“In Your Arms…”

Crazy But True (Sequel)

 

It’s been a month since Yuri had confessed to Rika. From then on, they always feel excitement and happiness of being together. But the fact that Yuri is one of the popular member of Hey! Say! Jump still bothers her. Wherever they’ve been, all people’s eyes are on them, watching their every move. The news that they are going out together spreads all over the campus like a virus. Everyone became affected. No one in there will be seen smiling for them. Every girl s in their school could not believe that they’ve lost Yuri because of that bookworm girl!

 

Yuri is uttering so many things about what he had been with Hey! Say! Jump in their previous practices. He’s taking the path to their room with Rika, when he noticed that she’s not on his side anymore, listening to his stories. His eyes furrowed then turn at his back to see Rika in her strange expression, as she continues her steps. There Yuri notices the eyes of people around them.  Rika stops, noticing Yuri was also stop from talking. It’s a moment of reading each other’s mind, when she managed to show a smile for him not to be worry. Then Yuri smiled back. “Let’s go in?”  He uttered and guides her inside the room. As Rika walks to her place, she feels her classmates gaze.  She also hears whispers. Rika just took a deep breath then turns her head aside to ignore them until she seated in her chair.  She looks at Yuri, who’s going to sit in his own chair then to Yuto and Ryosuke who’s watching him with no reaction in their faces. She might think that, as what she sees on their faces, but she knows that they are worried and disappointed to Yuri at the same time.

She slowly took her eyes from them, realizing how long this situation will take. The mood from when they are only together is very different when there are people around. The atmosphere is very heavy, as if just in any time someone may strangle her away from Yuri. And by thinking that… bit by bit it breaks her heart.

She felt very happy when Yuri confessed to her. She feels floating whenever she’s alone with him, but nightmare strikes when people surrounds them. She feels unease when people are watching them, for she knows that some of them are glaring at her.

She’s always on that kind of state whenever they are together with people around. But she doesn’t want to Yuri to know, because she’s also afraid of loosing him. She doesn’t want to let him go. Yuri loves her and she always feels it. Yuri shows it to her whole heartedly and she doesn’t want that love to be useless, because his love is all she’s been dreaming for.  But for how long? For how long will she take it?  Those eyes… glaring and cursing at the same time, which became her nightmares. Those disappointed looks on Yuto and Ryosuke’s faces. And those thoughts of her, being a selfish….

 

She rests her head in her desk and stares at the sky through the window near her place.  “Is loving Yuri Chinen… that hard?”  She asked on her thought, without noticing a tear drop falls free on her eye.

LUNCH BREAK

Rika carefully finds her way outside their classroom, preventing not to be seen by Yuri. She took the chance while Yuri is talking with Yuto and Ryosuke. She’s finally outside when Yuto caught her act.

 

Earlier…

Yuri was about to go to Rika’s place when Ryosuke called for his attention. “Are you still sure about this?”  Yuri was stop after hearing that. He slowly faces the boy in weary.  “Chinen… you’re only making things hard for the two of you…” Ryosuke continued in a worried voice. It’s a moment of Yuri’s gazing down then he manages to firmly shake his head, declining what he said.  Yuto, whose height is enough to see every one in the classroom, sees Rika finding her way through the crowd of students going outside. She’s leaving the room without, her supposedly companion Yuri, knowing it. Also he sees uneasiness in her face.  “See…? She’s quickly finding her way outside… without you knowing it. Maybe because she doesn’t want to be bothered anymore.”  Yuto said, still his eyes on Rika. Then the two transferred their look on her, who’s finally in the door and successfully got outside.

Back to present….

Yuri was about to follow her…

“Chinen… you’re just hurting that girl…”  Ryosuke uttered behind him. It made Yuri stopped. “I love her…” and uttered back. 

“Yeah… that love is the one hurting her.” Yuto finally said. 

But Yuri ignores them by continuing his tracks outside the room. He clenches his fist while thinking what Ryosuke and Yuto said. He grumpily walks, as he headed to find Rika. He loves her and he won’t just accept those negative opinions about them together. He knows that most of the people in their school give suffering to Rika, but he won’t accept that as a reason to stop loving her. That’s why he is there… he is there to love her and that includes protecting her. He won’t give up his love for her.

 

Rika falls herself hopelessly in one of the bleachers inside the gym. Finally… she enjoys the thought that for a moment… she is free from the eyes of all the people in their campus. She closes her eyes, as she rests herself in her spot and feels the quietness of the place. She then remembers Yuri awhile ago. She knows that they saw her going outside the room, thinking that she’s escaping from Yuri.  Then a sudden guilt strikes in her. She’s in the midst of her sanity, thinking all the situations, when water balloon splash directly in her face. She shockingly flinched from her place, like she was saved from a drown. She’s taken aback by the situation and eye furrowed looks for the culprit who did that to her. She’s looking around the whole gym…

 

“We have waited for this! Hagiwara Rika!!”  Someone shouted and made an echo inside the gym.

