Although I have added my own summary of the story this is still to be edited. I'm still open to support from the community! If you guys want to, that is. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 6: His and her past is yet to be completely revealed
By the time we arrive at Yuigahama's house the rain has stopped. Yuigahama knocks on her door a couple of times. After a few seconds it opens and out comes her mother.
"Yui! You're home!"
"Hi momma!" Yuigahama says as she rushes to hug her mother.
Meanwhile, I stand by the door waiting for Yuigahama to dismiss me. Yuigamomma's gaze lands on me and she smiles in surprise.
"Oh! It's Hikki!"
Thanks a lot Yuigahama. Now even your mom's using that nickname…
Yuigahama's mom may not be the "adult" type but I still have to address her formally since she is an adult.
I bow to her and say "Good evening, ma'am."
"My, my! What a formal boy you are!" she says as she laughs. "Would you like to come in and have some tea before you go?" she continues.
"Y-yeah, Hikki! Mom makes great tea!"
That's a pretty tempting offer but I can't stay. I have multiple reasons, in fact, let me articulate. One. Things get pretty awkward if you're alone in a house with your female friend and her mother. People start asking questions left and right and since they're both talkative girls that's double the questions. Two, I've had enough human interactions tonight. It's exhausting to surround yourself with babbling creatures for hours. And three, It's late and I really just want to go home and sleep.
"Thank you for the offer but my parents are expecting me soon."
My parents aren't actually expecting me at all, I doubt they're even at home. Nevertheless, reasoning like this is enough to get adults to leave you alone.
"That's a shame Hikki-chan. I bet Yui would love it if you went inside, even for just a bit?"
I shudder. Scary. I don't know why but this is scary. My senses are telling me to leave as soon as possible. Also, please refrain from adding cute honorifics to my name.
Yuigahama pleads with me. "Yeah, Hikki! Just for a little while, please?"
Must. Stand. Ground. Must not waver!
"I'm really sorry but I must take my leave now." I say as I bow again.
"Ah… Alright. Next time then, Hikki-chan." Says a disappointed Yuigamomma.
"Aww… Hikki!"
"Sorry, maybe next time."
Yuigamomma smiles at me and says "Yes, Hikki-chan. Next time! Thank you for walking Yui home."
I bow towards Yuigamomma again and hand her the bags I've been carrying. I wave them good bye, greet Yuigahama a happy birthday once more, and proceed to leave the apartment complex.
"Bye, Hikki! Thanks for walking me! And thanks for the gift!" says Yuigahama with a wide smile.
That was Komachi's gift, you should be thanking her, but then again, Komachi did say to pass it as my gift, so I guess it's a joint gift then?
I exit the building and proceed to walk back home. It's quiet and wet in the street. There are puddles of rainwater everywhere and the smell of petrichor lingers in the air. As soon as I turn the corner I immediately squat, pull at my hair, and scream internally.
What the hell, Hachiman? Did you seriously put a ring on a girl's finger!? Honestly, I don't know why I had such a late reaction to that event but for some reason it never occurred to me that it would have "romantic intentions" at that time. Now that I was able to clear my head I realized I had made a huge mistake. Shit, shit, SHIT!
You're getting rusty, Hachiman. Exposure to society has made you vulnerable! But then again, was there a way out of that situation? Would it have been better if I had declined Yuigahama's request? Putting it on her finger would make her think I have feelings for her, right? Doing something intimate voluntarily would make it seem like there were feelings right? But if I had declined her request wouldn't it have been the same as shooting down a confession?
No, no, no. Hahahaha. As if Yuigahama would have feelings for me. That's bullshit. I'm just not thinking straight. But what-if? If she did have feelings for me, what would that mean? Pssshh… It's just a guy putting a ring on a girl's finger, if there weren't statements and vows it doesn't count as a proposal or anything. Yeah, yeah, besides, she knows that I wouldn't like her in that way.
I have to stop overthinking this. I have to get home.
Walking back to my house was more or less uneventful. Apart from the occasional cars driving by or the stray cats I encountered, it was pretty peaceful. I even managed to stop thinking about Yuigahama. Well, that was thanks to a passing truck splashing water all over my pants, but still, it did have a pretty good exchange. Now that I think about it, I should have brought my bike, it would have made the journey much faster.
My house is dark when I arrive. The surroundings are quiet.
