baddie, Sora-chan, Kikk4r, kano-chan, oddball, Birthday girl Doumo
People waiting, if there's any that is, Sumimasen
UP12The sun was nearly half way below the rim of the horizon when Reina decided to get up from the wooden bench she was sitting on. More than an hour ago, she stopped and sat on one of the park’s benches after walking a good distance. Sitting there in silence, her entire attention seemed focused at the sights in front of her. From the two boys who played happily with their dogs nearby, to the couples who held hands while walking on the broad sidewalk at the seawall, to the waves crashing with a gentle rhythmic pulse against the battered concrete partition, and to the sun’s sparkling reflection dancing on the water’s rippling surface. But the truth was these sights never mattered to her, because her mind was consumed with thoughts the whole time. Thoughts of the unexpected event, thoughts of the girl, thoughts of Ai, and thoughts of her life back home.
In the past eight months, she couldn’t deny that she was happy with Hokori-kun, but she couldn’t also deny the fact that a part of her is still being held captive by Ai. Because there were times when she wanted to feel Ai’s embrace instead of his. There were times when she longed for Ai’s strawberry scent rather than his aftershaves. And it felt very wrong every time. And every moment it happens, her urge to see her is soaring up but at the same time she feels it isn’t right. It ain’t right after what she’s done to Ai, and so whisking the urge away was all she could do each time.
But yesterday’s event made Reina swallow her doubts of seeing the girl, because as her man slid the ring on her finger, her ex-girlfriend’s face flashed into her mind. Sure she smiled and said yes, but there was a rumbling sensation all over her body. Be it because of the element of surprise or because of fear to be forever tied she must find out. Certainly she was happy but a part of her was also sad especially when she thought of Ai. Be it because of guilt or love she must know before it’s too late. She must find out if her decision of choosing him was right before her wedding day arrives.
And that’s what brought Reina in Ai’s place, to sort things out. But she was greeted with an unexpected scene, so unexpected that she couldn’t bear to watch the scene for too long and it left her no other choice but to leave without saying proper hellos and goodbyes.
As the clock ticks at a vexingly slow pace while she sat and looked into the horizon, Reina’s heartbeat ticks in double pace. She was sitting there in silence and her companion was doing the same. No one spoke. Reina was waiting for Ai to speak first but more than an hour has passed, her companion was quiet all throughout. She was just there accompanying Reina without a single word voiced. Not a word was uttered, all the more causing Reina to feel fidgety inside.
Finally giving up, Reina mustered up the last ounce of her courage and decided to break the silence, and without averting her gaze from the distant ocean, she started to speak.
“She’s beautiful”
“Un”
The two letter reply was like a bomb. It shattered Reina to a great degree. It made her forget to breathe for a moment because it wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear. A big part of her wanted Ai to explain and to say that she’s still the one she loves and adores. It’s a selfish desire she knows but she was hoping that Ai would say that the girl’s just a friend, that she’s still the one for her. But instead, she got something that caused her already broken heart bleed. The mere sight of seeing Ai with another woman was already painful to her, more so hearing a word that could somehow confirm her fear.
Closing her eyes, Reina started to take a moment to prepare herself. Things have to be done and need to be decided right on that moment. She may hate herself for a span of time, but she knows it would be more painful to hear from Ai directly and more clearly that she does not love her anymore. And so she let her mind work, she began to think of reasons why she needed to do this.
It would be too much to ask Ai back when she knows her own mind would always win the battle over her heart. It would be selfish when she knows she wanted a family that won’t deviate from the norms and it can never happen if she’s with Ai. To her, justifying things seemed easier and less painful than accepting the fact that the love of her life is not hers anymore.
Like a silent sob, she took a deep soundless sigh before opening her eyes again. And like the sky painted in red hues as the sun glided down to earth, her heart was bleeding inside.
“Thank you for being here with me right now… and it’s good to see you again, Ai” that’s when she got up, all ready to leave when she felt a warm hand holding her wrist, stopping her from walking away.
“I’ll accompany you home, Rei.”
~~~
“Sayu! You’re naked!”
“Eh?... oh, right. Why won’t I be, you’re here with me!”
“Yeah, but that’s not me in front of your door!”
“Oh! Right!” Quickly hiding behind her bedroom door, Sayu tilted her head while shyly smiling at the woman who appeared at her door. “Aichan! You’re home. I thought you’re out tonight”
“Un, but long story. Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you two guys but… have you seen Risa? She’s not in our room and there’s no one downstairs.”