The noise was enough to be heard by Yuri, who’s now near outside the gym. His feet led him there while still looking for Rika. He got himself near the gym’s entrance and peeks inside. He sees some girls confronting someone. His eyes widened to see his girl there being confronted. He was about to enter…

“I won’t let go on Yuri… and even if you’ll threaten me many times…. I WON’T LET HIM GO!!”

When he was stopped by those words that he heard.

 

All of the girls were stunned on what they heard from her. But it didn’t took away their irritation towards the girl who just seemed declared a war.  One of the girls who seem to have a liking on Yuri walks towards her and grabs her uniform’s collar.  “Are you daring us?  Someone like you doesn’t suit on Chinen!!  You’re just a no one!! And you’re going to ruin her career and not only us, will be going to be heart broken but even all the fan girls loving him!!” The girl shouted with her heart out and led her in teary eyes. Rika, who’s just directly looking at her, slowly absorbs everything that she said. She also sees sincerity through her teary eyes that made her weak for a moment. She manages to remove the girl’s grip on her uniform, as the girl finally releases her tears and falls on her knees in weak, hardly crying. The other girls started crying too, comforting each other. These girls were deeply hurt by her. Now she thinks… how many girls will she’s going to hurt by her selfishness again. She controlled a sob then looks down to the girl who’s hardly crying in front of her. Then she kneels down and gently hugs the girl, caressing her back to the thought of easing her pain. The girl didn’t help but to give herself in her hug. Rika feels every one suffering but how can she ease this girl’s pain when she’s the cause of it. She manages to let go of the girl, who’s still crying but not that much anymore. The girl looks at her in tears and she just gave her a gentle smile. “I understand every one of you…” Rika almost whispered. The girl just looks at her innocently.  “I’ve been in to suffering before… and I won’t mind if I have to pass on that again. I will make it because I love him…” She continued in her teary eyes. The girl’s look, in front of her, turns in to amaze and slowly nods her head, accepting her statement. Rika stands up and wipes her tears. The girl did also and finally shows a smile. Rika bows to them as a show of respect and started to leave the place.

 

As she continues her way outside, she didn’t notice a figure of the boy leaning by the entrance.  Yuri watches her back as she continues to leave that place. Yuri can’t help but smile after what she heard on her inside the gym. She just proves her love on him and he’s very happy to that. But still there’s a fright in him that Rika might give up in them if the situation will still continue. Yuri can’t accept that thought and decided to follow her.

 

Rika ended up in the library. After all it’s a quiet place but she can’t just escape from the eyes of the students inside. She continues her steps; head is down, avoiding their glares. She found heaven in one of the bookshelves their and let herself seated on the floor. Finally she’s in peace again… but in how long? Then she found herself breaking out, just by thinking the risks she should take of loving Yuri. She controlled her sobs but it’s not controllable anymore. She’s making a small noise now behind that shelf.

“Why are you crying….?” 

She heard a familiar voice behind the shelf which she’s leaning. Then she immediately wipes her tears and composed herself. “No, I’m not…” She said.

“Yes, you are…” But the familiar voice insisted.  Rika sighed. “It’s just that I have read a book… and it touches me.” She lied.

“I see…” The boy behind the shelf pretended. “So, what is that book tells about…?” He asked again.  Then Rika falls in to a sudden realization. “About a girl who doesn’t know how long she will take those risks… of loving the boy that she really loves.”

“Then…” He let her continue.

“Then… how much more can she take those, without the boy knowing that she’s really suffering. And because she doesn’t want the boy to know, she now feels alone… enduring the pain… she has no one to talk to, to release every pain in her, because she’s just  a no one to others. No one likes her. And the boy, who’s the only one there for him, doesn’t know the truth about her pain.” 

 After telling it… Rika didn’t help but to release her tears again. She hugs her two legs and cries, without noticing that someone is now standing beside her.

“Then I am…” He said. By that… Rika slowly looks up with tears to the boy standing beside her. Her eyes widened to realize that the owner of the voice earlier is…. Yuri.

 

Yuri slowly kneeled down to face her and Rika just watches him move. “Rika… I can be the man who will comfort you and make you happy at the same time… if you will let me.” He added, now in tears. Rika didn’t control her emotions and jumps over to hug him.

 

“Rika… I don’t have plan on giving you up… So, please just stay. Promise… I won’t let anyone give hurt to you again.” He said as he keeps on hugging her tight.

“Umm…” Rika gently shook her head. “That cannot be a promise, Yuri… But the fact that I will love you no matter what happens is a promise…. My promise.”  She continued. She moved away a bit in him and reaches his lips. That Yuri accepts passionately.

 

The negative opinions of them going out still haven’t gone to the whole campus. But the feeling that Yuri and her, both fighting the situations; is enough to get their relationship stronger. As long that Yuri’s gentle arms will catch her in every time she falls, whether in good or bad, she will fight for him.  She may encounter difficult situations when she’s in Yuri’s arms but still…. Those arms of him will be her love shelter.

 

- THE END -