Title : Wait for me
Author : pa_houa94
Requester : Sherry

It’s hard to tell people that my best friend is the “popular boy” at school. He’s not like that at all! Kota is the most annoying person ever! He’s loud, he’s always joking, he’s annoying, he’s rude, he’s stupid, and he fails every class. But on the other hand, he’s nice sometimes, he’s funny, he’s hilarious when it comes to making someone mad, he’s always there for me, and he’s giving. When people hear the name, Yabu Kota, they think, oh pretty popular kid. But no, he’s not one of those mean, bullying machines. That’s why I like to hang out with him. That’s why we’re cool being next door neighbors and we like walking to school together.
“Yokira! Hurry! I’m tired of waiting now!” his voice slams on the cold glass window to her room. “It’s almost time for school!”
“I’m coming I’m coming!” I grab my bad and run down to the kitchen. I look past the lady that had passed out there on the dining table and quickly grab my lunch. “Dad! I’m Leaving-”
“SHUT UP! You’ll wake up the whole world!” his voice booms from somewhere upstairs.
“Bye dad.” I say quietly before I close the front door and storm out to Kota. It’s been more than three years that dad has been living like that. A year after Mom left, dad went crazy and started to drink and go clubbing. He brings home old ladies, and sometimes even girls my age. It’s sickening, but he doesn’t listen to anyone anymore. He doesn’t even see me as his daughter anymore. I guess he never did, because mom was always the one who loved me the most. But everything was clear, when she left without a trace.
“Hey! How long are you going to take!” Kota shouts, and then wraps one arm around me shoulder, “We’re going to be late for school again.” I laugh a little and push him off of me.
“It’s not like you care about being late anyways.” I lightly punch him in the arm. “Hey, I’ll race you to school!” I shout and run as fast as I could.
“That’s not fair!” I hear his faint voice behind me. “You’re on track!” but it was true, nobody could run as fast as me at school. I was the fastest track runner, that could run long distances as well. I’ve always wondered that if I could run so fast, why I never leave my hell home. I could just run and never look back, never even think about those front steps that lead me to hell. I could occupy my mind with running and running, But I don’t run, and I’m not too sure why.
When I got to school, we weren’t late yet. I stood at the entrance and waited for Kota to catch up.
“Hey!” he says out of breath. “I waited all that time for you at your house! How dare you run off without me!” he shouts pausing in between each word.
“Oh look! No time to talk! Hurry let’s go!” I laugh and drag him along with me into school, just as the first bell rang. “See you in three minutes.” I say running to my locker. We had first hour together anyways.


“There was another lady?! How old was she? Did you get to see who she was? Maybe we know her, and we can beat her up!” Kota shouts.
“Shush!” I cover his mouth and look around for anyone who heard him say that. “I don’t know… she looked around…40 years old…she had a lot of makeup on, so…” I let go of him and lean back against the wall of the hallway. We were in our secret hallway of the school. We always came here together during lunch break and ate here by ourselves. We talked here, well, I talked, he listened. You would think that the pretty boy of the school didn’t know how to listen, but he was a good listener. He was the only reason why I was still here today. A person can only keep in so many things to themselves. If Kota wasn’t here to listen to me, I don’t know where I’d be right now. Probably out in the streets, digging around dumpsters, or snatching wallets to buy food.
“Ah, it’s okay, Yorika.” he consoles me. “Your mom…she was a good person…but…” me and Kota has been best friends since forever, before my mom ran away and my dad became crazy. My dad was always a bad guy even before all this mess happened. I guess my mom just couldn’t take it anymore.
“Thanks Kota.” I say wiping away my tears and stuffing my mouth with rice and left over tofu with beans. Kota smiles and opens the food that his mom made for him.
“It’s fried chicken with soy sauce.” he says and puts some in my container.
“Thanks…Kota…” If only I had a mom that cooked for me. A mom that would make lunch for me everyday. A mom that went grocery shopping and bought meat and soy sauce. The very thought brought giant tears to my eyes. Kota was very lucky, and I was very lucky to have him.
“So what are you going to do now?” Kota asks me, “About your mom.”
“About my mom…I don’t know…” I say just as the bell rings and we stand up to go back to class. “I don’t want to do anything anymore.” I murmur and walk slowly back to class with Kota. “Anyways, did you get the notes for class the other day? I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I was just stuck at home, cleaning.” I tried to lie.
“Yeah, I have them.” he smiles and takes the notes out of his bag. “But first, you have to show me your wrists.” he insists. I look at him and try to say something, but I couldn’t, because he already knew.
“Kota…” I say still staring into his daring eyes. “It’s not that…” but he already shuffled my sleeves out of the way and held my arms clear in sight.
“Yorika! Why are you still protecting him?!” He shouts angrily examining my bruise colored arms.
“It’s okay Kota! I’m fine! Really!” I say retrieving my arms from him, mad now, that he found out. I smile and push him a little, “Ah, why are you so nosy!” I pinch his nose and walk off.
“Yorika…what…what else is he making you do?” Kota faintly whispers. I swallow back my tears, because I can’t cry anymore, not here.
“I’ll see you in class!” I shout still smiling and run off to the bathroom to get myself together.

