The school bell gave an unforgiving ring.
This could mean only one thing.
"Classes dismissed…" the teacher said.
Fixing my glasses, I was bored a bit with today's lecture for some reason.
"'Sakura trees…" I sighed our lesson with these words as I began to prepare for dismissal when…
"Yo!" a loud smack in my back echoed in the room as I almost vomitted everything I ate up to that moment.
"Oi oi!" I uttered as I rubbed my back, facing the one responsible for almost breaking my spine. "That's painful neh…" I said to the person.
"You should've expected it Kiyo-kun." The person said. "You do know I do that whenever I greet you."
"Yeah." I said. "But I don't think you should do it now."
The person in front of me is Megurine Luka. She's been a classmate of mine since 4th grade. We've made a somewhat unbreakable bond since we first met. It's like we're like a north pole and a south pole of a magnet. So even in our last years here in high school, it's like we're inseparable.
"We're already old for those childish things." I said as I continued to rub my spine.
"Hehe." She softly smiled, slowly watching her demeanor change slowly.
Her laughter and smile just told me why she just did that. "I guess it's something that has to do with him."
"Hai!" She excitedly said to me.
"Mmm."I just made a sound. I was utterly uninterested. Not that I am cold. It's just not my thing. These love stuff.
"Are?" she asked. "Something wrong?"
I just raised an eyebrow. "And what would be wrong?"
"Nothing." She said. "I just thought you would get jealous over it."
I scratched my head. "Jealous huh?" I tilted my head.
"If I would to be jealous, what is it to you then?" I asked.
This stopped her. "A-ah?" her nervous reaction somehow makes her quite cute in her own way.
I chuckled at her cute reaction. "You do know it's not my stuff."
"Hai." She said. "Demo… he told me that my cooking was good."
"Cooking?" I asked. "You know how to cook?"
"Moo…" Luka just pouted her lips with this. "Of course I do." She said.
I chuckled at her reaction. "Hai hai…" I said as I put my hand on her head and slung my bag behind me. "Shall we?" I asked while pointing the door. "Shall we go home Princess Megurine?"
"Umm…" she thought of it then suddenly jumped behind me. "Piggy back!"
"Oi oi…" I persuaded her as I looked around. As usual, my classmates were talking and looking at us.
"You're really child." I said at her then carefully held her legs. "Hold on now."
I'll admit.
She's pretty. I give her that.
She's got a pretty voice too.
And since we're virtually unseparable since 4th grade, many thought that she and I were going out.
However, it's not that I don't like her.
It's more like my past which is like a shadow I cannot go away from.
Love wasn't an issue to me. Not until you reach an age wherein you know how painful it is.
"Urk!" I uttered a forced kick to the pedal as I tried to make my way up the hill road in front of us.
"Go Kiyo!" the princess behind me urged. If it's not for her sheer weight, it would be easier.
"Ugh!" I panted more as I pedaled stronger. Finally reaching the top of the road, I stopped for a while and repeatedly took my own breath.
"Neh!" she said as she said as she went down from the back of my bicycle. She brushed her hair back which caught my eyes.
She looked at my way which met my eyes with her. "Hohoo…" she spoke. This woke me out of my trance.
"What?" I retorted as I looked away.
"Kiyo-kun seems to be looking at me." She said teasingly.
"Of course I am." I said. "Haven't I been doing that since our fourth grade?"
"I know." She said. "But somehow today was different."
This plugged my throat. Did she notice? I asked myself.
We've been going home like this since before.
And it's weird enough, Luka and I still does even if she is already Kaito's girlfriend.
Kaito, the hottest male in the school.
Sure he is the hottest…
And the horniest…
Once, I even caught him peeping on the girls dressing room.
Well…
He IS the alpha male so what can I do.
"Anyway, what is it you wanted to tell me?" I asked as I held on the bike grips.
She pointed at the bench at the park above the hill. "Let's take a rest first."
I looked at the bench. Perched under a sakura tree. "Rest?"
"Hai!" she excitedly replied as she ran towards the bench.
Sighing, I parked the bike behind the bench and sat down. "Of all the places…" I complained with a smile.
I had the right to complain.
We're under the same place, under the same tree, where I had a lot of my heart breaks.
