I don't own anything.
This is a special chapter about Suzuna and Hinata's story.
Sweet as Candy: Lemon Candy
Faint lemon scent and glittering yellow color, the lemon candy was held up in front of Suzuna's eyes with her own slender fingers. She then closed one of her eyes and focused one of her eyes on the candy. She tilted her body backwards and brought her lemon candy right above her open eye. By adjusting her position a little bit and pushing the swing a little bit backwards, the lemon candy was directly covering the sun up.
"Why aren't you eating the candy?" Hinata who was eating a popsicle while sitting at the swing beside Suzuna asked.
"I'm emotionally attached to lemon candy." Suzuna continued to put her candy under the sunlight. "I'll eat it soon, I just want to stare at it a little bit longer."
"What types of memories caused you to be emotionally attached to it?" Hinata asked.
"Hmmm..." After staring at her candy for a little big longer, Suzuna popped it into her mouth. "I'm not sure if I want to let you know..."
The sour taste slowly spread across Suzuna's tongue, and memories started to reveal it's own color at the back of Suzuna's mind. Back to the time when she was still 13 and Hinata was 15.
9 years ago...
"Misaki~" A loud voice entered through the windows of the Ayuzawa resident. It was Hinata Yoh, dressed properly in his uniform and a plastic bag of toast crust.
"How old are you?!" Angrily, Misaki walked out of the house with her school bag in her hand. "You're going to disturb the neighbors."
"Ehehehehe..." Hinata scratched his head.
"Sis, you forgot your lunch." After Misaki, Suzuna came out the house with two small bags and her school bag in her hands.
"Morning, Suzuna!" With his usual cheerful tone, Hinata greeted Suzuna.
"Morning." Emotionless as usual, Suzuna replied Hinata.
"Thank you." Misaki took her lunchbox bag from her sister. "Let's go to school."
"Nee~ Misaki, did you finish your homework?" Hinata asked as they were approaching school.
"Of course." Misaki answered.
"Please let me..." Before Hinata was going to finish his sentence, Misaki said another phrase.
"You may not copy." Coldly, Misaki rejected Hinata's plead. She walked faster and left Hinata and Suzuna at the back.
"You're so mean!" Hinata chased after Misaki with little running steps.
"I'm left alone again..." Silently, Suzuna said to herself.
The usual route, the usual conversation, and the usual people. As usual, Hinata would shout in front of the Ayuzawa resident. As usual, Misaki will come out angry and Suzuna would be at the back of Misaki. As usual, Hinata would beg to copy Misaki's homework. As usual, Hinata's eyes followed Misaki. As usual, Suzuna's eyes followed Hinata.
"Oh yeah! Suzuna, have a nice day." Before fully catching up to Misaki, Hinata turned around waved at Suzuna.
"..." Suzuna just silently nodded. Since it was from quite a far distance, Hinata never noticed the faint tint of red that lighted up Suzuna's cheeks.
Deep down inside Suzuna, she knew Hinata was deeply in one sided love towards her sister. However, she just can't seem to get her eyes off Hinata. Maybe it was because of his naive personality that would always take her back to the times when they were still young. Maybe it was because of his cheerful tone when he greets her every morning. Maybe it was because of his clear eyes that showed pure honesty. For whatever reason, there was something that constantly attracted Suzuna to Hinata. For Suzuna, she didn't mind if this type of emotions linger within her for eternity. She doesn't really mind if Hinata's eyes constantly follows Misaki either. What Suzuna wanted was to stay beside of Hinata, and that's it. In order to stay by his side, Suzuna hid all her emotions. She was scared that her feelings would scare Hinata away and eventually break the relationship between her, Hinata, and Misaki. Even when Hinata comes to Suzuna to consult about his romantic issues, Suzuna just simply smiles and answer his questions honestly.
However, fate wasn't in favor of Suzuna.
"I have something to tell you two." This was the phrase that replaced the usual greetings in the morning from Hinata. "I have to attend high school back in my father's hometown."
"What? Why?" Misaki asked as she frowned.
"My father lost his job, so my family won't be able to live in this city anymore." A depressed and blue toned explanation replaced the usual laughter from Hinata. "I'll be moving away in 2 weeks."
The only thing that remained the same was Suzuna's emotionless expression. Her face was blank, as if there was nothing going through her mind, nothing. Finally, when she forcefully dragged her mind into reality she said a phrase.
"Good luck there."
...
