Chapter 7
Nishikata had reached the bridge over the river. He was still crying hard, knowing that it was too late to confess, even though he had just realized his feelings for Takagi. He stepped over the safety fence and sat on the edge that separated the fence and the void, leaning against that same fence. He looked down, staring at the peacefully flowing water, then bent down. The height of the bridge wasn't great, about five meters from ground level, and the water might cushion a fall, but it could be deadly if he landed on his neck or any other fragile area.
''Why ? Why is she suddenly talking to Hamagushi ?'' said Nishikata aloud, not understanding how the girl with whom he was spending most of his time became more than friends with one of his best friends, despite the fact that it was the first time he saw them talking togerther. ''Was she playing with me ?''
''You're wrong.''
Nishikata gasped, causing him to lose balance. The weight of his body pulled him down, and he began to fall straight towards the water below him. He was surprisingly calm as he was falling, he wasn't screaming, he wasn't He wasn't panicking, he was just looking at the ground and the water, which were getting closer and closer.
''Looks like I'm going to get wet.'' he thought ironically as he closed his eyes.
Then, suddenly, he the time stopped. An image appeared in front of his eyes. It was him, about 6 years old, playing with a ball in a park with some unknow people. He saw himself innocently throwing the ball in the air, trying to throw it as high as possible. The ball was flying up and down, as the strangers were watching Nishikata with admiration. Then he clumsily throwed it a little too hard, so hard that the ball flew out of the park. He and the other kids ran towards where the ball had landed and discovered a girl, who was about the same age as them, with brown hair, big eyes and a hat on her head, their ball in her hands.
''Is this yours ?'' she asked, handing the ball to Nishikata with a smile on her face.
''Th-thank you...'' he replied, taking the ball, a blush on his cheeks.
The girl laughed at the reaction of the boy facing her. She stared at him for a few moments, analyzing him from top to bottom, then said cheerfully:
''By the way, my name is Rie !''
''I'm Yu-Yuki...'' Nishikata replied, blushing a little more, his fingers trembling.
''Well, nice to meet you !'' the girl concluded as she walked off towards her mother who was waiting for her a little further away.
Nishikata watched her walk away with small steps.
''Rie...'' he whispered, before turning and leaving to play with his new friends.
Suddenly, the image in front of his eyes changed completely. He saw himself again, this time aged about 10, in a movie theater.
The movie showing that day was "100% Unrequited Love," his favorite anime.
He saw to his right that two people were approaching. A mother and her daughter.
''Can we sit here ?'' asked the mother, who hadn't found any better seats.
''O-Of course.'' he replied politely, even though it embarrassed him to have someone next to him.
He heard the mother whispering something to her daughter, who was smiling.
''That boy looks about the same age as you, you could get to know him by the time the movie starts ?'' she said, pointing at him discreetly.
Nishikata was blushing, not knowing what to do in this situation, since he was embarrassed that a girl the same age as him was going to sit next to him.
''Hello !'' said the little girl with a cute voice, even though Nishikata was trying to avoid her gaze.
Nishikata turned around, red-faced. The girl laughed when she saw his face, surprised that he was reacting like this.
''H-Hello...'' he replied, looking away.
The little girl smiled, then turned to her mother and went to tell her something.
''What is it, Rie ?'' Nishikata heard her mother say, wondering why her daughter looked so happy.
''This boy is kinda cute when he blushes !'' she said loud enough for Nishikata to hear it.
Then once again the image in front of his eyes changed. He saw himself on his first day of secundary school, entering his class late, because of a certain "Takagi". Then he saw himself in his room with Takagi, unintentionally touching her hand while reaching for his eraser. Then he was having a ricochet contest with her. Then he saw himself getting a friendly chocolate on Valentine's Day. Then staring at the stars at a school trip. Then, finally, holding hands while going down the stairs of the temple, at the summer festival. And, suddenly, the image disappeared, and he saw some water below him.
''Did I just see my life flash before my eyes ? Does that mean I'm going to die ?'' he wondered, as time seemed to have started to flow normally again.