"Sakura…" I said to myself as I looked up to the tree. I don't feel good under the sakura trees. Not at all.
I stood up suddenly and took my bicycle. This move caused Luka to call me.
"Kiyo!" she called as she abruptly stood up as well. "Where are you going?
"I don't like it here…" I muttered.
I know she is bewildered by what I said. "I know another park just past our school. Want to go there?"
Reluctantly, she agreed.
I positioned the bicycle and waited for her to sit on the back seat. "Moo…" she muttered. I chuckled at this.
"Hold on tight."I said as I prepared to pedal the bike again. Feeling her arms slowly sliding on my belly, I decided to kick the pedal down.
Passing down the hill road, the student who just left the school were looking at us.
And why would it not be. "Oi…" I complained yet again. "I said tight but not too tightly."
"Just keep pedaling." She said as she held on.
"Hai hai…" I said. "Just as the princess commanded."
"Faster!" she screamed as I kicked my bike pedals harder.
Students look at us even more as she did this. I just chuckled it off and resumed to move faster.
"Fast enough?" I ask loudly as she lifted her head above me.
"Yeah!" she happily screamed. "But I want to go faster!"
"Faster?"I smiled. Somehow, deep down, we look like two young couple having fun with a bike. "Yosh!"
"Whoo!" she screamed as her hair danced freely on the wind.
I can see her face on my side mirrors. I have not seen her this happy. For the first time, I was happy that I made my friend happy as well.
Soon, we found ourselves back at the school.
"I guess it's not there anymore." I said as I tried to remember the place.
"What do you mean?" she asked as she went down the bike.
Looking away, I just told her the truth. "Gomen."
Actually, it's a lie. There is no other park. I just didn't like being in the sight of a sakura tree.
I just don't want to be in a place wherein I can open the closed books I had hidden in my heart.
And let her see my pain.
"Gomen…" I said as I firmly bowed down to her.
"Baka…" she whispered. "Well… It can't be helped."
"Hai…" I said as I looked down.
"You could've told me earlier dummy." She said as she pouted and looked away.
"Ah… Sorry."I said.
"Mmm…" she looked at me with one eye. "I'll forgive you on one condition."
"What is it?" I said.
She think of it carefully. "Let me think about it for a while." She said. "For now, let's just walk."
"Huh?" I was mystified. "You do know we're at school and it's nearing the evening."
"Hai!" she said as she slowly walked.
"Oi!" I called out. "Matte yo…"
I hurriedly chained the bike tires on the bike stand and chased after her.
Soon, we find ourselves walking by the field behind the school.
It was facing the sea as the rushing waves made soft music.
"Of all the places?" I said.
"Hai!" she said. "This is my secret place."
"Oh." I was again surprised by this fact.
"Whenever I have a problem, I go here." She continued.
"I see…" I said. "Well… All of us have this special space for us alone."
"Hai." She softly said. " This is mine… Demo…"
She looked at me. "I wonder what about you."
I looked at her as our eyes met. I can see sadness… For me…
"I have it in secret." I said. "If I tell you, it won't be a secret place anymore."
This caused her to pout again. "Moo!" she said as she puffed her cheeks.
I laughed at her face. "Goldfish!" I said as I poked her cheeks.
"Moo…" she said. "I was all being concerned and all and this is how you thank me."
"Hai hai." I said as I placed a hand on her head. " Gomen ne hime-sama."
"I still have not thought of my condition right?" she asked.
"Yup!" I said. "Have you thought of one yet?"
"Nope!" she said with a teasing smile.
"Uh." I muttered.
"Hmm…" she teases me. "You really gonna do whatever I want you to do?"
"I am a man." I said. "Men don't back down from their words."
"Ok…" she said as she smiled. She looked at the sky and then switched to looking at me. "Let's go home."
"Hai!" I exclaimed in approval matched with a thumbs up to her.
"Urk!" I heaved yet again.
We're pedaling along again on the same old hill we left earlier.
"Come on Kiyo-kun!" she cheered on.
"Urgh!" I groaned. "Come down so we can ride easily."
"No!" she said.
As you can see, she asked me to go back here to my zero zone.
As much as I tried to talked my way out again, we were riding on this place.
"Eh?" I said as I tried to kick harder. "Instead of a condition, you're giving me a punishment."
