When in elementary, Jun’s Japanese Literature teacher asked them to make paper crane. Jun finished the crane easily but he found Hitomi having hard time doing it. Her pretty face was starting to be crumpled. Jun went closer to her.

“Need some help?” he asked.

Hitomi nodded.

That was their first conversation.

“Arigatou, Shinyoji” said Hitomi after they finished her crane.

Jun smiled. “Anytime, but please, call me Shin.”

Liking Hitomi wasn’t Jun’s plan. True, he liked her smiles but that was all. He only wanted Hitomi as friend, but like the weather that change from hot to cold, his feelings amended.

It was Valentines Day. As Jun expected no one would give him chocolates. He wasn’t popular in school unlike Sho, his best friend. Like last year Sho would share him his chocolates. He would accept it with smiling face.

“Shin, here!” said his father, handling a piece of paper and a box of chocolate. “A little girl told me to give this to you. She said she wanted to give this personally but she is a little shy.”

Jun accepted the chocolate and the piece of paper. The paper was a drawing of a manga character. He knew it was him.

“Arigatou!” Jun bit out. He couldn’t explain his happiness. He knew the drawing was made by Hitomi.

After a month, he gave Hitomi chocolates. That was his declaration of love. They became lovers after that. Their favorite place was Asakusa amusement park.

For Jun, these were precious memories that had been shattered after Hitomi decided to study in Ishida gakuen.

“Do you think we can get what we wanted without sacrificing?” asked Hitomi the day when she bid her goodbye. (When they were 17)

Jun just smiled holding her hands. Hitomi kissed his lips gently.

“Gomen, Jun but I decided to leave” Hitomi said after the kiss.

“What do you mean?” Jun questioned.

“I’ll stay in an all girls dormitory near Ishida Gakuen. Yes I’ll enter Ishida Gakuen. It is in Kyoto so we’ll be separated.”

Jun frowned but just for a second. “It’s okay; I understand how you love manga!” Jun knew it, out of everything, manga was Hitomi’s priority. “Anytime I can visit you in Ishida Gakuen, it ours anyway” he added.

Ishida Gakuen was established for the manga artist Chisa Ishida but it was actually owned by Okuda, the family of Eun Hye’s husband.

Jun patiently visited Hitomi but they merely see each other. She was always busy. He dropped her calls but didn’t reply or always out of coverage area. One day, Jun heard from her mother that Hitomi’s manga had published. He bought more than five copies of that magazine and shared the manga to his classmates. “Look, this is the manga of my girl friend.” He was really proud. Sho witnessed how happy he was. His smiles couldn’t measure, until he saw the interview in TV.

“Miss Hitomi, do you have boyfriend?” the reporter asked.

“My top priority is manga I don’t have time in love life”

“So you don’t have boyfriend?”

“Yes”

***

When Jun saw Hitomi again, those memories returned.

“Hisashiburi!” Hitomi greeted.

**

I met Miss Eun Hye in a café.

“Glad you came!” she said. “Here,” she offered the menu. “Make your order, my treat!”

I nodded, getting the menu, but I put it aside. I stared at Miss Eun hye. “Why did you call me?” I asked.

Miss Eun Hye smiled. “To clear everything…”

“What do you mean?”

“Hitomi came back!”

When I heard that I lost words.

“For your information, Hitomi is Jun’s girlfriend, she returns for Jun.”

“No, I’m Jun’s girlfriend!” I insisted.

Miss Eun Hye smirked, moving her head. “You don’t understand. Hitomi has valid reason for leaving Jun. If Jun hears the reason, everything will be back in normal.”

“Then why are you here?” I challenged Miss Eun Hye. “If you’re confident Jun will choose Hitomi over me I guess you won’t waste your time talking to me like this”

Miss Eun Hye laughed. “You’re right” she answered “but at least I want to be a Good Samaritan for you.”

“Eh?” I got confused.

Eun Hye took a white envelop from her bag. “Here, this is for you!” she said placing the white envelop on the table.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“This is the payment for your service!”

I narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“You don’t love my brother, you just need him. You need him because of his money. Now I’ll give you any amount –think it as payment because my brother used you while Hitomi isn’t around.”

“No!” I replied, fiercely. “I’ll be with Jun forever!”

*

At the amusement park, Jun and Hitomi talked about their jobs and current status.

“I heard your girl friend’s name is Miho?”

Jun nodded.

“Is she pretty?”

“Yes” he answered.

Hitomi smiled gazing at the Ferris wheel.

“Hitomi tell me, why did you do that?”  FinallyJun had the courage to asked about the past

*

“I’m the reason why Hitomi left Jun” Miss Eun Hye revealed.

I listened as she explained.

“It was Jun’s dream to be a singer so I was behind him during his auditions. When he finally accepted from a popular agency he thought to refuse because of Hitomi. He knew if he perused his career their relationship will be affected. That was the reason why I asked Hitomi to help my brother.”

*

“My sister told you to leave?” asked Jun.

“No!” Hitomi replied. “It was my own decision. I know it will be a great motivation for us to focus on our career.”

Jun didn’t respond.

“I should admit this is my fault. Gomen, Shin… please accepts my apologies!”

Jun stared at her as she held her tears.

Jun smiled smoothing her hair. “That time my only dream is to be with you, but look, thanks to you both of us reached our dream careers”

“Shin”

“Don’t worry Hitomi I understand now…I forgive you”

Hitomi smiled then hugged him “Arigatou!” she said sobbing.

“Its okay!” he responded.

Hitomi raised her head towards him “It’s been seven years now but my feelings don’t change” she revealed.

Jun stared at her.

Hitomi did the same. “Yes Shin, I still love you, the reason why I return is to be with you again”

Their eyes met. They were embraced by silence.

*

I didn’t listen to Miss Eun Hye. I left her with confidence. “Jun won’t leave me…”

*

“Gomen Hitomi…” said Jun separating from the hug. “I don’t want to see her crying”

When Jun returned home, I welcomed him with smile. We hugged each other, tight than unusual. For once I wanted to stay like this forever.