Right, Komachi's sleeping over at a friend's place and my parents are probably still at work. Having parents who take the night shift would be great for a social person because they could secretly bring friends over, but for a loner? Not so much. Then again, it is good to have a lot of peace and quiet in your own house.
I unlock the front door, enter the house, and lock the door behind me. It's cold in here.
"I'm home." I declare to no one in particular.
What greeted me was dead silence. Even Kamakura was already in a deep slumber himself.
It's been a long day, I'm drained. I don't even want to go to school tomorrow. Although I want to plop down my bed and sleep there are things I still have to do. Looks like I have to go in autopilot.
Autopilot: Activate.
Walk up the stairs. Enter my bedroom. Open closet. Randomly pick up sleeping clothes. Change clothes. Place dirty clothes in basket. Head out of room. Enter bathroom. Brush teeth. Return to room. Open phone. Text Komachi that I have returned home. Remember that Komachi's phone is dead. Send a text to Komachi's sleepover friend directed for Komachi alerting her that I have returned home. Place phone on table. Sigh. Lay down on bed.
Autopilot: Deactivated.
There we go. All done. Now, I can rest in peace. For tonight.
…
…
…
I can't sleep! Twist, turn, curl into a ball, straighten, twist, turn, curl into a ball.
No good, my mind just doesn't want to rest right now. Too much has happened tonight. There was the birthday party, Orimoto's sudden appearance, Yukinoshita's request, Yuigahama's gift, and… Her.
My friend from junior high. The person that would always visit me after school. A girl. Red hair. Green eyes. I feel my brain is going in overdrive right now, it's trying to remember this person. C'mon brain! Work faster! Girl. Red hair. Green eyes. Girl. Red hair. Green eyes. Girl. Red hair. Green eyes.
An image pops into my head… It's blurry. I can make out a figure in the distance, leaning on something.
It focuses. Just a bit.
The image is in black and white. The figure has long, flowy hair. It's leaning on some sort of wall.
Suddenly, the visual becomes vivid. It focuses. I can see everything clearly now. It's a girl. She's wearing a school uniform. She has long, flowy, red hair. I can't see her face. I'm too far away and her hair, being blown by the wind, is covering her face. The gleam from the sun basks her in an orange-yellow radiance, this lighting makes her look like some sort of heavenly being. She's leaning on a wall. I remember this wall… It's the entrance walls of my junior high. The girl turns her head and gazes at me. I can see her face now. Fair skin. Green eyes. A friendly smile. She waves at me.
Hikigaya!
Everything goes black. I sit up on my bed. Damn it. Why'd it have to go black now? I try remembering again, I rack my brain. But just as suddenly as the vision appeared, it vanished.
I hug my legs and place my head on my knees. I close my eyes as I try to recall the vision I just had.
It comes back but nothing new appears. It's just her leaning on a wall now. My brain can't visualize any more images.
"Hachi."
The voice! Fine, brain! I'll take the memory of the voice. Just give me something new!
"I love you."
What the fuck? Is this really part of my memory?
"Why are you giving me that look, Hachi?"
"W-what look?"
"That look! You're making it look like I'm telling you a joke!"
"Aren't you?... Ow! Why'd you hit me!?"
"I'm being serious, why would I lie about this…"
"Huh?"
"Hikigaya Hachiman. You are my one true friend in the world. Whatever happens, I'll always be there for you. There is no one in this world that I will love more than you. I love you with all my heart!"
"The way you phrased that, it sounds like you really are joking! What a scripted, cliché confession!"
"Shut up! This is the first time I've ever confessed to anyone!"
"Hahaha! Your face is so red!"
My eyes snap open. I slump myself back down on my bed and breathe heavily. What was that just now? Did that mystery girl just confess to past Hachiman? Huh? I need to know more.
"Where are you going for senior high?"
"Probably Soubu. None of my classmates will probably get in there, so that's my first choice."
"You chose that high school just because your classmates aren't going there?"
"Well… You make it sound like a bad thing."
"It is! You should think of your future more!"
"Relax, it's a pretty high standard school. It'll help me in my future, whatever it could be."
"There! Now that's a proper way of thinking."
"Yeah… By the way, didn't you say you wanted us to be in the same school for senior high? You could easily pass the entrance exam for Soubu."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"That's the thing…"
"What's the thing?"
