As the sun sets, the sky’s filled with various colors, the bright sunlight shone through the classroom, embracing everyone and leaving no one out. Staring out the window, a soft warm breeze came flowing in, you can see the thin dandelion dancing in the wind. I wanted to be like them, fly freely. Not caged in this stupid classroom, this stupid seat. That’s what my heart is saying, but up front, you can only see the hardworking face of mine. I want to be number one, no matter what.

It was self-study right now, surprisingly, everyone was quiet. When I looked up from my desk, I could see that Yuri propped himself up on one elbow. I followed his gaze, and there it was, the dandelion floating right in front of him. His face was as fresh as a raindrop, matching his personalities, cheerful and pure. He was once a hardworking person, too. Or so they tell me.

The dandelion flew past him, floating towards me with its thin body. Yuri calls them great dancers, insisting that its stiff stem matched the flexible body of a human. It hates me. Or at least I hate it. The smell, the soft fuzzy thing on top of the flower makes me go dizzy. It comes tickling your face and the next thing you know it, it’s up your nose.

I sat up right away, squatting the poor flower away. It came back; I didn’t hesitate to smack it again.

“Hey, Remika,” says Yuri. When I first met him, he was alone in the music room dancing. It’s his dream. Ever since he was born, the first thing he knew was how to dance. He said that his parents wanted to be professional dancers once, but they didn’t succeed. Lack of talent was what his parents said, and so they wanted him to fulfill their uncompleted dream.

“You’re killing it. Let me help you with that.” Yuri laughed as he cupped the dandelion in his hands. He walked toward the window, letting the dandelion free.

“Thanks,” I say. Like always, no emotion plastered across my face.

“It’s nothing.” He winked. And our conversation ended, we both looked back at our desk. I was sure he was drawing, doodling his textbooks like always. 

“I didn’t know you understood this question! Teach me, please?” He looked at me.

“Okay,” I replied. I didn’t even roll my eyes when he yawned. Studying isn’t his best priority. Suddenly he falls into an English accent as he asked me to walk with him after school. I just nodded, like I always do.

“Thank you! We’ll have ice cream and we can go to the park for a while.” He counted his fingers. I couldn’t help but laugh. He sure is cute.

“You laughed, you laughed because of me!” He smiled brightly, holding my hands as he told our classmates.

You wouldn’t think laughing was such a hard thing, since you do it almost every day. But for some people, laughing or actually smiling is a hard job. You see, I live to study. Work hard for my family. Only care about studies. There’s no time for emotions. I’ve never cried in my life, when I was young, my mother would always say sweet things to me, there’s no reason for me to cry. As for my dad, it was either he was at work all the time, or he was at home sleeping. There’s no time for me. He was a work manic. Probably what I’ll be, too.

Since I transferred to this school, Yuri’s been the only one who talked to me. I distant myself from everyone, don’t get me wrong, It’s not that I don’t associate with people. It’s that, all these gossip, rumors and fights you have with people, it is a burden to just deal with them.

The last period was over, students all rushed out of the classroom. Yuri was waiting for me in front of my desk. He was watching me, he does that a lot. Let’s just say, I don’t feel weird or have any tingling feeling inside me. I don’t care what he does, at all.

“Let’s go,” I brushed some bangs away from my eyes.

“Ice cream!” He screamed.

“Yeah, ice cream.” I repeated, blinking my eyes to see a black figure walking our way.

“Hey Remika, what’s for dinner?” Hikaru asked. He’s barely my half brother, I live with him. And ever since my mother died two years ago, I’ve been taking up the role as the mother.

“We’re going for ice cream.” Yuri stuck his tongue out.

“She lives with me, now back off,” says Hikaru. He was a small boy when my family took him in, he was older than me, but you wouldn’t know that due to his personality. Many people say that with Hikaru in our family, we’re complete. Hikaru’s like my mom, while I’m like my dad. I hate it when they say that, I barely know my dad. Yet they compare us like…

“Oh sure, she likes me better,” says Yuri.

“How can she like you?” Hikaru scanned Yuri.

“You like me more right?” Yuri turned to me.

“No! You like me better right Remi-chan?” Hikaru also turned this way.

“So noisy, I hate the both of you.” I couldn’t help but walk away.

“She says she likes me more!” Yuri laughed at Hikaru.

“She said you were noisy!” Hikaru shouted.

“I am noisy! And so are you!” Yuri pouted. I laughed, smiled and…What’s this feeling? A warm moisturized thing slid down my cheek. I’m crying. All those years of not crying, and now the tears come splashing down. This was the first time these two brats made me laugh so hard, I don’t know why…But they have something other people don’t. 

“You cried,” says Hikaru.

“I know.” I said.

“Why?” Hikaru asked.

“You guys are so cute!” I squealed. I never knew I can be like that; it’s been years since I fully released myself from my body. Hikaru and Yuri’s been fighting for a long time already, why did it happen today? Is something about to happen? Something I’ll regret? I didn’t know why, but I wanted to treasure this moment. The first time my feelings came out. I guess the body just couldn’t hold my emotions any longer.

        I hugged them, tight.

“It hurts Remika…” Hikaru rubbed his neck after I released them.

“Are you kidding me? I love it!” Yuri flashed me a grin, without hesitate; I replied the same dashing smile.

“Let’s all enjoy the night together. Before anything bad happens.” I said.

“What can possibly happen?” Hikaru laughed.

It didn’t take long for another wonderful full of emotions day to end. I never knew being happy and relaxing would make time move so fast. I made friends, they were nice and they were really cute. I still haven’t thanked Hikaru and Yuri for making me like this. I see life…Differently. It was also my first time getting a 60 on my math test. I rock don’t I?

