you get mercilessly bullied over this¡­ should I even continue? I¡­ I¡¯m too scared; I can¡¯t bring myself to let go of Kaede-chan and the others. I feel like suffocating over the thought, but seeing them laugh at you¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know anymore! What¡¯s even the right thing to do!? I¡­ I have an idea! ¡°I¡¯ll be going to the bathroom for a moment.¡± With that, I went to the main library¡¯s cafe to buy food for Koto-chan. That way, Kaede-chan and the others won¡¯t get mad at me while Koto-chan gets to eat. After a while, I arrived at the cafeteria and went up to Koto-chan in a subtle way and gave her the food I bought. I went up to my friends and continued eating with them. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her, and she seemed to have noticed. We locked eyes for a few moments before we both averted our gaze while our cheeks were flushed. ??? At the library, while me and my friends were studying, I saw Koto-chan, who seems to be doodling something. It didn¡¯t take a while for a group of girls to come. As usual, the leader grabbed her notebook from her. ¡°Fuyuki??Kotone¡­ Ooooh, so our shy girl is not only delusional but isn¡¯t even a proper girl, and to think that the Fuyuki Furukawa, the prettiest girl in school, and the daughter of Prime Minister Furukawa, would ever like YOU of all people? And you didn¡¯t even address her with her surname, but you went on and used her first name. Girl, you need a reality check.¡± The leader of the girls smirked. Koto-chan looked at them with her lifeless and soulless eyes and didn¡¯t mutter a single word. ¡°Let me get this straight. Girls should only date boys, not fellow females, got it.¡± Koto-chan just stared at them. ¡°You know what? This is getting pretty boring. Girls, let¡¯s go and spice things up.¡± The girls gave the notebook back as the leader had a mischevious grin while walking away. I just watched the scene unfold without doing anything to stop it. Ah, I can¡¯t even do anything to save Koto-chan¡­ I¡¯m still acting like the coward I am¡­ You can¡¯t even save the person you love¡­ Wait¡­ love??? But I only see her as a friend¡­ Whatever¡­ I know that the right thing to do is to defend Koto-chan, but no. I still continued doing nothing. What a friend am I? I can¡¯t even do anything to help her¡­ ??? Since that day, Koto-chan has been completely isolated from our peers. She would always be mocked for her sexuality and for making manga, while I did absolutely nothing but watch her worsen. On Twitter Fuyuki: ¡°Koto-chan, how are you feeling?¡± Kotone: ¡°Ah, feelings¡­ dear Fuyuki, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve last felt such things¡± Fuyuki: ¡°Wdym??¡± Kotone: ¡°Fuyuki, thanks for being there for me. I really do appreciate it, but it¡¯s not enough¡± Kotone: ¡°Btw, I quit making manga¡± I could help but sigh. I guess this is the day, huh? I mean, is there even a point to continue when all you get is being ridiculed? Even I¡¯m contemplating whether I should stop too¡­ Fuyuki: ¡°Well, if that¡¯s your choice, then I¡¯m not stopping you¡± Kotone: ¡°When the day comes, don¡¯t stop¡± Fuyuki: ¡°Huh???¡± Kotone: ¡°You¡¯ll eventually know when the time comes¡± Kotone: ¡°Don¡¯t let your talent go to waste. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll make it big¡± Fuyuki: ¡°Koto-chan, what are you saying??¡± Kotone: ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ve heard about the fact that I like you. The thing is, it¡¯s true, and I don¡¯t regret falling for you. Whether or not you like me back, I just wanna say that it was nice meeting you.¡± That was the last message that I¡¯ve received from her. I sent her countless messages and called her numerous times, but never got a response. This made me decide to go to her house. It didn¡¯t take a while for me to arrive at her place. I got out of my car and rang the doorbell. The door was opened by an old lady wearing a maid outfit. She greeted me with a smile and said, ¡°Are you Fuyuki?¡± As my mind was still filled with worry, I answered the old lady with, ¡°Yes, can you lead me towards her room?¡± ¡°Why yes!