"Guide me through the sweet light"
.
.
.
.
While Kotoko watched the starry night in incandescent stars that clinked form the thousands of kilometers that took her away; of course, she was delighted in the wonders that nature offered her for free, being her faithful companions on the journey she had taken since her birth.
The stars hugged her warmly, laking pale bribes that society conjectured about her person, creating rumors about her that were not true.
Always mocking her. Not only Naoki, but everyone, except her father.
Always underestimating her abilities towards her person and the guideline she wanted to undertake in her life, and as if that weren't enough, she didn't end up achieving it due to her lack of initiative because of a scarce crush on a life without precious desires to grow independently.
The stars lit her retinas, as if thought them she found the answers to all her questions.
The fierce galaxies led her way, at least she wanted to believe for now; fortunately, she felt that the emptiness that was broken in her chest stopped growing as she used to do in the past.
The senses woke up, beginning to react to various stimuli by the incandescences of the universe planted in an eternal night. A night that would be recorded in her brain, just in case she got lost in the road.
There she was, even when the night threatened to be cold, causing a slight chill in her, since she didn't wear a jacket with her to keep her warm; However, every wind echo, every second she spent sitting on that bench, alone, was smiling.
Her classic smile wasn't erased from her childish face.
And sometimes she swore that the sky gave her the same smile that she herself gave them in wide gratitude for always accompanying her at every moment and in every inspiration she exercised when she woke up every morning and when she fell asleep at night.
The stars revolved around the demands imposed by the sun, where the heat that her chest produced when that happiness felt her present in her being came.
And when she decided to release that heavy load she carried with the name of "Irie Naoki", her chest was lightened from all the torment that imprisoned her and prevented her from advancing like other people who didn't stop because of the other's laments.
That is why, her smile emerged from her lips with benevolence.
There were no more reasons to look at the past with resentment ...
It had been two months since she set out to forget Naoki, and she met her friends Hanako and Keita in the "Akemi" cafeteria.
Since then, Kotoko enrolled at a local gym near the university; also, she continued in the same degree of literature and began to take the grades seriously so her grades went up and she realized that she was not really the fool that everyone said she was, but that she was worth much more than she thought.
As for Naoki, he canceled his union with Sahoko to try to gain her trust again, but that was only mere excuses to fill her patience, so she was forced to take other measures for her safety and mental health; one of them was to change her shift at the university, putting her morning classes in the afternoon.
At first it worked, but he quickly catch up to her and she had to go back to the previous schedule, attending morning classes.
She never believed that the day would come where she would hate to see Naoki almost every day in the medical faculty, where she necessarily had to go there to get to her faculty building. How angry it was to see him in the morning with his white coat and his typical frown and air of indifference surrounding him.
She never thought she would react to him that way.
A day like any other in November, Kotoko arrived at the cafeteria at eight o'clock because she stayed in the library to study for her last exams of the semester
"I'm back" She announced at the entrance, letting out a yawn.
"Welcome" Keita congratulated her, accompanied by a small smile.
Kotoko used to like to receive Keita's greetings, especially when he was the first to do so.
For those extremes, it was normal to be the first thing her eyes were looking for when she arrived at the cafeteria in the afternoon, or in this case, at night.
"How was school?" He asked, bringing him a cup of hot chamomile tea with a spoonful of honey.
"Well, thanks." She stirred the liquid contents of the cup with the spoon, plunging her eyes into the circle of liquid. "And you?"
"A lot of homework." He complained a little. "But everything perfect" he said pleased. "Kotoko, are you hungry?" He asked after a brief silence when Kotoko took a big sip of tea.
She nodded.
"Very hungry!"
"Good." A smile appeared on Keita's lips, gleaming. "I'll bring you something from the kitchen."
"Ah! Kotoko welcome" Hanako greeted her, looking busy.
Kotoko, seeing her, nodded gladly.
"Hanako"
"We've had a lot of work today." Hanako let out a yawn, resting her forearms on the bar. Hanako wore a light blue retro dress with a yellow rubber belt, and elongated olive green stockings, accompanied by black ankle boots.
"It's almost closing time," Kotoko commented, stretching her legs in the seat.
"Fortunately!" Hanako sang in relief. " The customers haven't stopped raining wherever I see." She opened her eyes in a wide range.
Kotoko gave a mischievous giggle covering her mouth with her hand so she wouldn't look so obvious.
"But good" Hanako sighed in a grimace of tiredness. "How are the classes going? For what you told me, you are already in the final exams"
"Yes." Kotoko smiled motivated. "If everything goes well, my average will have increased considerably during this period"
"I like that" She approved. "It means you've learned to put your priorities first, instead of prioritizing the unmentionable."
(When they said "unmentionable" they meant Naoki)
"Kotoko" Keita came from the kitchen with a plate of food just for her, which, she was pleased to feel taken into account by the student nurse. "Here you have a lentil soup with chopped vegetables, and a ham sandwich with gruyere cheese."
She looked wonderfully at what her dinner would be.
"Thank you Keita!" Kotoko thanked, smiling at him.
He nodded, averting his eyes, since his cheeks blushed slightly as he received those sudden smiles that caught him off guard.
"Yes, it was nothing" He muttered, taking a seat next to him. "Eat everything you want"
"Hm" By that time, she already had the sandwich mouth full.
"I'm glad you're better than before," Keita said, relieved. "I personally never thought that my help would be of great benefit to a person, but now I see it as something possible," He said gratefully. "And you've done everything alone, I haven't even intervened since then."
Kotoko looked at him sideways, listening carefully to his words, indicating that he could continue.
"I am very impressed by what a person full of will can achieve." He sighed, letting his head turn to the ceiling, then remain in the same position. "I mean, you know you have my unconditional support, from that meeting we had, until after today."
Kotoko, moved, passed the food and faced him, saying:
"Thank you, Keita." She smiled confidently. "You have my equal support"
"It's nice to know" He said, watching her closely.
"I like it too" She replied. "Knowing what I could do in two months"
"You deserve it" He admitted comfortingly. "You deserve all happiness after having gone through painful moments because of a nobody"
Seeing that Kotoko made a face of disgust upon hearing that comment, he corrected: "But, you mustn't listen to me, you better pay attention to your own intuition that has been your guide during these two months "
"Yes" She chanted, changing her disgusted countenance to a relaxed one.
"Well" He rose from his chair. "I'll go clean the tables in the back" He warned, as if he didn't want to leave her eating alone, but as an employee there, he had to attend the place as appropriate.
Kotoko, with no other choice, turned her full attention to the food she still had to finish.
Life for her was on the right track.
.
.
.
.
P.S. This is where the plot begins to advance for real, Kotoko's growth is radical, but essential, we will see what happens in her life from now on.