The Story of You and Me
Chapter One
I remember when I was around ten, or maybe nine years old, my friends and I once shared our (childish) thoughts about the perfect age to get married. I remember my friends and me agreeing that 20 was still a young age to marry someone, so we all decided that we would like to be married when we turn 21. I realize now how naïve I used to be.
Today, I am 26 years old, single, and already on my fifth job after I graduated from college five years ago. Needless to say, I was not able to fulfill my childhood goal which was to marry and snatch a husband right after college graduation. I was a sheltered child; back then I didn't realize how hard real life could get.
Not that I haven't had a boyfriend before. I had one. I was a late bloomer but I did have a boyfriend and had been in a relationship with him for three years, until we had to break up two years ago when I had to leave Japan to get my master's degree abroad. My ex-boyfriend didn't want a long distance relationship. He said he didn't know if he could stay faithful to me while I'm away for a long time. And so I left with a broken heart.
Monday to Friday, I have developed a routine. At exactly 6:30 am, my alarm clock went off but I do not get off of bed until 6:35 am. After that, I take a quick shower, dress up, and leave my apartment at exactly 7:30 am. My workplace is a 40 to 50-minute drive from my apartment so I get to be at the office a few minutes earlier before 8:30 am.
I've been working at the head office of Bank of Tokyo for almost two months now but I have yet to know most of my co-workers. I don't particularly enjoy my job but the pay is much better compared to the ones I had in the past.
"You're unbelievable." A familiar monotonous voice greeted me when I answered a call from an unregistered number on my cell.
I couldn't help but smile. I continue checking the documents laid out on my desk with my phone securely tucked between my ear and my shoulder.
"Hello to you, too, Mrs. Nogi." I greeted happily. I think the last time I spoke with my best friend Hotaru Nogi, née Imai, was about eight months ago thru Skype. After that, we both have been very busy and barely even had time to chat with each other.
"You've been back to Tokyo for six month and never told me." She said in an accusing tone.
"Because I know you'll know soon enough without me telling you."
"That's bullshit, Mikan." She said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. I sighed, knowing there will be no getting out of this.
"Fine, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But I was planning to… soon. I've just been busy sorting everything out, and I know you're busy too with Luca and little Aori, and your upcoming bar exams. But really, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"Make it up to me later. 7 pm at King Crabs in Central Town. Your treat. Don't be late. Bye." I smiled as I placed the phone back on its holder. Typical Hotaru.
As I continued reading the analysis report on my desk, I made a mental note to inform the team secretary that I won't be doing overtime work later.
"So how'd you find out that I'm back in town?" I asked with a wide grin on my face. Looking at my best friend sitting across me, I kind of feel nostalgic.
Hotaru and I have been friends since our high school days. I used to cling on to her like an overjoyed dog to its master. Everywhere she went, I go.
"I ran into your mom this morning at the mall. We chatted for a while and she mentioned that you seem happy with your new job at the bank." She answered with a slight scowl on her face.
Well, happy seems too much to describe about my feelings toward my new job. Contented is more like it.
"Come on, Hotaru. Stop being annoyed anymore that I didn't tell you anything about coming back here. When I was planning on returning here to Tokyo, I wasn't sure if I would be staying long since dad still wanted me to get my PhD in Australia. Can you believe that? Right after finishing my masters, he wanted me study for another year and a half there. I mean, I wanted so bad to fly back to Japan the minute I received my diploma for my master's degree."
"Seeing that you're here now, treating me dinner, I'm guessing you defied your father's wishes and came home anyway." Hotaru said.
"Yes. Started living on my own, too. Got my own apartment three months ago, paying my bills, and all that grown up stuff you are so good at. Mom's also kind enough to give me her old sedan."
For the first time since we saw each other that evening, Hotaru smiled.
"So how's that going for you? The independent woman thing?"
I laughed, "Not as exciting as I thought it would be." I replied honestly.
If there's one thing I have learned to love these past few months, it's going to the cinema and seeing a movie by myself. When my ex-boyfriend and I were still together, we had plenty of movie dates since we were both self-proclaimed movie buffs. So the first time I went to the cinema alone (I was already in Australia by this time) and saw a movie, I didn't enjoy it. I wasn't even able to finish the film and left after 30 minutes or so into the film. I got so used to doing almost everything with him that I found myself not enjoying the things we used to do together.
But recently, since I barely have a social life outside work, I tried again to catch a movie alone at the cinema, and surprisingly, I found myself enjoying it and not at all bothered that I was mostly surrounded by couples.
So this Friday night, after learning that my parents would be out of town for the weekend to visit a sick friend in Osaka and Hotaru is out on a family dinner with her in-laws, I decided to see a movie again at the nearest mall from my place even though I just saw one a few nights ago.
