"I want to die in a weather like this."
Those words of him has greatly bothered me, even in my sleep. I don't know what is the reason why he said that and how to confront him about that. It has been three days since then but I'm still bothered about that.
After doing my usual things I've been doing every morning, I had went on my way to school. It was completely normal for me and his smile has been in every episode of my mornings. Those smile that tend to hide something inside.
We had went inside the classroom, it was filled with props for the incoming cultural festival. He had helped with the hard works along with the guys in our class, while me and Mizuha, my newly found friend, had helped with the costumes of the characters. These days have been so lively but feels so lonely too.
I still feel the random gazes in the classroom but I don't feel any ill intent between those.
Little by little, day by day, I looked forward for the day of the cultural festival. The lively smile of my classmates and him have been moved me to look forward at things.
Now, the day has come, the two-day cultural festival starts now.
I walked through the hallways filled with stalls of different class, I haven't met him this morning, I wonder what happened to him. While walking through the thick crowds, somebody had grabbed my upper arm.
"Iroha-nee!"
It was her, the girl who has an identical smile with him, wearing a waitress' clothes.
"O-oh, Mizu-chan."
"Try this!"
She grabbed my hand onto their classroom that had been turned into a somewhat like a restaurant. It doesn't have that much people in it, just like how I want things.
"Whoa."
"It's cool right? Try this one, don't worry, it's my treat!"
"T-thank you."
Just like his brother, a smile will always be drawn onto their faces.
She gave me a bowl of soup with noodles in it. It was topped with chopped greens and meat.
I took a bite through the thick, slimy noodles of it. The texture of the noodles are quite unpleasant, but the taste was delicious.
"What is this?"
I asked her, who was still in a waitress' uniform. She had tilted her head slightly to look and talk at me.
"Oh, it's called 'udon'. It's good right? I'm the one who kneaded the dough for the noodles!"
She proudly said.
"Uhm, it's good…"
I said in response to her.
After finishing the so-called udon, I was already filled and it's just early of the morning.
I continued on walking through the crowded hallways of school, I'm slowly enjoying these kind of crowds as time passes. While looking through the shop-turned classrooms, I saw him on the distance.
"Hiir-"
I was about to call him but my voices came back when I saw a total beauty clinging onto him. I saw his cheerful smile once again, but not with me. My chest started to feel like it was being crushed. What is this feeling?
I ran onto the different direction they're going, tears of sadness also started to flow on my eyes. I shouldn't feel this way, I'm just an old acquaintance, it shouldn't matter to me if he already has a girlfriend right? But why am I feeling this way?
That was the first time I felt signs of unease in my heart.
As I continued on running, I already got in the entrance of the room, it was filled with people and props that will be needed for the presentation that my class would play.
"Is Sakura already there?"
"She got a cold, apparently."
"Who's gonna play the main now?"
I heard the panicking class rep who was acting as the director of the play. The whole place is in mess, and as a friend I offered a helping hand.
"Hey, a-are you okay?"
"Nice timing Iroha-san! Could you please act as the main character?"
She had been smiling pleasantly as she glanced at me, but when our eyes meet a second time, I wore a shocked expression. The thought of being a main character for the play made me flustered.
"erm…."
"You're plenty cute! The main character would definitely suit you."
I thought that there wasn't any particular issue with that, so I assented. She grinned and started to head to the boxes filled with costumes.
She pulled out a flashy looking gown out of the box.
"Here, you'll definitely look good with this, wait, no, the dress would look better if you wear it!"
She really is a kind girl.
"Uhm, is It okay? I d-don't know what w-will I do…."
"You're just going to lay down in the bed until the play got finished. See, no problem!"
"If t-that's all, then I will."
"Then be a princess, Iroha-hime…."
I took the flashy gown, went on a corner of the room that was covered with curtains and started taking off my clothes. While taking my clothes, the sight of him being chummy with another girl has been engraved in my mind, the feeling of getting betrayed is might be the feeling I'm feeling right now.
"Haah, this shucks��"
Those words, the words I had never said before casually just slept out of my mouth.
"What 'shucks', Iroha-himeee?"
I heard her voice coming from the other side of the curtain.
"N-nothing!"
I continued on fitting on the gown, apparently the zipper that was used to close the gown is stucked on place. I had to call on help but there was no one responding, I took a look out of the curtain and saw no one there, the props are also gone, they might have carried it on the school gym. I had to go back again on the other side of the curtain.
