Watching your back as you walk away was painful... ― Anata Wo Suki Ni Natte (Falling For You), Fujita Maiko
xxxxxx
[Setsuji]
The next day, everything was still considered normal between me and Fukuizumi. Well, it would only be considered normal if I ended up teasing her and irritating her in our subjects wherein that amazon was my classmate.
But such a situation didn't happen. And it went like that from morning until past lunchtime. I wasn't the only one who noticed that. Even Seiho and some of our classmates who were anticipating our bantering episodes between me and Fukuizumi noticed that weird thing, as well.
She was... civil to me. Or maybe not in the mood to deal with it at all.
I couldn't tell. It was all confusing and weird for me.
And I wasn't used to this kind of scenario. Yes, I know. I was like a kid looking for attention with all this thinking. But this was turning into the weirdest day I could ever have with Fukuizumi so far.
Damn it! What was happening to me? Why in the world was I going through this because of that amazon girl?
I ended up burying my face in my hands in hopes of removing that inexplainable frustration I was feeling at the moment. What the heck! I couldn't even understand myself now. What was it that frustrated me this much?
I frustratingly combed my hair with my fingers this time. Along with that, I sighed deeply.
The sound of Seiho clicking his tongue was what brought my mind back to reality. Wait a minute... How long did I zone out?
"You're seriously hopeless, Nii-san," Seiho said who clicked his tongue once again and even shook his head.
I faced my twin brother with a frown. "What in the world are you saying again? You're acting like you have some loose screw in your brain."
"Was it me between the two of us who was acting like that? In case you're unaware, you're the one acting like a pregnant woman about to give birth because of your actions. Seriously, you still have the mind to pass your craziness to me." Seiho soon continued listening to the music playing from his iPod.
My brother had some loose screws in his brain. He had the guts to compare me to a pregnant woman who was about to give birth. Of all things he could use as a reference to compare me to, does it have to be a pregnant woman?
From what I could see, I guessed Fukuizumi won't be the only reason for me to end up crazy. It looked like Seiho would do everything to make my beloved sanity a short-lived one.
That is until I heard the Message Alert tone coming from my phone. I mindlessly took it from my pocket. But I frowned as soon as I saw the name of the person who sent me that message.
Especially when I saw the content of the said message.
'From: Mayu
Hurry up. You want to see Nakagome Yushiro, right? He's here in Uminaribara right now. Just go to the Engineering building's back entrance. My cousin's there, as well.'
What the hell!
Don't tell me that Nakagome guy did what he said on the voice mail he left on Fukuizumi's phone?
And Fukuizumi... Did she just accept?
Damn it! I won't be surprised if my mind would become a mess again because of this.
"Woah! You never told me that you and Mayu are text mates. How come I only know this just now?" And my crazy brother had the guts to take my phone from me just like that.
But my mind remained somewhere else. Damn it! What was I supposed to do now?
"So you're not going to have a glimpse of the person who gave your apple of the eyes such sadness?"
I turned to Seiho as soon as I heard that question. I even asked him in a somber tone. "You knew?"
He nodded. "Mayu told me the day after you talked to her. But that's not the issue here right now, okay? If I were you, I'd already go there. I think Rinako's not that good at handling that Nakagome guy well on her own."
That was all that it took and I left the place without giving a back glance to my brother.
I just ran and ran with only one destination in mind--the back entrance of the Engineering building. I even ignored the sign that said "no running in the hallway". I didn't give a damn care about the rules or any warnings at that point.
My only priority at the moment was to reach the back entrance before it was too late.
I didn't stop until I reached the ground floor and I went straight towards my destination. I finally saw the door of the back entrance.
But then a crisp sound echoing made me halt to a stop.
A crisp sound... that appeared to be from a slap. A sniffle soon followed that reached my ears.
My eyes widened for a bit when I realized something. Could that be...?
"You still had the guts to go here just to tell me that? Wasn't it enough that you already slapped the truth and my mistake right to my face before? Do you have to keep doing that until now?"
That was Fukuizumi's voice... right? But... why? Why did it sound like she was bitter and in pain?
This couldn't be good. To be honest, I didn't like what I was hearing. This wasn't what I was used to hearing from Fukuizumi. Was I doing the right thing? Why was it that I was just listening to them like this? I was supposed to help her--even though I wasn't sure about the reason why I was even doing this.
That was the only thing in my mind--to help her. And hopefully, to spare her from even more pain.
"Rinako, please. Let's talk. I can explain," I heard a man's voice say. That must be Nakagome Yushiro.
"Talk? What for? Besides, do we even have anything to talk about? As far as I know, you severed every connection we had five months ago. So that means, you don't give a damn care about me anymore, right?"
"Is that how you understood what I've said back then?"
"Yes, since that's how you want to point it out, right? To end everything between us. And now look! I just did. That's why I left Yokohama, right? I just did my version of severing whatever ties we had before."
I could hear inexplainable pain from Fukuizumi's voice... and even the bitterness and anger that I've never heard from her ever since.
Even so, here I was, just standing there and wasn't doing anything. All I could do was listen.
I cursed silently because of extreme frustration to myself. How come I felt useless when it comes to this girl? Why couldn't I do anything for her?
I didn't hear anyone speak after that. I frowned for that reason. Don't tell me they were done talking?
Until I thought that perhaps they've been talking there for a while now. I came a bit too late, huh?
But then I heard footsteps nearing and perhaps even heading in my direction. Yikes, I'd be dead! No one should see me here listening to the conversation--or should I say quarrel between Fukuizumi and Nakagome. That is if Fukuizumi was talking to Nakagome.
I immediately looked for a place to hide. I didn't want to be discovered, okay? It was enough that Seiho and Misako knew my stalking tendencies.
But to tell the truth, I never thought I even had that kind of tendency. My life sure was getting weirder as days passed.
Though I wasn't sure who should I blame for that?
It was a good thing that chance was perhaps taking sides with me at the moment when I saw an empty room just a few meters from where I was standing at.
Yes, that should do!
I hurriedly proceeded to that place before someone could see me. But even though I was hiding, I made sure that I could still see who owned the sound of those footsteps.
I left the door of the room that I was hiding slightly ajar--in which I soon learned that it was a janitor's closet. That way, I could still see what was happening outside of that room.
I saw a figure of a woman passed by. I realized immediately that it was Fukuizumi. But then something picked my interest as I looked at her retreating figure.
The aura that she emitted as she walked away... Was it me or did she just look so sad? Wait! I knew she was sad because of her confrontation with Nakagome.
But there was one particular moment when I saw the expression on her face as she left. It was blank.
No... not just blank. More like forlorn. Until what I saw at that moment became clear to me.
My eyes widened when I finally realized that.
You got to be kidding me... Don't tell me... Fukuizumi was... crying?
That realization froze me to the spot. But why? What was that realization that made me unable to move like this?
'Because tears coming from Rinako's eyes was the last thing you were expecting to see from such a headstrong girl like her.'
Was that it? Was that the reason? It was as if my thought was saying that Fukuizumi didn't even have any right to cry.
And my heart... How come I could feel my heart as if something gripped it tight? What was all this? How come it was painful for me to see that expression coming from that girl?
Urgh! Damn it!
Whatever. I'd focus on that later.
There was only one thing I should do for now.
I had to find her... and fast!