Chapter 6: A Letter, a Date, and Awkward Moments

4 years later

When Shig went to the hospital four years ago, Mayu was completely unaware of what had happened to him. Shig never told her. Her classmates never told her. She

was left completely in the dark and her life with her friend was practically the same. It was one rainy Tuesday when Sakutaro hatched a clever plan. While in drama

club practice, he devised his plan of giving Mayu a secret admirer note. He loved the idea of confessing some of his feelings while remaining anonymous and leading

her on. It was perfect! When he got home, he went straight up to his room to the computer to write ideas for how to approach Mayu in the letter. "You're the one."

he paused while typing. "No, that sucks. C'mon, Shig think. What would a girl like her want to hear?" He hit his head against his desk repeatedly out of frustration.

"Honey, what's going on? Is everything alright?" His mother had heard the sounds from the living room and had to make sure her child was alright. "I'm fine mom!

I'm working on something important!" he yelled, obviously denying his anger due to writer's block. "Now, Sakutaro, don't lie to me. What's wrong?" Kumiko asked her

frustrated son. "I can't tell you! It's none of your business!" Kumiko was obviously very agitated with him so she forced him out of the way to see what he was up

to. She saw that he was attempting to write a love letter for his childhood friend. "Honey, why didn't you tell me? There's nothing to be ashamed of." Kumiko smiled

and tightly hugged her son. "Because I don't want Mayu to know. It's supposed to be one of those secret admirer things." he confessed. "That's such a romantic and

gentlemanly gesture. She'll be all over you." "I highly doubt it. I don't think she likes me like I do. That's why I want to keep it a secret for her. If she reacts positively,

then after awhile I'll tell her the truth at the right time. But that's only if she likes it." Morishige was embarrassed that his mother knew of his plans to woo Suzumoto,

yet she did offer some comfort. "Remember to be subtle in hinting at who wrote the note. Don't want it to be too obvious, but not too vague either. If she finds out

you wrote it after reading the thing, then you need to make sure she returns your feelings and that your friendship isn't impaired. You don't want to look desperate

or cliche." she advised him. Shig had to put it in her locker in the morning while she wasn't looking, but he didn't know her combination and he didn't want to get in

trouble for breaking into her locker. He refocused his attention back to what the letter would say and spent all night working on it. He groggily got up the next

morning; his only motivation for moving was giving her the secret admirer note. "Hey Shig, bro! What's goin' on? Did you lose sleep last night?" Mayu questioned. His

long, exhausted like yawn reverberated throughout the halls as students were filling them up. "Hold up, Shig. I gotta go use the bathroom and then we'll go to

homeroom, okay?" she waived to him like she was leaving an airport. While Mayu left him for a moment to look after her things, Morishige caught Seiko by the arm to

get her to help him with his letter dilemma. "Seiko, you hang out with Mayu a lot. Do you know her locker combination? I need to give her this letter but I want it to be

a secret." "Why? Are you trying to seduce that sweet girl? Because if you are then I'll finally win my bet with Yoshiki." Seiko chuckled. "Woah, what bet?" Morishige

asked irritated and embarrassed at the same time. "O, it's nothing. Me and Yoshiki made a bet on when you and Mayu will finally fuck. So far it looks like I'm going to

so win." "Are you serious? I don't want to ughh...'fuck' Mayu. I want to slowly admit my feelings anonymously and I plan on asking her on a date if she likes it."

Sakutaro said, clearing up any confusion. "I see. And then on your date you'll fuck?" Seiko wondered. "No! I'm not doing something so you can win some bullshit bet!

I respect Mayu too much for me to even think about trying that. I want to marry her..." Shinohara couldn't help but interrupt his speech. "Hold on there. That's a big

step you're going for and you two aren't even dating. Maybe you should set your sights on the little things like asking her out sometime and then after a while you can

think about getting married." Seiko advised, her eyes gleaming down on his. "We've been together for years!" Shig reasoned. "That's not the same thing as dating.

When you're dating, you form a relationship that is much deeper than friendship. It's really hard to explain since you have to be in that scenario to fully understand it,

but if you and Mayu decide to take that next big step in your lives then you can slowly work as a team and get closer and closer to each other." Morishige had to

agree with Seiko on this. He didn't know much about what dating is really like, but with the both of them being really close every one around them just assumed they

were a couple and from there he formed his impression of what being a boyfriend and girlfriend is like. "Will you still help me out?" "Okay, but just promise you'll think

about what I said. I don't want to see you guys ruin your relationship." Seiko commented as she walked off to break into Mayu's locker. "Ready for class, Shig?" Mayu

smiled when she returned to her patient friend. Mayu was still clueless as to what he had just done. "Sure." he replied. Homeroom had Morishige on his toes as he

anticipated Mayu's actions after class. All he could think about was how Mayu would act to getting a love letter from someone she didn't totally know and if he would

be able to pursuit her. After class, Mayu dropped off her heavy trigonometry and geometry book to swap with her physics book. "What's this?" Mayu wondered as she

noticed the petite white envelope with the blue lattice trim. "Secret admirer, huh? Who on earth could it be?" She took the note in great stride.