"I won't be studying in Japan anymore."
My phone rings and vibrates, snapping me back to reality. I groan. From my bed I reach for my phone, groping the table blindly. There we go, got it. I turn it on and I'm partially blinded by its backlight. Damn, I should probably turn on my room lights or something.
I check the inbox. It's a text from Komachi's sleep over friend. What the hell, why is she texting me? Wait, oh. Right.
[Oni-chan! It's great that you're home! I'm in the middle of a pillow fight so I won't be able to text you! ^_^ 3]
[P.S. Please refrain from texting my friend. She's not interested in old guys. :P]
Oi! Who the hell you calling old? Seriously, the nerve of this girl. I place the phone back on my desk and quickly return to my memory hunt. I have to check all my information first. Right, so this girl, she's my friend. She told me she loves me. She wanted to be in the same high school as me but apparently she's going to a different country. Orimoto did say she was probably half foreign, maybe she actually was and that had something to do with her leaving. That's pretty much all I have going for me right now. Okay, time to get back to digging through my memories. It seems that thinking whenever you're alone does give the best results.
I turn around on my bed and place my face on my pillow. An uncomfortable position maybe, but at least I won't fall asleep easily. Now, Hachiman. Remember.
…
…
Any second now, brain.
…
…
"Hachi!"
"Rai! Why are you at my school? You have class too, right? Are you skipping school? Whoah, you're so pale! And you're sweating too! Did you run here?"
"H-hachi..."
"What's the matter? Why are you crying?"
"I-I'm… G-going… B-back…"
"Huh? Back to where?"
"B-back to America… M-my entire family's going back, t-tonight…"
"What? I thought you said they'll wait until you graduate?"
"C-change… Of… Plans… My dad's business… It needs him there."
"So? Why do you have to come with him?"
"H-he just wants us t-there with him."
"You're not actually going, right? You said your grandparents are here, they could just take you in, right?"
"I have to go with him… If I don't… My brother will be all alone."
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry! But I can't just leave my brother with him!"
"You're leaving me?"
"I'm sorry. I came because I-I wanted to see you one last time."
"Why couldn't you wait until after school?"
"We… head to the airport as soon as I finish school… I can't possibly persuade father…"
"Oh. Right… You go then."
"H-hachi?"
"I said go. There's nothing we can do about it. Have fun in America. I hear there are a lot of hot guys there."
"H-hachi… Please…"
"Go. You'll get in trouble if you don't go back to school now. You should be glad your dad doesn't put surveillance on you."
"Hachi… Don't… Don't let it end this way…"
"Hoh? Who said anything about end? I was expecting to stay in contact with you even if you were in America.
"W-what?"
"I didn't say anything about ending things. You did."
"What? No! I just m-made a mistake!"
"Made a mistake… Made a mistake, huh? Mistakes are slips in the façade of people. Those 'slips' are the things that reveal the truth about a person. You just 'accidentally' showed me your true feelings about all this. You want to leave. You don't want to be with me."
"N-no! Don't make it sound like that!"
"I was never good enough for you right? A loner like me being friends with someone as high and mighty as you?"
"Hachi, you're just rambling right now!"
"Hahahaha… To think that I actually wanted to change my ways for you. I'm pathetic."
"Please! Calm down!"
"I am calm. I finally understand what I should do. I should never change my ways. Not now. Not ever."
"You're being unfair!"
"Yeah? Whatever. It's not like I care anymore."
"Why are you being like this?"
"Oh? Being like what, exactly?"
"Please, Hachiman. Let's just relax a bit, okay?"
"Whatever, just stay away from me. I have to get back to class."
"Please. Let's t-talk about this! You're just overreacting because I suddenly have to leave!"
"Overreacting, am I? You think so? You think I actually care about you leaving? You actually think I value you that much?"
"Hachi…"
"Rai… Let go of me."
"Please…"
"Rai. Don't. Touch. My. Hand."
"I don't want to leave you…"
"Well I want you to!"
"Hach-"
"You go to America and stay the hell away from me! I never should have trusted you!"
"Why?"
"Why? Because you bother me! You made me feel things I wanted to feel, and then you just up and leave?I knew I should never have abandoned my old ways. I can't believe I actually trusted you. That I was going to let you change who I was."