¡± So many what-ifs came to my mind as we walked towards her room. Out of all the what-ifs, the worst one happened. Inside her room was her lifeless body, with pills scattered around her bed. I stood there motionless. Tears flowed uncontrollably on my face. I went up to her lifeless body and shaken it as hard as I possibly could. ¡°Koto-chan! Koto-chan! This is just a silly prank, right? You¡¯re not dead, you¡¯re not¡­¡± I shook her even harder. ¡°Koto-chan! Please wake up! This isn¡¯t funny. Please!¡± All hope that I had was lost. I stopped shaking her body and my tears continued flowing. ¡°Koto-chan, I¡¯m sorry! I should¡¯ve not been a coward. I should¡¯ve defended you! I¡­ KOTO-CHAN!!¡± This is all my fault. If I only defended her and didn¡¯t watch like a coward. You killed her, Fuyuki! You killed her! And now she¡¯ll never come back! You¡¯ll never see her smile! You¡¯ll never hear her talk! You¡¯ll never be able to feel her warmth! She¡¯ll never be able to know how you feel! That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve probably been into her since the start; I was just being in denial, huh? Well now, I really have no hope. I blew my shot and let her get hurt. Great. I mean, I don¡¯t really deserve her. She¡¯s way too good for me. Should I even continue making manga? My first love literally died because of it. She died because of manga¡­ and me¡­ Her final words echoed in my mind. ¡°When the day comes, don¡¯t stop¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let your talent go to waste. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll make it big¡± I guess I will, Koto-chan, but only because you want me to continue. Seriously though, the only thing that manga does to people is hurt them, not make them happy. I will never lose someone over manga ever again. Chapter 9 – If She Can Only Come Back From the Dead I stared at the empty canvas at the top of my room while holding the keychain that was given by someone dear to me. Koto-chan, why am I still making manga? I should¡¯ve given up years ago! Memories of our last conversation resurfaced. Oh right¡­ That¡¯s the least that I can do for letting you die¡­ I¡­ I just can¡¯t take this anymore! Chizuru-chan¡¯s probably gonna leave me for being a mangaka¡­ After all, making manga only causes people to leave you and make your life miserable¡­ I should probably just stick to being a reader¡­ Why did I even become one? I guess I have to admit that it is fun. Well, I still have to honor Koto-chan¡¯s last words so it¡¯s not like I can stop¡­ Chizuru-chan on the other hand¡­ I¡¯m sorry for being cringe, you¡¯re probably going to leave me after figuring it out and I know that I have to accept that facts but why can¡¯t my heart take it? Why do I feel like I¡¯ll lose everything? I can¡¯t bear the thought of not having her by my side! I¡­ I can¡¯t take this anymore! I have nothing else to run to. I feel so stuck like this will never go away. If I could only back in time, if I hadn¡¯t messed up and given her my notebook, or maybe I could¡¯ve defended Koto-chan! Why do I have to be a coward!? Why do I have to be like this? Why do I have to be me? My body lifelessly lay on the bed as I struggled to lose myself in slumber. ??? ring ring The bell officially marks the start of our lunch break. I turned around to face Fuyuki. She no longer had light in her eyes. It was empty and lifeless. ¡°Uhh¡­ Fuyuki?¡± This was my attempt at breaking the tension. ¡°What?¡± Her tone reflected her current state. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Nope¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ I guess we should go now.¡± ¡°Okay¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. While walking towards our spot, I tried to break the tension again. ¡°Have you read the latest chapter?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± She said without turning to face me. ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°Good¡± Talking to Present Fuyuki felt like talking to a wall. There was a drastic change between Present Fuyuki and Fuyuki before the incident at the main library. And she won¡¯t be opening up anytime soon too. We eventually arrived at the jovial halls of the cafeteria since it was too cold in our normal spot. I didn¡¯t attempt to start a conversation anymore because she might get bothered by it with her current state. We ate in complete silence. What happened while I was still in Nagoya? Why is she so secretive about the fact that is Kurai-sensei? Did anyone bully you over it? She won¡¯t even tell me anything, I¡¯m just stuck here wondering why! I can only watch her slowly turn into an empty shell of her former self. I¡¯ve never felt this hopeless in my life. Seeing Fuyuki slowly lose herself the only thing that I can do is to watch her! I can¡¯t even do anything to help her¡­ It hurts to see her like that! To see her so empty and lifeless! No Chizuru, you shouldn¡¯t lose hope, she¡¯ll eventually open up. You just have to give her enough time. How will you be able to be there for her if you¡¯re feeling hopeless? Calm down, Chizuru, calm down¡­ Just be patient. ??? As soon as I arrived at my house, I plopped myself onto my bed. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do anything else. I received a notification and reluctantly checked my phone. It was from my editor asking me about the progress of the next chapter. My body was frozen in place. I didn¡¯t respond and continued staring at the wall. Great, I can¡¯t even force myself to get out of bed and do the next chapter that¡¯s due in a couple of days. I should probably put it on hiatus so that I can procrastinate¡­ The thought made my heart beat erratically as if I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of stopping. I looked at the keychain and thought to myself. Koto-chan, why can¡¯t I bring myself to stop? Ah, I guess I truly am cringe, huh? All I ever wanted was to continue making manga with you¡­ But you¡¯re gone now, so that will never happen¡­ and it¡¯s all because of me. If I only defended you, this would¡¯ve never happened. You¡¯d still be here. If I only weren¡¯t such a coward. I called my driver and decided to go to the cemetery. It didn¡¯t take too long for us to arrive there. I went up to the grave of Kotone Yuki and placed some flowers. ¡°Koto-chan, I¡¯m sorry for being such a coward! I should¡¯ve¡­ I should¡¯ve done something! I shouldn¡¯t have let them treat you like that!¡± I broke down into tears. ¡°If it only weren¡¯t for my cowardice, you¡¯d still be alive. I¡­ I would¡¯ve never lost you¡­ And now, I¡¯ll never be able to see you smile again. We can¡¯t collaborate anymore to make manga together. I¡¯ll never be able to feel your warmth¡­ I¡¯ll never be able to see you again and it¡¯s all my fault!¡± I cried even harder. I haven¡¯t cried like this since Koto-chan died years ago. I then felt a light tap on my shoulder. It was from Shizuka, my maid. Her expression was filled with concern. ¡°Fuyuki-sama, I may not have been there when it happened but I don¡¯t think Yuki-sama would like it if you continued blaming yourself.¡± I faced her with my tear-stained face. ¡°That may happen but it still doesn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s gone and she¡¯ll never come back! And it¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± ¡°Fuyuki-sama, yes, you may have done something in the past, but you cannot change the past. What you can do is to learn from your mistakes and to not repeat the same mistake.¡± I let out a deep sigh. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± ??? I was back in my room after visiting Koto-chan. I remembered her words and started making the next chapter. After a couple of hours, I finished the chapter. I told my editor that I was already done and sent it to her. After sending it, I noticed that Chizuru-chan sent me a message a couple of minutes ago. Chizuru-chan¡­ you¡¯re probably just checking up on me to be nice because deep inside, you find me cringe for being a mangaka because, after all, that¡¯s how people perceive mangakas. That¡¯s exactly how I lost Koto-chan, both from my cowardice and for creating manga. Why are you still being nice to me, Chizuru-chan? You don¡¯t have to, you know¡­ You don¡¯t have to pretend to be nice¡­ In the end, I didn¡¯t respond to her message. Announcement Hello everyone! Once again, I¡¯m Yukouhi, the author of Butterfly Heights. Thank you for all the support you¡¯ve given. I really appreciate it. This was my first time ever