Today is Saturday, and also, it's my weekend holiday, so, right now, I'm at my house and solving ' biology ' MCQs for the upcoming test, sitting in the living room. I'm wearing a cotton, yellow playsuit with shoulder straps, and white daisy flowers printed on them. My eyes and mind both are only focus on it.
I read questions while marking answers, " From which class of fungi 'Agaricus bisporus' belongs? a- Phycomycetes, b- Ascomycetes or c- Agaricomycetes. It's option 'b' Agaricomycetes. Next - "
" Which species of monkeys are common in Japan? a- Macaca fuscata, b- Rhesus Macaques or c- François' langur. It's option 'a' Macaca fuscata. Next - "
While I am solving 'MCQs', my mother calls me from kitchen, " Masuyo chan? ", she has a deep voice. I'm still doing my work, unbothered.
But I reply her back, immediately, " Yes! "
" Can you please buy some groceries for me? I ran out of them while preparing lunch. "
" Alright, just wait for a minute. "
" Thank you! My purse is in my room's drawer, take money from there. And also shopping bag is on the dining table, inside there's a shopping list also, of grocery products which I ran out of. "
" Okay, okay, I get it. ", and I continue to solve some questions before going out.
. . . . . . . . . . .
I am riding on my bicycle at my way of grocery shop. My long hair is flowing in the air as wind flows. It was raining before, when I were in my home earlier. I inhale a large amount of air which makes my chest rise, and exhale it slowly. My chest moves down with a " Ahh! " sound from my mouth. Words fall out from my mouth to praise it's smell, " Wow! It smells so good. Fragrance of wet soil is the best. It reminds me of Mimi chan also. "
Since, it's already the end of June month, due to monsoon water gets collected on the road. I like to ride my bicycle over it. I like it when it splashes. The weather is also cleaned and beautiful. Birds are chirping and singing. Frogs and toads are also croaking with their neck. Dragonflies are also roaming around. Flowers, plants and trees are also decorated with water droplets on them. Riding on my bicycle, enjoying the beautiful view of nature and whistling, my attention grabs by a back of a guy, which is looking familiar to me from behind. He's wearing a navy blue t-shirt complimenting with denim jeans. So, I paddles my bicycle fast to find out, is it really him or not?
I stop my bicycle at a few distance behind him. I stand on my feet's digits and stretch my neck as a turtle to have a look at that person. Not to my surprise, he's really Minamoto kun. "[ Aha! I can't never misunderstood him for others. ]", I give out a proud smile and want to praise myself by giving a pat on my back. My face gets light up with extreme happiness. Since, there's no one around us, now, I can talk to him freely without any worry and disturbance.
I encourage myself, "[ This is a good chance for for you, Masuyo chan, make your points plus into his heart . ]"
But the expression on my face deteriorated with a pout on my mouth when I think of this morning, "[ I couldn't able to had a proper conversation with him, and also I had some embarrassing moments earlier in the class. I can't lose my face in front of him. ]", said to myself.
I stop my bicycle and get down from it. I park my bicycle at the side of road. I put my hand into my playsuit's pocket and take out my broken compact disc, which I put inside before I walked out from home as in case if I bumped into him. And I were right. But by looking at it's terrible condition, I can only imagine my mom's demon like face with a black dark aura behind her.
"[ It gives me chills by only thinking about it. ]" I shake my head to pop the bubble of such horrible situation.
"[ I'll apologize to her later, but now initiating my progress with Minamoto is utmost important today. ]"
I take the compact's sponge and pat gently allover on my face, looking at it's small mirror. I also put some lip gloss on my lips. Then, I fix the wrinkles on my short pants properly with my hands, which got wrinkled by bicycling.
After I get properly ready, I turn my head to look at him, and find out. While I were getting ready, he's already walked quite a distance. " Argh! He's so fast. ", I exclaimed with a tired sigh. I hurriedly take my bicycle and run towards him. It is along my side, while I am running, " Just a little bit, a little bit more. " I finally catch up with him. I am panting, as it's been quite a time since I ran last time. But it didn't bother me at all because right now, I'm walking along with him on the same path. My face become shy when I take a look at him. He is reading his book so attentively that he isn't even noticing my presence. His handsome and focused look is really complimenting with today's beautiful weather.
My heart is just saying, "[ Woah! Minamoto kun is looking as perfect as always. He's amazing. ]"
My body starts trembling, as I went near him to talk. The palm of my both hands and forehead start sweating heavily. But even though, I move my lips to say something, but can't speak anything. Words aren't coming through my mouth. They get stuck at my throat. I just get freeze at my place. I become nervous and my face has a very troubled look. "[ Come on, say something to him. Don't talk to yourselves only. Come on, hurry up, Masuyo chan. ]", I rub my neck and clears my throat but still words aren't coming through my mouth. I get totally devastated by this.
As watching him going farther and farther away from me, tears started forming into my eyes. His back which were clear to me a while ago, now it looks like turbulent water because of my tears. The handles of my bicycle falls out of my hand, unconsciously. It hits on the road with a loud 'Thud' noise. I also kneel down on the road feeling very weak from inside. I lower my head and stare at road in daze. I am feeling very helpless and start questioning to my myself, "[ Are you that much pathetic, that it overpowered your love for him? Are you that coward? If you are so coward, then how could you let your heart fell in love? You're really a pathetic, socially inept person. You can't even talk properly, and you went for 'love'. Love is not meant for you. Lo-love is no-not fo- ]" My throat gets choke with pain and anger. Beads of tears start falling from my eyes. They are rolling down from my cheeks and dropping on my hands and road, making them wet from my tears. A sound of a person's feet running towards me is coming closer and closer.
" Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere? ", he's panting while asking. He slightly bents his back and puts his hand gently on my shoulder. I slowly raise my head and look towards that person. My vision is blurry with tears but I can clearly see Minamoto kun's face. He is looking down straight into my teary eyes with a worried expression on his face.
" Excuse me, are you okay? ", he asked again with a very worried voice.
With this kind act of his, I cannot control my restless feelings and cry out loudly in front of him. I grab his arm, trembly and tell him, " Mina-Minomoto kun.. Wah! Wah! "
" Yes, yes, I'm here, beside you. Tell me, what's happened? ", he has a very anxious look on his face.
I whimper and tell him, " I-I want to sa-say 'Go-good morning' and 'Congra-congratulations' to yo-you. "
I said such an idiotic things at such a critical moment that it left him speechless and confused. He is staring me with such a surprised and confused look that it take me back into reality. My both eyes get wide and finally reality hits me very hard. I quickly stand up from the road and take a few steps aback. He's still there, looking at me with an astonished face. By looking at his expression, I became embarrassed and run quickly from there, passing him. I scold myself, "[ You idiot! What have you done now? Instead of showing him your love, you witnessed him to watch, such an embarrass moment again. ]".
" Hey, stop. Aizawa san, please stop. " He called me back from behind.
I pause, and turn my body behind. I ask embarrassingly with lowered eyes, " Yes? "
" I think, you are forgetting something. Look here. "
I am confuse and wonder, " What could've I possibly forget? " Then, I raise my eyes and see his index finger is pointing down on the road.
" Your bicycle and grocery bag. ", he said.
" Ah Yes! How could I forget about them? " I exclaimed myself in heart.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
"[ I don't know, but why is Minamoto kun is walking along with me, right now? ]", I'm stiffly walking with a dead expression from outside and anxious look from inside. But this time, I think a little more positive.
"[ Is he worried about me? ]", my cheeks and ears are blushing at my thought, and shyly, I look at him.
" Ex-excuse me, Minamoto kun. ", after crying my heart out in front of him, I feel at little ease.
" Yes? ", he's still reading his book and keep his eyes glued at it.
" You don't have to go with me all along. I can go by myself, now. You don't have to worry anymore. I'm fine, now. ", I shyly told him.
" Actually, I have things to buy at grocery market. So, I'm also going there. ", when he said those words, I feel like a bolt of thunder has struck me. My soul has left my body due to shock and pain. I stop with my bicycle.
" Huh? ", I look at his back in daze.
He also stops a few steps later. He turns, and stares at me, dumbfoundedly.
" Huh? ", he's looking at me and I'm looking at him, both with open mouth. He finally realizes what he said just now. His face has a troubled expression with widen eyes.
" But-but It doesn't mean, I'm not worried about you. ", he tries to coax me but I know reality. So, what's the point of feeling betrayed by my fate? It's my own conclusion.
I take out a sigh of grief, take a step first, and tell him, " Let's go. ", and we continue to walk together, awkwardly.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
" One kg flour, one kg tomatoes, one medium sized cabbage, one bottle of soy sauce, two packet of seaweed paper and one tray of eggs. Yes, I've got everything. ", I were matching grocery items, inside my shopping trolley with my mom's grocery list, to confirm that do I've got everything. After checking it up, when I look around the store, my face's expressions turn ugly.
" I chose this grocery store, specifically because, it's not a popular. So, there'll be less people around. But why today, there's so many people here? ", I say in an annoyance voice. Really, the shop is engaged with many costumers, today. I look around at shop. Here're, many kinds of people are shopping today, like teens like me, senior citizens, kids and adults. But, the most in number are housewives with their kids. They're chatting with each other, and gossiping about their neighbors.
" Where is Minamoto kun? He told me to finish our shopping in thirty minutes and meet with him at the meat corner. But, where has he gone now? ", Before starting our shopping, he told me that things. I'm looking for him, whereas, my sight could reach, but he's nowhere to be found. It made me anxious.
" Should I go find him by myself? " I look at the wall clock of store.
" It's been more than fifteen minutes, since, I'm waiting for him. I should go and check on him. " Then, with my trolley, I go in search of him. I'm wandering from one shelve to another shelve section, and at last, I finally found him. He's in the corner of a food shelve section, I go near him and say.
" Ex-excuse me, Minamoto kun, bu-but did you finish yo- "
" Huh? "
" Huh? "
He's talking with Komatsu kun. We all get startle. I get embarrassed and apologize to them.
" Ah! I-I didn't know, that you bo-both are having a con-conversation. I'll leav- "
" No, you don't have to leave. There's not much more to talk. We're almost done. ", Minamoto kun said it with a poker face and harsh voice which is very different, how usually he speaks. Then, after listening those words, Komatsu kun leaves from there, without saying anything at all. But unlike Minamoto kun, his face is clearly showing his anger.
" Bu-but, isn't he your be-best friend, Komatsu kun? "
He don't say anything, just staring at Komatsu kun's back. His expression changes. It's my first time, I've seen such an expression on Minamoto kun, since I've met him. I can clearly see a mixture of pain and anger inside him.