UNEXPECTED part 5
Miyuki was sitting on the bench at the park located close by their school. The place was kind of deserted except for some people who stroll around once in a while. But Miyuki doesn’t pay any attention at them. She was panting hard. She was alone under the darkening sky. And the first thing she thought of was to send a mail to Nakajima Kento, asking him to accompany her for a while.
At the moment, when she was waiting for Kento to arrive, when she wasn’t really doing anything, Miyuki suddenly felt something. She was confused, she really didn’t know. But nonetheless, it hurts…she didn’t feel like coming home yet. For the first time in her life, she lost any sense of direction in her life.
And it was also at that moment, when she was completely fragile and helpless, that everything that happened a while ago came rushing back in her mind like flowing water…
“Na…Nana…ko?” she said. She was trembling all over. She didn’t know how to react. She just saw her best friend kissing with the one she hates, the one who she might still like after all.
But Nanako wasn’t looking at her. She turned her back on her, completely embarrassed. On the other hand, Chinen was gaping at her, wide-eyed, as if he was caught doing something that he’d rather not do. It’s as if he’s actually speechless. As if everything is not supposed to be his fault…
At last, someone finally broke the silence─
“Miyuki…” said Chinen quietly.
Miyuki averted his gaze from Nanako to Chinen gradually. He was staring back at her with a weird look on his eyes as though pleading her to understand. But she didn’t understand. She can’t comprehend anything at all.
When she didn’t answer, Chinen slowly made his way to where she is. Miyuki followed his movements with her eyes. Chinen stopped in front of her. He was looking deadly serious.
“Miyu─” he touched Miyuki’s face with his fingertips.
At that instance, Miyuki’s senses went back. She weakly pushed Chinen away from her.
“Don’t…ever touch…me…” said Miyuki feebly.
“Miyuki, you don’t under─”
“What did I not understand?!” burst Miyuki suddenly. “I saw you kissing with my best friend! That already explained everything!”
“I’m not denying that I did that but please, if you would just listen to me…” pleaded Chinen.
“What did I ever do to make you hate me so much, huh?” asked Miyuki, not really expecting him to answer. “Why, Chinen-kun, do you have to get her involve. Why are you so keen in hurting me?! Nande?! Tell me…nande…I don’t understand you at all…”
“Miyu─” Chinen was looking utterly helpless now.
“Don’t call me by my name!” shouted Miyuki. “Don’t think you can just do everything you want! I’m tired of all of this. I’m tired of fighting. Now if everything would suffice if I just stop, then I will. I give up…I’ll never bother you, I’ll never talk to you again!”
Miyuki started to run. She thought she heard Chinen shout her name one last time, but she never dared look back. She thought she might explode if she did so. She even thought Chinen was actually following her but Miyuki know as much as her head can tell that Chinen would never do that. He is a heartless creature after all. And thinking that he might actually be affected by everything she said is entirely nonsense.
Miyuki ran and ran without any sense of where she’s heading. She continued to run until she arrived to where she is right now.
She was so engrossed in everything that happened that she barely noticed that it’s raining all around her. The few people who were still there went running to find a nice cover to spend time waiting for the rain to stop. She watched them as they all went out of her sight. Miyuki didn’t even budge. She doesn’t care if she’s all wet or if she might get sick staying there. She doesn’t care about anything at all.
Miyuki then let out her hand, watching absentmindedly as the heavy rain made contact with it. And then she started to cry, cry as if she’d never cried before. She was shaking so hard. She didn’t know exactly why she’s crying but it felt good to spill something out. Was it from too much hate or was it from something else? She can’t deny that she hated Chinen even more and that she kind of hated her best friend now. But every time the scene wherein Chinen was kissing Nanako passionately flashed back into her mind, she feels a different kind of pain as though someone was continuously stabbing her heart. It dominates her whole body. It hurts so bad she can’t handle the pain.
Miyuki doesn’t know what time it is. The sky was not helping since it might be that dark because of the rain. She doesn’t know how long she was crying. But she just can’t manage to fight back the tears that are continuously escaping her eyes.
And then suddenly, Miyuki thought the rain had finally stopped. But then when she looked up, she saw a guy holding an umbrella just enough to protect the two of them from the heavy rain. Miyuki’s vision was slightly blurry yet she managed to see that it was Kento, staring seriously down at her.
“What are you doing, baka…” Kento said gently.
Miyuki stared wildly at him for a moment. And then, when she can’t restrain herself any further, she stood up indignantly and hugged him tightly. Clutching the back of his shirt firmly with her hands, Miyuki suddenly burst into tears again as though she still hasn’t cried her heart out.
“Kento-kun…it hurts…it hurts a lot….” sobbed Miyuki hard, her shoulders shaking as she tried her best to even speak.
Kento patted her back with his free hand. When Miyuki was calmed enough to remember her own self, Kento finally let go of her.
“Miyu, you should go home now, your parents must be worried,” he said.
“Yeah, I guess so…” answered Miyuki weakly, wiping out her tears.
“I’ll take you there,” said Kento.
“Arigatou Kento-kun…” sobbed Miyuki. “For everything…”
“Betsuni, I’m just doing what a good friend should do,” he smiled. Miyuki managed to smile back.
Kento put his free arm around Miyuki’s shoulder. They then started to walk away from the park.
Meanwhile, Chinen finally went out of his hiding place, just behind a tree. He was still wearing his school uniform and was dripping wet from head to toes. He watched as Miyuki and Kento disappeared from sight. How he wished he was the one to comfort Miyuki and take her home instead of Kento. But he wasn’t able to do anything but watch as she was crying. He can’t do anything ‘coz he was the one who hurt her and because he, again, is the reason why tears spilled out from her eyes.
The least he can do is to ball his fist as he walked away with regret.