BEFORE IPHONES THERE WERE STICKY NOTES

Panting heavily, Shimura Tae leans on what seems like a door to a facility she was at. She's been running. Scanning her surrounding, she sighed, thankful there wasn't that much students inside the library at this hour. Slowly, she entered and went to the corner where she's been frequenting for the past weeks.

Running her fingers along the books in the shelf, she paused as she spotted what she's been looking for. Aha! She sighed as she grabs the object. A notebook. She's been drawn to it the moment she happened to stumble on it when she was volunteering for library work. At first she felt like prying on someone else's privacy but curiosity got her. She saw familiar scribbles; she just can't pin point where she'd seen those handwritings. Looking for a spot that could hide her from the others, she dusts off the floor and squats down.

Scanning for the page she marked the last time, she can't help but smile as she found new entries on the once empty pages. Hmm, new chapter. She doesn't know who owns it and why is it in the library in the first place. Must be an aspiring writer. Seeing as the notebook gets updated once a week she started leaving sticky notes to encourage the anonymous writer and share her thoughts.

She remembered the first time she's read the notebook. How once she had cried and soiled a page and apologized to the owner by leaving a pink sticky note. Two weeks had passed as she was again volunteering to help Ms. Catherine, the school Librarian, she happened to pass by the corner where she first saw the book. And just like last time, curiosity got her. Scanning through the pages she noticed that the pink sticky note she left was replaced by a blue one telling her "It's okay. –G8" G8. She flipped into the next page and was surprised to see it wasn't empty. Weeks have passed and many sticky note conversations were exchanged. The last one was how she was cheering for the hero. Finally, he had the courage to confess to her. It's funny how they started off at a wrong foot. He did save her from the shady loan sharks but before that he made her brother lose his job. Then they became friends, guardians for the two teens, and leaders of their town. How she's become his support and later on his home. They bicker a lot which was cute. She remembered a quote that best describes the oblivious couple, "If you fight like a married couple, talk like best friends, flirt like first loves, and protect each other like siblings. Then it's meant to be." They're really meant to be. She wondered, will she ever found a love like them? She shakes her head; she's too young to think about love.

Back to the current new pages, she noticed how it was soiled. Tears? Was G8 crying?Reading the entry, she couldn't help but place a hand above her heart.

"Have a change of heart?" The brunette woman said as she saw her lover pick up his boots.

"Gin-san has to look for something." Her lover replied, not looking at her. Something? Ah, this must have something to do w/ Katsura-san. She had to admit she was eavesdropping last night. She roused by the sudden loss of warmth beside her and found him talking to his long time comrade outside her room.

"Don't wait for m—"

"Please take this with you Gin-san." She stopped him from saying something stupid. She wanted to correct him but instead she just smiled, a forced one. She knows she can't stop him from doing reckless things. That is how he is. A person who does everything to protect what's in front of him. So just like the old times, she lends him a part of her.

He looked at the bunny printed umbrella. Her favourite umbrella.

"I just heard from Ketsuno Ana that it'll rain today." Rain? That was an understatement. For it was a storm that is brewing in their hearts, they could hear thunder and it's tearing them apart.

Tsch! He turned around and started walking away with heavy steps and a heavy heart, not looking back. He knew there was a possibility that he won't return but he couldn't get himself to tell her to move on and find somebody else who can stay with her. Who can promise her forever. And the thought of seeing her in someone's arms breaks his heart.

And as soon as he disappears from her sight she slumped on the ground and started crying. She knows he might not return but she will wait for him even if it takes forever.

Please, come back to me.

Erasures were visible on the bottom section of the page. With multiple scribbles of "Sorry"s where the most soaked part is. Her heart ached as she saw an image of a broken heart.

Little did the young brunette know that there was a man in his Twenty's scanning the shelf for something as if his life depends on it. When he knew his efforts were futile he cursed under his breath. "Dammit! Where the hell was— *sobs*

The man stops as he heard someone crying. He hated crying, he hated seeing someone cry. And he hated the fact of how he cried last night for some stupid dream he had. He had to find that notebook, that sole evidence that he did cry last night. God was he embarrassing!

Following the sobs, he is hearing, he saw a flash of chocolate slumped on the floor and his… notebook. "Oi!", he called. But as soon as the brunette lifted her gaze, he regretted calling her attention as he saw the most painful view he had ever witnessed his entire life. It pains him and he doesn't know why.

"Sh-Shimura-san. /G-Ginpachi-sensei." Both said in unison as their eyes held each other's gaze. He felt like drowning staring into those chocolate orbs so he had to improvise. Damnit!

"So you're Bargain Dash?" He said while diverting his gaze.

"G8?!" She exclaimed. He panicked and dropped his knees to cover her mouth.

Introductions were exchanged. She couldn't believe it was her new homeroom teacher. He couldn't believe he exposed his self to the infamous Shimura Tae. He's heard of stories of one outstanding student who can wrap anyone around her fingers. So before he fell victim to her, he stood and bid her—

"So how does it end?" He was caught off guard.

"I don't know." He said. Which is true.

"Eh?"

"My dream just ends there." Damnit! Why am I revealing too much?

"Oh." A dream?

…

"So how do you think it'll end? He'll come back to her right?" This was the second time she rendered him speechless.

"Do you think so?"

"They both love each other."

"Do you think he has courage to face her after all those years he went missing? What if—" He swallowed a lump he isn't aware was there. "What if it was too late?"

"Things may not turn out the way we expected it to be but at least he tried. What if she was really waiting for him all those years? Alone. What would he do? And if it turns out the other way at least he knew she isn't hurting anymore and has finally moved on."

… He just stared at her, wide-eyed. This girl is something.

"If— If ever you dream about it again, will you tell me?"She said with pleading eyes he can't say no to.

…

He ruffles her hair. She really is something.

"It's getting late. I'll take you home."

Riding down the busy streets of Tokyo, she took a glance of her homeroom teacher through the side mirror of his Vespa. What if it was too late? Does love have an expiration? Distance makes the heart go fonder, right? And she believed in their love, in her, that she'll wait for Gin-san to return even if it takes her forever. Forever.

"Okaeri!"

Came a voice as Shimura Tae tightens her hold on Ginpachi's waist. Both heard it, but decided to keep it to themselves.