But I can’t help but feel something different lately. It’s been a week already and Yuri hasn’t been his usual self. He’s studying hard for the exams in two weeks. His forehead’s often knotted. He rarely talks to anyone, including me.

Two weeks, Yuri’s gotten paler. His face is white and his eyes sometimes glow. What’s happening? Am I…sick? Or is he…sick? My grades drop fast; I didn’t know my life would turn like this. I mean, I just let my emotions out for once. Is that such a bad thing? Am I really destined to live for studying and working? Am I…Nothing without my grades?

I got my answer the next day.

“What do you want?” A boy grabbed onto my wrist.

“We want you.” He laughed.

“But I don’t want you!” I screamed.

“Be quiet, someone will hear us…”The second boy hushed.

“It’ll be quick and fast.” The first boy smirked. He covered my mouth with a cloth and started ripping at my school blouse. ing it, but the weird thing was that he buttoned it up after ing the buttons.

“SOMEBODY HELP ME!!” I screamed.

        “What’s wrong with you?” The second boy got impatient.

        “I...I don’t know! My hands won’t listen to me.” The boy was furious.

        “Kazune! What are you doing?” A young girl’s voice called the boy. The first one I think?

        “I…Don’t come in Orika.” The first boy replied the girl.

        “Um…Am I interrupting something?” I bit the cloth. I have to get out!

        “No! I will get it before anyone else does! Even if I have to look into your clothes!” The boy, Kazune says.

        “ERT! SOMEBODY SAVE ME!” I managed to yell.

        “Hurry! I can’t hold the door any longer.” The second boy said. He was five feet across the room, pushing the door down from the loud knocking sounds. Kazune ripped my school blouse off, he rolled up my tank top, revealing my ugly looking belly button. I remember where the doctor did a poor job on disconnecting my mother and me. That’s how my belly button looked so…ugly.

        “Got it.” Kazune smiled. He pulled off something from my belly. Through the dim light, I couldn’t see anything. But I felt myself being locked up.

        “Are you done? This is against the law.” I said.

        “You’re back to normal! Yuri will be happy.” Kazune stood up and pulled me up from the ground.

        “Yuri? What’s he got to do with this? And…I thought you were going to me.” I muttered.

        “It’s a long story Hanazono-san. I’m sorry for the rudeness and violence used. But it really is for your own good, we like you better this way. And we really need to get those memories of yours…Anyways, you’ll see.” Kazune bowed and left the room. “I’m here Orika! Nothing happened.”

        “What did he do?” I said to myself. Inspecting my whole upper body, there was nothing to see. I felt calm though, like this was nothing.

        A dark shadow appeared before me, he was…Yuri. The boy I wanted to see most.

        “Yuri…”

        “Hey Remika…Mind saying you love me?” He asked.

        “What do you mean?” I replied.

        “I’m fading…” He showed me his hands, those pale hands and tired eyes.

        “And?” I asked, clearly not convinced.

        “I’m sorry for making you lose your smile. You weren’t like this before. You were always smiling but you’re not anymore. I think I made you this way. I’m sorry.” Yuri sighed. What’s he doing? I have no clue…Yet, I burst into tears. Images flashed in front of me. They were pictures of me and Yuri…When we were young. I know what Kazune was doing now; he was awakening my forgotten memories of the past.

        “I didn’t know…You were the one…My childhood…Yuri!” I sobbed on the ground. I know it was too late. Today was, the day of his death. It was destined when he was young. I was there when his death was declared. How could I forget him all these years? I finally met him in high school…But now…It’s all too late. We were friends from birth, we did everything together. I left when I was in Junior High school…But finally we just met again, I forgot about him! About his faith! I was the one who could have stopped him from dying…

        “It is difficult to take in the truth, but it’s not impossible.” Yuri ruffled my hair.

        “I forgot about you…I’m so sorry. I should have never moved away from town!” I cried.

        “I forgot how to cry since I left you, I forgot how to smile since I couldn’t see you…I love you Chinen Yuri! Don’t die...Don’t go away.” I pleaded.

        “I always thought that because we are always together, I could tell you my feelings anytime but it’s too late now.” Yuri hugged me. I was in his arms, crying my eyes out.

        “If you love and miss that person, then love can come again when you meet again. Just like playing hide and seek… no matter where it hides or even if you can’t see it, it must be waiting at some place for me. Amid the countless chaos just like the sincere prayers of love, the people in love will surely meet again.” Yuri said calmly.

        “Why are you the one comforting me? You’re the one disappearing…” I locked my arms around his neck. We kissed.

        “Live on. Live on forever.” He kissed my forehead one last time before turning totally invisible.

        It’s been exactly one year since the death of Chinen Yuri. He was never mentioned in class ever again, it’s like he never existed, which is partly true. His death was different, he wasn’t human…He was a cursed soul sent to earth by accident. I happened to befriend from birth, do everything together. And knowing his biggest secret, the judges of death caught him on earth…They declared his death, he will never live happily ever again. They say how dare he run and hide in earth.

As I think about the past, the tears will come out. Reality is too cruel, too brutal. I don’t even have the right to dream. As I think about the future, the tears will come out again. I walked past the grassy fields of our school; looking over the whole meadow…I found a dandelion dancing in the air.

Dandelions…Yuri’s favorite…And his dreams to become a dancer…I wonder what happened to his parents.

Staring at the flying dandelion, I cupped them in my hands, the way Yuri does it.

“Inside my heart here… you have a room. In this room, you and I will grow old together. And I will never let you go. Just thought you should know.” I said. I twirled the dandelion one last time before blowing it away.

“Thanks for the memories Yuri Chinen…Thanks for your smile…It’s what makes me move on…” I clasped my hands together.

“Did you get my message Yuri?” I muttered before walking away, tears sliding down.

  -The End-

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My friend gave me this poster as a present! ^_^ 

I decided to post it out~