DISCLAIMER: I do not own the La Corda D'Oro characters used in this fic.
Dedicated to tentsubasa whom I 'exchanged' fics with in the past.
~The Next Stop is Happiness~
Some happiness are not easy to forget.
.
.
.
Do you know what it's like to stare at the ghost of your past? Do you know how it feels to suddenly remember the taste that his kisses left in your tongue? Do you know how painful it is for your magnificent brain to suddenly recall all the memories you shared with the person that once had been your source of happiness?
It feels scary, frightening, awful, especially when you have finally moved on and terribly happy and then all of a sudden he shows up without a warning. It feels as if you were eating sand, with its dry grains rolling down your throat. And my insides felt knotted, twisted, like you have a bad stomach that lasted for a week.
But life, I've been told, or so I've learned, is full of surprises. As you go along its path, it will lead to many detours and crossroads with endless possibilities. We fall in love, fall in hate, we laugh, cry, learn to be broken and break people's hearts in return. But we forgive and be forgiven, and move on. But it's not the same for everyone, because some forgive, but never forget.
Ever.
"Ryou, meet Kahoko, my girlfriend," my boyfriend Kazuki chirped brightly, oblivious to the current situation that was really happening. He was very excited to fetch his best friend at the train station, and he even sang as we went. I wanted to bury my head into the soil and suffocate myself. But he seemed so happy that I couldn't bring my awkwardness at the front. Because as it turned out, his closest friend was none other than my ex-boyfriend.
Suddenly, a key locked into place inside my head, turning the gears of a lock until it clicked open. Everything seemed was clearer to me.
Ryoutaro looked to Kazuki for affirmation before looking back at me. He reached towards me first. "Hi."
His large, firm hand struck a nerve of familiarity to me that it took me aback. But at the same time, something has changed. It had gone a little more callous than the last time I remember. But whatever happened to him within that two years of silence is none of my business now.
So I shook his hand and smiled a little. "Hello."
"Pleasure to finally meet the Kahoko," he added and squeezed my hand.
I squeezed his hand in return, ignoring my heart which skipped a beat. "No, the pleasure's all mine." Then, I quickly retracted my hand and stuck a little closure to Kazuki.
Kazuki put his shoulder around the both of us, bringing us all in a group hug. His smile was so big and bright that it was more blinding than the sun. "All right! Now that my two most favorite people know each other, let's go!"
He ushered us toward his pick-up. Kazuki opened the passenger door. I had to look at him for confirmation, because he meant for Ryoutaro and I to sit together in the two-seater passenger's seat. And it wasn't good news to me.