"I'm-"
"No. Don't say anything else. Just fuck off."
"I love y-"
"Shiori. Rai. Fuck. Off."
I sit up, shivering and panting. Gah! What the hell was that? That. That was an unexpected turn of events. Was that real? Did that actually happen?
God, I'm such a dickhead if that was true… An overreacting scumbag who didn't care for anyone's feelings but his own. Hahaha… I'm despicable… You could tell she was hurt, and yet all I thought about was myself...
Shiori Rai... That's her name? We had an argument before she left for America. That's why she stopped visiting me.
Damn… This is already a mess of my memories and yet I have to continue digging further. My brain is telling me that I have more to remember. Shit… lean against the wall by my bed and hit my head on it several times. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What's wrong with me?
I have to remember more. My brain is hurting but I have to remember more. Something. Anything at all… I have to remember as much as I can…
"What are you doing at my school, Shiori-san?"
"Hachi… Don't. We aren't strangers. Call me by my first name…"
"Shiori-san, please refer to me as Hikigaya. Only close friends and family can use my first name."
"Hachi…"
"Why are you here? School's over, your dad must be looking for you."
"I'm here because I want you to run away with me."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"I'm saying I want to spend my life with you. Let's run from this world, this society, these people… Let's run and hide somewhere far away."
"You're kidding. I have a life here. My family's here. I will never leave them for you. Besides, how do you even plan on getting this done?"
"I have a plan. So please... Please. Please. PLEASE. Run away with me. Trust me again."
"I'm sorry, Shiori-san. I can't do that. Go back to your father. Go back to America. I already have enough problems without you adding to them."
"Hachi! I'm… Begging you."
"No. I can't do that."
"Hachiman…"
"I think… I think we should end things here."
"Huh?"
"Just forget about me."
"H-hachi?"
"If that's all, I will be taking my leave."
"H-hikigaya H-hachiman! Y-you never properly gave me an answer before… P-please give me your answer now."
"Answer to what?"
"My feelings… I-I love you. D-do you love me too?"
.
.
.
"No."
I'm sweating. My hands are shaking. My lips are twitching. It's cold. Very cold. Hahaha. Hahahha. This. This is… This is a lie! No way that this is actually my past. It's fucked up. This must be from a soap opera script! Lies. Lies. Lies!
Oh, god. What. The. Actual. Fuck. Why am I a mess right now? This is normal in everyday life. People confess and are shot down. This isn't a big deal. She'll move on, right? What the hell. This past is so not messed up. It's far more peaceful than the past of other people. I have no right to flip because of something like this. This is mundane. This is pathetic. Emotions like these, feelings like these, should be tossed into the universe's all-purpose garbage bin. These are emotions all humans can do without. What the fuck…
I hear something rapping on my window, after a while it suddenly stops. Silence. Then it goes again. Tink Tink tink. Tink tink tink. What the heck?
I crawl out of my bed and stand barefoot. The icy floor bites into the bottom of my feet. The room's so cold right now. I slowly creep towards the window. This better not be some jump scare.
I stare out the window and my heart nearly stops.
Shiori Rai, my "close friend", the girl my guy classmates tried to hit on, the girl whose voice I've been hearing in my head for quite some time now, the first girl to ever confess to me, the girl I've done wrong, was standing outside my window. She was wearing all black, shirt, pants, and boots. It's like she's here to rob me or something. Her long, wavy, red hair blows with the gently night wind. She stares at me with her emerald-green eyes, like a sea of green. She looks at me with a blank expression and cocks her head to the side.
Although her voice is a muffled because of the glass between us, I can hear her say something to me.
"What's the matter, Hikigaya? You look like you've seen a ghost."
OC gets her first actual appearance in a chapter! This was by FAR the HARDEST chapter to write! It was so hard because I wanted her first appearance to have an effect on the readers. I didn't have any ideas and suddenly this popped up. I hope it delivers…
Please criticize me about the drama scenes and tell me how I can make more heart wrenching scenes, I want to get good at writing sad stuff so please help me out. If it was good then I'm glad, but that was for sure by PURE LUCK.
Also, if you guys have time, please inform me of all grammatical mistakes in the chapter and I'll edit as soon as possible.
So, umm yeah… Thank you for taking the time to read this new chapter and I hope you guys take the time to write a review as well!
This is Veltus, signing off.