“Alright class, today we’re getting new seats!” Ms. Yamada announces. There are a series of groans and cheers here and there. “Okay okay. Now, move when I call your name.”
“We never get new seats! This is awesome!” a girl giggles somewhere.
“I hope I get to sit next to Yabu Kota, he’s sooo cute…” a girl squirms from the corner.
“No! Inoo Kei is way better!”
“Pick me Ms. Yamada!”
Ms. Yamada goes along with her list of names and ignores the protests.
“I won’t get to sit with you anymore. Should I go ask Ms. Yamada if we can sit together?” Kota asks. I smile and shake my head.
“You’re always there for me anyways Kota, I don’t want you to have to be stuck with me forever!” I laugh at his concerned face. “Besides, I’m good at making friends.” but even I could tell that was a lie.
“Ishida Yorika and Inoo Kei.” Ms. Yamada says. I smile and wave to Kota as I get up and sit where Ms. Yamada pointed to.
“Hi, I’m Inoo Kei. Looking forwards to be partners with you.” the boy next to me sticks out his hand.
“Hey. I’m Ishida Yorika.” I say slowly and take his hand. He laughs and nods.
“I know.” he just says. For some reason, he seemed so likable. No wonder half the girls at school had a crush on him. I smile and make a face at him.
“What’s this? The handsome boy at school knows the normal Ishida girl?” I almost laugh at the word normal and go along flirting with him. He laughs quietly again and shakes his head.
“We used to have class together. You don’t remember?” he asks. I frown and try to think back.
“We had class together?” I ask pondering that. He nods knowingly and laughs again.
“Maybe you don’t remember, but we have track together, right now. You’re the first place runner, and I’m second.” he reminds me.
“Oh right!” I shout and start to laugh. I totally forgot that he had track also. “I remember now! Coach made us race last time, and I beat you!” I say pushing his shoulder. He groans and nods.
“You were just a little bit too fast for me.” he smiles. I laugh because his laugh was so soothing.
“I wasn’t just a little bit too fast for you, I was a lot too fast for you.” I correct him. “Looks like it’s going to actually be okay being partners with you.” I smiles.
“Okay? It’s going to be great!” he smiles back. “You can call me Kei, I don’t like Inoo anyways.”
“Okay! And you can call me Yorika. Let’s be friends?” I ask. He nods in agreement.
From then onwards, me and Kei started to hang out more often than me and Kota. We become good friends. I started to tell Kota that I couldn’t eat lunch with him some days because I was eating with Kei. I went places with Kei more often. We went out to the movies, we went for diner, and sometimes just to go and talk. Kei was a good guy. He was nice and kind. He never does or says anything that would make me uncomfortable. I was happy when I was with him.

