“Haruna! Are you home?” Yuki shouted while walking up the stair.

 

Not a single reply was heard, the house was silence.

 

“Maybe she is sleeping since she is sick.” Umi said, knocking her friend’s bedroom door.

 

“Excuse us…”

 

The two girls soon saw a lump on the bed, under the blanket.

 

“She is asleep… Sorry to disturb…”

 

Umi closes the door quietly. Then, it was already 6 p.m. Which means it is time for dinner.

 

“So… Today, who is going to cook?” Yuki asked, her eyes staring at Umi.

 

“You.”

 

“You!”

 

“Not me! Cooking is not my favorite thing.” Umi protested.

 

“So am I? I only like making dessert! Haruna like cooking, but not me! It is troublesome to cook!” Yuki shudder. “Like when you want to fry something, you must ‘throw’ that something into the oil. Then the oil will splash…”

 

“I don’t know what to cook…” Umi was trying to find excuse.

 

The quarrel continues for a while before Yuki agree to cook for their dinner. Umi smirked secretly. I never lose.

 

Soon, Yuki is done with cooking the girls’ dinner. She arranges the plates nicely on the dining table before walking up the stairs to call her friends.

 

“Umi-Chan! Dinner is ready!”

 

“Hai! I am coming!”

 

Yuki knocked on Haruna’s door before opening the door. “Haru-chan! It is dinner time!”

 

Yuki walked towards Haruna’s bed before pulling the blanket.

 

-…-

 

“Yuki, what’s wrong? Where is Haruna?”

 

“She is not in her room… And I found this on her table.”

 

Umi reached out for the piece of sakura patterned paper. Her eyes widened as she read.

 

“But that lump under her blanket? She could not have just gone to her relative house without passing my room and the kitchen. We would have notice.” Umi said, still staring at that piece of paper.

 

“That lump is actually her Hello Kitty…”

 

Haruna’s Hello Kitty is nearly as big as a 9 years old human.

 

“.”  

 

Umi immediately fished out her phone and dialed Haruna’s number.

 

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable.” A female voice echoed.

 

The two girls just stare at each other in disbelief. Not knowing that their food is turning cold.

-…-

 

“Thank you for helping me.” The girl bowed at the taller guy.

 

“Sure. You don’t have to be so formal towards me, Haruna.”

 

The girl gave a thin smile. “Thank you, really. Shin.”

 

Shin let out a laugh. “It is so nostalgia. It has been so long since you called me that.”

 

“Yeah, after we broke up. We never talk to each other since that.”

 

“Somehow, I missed the time when we used to.”

 

Haruna turned and stare at Shin. Shocked.  But after a while she laughed unnaturally.

 

“You are the one who wanted to break up. And now, you are saying that?” Haruna asked, avoiding eye contact with Shin.

 

Suddenly, Shin turned Haruna to his direction. Looking straight into her eyes. “I am serious. I really regret that I broke up with you. If I can go back in time, I will definitely change our fate. And I will still be holding you like this.”

 

Haruna was feeling awkward in his embrace but yet warm, she knows that she have to push him away but somehow she don’t have the strength.  Maybe she can’t since this is the arms that she once loves. She too feels uncomfortable by his gaze.

 

“Ouch…”

 

“Sorry, did it hurt?” Shin asked, letting Haruna go. Haruna bit her lip, rubbing her shoulder softly.

 

“It is alright, it does not hurt that much…”

 

“So… What happen?” Shin asked looking concern.

 

Haruna heart melts, seeing him looking at her with the same concern look made her hurtful feelings of being dumped back then in junior high arose again.

 

Having no reply, Shin simply just says, “I am not forcing you to tell me. But lying there on the ground and your body with wounds.  Are you bullied?”

 

“… I don’t want to talk about it…”

 

“And why are you running away from home?” Shin asked, pointing at Haruna’s luggage.

 

“Cause, I don’t think I can regain my usual self for a while? So, I want to go to Hokkaido to visit my grandparents since I have not visit for 2 years.  Shin, no, I think I will call you Mori since our love story has already ended. Please don’t tell my friends about where am I going or what happen. Arioka-san saw us together; he will surely say that I am with you today. And lastly, don’t mention about what happen earlier.”

