"Good job everyone!"
Our homeroom teacher had cheered along with my classmates while I, who was extremely distant to them, just sat to a corner and drank the juice that was given to us earlier. Having fun with everyone doesn't seem bad but I couldn't get myself doing things like that.
The girl who reached out to me while I was sulking on my own had held my hand as she speak these words.
"Good job, Iroha-hime."
"Thank you."
While still wearing the white suit of a prince, he had tapped my shoulders lightly that made me let out an unbearable squeak. I looked on him, his smile wasn't a bit daunted by the sound he made me let out.
While wondering whether it was time to get out of this room, an orange was shoved right before my eyes.
"Want some?"
".…Thanks."
Due to my intense love for that specific fruit, I received the orange and wordlessly began to peel its skin.
"You've got no energy at all, huh,"
I discourage my self from putting into words the difference in the reality he emanated and the reality I was in, and proceeded to silently eat the orange one wedge at a time. It has the same level of sweetness from what I have eaten while I was in the hospital. I took a look into the faces of my classmates and saw those smiles that gives off the sense of real happiness.
In no time at all, I finished eating the orange he gave me. It was also time for us to leave the backstage.
"Hey, how do you think of the story?"
It was a sudden question from the boy that was eating an orange beside me. Feeling the same atmosphere as these lively people had energized me, so I responded to him quite straightforwardly.
"It was good, but quite rushed. But it's understandable since we only have a limited time."
"Really? I was the one who wrote the script."
Seemingly surprised at hearing the opinion of a person who had a little knowledge about stories, his eyes spread wide open.
"It has a similarity to that of a shounen manga and the atmosphere had caught my eye. But if the story progresses like that, some people might loss interest to it."
It was rare of me to be speaking so enthusiastically his response was quite energetic, a usual response of him.
"Hmm, well, I'll make the best story and will offer it to you as my sacrifice."
After making a face that said he finally remembered something, he plunged his hand into his pocket and took out a book. I immediately understood that it has the same pattern as the book I saw in the hospital.
It was unexpected of him to bring out a special thing to him in a crowded place, but I couldn't imagine myself on writing every page of it with everything good that happens to me. I was curious at what was the contents of the book but I refrained on asking him to show it to me.
While writing at the book, all of our classmates had left the room so the both of us did the same thing. I opened the door and just like I had expected, it was filled with people of all ages and since I wasn't a fan of large crowd, I held the costume he was wearing.
After a minute, he stopped writing and put the book back into his pocket.
"Where should we go now…"
"Isn't it time for us to get our uniforms back?"
"Why? You look good in that."
"But it's not that comfortable…"
"Could you please be my princess for a day?"
He knelt down in front of me, and for some reason, that made me resign myself to the fact that there was no longer any point in resisting.
I nodded as a response to his shaming act.
He grabbed my hand while a smile emanated on his face and walked through the crowded hallways of school. Of course, it wasn't pleasant to walk through that while wearing this dress, but as he held my hand, the dress felt like it was getting lighter as time passes.
Amidst of the bustle hallways, I traced his large strides at my own comfortable pace. We were apparently headed for some class he had read about the pamphlet earlier ago. We descended to the school grounds, it was unexpectedly quiet, unlike on the busy hallways.
Looking past through the flowing view of the scenery as the both of us continued on walking, it had made me think that I was lucky to be with people like them rather than locking myself out of my comfortable zone, which is my own, gloomy room. We continued on walking until we got in an old room that represented a ramen shop. The distinctive aroma of the broth of ramen passing through the room had made my stomach growl again as if I had not eaten something earlier.
It seems like he noticed me getting worked up with the scent of it, we entered the shop. It didn't seem to be a weird shop, so without further ado, the both of us went in.
The ramen was delicious. The food arrived quickly upon our orders, and we quickly began to stuff ourselves.
Reinvigorated by the hearty meal, we quickly began on walking past through different classes. There was no need to rush since the sun still reigning on the chilly wind of autumn. On both sides of the building, there were classrooms selling all sorts of food and having attractions like a haunted house and film gallery, it truly was a sight to behold.
After stuffing ourselves with great foods, and attractions of the school, it was time for us to give our costume back. It was already 2pm that time, the sun was still up but the school is slowly losing its crowd.
Whipping his sweat-soaked hair from side to side, smiling as always.
"Haah- it feels great, specially that you're now here, Iroha."
"What does that mean?"
"Hey, let's draw our fortunes!"
Seemingly somehow treating my words like the cold autumn wind, he ran towards the wooden plates hung on the front of the school council, and picked on something that looked like a draw lots. After pulling out his hand along with a piece of paper, I saw the disappointment on his face.
"Long life huh, I really hope it happens."
Confused at what was that supposed to mean, I imitated him and also picked a paper. I read it and the contents were; Happy relationship. I normally wouldn't care about things like these but this made my heart to go wild.
"Hey, did you have a woman you romantically loved in your life?"
It was a sudden question from me, in fact, I was also surprised that I said that.