The movie lasted for about two hours with majority of the audience were groups of teenagers and young couples. This was to be expected since the movie was an adaptation of a best-selling young adult novel which is about a boy who is moronically in love with this seemingly complex and interesting girl who lived across his house.
After the movie, I made my way to the food court to take out some food for dinner. But as I passed by an art gallery with various paintings hanging on the clear glass windows, one painting caught my eyes. One that is colored with only black and white. I abruptly stopped on my tracks while I stand outside the store and examine the painting. In the center of the canvas, a little girl is sitting on a sea of clouds. Her tiny arms are wrapped around her bended knees while her small head was looking up at a solitary bird flying above the clouds.
I feel like I have seen something like this before. Well, not exactly like the one I'm looking at right now, but the way it was painted and the accuracy of the smallest details like the wrinkles on the girl's dress and the feathers on the bird's wings. Everything is detailed even when the painting only consisted of three things: the little girl, the bird, and the vast sea of clouds.
"Looking at the scowl on your face, I'm guessing you don't like my work?"
I must've been staring hard at the painting for quite some time now that I didn't realize someone has come up beside me. I felt my heart skipped a beat when I turned my head to my side and saw a very familiar face.
"Natsume…" I muttered, unable to mask my surprise.
"Hey. Long time." He replied with a small smile on his lips, his ruby eyes eyeing me curiously.
I don't quite recall when the last time I saw Natsume Hyuuga was. Maybe it was a few months before his best friend, Tsubasa Andou and I broke up. But what I distinctly remember was when I was at Tsubasa's place one night and Tsubasa and I had fight. Natsume was there that night too, having a drinking session along with their other friends. After the fight, I was so upset with Tsubasa I wanted to walk out of there but couldn't due to the heavy rainfall outside. I opted to sulk alone in the balcony instead. After a while, Natsume joined me outside and to my surprise, held my hand wordlessly. Natsume wasn't much of a talker like Tsubasa. But he was able to comfort me by just a simple way of holding my hand. But the hand holding only lasted for five seconds or so. After that, he let go and told me quietly to go back inside as I would get wet by the rain if I stay out there longer.
Back then, I didn't feel that Natsume was making a move on me. I felt that he was just being a friend to me more than anything else that night. And out of Tsubasa's friends, I would say he was the most decent. He was not as loud and as rowdy as the other guys in their circle of friends but back then, I used to think he was the one who was the most focused on the things he wants to happen in his life. Something neither Tsubasa nor I had at that time: focus.
I made a quick glance at the bottom right corner of the canvas, and there I saw 'N. Hyuuga' signed using black paint. I was so fixated with looking at the painting that it didn't cross my mind earlier to check the signature of the artist who painted it.
I turned to Natsume again and smiled, "That's why I thought this one looks so familiar. This is your work."
"Yes." He said.
"It's beautiful."I said, admiring once again the details on the canvas.
"Thanks. How long have you been back in Japan?" He asked.
"Over six months now." I answered.
"That long already? You've been staying under the radar then." He said and then added, "You've been quiet on Facebook, too."
I couldn't help but chuckle a little, "How do you know? I don't think we're friends on Facebook, Natsume."
"Koko. He would surely say something to everyone we know if he sees you post something on Facebook that says you're back in town."
I laughed, "Yeah, Koko. That guy is like a walking, talking tabloid; feeling the need to inform every one of things that don't really matter."
"Well, you matter."
Slightly surprised by the sincerity in his tone when he spoke the words, I looked away from his gaze and gave a shallow laugh, "That's nice to know."
"So hey, it was nice seeing you again, Natsume." I then glanced at my wristwatch as if checking the time, "But I have to go now. I still have, uh, things to do at home." I finished lamely.
"Okay, see you around."
"Yeah, see you." I said before heading to the nearest exit of the mall, no longer bothering to go to the food court anymore like what I initially planned. I'll just go to a McDonald's drive thru on the way home.
At around midnight, I was still up and awake on my bed. It was true what Natsume said, I have been quiet on Facebook lately. I haven't posted anything at all for the past several months. I barely open my account, only checking once a week or whenever I feel it. Tonight, with nothing else to do and feeling that sleep won't be coming onto me soon, I decided to browse on my Facebook newsfeed on my tablet. I was admiring the couple of photos of Baby Aori that Hotaru posted when one notification appeared on the upper right corner of my Facebook page. I clicked on the notification icon:
You have one friend request from Natsume Hyuuga. [Confirm] [Delete]
End of Chapter One
7/27/2015
Author's Note: I can't believe it. I actually wrote something. Also, I'm the worst. I have, like, a gazillion pending stories that I haven't updated in more than three(!) years, and yet here I am, starting a new one. I'm so sorry.