“Ittekimasu.”

“Ittarashai.” Kaa-san bid me good bye and good luck on my first day as a high school student. I walked down the hill with a lot of sakura trees. They shone bright pink under the bright sunlight. The birds were chirping loudly. The traditional Japanese houses looked wonderful. The cold breeze was brushing my cheeks. The street was empty, with only me walking on it. I was alone with this beautiful scenery.

…

Well I thought I was.

“Maki…!”

I turned around. “Ah! YUI!!!” I flung into her open arms. “I missed you so much!!! We haven’t been seing each other much…” She laughed. “Yeah…baka. I miss you too! Daisuki Maki!” “Daisuki Yui!!!”

“Yuck. So gross…I think something like YURI is happening in front of me.”

The moment was disturbed. And then it was followed by a chuckle. “Ohayo minna.” Yui and I stared at our childhood best friend.

“Tego-chan! Genki?! I missed you too you know!” Yui ran to him and hugged him tight. Tegoshi’s face turned complete red. “O-Oi!!! Don’t call me that! And I’m guy so t-this situation is a l-little…”

Yui let go. “Tego-chan ecchi.”

~~~

“Ah, it’s so early in the morning…Lalalala…”

Yui and I gave him a look. Yui looked disgusted. “What gotten into you? Singing like that and all…” Tegoshi smiled. “NOTHING.” He walked even faster. “WellactuallyI’mexcitedbecauseIwanttoseeMakitalktoKoike-senpai!”

“WHAT?” Yui and I yelled in chorus. “We can’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Betsu ni. It’s nothing. I’m going on ahead. See you guys.” He laughed and ran off. Yui sneered. “Poor guy. He doesn’t have a life doesn’t he?” I nodded. “He doesn’t.”

Although I did hear the word senpai…at the end of his sentence.

Koike-senpai?

---

Okay, I’m not going to talk about class anymore. It’s nothing worth mentioning. I answered a lot of questions wrong and I can’t remove the embarrassment from my face the whole time. I could even see Tegoshi grinning behind me. So great.

Well, Yui-chin had to go home early, she had something to do. Tegoshi suddenly left me behind when we were carrying some papers to the teachers’ faculty room. Darn you Tegoshi, I’m gonna get you for this—

“Agh!”

Oh. Shimatta. How clumsy of me. I bumped into a girl and all the papers flew out of my hand. She helped me picked it up. “I’m so sorry...!” “It’s okay.” She smiled and walked away. That was embarrassing. I gave the papers to our advisor and left. I headed to the school yard. “A—“

A guy turned around. S…

“Ah, konnichiwa Horikita-san. How are you?” He smiled at me. I ran to him. “K-Koike-senpai! I-I’ve been doing well! I’m in class 1-B and…well…”

“We haven’t talked to each other in a while haven’t we? I think the last time I spoke to you was during the festival last year. Are you going home?” I nodded. “Let’s walk home together. I want to see your house Horikita-san.”

…

Am I hearing things right?

“Ah--? I can’t…! I have to go to the convenience store to buy groceries and uh—“

The smile on his face faded a little. “It’s okay, I’ll come with you. Beside’s we haven’t—“

“J-Ja ne!!” I ran off. I’m so disappointed with myself, or more like Tegoshi will be so upset with me. I really wasn’t going to go to the convenience store. I just blurted that out as an excuse…

Because I was nervous, and afraid…and my heart is beating like crazy right now. I haven’t spoken to him in such a long time that everything feels so unnatural. I’m still running very fast right now, but—

“What the heck was that all about?!”

I bumped into someone. “…! T-Tegoshi…I’m such a coward…I don’t know why…But I feel like I’m going to be rejected. I’m…scared…”

Then he fell silent. I was probably shaking. I really felt like a coward. Call me all you want but…I’m afraid of being rejected. Why is that…?

Then he put his arm around my shoulder and smiled at me. “Let’s go?”

I just nodded without looking at him. “M-Mmm.”

We walked to the park. We both sat on a bench. I was silent for a while. He just placed his arm around me as I cried.

I feel pathetic.

I want to scream because I’m so disappointed with myself.

“Ne Maki…”

“W-What…?”

He pointed at the sky. “Look.”

I looked up. Wow…the sky…

The night sky looked like a black and blue painting with a white vertical line across it…and the line was made of stars. Lots of stars.

“Wow…”

Tegoshi grinned. “Are you okay now…?”

I looked at him…and his cheerful smile. He was always with me all this time…and now he’s trying to cheer me up.

“Tegoshi, thanks.”