We're sitting by the stream in the park,
splashing and laughing. We still haven't talked, really talked,
about her.
Or me.
Us.
All that was said as we walked to the stream was,
"I missed you," from Kanade, and
"Yeah, it's been a long time, hasn't it?" from me.
Then we talked about the weather,
how beautiful it was today.
One serious question was muttered, but it was from me.
We passed two kids playing baseball. I asked Kanade,
"Do you remember Hinata?"
Kanade looked at the ground, her face solemn.
I let my question hang, unanswered, but I could tell by her face
what the answer was.
Yes. She remembered.
Finally,
I am not the only one.
I splash Kanade, getting water all over her dress and hair.
She pulls out her ponytail and shakes her head like a dog.
But, she... she laughs, too.
I don't remember her laughing. She always was so serious back..
back there.
In the "real world" she was more laid back,
more happy.
I like that.
Kanade's laugh is pretty and cute, almost as if she's still a child.
She pulls her feet out of the water and rings out her dress.
She smiles at me as she says,
"C'mon. I want to show you something!"
I feel like this world is completely opposite of the high school.
Kanade is so outgoing, and I feel so shy compared to her.
Besides that, it's so different without everyone else.
Hinata,
Yuri,
TK,
Yui,
Shiina,
Noda,
Naoi.
I still feel as though they were friends who I'd known for all my life.
I did partially, through all of my afterlife.
But they aren't here.
Kanade leads me through the streets by the elbow.
With our arms linked, I feel as though we hadn't
stopped knowing eachother.
As though we hadn't stopped loving eachother either.
But there's still one problem-
She never said "I love you" back.
Why?