Chapter Eight
The first step in moving on is to stop reminiscing.
"Well, that's about my story. Sad and painful. Heartbreaking, actually." Kenya sighs and looks at her. "So… what's yours?"
Yume chuckles. "Far worse than yours."
The playground is empty of playing children as the sun begins to set. Beside a big red slide at the center is a rusty swing they occupy. Quietly laughing and crying and bragging their own narratives, they eat ice cream popsicles.
"We'll know that after your story. Don't get too cocky now!" Kenya says.
"I'm not," Yume replies. "Anyway, mine goes like this..." She clears her throat. "When I was still living in England, I had a friend during elementary school. And then, my friend and I met this dude. We all then became friends. We became really close. But then, this dude and my 'original' friend-"
"What's that?!" He chortles. "Original?!"
"Don't laugh! Let me finish first."
His laugh eventually dies down. "Sorry, my bad. Please continue."
"And then they left."
He bursts out laughing. "That doesn't even sound miserable!"
"It's because I'm not yet done! And why are you laughing as if you weren't on the brink of tears just a few minutes ago?!"
Yume continues, "I was really hoping to see them. That's why I came all the way here." She sighs. "But when I came to see them, this 'dude' apparently doesn't know me anymore." She licks at her vanilla-flavored ice cream.
"Oh." He coughs and straightens up. "That's actually... kind of sad."
"Well... I guess friends just do come and go." She faintly chuckles. "And it was their time to go." She sighs. "They were my best friends," emphasizing 'were.'
"You'll still meet more people. And most likely have more friends." He pats her shoulder. "Don't mind."
She smiles and glances at him. "I can say that to you, too. You can see someone else you'll have a crush on."
Kenya groans. "But she's very special."
"Everyone is. In their own way. Don't be so self-centered."
"I wanna forget everything 'bout her!" He groans. "Any ideas?"
"Look for someone else. Divert yourself into something better than sulking." She lifts her shoulders. "I don't know. Just anything other than thinking about your 'special' girl." Yume glances at him. "You have tennis, right? And National Tournament is coming near. Why don't you pour all you got there?"
"You know..." He stares at the orange sky. "I think that might just work." Kenya nods. "That might work! I can actually move on." He laughs.
"That's the spirit."
The laugh dies down. "But still... I never knew it's this much of a pain from heartbreak." He chuckles triflingly. "I thought heartbreak is only for the people full of drama. Guess I was wrong."
She looks at his gloomy expression. She raises her right hand and straightens her back. "I'm going to promise myself not to talk about this heartbreak again nor any of these painful memories about my former friend."
"What are you doing?"
"Making a promise to myself."
He laughs while he watches her. "Should I do that, too? That's too cheesy."
Yume puts her hand down and glares at him. "You do it, too."
"Promise to forget about her? But what if she-"
"She doesn't like you." She clicks her tongue thrice. "Haven't you learned anything yet? And you even said so yourself. You want to know how to forget about her, right?"
"Is this for real?" Kenya grunts. "Fine, then." He raises a hand. "I vow to forget about my feelings for her."
"Because she doesn't like me," she adds.
He glares at her. "Hey-!"
"Say it. Say it or else you'll break the vow."
He sighs and repeats himself. "I vow to forget about my feelings for her... because she…" Deep breath. "… doesn't like me." Kenya drops his hand.
Yume finishes up her ice cream and wipes the sides of her mouth. She grins. "Where do we go next?"
"Uhmm... home." Kenya points to the image of the setting sun in the sky. "It's getting dark already."
"Aww..." She pouts. "The fun's just getting started, though."
"So wild this guy," he comments. Kenya raises a brow. "But I thought you still have exams tomorrow?"
She sticks her tongue out. "Disgusting." She grunts and scratches the back of her head. "Gee, thanks for reminding me, Oshitari-san. Now, the nightmare's coming back."
He laughs. "Well... how much of a good feeling is it to transfer in a weirdly odd time of the semester?"
"So good that it starts to kill me."
"You know, Kazuyoshi-"
"Hm? What is it?"