“Aw, Yorika made a new friend, now I won’t be the only one eating lunch in our corner, right?” Kota asks rubbing my head, messing up my hair.
“Ah! Flower boy! Stop!” I shout and kick him in the knee. I laugh as he falls to the ground groaning in pain. “Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad! Get up!”
“I’m a pretty boy, remember? I can’t take pain!” he shouts. And raises a hand up for me to help him. I sigh and pull him up. “And you’re going to give me a bruise! It won’t look good under my jeans.” he whines. I laugh at him trying to make me pity him.
“It’s okay pretty flower boy, it’ll be gone in three days.” Kota stops walking when I say that. I turn around to face him.
“How do you know that?” he asks.
“What?”
“How do you know it’ll be gone in three days?” he asks again.
“I…” I pause and try to not get caught in another one of my lies, “I guessed.”
“Yorikia.” Kota says sternly.
“What?! Don’t get in my business, Kota. You wouldn’t like it anyways.” I say backing away from him. Not wanting him to know that my dad beats me when he gets angry about my mom. That when my dad’s friends come over, things happen that could make me get kicked out from school. That I have to clean the house every Friday because Saturday is when dad brings over his mates. That I wake up everyday to the disgusting smell of alcohol and . “It wasn’t always like this.” I say out loud.
“Yorika…” Kota takes my hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. Don’t pity me.” I say angrily at him. I know I shouldn’t be mad at him, but I hate when people take pity on me. I don’t like it and I don’t want any of it.
“Yorika, I’m not pitying you. I want to help you.” he sighs. I step back from him again and shake my head.
“I don’t need help.”
“Fine. I’m sorry.” he says firmly. “Today then, at school. Do you like him?” he asks.
“What?” I ask offended.
“Inoo Kei. Do you like him?”
“What are you talking about?!” I shout and push him. “It’s none of your business!”
“So you like him.”
“Yes! Yes I like him! What does that have to do with you!?” I shout. Kota closes his eyes and backs away from me now.
“All this time, and you still don’t understand me, Yorika.” Kota mumbles.
“What? What are you saying?! Why are you all of a sudden saying this to me?!” I ask confused. We were a block away from our houses and the rain started to pour on us. But neither of us were noticing.
“I like you, Yorika. I’ve always liked you, since we were younger. You never noticed?” he asks.
“I…You…” I mumble and shake my head. “But…I thought…” my heart was pounding so fast, I didn’t know what was going on. My cheeks began to flutter and I felt the blood rush to my face. My heart was beating out of control.
“You never noticed that I liked you…”
“Why are you telling me this now?!” I shout and move my rain drenched hair our of my face.
“I really truly like you, Yorika. I don’t know…I might even be in love with you. Don’t tell me this is…” he takes another step from me, “One sided love only.” he whispers.
“I…I can’t think about this right now.” I shake my head.
“Yorika, if you were to run away, right now. I would come with you.” Kota says to me and holds my eyes in comfort for a long lasting three seconds before he pulls away and starts to walk back home. Leaving me in the rain to think and agonize by myself.
That night was cold and stormy. All I could see from my window was flashes of light and loud shaking thunder that shook my soul more than my room. My mom’s old cell phone was flashing from somewhere in my room. I quickly get out of bed and run to the flashing light. I thought the phone was dead. My mom gave it to me the night before she left. She told me she would be back for me…but she never came back. On the screen of the cell phone, it read an unknown number. I quickly flip it open and listen to the other end.
“Hello? Hello?” it was mom.

