******

The story starts laying in the dark with someone new

I’m feeling tired from all the time I spent on you

But I know I’m strong from all the trouble I’ve been through

The story starts where the story falls apart with you

Lying in this warm, comfortable bed should have been relaxing, but it felt otherwise. Staring at the room’s dark ceiling, I felt heavy and melancholic as my mind wandered towards where you might be at this moment. I closed my eyes as I tremble at the mere thought of you.

It has been years, yet every time I close my eyes, I wonder why it’s still your warm smile that I see clearly. I heavily sighed, trying to expel all the emotions brought about by mere memory of you.

Trying to rid my thoughts of you, I turned to face the right side of the bed just in time to see a pair of warm, compassionate eyes staring back at me. A sweet smile formed at those thin, pink lips of the man lying beside me, and suddenly, I felt his warm hands hold my cold, trembling hands.

“I’ll always be here by your side. I will never ever leave you…” he then said with his voice as sweet as his smile. He held my hands firmly, and as if in cue, my vision became blurry as I felt warm tears run down my soft cheeks.

“I’ll always be here by your side. I will never ever leave you…”

Those were the exact same words you said to me back then, right? But… Why aren’t you here beside me now? Why did you leave me alone? Why is the person beside me someone else? Why did it all fall apart?

Why did we fall apart?

“Hey…” I felt his warm hands touch my cheeks as he wipe my tears away. And slowly, a small smile formed in my lips…

Can I finally say goodbye, Ryo-kun?

Don’t lie, bright eyes

Is it me that you see when you fall asleep?

Cause I know it’s you I dream about every night

Giving me a feeling like

Love in the summer

Way I’ve never felt with another

Don’t lie, bright eyes

Is it me that you see?

Tell me I’m not dreaming alone

“Thank you… But you know that I’m stronger now, right? I can go through this… I can confidently say that I can do it on my own now…” I said as I smiled and wiped my own tears.

“CUT! Great take, both of you! Alright, so let’s take a 15 minute break first!”

I heard the director yell, and I immediately rose from the bed, and fixed myself.

“Great take, Mirai-chan! Up until now, I get goosebumps acting with you.” I heard my co-actor-slash-friend say before I can even finish fixing my ‘bed hair’ and wiping my tear stained eyes.

“Eh?! Oh, stop it! You’re a great actor yourself and I just act according to how you deliver.” I smiled as he also smiled back shyly.

“Anyway, I’ll just go out for a while…” I said and immediately went to the small garden outside the house we were shooting in.

I grabbed my phone and started checking out my messages at first, but then I just ended up looking at our pictures from before. And I particularly held my breath when I saw a picture of you sleeping…

It was a photo of you when we were still in highschool. You were fast asleep in your desk and I was about to wake you up to tell you that the classes were finished, yet I ended up taking your picture. You were sleeping soundly, and you were smiling in your sleep…

“I wonder what you were dreaming of…? Were you dreaming of me, too, like how I always dream of you…?”

********************************************************************************************************

The story starts lying in the dark broken and bruised

I count the scars left in my heart from losing you

And I was wrong but let’s be honest you were too

I miss the part where I was falling hard for you

“Hey, you okay? You’ve been spacing out since--”

“I’m fine, okay? Geez. You’re such a worrywart, Yuto.” I said, trying hard to sound as cheerful as I can get. But knowing this guy, I can’t exactly hide anything anyway…

“Oh, really? You’ve been sulking since who knows when, plus you sometimes smile with no reason at all, and then you’ll start frowning… Then you kept on checking your phone and kept staring at your photos with… Okay. I know you haven’t really moved on from--”

“I’ve moved on…” I said, suddenly cutting whatever Yuto was about to say. I just didn’t want to hear those words again. And I’ve actually moved on anyway… I’ve moved on like how you’ve moved on without me, right Mi-chan?

“I thought the denial stage was just temporary, but you’ve been doing it since forever, Yama-chan. And will you stop lying?! It’s obvious how you still can’t get over the br--”

“Don’t say it.”

“Alright, fine! But, really? What’s wrong? You seemed really troubled, you know… And one more thing, you keep on denying your feelings again! I thought you’ve learned your lesson about that already. Given that one of the reasons she…”

Yuto stopped talking when I angrily stared back at him. I just don’t want to hear anything about what happened anymore. Not being there beside you is enough ache as it is, I can’t stand hearing anything anymore that could add up to my wounds that hasn’t even healed yet.

I sighed, just thinking about you is enough to make my mind go into a series of maze. Ever since, you’re the only one who can make me lose my cool. And ever since, you’re the only one who can calm my crazed senses.

“I guess I just miss her so much.” I said as I stared outside the window and smiled bitterly.

