Graduation
The school bell toned for the last time on that summer's night. We stood in formation and when our names were called we walked up, shook hands with the headmaster and the rest of the staff and received our diploma. This was it, I wasn't Hori Masayuki of Class 3-C, president of the Drama Club. No… I just became Hori Masayuki. Anyway, what I just said wasn't important, it was what happened after that really mattered, to me at least.
After being dismissed, we partook in the usual festivities for the graduating class. We went back to our homerooms to hang out in the room we've called home, or prison for three years. Everyone was having a good time, reminiscing about past times and memories that only they could remember. People were laughing, smiling, or just in general, glad to be done with the academics, for now at least. I hung out by the window, overlooking the courtyard and I just stared at the moon for a while. I'm not going to lie, but I was taking everything for references for the backgrounds that I was going to do for Nozaki later. My work with him wasn't done yet, nor will it ever be.
I grabbed a cup of juice from the table and went over to talk with some people from the Drama Club. They were cheerful yet sad to see me go, reciting the fact that the club wasn't going to be same and I reassured them that it wasn't the case. They seemed to agree and thanked me for everything and I did the same in return, thanking them for all their hard work and dedication, I was truly sincere, no way would've we gotten so many productions done if I hadn't had them around. By this time, more people from other classes began to show up, usually underclassmen who had friends here but that's when I felt my bladder call for me. Knowing that no one else wanted to see me, I thought I could sneak out and be quick enough so that no one even knew I left. With this plan in mind, I passed all the revelry and made my way out the door, making sure to close it slowly behind me.
As I made my way down the dark hall, I got this nagging feeling that someone saw me leave and this shadow of not being alone cast over me. "I'm pretty sure it's nothing, probably somebody moving to another room." I said to myself. I could see the bathroom from where I was and I hastened my pace until I reached it, switched on the light and did what I needed to do. After drying my hands and switching off the light, I found myself in the hallway again and along with it, that nagging feeling that I wasn't alone. "Boy, Nozaki would have a field day with this." I thought to myself. The atmosphere was perfect for a new chapter in manga, I keep a mental note of what the hallway looked like before heading back down.
You ever get that feeling when someone or something touches you from the back, that rush of anger, or adrenaline or whatever it is. I got that when I felt something tug on my shirt really hard, just as if this person wanted to beat the crap out of me or something. Me being me, I balled my hand into a fist and was about to lay whoever it was down to hardwood floor. I spun around, arm wound back but before I could swing, I saw them. Those green emerald eyes were looking directly at me. Knowing who it was, I quickly stopped myself and with feeling still in my head, I yelled. "JEEZ! YOU SCARED THE PISS OUT OF ME!" I thought I would receive the usually childlike antics from her but she just stood there, arms at her sides.
I looked at Kashima, my mind preparing for something stupid to happen but that changed with what happened next. "What's wrong with you?" I asked bluntly, still believing that there was nothing wrong with her. Her head was tilted downwards slightly, her cobalt blue hair was covering her eyes and the darkness of the hallway wasn't helping. She remained silent and this is when I started to get concerned. "H-hey, what's wrong Kashima?" I softened my tone this time, testing to see if she would respond to that. To my surprise she didn't, she just stood there and to be honest, it was starting to scare me. "Stop joking around Kashima, you scared me before and you're scaring now." And that's when I heard the sound of a door opening and that's when the light shined over the two of us and that's when I saw the marks of tears down the sides of her cheeks.
"KASHIMA! WHAT'S WRONG!? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN TO YOU!?" I was truly concerned now, this wasn't like her, suffice to say that I never saw her cry before and seeing her like this was… something. I quickly took my hands and grabbed her shoulders and that's when the tears began to fall down her cheeks again. I switched my tone and asked her again, "C'mon, what's wrong?" And that's when I felt my body get pulled forwards and her arms wrap around my waist and her head dig into my shoulder. I was shocked surely, but I did the same in return because it was the least I could do.
"S-se-senpai…." She croaked. "W-why d-do you have to g-g-go?"
"I'm not going anywhere… I'm right here." I replied.
"D-don't g-go." She repeated again. I tried to shake my head but her hand kept me in place and all I could do was repeat myself, hoping that at least one iteration would make her stop.