posting fiction online and the 4th one I¡¯ve ever made in my life. I¡¯ll be taking a one-week break since I¡¯ll be going on a vacation, and I wasn¡¯t able to make the chapters in advance because of school and stuff. I¡¯m really sorry for not being able to complete the chapters in advance. I¡¯ll see you again on December 28!This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Chapter 10 - Secret It was a Sunday afternoon. The sakura flowers were starting to bloom, and the once-cold breeze was replaced with a warmer temperature, making the use of thick jackets unnecessary. While listening to music, I thought to myself. I¡­ I don¡¯t know anymore! The gap between me and Fuyuki is growing! All of my attempts at talking to her were futile ever since the day she accidentally gave me her drawing notebook! I can¡¯t just let her shun herself completely from the world¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t bear to see her lifeless eyes! If I only have Kobayashi-san¡¯s phone number¡­ Maybe she knows a way to help Fuyuki... With that, I removed the headphones off my head and ran towards the driver¡¯s room. There was an old man resting in his pajamas. I rushed to his bed and shook him. ¡°Nakamura-san, we need to get to Fuyuki¡¯s house as soon as possible!¡± He groggily opened his eyes and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Chizuru-sama?¡± ¡°It¡¯s urgent!¡± He smiled at me and said, ¡°Very well then, just give me a few minutes to change.¡± As soon as he finished changing, we went off to Fuyuki¡¯s house. As soon as we were in front of her mansion, I got out of the car as soon as I could and rang the doorbell. There was a girl around our age with silver hair that¡¯s wearing a maid uniform. Her sharp eyes gazed at me. I took a deep breath and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m Chizuru Takahashi. May I talk to Kobayashi-san?¡± The girl¡¯s gaze never faltered. She muttered something that I didn¡¯t quite catch before responding. ¡°Grandma retired a year ago. If you¡¯d like, I can give you her phone number.¡± "That would be wonderful! May I know your name?" ¡°I¡¯m Shizuka Satou. Fuyuki-sama¡¯s new personal maid. Are you perhaps trying to help Fuyuki-sama?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s been pretty distant recently.¡± Her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Fuyuki-sama has said a lot of good things about you, but yes, she has been pretty lifeless.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t know what to do anymore. It''s impossible to talk to her, and it¡¯s like she turned into a completely different person. I¡­¡± ¡°Just take a deep breath¡­¡± I listened to Satou-san¡¯s instructions. ¡°I know that Fuyuki-sama has been unapproachable recently, but please don¡¯t give up on her. She may have been through a lot of things, but she still has a pure heart. I may not be in the position to tell this, but the reason why she might have been unapproachable recently is her trauma in manga creation. She had lost someone dear to her a long time ago. I¡¯m not too sure about the specific details, but it seems that she had lost her due to an incident that happened, and if I¡¯m not mistaken, it is related to manga. I apologize if I do not have much information, as Fuyuki-sama is the type of person to keep to herself.¡± ¡°I understand. Thanks for telling me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to help. I would also like to see Fuyuki-sama back to her normal self. Oh, before I forget. Here¡¯s grandmother¡¯s phone number.¡± ¡°Thank you, Satou-san. I¡¯ll get going now.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With that, I left the Furukawa household. Once I got home, I dialed the number Satou-san gave me. After a few moments, an old lady responded. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Kobayashi-san, it¡¯s me, Chi-chan!¡± The old lady¡¯s voice immediately lightened up as soon as I mentioned my name. ¡°Chi-chan! I haven¡¯t seen you since you were a little girl. How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing pretty well. I returned to Tokyo about a couple of months ago.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice. How¡¯s little Fuyuki?