Time passed really fast. Before anyone realized, two weeks have passed. Right before Hinata's family was going to drive off to the countryside, they stopped by before the Ayuzawa resident. They decided to say their farewells right before the leave, since the Ayuzawa family was in really close relationship with them.
"Misaki!" Hinata gathered all his courage. "I always liked you!"
"Eh?!" Dense Misaki gasped.
"You don't have to like me back, I just wanted to tell you my feelings." Hinata's eyes were looking straight into Misaki's eyes.
"I'm..." Misaki took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but to me you are only a little brother."
"It's ok! Thank you for rejecting me flat out." With a forced smile, Hinata cheerfully replied.
"Ugh!" Suzuna let out a very small moan, she felt a sting inside her heart.
"Oh yeah! Suzuna!" Before Hinata was going to get into the car he walked towards Suzuna. "Here is my farewell gift for you. Thank you for always taking care of me."
"You're welcome." Emotionless Suzuna received the gift, it was a small piece of lemon flavored candy.
"Then, I guess it's until we meet again." Hinata smiled and said.
Finally, he walked away. Before he got into the car he did a 90 degrees bow to the Ayuzawa family, to represent his gratitude, and went into the car. It didn't take long for the car to drive away, and disappear into the horizon line. Mrs. Ayuzawa and Misaki went back into the house, but Suzuna was still standing outside. Even though the car was already long gone. As Suzuna watched the car drive away, she could feel her tears sliding down her cheeks. The bitter and salty tears accidently entered her mouth. Though Suzuna was about to die internally, but she couldn't bail out loud.
"It's so sour..." Suzuna pushed the lemon candy into her mouth. "It's so sour, that I'm crying."
Suzuna looked up into the sky. The glaring sky was attacking her eyes with it's sun rays. As Suzuna squinted her eyes more tears flooded out her eyes. She held her hands before her eyes, trying to block some sunlight away from her eyes.
"I can't see the sun anymore..." While enduring her tears, Suzuna whispered to herself. For that moment, she wished that she was the only who understood the dual meaning of her own phrase. Since, Suzuna wanted to keep these emotions to herself.
*Hinata's full name is Shintani Hinata and 'Shintani' has the meaning of facing the sun.*
Back to Present
"The lemon candy eventually turns sweet after sometime." Happily, Suzuna rolled the lemon candy that has just transferred from sour to sweet in her mouth.
"What are you talking about?" Hinata was extremely confused with what his girlfriend was saying.
"and the sun is right next to me." Sweetly, Suzuna smiled.
"What?" By tilting his head, Hinata was gesturing that he didn't really understand Suzuna's meaning.
"By the way... " Suzuna thought for a while. "When did you start liking me?"
"I... am not that sure." Rapidly, a bright red color dyed Hinata's face.
"You know the answer, don't you?" Suzuna read Hinata's emotions right away.
"I meant... I realized my feelings for Misaki wasn't love... it was more of respect and and and..." For some reasons, Hinata started to stammer.
"What?" With an evil smirk, Suzuna continued to ask.
"When Misaki rejected me, it wasn't that painful." Hinata looked down onto the floor. "But when you emotionlessly wished me luck, that was even more painful."
"Hinata, look up." Suzuna stood up and stood right in front Hinata.
"Hm...!" Hinata was surprised. Since Suzuna grabbed his face towards her face, and Suzuna kissed him. Wait, no, he was wrong. Suzuna transported the lemon candy in her mouth into Hinata's mouth.
"Karma." Suzuna released Hinata's face and did a face.
"Arrgghhh! This candy is so sour!" Hinata's face was squished into a form of a wrinkled towel.
"No worries, it will turn sweet later." Suzuna patted Hinata's head. "Just like us."
This story is actually based off my personal story. I'm Suzuna, my childhood friend is Hinata. Our relationship is extremely similar to Suzuna and Hinata. In addition, my childhood did have to transfer school due to the same reason, he was head over heels for this girl, and he did consult me for this love issues. Recently, my childhood friend realized that his feelings towards me weren't friendship related feelings, but was actually affection. He claimed that we should get together, but I chose not to. Because,I am not Suzuna and he is not Hinata. Right now, we are not the same as we were anymore and I don't like to hold onto memories. In order to conclude this little puppy love, I decided to write it into a story. Since we can't be together in reality, then I might as well let this happen within fiction. I apologize for being such a selfish author and decided to let my readers read this story, but thank you for your time for reading this story.