Kenya looks at her and shakes his head. "Nothing. It's just that…" He again shakes his head and chuckles. "Actually, nevermind. It's really nothing."
"You, odd guy."
'... Nothing compares to a quiet evening alone. Just one-two of us, who's counting on...'
A few minutes left before ten, Yume arrives at her house. As usual, she walks home while walking to a tune from the earphones plugged into one of her ears. Just after opening the gate, she senses someone approaching.
"Senpai!"
Yume turns around to see Zaizen jogging towards her. "Zaizen-san?"
He arrives. "Good thing you remembered our rule."
"I know." She pauses, inspecting the young lad. "So… what's the fuss about? Do you want to talk about something?"
"You free on Saturday? I want to watch a movie," says Zaizen in a flat tone.
"Huh?" Yume raises a brow, confused. "Zaizen-san, could it be…? Are you inviting me out?"
"Okaa-san insisted that I take you with me to the movies." His poker face sustains its lack of expression.
"Well..." She looks up and smiles at the thought of watching the latest blockbuster movies. "… I don't really have any special plans this coming weekend. Perhaps I could-"
"Tch." He clicks his tongue and gives her a glare. His brows furrow and his hard stare just pierces her.
"EEEKK!" Yume almost jumped in horror when her eyes met his furious. She gulps while her hands slightly shake.
"You're supposed to say that you're busy," Zaizen mutters.
"Eh?" She looks at his face, confused. "But, I'm not really b-"
"I watch movies alone. Bringing someone like you is a bother."
She raises a brow. "Then, why go all through the trouble of asking me?"
"I told you. It's Okaa-san." He scratches the back of his head. "She's really bothering me to do this. What a pain in the-"
"Then, why don't you just tell her a lie?"
"I'm an honest son. And besides..." Zaizen points to the window of their house. "Okaa-san is just right there, watching us as of this moment."
"What you're already doing is pretending. In essence, you're being dishonest and manipulative," Yume mutters before taking a step away from her neighbor to glance at the house across hers. At the farthest window to the right, a shadow hides behind a blue silk curtain. Yume looks at Zaizen while pointing a finger to its direction. "There?"
Zaizen nods. "Sometimes I feel embarrassed by the way Okaa-san acts."
""Your mom's quite a sneaky one, isn't she?" She looks at Zaizen. "Should I wave at her? Just to let her know that I can see her from here."
He grunts. "No, you don't have to. It's best if you actually don't. The only thing I'm asking you to do is to say no."
"Okay, fine." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "No."
Zaizen clears his throat. He says in a louder-than-usual voice, "That's too bad, Senpai. I'd really like to watch a movie with you this Saturday. But I guess, you have a lot of matters to attend to. Maybe next time?"
"Sure." She chuckles unsurely. "Next time, definitely."
He gives her a murderous glare once again as if she has made a wrong move. Zaizen subtly shakes his head.
"W-What is it?" she whispers.
"Don't say 'sure.' Say 'I'll try.'"
Yume gives him a confused look. "Eh? But why?"
"People who usually say 'I'll try' are definitely those who would not try at all. They always end up saying it over and over again but they actually never do anything. Don't you even know that, Senpai?"
"You... really intend to watch movies alone, huh?" she mumbles. Yume takes a breath. "I'll try, Zaizen-san."
"Very good," he smirks. "Please do, Senpai," Zaizen says in a moderately loud voice. "Well, then... I'll be going." He then leaves her without another word in a confused state.
She frowns. "'Very good'? What am I? Some kind of dog?" Yume enters through the gate and sees that inside her house, lights are already lit.
Panic rushes through her veins and she dashes inside the house by impulse through the unlocked door. "Who is there?" she shouts. Then, pauses. A soothing aroma enters her nose. Her stomach grumbles.
A man with black hair and dead-fish eyes comes from the kitchen. "Oh, you're here," he says flatly. He glances at the watch on his wrist. "Do you have any idea how late it is already? It's about ten p.m."
She sighs in relief while a hand holds her chest. "I thought it was an intruder," she utters to herself. Then, she looks at the man. "Zaki, what time did you arrive?"