Then he noticed a piece of rock sticking out of the river, and he understood the he was heading straight for it.
''Oh, I see.'' he thought calmly, accepting his fate.
Suddenly he felt something on his back, as he was falling, then he felt a pressure in his back, as if he was being pushed. It deflected his trajectory enough for him to land completely in the shallow water. He felt his ears and nostrils fill with water as he hit the water, having forgotten to hold his breath. Surprisingly, he did not want to come to the surface. He felt a sense of calm and tranquillity in the water. His problems seemed to have disappeared. Then, after a few seconds, he felt two arms grabbing him by the armpits and pulling him out of the water. When he felt the air return, he began to cough heavily, having almost drowned in barely a meter of water.
''Nishikata !'' he heard the person holding him cry behind him.
He turned around, and saw Takagi crying in front of him, still holding him tightly with her arms. Then, all of a sudden, he felt her pull him towards her, hugging him with all her might.
''T-Takagi-san ?'' he asked, blushing, barely recovering from his emotions.
''I was so scared !'' she replied still in tears, hugging him even tighter. ''Why ? Why did you jump off the bridge ?!''
''I… Wasn't planning on jumping… I fell when I heard you, you scared me...'' he defended himself calmly, despite the events he had just experienced.
She separated from him to let him catch his breath properly, her eyes red from crying so much.
''Avoid hugging me like that, Hamagushi might get jealous...'' said Nishikata, who had now accepted the fact that his recent crush was dating someone else.
''BUT I'M NOT DATING HAMAGUSHI !'' shouted Takagi, exasperated. ''We're not even friends yet ! You've got it all wrong !''
''Stop acting... I heard you wanted to meet him at 7 o'clock at the sweet shop next Saturday.'' Nishikata replied, annoyed at the thought that his best friend was lying to him.
''LET ME EXPLAIN !'' she shouted again, annoyed about the fact that her friend was so stubborn. ''When I ate with her, Houjou told me that she wanted to invite Hamagushi to the music festival on Saturday night, and since she's shy, she wanted me to ask instead !''
''Houjou ? Being shy ? Can't you think of a better excuse ?'' Nishikata answered.
''For God sake, would I try so hard to convince you about it if I was dating Hamagushi ?'' Takagi said as tears were falling down her cheeks, sad that his friend no longer trusted her over a simple misunderstanding. ''I don't want such a dumb thing to end our friendship...''
Nishikata stared at Takagi, who was wiping the tears from her eyes with her hands, not wanting her crush to see her in this state. He felt an huge weight in his heart, because he was the one who made Takagi cry, and he didn't want their friendship to end either.
''Forgive me…'' he finally said before taking Takagi's hand. ''I'm sorry… I think I've lost control when I saw you with Hamagushi, but it's so hard to understand my feelings… I shouldn't have reacted like that, I'm sorry, so please stop crying, I believe you now.''
Takagi slowly stopped crying, then got closer and hugged Nishikata. She was relieved, as well as a little angry, but knowing that everything was back to normal made her happy. After a while, she heard a cough from Nishikata, who was still wet, as well as she was. She stepped back, then took out her handkerchief embroidered with "Takagi" from her pocket and unfolded it in front of Nishikata.
''You're wet, you're going to catch a cold.'' she said with a serious tone. ''Wipe your back, and don't even think about saying no.''
Nishikata agreed without any resistance, not wanting Takagi to be mad again, so he asked Takagi to turn around, took off his t-shirt, then began to wipe himself.
''Your back is pretty muscular, huh ?'' she said while glancing at Nishikata.
''T-TAKAGI-SAN !'' shouted Nishikata as he quickly put on his clothes, blushing.
''Ahahahaha ! Okay I'll stop, I promise !'' she said as she turned around again.
Nishikata began to wipe himself again. After a few seconds, Takagi lay down again, her head resting on the back of her comrade, who didn't react.
''Say, Nishikata ?'' said Takagi in order to get his classmate's attention.
''Hmm ?'' he replied.
