I want to stay right here in this moment with you over and over and over again... -- What If?, Colbie Caillat
xxxxxx
[Rinako]
I COULD still hear how Setsuji ended the second song he was singing even though I was sitting on the bleachers at the soccer field. Well, no surprise there considering the loud volume of the speakers placed at the gym's entrance. I could hear it even from my position. I only responded to that song's ending with another sigh.
It was truly a miracle that I didn't feel irritated upon hearing his voice. But then again, there was nothing for me to be confused about that. The song wasn't even dedicated to me. It was for Setsuji's special girl.
'Whoever she is...' And I was pretty sure that it wasn't me.
I stayed there for a long while as I absentmindedly stared at the soccer field. The place was filled with happy students; most of them were couples who were obviously in love with each other.
But I still believed that one day, a guy would come into my life and love me—everything about me. And that same guy would promise that he would never leave me and forget me. His heart was strong enough to make sure that his promise would be fulfilled.
Then all of sudden, I was stunned at the thought of Setsuji's handsome face.
Wait, Setsuji? Why in the world would I think about him now? Sure, he was good-looking and always has a way to make my heart thumped like crazy with just his mere smirk, grin and laughter while teasing me and a trying hard person when it comes to making himself appear cute in front of me.
'Ah, correction. Good-looking is an understatement to describe him.'
Yeah, right. I did think about the same thing when I first met him. But those reasons alone were enough for me to feel something weird yet fuzzy and warm at the same time. My heart's reactions were changing whenever he was involved. I couldn't do anything to stop it no matter how I tried. I had an idea why. I even admitted that he was already special to me. But that idea was enough for my heart to experience an indescribable fear.
Especially because until this moment, Yushiro's request kept ringing in my mind. I could only protect Setsuji from afar if I also wanted to protect my own heart.
I decided to go to the classroom. I was already in the middle of the soccer field when I felt something just drop on my cheek. I looked up to the sky. Before I knew it, the rain started pouring down one after another.
"Are you freakin' kidding me? Do you have to pour down right at this moment?" I complained while looking up to the sky.
I was about to dash away from the area where I stood when someone suddenly covered something on my head and held both of my shoulders. I couldn't react immediately, especially when someone pulled me away from the soccer field because the rain fell harder than how it was a few moments ago. I rashly faced whoever jerk did that. But instead of ranting at that person, I gasped the moment I found out who it was.
It was Setsuji! He was helping me escape the rain.
Though I didn't want to acknowledge it, I found the gesture sweet.
And romantic, too.
Though we managed to find shelter from the pouring rain as soon as Setsuji Jerk and I reached the building of the College of Engineering and Architecture, we still ended up wet. It was only then that I noticed he placed his jacket over my head to shield me from the rain. Now I had no idea what to think or say about that.
"Why did you do that?" I grumpily asked. "You're plotting something bad against me again, right?"
"You know what? You're one unbelievable woman. I already helped you escape the rain and you're the one who has the right to be grouchy."
"Oh, is that so? Am I supposed to thank you for that?"
"Why, of course! Besides, I don't want my Valentine's date to get sick. That would be very ungentlemanly of me if I let you end up like that, right?" He even winked at me before smiling.
I swallowed as my heart started beating fast again.
Ah... Would there even be a time that my heart won't react like this because of this idiot's gestures and actions towards me?
But I shouldn't let him catch on with that thought. He would just tease me to no end if he realized what was happening to me.
"Excuse me. I don't remember agreeing to be your date. I'd rather choose to date books than you."
"Ouch! That hurts!" he exclaimed rather exaggeratedly, complete with a wince and placing his hand on his left chest as if something hit him. "I can't believe that you'd rather like those dusty old books than the incredibly handsome and fresh me. Right after I protected you from the rain."
"Eww! You're seriously one egoistic person, you know that? You should be having chills with your words. Besides, I didn't even ask you to help me." I removed the jacket he placed over my head and handed it back to Setsuji. "Here! Get your jacket back. I don't want to owe you any favors."
That was it and I stepped away from there and away from him the moment Setsuji took his jacket.
"How come you couldn't give me even so much as a simple 'thank you,'" he said softly but it still reached my ears.
It became a reason for me to halt to a stop. I was so sure that I sensed a trace of sadness and disappointment in his tone when he said those words.
'I was supposed to say thank you. If you didn't start teasing me.' But I only voiced that out as I felt a tinge of my conscience.
I thought of what to do for a few more moments. When I was about to voice out what I was about to say, I heard him sneeze. I immediately turned to him and approached him upon feeling alarmed for some reason. But as I placed my hand on his forehead, I instantly removed it from there as if scalded. He was burning; perhaps he got contracted flu.
I looked at him with worries in my eyes that I knew I couldn't hide anymore, I was sure of that.
"Is your immune system this weak? The rain got you wet for only a few moments, and now you're burning up," I scolded. I didn't care if he would tease me because of this.
But what Setsuji did next was the complete opposite of what I thought he would do. He just showed a gentle smile to me— a type of smile that I rarely saw from him.
The wind blew colder and the rain fell harder but none of it mattered to me. My loud and fast heartbeat somehow deafened me from hearing anything other than that because of his gentle smile.
"I thought you don't care about me. Seeing you worry like that for me, I couldn't help feeling happy. I guess I still have value to you... even if it's just a small one," he said as I felt him brush my hair gently.
I found myself dumbfounded because of that gesture and also because of what he said. Did I just detect hope in his voice? But what would he hope for?
At the same time, I felt my erratically beating heart... AGAIN! Please, my weird heart, will you stop beating this fast for now? I would be obvious here, you know!
Seriously! But I could only complain that in my mind when I felt that my heart was about to get out of my chest with the way it was beating at the moment. I froze when he placed something on my hair before placing a kiss on my cheek.
"Happy Valentine's Day, my date," he said, grinning, and dashed away from me.
A few more moments had passed before I got my groove back and finally became aware of what had happened. I was completely shocked by what he did.
He kissed me! Again!
I touched the cheek that Setsuji had kissed in a daze. Soon after, I turned in the direction he took just to escape from me. I even heard him exclaim "yes" while running.
I fumblingly touched the part of my hair where he placed something on it. I frowned upon feeling that it was a flower placed on a hair clip. I removed it from my hair. I was surprised to see that it was a real flower. But this time, it was a different flower— jonquil, to be exact. Where did this guy get this flower, anyway?
And now he was giving me a jonquil? Just what the heck were you thinking, Setsuji?
I stared at the flower.
Seriously, Setsuji? Was this another of your message for me that you were conveying through a flower? You got to be kidding me!
How was I supposed to do what he wanted me to do if he kept on disturbing the flow of my thoughts and my heart like this?
How was I supposed to return his affection with all that he was doing to me— just as the jonquil meant?
Tell me, you annoying, irritating jerk? Give me a sign that this was the message that you wanted to convey to me.