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Narration: Kiyosumi Yozora
Choo Choo, YOZORA TRAIN IS HERE AGAINNN.....
I can feel your curiosity about Watanabe Yuki, and that is why I am here now, to shed light on her story.
Yuki and I were classmates in junior high school.
To the rest of the world, she appeared as a vibrant and joyful girl. And I, too, was fooled by her exterior.
She was never quite a close friend of mine. Yet, we somehow developed a connection.
By close, I don't mean we are buddies. Yuki only associated herself with those who were wealthier or more attractive than her. I, unfortunately, fell into the category of people she disregarded.
However, I came to uncover a secret about her that remained hidden from everyone else.
It was a stroke of luck, really. I stumbled upon her secret, something she kept tightly guarded from everyone around her. It was a weighty matter, to be sure. Yet, I believe she should have gone to the authorities.
But who am I to judge? I can't say I would've made the same decision if I were in her shoes.
I refuse to reveal her secrets to you.
You might say, "You have no story to tell about Yuki. That's why you're holding back."
But I assure you, that is not the reason. Yuki kept her secret a secret from everyone, so it would be unfair of me to betray her trust.
I apologize for this, but I think it's the right thing to do.
I can give you a clue, though. Her secret is related to her father. Her parents had a strained relationship, and her father did something illegal to to his own daughter.
Is that a hint? Or did I just spill the whole story!? Oh, now I feel like an asshole.
I stated before that only I knew this secret. But to be honest, I'm not certain if that's true.
You see, I learned this secret from none other than Yuki's father himself. And that was the saddest part.
It was just a typical day, and I was returning from school. That day I was going to my uncle's house I got on the train and sat next to an elderly man.
He noticed my uniform and struck up a conversation.
He asked if I knew Yuki and then revealed that he was her father.
I answered in the affirmative, and he then shared her secret with me, bragging about it as if it were something to be proud of. Just like that. He didn't say anything else but that.
I still wonder, how many other people are aware of this secret?
At first, I didn't believe what he said. So, I texted Yuki that same day and told her what had happened.
She saw my messages but didn't reply. I thought she was busy, so I kept sending messages, asking more questions.
Finally, she replied with:
"Please stop! Don't make me remember him!"
I know, I was foolish. I was just a child at the time.
I didn't fully understand the gravity of the situation then, but as I grew up, I came to realize just how terrible and vile that man was.
And that's when my feelings for her blossomed. I wanted to be her guardian angel, to protect her from harm.
To be truthful, I don't know if I should call it love. Sympathy might be a more appropriate term.
Animes and movies helped me learn what love is. That is probably not the same thing in real life.
So, if I am using anime logic, this can be called as love.
After that day, we talked every day!
Well, it was as if she was trying to know whether I shared her secret with someone else.
And yeah, I was happy when she chose this school.
Now I can be with her for the next 3 years and protect her from bad people.
And today! I am going to confess my love!
I hope everything will be fine!
Narration: Kiyosumi Yozora: End
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I made my way to the train station and waited for my ride to arrive, eager to start my journey.
To be honest, I yearned for Yozora's love to be successful. He had once confided in me that he wanted his first love to be by his side until his final breath. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.
But it didn't even take 10 minutes before I saw Yozora returning to the station.
Oh no, please don't tell me...
The look on his face said it all. He was crestfallen, trying to hold back his tears.
"We meet again," Yozora whispered, trying to smile.
"What happened, Yozora?" I asked, concerned.
"I think I have a fever," he lied, avoiding eye contact. "My throat hurts and my eyes are sore. Let's talk tomorrow."
Come on, Kousei, say something!
But I couldn't find the words.
"Your train is here. See you later," Yozora said before leaving.
I felt like a failure for not being able to comfort him.
Later that night, I received a text from Yozora.
Yozora: "Do you really want to know what happened?"
Kousei: "Only if you want to tell me."
Yozora: "I confessed my love to her, but she rejected me OBVIOUSLY Haha. She told me that talking to me doesn't mean she likes me, and that I need to fix my 'ugly face' if I want her to go out with me."
Kousei: "What? That's harsh, Yozora. You know that's not true."
Yozora: "Maybe I'm not good enough for her. Maybe I'll never be."
Kousei: "You're an amazing person, Yozora. Don't let someone like her affect you."
Yozora: "Thanks, Kousei. Sorry for bringing it up."
I was at a loss for words, feeling like a complete failure as a friend.
Before I could send the last message he went offline. I hit send on it but i wasn't read by him.
Kousei: "No need to apologize. I'm here for you, always."
I also went offline, not knowing if he was waiting for me to call him to offer some comfort.
The lingered in my mind throughout the night, like an unsolvable puzzle. Yuki's words unfair and out of place.
The next day, as I sat in class, my thoughts wandered back to the evening before. Yozora's devastated expression was still in my mind. I wished I could have called him and found the right words to comfort him, to ease the pain he must have been feeling.
At lunch, I noticed Yozora forcing a smile as he interacted with others, barely concealing his sadness beneath. I felt a pang of guilt, unable to comfort him.
I wanted to confront Yuki, to demand an explanation for her heartless words. But I knew it wasn't my place to interfere.
Yozora was busy.. or he acted busy all day. Perhaps intentionally avoiding me, afraid that I might remind him of her. After classes, I approached Yozora cautiously. I was expecting him to break, but as soon as he noticed me, there he was, waving at me with a beaming smile.
I couldn't help but marvel at how strong he is. But, it felt like he have dealt more pain in the past. It was a reminder that I still had much to learn about Kiyosumi Yozora.