Drrt… Drrt…

“Huh?” a man with brown hair, worn a thick navy blue jacket with a white knit clothes and a pair of black jeans halted his steps as he felt his cellphone vibrated in his pocket. Moving his grocery to his left hand, he quickly got his cellphone and saw his best-friend name on the screen. He smiled because somehow he had known what the latter want to say, he answered the call.

“Moshi-moshi.. Ryuu?”

“Oh! Yama-chaaaaaan~ I miss you~” said the best-friend in the other side.

He laughed as he heard his best-friend words, “Hai, hai. I understand. I’ll go to your apartment right now.”

“And don’t forget to bring some foods! I’m hungry!”

“As I thought, I already brought some gyoza ingredients here.”

“Sasuga! Yama-chan is the best! I’ll wait for you~! Jya mata!”

“Oh~ Mata~”

Beep. The call ended. After he put back his cellphone in his pocket, he turned left on the intersection, to Kamiki’s apartment.

Ding dong.

“Yama-chan! You’re slow!” said Kamiki as opened the door for him.

“I’m not! You’re the one who cannot wait, right! Ojyamashimasu~ Eh? I thought you called me because you were lonely again, but seems you already have someone in here~” said Yamada because he saw a pair of sneakers on the genkan (entrance way).

“Sorry, but it seems you two are always think the same thought about me~ I’m feel I’m loved~”

“It’s not me, Miki-kun! It’s my mom! My mom is very persistent to make me bring you some food, because you never eat anything besides kare!” shouted a girl from living room.

Replying the girl words, Kamiki shouted back, “I have Yama-chan who will cook for me though!”

Yamada walked closer to the owner of that voice and found his childhood friend, Shida Mirai, played Monster Hunter Tri on Kamiki’s Nintendo Wii. “Oh~ Mirai-chan! Long time no see~” he said excitedly because he was really excited to see her, his secret crush, because he hadn’t seen her for a year.

“Hi Yama-chan,” she glanced away for the screen to see him for a while and got her attention back to the game. “Seems you’re become more chubby than ever,” said Mirai jokingly.

Yamada settled himself on the sofa, “You said that every time we meet, huh? Wanna pick a fight?”

Mirai turned her head to Yamada, “Oh~ I don’t mind~” and stuck a tongue to him.

“Yooooouuuuu!!”

Yamada already prepared to launch his attack to Mirai but he stopped when Kamiki called him.

“Oi! Yama-chan! Wanna a can of beer or orange juice or strawberry juice?” asked Kamiki from his kitchen.

“Orange juice!” answered Mirai as she concentrated back to her game.

“Oh gosh, it’s not you who I asked! And you already drink 2 cans of it!”

“Stingy~”

“I’m not! I just want to be more economical! So Yama-chan?” Kamiki asked Yamada once more.

“As usual. Strawberry juice please,” answered Yamada. “Right~ We should be more economical because the rent cost are increasing each year…”

“So, why not just got back to your parent’s house?” asked Mirai as she gave a combo strike to the monster.

“We’re boys Mirai-chan, and our workplace are near here.”

Mirai did not retort back, she continued playing her game, but Yamada sure he heard something like “Well, I’m lonely, you know…” from her.

Yamada’s thought flied to his parent’s house, where he grew and met his two best friends, Kamiki Ryunosuke and Shida Mirai. They were together since they were babies, in fact, he and Mirai’s birthday were just separated one day. Meanwhile Kamiki was younger than them around 10 days. The trio enrolled in the same kindergarten, elementary school, and even until high school. But after the high school graduation, he decided to move to Tokyo instead kept staying in his hometown, Kanagawa. Then he remembered how his view changed toward his childhood friend, Mirai, from a tomboyish girl into a full grown woman in his eyes.

It was in the summer holiday on their first grade of senior high. The trio was in Kamiki’s room, playing the most booming game in DS, Mario-Kart. At that time, Kamiki was on downstairs to do some errands for his mother. So, just Yamada and Mirai left in the room.

“Oh~ You cannot pass me Mirai-chan~” teased Yamada as his finger danced on his DS.

“Urgh! I cannot lose to you! I’ve got this title so I won’t lose to you!” said Mirai as she moved her character closer to Yamada’s.

“Huh? That ‘Mario-Kart Goddess’ one? Than you should defeat the ‘God’ first! Me!” said Yamada then his character thrown a bomb to Mirai’s character. It made Mirai’s flinched and went down to the third place.

“Dang it, Yama-chan!”

Yamada glanced to Mirai, and when Mirai saw him, he gave her a smirk because their DS already shown “Last Lap” word. For the in the quarter of the track, Mirai successfully got back her second place, but the duel between Yamada was just starting. Blame their own silly pride toward a game, now they kept distracting each other. Yamada and Mirai was sitting side-by-side at that time, nudging and tickling the rival. Then the last quarter to the finish line, Mirai’s character was still behind Yamada’s. Desperate to win, an idea popped up in her head. She took Yamada’s right hand then thrown herself to him, made Yamada laying on the floor meanwhile she was on his top. But, one thing that was not in her plan, her lips met his, accidentally. She was shocked, moreover the boy under her. They could feel each other fast breath and the thumping of their hearts but they didn’t move even an inch until the game sound alerted them. Mirai abruptly got away from Yamada and back to sit. She was still holding her DS, still pressing the gas button which made her win the game. Ignoring the awkward scene before, she said “Look! I win! Yappari I’m the Goddess!”

But, Yamada didn’t retort back like usual. He just sat down then took his DS.

“Yama-chan?” Mirai tried to call him again but he was still in silent.

“Hey, Yama-chan, I’m very sorry…”

It like he was struck by something, he tidied his clothes and went home, ignoring all Mirai’s words to him. He ran to his house, went inside his room, and locked the door. His heart still throbbing fast, but he didn’t know whether it’s the effect of his running or the previous accident. That day he ignored all calls from his best-friends and tried to act that he was ill to his mom.

The next day, he prepared himself to get questioned by Kamiki, but it never come. Kamiki just asked how about his condition because his mom said that he was ill. It seemed Mirai didn’t say anything about that accident. The real deal was when he saw Mirai, she was walking to his seat, her worried expression really could be seen on her face. His heart thumped fast again, his mind kept screaming, ‘Please don’t ask about yesterday, please don’t ask about yesterday.’

“Yama-chan…”

“Yeah?” thanks god he still could utter a word despites the hard thump on his chest.

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize that you were ill yesterday, and…” she wanted to say other thing to him but suddenly Umika, her friend, called for her.

“Ah, just forget it. Glad you’re already fine now. Oh, my mom gave you a box of strawberries, I’ll give you later on lunch, ok?”

“Oo, say thanks to your mom.”

As she went to Umika’s seat, Yamada slumped on his desk, tried to calm his heart down but it failed as his eyes found Mirai who was chatting with Umika, passionately told her story to her friend. It suddenly beat faster when he saw Mirai was smiling and laughing.

‘Dang, what happened to me?’ he asked himself. ‘And, did she apologize and told me to forget what happened yesterday?’ but somehow he did not like that thought, cause it made his heart