Yesterday night, after I had went to sleep, that feeling of being with him is all over my mind. Should I regret telling him that?
Just as I went on my way to school, he, who was running towards me with a wide smile drawn all over his face. His energetic self might have been multiplied due to what happened yesterday. My flustered self just looked to the ground and walked faster than his pace to outrun him, not because I don't want to walk with him but I was too shy to do so.
In the end, he synced his pace to me and we got to the school at the same time while being close to each other. He's saying things I don't understand cause I'm too focused how will I start a conversation with him.
As we got to the classroom, classmates are murmuring about the two of us. They were trying to solve the mystery behind why he, who was energetic, cheerful and popular while I, who was new to this class were out together on a day off. But since I don't know how to talk with them, I haven't got the chance to explain everything to them.
As I sat on the seat provided for me, a girl who was supposed to be in my class approached me.
"Why are you with Takasu-kun on Saturday?"
I looked at her face and stared. My words weren't coming out of their own as I try it. I had no choice but to ignore her. I thought that she must have been a good person for having asked that.
"Well, you know, we're childhood friends. So spending time with her on day offs wouldn't be a problem right?"
Hiro held the girl's shoulders and showed off a cheerful smile.
I was stunned of what he did, my eyes have been focused on him on the meantime he stood at my front.
"Oh!"
The girl gave off a cheerful reply while glaring at me. I wonder what did I do wrong to her.
Just as the homeroom teacher got went in to the classroom, the group of classmates immediately dispersed and got in their seats. The teacher has no things along with him except for the chalk and eraser for the classroom.
"We'll be having the cultural festival in less than a month, let's think for our theme for it."
The whole room got unexpectedly cheerful, while me, not knowing what a cultural festival is, just kept a straight face. Hiro, who was sitting on the seat beside me, looked at me with intriguing eyes.
"Could it be that you…"
".…you don't know what a cultural festival is?"
The whole class got it's attention to me as if they saw a celebrity.
"Y-yeah, I'm sorry."
The school classroom gave off an intriguing look, despite of me living in Japan but not knowing what a cultural festival is. Then they broke down into laugh.
"I'm sorry."
Almost everyone roared out of laughter except that one specific person. Hiro stood up and his usual expression wasn't drawn on his face instead it was covered with irritation. Not knowing what it is.
"Could you please stop? It's not her fault for not knowing what it is. She stayed on the America for five years, and it's not surprising for her to forgot what a Cultural festival is."
He looked to me as he sat down on his seat. The room got silenced in an instance he stood up for me.
"Thank you."
I said under my breath.
The usual class continued, but the glare of the same girl who talked to me hasn't faded. I should do my usual thing now, not giving a little care of the people around me.
It's already lunchtime, just like before, the classroom got emptied again. I took out the water bottle with the same flavor I did before out of my bag. As usual, I don't have a lunch box nor want to go outside to buy a lunch.
As time passed, I remembered the time when he came out to me with the bun on his hand. Even though a little, I started finding him out of thin air. I wonder if he's going to the room.
"Hey, Iroha!"
Speaking of the devil, he's now here. I tried to keep my straight face on front in front of him. As the door opened, it revealed him holding a bag filled with the same bun as before.
"Here's our lunch!"
I thought his sudden increase in volume of his voice was a sign that he already lost his head.
His usual smile was now written all over his not-so-good-looking face as if nothing happened earlier this morning.
While thinking of how to talk to him, he grabbed his chair towards me and sat on there. The room is slowly getting filled with students as the time passes.
"Here!"
He reached out his hand with half a bun in it as if giving it out to me. Although I planned on refusing it due to the people might see us like this, I took it without consideration as if my body is moving on its own. I silently took a bite to the bun he gave me while he looked at me as if I was a celebrity.
"What is it?"
"You look beautiful at any angle."
"That's creepy."
Contradicting at what I said, I was really flustered at what he said. With a sigh, I stuffed my mouth with the bun he gave me, even though it lacks of flavor, it still tastes good.
"Hey, have you recovered a slightest bit of memories that came back to you?"
I got surprised at the sudden downfall of his emotion.
"No. Not a single bit."
I immediately replied just after he finished his sentence. All I said was the truth, not being able to remember is hard but remembering everything might be harder than just creating another memory.
"Oh, is that so."
I continued on munching the bun he gave me as well as him.
"Hey, have you liked someone since you went here?"
The cold autumn breeze had hit my face as he says such things.
"No, how about you?"
"I liked someone before, though I still like her till now, many things have changed to us. She's a really close friend of mine but since she left to a far land, we never had a single communication to each other."
I felt a sad emotion spilling on his voice.
"Is it me?"
"Who knows?"
The cold autumn wind have passed to the windows as the unbearable silence covered the whole room. Not a single word has came out to our mouths since then.
I had no plans of getting involved with anyone here, but since he invited me for a what you call a date, things have changed for me. I started looking out for fun, I started getting curious about things, I started looking forward on things, I started taking interest in the expressions of a man talking to a girl who lost all her memories.
After the classes ended, I went straight onto the shoe locker with him. My heart got in ease as I saw his usual self back. Just as I switched my indoor shoes with my loafers, I started walking close to him.
"Thank you for being with me even if I always push you away."
I started saying what in my mind is.
He smiled from ear to ear as he looked down to me to reply to what I said.
"We're starting a new set of memories from now on, and I'll never let it be stained with such sad memories!"
His wide cheerful smile made my heart beat as if there was a festival going on in it.
In the midst of our dramatic conversation, we have reached the school gate. Since the both of us will part ways now, we waved each other goodbye.
"See you tomorrow!"
He said with a cheerful smile.
I reached home, greeted my uncle "I'm back" for the first time, played a game, bathed, drank the orange juice in the fridge and ate the dinner my uncle made with him. As I returned to my room with the thought of just sleeping, my phone had a message notification. I usually just got messages from my uncle so I wondered who was it. I opened my phone and saw the message was from him.
I sat down on my bed and opened his message.
"Thanks for the hard work~. Thank you for going out with me last Saturday, I had a lot of fun. I'd be really glad if you'd go out with me today. Until you remember everything, let's make a lot of happy memories, see you tomorrow!"
The first thing that came to my mind is what I said at the peak of the ferries wheel, I got flustered and thinking about taking it back, but I wont. I'm gonna accept it, I'll never be a coward anymore who runs away from her past.
I usually wouldn't care of his smile but as the day passes, I've gotten fond of him. We're definitely getting along unlike the first time we've met.
I was thinking of how will I reply to him but the only thing that comes to my mind is to say thank you.
What had been confined to the depths of my heart, I sent a one lined message saying the words, "see you tomorrow".
While laying down on my bed, I wonder what he's doing right now.
end