"PLEASE DON'T GO!" I almost jumped back when she yelled that, I never heard her get so loud before and after that, I didn't want to. She cried even more and I felt her hold of me tighten. "W-why can't y-you stay?"
"You idiot, it's how things work, I can't be here forever." I called her an idiot because she should know better, but now that I think back on it, I should've never said that.
She raised her voice again. "THEN WHY CAN'T YOU FAIL SO YOU CAN STAY HERE LONGER?!"
"Becau-"My response was cut down.
"Why can't you stay!? Why can't you still be president!? Why can't you make time go backwards!?" I felt my consciousness being bombarded with all these 'whys?'
"Kashima, I-"
"WHY CAN'T YOU BE MY PRINCE!?" She let go of me and fell to her knees. "Wh-y can't y-you be my p-p-prince?"
I knelt down and told her. "Hey listen, just because I'm not here anymore doesn't mean I'll be gone forever." I ruffled her hair and wiped the tears from her eyes and that's when she wrapped her arms around me again and I was ready this time.
"Hori-Sen-pai, I-I-I lov-"
"Love you." I saw her eyes widen when I finished her sentence and her face suddenly turned red. She tilted her head down as if to hide it.
"H-how did you know?" She asked, tilting her head up.
"You make it so obvious, I've been around you for so long that I can read you like a book at this point." Her face got even redder but she tilted her head down again. I saw the tears splatter on the floor.
"Do-do you l-l-love m-"
"Yes." I did it again. I don't know if it was just me, but I felt her heart jump when I said that. At that point, she began to cry again and her hold on me tighten, was this ever going to end? I thought about the time I met her at the entrance ceremony, I told her that she would be the hero of the Drama Club and suffice to say, she was.
"Hey…" She looked at me, tears still in her eyes. "Close your eyes." She did so among sniffles and chokes. I leaned in close until I felt her lips on mines. I felt my heart race, this was a first for me and looking back now, I'm surprised I didn't freak out or screw-up. We stayed like this for a few more seconds until finally, our lips parted. "See? You're not so bad after all?" My face was warm and I thought about what I just said. 'Damn it me… why would you say something like that?' And that's when I put my arms around her and dug my head into her shoulders.
"Do-does this mean that I'm your princess now?" She asked me. I leaned back and shook my head and I swear I saw Kashima tense up.
"No… You'll always be My prince, you'll always be My kouhai." I paused for a second before finishing with. "You'll always be My Kashima." I just spilled my feelings right then and there. My heart was beating right out of my chest, my face was really warm, my arms started to feel funny. Is this what love feels like?
Kashima just fell forward and cried again and by that time I had enough. I propped her upright and wiped her tears away and told her not cry anymore. I think I told her that I would take everything I said back but she probably knew I wasn't. I stood up and dusted myself off, we'd been there for a while. I put out my hand and I said in my best stage voice. "Will the lovely prince escort me to the festivities?" That was pretty stupid of me to say but it was what I had that time. For the first time throughout the entire thing did I see her finally smile. She grabbed my hand and lifted herself up, dusting off herself too. We both looked at each other before looking forwards and I felt our hands gravitate towards each other until they came together. Her hand was warm and so was mine. "Let us go shall we?"
She just giggled and said. "Ladies first."
"And that's the story of what happened to me on graduation."
"That was pretty cute… though I don't remember half the things I said to you, are you sure that's a true story?"
"Ugh… of course you don't remember, so I wasted half of my life telling that story?"
"Um…."
"Never mind, I'll be sleeping on the couch."
"Wait! Why are you leaving me Hori Masayuki!?"
"I'm not leaving you, I'm sleeping on the couch, Kashima Masayuki."
"Isn't it suppose to be Yuu Masayuki?"
"You're an idiot, you don't even know how your name works, but I like the other one better, I'm going to sleep. Goodnight."
"*Giggle* Goodnight."
A/N's: Woah! Change of pace! (Psst… This isn't your normal audience, act natural.) Oh yeah, hello there, I'm CaptainSentry and I would like to present to you my newest GSNK Horikashi story! (They still don't know you yet.) Just to clarify, I'm usually a writer of military or just warfare in general so this is my first spin into doing romance which is a new thing to me. (If they're mean to you, it's okay, don't feel bad.) If you want to, please leave a review and a critique (Psst… they're both the same thing.) because it's always appreciated! (Psst... you for- agh nevermind.)
