As the clock ticked away, I felt my heart beat faster with every passing second. With just one minute left until 5:30 PM, I couldn't help but go over each answer I had written, hoping for the best.
79 marks. That was my goal, and if all my answers were correct, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
I carefully closed my pen and placed it in my geometry box, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over me. All those exams, assignments, seminars, presentations, and sleepless days, all of it for this one last second. Every effort led to this tiny moment of happiness I'm feeling now.
The teacher stood up, ready to announce the end of the exam, and I cast one final glance at the clock. Only 10 seconds left.
9...
8...
7...
6...
5...
4...
3...
2...
1...
0...
*school bell rings*
"EVERYONE STOP WRITING NOW," my teacher called out, her voice ringing through the classroom. "Take care everyone. Good luck for your career."
And just like that, it was over. My school days at the Nakamura School of Art, Tokyo had come to an end.
I handed in my exam paper to the teacher and stepped outside, taking a deep breath of fresh air. I heard fellow students crying, I saw the tears falling from their eyes
The past three years had been a roller coaster of emotions - love, anger, jealousy, hate, happiness, luck, and so much more.
Falling in love was the biggest surprise of all, and I never would have imagined that it would happen on the very first day.
I struggled to even find her name at first, but looking back, it all seemed like a distant memory now.
And as for my soccer video, the scouts from my dream football club had shown interest, and I was flying out to America next week to sign a contract with them. One of my dreams was finally coming true.
Today was the final day of exams, and now I only had to wait for my results. I was confident I would ace every subject, but even if I didn't, I had something far greater to look forward to.
There was a farewell party later that evening, and all my friends would be there, including the girl I loved - Mitsui Tsuki.
I wanted to thank her for making my high school days so memorable and to say a proper goodbye.
Most of all, I wanted to see my best friend, Kiyosumi Yozora, who had stood by my side through every moment, good and bad.
But as I approached the school gates, I realized my phone had died, and I couldn't contact Yozora to see if he was coming to the party or not.
With thousands of students in a 1500-meter school hall, finding anyone would be nearly impossible.
But I couldn't help but remember the first day of school, when she asked me, "Umm? So you're not happy right now?"
Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about all the precious moments we had shared.
In the end, I decided to attend the farewell party, hoping to find Yozora and the others. But after hours of searching, I was exhausted and decided to go home.
As I walked away from the school, I cast one final look back, wondering if I would ever see it again. The place where my heart lies, where memories are made and cherished.
I stepped out of the school gates, my heart aches with longing to see her. I will miss her dearly, the loneliness already creeping in.
Another regret added to my list.
But then, a glimmer of hope, as I remembered an old text message from Tsuki.
[Tsuki: "By the way, if you're feeling lonely, I can tell you about a secret spot in our school. Legend has it that it can cure any worries, but I wouldn't call it a legend since it helped me too."]
The lake, how could I have forgotten? The place that brought me solace. I must bid farewell before leaving.
I rushed back to the school, the lake calling my name.
I sat beside the lake, the full moon shining bright and stars twinkling above, reflecting on the calm waters. I sat there for an hour, lost in thought about the past three years.
But now, it's time to move on. Or so I thought.
"Ay ay ay ay ay! Finally, I found you!"
At the sound of Yozora's voice, I smiled and laughed, my heart lifting with joy.
"It took you five hours to find me? Where have you been, Yozora?" I asked, my best friend.
"Sorry, I was busy. And why did you switch off your phone? I tried calling you." Yozora said as he sat beside me.
"My phone died on me, what can I do?" I replied with a shrug.
"Well, it's the last day. Time really flies, doesn't it? I wanted to spend more time with everyone, but such is life. It may not go as planned, but it will still be beautiful." Yozora said with a wistful sigh.
"I couldn't agree more. It feels like just yesterday we met, and now we have so much left unsaid." I replied, taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh.
"So, you're off to America next week?" Yozora asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, what about you? Any updates on your novel?" I asked in return.
"Good news, a worldwide publishing company has accepted it. I'm over the moon." Yozora said with a grin.
"And what about the others? Kai, Kin, Akio, and Tsuki?" I asked.
"Well, you know about Kin, he started a successful doll business and is well on his way to becoming a billionaire. And as for Kai and Akio, Kai landed a small role in the upcoming Batman movie and Akio was signed as the main model for a multinational company. But, something unexpected happened between them." Yozora said with a mischievous smirk.
Ah yes, that Ugly Nostalgic Smirk. I never thought I will miss something crap as this one.
"What? Tell me!" I asked, eager to know.
"Well, it turns out that Kai has feelings for Akio." Yozora said, unable to contain his excitement.
"What? He didn't told you earlier?", I asked Yozora
"Eh? You knew? When? What the-", he said, embarrassed
"During our tour Haha. Well I never would've guessed that. Who would've thought Kai would move on from his crush and fall for Akio? That is character development" I said, surprised.
I still cherish the memory of the first time I met Kai. Yozora revealed to me that he was in love with a girl who already had a boyfriend and that he would never move on.
But lo and behold, he finally moved on! I'm so proud of him, and with Akio of all people! That guy is lucky!
"Did he confess?" I asked Yozora with eagerness.
"He was planning to, he said he was going to her house last week to confess. But he didn't tell me anything after that, and he didn't show up today. So I have no idea if she said yes or no, but I have a feeling it's a yes," Yozora replied with a smile.
