Please enjoy my fanfic and review.
Apr 14, 2047 Earth
"Hey! Stop daydreaming and get back to work!"
Noboru's thoughts were violently pulled back into reality by the rough voice. He realized that he had dropped his broom and was staring at the cloudy sky. He mumbled an apology to his father and continued sweeping the store floor. Noboru's mother stopped working on the display in front of her and walked over to him.
"Noboru-kun! Who's the girl? A mother's intuition is never wrong. Is it that girl that is always coming around here? What is her name…?"
"Mikako…" Noboru whispered involuntarily.
"No, I think it's Rei, Rachel… Oh, you know… the one with the short black hair and big brown eyes."
"… Mother, that describes half of the girls in town."
Noboru's mother wrinkled her forehead in thought and called to the back, "Honey! What is the name of the Ayanami's daughter?"
"Dear, the Ayanami's don't have a daughter, you mean the Sohryu's and her name is Rian" Noboru's father said.
"Rian… Ryan…" Noboru's mother frowned and repeated the name like she was tasting it, "well, anyway… does my little boy have a little girlfriend?" Noboru's mother teased.
"No. Stop it mother, I don't have a girlfriend and I'm not a little boy."
Noboru yelled to the back of the store "Father! I'm done sweeping, I'm going out for a little while."
Noboru walked to the station, not to catch a bus but a memory.
Oct 24, 2046 Earth
"Where should we eat?" Mikako asked. It was the last day of high school entrance exams.
"Let's head toward the bus stop" Noboru offered. Mikako seemed different all day, nervous, sad; Noboru thought that her nerves were fried from the exams, but she was so smart…
"We'd better hurry" Noboru said as they heard thunder in the distance.
By the time they reached a dry booth, the rain had started to fall heavily.
"So, are you going to continue Kendo class in high school?" Noboru asked between bites.
"I don't know. Are you, Noboru-kun?" Mikako asked, apprehensive.
"Yeah, I'm gonna. You should continue too, because you're strong."
"So you say, but you just want to be in the same class as me" Mikako stated with a doubtful look.
Noboru almost bit through his wooden chopsticks, "What are you saying?" He sputtered.
He wondered if he was so obvious.
"Yea, picking on the poor defenseless little girl, wait till I tell everyone. Big man." Mikako giggled.
"Defenseless? I distinctly remember you hitting me full in the back of the head when we were supposed to be practicing swings."
"I told you… the wooden sword got away! It was an accident." Mikako pouted.
"It happened three times, in one day!" Noboru said.
Mikako watched the world pass as she rode on the back of Noboru's bicycle, after the rain stopped. The sun was setting, causing the clear sky to flare bright red and yellow. Suddenly, a loud roar overhead made Mikako look up.
"Noboru-kun, look!" Mikako called to Noboru.
They watched as an organized group of U.N. ships flew into the sunset.
"It's beautiful…" Mikako said.
"You're beautiful" Noboru whispered to himself.
Noboru felt Mikako's hand clench on his shoulder.
"Oh God! Did she hear me?" Noboru's heart stopped in humiliation and relief.
"Noboru-kun… I…" Mikako's voice was soft with nervousness. "…I am going to be onboard that. I've been asked to join the U.N. Army. I'm leaving for Mars, in four months."
Apr 14, 2047 Earth
"Noboru Senpai!" Noboru shook his head to clear it, he looked back to see Rian Sohryu breathlessly running uphill to catch up with him.
"Senpai, didn't you hear me calling?" Rian reached Noboru and put her hands on her knees, her labored breath steaming in the cold air.
Noboru patted the top of Rian's head, "Did you follow me all the way from the shop?"
"Yea! You're mom… said that you went… this way. She was look… ing at me all funny… Where are you going?" Rian finally caught her breath.
"To the bus station and no you can't come."
"Hmmph! As if…" Rian stomped ahead a few steps, then looked back, "Well aren't you coming?"
Noboru rolled his eyes and continued walking.
Rian grinned.
"No."
"No what?" Rian blinked innocently.
"No, you can't hold my hand" Noboru stated with a blank stare.
"Hmmph! Like I would want to hold the hand of some pervert!" Rian spun around and started walking again.
"Senpai? Can I ask you something?" Rian bit off another dumpling from her stick.
"What?" Noboru wondered why she was still here, he bought her the dumplings so she would shut up and go away. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts.
"Noboru Senpai, do you have a girlfriend?" She reddened and bit down her stick.
"…That's a stupid question." Noboru wondered why everyone was so interested in his love life.
"Yeah. Um, my friend… she wanted me to ask… you." Rian suddenly found the lint on her skirt very interesting and started to pick at it.
Noboru glanced at his cell phone impatiently, "Are you done? With your food, it's getting dark; I'll walk home with you." Noboru got up and threw his plate in the trash.
"Oh! Yes, yes I am. Thank you."
Apr 15, 2047 Earth
The bell rang announcing the end of another busy school day. Relieved students poured out of their classrooms, joking, flirting, some silent, some rowdy, all leaving behind ripples of their past and moving towards the unknown future. Noboru went to his locker and found the note.
Dear Noboru
I've been admiring you from afar and close.
The first time we met, it was like a dream.
Since then, I've survived on the chance one day, you could love me back.
Please meet me in the auditorium at 5 p.m.
Your secret crush
"Doesn't that girl ever give up?" Noboru mumbled.
It was obvious to him that it was Rian, her curvy, gentle handwriting was unmistakable and the faint scent of perfume was on the pink paper.
He wondered if he tried harder, like writing love notes, would she still have left?
He wondered…