late post again!!! minna gomen
mainichi shigoto ga ippai kara... chotto taihen
well, better late than never hehe...
@iLeo221, cisda83, Feat, ayudewi6, Haruko, Justqle:
thank you for your warm comments as always! so here's the next chapter guys!
When the Time Stops
Chapter 12I got up early today to prepare myself. This would be my first time celebrating valentines day with someone. I looked at my phone and opened the message which Atsuko sent last night regarding the time and place of our meeting. After I finished fixing myself, I went downstairs and rushed directly to the door.
"Where are you going young lady?" My dad caught me leaving the house.
"Dear, it's valentines today.. maybe our daughter is meeting some boy outside.." Mom teased.
"Chigau!!! I'm just hanging out with a friend and it's a girl..." I answered defensively.
"Even if that's the case, I'm afraid you can't still leave the house. Your mom and I will celebrate valentines today. I got a special coupon from a luxurious hotel, so we'll enjoy ourselves there until tomorrow." Dad explained, showing those coupons to me.
"We want you to just stay at home and watch the house while we're away." Mom continued.
"E-Ehh? Why didn't you say sooner?!"
"You should have told us your plan, too. Anyway, why don't you just invite your friend to come over instead?" She suggested.
I went up my room and dialed Atsuko's number immediately. I hope she isn't on her way yet.
"Hello?" She picked up her phone.
"Atsuko! Are you still at home?" I asked.
"Oh, Minami! Yes, but I'm about to leave already. Why?"
"There's a little problem. My parents are going out until tomorrow, so I can't leave home. Is it okay with you if we just spend the day here in our house instead?"
"Oh, that would be great! I've always wanted to see your house.." She answered with an excited tone.
"Really? Okay, I'll just text you our home address. I'll wait for you here. See ya!" I hanged up.
I can't believe I could be able to spend valentines with Atsuko in my own house! Is there anything greater than this? My heart's beating wild again just thinking of it. After an hour has passed, our door bell rings. Maybe it's her already! I ran downstairs.
"Konnichiwa, my name is Maeda Atsuko. I'm a friend of Minami." I heard her introduced herself to my parents as they opened the door.
"Ah, finally Maeda-san! Minami talks many things about you. My daughter is right, you're indeed a very pretty girl."
"Mom!!!" That's embarassing.. my mom shouldn't have told her that.
"Alright then... we're leaving now, Minami." Dad said to me.
"Maeda-san, if you want to stay the night, please feel free to do so. So we don't have to worry about our Minami being alone here." Mom requested her.
Atsuko just nodded and smiled. And so, my parents finally left.
"Sorry about that. I didn't know they have plans for today. And now, we can't go out.." I apologized.
"Everything's fine, don't worry. I told you yesterday that I wanted to spend this day with you... and it's regardless of the place."
My God... she's now reminding me of what just happened yesterday... That kiss... I wanted to ask her if there's a meaning on it... and tell her that it made me stay up all night thinking about it... I guess that kiss is different from our first one... there's no script involved and... kyaaaa!!! Stop thinking already... I need to distract myself...
"So.. uhm.. now what? You see.. there's nothing much we can do here.." I told her.
"Look, I brought some DVDs! I know we're supposed to watch a movie outside, but since you can't leave.. I thought maybe we can still watch movies together even if we don't go out." She said as she pulled out three DVDs from her bag.
We went to our living room area and played the movies she brought. We spent the day watching them one by one. Ghost: in your arms again, Sky of love, and The girl who leapt through time. Three movies, all romance, all drama, all sad endings.
"Atsuko, why did you choose these movies? They're all tragic!" I said after we finished the last one.
"My friends in the drama club recommended these to me. I haven't watched them yet before, they said they're all beautiful films." She explained.
"Ahh.. watching these movies made me hungry! What do you want for dinner? My mom should have left something for us to cook here." I noticed the sun's down already.
We went to the kitchen to look for food to eat. There's teriyaki and some rice in the fridge, we re-heat them using the microwave.
"Say, Atsuko... do you want to be a TV or movie actress someday?" I asked her.
I guess I'm still affected with the movies we watched earlier. The main actresses were really good, but I knew Atsuko can even do much better than them.
"That, I don't know yet. I'm not sure if I really have that potential which Mariko-senpai was trying to tell me before. I don't have that confidence in myself yet." She answered.