"Who could've predicted this? Kai and Akio? How did this even happen? Haha!" I asked in disbelief, even though I already accepted it.
"Well, do you remember the preparation day? It was that day when Kai encouraged Akio to confess to you. But it was also the day when Kai's heart started to fall for her," Yozora revealed with a chuckle.
"Wait, did Kai made Akio confess to me just to make himself feel jealous or something? His love is complicated," I said with a shake of my head.
"Well, I hope everything works out for them. But who could've seen this coming? Kai and Akio? What's next, you and Kumori?" Yozora teased with a laugh.
"Ha! Don't make me laugh! By the way, have you heard about Kumori? She stopped coming to school," Yozora said to me with a smirk.
"I already knew, I'm not as slow as Internet Explorer. I even went to her house," I boasted with a laugh.
"What?! For real? So now it's Kousei and Kumori real? How intriguing," Yozora said with a smile.
We both shared a good laugh and then Yozora brought up a more serious topic.
"Tsuki finally completed her song and signed with Sony Music Company. By the way, you have to listen to it, it's amazing," Yozora told me with excitement.
"I remember she promised to let me be the first one to hear it, but people change," I said with a shrug.
"Change is inevitable," Yozora added with a nod.
"I guess I'm the one who made the situation between us awkward," I said with a sigh.
"Ah, I see," Yozora replied with understanding.
"By the way Kousei," Yozora started, indicating that he wanted to have a serious conversation.
"Yes?" I replied with curiosity.
"Do you have any regrets?" Yozora asked me with a serious look on his face.
"Well, of course I do. My confession," I replied with a sigh.
"But if you hadn't confessed, wouldn't you regret not expressing your love for her? So doesn't that mean you have no regrets now?" Yozora pointed out with a smile.
"I suppose you're right." I said while thinking how true of a statement was that he just uttered.
If I didn't confess, I would be sitting here saying, I regret not confessing to her. Ah, It's complicated and it's not the best time to think about it.
Regrets sculpts life as a beautiful art!
Yozora and I spent some time reminiscing about our school days, laughing and talking about our school trip. And in the end, we both stood by the river, silent and contemplative, realizing that there will be no more moments like this.
"Well Kousei, I have a surprise for you," Yozora proclaimed with a smile as he stood before me.
"A surprise? What could it be?" I asked, intrigued.
"Just stay here and I'll bring it to you. Promise me you won't wander off?" Yozora requested with a twinkle in his eye.
"I promise," I replied, eager to see what he had in store.
Before he walked away, I caught his attention, calling out, "Hey, Yozora!" Without waiting for his reply, I continued, "Thank you so much. You've been there from the start, always by my side. You never let me down.. even once. Can... can I have a hug?"
"Aww, feeling down son, huh?" he chuckled, but beneath the laugh, I sensed his hidden sorrow. He knows damn well how to hide his sadness.
"Thank you... you jerk," I murmured as I embraced him.
He abruptly pulled away from the hug, flashing a smile. "It's time," he said softly. "I hope we can meet again one day." With those words, Yozora began his journey down the river's path.
This is it. Three years were gone just like the way he was walking away. Too soon.
As he walked away, I couldn't help but feel that his words were a farewell, even though he was about to bring me a surprise. It was a confusing mix of emotions.
Lost in thought, I gazed into the river and saw my own reflection staring back at me. I lifted my eyes to the sky and saw the moon and stars shining bright. I couldn't help but think about how beautiful it would be if Tsuki and I were together, like the celestial bodies above us.
For three years, I chased after her, hoping to win her heart, but she was as distant as the moon itself. My love for her never faded, but I had to accept that I could never reach her.
Raising my hand to the moon, I whispered, "Will you ever be mine?"
Just as I thought I had finally moved on, I was filled with a rush of emotions, brought on by the memories of my past with Tsuki.
And then, a voice called out to me, "Hey Kousei-kun."
I stood there in awe. Because it was her. Mitsui Tsuki.
"HaHa, you still have that surprised look on your face. You never change," she said with a laugh.
To be honest, I was scared. But I was no longer afraid to talk to her, but I wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because I no longer loved her the way I did in the past. Well, I don't know why I keep thinking that, maybe I am trying to convince myself? I don't know.
"Tsuki? What are you doing here?" I asked, still in shock.
"What do you mean? Haha, I introduced you to the lake, remember? Also, I'm the surprise Yozora told you about," she replied with a smile.
Yozora, you son of a bitch. At least you could've given me a hint.
"Oh, I see. So it wasn't a coincidence," I said, finally piecing together the mystery.
"Nope, not a coincidence at all. I can't believe how much you've changed. You're so confident now," Tsuki said, looking at me with admiration.
"Yes, I've grown a lot. So, is there something you want to talk about?" I asked, eager to hear what was on her mind.
"Ah, I wanted to take things slow, but since you asked, yes, there is something I want to talk to you about. But before I do, I need you to promise not to be surprised," she said, with a serious look on her face.
"I promise. What is it?" I asked, ready to hear what she had to say.
She replied, her eyes filled with emotion.
"I know since day one, you've been talking about these being your regrets. It also may have seemed like this story was all about your regrets, but the truth is, it's mine. It's the story about me, a story you don't know."
"The Story of my Regrets."