"Uhm, let me see, well other than you, there's none"
"oh…."
I didn't trusted his word at the time as the sight of him getting along with a really beautiful woman had suddenly dawned upon me. Thinking about that, I started putting distance between us once again.
"Why do you ask?"
"Nothing…"
"Eh eh? Whyyyy?"
"It's nothing."
"Whyyyyyyyyyy?"
"I saw you with a girl earlier this morning, s-she's your girlfriend right?"
He had burst into laugh right after I finished what I'm saying. While laughing, he said, "Girlfriend? I don't have one. I think I know who were you saying, ha ha ha". Still confused at what's happening, he brought out his cellphone and looked at it as if he was finding something.
"Was this the girl you saw?"
He showed a picture of the same woman I saw earlier. She was quite a beauty.
"Y-yes, isn't she your girlfriend or some sort?"
He had burst into laughing again, this time, I was pretty sure that there something wrong with his head. But on some sort, I was relieved that he don't have a girlfriend or a romantic relationship at least.
"ha ha ha, no, ha ha. She weren't my girlfriend. Wait, I'm pretty sure she's still at the school at this time."
He took his cellphone once again and pointed it to his ear, seemingly like he was calling someone.
"Hey, Mizuki, is she still in the school?"
"uhm, okay. I'll go there now."
With a smile that rivalled the sun that was beginning to lose its altitude, he held my hand and continued our journey. The slope of the stairs was still quite crowded despite being in the afternoon. We passed through the flashy rooms we visited one by one, until we reached into a room with a sign "Tasty Oden!", it had reminded me of the oden I ate earlier this morning.
"Hey, brother, and Iroha-nee."
"Uhm, hi…"
I waved my hand a little in response to her.
"Where's mom?"
"Ah, she's on the front, in charge of our oden."
He was grinning from ear to ear as he looked on me. The inside of my heart was dumbfounded, acting like that in just one misunderstanding.
Mizuki, who was right in front of us, tilted her small neck, and brought her face in a point blank range of mine, a smirk plastered across her face.
"Did the both of you started dating?"
"No, not yet."
I didn't answered that question, not because I hate it but I couldn't think of what will I answer to that. But he answered for the both of us, it was real but the next line stating that, "not yet" had filled my heart with hope for some reason. Just as a reed boat, I just get in the flow of the scenes.
We entered the classroom and I saw her, the woman I saw before.
"Hey, mom…"
Mom? Am I mishearing things?
"Oh, Hii-chan, and oh! Iroha-chan. Do the both of you want some oden?"
"Yes, we love to. Anyways, mom, Iroha misunderstood you as my girlfriend."
He said those quite straightforwardly, while I, who was incredibly ashamed for what I just thought of, looked on the ground and wished that it would just swallow me.
"Oh my! Do I look that young?"
The truth is, she looks like she's in his 20s, seemingly young for having two children.
"Don't be fooled with my looks, I'm already 40…"
"...sorry for what I just thought of…."
Words had slipped out of my mouth.
"You're a good girl, I see. It was a waste that the memories we spent when you were younger had been gone…"
It seems like everyone knows what happened to me now.
"Anyways, here's your oden…"
Not thinking about the time, we sat down on one of the tables that was lined up inside the room, and started to eat the oden. The noodles was still quite disgusting to feel but still delicious in taste. The spacious room has three other groups of people apart from us, I felt the gazes coming from them. It might be because of the outfit we were wearing.
After finishing our meal, his mom brought two glasses of water on our table. She also took one of the empty seats and sat beside us.
"You're still as cute as ever, Iroha-chan…"
Flustered, I looked on the empty bowl, thinking what to reply to that.
"Oh, the time, let's return the costumes now…"
Hurriedly, he stood up, looking like he was a kid who had lost his way. After saying my thanks, we started walking again, this time, we moved on a faster pace. It's already past 4:30. The number of people at the hallways had decreased since the afternoon. In no time at all, we had reached the door of our classroom. All the props were inside but there is not a single soul inside.
We went inside and took our things, he went to the men's bathroom to change clothes, while I went on the same spot blocked with curtains.
After about fifteen minutes of changing our outfits, we put it back to a box provided for each and made our way to the shoe lockers. There are almost no person inside the school, it was a peaceful time for me.
"See you in the second cour of the cultural festival!"
"Uhm, see you"
We parted ways on the same school gate. I took a look into the sky and saw the brightness of the day transiting into the darkness of night, it was quite a refreshing view to look at.
After walking for quite a time, I had reached the gate of my place
"I see, you're having fun…"
I heard a voice coming from my back.
"you shouldn't be having fun, you're the one who killed them!"
I looked out on my back and saw the person I was with, on the ward of the hospital right after the accident happened. Hearing her words, I couldn't think what to do but to run. I ran as fast as I could until I reached my bed. I locked my room and let the abyss swallow me once again. Should I be not having fun? Am I really the one that initiated the accident? I don't know….
end