“We’re really busy with a lot of things right now, ne? And honestly, it’s getting into me and I’m actually getting stressed out… And I just remember how easily she eases my mind before when we were still… Well, I guess I just miss her at times like this.” I heard Yuto sigh heavily before tapping my back. Then he spoke deeply,

“Things happen, Yama-chan. I guess all you’re left to do is move on and learn from your mistakes…”

I looked at him and snickered, earning a questioning look from him. Then I said in a low tone,

“I know I was wrong, Yuto. I admit that. And I know I had hurt her… But if she really did love me like how she claims to, she wouldn’t just let go that easily, right? She could’ve have…”

So don’t lie, bright eyes

Is it me that you see when you fall asleep?

Cause I know it’s you I dream about every night

Giving me this feeling like

Love in the summer

Way I’ve never felt with another

Don’t lie, bright eyes

Is it me that you see?

Tell me I’m not dreaming alone

“Yama-chan…” Yuto looked at me with pained eyes. He was one of the people who really supported me and Mirai, and I know he is also hurting not just for me but also for Mirai, who is also his good friend.

“I’m sorry… It’s not that I’m putting the blame on her or anything. It’s just… I guess I’m just really stressed out with a lot of things. And I guess, I still haven’t really moved on… She’s my first love after all. And she still is… She’s still my dream girl. She’s the one and only girl I’ll be dreaming and wanting to be with. But sad thing is, she might not see me as how I see her anymore…”

I can’t take back the things I said

And I won’t say that I regret

Any day that I was yours

“I can’t turn back time, however I wanted to… But one thing's for sure, all those time with her, all those moments I call her mine, was the best times of my life.”

********************************************************************************************************

I stared at your photo one last time and didn’t realize that I was already smiling widely. I had to bite my lower lips just to try and hide that crazy smile.

Yes, memories of losing you might be too painful to describe with words… But, all those times we were together, the times when I can say that you were mine and I was yours, those were the moments that I will never forget and never will I even try to forget. Those precious memories I had with you were the greatest.

“Shida-san, come on! Let’s get you ready for the next scene!”

I halt all thoughts of you the moment I heard the staff call for me, I mustered a smile and nodded,

“Yes, I’m coming!”

********************************************************************************************************

“Yamada-san, we’ll be shooting the next scene. Please get ready.”

The talk with Yuto abruptly ended when a staff member entered the dressing room to call for me.

“Alright, thank you.” I said as I stood up and breathed in. I then looked back at Yuto and smiled,

“Thanks for the talk.”

“Good luck with the shoot! Oh, by the way, about her… Who knows, maybe it’s not the end of your story yet.”

I just had to smile and hope that maybe, somehow, it really is isn’t the end of us yet.

********************************************************************************************************

Don’t lie, bright eyes

I know it’s me that you see when you fall asleep

And you know it’s you I dream about every night

Giving me this feeling like

Love in the summer

Way I’ve never felt with any other

Don’t lie, bright eyes

It’ll always be you and me, so why are we dreaming alone?

Woah oh, woah oh, woah oh

It’ll always be you and me, so why are we dreaming alone?

“Alright, Scene 53! Cameras ready!”

The entire staff and crew were busy with their own designated tasks. Making sure that everything was in place, everything was in time, everything was ready, and everything was perfect.

“Actors in place!”

Both the actor and actress for that scene were in place. Make-up, hair, wardrobe, everything was in its rightful place.

“Cue…”

It was seconds before the word “ACTION!” will be yelled by the director. But even before it was said, there was enough action for both the actor and the actress standing opposite one another at that moment.

They were two of this generation's sought after artists. The idol/actor who captures every woman’s heart with his surreal features and breathtaking smile. And the award winning actress who exceeds the norms in acting and makes each of her projects and characters stand out to be more than just the best.

Yamada Ryosuke and Shida Mirai.

They were standing opposite one another, staring at each other without even blinking. It was like both of them are savouring the moment of being at a close distance once again.

Shida Mirai, was the first one to smile and nod at Yamada Ryosuke’s presence. He on the other hand looked taken aback at first, he opened his lips as if to speak something, yet ended up nodding back at her with a small smile on his lips.

Looking at each others’ eyes and speaking with no words spoken, smiling behind the questions that were swirling on each others’ minds, and standing there unmoving when all they wanted to do was run towards the other and show how much they’ve longed for each other.

Staring at each others’ eyes, not one of them can deny the feelings that they still have for each other. Their eyes can’t lie, their hearts can’t keep denying the feelings that they still have for each other. The feelings that never have they felt with any other...

I loved you, and I still do… But… I guess it’s better to just let go, right?

I loved you, I still do, and forever will. But maybe, it’s better this way… I don’t want to hurt you again...

But, it was all over now… They were over. However they may have loved or still love each other, it was all over. They’ve broken up years before, and seeing each other again just opened up the wounds that weren’t even healed to begin with.

It’ll always be you and me… But tell me, why are we dreaming alone?

“ACTION!”

Ryosuke then suddenly walked closer to Mirai who was taken by surprise. She then looked panicky and uneasy as she stepped by and clasped her hands to her chest.

“Hisashiburi, Lee Yumi.”

***END***