''Have you ever seen your life flash before your eyes ?'' she asked.
''Uh… Yeah… What about you ?'' he nodded, surprised.
She looked up so she could see a bit of Nishikata's cheeks, which were red.
''Me too…'' she replied with a smile, ''And it was 10 minutes ago.''
''Eh ? You mean…'' he questioned, his back still turned to Takagi.
''Yes. During your fall.''
''Okay… and what did you see ?'' asked Nishikata out of curiosity.
Takagi smiled, a blush on her cheeks, but Nishikata, who had his back to her, couldn't see it.
''The first thing I saw was a 6 years old boy. I was giving him back a ball he had clumsily kicked at me...'' she began, which made Nishikata blush. ''Then I saw this older boy sitting in a theater, next to me, watching a movie... '100% Unrequited Love'…''
Nishikata turned this time, forgetting that he was shirtless, to look at Takagi with a puzzled expression. The latter raised her chest to sit in front of her confused friend.
''Is there something wrong ?'' she asked with an angelic smile.
''N-No, go on...'' Nishikata replied, looking embarrassed.
''Okay… But please put your clothes back on first...'' she asked with a chuckle.
''Oh, shit !'' Nishikata reacted while putting on his uniform top that had dried out a bit.
''So… Then I saw myself on our first day of secundary school, remember ? When you brought my handkerchief to the lost property, which made you late…'' Takagi continued.
Nishikata didn't know what to say.
''She… Had the same flashbacks as me ? How is that even...'' he thought as he stared intently into the eyes of the girl in front of him.
''Then I saw us in your room, when we did our homework together at your place… Then when we had the ricochet contest and you kept me from falling in the water at your expense...'' she continued, with a soft, wistful voice.
''Takagi...'' thought Nishikata, who had tears in his eyes for some unexplained reason.
She began to move closer, her voice lower and lower.
''Then I saw us on Valentine's Day, when I gave you a chocolate… Then afterwards, when we looked at the stars together, during the school trip… And finally, when we held hands at the summer festival...''
Nishikata did not move. He could see her getting closer as time went by, but he remained tetanized by stress.
''What's going on ? Why is she getting closer ? She doesn't want to… to kiss me, does she ?'' Nishikata panicked, not knowing what to do.
''I've been reliving the best moments of my life… and I'd like to add one more...'' she said as she closed her eyes, her forehead an inch away from Nishikata's.
Nishikata finally moved. But he didn't move back. Instead, he gently moved his head forward to press his forehead against Takagi's, which surprised her and made her open her eyes again. They stared at each other for a few moments, their eyes shining, and...
''NISHIKATA ! TAKAGI-SAN !" they heard shouting from a distance, which startled the boy, who backed off.
''FUCK ! I WAS SO CLOSE...!'' Takagi thought furiously, on the verge of tears.
Nishikata, on the other hand, was looking for where the voice came from. He saw a figure approaching slowly, then he recognized Hamagushi, who was sprinting towards them.
''Hamagushi ?'' he asked with confusion.
''Finally, I found you ! Nishikata, I...'' he caught his breath for a moment. ''I'm not dating Takagi-san, it's a misunderstanding, I...''
''I know, she told me everything...'' Nishikata cut him off, wiping his wet forehead with Takagi's handkerchief.
''Oh… Good then… But, why are you wet like that ?'' asked Hamagushi.
''Oh, uh… It's a long story, I'll explain later.'' he replied with a blush on his cheeks.
He then turned to Takagi, who had a blank look of frustration on her face, and approached. He handed her her embroidered handkerchief, which brought her out of her thoughts.
''You should also wipe yourself, you'll get sick if you don't.'' he said, looking red and shy.
Takagi smiled a little sadly, then grabbed the handkerchief.
''Nevermind, we will continue on Saturday.'' she said, giving Nishikata her best smile.
''What ?'' he reacted with a backward movement, his cheeks almost purple from embarrassment.
Takagi laughed heartily, tears in her eyes, accompanied by Hamagushi who was also laughing.