Sweat drops down my forehead as I kept on kicking hard.
Deciding to get back at her quickly, I thought of something. "If only you could kiss my back, I might be able to power up!" I said, teasing her.
Knowing her, she would not do such feat…
For almost a lifetime, we knew each other so my jokes like those are familiar to her…
Until...
I felt her lips softly touching my back thru my uniform.
"Luka…" I uttered as I look back at her.
She was looking back at me. "What?" she retorted.
I could see her blushing with an angry look in her eyes. "Yosh!" I screamed as I kicked harder, trying to kick the thought as well out of my mind.
However, I was failing.
Her soft lips is still something I can feel.
"Mooooo!" I screamed loud as I kicked harder, finally reaching the top of the hill.
"GOAL!" she screamed as she jumped off the bicycle.
I was breathing deep. "Too tired." I said as my tongue dropped out. "Too damn tired…"
I decided to go down when she jumped up to me.
"Oi!" I said as I caught her. "What the?"
"Tehee…" she chuckled as I put her down. I stretched my back as it made some popping sounds.
"Itai…" I whispered as the pops each gave a piercing sharp pain.
"Kiyo?" she asked. "Daijoubou?"
"Ah?" I smiled back, acting as if I was a tough man. "Hai!" I said as I gave one final stretch.
As I bent down, she did something rather astonishing…
And for me, something weird…
"Moo!" she said as I felt her handkerchief touching my forehead. "You're sweating."
Surprised by this, I just watched her.
Somehow, deep inside, I know something is starting to grow… And change…
"Luka?" I was bewildered even further.
"Neh…" she said as she pointed at the same spot we left earlier. "I want to take a rest there…"
"Ah?" I looked on at the spot.
"Onegai…" she pleaded.
"The princess gave her orders.." I said, feeling both tired as well as helpless. Further resistance will cause more trouble later so I thought I'd give in this time.
I took the bike up the ramp towards the same bench. Under the same tree.
"Neh Kiyo…" she called. "Want to rest and lie down?" she asked as she patted her lap.
Somehow, I found myself following and lied down. "This sure looks kinda weird." I said as I rested my head on her lap.
Staring at the sky, I watched as the clouds slowly drift.
"Neh…" I softly spoke. "Are you sure you want to spend time?" I asked.
She nodded. "Neh…" she said. "Why do you want to leave this place?"
I looked at her for a moment and then back to the sky. "This place…"
"How many?" she asked again.
"You can say it's a few…" I said. "But those meant a lot."
"I see…" she said.
"Well…" I sighed. "It happened a long time ago."
"Mmm…" she muttered.
"I just don't like the sight of the tree petals…" I said as I watched the tree dance along the soft breeze.
"Those petals are shaped like hearts…" I explained. "Looking at them fall… reminds me of how mine fell broken in this same place over and over again…" I then sat up.
"Sorry if I left abruptly earlier." I apologized again.
She shook her head. "It's ok." She said. "If I only knew…" she looked down.
Suddenly, I laughed. Out of no reason, I just laughed a I saw her look down.
"Well…" I said. "It happened before already."
"Demo…" she spoke.
"Past is past." I said as I looked at the tree.
"Remember we used to go here when we were kids?" I said.
"Eh?" she ask in surprise.
"This place holds kind of a special meaning to me." I said. "This is where I took hold of memories."
I walked towards the sakura tree as I hummed a tune. "Memories of sadness and happiness…"
I turned to her. "That's how I look at the sakura petals in another way than hearts…"
"Old memories tend to fall off…" I said as I caught one. "So that new ones can grow." I smiled.
Deep inside, I was feeling light.
I guess right now, I was able to let it all go. Leave the past behind.
"If only I can make new memories again…" I said as I walked off again. "Well… Want to go?" I asked.
"We're thru…" she said.
"Huh?" I asked as I turned around.
"Kaito and I…" she said. "We've broken up already. We never lasted a week at all."
"Err… Okay?" I was bewildered yet again. However, I have a hunch what she wants to say.
"Demo ne…" she slowly rose up and walked towards me. "I think it's just like you said. The petals were like memories…"
"They come off to give way for new ones…" I continued.
I knew what she wanted to say now. She nodded at what I said.
"I don't know how or why." She said as she closed onto me. "But for somehow, you're on my mind for sometime now."
