Chapter 7

Misaki reached the garden tables, out of breath from running. She saw Kai with Gai and Koutei, talking about their decks and strategies. She gulped and approached them, feeling her heart in her throat.

"Kai. Can I talk to you for a second?" I must look ridiculous she thought to herself.

Kai looked confused but nodded. Gai and Koutei look from Kai to Misaki and figured out they needed to give them some privacy. Koutei faked a yawn while Gai sighed.

"Well, it is late and we are bushed. We'll see you both in the morning then. Good night." Gai said and the both of them hurried away.

When they were finally alone, Misaki was finding it hard to form words to speak.

"What is it?" Kai asked.

"Why… Why didn't you tell me?" She finally said in a barely audible tone.

He was puzzled by her question.

"What do you mean?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were the same Kai I knew when I was a little girl?"

His eyes widen when he heard her comment.

"How did you know?"

"I figured it out when Miwa said you changed after you left town. I pieced it all together after that. Were you even planning on telling me?"

"I didn't see the need to."

"So who made you decide that? Who gave you the right to not tell me?"

"What difference does it make?" He started to raise his voice a little more than he expected.

"What difference? How about reuniting with an old friend? Does that not make any difference to you?"

"No. It doesn't." He lied.

"What happened to you Kai?" She was trembling with rage.

The Kai she knew would not be so indifferent about friendship. She heard him talk about his friends like they meant the world to him when they were little.

"People change. You have to accept that fact."

"People change when they are forced to. So what made you this empty shell who pushes his friends away?"

He wanted to get up and leave. It was too much for him to handle. But he knew Misaki wouldn't give up. Just like Miwa, she would work her way out. He just sat there silently instead.

She sank down on the bench next to him. She felt so frustrated at him. She didn't know what to do to make him see she wants to help him.

"I know that you are still the same guy deep down. You wouldn't keep going back to the playground if you didn't think it meant anything to you."

"You don't know anything about me." He said quietly.

"Why do you always want to lie about how you feel? You are lonely, yet you push away the people who care about you."

She looked at him and without realizing, tears started to flow down her cheeks. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing could come out. All he wanted to do was to hug her and apologize for hurting her.

Feeling extremely disappointed in him, Misaki got up and wanted to leave. He grabbed her wrist, to both of their surprise. He pulled her back down onto the bench.

"I'm sorry. I know I've hurt you. I just don't think I deserve any friends. People I cared about always tend to leave me."

He was shocked at his own honesty. He had been putting up a wall and she managed to tear it up just by crying. He shook his head and just didn't know what was going to happen now.

"How could you say that? That is completely not true."

Kai shook his head again. He knows this for a fact. Everyone he cared for has left him.

"It's the truth. Remember when you asked me about Ren?"

She nodded slowly.

"Well, He was one of my best friends. But I lost him. I can't do anything to get him back. First it was my parents, and then it was Ren. I can't do anything to get them back."

She was speechless. He was in so much pain. He didn't even understand how come all these information which he was trying to protect so hard was flowing out of him just like water. Probably it is because he couldn't bear to see her hurting inside.

"But we could help you. We could try to get Ren back." She said.

"It doesn't matter. I have learned to live without him."

"But you are unhappy."

"It doesn't matter."

She felt sad that he seems to have given up any hope of happiness. So this whole time, one guy screwed it up for him so bad that he wouldn't even bother trying to be happy anymore.

"Don't you want to feel happy? To be the same cheerful guy you once were?"

"I am never going to be that same guy again. But there is so far only one thing that keeps me sane."

"What is it?"

He gulped and mustered every ounce of courage in his body. His heart was pounding hard in his chest and he felt as if he was going to pass out. He sighed before deciding to speak.

"It was… You. It has always been you."