¡± ¡°She has been pretty distant and lifeless recently. I was wondering if you know something that could help Fuyuki.¡± The old lady¡¯s voice saddened. ¡°Hmm, she¡¯s always been the type to act like everything is okay, but you said that she¡¯s been quite lifeless, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Even after 15 years of raising her, I¡¯ve never seen her act like that. She would always smile and act like nothing¡¯s wrong¡­ but not even being able to smile¡­ Chi-chan, please keep an eye on Fuyuki! I have a bad feeling about this¡­ Don¡¯t ever get tired of checking up on her, even if it feels like she¡¯ll never open up. She needs all the support she can get.¡± Her voice was filled with distress. ¡°Very well, Kobayashi-san. I¡¯ll make sure to keep an eye on her.¡± ¡°Please take care of little Fuyuki.¡± ¡°I will, Kobayashi-san, and thanks for the advice.¡± ¡°It was delightful to be able to talk to you again after all those years. Goodbye¡± ¡°Bye¡± With that, I hung up. My hunch was right. This situation is worse than I could possibly imagine. Even Kobayashi-san hasn¡¯t seen her act that way¡­ I shouldn¡¯t say anything that could cause her even more distress. She must not know that I¡¯m Chi-chan! With her current state, I don¡¯t know what she¡¯ll do if she finds out. Fuyuki¡­ ??? ring ring This marks the end of today¡¯s class. I turned to my left and saw Fuyuki. She was completely expressionless. Her movements were also slow, almost as if she¡¯s pushing herself to carry on. "Uhh, Fuyuki, how was our last class?¡± She didn¡¯t even dare to face me. ¡°It was fine.¡± I finished packing up my things and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡± ¡°Okay¡± ??? It was another repetitive day where nothing notable happened. Me and Chizuru-chan walked up to the gate without saying anything to each other. I wonder how long she¡¯s gonna continue being by my side¡­ After all, reality is different from shojo manga, where most stories have a happy ending. Reality, on the other hand, won¡¯t always be your desired ending¡­ If only life were like a shojo manga, maybe Koto-chan would still be alive, maybe Chizuru-chan would genuinely want to stay by my side forever¡­ Sigh, as if you can do anything about it¡­ After a couple of minutes, we arrive at the gate. As usual, it was filled with cars. I didn¡¯t spot my car, so I decided to call my driver. As I took out my phone, a car pulled up right in front of me and Chizuru-chan. The car rolled down the window at the back, revealing a couple that¡¯s fairly old. The couple smiled at us and said, ¡°Chi-chan!¡± Chizuru-chan¡¯s voice lit up in excitement. ¡°Mom, dad, you¡¯re here!¡± Chizuru-chan walked up closer to her car. ¡°We were able to get out of work early today, so we decided to come fetch you from school.¡±, the man said. Chi-chan¡­ that name sounds really familiar¡­ ¡°And it looks like Fuyuki is here with you! I can still remember you two happily playing together when you were little children.¡± ¡°Hey mom!¡± Chizuru-chan raised her voice in panic. Me and Chizuru-chan¡­ have known each other since we were children?? All of my memories of the past flashed to me. ??? It was a hot day at the playground. I was sitting at the swing while Chi-chan pushed me. I laughed. ¡°Higher, Chi-chan, higher!¡± I could hear her breathing heavily. ¡°I can¡¯t push you any higher than this.¡± ¡°Well, I guess there¡¯s a limit on the strength of Chi-chan¡¯s little arms.¡± Her cheeks turned red. ¡°Hey¡­¡± I laughed again. ¡°This time, you can have a go on the swing.¡± I stood up and I pushed the swing but it didn¡¯t take a while for Kobayashi-san to run as fast as she can towards us. ¡°Fuyuki, you shouldn¡¯t push yourself! What if you get an asthma attack?¡± Chi-chan watched us carefully as Kobayashi-san got mad at me. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t do that again¡­¡± I looked at Chi-chan and said, ¡°Kobayashi-san is no fun! But, I guess I have to listen¡­¡± ¡°We can play at the slide instead.¡± I jumped in happiness. ¡°I love playing at the slide!¡± We went to the slide over and over again until it was time to go home. ??? ¡°I¡¯ll always be by your side¡±¡­ Chi-chan¡­ My body was unable to move when I realized.