“Yorika. Can I talk to you?” Kei takes my hand in the hallway by my locker and walks with me to the roof.
“Yeah Kei? What’s wrong?” I ask.
“I…I have something to tell you.” he says. I nod and try to smile as he looked at me.
“What is it?”
“I…I like you Yorika. Will you go out with me?” he asks. “I know we’ve only known each other for a while, but I really do like you. I want to get to know you more than just a friend.” he says taking my hands. My heart didn’t beat out of it’s normal tune. My cheeks didn’t flutter. And I didn’t feel anything.
“Kei…” I say slowly. “I…” I swallow and try to keep myself calm. “If I asked you, Kei, to run away with me right now, would you?” And I knew the answer to that, when he didn’t answer me.

I finally knew. I knew what I wanted. I want Kota.

“I’m sorry Kei.” I say and run down the steps of the roof. I ran as fast as I could to find him. I need to find him. I have to tell him. I need him right now. Kota…where are you? And then I ran to our hallway. Our dark hallway where we always hid. I almost ran right into him.
“Kota!” I say out of breath.
“Yorika? What’s wrong?” he asks checking to see if something was wrong with me. I shake my head and just stare up at him.
“Kota…I…” I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck and gently push my lips on his.

“My mom called, Kota.” I whisper as we sit in the hallway alone once again.
“What?” he asks shocked.
“She called. She told me that she is coming back for me. She’s going to come get me. We’re going to move to America.” I let all my tears out and cry my eyes out. “She finally called, Kota!” he wraps his arms around me and embraces me in a tight hug. I was sad, but I felt safe in his arms. “I don’t want to leave you, Kota…” I cry even harder into his chest. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Yorika, this is what you’ve been waiting for. I’ve spent my whole life, trying to get you out of that hell hole, I don’t want to be the one who will make you stay. Go, Yorika. You’ll be better with you mom.” Kota says. It’s not that I didn’t expect him to tell me that. But it’s that he’s saying it.
“But I don’t want to leave you…”
“I’ll be fine, I’ll miss you, but I want you to be happy. And you can always come back and visit me. When I’m out of here, I’ll come find you.” he promises me. He lifts my face with his caressing hands and wipes away my tears. “Don’t worry about me. Just do what you want.” he says and leans into my lips, taking my breath away once more.
“She’s coming tonight. I need to pack my bags. Will you meet me at the park at midnight?” I ask. I’ve made up my mind. Staying with dad will just turn me into a crazy person like him, I’d rather leave with mom. The only thing I’ll regret is Kota. But I don’t plan to leave forever. “Kota, will you wait for me?”

“Mom!” I shout and run to the woman who abandoned me. The woman who would rather leave then take care of her daughter and her husband. The woman that I couldn’t let go of. The woman that I still loved, no matter how many other women dad brings home.
“Yorika! Oh my daughter! I’m so sorry!” mom cries and plants kisses on my forehead. “Let’s leave now. We can catch up later.” she insists.
“Wait, mom, I’m waiting for Kota.” I say just as I hear him running towards us. I run to him and we clash, with me in his clinching arms.
“Yorika. You have to leave. Your dad knows you’re gone. You need to go now.” Kota tells me. But I don’t care because I was in his arms.
“Kota…I’m so sorry.” I say crying again.
“It’s alright Yorika. You have my phone number. You have my address. I’ll come find you. Just, wait for me okay?” he asks moving the hair out of my face. I nod and smile a little.
“I’ll wait for you. Will you wait for me?”
“Of course.” he agrees and plants our last kiss for now on my lips. “Good bye Yorika.” he whispers.
“Don’t say good bye. Not forever.” I cry.
“Not good bye forever. Never good bye forever.” I sigh and I could hear both our heartbeats thumping together as he breaks me away from him. “I’ll see you again.”
“Wait for me…” I whisper. He nods and caresses my cheeks as I memorize his face before I am torn away. Mom was shouting. Kota was pushing me. Dad was almost here. I could hear his screams.
“I love you Yorika.”
“I love you too, Kota.”

[A/N] I would love to make a part 2 for you if you’d like! Thank you requester! :D