Next summer
"Good morning, Takegawa!" Hotaru nodded with a forced smile graced over her lips, waving her hand at her classmates that she just got to know during the start of the school this year. Hotaru strutted across the zebra crossing towards her high school's entrance gate. Her eyes gloom, sorrow drowning her beating heart that ached. The brunette paused in her track as she neared the entrance, lifting her head up to gaze at the azure blue sky. The sunlight was mercilessly baking onto the earth, showering its blinding gold onto Hotaru's pale cheeks.
It was yet another summer.
Summer, a word that stings her deep in the chest every time she was reminded of it. All she could taste was bitterness in her cavern as she mouthed the word, and unknowingly her tears would well up in her eyes.
Because summer, was where it all begun so quickly, and ended as quickly as it began.
...
It was the end of the school term, everyone could not wait to welcome their summer plans as today ends. Their homeroom teacher was just spending their last lesson of the day discussing about the homework they would be assigning the students during their summer breaks before the bell rings.
Hotaru can't wait for summer to end.
Classes dismissed, students frantically rushing out of the classrooms to meet their awaiting friends. Girls leaving in groups for their shopping plans after school, and guys heading to the soccer fields for a soccer match with their buddies, while Hotaru strolled aimlessly along the traffic's sidewalk, heading towards the city area to buy some groceries before she heads home.
Her slim, tiny body swayed gently in the heat, her head bowed down as she walked pass numerous unknown faces of a crowd. She could hear footsteps and murmurs drifting away from her ears as she continued her journey towards the shops, lifting her head up to catch a glimpse of the road ahead.
There, she saw a familiar background. A boy about her age, half a head taller than she is with snow white hair that was blown back by the warm summer breeze.
Hotaru suddenly paused in her path, her hazel eyes widened in disbelief before she picked up her speed again, dashing towards the boy she might have by any chance mistaken him as someone she missed terribly. Hotaru didn't care.
She wanted to see him.
Hotaru took in a large gulp of air before she let out her voice, calling out to the name carved deep in her heart, and that very moment her emotions broke free. Tears welled up in her eyes, streaming down her pink dusted cheeks, droplets falling free into the air as she ran forward with all of her might.
"Gin!"
Unexpectedly, the boy responded to Hotaru's voice by turning around. He had those pair of honeycomb eyes that glistened under the sunlight, those pair of eyes that once locked gazes with Hotaru's dull grey eyes, those pair of eyes that was full of gentleness.
Hotaru threw her arms around the taller male, ignoring the possible outcome from her rash decision.
She wanted to touch him.
But Hotaru was stopped by a harsh knock on her forehead, causing the brunette to stumble backwards while flinging her arms to her head where the sharp pain had erupted from. Before Hotaru could fall and hit the ground, the taller male had grabbed a hold of her arm with a tight grip, pulling her up to stand firm on both of her feet.
"Be careful, don't do something so out of the ordinary." The white haired boy warned, before he let go of Hotaru's arm almost as fast as he had grabbed it.
Hotaru raised her head to meet the boy's honeycomb gazes, her tears framed the dull grey eyes, endless stream of it rolled down her flushed cheeks before she muttered the boy's name with her choppy breath.
"Gin.."
What the taller male could not stand the most was seeing girls cry, and now this girl was sobbing while she mouthed his name, he could not let her be afterall. The white haired boy reached into his pocket for some tissues, only to find none and he clicked his tongue in irritation. Not towards the girl, but to himself for being helplessly useless in cheering up the crying girl. He felt responsible for it.
"Hey, don't cry." He ran out of solution, instead he just reached his hand out, his thumb brushing away the tear stains on Hotaru's cheeks. It felt awfully familiar, he thought.
Hotaru noticed the pale complexion of Gin's arm that matched with his white and soft looking hair, and her sobs had reduced drastically when Gin set his hands on her flushed cheeks. His touch felt warm, and it hadn't changed at all since the last embrace.
Suddenly, Gin's hand stopped moving, instead it just held onto Hotaru's cheeks and jaw line, and the white haired boy held a stare into the dull grey eyes of Hotaru's.
"Have we met before?" The brunette could only widen her eyes in surprise. That's right, this Gin can't be the same Gin she has been with for the past few years. They may have the same looks, same voice, same warmth, but they will never have the same memories. Hotaru's gaze turned sombre in realisation.
"Yes, we have." Her voice was hoarse, she choked a little on her tears she desperately tried to fight back, forcing a grin as her eyes smiled with a hint of sorrow.
Gin had a slight frown, as he could easily tell that the girl that stood infront of him was someone important that he had forgotten about. Gin inhaled deeply, exhaling just as deep as he took in his breath, facing the dispirited girl with her head bowed down.
"What's your name?"
Hotaru lifted her head up again, her eyes glistened under the sunlight that baked through her hazel hair, answering timidly.
"I am Takegawa Hotaru, just call me Hotaru."
Gin simply smiled at her reply, and he somehow had the urge to reach his hand out and gently pat the girl on the head, he wasn't sure why.
"My name is Gin, but I'm sure you knew since you called my name earlier."
Hotaru was sure she had a scarlet face as she was staring at Gin's smile earlier and she hadn't taken her eyes away from him since then.
"I-I umm.." The brunette stuttered, but was interrupted by Gin.
"I assume you're a high school student judging from the uniform you're wearing. It's summer break now, wanna hang out sometimes?" Hotaru was certain that Gin was inviting her, and she could feel her heart getting fuzzy and warm.
Hotaru nodded as a reply, for she doesn't trust her voice in fear it would sound too throaty from all the sobbing earlier.
Because summer, was where it all begun so quickly, and ended as quickly as it began. But she was determined to not let it all end so quickly anymore.
Hotaru can't wait for summer to last.
"Let's go, Hotaru."