“Eh?! She’s not in your room? I thought she’s already asleep!” turning around to face her girlfriend who was in her bed staring back at her with big round eyes, Sayu continued to shriek “Eri! We’re supposed to look out for her, why you didn’t notice?!”
“Ummm, excuse me… the word ‘we’ is the key there. But yeah! How come we did not notice?! Quick, put some clothes on Sayu~!” Eri joined the shrieking and threw her legs over the side of the bed while tossing some clothes to her girlfriend’s direction.
You two guys relax, I think I know where she is… and thanks!” the oldest then left half running.
“By the way, you didn’t disturb us! We didn’t do anything! But since you’re here now, please don’t come knocking on my door for the rest of the night!” Sayu’s cheerful voice echoed inside the hallway as she informed the woman who was already in no sight, obviously happy.
“Sayu~!”
“What?”
“That was pretty vulgar, don’t you think?”
“You don’t like?”
“Come closer and you’ll find out”
~~~
“Ara! A shooting star! Quick! Make a wish!” Ai screeched the moment she saw the star and forgot that she was trying to think of a way on how to approach the girl without startling her. But obviously she failed because something from the object of her vision for the past ten minutes flew away and landed on the ground. It was then followed by a sudden turning of the head towards her direction. Then there was silence, causing Ai’s uneasiness to rise up but she was thrilled to see her at the same time.
“Did you make a wish?” Ai uttered in a bright tone. She couldn’t see clearly the girl’s facial expression for it was dark and so she waited for the girl to speak but all she received was silence and a few seconds later, the girl reverted back her gaze to the sky. That was Ai’s cue, lots of things to explain and so she started by stepping forward and gently grabbing Risa’s piece of cloth on the ground. Sitting next to her, she placed the cloth on her own lap while lifting her eyes up to the sky as well.
“I always find stargazing magnificent because it never fails to widen my vision and it’s very soothing. It helps me remind how life works. It reminds me how enchanting life is, especially when you feel like your life is like a total mess. And tonight’s no different. In fact I find it even more wonderful. You feel the same way?”
When the girl did not respond, Ai paused for a moment before continuing with a more serious tone. “You see, in the past, someone made my life so alive and so colourful. We did a lot of things together, even crazy stuffs like cutting classes, experimenting with different kinds of alcohol, puffing some old men’s cigars, swimming naked even… stuffs that I thought I would never do in my entire life. And of course we did some good stuff too, majority was good stuff. Her name’s Reina… the girl from earlier.”
Ai faced the girl next to her when she mentioned Reina’s name. She was trying to see if the girl wanted to hear more. Risa was still silent, eyes still on the starry sky, but Ai could feel that she was listening.
“She’s my girlfriend back home…” That’s when she saw Risa, moved her head and looked down at her lap. Realizing how she phrased her last sentence, Ai immediately continued.
“She was my girlfriend.” Putting more emphasis on the second word “We were once so happy and so in love… but then something came up, something that drew me into darkness. And the pain it caused kept sucking me into a black hole until it became my home. The pain made me mark a line and forbid myself from involving too much. I stayed inside a shell, not daring to step away from my comfort zone. I stayed in a distance so that I won’t get hurt again. But along the way, something pulled me out of that lonely darkness without my knowing. I didn’t notice that my life’s brightness has gone back until today.”
For a moment, there was silence.
“Legend has it that wishing upon a shooting star makes your wish come true. Do you believe in that, because I do, especially now, in this exact moment. Wanna know what my wish was?" Ai asked and continued "It involves a girl, a very responsible one, mature but childish at the same time. I love everything about her. I love watching her smile, I love watching her blush. I love watching her laugh, I love watching her pout. I love teasing her, I love watching her arc her brows. I even love watching her doing nothing. I could go on but I know there are lots of things I could not put into words. I just… love her… but I didn’t realize it until today. That’s why I asked the star, I wished that I’m not that late realizing that I love you, Risa.”
And there was silence once again.
“I did make a wish too…”
“Yeah? What was it?”
“I wished that you will refrain from making me feel this kind of pain again in our next days ahead because it honestly hurts me pretty badly, will it come true?”
And for the last time there's silence again because it is the end lol
Owari
Thanks for reading
~~~
Birthday present for Someone
Chloe: <-- was drinking alcohol
Chloe Mama: It’s already finals, Dear... If you fail again, I tell you, forget you have a mother.
Chloe:
Moments after the exam, Chloe Mama sent an email to her Bebe Chloe.
Chloe Mama: “How was the exam my Bebe?”
Chloe: “Eh? Who are you?”
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