 

“The train to Hokkaido; Sapporo is leaving soon. Passengers taking the train to Hokkaido please board the train soon.”

 

“I think I have to go. Thank you, Mori-kun.” Haruna bowed before walking to the immigration.

 

“So… We can never go back, can we?” Shin said so soft that it turns into a whisper. He then made his way back.

 

 -…-

 

Haruna sat on the ‘sofa’in the train cabin, bringing out her iPod. She then put the earplugs in. She look outside the window, all she could see was darkness. She is still struck at those moments…

 

-…-

 

“Haruna! Why are you lying here? What happen?” A familiar hoarse voice could be heard.  Haruna opened her eyes to see Mori Shin. Her previous boyfriend.

 

 Shin helped her up.

 

“Nothing much…”  Haruna could not help but burst into tears.

 

“What’s wrong? What happen?”

 

“Nothing.” Haruna immediately wrap away her tears.

 

“Ok, then I will bring you to the infirmary.” Shin helped Haruna to go up the back school stair case. Even though he has many questions in his mind, he thinks that it I better to be quit for now.

 

-…-

 

The nurse helps to apply antiseptic on Haruna’s wounds before pasting plasters on them. After the nurse has finish, Haruna immediately stand up.

 

 

“Thank you very much.”  She thanked the nurse and walked out of the room before the nurse could ask any question.

“You are not going to class? That is not the way to your class right?” Shin asked as he saw Haruna walking down the stair case.

 

Haruna stop dead in her track, before answering,

 

“I don’t feel like going. I want to go home right now. But my friends are probably in the class. I don’t want to see them right now. I will probably burst into tears again. And… and…”  

 

Tears were already rolling down Haruna’s cheeks. She then felt a pat on her head. She spun around to find Shin patting her head.

 

“It is alright. I feel like this sometime. You are always like to put on brave front right? You don’t even like to show people your tears.”

 

Upon seeing the gentle smile of Shin, she cried even harder.

 

Soon, they reached the school gate.  

 

“Thank you, Shin. I am going then.” Haruna walked 2 steps away before realizing that her bag is in the classroom! That includes her wallet.  Haruna stood transfixed.

 

“Don’t tell me, you don’t have your wallets with you?”

 

Haruna nodded slowly. Shin let out a heavy sigh. “Ah! Fine! I will go with you then.”

Haruna looked up, surprised.

 

“Then, I will wait that the bus stop.” Haruna said walking towards the bus stop.

 

Shin nodded running back to the school.  Haruna took out her phone. She think for a while before sending her friend the message to help her ring her bag home with them and that she will go home first.

 

After sending, she heard heavy footsteps behind her.  She turned around and remembers that Shin is a very fast runner.  He show Haruna his school bag, smiling.

 

“Now, I can lend you my money!”

 

Then Daiki who seems to be late for school was running towards their direction. It dawn on Haruna that Daiki must have just alighted from the bus. Daiki waved at Haruna before disappearing into the distance.

 

“That is Arioka? He is late? Seriously?” Shin looked annoyed. 

 

“Come on!” Shin said as he pulls Haruna.

 

-…-

 

Reaching her house, Haruna thanked Shin repeatly and telling him that she is going to Hokkaido. She then asked him to go back to school or go home but he insisted to go with her to send her to the train station.

 

 Haruna asked Shin to wait in the living room while she packed her stuffs. She then took all the money in her piggybank and uses her old wallet that she is no longer using to put in her money. She changes her clothes and called her grandparents telling them that she is going for a visit.

 

She then tears a piece of paper and wrote:

 

To : Umi and Yuki,

I will be going to my relative house for a visit. Sorry, for not telling you in person. Don’t worry because I will be fine.

 

Haruna

 

“Ok, I am ready. Let’s go.”

 

The two leaves the house and head to the station.

 

-…- ( Back to ‘Now’)

 

Haruna then take in a deep breath.  All the memories that happen today were more than what she can take. She then noticed tears were rolling her cheeks but she can’t seem to care. She too noticed that people were staring at her worriedly but she doesn’t care.  She doesn’t care even if they laugh at her.  She changed the song that she is listening to a sad song.  The melodies made her heart twisted in pain.  Before she realized, she have reached her destination.