After a little while, I heard the sound of footsteps coming towards my direction. I had to call out for help, once again.
"Uhm, is anyone there?"
"Yes?"
I heard his voice, the last person I wanna bump on with, but I have no choice.
"Uhm…. can you go in here?"
"Iroha?"
"Uhm…"
He opened up the curtain I'm currently locked up due to I couldn't close the sipper of the gown.
"C-could you p-please close the zipper on the back?"
I looked up on him and he's dressed up as the prince, my heart beats faster every time I catch a glance of his face.
I had no information or whatsoever about the script of the play, or to be exact, I just couldn't ask anyone to inform me about that.
"So, you'll be my princess, Iroha-hime-sama?"
His usual smile towards me has transformed into a somewhat like brave prince saving his princess. His manner of speaking and facial expression were both inflamed with passion and his voice slowly echoed to the empty room.
"uhm…."
I pointed about the stucked zipper.
"Sure, everything for you, princess."
He closed in to me, close enough to feel his breath that was hitting my nape. I got flustered, my heartbeat is getting faster, I shouldn't feel this way cause he is already in a relationship.
"There! Done!"
"Thank you…"
"Let's go at our places now, shall we?"
I felt a warm, gentle touch on my hand, it was his hand, holding my hand as if he was a real prince escorting his princess.
"A-ano, are you…."
Contrary to my expectations, however, the question I wanna ask him wouldn't come out.
"are you… what?"
His smile deepened as he looked on my face.
"N-nothing."
He held my hand and started walking through the crowded hallways. I felt strange gazes from the people around me, we're both wearing really flashy clothes so it couldn't be helped. Even though he was with a girl not less than an hour ago, he's holding my hand quite pleasantly.
"Iroha-nee!"
I looked around and saw Mizu-chan, still wearing the same waitress clothes.
"Mizuha, I'm also here you know?"
"Geh."
"What does that supposed to mean?"
Watching those two act like that had made me spill out a gentle laugh, just like the first time I saw those two.
"Iroha-nee, you look extremely beautiful! My brother is not worthy enough to be your prince."
She frowned her brows at him.
"T-thank you."
"Make the audience roar in happiness!"
"Yeah! We definitely will!"
"I wasn't talking to you! Hmph!"
She shook her head and began to walk. I stole a glance at her face as she continued on walking back to her classroom, her complicated expression had cleanly reset into a smile, making me confused at what that really is.
While Hiiro, who was right on my side, had also wore his usual smile as he said; "She really is a sweet girl…". I shook my head slightly in response to him and said "Uhm, She really is." and gave off a smile I had never wore before.
We continued on walking until we reached the door of the backstage of the gym, I can still hear the shout and whistle of the audience while another class is on the play. We opened up the door and all of the props are there, classmates that are in character are also sitting in a corner.
"Yo, Iroha-hime-sama!"
A person who had a girl's voice wearing a dark, fluffy gown and a mask that looks like to that of a goblin has approached me.
"W-who are you?"
She took off the mask, revealing the newly-found friend of mine, Mizuha.
"You couldn't recognize your friend? Huhu I'm really sad."
While doing an action that seemed to cry, she took off her look at ne.
"I-I'm sorry."
I still couldn't understand what are the emotions of people based on their actions. Instead of asking, I just tend to look down and say 'sorry' everytime.
"Hey, I'm just kidding! Don't say sorry."
"O-okay."
I raised my head.
"I'm sorry."
"I say d o n t s a y s o r r y. Okay?"
"Uhm…"
"I'm glad you can speak more freely now…"
His pretty elegant manner of speaking had a sort of freshness to it. I look at him and saw his face what was filled with tears while a smile is drawn onto his face.
"W-why are you crying?"
"What a nice question! Why am I crying? I don't know either! Ha ha"
The immediate change in his reaction has made me think that he might really have a brain damage, just like mine.
While we're at it, loud applause from the audience resonated from the backstage and the casts of the play has exited from the backstage, one by one. It's as if telling that it's our turn now to make the students entertained.
"Okay classmates! It's our turn now!"
The girl who was panicking not less than an hour had filled with energy as we got ready for the play I wasn't planned to be part of.
He held my hand tight and said, "Let's make it good…" and in response, I shook my head. He glows up just like a real prince.
oshimai