A/N: As before mentioned; this is return from a very long hiatus. Thanks for the reviews.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sunrise.
It Started Here
The years after the carnival we all set out for our lives in the real world. Mai Tokhia left Fuuka for a bigger city in Japan. She always stayed in with me to check in on Natsuki. Mai always knew how to brighten anyone's day; I never knew how effective her bubbliness could be. She after all went to Tokyo University. Always working as hard as she could for the love of her of life; Takumi.
I ended up taking a vacation from schooling after high school and a few years of college to be with Natsuki more. It is funny how life works out. After all the chaos had settled everyone assumed we'd just shack up. Not so. She ended up disappearing and I've already mentioned what caused my time to be consumed. I left the world behind too. I had to find myself and settle my demons. I needed to in order to be someone that could be loved. At the very least someone that even I could tolerate being stuck alone with. It wasn't until one night in a smoky lounge did I find myself reunited with my beloved Natsuki. God had always intended us to be, but when the carnival was over my life was too despondent and she would appear when I was beyond the bottom of bottle.
The night was suppose to be a long awaited reunion of old friends, but she and I were the only two that showed up. So we just chatted the time away, not even getting lost in bottle to encourage the socializing. It just bubbled to the surface on our own. After the lounge closed we sat in the living room of my little run down home. Hours and hours went by and before we knew it the sun was rising and we had to say goodbye. A day could not go by as anxiety built within my heart wishing that she was thinking of me as obsessively as I was thinking of her. Now when I say obsessively I do not mean psychotic obsession with hell driven murderous intent of owning her. I had already grown too much to fall or succumb to my teenage ways. I talked to the acquaintances I had made over the years and they did not seem to approve of my interest. I had always assumed they were worried for me. It wasn't until one night I realized I was wrong.
"You know Shi...I think you're getting yourself in too deep."
"You always say that. I really just don't know what to do. I mean I haven't heard from her in three days."
"SEE, she was just stringing you along."
"You don't get it do you! There is something about her and me. It's like we have been together before. It's incredible draw. Like I'm breathing for the first time again. Like I can see the light for the first time."
"Don't you go quoting Disney movies now. Seriously, I think that you are so fucking desperate for love that any old fuck will do."
"I'm going to ignore you. I have to go to work soon. So do me a favor and let yourself out while I get changed."
"I wish you'd listen to me. You get hurt so easily. And you need to get a better job."
"A job is a job. I don't mind working in a kitchen. Now get out."
I went to work as happy as I could after that delightful conversation with a person I can't even recall. When I got off work I was chatting with one of the waitresses who wanted me to go out with her and few friends. I was about to say yes when my phone buzzed with a fury of text messages. My eyes opened wide. And shouted that I need a rain check and jumped in my car. My heart started to go haywire. My mind read over the message again and again. I'm in the hospital. I got into a fight. I don't know when it happened but a baseball bat crashed across my ribcage. I have a broken rib and a punctured lung. All I know is you are all I can think about. I'm sorry if this freaks you out.
All I could say back was Are you okay? Please don't go home. Come to me. Let me take care of you. Please. I don't mind. I want you here. I love you. I don't it; I know I love you. That is what I wanted to say towards the end. And that night she came over. And that was the night we started what we have. This love that will tie us together until the day we die.
More to come later.
