Unstoppable Rivalry-- FINAL CHAPTER
Title: Unstoppable Rivalry
Genre: AU,School life, Romance
Pairing: Yamada x FC (Shida Mirai)
Rating: G
Summary: Yamada and Shida have known each other for as long as they can remember. When they were young, Shida falls in love with Ryosuke but when she was about to confess, an incident occurs that greatly offends her and causes her heartbreak. Since then, she hates him and stays away from him. As they grow older, they try to defeat each other in every way they can. Even though they don’t admit it, there’s this bond that proves them to be secret rivals.
Chapter 11
Wednesday. 8 AM.
Shida slowly walked to the coffee shop looking bothered by something. At last she reached her destination and entered the place. Her eyes roamed around the room, at every table inside. A man sitting near the glass wall smiled and waved to her. It was he. She smiled back and took her seat.
"Ohayou Misaki-kun," she greeted first. Misaki looked at her and greeted back. After exchanging a few icebreaking questions, the two ordered for their preferred coffee.
"Here's your coffee," the waitress said, offering two cups from the tray she was carrying. The bowed and thanked in reply.
"Anou...Misaki-kun, I'm sorry but I can only stay until 9. I need to go somewhere else by that time." Mirai said apologetically.
"Piano competition, right? No problem. In fact, I would be glad if you go there."
Mirai was confused by his answer. She looked at him, waiting for further explanation. "Last time you asked me why I transferred to Horikoshi, right?"
Mirai nodded. "The reason is...your classmate, Nishiuchi Mariya. We were classmates back then at Tomoya High, in fact, best friends. My family wanted to enlarge their properties, so they gave me the daughter of a rich businessman to be my wife. Our relationship didn't work out. I already loved Mariya by that time, she also loved someone else so we secretly broke up and entered relationships against our parents' will."
"So Mariya is your current girlfriend?"
"I hope so." he frowned. "We didn't dare tell our parents about the issue because they warned us not to escape from our responsibilities. We weren't ready those times. So we pretended to have relationship yet, and at the same time, planned on how to discuss the matter to our families. This part, though, was not clear with Mariya. She thought I hadn't exactly broken up with my fiancee and was just playing with her. She didn't confront me. She transferred to another school instead, here in Horikoshi."
Mirai nodded again, understanding the issue. "That is why you transferred here as well. You want her back in your life."
"Yes, exactly. But she never gave me a chance to explain. She doesn't want to talk and she had another boyfriend, that Yamada guy."
"O...ohh yes..." she sulked.
"But I could never let her go until I'm convinced she has stopped loving me." He looked at Mirai. "So I would like to ask you a favor,"
"Please talk to her for me. Tell her I'm waiting here and to come if she still has feelings for me."
"Sure,"
"Thanks Mirai! I hope she comes."
Mirai smiled and took a sip of coffee. When the clock stroke 9, she bid the guy goodbye and walked to where the piano competition was being held. She reached the place just in time Ryosuke had started playing the piece. She smiled as she watched him play. Indeed he's good. She won't have any regrets he had to compete instead of her.
Seeing the part where the whole class was seated was full, she looked for an empty seat somewhere else. Finally she found one at the back row.
"Ohh niichan...Mirai's here," she whispered to his brother who seated beside her as she noticed Mirai passed by the aisle. The older guy nodded and they secretly moved to the seats just in front Mirai's. They were tall enough to block the girl so she would not be noticed.
The competition was finally over and the decision was unanimous. As everyone has expected, Ryosuke got the first place. When everyone was about to leave, she rose up and accidentally saw Mariya walking towards her.
"Mirai," she called, "you came."
"Uhn."
"Why were you late? We've been looking for you," she smiled and pointed at Ryosuke's direction. "He's been looking for you."
She glanced at Ryosuke who seemed to be restlessly looking for someone. Impossible, she thought.
"Sorry I had to meet someone a while ago,"
"Dare?"
"Misaki-kun. Takahata Misaki." Mirai noticed a change of expression in Mariya's face. Finally, she spoke up.
"He asked me to tell you he loves you and you're the only girl in her life."
Mariya looked at her surprised.
Mirai smiled. "He's waiting for you at the cafe."
Mariya suddenly embraced the girl tight. Tears flowed down her cheeks. "Arigatou, Mirai." she whispered. She was supposed to leave but turned back for the last time. "I wanted to celebrate his birthday with him but I know he wants to celebrate it with the girl he likes."
Mirai tried to ask her but she already rushed outside. She remembered then the gift she brought with her for Ryosuke.
I should give him this. She told herself. She looked back to where Ryosuke stood but he was already nowhere in sight. She ran out of the building and continued looking for him.
"There he is!" she exclaimed and approached the guy. "Ryo--" She called but was interrupted by a phone call. "Who could this be?"
Her eyes widened as she saw who the caller was.
******
Ryosuke could not help being bothered by Mirai. His sister's words played repeatedly in his mind. He needed to talk with her. She could not be somebody else's. At last, he ran outside and decided to look for her.
"Darn! I don't even know which cafe they went." He grabbed his phone from his pocket and dialed Mirai's number. "Please answer...Mirai please answer."
"Hello?" the receiver softly answered.
"Did you meet him?"
"Who?"
"Misaki."
"Uhn, yes."
"Did you start something with him?"
"What do you mean?
"Do you like him?"
"Of course...as a friend. But not as a man."
"How about me?"
"Huh?"
"Do you like me?"
"Ohh...of course...as a friend."
"As a man?"
"Huh?"
"Do you like me as a man?" There was a long silence. Soon he heard the noise of a vehicle from the receiver's background. It was the same sound he heard from the bus passing by. He turned around and found Mirai behind him...looking at him.
"Yes."
Ryosuke ended the call then walked towards her and hugged her. "Mirai, throughout these 18 years," he whispered then continued with the three words.