I heard a knock on the door as I was budgeting my money for next month. I know, I sound like a mother but believe it or not, I'm all alone with no one to depend on money so I have to do this. The knocks grew louder and louder that it made me certain who the person outside is. I sighed, time to pay the rent.
I stood up, walked to the door and opened it. Just as is suspected, it's the owner's sister-slash-co-owner Takafumi Sato-san. As usual, she gave me a really cold glare as a greeting. "This is the second month and you still haven't paid the rent, Amemiya." She spat.
It could've been better if Saiyo-san was the one who gave me a visit. She's the big reason why I haven't paid my rent for two months. That woman's heart is as soft as a marshmallow!
Takafumi Saiyo is the 35-year-old softy who let me live in one of the apartment rooms she had available even though I usually pay my rent late. She felt bad when I told her my story of leaving my aunt's house. She was very kind to let me pay late rent payments because of my problem.
"I-I'm gonna get paid next week!" I stuttered while trying to look away from that cold glare of Sato-san's. "So please wait for a while." I tried to close the door but she won't let me. With a sigh, I added, "I'll pay you next week, Sunday, 10:30 PM." She won't bother me if I tell her the exact date and time.
She snarled at me and closed the door shut. "I'll cut my food budget in half…" I muttered and leaned my back on the door.
/
My morning wasn't great. I woke up feeling groggy and hungry. The fact that I needed to eat less food because of the rent almost made me wish that I should've just lived in the alternate universe where I have parents who didn't just leave me behind my demon aunt's doorstep. A sigh escaped from me and as I continue walking to my classroom. In fairness, I'm at class 2-4 which is a college preparatory class and known for students who are very smart. Well, I can't have a good future if I'm stupid anyways.
I slid the door open and it was the usual, my classmates were into countless groups as they talked about how their weekend was, girl to girl talk, guy to guy talk, lovebirds talk, and all that shit. They didn't notice me opening the door, they never do anyways. I sat to my usual chair and once again, as usual, contemplated on my shitty life.
Why would my parents leave me to my aunt? Why did my aunt treat me like a freaking slave? Why is the world so cruel to me? Those were the everyday thoughts that ran around my head while I wait for our teacher to arrive.
Sometimes, I would cry over these simple thoughts countless times, especially if I wasn't doing well like, if I'm short on money, my classmates teasing me, and stuff like that. It would always lead me to depression.
The door once again slid open and I heard the familiar footsteps of our teacher walking to the middle of the class, I stopped contemplating and thus my regular school day starts. Or so I thought?
The usual good morning greet was said and done, and we students all sat down at our chair. "Let me all remind you that on Saturday will be the parent-teacher meeting." She announced, fixing her glasses. I slouched on my chair as I think of ways on how to get a guardian for the meeting… Nope, no idea.
"I wonder who's going to be Amemiya's parent on Saturday." A classmate said out loud, doing that on purpose. I rolled my eyes as he laughs his butt off. A few students joined him and chuckled. Since when did making fun of family problems be funny? Wow, what's happening to this world?
"Shut up, Yamazaki." I muttered while looking down the table, restraining myself from the emotions building up inside of me.
Sensei tapped the table a few times to get everyone's attention. "Alright, quiet. What's this all about Amemiya's parents?"
A student immediately answered, "Sensei, she doesn't have anyone to go to the Parent-Teacher meeting,"
"Because she ran away from home," Another said while holding out her laugh.
"Because nobody accepte—"
Before Yamazaki could add what he was supposed to say, I stood up while slamming both my hands on the table to shut them up. "What's so funny about my family problem!?" I yelled. I just couldn't take it anymore, what was so funny about my life? It's mine and they shouldn't meddle with it, I'll solve my own problems, they're not here to make fun of it. "Every single one of you has parents to tell to, while I have none. What's so funny about it, huh? Just because I'm a parentless child with no one to go to doesn't mean you guys should talk about it and make fun of it." I couldn't hold my tears anymore so I just cried.
"Don't meddle with people's lives."
And just that, I ran out of the classroom without the teacher's permission. I can hear her calling my name just for me to come back but I didn't. It was too much for me to bare. Oh yeah, who will go to the meeting as my guardian?
/
I arrived behind the school building mostly where students usually go to for lunch with their friends. But since it's still class hours there aren't any students in sight nor teachers, so I stayed there and cried. I didn't really know how long I cried at the spot but I suddenly heard the bell ring all of a sudden which caught my attention.
It's finally the end of class?!
No matter how much I was surprised at how long I cried, I didn't even bother to stand up and just stayed there and cried some more. Whenever I get distracted by other things and am about to stop, everything just sinks in again and it makes my eyes well up with tears. It's so stupid, I know, and here I am again in a dark corner. The usual.
"Hey, are you okay?" I looked up and I saw a boy—hair spiked up, with blonde bangs that seems like it was bleached—standing a few inches away from me. I'm pretty sure my eyes are red by now and that he can't see it because I'm in the dark corner while he's standing where the suns shines. Bright. Why does he look so bright?
His eyes have a mix of worry in him as he was fixated in my own teary eyes. Dude, why the hell are you worried about me? You don't know me… "Are you okay?" He asked again when he notices that I wasn't actually answering him.
I didn't know why, but more tears started rolling down from my eyes. In this dark corner I'm sitting, just a few inches away was him whose eyes shone so bright. He looked like the representation of light and I just couldn't answer him.
His hands that felt soft in my skin as he took my two hands and helped me stand up, leaving the dark corner and feeling the bright sun rays from where he was standing. He then gave me the warmest hugs I have ever felt. So this is how a hug feels like. My heart started beating fast, tears continue to well up in my eyes and I just continued crying on his shoulder, hugging him back tighter.
Who are you, mysterious representation of light? Why do you look so bright? Is it the sun or maybe you're just naturally like that? Another question… Why are you damn smaller than me?