Chapter 19

Ryosuke was sitting on one of the benches near the hospital grounds. Mariya already left him to go home and personally tell their father that Miyu—or Mirai—is still alive.

An hour had already passed since Umika and Chinen saw him with Mariya inside the ice cream shop, but his mind was still stuck thinking about what actually happened. He sighed before rubbing his hands on his face in frustration.

“What are you doing, Yamada Ryosuke?! What do you plan on doing?! Sh*t!” he just exclaimed as he kicked off a stone on the ground.

Then he remembered what had happened in the shop before Umika and Chinen got to them.

*FLASHBACK*

They were just a few more strides away from the ice cream shop when Mariya stopped in her tracks.

“This is going to be about Mirai, right?” she said her voice cracking as she spoke. Ryosuke didn’t even glance her way when he answered,

“Yes.”

He felt her sigh heavily then he just felt her hands encircle his as she pulled her into the ice cream shop.

“I’ll answer everything you ask after this… Just give me some of your time, Ryo. Even just this while…” she said sadly.

Mariya immediately ordered one cup of strawberry ice cream and one cup of coffee ice cream.

After ordering, they quietly sat down on an empty table and started eating their ice cream. No one dared speak, it was already awkward that two ex-lovers were sitting together and eating ice cream. But it was more awkward that this time, you’re sitting together with your ex who is also the sister of your current love.

“I really hate coffee…” this made Ryosuke glance at the girl beside her, and he wasn’t able to stop himself from smiling on her remark.

He remembered how she usually says that she hates coffee, but it was always the flavor she’ll order every time. He even remembers the time when he asked her why she’d order coffee when she’d claim to hate it.

“Because I know that you’ll eventually share some of your ice cream with me… And even if it’s your favorite, you’ll allow me to eat it, and we’ll end up sharing on the same cup afterwards… Isn’t it much sweeter like that, ne Ryo?”

“You haven’t change at all…” he said after a while, making Mariya smile. He remembered how she used to smile for him like that, sweet and genuine.

“I know, Ryo. I’m still the pretty Mari! Hehe.”

“Still conceited as ever, are we?”

“Oh stop it, you know I’m just telling the truth! You used to compliment me before, right?”

“Right… That was when I was still in your spell, Ms. Witch… Hahaha.”

“Eh~ So mean… But really! Look at me, what can you say now? I do look better, right?” Mariya even fluttered her eyes jokingly at Ryosuke.

“Yeah yeah, fine. You do look better but just a bit. Hahaha. I look even gorgeous anyway…” he answered laughing.

“There… At least now you’re laughing. I missed seeing you like that, Ryo. I miss you…” she said with a smile, he smiled back. But it was obvious in both their eyes that there was still sadness.

Ryosuke does admit that he missed being with her. He missed her. It really wasn’t easy to just forget her like that. She was his first love and his first heartache after all.

He used to curse her; he even despised having to hear her name or even see her photos on the magazines or even glance at her posters on SHINE’s store branches.

She changed him to be Yamada Ryosuke the Player. She changed everything that he is and was the moment she left him. And he hated that.

Ryosuke dawned in the realization that everything he felt for her was all in the past. Yes, it was true that he WAS in love with her. He LOVED her. And he DID hate her when she left him. He really HATED her. But none of those feelings exists anymore.

Right now, whenever he looks at the girl beside him… All he could think of is that Shida Mariya is the sister of the woman he loves, and that is Miyu… Shida Mirai.

She’s not his ex-girlfriend or the girl who left him anymore… She’s just Shida Mariya. And right then, Ryosuke felt free. And it was all thanks to Miyu for freeing him of that painful and suffocating past.

At least now, he could finally accept everything that had happened.

“Here, you can have some…” he said making the girl smile widely before scooping up some of his strawberry ice cream.

“I love strawberry!” she exclaimed still smiling.

“Shut up, Mari… You hate strawberry, you just love ice cream so much that whatever the flavor is, you’re sure to eat it! Hahaha.”

“You know me too well, Ryo…”

“It’s because you never change. You’re still… Mariya.”

The girl smiled while looking at him straight into his eyes, and he had to look away right then.

Yes, he was still the same Mariya he fell in love with. But it wasn’t the same anymore, because right now his feeling for her weren’t there anymore… That even when she confessed that she still loves him, he can’t say the same to her then.

“I guess something did change… You’ve become fatter.” He suddenly said in a serious manner. This made the gi