"Dear Mayu,

You may not want to respond to my letter that I write to you, and that's okay. But would you spare a minute to hear how I feel about you?

Your brown hair is so delicate looking and soft. Your emerald eyes sparkle every time I see you. Your heart is made of 24 carat gold. I've wanted to tell you how much

I've loved you for quite some time but I don't think you like me the way I do and that's why I've been hesitant to tell you. I would like to test my hypothesis by

asking you to go on a date with Sakutaro Morishige so I can observe and eventually gain the confidence to tell you my feelings in person.

Sincerely,

Your Secret Admirer"

"Why would they want me to go on a date with you? To observe? That's weird." Morishige commented. "Yeah, that's really strange." Mayu said. "Should we try their

idea? It's not like they're hurting anyone and we'd be helping a good person out." Shig said, looking down at the polished floor. "How do you know if they're a good

person? Sounds more like a stalker to me and stalkers creep me out." Mayu said, her voice rising. "I'm sure they're only trying to be nice. I highly doubt they mean any

harm towards you. Think about it, Mayu. Who would dare harm you? You're the kindest, most selfless and most honest person I know." he told Suzumoto, while still

avoiding eye contact with her. "There's always that person out there that just loves to hurt other people simply because they enjoy it. I feel bad for them because

they don't usually have someone to confide in, but hurting others isn't ever the right thing to do. Still, I don't want to hurt their feelings but I can't do what they want,

no matter how much they like me." Mayu told him, her face furrowed with thought. "Looks like you blew it dude." Kito laughed slightly at the distressed boy. "Kito, no

one asked you. You're supposed to be out of my head because of the medicine yet you still show up unannounced and hinder my progress." he told his disembodied

bully. Mayu heard his conversation with himself and assumed he was trying to make her laugh, which he did and also took her mind off the letter. "Shig, you're so silly.

C'mon, we'll be late for class if we don't get moving." While they walked down the halls, Mayu's arm wrapped around his arm, Morishige had to question her. "Why

were you laughing earlier?" "You. You were being so funny talking to yourself." she replied. Morishige knew that she was unaware of his schizophrenia, so he played

along so he wouldn't upset or frighten her. "What can I say? I'm a comedian at heart." When Morishige and Mayu got to their desks, Naomi went up to Shig and asked

about his attempt to win Mayu's heart. " So, Morishige, how did the whole secret admirer thing go?" she smiled while using her fingers to mess up his hair. "What are

you talking about?" Shig knew he had to play dumb because if Mayu figured out he wrote that stupid love letter, she'd never want to be with him ever again. "You

know what I'm talking about. You tried to get Suzumoto to fall for you." Nakashima frustratedly told him, tapping her foot out of annoyance for him. "Fine, you win. But

who told you?" "Seiko. She's been on about it all morning saying, 'He's so cute trying to woo Suzume. They're the cutest couple.' She's really proud of you finally

stepping up to the plate and finally confessing your love." Naomi said while jokingly poking his arm. "She didn't blab to Mayu did she?" Sakutaro panicked. "No way.

Seiko would never do something like that." Naomi said while she walked to her desk in the back of the room. Seiko had just gotten into class when Shig stopped her.

"Seiko, a word please." he said whispering while she stood next to him. "What is it Morishige? Did Mayu find out yet?" she giggled. "No, but everyone else has. Why

the hell did you go tell everybody?" he shouted but in a whispering way. "O hush now, Morishige. You're overreacting to thi..." Seiko said before he interrupted her.

"Fuck your mother!" Shig said through gritted teeth. "Dude, chill. No need to be so uptight." Mayu and Ayumi were observing Morishige and Seiko talking to each other.

"What's going on between those two?" Mayu wondered. "Seiko's just giving him a hard time like she always does." Ayumi smiled at her while she leaned against

Mayu's desk. They could see both of them flailing their arms and silently yelling at one another which amused both girls. "Hey, Shinohara are you giving this kid a hard

time?" Yoshiki asked Seiko who kept poking fun at an enraged Morishige. "O come now, Yoshiki. I was just having fun. It's not like I hurt his feelings or anything." she

scoffed while taking her seat next to Mochida. "Just leave the guy alone." he bellowed while talking now to Shig. "Are you alright? Did Seiko bother you?" "She's such

a pest. She can't keep her damn mouth shut and feels the need to reveal really awkward secrets to the whole fucking world!" Morishige told a confused Kishinuma

while he pounded down on his desk. "What secret? You can trust me. I know secrets are called secrets for a reason so you don't have to worry about me telling

anybody." he told the angered, trembling, mess of navy hair teen. Yoshiki was the kind of guy who loved secrets but he knew that they were super important and was

hoping to give Sakutaro someone to confide in. "Ok, but only if you promise to not go around telling everybody like Seiko tried to." Morishige told the blond teen while

he cleaned his glasses of smudge marks. "I wrote Mayu a 'secret admirer' note and it was the most pathetic thing ever. It made me look so obvious and desperate."

he frowned. "Alright then. I won't mention a word of this to anyone, especially your girlfriend." Yoshiki promised. "Mayu's not my girlfriend! I love her and all, but she

doesn't love me back, but when she does then I'll tell her." "That's not what I heard." he snickered. "Are you for real? Why would you lie about something like that?

