Orange Story

By Eniar

Standard Disclaimers Apply.

Saturday Mornings. It has become Shigure's morning routine to visit Hatori every Saturday morning. Although for Hatori he'd would took it as a weekend pestering--not a weekend visit. And every Saturday morning, Shigure would always, without a miss, go to this spot and there he would meet the tall lady sitting by the bench, whom he would always see holding an orange and find her gazing into the distance.

"You wouldn't mind if I sit here, right…" Shigure said, "…Mayu…?"

"Shigure…" Mayu said under her breath.

Shigure sighed, and slouched at the bench. "Don't you ever get tired of doing this?"

Mayu looked at him, "Well, Shigure, Don't you get tired of doing this?" she said, bouncing back the question.

Shigure smiled and ran his fingers through his hair. "Mayu, mayu, mayu…you never cease to amuse me."

"Glad to be of service." She said.

Shigure leaned towards Mayuko, he could almost see the details of her face. "You know, I can always make you happy." He said, sounding mischievous.

She shoved off Shigure's face with her hand and tossed her hair. "I'm not stupid enough to make the same mistake again, and besides, I don't want to spend my life with a cold person like you."

"Uwaa what a mean person you are, Mayu!" he quipped.

"Hah! The nerve of you to talk about what's being mean!" she snorted.

"I guess I can never win against Hatori, ne?" he said folding his arms.

Mayuko didn't respond.

"Really, one-sided love is such a tragic thing." He said resting his head on his hand, smiling awkwardly at Mayuko.

"I…I guess you're right..." Mayuko agreed sighing. She was thinking about this for a long time and finally realized that she needed to wake up on this silly dream, believing that she can be the new spring that could melt Hatori's cold heart. With those simple words that Shigure said, she realized that the love she had for Hatori that only she and Shigure knew would never be given back by Hatori. She knew that she had been foolish, all because of love.

"Eh? You're giving up already?" Shigure asked, perplexed. "That's not the Mayu I know."

She let out again a disappointed sigh. She was disappointed of herself. "I was thinking about this for a long time…and today, I finally decided that this would be the last time I should see Hatori…I just realized that I was chasing him for such a long time."

"Mayu! You and I both know that this is a game of patience! Love is a game of patience!" Shigure said trying to convince her.

Mayuko let out a soft smile, "but I don't want force love Shigure." She said.

"Mayu! of all the time you choose to give up why now?" he said. "Don't tell me you needed my help again? Geez Mayu, you're hopeless!" he gave a fake laugh because he knew he needed to cheer Mayu up and of course, he wanted to break the tension.

She raised her hand and rested it on Shigure's face. Shigure could not afford to look at her for she looked broken. "Really, Shigure, you're such an enigma...You don't need to do this you know. I told you, this is something that I have thought about for a long time." She continued, "I wanted Hatori to love me for who I am but the thing is I'm just selfishly trying to win his attention, I know it sounds funny but I know nothing about love. All I know is the warm, fuzzy side of it, not its true meaning...I just don't want to be selfish anymore..."

"So what do you plan to do...?"

"Start with a clean slate." Mayuko said as she looked up to the sky.

"Which is...leaving Hatori, is that correct?" Shigure asked seriously.

Mayu nodded "I'm not only doing this for Hatori, I'm also doing this for myself." she said looking at the orange fruit. "After all, continuing a wrong relationship will only increase the pain."

"This is crazy Mayu..." he mumbled as he dug his face in his palms.

Mayuko stood up. Her hair danced around the wind. "I love him, that's why I'm letting go." she said and left Shigure.

-----

Every Saturday, she would always go to this place. Before, even though the only noise she would hear in the hallway are her high heels that was kissing the floor tiles, she never minded that, before, those noise meant happiness, a happy visit to the person that she loved but now those noises meant emptiness.

There was a knock at Hatori's office.

"Come in." Hatori said.

Mayuko slowly creeped inside the room, she slowly looked around and searched for Hatori, There he was again, deeply involved in his work. She thought. Mayuko let out a smile.

"Hatori-san, I brought an orange for you..."

"Ah, Mayu, thanks." Hatori said. He noticed that there was sadness in her eyes.

"Are you...okay?" Hatori inquired.

Mayuko beamed. "Of course Iam! Silly Hatori!"

"Oh...Okay..."

"Well then, I need to go now..." Mayuko started walking towards the door. Don't you ever look back, Mayu. She ordered herself.

"…did you…" Hatori began.

"Eh…?" Mayu turned. Well done Mayu you just blew it!

"Did you know that when an orange fruit reminds you of a person, it means that, that person would always be forever in you memories?"

"Is…that…so…" She said quietly. Just like Hatori...

"I guess, for me…"Hatori said. "…Oranges reminds me of Mayu…"

Mayuko turned away then smiled softly. Thank you Hatori..."That's good to hear…Me too…Oranges reminds me of Hatori…" She slowly approached the door and twisted the knob. "Goodbye Hatori…" she said, while those two last words she managed to say came out as a mumble. Goodbye Forever. She slowly closed the door and walked away.

Hatori was gazing at the door when it suddenly rained hard. He stood up on this seat and went to the window. "The sky seemed to be crying today."

End