Prelude 2
The vibration that shook only my hand immediately made its way to my heart. I was sure something had happened, so I wasn’t surprised at all. I resigned myself, knowing that it would come eventually, and that made my heart tremble.
Today, after school, he was called by the teacher. I saw him leave the classroom, and was confident he wouldn’t come back to the classroom.
I was in no mood to hang out with anyone. As soon as I got home, I collapsed onto the living room sofa in my uniform, and stared at the ceiling. My mom warned me over and over about how my skirt and blazer would get wrinkled. Eventually, I dragged my feet and got changed, only to sink into the depths of my bed. I covered myself with a fluffy blanket and my body was wedged into place, unable to move.
My smartphone vibrated once, and only once. Was it from him, or was it from her? I wasn’t sure, but it probably wasn’t going to be anything good.
I moved my arms and carried my smartphone to my face, hoping the sender was someone else entirely. At the very top, a message from her was displayed. There was no need to even open the application, because it was a mere single line, fully viewable in the notifications alone. I read it in its entirety without having to leave the “seen” notice.
“Can we meet?”
That was all that was written with nothing else mentioned. But I knew something had happened.
I could’ve just ignored it, and waited until later to respond. Because by doing that, I was sure we could’ve continued our relationship for a little longer. Such unfair thoughts ran through my mind. But above all else, she had something she wanted to tell me, and that made me so happy I cried. My feelings were a total mess.
It’s because I think I had been waiting this entire time, waiting for the moment she would be ready to tell me. And because I was too scared to say it myself.
That’s why, I responded to her message, saying that I’d be on my way, and put on the coat I had flung aside. As I tapped my sneakers into place at the entrance, I received a reply confirming our meeting location.
It was a place that we had to go to. It wasn’t that far, and it was fairly close, even. And soon, things would end.
I had no intention of running at all, but as soon as I stepped outside, the pacing of my legs gradually grew faster and faster.
The front of the station was considerably crowded. Even so, I was still easily able to spot her sitting on a bench under a street light.
Sitting upright with closed eyes, her hands rested atop her skirt, and she appeared so still as though she would melt into her surroundings. She was wearing her coat, and while it was still so cold out, it looked like it didn’t bother her in the least.
Upon hearing my footsteps, she slowly opened her eyes. Then, she wore a smile so clear and beautiful that rivaled the night, winter sky.
“Good evening.”
Her smile was so stunning that I found myself at a loss for words. When they said something beautiful takes your breath away, I think this was what they meant.
I nodded back, unable to say anything due to catching my breath from running. I immediately removed my muffler and sat beside her. Because if I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have been able to take my eyes off of her.
I had never seen a girl as beautiful as her. I always thought I knew what a cute or beautiful girl looked like, but she was the first girl that left me gasping.
I took a deep breath in place of a sigh, and asked, “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to talk to you for a bit,” she answered, taking a moment. Then, she continued, carefully choosing her words, “We’ll be holding the prom.”
“Oh, great, that’s good to hear…” I said, finally finding some peace of mind. It was something that had been on my mind for a while. For just a moment, his twisted eyes flashed through my mind, and I let out a relieved sigh. It must’ve been louder than it sounded because she giggled.
“It’s thanks to you.”
“I didn’t do—”
Anything at all. I couldn’t do a single thing.
I interrupted myself with a nod. She looked at me, and then suddenly into the distance, and whispered, “…And also thanks to him.”
Upon hearing her utterance, my body quivered. I dragged my sight to the floor, unable to look at her directly.
“…That’s not true. You did your best, too.”
“It’s okay, I’m fully aware that isn’t the case.”
My words sounded like a diversion, or an excuse, but she shook her head.
“I relied on him again…” she said, jestingly. Unlike her typical mature manner of speaking, she sounded just so childish in comparison that it caught me off guard. She then quickly lifted her gaze with a bashful smile as though to hide her embarrassment.
“I knew what he was planning to do, but I couldn’t refuse him,” she said, raising her eyes slightly upwards, and looking far, far away. I followed her gaze, but could only make out tall buildings.
“But that’s over now.”
The night city bustled with noise, but I could still hear her voice clearly, despite sounding so soft and frail, almost as if they resembled the building lights afar. It was like how a fleeting red light would appear as a blot, but then gradually disperse into the darkness. That voice rode along the fiercely, blowing wind.
“I told him everything.”
Her long hair fluttered and obscured her face like a veil. When it settled down, she combed her hair with one hand, and slowly placed it to her ear.
Then, she smiled; a smile that was so pristine in appearance, as if the night, spring wind had done away with all kinds of things. It was a smile that I had always loved, and a beautiful smile that I would continue to love.
In seeing that, it made me realize that this relationship was going to be over.
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