She doesn't love me!" Morishige cried, the tears streaming down his flushed face. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you. It's just a rumor..." he told his crying friend.

"Go away!" Shig screamed at Yoshiki, but it was really quiet because his throat felt really dry. Yoshiki walked away and sat at his desk, propping his feet up on it.

"What did you say to him?" Mayu questioned. "Nothing." he scoffed. "Doesn't look like nothing." she remarked. Ms. Yui walked into the class as soon as Mayu was

about to yell at Kishinuma. "Mayu. Yoshiki. What's going on in here?" "Nothing, Ms. Yui." they replied. "Good. Now I just got word from the school board that you kids

get a half day today, so you'll be in homeroom all day. We'll be watching The Notebook during our time in class." she smiled. "Isn't that a chick flick?" the boys groaned.

"Yes, if that's what you want to call it. There won't be a problem now will there?" Ms. Yui replied to her annoyed students. "No." they pouted. The boys all tried their

hardest to avoid gagging at how icky sweet they felt the movie was but Morishige, while still unhappy about watching a girly movie, did take mental notes of what the

couple did together. He did feel some type of connection with the male main character and saw how he wooed his wife and how despite the fact she developed

Alzheimer's, he still loved her and tried his best to get her to remember him and all they did together. Mayu saw how romantic the couple were and envisioned herself

and Morishige being together forever and dying together. Also, much like the other girls, she did cry a lot and absolutely loved the movie. After school was done and

over with, Morishige asked Mayu if she wanted to hang out at his house today. "Sure. It's a date!" Mayu smiled, giving him a peck on the cheek. "If that's what you see

it as then I won't object." was his response. But in his head he was doing somersaults and fist-bumping the air. When they got to his house, they both agreed to play

Diddy Kong Racing on the N64. Yet before they could have fun with such an awesome game, Mayu really had to use the bathroom. "Hey, Shig. Mind if I use your

bathroom?" Mayu said discretely. "Sure. Go right ahead." he smiled. She felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders when she was finally able to relieve herself.

She hummed to herself, a habit she had since her mother and father first attempted to potty train her all those years ago. She noticed a medium sized orange

container with some paper on it that was lying on the counter of the sink. Mayu knew it was wrong to look at people's personals, but she didn't mean any harm and

her curiosity would've killed her if she didn't look. It was a bottle of small, almost oblong, white tablets. "Hmm...Must be something important." she thought to herself.

She turned it over to the front to see who it belonged to. "Morishige, Sakutaro. Take one 300 mg tablet every day. Seek medical help in case of: severe allergic

reaction, changes in thoughts, mood, or behavior. In case of suicidal thoughts or behaviors, go immediately to the emergency room." Mayu read the name of the

medicine on the bottle. "Quetiapine? That's a fancy word. I wonder what it could mean? It must be some powerful stuff." Mayu said, gently putting the medication back.

She noticed another bottle of the same size with similar instructions and warnings. "Fluoxetine? 60 mg? Shig, bro what are you taking?" Mayu thought out loud. "You

alright, Mayu? You've been in there a while." Morishige said rather worried. Mayu didn't realize she had been in the bathroom for so long and she walked out to let

Morishige know she was ok. "How long was I in there?" she wondered. "10 minutes. Were you not feeling well?" A concerned look overtook Shig's face. "I'm fine. I was

just thinking about some stuff. Ya know?" Mayu giggled. "Got it." he nodded. They both had so much fun and at that moment, everything was right in the world. "Let's

do this again. Ok Shig?" Mayu asked, hoping he was really having as much fun as she was and also for having him finally go to her house and show off her room and

various other items she liked. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Sakutaro replied bouncing up and down as if he were five years old again. Kumiko got home early and when she saw

Mayu at the house, she pulled her son to the side to question why she wasn't told about a guest coming over. "I didn't know if you'd let me, so I did it anyway and

we're having a lot of fun. Mayu's really happy and she wants me to go over her house sometime." "Honey, just tell me next time about something like this, alright? By

the by, you and Mayu didn't do anything you weren't supposed to did you?" mom said, changing her tone and subject matter slightly. "What kind of person do you

take me for, mom? I'm not like the other kids because I have some decency in regards to relationships and the whole...hmmm...sex thing isn't of any real concern to me

right now." he silently yelled at her. "Alright. Now get back with Mayu and have some fun." she smiled, rubbing her son's soft hair. When Mayu was ready to go home,

Morishige felt slightly off but he knew he couldn't keep her at the house. "I had a lot of fun, Shig. Let's do something like this again. How bout my house next time?"

Mayu shyly asked. "Sure. Your house. Call me when I can come over, ok? I'm already excited!" he squirmed. The kids hugged each other goodbye and Morishige

immediately prepped for his next date with Mayu.