"But you're really good, Atsuko. You're a total different person on stage. When I'm sitting from the audience, I always can't imagine how I became friends with someone like you. You're like a star up there, and I'm just a fan of yours."
"Well, I admit I started to like acting. It feels good when I hear people applause for me. And yeah... I like the way I'm being watched on the stage." She took a glance of me when she said the last part.
"If you decide to take that path, I'd definitely be your greatest fan! I won't miss watching even a single TV show or movie you have. Just don't forget me when you're already famous..." I laughed a little.
"Ofcourse! That won't happen.. How about you, Minami? What do you want to become someday?"
"Me? I... don't know what I want to be..." The excited tone of my voice faded away.
"But you're a genius and we all know you could be successful in doing anything."
"Even if that's so, I still don't really know what I want. You know what... I'm happy that you share your dreams with me like this. It's the first time I experience this with someone."
"You never talked about this with Yuko?"
"Yuko and I... are somewhat the same. We both have no dreams. The only difference is that she still doesn't know what she's capable of, unlike me who has too many options to choose from. But being like this is harder!"
"I know you'd figure it out someday, Minami... And when that time comes that you finally know what you really want... I'd be there right beside you. We'll build our dreams together." Atsuko saying those words, makes my heart burst with happiness.
"But for the mean time, Atsuko... let me support you on your dream. Your dream will be also my dream." I sincerely said.
We continued our conversation while eating dinner. After we finished our food, we noticed that it's already getting late. I want to know if she'll stay overnight.
"Atsuko, it's really okay if you don't stay the night. Don't mind my mom's request, I'm not a kid anymore." I know what I said is only half meant true because I really don't want her to leave.
"Anything's fine with me. I just need to send a message to my parents." She answered in a disappointed voice.
"But my phone's battery is empty. Can I borrow yours?"
"Sure. I left my phone inside my room."
We went upstairs and I let her enter my room. I lent her my phone, she sat on my chair as she sent a text message to her parents. I noticed her staring for too long at my pencil placed on my study table.
"That was the pencil I used during the entrance exam." I told her but she didn't move like she already knows about it.
"Minami... the girl you lent this pencil... don't you really remember her?" She asked.
"I only took a glance of her face when she thanked me, that's why I can't remember her."
"What if... that girl looked for you?"
"Why would she do that in the first place?" I asked back.
"Maybe to thank you again... or to be friends with you."
"Isn't that too much of an effort for a stranger? I don't think that girl will go far like that just because I lent her a pencil."
"I see... so you won't even bother..."
"But I don't even know her name, so I won't know if she passed the exam. Or even if she passed, I can't still be sure if she choose to go to our school."
"You don't know her... but she do knows you." She responded. Her voice sounded colder.
"Your name was stucked inside her head from the first time she read it. She was so worried that you won't get in because of her. She was the first happy person to know that you passed the exam and she was amazed on how you perfected it because she knows you only took it for less than 15 minutes. She watches you from afar hoping that one day you'll notice her!"
Atsuko... You're...
"Everyday she enjoys learning new things about you. She was so happy when you told her she's important to you. That girl... that girl loves Minami!!!" Atsuko cried out. I can see her tears dropping like heavy rainfall.
Oh my God... why didn't I realize it sooner... Atsuko... so she's... that girl... All this time she's waiting for me... I'm so stupid...
Atsuko stood up heading to the door. Wait... Where is she going? No... no... Please don't leave me... I want to say that out loud but nothing is coming out from my mouth... Move Minami! Do something you idiot! Or you'll lose her!
She opened my door and about to get out of my room, but I rushed before her and pushed the door back with one hand making it close again.
Our eyes met...
I've been such a fool... I don't want to let her to go... I want her to stay... Now it's all clear to me... I reached for her closing the gap between us...
"Atsuko, please..." I beg, my forehead leaning on hers.
I stayed in that position... I feel like I lost all my energy... I can't speak anymore... Then she touches my face with both of her hands letting us see each other's eyes again.
"Minami... I love you..." And those words were sealed with another kiss.
TBCi got a little emotional writing the part where they're building their dreams together
it's beautiful yet sad actually...
thanks for reading!
Topic: ZENPEN: When the Time Stops [AtsuMina - COMPLETED] (Read 68615 times)