I chuckled for a moment. "I hated sakura trees…" I said. "But somehow, right now is different."
"Neh… Kiyo…" she said as she looked onto me. "I…."
"I'm rather serious when it comes to these things." I said cockily.
"Ah?" she said in a surprised tone.
"Perhaps that's why they left me…" I said. "Because I am serious when this things come to me."
She was surprised to hear this. Surprised, that she is slowly smiling.
"Maybe they left you because you're childish." She retorted as she shyly approached me.
"Yes, I'm childish." I said. "And you're a crybaby."
"You hate pumpkins." She replied
"You hate leafy vegetables." I returned back to her.
"You once hit your head on the stairs of our house which caused you to bleed." She said.
"And you once got chased by a dog for trying to scare it." I chuckled at that childhood memory.
"It's because you didn't get my ball." She replied with a pout.
"Demo ne…" I said "Who scared the dog again by waving a stick like a mad man?"
"You're always a mad man." She replied.
"Was not…" I replied.
"But no matter how bad you were…" she said as she slowly let her head rest on my chest. "… you never left me."
"Ah…" I said in agreement. "I guess you could say that."
Slowly my arms wrapped around her. Somehow, this made me realize she's not just the Luka I grew up with.
"Kiyo-kun…" she softly whispered my name with her sweet voice.
"Will you…" she was about to say it but I stopped her lips with a kiss.
I mustered to eliminate all the pain I have had in the past.
I held her tight as I gave all the kisses I could give her.
Deep inside, I feel so warm.
And I know she feels the same.
As I let go of her lips, happiness drew on our eyes.
"My princess…" I said as I tried to make it sound so sweetly.
"My stupid prince…" she replied.
"Ah…" I said as I closed my eyes again to give her a kiss…
As the winds blew, the sakura tree danced with it…
With the petals all flying around, I could think of nothing but…
"I hated sakura trees…" I spoke softly. "Demo…"
She rewarded my words with her sweet smile.
Finally, the girl I've been calling princess all these years…
Has become my real life princes…
"Kiyo…" she said. "You may hate sakura trees…"
"But I just said…" I was about to reply when…
"Nevertheless…" she smiled. "I love you more than anything else!"
"Ah?" I had my throat stuck up.
She said this with no pause and with a smile I've never seen before.
"Baka…" I chuckled…
"Ah?" she was surprised.
"How can I hate them…" I said as I bent down and carried her in my arms. "… when they remind me of you from now on?" I said as I smiled back to her.
If I have not gone back to that road with her…
Will I ever know her feelings for me?
If I remained bitter with the trees…
Would I be as happy as I am now?
I ask these questions since then.
"More Kiyo!" she said as we are back in this old hill.
Pedaling my mountain bike, taking this road is a bit easier now.
However, the sheer weight of the person behind me makes it hard do make it easier.
"Hai hai!" I heaved as I kept kicking. "As you wish…"
I looked at her thru my side mirror.
Her looks…
Her eyes…
Her hair…
Her smiles…
I will never forget.
I will never run out of reason to enjoy pedaling along this place with her.
And I will never run out of reason not to like the sakura tree.
"Let's take a rest." She said as we reached the top.
"You want to go there again huh?" I said.
"Hai!" she exclaimed. "I even brought us lunch…"
"Yush!" I felt relieve by the word lunch.
"My prince must be hungry." She said as she went infront of me and wiped my sweat.
"Arigatou~" I said sweetly as I took her hand and kissed it.
"Moo…" she said as she looked away blushing.
This made me laugh.
"You still have not changed…" I said.
She pouted. "What are you saying?"
"Still blushing and all." I said as I brushed her cheeks gently.
"It's because your saying things again." She said.
This brought me to smile. "I did tell you that I'm pretty serious when I am on these stuff."
With that, she smiled. "Hai hai goshujin-sama~"
I laughed at her. I then chained the bike by the bike stand and gently sat beside her.
"Just like before eh?" I said as I looked up the sakura tree.
She gave a small chuckle.
"What?" I asked as I saw her open the bento she had made for me.
"There are things that have changed you know." She said.
"Hai hai…" I said. "Mrs. Luka Hiyama…" I sweetly said her new name as I kissed her with all the love I have.