"I arrived by the time you were supposed to be home." Zaki crosses his arms. "Where were you the whole time? Why didn't you come home straight from school? Is this what you do now that no one's looking after you?"
"I was hanging out with a friend. Nothing else." Yume pouts. "I'm sorry, Zaki."
Yamazaki Shigeru, or Zaki in short, is a dear servant of the Kurumizawa clan. He has taken care of Yume ever since she was an elementary student. Having started service when he was still thirteen, Zaki is a trusted housekeeper and, moreover, a precious friend for the hopelessly careless lady.
Zaki sighs. "Go to your room and take a bath. I'm almost finished making dinner." He points down at her shoes. "And remove those, too."
Her eyes sparkle and her face brightens up. "You cooked dinner? Really?! I'm happy!"
"You don't cook food here, do you?"
She chuckles nervously in response, scratching the back of her head. "How did you know? she asks dumbfounded."
He walks to her and hits her head. "You, idiot. Do you actually think I wouldn't know?" Zaki's fists are pressed against his hips. "The kitchen feels dry. That's how I knew. Your refrigerator's oddly full. Plus, your trash is full of instant, packaged meals."
Yume pouts. "I'm really sorry, Zaki." Then, she smiles sheepishly. "But it's fine since I don't go hungry anyway."
"Idiot. Anything instant is not healthy." He sighs. "You should eat properly, Yume-chan. Madam is very worried, thinking about you. So from now on, you should take a better care of yourself."
"Sir, yes, sir!" She puts a hand near her forehead as a salute.
"Anyway..." He turns around to head back to the kitchen. "Back to business."
"Zaki!" Yume calls him.
He stops and glances at her. "What is it, Yume-chan?"
Yume beams a smile. "Nothing. I'm just glad you came here."
Zaki smiles. "Don't be, you idiot. This will be the start of you having curfews."
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The short hand stands near the big '12.' Only a few minutes and it will be lunch time. Inside the faculty room, teachers free from teaching duty are still focused with their heavy deadlines. Even the principal, himself, is occupied on his laptop while occasionally glancing at the student sitting in an armed chair only few meters away from him.
Yume has just finished her exams for the morning. She softly hums a tune from the last commercial she had watched before leaving for school. In her right hand is a pen she is twirling while staring at the ceiling.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. KRRRIING!
At the sound of the ringing bell, the principal takes his fingers off the laptop and stretches his arm. He yawns and stands from his desk, heading to Yume. She hands him her paper and collects her bag from the floor.
The principal gives her a gentle smile. "How was it?"
"It's fine, I think," she replies with a shy smile.
The principal chuckles. "Is that so? Anyway, eat your lunch. And don't forget to come back here five minutes before one, 'kay?"
"Yes. I understood." Yume bows before exiting the room.
The hallway is scattered with students laughing and goofing off. Noise reverberates in the hallway that somehow deafens the hearing of someone who does not want to hear.
"Kazuyoshi!"
Yume is heading to the class room for her lunch while avoiding to bump with other roaming students.
"Kazuyoshi!"
Suddenly, she feels a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, "Oh? Oshitari-san! Are you feeling better now?"
Kenya beams a smile. "I feel good! Ah! Actually, Kazuyoshi… I'm eating lunch at the rooftop. Do you want to come? Shihan is also coming with us."
"Is it alright? Who else is coming?"
"There's Shiraishi, Koishikawa, Ishida and Yuuji... basically, just some of the tennis regulars." His eyes are full of excitement. "You're going to come, right?"
Yume nods. "Sure, sure."
~ End Chapter ~
A/N: Zaki is inspired from Gintama's Yamazaki Sagaru. Only with the name, though. I'm not really quite done with the construction of his personality, but I hope that I'll be able to finish it eventually. I really haven't updated much on the chapters of this story with all the academic works I'm faced with. Anyway... I reeeaaaalllyyy wish you enjoyed this story. Please leave a review and some love for this poor girl who can't pursue the man of her dreams with all the heavy workload she has to do. See ya next week~
